The Double Wedding of the Sisters Kennerly, 1891

You are invited to attend the marriage of Helen Kennerly to A.B. McCans, and Maude Kennerly to J.D. Tanner, Wednesday morning, April twenty-ninth at half past ten o'clock, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, at the residence of S.J. Kennerly, Cottonwood Street, Gainesville, Texas.

This wedding invitation was found in the attic of Moran Place among the papers of Fannie Moran.

It's not certain at this time if there is a familial relationship between these families and the Morans but I would not rule it out.

Helen and Maude Kennerly were the daughters of William W. and Martha (Mattie) McGehee Kennerly. Based on research and perusing family trees William Kennerly was born in 1833 in Franklin County, Tennessee.  He died Feb. 20 1881 in Smithville, Georgia.  He married Martha McGehee about 1867 based on the fact that in the 1880 Census their daughter Helen was 12 years old. William died Feb 20 1881 in Georgia but was interred in Featherston Cemetery in Franklin County, Tennessee.  Mattie was born Oct 22 1844 in Griffin, Georgia. On her death certificate her name is listed as Mattie F.C. Kennerly.  I found a tree on ancestry that listed her full name as Martha Frank Oliver McGehee. Her parents were James Andrew McGehee and Sarah "Sally" Hamilton Harper both of South Carolina. The informant was W.H. Beaty, the second husband of Helen Kennerly McCans Beaty.  Mattie died on august 20 1919 in what was then known as Polytechnic, Texas but is now a part of Fort Worth.  She was interred at Oakwood Cemetery in Fort Worth.  Helen Kennerly was born Dec. 9 1868 in Georgia while Maude was born Feb 29 1872, also in Georgia.

William was the son of Samuel and Helen Kennerly.  Here is the makeup of the Kennerly home as it appeared in the 1850 Census for Franklin, Tennessee:
Samuel Jackson Kennerly, age 47, merchant, Real Estate valued at $2000, Birthplace Tennessee
Helen (Taylor) Kennerly, age 36, Tennessee
William W. Kennerly, age 16, Tennessee
Leathy J. Kennerly, age 14, female, Tennessee
George T. Kennerly, age 7, Tennessee
and his twin brother
John P. Kennerly, age 7, Tennessee
James H. Kennerly, age 5, Tennessee
Archy Jordan, age 22, Physician, Tennessee
George R. Kennerly, age 46, Farmer, Tennessee
In addition to those named above Samuel and Helen Kennerly had another son named Samuel Jackson Kennerly born in Jun 1849, but not listed in the 1850 Census. He moved to Gainesville, Texas by 1881.

Martha appears in the 1850 census  for Pike, Georgia with her family:
J.A. McGehee, age 41, physician, real estate valued at $80, born in South Carolina
S.H. McGehee, age 38, South Carolina
Maude R. McGehee, age 15, Georgia
Jane H. McGehee, age 12, Georgia
Stephan G. McGehee, age 9, Georgia
Martha F.C. McGehee, age 7, Georgia
Sarah C. McGehee, age 5, Georgia
Charlotte E. McGehee, age 3, Georgia
Susan L. McGehee, age 1, Georgia

William appears in the 1860 Census for Marion, Buena Vista, Georgia, in the household of John Matthews.  His occupation was school teacher. He was 27 years old.

1860 Census for Martha McGehee not located at this time.

1870 Census for W.W. Kennerly not located at this time.

1880 Census Lee, Smithville Georgia
William W. Kennerly, age 47, School Teacher
Martha Kennerly, age 35, wife, Georgia
Helen Kennerly, age 12, daughter, Georgia
Maude Kennerly, age 9, daughter, Georgia

After the death of her husband William Kennerly, Martha moved to Texas with their daughters Helen and Maude.

In a double wedding ceremony April 29, 1891, Helen married Alexander Bailey McCans and her sister Maude married James Donnell Tanner at the home of their uncle Samuel Jackson Kennerly.

Helen and her first husband A.B. McCans had six children: Alexander B. Jr, Josephine, Maude L, Lindsey Harper McCans, Helen and an unamed infant that died in 1899.  The family lived in Gainesville, Texas, a place I've written about before.  Most likely the McCans knew J.T. Edwards and his wife Josie Gardner who were from Weakley County, TN and had moved to Gainesville.  Another Moran and Weakley County connection would be Rufus Franklin Scott who married the sister of John Williamson Moran, Martha Helen Moran.  They moved to Gainesville in 1858 and were prominent citizens as were the Gardners.  Helen and A.B. named one of their daughters Josephine Gardner McCans.  I find it interesting that Alexander B. McCans Jr became a banker and the Moran family helped found the Dresden Bank.

A.B. McCans died in 1898 and was interred at Fairview Cemetery in Gainesville.  After his death, Helen became a dressmaker and  in the 1900 Census Alexander Jr, Maude and Josephine were living in the Masonic Orphans and Widows Home at Justice, Texas.  Helen married William Herbert Beaty on Dec. 25 1903 in Bryan, Texas.  They had three children: Jennie, Samuel and William H. Jr.  Helen Kennerly McCans Beaty died in 1941 and is interred in Shannon Rose Hill Memorial Park Cemetery at Fort Worth as is her second husband W.H. Beaty.

Maude Kennerly and her husband James Donnell Tanner appear in the 1910 Census for Pontotoc, Oklahoma.  James is 52 years old, born in Alabama and was a bookkeeper.  Maude is 38 years old and had 6 births and 6 living children: Val (son) age 17 TX, James D. age 14 TX, Martha age 10 OK, Willie W. age 7 OK, Hellen P. age 4 OK and Robert W. age 2 OK.  Maude Kennerly Tanner died May 5 1956 and is interred at Highland Cemetery in Pawnee Oklahoma.  Her husband, James Donnell Tanner died October 30 1910 and is interred at Mannsville Cemetery in Mannsville Oklahoma.

As always, the research is subject to corrections.  If there are descendants of Helen and Maude still surviving we hope this information proves useful to them and that they will enjoy seeing the wedding invitation of the sisters Kennerly.

1911 "Smoker" for James H Moran

"SMOKER."

On the evening of Nov. 21st (Tuesday) the young men of Newbern entertained Mr. James H. Moran and his out of town friends with a "Smoker."  Covers were laid for nineteen and a most delightful menu was served by Mrs. Delle JONES.  Mr. L.G. NORVELL acted as Toast Master and acquitted himself with much credit.  The following responded to "toasts"; James H. MORAN, Harry JONES and Mr. THOMASON of Dresden, John M. DRANE, Prof. BRIGHT, J.H. GENTRY, F.E. SCOTT, B.F. GRISHAM and Wm. A. SHIBLEY.

A Dyersburg Orchestra furnished the music.  After a four course dinner had been served, all present accepted an invitation to the dance which was in progress at the Opera House.

Among others present at the "Smoker" were Mr. James MORAN, Harry JONES, Harold (sic) MORAN, Mr. THOMASON, J.V. THOMAS, Q. SHUMATE, L.G. NORVELL, N.B. GENTRY, J.H. GENTRY, B.F. GRISHAM, Jno. M. DRANE, T.A. JONES, Kirby MOORE, H. Parks TIGRETT, W.S. RIDENS, Prof. N.H. BRIGHT, F.E. Scott, Wm. A. SHIBLEY and Dr. MAYO.

Newspaper clipping, unknown source.

What is a "smoker" I wondered.  After dissecting the clipping I decided that it had to be something similar to a bachelor party or a "roast" and the HyperDictionary confirmed it for me. James H Moran III and Virginia Shumate were married November 22 1911 in Newbern, Tennessee.  The Smoker was held the evening before and was given in honor of the bridegroom, Jim Moran, by "the young men of Newbern" which just happened to be where the wedding was taking place and where his bride Virginia, lived, with her Uncle Quincy Shumate's family.  Many of the attendee's at the Smoker are also mentioned in the wedding announcement which can be found here. 

I wonder what time everyone made it to sleep that night since they also went on to dance at the Opera House after the Smoker.  It's a good thing the wedding didn't begin until 7pm the following evening!

William Albert Shibley

Surnames: Shibley, Wermuth, Tigrett, Kearney, Davidson, Snell

There are several similarities between William Albert Shibley and James Moran III.  They both attended St. Albans School in Radford, VA and the University of Virginia.  They both played on the football team.  Their fathers served in the Confederacy during the Civil War, both married young ladies living in Newbern, Tennessee. Both had three children: William had two girls and a boy while James had two boys and a girl. William Shibley worked for a time as a Bank Cashier.  James' father owned the Bank of Dresden and he would eventually become the Bank President at his fathers death.  Neither stayed in the banking business.  By 1920 William and his family lived in Memphis and he was working in the automobile industry.  After the failure of the Dresden Bank James became a "bond buyer" and eventually found work as a bank examiner for the Federal Housing Administration and for a time he lived in Memphis and Little Rock.  William Shibley died in 1926 and was buried in Fairview Cemetery in Arkansas, the same cemetery as his parents.  James Moran died in 1968 and is buried in the Moran family cemetery.

That's the connection between William and James.  But what about Virginia Shumate, James' wife.  Virginia was born in Kentucky but after the death of her parents she and her sisters moved to Newbern and lived with their uncle Quincy Shumate and his family.  In addition the Gentry family, relatives of the Shumates were living in Newbern as well.  I believe that Virginia was probably friends with Rebecca and the Tigrett family.  Rebecca would end up being Williams first wife.  So it's very possible that James Moran and Virginia Shumate met through their mutual friends, William and Rebecca.

These items were found among the papers of Virginia Shumate Moran:

The wedding invitation to Rebecca Tigrett and William Albert Shibley's wedding.

Mr. and Mrs. A.B. Tigrett

invite you to be present

at the marriage of their daughter

Rebecca

to

Mr. William Albert Shibley

Wednesday evening January the sixteenth

Nineteen hundred and one,

at eight o'clock

Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Newbern, Tennessee

William Albert Shibley was born October 7 1876 in Crawford Arkansas to William Henry Harrison Shibley and Esther A. Cook.   William was married three times.  His wives were: Rebecca Tigrett (predeceased him), Marie Louise Wermuth (divorced) and Jeanne T. Snell (divorced).

Rebecca Tigrett was born July 6 1879 in Newbern to A.B.Tigrett and Lucy (Lutie) Parks.  Rebecca and William Shibley married in 1901 and had one child, William Burton Shibley.  Rebecca died March 27, 1905 and is buried in Poplar Grove Cemetery in Newbern.

Marie Louise Wermuth was born March 3, 1891 in New Orleans.  She was the daughter of Charles Ernst

Wermuth and Marie Agnes Pichet/Picket. She married William on January 9, 1910, in New Orleans.  James Moran was the best man at the wedding.  It's interesting to note that Marie Wermuth Shibley was the organist at the wedding of James and Virginia in 1911 and William Shibley was an usher!

I've transcribed the wedding information:
A pretty wedding was that of Miss Marie Louis Wermuth, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Wermuth, to Mr. William Albert Shibley of Newbern, Tenn., which was celebrated at 5 o'clock in the afternoon yesterday at the Prytania Street Presbyterian Church.  There was a large gathering of friends entertained for the ceremony, and there were several attendants on both the bride and bridegroom.  The church was decorated with a profusion of plants and tall ferns and numberous clusters of white cut flowers and loops of tulle.  "Lohengrin's" wedding march was played as the bridal party entered.  The attendants at the wedding were the bridesmaids, Misses Rita Kuntz, Ethelyn Reuss of Louisiana and Alma Spiller of Whitecastle, La., and the maid of honor was Miss Malissa Radetzky of Houston.  The groomsmen were Messrs. Aleck Leonhardt and howard Pattison and Dr. S.J. Muller, and the ushers Messrs. Walter Gerault, Jr., Oscar Catoire, John McCloskey, Jr. and H.G. McCall. The best man was Mr. James H. Moran of Rudderford (sic), Tenn.  Jest preceding the bride were the little flower girl, Miss Aline Casanas, and the little ringbearer, Maxwell Hughes.  The bride was given away by her father, with whom she entered.  She wore an elaborate bridal gown of cashmere de soie over satin, trimmed with duchess lace.  It was made in princess effect, with a long train, and worn with the conventional veil of illusion.  She carried lilies of the valley and orchids.  The bridesmaids' gowns were of pale pink messaline over satin, and they carried shower bouquets of La France roses and asparagus vine.  The maid of honor wore white sating and carried bride roses.  During the signing of the register Miss Marie Norra sang an "Ave Maria" very beautifully.  There was a reception later at the home of the bride's parents in Nashville avenue, which was a largely attended and elaborate affair.  Mrs. Wermuth was assisted in receiving by Mrs. O.H. Simpson, Mrs. Benj. Casanas and a few other guests, besides members of the bridal party.  Mr. and Mrs. Shibley left for a bridal tour in the Middle West, after which they will make their home in Newbern. The bridegroom is a native of Tennessee and is an alumnus of the University of Virginia.  There was a large number of beautiful gifts sent to the bride.

Marie and William had two daughters: Evelyn Wermuth Shibley and Marie Esther Shibley.  Marie and William divorced sometime before 1920 because she and her daughters appear in the 1920 Census living with her parents in New Orleans and her marital status is divorced.    Marie died in 1970.

Mrs. H. Crawford Davidson, the former Miss Evelyn Shibley,
devotes her spare time to various activities of the New Orleans
Junior League including the Children's Playhouse Company

Their daughter Evelyn married Hugh Crawford Davidson in 1934.  This picture is probably from the 1940's.  In the 1940 Census Hugh is listed as an executive.  They had no children at that time.

Miss Marie Esther Shibley, one of the beauties
of the younger set, whose engagement to
Mr. William J. Kearney, Jr., is announced
today by her mother, Mrs. Marie Shibley.

Their daughter Marie married William James Kearney Jr sometime about 1936.  His occupation was listed as lawyer in the 1940 Census.  At that time they had two children: William age 3 and Michael, 8 months.

The final marriage of William Albert Shibley, that I'm aware of,  was to Jeanne T. Snell on June 30, 1923 in Arkansas.  The marriage lasted less than two years as the couple divorced in January 1925.

In the span of 19 years William Shibley had married twice, been widowed, and then divorced and had three
children.  The 1920 Census has him living in a boarding house with his 18 year old son William B. Shibley.  His daughters are living in New Orleans with his second wife.  It's very possible that his son had a place of his own and William is living alone in Memphis in 1922 when he sent this Christmas greeting to Jim and Virginia Moran.  In six months he would be married for third time and divorced again in a year and a half.  William died in 1926.

There is one other item I recall seeing but can't put my hands on it and that is a calling card for William.  When I do I'll scan it and add it here.

For now that's all of the Shibley family information I've located but I also haven't been through all of the items from Moran Place which means there could be more!

At this time I can find no family connection between the Shibley and Moran Clans except that they appeared to be very good friends.