Amanuensis Monday: 1855 Letter from DAVID BRUTON (b 1790) Green Co MO to his Brother BENJAMIN BRUTON in Texas

My great X 3 grandfather, DAVID BRUTON, was born Jan 18, 1790 in Spartanburg SC, and died April 4, 1869 Webster Co MO. He was the son of ENOCH BRUTON & DORCAS WOFFORD, and lived in SC, McNairy Co TN and Tishomingo Co MS before migrating to Missouri.  

His brother BENJAMIN BRUTON was born June 20, 1788 Spartanburg SC and married GEMINA/JEMIMA, who was previously married to a LANGFORD, and had a son LECIL B LANGFORD.  He may have been named after LECIL BRUTON of Spartanburg, a cousin of BENJAMIN & DAVID,  but I am not sure exactly why.  They all moved to Texas by 1850. 

In this case I am not the amanuensis, but the recipient of this transcription which was made by Shirly Ford, who kindly sent it to me.  A few days ago she also sent me a scanned copy of the original.  Many thanks to Shirly for taking the time to send this letter to me!  I'm certain there are many other Bruton researchers who will be interested in seeing it.

Here is a copy of Shirly's transcription.  I have added punctuation as there was none in the original, have capitalized names, and added my notes in red.

Transcription of letter to Benjamin Bruton from David Bruton.  

As written, including capitals/spelling 

Greey Cty (Green County)., MO   May the 15^th A.D 1855

Well, brother & Sister & family All LEICEL B LANGFORD & SALLY & family

I take my pen in had to wright you a few lines & can inform you Something of the health of myself and my old wife.  We are Enjoying tollerable health for old people but are geting tolerable frail not able to Do very much. But we Should be thankful that we are blest with Common health.  Some of our Children is enjoying bad health  EDIA Which Maried EDMUND CARDWELL she has too children the youngest one is something like six years old & She (Edia) has never been Able to set up or walk to Do any good  Since she was put to bed with her last one. ELIZABETH has enjoyd bad health for four or five years though is geting some stouter at this time.  Both their Complaints are Chronic nervous affections  My Son HIRAM Died of A Chronic Disease left  A and wife & one Child.  my Children are all Married & enjoying Common health through the kind merceys of god  except the too Above Named ones. they are all a living in this part of the Country Except BENJAMIN  he is living in Mississippi & all a geting A Long tolerable well  I hope through the kind mercey of god when these lines comes to hand they may find you all well & Doing well.  Times is tolerable hard in this part of the Country at this time.  Money Scarce & provisions high & Scarce. Crops was very light with us last season & if it don’t rain shortly here it will be impossible for us to make much grain.  This Season there has Not been rain. Enough where I live to wet the ground three inces Deep.  This spring though in Some parts of the Country good rains lately. there has been no rise of water this Spring here.  A great Many Springs gone Dry. property is low here except work Cattle are high and ready Sale. there has been A good deal of sickness in Brother Jesseys family this Spring & winter. past the winter found Sister Annis Died of the winter fever in march.  Brother Jesse is living in Wright County forty Miles east of me. (Turn to the left    town over  excuse my aucardness Note: I did not see this part in the scanned copy of original. )

I moved to Crafford (Crawford) County, Arkansas the winter that LEICEL moved to texas .expecting to go on to texas in the fall but we was all taken down sick in the Summer.  the last one of us Down in the fall.  we got so we could travel & we moved back to Mo, green County.  I never have been as well Satisfyd in Mo, As I would wish to be.  it is a good farming Country but verry rough & rocky  only in the prararies there it is Scarce of timber & water verry Cold in the winter by Spells & not verry healthy.  I believe there is better Countreys than Mo. But I am too old to hunt them out.  I want you to give me All the information you can About yoursel & family and Country that you Can by letter.  I want you to write to me as soon as you get this letter without fail & let me know the times in your Country & how Land Can be got there & whether there is good land there to take up by entry yet or not.  there is A great Stir in our Country About the gold mines near the head of the Arkansas river.  A great many of our people has gone to search for it, it is thought they will have to Combat verry heavily with the idians to get at it. if it is found that there is plenty of gold there Southwest Mo, will be Almost deserted.  I write this letter you and LEICEL both I can not express my desire and wish to see you all & Converse with you face to face & will State again write to me soon and often and I will Answer all your letters as well  Direct your letters to Dallas, PO, green Cty, Mo  I will Close my stamering letter by Subscribing myself your affectionate Brother till Death so no more

DAVID BRUTON                                                                      BENJAMIN BRUTON

                                                                                        & JAMIMAH

& NANCY

my childrens

names

THOMAS EDIA

BENJAMIN TYRELL  P

DARKEY(Dorcas)  
ELIZABETH

HIRAM  
MILES

CLARINDA

DAVID PINCKNEY

Have a great day!

Betty

© Betty Tartas  2011

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: MARIAH HUBER b 1845 OH & ALFRED CLOUSER of Montgomery Co IN

 I recently found this photo of MARIAH HUBER & her husband ALFRED CLOUSER of Montgomery Co IN  on the website Find-a-Grave.  MARIAH was the daughter of ELIJAH HUBER & CATHERINE SHRIVER of Montgomery Co IN, and sister to my great grandfather PHILLIP L HUBER who married CAROLINE AMELIA "CRAMELIA" FRAZIER (see my Rootsweb or Ancestry tree called "Ancestors of Alonzo Cox Huber").

The source of this photo was listed as Mary Jo Barton.  I have been trying to contact her.

Then, a few days later I discovered this photo of a young MARIAH HUBER on someone's Ancestry.com public family tree. I have left a message to contact this individual also, as the person listed MARIAH as a great great grandmother.

These are really exciting finds, as my family has virtually no photos of the early HUBERs !  

Have a great day!

Betty

© Betty Tartas  2011

Tombstone Tuesday: SIMEON DIBBLE & MARY "POLLY" (BROWN) DIBBLE, of Poundridge, Westchester Co NY

Headstones of SIMEON DIBBLE born May 10, 1786 Poundridge, Westchester Co NY, died Nov 10, 1868, son of JONATHAN DIBBLE & RACHEL SLASON; and his wife MARY "POLLY" BROWN, born July 7, 1797 Poundridge, Westchester Co NY, died Feb 5, 1873; daughter of SAMUEL BROWN & his wife RHEUA (see previous blogpost).

SIMEON DIBBLE & MARY "POLLY" BROWN were my great X 4 grandparents, in the lineage of my grandfather R B Martine.

These graves are located in the Longridge Union Cemetery, Stamford, Fairfield Co CT, which is only a few miles away from Poundridge, NY.  Source of photos: Find-a-Grave website.

Have a great day!

Betty

© Betty Tartas  2011

Surname Saturday: RHEUA, wife of SAMUEL BROWN b 1777 CT, of Poundridge, Westchester Co NY

The last few blogposts have dealt with the BROWN family of colonial era Poundridge, Westchester Co NY.  I am going to continue here with my current research, which involves RHEUA, the wife of SAMUEL BROWN (see previous post for the pics of their gravestones).

I have been trying for several years to figure out the maiden name of RHEUA, wife of SAMUEL BROWN.  Here are the facts so far:  She was born around April 17, 1777, this date gleaned from her headstone which says: died July 17, 1865; 88 years, 3 mo. According to 1850 and 1860 census records for Poundridge, Westchester Co NY, she was born in Connecticut (most likely Fairfield Co CT, which is where many in Poundridge originally came from). In 1850 census, her first name is was listed as "Rhuama", and in 1860 her name was listed as "Ruhamah".   But her gravestone and other records show her first name as "Rheua".

She was married about 1796 to SAMUEL BROWN, most likely in Poundridge, Westchester Co NY.  Their eldest daughter, MARY "POLLY" BROWN, was born 1797, and married SIMEON DIBBLE.

So what on earth was RHEUA's maiden name?

I have several theories, but no hard evidence.  And very few clues.

I have looked through birth records from Fairfield Co CT, and have come up empty-handed.  I have not been able to find a marriage record for RHEUA & SAMUEL in Westchester Co NY or Fairfield Co CT, either.

My current "pet" theory, and one which I have not been able to prove, is that RHEUA was a daughter of EBENEZER DeFOREST (Rev War) and his wife MERCY.  So far I have not been able to find a birth record indicating that they had a daughter named Rheua or Ruhamah.

However, there are a few facts that make this seem quite possible.

1) According to the 1831 Rev War Pension Application of EBENEZER DeFOREST, applied for in Poundridge, Westchester Co NY, he was living in Fairfield Co CT at the time of the Revolutionary War.

2) Both SAMUEL's father SOLOMON BROWN and EBENEZER DeFOREST (listed as DeFreeze) were present in the 1790 Poundridge, Westchester Co NY census. I don't have access to the actual records, but a transcription I found shows the two families living close by. So EBENEZER had moved to Poundridge by 1790.

3) SAMUEL & RHEUA BROWN lived next door and/or nearly next door to EBENEZER DeFOREST at the time of  the 1800, 1810 and 1820 census, and next door to EBENEZER DeFOREST's son JAMES DeFOREST at the time of the 1830 census.  EBENEZER applied for his Rev War Pension in 1831, but may have been living with one of his children? (not listed in census)

4) In the 1850 Poundridge, Westchester Co NY census, SAMUEL N. DeFOREST age 22, a shoemaker,  is listed in the household of SAMUEL age 77 & RHEUA age 74 BROWN. Was he a nephew or grandnephew of RHEUA?

Also listed in the household were NEHEMIAH NORTON age 24 and his mother LETITIA NORTON age 40.  I have not been able to discern how or if they are related.  According to records I have found so far, LETITIA was not a daughter of SAMUEL & RHEUA BROWN.

So that's it, in a nutshell.  If anyone out there can recommend resources or shed light on the DeFOREST family, it would be most appreciated.

Other surname possibilities for RHEUA:

WEED, JONES, SLAWSON/SLASON, BOUTON, LOCKWOOD, SHERWOOD, MEAD, WATERBURY.

I have explored several different RHEUA's from these families, but still have not found the one who married SAMUEL BROWN.

Have a great day!

Betty

© Betty Tartas  2011

Tombstone Tuesday: SAMUEL & RHEUA BROWN, of Poundridge, Westchester Co NY

SAMUEL BROWN b April 15, 1773, Poundridge, Westchester Co NY; died Oct 5, 1866, Poundridge, Westchester Co NY. His wife RHEUA (maiden name unknown), born April 17, 1777; died July 17, 1865 Poundridge, Westchester Co NY.

They are my great x 5 grandparents, in the lineage of my grandfather R B Martine.

SAMUEL was the son of SOLOMON BROWN & SARAH "SALLY" SLAWSON/SLASON, whom I wrote about in my previous blogpost.

SAMUEL & RHEUA BROWN are buried in the Longridge Union Cemetery, Stamford, Fairfield Co CT.  Apparently Poundridge & Stamford are only a few miles apart.

Source of photos:  Find-a-Grave website

Have a great day!

Betty

© Betty Tartas  2011

Surname Saturday: BROWN of Fairfield Co CT and Poundridge, Westchester Co NY

After taking a short break from blogging, I'm back to report on my latest genealogy find!

With a little sleuthing, I was able to find out that one of my ancestors, SOLOMON BROWN b about 1746 Westchester Co NY,  had made a will in 1821, and that it was available through the Westchester Co NY Archives.  I sent for the will and whatever other papers they might have, and the packet arrived this week.

This BROWN family has always given me fits.  There appears to have been several different BROWN families in Westchester Co NY in the colonial era--OR they are all different branches of the same family. Without access to records, it is nearly impossible to tell.  They apparently lived in various places, from Ridgefield & Norwalk, CT to Salem and Poundridge, in Westchester Co NY.

In about 1772, SOLOMON BROWN married SARAH "SALLY" SLAWSON/SLASON who was born Oct 22, 1750 Stamford, Fairfield Co CT.  She was the daughter of THOMAS SLASON & MARY BATES, both of Stamford.

Finally, I discovered on Footnote.com  the Revolutionary War record of SOLOMON BROWN, noting that he served in the NY Militia, Crane's Regiment from 1779-1781--as did all of his brothers, sons of ELIPHALET BROWN Sr & THANKFUL WOOD:

Lt BENAJAH/BENIJAH BROWN who married SARAH WEED

ELIPHALET BROWN Jr who married REBECCA SLAWSON/SLASON

TIMOTHY BROWN who married MERCY SLAWSON/SLASON

Also in this regiment were his brother-in-law STEPHEN SLAWSON/SLASON, who married sister THANKFUL BROWN, and JESSE BOUTON, a  neighbor whose children later married SOLOMON BROWN's children.


WILL OF SOLOMON BROWN of POUNDRIDGE, WESTCHESTER CO NY (transcribed by me from copy of original) written April 19, 1815; proved Nov 1821.


-In the name of God Amen. I SOLOMAN BROWN of Poundridge in the county of Westchester and the State of New York, being weak in body but of sound and perfect mind and memory (blessed be God therefor) do this nineteenth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifteen make and publish his my last will and testament, in manner and form following, that is to say--


--First will and order that all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid by my Executors herein after named out of my personal Estate.


--Item--I give devise and bequeath unto my son SOLOMON all my homestead farm and lands adjoining, containing one hundred acres or thereabouts, to him and his heirs and assigns forever, and also all my personal estate except as aforesaid on the conditions and limitations following-- that he pay to my daughters MATILDA and SALLY each whenever they shall marry a sum equal to what I have heretofore given any daughter married, not exceeding one hundred dollars and supporting my daughter NANCY during her natural life.  


--Then I do will and order that my wife SARAH have her reasonable maintenance our of my Estate so long as she remains my widow in lieu of her dower, and that my said daughters MATILDA , NANCY and SALLY have a home in my house with my said wife and son SOLOMON so long as my said wife remains my widow.


--Item I do give, devise and bequeath unto my son SAMUEL one undivided half of that tract of land situate in Poundridge whereon my son ISAAC lives, containing about twenty acres, to him and his heirs and assigns forever. And I do give the other half to my said Executors in trust to hold during the natural life of my son ISAAC (xcept the sum of Fifty dollars which I order my said Executors to pay out of the same towards the support of my said daughter NANCY, or other legacies herein bequeathed , and I do order my Executors to apply the use of the residue of said half towards the maintanance and support of my said son ISAAC and his family  during his natural life and at his decease to sell the same and divide the monies equally among his surviving children, as son as they in their discretion may think proper.


--Item I do further order that in case of my daughters that have been married and shall not have received as a portion articles not amounting to one hundred dollars, that they be made equal to that amount out of the share herein given to my son SOLOMON. 


--Lastly I hereby nominate and appoint my son SAMUEL and my friend EZRA LOCKWOOD Executors of this my last Will and Testament. In writing whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.


--(signed) SOLOMON BROWN; witnessed by JESSE BOUTON, RICHARD CRABB & CYNTHIA THACHER

The children of SOLOMON BROWN & SARAH "SALLY" SLAWSON/SLASON, all born Poundridge, Westchester Co NY,  were:


1) SAMUEL BROWN born Aug 15, 1773;  married RHEUA/RUHAMAH unknown born April 17, 1777 (lineage of my grandfather R B Martine).

2) SOLOMON BROWN Jr born about 1774; married  Unknown; was made guardian of his sister MATILDA's two sons in 1834, as per Westchester Court documents.

3) RHODA BROWN born April 9, 1775;  married 1st) LEWIS NORTHRUP, 2nd) SQUIRE DAN/DANN

4) ISAAC BROWN born June 5, 1780; married RACHEL BOUTON

5) ELIZABETH BROWN born 1780-1790; married unknown.

6) THANKFUL BROWN born about 1780-1790; married unknown

7) SARAH "SALLY" BROWN born about 1795; married unknown

8) MATILDA BROWN born about 1799; married WILSON BOUTON; apparently both were dead by 1834 and their two sons ROSWELL BOUTON age 12 & WILSON BOUTON Jr age 10 made their maternal uncle SOLOMON BROWN Jr their guardian, as per court records, Westchester Co NY.

9) NANCY BROWN born about 1800; married unknown. She may have never married, as her father indicated that she should have provisions from his estate for the rest of her life.

RHODA, ELIZABETH & THANKFUL are not mentioned directly in the will, but SOLOMON does make provisions for his "daughters that have been married" to receive the same $100 from his estate that his other children were to enjoy.


Have a great day!


Betty

© Betty Tartas  2011