Thomas 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)

My 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. That is all I knew about him until receiving scans of some of Phebe's papers.

According to her papers, her husband was born in 1812 in "Huntington South" which is on Long Island, in Suffolk county, New York. She does not list his death date, but in the early 1850s, she says that she was a widow with three young children.

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