What happened to Estella Brown.

Question

Estella was born in the Township of Mount Washington, Berkshire County MA in 1858. She was the illegitimate daughter and youngest known child of  [[Brown-27156|Daniel Brown]] and [[Cater-75|Mary Cater]].  Her father died  in January 1858 before her birth.  From the nearby Township of Copake Station (now Copake Falls) in Columbia County NY she, her mother Maria and her older siblings Eli, Ellen and Daniel entered the Columbia County Poor House in Ghent NY in December of 1858.  Her older sister Ellen and mother Maria died in the Poor House in February 1859 and December 25th 1863 respectively. In 1868 she left the Poor House and is found living as a servant with the widow Anna Esselstyne in Town of Valatie, Columbia County NY where she probably remained at least until Anna Esselstyne's death in 1882.  Her brother Daniel Brown reported that she married a man with the surname "Scovil".  As of 2018 no marriage records or further records of any nature pertaining to Estella have been found.  Brown family members of the early 1900's reported they never saw or met her.

Answer 1

Dear Daniel,

  Here is the 1880 census entry for Ann Esselstyne and Estella Brown, with others, in Kinderhook, Columbia, New York.

"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZZJ-WYC : 20 August 2017), Ann Esselstyne, Kinderhook, Columbia, New York, United States; citing enumeration district ED 21, sheet 374B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0821; FHL microfilm 1,254,821.

  Maybe looking for the Keegan family would help you find Estella in later years? Hope this helps! -NGP

 

Comments

I did trace Estella from her 1858 birth in MA up thru the US and NY State Census records to 1880.  Good idea looking for any of the Keegan family members in say the 1900 USC; did not consider that.  Notice that they are all single and Irish.  The 46 yr old only male (Patrick) Keegan is a laborer so he's not been long in the US.  He therefore appears to be the brother of the 42 yr old Catherine, and yet there are two children age 10 and 2 who are the children of either Patrick or Catherine.  Its likely that by the 1900 USC these two young girls are married.

Did not find probate records for either Ann or Isaac Esselstyne.  They did have extended Esselstyne family in southern Columbia County - one or two cemeteries of them.  I visited the Kinderhook NY graves of Ann Esselstyne and husband Isaac.  They share a grave plot and large stone monument with the "Bain" family who lived just north of them.  The Esselstyne's had no children and the Bain's named one of their sons after Issac, indicating a very close relationship.  I pursed the Bain line and did not find Estella.

Thank you for the idea.

---

Searched 1900 USC.  No "Estella Brown" .... found regional "Estella's" of similar age/origin under married surnames .... Helpful filter: must have been married after 1880-1882 but the list of candidates is long and complicated.  Pursuing the 1880 Keegan farmhand family finds no associated "Estella's". The Patrick Keegan's found based on abt age 66/Irish origin in nearby areas are with different marriage and family situations.  Apparent sister Catherine Keegan now abt 62 not found assuming she kept using that given sir name/did not marry.  She likely mother of the two children.

Next step: searching the 1905 NY State census then onto the 1910 USC.  A more fruitful search for "Estella" might be to spend a few days at the NY State Archives Dept in Albany NY searching indexes of recorded marriages which start abt 1880.  As well, refining my earlier search there of "Estella" death records .... definately needle-in-haystack work.

The Nagging Factor:  Apparently Estella and my GGF Daniel (1856-1948), her closest brother, did not communicate.  GGF only noted that she married a "Scovil" (Scoville?) and I find none in this time period or near the area.