Notes for Mary Camp

Notes for Mary Camp

While Mann and Mann in their "The Camp/Kemp Family History" state that JamesTarpley (born 1692) married Mary Camp (born about 1708), no original source is cited, nor have I seen any support for this position from an original source in my own research (I added the birth years to assure we are all focusing on the same James). My own research leads me to the conclusion that the wife of James Tarpley Jr. was Mary Oldham. My sources are:
1. "Who Was the Wife of James Tarpley of Richmond and Brunswick Counties,Virginia?" by Margaret T. MacDonald, published in "Virginia Genealogist", Vol.37, No. 1, Jan-Mar 1993.
2. Will of John Oldham, date 29 January 1762 proved 6 September 1762, which also names two grandsons, John and Thomas Hardford (Richmond Co., VA Will Book6, p. 317). In his will John Oldham specifically refers to his daughter Mary,as Mary Tarpley. I also point out that their second son of James and Mary Oldham Tarpley was named John Oldham Tarpley. Which follows a custom that was common in this era. There has been a lot of toing and froing over this in recent weeks, but in so far as I am concerned no evidence has been offered to support the belief of some that James Jr. married Mary Camp. My aim is to be accurate, and the above sources do offer strong evidence supporting Mary Oldham. The MacDonald article is available, so I suggest it is well worth reading. I believe it can be accessed at the Family History Centers.The above also responds in part to Carole Johnson's message of Nov. 11, 1998 - - Dwight Allen

I have the Margaret T. MacDonald article which Dwight has referenced. I strongly recommend that
anyone carrying a Camp-Tarpley union in their family trees obtain a copy and read it. She not only brings into question JamesTarpley's marriage to Mary Camp, but also Thomas Tarpley's marriage to another Mary Camp and the three Tarpley daughters (Thomas' sisters )marrying into the Camp family. She concedes that there may have been a Tarpley family which married Camps, but she strongly questions the linkagewith this James Tarpley and his sons and daughters. MacDonald is very clear about which James Tarpley she is talking about. This is the James Tarpley who is the son of James Tarpley and Mary Biddlecomb. She supplies references to Mary, widow of James Bedlecomb (Sr) who married "the wealthy Samuel Peachey" , etc. In her will she named her granddaughters Mary and Elizabeth Tarpley and her daughter Mary Tarpley and beneficiaries. Thus, I do not understand how those people who changed their trees to reflect a union with Mary Oldham were confused about which James/Mary union. She says the original information on the Tarpley family came from a Zelma Wells Price who wrote a series of books on her ancestry in 1963, titled "Of Whom I Came, From Whence I Come." In Vol. VI, Part III, she wrote about theTarpley's and the Camp's. The source for this information was from "a family source". Macdonald notes "It seems obvious that the material Mrs.Price received on the Tarpley family was undoubtedly real family information on a Tarpley family. Since, more than most, the Tarpleys used the same names over and over again, she mistakenly joined the information
she received to the James Tarpley family of North Farnham Parish." MacDonaldbelieves that "Like many genealogical errors, this has been copied and is being copied and reprinted today." and as a result identification of JamesTarpley's real wife, Mary Oldham, was delayed. She says Mary Oldham, b. at Farnham Parish, 25 June 1712, is the daughter of John and Sarah Oldham. Macdonald then sites the will of Mary's father in which he names his daughter Mary Tarpley as proof and provides other information on land ownership in the area for further support. MacDonald also notes the wife of
Thomas Tarpley shows up on various deeds as "Susannah" not Mary (Camp). Also, she notes a James Tarpley, Jr., who had a son named John Oldham Tarpley. The Oldham web site shows this as two individuals, but apparently it is only one. Finally, MacDonald notes that in the earlier Price book , Mrs. Price added two additional daughters tothe North Farnham Register list of Mary and James
Tarpley's children: Winifred, b. 9 June 1746 and Nancy (Anne) b. 6 Oct. 1750. Neither of these two appears in the compilation of the North Farnham Parish registers. Price says "all three of these women . . . married members of the Camp family." MacDonald questions whether Mrs. Price has connected the correct Tarpley family to the Camp family. Macdonald says that after James and Mary
moved from North Farnham parish to Brunswick Co., they had four more children: John, Charles, William and Winifred. She said not to be confused by there currence of the name Winifred (also shown by Mrs. Price) as this was a very common name for girls during the period. Margaret MacDonald's research is very thorough with many footnoted references. Like Dwight, I believe her findings deserve very serious consideration. Judy Willsruss judy@@ris.net