Individual Details

A Mary "Molly" Haden who is said to have married a William Lindley, has been attached to William & Unity Haden of Rowan Co NC. I believe this relationship to be an error.

Molly probably was the only child still underage when William Haden died. John Stokes was appointed her guardian on 4 May 1790 as evidenced by a copy of his bond for £2000. William Alexander & Spruce Macay were securities.

I think she has been incorrectly linked to William Lindley, or there is a serious problem with his lineage. The information surrounding William Lindley just does not work - Lindley researchers give different wives; a will of a William Lindley from Franklin Co TN that is supposed to be his, names the wrong wife and children. I have also seen a note that Molly married a John Marshall ca 1790, which creates another problem. I have been unable to trace either of these gentlemen.

Apparently the link to a William Lindley was established because of a lady named Mary Haden Lindley who married a Kuykendall and was found in Texas. She was born in South Carolina, however, not North Carolina or Tennessee.

There is a North Carolina marriage bond in Rowan Co. It is dated 2 Feb 1790 - Polly Haiden to John Marshall. Bondsman was Edward Yarbrough. It would make no sense for John Stokes to be appointed Molly's guardian in May of 1790 if she had married John Marshall earlier, and she would not likely have been named as Molly "Haden" if she had married. However, there is also no other Mary, Polly or Molly Haden of marriageable age known to be living in Rowan Co at this time.

The early bonds in North Carolina are usually considered as "proof" of a marriage - however, the truth is they were just bonds. Did this marriage between Polly Haiden and John Marshall actually take place? Or was Polly's surname misread - could it have been Harden? There was also a Harden family living in Rowan Co at that time. could that date be wrong - could it be 1791 instead of 1790?
Rowan Co NC Marriage Bonds, Part II
Typed by Gen. Society of Utah July 1937
John Marshall to Polly Haiden 2 Feb 1790 Edwd. Yarbrough, bond. C. Caldwell, DC

I ordered the above Bond from the NC State Archives. The bond is plainly signed by John Marshall, with Edwd. Yarbrough as security. The bride's name indeed appears to be Polly Haiden. The bond itself is dated the Second day of February, Anno Domini 1790. However, on the back of the bond is the date, Feby. 2nd 1791. I wonder if since was so close to the beginning of the new year, 1791, that there is an error on the bond itself. And, as often happens, the clerk wrote 1790 from habit, and this bond was actually in early 1791.

She is said to have died 20 Sep 1839 in Indiana, but I would assume that date could also be wrong if she isn't the wife of a William Lindley.

Marshall family researchers seem to think the family was in Montgomery Co KY by the early 1800's, and they believe Polly died before 1812, when John Marshall remarried.



The following likely has nothing to do with Polly who married John Marshall, they were just the only Marshalls I could find still in North Carolina.

I did find living in New Hanover Co, NC in 1850, Hh2
George W. Marshall, age 49
John M. age 25
Mary Marshall, age 82 [born 1768]
Since she's living with as George W. - I suspect she's the widow of an older G. W. Marshall, and probably not Molly Haden.

1840 Marshalls in New Hanover
G. W., age 60-70, apparent spouse, 2 ladies age 60-70, Comstock, New Hanover
William, age 60-70, apparent spouse age 60-70, Comstock, New Hanover
Thomas, age 30-40, spouse age 30-40, Wilmington, New Hanover
No John Marshall

1830 Marshalls in New Hanover
Washington, age 40-50, females 40-50, 50-60, and one age 70-80
William, age 50-60, female age 50-60

1820 Marshalls in New Hanover
G. W. Marshall, age 1m 26-45, 3 females over 45
James, 1m over 45, 1f over 45

Birth	Abt 1770
Marriage	Abt 1793	William Lindley
Death	20 Sep 1839	Indiana

Spouse	William Lindley (1770 - )
Child	Mary Haden Lindley (1794 - 1879)