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Music created with Suno. For the video, the poem along with two original photographs were used (one photo of Dr. Manning and one of Sarah Mackey). Using the poem for lyrics and photos along with Gemini 3 and Grok for the video, we can preserve this small part of history for future generations.
Dr. Anthony Lafayette Manning (1831-1878) and Sarah Elizabeth Mackey (1834-) were friends and local residents of East New Market, Maryland. Sarah was also known as Sallie. Dr. Manning and Sarah married in 1853. Dr. Manning kept a small locket with Sarah's photo. Family who inherited the locket found a very small folded up poem about Dr. Manning's relationship with Sarah behind the photo. The poem was titled "Thou Hast Been My Ruin".
The poem contains a line "E're James R. Pollard broke my rest." During the 1860 Census, Sarah was living in a boarding house in Baltimore. Another boarder living in the same household with Sarah was Dr. James Pollard. In May 1861, Anthony and Sarah Manning divorced.
Sarah was the daughter of Phillip Mackey (-1852) and Margaret Ann Adelaide Green (-1847) of East New Market, Maryland. She had one full brother William P. Mackey and two half-sisters, Margaret and Ada Smith. After her mother passed away in 1847, Sarah lived with her Aunt, Elizabeth Green Edmondson (and Elizabeth's husband William V.M. Edmondson).
Thus far Sarah Mackey Manning has not been found in records after the 1861 divorce. Records for Dr. James R. Pollard also have not been found after his entry in the 1860 Census. Did Sarah remain in Baltimore? Did she continue a relationship with James Pollard? Did she remarry? Did she pass away?
Sallie E. Mackey
Thou hast been my ruin
A.L. Manning M.D.
East New Market
Dorchester County and
State of Maryland
You once seemed more than I could ask
You once professed all that was true
While only in thy smiles I basked
Nor dreamed of treachery in you.
But vain delusion, false as fair,
As false as they polluting breast
For scarcely had I pillowed there,
E're James R. Pollard broke my rest.
You won him to your truant arms,
And lead him to my hapless bed,
To gloat upon forbidden charms,
And revel in a husbands' stead.
You broke the heart that had been true,
And cast my hopes upon the wind,
You crushed the soul that worshipped you,
And caused that soul to deeper sin.
Composed by A.L. Manning M.D.
the agonized and deeply injured husband.
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