Mary E. Conly was the third child of George and Elizabeth Conly. She was born about 1808 in SC, and most likely died in TX, though I have not yet located her death date or burial location. She would have migrated through AL and TN with her family, and could have perhaps met her future husband in TN. As her marriage date should be about a year before her first child was born (ca. 1836), her marriage could have taken place in 1835, or just prior, which was exactly the time that the Conlys were settling in Yalobusha Co., with land patent purchases in 1834. Perhaps even, as her future husband, Joshua Jones Clark, was from Tipton Co., TN, this would be a good location to investigate for possible Conly presence.

Joshua Jones Clark (b. 12 Sep1808 in SC) was a Minister, and quite active in Haywood and Tipton Counties, TN. They appear in the Tipton Co., TN census for 1850, and then the family moved about 1853 to Upshur Co., TX, where he and another minister founded the Murray League Institute. This was a church and boarding school that closed during the Civil War. His brother, William Clark, as well as William’s wife, Jane, appear to be buried in the cemetery there near Ore City where the Institute was located.

Mary E. Conly is mentioned in her father’s Will, as well as in estate settlements of her brother Richard H. Conly, giving her husband’s name, as well as locations of TN or TX. Joshua Jones Clark appears as a minister on weddings in Haywood and Tipton Counties in TN, prior to their move to TX.

Their nephew, Pleasant B. Clark, who was the son of William Clark, wrote letters during the Civil War to Mary’s uncle (or cousin?) Henry Haynsworth Wells, who lived in SC. The letters mention his uncle Joshua, cousin Robert (son of Joshua and Mary, who died of small pox during the Civil War), and that he had seen George W. Conly and Annie Allen in MS while traveling through MS during the war. He mentions that the war had not affected them much there in MS. This would change drastically, however, as John Conly (Mary’s brother) is killed, and then the plantation loses all of its slave labor due to the emancipation proclamation.

Children of JOSHUA JONES CLARK and MARY E (Elizabeth) CONLY, based on the two censuses are:

A descendant of Joshua and Mary Clark, now living in NE, corresponded with me, stating that he descends from Isaac Wesley Clark, and provided further information on this line. Isaac, following his father’s footsteps, became a minister and relocated near Dallas, TX. Robert Clark, brother to Joshua Clark, as well as their father (Robert Clark, Sr. m. Sarah Burchard) died in Tipton, Co., TN, and there are wills extant there.

Isaac Wesley Clark (b. 16 July 1842 Tipton Co., TN, d. 14 Aug 1916 Oak Cliff, TX) married Mary Conley Dubose (b. 30 Oct 1845, d. 4 Nov 1935 San Antonio, TX). As far as I can tell, there is no relationship to the middle name of Mary Conley Dubose to the Conly surname from MS. It is important to note, however, that often Conly is spelled with and e, and that Mary E. Conly’s name was passed down to this family with that spelling (Conley). They had six children, to wit: Mame (F), Cynthia Bedell (F), Minor, Wesley, Joe, and Jonnie Conley Clark (F).