Margaret Ann Read and Isaac Smalley had at least 2 children born betweeen 1855 and 1858. Total identified descendants 2.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

Margaret Ann Read was the second daughter and second child of the eight children of David Read and Mary Hawk. She was born 18 January 1835 in Hardwick Township, Sussex (now Warren) County, New Jersey. Margaret was baptised shortly before her fourth birthday, on Christmas Eve 1838 in the Stillwater Presbyterian Church, in the village of Stillwater, Sussex County, New Jersey. There is evidence that Margaret's paternal grandfather John Read may have been raised as a Baptist and that her father may have been raised as both a Baptist and then later as a member of the Christian Church. Margaret's paternal grandmother Elizabeth Ogden Read Wintersteen was a charter member of the Christian Church in Johnsonburg, Sussex (now Warren) County, New Jersey. THe church was founded in 1824 (Snell 1881:666). Neither the Baptist nor the Christian Churches practice infant baptism; they only baptist adults. David and Mary Read may not have joined the Presbyterian Church until 1838. On the same day that Margaret was baptised, her sisters Sarah Elizabeth and Lydia Jane were also baptised. A third sister, Mary Catherine, had died the previous September at the age of two. She had not been baptised.

Margaret appears on the 1840 census as a member of her father's houshold in Hardwick Township. She was one of the two females between the ages of 5 and 9 who lived in the household, the other was her older sister Sarah. The census states that four individuals in the household were engaged in agriculture. There was only one male in the household, Sarah's father David. The three oldest females in the household were Sarah's mother Mary Hawk Read, a unknown female between the ages of 15 and 19, who was probably a domestic servant, and Sarah, who was almost 8 years old (1840 United States Federal Census, Hardwick Township, Warren County, New Jersey, page 378). It is possible that the Mary, the teenager and Sarah were involved in agriculture pursuits such as raising chickens and sheep—the former for eggs to sell in the local villages, the later for wool for cloth production—or that they had a buttery where they produced butter and/or cheese for sale at local markets. Margaret also appears on the 1850 census as a resident of her parent's household in Hardwick Township. She was 15 years old and attended school with her younger sisters Margaret, Lydia and Rachel. Their older sister Sarah was at home helping their mother with the innumerable chores associated with such a large household. In addition, there was a toddler, 2 year old William, and an infant, ten month old Emma, who needed to be watched and kept away from the dangers of open fires and hot iron stoves (1850 United States Federal Census, Hardwick Township, Warren County, New Jersey, page 498, 19 August 1850).

Margaret married Issac Smalley on 2 November 1854 in Stillwater (Sussex County Marriage Records, Book AF, page 392). Isaac was the son of Archibald Smalley and Elizabeth Snook. He was Isaac was born 1 January 1834 (Kern 1938). The 1850 census lists him as a single male living in Stillwater Township, Sussex County, New Jersey. His occupation is given as tailor. Isaac's aunt, Sarah Ann Snook, was married to Margaret's second cousin, Isaac Middlesworth⁴ (Sarah Read³, Isaac Read, Sr.², Joseph Read¹). Margaret and Isaac had their first child on their first wedding anniversary. Mary Louisa (or Lorinda) Smalley was born 2 November 1855 in Stillwater, Sussex County, New Jersey. Her birth is listed in the Stillwater births for 1855 under the name of Mary Lorinda Smalley. She was baptised on 21 June 1856 in the Stillwater Presbyterian Church in Stillwater. Mary Louisa was joinned three years later by a sister named Flora Elizabeth. It is not known if the family was still in Stillwater in 1858 or if they had moved to Newton Township by the time Flora was born. However by 1860, the family lived on a farm in Newton Township. According to the census, Isaac was a farmer. He owned real estate valued at $3,000 and had a personal estate valued at $500. Neither of the Smalley children was in school, they were both too young. Table 1 shows the composition of the Smalley household in 1860 (1860 United States Federal Cenus, Newton Township, Sussex County, New Jersey, page 627, 19 July 1860, post office Newton).

Table 1: Household of Isaac and Margaret Ann (Read) Smalley in 1860
1860 United States Federal Census
Newton Township, Sussex County, New Jersey, page 627.

By 1866, the family had moved again. This time to Newark in Essex County, New Jersey. On the 1870 census, Isaac was listed as a cutter in a clothing factory. He probably found employment in the garment industry when the family moved to Newark. Margaret died in Newark on 24 April 1866, age 31 years, 3 months and 5 days (her death is recorded in the Stillwater Township, Sussex County, New Jersey death records). She was buried in Marksboro Presbyterian Church Yard. Within the next four years, Isaac married Margaret's younger sister, Rachel Read. In 1870, Isaac, Rachel and Isaac's two daughters by Margaret—Mary Louisa and Flora Elizabeth—lived in the 6th ward of Newark. Isaac, as stated earlier, was a cutter in a garment factory; Rachel was keeping house and the girls were both in school. Isaac owned real property valued at $2,000 and had a personal estate valued at $200. Table 2 lists the members of the Smalley household in 1870 (1870 United States Federal Cenus, Ward 6, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, page 523, 18 June 1870, post office Newark).

Table 2: Household of Isaac and Rachel (Read) Smalley in 1870
1870 United States Federal Census
Ward 6, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, page 523.

Isaac Smalley died 16 months after his household was enumerated, on 18 October 1871 he was 40 years, 3 months and 7 days old. Rachel, who was almost 27 years old was left to raise her two neices/step-daughters. Isaac was buried in Marksboro Presbyterian Church Yard in Marksboro, Frelinghuysen Township, Warren County, New Jersey next to his first wife (and Rachel's older sister) Margaret Ann Read. For more information about Rachel see her page.

REFERENCES

PRIMARY

Census

Marriage Records

SECONDARY

WEB SITES

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