Mary Elizabeth Berry  and  William Charles Gardner

 4.
Mary Elizabeth Berry 3  (John2, John1)   daughter of John Berry and Edith Polk was born about 1795 in South Carolina, and died before 1860, probably in Marion Co Mississippi.
*
She married  William Charles Gardner
The son of William C. Gardner and Mary 'Polly' Crosby, he was born c1792 in South Carolina, and died February 03, 1873 in Marion Co Mississippi

William C. and Mary E. Gardner settled near Bassfield, Covington Co Mississippi (now Jefferson Davis Co)  and raised a large  family. 

William and Mary Gardner were for many years associated with  Ebenezer Baptist Church  in Covington Co Mississippi,  a church in which Edith Berry, Mary's mother had been a founding member.

According to Ebenezer Baptist Church records of Covington Co, William was dead by  September 1872,  when the membership list for the year was made. I  do know of times when tombstones are made years after the death of a loved ones, and dates are mistaken; this may be one of those times.

A portion of this lineage comes from: Lawrence Clegg
"The Known Descendants of William C. Gardner & Mary Elizabeth Berry"  by Roger Bartlett  - Austin, Texas
The book does not list Jane or Mary

1830 Marion Co Mississippi

1 m under 5 2 m 5-10 2 m 30-40 1 f under 5 1 f 5-10 1 f 10-15 1 f 30-40 1 f 40-50
A.J.
William W.
??
William C.
??
Mary
Edith
??
Mary
Jemima
or Polly  ?

1840 Marion Co Mississippi
1 m 5-10 1 m 15-20 2 m 15-20 1 m 40-50 2 f 5-10 1 f 10-15 1 f 15-20 1 f 40-50
Berry
William W.
A.J.
??
William C.
Matilda
Jane
Mary
Edith
Mary

1850 Marion Co Mississippi    Page 28   #198/199 
Enumerated 29 August 1850 by Wm J Rankin
William C. Gardner 58 SC Farmer / $500
Mary Gardner 55 SC **
William Gardner Jr. 21 MS **
B. Gardner 17 MS Berry / male
M. Gardner 15 MS female/ --M. Jane?--
M. Berry 10 MS female
R. Berry 8 MS female

I have no idea who the Berry children might be, but wonder if they might be some of the children of German and Susannah Bailes Berry, whom I was unable to locate in any 1850 census.

1860 Columbia, Marion Co Mississippi
Enumerated July 26, 1860 by Geo Baylis
Page 949  #206/206


Census Image
William C. Gardner 68 SC / Farmer $250/2500
Jane Gardner 24 MS
Berry Gardner 26 MS

I believe Jane is a daughter, though not listed in the referenced book. She may be the same as M. listed in the 1850 census, perhaps Martha Jane

1870 Columbia, Marion Co Mississippi 
Enumerated 04 July 1870 by Victor Benthien
page 292b  #283 / 283

Census Image

W.C. Gardner 75 SC Farmer $500 / 300
Henry M. Gardner 35 MS *
Melvina Gardner 20 MS w/o Henry
Mary Ann Bolan 35 MS widow
Sarah Bolan 5 MS *
Seymour Bolan 3 MS *
Franklin Bolan 2 MS *
Mary Murry * * black farmhand + her children
I believe Henry M. may be the same as Berry M. Gardner, based on his age, and his wife's name of Melvina.   I do not know who the Bolan family might be.

Known children of Mary Berry and William Gardner are:

+26 i.
Edith "Edy" Gardner 4   born October 27, 1820, and died April 30, 1855, burial in Hathorn Cemetery, Covington/Jefferson Davis Co Mississippi
+27 ii. Mary Elizabeth Gardner  born c1825. 
  28 iii. A.J. Gardner  born c1826, and died in March 1850 
+29 iv.
William Wilkin Gardner, Jr.   born April 08, 1829 in Marion Co Mississippi, and died July 12, 1895 in Simpson Co Mississippi
Note: Ann McNair contends that he "cannot be Jr.", since he is not named for his father, but I disagree, I think he may be Jr. for another male relative or friend.
+30 v.
Matilda Gardner born May 18, 1831 in Marion Co Mississippi, and died March 24, 1896 in Tyler Co Texas, burial in Colmesneil Cemetery, Tyler Co Texas.

She married Levi Jefferson Fortenberry  on January 07, 1850 in Marion Co Mississippi.   The son of Blanche Shivers and Isaac Fortenberry, he was born July 13, 1827 in Shivers, Simpson Co Mississippi, and died November 15, 1904 in Sabine Co Texas, burial in Brookeland Cemetery, Sabine Co Texas. 

----Click on Levi's name for more of this family----
  31 vi. M. Jane Gardner  born c1831 in Marion Co Mississippi
I believe she is the 15 year old M. (possibly Martha Jane) in the 1850 census, and is shown as Jane in the 1860 census.
  32 vii.
Berry M. Gardner born May 25, 1833, and died September 16, 1902.  
He married Melvina Cole on February 22, 1870 in Lawrence Co Mississippi. The daughter of Armstrong B. Cole and Emileck Polk, she was born October 22, 1846, and died October 29. 1905. Both are buried in Columbia City Cemetery, Marion Co Mississippi. (Emelick was the daughter of Isaac Polk and Sarah White and sister to Simon Polk.)
----I believe Berry may be the same as Henry M. in the 1870 census above, perhaps the census taker misunderstood.   In the 1880 Columbia, Marion Co census from Family Search Organization, I find B.M. Gardner, age 45, Melvina, age 30, and a son, J.S., age 9 years. The ages would all fit. In addition, Laura Buckmaster' Family Tree, lists a child, John M. Gardner as having been born in February 1891, thus, in the 20 year span, other children were undoubtedly born. Perhaps a copy of the 1900 census would give more names.