This was originally published December 15, 2014. It was updated in 2021 to provide more information on David Brady's children and a fourth wife. In 2024, information on David Brady's wives, Fanny Cornell and Abigail Filley, David's will, and other details, were added.
Wife Fanny (Frances) Vanderhoof Brady was probably David Brady's first wife. David received patents on 480 acres in Big Island Township, Marion County, Ohio in the early 1820s. Fanny died in 1828 at age 40 according to her stone there at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, which also states she was the wife of David Brady. She and David Brady would have married by 1807 to be Nancy's parents. Fanny would have been 19, and David, 22. An Ancestry tree shows a Thomas Vanderhoof, who died in Cass county near David Brady in 1851 and had a sister, Francine, born 1787 in Sussex county, New Jersey. The Vanderhoofs had similar migration patterns to the Bradys: Sussex county, New Jersey, Marion county, Ohio, Cass county, Michigan, and Harrison county, Iowa. That said, I haven't seen more substantial evidence that she was the Fanny married to David Brady.
David Brady, born 1785 in Sussex County, New Jersey, died on his homestead, west of Cassopolis, Michigan, in 1878. He is buried on his farm where he and his family first camped upon claiming his land in 1829. Page 229 of the History of Cass County, Michigan says that he was married several times and reared a very large family of children, over twenty, of whom however only one, Mrs Phebe Merwin, is now living in La Grange. His widow married Thomas Moore and is a resident of this township.
That's quite the statement. Over twenty children. Married several times. Tough to prove, though. David's will goes a long way to clear it all up. Records from the frontier are pretty scarce, and in that time period census data is minimal. And the early New Jersey censuses are completely destroyed.
I'll do my best to identify the wives and children of David Brady. Others might have more information. Please note that years are often just estimates.
David Brady was quite possibly married by 1807, being 22.
That's quite the statement. Over twenty children. Married several times. Tough to prove, though. David's will goes a long way to clear it all up. Records from the frontier are pretty scarce, and in that time period census data is minimal. And the early New Jersey censuses are completely destroyed.
I'll do my best to identify the wives and children of David Brady. Others might have more information. Please note that years are often just estimates.
David Brady was quite possibly married by 1807, being 22.
1) Nancy Brady Gawthrop Cooper (1808) died in 1878 and her obituary says she was a daughter of David Brady. She was born May 5, 1808. It says she had her father's sturdy and generous qualities, traits similar to those used to describe David Brady in his obituary a few weeks earlier. It seems pretty likely that she was the eldest daughter of this David Brady.
2) Ellenor Brady Flewelling (1811) is the next candidate. She died in 1899 in neighboring Berrien County, Michigan. Her death record gives her birth as 1811 in New Jersey, son of David Brady. Ellenor's eldest daughter was Fanny, probably named for her mother, Fanny.
3) Julia Ann Brady Hunter (1815) married Alexander Hunter in Cass County, Michigan in 1833. She had a son, David Brady Hunter, who was born in 1844. Given that she was married in Cass County when the county was just being settled, and named a son David Brady, it seems likely she was David's daughter. Being married in 1833 at an estimated age of 18, would put her birth in 1815 and the 1850 census confirms that. Her husband had died by then, and she moved west with her children David and Samuel. They were miners in California. Her stone at French Gulch, California, according to Find A Grave Memorial # 23387934, states she was from Michigan, age 54, which puts her death around 1869.
The 1850 census gives Julia's birthplace as Ohio (1815). David had likely lived in another part of Ohio prior to Marion County.
4) William Brady (1817) and his family are listed in the 1850 census for Lagrange Township, Cass County, Michigan, just a few houses from David Brady. His age is given as 33, making him born in 1817, with birthplace listed as Ohio. He died in Cass county in 1857.
5) Peter Brady (1820) is shown in the 1850 census living next to David Brady. His age is 30, making him born in 1820. His birthplace is also Ohio. Living so close to David Brady makes it very likely that both William and Peter were sons of David Brady. Peter was an early settler of Harrison county, Iowa arriving there in 1852. Census reports him there in 1885, so he likely died there after that. His Civil War draft registration lists his age as 44 in June 1863, which could make his year of birth as early as 1819. He married Sarah Harris in 1847.
9) David Brady (1830) is listed in the 1850 census with David and Abigail, born in Ohio, age 20, making his birth year 1830. In Fanny's divorce statement, she claims that David and Abigail had a child together, but that may have been Richard, with Fanny being David's mother. According to his obituary in the Stockton Evening Mail, he was born in Marion county, Ohio and moved to California in 1850, mined for ten years, ranched, and died in Stockton March 9, 1913.
11) Alexander Hamilton Brady (1832), who went by "Hamilton", died in 1892 in Trenton, Missouri. A building he owned in Spickardsville in 1890 was damaged by a group of local women. It was being used as a tavern and the women objected to its operation. He had spent some time in Harrison county, Iowa, living with his older brother Peter.
12) George Washington Brady (1834) (my 2g grandfather) was born July 30, 1834. He was an early settler in Harrison county, Iowa, homesteaded in northwestern Kansas, and later returned to Harrison county. He died there December 25, 1918.
14) Lydia Brady Grant (1840) born in 1840, married Charles Grant Sep 22, 1858 in Cass county, Michigan, lived in Kansas City, Missouri. She died there February 19, 1899.
15) Phoebe Brady Merwin (1842). According to her find-a-grave listing, she died July 13, 1916 of age 72 years and a day which would put her birth in 1844 which does not match up with the 1850 census listing her and her siblings. I suspect her birth was on July 12, 1842. She was married to Orrin E. Merwin.
17) Charles E. Brady - 1848. He died in June 1938 in Kansas City, Missouri. The 1850 census put his year of birth at about 1848.
Abigail died 22 September 1850 and is buried on her and David's land. He remarried four months later, 22 January 1851, which was probably a necessity having young children. His fourth known wife was Susan Scofield. According to the 1860 census, she was born in 1825 in New York, forty years younger than her new husband.
So did David Brady have several wives and over twenty children? I've identified four wives, two Fannys, Abigail, and Susan. And 16 or 17 children. It's possible that the biography exaggerated these points, as they tended to do. But there certainly could have been wives and children who died young or were otherwise missed in research.
I am descended from David, his son George, George's son Frank, and Frank's daughter Mildred, my grandmother, making David Brady my 3g grandfather.
Bob Mesenbrink
June 5, 2024
2) Ellenor Brady Flewelling (1811) is the next candidate. She died in 1899 in neighboring Berrien County, Michigan. Her death record gives her birth as 1811 in New Jersey, son of David Brady. Ellenor's eldest daughter was Fanny, probably named for her mother, Fanny.
3) Julia Ann Brady Hunter (1815) married Alexander Hunter in Cass County, Michigan in 1833. She had a son, David Brady Hunter, who was born in 1844. Given that she was married in Cass County when the county was just being settled, and named a son David Brady, it seems likely she was David's daughter. Being married in 1833 at an estimated age of 18, would put her birth in 1815 and the 1850 census confirms that. Her husband had died by then, and she moved west with her children David and Samuel. They were miners in California. Her stone at French Gulch, California, according to Find A Grave Memorial # 23387934, states she was from Michigan, age 54, which puts her death around 1869.
The 1850 census gives Julia's birthplace as Ohio (1815). David had likely lived in another part of Ohio prior to Marion County.
4) William Brady (1817) and his family are listed in the 1850 census for Lagrange Township, Cass County, Michigan, just a few houses from David Brady. His age is given as 33, making him born in 1817, with birthplace listed as Ohio. He died in Cass county in 1857.
5) Peter Brady (1820) is shown in the 1850 census living next to David Brady. His age is 30, making him born in 1820. His birthplace is also Ohio. Living so close to David Brady makes it very likely that both William and Peter were sons of David Brady. Peter was an early settler of Harrison county, Iowa arriving there in 1852. Census reports him there in 1885, so he likely died there after that. His Civil War draft registration lists his age as 44 in June 1863, which could make his year of birth as early as 1819. He married Sarah Harris in 1847.
6) Mary "Polly" Brady Moore (1820) who married Squire Ball and Peter Moore is shown on the find-a-grave site as a daughter of David and Fanny Vanderhoof Brady. The site says she was born March 17, 1820 and died Mar 8, 1893. There is no picture of a gravestone currently.
7) Ann Brady (1824) married George N. Martin in 1841 in Cass County, Michigan. She was 17 according to the marriage record, making her born about 1824. The age fits well with other children, and being from Cass County is a plus. But not much has been found to suggest she was or was not David's daughter.
7) Ann Brady (1824) married George N. Martin in 1841 in Cass County, Michigan. She was 17 according to the marriage record, making her born about 1824. The age fits well with other children, and being from Cass County is a plus. But not much has been found to suggest she was or was not David's daughter.
Gravestones for David's wife, Fanny, and a presumed son, Edward. suggest that Fanny died when Edward was born. Fanny's find-a-grave memorial, #96475619, gives her date of death as February 1, 1828. Edward's find-a-grave record, #96475730, indicates a month and day of May 24, but no year. Perhaps Edward survived only a few months without his mother.
8) Edward Brady (1828) apparently died as an infant, b. 1828, d. 1828.
8) Edward Brady (1828) apparently died as an infant, b. 1828, d. 1828.
David married Fanny Cornell in Marion county, Ohio on February 10, 1829, a year after his first wife Fanny's death. Fanny Cornell, was David's second wife.
The 1830 censuses show Fanny and David each holding down their own households. Fanny
was a head of household, being in her 20s and having two boys under 5, living in Marion county, Ohio. Meanwhile, David was living in Cass county, Michigan, with two males in their 40s, a female in her 20s, and a couple of boys, one under 5.
In August of 1831, Fanny filed for divorce from David, claiming that he had abandoned her and had cohabitated with Abigail Barnes in both Marion county, Ohio and Michigan. Fanny stated that she was mother to one child with David. David (Jr.), born in 1830, might have been that child, or perhaps there was another child that I have not accounted for. The 1830 census shows her with 2 young children, but there is no indication of relationship or names in that census. It seems likely that David (Jr.) was one of the children, but it isn't clear who the other child was. If David and Abigail were together by 1830, Abigail could be David's (Jr.) mother.
In the 1830 census, Fanny is a neighbor to a John Brady, whose family included a male 70-79 along with a man and woman and two small boys. I believe John was a brother to David and Christopher. William Brady sold some of his land to John in 1825. William is not head of household in the census, but I believe he was the father of David, Christopher, and John. The age range of the older man in John's household would make him born between 1750 and 1760. If this older man was indeed John's (and David and Christopher's) father, it would explain him being missing from the 1830 census prior to his sale of land in 1831, from Michigan. Perhaps, William decided to sell his farm to his younger son, John, who didn't get in on the land grants, and stayed on with with John for a period of time.
Abigail Barnes was divorced prior to marrying David Brady. Her maiden name was Abigail Filley and she remained married to Henry Barnes for only a few months in 1826. There were at least three Filleys in Marion county, Ohio at that time, found in marriage records there, including two men, William and Israel. It is possible they were brothers to Abigail. The Filley family has strong connections to Connecticut, so this is likely where her family originated.
Abigail is buried along side David on their farm in Cass county, Michigan. So, although there is no known marriage record for David and Abigail, I consider Abigail Filley to be David's third wife. In fact, David's will refers to her as Abigail Filley, not Abigail Brady, or his deceased wife, so it is possible they never bothered with a marriage.
Fanny remarried in 1833, to Peter Smucker (sp?), but I haven't been able to find her after that and don't know if she might have raised any of David's children.
9) David Brady (1830) is listed in the 1850 census with David and Abigail, born in Ohio, age 20, making his birth year 1830. In Fanny's divorce statement, she claims that David and Abigail had a child together, but that may have been Richard, with Fanny being David's mother. According to his obituary in the Stockton Evening Mail, he was born in Marion county, Ohio and moved to California in 1850, mined for ten years, ranched, and died in Stockton March 9, 1913.
10) Richard Brady (1831) was 19 in the 1850 census, making his birth year 1831. The census reports him, and the younger children, as born in Michigan. He had spent some time in Harrison county, Iowa, where his older brother Peter settled. He died in Cass county September 1, 1889. His mother was likely Abigail as he was born in Michigan and Fanny seems to have been in Ohio throughout that time.
11) Alexander Hamilton Brady (1832), who went by "Hamilton", died in 1892 in Trenton, Missouri. A building he owned in Spickardsville in 1890 was damaged by a group of local women. It was being used as a tavern and the women objected to its operation. He had spent some time in Harrison county, Iowa, living with his older brother Peter.
12) George Washington Brady (1834) (my 2g grandfather) was born July 30, 1834. He was an early settler in Harrison county, Iowa, homesteaded in northwestern Kansas, and later returned to Harrison county. He died there December 25, 1918.
13) Jonathan Brady (1837). According to find-a-grave, John Brady b. October 22, 1834, d. March 7, 1909 in Lake City, Iowa. Census records indicate he was younger than George and likely born in 1837. John's marriage record in Iowa lists his mother's name as Abigail Filley and that agrees with the Marion county, Ohio records.
14) Lydia Brady Grant (1840) born in 1840, married Charles Grant Sep 22, 1858 in Cass county, Michigan, lived in Kansas City, Missouri. She died there February 19, 1899.
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| Phoebe Brady Merwin (photo from Gordon Arent) |
15) Phoebe Brady Merwin (1842). According to her find-a-grave listing, she died July 13, 1916 of age 72 years and a day which would put her birth in 1844 which does not match up with the 1850 census listing her and her siblings. I suspect her birth was on July 12, 1842. She was married to Orrin E. Merwin.
16) Christopher Columbus Brady (1846). His find-a-grave memorial indicates he died in Verden, Oklahoma in 1932. He had spent several years in Nebraska prior to moving to Oklahoma. The 1850 census put his year of birth at around 1846.
17) Charles E. Brady - 1848. He died in June 1938 in Kansas City, Missouri. The 1850 census put his year of birth at about 1848.
Abigail died 22 September 1850 and is buried on her and David's land. He remarried four months later, 22 January 1851, which was probably a necessity having young children. His fourth known wife was Susan Scofield. According to the 1860 census, she was born in 1825 in New York, forty years younger than her new husband.
So did David Brady have several wives and over twenty children? I've identified four wives, two Fannys, Abigail, and Susan. And 16 or 17 children. It's possible that the biography exaggerated these points, as they tended to do. But there certainly could have been wives and children who died young or were otherwise missed in research.
I am descended from David, his son George, George's son Frank, and Frank's daughter Mildred, my grandmother, making David Brady my 3g grandfather.
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| George Washington Brady & Eliza Jane (McIntyre) Brady |
June 5, 2024
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