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Martha Conklin BRUSH (b 1814)

All that I know of Martha Conklin Brush's origins has been gleaned from genealogies published in one form or another on the web. I have found no other sources. I suspect that the Sammis Lewis Kirby application for Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) membership is the root source of most of the genealogies I've seen. He stated that his great-grandmother Martha Brush was born on 05 Jul 1814 in Huntington (Suffolk) New York. His great-great-grandparents and the parents of Martha Brush were identified as Thomas Brush and Sarah Long. Thomas was born in Huntington (Suffolk) New York as well. Alas, these applications give no indication of the source of the information they put forward as fact. I have no reason to doubt Kirby's data, but I must observe that what he has given us may be direct but it is secondary at best.

Martha would have been age 6 in 1820 and age 16 in 1830. She fits within the household structure of Thomas Brush presented by each census, three females under 10 in 1820 and three females 15-19 in 1830. In 1840 she would have been 26 and out of her parent's household. The 1855 New York Census suggests that she had been living in New York City with her husband Stephen Davis since 1835. Sammis Lewis Kirby's SAR application gives the date and place of their marriage as 25 May 1836 in Huntington (Suffolk) New York.

The first public record I have found involving Stephen or Martha is an 1845 baptismal record for their third child, Laura Mead Davis. The baptismal record is from the Seventh Presbyterian Church in New York City, a church just across the Williamsburg Bridge into Manhatten from Brooklyn.

The 1855 New York Census found Martha living with her husband and four children, Mary B (age 15), Sarah B (age 12), Laura M (age 10 and Clara I (age 1) in Manhattan, New York. The couple also had a live-in maid, Ann Riley, age 18. The census reported that Martha had been a resident of New York for 20 years, which would suggest that she moved to New York at the time of her marriage to Stephen Davis.

Something clearly happened to Martha's family between 1855 and 1860. The 1860 US Census found them living in the household of Rinaldo Sammis and their eldest daughter Mary Jane Brush Davis in Northport, Huntington (Suffolk) New York. Rinaldo and Mary had married in March 1858. Rinaldo was a farmer and an apparently prosperous one at that. Stephen gave his occupation in 1850 as farm laborer. The couple's other surviving children accompanied them, Laura M (age 15), Charity J (age 6) and Stephen A Jr (age 2). A son, Thomas William, had died in 1851 and was buried in Huntington Rural Cemetery in Huntington. Their second daughter, Sarah, had died in October 1857 and she was also buried in Huntington Rural Cemetery.

In the 1870 US Census, Stephen and Martha were still listed as members of the household of their daughter and son-in-law Rinaldo Sammis in Huntington (Suffolk) New York. Neither Charrie Jane nor Stephen Jr were listed. I have seen it reported that both died in 1864, but there appears to be no record of their burial in Huntington. There were three grandchildren in the household as well. Stephen gave his occupation as no occupation. The census record in 1870 reported that Stephen was born in Connecticut.

Stephen died on the Fourth of July in 1873. Martha lived on for another twenty-two years. She died, apparently of a stroke, on 08 Apr 1895 in Middleville, a hamlet within Smithtown in Suffolk County, New York. Martha was buried in Huntington Rural Cemetery in Huntington (Suffolk) New York.

Sources:

Long Island Genealogy Fact Sheet for Martha Conklin Brush (b 1814): Citation: Long Island Surnames Maintained by Long Island Genealogy. Person ID is I23335 (Scudder). Note: The genealogy names Thomas Brush b 14 Mar 1779 in Huntington (Suffolk) NY d 13 Sep 1862 in Huntington (Suffolk) NY as Martha's father, and Sarah Long, b 26 Aug 1781 in Huntington (Suffolk) NY, d 05 Mar 1859 in Huntington (Suffolk) NY as Martha's mother.

1964 Application for Membership in Sons of the American Revolution, Sammis Lewis Kirby (b 1958): Citation: Ancestry.com. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Note: The application provides the names and some dates of birth and death for Martha Brush and her parents Thomas Brush and Sarah Long.

1820 US Census, Household of Thomas Brush (b 1779): Citation: Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. 1820 U S Census; Census Place: Huntington, Suffolk, New York; Page: 282; NARA Roll: M33_74; Image: 295. Content: The 1820 US Census of Huntington, Suffolk County, New York on 07 Aug 1820 lists the household of Thomas Brush composed of males (1 under 10, 2 age 10-15, 1 age 16-25, 2 age 26-44) and females (3 under 10, 1 age 16-25, 1 age 26-44), a total of 11 persons.

1830 US Census, Household of Thomas Brush (b 1779): Citation: Ancestry.com. 1830 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Year: 1830; Census Place: Huntington, Suffolk, New York; Series: M19; Roll: 103; Page: 321; Family History Library Film: 0017163. Content: The 1830 US Census of Huntington, Suffolk County, New York on 01 Jun 1830 lists the household of Thomas Brush composed of males (1 age 5-9, 1 age 15-19, 1 age 20-29, 1 50-59) and females (3 age 15-19, 1 age 50-59, 1 age 70-79), a total of 9 persons.

1845 Baptismal Record for Laura Mead Davis (b 1845): Citation: Ancestry.com. U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Presbyterian Historical Society; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1907; Book Title: 1818 - 1888. Content: A record of Seventh Presbyterian Church, New York, New York, reports the baptism of Laura Mead, daughter of Stephen A and Martha C Davis on 07 Sep 1845. She was born 19 Mar 1845.

Find a Grave Memorial 75057619 for Thomas William Davis (b 1849) .

1855 NY State Census, Household of Stephen A Davis (b c1808): Citation: Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., State Census, 1855 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Year: 1855; Location: New York City, Ward 20, New York, New York, USA; District: E.D. 6. Content: The 1855 NY State Census of Election District 6, Ward 20, New York City, NY, enumerated on 13 Jun 1855, shows the HH of Stephen A Davis sharing a brick house valued at $4500 with another family. The HH includes (1) Stephen A Davis, age 47, male, born NY, married, resident of NYC for 30 years, working in an iron fondry, native, (2) Martha C Davis, age 41, female, wife, born NY, married, living in NYC 20 years, native, (3) Mary B Davis, age 15, female, dau, born NY, livng in NYC 15 yrs, native, (4) Sarah B Davis, age 12, female, dau, born NY, living in NYC 12 yrs, native, (5) Laura M Davis, age 10, female, dau, born NY, living in NYC 10 yrs, native, (6) Clara I Davis, age 1, female, dau, born NY, living in NYC 1 yr, native, (7) Ann Riley, age 18, female, servant, born Ireland, living in NYC 1 yr, naturalized alien. Note: The election district's boundaries were given as 35th Street and the Hudson River to 40th Street and 8th Avenue (Manhattan), an area to the east of the current location of Penn Station.

Find a Grave Memorial 63332046 for Sarah Bethia Davis (b 1842) . Note: Curiously, the Long Island Surnames genealogy referenced above and other family histories on Ancestry report that Sarah died in Rock Island, Illinois. I find that surprising and have seen no reference to a source for that fact.

1860 US Census, Household of Rinaldo Sammis (b 1831): Citation: Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Year: 1860; Census Place: Huntington, Suffolk, New York; Roll M653_864; Page: 232; Image: 237; Family History Library Film: 803864. Content: The 1860 US Census of Huntington Township (Post Office: Northport), Suffolk County, New York on 05 Jul 1860 lists dwelling (501/508) with a household composed of (1) Rinaldo Sammis, age 23, male, farmer, (real: $10,000; pers: $1500), born New York, (2) Mary Sammis, age 21, female, born New York, (3) Mary Jane Sammis, age 1, female, born New York, (4) Stephen A Davis, age 52, male, farm laborer, born New York, (5) Martha C Davis, age 44, female, born New York, (6) Laura M Davis, age 15, female, born New York, (7) Charity J Davis, age 6, female, born New York, (8) Stephen A Davis Jr, age 2, male, born New York, (9) Jonathan ?White?, age 45, male, no occupation given, born New York.

1870 US Census, Household of Rinaldo Sammis (b 1831): Citation: Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Year: 1870; Census Place: Huntington, Suffolk, New York; Roll: M593_1100; Page: 533B. Content: The 1870 US Census of Huntington (Post Office: Huntington), Suffolk County, New York on 23 Jul 1870 lists dwelling (951/1002) with a household composed of (1) Rinaldo Sammis, age 39, male, farmer, (real: $13,000; pers: $2,000), born New York, eligible to vote, (2) Mary B Sammis, age 31, female, keeping house, born New York, (3) Mary J Sammis, age 11, female, at school, born New York, (4) Sarah A Sammis, age 8, female, at school, born New York, (5) Clarinda D Sammis, age 4, female, born New York, (6) Stephen A Davis, age 63, male, no occupation, born Connecticut, eligible to vote, (7) Martha C Davis, age 56, female, keeping house, born New York, (8) Henry Conklin, age 18, male, farm laborer, born New York.

Find a Grave Memorial 63331755 for Stephen Arthur Davis (b 1807) .

The 1880 US Census: Martha was alive in 1880 but she is nowhere found in the Ancestry index of this census. It seems likely that she was still living with the Rinaldo Sammis family, but she was not listed in that household.

1895 Death Notice from the Long Islander for Martha Conklin Brush Davis (b 1814): Citation: Deaths and Marriages as Reported by the Long Islander [newspaper] Content: A death notice transcription from the Long Islander newspaper reports that Martha C[onklin Brush] Davis, age 80 yrs, 9 mos, d[ied] 8/9 Apr 1895 at Middleville [a hamlet of Smithtown (Suffolk) New York. stricken with paralysis; was in a partially unconscious state; interment at Huntington; mother of Mrs Rinaldo Sammis and grandmother of Mrs B T Williams of Smithtown.

Find a Grave Memorial 63331800 for Martha Conklin Brush Davis (b 1814).