Mary Polk

Biography

Mary Shelby, daughter of Reese Shelby and Mary Blair, was born 18 Feb 1766 at Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. She was the 1st wife of Thomas Polk (1757-1842), married 1782 at Mecklenburg Co., North Carolina. He was the son of William Polk and Elizabeth Spratt.

Mary Shelby Polk lived in what is now Union County, NC near Euto (Now New Salem). She reportedly died around 1840; her husband remarried to Keziah Tarlton.

Children listed at DAR:

1. Andrew, m Colon Caraway
2. Hannah, m Adam Long
3. Mary, m Aaron Little
4. Thomas, m Sarah Brooks
5. Shelby, m Winneford Coburn

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GEDCOM Note

Referencing “The Shelby Family” by Howard S. Galloway, p. 28 & 29, and Miss Ruby J. Shelby’s correspondence, Caroline A. (Paul) Shelby reports in 1964 that Mary lived in Mechlenburg Co., NC (now Union County), a few miles from New Salem.

Caroline A. (Paul) Shelby's letter to the Charlotte, North Caroline Library, dated 03/17/1971 reports: "I have read Mrs. Petteway's article [Bonnie Austin Petteway] in The Genealogical Helper of March 1953 covering the story of how Colonel Thomas Polk carried Mary Shelby away on horseback as an elopement gesture."

References

• https://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=ful...
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/148225516/mary-polk
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Shelby-247