Albert Doty and the Girl Next Door; 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Albert Doty was the 7^th child of John Doty and Dolly Hemingway born April 28, 1833 in Branchville, Sussex County, New Jersey.[1] His older siblings were Clarissa Jane, Anna Marie, Harriet E., Lucinda, Arminda, and Jefferson. John and Alanson were the younger brothers. 2nd Great Grandfather lived in Sussex County, New Jersey when young but by 1850 his family was residing in Wawayanda, Orange County, New York where both his parents had roots.

The father of the family, John Doty, died Jan. 27, 1857. At the time of his death he owned 125 acres in Wawayanda which was passed on to all his children, except Alanson who died before his father in 1853. Albert along with his brothers Jefferson W. and John bought their father’s lands from the sisters and their husbands for $1,300.00 May 7, 1857.[2]

The Doty land was bound on the north by Alvi Bennett, father of Albert’s future wife. Just before Christmas day Albert married Fannie Jane Bennett, Alvi Bennett and Esther Penny’s eldest daughter, on Dec. 22, 1859.[3] The Doty’s and Bennett’s would remain neighbors for many years. On Sept. 8, 1860 Albert and Jane were dwelling in the Doty home at Wawayanda with Dolly, Jefferson, Arminda and John.[4]  Fannie Jane’s parents were right next door with their brood.

Albert and Jane decided to move away from the Doty farm and sold Albert’s 1/3 interest in the land that originally belonged to his father. His brothers, Jefferson and John, bought his portion for $1,000.00 February 2, 1861.[5] This deed and the Jan. 27, 1857 land deed referred to above weren’t recorded in Orange County Court until Sept. 17, 1861. I think Albert and Jane relocated to Mount Hope, Orange County, New York about this time.

Deed Book 165, pages 388-389

Scanned image from Familysearch.org

New York State Land Records Collection

During the Civil War years, Albert was included in the "Enrollment of Persons Liable to Military Duty" filed Aug. 28, 1862 by Enrolling Officer, Horace St. John. He was a Mount Hope resident at that time.[6] Albert was a 30 year old farmer residing in Mount Hope appearing among the June 1863 enrollments.[7] As far as I’ve been able to determine, he didn’t have to serve in the army.

The children arrived soon after Albert and Jane’s marriage—John Willis and George Wallace born 1860 and 1862 in the Town of Mount Hope. Fannie B. was followed by Charlotte who was born in 1866 at Wawayanda with the next two children, Lewis Penny and Carrie, born in Ulsterville, Ulster County, New York in 1867 and 1871. Next was Mae. A boy, Charles W., was born in 1874 in Wawayanda. The youngest children were Sarah born 1875 and Alice in 1882. I suspect Albert kept the family on the move correlating to where he found work.

June 12, 1880 found the family back in Mount Hope with Albert employed as a laborer.[8] He was probably a farm laborer working in the area. Within a few years Albert would lose his wife Jane when she was only 44 years old (November 1883).

Albert Doty returned to Wawayanda by Sept. 1895 which I learned from his daughter Sarah’s obituary. (Sarah contracted consumption and died 2 months later.)  When the 1900 federal census was taken on June 9^th, Albert was renting a place and farming in Wawayanda.[9] His son, Charles, was home with him as well as two married daughters with their families—Carrie and Homer Hayes and Alice and Oliver Wells.

The Middletown Daily Press reported Albert’s death in their Tuesday, Sept. 22, 1903 issue[10]:

     Albert Doty died Monday afternoon at 4 o'clock at the home of his son, J. Willis Doty, near Phillipsburgh, of heart disease, in the 71st year of his age. He had been complaining about two weeks.

     Deceased was born at Branchville, N. J., April 29, 1833, and was a son of John and Dollie Doty. Forty-four years ago he was married to Miss Jane Bennett, who died twenty years ago. He is survived by four sons, J. Willis, of near Phillipsburgh; George W., of Mechanicstown; Lewis P., of Mud Mills, and Charles W., of this city, and four daughters, Carrie, wife of Omar Hayes of Mount Hope; May, wife of John Rancier, of Newton, N. J.; Alice, wife of William O'Brien, of this city; also by four sisters, Mrs. Thomas Drake, and Miss Arminda Doty, of Port Jervis; Mrs. William Mapes, of Norfolk, Neb., and Mrs. J. H. Smith, of Johnson, and one brother, John Doty, living on the homestead farm in the town of Wawayanda.

     For forty years Mr. Doty followed farming in the town of Wawayanda until a year ago, since which time he had made his home with his son. He was a kind father, a good neighbor and an excellent citizen and was held in the highest esteem by all who knew him.

     The funeral notice appears elsewhere.

Died. 

   Doty-Sept. 21, near Phillipsburgh, Albert Doty, aged 70 years 5 months.

Funeral service will be held from the residence of his son, Willis Doty, near Phillipsburgh, Thursday at 2 p. m. Interment in family plot in Phillipsburgh cemetery.

 

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[1] Birth date & birth place for Albert Doty from Newspaper Obituary

[2] Orange County, New York Deeds, Book 165, pages 383-389

[3] The Whig Press Marriage Notices 1851-1865 published Middletown, New York compiled by Virginia H. Gardner

[4] 1860 Federal Census, New York, Orange County, Wawayanda, page 342, line 19, Jefferson W. Doty Household

[5] Orange County, New York Deeds, Book 165, pages 388-390

[6] Enrollment of Persons Liable to Military Duty in Regiment 19^th N. Y. S. M., Town of Mount Hope & Deerpark

[7] Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865 online at Ancestry.com

[8] 1880 Federal Census, New York, Orange County, Mount Hope, Page No. 20, SD No. 4, ED No. 26, Line 1, Albert Doty Household

[9] 1900 Federal Census, New York, Orange County, Wawayanda, Page 245, Line 14, Albert Doty Household

[10] Newspaper Middletown Daily Press published in Middletown, New York Tuesday, Sept. 22, 1903