by Gary L MaherCopyright © Gary L Maher 1988 |
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Jonathan Cree, son of Joseph and Ann (Crissey) Cree, was born c. 1789 or 1791 in New Jersey (probably in Elizabeth). He died February 15, 1883 at the home of his daughter Martha at 98 Beacon Avenue, Jersey City, NJ, and was buried in an unmarked grave in the pay ground of Evergreen Cemetery in Hillside, NJ. He was married to Mary Pierson by Rev. John McDowell on October 13, 1810 in Elizabeth. She was born between 1790 and 1793. In censuses, she consistently gave New Jersey as her place of birth, while her children unvaryingly claimed that their mother was born in New York. Various censuses list Jonathan as a fisherman and as a waterman. |
Jonathan appears in tax ratables for Newark in 1814 and for Rahway in 1815. Various Elizabeth city directories list Jonathan's occupation as tailor (1868) and carpenter (1871 and 1872). Jonathan and Mary must have had marital difficulties, as the 1850 Federal and 1865 State Censuses show him living with the family of Samuel Nichols and without Mary, while the intervening 1860 Federal Census shows him and Mary living together. The 1870 Census lists them both living alone; however, the 1870 Elizabeth City Directory indicates that they lived quite closely to one another. Interestingly, according to the 1870 Census, their son John's family shared a house with the family of Matilda Nichols. |
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An anomalous entry in the 1850 Census may in actuality be Mary. There is a Nancy Cree, aged 55, enumerated in Elizabeth with Martha J. Cree, aged 15, and Mary T. Cree, aged 13. Martha J. Cree is Jonathan and Mary's daughter, and Mary (Pierson) Cree does not appear by name in the Census of that year. There is also no Nancy Cree in 1860 or any other Census of New Jersey. Since there is no death or marriage record for a Nancy Cree between 1850 and 1860, and Mary also should have been 55 at that time, it is possible that the name Nancy was erroneously entered for Mary. Also supporting this theory is the fact that in 1850, Nancy and the two girls lived with the family of Caleb Luster and were apparently next door to the family of Charles Kiggins. Similarly, the 1865 New Jersey State Census shows Mary Cree living with the family of Caleb Luster and Sarah Kiggins. If the Nancy in the 1850 Census was not actually Mary, then she must have been a daughter of Joseph Cree, as there was only one Cree family in Elizabeth at that time, and she was born too early to be a member of the third generation.
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Jonathan lived in the Alms House in 1877, but moved in with his daughter Martha and her family in time for the 1880 Census. Jonathan and Mary's son John P. Cree predeceased his parents, and his will, written on August 23, 1869, mentions both parents and siblings Joseph Cree, Sarah Morrow (deceased) and Martha Gannon. It is unknown why Phebe was omitted, as she was certainly alive at that date. His will also does not mention his sister Mary. The unnamed fourth child is listed in the Sexton's records of the First Presbyterian Church as "Jonathan Cree's child," aged 2 months. The cause of death was St. Anthony's fire, which is an inflammation or gangrenous condition of the skin. |