Thomas William VAN BUREN married Phebe Marie JERVIS on 22 September 1841 (New York)

(original post October 2011, updated January 2022 with info from Phebe's papers, updated again November 2024)

My great-great-great Aunt Phebe Marie JERVIS married Thomas William VAN BUREN on 22 September 1841. His name is recorded in his father-in-law Joel Jervis's bible along with their marriage date. Phebe and Thomas had 3 children and he was born in New York (according to his children's census records). That is all I knew about him until receiving scans of some of Phebe's papers. In Phebe's papers she also has his name and their marriage date recorded. 

According to her papers, her husband was born in 1812. She does not list his death date, but in the early 1850s, she says that she was a widow with three young children, but we have not been able to find Thomas's death date. It is not in her papers.

In 1850, Phebe VAN BUREN and her 3 young children are living with Phebe's parents, Joel and Elizabeth (SMITH) JERVIS in Huntington, Suffolk, New York, so it looks like Thomas died between 1847 and 1850. Phebe is also listed with 2 of her children in the 1850 census in Brooklyn Ward 5, Kings, New York. Here she is misnamed as Phebe Van Benson. Enumeration:

1850 census Huntington, Suffolk, New York
house 239:
Joel Jarvis age 59
Elizabeth Jarvis age 56
Ann E Jarvis age 29
Charlotte R Jarvis age 21
William I Jarvis age 17
Edna A Jarvis age 13
Phebe M. Van Buren age 34
Isabel J. Van Buren age 7
Edna L Van Buren age 5
William H Van Buren age 2


1850 census in Brooklyn Ward 5, Kings, New York

house 259:
Phebe Van Benson age 32
Josephine J Van Benson age 7
William H Van Benson age 2
Clark Jarvis age 22 [Phebe's brother]
Charlotte Jarvis age 20 [Phebe's sister]
Joseph Austin age 63
Harriet E F  Austin age 29

****************************************************

My cousin Eric (4th cousins once removed), who is a direct descendant of Phebe, is the one who generously shared her papers with me almost 3 years ago. We have since started conversing again as on geni.com he found a Thomas Van Buren born in 1812 whose wife is listed as Phoebe. There is no source listed that I can see for this entry.

The entry on Geni.com says that Thomas was born in Livingston, Columbia, New York. Phebe's papers at first seemed to say that her husband was born in Huntington South... but the page where Phebe says her husband was born in Huntington South is a bit ambiguous since she is listing the people who have married into her family and their birth places... only there's 7 names in the left column and 8 places named in the right column. There is a weird bracket looking thing on the right side. I'm wondering if the first 2 items belong to Thomas. The first name on the left is Thomas's name and on the right side it says "Huntington South," but just below that it says "Livingston Manor." So maybe he was born at Livingston Manor but lived in Huntington South when Phebe met him?

The name under Thomas's is Gilbert Smith and Gilbert was born in Huntington,  which is the 3rd one down in the right column, so it basically fits. (However Mary Lockhart was born in Manhattan and not Kentucky. Diedrich Vogt was born in Germany, and the others were born on Long Island, though not necessarily at the places Phebe has listed).

The geni file lists Thomas's birthplace as Livingston, Columbia, New York. 

I looked up Livingston Manor and the info is that it is a small hamlet "in the southern part of the town of Rockland" in Sullivan county, New York. So maybe the family was from Livingston Manor, but someone made the jump that it was the town of Livingston in Columbia county? I've seen things like that happen before.

Anyway, I don't know if the above is truly helpful at all, but to me it does lead a little credence to the Geni file being correct.

*****

Been looking into it more, and this is what I am thinking. Our Thomas William Van Buren is probably the son of Henry Sr and Sarah Williams. In FamilySearch, the Thomas Smith Van Buren listed as a child of Henry and Sarah is really the child of Charles Van Buren and "Catherine" Mynderts. 

I really would like to find concrete proof... maybe there's a will out there somewhere that would firm things up a bit.

The Descendants of Joel and Elizabeth (SMITH) JERVIS of Long Island, New York

My focus lately has been on the family of Joel JERVIS and his wife Elizabeth SMITH (click on their names to go to the posts about them). I have been collecting info on their posterity. It has been fun following some trails and others are a bit frustrating.

According to articles about Elizabeth's 100th birthday party and her obituary 6 months later, she had 8 children, 22 grandchildren, 60 (or more) great grand children, and 3 great-great grandchildren. The "60 (or more)" is there because the number of 60 great-grandchildren came from an article where they only listed the number of those still living, so if she had had some passed away before she did, they would not have been counted.

note: I have decided not to put in dates and places. If you wish to ask about such, please just post a comment and I would be glad to answer any questions.


Some Descendants of Squire Joel JERVIS (1790-1863) and Elizabeth SMITH (1794-1895)
Long Island, New York

******************************************************************************************************

Joel JERVIS (aka Joel JARVIS) (son of Joseph Ireland JERVIS and Phebe CARLL)
     b. 24 Oct 1790 (which happened to be his father's 26th birthday) in Huntington, Suffolk, New York
     m.  Elizabeth SMITH on 29 Nov 1815 in Huntington, Suffolk, New York
     d. 3 Nov 1863 and is buried on the Purdy Farm Private Cemetery in Amityville, Suffolk, New York

Elizabeth SMITH (daughter of Henry Clark SMITH and Jemima TERRY)
     b. 20 July 1794 Blue Point, Suffolk, New York
     d. 22 January 1895 Amityville, Suffolk, New York

The 8 children of Joel and Elizabeth are:

1-Phebe Maria JERVIS (13 Aug 1816-10 Oct 1907) m. Thomas William VAN BUREN, Brooklyn

2-Jemima Etta (aka Jeminetta) JERVIS (3 Nov 1818-10 Dec 1886) m. Gilbert SMITH, Huntington

3-Ann Elizabeth JERVIS (11 Jun 1821-17 Feb 1907)--did not marry, Amityville

4-Scudder Carll JERVIS (24 Sep 1823-31 Mar 1907) m. Mary Elizabeth PURDY, Amityville--my ancestors

5-Henry “Clark” Smith JERVIS (29 Jan 1827-8 Nov 1909) m. Mary LOCKHART, Brooklyn

6-Charlotte Rebecca JERVIS (25 Sep 1829-6 Dec 1916) m. Ezra R. SAMMIS, Brooklyn

7-William Ireland JERVIS (10 Apr 1833-28 Jan 1913) m. Charity “Charrie” E. NICHOLS, Brooklyn

8-Edna Adelia JERVIS (27 Jan 1838-26 Sep 1906) m. Diedrich VOGT, Charleston, South Carolina

******************************************************************************************************

The numbers for these generations come from the newspaper articles written for Elizabeth’s 100th birthday.

They had 22 (+) grandchildren:

children of #1 Phebe JERVIS and Thomas William VAN BUREN:
     1-Josephine Isabel VAN BUREN (married Henry T PETTIT)
     2-Edna Louise VAN BUREN (married Jacob Conklin SMITH--see below for info on his 2nd marriage)
     3-William H. VAN BUREN (married Ada Cornelia PURDY)


children of #2 Jemima JERVIS and Gilbert SMITH:
     4-Susan A SMITH (married William Henry BEERS)
     5-Sarah E SMITH (married Alonzo CONKLIN)
     6-Mordaunt L SMITH (married Abbie R WHITSON)
     7-Henrietta (Hattie/Nettie) SMITH (married Joel G. GARDINER)
     8-Joel Gilbert SMITH (married Lucy Ida WILSON)
     9-George E. SMITH
     10-Henry C. SMITH of Brooklyn, New York
     11-Frank S. SMITH deceased by 1894
     12-William W. SMITH of Northport, New York
     13-Horace SMITH of Rockville Center, New York

The second marriage of Jacob Conklin SMITH:
After Edna Louise (VAN BUREN) SMITH died, her husband married again and had 3 children...one of whom married great grandchild #39, Grace Purdy JERVIS. So Grace and William were sort of 1st cousins by marriage....sort of.

Jacob Conklin SMITH and Frances Matilda ROBIN:
     1-Jacob Robin SMITH
     2-William Wallace SMITH (married Grace Purdy JERVIS, daughter of Joshua Purdy JERVIS and Mary Jane MILLER)
     3-Mabel Louise SMITH 

children of #4 Scudder Carll JERVIS and Mary Elizabeth PURDY:
     14-George Smith JERVIS (m1 Marie Antoinette LOSEE, m2 Alice PRIMROSE)
     15-Joshua Purdy JERVIS (married Mary Jane MILLER)

children of #5 Henry Clark Smith JERVIS and Mary LOCKHART:
     16-John JERVIS (though I'm pretty sure he and Perlee are one and the same since the 1860 census lists a John (age 2) and     
          not a Perlee, but the 1870 and 1880 censuses list a Perlee (ages 12, then 22) and not a John. The 1900 census lists her as     
          having 4 children with 3 still living, so at any rate she did have 4)
     17-Perlee Voohrees JERVIS (married Helen May HUTCHINSON)
     18-Jessie W. JERVIS (married Elisha Taylor EVERETT)
     19-Frank Terry JERVIS (married Fannie Elizabeth HOPSON)

children of #6 Charlotte Rebecca JERVIS and Ezra R SAMMIS:
     20-Lena F. SAMMIS (never married)
     21-Frederick B. SAMMIS (married Mary E.)
The 1900 census lists Charlotte as having 3 children with 2 still living so:
     22-unknown

children of #7 William Ireland JERVIS and Charity “Charrie” E NICHOLS:
     23-Ida JERVIS (married Franklin SCHEPMOES)
     24-Arthur N. JERVIS (married and divorced an Anna L.)

#8 Adele and Diedrich VOGT did not have any children that I know of

******************************************************************************************************

The 60 great grandchildren (though I don't have them all yet):

children of #1 Josephine Isabel VAN BUREN and Henry T. PETTIT:
1-Henry H PETTIT (married Lavenia B. SHERMAN)
2-Susan PETTIT
3-Louie R PETTIT (might be the same as Susan as Susan was listed in the 1880 census and not in the 1900 or 1910 census and
   Louie R was listed in the 1900 and 1910 census but not the 1880 census)
4-Grace PETTIT
5-Felice PETTIT
6-Jessie J PETTIT
7-Ruth E PETTIT
8-Violet Eloise PETTIT

children of #2 Edna Louise VAN BUREN and Jacob Conklin SMITH:
9-Eva Louise SMITH (married Wallace B. YOUNG)
10-Carrie May SMITH (died young)
11-Edna Elizabeth SMITH (married Thomas W JARVIS)
12-Herbert Conklin SMITH (according to someone else's database he married 1st Nettie Estella SIBLEY and married 2nd Francis E.)

children of #4 Susan A SMITH and William Henry BEERS:
13-Emily H BEERS
14-Ellen A BEERS
15-Florence E BEERS

children of #5 Sarah E SMITH and Alonzo CONKLIN:
16-Edith L. CONKLIN
17-Grace Ethel CONKLIN (marred George Tyson GRUMANN)
18-Mabel J CONKLIN
19-Frank G. CONKLIN
20-Adele V. CONKLIN

children of #6 Mordaunt L. SMITH and Abbie R. WHITSON:
21-Harriet (Hattie) M. SMITH
22-Edwin L. SMITH
23-Emily E SMITH (married Samuel WOODWARD)
24-Bessie SMITH (married Mr. SOUTHARD)
25-William C. SMITH (married May L. SIELHORST)
26-Jennie L. SMITH (married Richard Oliver MILLS)

children of #7 Henrietta SMITH and Joel G. GARDINER:
27-Louise GARDINER
28-Caroline T. GARDINER
29-Frederick F. GARDINER

children of #8 Joel Gilbert SMITH and Lucy Ida WILSON:
30-Eugenia M. SMITH
31-Nettie G. SMITH
32-Joel G. SMITH
33-Florabelle W. SMITH

children of #14 George Smith JERVIS and his first wife Marie Antoinette LOSEE:
34-Fanny Rebecca JERVIS
35-Mary JERVIS
36-Ella JERVIS
37-George S. JERVIS

children of #14 George Smith JERVIS and his second wife Alice PRIMROSE:
38-Elsie JERVIS (married Armand MARSHALL/MARCHALL)

children of #15 Joshua Purdy JERVIS and Mary Jane MILLER:
39-Grace Purdy JERVIS (married William Wallace SMITH, son of Jacob Conklin SMITH and Frances Matilda ROBIN)

40-Sarah Emma JERVIS (married Arthur Cuthbert WRIGHT)
41-Scudder Carll JERVIS (died young)
42-Charles Miller JERVIS (married Carolie MEIGS)--my grandparents

children of #17 Perlee Voohrees JERVIS and Helen May HUTCHINSON:
43-Marguerite JERVIS (married Charles Allen SMITH)
44-Helen Hutchinson JERVIS (married and divorced Karl Wendell KIRCHWEY)
45-Jessie Lockhart JERVIS (married Harold Gottfried CARLSON)

I believe child #18 Jessie W. JERVIS and her husband Elisha Taylor EVERETT were childless

children of #19 Frank Terry JERVIS and Fannie Elizabeth HOPSON:
46-Oliver J. JERVIS

I have not found any children for #21 Frederick B. SAMMIS and his wife Mary M.

children of #23 Ida JERVIS and Franklin SCHEPMOES:
47-Glentworth SCHEPMOES (m1 Florence RANDALL and m2 Claudia)
48-Jessie SCHEPMOES

I'm missing at least 12 great-grandchildren.

******************************************************************************************************

So, a partial list of the great-great grandchildren (I don't like posting the names of people who might still be alive, so I'm leaving them off):

children of #1 Henry H PETTIT and Lavenia B SHERMAN:
     1-Hazel E PETTIT
     2-Frank A PETTIT

children of #9 Eva Louise SMITH and Wallace B YOUNG:
     3-Wallace Jeffrey YOUNG

children of #11 Edna Elizabeth SMITH and  Thomas W JARVIS:
     4-Herbert Woodhull JARVIS
     5-Leslie C JARVIS (male)
     6-Gladys JARVIS

children of #12 Herbert Conklin SMITH and Francis E.
    7-Olga SMITH

children of #17 Grace Ethel CONKLIN and George Tyson GRUMANN
     8-Ethel GRUMANN
     9-Leroy R GRUMANN
     10-Elinor A GRUMANN (married Irving SLOTER)

children of #23 Emily E SMITH and Samuel WOODWARD:
     11-Edwin A WOODWARD
     12-Earl S WOODWARD
     13-Arthur WOODWARD
     14-Alfred E WOODWARD
     15-Jennie L. WOODWARD
     16-Mary E WOODWARD

child of #24 Bessie SMITH and her husband Mr. SOUTHARD
     17-Rudolph SOUTHARD

child of #25 William C SMITH and May L. SIELHORST:
     18-Florence B. SMITH

children of #39 Grace Purdy JERVIS and William Wallace SMITH:
     19-Scudder Jervis SMITH
     20-Sara Westover SMITH

children of #42 Charles Miller JERVIS, Sr. and Carolie MEIGS

    21-Joel Russ JERVIS

    22-Charles Miller JERVIS, Jr.

*********************************************************************************************************************

From the Long Islander (Huntington)  24 November 1916

Mordant L. Smith
   Local relatives received word Wednesday of the death of Mordant L. Smith, of Brooklyn, at the home of his daughter, at 26 Windsor place. He arose in the morning as usual and after breakfast complained of feeling ill, but before a physician could be called he had passed away. Besides a widow, he leaves four daughters and two sons. They are as follows: Mrs. Frank Suydam, of Centreport; Edward, of Philadelphia; Mrs. Emily Woodward, Mrs. Bessie Southard, Mrs. Jennie -------- (with whom he lived), and Cleveland Smith, all of Brooklyn. Two sisters and 3 brothers also survive: Mrs. Alonzo Conklin, Mrs. Joel S. Gardiner and Joel G. Smith, of this place, and Henry C. Smith, of Clintonville, Conn. and Horace M. Smith, of Brooklyn. Mr. Smith was born at the old homestead of Park avenue, now owned by William Limberg, seventy-one years ago on May 31.
   The funeral services will be held this (Friday) evening, at 26 Windsor place, and the interment will be in the Rural Cemetery to-morrow on the arrival of the 12:26 train from Brooklyn.
   Mr. Smith was married in 1869 to Miss Abbie Whitson, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Smith Whitson, of Dix Hills. For many years he worked as a carpenter in the Navy Yard and was a veteran of the 127th Regiment.

*********************************************************************************************************************  

 
The following article relates to Gilbert SMITH, son-in-law to Joel and Elizabeth, as he married their daughter Jemima:

Long Islander (Huntington) Friday July 10, 1925 p 14

OLD GILBERT SMITH FARM TO NEW OWNERS   

     Title passed recently on one of the old homesteads in Huntington, which takes it from the hands of the old Long Islanders. It is the William T. Limberg place which is situated on Park avenue at its intersection with Lincoln avenue. The heirs of the Limberg estate have sold it to Bernstein & Altar, who will take possession of it in the fall. They are now renting it to Mrs. A. C. May and family.
     Old records show that the house was built in 1838, (eight-seven years ago) by Gilbert Smith, father of Joel G. Smith and Mrs. Joel S. Gardiner, of this place.
     Mr. Smith married Jemima Jarvis of Amityville, and began housekeeping there. It was built in two sections, the older part being larger. Some years later the wing was added.
     Ten children were born there, four of whom are living, Mr. Smith and Mrs. Gardiner, as mentioned above, and Henry Smith of Clintonville, Conn., and Horace M. Smith, of Brooklyn. Mrs. William Henry Beers, Mrs. Alonzo Conklin and Mrs. Gardiner were married from the old home.
     Gilbert Smith received the land from his father, who was also named Gilbert. He resided in an older original homestead some distance in the rear, to which place he took his bride, who was Miss Hannah Hartt.
     After the old people died, the first homestead was sold to William Jarvis father of the late Mrs. William Limberg. Mrs. Limberg lived there with her son, William, and after the mother and son passed away, Mr. Limberg remained there until his death. The first homestead burned down, but the Limbergs were living in the newer house, which they purchased later. When Mr. Limberg passed away he left the place to his nieces, Miss Lottie May and Mrs. Maynard Pettit, and nephew William May, and they with their mother, Mrs. A. C. May, have resided there, selling recently to Bernstein & Altar and so another homestead passes to the hands of strangers.