Maria (Stillwell) Britton
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Maria (Stillwell) Britton (abt. 1645 - 1683)

Maria "Mary" Britton [uncertain] formerly Stillwell aka Brittain
Born about in Gravesend, Long Island, New Netherlandmap
Ancestors ancestors
Daughter of [uncertain] and [uncertain]
Wife of — married 1660 in Staten Island, Richmond Co., New Yorkmap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 37 in Staten Island, Richmond, Province of New Yorkmap
Profile last modified | Created 22 Jan 2012
This page has been accessed 2,036 times.
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Maria (Stillwell) Britton was a New Netherland settler.
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Contents

Biography

According to a Wikitree contributor Maria is presumed to have been born of an early English father under Dutch rule in Gravesend on western Long Island. Gravesend is now a neighborhood in south-central Brooklyn, along the shore of Gravesend Bay and Coney Island. In 1609 Henry Hudson landed his ship the Half Moon there at the island known by the natives as Narrioch (Coney Island). In 1643 Gravesend became one of the original towns founded in the Dutch colony of New Netherland when Governor Willem Kieft granted a land patent to the Anabaptist Lady Deborah Moody, as a site where that English sect could settle free from religious persecution. Clashes with the natives delayed the town for two more years, until December 19, 1645.

Parents

According to Leng and Davis, "William Britton appears to have married Mary, the daughter of Nicholas Stillwell of Gravesend, for on September 26, 1663, he is described as a son-in-law."[1] It follows that if Stillwell claims Mary's husband William as his son in law, then this Mary's father is Nicholas Stillwell Jr and her mother is his wife, Ann (Van Dyke) Stillwell. The Stillwells had been disconnected from this profile in November 2014 so they could be connected instead to the completely unsourced profile of Adam Mott's wife Mary. As of February 2016, despite cited source material added to Mary/Maria (Stillwell) Britton's profile and the complete absence of such material for Mary Mott, the Stillwells remain connected to Mary Mott as her alleged parents.

Maria Stillwell was born about 1645.[2] She and William Britton married prior to 26 September, 1663 as on that date Nicholas Stillwell described William as a son-in-law.[2][3]

Both the Brittons and Stillwells had lived in Gravesend at one time. This settlement had been granted a charter specifically to create a place for Englishmen to practice religious freedom. Its founder, Lady Deborah Moody, was a strong Anabaptist, a group that rejected infant baptisms as invalid.[4][5][6]

On 14 July 1678 , when she was 33, on Maria received adult baptism in the Reformed Dutch Church in Flatbush along with her children with William Britton: William, Nathaniel, Richard, Joseph, Benjamin, John and Daniel. The baptismal record, a digitized copy of which is attached to this profile, reads as follows:

"Wm Britton of S.I. Maria his wife + of children vis Willem (a. 15), Nathanael(13), Richard (11) Joseph (9) Benj. (7) Jan (5) Daniel (1 1/2 yrs) "[7]

The family returned to the Flatbush Church after the birth of the youngest son, Nicholas and held his baptism in the same Dutch Church.[8]

Land Transactions

From Richmond County Records there are shown transactions in which she was involved.

  • 1685-86. Feb. 23. Mary Britton, of Richmond County, widow, for the value of a bond due sept. 1, 1688, to Paulle Richardes, merchant, of New York, from my son Nathaniel Britton, yeoman, conveyed to Nathaniel Britton a lot of land on the west side of Sarah Whitman's land and east side of my land, formerly called Thomas Cavles land; also some fresh meadow at Eagles Nest Point. Witnesses: Thomas Lovelace, Thomas Walton.
  • 1687, May 4, June 20. Mary Britton, widow, conveyed to Gov. Thomas Dongan one hundred and eighty acres of land situated in Old Town, Staten Island, formerly laid out for four lots, (also some house lots), reserving thirty acres now in possession of Nathaniel Britton. She signed her name.
  • 1687, June July 12, Mary Britton, widow, conveyed to Peter Nowe a house lot in Old Town, Staten Island, one quarter of an acres in size.[9]


It is not certain whether William's name is included in the baptismal record solely to establish his marriage and legitimate paternity of his children or because he also was baptised at the same time. No similar baptismal record in New York has yet been found for William's brother Nathaniel. Both brothers, being raised as Anglicans, were presumably baptised in England as infants as is the practice of that denomination. Michele Britton Camera has raised questions that require further research. Did William embrace the Anabaptist theology rejecting his first baptism as invalid? Was he baptised again 14 July 1678 along with his wife and children? If he had acted against his initiation sacrament, it is reasonable to speculate that the re-baptism was a part or the total reason for a rift with his father. Brother Nathaniel was included in his father's will. Did he embrace a denomination more palatable to their father? If so, which one? Did Nathaniel influence the Britton family's decision to join the Presbyterian church after they moved from Staten Island to New Jersey?

Sources

  1. Leng and Davis, Vol. IV, pages 479-480
  2. 2.0 2.1 Yates Publishing. "U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900." U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900. Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2004. Web. 25 Jan. 2016. <http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7836>. Transcript: Name: Maria Stillwell Gender: Female Birth Year: 1645 Spouse Name: William Britton Marriage Year: 1663
  3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "International Genealogical Index (IGI)," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:1:M3XF-1D8 : accessed 2015-09-07), entry for Maria Stillwell.
  4. Wikipedia - Gravesend, Brooklyn
  5. Wikipedia - Deborah Moody
  6. Wikipedia - Anabaptists
  7. Dutch Reformed Church Records
  8. Dutch Reformed Church Records
  9. John E. Stillwell, p. 123
  • Bailey, T. H. Bailey-Britton History and Genealogy. Kingsport, TN: Publisher Not Identified, 1962. Print. page 356
  • U.S., Dutch Reformed Church Records in Selected States, 1639-2000 [database On-line]. Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Web. 13 Sept. 2015. Link to paid subscription site. Original data: Dutch Reformed Church Records from New York and New Jersey. Holland Society of New York, New York, New York.
  • John E. Stillwell, The History of Captain Jeremiah Stillwell, Anne Stillwell Britton, AliceStillwell Holmes, Mary Stillwell Motts, Daniel Stillwell, ...and allied Families. p. 123. Originally was also Stillwell Genealogy, vol. 1)

Acknowledgments

  • This person was created through the import of berdine.GED on 08 February 2011.




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Maria by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Maria:

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Images: 1
Baptismal record
Baptismal record



Comments: 9

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This profile needs attention based on the comment by Dave Rutherford below. Records strongly suggest that this Maria cannot be the daughter of Lt. Nicholas and Anna Stillwell whose daughter Mary married Adam Mott in 1678 when this Maria and her children were baptized. Some of the sources here could also use some cleaning up. I could do that, but don't really know much about this person.
posted by Kay (Offutt) Schmidt
removed death date as note state 14 July1678 is when she took adult baptism
posted by Beryl Meehan
cont...concludes with

"After a careful study of all of the above statements, we believe perhaps a more lucid version would be that Mary (daughter of Captain Richard Stillwell), married first, Nathaniel Britain, son of William, the immigrant and his wife Maria....... After the death of Nathaniel, Mary married second, Valentine Dushan who was a widower; and after his death (?) She married 3rd about 1716, Lambert Garrison, also a widower with several children Garrison died about 1725, and Mary was living with her only son, Nathaniel Britain at the date of his will 1754, in Philadelphia County Pennsylvania" Bailey, T. H. Bailey-Britton History and Genealogy. Kingsport, TN: Publisher Not Identified, 1962. http://haygenealogy.com/hay/howsmon-britton-frost/britton/brittonbook1962/index.html

posted by Michele Britton
Bailey calls into question various Stillwell genealogies on pages [353] and [page 354] he begins the critique stating

"There are several conflicting statements or versions, by at least four genealogists in regard to the Britain Stillwell families." and concludes with...

posted by Michele Britton
I stumbled upon the URL for the sources that Hay used to create his document. Now we can look at them to see what, if any, reason he had for questioning the established genealogy.

http://haygenealogy.com/hay/sources/

posted by Michele Britton
Stilwell-21 and Stillwell-150 appear to represent the same person because: This is the oldest maternal ancestor in this chain in need of a merge. No tree conflicts. We need to keep Born about July 13, 1645 in Gravesend, Long Island, Kings, New York and Died July 14, 1678 in Dutch Church, Flatbush, Long Island, New York. The husband's ancestry needs some sorting work before he can be merged. Thanks!
posted by Steven Mix
possibly related to http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stillwell-20

Maria is probably descended from somewhere on this following line, but it is not clear where she would logically fit in the tree

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stillwell-18

posted by Steven Mix
Not certain if Maria belongs here. She should perhaps be set as Maria Unknown. Hay Genealogy (http://haygenealogy.com/hay/sources/britton/stillwelltree.html) says the following under the section for Mary Stillwell : Although William Britton is widely accepted as having married (this) Mary Stillwell, daughter of Lieutenant Nicholas and Ann Stillwell (sister to Ann Stillwell whom his brother marries), this does not appear to be the case. While there is 1663 documentary evidence her surname is Stillwell, there is also 1678 documentary evidence she is not -- "He [William Britton] appears to have married Mary, the daughter of Nicholas Stillwell of Gravesend, for on Sep 26, 1663 he is described as a son in law.--Staten Island and Its People, Leng and Davis, Vol 1-5, 1930 -versus- the above marriage record for Mary Stillwell and Adam Mott on 7/16/1678. I, DLH 2008, think it might be more likely she is not a Stillwell, as it would appear that Maria might be of Dutch heritage instead of English heritage -- in 1678 she was baptised with seven of her children in a Dutch Church (July 9, 1678, Maria, wife of William Britton of Staten Island and seven children were baptized in the Dutch Church of Flatbush -- Year Book, Holland Society, 1898). Note that both the Brittons and the Stillwells were of English heritage, and Ann Stillwell Britton, her supposed sister, did not have her children baptised here at the same time. Unfortunately, Mary's father's will (above) only mentions two of the ten children, and no will has been found for the mother, so firm source documents have not been found. Note that although Ann was born circa 1637, Mary is thought by Stillwell genealogists to have been born circa 1658 -- Maria Britton is known to have been born 1645, so if this 1658 birthdate is correct, or even close to correct, Maria Britton was definitely not a Stillwell.
posted by Dave Rutherford
Stillwell-228 and Stillwell-150 appear to represent the same person because: same person
posted by [Living McQueen]