Probates: Thomas H. Brundage

I've now reached the point in my Master's research where I am going back over all of the probate records I copied this summer and looking for interesting things to latch onto. Yesterday this stood out to me (words underlined):

Will of Thomas H. Brundage
The last will and testament of Thomas H. Brundage of the Town of Bedford County of Westchester and State of New York. 

I, Thomas Brundage of Bedford aforesaid, do make, publish, and declare this my last will and testament in manner following, that is to say - 

First: I direct my executors herein after named to pay all my just debts and funeral expenses. 

Second: I hereby authorize and by these presents give to my said executors full power and authority to sell and convey all my real and personal property. 

Third: I give and bequeath to my son Nathan Brundage the 1/3 of all the proceeds of my estate and to my sons John Brundage and Walter T. Brundage the 1/3 to be equally divided between them share and share alike. 

Fourthly: I give and devise all the rest and residue of my estate to M. W. Fish, one of my executors herein after named, in trust for my daughter Rachel Ann Brazill, wife of Richard, the interest and income to be paid my said daughter during her natural life, and I further hereby authorize my said executor, in case of my said daughter being in destitute condition and needing more than the interest to make her comfortable, to allow her such portion as he may in his judgment think she requires. And I further provide in case of the decease of my said daughter not leaving any lawful issue then I give and bequeath all that remains of such portion or share to my sons then living share and share alike. 

Fifthly: I hereby nominate and appoint my friend Moses W. Fish and Burnett Miller of Bedford executors of this my last will and testament hereby revoking any former will by me made. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 5th day of December 1874.
Thomas H. Brundage [his mark]

My thoughts:

It's not surprising that Thomas Brundage set aside 1/3 of his estate for each of his sons with no strings attached, while appointing a trustee to look over his daughter's inheritance; such patronizing conditions were commonplace for female heirs. The fact that such conditions - and the inheritance itself - was intended to provide for the female heir's livelihood and prevent her from falling into destitution is likely implied in every case I have seen; that is to say, fathers who were making wills were anticipating that their daughters might need financial assistance in the future, and set up their affairs to ensure that they were taken care of.

However, I have never seen a father's concern for his daughter falling into destitution so explicitly stated. It's even more shocking considering that Thomas Brundage's daughter was married. Was this simply a "just-in-case" scenario, or did he have reason to believe that his son-in-law would be unable to provide for her?

Even in her hypothetically destitute state, Rachel Ann Brazill is made to rely on the "judgment" of a man - admittedly, a very judicious man (Moses W. Fish was justice of the peace for the county for many years and was very well-respected), but the belittling of Rachel, who was 31 at the time her father's will was written, stands out to modern eyes.

Of course, the patronizing attitude towards women is easy to explain as an artifact of cultural attitudes of the time; it likely has little or nothing to do with Thomas's personal views of his daughter or her financial acumen. Rather, it is the special concern that Thomas gives to Rachel's potential destitution, and his explicit mention of it, that stands out to me.

Gravestone of Susan Brundage (source)

To investigate, I looked up the Brundage family in the 1850 federal census. That year, Susan and Thomas had four children under the age of 13, and Thomas was working as a laborer, which implies that he did not have the same level of job security as a landed farmer or a skilled artisan. The value of his real estate was only $170. Thomas's neighbors, including several farmers and shoemakers, owned real estate valued at $200-$6,000. Relative to their neighbors, the Brundages may have felt disadvantaged, and possibly struggled to make ends meet.

(It's also notable that Thomas Brundage's will is not signed with his name, but with a mark, suggesting that he was illiterate. While illiteracy was much more common in the 19th-century United States than it is now, most of the people in the St. George's/St. Mark's community were literate. I suppose it is possible that Thomas Brundage was too weak at the time he wrote his will to sign his name - but many of the wills I have read mention being "very weake [sic] in body" and yet are still signed by name, in crabbed but still legible handwriting. I don't think I've come across another will belonging to a member of this community that was signed with a mark.)

In the next census (1860), Thomas was again listed as a farm laborer, this time with real estate worth $350 and personal estate worth $100. All four children were still at home, with 21-year-old John working as a shoemaker.

Susan Brundage died in 1868 at the age of 61. It stood out to me that she was more than 10 years older than her husband, and that her oldest child was born when she was in her thirties. Both would have been unusual at the time. Assuming that Thomas was Susan's first husband (which is a big assumption), they may have been married when he was around 20 and she was around 30, which would explain why she didn't have children earlier. Perhaps Susan was the last of her sisters to marry and as a result didn't receive as substantial a dowry as they did; even if this was not the case, her dependence on her natal family past the age when most women would have married could have placed a financial burden on them.

Of course, this is all speculation, but I'm trying to imagine what situations and personal experiences might have inspired a father to be more cautious about his daughter's financial welfare than usual. The family's history of financial instability could be a potential answer.

By 1870, the census closest to the date of Thomas's death, John Brundage had established his own household with a wife and two-year-old daughter. Fifty-two-year-old Thomas Brundage, now a widower, was living with his father John (74), son Nathan (30), and daughter Rachel Ann (27). Thomas was listed as a "farm hand," with an estate worth $500.

It was not particularly desirable for a man to remain a "farm laborer," "farm hand," or "laborer" throughout his life. The expectation was that the young farm laborer would work long enough to establish his own farm, or - perhaps more likely - inherit a part of his father's farm and become a proper landowner who would then employ young farmhands to do his dirty work. This was the cultural narrative, but of course it didn't always play out in real life. It might have been somewhat disappointing if Thomas ended up working as a laborer on other people's farms into his fifties. The fact that he had to support an aged father and adult children at the same time might have compounded his difficulties.

While it's possible that Nathan Brundage was also employed as a farmhand (although it isn't explicitly stated in the census), Rachel Ann's opportunities to provide for her own financial support would have been limited. Taking on the kind of employment that was open to women - such as millinery or teaching - might have reflected poorly on her father and brother's ability to fulfill their cultural roles as men. Thus it wouldn't be surprising if she was encouraged to marry - implicitly if not explicitly - in order to ease her family's financial burden and fulfill her own culturally prescribed role.

So what happened to Rachel Ann? Of course, we know from the will that she ultimately married, but I had the hardest time tracking her down. I guess it shouldn't have surprised me that in a document with a number of spelling idiosyncrasies - including "exutors," "autherize," "equily," "shair," and "intrest"- that Rachel's married name was spelled incorrectly. "Brazill" was actually "Bradsell."

Richard Bradsell, who was ten years his wife's senior, was born in New York to English parents. In 1880, the couple was living together in North Castle.

1880 Federal Census

Since Richard and Rachel weren't married until after 1870 (according to the 1900 census, they were married in 1874), Hiram Bradsell, a 21-year-old shoemaker, must have been Richard's son from his previous marriage. The other three sons were presumably Richard and Rachel's, her first-born son named for his grandfather Thomas. So Rachel, like her mother, didn't have children until her 30s. Given the trend in my own peer group, I suppose Susan and Rachel were just ahead of the times (though I doubt either was delaying childbearing until she was ABD).

According to the census, Richard was a "painter." The 1900 census is more specific - he was a house painter. In that year, he and Rachel were living with three of their sons - Thomas, Walter, and William - and Thomas's wife Theda. Rachel was said to be the mother of five children, one of whom had died. Thomas was a hotel keeper and farmer, Walter was a farm laborer, and William, who was only 14, was in school.

There are no real conclusions to be drawn here, only speculation. Did Thomas Brundage anticipate that his daughter would be destitute? Perhaps not, but the possibility was on his mind, perhaps because of his own experience struggling to support a family on a farmhand's wage. Perhaps the most important knowledge to take away from this, from my perspective, is the fact that people like Thomas were aware that women - even married women living in a middle-class community - could become destitute, and that the beneficence of their relatives might be all that kept them from the almshouse. Other fathers might have trusted that their sons would take care of their daughters in such a situation, but Thomas Brundage wasn't willing to take that chance.

While I can't comment on the moral character of Rachel's brothers in particular, I have seen records from the almshouse explicitly stating that a female resident was left destitute by relatives who either refused to support her or actually took her money. One widow allegedly had her savings squandered by her son and his wife; another languished in the poorhouse while her well-off children refused to provide for her. Perhaps Thomas Brundage wasn't even considering his son-in-law's ability to provide for his daughter; maybe he was looking ahead to her potential widowhood and the children, then only hypothetical, who might abuse or neglect her.

One part of the package of assumptions that overlies the middle class is that middle-classness is a relatively stable part of one's identity, much like race or gender. Class, then and now, is so much more than one's level of income or amount of property owned; it is a part of one's worldview and way of existing in the world. Yet middle-class people in the 19th century were often much closer to the margins than they would like to believe. Class could not be taken for granted, but had to be continuously cultivated and perpetuated from generation to generation. One couple's hard work to establish and maintain their middle-class status could all be undone if the next generation was too irresponsible or simply too unlucky. Provisions like those in Thomas Brundage's acted as insurance on the middle-class status - the class associated more than any others with simple "comfort," rather than luxury (upper class) or hardship (lower class) - of their successors. Thus, middle-class status was, in some respects, a heritable trait - but one that could be very easily lost.

Family Tree

1. Thomas H. Brundage (1818-1875) m. Susan Brundage (1807-1868)
1. John Brundage (1838-) m. Unknown
1. Susan Brundage (1868-) 
2. Nathan Brundage (1840-)
3. Rachel Ann Brundage (1843-) m. Richard Bradsell (1833-) in 1874
1. Thomas R. Bradsell (1875-) m. Theda
2. Samuel T. Bradsell (1878-)
3. Walter Bradsell (1879-)
4. William Bradsell (1885-)
4. Walter Timothy Brundage (1848-)

Probates: Richard Kirby

(Source)

When I first researched the Kirby family back in 2013, I mistook Richard Kirby's second wife, Rachel, for his daughter. It was an easy mistake to make, considering that in 1850 he was 69 and she was 45. Richard's first wife was Matilda Frost. The Kirbys were very prolific, and you can see their full family tree in the original post.

The wills I am reading are starting to fit into a pattern. The male writer of the will always instructs that his land be sold and that its proceeds be divided between his wife and children. Like the other men whose wills I have read, Richard Kirby's allowance to his wife is partly contingent upon her remaining a widow. However, unlike other men, who would cut off their wives completely in the event of their remarriage, Richard still allowed Rachel $100 a year. While cutting off their widows seems like a harsh thing to do, in reality it was simply a recognition of the fact that the widow's new husband would now be responsible for her maintenance. Redirecting her deceased husband's legacy to their children prevented it from falling into the hands of the widow's second family. These stipulations were intended to safeguard the woman's first family.

In 1851, when his will was written, Richard would have been 70 and Rachel 46. If she had remarried (which she doesn't seem to have), she would be unlikely to produce any more biological children. Perhaps this fact influenced Richard's decision; or maybe it was the fact that Rachel herself was his second wife. It is notable that Richard, like most of the other men whose wills I have read, doesn't simply give Rachel his property outright, but requires that it be sold, invested, and the interest to paid to her in installments. This practice would have seemed sensible back then, but today it comes across as somewhat patronizing, as though women couldn't be trusted to deal with their own property. Then again, perhaps women didn't receive the education in financial management that men did, in which case this practice would make sense - although the implication is no less offensive.

Notably, Richard only names sons in his will, not daughters. It could have been that he didn't have any daughters who lived to adulthood; I couldn't identify any. Then again, my search was complicated by the fact that when Richard and Rachel first appear in the census (in 1850), Richard's children with Matilda Frost had already grown. The sons he identifies as his youngest - William A., Charles H., and John Wesley Kirby - were most likely his sons with Rachel; they were living with the couple in that year and were aged 22, 20, and 18 respectively.

Also, that line "during her natural life." This is also meant to indicate that the property isn't really Rachel's; it's hers to use while she's alive, as though she's renting it. When she's done with it, it will belong to their children.

Leonard Kirby was the son of Richard and Matilda Kirby and married Jane Vervalen. He was a successful merchant who owned property both in New Castle and Manhattan, and had thirteen children. He died in 1878.

Valentine Kirby also became a wealthy merchant (he owned real estate valued at $120,000 in 1870) and lived in Queens with his wife Emeline, their children, and several servants. He died in 1894.

I haven't been able to find out anything about Caleb Kirby, who was doubtlessly named after the progenitor of the Kirbys, for whom Kirbyville was named.

Richard Kirby didn't die until 1857, six years after his will was written. Rachel died in 1863 at the age of 59.


Will of Richard Kirby

In the name of God, amen. I, Richard Kirby of the town of New Castle in the county of Westchester, this fourteenth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty one, being in good health and sound disposing mind and memory, thanks to almighty God for the same, and calling to mind the great uncertainty of this mortal life, do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form as follows, viz.

First: I order and direct my executors hereafter named to sell as soon after my decease as may be convenient and proper all my real estate and I hereby authorize them to give the purchaser or purchasers a good and sufficient title for the same.

Secondly: I order and direct my executors to take one equal half of the money arising from the sale of my farm and put the same out at interest on bond and mortgage and pay the interest to my beloved wife Rachel during her natural life provided she remain my widow, but in case she should marry, I order my executors to pay her the sum of one hundred dollars yearly in line (?) of the interest of said half of my real estate - and the money arising from my personal property after paying all my just debts and funeral expenses I give and bequeath to be equally divided between my beloved wife Rachel and my three youngest sons share and share alike.

Thirdly: I give and bequeath the other equal half of all the money arising from the sale of my real estate to my three youngest sons viz. William A., Charles H., and John Wesley Kirby to be equally divided between share and share alike.

Fourthly: I order and direct after the decease of my wife Rachel that my executors divide the money set apart as above stated for the use of my beloved wife and the interest of there should be any due and I direct that the same be equally divided between all my sons viz. Leonard, Valentine, Caleb, Isaac F., William A., Charles H. and John Wesley Kirby and their heirs share and share alike.

Lastly I hereby appoint my sons Leonard Kirby, William A. Kirby, and Charles H. Kirby executors to this my last will and testament and hereby revoking all former wills by me made do declare this to be my last will and testament in the presence of the witnesses named below, the day and year first above written.

Richard Kirby

Witnesses: Gilbert Brundage, W. H. Lane

1. Richard Kirby m. (1) Matilda Frost, (2) Rachel (1804-1863)
1. Leonard Kirby (1802-1878) m. Jane Vervalen (1813-1902)
2. Valentine Kirby (1809-1894) m. Emeline
3. Caleb Kirby
4. Isaac F. Kirby
5. William A. Kirby (1828-)
6. Charles H. Kirby (1830-)
7. John Wesley Kirby (1832-1901)

Probates: Reginald Hart

When I researched Reginald Hart back in 2013, I was able to find out many details about his life: he was born in 1846, the son of Robert S. Hart and Harriet Wing Russell; his brother Nathaniel studied law at Columbia and graduated from Amherst College, and died at age 25 in 1861; his brother Robert died of measles while serving in the 17th New York Infantry Regiment in the Civil War; he graduated from Trinity College in New Haven and became a lawyer like his brother and father; he was a friend of Horace Greeley; he married 21-year-old Emma K. Farley in 1877, only to be widowed two years later; he suffered from tuberculosis, which he treated by occasional trips to warmer climates; as a widower, he lived with his father, and then after his father's death in 1887, with two servants, Elizabeth and Maggie Mann, until his death in 1902 at the age of 57. You can read the full account here, and the obituary of Reginald's father here.

What I didn't know - until I read Reginald Hart's probate records - is that Reginald, widowed and childless, left the vast majority of his small fortune to Elizabeth Mann, his servant and companion of more than twenty years. To be more specific, Reginald left his fortune to three people, none of them relatives. The first was William H. Brown of Mount Kisco, to whom he left $545. The second was Evelyn J. Brown of Mount Kisco, to whom he left $691. And the third was Elizabeth Mann, to whom he left the remainder of his estate, valued at $15,491.38. Elizabeth Mann was also Reginald's executor; Evelyn and William Brown were her niece and nephew.

What was the nature of the relationship between Elizabeth Mann and Reginald Hart? Was she simply a loyal servant or was she his common-law wife? 

I can't say for sure, but what I do know is that Elizabeth Mann was born around 1849 in Ireland, and is first recorded living with the Harts in the 1880 census. She was five years younger than Reginald Hart, and would have been about 53 when he died. She may have known his wife Emma, but she probably did not. The probate records mention that she has known Reginald for "twenty years," suggesting that she first came into his life around 1880, not long after Emma died. Elizabeth seems to have never married; she is consistently listed as "single" in the census. Her niece and nephew were forty years younger and also unmarried, and are recorded as living with her in her house at 101 Carpenter Avenue in 1910 and 1920.

Interestingly, in the 1910 census Evelyn Brown is listed as an artist. Reginald Hart left her "my paints, paint box, brushes, and easel." In 1920 she was working in a drug store.

William Brown worked as a clerk in the post office in 1910 and as a salesman for a hair dresser in 1920.

The only other evidence I have found is this notice in the Mount Kisco Recorder from December 16, 1887:

As we last week stated, on the day of his death, Judge Hart went to the city, attended the funeral of John H. Johnson, and accompanied the remains to the grave in Oakwood Cemetery. He seemed in his usual health in the evening, and retired soon after ten. Shortly afterward groans were heard by his faithful housekeeper, Lizzie Mann, who had been Mrs. Hart's attendant, and who, with her cousin, Mary Pierson, enjoyed Judge Hart's entire confidence. They hastened to his aid, but in a few moments he was dead. His heart had failed in its functions, and he passed away without apparent pain.

Will of Reginald Hart

I Reginald Hart of the village of Mount Kisco, town of Bedford in the county of Westchester and state of New York, do publish and declare this my last will and testament in manner following, that is to say,

First: I give and bequeath to William Mann Brown, nephew of Elizabeth Mann, five hundred dollars, my gold watch and chain (the watch being number 33915 made by Augusta Sallzman), my double barrel gun, cane and loading apparatus, my fishing rod, line, and reel.

Second: I give and bequeath to Evelyn Jane Brown, niece of Elizabeth Mann, six hundred dollars, the gold watch and chain formerly worn by my mother, my paints, paint box, brushes, and easel.

Third: I give and bequeath to Elizabeth Mann the sum of seventy-five dollars in trust to purchase a gold watch for Evelyn Jane Brown, such watch to be purchased as soon as possible after the probate of this will.

Fourth: All the rest, residue, and remainder of my property, real, personal, and mixed, I give, devise, and bequeath to Elizabeth Mann, commonly called Lizzie Mann, whom I hereby nominate and appoint sole executor of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made.

In witness thereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twelfth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and one.

Reginald Hart

Witnesses: Howard F. Bailey, Mount Kisco, NY; Frederick J. Carpenter, Mount Kisco, NY

Estate Inventory

Personal Estate

• Antom Leibler note ($22 / worthless)
• Cash in bank ($906.56)
• Award due from City of New York ($3581.08)
• Old law books ($100)
• Six silver tablespoons ($6)
• Six silver forks ($2)
• One gold watch and chain ($30)
• Furniture and Household Effects
• Two black walnut bedsteads ($10)
• Two black walnut bureaus ($12)
• Black walnut bookcase ($10)
• Two black walnut chairs ($1)
• Three old couches ($6)
• One old piano ($30)
• Lady's watch and chain ($15)
• Gun case and loading apparatus ($10)
• Fishing rod, reel, and line ($5)
• Paints and brushes ($1)
• 75 yards carpet 35 years old ($15)
• One dining table and six chairs ($5)

Real Estate

Real estate consists of house and about five acres of land in village of Mount Kisco.

• Situated on road leading from Mount Kisco to Bedford Station and on avenue running southerly from said road ($12,000)
• A tract of nine cares in swamp south of village of Mount Kisco in town of New Castle ($100)
• One hundred and fifty acres of land in town of Pawling, Putnam County ($1200)
• Strip of land ten feet wide running around a small vacant lot in the back part of town of Bedford on road leading from Bedford Station to Bedford Village ($10)

Probates: William Craft

Source

When William Craft wrote his will on May 9, 1791, he probably knew the end was coming. He described himself as "very weak in body but of perfect mind and memory." He names seven children in his will, as well as his "my dearly beloved wife" Hannah. I know the birth dates of only two of their children. Mary Craft, to whom William left "one cow and one feather bed and furniture" (the term "bed" referred only to the mattress; "furniture" referred to the bed frame), would have been fourteen years old; his son Robert, whom William wanted to have one year's schooling and an apprenticeship in a trade, would have been twelve. William Craft died on July 30, 1791. His stone was carved by Solomon Brewer, a native of the Connecticut River Valley who was born in Springfield, MA, and moved to Westchester County after the Revolutionary War. 

William lived just long enough to be recorded on the first United States federal census in 1790. The total number of household members was thirteen: four white males under the age of 16 (Robert and Walter, perhaps William Jr., and who else?), four males 16 and over (William, perhaps Charles, and two unknown others?), and five females (Hannah, Mary, Deborah, Anne, and one unknown other). As you can imagine, the 1790 census is frustratingly vague.

William must have been troubled by the prospect of leaving his children, all of whom seem to have been minors at the time, without a father. His will does not simply deal with possessions and property, but with arrangements for his children's transition into adulthood. William Jr. was probably older, perhaps the second oldest; he would receive his father's blacksmith shop and tools, ensuring that he would have a proper livelihood. He had probably already received training from his father. Charles may have been the oldest, as he is named as executor along with William's wife. William didn't leave him anything, yet the fact that he was executor likely meant it wasn't because the they were estranged; more likely, Charles had already received something from his father, perhaps when he left the house.

Source

William wanted Robert and Walter, the younger sons, to each receive schooling and to be "bound out to a trade" when they reached the age of fourteen, a typical arrangement for the time. The arrangements were very different for the girls; William's three daughters, Deborah, Mary, and Ann, were to receive one cow and one bed each either when they reached the age of eighteen or married - also typical for the time.

Mary must have received her cow and bed, as she married Gilbert Montross at some point after her father's death. However, she died not long after that, in 1801 at the age of 24. Her stone in the Episcopal cemetery is attributed to the Upper Connecticut Carver.

Robert Craft, on the other hand, may have never received the schooling or apprenticeship that his father wanted for him; he died in 1793 at the age of 14. His stone, like his father's, was carved by Solomon Brewer. In fact, it is this Solomon Brewer stone that served as the model for the cherub face that Laurie and I have used as the mascot for our excavation. 

The Craft family lays claim to the largest number of old sandstone gravestones in the cemetery. There are nine Craft gravestones in all, three belonging to to William and Hannah Craft's family, and seven belonging to Thomas and Catharine Craft's. 

Notably, Charles Haight, the man who built St. George's Church and donated the land for the cemetery, and who served as a vestryman, is one of the witnesses to William Craft's will. 

Will of William Craft

In the name of God, amen, the ninth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred, and ninety one, I, William Craft of New Castle in the county of Westchester and state of New York, gentleman, being very weak in body but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be given unto God, therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is [illegible] for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last will and testament, that is to say -

Principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it, and for my body I recommend it to the Earth to be buried in Christianlike and decent manner at the discretion of my executors and as touching such worldly estate, whatevereth it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, [illegible] and dispose of the same in the following manner and form:

First my will is that all my just debts and funeral charges be paid and settled (?).

Imprimis I give and bequeath unto Hannah, my dearly beloved wife, one feather bed and furniture which she shall choose; also my clothes cupboard and looking glass and further as the law provides.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my well beloved son William my blacksmith shop and blacksmith tools.

Item: And my will is and I give unto my daughter Deborah one cow and one feather bed and furniture and that when she shall come to the age of eighteen or married.

Item: I give unto my daughter Mary one cow and one feather bed and furniture and that when she comes to the age of eighteen or married.

Item: I give unto Anne my daughter one cow and one feather bed and furniture and that when she comes to the age of eighteen or married.

Item: And my will is that my son Robert shall have one year's schooling, and my will is that when my son Robert shall come to the age of fourteen years he shall be bound out to a trade at the discretion of my executors, and my will is that my son Walter shall have reasonable schooling at the discretion of my executors, and my will is that my son Walter when he shall come to the age of fourteen years he shall be bound out to a trade at the discretion of my executors.

Item: And my will is that my lands shall be sold when my son Robert shall come to the age of twenty one years and the monies arising there from first to pay unto Robert and Walter the sum of five pounds apiece before division and then the remainder to be equally divided between my sons William, Robert, and Walter and my will is that if either of my sons aforesaid should die before they shall come to the age of twenty one years and that without lawful issue then their part to be equally divided between the surviving brothers aforesaid and my will is that my executors shall sell so much of my movable estate as shall pay my just debts if it should be [illegible] and my will is that if either of my said daughters should die before they shall come to the age of eighteen years or married and without lawful issue then their part to be equally divided between the surviving sisters aforesaid. And my will is that when my son Robert shall come to the age of twenty one years that if there be any of my movable estate left that it be sold at the discretion of my executors and the monies arising therefrom to be equally divided between my daughters aforesaid.

And my will is that my well beloved wife and my well beloved son Charles Craft shall be my executors whom I likewise construe (?) make, and ordain my only and sole executors of this my last will and testament and I do hereby utterly disavow, revoke, and disannul [sic] all and every other former testament, wills, legacies, and executors by me any [illegible] before this time named, willed, and bequeathed, ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above [illegible].

Signed, sealed, published, pronounced, and declared by the said William Craft as his last will and testament in the presence of us the subscribers,

Charles Haight

Mary McKeen (her mark)

Jacob Carpenter

1. William Craft (1740-1791) m. Hannah
1. Mary Craft (1777-1801) m. Gilbert Montross
2. Robert Craft (1779-1793)
3. Charles Craft
4. William Craft
5. Walter Craft
6. Deborah Craft
7. Anne Craft

Probates: Ann Powers Alford

Source

Ann Powers was born in Newfoundland around 1785. Her marriage to James Alford, a sailor, on August 27, 1801, is recorded in the ledger of the Dutch Reformed Church in New York City. Seventy years later, she wrote her will in New Castle, New York, leaving money and several prized possessions to her friends. No relatives are named in Ann Alford's will; they are uniformly friends, and all who are explicitly named are female.

In a society where legal and social machinery conspired to keep property in the hands of men, and where familial ties were valued over non-familial ones, it is touching to witness the freedom of a woman to distribute her property among her female friends. Even more so than the pecuniary gifts, the choice of Ann's personal possessions illustrate the close bonds of friendship, as well as the way in which objects could function as conveyors of meaning and memory. Ann was 87 years old when she died; the recipients of her dresses were more than 30 years younger than she. Would the recipients actually wear the dresses? Or would they be kept for sentimental reasons only? It is worth noting that in the estate inventories of the 19th century, a person's "wearing apparel" was often the most valuable item in the list.

The other objects, while likely meant to evoke sentiment, seem more useful: the counterpane (bedspread) given to Emeline Benedict; the gold watch given to her daughter; even the bed and bedding left to Caroline Peters of Cincinnati (how exactly was that transaction accomplished?). While the idea of inheriting your elderly friend's bedsheets may seem a bit odd today, beds and bedding were very valuable in the 19th century, second only to apparel in the average person's inventory of possessions. 

Here is the will in its entirety:

Will of Ann Alford

In the name of God, amen: I, Ann Alford, widow, of the town of New Castle, County of Westchester and State of New York, being of sound mind and memory do make, publish, and declare this my last will and testament, in manner following, that is to say:

First. I order my executors hereinafter named to pay all my just debts and funeral expenses.

Second. I give and bequeath unto my beloved friend Emeline Benedict, widow of John Benedict of the town of New Castle, the sum of one hundred dollars, my black silk dress, my brown or slate colored dress, and my white counterpane.

Third. I give and bequeath to my beloved friend Deborah Benedict, daughter of Emeline, my gold watch.

Fourth. I give and bequeath to my beloved friend Caroline Peters, wife of John Peters of the city of Cincinnati and state of Ohio, my bed and bedding.

Fifth. I give and bequeath to my beloved friend Hannah H. Sarles, wife of William A. Sarles of the town of Bedford, county of Westchester and state of New York, the sum of one hundred dollars and all the rest and remainder of my wardrobe not hereinbefore disposed of.

Sixth. I give and bequeath to my beloved friend Sarah Ann Jackson, widow of George Jackson of the town of Bedford, county of Westchester and state of New York, the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars, and in case of the decease of the said Sarah Ann Jackson before receiving any benefit from the provision herein made for her benefit, then the said sum of one hundred and fifty dollars bequeathed to her shall be for the benefit of my beloved friend Hannah H. Sarles, wife of William A. Sarles of the town of Bedford, county of Westchester and state of New York.

Seventh. I give and bequeath unto my beloved friends Mary Seaman of Norwalk and state of Connecticut; Phebe Chase, wife of Edward Chase of the town of Bedford, county of Westchester and state of New York, and Susan, daughter of Gilbert Van Tassel of the city, county, and state of New York, each the sum of fifty dollars.

Eighth. I give and bequeath to my beloved friends Frances Cecelia Wheaton and Maria Henrietta Wheaton, children of Miles B. Wheaton of the city of New York, each the sum of fifty dollars.

Ninth. And I further provide in case of the death of any one of the parties to whom I have left any legacy or given any articles (except in the case of the said Sarah Ann Jackson) then the provision so made to them shall not become void but shall revert to their heirs at law.

Tenth. I give and bequeath all the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate, goods and chattels, of what nature or kind so ever to the children of my beloved friend John Romer, of the city, county, and state of New York, who shall remain unmarried at the time of my decease, share and share alike.

Lastly. I hereby nominate and appoint my friends John Romer and Miles R. Carpenter of the city, county, and state of New York executors of this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all former wills by me made.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty-fifth day of September in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and seventy one.

Mrs. Ann Alford

The above instrument consisting of one sheet was at the date hereof signed, sealed, published, and declared by the said Ann Alford as and for her last will and testament in presence of us, who at her request and in her presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses hereto.

M. W. Fish, Bedford, Westchester Co., NY
H. S. Banks, New Castle, Westchester Co., NY

----

Emeline Benedict, the recipient of $100, two dresses, and Ann's white counterpane, would have been 55 years old in 1871. Her daughter Deborah would have been around 30. John Benedict, their husband and father respectively, was a farmer who died sometime before 1870. Just two years earlier, Ann Alford was a boarder in the Benedicts' house, as shown in the 1870 federal census.

Hannah H. Sarles would have been 46 years old when she was named as the recipient of the remainder of Ann's wardrobe, as well as $100. She was a milliner, her husband a shoemaker.

Sarah Ann Jackson, who would have been 38, was born Sarah Ann Van Tassel. Phebe Chase and Susan Van Tassel were her sisters. Sarah Ann was recorded as a milliner in the 1860 census and a seamstress in the 1870 census. Her husband, George W. Jackson, was a tailor. Phebe Chase's husband Edwin was a tin smith; they married in 1861 and had three children. Phebe, one of her children, and her other sister Ardelia are buried in the cemetery.

Mary Seaman, who appears to have been unmarried, would have been 46, and in 1880 was living with her sister and brother-in-law, the Sherwoods, in Norwalk.

Miles B. Wheaton was a builder in New York City; his wife was Julia A. Wheaton. In 1871, their daughters Frances and Maria would have been 14 and nine years old, respectively. Their son William would have been five, but Ann didn't leave anything to him.

I haven't been able to identify which John Romer it was who is identified in Ann's will (there were several living in New York City in the 1870s, all with children). However, I find it interesting that Ann stipulated that only the yet unmarried children were to receive an inheritance.

If there's one pattern that I can discern running through the people named in Ann's will, it is that they tend to be women who exercise a relative amount of independence from men. Emeline Benedict was a widow; her daughter Deborah was single. Mary Seaman was single. Sarah Ann Jackson and Hannah H. Sarles were married, but both practiced trades of their own (milliner/seamstress and milliner, respectively). Frances and Maria Wheaton were unmarried adolescents.

Of course, this is only a theory, but perhaps Ann Alford had a soft spot for women and girls who, whether by choice or circumstance, provided for themselves either partly or totally. Perhaps, having no living children of her own, she befriended women and girls whom she could imagine as daughters and granddaughters. Perhaps some of these women also sought out Ann to fill a familial role in their lives. In the case of the Benedicts, it seems plausible that Emeline, in addition to being Ann's landlady, also served as her caregiver.

While this is all conjectural, these are the kind of relationships that I like to explore, the ordinary ties between neighbors and friends that were so essential to a community, yet can also feel very ephemeral as the stories and meanings behind the gifts to "beloved friends" are left unspoken and undocumented.

Probates: Will of James Ferris

After examining several estate inventories of men who died intestate, I thought it'd be interesting to investigate the case of a person who actually left a will.

James Ferris (father of Peter N. Ferris; of unknown relation to Stephen Ferris) wrote his will on September 8, 1826, and died two days later at the age of 65. Eleven years older than Stephen Ferris, he would have been alive to witness (but probably not remember) the building of St. George's Church in 1762. He definitely would have remembered the years of the American Revolution, during which New Castle was a hostile no-man's-land located between British and American territories, and would have been a young man in the time that the community was slowly being rebuilt.

James's will makes use of the same conventions that most wills of the day used. He made sure to state that he was "of a perfect mind and memory," to instruct his executors to pay his debts and funeral expenses, and provided for his family in the way that would have been expected. His wife, Martha, received a third of his real and personal estate, which was a typical portion (in some places the "widow's third" was written into law, to ensure that a married woman would have enough to live on after her husband's death). The mention of Martha's dowry was meant to imply that she would receive back the value of those items she brought with her into the marriage. James's two sons received money, while his unmarried daughter received furniture and money -- all pretty much typical arrangements. James's married daughters would have likely received some personal property at the time of their marriages, so that Sarah Ferris would be owed a larger portion.

It is also not that unusual that James gives only ten dollars to his son, Peter N. Ferris, while giving eight hundred dollars to his son Horatio. James seems concerned to point out that Peter's portion is a "just and full sum," and "the reason why I give him no more is he has heretofore been provided for." It's not uncommon that a portion of a person's estate might have been distributed to one or more children before the writing of the will. Ten dollars was probably meant as a nominal sum so as not to appear to snub Peter in his father's will.


Will of James Ferris

Be it remembered that I James Ferris of the town of New Castle in the Country of Westchester and state of New York, being weak in body but of a perfect mind and memory do make and publish this my last will and testament as follows.

First I order and my will is that my executors hereafter named and appointed by me first and foremost to pay my funeral charges and also all my just debts out of my estate. Secondly I order and my will is that my real estate be sold by my executors at private sale (and if not sold within two months after my decease then to be sold at public auction or as soon as thereafter as my executors shall think proper) and a deed of conveyance given for the same by my executors. I further order and my will is that my executors sell any personal estate at public auction as soon after my decease as they shall think proper except such of my personal estate as is herein after disposed of.

I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Martha Ferris in sense of her dowry two cows one equal half of all and singular my beds, bedsteads, cords, and bedding, one table and three chairs at her disposal and the use of one third of the monies arising from the sale of my real and personal estate what remains after my just debts, funeral charges, and the exchange of settling my estate is paid, and the use of all my household furniture as long as she shall wish to keep house and at her decease to be equally divided between my four daughters.

I give and bequeath to my son Peter N. Ferris the just and full sum of ten dollars to be paid to him by my executors after the sale of my real estate. The reason why I give him no more is he has heretofore been provided for.

I give and bequeath to my son Horasho [sic] Ferris eight hundred dollars to be paid to him by my executors after received by them from the sale of my real and personal estate.

I give and bequeath to my daughter Sarah Ferris two cows, the equal one half of all and singular my beds, bedsteads, cords, and bedding together with forty-five dollars in money to be paid to her as is mentioned above.

I further order and my will is that the remainder of my estate not otherwise disposed of be equally divided by my executors between my four daughters namely Emily Clapp, Aliner [sic] Carpenter, Mary Kirby, and Sarah Ferris to be paid to them as is mentioned above.

I further order and my will is as it respects the one third of my estate which my wife has the use of as is before mentioned to be equally divided by my executors or their survivors as soon after the decease of my wife as is convenient for them so to do between my son Horasho Ferris and my four daughters namely Emily Clapp, Aliner Carpenter, Mary Kirby, and Sarah Ferris.

I constitute and appoint my son Horasho Ferris and my friend Gilbert Brundage to be my executors to this my last will and testament, disallowing and disanulling [sic] all other wills and testaments, ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament, sealed with my seal dated this eighth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty six.

Signed, sealed, published, and declared to be my last will and testament in the presence of

Emos Mayshall
Benjamin Kirby
Jonathan Cornwell


Using James Ferris's will and information from gravestones, it is possible to reconstruct his family tree (green names indicate those buried in the Episcopal cemetery):

1. James Ferris (1760-1826) m. Martha (1767-1830)
1. Horasho Ferris
2. Peter N. Ferris (1789-1845) m. Phebe Ward (1791-1857)
1. Emily Ferris (1812-1878) m. George M. Sherwood (1812-1901)
2. Jane Ferris m. James D. Sherwood
1. Maria S. Sherwood
3. Joseph D. Ferris
4. Sarah Matilda Ferris (1825-) m. Silas Constant Whitney (1810-)
5. Benjamin M. Ferris
6. Absalom N. Ferris
7. Mary E. Ferris m. John H. Scott
3. Emily Ferris (1796-1842) m. Philip Clapp
4. Eleanor Ferris (1796-1827) m. William Carpenter (1801-1830) m. Sarah (1802-1830)
5. Mary Ferris (1800-1879) m. Joseph Kirby (1801-1849)
6. Sarah Ferris

Probates: Stephen Ferris

If there's one immediate conclusion I can draw from the estate inventory of Stephen Ferris, who died January 30, 1827, at the age of 55, it's that he and his family probably weren't consuming all of the hundreds of gallons of alcohol in various forms that was counted among his property at the time of his death. The quantities of beer, rum, brandy, wine, and gin that Stephen Ferris owned most definitely indicate an "intent to sell," to couch it in modern-day criminal justice terms. That is not to say that Ferris's was an illegal operation. Most likely, he was a merchant or tavern keeper as well as a farmer (he owned cows, chickens, scythes, and garden seed). His wife and daughters may have engaged in textile production and/or dressmaking (see the "wheels" a.k.a. spinning wheels and the large amount of textiles that they owned), or they might have sold textiles in their store (note there are no looms mentioned, suggesting that the weaving was done somewhere else).

What I find most interesting about Stephen Ferris's estate inventory is this section, enumerating the modest collection of items separated from the extensive list as "goods belonging to the widow for the support of their minor children."

Source

• One stove an operates (?) ($40)
• Three beds and bedding ($62.50)
• Six fancy chairs ($4)
• One table and one stand ($7)
• Six plates ($0.50)
• Six cups and saucers ($0.44)
• One Bible and Flynn (?) book, other books ($4)
• One large pot and one small pot ($1)
• Two iron kettles ($1.25)
• One large wheel and one small wheel ($5)
• One frying pan and one gridiron ($0.75)
• Two candlesticks [illegible] ($0.50)
• Six bowls, one tin work bowl ($0.88)
• Six knives & forks ($0.75)
• One oval dish & six tumblers ($0.62)
• One pair handirons ($2)
• One shovel and tongs ($1)
• One teakettle and two pails ($1)
• One teapot milk & sugar dish ($3.50)
• One red white face cow ($18)
• Pork and cask (?) ($8)
• Six tin pans ($1.52)
• One colander ($0.25)
• One coffee pot ($0.25)
• Two stone pots ($0.50)
• One bread tray and bowl ($0.37)
• One churn & pitcher ($1.25)
• One pair smoothing irons ($0.62)
• One washtub ($0.25)

How many "minor children" were these goods intended to support, and for how long? To answer that I need to go back to the beginning, when Stephen Ferris was born, around 1771 or 1772. I don't know anything about his parents, but I do know that he married Rachel Fish, who was born in 1774, most likely around the mid-1790s. Her gravestone is pictured above (Stephen is also buried in the cemetery, but the photo of his stone on FindAGrave isn't legible). Three of Stephen and Rachel's children are buried beside them in the cemetery: Cornelus (1800-1843), James (1803-1838), and Richard (1814-1841). Of these children, only Richard would have been a minor in 1827, but sources on Ancestry and FindAGrave (which I can't verify at the moment) indicate that they had two other children who would have been minors at that time.

Source

Here is the rest of the estate inventory (or rather, what I could read of it): 

• Old scythe ($0.12)
• One box and hazelnuts ($0.18)
• 25 lb feathers & [illegible] ($11.19)
• One pair sole leather ($0.75)
• Box and quills ($0.75)
• Lot of casks in storehouse ($1.38)
• One set axe [illegible] ($0.60)
• Lot of old irons ($1)
• Three baskets of onions ($0.50)
• Set of wooden measures ($1.50)
• Three augers ($0.50)
• One case of English powder ($6)
• One case of orange powder ($5)
• One sugar break ($0.12)
• Fine salt in cask ($1.75)
• One bottle and wedges ($0.50)
• One lot of whiffletrees ($0.50)
• 5 [illegible] forks ($1.50)
• Two scythe sheaths ($0.12)
• Six scythes ($4.50)
• Nine and a half dozen cups and bowls ($3.56)
• Four shovels and one spade ($2.50)
• Nine dozen blue teas (?) ($9)
• Thirteen muskrat skins ($2.84)
• Two barrels mackerel (?) ($8)
• One sack (?) of salt ($2.75)
• One barrel [illegible] wine ($30.81)
• Two and a half dozen plates at 4/ ($1.25)
• One half barrel [illegible] ($1.50)
• Two decanters ($0.50)
• Two and a half dozen small blue plates ($0.94)
• One barrel of flour ($6)
• One lot of wild game ($0.56)
• One barrel ground logwool (?) ($1.75)
• One barrel of flour ($1.12)
• One half dozen blue plates ($0.62)
• Nine blue plates ($0.62)
• Five oval dishes ($1.75)
• One lot small plates ($0.28)
• Three and a half dozen white plates ($1.75)
• Five white work brushes ($2.25)
• Three pair bellows ($0.25)
• Two clothes baskets ($0.25)
• Three dozen plates at 2/9 ($1.83)
• Thirteen milk plates at /6 ($0.81)
• Four milk plates ($0.50)
• Fourteen plow shares ($5.25)
• Five dozen bowls ($2.50)
• Seven gallons (?) salts and peppers ($0.88)
• Four chambers (?) at 1/9 ($0.88)
• Five glass jars ($1.25)
• One decanter ($0.25)
• Five teapots ($2.62)
• One tea set ($1.12)
• One ditching (?) shovel ($0.38)
• Six blue pitchers ($2.25)
• Three fancy pitchers ($0.65)
• One pepper mill ($0.38)
• Three hoes ($0.38)
• One gross [illegible] teas ($2)
• Nine black teapots at 10 ($0.94)
• One and a half dozen white bowls ($0.66)
• Eight fancy bowls ($0.50)
• Lot of tumblers ($1.75)
• 91 (?) baking dishes ($4.64)
• Ten lash strings ($0.62)
• Ten wash bowls and chambers ($0.88)
• Fifteen jugs ($2.19)
• Five pots ($0.78)
• One pair of chisels ($0.38)
• Eight pair women's shoes ($6)
• Five pair men's shoes ($6.88)
• Four pair children's shoes ($1)
• Two small shoes ($1)
• One iron pot ($0.75)
• One skillet ($0.15)
• Three sugar boxes ($0.44)
• One barrel of sand ($3.62)
• One [illegible] jug ($0.25)
• One box of corks ($0.25)
• One lot of glass ($0.88)
• One ladle ($0.09)
• Three iron squares ($0.75)
• One box of pipes ($0.18)
• Lot of wooden bowls ($2)
• 84 lb batting ($8.42)
• Five pair [illegible] shoes ($3.12)
• One dozen suspenders ($1.62)
• One half dozen suspenders ($1.75)
• Eight pair small forks (?) ($0.75)
• 33 lb cotton yarn ($8.25)
• 11 lb batting ($1.15)
• 5 lb candlewick (?) ($1.25)
• Five lumps of sugar ($6)
• One lot of garden seeds ($12.65)
• 5 lb wire ($0.94)
• Lot of tobacco ($3.09)
• Case of plug tobacco ($0.62)
• Two and a half boxes [illegible] ($7.50)
• Two trunks ($2.50)
• 40 lb ginger ($3.45)
• 150 lb white sugar ($17.25)
• 125 lb brown sugar ($11.25)
• One cheese [illegible] ($2.25)
• One steel trap ($0.38)
• One pair steelyards ($0.75)
• Twelve lb skin (?) tea ($6.72)
• 25 lb [illegible] ($22.25)
• 15 lb alspice ($3.60)
• 30 lb pepper ($5.40)
• 8 lb salt ($0.32)
• 18 lb [illegible] ($1.26)
• 6 lb Epson salts ($0.60)
• Case of ginger ($0.23)
• 17 lb salts [illegible] ($1.70)
• Barrel of butter ($2)
• Bag of coffee ($14)
• 28 lb crackers ($1.88)
• 12 lb [illegible] ($0.75)
• 19 lb starch ($1.08)
• 100 lb nails ($6)
• 30 lathe (?) nails ($6)
• 80 lb shingle nails ($5.60)
• Two horse [illegible] ($1)
• 70 lb [illegible] nails ($4.20)
• 14 sheets [illegible] ($0.88)
• Two whips ($0.50)
• 14 yards Lyon skin ($10.50)
• 7.75 yards [illegible] ($15.09)
• 32 ditto ($4)
• 18.75 ditto ($2.15)
• 135 ditto ($13.55)
• 50 ditto ($8.12)
• 17.75 yards ditto ($2.43)
• 45.75 ditto ($4.57)
• 24 [illegible] ($3.52)
• 28 [yards?] flannel ($5.25)
• Five pair of [illegible] ($1.75)
• 3.5 yards of cord ($1.09)
• 18.75 yards cord ($6.37)
• 15.75 drab cloth ($27.62)
• 5.25 white [illegible] ($3.28)
• 3.75 mixed cloth ($18.12)
• 3 yards of [illegible] cloth ($0.94)
• 14 yards blue cloth ($31.50)
• 12 yards blue cloth ($31.56)
• 7 1/4 yards blue cloth ($19.30)
• 10 yards Buckram ($1)
• 20.25 cloth ($30.38)
• [illegible] ($0.25)
• Five green veils (?) ($2.18)
• One [illegible] ($0.50)
• Two light silk [illegible] ($0.46)
• Two ditto ($0.62)
• 12 yards cashmere (?) ($10.50)
• 7.25 satinette ($3.62)
• 4.25 ditto ($2.12)
• 10.75 [yards?] blue cashmere ($16.12)
• 21.5 satinette ($12.53)
• 8 yards black (?) cloth ($5)
• 12 yards blue cloth ($4.50)
• 5.5 drab cloth ($4.12)
• 15.75 tartan plaid ($4.95)
• 39.5 teal (?) flannel ($4.94)
• 14.5 yards cotton [illegible] ($6.04)
• 47 yards green flannel ($11.75)
• Lot of cotton thread ($2.62)
• 86 yards gingham ($10.75)
• 98 ditto ($9.80)
• 14.5 yards stripe [illegible] ($2.32)
• 26.25 [illegible] ($6.57)
• 4.75 check ($0.59)
• 27.5 cotton stripe ($4.95)
• One buffalo skin ($5)
• 10.75 ted (?) flannel ($3.37)
• Remnant (?) of flannel ($0.12)
• 105 yards calico ($10.52)
• 39 wide ditto ($5.85)
• 56.25 yards ditto ($8.44)
• 92.25 yards ditto ($17.61)
• 38.5 yards ditto ($7.60)
• 23.75 yards ditto ($5.84)
• 49.5 yards ditto ($7.92)
• 72 India calico ($16.56)
• 10.25 spotted flannel ($3.84)
• 7.75 ticking ($1.94)
• 21.25 check ($4.68)
• 7 yards gingham ($1.05)
• 12.75 furniture [illegible] ($3.88)
• Six pair black hose ($2.62)
• Four pair white ditto ($2.50)
• Four black cotton ($1)
• Five white cotton ($1.72)
• 42 yards [illegible] ($6.48)
• Six bed quilts ($5.25)
• 35 children's [illegible] ($1.05)
• 14 cotton flags ($2.19)
• 16 cotton [illegible] ($2)
• 3 [illegible] ($0.28)
• 9 [illegible] ($1.80)
• 13 ditto [illegible] ($1.17)
• One large cotton shawl ($0.75)
• Two green silk shawls ($1)
• Two cotton [illegible] ($1)
• Nine silk [illegible] ($5.62)
• One ditto ($0.75)
• 4 bandanas (?) ($2)
• Three yards vesting (?) ($2.25)
• 4.5 vesting ($1.68)
• 2 vest portions ($1.25)
• 6.75 white muslin ($0.68)
• 15.5 ditto ($2.02)
• 43.75 ditto ($9.62)
• One [illegible] ($0.15)
• 25.5 black [illegible] ($4.83)
• 10.5 ditto ($1.89)
• 21.25 tabby velvet ($9.24)
• 18.75 black [illegible] ($5.52)
• 15.75 ditto ($1.97)
• 8.25 twilled ($2.31)
• 5.25 [illegible] ($1.15)
• 20.25 silk stripe ($10.12)
• 21.5 [illegible] ($4.33)
• 3.75 sateens ($1.88)
• 1.25 cotton stripe ($0.18)
• 15.5 green silk ($5.81)
• 5 [illegible] dresses ($6.25)
• 4.5 mill muslin ($1.72)
• 11 yards spider net (?) ($1.98)
• 5.75 [illegible] ($2.30)
• 8 yards ditto ($2.80)
• 7.25 ditto ($1.81)
• One wrapper ($0.12)
• Four shawls ($0.75)
• 4.75 spidernet ($0.59)
• Four [illegible] shawls ($1.50)
• 1.5 [illegible] ($0.75)
• 11.25 book muslin ($2.10)
• One wrapper ($0.12)
• Two cedar pails (?) ($0.88)
• Eighteen watch ribbons ($0.90)
• Four cloak clasps ($0.50)
• Eight watch seals ($0.50)
• Nine keys ($0.56)
• Three yards lace ($0.13)
• Four buck skin mitts ($1.25)
• Eight pair gloves ($3.50)
• Two pair ditto ($0.50)
• Three men's ditto ($0.69)
• Thirteen oz black sewing silk ($4.87)
• 12 oz assorted ditto ($3.75)
• One pair gloves ($0.12)
• Three oz. [illegible] ($1.50)
• Two [illegible] furniture binding ($0.50)
• One dozen tapes ($0.56)
• Lot of silk braid (?) ($0.62)
• One box hooks & eyes ($0.18)
• 32 pieces ribbon ($6)
• Three pieces ribbon ($2.50)
• Two flats (?) ($4.75)
• Two ditto ($2.25)
• One beer pump ($15)
• One stove and pipe ($15)
• Two lamps and [illegible] ($0.52)
• Two old candlesticks ($0.12)
• One [illegible] ($0.88)
• Two pair smoking irons ($0.88)
• Two tons of plaster ($10)
• Two old pails ($0.38)
• Three silver spoons ($2)
• Two [illegible] cows ($18)
• One yellow cow ($16)
• Two cows ($36)
• Cart shelvers (?) ($0.50)
• Two narrow axes ($0.75)
• Lot shoe thread ($0.75)
• 112 [illegible] flour ($2.25)
• Wearing apparel ($22.75)
• 33 fowls ($6.18)
• Four guinea fowls ($0.75)
• One turkey ($0.38)
• Two geese ($0.88)
• Five pair snuffers (?) ($2.19)
• Four pair siphons (?) ($0.75)
• Five pair ditto ($0.75)
• Ten pair [illegible] wine (?) ($0.31)
• Ten dozen buttons ($1.25)
• One lot buttons ($3.12)
• One half dozen Brazilian combs ($2.12)
• One ditto ($0.22)
• Lot of combs ($0.72)
• Two packs (?) of pins ($2.12)
• One lot ditto ($0.56)
• Eight wallets ($0.64)
• Lot of books ($1.56)
• Seven Japan (?) lamps ($0.88)
• Nine top (?) lamps ($0.56)
• 13 sparrowbills ($0.93)
• Nine paintbrushes ($0.94)
• Seven pair wool cards ($1.31)
• Ten combs ($0.42)
• Five [illegible] straps [illegible] ($0.62)
• Snuff boxes and combs ($0.44)
• Nine razors (?) ($2.25)
• 14 [illegible] knives ($1.31)
• Three ditto ($0.25)
• Six ditto ($0.62)
• Six ditto ($0.62)
• Seven ditto small ($0.37)
• 10 ditto ($0.83)
• Three ditto ($0.38)
• One hammer ($0.38)
• Five shoe tarps (?) ($0.62)
• Two knives ($0.75)
• One m [illegible] braids ($0.31)
• Pegging awls ($0.12)
• One basin (?) ($0.12)
• Combs and [illegible] ($0.18)
• Lot of mousetraps ($0.38)
• Lot of [illegible] beads ($0.38)
• Awl hafts ($0.70)
• One chisel ($0.25)
• Three pair hinges ($0.47)
• Four spike gimblets ($0.25)
• One pair pinchers ($0.25)
• Nine gross shoe tacks (?) ($1.62)
• Lot screws ($0.31)
• Two slates ($0.25)
• 22 lb chocolate ($3.52)
• One bunch shutting pins ($0.12)
• 36 [illegible] augers ($1.80)
• One pair brushes (?) ($0.19)
• Lot Jews harps ($2)
• [illegible] ($1.62)
• One box Spanish [illegible] ($3.50)
• One box shaving soap ($0.75)
• Lot of garden seed ($0.50)
• Two shoe hammers ($0.32)
• Two dozen shaving boxes ($0.75)
• Four bottles blacking (?) ($0.50)
• Five part ditto ($0.31)
• Eight [illegible] ($0.83)
• One bottle of lavender ($0.75)
• Bottle of [illegible] ($0.50)
• Jar of snuff ($0.75)
• Lot of dishes ($0.50)
• Jugs and pitchers ($0.62)
• [illegible] of coloring ($0.88)
• Lemon syrup (?) ($0.18)
• Lime squeezers ($0.18)
• Six flat files (?) ($1.50)
• Three spoons ($0.38)
• Eight pair nippers ($0.75)
• Three snuffer trays ($0.38)
• Four shoe knives ($0.33)
• Nine pair compasses (?) ($0.83)
• One dozen knives and forks ($1.62)
• One lot of gimblets ($1.50)
• Decanters and bottles ($1.25)
• 2.75 lb indigo and pot ($6.18)
• Pot of brownstone ($0.18)
• Tallow and barrel (?) ($2.25)
• Shot box ($2.50)
• Pewter measures ($1.31)
• Tin measures ($1)
• 16 gallons lamp oil ($11.52)
• Oil can ($4)
• Cask of [illegible] wine ($17)
• 16 gallons [illegible] wine ($16)
• 28 gallons cherry ($14)
• 16 gallons Holland gin ($13.60)
• 10 gallon kegs ($3.38)
• 30 gallons Jamaica rum ($22.50)
• 34 brandy ($29.75)
• 4 cherry ($2)
• One gallon cordial ($0.50)
• 2.5 currant wine ($1.25)
• 10 gallons corn brandy ($4.50)
• One barrel ($0.62)
• 35 gallons [illegible] ($24.06)
• 120 gallons [illegible] ($45.60)
• Gin and [illegible] ($1.12)
• Two pewter tea pots ($1.25)
• Scales and weights ($13.37
• Wine and cask ($1)
• Sixteen gallons rum (?) ($12)
• Beer barrel ($0.50)
• One half [illegible] tobacco ($1.38)
• One hogshead of sugar ($1.25)
• One barrel of cider ($1.50)
• One barrel of beer ($4)
• Tub and contents ($0.75)
• Three empty casks ($2)
• Lot tobacco ($1.12)
• Currant wine and cask ($7)
• Cherry and cask ($4)
• 74 gallons brandy ($33.75)
• 55 gallons molasses ($18.15)
• Old boxes tubs etc. ($0.50)
• Spade and shovel ($0.38)
• One pair shears ($0.12)
• Cash in silver ($95.63)
• Cash in cents ($2.33)
• Silver ($15.78)

Probates: Peter N. Ferris

Peter N. Ferris was a nearly exact contemporary of Abijah Merritt, born just four years later, who died two years earlier at the age of 56. And like Abijah Merritt, Peter Ferris died without a will, leaving his widow to deal with his estate. However, Peter Ferris's estate was an order of magnitude larger than that of Abijah Merritt, resulting in a much longer and more complicated process of sorting out debts, expenses, and property values.

The fact that he was a wealthier man than Abijah Merritt is reflected in Peter Ferris's gravestone, which is larger and more elaborate than Merritt's. It features an urn and willow motif, multiple different inscribed fonts, the deceased's name in a decorative cartouche, a plain rectangular border, and an epitaph inscribed painstakingly in tiny letters at the bottom of the stone. While not far from Abijah Merritt's stone, Peter Ferris's stone faces the opposite direction (to the east), reflecting a trend that was gaining traction in the mid-19th century: that is, the tendency to place gravestones facing frontally toward the entrance to the cemetery. The stone of Peter's wife Phebe also faces east, but many of the other Ferris stones face west.

Phebe's stone is somewhat unique in giving such prominence to her maiden name, Ward. Phebe's maiden name is also featured in references to her in her husband's probate records. I think it's fair to presume that Phebe Ward Ferris's natal identity was one that was very important to her, and which she may have consciously endeavored to preserve against the homogenizing force that typically obliterated a woman's ancestral name upon her marriage.

While Abijah Merritt's estate was administered by his son Caleb, Peter Ferris's estate was administered by his widow Phebe and John Curney. Upon Peter Ferris's death, they published a notice in the Peekskill Republican "for claimants to present their claims against [Peter Ferris's] estate," which appeared for six months. The claims of these creditors were then affixed to the estate inventory. Peter Ferris's estate was appraised and sold at public auction to pay his debts.

I find this aspect of the inventory somewhat difficult to understand, but as I have interpreted it, Peter Ferris's estate amounted to $6,193.15 in total, of which $3,469.05 was used to distribute to the various expenses. Phebe herself received a sum of $223.98 from the estate. From this she paid $181.98 to Joshua Putney for interest on his mortgage, $18.00 for a coffin for her husband, $22.00 for gravestones (plural - not sure if this means that Peter Ferris originally had a footstone, or whether Phebe may have purchased herself a gravestone at the same time), and $2.00 for digging the grave and setting the stone.

From this point on, the inventory is divided into several schedules.

Schedule A.
"Containing a list of the goods, chattels, & stock mentioned in the Inventory of the goods, chattels, and credits of Peter N. Ferris deceased, taken by the administratrix & administrator of the [estate] of the said Ferris deceased with the aid of Josiah Purdy and John Hallock sworn appraisers duly appointed for such purpose by the Surrogate of the County of Westchester, so far as the same could be ascertained, sold at public auction on the 31st day of October in the year 1845."

This schedule is four pages long and consists of a list of items (mostly agricultural implements and supplies and livestock) and the individuals to whom these items were sold, along with the prices. Just to give you a sense of the intricacy with which these records were made, here is my favorite section, featuring cows:



What must it have been like for Phebe Ward Ferris to see her husband's estate so meticulously and clinically deconstructed, appraised, and sold? I imagine that her life would have been completely upended - not only by the death of her husband, but by its fallout and consequences for the direction that the rest of her life would take.

Schedule B.
"Containing a true statement of the debts due the estate of Peter N. Ferris deceased mentioned in the Inventory made as stated in Schedule A which have been collected or otherwise adjusted to the credit of said estate with the interest collected or allowed on the same."

The total value of the debts collected was $4,567.82.

Schedule C.
"Containing a true statement of all moneys collected by me as due the estate of Peter N. Ferris deceased and of all moneys belonging to said estate that have come into my hands, not mentioned in Schedule B." Totaling $961.95.

Schedule D.
"Containing a true statement of the debts in the inventory of the estate of Peter N. Ferris deceased mentioned which have not been collected and which have not been collectable for the reasons herein after mentioned. Total balance due: $528.38

Schedule E.
"Containing a true statement of claims presented against the estate of said Peter N. Ferris and which have been paid or settled." Total: $2724.10

The following section of the probate record lists the "creditors and next of kin" to Peter N. Ferris to be apportioned part of his estate:

James D. Sherwood
Maria S. Sherwood
Joseph D. Ferris & Eliza his wife
Absalom N. Ferris
John H. Scott & Mary E. his wife
Silas C. Whitney & Sarah M. his wife

A little searching reveals that Sarah M. Whitney was born Sarah Matilda Ferris, the daughter of Peter N. and Phebe Ward Ferris, in 1825. Silas Constant Whitney was a farmer who lived in Yorktown; Sarah was the second of his three wives (at separate times, of course). The other next of kin are described in the section below:

"Whereas the said Peter N. Ferris died intestate, leaving him surviving his widow the said Phebe Ferris, and the following persons his only next of kin, viz.: Emily, a daughter of said deceased, the wife of George M. Sherwood; Jane, another daughter of said deceased, the wife of James D. Sherwood, who has since deceased leaving her surviving, her husband the said James D. Sherwood, and an infant daughter Maria S. Sherwood; Joseph D. Ferris, a son of said deceased; Sarah M. another daughter of said deceased & now the wife of Silas C. Whitney; Benjamin M. Ferris & Absalom N. Ferris, sons of the said deceased, and Mary E. another daughter of said deceased, and who is now the wife of John H. Scott; it is therefore further ordered and decreed that the said administrator and administratrix divide the remaining sum of $2339.38 into seven equal shares or portions of $334.19 each" to be divided among the aforesaid relations.

The Estate Inventory
Finally, the full inventory of Peter N. Ferris's estate is listed, along with the appraised value of each item.

• One brindle cow ($15)
• Three other cows each $15 ($45)
• One other cow ($16)
• Three other cows each $14 ($42)
• One other cow ($17)
• One dry cow ($8)
• One heifer ($7)
• One other heifer ($4)
• One pair of oxen ($75)
• One stack of hay ($16)
• One other stack of hay ($16)
• One other stack of hay ($20)
• One other stack of hay ($8)
• One other stack of hay ($16)
• Hay in the barn ($16)
• One horse (young horse) ($70)
• One old horse ($5)
• One ox cart ($30)
• Five forks ($1.50)
• One shovel ($1)
• Three rakes ($0.37)
• Eight planks ($1.50)
• One ox yoke ($1)
• One other ox yoke and [illegible] ($1.50)
• One lumber wagon ($40)
• One ox shed ($3)
• One grain cradle ($3)
• One corn sheller ($5)
• Sixty bushels of corn at fifty cents per bushel ($30)
• Seventeen barrels ($2.12)
• One lot of pine boards ($2.50)
• Two crobars at $1.50 each ($3)
• One lot of double harness ($4)
• One other set of double harness ($4)
• One set of single harness ($2)
• One buck saw ($0.75)
• One string of bells ($0.50)
• One iron wrench ($0.25)
• One drawing knife and pincers [?] ($0.75)
• One compass and square ($0.50)
• Two chisels ($0.50)
• Four augers ($1.50)
• One scythe and two sticks ($1.75)
• One half bushel measure and small measure ($0.75)
• Two potato hooks ($0.75)
• Two hoes ($0.75)
• One old saddle ($1.50)
• One whip ($0.25)
• One iron scoop ($1)
• One horse rake ($5)
• One grindstone ($5)
• One coopers [illegible] ($0.50)
• One hogshead and cider ($1)
• One hammer ($0.12)
• One shed ($3)
• Two ladders 50 cents each ($1)
• Two axes ($1)
• Three ox chains ($3)
• Three ploughs ($10)
• One stone boat ($1)
• One harrow ($1)
• Three cider barrels and cider ($1.50)
• Nineteen pigs $1.50 each ($28.50)
• One churning machine ($3)
• Five bushels of rye in granary ($3.12)
• One gun with accouterments ($8)

There was a separate list for "widow's right," that is, the items considered to be Phebe Ward Ferris's personal property.

• The family Bible, some school books
• One stove. One franklin
• The books, which are not in value $50
• Four sheep and three lambs - one red
• Cow - two swine - and the pork of the swine butchered for use of the family
• Wearing apparel
• Four beds, bedsteads, and bedding
• The usual cooking utensils
• The widow's clothes and the clothes of her family
• One table, six chairs
• Six knives and forks, six plates
• Six teacups and saucers
• One sugar dish, one milk pot
• One teapot and six spoons
• Two tables
• Eighteen plates
• Eighteen cups and saucers
• One sugar dish
• One teapot
• Fourteen chains
• One rocking chair
• Two looking glasses
• Carpets in use and necessary

Comparing Peter Ferris's inventory with Abijah Merritt's, it's clear to see that the former had a great deal more property, yet the rights of his widow were still restricted to personal possessions, tableware, furniture, and some livestock. Had either man thought to write a will, he could have allocated his widow a greater portion of his estate, or required that his children provide for their mother's care as a condition of their inheritance. When the two men died without a will, the law interceded to protect the widow's right to her own possessions. Yet these items seem somewhat meager in proportion to the entirety of the deceased's estate, and it is easy to imagine how the wives of men poorer than Abijah Merritt or Peter Ferris could have been devastated by their husbands' deaths. It's not surprising that many elderly widows sought refuge in the almshouse.

Phebe Ward Ferris outlived her husband by twelve years, dying on January 14, 1857. Her large marble headstone features a decorated "IN Memory of", the usual biographical details, and an epitaph reading:

Think not that they are blessed alone

Where days a peaceful tenor keep.

The God who loves our race has shown

A blessing for the eyes that weep.

Come Lord Jesus come quietly.

1. Peter N. Ferris (1789-1845) m. Phebe Ward (1791-1857)
1. Emily Ferris (1812-1878) m. George M. Sherwood (1812-1901)
2. Jane Ferris m. James D. Sherwood
1. Maria S. Sherwood
3. Joseph D. Ferris
4. Sarah Matilda Ferris (1825-) m. Silas Constant Whitney (1810-)
5. Benjamin M. Ferris
6. Absalom N. Ferris
7. Mary E. Ferris m. John H. Scott

Probates: Abijah Merritt

This week, as part of the research for my thesis paper, I'll be examining some 19th-century probate records from the Westchester County Archives. Probate records can capture an extremely vivid portrait of a person's material life at the time of his or her death, as well as the personal relationships implicated in the distribution of property.

Abijah S. Merritt died on February 5, 1847, at the age of 61 years and 3 months. His gravestone in the cemetery is an ordinary marble marker with no iconography, a short biographical inscription, and an epitaph. He is buried in the front section of the cemetery, i.e. the Episcopal section, not far from the earliest graves (which you can see in the background of the photograph on the right). Like the earliest markers, Abijah's faces west, in the direction of the old St. George's Church, despite the fact that the church had been absent from the cemetery for two decades at the time of his death.

Given the fact that he was fairly advanced in age (61 certainly wasn't young by mid-19th-century standards), it's somewhat curious that Abijah died intestate - that is, without a will. It's possible his death was relatively sudden. He would have been born in 1785, just a few years after the American Revolution, and just one generation after the establishment of St. George's Anglican Church. His wife, Ruth Carpenter, was born August 1, 1787, the daughter of Morris Carpenter and Abigail Lawrence. The Carpenters had moved to New Castle two years before Ruth was born, according to History and Genealogy of the Carpenter Family, where they purchased a 161-acre farm. The family had originally come from Musketa Cove, Long Island. This is a particularly interesting detail because the original settlers of North Castle - back in the 1720s - were described as "descendants of the Long Island Quakers" by a contemporary visitor. Were Quaker families still migrating from Long Island into Westchester into the 1780s? According to the Carpenter genealogy book, Ruth's father belonged to the Methodist Church whose property adjoined that of the Episcopal cemetery on its southern border. Perhaps they were like many other families in the region who were originally Quakers, or had Quaker ancestry.

As for Abijah himself, several family trees on Ancestry.com name his parents as Caleb Merritt and Deborah Lyon, but I can't confirm it. The earliest record in which I have found Abijah Merritt is the 1820 federal census of New Castle, in which he appears as the head of a household of six people, including one white male age 26-44 (Abijah himself), one white female age 26-44 (presumably Ruth), three white males under the age of 10 (possibly their sons), one white female age 10-15 (possibly their daughter), and one person engaged in manufactures (most likely Abijah).

Twenty years later, the 1840 census shows Abijah Merritt as the head of a household of five people, including a male and female age 50-59 (Abijah and Ruth), one free white male age 20-29, one free white male age 15-19, and one free white male age 10-14. Two people were engaged in manufacture and trade. If I had to guess, I'd venture that these five people represent Abijah, Ruth, and their three sons, and that the oldest son likely engaged in the same trade as Abijah. Abijah and Ruth's daughter had likely married and left the household at this point.

In the inventory of Abijah Merritt's property taken at the time of his death, three relatives are named: Ruth Merritt, his widow; Elizabeth, wife of Isaac Sherwood; and Caleb Merritt, administrator of his estate.

A Caleb Merritt of New Castle enumerated in the 1870 federal census was 58 years old, making him the right age to be Abijah and Ruth's oldest son (the one age 20-29 in the 1840 census). The Caleb Merritt in the 1870 census was a house carpenter with a wife Mary and children Maria, Abijah, and Sarah. He had real estate worth $5,000 and personal estate worth $625.

Abijah Merritt's probate record contains further indirect evidence that this Caleb was Abijah Merritt's son. Among Abijah's property was a full set of carpentry tools and a large amount of lumber. Presumably, Abijah was a carpenter and had taught the trade to his son.

Elizabeth C. Sherwood, the wife of Isaac Sherwood, is listed in the 1850 census as 40 years old, making her the right age to be the girl listed in the 1820 census as age 10-15. She is, most likely, Abijah and Ruth's daughter. Isaac was a farmer with an estate worth $8,000 and they had five children: Caleb M., Ruth A., William, Elizabeth, and Isaac S. Presumably, Elizabeth named her daughter Ruth after her mother, just as Caleb named his son Abijah after their father.

Thus we are able to build a picture of the family in 1847: Abijah died, perhaps suddenly, leaving his 60-year-old widow, 37-year-old daughter, and 35-year-old son to contend with his estate. The estate inventory taken by Caleb Merritt on April 10, 1847, records what that estate contained and how it was apportioned to his survivors.

The Inventory
The first section of the inventory deals with the "personal property assigned to the widow," Ruth Merritt. This property was held separately and was not considered part of Abijah's estate. It included:

• Family library
• Pork of two swine
• Cooking stove
• One large and one small wheel
• One cow, four beds & bedding, and cooking utensils
• Six chairs, six knives & forks, six plates, six tea cups and saucers
• One sugar dish, one milk pot, one teapot, and six spoons

This was followed by "articles of personal property assigned to the widow and appraised and not exceeding in value of $150." Since Abijah's entire estate was judged to be worth no more than $300, it seems that Ruth was entitled to no more than half of her husband's property. 

• Two tables
• One dozen chairs
• 1/2 dozen knives & forks
• Fifteen Liverpool plates
• Two oval dishes
• Six blue-edged plates
• Two [illegible] dishes
• One large oval dish
• Three tablespoons [illegible] silver
• Three teaspoons [illegible] silver
• One pair white & [illegible] pitchers
• Six tumblers and two decanters
• One brass clock
• One secretary
• One willow basket
• One large clock
• 1/2 dozen china cups & saucers
• One looking glass
• One tea bord [?]
• Pork & beef [illegible]
• Two chest of drawers

The next section, dated May 16, 1846 - that is, more than six months before Abijah died - is titled "Book account against Richard Kirby." I am not sure what this means, but Richard Kirby was a farmer of about Abijah's age who lived in the same region and is also buried in the cemetery. The following property is listed in this section, totaling a value of $239.49:

• Bank notes
• One silver watch
• One pair silver spectacles
• Three pair brass spectacles [?]
• Lot of carpenter tools consisting of planes, saws, augers, chisels, and one pair adze & broad ax
• One grindstone
• One ten plate stove [?]
• Two cast iron wheels and [illegible] in shop
• Blacksmith bellows & [illegible]
• One tool [?] chest
• Lot of plank in blacksmith shop
• Two iron bars and two wrenches belonging to saw mill
• One cart hook, one ax
• 18 oak boards
• Maple and oak plank
• Lot of cherry and birch plank
• Lot of ash plank, beach blank, and butternut [?] boards
• Six flour [illegible]
• One lumber [illegible] spring wagon
• One set one horse harness
• Two old wagon tire and old [illegible]
• One bay mare
• One yearling colt
• One red cow
• One corn plough
• Twenty fowls
• Shovel and [?]fork & spade & [illegible]

This list is proceeded by two items:

• Note against Solomon Classer [?] dated April 24th, 1834 for $24.25 Bad
• Note against Floyd G. Cox dated January 7th 1840 for $10.04 Bad

On the next page, Ruth Merritt has signed a note renouncing her right to letters of administration on the estate of her deceased husband, witnessed by Isaac and Elizabeth C. Sherwood.

The Aftermath

Ruth Merritt died in October of 1859 at the age of 71 of consumption. Her death is recorded in the federal mortality schedules for 1860. I haven't been able to determine where she is buried; if it's in the Episcopal cemetery (the most likely location), I haven't seen her gravestone. Nor have I found her name in the county probate index.

While there are several Sherwoods buried in the cemetery, Elizabeth Merritt Sherwood doesn't seem to be among them. I last find her in the federal census of 1860, living in Bedford.

I last find Caleb Merritt in the federal census of 1880, living in New Castle. He and his wife Mary may be the Caleb and Mary Merritt buried in the Anderson Cemetery in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1894 and 1886, respectively.

1. Abijah Merritt (1785-1847) m. Ruth Carpenter (1787-1859) 
1. Elizabeth Merritt (1810-after 1860) m. Isaac Sherwood (1802-)
1. Caleb M. Sherwood (1836-)
2. Ruth A. Sherwood (1838-)
3. William Sherwood (1845-)
4. Elizabeth Sherwood (1847-)
5. Isaac S. Sherwood (1849-)
2. Caleb Merritt (1812-1894) m. Mary E. (1819-1886)
1. Maria Merritt (1845-)
2. Abijah Merritt (1847-)
3. Sarah Merritt (1854-)