Interesting Day at the Old Surratt Hacienda

[L Verge]

(07-19-2016 09:13 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(07-18-2016 02:42 PM)L Verge Wrote:  According to my source, everything is screwed up! They could not even get Mary Surratt's birth date correct (1817 instead of the correct 1823).

Laurie, I do not know the source they used, but many years ago I recall seeing the incorrect 1817 birth year for Mary Surratt in a book. I just do not recall the book's name, but I know I saw it somewhere. Conceivably their source was the same book where I once saw the 1817 birth date. This is still no excuse, but the incorrect year is out there in print somewhere.

Quite a few books have given her birthdate as either 1820 or 1821, but I don't recall seeing 1817. Would love to know who did that one. I think things got confused when reporters in 1865 referred to Mary as being "about 45." Researchers didn't bother to do any further checking.