Maria Lightfoot 2 3 4 5
- Born: 24 February 1800, Maryland 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
- Marriage (1): Arthur Halferty on 28 January 1817 in Mechanicsburg, PA 1
- Died: 23 December 1873, Fort Madison, IA at age 73 4 5
- Buried: After 23 December 1873, Wilson Pioneer Cemetery, Fort Madison, Lee, IA 5
 Another name for Maria was "Mary" Lightfoot.5 6 7 9
General Notes:
Other sources sometimes list Mary and Maria Lightfoot as two different sisters. However, based on similar dates of events, and the close name relationship between Mary and Maria, I believe these to be the same person. Her given name was no doubt Maria, honoring her grandmother, Maria Salome Dubbs and the use of Mary was probably her commonly used nickname.
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E-mail from Keith A. Dull:
Maria was baptized at the Steltz Lutheran Church in Baltimore, Maryland. She was sponsored by Adam and Salome Schmidt.
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Noted events in her life were:
• She has alternate birth date of 20 March 1800 and a birth location of Maryland.
4
• She appeared on the 1850 US Census in 28th District, Lee County, IA on 11 September 1850. 6
1850 US Census
Page 317A, Family 514, Roll 186
28th District, Lee, Iowa
Mary Halferty..50..PA
(Living with husband and 9 children.)
.
• She appeared on the 1860 US Census in Jefferson Township, Lee County, IA on 29 June 1860. 7
1860 US Census
Page 62, Family 440, Roll 330
Jefferson Township, Lee, Iowa, United States
Mary Halfady..60..MD
(Living at the home of her married daughter, Hester, and her family.)
.
• She appeared on the 1870 US Census in Jefferson Township, Lee County, IA on 21 June 1870. 9
1870 US Census
Page 6, Family 47
Jefferson Township, Lee, Iowa, United States
Mary Halperty..70..PA
(Living at the home of her married daughter, Hester, and her children.)
NOTE - Her birth location is believed to have been in Maryland instead of Pennsylvania.
.
• She was buried after 23 December 1873 in the Wilson Pioneer Cemetery in Fort Madison, IA.
Find A Grave Memorial #107945528. 5
Maria married Arthur Halferty, son of Arthur Halferty and Unknown, on 28 January 1817 in Mechanicsburg, PA.4 (Arthur Halferty was born on 9 December 1793 in York County, PA,4 10 died on 12 February 1852 in Fort Madison, IA 4 10 and was buried after 12 February 1852 in Fort Madison, IA 10.)
Noted events in their marriage were:
• They appeared on the 1840 US Census in Township 68, Lee County, Iowa Territory on June 1840. 11
1840 US Census
Page 181, Roll 102
Township 68, Lee, Iowa Territory, United States
1 Male under 5
1 Male 5-10
1 Male 10-15
1 Male 20-30
1 Male 40-50..Arthur Halferty..Head..(age 47)
2 Females under 5
1 Female 5-10
1 Female 10-15
1 Female 15-20
1 Female 20-30
1 Female 40-50..(probably Maria Lightfoot)
.
• They appeared on the 1850 US Census in 28th District, Lee County, IA on 11 September 1850. 6
1850 US Census
Page 317A, Family 514, Roll 186
28th District, Lee, Iowa
Arthur Halferty..57..Pennsylvania
Mary Halferty..50..Pennsylvania
Margaret Halferty..30..Pennsylvania
Arthur Halferty..31..Pennsylvania
Mary Halferty..28..Pennsylvania
George Halferty..24..Pennsylvania
Hester Halferty..21..Pennsylvania
Elizabeth Halferty..18..Pennsylvania
John Halferty..11..Pennsylvania
Lucinda Halferty..9..Pennsylvania
Henry S. Halferty..13..Pennsylvania
.
Marriage Notes:
(Source: from the Lightfoot-Arnsberger-Wymer Family Papers)
A letter from Roger Steck of the Cumberland County Historical Society (no date but believed to be sometime in the 1960s) indicates two records of marriages to Mary Lightfoot. The first marriage was performed by Rev. H. R. Wilson on January 28, 1817 to Arthur Holferig/Halferty. The second was performed by Rev. John S. Ebaugh to James Brown of North Middleton Township. Mr. Steck adds the source for the second record as "American Volunteer", Carlisle, August 11, 1831
This second marriage in 1831 shows her name as "Miss Mary Lightfoot" so it is probable that this second marriage was to a different Mary Lightfoot.
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Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records; Reel: 273
Source Information
Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-2013 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
Original data: Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Methodist Church Records. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: Eastern Pennsylvania United Methodist Church Commission on Archives and History.
Notes
Name: Arthur Halferty
Event Type: Marriage
Marriage Date: 28 Jan 1817
Marriage Place: Mechanicsburg, Cumberland, Pennsylvania, USA
Denomination: Presbyterian
Organization Name: Silver Spring Presbyterian Church
Spouse: Mary Lightfoot
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E-mail messages from Keith A. Dull:
They moved to Iowa about 1840.
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Ancestry.com and may other researchers continue to show the listing of 2 different daughters each named Mary. The first Mary was allegedly born in 1822 while the second Mary was allegedly born in 1833.There were some old-country cultural ideas, especially from German families, that used to be followed that when a child died at an early age, a subsequent birth could be given the same name as the deceased child to effectively function as a replacement in the family. But that doesn't seem to be the case here because the parents, Arthur and Mary, seem to have 2 daughters, each named Mary, living at the same time.
For example, researchers show the Mary born in 1822 as being enumerated in the 1850 US Census as living at home with the parents. Her age of 28 thus makes her birth year about 1822. The younger Mary born in 1833 is shown as having been married in 1845 thus she does not appear with her parents in the 1850 US Census.
The problem is that the 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1885, 1895, and 1900 censuses for the alleged younger Mary born in 1833 all give her age that point to a birth year of about 1822.
In other words, there was no younger Mary born in 1833 and all the data that researchers attribute to that younger Mary born in 1833 actually apply to the other Mary that was born in 1822.
The only problem is the first census that names Mary, the 1850 US Census. She was enumerated on 11 Sep 1850 as living at home with her parents under her maiden name and then another enumeration 15 days later as living with her husband of 5 years under her married name. Both censuses give her the same exact age of 28 which reference a birth year of about 1822. The reason for the double enumeration is very simple. She was probably visiting her parents when the enumerated came to her parents house and unknowingly allowed herself to be enumerated there. Then 15 days later the enumerator listed her and her family at home with her husband.
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