What Is the Maiden Name of Ann (--?--) Seaver (1807-????)? - Part 7

 In What Is the Maiden Name of Ann (--?--) Seaver (1807-????)? - Part 1, we walked through the available records for Ann's husband, Nathaniel Seaver (1803-1859), except for one set of records.  Ann was a part of the 1850 and 1855 census records, but was not mentioned in Nathaniel's birth, city directory or death records. 

 In What Is the Maiden Name of Ann (--?--) Seaver (1807-????)? - Part 2, we looked at Nathaniel Seaver's probate records in Rensselaer County, New York.  He left everything - all personal and real property - to his wife Ann.  He did not name any children as heirs.

In What Is the Maiden Name of Ann (--?--) Seaver (1807-????)? - Part 3, we looked at the 1860 U.S. Census record for Ann (--?--) Seaver.  After I published that, I looked for probate records for Ann Seaver in Rensselaer County, New York, but did not find any.  What happened to the real property she received from Nathaniel's estate?  Perhaps she deeded it to someone.  So I looked for land records in Rensselaer County for Nathaniel Seaver and found several between 1854 and 1863, and I need to review them.  I looked for land records for Ann Seaver and did not find any listings up through 1897.  Ann may have married again and there may be records in her new married name.  Ann may have died soon after 1860, or moved to another location.

In What Is the Maiden Name of Ann (--?--) Seaver (1807-????)? - Part 4, I posted and transcribed the first letter that my correspondent Patti found in her family's collection.  The letter from Nathaniel Seaver, Ann's husband, was to "brother" Levy Coy of Colrain, Massachusetts, and referred to Ann returning from her stay in Colrain, and mentioned a number of other family members - Jane, Robert Lucy, Lorra, Emily, John and "mother."

In What Is the Maiden Name of Ann (--?--) Seaver (1807-????)? - Part 5, I posted and transcribed the second letter that Patti found.  The letter was from Nathaniel Seaver to Levy Coy dated 9 December 1850.  Ir mentioned John, "mother," Jane, Lucy Jane, Laury and Robert again, and added Arad.

In What Is the Maiden Name of Ann (--?--) Seaver (1807-????)? - Part 6, I searched for deeds for Nathaniel and Ann Seaver in Rensselaer County, New York and in Franklin County, Massachusetts.  I found 5 entries in Rensselaer County, but they were all for transactions by Nathaniel before 1857.  There were 2 entries in Franklin County, one for Nathaniel in 1855 and a second for Ann, as executrix for Nathaniel's estate, selling the property from 1855.  

I know from Patti's (and other researchers) work that Levi Coy married Jane Donelson, the daughter of Moses and Hannah (Merrifield) Donelson, in 1837.  The familiarity of the two letters between Nathaniel Seaver and Levi Coy with the names of relatives seems to indicate that Ann (--?--) Seaver is related to either Levi or Jane.    In this post, I want to see what other researchers have found for the Levi Coy and Moses Donelson families.  

Here is Patti's Ancestry Member Tree for the Levi Coy (1788-1858) family:

I wrote a short report to list the family members for Levi Coy and his two wives.  The information is from the 106 family trees on Ancestry for Levi Coy, and the FamilySearch Family Tree.  I verified all of the names, births, marriages, dates, places and relationships from the attached sources to these trees.

Levi Coy was born 14 March 1788 in Granby, Hampshire County, Mass., the son of Aaron and Mary (Bicknell) Coy.  He married (1) 27 May 1819 in Buckland, Franklin County, Mass. to Lucy Nims, born 22 May 1793 in Buckland, the daughter of John and Betsy (Rice) Nims.  They had five children:

i.  Franklin Coy, born February 1820 in Heath, Franklin County, Mass.

ii.  Levi Daniel Coy, born 12 September 1822 in Heath, Franklin County, Mass., died 2 June 1885 in Charlemont, Franklin County, Mass.  He married 30 November 1848 in Colrain, Franklin County, Mass. to Clarissa Caldwell, born 29 March 1824 in Massachusetts, died 10 December 1897 in Franklin County, Mass.

iii.  John Nims Coy, born 13 July 1825 in Heath, Franklin County, Mass., died 23 April 1859 in Colrain, Franklin County, Mass.  

iv.  Aaron Coy, born 26 January 1829 in Heath, Franklin County, Mass., died 1905 in New York.  He married about 1862, probably in New York, to Laura Lytle, daughter of John Adelbert Lytle.  She was born January 1844 in New York, and died 18 April 1901 in Canton, St. Lawrence County, New York.

v.  Samuel M. Coy, born 1832 in Colrain, Franklin County, Mass., died 1 May 1868 in New York.  He married in about 1864 in St. Lawrence County, New York to Phebe Lucena Whitney, daughter or Erasmus and Sally A. (Hurlbut) Whitney.  She was born 10 Mar 1844 in Canton, St. Lawrence County, New York, and died 18 June 1920 in Rensselaer Falls, St. Lawrence County, New York.

Levi Coy married (2) 29 June 1837 in Halifax, Windham, Vermont to Jane Donelson, daughter of Moses and Hannah (Merrifield) Donelson, born about 1806 in Colrain, Franklin County, Mass., died 18 January 1871 in Canton, St. Lawrence County, New York.   They had one child:

i.  Lucy Jane Coy, born 23 June 1839 in Colrain, Franklin County, Mass. and died 26 August 1910 in Rensselaer Falls, St. Lawrence County, New York.  She married 1 July 1863 in New York to James Elihu Norton, born 3 March 1837 in Canton, St. Lawrence County, New York, died 16 June 1871 in Canton.  

I did a similar report for the Moses and Hannah (Merrifield) Donelson family, checking the sources for names, births, marriages, deaths and relationships:

Moses Donelson was born 7 August 1763 in Colrain, Franklin County, Mass., the son of Daniel and Agnes (Clark) Donelson.  He died 29 December 1835 in Colrain.  Moses married Hannah Merrifield in about 1798, probably in Franklin County, Mass.  She was born 15 March 1779 in Colrain, Franklin County, Mass., the daughter of Robert and Rebecca (Fisher) Merrifield.  Hannah died 28 January 1864 in Charlemont, Franklin County, Mass.  Moses and Hannah (Merrifield) Donelson had six known childrem:

i.  Esther Donelson, born about 1800 and died 11 October 1824 in Charlemont, Franklin County, Mass.

ii.  John Donelson, born 6 October 1804 in Colrain, Franklin County, Mass., and died 17 April 1863 in Colrain.  He married 31 March 1839 in Heath, Franklin County, Mass. to Huldah Davenport, born 11 July 1806 in Heath, died 18 November 1871 in Colrain.

iii. Jane Donelson, born about 1806 in Colrain, died 18 January 1871 in Canton, St. Lawrence County, New York.  She married 29 June 1837 in Halifax, Windham, Vermont to Levi Coy, son of Aaron and Mary (Bicknell) Coy, born 14 March 1788 in Granby, Hampshire County, Mass., died 21 September 1858 in Colrain, Franklin County, Mass.  They had one child:

        a)  Lucy Jane Coy, born 23 June 1839 in Colrain, Franklin County, Mass. and died 26 August 1910 in Rensselaer Falls, St. Lawrence County, New York.  She married 1 July 1863 in New York to James Elihu Norton, born 3 March 1837 in Canton,, St. Lawrence County, New York, died 16 June 1871 in Canton.  

iv.  Emily Donelson, born about 1810 in Charlemont, Franklin County, Mass., died 26 January 1893 in Bucks Bridge, St. Lawrence County, New York.  She married before 1840  to Arad F. Haley, born 12 March 1807 in Shelburne, Franklin County, Mass., died 27 December 1864.

v.  Laura Ann Donelson, born 5 July 1815 in Colrain, Franklin County, Mass., died 8 February 1897 in Waterford, Stanislaus County, California.  She married 3 May 1845 in Colrain to Asa Augustus Prouty, born February 1812 in Boston, Suffolk County, Mass., died 3 March 1883 in Colrain, Franklin County, Mass.

vi.  Robert Donelson, born 1820 in Franklin County, Mass., died 22 September 1882, buried in Modesto, Stanislaus County, California.  He did not marry.

In the two reports above, I highlighted in bold and red the names of the people found in the two letters.

I searched Franklin County, Massachusetts land and probate records for Levi Coy, Moses and Hannah (Merrifield) Donelson and found no useful records.  There were land records before 1850 but there were no probate records at all.

There still may be records for Ann to be found - especially a death record.  There may be records in St. Lawrence County, New York that I haven't sought to date.  Jane (Donelson) Coy, her daughter, and two children of Levi Coy died there and there may be records (census, death, land, probate) that may provide more information about Ann's parentage.

It is very apparent to me that there is circumstantial and indirect evidence that Ann (--?--) Seaver is a sister of Jane (Donelson) Coy based on the content of the letters and especially the interest of Nathaniel and Ann in Jane's daughter and only child, Lucy Jane.  She was probably born in about 1807 or 1808 in Franklin County, Massachusetts, and married Nathaniel Seaver of Franklin County in the 1830s.  

While there is no direct evidence of Ann's parents, birth name or date, marriage or death dates, my conclusion at this point in time is that Ann (Donelson) Seaver was a daughter of Moses and Hannah (Merrifield) Donelson.  The conclusion may change if new direct evidence is found.

Of course, this conclusion could not have been reached without the information in the two letters in a private collection that my correspondent Patti posted in her family tree and asked me about several weeks ago.  At this point, the letters are the only evidence of Ann's relationship to Moses and Hannah Donelson and their children. 

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