In the records of the First Presbyterian Church of Morristown, New Jersey is a curious entry for "a tedious courtship of 24 hours." The short courtship was unusual- maybe that is why it was mentioned? What does "tedious" mean in this context?
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| By Same [Reverend James Richards] January 17, 1806 David Munn, Orange Miss Phebe Youngs, Malapardis, "After a tedious courtship of 24 hours." |
David Munn, the groom, was from Orange, Essex County. The bride, Phebe Youngs, was from Malapardis, which is now an area within Hanover, Morris County.
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| Map of Town of Hanover, Morris County, New Jersey. 1868. |
The marriage was also recorded at the county level without mention of the courtship.
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| Marriages in the County of Morris, State of New Jersey. These can be viewed from home for free via FamilySearch.org. Film 1314453. |
In spite of this unconventional beginning, the marriage endured for 33 years until the death of David Munn.
This union is mentioned in a book from 1907, Vicar Christopher Yonges. His Ancestors in England and His Descendants in America. A History and Genealogy. Three children are listed for David and Phebe.
-Alson C Munn (died 1841)
-Ira Youngs Munn (1809-1882), married Mary Matilda Forsyth (1836-1920)
-Ruth Munn (1811-1889) married William Denman (1807-1879)
The family relocated from New Jersey to Missouri.
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| Excerpt from the Youngs Family Genealogy Book by Selah Youngs, Jr, 1907 |
David Munn served in the military for five years, from 1812 through 1817. He attained the rank of sergeant. He was in the light artillery of Captain John L Eastman's Company. During the Battle of York, War of 1812, he lost a finger. He died in 1839 in his 50s. A military marker sits atop his grave in Ohio.
Certain parts of David Munn's records relating to his military service are available from Fold3 (behind a paywall). Phebe became eligible for a widow's pension under a federal act passed in 1871. The soldier's service needed to have been at least sixty days and the marriage prior to the end of the War.
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| Act of 1871 Soldiers who served at least 60 days in the War of 1812 could apply for a pension, as could their widows- if they married before the end of the War. |
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| Phebe's application to collect her widow's pension for David's service in the War of 1812. Number 4835. |
The date of recording also had to be included- November 10, 1806- ten months after the event. The time lapse between events and recording of those events must be remembered when we evaluate the accuracy of records. In this case, we have to recordings- one from the county and one from the church, and they are consistent.
Phebe died in 1875. She was buried with her daughter, Ruth (1811-1889), and son-in-law, William Denman (1807-1879), in Illinois.
