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.