This adds nothing to truth history really, but
solves a little mystery. Who was Mary Jane Russell?
The Allegheny cemetery has a Russell family plot.
Originally purchased by James Grier Russell (an Uncle of Charles Taze Russell
who died before he was born) it was designed for ten graves in two rows. In the
event, only nine family members were buried there. They included CTR’s father
and mother and three siblings in the front row nearest the road, and then in
the row behind some of his uncles and aunts, Sarah, James, Charles Tays, and
the subject of this essay, Mary Jane Russell.
Below is an extract of a document from the cemetery
records.
This document obviously dates after 1897 when the
last recorded interment of Joseph Lytle Russell took place. The missing grave
nine on this list was for Thomas Birney Russell, who died aged 5 in 1855.
The burials took place from right to left on the
site, but this list has recorded them from left to right, hence Mary is first
on the list. We note that she died in 1886.
Due to the discovery of a family history document
dictated by the former Sarah Russell (one of CTR’s many cousins) and known as
Aunt Sarah Russell Morris, we now know a little bit more about her.
Most of the Russell family (CTR’s father and uncles
and aunts) travelled from Ireland to America. The only exception known was Aunt
Fannie Russell Harper, who stayed in Ireland and died in 1867 aged 55.
We know that Mary Jane was probably born as the
child just before Fannie (Harper), so perhaps around 1811. We do not know when
she made the trip to America, but it is likely she went to New Jersey or New
York where her older brother Alexander settled. She never married, and Aunt
Sarah’s comments suggest that Mary Jane was not her most favorite person.
“Mary
Jane whose “hobby” was cats; she kept house for her brother Alexander after his
wife’s death; later she lived alone in Pittsburgh, and died there. She was
peculiar and very strict; she thought much of pedigree, etc.”
So when Alexander’s wife Margaret died in 1853, Mary
Jane went to live with him. We assume this arrangement lasted until Alexander’s
death, sometime between 1872-1875. Alexander was mentioned as a beneficiary of
Charles Tays Russell’s will in 1872, but by the time the bequests were
distributed in 1878 his share was divided between his surviving children. The
distributions document noted that Alexander, named in the will as
brother of the deceased Charles Tays had died before the decedent.
Charles Tays’ will made special provision for Mary
Jane.
Fourth, I will and bequeath to my sister Mary Jane three thousand
dollars which I direct my executors to put to interest for her during her
lifetime and at her death I desire that it shall be equally divided among the
heirs mentioned in this will.
By
the time of the distributions in 1878, Mary Jane’s address was Allegheny City,
Penn.
Moving forward in time there were problems with
caring for her as she grew older. A document dated September 2, 1886, shows
that the bequest had been insufficient to care for her, and permission was
given to dip into the capital to cover the deficit. This was arranged with
Joseph Lytle Russell as executor of the Charles Tays will and Cornelia
Davenport, a daughter of Alexander, who lived in Brooklyn, New York.
The document in full reads:
Whereas the late Charles T. Russell, who died in the city of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, in 1875, bequeathed three thousand dollars
($3000) to his executors in trust, to pay the interest to his sister, Miss Mary
Jane Russell, during her lifetime , and, upon her death, to distribute the
principal equally among “the heirs mentioned in this will”; and whereas through
the inability of his executors to collect certain debts that were due to the
estate of the said Charles T. Russell, deceased, the said fund was reduced from
three thousand dollars ($3000) to fourteen hundred and eighteen and 51/100
dollars; and whereas the fund so reduced could not be made to yield more than
six percent interest, about eighty five dollars per year, and whereas the said
Mary Jane Russell is now very aged and infirm and has constantly required more
than the amount of the interest of said fund to maintain her, and whereas now
much more, she is in need of comfort and attention in her closing years; and
whereas it has been found needful to extract certain debts for her maintenance
and may require additional debt therefore in the future; Therefore we, Stephen
H. Davenport and Cornelia S. Davenport, his wife, in consideration of the
premises and of our dollar (?) in hand paid to each of us, the receipt of which
is hereby acknowledged, hereby authorize J. L. Russell, acting executor of the
will of the said Charles T. Russell, deceased, to use as much of the principal
of the said fund, in addition to the interest, as may be required, in his
judgment, to pay the necessary expenses of the said Mary Jane Russell and the
debts that have been extracted for her maintenance. And we hereby release and
forever discharge the said J. L. Russell, his executors and administrators of
and from such part of our share of the said as he shall so expend. It being
understood that the balance of said fund not required for the above mentioned
purpose shall be distributed in accord with the terms of the will of the said
Charles T. Russell, upon the death of the said Mary Jane Russell.
Witness our hands and seal this second day of September AD 1886.
Stephen H Davenport seal
Cornelia S Davenport seal
74 Hicks Street
Brooklyn, NY
The
Davenports lived very near what would become the Brooklyn Tabernacle, and in
fact worshipped there when it was the Plymouth Bethel. Cornelia did not long
survive Mary Jane, she died on October 23, 1888.
The
document was dated September 2. As shown by the cemetery register at the head
of this article, by September 6, Mary Jane was dead. So she was buried in the
family plot in Allegheny Cemetery. No headstone was provided.
It should be noted that Mary Jane (CTR’s Aunt Mary)
lived in Allegheny during the time that ZWT started, through Food for Thinking
Christians, and up to Divine Plan of the Ages. One wonders what she might have
made of it all?
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