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There has been some confusion about the spelling of the names Lott and McArthur. Lott has been misspelled as Loth and McArthur has been misspelled and mispronounced as McCarthy, McArthy, McCarthur, MacArthur, etc. The explanation and reasons for these errors are discussed in our research called, “The McArthur Family.”
Following Marcelline’s marriage, she moved into the area of Hancock County called Gainesville. This is where the Stennis Space Center is today. From Marcelline’s Will, it was determined they lived near the Pearl River on an 80 acre tract of land located in the SE lA of the NE lA and the NE Vi of the SW V* of Section 12, Township 7, Range 16 West, Hancock County.
While there is no doubt that the family home-site was in Hancock County near the Pearl River, it seems that the family may have lived for a short period of time on the west side of the Pearl River in St. Tammany Parish, LA. Evidence of this is found in the baptismal records of some of Lott and Marcelline McArthur’s children. These records, found in St. Louis Cathedral, state that the infants Celestine, Elizabeth, James, and Antoine were born on the Pearl River in “St. Tammany Parish, LA.” It is our belief that Lott, in the 1830s and 1840s actually lived on the Mississippi side of Pearl River as evidenced by his land taxes paid in Hancock County as early as 1836. Also, later census records of Lott McArthur’s children all state they were born in “Mississippi.” We strongly suspect that the priest from New Orleans did not realize he was in Mississippi once he crossed the Pearl River, which would account for the place of residence error.
Following the death of her husband, Marcelline McArthur appears in the 1850 Hancock County census in Gainesville, household #405. This home belonged to the family of Nicholas Mitchell, age 60. He was bom in North Carolina, while his wife and children were bom in Florida. Also in this household were Edward Pelts, a teacher, bom in Alabama, his wife, Elizabeth, born in Florida, and one young daughter. There is no known connection between these families and the Dobys or McArthurs. Marcelline appears as being born in Mississippi and was 37 years old that year. The other children, all born in Mississippi, were as follows: James, 17; Soloman, 16; Elizabeth, 14; Celest, 12; Thomas, 9; and Lott, age 4. This list is all the known children bom to Lott McArthur and Marcelline C. Doby that is except for one son. St. Louis Cathedral has “Antoine McCarthy,” bom to the above parents on September 30, 1834 and baptized on February 20, 1836. We have found no further record on this child.
While Marcelline lived most of her married life in the Gainesville, MS area near the Honey Island Swamp, she is believed to be buried in a small private cemetery near their home called the “Mill Creek Cemetery.” An older descendant (now deceased), Cassey Moran, told us this information. He said he is fairly sure of it, but went on to say that this cemetery no longer has any head markers - only a few “sinks” in the ground where the old McArthur family buried its dead.
As stated previously, Marcelline supposedly died when her son, Lott Jr., was around 10 years old. Lott Jr. was bom in 1845, according to his death certificate, thus giving us a date of death for Marcelline in or around 1855. In the Hancock County, Mississippi Probate Court Records, we have found a court record dated June 26, 1855 probating the Last Will and Testament of Marcelline McArthur (Probate Court Minute Book 1, pp. 171 and 190). This Will was dated January 3, 1855. This would indicate Marcelline died early in the year 1855, probably shortly after the making of her Will.
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