Lucretia McCallum Poovey
Lucretia was born on February 15, 1818, in Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland, the 8th of 15 children born to Duncan and Catherine (McNeil) McCallum. Duncan and Catherine were married in Scotland on June 11, 1806. The McCallum family immigrated to the United States between the births of Lucretia and her younger sister Jane in 1820. Duncan McCallum is found on the Federal Census Records from 1820-1860. Lucretia's [unproven] siblings are James A, Peter, Elizabeth, twins Jannette (Mrs John L Williams) and Jennie Catherine (Mrs Thomas Norton), Nancy Ann (Mrs John B Rooker), Mary McNeil (Mrs William B Jackson), Jane McNeil (Mrs James B Jackson), Duncan Alexander, Margaret Mary (died at age 10), Dr William McNeil, Martha Rebecca (died at age 6), Amelia Hunter (Mrs William B Barron), and Cynthia Sophia (died at age 2). The deceased children died within a two week period, perhaps during an epidemic.
Lucretia married David Poovey on October 24, 1839, in Mecklenburg, North Carolina, although the family lived in York Co, South Carolina. Mrs Poovey's 9 children are James L (died in infancy), William Pinckney (died at age 25), Duncan McCallum (had no children of his own), Nancy Elvira "Nan" (Mrs William F Garrison), Robert Alexander, Catherine Alice "Kate" (Mrs Dobbins), Augustus Frazier "Gus", John W, and Mary Jane Amelia (died at age 19). Lucretia moved to Texas with her younger surviving children after the Civil War - Kate, Gus, Johnny, and Mary Jane. Duncan and Robert had already made the trip. Gus later moved to the Dallas area near his uncles Peter and Alex. Nan and her husband and children moved to Arkansas in 1869 before continuing on to Dallas County in 1879.
Lucretia joined the Presbyterian Church at Pine Grove and lived nearby until her death on September 8, 1900. She is buried in the church cemetery along with Robert, his wife Sarah, and some of her grandchildren. Several of Mrs Poovey's descendants still live in Rusk County and many more live in the Dallas area.
Sources:
(1) Tombstone at Pine Grove Cemetery near Henderson, Texas
(2) Doug Garrison, a Poovey - McCallum researcher
(3) Obituary of Mrs Lucretia McCallum Poovey
(4) 1850 Federal Census, York Co, South Carolina
(5) 1860 Federal Census, York Co, South Carolina
Notes:
Lucretia's obituary infers that she and her husband both moved to Texas. David's death date is August 7, 1873 but Lucretia joined the Pine Grove Church in 1871. David died and is buried in York Co, South Carolina; that leads us to believe that David stayed in York County.
Robert Alexander's obituary says he came to Texas in 1847 (the year he was born) but he was enumerated in York County in 1850 and 1860 with his family.
Researchers have failed to find anything substantial on David Poovey as to his family but a Catherine Poovey (age 20) is listed as a domestic servant with J. N. and Dorothy McCall who lived near Mrs Poovey's father during the 1860 Federal Census for Clay Hill, South Carolina. This Catherine is too old to be the daughter of Lucretia and David. Another researcher suggests that David's parents are Matthias and Polly Sherman Poovey. Matthias was from Germany.