Martha Ann Bowles

Martha Ann Bowles was the thirteenth child and fifth daughter of John and Celia Bowles. She was born about 1838, based on various census records. The 1850 census has her as 12, and the 1860 census says 22, while the 1870 census puts her at 33.

Martha married Jefferson Nunnally sometime after 1860. They had three children: Lou Ella (b. 14 Nov 1864), John Buford (b. Jan 1867), and Harriet Marinda (b. 30 Mar 1873).

Jefferson S. Nunnally was a son of John B. and Elizabeth (White) Nunnally. His grandparents were Obadiah and Rhoda White, so Celia White, Martha's mother, was Jefferson's aunt. Thus Jefferson Nunnally and Martha Bowles were first cousins. It was not unusual for first cousins to marry in those days when families grouped together in small communities frequently intermarried repeatedly.

Sometime between Harriet's birth and October 1878, Martha apparently died. On 13 Oct 1878, Jefferson married again, this time to Amanda Eaton Gregory. According to the Kentucky Death Index, Jefferson lived until 12 Apr 1912.

Of Jefferson and Martha's children, Lou Ella married Henry S. Free and they had six children (Bedie Ann, Addie Florence, Martha Harriet, Doshia Ellen, Hanson, and Raymond B. Free); John Buford married Virginia Mayfield and they had three children (William Wesley, Jessie Clifton, Charles Henry, and Ruby Belle); and Harriett married Abraham Bray and they had six children (Beulah Ethel, Frank Wendell, Goldie May, Lenice Irvin, Olive Wintress, and Hallie Zelma).