Shelby County TN Archives Biographies.....GRAY-Beattie(Borland), Mary (Mollie) Melbourne June 28, 1850 - February 17, 1938
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Bill Boggess william-boggess@webtv.net February 23, 2006, 3:58 am

Author: Bill Boggess



     MARY (Mollie) MELBOURNE BORLAND (1850AR-1938MO): 



   Mary, known as Mollie, at least during her younger years, named after her gifted
and talented mother, Mary Melbourne, was born Friday, 28 Jun 1850 in Hot Springs
following the Mexican War, while her father was a U. S. Senator and like Fannie, is
found throughout Virginia Davis Gray's 1863-1865 published diary, her un-published
letters and unpublished "baby diary" of Carl. 

   It is noted here, Mollie and daughters Grace & Mary, were for some gracious but
unknown reason, dedicated to Deaf-Mute Schools. 

   She too was active during civil war days in Princeton, very close to Fannie. When
19 y/o, still single, she left Arkansas with Fannie and her husband James C. Moores
for the east. 

   Mary, 21 y/o, married John M. Beattie, born in Scotland, at Memphis, TN, bond
(see attached) obtained Thursday, 22 Feb 1872, with Fannie's husband, James Moores
jointly making Twelve Hundred and Fifty Dollar bond. Its unclear and doubtful this
is same John Beattie/Beatty mentioned in Virginia's published diary, footnote #61, a
private with Twelfth Missouri Calvary Regiment, from Kansas City, Jackson County,
MO. 

   Their union produced three children before his death; Grace M.(Melbourne?), Mary
Borland and Godwin M.. 

   John, seemingly, was caught up in the yellow fever epidemic and without records,
most likely died 1878, give or take a year! 

   Widow Mollie, listed "Marg", in Shelby County 1880 census, is less 7y/o Grace M..
We felt Grace was inflicted with a hearing impairment, but checks from 1879-82 at
Little Rock's Deaf-Mute Institute were negative, as was 1910 census. She boarded &
taught in Deaf Institute 1893-94, her sister Mary in 1899-00, both then to Michigan
School for Deaf in 1900-01. Their mother was Matron for many years, starting after
1880, for sure in 1883, ending upon 2nd marriage in 1889. 

   Mary (Mollie) M. (Borland) Beattie in 1883, listed as living at 712 E 6th St.,
Little Rock and was visited, while a Matron at "Deaf Mute Asylum", by friend
Virginia Davis Gray, 1st wife of Oliver Crosby Gray, mother of his children, as
noted in letter of 26 Nov 1883 written at Virginia's Fayetteville home on W. Dickson
St. at Gregg Ave,, were after 9-months illness, she died of cancer, 1:30 pm,
Tuesday, 17 Aug 1886. 

   The 1883 Little Rock City Directory lists Mary Beattie as a Matron at Deaf
School, as does the 1886 Directory. 

   Monday, 17 Jun 1889 widow Mary Melbourne (Borland) Beattie (1850AR-1938MO)
married widower Colonel Oliver Crosby Gray (1832ME-1905AR), in Little Rock, both
with teenage children setting up home in Fayetteville, next to historic Frisco depot
for which Oliver provided land, eastern most porton of his homestead on W Dickson
St, since purchased 10 July 1877 for $1000 from Judge LaFayette and Mary A. Gregg,
whose historic home is across street, at 339 N. Gregg Ave. (a Union Colonel,
credited with getting the university into Fayetteville). Oliver was Chairman of the
Mathematic's Department at Arkansas Industrial University since 1888, until May
1895, after serving 21 years at A.I.U., he was appointed superintendent at Arkansas
School for the Blind (see photo#1) where 26 years earlier, in 1869, they named their
1st brick building (see photo#2) in his honor, but demolished it in 1948 along with
all honors using its bricks in the new Governors Mansion. Mary became Matron in 1896
and in1898. He died at the Blind School, Saturday, 9 Dec 1905 after unselfishly
adopting Arkansas 45 years earlier, defending it in war & peace, and teaching
thousands of its youth. Honorable George B. Rose Esq. gave a glowing tribute to his
former teacher, to crowd of over 100 friends, many in high positions, and past
students, attending services, as printed on front page of The Arkansas Democrat, 11
Dec 1905 (see attached), at the Presbyterian Church with Masonic honors. 

   Mary, 2nd Mrs. O. C. Gray, passed away in Kansas City, Thursday, 17 Feb 1938,
after years of poor health. Her ashes were; "... buried beside Col. Gray." witnessed
by daughter Mary Borland (Beattie) Bell, wife of Dr. John C. Bell, Belzoni, MS and
step-son Carl Raymond Gray, President, Union Pacific Railroad, Omaha, NE, --- grave
(see photo) in Historic Masonic Evergreen Cemetery at Fayetteville, AR, east across
cemetery road from her father's friend and famous Arkansan, Governor (Colonel)
Archibald Yell's grave (see photo). We learned 3 Apr 2004, that under supervision of
the University, a project is under way of installing a 6-foot high chain link fence
with locked gates at entrances, then correcting the vandalized gravestones, such as
you see of Col. Gray's toppled on the ground, which we first sought the Masonic
Order to correct, but ended up correcting it ourselves the spring of2004. We called
about the lack of Mary's name on graveyard listing, and it supposedly is being
added, for there is NO gravestone. Both daughters, Grace and Mary were close friends
of step-brother Carl R Gray, and visited him at his summer home "Gray Rocks"
Pleasant Point, Cushing Maine. 

      Hattie E. Williams' May 1958 article publshed in Flashback of Washington
County (AR) Historical Society about her neighbors the GRAYS, mentions her high
thoughts towards the 2nd Mrs Gray, Mary (Mollie) Melbourne (Borland Beattie GRAY. 

  5a. Daughter Grace M.(Melbourne?) 
(1873TN-1954MS), was born in Memphis, TN, Dec 1873, missing in 1880 census. 

   Grace, was a true old maid school teacher, first found for us by Brian Robertson,
of Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, in Little Rock's 1893-94 City Directory, as
teaching and living at the Deaf-Mute Institute (unknown are number of years), where
her mother had been a Matron since, at least 1883 to about1889. The 1900 census of
Flint, MI finds her teaching at the Michigan School for the Blind & Deaf, with
sister Mary moving there in1900. Colorado Springs' 1902 City Directory has Grace
teaching at Colorado School for the Blind & Deaf, where she remained until 1944, not
listed employed in 1945, remaining in Colo. Sprgs. last recorded in1948, no City
Directories again until 1951, when she is missing. We assume she moved to her
sisters in Belzoni, MS where Grace and Dr. John C. Bell died 1954, Mary in 1962, all
buried in Belzoni, MS cemetery. 

   My cousin Harriette Flora (Hopkins) Anglea b.1921MO, then of Pueblo, CO, now CA,
told me mid-2003, she remembers 'Aunt Grace' attending Sunday dinners in Colorado
Springs at grandmother Maude (Wallick) Flora's (1870IN-1940CO), Grace's
step-sister-in-law, being the widow of step-brother Carl Raymond Gray's wife
Harriette Flora's younger brother Dr. William Walter Flora's (1871KS-1922CO). Grace
visited with Carl & Harriette in summers at "Gray Rocks" (once known as "Friendship
Cottage"), their summer home at Pleasant Point, Knox County, Maine. 

      Bob Knutson, M.D., of MN whose wife was granddaughter of Carl R. Gray recalls
Grace in Maine visiting her step-brother Carl most every summer during vaction time.
(see Grace & Mary's 1930s picture on Harbour Island, ME, furnished by Knutson) 

         5b. Daughter Mary Borland (1875TN-1962MS), born 2 Apr 1875 in Memphis, TN,
graduated "with distinction" in Class of 1896 (see photo), at Arkansas Industrial
University, first class to wear cap and gowns, along with classmate John Martineau
who became Arkansas' Governor in 1927 (my birth year), receiving an Honorary LL D
degree in 1929 at UA, same year Carl Raymond Gray (1867AR-1939WASH), president Union
Pacific RR, step-son of 2nd Mrs. O.C. Gray received his LL D degree and where in
1874, Carl's mother, Virginia Lafayette (Davis) Gray developed its Art Department
(Drawing and painting) while Mary's step-father, Carl's father, the Colonel, started
its Engineering School. University of Arkansas built & dedicated Gray Hall in 1906
in his honor (see photo), which they demolished in 1966, hauling off his honors with
other unwanted debris to the trash dump, replaced with Mullins Library. Prior to
starting the engineering school in 1874, Oliver served as president of prestigious,
Masonic St. Johns' College in Little Rock (see photo), where while president in
1871-74, he started their Law School, soliciting faculty members, U. M. Rose, whose
statute is in the National Statuary Hall, Washington, DC, Augustus H. Garand, later
Governor, U.S.Senator & U.S.Attorney General. Before Oliver's time at St John;s was
17 y/o David O. Dodd, hung by the Fed's, 1864.(see article & Fannie's poem). 

   Mary Borland Beattie is noted in the Sixteenth Biennial Report of Arkansas
Deaf-Mute Institute, pages 5 & 24 (see attachment), to wit:   


           "Miss Mary Beattie, almost brought up in the Institution, and for several
years our successful Art teacher, was, during the session of 1900, transferred to a
manual class, in which she did excellent work. At close of this session she
resigned, much to our regret, and is now a teacher in the Michigan School for the
Deaf." 


      1900 census finds sister Grace and as #12 Mary is on the Twelfth Census of The
United States (1900), teaching at the "Deaf Mute Institute" later married Dr. John
C. Bell, moving to Belzoni, MS where both, and sister Grace M. are buried. See Mary
Borland Beattie's school picture, and with her sister Grace on Harbor Island, Maine
preparing lobsters while visiting step-brother Carl Gray ca.1930's, The Class of
1896 group photo, was, oddly, found in book by Ethel C. Simpson of University of
Arkansas, the supervisor who refused to reply to our request for information on the
Grays, May 2003. Included in picture is Oliver's Presbyterian minister's daughter,
Lila Chunn Davies, whose father, Rev. S.W.Davies, gave their Benediction. 

   Mary died 8 Feb 1962 and is buried with husband John and sister Grace, in
Belzoni, MS cemetery, and it is unknown if she had children.        

      5c. Son Godwin M. (1877TN-19??) is noted in an article by Hattie E. Williams,
his same age, published May 1958 in Flashback, the Washington County Historical
Society's newsletter,, "OUR NEIGHBORS -- THE GRAYS", otherwise not found before nor
after his step-father's, Col. O. C. Gray, 1905 obituaries. 


              <>------<>-------<> 


Additional Comments: 

Above is found in Section III of booklet "That Man Named Solon", filed At Memphis
Pub;lic Library's, geneqalogical section and in Brunswick, TN at The Tennessee
Genealogical Society.


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