Amanuensis Monday, Dolly Doty’s Death Certificate Feb. 10, 1884

An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts.

Today I’m posting Dolly Doty’s death certificate. 3^rd Great Grandmother Dolly was John Doty’s widow and mother of nine children. She was born Jan. 31, 1798 and died Feb. 10, 1884 in Wawayanda, Orange County, New York.

Last week I published a post with more details about John and Dolly’s family:

CENSUS SUNDAY: John Doty, Farmer, Wawayanda, Orange Co., NY, 1790-1857

 (Just click on title to view it)

You’ll find a transcription below. I’ve [bracketed] unclear words and added a few comments.

Dolly Doty’s Certificate of Death

Issued by the State of New York

STATE OF NEW YORK

CERTIFICATE OF DEATH

County of Orange

   In the Town of Wawayanda

1.    Full name of Deceased   Mrs. Dolly Doty

2.    Age  86 years, 1 months, 10 days.    Sex  Female

3.    Widowed    

4.    Occupation  [blank]

5.    Birthplace  Orange Co., N.Y.

6.    Father’s Full Name and Birthplace  Wm. Hemingway State Conn.

7.    Mother’s Full Name and Birthplace  Esther Hemingway Orange Co. N.Y. [Esther Halstead]

8.    Place of Death  At Home, Wawayanda, N.Y.

9.    Date and Hour of Death Died on the 10^th day of Feb. 1884

10.   I hereby report this Death and certify that the foregoing statements are true according to the best of my knowledge

J. [W.] Doty  Wawayanda, N.Y.  [This could be Dolly’s son Jefferson or John]

     11.  I Hereby Certify, That I attended the deceased from 1^st of Feb. 1884 to 8^th of Feb. 1884 and that I last saw her Feb. 8^th 1884, and that she died on the 10^th of Feb. 1884, about 8 o’clock a.m., and that to the best of my knowledge and belief the cause of her death was as hereunder written:

Chief and Determining  Pneumonia

Consecutive and Contributing  [blank]

Sanitary observations  [blank]

    

      Witness my hand this 10^th day of Feb. 1884

(Signature) [G. A. Emory]

Residence Middletown, N.Y.

No. of Burial Permit [blank]

Place of Burial Family Ground  [Mills Cemetery]

Date of Burial Feb. 12^th 1884

  Undertaker [blank]

Mystery Monday, The Hemingway’s Part 2

In last week’s post Mystery Monday, Quite by Chance I Found my Hemingway's in Jersey I discovered my 4^th Great Grandparents William Hemingway and Esther Halstead relocated to Wantage, Sussex County, New Jersey from Minisink, Orange County, New York. I happily learned from William’s death register at the New Jersey State Library that his parents were William and Sarah Hemingway.

I decided to begin my search in Orange County for the elder William Hemingway although Sussex County, New Jersey and Connecticut have also been cited as William Junior’s birthplace May 4, 1776. The earliest Hemingway I located in Orange County was Samuel Hemingway who served under Col. John Hathorn of Warwick, New York during the American Revolution[1].  Samuel Hemingway received certificate 594 for acreage on March 16, 1785. A Samuel Hemingway and Samuel Hemingway Jr. appeared on the same census page in Warwick per the 1790 federal census enumeration[2]. The elder Hemingway’s household consisted of 2 males over 16 years of age, 3 males under 16 years old and 4 females.  Samuel Jr. had 1 male over 16 years of age with 1 male under 16 years plus 2 females in his dwelling. Samuel Hemingway, Senior had died by Dec. 31, 1791 as evidenced by a letter of administration filed at Orange County, New York Surrogate Court[3]. Samuel Senior’s son, Samuel Hemingway, was named administrator. Both father and son were residents of Warwick, New York. I would like to gather more facts for Samuel Hemingway Sr. to ascertain whether he’s a relative of William’s or perhaps even his father. I don’t know who the informant was when William Hemingway died in Wantage, New Jersey but suppose incorrect information might have been supplied to the town clerk/registrar.

In last week’s post I mentioned a land sale to Silas Hemingway, carpenter, of Minisink, Orange Co., NY from William and Esther Hemingway, also of Minisink dated April 1, 1809. Silas Hemingway was married to Margaret Halstead, a daughter of Michael and Phoebe Halstead. This land transaction naturally piqued my interest in the connection between Silas and William. They both married daughters of Michael and Phoebe Halstead. They both belonged to the Brookfield Old School Baptist Church. A ‘History of Broome County with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers’, edited by H. P. Smith, 1885, pages 419-420 provided many details about Silas. He settled there in 1814 coming there from Orange County, New York. The biography reveals he had a brother living in Dryden, Tompkins Co., New York and this is where he was headed when he left Orange County. However, he liked the land at Nanticoke, Broome Co., New York and made his home there for many years. He formed a Baptist Church at Yorktown and was appointed church clerk. The Leading Citizens of Broome County, New York stated Silas was born in 1778 and died in Livingston County, Michigan in 1873 at the age of 95 years. He was a carpenter by trade but in his later years was a farmer. 

With a birth date for Silas of 1778, just two years after William was born in 1776, its possible Silas and William could be the 2 males under 16 in Samuel Hemingway’s Warwick home per the 1790 federal census. Silas would have been about 12 years old and William age 14 in 1790. One other thought I’d like to mention is that Silas had a son named William and I believe William had a son named Silas. The William/Silas father/son link has not been proven.

Finding Silas’ brother in Dryden, Tompkins County, New York was my next task.  Everts and Ensign 1879 “History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler Counties, New York” included an early reference to Samuel Hemingway who was a Dryden, New York justice of the peace in 1803. The First Baptist Church of Dryden was organized Feb. 29, 1804 in the village of Etna. Samuel Hemingway was elected deacon at this meeting. I located Samuel Hemingway in Dryden, Cayuga County, New York in the 1810 federal census enumeration[4]. Samuel seems to the earliest Hemingway in Dryden and most likely is Silas’ brother. I’m hoping Samuel Jr. is the same man from the 1790 enumeration at Warwick, New York.

Samuel Hemingway remained in Dryden all his life dying in 1851. Cemetery inscriptions state his age was 83 years old at death dating his birth date about 1768[5].  Samuel and his wife, Salome, were living in a tavern next to William R. Hemingway’s household per the 1850 federal census[6]. William R. was 40 years old, a good age to be a son of Samuel. Could Samuel have named a son for his brother William?

Samuel’s home, Dryden, New York had been formed from Ulysses Feb. 22, 1803.  Dryden was part of Cayuga County at that date. About 1818 it would become part of Tompkins County, New York. Dryden was part of the Central New York Military Tract used to pay soldiers of the American Revolution. This brings to mind Samuel Hemingway (the elder) from Warwick, New York who served under Col. John Hathorn with the Orange County Militia and received land certificate 594.  Further research is needed.

Earlier I referred to a 'possible' son to William and Esther Hemingway named Silas (born about 1801) that I would like to discuss. I located a Silas Hemingway in Libertyville, Wantage Township, Sussex Co., New Jersey. He married Harriet Ayers in Sussex County and served as a postmaster.  By October 10, 1850, Silas and Harriet were dwelling in Orange County, New York at Deerpark.[7] Silas was unemployed at this time. By August of 1860, Silas had relocated to Great Bend, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania with his two youngest children. Findagrave.com helped me locate Harriet Ayers Hemingway’s tombstone providing a death date June 8, 1858 in the Rose Hill Cemetery, Hallstead, Susquehanna Co., Pennsylvania. When the 1870 federal census was enumerated, Silas and his youngest daughter, Josephine, remained in Great Bend. Silas would stay with his daughter, Josephine and her husband, Abraham Benjamin. Abraham worked as a Railroad Agent in Albany, New York June 8, 1880. It's likely the whole family moved to Albany, New York between 1878 and 1879. Silas was included in Albany, New York Directories online at Ancestry.com as late as the 1889 boarding at 215 North Pearl. Abraham T. Benjamin also resided at this same address. Findagrave.com has a photograph of Silas’ tombstone also at Rose Hill Cemetery with his death in 1889.

As I stated in last week’s post, I was very interested in William and Easter Post from the 1850 federal census as widowed 4^th Great Grandfather William Hemingway was living in their home.[8] I would like to explore the possibility that Easter/Esther ( born about 1807) might be a Hemingway daughter but much work needs to be done to establish or disprove this.

Recently I found a documented child of William Hemingway and Esther Halstead in William Clinton Armstrong’s book, “A Genealogical Record of the Descendants of Nathan Armstrong, an Early Settler of Warren County, New Jersey” published in 1895.  The child was a son named William Hewitt Hemingway born November 28, 1814 in Orange County, New York. His wife was Elsie Howell, a daughter of John R. and Sarah (Armstrong) Howell. William Hewitt and Elsie (Howell) Hemingway had five children and they are briefly discussed in this work. William Hewitt died at Delaware, New Jersey May 12, 1888. He served as an Elder with the First Presbyterian Church in Belvidere, New Jersey and later helps establish the Presbytery of Newton, New Jersey in 1871.  William Hewitt was employed as a railroad agent and in charge of the station at Delaware, New Jersey.

To date the William Hemingway and Esther Halstead family is rounding out nicely.  3^rd Great Grandmother Dolly does have a documented brother, William Hewitt Hemingway. Certainly Dolly had other siblings.  Perhaps time will reveal whether Silas Hemingway and Easter Post belong with this family. 

Evidence needs to be obtained proving or disproving Silas and Samuel, Jr. Hemingway were brothers of William.

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[1] Revolutionary War Rolls, Hathorn’s Regiment (1777-81), Folder 114, page 55, online at Fold3.com

[2] 1790 Federal Census, New York, Orange Co., Town of Warwick, page 392/32

[3] Orange Co., NY Surrogate Court, Letter of Administration, Liber A, page 51

[4] 1810 Federal Census, New York, Cayuga Co., Dryden, page 35 (Dryden would later become part of Tompkins Co.)

[5] Findagrave.com, McLean Cemetery, McLean, Tompkins Co., NY, Findagrave Memorial # 71974645

[6] 1850 Federal Census, New York, Tompkins Co., Town of Dryden, page 76, Line 35

[7] 1850 Federal Census, New York, Orange Co., Town of Deerpark, page 596, Line 21

[8] 1850 Federal Census, New Jersey, Sussex Co., Town of Wantage, page 217, Line 34, William Post Household

Mystery Monday, Quite By Chance I Found My Hemingway’s in Jersey

A few summers ago I visited the New Jersey Archives in Trenton searching for my Hazen family ancestors. I wasn’t successful and was browsing the shelves about 3:00 o’clock killing time until the library closed at 4 o’clock while waiting for my genealogy buddy/ride. I pulled a volume of The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey and quite by chance found cemetery inscriptions for my 4^th great grandparents, William and Esther Hemingway. I never accumulated much information about them so was very pleased to see they were buried in the First Methodist Episcopal Church Cemetery in Wantage, Sussex Co., New Jersey. William Hemingway died March 9, 1855 at the age of 80 years, 10 months, 5 days.  His wife, Esther, died June 22, 1842 when she was 64 years, 5 months, 7 days.[1]

New Jersey’s vital records began in 1848 so I hoped I’d find a death record for William to take home. Bound volumes contain death indexes and soon I located his passing in Volume A.F., page 648. I immediately went to the librarian for help and he was able to go right to a microfilm and within minutes I was looking at William Hemingway’s death as recorded in the ‘Return of Deaths in the township of Wantage, County of Sussex, State of New Jersey’. The Return of Deaths revealed he was a widower, 80 years old and born in Wantage. He had been a farmer and his cause of death was liver complaint.  The best news was his parents were named; my 5^th Great Grandparents William and Sarah Hemingway. 

3^rd Great Grandmother Dolly Hemingway, wife of John Doty and daughter of William and Esther Hemingway was born Jan. 31, 1798. She died Feb. 10, 1884. Her death certificate states she was born in Orange County, New York. William Hemingway was identified as her father and his birthplace was provided as Connecticut.  William’s birthplace was also said to be Wantage, New Jersey in the Returns of Deaths and a census record stated he was born in New York.  Perhaps future research will document which birthplace is correct. 

Dolly’s mother, Esther Hemingway, was born in Orange County, New York. Esther was a Halstead. I had previously known about Esther’s family from Ruttenber & Clark’s History of Orange County, New York containing a brief biography about her grandfather, Richard Halstead, an early settler of Goshen. Richard’s son, Michael, was Esther’s father. Michael’s children were named in the work including Esther who was called “Mrs. William Hemingway”.  Another daughter of Michael’s married a Hemingway, “Mrs. Silas Hemingway”. The bio follows:

“Richard Halstead was an early settler of Goshen. He lived on the Florida road, near the present Snyder place, over the "Rio Grande," and it is claimed by his descendants that he was the first merchant in Goshen. He afterwards bought 600 acres of land in what is now Wawayanda, adjoining the Fullerton farm.  The tradition in this family is that his son Michael was born there. If so (as Michael died in 1820, at the age of seventy- two), it determines the settlement of Richard in Wawayanda to have been as early as 1747 or 1748, not more than ten or twelve years later than the Dolsens. Michael Halstead left several children, Michael Jr., Jesse, Aaron, Mrs. William Hemingway, Mrs. Silas Hemingway, and Mrs. Alma Bailey. Michael, Jr., had one daughter, Mrs. Charles T. Jackson, from whom most of these particulars are obtained. It is understood that the pioneer Richard Halstead had a brother Joseph, who came to Orange County about the same time. He had no children, but an adopted son, bearing the family name, became the owner of the well- known Cash farm in Wawayanda.”

The 1798 Assessment Records confirm William Hemingway was a resident of the Town of Minisink. The “Assessment Record, homes and farms, 1798, Town of Minisink, Orange Co., N. Y.” transcribed by William J. Coulter includes William Hemingway dwelling on 134 acres owned by John Forger. This section of Minisink would later become the Town of Wawayanda about 1849/50. 

William Hemingway was still in the Town of Minisink when the 1800 federal census was enumerated.[2] His household included 1 unknown male under 10 years; 2 males between 16 and 26 years, William and another male; 1 female under 10 years, Dolly; 1 unknown female between 10 and 16 years, and 1 female between 16 and 26, Esther.

On March 28, 1804 William Hemingway and his wife, Esther, of the Town of Minisink, Orange Co., NY sold 25 1/2 acres land to Silas Hemingway, house carpenter, also of Minisink. John S. Ketcham was a neighboring property holder. The deed was signed by William and Esther Hemingway and witnessed by Jonathon Davisson and William Halstead. William and Esther appeared in the Court of Common Pleas March 19, 1804 but the transaction wasn’t entered in county records until April 15, 1807.[3]

The Old School Baptist Church at Brookfield (later known as Slate Hill) records indicates William Hemingway was a church member on Feb. 6, 1805 when the Church’s trustees sold pews and seats to raise money to finish their meeting house. William purchased Pew number 11 for $27.00.

  

"Primitive Baptist Church of Brookfield" by Daniel Case - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

(Old School Baptist Church was also known as the

Primitive Baptist Church of Brookfield)

On April 1, 1809, William Hemingway served as a will witness for John Forgerson from Minisink along with Jonathan Shephard and Joshua Reeve.[4] 

William Hemingway remained in Minisink per the 1810 federal census. His household included 1 male under 10 years, perhaps this is a son Silas; 1 unknown male between 16 and 26 years; 1 male between 26 and 45 years, probably William Hemingway; 2 unknown females under 10; 1 female between 10 and 16 years, Dolly would have been 12 years old; 1 female between 26 and 45 years, Esther Hemingway.[5]

When the 1820 federal census was taken, the family was again counted in the Town of Minisink. Dolly had already married John Doty and had started her own family.  William, about 44 years old, and Esther, about 41 years old had young children in their home. Two males, one under 10 years and the other between 10 and 16 were living in the Hemingway home along with two females, one under 10 years and the other between 10 and 16 years.[6]

A search of the 1825 New York State Census for the Town of Minisink proved negative. William must have taken his family to Sussex County, New Jersey sometime between 1820 and 1825. 

In 1830 there were 5 people living in William Hemingway’s home at Wantage, Sussex Co., New Jersey. William and Esther were the 50 - 60 year olds in the house. A small boy, between 5 and 10 years, a young man aged between 15 and 20 years and a girl between 15 and 20 years were the other members of the household.[7] 

The Hemingway family remained in Wantage per the 1840 federal census enumeration. William’s household consisted of 4 people:  one male between 15 and 20 years, William being the male between 60 and 70 years, one female between 10 and 15 years with Esther aged in the 60 to 70 range. One person was employed in the agriculture industry.[8]

My 3^rd Great grandmother, Dolly and husband, John Doty had also relocated to Wantage, Sussex Co., New Jersey per the 1830 and 1840 federal census.[9] [10]

A few years later, Esther (Halstead) Hemingway passed on June 22, 1842. By the time the 1850 federal census was taken Sept. 7, 1850, William Hemingway was living in William and Easter Post’s home with their children.[11] William Hemingway was 74 years old and employed as a laborer. I’m wondering if Easter Post might be a daughter but haven’t been able to document this yet. Easter Post was born about 1807 in New York.  She would be a good fit with the family per the 1810 federal census.

William Hemingway died March 9, 1855 in Wantage, Sussex County, New Jersey. 

I have additional notes and thoughts but will save them for next week’s Mystery Monday, The Hemingway’s Part 2.

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[1] The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, Volume VI, No. 2, October 1930, Whole No. 22, Sussex County Gravestones

[2] 1800 Federal Census, Town of Minisink, Orange Co., NY page 324

[3] Orange County, New York Land Records, Deed Bk K, pages 7-9

[4] Orange County New York Early Wills Volume II, page 121

[5] 1810 Federal Census, Town of Minisink, Orange Co., NY page 412

[6] 1820 Federal Census, Town of Minisink, Orange Co., NY page 241

[7] 1830 Federal Census, Wantage Township, Sussex Co., NJ page 256

[8] 1840 Federal Census, Wantage Township, Sussex Co., NJ page 96

[9] 1830 Federal Census, Wantage Township, Sussex Co., NJ page 253

[10] 1840 Federal Census, Wantage Township, Sussex Co., NJ page 97

[11] 1850 Federal Census, Wantage Township, Sussex Co., NJ page 217, William Post Household