Researching the itinerant preacher and his religion became the next step in my quest to discovering more about Henry’s life and upbringing, and locating more information on Mariah. There is a lot to be had from the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC). They kept a pretty decent record, using conference minutes and journals (many of which still survive). Also, there are several histories of Methodism for specific locations, such as Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, etc.
When it came to researching family members in Illinois, MEC, state, and county histories were indispensable. I learned a lot about Thomas Randle during the process, and how his life choices and work may have impacted Henry and Mariah. Fortunately for me, Thomas Randle was the key to finding what became of Mariah.
Stay tuned for Part 5, the final post on how Mariah’s tie to her preacher husband helped to break down the 40 year old brick wall.
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