Heirloom ducks? Yes, but before we get to that let’s talk about my 2nd great-grandmother who is connected to them.
As with most Marys of her time, Mary F. Morris was called Polly. She was born in the Watts Creek area of Harlan County, Kentucky to Littleton Morris and Martha Mark. The year is debatable, but it was probably about 1830. 1
Her birth date is unknown and her age in census records varies greatly from one census to the next but 1830 is the best guess. Her father’s household had a female under 5 in 1830 and between 10-15 in 1840 that is almost certainly her and she was listed as 20 years old in 1850 living with her parents.2 She was listed as 35 in 1860, 37 in 1870, 45 in 1880, 59 in 1900, and 82 in 1910.3
Polly became the third wife of John Covey Howard on 10 Mar 1856 at the home of her parents.4 Seven years before that she gave birth to her first child, Emily Sylvania. From all indications, Polly and her daughter’s father were not married but, according to my grandmother and Emily’s death certificate, his name was Enoch Ball.5
Polly was half John Covey’s age when they married. His first wife disappeared in 1849 or 1850 leaving him with 11 children, five of them under 10 years old. His second marriage only lasted two or three years but added two more children. Polly and John Covey had seven children together giving her a total of eight and him 20.6
John Covey and Polly owned a farm at Wallins Creek in Harlan County. If you’ve been to Wallins Creek, you know there wasn’t much farmland there. (Just look at this Google Map view.) I don’t know what kind of farmer John Covey was (yes, checking the U.S. Census Agriculture Schedule is on the to-do list) but most of their “farm” was mountainside.7
After John Covey’s death in 1899, Polly lived with their daughter Lucinda Hopkins and her family.8 When they left Harlan County for Rockcastle County (and better farmland) about 1901, Polly moved in with daughter Sarah Brock and her husband.9
Polly’s date of death is unknown, but she apparently died between 1910 and 1920. At least, she wasn’t with any of her living children in the 1920 census. The burial location for Polly and John Covey is unknown.
Now about those stuffed ducks. . .
While I don’t know what kind of farmer John Covey was, I do know the Howards raised sheep. Whether that was a few for personal use or a large number, I do not know. Polly spun their wool, dyed the yarn, and wove her own fabrics. When my maternal grandfather (Polly’s grandson) died in 1980, two wool throws Polly had made were among his things.
My mother had two sisters living at the time.
That’s two throws divided by three great-granddaughters.
Their solution?
Cut each one into three pieces.
My mother made the ducks from her pieces to keep the fabric from unraveling over time.
Written for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge from Amy Johnson Crow.
This post was originally published in 2014 but has been revised.
- 1850 U.S. census, Harlan County, Kentucky, population schedule, District 1, p. 32B, dwelling 325, family 325, Littleton Morris; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 Jul 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M432, roll 203. ↩
- 1830 U.S. census, Hopkins County, Kentucky, p. 116, line 14, Littleton Morris; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 Jan 2008); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M19, roll 38. … 1840 U.S. census, Harlan County, Kentucky, p. 102, line 7, Littleton Morris digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : 30 Jan 2008); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M704, roll 113. … 1850 U.S. census, Harlan County, Kentucky, pop. sch., District 1, p. 32B, dwell. 325, fam. 325, Littleton Morris. ↩
- 1860 U.S. census, Hopkins County, Kentucky, population schedule, p. 443, dwelling 822, family 822, ; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 Jun 2004); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M653, roll 371. … 1870 U.S. census, Harlan County, Kentucky, population schedule, Mt. Pleasant, p. 22, dwelling 144, family 144, John C. Howard; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 Feb 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M593, roll 468. … 1880 U.S. census, Harlan County, Kentucky, population schedule, 6th Magisterial District, enumeration district (ED) 46, p. 474D, dwelling 31, family 31, J. C. Howard; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 Mar 2011); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T9, roll 421. … 1900 U.S. census, Harlan County, Kentucky, population schedule, Wallins Creek, Mag. Dist. #7, enumeration district (ED) 54, sheet 9A, p. 94 (stamped), dwelling 147, family 147, James Hopkins; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623, roll 525. … 1910 U.S. census, Harlan County, Kentucky, population schedule, Wallins Creek, enumeration district (ED) 88, sheet 7A, dwelling 114, family 126, Elijah Brock; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 September 2012); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T624, roll 477. ↩
- Harlan County, Kentucky, Kentucky County Marriages, 1797-1954, Vol A,1 1820-1905: pg 298, Howard-Morris, 1856; digital images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 23 Feb 2018). ↩
- Emma Ewers Taylor Hopkins, “Our Family History” (fill in the blanks family history book, Loyall, Kentucky, 1976-1978); privately held by Faye Hopkins McCauley Mt. Vernon, Kentucky, 1978. … Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, (Death Certificates, Office of Vital Statistics, Frankfort), 27049 (1935), Emily Howard. ↩
- Emma Ewers Taylor Hopkins, “Our Family History (1976-1978)”. ↩
- I’ve seen the property. ↩
- Emma Ewers Taylor Hopkins, “Our Family History (1976-1978)”. … 1900 U.S. census, Harlan County, Kentucky, pop. sch., Wallins Creek, Mag. Dist. #7, ED 54, sheet 9A, p. 94 (stamped), dwell. 147, fam. 147, James Hopkins. ↩
- 1910 U.S. census, Harlan County, Kentucky, pop. sch., Wallins Creek, ED 88, sheet 7A, dwell. 114, fam. 126, Elijah Brock. ↩
Mary’s weaving skills were clearly very good, as these ducks have lovely colors and a bit of personality.
Those ducks are lovely. What a great way to preserve the heirloom fabric.
Those ducks are lovely. What a great way to preserve the heirloom fabric!