Beloved Mary Welch Monteith Meets a Tragic End

Mary Welch Monteith

ANDREW MONTEITH > ROBERT WARDROPE MONTEITH m Mary L Welch

Robert Wardope Monteith was born in Penninghame, Wigtownshire, Scotland, on 04 Mar 1880 to Andrew Monteith and Isabelle Hendry.  Most of the children came to the US in the late 1840s and to Wisconsin in the early 1950s, so I would presume a similar path was taken by Robert. In 1860, he was living in Liberty Township, Grant County, with his parents and brothers, John, David, and Samuel (John and Samuel would go on to fight in the Civil War and Samuel would be killed in battle). David stayed on the farm and cared for his parents in the retirement.

Robert joined Co H, Wisconsin 7th Infantry Regiment as a First Sergeant on 29 Aug 1861. He would then be promoted to 2Lt in Dec 1861.He was promoted to 1Lt a year later and to Captain in Oct 1863. He would serve on the Field & Staff roster as adjutant for the 7th prior to be named company commander of Company H after his promotion to Captain. His brothers John and Samuel also served in his company.

After the war, he married Mary L. Welch, daughter of John D and Sarah H (Ogden) Welch, born in Madison, Dane, Wisconsin on 20 Nov 1849. They hailed from New York and John was a carpenter. The wedding was held on 19 Oct 1871. She wore a gold cross at her wedding which two generations later would be worn at the wedding of her granddaughter, Jessie Davis to Robert Hall in 1937.

The couple had three children, Robert, Jessie (who died at 31 in 1907), and Ida Jean.

Tragically, Mrs. Monteith, who was very very active in Madison social and club circles, was crossing the street on the evening of 23 Oct 1929 to take her evening meal with Mr & Mrs H H Van Wagenen, when she was struck by an auto driven by a Mr Dreger. The accident was partially attributed to the ongoing storm and he was not charged.

Mrs Monteith was a member of the Woman's Club and the John Bell Chapter of the DAR as well as many other organizations. The will was read shortly after her death. She left $164,500 to her heirs. The executor was The Central Wisconsin Trust Company in Madison.

MRS MONTEITH LEFT $164,500
Children and Grandchildren Share in Estate of Woman Killed by Automobile
An estate of $164,5000 was left by Mrs Mary Welch Monteith, who died her Oct 23, from injuries received when struck by an automobile, according to the petition to prove the will filed in county court today.

Of the $164,500 left by Mrs Monteith, $125,00 is in personal property and the remaining $40,000 in real estate. Indebtedness is listed at $500. Under terms of the will, her grandson, Robert Monteith, Jr, Milwaukee will receive $10,000 in cash, her mahogany furniture, two oriental rugs, a piano and half the silverware. A second grandson, Edwin, brother of Robert, receives $5,000 in cash and the other half of the silverware.

Her son, Robert, Milwaukee, receives $10,000 in cash; her granddaughter, Jessie Louise Davis, Madison, $5,000 in cash and two oriental rugs, and her daughter Mrs Jean Monteith Davis, Madison, $10,000 in cash and all personal jewelry.

The balance of the estate is to be divided equally between her son, Robert, her grandson, Robert Jr., and her daughter, Mrs Davis. The Central Wisconsin Trust Company is named as executor."
Madison Wisconsin State Journal October 29, 1929 (note this was the day of the big stock market crash of the biggest depression in US history - it appears this financial institution did okay, merging with another bank in 1932)

The Andrew Monteith Family from Wigtownshire, Scotland

Wigtownshire

Andrew Monteith and Isabelle Hendry lived in Wigtownshire, Scotland when the family started to trickle into the United States. In 1841 and 1851, the family was living in Penninghame, Wigtownshire where they'd be found in the 1851 census.

Andrew was born in 1786, according the 1841 and 1851 English census. I have not found the confirmation of his origins, nor of his parentage.

He married Isabelle Hendry, 28 Apr 1816, in Penninghame. Isabelle was born 17 Aug 1895, purportedly in Aberdeenshire, almost 300 miles from Penninghame.

From about 1772 until past his own death, Merton Hall was owned by Edward Boyd's family. Andrew would name his son, born in 1822, Edward Boyd Monteith. Ownership of the estate would change hands frequently once it left the Boyd ownership. In 1841 it appears Andrew was living and working at Merton Hall in the agricultural portion of the property. He was a ploughman according to the 1851 census. Andrew was listed as "Ag Lab" in the 1841 census, which was pretty far down the totem pole of society (see this explanation for Shropshire which is universal during this time).

They had 11 children that I could locate. Between 1852 and 1856, they traveled from Wigtownshire to Liberty Township, Grant County, Wisconsin. Andrew applied for citizenship in 1856.

Isabelle Hendry in old age

In 1860, his real estate holdings were worth $1,200 and his personal estate $800. By 1870, he, his wife and son David lived in the home and David helped him farm. There, as of 1877, he held 42+ acres of land in the northwest corner of the township. Andrew died 19 May 1878 in Liberty. Isabelle would survive until 07 Mar 1891 and would reside with her son David and family in the Monteith home.

Three of his sons would serve with the 7th Wisconsin Infantry during the Civil War; one of whom died of injuries. The children of this marriage:

1. Mary Ann: Born 28 Jan 1816 in Penninghame, she married Alex McCullough on 04 Dec 1842 in Scotland. They arrived in American prior to 1860 and unlike her brothers and sisters, moved to Chicago. Her husband Alex kept saloon at 161 Market St (now Wacker St). They maintained the saloon at least through 1880. They had three daughters. Mary died 03 May 1884 in Chicago. Alex, born about 1808, has an unknown date of death.

2. Elizabeth (reported), born 1818 in Penninghame, no other information known. Unconfirmed.

3. James: Born 27 Jan 1820, Penninghame. Married Maria Louisa Hunter, born 06 Mar 1841 in Mercer, Pennsylvania on 01 Apr 1863 in Wisconsin. He died 08 Apr 1882 in Fennimore, Grant County, Wisconsin. She died 20 May 1917 in Fennimore. They had seven children.

4. Edward Boyd: born 12 Mar 1822 in Penninghame. Married Agnes McCubbin in Scotland. They arrived in the US in 1848, living in Vermont for three years, then to Janesville, Wisconsin, arriving at last in Platteville, Wisconsin in 1854. Edward died 12 Nov 1911 in Fennimore. More on Edward Boyd next. Agnes was born 05 Apr 1823 in Scotland and died 25 Jan 1913 in Fennimore. They had eight children, three of whom married grandsons of Jacob Smith.

5. Andrew: Confirmed birth 05 Jun 1824 in Penninghame. No other information available.

Merton Hall, Newton Stewart Parish, Penninghame, Wigtownshire, Scotland

6. William Boyd Monteith, 19 Jan 1826 in Newton Stewart (Penninghame). Married Mary Anna Maria Bleiler about 1866. They had 10 children. William died 18 Aug 1889 in Shooks Prairie, Green County, Wisconsin and Mary died 08 May 1913 in Monroe, Green County. I surmise that William Boyd was named after either the father of  Edward Boyd, owner of Merton Hall in Newton Steward Parish, Penninghame, or Edward's very successful second son.

7. Sergeant John Monteith was born 11 Jul 1829 in Penninghame. He married Elizabeth Dinsdale, born 24 Aug 1846 of Aysgarth, Yorkshire, England on 16 May 1866 in Grant County, Wisconsin. They had three children. He died 16 Jan 1901 in Wingville, Grant County and she on 17 Feb 1914 in Harrison County, Texas. John served in the 7th Wisconsin Infantry, Company H, as a Sergeant under his younger brother, Robert's command.

8. David was born 09 Mar 1833 in Penninghame. He married Elisebeth "Lizzie" Taylor Munden on 17 Jul 1872 in Lafayette, Wisconsin. He died 16 Jan 1901 and she before 1900. They had three children. David farmed his father's land and cared for his mother until her death.

9. Sergeant Samuel Monteith was born 01 Apr 1835 in Penninghame. He was killed in action in Antietam, Maryland on 17 Sep 1862. Samuel served in the 7th Wisconsin Infantry, Company H, as a Sergeant under his younger brother, Robert's command.

10. Josephine "Jessie" Elisabeth: Born 10 Aug 1838 in  Wigtownshire, Scotland, she married George Whitish in about 1854. He was born 20 May 1832 in Prussia and died on 26 Nov 1919 in Preston, Green County, Wisconsin. Jessie died 03 Apr 1909 in Preston. They had 12 children.

11. Captain Robert Wardrope Monteith was born 04 Mar 1840 in Penninghame. He Married Mary L Welch and had three children. During the Civil War, he worked his way from first sergeant to second lieutenant, then as adjutant to the 7th WI Inf and finally was company commander of Company H, 7th Wisconsin Infantry and led his men in many battles before being mustered out in September 1864. Mary was born on 20 Nov 1849 in Wisconsin and died 23 Oct 1929 in Madison, Dane County. He died 23 Sep 1894 in Madison.

Andrew Monteith Land in Liberty Township, 1877