Mary Jane LeGrand

b. 23 January 1830, d. 19 March 1900

Mary Jane LeGrand Wood, 1830-1900
  • Mary Jane LeGrand was born on 23 January 1830 in North Carolina.
  • William Chambers LeGrand and Jane Green Paul appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1830 in West Side PeeDee River, Montgomery County, North Carolina, and it is an educated guess that the male age 10-14 is William's younger brother Thomas.. Other (counted but unnamed) members of the household apparently included Mary Jane LeGrand.
  • William Chambers LeGrand and Jane Green Paul appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1840 in Macon County, Alabama. Other (counted but unnamed) members of the household apparently included Mary Jane LeGrand, Milton Paul LeGrand, Margaret Deborah LeGrand and Cornelia Anne Elizabeth LeGrand.
  • Following the deaths of their parents William Chambers and Jane Green Paul LeGrand in the early 1840s, the LeGrand children were taken into various families. Mary Jane, the eldest, spent time with Charles and Sarah Norman Rush and with Theodore and Caroline Mays Brevard. She and Green Mark Wood were married by Judge Brevard, and they named their first child Rush Brevard Wood. Margaret was raised as the only child of Letitia Ann Wood McNair (daughter of Green Wood’s cousin Ashley Wood) and her husband Edward McNair. Cornelia was raised in the household of Charles and Sarah Norman Rush, and Virginia William “Willie” was raised from infancy as the only child of John Henry and Mary Harris Gindrat (whose niece Sarah Anne Harris later married Willis Breazeal Wood). Likely son Milton Paul LeGrand also was taken into the Rush family, but no record has been found of his earlier years; by 1850, at age 17, he was serving as an apprentice in the household of druggist Henry F. Godden in Marion, Alabama.
  • She married Green Mark Wood, son of Green Wood and Mary Wilkie Hall, on 9 April 1846 in Tuskegee, Macon County, Alabama, with Theodore W. Brevard officiating.
  • When the Wood family traveled to Texas by water in 1850, Mary Jane LeGrand Wood and children joined them on the steamer at Selma. It is an educated guess that for some time prior to the relocation she and the children were staying with Letitia Ann McNair (daughter of Green's cousin Ashley Wood) who raised Mary Jane's sister Margaret LeGrand.
  • On Sunday, 26 May 1850, Green Wood recorded in his plantation daily account book: "A very fine day, had Green & wife & Rush to dinner."
  • Green Mark Wood and Mary Jane LeGrand appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1850 in Walker County, Texas, near Danville.. Other members of the household included Rush Brevard Wood and Solomon William Wood.
  • On Sunday, 30 June 1850, Green Wood recorded in his plantation daily account book: "Green M. Wood & wife & children & Willis B. Wood wife children & Duncan G. Campbell all Dined with us to day at the new place."
  • On Sunday, 4 August 1850, Green Wood recorded in his plantation daily account book: "As usual Green & his wife & children spent the day with us."
  • On Sunday, 8 September 1850, Green Wood recorded in his plantation daily account book: "A very pleasant day. Green & Willis & their Familys Spent the day here."
  • On Sunday, 22 September 1850, Green Wood recorded in his plantation daily account book: "A beautiful day, all in fine health. Mr & Mrs Carothers, Green & Wife & Willis & wife & all their Children & Mr Powell spent the day with us."
  • On Sunday, 3 November 1850, Green Wood recorded in his plantation daily account book: "G. M. & W. B. Wood & their familey's with us & some Gentlemen from Grimes County."
  • On Saturday, 3 May 1851, Green Wood recorded in his plantation daily account book: "Mrs. Abercrombie spent the week with us. " And on the following day, "Had Mrs. & Mr. Abercrombie, Mrs & Mr [Thomas] Carothers, G. M. Wood and family and Willis B. Wood to dinner with us. Mr. A. and family returned home this evening." Noted above entry: "Paid Abercrombie 1 Barrel flour and 1 of pork, due him 1 Barrel pork yet."
  • Evelina Wood wrote on 14 May 1855, to her daughter Lizzie Powell, undergoing treatment for cancer in Murfreesboro, Tennessee: ". . . Mary Jane has another son born the 8th of May she call him Milton Le Grand, he favors all the rest, will be very dark-skinned -- Rush & Solomon go to school, they are fond of it. Mary Jane is doing finely, Leah waited on her all last week. . . ." Letter in private collection of B. M. Henwood, descendant of Wm Wood Powell; original transcription by R. E. Reichardt.
  • Green Wood wrote to Bolling Hall Jr. in Alabama on 26 August 1855, ". . . Billy has gone to Church - Josey & Mary Jane are with Lizzie, - she has mended considerably but requires a good deal of attention . . ."
  • Upon the grave marker of Capt. Charles George Rush in the Rush family cemetery in Macon County, Alabama, who died on 9 December 1857, is written:
         Here lies C.G. Rush, the orphans friend,
         and we the children of W.C. & J.G. LeGrand
          are numbered with the many for whom he
         cared, he is gone but his memory will ever
         be cherished by the orphans.
  • On 31 January 1859, Mary Jane LeGrand wrote to John Brown LeGrand:
         Danville Texas - January 31st 59
    My Dear Uncle
         Your letter to my husband has just been received. I was much gratified to hear from you all, and would like to keep up a correspondence with you, and certain it will not be my fault if we do not. When we first moved to this state I wrote to uncle Uncle Edwin, received one letter from him in which he promised me he would make me a visit. I looked for him until we heard of his death 6 years ago. I wrote to Uncle E. twice after the reception of his letter but heard no more from him. It seems to me I wrote to you also, am not certain tho. Tell Uncle E. he has treated me badly not to visit or write either. He must now make amends and come to see me. I have six children, as many as you, 5 boys and one girl. I think I have a very interesting family all good looking and smart. Am glad my informant was mistaken about Uncle E. I suppose he had heard there was a LeGrand dead and took it for granted it was him as he had not known him. Did Uncle James have a family? Who did Aunt Sallie's daughters marry? I do wish some of you would visit me. I am so anxious to see and know some of my own kin. Give much love to them all, and tell them to write. I would gladly receive a letter from any of them. Uncle Henry Wade is the only one of my fathers family I remember ever to have seen, he was at my house in Ala. after I was married. Did he have a family? He told me he married a widow lady, who had a daughter as large as myself. I never knew whether he was in earnest or not. Do you ever hear from him? Has my other Uncle Wade a family? Please write about them. I have long wanted to know my kin. Pa & Ma you know left 5 children, 4 girls and one son. They are all married and doing well except the youngest. She is now grown, 18 years old this month, she only came out as a young lady this winter, has been going to school all the time. Mrs Gindrat the lady that raised her has no children of her own, she treats Willie as though she was her own child. She has had every advantage. The rest have all had the same good luck. I have seen none of them since we moved to Texas 9 years ago. Willie is comming to see me this spring, Mrs Gindrat speaks of coming with her. Happy will be the time when we meet. Brother Milton deserves a great deal of credit. He went out to make a living for himself at 16 years of age. He now owns part of a large drug establishment in Montgomery Ala, his father-in-law and himself are in partnership. Brother is a very steady hard working man, attends very closely to his business. He has only one child, a little girl. Sister Margaret married a Mr Weaver, she has three little daughters. Sister Cornelia married Dr Johnston, a dentist. She has a little boy only a few months old. They are both living in Selma Ala. We all correspond. Do write often Uncle. What are the ages of your children? My oldest is 12 years old to day. Please give my love to all the kin and tell them I would be most happy to see any of them. Tell me your wifes name when you write again. With love to her and the children, believe me your affectionate Niece, Mary J. Wood
         I hope to hear from you again very soon
    Minimal punctuation added by the transcriber to enhance readability.
  • On Wednesday, 11 September 1859, Green Wood recorded in his plantation daily account book: "Green & Willis and their wives went to the Thicket this morning."
  • On 23 March 1860, Mary Jane LeGrand wrote to John Brown LeGrand:
              Danville Texas - March 23 60
    My Dear Uncle
         Do excuse my long silence. It has been an effort for me to write for the last five or six months. I need to be fond of it. I am sorry I feel so as it will be the means of my writing less often, and I am so very fond of receiving answers from my relatives and friends. I have written but one letter since I wrote you before. I had a letter from Sister Willie yesterday. She is to be married next month. They speak of making me a visit immediately. Cant some of you meet them here. I would be glad to see you, and she would love to meet an Uncle. Come if you can and let us have a rejoicing. Brother Milton has quit the drug business and bought the place we left in Alabama. I do not know whether he will farm or market. He has not written me himself, am looking for a letter every mail from him. Uncle he is a noble man, I wish you knew him. Farmers are anticipating a fine crop year all bussy preparing and planting. Our neighborhood have all finished planting corn. Some are through planting cotton. That is not our luck however, though Mr Wood is planting. My garden is looking very well. We have Lettuce, radishes, spinage, mustard to eat, peas are blooming, beans tmatoes & cucubers are up. Have transplanted cabage plants, beets will soon be large enough to eat. I will have a quantity of strawberries. They are just begining to ripen. Will have very few peaches, the trees were nearly all killed. Figs were killed to the root, raspberries very much injured, plumbs were not hurt much. Our four oldest are still at school. Tell Uncle Edwin I am still looking for him. Write soon Uncle and tell me all about your family and all the kin. With love to Aunt and the children, I am as ever your niece
              M. J. Wood
    Please write soon.
         Minimal punctuation added by the transcriber to enhance readability.
  • Green Mark Wood and Mary Jane LeGrand appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1860 in Danville PO, Walker County, Texas. Other members of the household included Rush Brevard Wood, Solomon William Wood, Robert Cummings Wood, Martha Frances P. Wood, Milton LeGrand Wood and George Scovell Wood.
  • The following appeared on 16 April 1862 in The Tri-Weekly Telegraph:
    Ed. Telegraph--I beg to acknowledge the receipt of the following articles, contributed for the Hempstead Hospital, by the ladies of Danville and Waverly, through Mrs. Major Green Wood, of Danville, Montgomery county:
         278 lbs. lard, 160 lbs. ham, 40 lbs. soap, 6 doz. candles, 88 lbs. butter, 93 doz. eggs, 2 calico spreads, 2 comforts, 12 mattrasses, 30 sheets, 27 pillows, 40 pillow cases, 40 towels, donated by the following persons:
         Mrs. Mayfield, Mrs. Hughes, Mrs. Spiller, Mrs. Sessum, Miss Sarah L. Davis, Mrs. Green M. Wood, Mrs. J. M. Leivi, Mrs. Geo. Redding, Mrs. Major Redding, Mrs. Maj. Green Wood, Mrs. McGarr, Mrs. Charles Abercrombie, Mrs. Tryler, Mrs. Dr. Carr, Mrs. W. B. Scott, Miss Thompson, Mrs. Tabb, Mrs. Richard Williams, Waverly; Mrs. Col. Campbell, do; Mrs. Dr. Campbell, do; Mrs. Dr. Scott, do; Mrs. Col. Jno. Hill, do; Mrs. John C. Abercrombie, do; Mrs. Laura A. Scott, do; Mrs. Wm. B. Wood, Danville; Mrs. Wynne, do; Master Solomon Wood; Major Green Wood's servant[s], 31 doz. eggs; Mrs. Green Wood, cash, $10; Miss Sarah L. Davis, $10; Mrs. Dr. Stewart, $5.
                        Mrs. C. A. Groce,
                    Principal Hempstead Hospital.
    Hempstead, April 10th, 1862.
  • On 7 October 1864, Mary Jane LeGrand wrote to Rush Brevard Wood:
         Danville, Texas
    My Darling Son:
         I have been feeling quite uneasy about you. We heard you were sick from eating fruit. Do my dear child take care of yourself and you must feel no hesitancy in going to Mr. Spyker's if you should get sick or wounded. Your Pa has written to Mr. Spyker concerning you. They are most excellent people. You will feel perfectly at home there, and no doubt he would take pleasure in having the son of his old friend with him. Should you get back to Louisiana, Mr. Cummings Post Office is Collinsburg.
         Well my child, I have your clothes all ready, I believe all you sent for. I put your gloves both pair in your coat pockets. Mrs. Preston Spiller knit the woolen gloves for you. Your Pa bought the other pair.
         Rush, I did not make the coat as you directed. I intended making a short one too, but did not have time. I have had three attacks of chills and fever since Felix came home. That is why I did not have time for making the other coat. Am just up now from the last attack. I hope what I send will please you. The coat is a very good one. The outside is not as stout as I would have liked. That part of it your Grandma gave you. I made everything myself except the knitting. The socks, Mrs. Wynne knit one pair, and your sister one pair. I will tell you right here, Mrs. Wynne and her family all send much love to you. Miss Ella is looking very pretty. I tried to get her to knit you a pair of socks. She was too much afraid of being teased.
          Miss Sarah has made Jack and yourself each a hat and your Grandma sends each of you a pair of over socks for which you must thank them when you write.
         You liked to have been too late for blankets, just did have time to weave in some on the negro cloth. They are not as heavy as I would wish. It is the best I could do for the time. I intend to weave some as soon as I can and keep some on hand. Your Pa went to get you some tobacco. Mr. Pankey’s Ned has the best of any one else. He asked $2.00 in specie. Your Pa did not get any, of course he said that was entirely too much for his pile. He has gone to get some from your Grandpa’s negroes. Daniel has twisted up some to send you. Your Pa says it is not good. I will mark it so you can tell it.
         Your Pa and I have concluded to send you specie. The confederate money is so worthless. He has made arrangements with Mr. George to get $15.00. The way Mr. George rates it is $6.00. The way it is rated in Houston is $9.00. I hope that will answer your purpose. You must take good care of it.
         Rush, when you write, tell me who all your officers are, from Brigadier Gen. down. I am so glad to see you are writing often. Do continue to do so. I am always so anxious to hear. Give my love to Jack. Tell him if he should get sick he must call on Mr. Spyker. I forgot to mention it when I was speaking of it.
         Your Pa could not get the leather for but one pair of boots. He got the leather from Mr. Wynne. You will find some adhesive plaster. It will be good to put on a cut place. I send you the soap, tho it is not so good. Also a cake of suet and a bundle of rags.
         Rush, let me caution you about using too much tobacco. I hear it is making so many people sick. It made Eason have spasms. He has quit it entirely.
         From your letter to Eliza, I see you are tired of the service. I know it must be very trying to one as young as yourself particularly. I expect it goes as hard with me as it does with you, for I assure you I think of you often, often. You must cheer up and keep in good spirits. You have it to do and must make the best of it. One thing I am proud of in you, you do not aspire to office, or fame. You are fighting for your country’s sake alone. I heard you say that when you was at home last. So many are expecting an early peace. God grant that it may come. The children all join in love to brother Rush. I expect Fanny will want to write. Good bye. May the blessings of God rest upon you now and forever is the prayer of your loving Mother.
         [Signed] M. J. Wood.
  • On 3 December 1864, Green Mark Wood wrote to Rush Brevard Wood:
         Danville, Texas
    My Dear Son:
         I returned home day before yesterday after an absence of three weeks in the Reserve Corps. All were well when I arrived. Campbell was taken sick yesterday and your mother has chills every two or three weeks. The school is out and Solomon will be home today.
         We caught a good many deserters and conscripts in the Big Thicket. We get very little news now. We have not heard a word from you since Jack Williamson's letter just after the arrival of Capt. Raney Fisher. Old Lincoln is elected and the war will probably go on for years to come. So you may make up your mind to remain in the service for years to come. I regret it on account of my children. I shall not be able to give them an education. And I fear should it end you will not feel like going to school.
         I am looking for Mr. Cummings out here. He and his mother-in-law and brother-in-law are going to move out with all their negroes some 700 [sic] to get out of the way of the Yankees.
         I am expecting to send this by Mr. Nathan Burke. I am very hopeful about the final result of the war but very many are desponding.
         Your Uncle Campbell was well when we heard from him last. He had not been assigned to duty as yet. The Yankees captured his horse crossing the Mississippi, and he has not been able to get another. I hope you take good care of your horse. No news worth mentioning. Your mother and all the children send to you and Jack Williamson much love. We were disappointed in not getting a letter by the wagon when it returned. I can think of no more to write.
         Your father, Green M. Wood.
  • Green Mark Wood and Mary Jane LeGrand appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1870 in Huntsville, Walker County, Texas. Other members of the household included Rush Brevard Wood, Solomon William Wood, Robert Cummings Wood, Martha Frances P. Wood, Milton LeGrand Wood, George Scovell Wood, Campbell Clark Wood and Green Alexander Wood.
  • Green Mark Wood appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1880 in Walker County, Texas. Other members of the household included Mary Jane LeGrand, Campbell Clark Wood and Green Alexander Wood.
  • In 1887, a photographic portrait was made of Mary Jane LeGrand Wood with her grandson Langston Goree Wood.
    Mary Jane LeGrand Wood and her grandson Langston Goree Wood
  • Evelina Wood wrote from Willis to her grandson Wood Powell in Christian County, Illinois on 12 April 1887, " . . . Your aunt Mary Jane is going to Montgomery soon & from there to North Carolina to see Mrs. Brevard, the lady by whom she was raised. Dr. Legrand wrote Mary Jane he would foot all of her expenses - a dear good brother. Milton Wood is building a brick house with seven rooms. He is making money & saves it - he has only one child. George Wood & wife will begin keeping house now very soon. Green Aleck will remain with his father & mother. . . ."
         Letter in private collection of B. M. Henwood, descendant of Wm Wood Powell; original transcription by R. E. Reichardt.
  • The following appeared on 16 April 1896 in The Dallas Morning News: (Navasota, April 14) On April 9 Mr. and Mrs. Green M. Wood celebrated their golden wedding at the residence of their daughter, Mrs. L. J. Goree, Revs. Duncan and J. M. Wesson officiating. At the ceremony were five children, thirty-eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren, besides a hundred or more friends. Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves as much as if the venerable couple had just fallen in love with one another instead of having lived together for a half century, and congratulations by word of mouth and telegraph "were as plentiful as leaves in Vallambrosa in autumn." After everybody had wished everybody else everything good an elegant repast was discussed and the party dispersed.
         Green M. Wood, the groom, was born in Georgia in 1814, and lived near the city of Montgomery and married Miss M. J. LeGrand of Tuskegee. In 1849 they settled in Walker county, where they resided till their taking up their residence in this city. They reared a family of seven sons and a daughter, the latter Mrs. L. J. Goree, whom they make their home with. Mr. Wood was a private in the confederate army.
         Mrs. G. M. Wood was a daughter of W. C. LeGrand and was born near Wadesborough, N. C., and removed to Tuskegee at a very early age.
  • With all their children in town for Green Mark and Mary Jane's 50th wedding anniversary celebration in April 1896, it is likely that this was the occasion for the photograph of their five surviving sons, treasured more than a hundred years later by all of their descendants.
    Sons of Green Mark Wood and Mary Jane LeGrand, about 1896
  • Mary Jane LeGrand became a widow at the 5 March 1898 death of her husband Green Mark Wood.
  • In her later years, a photographic portrait was made of Mary Jane LeGrand Wood.
    Mary Jane LeGrand Wood, 1830-1900
  • Mary Jane LeGrand died on 19 March 1900 at age 70 in Navasota, Grimes County, Texas.
  • She was interred at Oakland Cemetery, Navasota, Grimes County, Texas.
  • A single grave marker identifies the graves of Green Mark Wood and Mary Jane LeGrand.
    Green Mark and Mary Jane LeGrand Wood, Oakland Cemetery, Navasota
  • Last Edited: 21 Jan 2016

Family: Green Mark Wood b. 7 September 1814, d. 5 March 1898