It’s not unusual to find a female ancestor who has married more than once, especially those whose husband died while there were young children at home. What’s unusual about Martha Harris Orr Starkey, my 3rd-great-grandmother, is that I descend from both of her husbands. (Does that make me my own grandma?)
Martha Harris was the daughter of William and Mary (Myers) Harris. She was born in 1817, likely in Licking County, Ohio. Around 1839 (based on the age of her first child), she married William Orr. William died in 1850, leaving Martha to raise five children under the age of 10. One of those was infant daughter Susan, who became my great-great-grandmother.
Between 1860 and 1870, Martha had remarried John Starkey. John was a widower, his wife Mary having died sometime after 1860.
Here’s the twist: John Starkey is my 3rd-great-grandfather through his son Peter.
My tree showing Martha Harris with her first husband William Orr and her second husband John Starkey.
Interesting post! Amazing what you can find in your family research.
That’s something to wrap your head around!
Interesting findings — but not like ancestors’ being cousins, which could result in someone’s being a descendant of one couple through different children two or three ways.
Those cousin marriages always manage to tangle up the tree!
I love finding things like this. I have one set of relationships on my Scottish line that is so complicated I had to draw myself a weird diagram. Every time I work on that family I have to spend about 15 minutes studying my diagram to get it all straight and then as I research I have to refer back to it constantly. It spices things up!
I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who literally had to draw a picture sometimes!
That is so cool! Great detective work!
Thanks!