The Surviving DNA of Jonas Long (1790-1837)

We can turn to DNA to try to uncover the parents of Jonas Long, my 5th great grandfather. We are looking for the identities of 6th great grandparents who lived in the 1700s. We will be working with very tiny amounts of shared DNA.

Spoiler alert: I have not identified the parents of Jonas Long as of this writing.

Jonas resided in Middlesex County, New Jersey and Richmond County, New York, so this is our target geographic area for matches.

Three generations of Long and Merrell

The approach is to identify the descendants of Jonas Long and Elizabeth Merrell (1800-186x) who have tested their DNA. For purposes of this article, we will use the testers at the website Ancestry. Ancestry has a "Shared Matches" feature. The idea is that the matches in common will hail from either the Long side or the Merrell side. The family trees of the possible Long matches will be analyzed for overlap, pointing to ancestors of Jonas Long.

My line descends from Susan Long (1818-1882) from her marriage to Eliakim Marsh (1816-1881). Susan and Eliakim have many descendants among my DNA matches. We can use these cousins to find Long matches, but we must extract the overlapping Marsh and Willis cousins who match through the ancestors of Eliakim Marsh and not Jonas Long.

My closest Long/Merrell cousins also share Marsh/Willis ancestry

Connection to Nearby New Jersey Long

Of note is a descendant of Israel B Long (1794-1886) and Mary Polly Brown (1804-18xx). They lived in New Providence, Essex County (now Union County), New Jersey.

1850 federal census
New Providence Township, Essex County, New Jersey.
Household of Israel B Long.
Note "his W" next to the name of Mary. This enumerator noted the wives, even though relationships were not a question.

From a book by John Littell published in 1852, we are provided Israel's parents as John Long (1758-1820) and Susannah Valentine (1761-1812).

John Littell, Family Records, or, Genealogies of the First Settlers of Passaic Valley (and Vicinity,) Above Chatham, with Their Ancestors and Descendants as Far as Can Now Be Ascertained (Feltville, N.J.: Stationers' Hall Press, 1852), page 262, accessed July 9, 2026, Google Books.
Feltville is now in Berkeley Heights, Union County, New Jersey.

Jonas Long was probably born in the early 1790s. More research is needed into Israel and his parents to see if Israel and Jonas could have been brothers.

Connections to a Cluster of Long in Pennsylvania

Israel Long's descendant and many of the descendants of Jonas Long and Elizabeth Merrell have matches with a cluster of individuals who trace back to John George Long (1764-1850) and Catherine Barbara Conrad (1771-1832). John George was from The Rhine area of what is now Germany. He and Catherine made their home and family in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.

Find A Grave memorial page for John George Long (1770-1850)
Buried at Zion Lutheran Reformed Church Cemetery
in Augustaville, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.

The descendants of John George Long and Catherine Conrad intermarried often. The surnames Haupt and Henninger are often encountered. This may be why they are strongly represented in the Shared Matches.

John George Long of The Rhineland is probably in the generation of the parents of Israel B Long and my Jonas Long. If the Longs originated from The Rhineland, the records connecting Jonas, Israel, and the Pennsylvania Longs will be in Germany, but a more precise location is needed. The name was probably spelled Lang or a variant.

 

Letters Waiting for Jonas Long

During the life of Jonas Long in the early 1800s, mail was not delivered to individual houses; rather, letters and such were sent a local establishment designated as a post office. Recipients were published in the local paper to notify them that mail awaited them.

I found a few such notices for Jonas Long. There may be more, but poor copy of these newspapers, combined with the automated indexing, has not linked them.

The earliest notice appeared in 1818 in The Washington Whig, a newspaper for Bridgeton, Cumberland County, New Jersey. (The town appears as "Bridgetown," not "Bridgeton," in the article. The W was often used in this time period for this town.) This is curious because Jonas Long lived in Middlesex County, New Jersey and Richmond County, New York. These locations are over 100 miles northeast of Bridgeton. It is possible that this letter was meant for a different Jonas Long in that region.

The Washington Whig newspaper
Bridgetown/Bridgeton, Cumberland County, New Jersey
Letter remains at the post office for Jonas Long

A notice of a letter for Jonas Long appeared in 1823 in the Fredonian in New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey. This is more consistent with where Jonas was living.

The Fredonian newspaper
New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey
Letter remains in the post office for Jonas Long

A notice appeared in 1838 in The Evening Post of New York City. This is curious for two reasons. First, this was after his death in 1835 or 1837. Second, a middle initial P was used. This is the only time I found a middle initial for Jonas Long. The location is appropriate for my Jonas Long. Maybe the sender did not realize that Jonas had died. Or maybe Jonas had not died yet- I have found no contemporaneous records documenting a death in 1835 or 1837.

The Evening Post newspaper of New York City
April 14, 1838
Letter remains in the post office for Jonas P Long

To find old newspapers, I use Newspapers and GenealogyBank. These are pay sites. You can also find newspapers by visiting the website of the local town library to see if they digitized historical newspapers for that town. For example, newspapers for Newark, New Jersey are available for the years 1872-1972 via the library's website with no paywall. Also try searching for the county instead of the town. For example, newspapers from 1814-1950 in Sussex County, New Jersey are available without a paywall.

The Alternate Names of Lucretia Frances Long (1831-1905)

Letitia, or Lucretia Frances, daughter of Jonas Long and Elizabeth Merrell, was a bit challenging to track. She was born about 1831, probably in Richmond County (Staten Island), New York.

Family tree of Jonas Long and Elizabeth Merrell.
Seven known children born from approximately 1817 through 1836
in Middlesex County, New Jersey and Richmond County, New York.

"Letitia F Birch wife of Edward Birch" was listed in the probate papers of Richard J Merrill (Merrell), her maternal grandfather, in Middlesex County, New Jersey. She and her siblings signed a release dated October 4, 1865. They inherited their deceased mother's share.

Release signed by six of the children of Elizabeth Long.
Letitia F Birch, wife of Edward Birch, is the focus of this article.

Letitia was also named in her father's probate records from 1860, reflecting his death in 1837 (or thereabouts).

Index Richmond County, New York.
These files refer to Letters of Administration sought by Elizabeth Merrell
years after the deaths of her husbands.

On January 2, 1859 Edward C Burch and Lucretia F Long married in New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Names of parents and ages were not given. The bride's name was Lucretia, not Letitia.

Marriage record of Edward C Burch and Lucretia F Long
January 2, 1859 in New Brunswick
Microfilm digitized at Ancestry

Marriage record of Edward C Burch and Lucretia F Long
January 2, 1859 in New Brunswick

Were these people actually Edward C Birch and Letitia Long? Additional records would help, except there were none easily discoverable.

Where was Letitia/Lucretia in the 1850 census? I do not know. She was not with her mother in Northfield, Richmond County, New York. Presumably she was unmarried.

I did not find Edward Burch or Birch with a wife named Lucretia or Letitia in the census from 1860 forward.

The 1890 federal census was destroyed; however, the Veterans Census survived. In New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey was Edward C Birch. He served as a private in Company I of the 11th New Jersey Infantry from August 6, 1862 through April 5, 1863.

1890 Veterans Census
Edward C Birch
New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey

An index card lines up with Edward and Lucretia/Letitia for pensions of Civil War Soldiers (collection at Ancestry). Edward C Birch filed for an invalid pension in 1863. In 1897, Lutitia F Birch filed for a pension as his widow in New Jersey.

Index card of Civil War Pensions
Edward C Birch, soldier. Lutitia F Birch, widow.
U.S. Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934

Yet there is no entry in the New Jersey Death Index for Edward Birch in 1896 or 1897. There are no census entries for this couple.

Newspapers for New Brunswick are digitized at Newspapers dot com. I searched for the Long family. I found an obituary in 1905 for Mrs Lucretia DeHart.

Family:
Elias Terrill, son-in-law
John DeHart, son
John Long, brother
Edward C DeHart, deceased husband

Obituary of Lucretia F DeHart died November 12, 1905.
She was a resident of New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey.

Was Lucretia DeHart formerly Letitia Long? Was Edward C DeHart also Edward C Birch or Burch?

Using this alternate surname, I found the couple in New Brunswick in the census for 1860 and 1880. In 1860, they had a six month old baby named George DeHart. Also with them was a 49 year old woman named Elizabeth DeHart. (Relations of household members were not asked until 1880.)

1860 federal census New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey
Edward DeHart, age 23. Day laborer. Personal estate $100. Birthplace New Jersey.
Lucretia DeHart, age 26. Birthplace New York. Cannot read.
George DeHart, age 6/12. Birthplace New Jersey.
Elizabeth DeHart, age 49. Birthplace New Jersey.

George DeHart died April 19, 1876 in New Brunswick. He was sixteen years old. His parents were Ed and Letitia.

George C DeHart died April 19, 1876 in New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey.
Age 16 years, 2 months.
Microfilm digitized at Ancestry

In 1880, the original son George was replaced by George born about 1868. Maybe he had a different name at birth because the original George died in 1876. More children were born to Edward and Lucretia: Delphina, George, Joseph. Also living in this household was George DeHart, age 33; and Lizzie DeHart, age 22.

1880 federal census New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey.
Edward DeHart, age 43. Huckster. Born New Jersey; father New Jersey; mother New Jersey.
Lucretia, wife, age 47. Wife. Keeping house. Born New York; NJ; NJ.
Delphina, 18. Daughter. At home. NJ; NJ; NY.
George, 12. Son. At school. NJ; NJ; NY.
Joseph, 10. Son. At school. NJ; NJ; NY.
George, 33. Boarder. Blacksmith. NJ; NJ; NJ.
Lizzie, 22. Boarder. At home. NJ; NJ; NJ.

Vital records from the New Jersey State Archives (not online) could shed light on this discrepancy.

Using the name, date, and location from the obituary of Mrs Lucretia DeHart, I found the death certificate of Lutatia Frances DeHart. Her parents names were blank!

Death certificate Lutatia Frances DeHart
November 12, 1905 in New Brunswick

Using the name DeHart instead of Birch or Burch, I found a death certificate for Edward C DeHart. He died December 8, 1896 in New Brunswick. His father's name was blank. His mother's name was Elizabeth DeHart.

Death certificate of Edward C DeHart.
December 8, 1896 in New Brunswick.
Mother- Elizabeth DeHart.

Delphine Dehart married Elias L V Tyrrell March 18, 1885 in New Brunswick. She listed her parents as Edward DeHart and Letitia Long. This document shows the connection to the Long family.

Marriage record
Elias L V Tyrrell and Delphine DeHart.
March 18, 1885 in New Brunswick.

Della Terryl died September 27, 1903 in New Brunswick. Her parents were listed as Edward Birch and Letitia Birch, not DeHart and Long like her marriage record.

Death certificate of Della F Terryl
September 27, 1930 in New Brunswick.
Father- Edward Birch. Mother- Letitia Birch.

Why two different surnames? I think that Edward's mother, Elizabeth, may have first been married to Mr Burch/Birch, then to William DeHart. Edward may have been born Burch/Birch and used this surname for legal purposes on his marriage record and his Civil War military records. For other interactions, he used his step-father's surname DeHart.

In 1850 in Piscataway, Edward and Elizabeth DeHart lived with William DeHart. There was a ten year gap between Edward and the next child, George. Such an age gap between siblings could indicate a remarriage. This George DeHart is probably the boarder who was living with Edward Birch in the 1880 census in New Brunswick.

1850 federal census Piscataway, Middlesex County, New Jersey
William DeHart, age 39. Factory. $200 real estate. Born New Jersey.
Elizabeth DeHart, age 35. Born New Jersey.
Edward DeHart, age 13. Born New Jersey.
George DeHart, age 3. Born New Jersey.
Stephen DeHart, age 1. Born New Jersey.

Lucretia and Edward were buried in Evergreen Cemetery in New Brunswick.