Birth, Marriage and Death Records 1847-1849 Compiled by Town Historian John E. Hammond Reverend Marmaduke Earle rode on horseback throughout the Town of Oyster Bay performing baptisms, marriages and presiding at funerals from 1801 to 1856. STEVEN L. LABRIOLA JOHN E. HAMMOND Town Clerk Town Historian A Message from Town Clerk STEVEN L. LABRIOLA Dear Genealogy Enthusiast, Many people involved in genealogy research in New York State believe that the earliest vital records date back to 1880. There was, however, an earlier, little known law requiring the recording of births, marriages and deaths. Because the law was not well crafted, compliance was not universal, and vital record-keeping ceased after just a few years. While many of the records of this period have long since vanished, the Town of Oyster Bay is in possession of a book that contains vital records from the years 1847 to 1849. This guide now makes the information in these records available for genealogists. While not as comprehensive as later records, these records do contain information that could be useful for anyone trying to compile a family tree. This guide lists only the names and dates of events. Because of the incomplete nature of these records, Town Historian John Hammond will provide any additional information on the records at no charge. To obtain this information, write to: John E. Hammond, Oyster Bay Town Historian, 54 Audrey Avenue, Oyster Bay, NY 11771. Vital records are the cornerstone of genealogical research, providing dates and locations of events in the life of an ancestor, as well as other useful data. And for those whose search leads them to the Town of Oyster Bay, these early vital records might just provide that piece of information about your ancestor you’ve been seeking. Very truly yours, Town Clerk Cover drawing courtesy of the Oyster Bay Historical Society Birth, Marriage and Death Records-1847-1849 Genealogists are very familiar with the Vital Records which began in New York State in 1880, but few are aware of an earlier attempt to collect these records. In 1847, New York enacted a law requiring the keeping of records of Births, Marriages and Deaths. The keeping of these records was to be done by the clerk of each school district within the state, who would report these records to the town clerk within its jurisdiction. The town clerks would then pass the records on to the county clerks and, ultimately, to the Secretary of State. The 1847 law was poorly conceived and compliance by the school districts was minimal. After three years, the Secretary of State wrote on December 19, 1850, “I have concluded not to forward the blanks for the Report of Births, Marriages and Deaths, until the law is so amended as to enable me to receive full and correct reports from the entire State. Therefore all action under the law will be, for the present, suspended.” Whatever records ultimately reached the Secretary of State have long since disappeared being that none exist within the collections of the New York State Archives. However, here in Oyster Bay, the record for the years 1847 through 1849 exists in its entirety and has been preserved, among other papers, by the Oyster Bay Town Clerks. The records fall far short of the detailed information that was required by the 1880 Vital Records Law, but nevertheless, contain much valuable information for genealogists. The Birth Records list the date of birth, name of child and name of parents, although mother’s maiden name is never given. Marriage Records give the date of the marriage, name of husband and wife along with their residence and age at time of marriage, and the name of the officer or clergyman performing the ceremony. Death Records give the date of death, name and residence along with age, occupation, marital status, national origin and cause of death. All records also state whether the person is white or colored and male or female. The record contains 437 birth records, 117 marriage records and 285 death records. While the record is not large, it can be of significant value to researchers looking for an ancestor or relative born, married or died within the period 1847- 1849. The following listings include the names and dates of the events. There is a separate listing for Births, Deaths, and for Marriages. The listing for Marriages is sorted alphabetically by name of Groom and in an additional listing is sorted by name of Bride. Requests for full information should include name and date of event. Address requests to: John E. Hammond, Oyster Bay Town Historian 54 Audrey Avenue Oyster Bay, NY 11771. NAME DATE OF BIRTH Adams, James B. 11 April 1849 Althouse, Isabella 1 June 1849 Anstice, Mary Elizabeth 27 December 1847 Appleford, Joseph 2 March 1847 Appleford, William 24 January 1849 Aproy, Sydney Clarence 5 March 1848 Bailey (S) 7 December 1849 Bailey, Albert 10 April 1848 Bailey, Franklin 18 January 1848 Bailey, Julia 4 June 1848 Bailey, Margaret H. 18 January 1849 Bailey, William 30 May 1847 Baldwin, Almira 22 August 1849 Baldwin, Charles Jackson 9 March 1849 Baldwin, Lesa P. 13 December 1849 Baldwin, Thomas Edwin 9 October 1848 Bane, Cecele 30 April 1848 Barrett, Georgeanna B. 25 June 1848 Bates, Charles Henry 21 August 1849 Bates, Emanuel 22 December 1847 Bates, Emma Caroline 7 June 1847 Bates, Wesley 29 September 1849 Bates, William Edward 10 August 1848 Bayles, Adam 4 March 1847 Bayles, Adelaide 7 May 1848 Bayles, Isabella 20 May 1848 Bear, Townsend 4 April 1847 Beatty (S) 11 December 1847 Beatty, John Isaac 20 June 1847 Beatty, Phebe Louisa 7 June 1847 Beatty, Phebe Margaret 6 November 1849 Bedell, Carman J. 11 April 1849 Bedell, Charles Edgar 23 October 1847 Bedell, Walter 24 November 1849 Bell, James 8 April 1849 Bennet, Antoinette 20 September 1848 Bennet, Isaac 23 July 1848 Bockus, Charles 12 September 1848 Bockus, Louisa 30 July 1849 Bockus, William Henry 20 August 1848 Boerum, Sarah J. 20 September 1849 Bogart, Tunis D. 19 July 1847 Bond, Alexander 30 March 1847 Bostwick, Eliza. M. 14 February 1847 Bowne, Jacob Titus 12 February 1847 Bowne, Josiah 3 April 1848 Bowne, Sidney B. 5 December 1849 Brewer, Sarah E. 9 October 1849 Brush, David Franklin 20 June 1847 Buckhard (S) 1 May 1849 Buffett, Henry 8 May 1847 Burns, Louisa 1 February 1849 Burns, Margaret 10 May 1847 Burr, Louisa 2 March 1847 Burr, Thomas S. 19 June 1849 Campbell, George 4 June 1849 Carll, Sidney 8 May 1847 Carns, Emma Eliza 28 November 1849 Carpenter, John Waterhouse 13 January 1848 Carpenter, Temperance 6 May 1848 Carr, George Washington 22 May 1847 Cashow, Thomas A. 15 April 1849 Cheshire, Catharine L. 25 January 1847 Cheshire, Edwin 24 September 1847 Cheshire, Elijah 5 August 1847 Cheshire, Phebe Amelia 4 July 1847 Chiphouse, Isabella 11 March 1848 Cisco, James Ishmael 26 June 1848 Cleaveland, Henry Francis 1 January 1848 Cleveland, Henry F. 1 January 1849 Cock, Alfred Theodore 22 June 1848 Cock, Emma Alice 28 June 1848 Cocks, Sarah D. 25 July 1849 Coger, George W. 12 February 1849 Coles, Anna Adelia 5 September 1847 Coles, William Hopkins Hewlett 15 June 1849 Colyer, Emily A. 20 August 1849 Conklin, Anna Maria 9 December 1847 Conklin, Hannah Maria 9 January 1848 Conklin, Lester Russell 9 April 1847 Corkery, Cornelius 26 August 1847 Corkry, William 1 August 1849 Cornelius, Mary Lavina 2 November 1847 Courtney, Alexander Laird 5 May 1847 Courtney, Frederick William 30 July 1849 Craft, Ann Augusta 15 August 1849 Cringy, William 8 November 1849 Crooker, Townsend 29 January 1847 Curley, Mary 4 October 1849 Davis (S) 27 July 1849 Davis, Caroline 23 March 1848 Davis, Elbert 20 May 1847 Davis, Phebe 6 November 1847 Dawson, William Henry 10 March 1847 Dickinson, Ann Eliza 9 January 1848 Dickinson, John 6 December 1847 Dickinson, Mary Eliza 26 March 1849 Dickinson, Matilda Louisa 6 March 1849 Dickson, Theron 28 May 1849 Doty, Samuel Alonzo 21 August 1849 Downing, Charity Emily 5 November 1848 Downing, Isaac 15 December 1847 Downing, Martha Amanda 9 July 1847 Downing, Mary Anna 9 May 1847 Downing, Sarah A. 20 April 1849 Doxsey, Ann Elizabeth 31 July 1849 Doxsey, Mary Elizabeth 10 December 1847 Doxsey, Oliver T. 4 March 1849 Dumpson, Ann Maria 7 August 1848 Dunn, Charlotte 15 September 1847 Dunn, Rulef 3 August 1849 Duryea (S) 21 November 1849 Duryea, Catharine L. 16 March 1847 Duryea, Henry S. 2 October 1848 Duryea, Sarah Jane 20 March 1849 Duryea, Townsend 16 July 1848 Duryea, William H. 16 March 1847 Edwards, Clarisy 7 March 1849 Ellison, Elizabeth Green 23 February 1848 Eto, Andrew 27 November 1848 Farrington, Cornelia 28 February 1848 Fields (S) 1 May 1849 Fields, Henrietta 17 April 1847 Fish, Julia 18 March 1847 Fisher, Montraville 15 August 1849 Fleet, Roswell Crosby 13 September 1848 Frances, George Washington 27 May 1847 Francis, Hannah 17 October 1849 Frost, Ann 13 July 1847 Frost, Charles 15 November 1849 Fryer, Mary Jane 2 March 1848 Gall, Charles Henry 11 March 1847 Gall, Edgar Augustus 4 July 1847 Gibson, James 28 December 1847 Gildersleeve, Mary Elizabeth 7 September 1847 Gildersleeve, Sarah Maria 4 February 1849 Gildersleeve, Sarah Maria 24 July 1849 Gilmartin, Mary Ann 5 October 1848 Golden, George 5 October 1847 Golding, George W. 4 July 1848 Gready, James 4 March 1849 Green (S) 31 August 1849 Green, Rachael L. 3 May 1847 Haff, Havens 21 December 1848 Haff, Henry 19 August 1847 Hall, Daniel 12 May 1849 Hall, Hamilton 14 February 1848 Hall, James Henry 25 August 1847 Hall, Stephen P.