Jacob Elliott (1804-03-17 – 1891-10-11) and Mary Ann Cole (1808-03-02 – 1883-07-05) were my great-great-great-grandparents, being the parents of Mary Jane Ryder. Jacob sits under what I call “Elliott mysteries” as the son of Nathaniel Elliott and Anna Durgin, both having uncertain Elliott ancestry. Mary was the daughter of Thomas Cole and Margery Rich.

Jacob was born in Pittsfield, New Hampshire and died in Monkton, Vermont. Mary died in Monkton, and her death record says she was born there, but it is more likely she was born in Charlotte. They married in Starksboro, VT on 1827-12-12^ref and had seven children.

Births and parents

For neither do birth records appear to exist, but one can infer information from death records. Both give age at death in years, months, days, which suggest the date of birth was known.

Jacob’s age at death is recorded as 87y6m24d^ref, from which the above birth is inferred. His place of birth is stated as Pittsfield, New Hampshire, with parents Nathaniel and Anna; the linked couple lived in Pittsfield in the 1810 census, and thereafter moved to Monkton, so it’s surely the same Nathaniel and Anna.

Mary’s death record lists her age as 75y4m3d^ref, yielding the above birth date. Although it states she was born in Monkton, where she moved to quite young, the deposition of her father states that he was living in Charlotte from around 1806 to 1821, so that is likely where she was born (although she may have been born away from home). Her parents are listed as Thomas and Mary, but the latter is presumably an error for Margery; the match to the known Thomas Cole whose life and residences are well-documented is too close to believe there is another Thomas Cole.

The birth calculations can be compared to census records where they are asked for their ages:

The correspondence is pretty good.

Similar calculations were resorted to for the birthdates of some of their children.

Children

Seven children are identified:

• Thomas C. (1828-08-30 – 1879-04-11), married Malvina Partch.
• Almira (1833? – 1911-03-19), married Henry Clay Rich, but had no children.
• Emiline (1835-08-26 – 1904-11-30), married Amos Weeks.
• Abigail (1837-05-16 – 1899-09-28) “Abbie”, had an illegitimate son Ira Elliott born 1861-12-30, father unknown, married Charles Jordan 1891-06-06, no further children.
• William Jacob (1839-03-03 – 1909-01-06), married Mary A. Diggles.
• Ira (1842-04 – 1844-02-28).^ref
• Mary Jane (1844-12-25 – 1912-04-18), sometimes Mary Jennie or Jennie, my great-great-grandmother.

The 1840 census shows two boys and three girls in their household, whose age ranges are consistent with the first 5 children above.^ref The 1850 census shows all children living with them except for Ira.

Ancestry

… of Jacob

See his parents for possible continuations of his Elliott lines.

… of Mary