Historical Sketches of Kentucky by Lewis Collins, Maysville, KY. and J. A.
& U. P. James, Cincinnati, 1847. Volume 1. Reprinted 1968. Bourbon County.
The Poets and Poetry of Kentucky, page 585.

MRS. MARY ROOTES THORNTON McABOY
Is a native of Bourbon co., KY., born Feb. 9, 1815, two miles from Paris 
- the daughter of Walker Thornton, the brave boy cornet in Capt. Wm.
Garrard's cavalry troop in the war of 1812, afterwards a merchant in Paris
until his early death, Feb. 9, 1819; she was raised and educated by her
uncle, Hon. John Rootes Thornton (who died in Dec., 1873, aged 83); was
married, April 24, 1839, to Rev. Paradise Lynn McAboy, of Wshington, Mason
co., Ky., a young Presbyterian minister of lovely character and rather
brilliant talents, who was killed by the falling of a large flouring mill
at Murphysville, in the same county, Aug. 29, 1839.  Mrs. McAboy's modest
signature, "M. R. M., Roseheath, Ky.," has been well known at intervals
for thirty years to readers of the Louisville Journal, Paris Citizen,
Paris True Kentuckian, Memphis Enquirer, Presbyterian Herald of
Cincinnati, and other newspapears and monthlies.  A friend, in writing of
her poetry, says, "her songs have been sung, as soldiers sing songs by
camp-fires at the dead of night, to comfort her heart when she was faint." 
She claims for them no literary merit - not any more than wild-blossoms on
the hills claim the brilliancy of cultured garden flowers!"  And yet wild
blossoms are beautiful and attractive; and so has been much of Mrs. M's.
poetry.  The following are probably the best poems at hand, but not equal
to some she has written: [Note: Poems shown: "Sonnett," "Madeline," "It Is
The Winter Of The Year."]

Thornton McAboy Garrard 
=
Washington-Mason-KY TN OH

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/bourbon/mcaboy.mrt.txt