In the her 1901 interview, Mrs. Pleasant (MEP) stated that her father was a merchant in Philadelphia. Interestingly the initial printing of the interview in The Pandex article states his name was Louis Alexander Williams but Davis’ later edition of the story, circulated in various newspapers (including the Nantucket Inquirer) in late 1903, Davis writes that MEP’s father’s name was John Alexander Williams. It is noted that for some reason Mary became irritated with Davis, and the purchase of the Pandex Press resulted in abandonment of the full memoir. Its speculation but perhaps getting basic things wrong, like her father’s name was the irritant?
In an earlier MEP origin story, Louis Alexander Williams is a merchant in Cincinnati with whom she lived before going to Nantucket. No Louis Alexander Williams is found in Philadelphia or Cincinnati city directories. However, a John A Williams, Merchant, is in the Philadelphia directories almost continuously, 1805-1854. He is listed as a “Merchant” in the earlier years and starting in 1831-“Dry Goods”. His home addresses are always on south second street, close to the waterfront.
One entry for John A Williams in 1823-24 lists him as a “teacher” living on Budd Street. Again this would comport with Mrs. Pleasant’s account that her father was educated.
Mary stated she did not know why as a child she was sent to Nantucket by her father. However, a letter she received later in life indicated it had been due to financial problems. In June 1812, notices of the insolvency of John A Williams were printed. It would appear the familiy’s financial matters began before Mary’s birth.
[Note: The researcher recognizes the name is not wholly unique, and while not 100% certain, again this individual does seem to align with what Mrs. Pleasant said in her last interview about her father.]