Mary Obedience Watkins needs disambiguated, I think?
Most of the info on the About is per a GEDCOM.
Please see her FaG https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/141136701/mary-obedience-belcher which lists ONE husband and the FS which has important research notes https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LYMH-FPX:
Major inconsistencies on information for Mary Obedience Clay
There are major inconsistencies in this profile for “Mary Obedience Clay.” In the 1749 will of her father Henry Clay, he names a daughter “Mary Watkins,” which means that his daughter Mary was married in 1749 to a Mr. Watkins. This woman is shown as married to Richard Belcher in 1730 and having children with him from that date through 1757, which means that she could NOT have been married to Mr. Watkins in 1749. Henry Clay mentions “Richard Belcher” in his 1749 will as living on the land bequeathed to son William Clay, therefore, Richard Belcher was a close neighbor of the Clays and possibly a relation.
Potential solutions to the inconsistences:
(1) Richard Belcher was married to a daughter of Henry Clay who was unnamed in his 1749 will, and Henry had another daughter named Mary who was concurrently married to Mr. Watkins. In this scenario, Henry Clay would have had four daughters: Mary who married Mr. Watkins; Amey who married Mr. Williamson; Martha who predeceased her father; and an unnamed daughter proposed to be “Mary Obedience” who was married to Richard Belcher before 1749. Note that in this scenario we have no source for her name, and if she had a sister named "Mary," then her name would NOT have been "Mary."
– OR –
(2) Henry’s daughter Mary was first married to Mr. Watkins and was STILL married to Mr. Watkins during 1749, while Richard Belcher had a different, unknown, first wife who was the mother of his first 10 children (through at least 1749) or more. Then, at a later date, both Mary’s first husband, Mr. Watkins, and Richard Belcher’s first wife were deceased, and Mary and Richard Belcher married as second spouses to each other. In this scenario, Henry Clay would have had only three daughters: Amey, Martha, and Mary (who would not have been the mother of most of Richard Belcher’s children.)
Please note that Find-a-grave is not always accurate and is not considered an authentic source unless the information quoted has been obtained from an actual gravestone. Anyone can write a Find-a-grave entry without sources or records to support the claim. The Find-a-grave declares that “Mary Obedience” was married to Richard Belcher in 1732 and shows children born to the couple through 1754, yet it also claims her name includes “Watkins” but provides no explanation for this.
Last Changed: July 5th, 2023
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