Mary Jane Russell

This adds nothing to truth history really, but solves a little mystery. Who was Mary Jane Russell?

The Allegheny cemetery has a Russell family plot. Originally purchased by James Grier Russell (an Uncle of Charles Taze Russell who died before he was born) it was designed for ten graves in two rows. In the event, only nine family members were buried there. They included CTR’s father and mother and three siblings in the front row nearest the road, and then in the row behind some of his uncles and aunts, Sarah, James, Charles Tays, and the subject of this essay, Mary Jane Russell.

Below is an extract of a document from the cemetery records.

This document obviously dates after 1897 when the last recorded interment of Joseph Lytle Russell took place. The missing grave nine on this list was for Thomas Birney Russell, who died aged 5 in 1855.

The burials took place from right to left on the site, but this list has recorded them from left to right, hence Mary is first on the list. We note that she died in 1886.

Due to the discovery of a family history document dictated by the former Sarah Russell (one of CTR’s many cousins) and known as Aunt Sarah Russell Morris, we now know a little bit more about her.

Most of the Russell family (CTR’s father and uncles and aunts) travelled from Ireland to America. The only exception known was Aunt Fannie Russell Harper, who stayed in Ireland and died in 1867 aged 55.

We know that Mary Jane was probably born as the child just before Fannie (Harper), so perhaps around 1811. We do not know when she made the trip to America, but it is likely she went to New Jersey or New York where her older brother Alexander settled. She never married, and Aunt Sarah’s comments suggest that Mary Jane was not her most favorite person.

 “Mary Jane whose “hobby” was cats; she kept house for her brother Alexander after his wife’s death; later she lived alone in Pittsburgh, and died there. She was peculiar and very strict; she thought much of pedigree, etc.”

So when Alexander’s wife Margaret died in 1853, Mary Jane went to live with him. We assume this arrangement lasted until Alexander’s death, sometime between 1872-1875. Alexander was mentioned as a beneficiary of Charles Tays Russell’s will in 1872, but by the time the bequests were distributed in 1878 his share was divided between his surviving children. The distributions document noted that Alexander, named in the will as brother of the deceased Charles Tays had died before the decedent.

Charles Tays’ will made special provision for Mary Jane.

Fourth, I will and bequeath to my sister Mary Jane three thousand dollars which I direct my executors to put to interest for her during her lifetime and at her death I desire that it shall be equally divided among the heirs mentioned in this will.

By the time of the distributions in 1878, Mary Jane’s address was Allegheny City, Penn.

Moving forward in time there were problems with caring for her as she grew older. A document dated September 2, 1886, shows that the bequest had been insufficient to care for her, and permission was given to dip into the capital to cover the deficit. This was arranged with Joseph Lytle Russell as executor of the Charles Tays will and Cornelia Davenport, a daughter of Alexander, who lived in Brooklyn, New York.

The document in full reads:

Whereas the late Charles T. Russell, who died in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, in 1875, bequeathed three thousand dollars ($3000) to his executors in trust, to pay the interest to his sister, Miss Mary Jane Russell, during her lifetime , and, upon her death, to distribute the principal equally among “the heirs mentioned in this will”; and whereas through the inability of his executors to collect certain debts that were due to the estate of the said Charles T. Russell, deceased, the said fund was reduced from three thousand dollars ($3000) to fourteen hundred and eighteen and 51/100 dollars; and whereas the fund so reduced could not be made to yield more than six percent interest, about eighty five dollars per year, and whereas the said Mary Jane Russell is now very aged and infirm and has constantly required more than the amount of the interest of said fund to maintain her, and whereas now much more, she is in need of comfort and attention in her closing years; and whereas it has been found needful to extract certain debts for her maintenance and may require additional debt therefore in the future; Therefore we, Stephen H. Davenport and Cornelia S. Davenport, his wife, in consideration of the premises and of our dollar (?) in hand paid to each of us, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, hereby authorize J. L. Russell, acting executor of the will of the said Charles T. Russell, deceased, to use as much of the principal of the said fund, in addition to the interest, as may be required, in his judgment, to pay the necessary expenses of the said Mary Jane Russell and the debts that have been extracted for her maintenance. And we hereby release and forever discharge the said J. L. Russell, his executors and administrators of and from such part of our share of the said as he shall so expend. It being understood that the balance of said fund not required for the above mentioned purpose shall be distributed in accord with the terms of the will of the said Charles T. Russell, upon the death of the said Mary Jane Russell.

Witness our hands and seal this second day of September AD 1886.

Stephen H Davenport  seal

Cornelia S Davenport  seal

74 Hicks Street

Brooklyn, NY

The Davenports lived very near what would become the Brooklyn Tabernacle, and in fact worshipped there when it was the Plymouth Bethel. Cornelia did not long survive Mary Jane, she died on October 23, 1888.

The document was dated September 2. As shown by the cemetery register at the head of this article, by September 6, Mary Jane was dead. So she was buried in the family plot in Allegheny Cemetery. No headstone was provided.

It should be noted that Mary Jane (CTR’s Aunt Mary) lived in Allegheny during the time that ZWT started, through Food for Thinking Christians, and up to Divine Plan of the Ages. One wonders what she might have made of it all?