Mary Josephine Camber
Mary Josephine Camber's origin is a mystery. This author feels that she probably descended from a Frank Camber, who lived in western Alabama (and later in Kemper Co, MS) during the time period she would have been born. Naming in the family is consistent with there having been a "Frank" in the family's immediate past history. But I have not been able to find anything to substantiate this theory. Although her cemetery marker reads she died at 94 years of age and her death certificate reads she was born "about the year of 1825" in Greene Co, AL, those dates are not consistent with her early census records and the age of her first husband. 1850 & 1860 censuses indicate she was born about 1833. There is an unexplainable birth date on the Confederate soldier burial record card for her first husband, James Boler, at the Mississippi Archives. It lists his birth date as March 18, 1830. His father's Bible lists his birth date as October 12, 1831. The birth date on the card is listed directly under the "next of kin" section which indicates Mary J. Boler, Enondale, MS. Could she have misunderstood the question and given them her birth date instead of his? It is probably a question we will never have an answer for. Mary Josephine Camber married James Boler, son of Wesley Boler of Union MS, in late 1848 or early 1849. The family was living in Newton Co, MS when the 1850 census enumeration was taken. Living in their household was also a 16 year old William (born Alabama) who was most probably a Camber, rather than a Boler as shown. By 1860 the family had removed, with James Boler's brother William Riden Boler, to Scott County, MS, where James Boler was working as a plantation overseer. The Civil War brought catastrophe to the Boler family. James Boler was killed in the Siege of Vicksburg. Little is known about the family's history following that time. We know that Mary Josephine Camber had a short marriage to a Mr. Frank Pierce, who is reported to have walked out one day and never come back. The family removed to Kemper County where they spent their remaining years. This author does not know whether the Kemper move was before or after the marriage to Mr. Pierce. It is known that the family was living in Kemper County as early as 1868, since Mary Virginia Boler (daughter of James Boler & Mary Josephine Camber) lists an 1868 Kemper County marriage location on her Confederate Pension application. Mary J. Pierce's Enondale Cemetery marker is a very small metal plate attached to a square section of concrete. Next to her is her son Frank L. Boler, who has a similar marker. Many of her other children are buried in the same cemetery. Alma Seale Clay detailed some of the early family history in her Aug. 12, 1981 letter to Ruth Mills: "You wanted to know about your Grand Mother. I don't know too much to write you. My Grand Mother was Mary Josephine Camber. Married James Hilry Boler. They had 6 children - 2 boys and 4 girls. The boys were James Hilry Boler & Franklin Lee Boler. The girls were Fannie (my mother) she married James Thomas Seale. Aunt Jennie married a Crenshaw. Married when she was 13 years old. Aunt Angie married a Smith moved to Columbia La. She's dead and we don't hear from any of the children. Aunt Willie married a Harrington and he died and then married a Mr. Henry Knight. Grandma Boler's husband got killed in Civil War buried at Vicksburg then she married a Pierce. They didn't live together long & separated. I don't know any thing about the Crenshaw's only your Dad, Virtis, Ples and Billie." |
1923, Kemper Co, MS; m. (1) WILLIAM THOMAS HARRINGTON on February 15, 1881
in Newton Co, MS. He was born about 1857 in
Mississippi; m. (2) HENRY C. KNIGHT, about 1897. He was born July 1841
in Alabama and died in Kemper Co, MS. Willie Ann and Henry C. Knight
are buried in Enondale Cemetery, Kemper Co, MS.