Sacred Sunday posts highlight the churches, Reverends, historical movements, holy days, and religious documents that have helped shape my Family.
Sometimes I think that I spend too much time with the members of my family tree from whom I'm NOT descended. I've put a lot of time and effort into researching uncles several generations back, cousins several times removed and even the ancestors of the in-laws of those distant cousins. People to whom I'm not even related. And yet. Sometimes researching those distant relations pays off. Take for example, the Rev. Dr. Samuel Morton Wakefield.
Samuel is my 6th great-uncle. I've gathered more information about him than I have about most of my direct ancestors. This is partly because he was Somebody, so there are more records and information to be found. I'm sure I'll talk more about him in other Sacred Sunday posts, but today's post isn't about him. It's about his grandmother. My 7th great-grandmother. Mary Jane Wade Wakefield.
Mary Jane quickly became a favorite ancestor thanks to the Rev. Dr. when I stumbled across this line in Samuel's obituary: 'His grandmother Mary Wade, was a preacher, having been ordained in the ministry by John Calvert.' I have a soft spot for the matriarchs. (How could I not?) Particularly those who blazed a trail. I think I would consider a female preacher of the 18th century a trailblazer. Still, I am left with questions. (There are always more questions!) The biggest right now is Who was John Calvert? My googling has come up dry. Was she with the Methodist Episcopals like her grandson? Did this happen while she lived in Ireland or was it later in life when she had emigrated to Western Pennsylvania? I NEED ANSWERS!
Samuel is my 6th great-uncle. I've gathered more information about him than I have about most of my direct ancestors. This is partly because he was Somebody, so there are more records and information to be found. I'm sure I'll talk more about him in other Sacred Sunday posts, but today's post isn't about him. It's about his grandmother. My 7th great-grandmother. Mary Jane Wade Wakefield.
Mary Jane quickly became a favorite ancestor thanks to the Rev. Dr. when I stumbled across this line in Samuel's obituary: 'His grandmother Mary Wade, was a preacher, having been ordained in the ministry by John Calvert.' I have a soft spot for the matriarchs. (How could I not?) Particularly those who blazed a trail. I think I would consider a female preacher of the 18th century a trailblazer. Still, I am left with questions. (There are always more questions!) The biggest right now is Who was John Calvert? My googling has come up dry. Was she with the Methodist Episcopals like her grandson? Did this happen while she lived in Ireland or was it later in life when she had emigrated to Western Pennsylvania? I NEED ANSWERS!
Mary Jane Wade
- Birth: abt 1737 in Aughrim, Galway, Ireland
- Marriage: UNKNOWN in UNKNOWN
- Death: abt 1807 in Mercer, Mercer, Pennsylvania
Mary Jane Wade was born around the year 1737 to Jeremiah Wade and UNKNOWN MOTHER in Aughrim, Ireland. She married David Wakefield.
- Parents: Jeremiah Wade, UNKNOWN
- Spouse: David Wakefield
- Children: Thomas Wakefield, Joanna Wakefield, Margaret Wakefield, John Wakefield, James Wakefield, Jeremiah Wakefield, David Wakefield, Mary Wakefield