The mystery of Misheal Rosson

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Greg
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Posts: 62
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2011 6:08 pm
Are you directly related to a Rosson?: Yes
How Long have you been doing Genealogy Research? (Years): 0
Which Rosson are you researching?: John Rosson Sr of NC and descendents
Location: Chicago, Illinois

The mystery of Misheal Rosson

Post by Greg »

I am still trying to work out my Joseph and Rebecca Rossons of Marshall county, but I thought I'd take a moment to post about Misheal Rosson, daughter of John Cummins Rosson, Jr. She is given in his will as Misheal Cook, wife of ___ Short. What goes in the blank depends on what source you look at. The typed (WPA?) transcription that one can find on this forum and familysearch says David. However, there is no David Short in Marshall County at the time. In Wills & inventories of Lincoln County, Tennessee, 1810-1921 by Helen C. & Timothy R. Marsh, under John Roper, the Short is "Nanie." Again, such a Short is unattested in the area. In a Marshall County Historical Quarterly issue, the Short in question is given as "Merrit," who actually IS well-attested. I have not seen the original myself, but I imagine the handwriting is bad at this point and Merrit Short was probably the second "husband" in question. So, according to this will, it appears that Misheal and Marcellus got married in NC (20 Aug 1812, Joseph Rosson bondsman), moved to TN (Marcellus Cook is in Bedford County in 1820 and 1830 censuses and present in Marshall County court records in 1830s), but split up some time before 1831, about the time John C Rosson Jr died.

However...Misheal seems to have had a child by Marcellus by the name of Joseph Anderson Cook (4 Dec 1830-20 Dec 1928). On his death certificate (Kentucky), his father is given as Marcellus and mother as "Rawson." This can only be Marcellus and Misheal. Moreover, what makes this a real mystery is that Misheal seems to have moved with Marcellus and Joseph Anderson to Kentucky, where she died in 1843 (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... d=25708189) and is buried in the same cemetery as Marcellus (maybe even adjacent? - http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... d=25708184).

IF Misheal and Marcellus ever split up, it seems to have been temporary and nothing formal. There don't seem to be any divorce proceedings instituted. IF she ever actually married Merrit Short, it seems to have been temporary and nothing formal. There doesn't seem to be any marriage license on record for Merrit and Misheal.

So what happened? Did John disapprove of Marcellus and try to force Misheal to marry Merrit, expecting her to follow through after his death? Did she informally split up and remarry only to leave Merrit for Marcellus? Perhaps we will never know.
==
Greg

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