Mary Frances Bankhead

Mary Frances Bankhead — called “Frankie” throughout her life — was born on July 17, 1834, in Tipton County, Tennessee. She was the daughter of Sarah Leah Nobles and Richard Bankhead. When she was only a few months old, her parents brought her and her siblings — William Newton, James Marion, Mary Elizabeth, and Eady Elmyra — to Texas. They settled near what was soon to be the townsite of Huntsville.¹

Shortly after their arrival, Richard Bankhead died from exposure, leaving Sarah with five small children. Sarah later married George A. Lamb, who was killed at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836.¹

Marriage to John McAdams

Following the death of Hester White in January 1849, John McAdams Jr. lost little time in finding another wife and mother for his five children. In November of that year he married Mary Frances Bankhead, daughter of Richard and Sarah Nobles Bankhead. The fifteen-year-old “Frankie” took on the responsibilities of his family like a seasoned housekeeper, having been well-trained by her mother and her elder sister Mary Elizabeth, with whom she had lived until her marriage.¹

Seven Children

Frankie bore John seven children: Frances, Hester, George, Eady Caroline (“Cat”), Alice Theodosia (“Dosh”), Margaret (“Tommie”), and Mattle Ethel (“Mattie”). Together they shared the good and bad fortunes of many years, until his death at the age of seventy-seven.¹

There were strong bonds between the McAdams sisters — Tommie, Cat, Dosh, and Mattie — throughout their lives. Frances and Hester pre-deceased their sisters by many years. The McAdams clan gathered once a year at grounds adjacent to the cemetery for a family reunion, honoring one family member at each gathering.¹

Postmaster and Final Years

Frankie served as the first postmaster of McAdams, Texas, from 1887 to 1889. She spent her last years in the home of her widowed daughter, Tommie Thompson. She died on May 23, 1905, and is buried in McAdams Cemetery beside her husband. A few steps away, in a rock-covered grave, lie the remains of John’s first wife, Hester.¹