Martha (b. ?) & Emily (b. NY ca 1818) Thing - who were their parents?
In the mid 1800s Ely Gordon (1813-1876) married Martha Thing (probably sometime before 1850) and after her death he married Martha's sister, Emily Thing (born about 1818).Neither of these women are further identified in the Gordon family history and I have been attempting to give them some identity.
The only census data (1870) I have found positively identifying Emily shows her age as 52, born in New York.As Emily was Ely's second wife, it is possible she was previously married, but I've found no probable candidates that aren't ruled out by virtue of the fact they are still with their first husbands after Emily and Ely were married.Ely was born and reared in Allegany County, New York and farmed in Monroe County, New York where he died in 1876.
In looking at census data in New York I have found the most likely family for Martha and Emily to have been part of as that of Samuel Thing who, with his wife and children, was farming in Perry Township, Genesee County, NY in 1820.At that time he appears to fall into the 45+ age category and his wife in the 26-45 age category.There are 3 boys under 10, 1 boy 10-16, 1 boy 16-18, 1 boy 16 to 26, 2 girls under 10 and 1 girl 10-16.Samuel does not appear in Genesee County in 1820, nor have I found him elsewhere.
Samuel Thing in Vincennes, Indiana, could possibly be a brother of Martha and Emily, because he is in the same age bracket as they would have been.There were two Thing gentlemen in Olean, New York in the mid 1800s who fall into the girls' age range (Henry - born 1816 in NH and Charles - born 1812 in NH) and might have been related.
Might anyone know the origin or parents of these girls?
Thanks so much for any assistance.