Mary Sophia Lawrence

I was born the 11th day of April in the year 1812 in Nashville, Tennessee. My papa, William Pitt Lawrence and my mama Nancy Pomroy Risley were very protective of me. I married Robert Belcher Cain in the home of my sister Phila Ann and her husband Stokely Donelson on 29 September 1831. My papa loaned my husband and me negroes to ensure my comfort in my married life, but as you can see from the following court record, didn't like my husband very much and feared for me, his daughter.

Davidson Co, TN Deed Book W pg 628
John Donelson of Cain & Lawrence Deed of Trust - Reg 4 June 1835
William P Lawrence, sometime after the marriage of his daughter, Mary Sophia, with Robert B Cain, loaned to them a negro woman, named Milly, aged about thirty eight years, and her children, Agnes, aged about 16 years, Caroline, aged about 6 years, and Glasgow, aged about three years. She has since had a child, named Eveline, aged about one year. William P Lawrence desirous to make separate provisions for his daughter, conveys the same in trust, for her separate use & benefit. William P Lawrence, of the county of Davidson, on the one part and John Donelson, now of Shelby county, of the other part. William P, in consideration of love & affection, hath sold to John Donelson negro woman, named Milly, and her children named Agnes, Caroline, Glascow & Eveline, for the separate use, support & maintaince of Mary S Cain during her lifetime; should she die leaving a child or children, for th use of such child or children, but if not, after her death for the use of the other children of William P 24 March 1835 Robert B Cain acknowledges that he holds negroes only as a loan from his father in law 8 May 1835
William P Lawrence, Ro B Cain, test: Benjamin R Lawrence, A Paine

At the time this was written I had already had a son that we named after my father William Pitt and I was pregnant with another child. That child we named Phila Ann after my sister. I died when Phila was not even 5 months old and my husband remarried. They added Mary to her name to honor me, but she was raised by nannies and other people, not Robert and his new wife.

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Research and website done by Tresa Tatyrek. This site was last updated 03/28/09