Re: Which Abraham Deuel Is Which?
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In reply to:
Which Abraham Deuel Is Which?
Richard Deuel 3/16/02
Hi, Rich:
I'll be thinking about a lot of those questions myself.
The Abraham Deuel who married Elizabeth Jones is Abraham4 (Jeremiah3). This marriage took place in Rochester, MA in the 1740s.
Then in 1776 in Dartmouth there is the marriage of "Abraham Davil, Jr. of Rochester and Mary Bennett." So that one is Abraham5, although I haven't seen a birth record the "Jr." plus the fact that Abraham4 was the only Davol/Duel living in Rochester clinches that. SBP has an interesting Quaker record of the Saratoga MM in 1775 dismissing an Abraham Deuel for disorderly marriage, although from the wording (it hopes he repents, and seems to indicate that he belonged to another MM) it would seem that the marriage was contemplated, not consummated (if the marriage was a fait accompli, he would have been dismissed, period). Doherty thinks this is the same Abraham who married Mary Bennett, I can't tell for sure but it's interesting that in Dartmouth VR the marriage record is taken from a list of marriages performed by Elder Daniel Hix, of the "First Christian Church."I am familiar with Hix, some of my Gifford cousins were active in his church, it was a Baptist church, definitely not Quaker. (Maybe he came back to Dartmouth in the hope that the Apponnegansett MM would marry him --- if he did he was in for a surprise, the Saratoga MM may have corresoponded with them to say what he was up to).
Mary (Bennett) Deuel is mentioned in Saratoga MM records, along with her parents given as John and Thankful Bennett, which matches exactly.
The Harvey Book gives Joseph Merritt Deuel as the "son of Abram and Mary." This more of less would match up.
The Rhinebeck Abraham Deuel who married Rachel Ham is definitely a possibility, I looked at the records once and as I recall there was a Cramer family interrelated somehow, which may account for John "Cramer" Deuel.
Now I'll give my theory on where the "Joseph Merritt" comes from. The will of Lois (Harvey) Sweet, as recounted in the Harvey Book, names as executors her brother-in-law Jonathan Sweet and her friend Joseph Merritt, "of the people called Quakers." Joseph Merritt may have been a Quaker preacher, may well have been connected with Merritt's store at Quaker Hill, Pawling (where an Abraham Deuel had accounts), and certainly was close to the family in order to be named executor.
I hate to end on bad news, but unfortunately I do think that the "son Henry Deuel" in SBP may be a transcription error, because he may be referring to the will of Abigail (Harvey) Sweet, which was made in 1808, before the right Henry was born. I'm wondering if there was a probate record for the 1839 settling of Joseph Merritt Deuel's estate, I would think that all known heirs would have to be listed. Abigail Deuel's will may still be around, they tend to keep probate files forever.
Regards,
Rick