Nathan McCrea (aft. 1827 - 1881)

Born after 1827 in Maine, United States

Husband of Mary Joyce (Babbidge) McCrea — married 6 Mar 1854 in Newark, NJ

Descendants

Died 20 Sep 1881 before age 54 in Orange, Essex, New Jersey, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Joan Kelly [send private message]

Biography

Nathan McCrea (last name at birth) was born circa 1827-1829, (in Orange, New Jersey, USA. In 1851 arrived in Boston on the brig 'Belle' from Halifax, Nova Scotia stating he was from Halifax, age 24 and his occupation was a hatter. On January 6, 1854, at Newark, New Jersey, Nathan married Mary Joyce Babbidge, daughter of Courtney Babbidge (born 1781) and Mercy (Joyce) Babbidge, born 1785. Marriage officiated by Rev. J. Smith. Mary J. Babbidge was born Harrington, Washington County, Maine and died in Orange, Essex, New Jersey. 1860 Nathan “McRay” living in 12th Ward, Newark NJ, occupation Hatter, daughter Margaret is four months old. (Margaret does not appear on the 1870 census, and may have died young) Nathan “McRay” enlisted at the age of 32 years, on May 26, 1861 at Newark New Jersey to serve three years; mustered in as private, Co. F, 72nd New York Infantry. June 21, 1861. His unit fought in Spottsylvania, Virginia with the big battle at Spottsylvania Court House happening on May 12, 1864, however Nathan had been captured in action, May 10, 1864, at Landron's Farm, Virginia. Paroled, April 10, 1865 (at the end of the American Civil War) and mustered out with detachment, July 6, 1865, at New York City.

Children of Nathan McCrea and Mary Joyce are:

• Nathan McCrea, born about 1829 in Essex County, married Mary Ann Meade on November 28, 1889 at St. John's Church in Orange NJ (married by J.W. McDowell, asst.)
• Samuel McCrea born in NY around 1851 (1870 Census)
• Margaret McCrea, born 1860, probably died prior to 1870
• William Penn McCrea, born 1865, married Margaret Agnes Borgquist on January 20, 1918 at 5pm in Orange NJ (married by Rev. J. A. O'Donnell, 66 Ridge Street). Margaret Agnes Borgquist born March 28, 1891 in West Orange NJ Daughter of John Borgquist and Elizabeth Gorman.
• Emory McCrea, born May 1, 1878

1870 lived in Newark Ward 11, Essex, New Jersey; Roll: M593_882; Page: 451; Image: 61. ^[1] 1880 lived at Orange, Essex, New Jersey, United States: "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN8Q-L3R : 12 August 2017), Emery A Mc Crea in household of Nathan Mc Crea, Orange, Essex, New Jersey, United States; citing enumeration district ED 110, sheet 179B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0780; FHL microfilm 1,254,780 Nathan McCrea, Sr. died September 20, 1881, in Orange, Essex county, New Jersey and is buried in the cemetery of Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, in Orange. There is a photograph of his headstone on his Find A Grave memorial, with the spelling of his surname as "McCrea." ^[2]

Researcher’s Notes

1887: Mary J McCrea’s made application for a Civil War Pension, in New Jersey. The civil war pension records indicate that Nathan was a boarder in a house in which Mary was a cook. That was in 1853, prior to their marriage in 1854. It was the affidavit of a resident of New Jersey. Nathan was with the 72nd NY Infantry. In the pension file there is a report from the Department of the Interior - it gives an overview of his war service, mentioning that he was captured and then escaped. When he escaped he "reported in Union lines at Mobile, Ala". Go about half way through the pension documents and look for a page printed landscape in 4 columns.

In the Widow's Declaration for Pension or Increase of Pension (it has a hand written 35 at the top, and it's a few pages after the military info) look about 1/3 of the way down - "and who died of.....disease.....incurred in said service, in the line of duty, at Fredricksburg VA "also caused by interment at Andersonville … and Florence" [Nathan's Cause of Death: Chronic Nephritis]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN67-4LZ : 19 March 2020), Nathan McRea, 1870.
2. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #44862656

• "Maine Families in 1790" page 164
• "History of Swan's Island, Maine" 89-97

Acknowledgments

• McCrea-148 was created by Joan Kelly through the import of Kelly McCrea Borgquist Fryer 2.ged on Sep 18, 2014