52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 48: #55, Mary Ann (Underhill) Vaux (1815-1882)

Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" in her blog post Challenge: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  Here is my ancestor biography for week #48:

Mary Ann Underhill (1815-1882) is #55 on my Ahnentafel list, my third great-grandmother. She married in about 1837  to #54 Samuel Vaux.

I am descended through:

*  their daughter, #27, Abigail A. Vaux (1844-1931), who married #26 Devier J. Smith  (1839-1894),  in 1861.
*  their daughter, #13 Abbie Ardell "Della" Smith (1862-1944) who married #12 Henry Austin Carringer (1853-1946) in 1887.

*  their son, #6 Lyle Lawrence Carringer (1891-1976), married Emily Kemp Auble (1899-1977) in 1918. 

* their daughter, #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002), who married Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) in 1942.

*  their son, #1 Randall J. Seaver (1943-....)

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1)  PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

*  Name:                   Mary Ann Underhill[1]   
*  Sex:                      Female   
*  Alternate Name:  Mary Ann Vaux[3–5,7]    
*  Alternate Name:  Mary A. Vaux[2–3,8]

*  Father:                 Amos Underhill (1772-1865)   
*  Mother:                Mary "Polly" Metcalf (1780-1855)   
  
2)  INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Birth:                   5 March 1815, Aurora, Erie, New York, United States[2]
*  Census:                1 June 1850 (age 35), Aurora, Erie, New York, United States[3]
*  Deed:                   21 July 1853 (age 38), sold 53 acres in the southwest portion of Lot 22 to Robert Bartlett; Aurora, Erie, New York, United States[4]   
*  Deed:                   4 August 1869 (age 54), bought 40 acres in the Southeast quarter of the Southeast quarter of Section 21 in Township 61 of Range 33; Andrew, Missouri, United States[5]   
*  Census:                1 June 1870 (age 55), Platte, Andrew, Missouri, United States[6]
*  Deed:                   31 January 1880 (age 64), sold 40 acres in the Southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 21 in Township 61 of Range 33; Andrew, Missouri, United States[7]   
*  Census:               1 June 1880 (age 65), Blue Rapids, Marshall, Kansas, United States[8]
*  Death:                 2 November 1882 (age 67), Concordia, Cloud, Kansas, United States[2]
*  Burial:                after 2 November 1882 (after age 67), Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Concordia, Cloud, Kansas, United States[2]
       
3)  SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Spouse 1:             Samuel Vaux (1816-1880)[1]    
*  Marriage 1:          before 1839 (before about age 24) Aurora, Erie, New York, United States   
*  Child 1:               Mary Almeda Vaux (1839-    )   
*  Child 2:               Celia Ann Vaux (1842-1919)   
*  Child 3:               Abigail A. "Abbie" Vaux (1844-1931)   
*  Child 4:               James P. Vaux (1847-1902)   
*  Child 5:               Elizabeth B. Vaux (1850-1931)   
*  Child 6:               Amos S. Vaux (1854-1876)   
  
4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets) - revised August 2025:   

Mary Ann Underhill was the fourth child (of five) of Amos and Mary (Metcalf) Underhill, who married in 1801, and was born in Aurora, Erie County, New York. Her siblings were Cyrus Metcalf Underhill (1804-1841), James Pierce Underhill (1809-1864), Almeda Underhill (1813-1859), Frederick Underhill (1820-1830).

Her gravestone in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Concordia, Cloud County, Kansas says she was born 5 March 1815.[2]

The 1850, 1870 and 1880 U.S. Census records indicate that a Mary Ann was married to Samuel Vaux. The death certificate of Abigail (Vaux) Smith in San Diego, San Diego County, California indicates that her parents were Samuel Vaux and Mary Ann Underhill.[1] This is the only record found to date that identifies Mary Ann's maiden name.

The exact date of her marriage to Samuel Vaux, probably in Aurora, Erie county, New York, is not known, and no record has been found. Samuel Vaux was the son of James Vaux and Mary (Palmer) Vaux, and was born on 14 January 1816 in South Petherton, Somerset, England. The first child of Samuel and Mary Ann (Underhill) Vaux was born in about 1839, so a marriage date of "about 1837" is very likely. In 1837, Samuel was age 21 and Mary Ann was age 22, so this is a feasible approximate date.

Samuel and Mary Ann (Underhill) Vaux had six children, born between 1839 and 1854, all apparently born in Aurora, Erie County, New York.

• Mary Almeda Vaux, born about 1839, Aurora, Erie, New York; married James G. Woodward, 3 November 1861, Burnett, Dodge, Wisconsin, three children; died before 1880, Bedford, Taylor, Iowa.
• Celia Ann Vaux, born 23 May 1842, Aurora, Erie, New York; married (1) Milo Redfield, 8 January 1861, Burnett, Dodge, Wisconsin, two children; married (2) Francis Napoleon Munger, 27 April 1872, Empire Prairie, Andrew, Missouri, three children; died 4 November 1919, Belleville, Republic, Kansas.
• Abigail A. "Abbie" Vaux, born 28 October 1844, Aurora, Erie, New York; married Devier James Lamphier Smith, 4 April 1861, Rolling Prairie, Dodge, Wisconsin, five children; died 11 September 1931, San Diego, San Diego, California.
• James P. Vaux, born 8 January 1847, Aurora, Erie, New York; married Mary Alice Patrick, about 1877, Kansas, three children; died 29 December 1902, Aurora, Erie, New York.
• Elizabeth B. Vaux, born 1 August 1849, Aurora, Erie, New York; married Samuel Crouch, 19 October 1871, Andrew, Missouri, three children; died 10 May 1931, Long Beach, Los Angeles, California.
• Amos S. Vaux was born in 1854 in Aurora, Erie, New York. He died of typhoid fever on 23 August 1876 at the age of 22 in Nodaway, Andrew, Missouri.

In the 1850 United States census, the Samuel Vaux family resided in Aurora township, Erie County, New York. The family included:[4]

• Samuel Vaux, age 34, male, a farmer, $1166 in real property, born England
• Mary Ann Vaux, age 35, female, born NY
• Mary Vaux, age 11, female, born NY, attends school
• Cele Ann Vaux, age 9, female, born NY, attends school
• Abagail Vaux, age 5, female, born NY, attends school
• Jane Vaux, age 3, female, born NY

On 25 July 1853, Samuel Vaux and Mary Ann, his wife, of the town of Aurora sold land in Aurora township, Erie County, New York to Robert Bartlett of the town of Sullivan, New York for $1,500.[5] The land comprised 53 acres, and was in the southwest corner of Lot 22, called the Sprague farm. The land was bounded on the North by land owned by Gordon Pierson, West by the highway, South by the highway, and East by lands owned by Hezekiah Mosher. The deed was recorded in Erie County on 1 September 1855.

The family moved from Aurora, Erie County, New York to Burnett township, Dodge County, Wisconsin before 1854. S[amuel]. Vaux is listed on an 1859 plat map of Burnett township.

A search of the 1860 census for Dodge County, Wisconsin failed to find this family.

Samuel and Mary Ann (Underhill) Vaux bought land in Andrew County, Missouri on 4 August 1869 from Mary Jane and L.S. Munger for $2,000.[5] The land was the Southeast quarter of the Southeast quarter of Section 21 in Township 61 of Range 33, containing forty acres.

In the 1870 United States census for Andrew County, Missouri, the family resided in Platte township, Andrew County, Missouri.[6] The household included:

• Samuel Vaux -- age 51, male, white, a farmer, $3500 in real property, $490 in personal property, born England, parents foreign born
• Mary A. Vaux -- age 50, female, white, keeping house, born NY
• James P. Vaux -- age 23, male, white, a farm laborer, born NY
• Elizabeth Vaux -- age 19, female, white, at home, born NY
• Amos Vaux -- age 15, male, white, a farm laborer, born NY, attended school
• James Woodward -- age 33, male, white, a farm laborer, $500 in personal property, born VT
• Mary A. Woodward -- age 31, female, white, keeping house, born NY, father foreign born
• Orpha A. Woodward -- age 7, female, white, born WI, attended school
• Mary Woodward -- age 4, female, white, born WI

Samuel and Mary Ann (Underhill) Vaux sold the land in Andrew County, Missouri on 31 January 1880 to William H. Bulla for $800.[7] The land was the Southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 21 in Township 61 of Range 33, containing forty acres.

They resided with their daughter, Abagail A. (Vaux) Smith in 1880 in Blue Rapids, Marshall County, Kansas in 1880. In the 1880 US Census, this family resided in Blue Rapids township, Marshall County, Kansas.[8] The household included:

• Abagail A. Smith -- white, female, age 36, married, keeps house, born NY, father born England, mother born NY
• Della Smith -- white, female, age 18, daughter, single, at home, born WI, father and mother born NY
• Mary A. Smith -- white, female, age 14, daughter, single, born WI, father and mother born NY
• Samuel Vaux -- white, male, age 65, father-in-law, married, without occupation, born England, father and mother born England
• Mary A. Vaux -- white, female, age 65, mother, married, without occupation, born NY, father born VT, mother born NH
• Orpha Woodward -- white, female, age 17, niece, single, at home, born WI, father born VT, mother born NY.

Neither Samuel or Mary Ann Vaux were found in the 1885 Kansas State Census.

Mary Ann (Underhill) Vaux died on 2 November 1882 in Concordia, Cloud County, Kansas,[2] where her daughter, Abigail A. (Vaux) Smith resided.

A newspaper announcement dated 9 November in the Concordia [Kan.] Republican newspaper noted:

"Mrs. Mary Ann Vaux, mother of Mrs. D.J. Smith, died at the residence of her daughter, in this city, November 3d, 1882, aged 67 years."

The Find A Grave memorial has this obituary:

Concordia Empire
Concordia, Kansas
Thursday, November 9, 1882
Page 3

“Mrs. Mary A. Vaux, who was Mrs. D.J. Smith's mother, died last Friday night and was buried last Sunday. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. Tuttle at the M.E. church at 11 o'clock Sabbath morning, and a large congregation was present. Mrs. Vaux has lived a long and useful life and had a great many friends. She was seventy-seven years old. She has raised a large family of children, all of whom are nice people and valuable acquistions to society. Her son, Mr. Jas. Vaux, of Omio, Jewell county, and her daughter, Mrs. F. Mougar, of Belleville, Republic county, were present at the funeral. She has been very feeble for years and has out-lived even the expectations of her friends. We extend to the friends our earnest sympathy in this great affliction.”

She was buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Concordia, Cloud County, Kansas. The inscription on her gravestone says:

"Mary Ann Vaux

Born

Mar. 5, 1815

Died

Nov. 2, 1883"

Note that the death date on the gravestone is one year later than the death date listed in the local newspaper.

Probate records for Samuel or Mary Ann Vaux have not been found to date in Andrew County, Missouri, Marshall County, Kansas, or Cloud County, Kansas

5)  SOURCES

1. San Diego County, California, Standard Certificate of Death, Abbie A. Smith, 11 September 1931; State of California, Department of Health Services, No. 31-050190 (certificate dated 18 June 1996).

2. Jim Tipton, indexed database, Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com), Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Concordia, Kan., Mary A. Vaux memorial # 96353683 (with gravestone picture).

3. 1850 United States Federal Census, Erie County, New York, population schedule, Aurora township; Page 103, Dwelling #1589, Family #1605, Samuel Vaux household, indexed database and digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, Roll 498.

4. "New York, Land Records, 1630-1975," Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 2 February 2013), digital images, "Erie County, New York Deeds, 1852-1853, Volumes 142-143," Volume 142, Page 21, Samuel Vaux deed in Aurora, N.Y. to Robert Bartlett, 1853.

5. Andrew County, Missouri, "Andrew County Deed Records, 1841-1900," Deed Book 22: page 406, Mary Jane and L.S. Munger to Samuel and Mary Ann Vaux, 4 August 1869; FHL microfilm US/CAN 1,006,163.

6.  1870 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Andrew County, Missouri, Platte township: Page 304 (stamped), Dwelling #314, Family #319, Samuel Vaux household; indexed database and digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M593, Roll 755.

7. Andrew County, Missouri, "Andrew County Deed Records, 1841-1900", Deed Book 43, page 565, Samuel and Mary Ann Vaux to William H. Bulla, 31 January 1880; accessed on FHL microfilm US/CAN 1,006,174.

8.  1880 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Marshall County, Kansas, Blue Rapids township: Page 205C, dwelling #57, family #65,  Abagail A. Smith household; indexed database and digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication T9, Roll 388.

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