"Mary Has a Maiden Name," But "Who Is Sarah Feather's Mother?"

 I wrote Testing the Full Text Search in FamilySearch Labs - An Immediate Success!! last week, and immediately rejoiced because I found a maiden name for the "last" wife of my 4th great-grandfather, Cornelius Feather (1777-1853).   See the genealogical sketch for Cornelius Feather for the information that I have about his life.

The maiden name of the last wife of Cornelius Feather was Mary Pa[r]tridge (1792-1855).  She is named as Mary Feather in the first record with her name on it in the 1850 U.S. Census, age 58, born in Pennsylvania.  If age 58, she was born in about 1792.  Now she is named as Mary Feather[s] in the 1830 land deed found last week.

I have research questions, and some answers:

1)  Question:  What is the evidence that Mary's maiden name was Pa[r]tridge?  

I wrote Amanuensis Monday -- 1830/1 Quitclaim Deeds of George W. Patridge and Others to David Patridge, and Catherine Patridge to David Patridge, in Trumbull County, Ohio to transcribe an document the noted deeds.  

In the first deed dated 1830, six living children of Thomas and Catherine (Pelton) Pa[r]tridge quitclaim their portion (probably two-thirds of the total estate) of a tract of land in Trumbull County, Ohio to a seventh living child.  Here is the quitclaim deed language:

"George W. Patridge & others quitclaim deed to David Patridge

"Know all men by these presents that We George W. Patridge and Elizabeth Patridge wife of the said George W., Jasper Patridge and Orrit Patridge wife of the said Jasper, Isaac Patridge and William Patridge of the Township of Gustavus Trumbull County State of Ohio, Elijah Beckwith and Sarah Beckwith wife of the said Elijah of the Township of New Lyme, Ashtabula County State aforesaid, Samuel Patridge and Elizabeth Patridge wife of the said Samuel, Cornelius Feathers and Mary Feathers wife of the said Cornelius of the Township of East Salem, County of Mercer State of Pennsylvania for diverse good causes and considerations thereunto moving especially for one hundred dollars received to our full satisfaction of David Patridge of the aforesaid Township of Gustavus, have remised, released and forever quitclaimed and do by these presents for ourselves and our heirs, justly and absolutely remise, release and forever quitclaim unto the said David Patridge and to his heirs and assigns forever all such right and title as we the said George W. and his wife Elizabeth, Jasper and his wife Orrit, Isaac, William, Elijah and his wife Sarah, Samuel and his wife Elizabeth and Cornelius and his wife, Mary, have a right to have in or to the following described tract ..."

In the second deed dated 1831, Catherine Patridge (1765-1832), widow of Thomas Patridge (1758-1828), quitclaims her dower third of the tract of land owned by Thomas Patridge to David Patridge. Catherine (Pelton) Patridge was the second wife of Thomas Patridge.

The first deed identifies all seven living children, as of 1830, of Thomas Pa[r]tridge and his first wife, Hannah Wakeman (1763-1814), who married in 1785 in New York. They were (all probably born in New York):

* George W. Patridge (1786-1866), married 1811 Mary Elizabeth Horn (1790-1883).
* Jasper Patridge (1788-1831), married 1813 Oritta Pelton (1795-1845).
* Mary Patridge (1792-1855), married before 1830 Cornelius Feather (1777-1853).
* Isaac Patridge (1794-????), living in 1830, apparently unmarried.
* William Patridge (1796-????), living in 1830, apparently unmarried.
* Sarah Patridge (1800-1869), married 1820 Elijah Beckwith (1797-1887).
* David W. Patridge (1802-1869), married 1829 to Elvira Hannah Bailey (1811-1850).
* Isaac Patridge (1805-1888), living in 1830, apparently unmarried.

In addition, Thomas and Hannah (Wakeman) Patridge had at least one other child:

* Jonas Patridge (1801-????), not mentioned in the 1830 quitclaim deed.

Apparently, there are no birth records for any of the children in New York, Pennsylvania or Ohio records. There are marriage records for some of the family members.

The last names Patridge and Partridge seem to be interchgeable in the records I've found to date.

The quitclaim deeds are direct evidence of the parent-child relationships between the seven named children with Thomas Pa[r]tridge, who was married to Hannah Wakeman in 1785 and to Catherine Pelton in 1822.

My conclusion to Question 1 is: Yes, Mary Patridge (1792-1855) was the wife of Cornelius Feather in 1830 and before.

2)  Question:  Who were the children of Cornelius Feather and his unnamed first(?) wife? 

The four children of Cornelius Feather and his unnamed first(?) wife (unnamed in any found record) were (all probably born in Trumbull County, Ohio): 

* Sarah Feather (1804-1848), married c1825 Henry Carringer (1800-1879).
* John Feather (1806-1878), married 1828 Phoebe Condit (1809-1891)
* George Feather (1808-1890), married c1838 Mary Keelan (c1812-1855).
* Mary Ann Feather (c1815-c1855), married c1835 Charles Milner (c1798-????).

Cornelius Feather, the husband of Mary Pa[r]tridge, resided in Washington County, Pennsylvania in the 1800 U.S. Census (as a single male) and cannot be found in the 1810 and 1820 U.S. Census records.  

In the 1830 U.S. census, Cornelius Feather was enumerated in Salem township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania with:

 *  one male aged 20-30 (son George born 1808?), 

*  one male aged 50-60 (Cornelius born 1777?), 

*  one female aged 10-15 (daughter Mary Ann born 1815?), 

*  one female aged 20-30 (daughter Sarah born 1804?) 

*  one female aged 30-40 (his wife? Mary?).

In the 1840 U.S. Census, Cornelius Feather was enumerated in New Lyme township, Ashtabula County, Ohio with:

*   one male aged 60-70 (Cornelius born 1777), 

*  one female aged 0-5 (perhaps a granddaughter?, or a niece of Mary?)

*  one female aged 5-10 (perhaps a granddaughter?, or a niece of Mary?), 

*  one female aged 30-40 (perhaps daughter Sarah born 1804? or a sister of Mary?) 

*  one female aged 40-50 (his wife, Mary, born 1792?).

My Conclusion to Question 2 is:  Mary (Pa[r]tridge) Feather was the wife in the 1830, 1840 and 1850 U.S. census records.  

3) Question: Was Mary (Patridge) Feather (1792-1855) the mother of the four children of Cornelius Feather (1777-1853)?

The major evidence against the question is:

* Mary's birth was in 1791 or 1792, which fits into the Pa[r]tridge family tree well.

* Sarah Feather's birth was on 7 June 1804, according to her burial record in Kelso Cemetery in Perry township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, the only record I have that provides a birth year.

* Therefore, Mary Patridge would have been age 12 or 13 at the time of Sarah Feather's birth.

* Perhaps Sarah's birth date is wrong - if it was 1805 instead of 1804, then Mary would have been 13 or 14. at the time of the birth.

* Mary would have had sons John Feather and George Feather at age 14 and 16 respectively, and daughter Mary Ann Feather at age 23.

* There are no more (known) children after 1815 for some reason.

My Conclusion to Question 3 is: Indeterminate at this time. I need more research!

4) Question: What other evidence can there be, and where should I research?

* More land research for the Patridge, Wakeman and Feather families in Trumbull and Ashtabula Counties, Ohio.

* More probate records for the Patridge, Wakeman and Feather families in Trumbull and Ashtabula Counties in Ohio.

* Church, tax, census and military records for the Patridge, Wakeman and Feather families.

* Trumbull and Ashtabula County Histories for the Patridge, Wakeman and Feather families.

* DNA Matches to Patridge and Wakeman families.

* Any other record set that I or someone else can think of.

5) Question: If Mary Pa[r]tridge is not the mother of my 3rd great-grandmother Sarah Feather (1804-1848), then who might be?

TBD!!! Stay tuned!!!

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