Mary Brown Ustick Baker

Mary Brown Ustick Baker

1780-1832

Mary Brown Ustick Baker was born in Grafton, Worcester, Massachusetts, July 9, 1780 to the Reverend Thomas Ustick and his wife Hannah Whitear (1). Because her father was a well-known preacher, he was sent to many locations throughout Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, and points in-between. Unfortunately, most of what we know of any woman’s history is told through the stories of the men in their lives, and thus most of what we know of her is based on them. And, until women were “allowed” to own property in their own right and vote, that’s the way it was!

 Mary’s middle name of Brown cannot be tied to any earlier marriage than to her one and only known husband, Henry Baker. While researching, it was not unusual for children to have a middle name of a cherished family last name or a prominent person, such as Head (shows up later), or Brown. The name appears as recent as the generation before her parents when her aunt Hester lost her husband and two children by the age of twenty, while married to William Browne. They had five children together, when she quickly remarried Richard Hough and had another son with him. She also died young, and it’s rumored that her children with Browne were raised by the Baker family-also not so uncommon as you’ll see.

 Let’s start with what we know about Mary’s family history. Like her future husband, her lineage can be traced back to at least 1660 in the parish of Saint Just, near Botallock, Cornwall, England. (Her husband’s family is from a surprisingly close geographic location!). Four generations of Ustick’s are recorded there, with Thomas, who immigrated to the new world and settled in Schooley Mountain, New Jersey, the first to arrive in the New World.

 Thomas didn’t fancy the farm life, so he didn’t stay long, moving to New York City, where he met and married Elizabeth Schackerly in the Trinity Dutch Reformed Church. He and Elizabeth had four children, the oldest of whom, Stephen, was born around 1730. He married Jane Ruland, and they proceeded to have nine children, one of whom was named Thomas-he was Mary Brown’s father, and in strong opposition by his family, he chose to leave the Trinity for the Baptist church, where he became a minister and preached under the guidance of his mentor John Gano (who he would name one of his own sons after).

 Thomas married Hannah Whitear of Connecticut in 1772, and vowed to have thirteen children, and darned if they didn’t do it! They were: Stephen, Jane, Sarah, Thomas Whitear (note the middle name in commemoration of a family name), Hannah, Mary, Elizabeth, John Gano (named for his mentor), Martin, William, Benjamin, Susan, and Daniel Gano. (2) He moved in service to the church to Philadelphia, where he died and is buried in the church yard. His wife was buried with him when she died in 1837. Given that Mary was born in Massachusetts, it’s certain as a preacher he moved often, and brought his family with him to each new assignment.

 Henry Baker also has family roots here in Bucks County. His first ancestors arrived in the new world from West Barby, Lancashire, England aboard the “Vine”, landing on September 17, 1684. (3), having departed on July 7, 1684 (4). Can you imagine two months on a boat crossing an ocean in the middle of summer?

 But here he was, a devout Quaker Friend in search of freedom, who was received into the Falls Meeting on arrival. His first wife, Margaret Hardman, bore him nine children after they married on 8/6/1667 (8) and arrived in America. The Bakers also arrived with eleven servants, indicating the family had the means to employ and transport that many people to the New World. He married again on 8/18/1690 to the widow of James Radcliff, Mary Rawsthorne. (5) She bore him one child as well.

 Henry’s fifth child and oldest son Samuel was born in 1767, and helped Henry to establish and maintain the area now known as Washington Crossing. When Henry arrived, he saw the potential and built a Ferry across the Delaware to booming Trenton, NJ. Back then it was known as Baker’s Ferry, and later, McKonkey’s Ferry. Samuel married Rachel Warder from the Isle of Wight, settling in and starting their own family while maintaining the family business.

 Henry was the first of the Bakers to settle on American soil, and he is buried here at Slate Hill, passing on 12/16/1701. (For more on Henry’s story, find him on this site!), His first wife is buried in Philadelphia, while it’s assumed his second wife (having passed after Henry) was buried near her first husband in Fallsington, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. However, there are still graves and gravestones to uncover here, so we just might find Margaret or Mary here some day!

 Henry’s son Samuel and his wife Rachel had ten children, one of whom was Samuel II, born in Makefield Township. After Rachel passed, he married Elizabeth Burroughs of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. They had four children, and their son Henry married Mary Brown Ustick in 1801. Samuel II, Henry’s father and Mary Brown’s father in law is also buried at Slate Hill, his death was 4/18/1813. (5)

 Mary Brown and Henry had six children between them, three of whom were born in Philadelphia where the family lived for some time early on. They moved to Bucks County sometime between 1812-1814, and their three youngest children were born in Upper Makefield Township, most likely on the Baker Farm there. They also lived on a farm in Huntingdon Country, New Jersey for a time, returning to Bucks County where Henry died 12/23/1827. He was buried in Slate Hill, waiting peacefully until Mary joined him 10/16/1832.

 Their six children (6) were Henry K. Baker, Reverend, 1808-1901, Margaret H. Baker Taylor, 1811-1880; Thomas U. Baker 1817-1886 (9), and Samuel Baker Jr., 1819-? (we have been unable to find any documentation of his death, but a note stated he lived after his sister Margaret passed, and he was listed on the 1890 census). Two others are mentioned in a family history recorded by the granddaughter of Margaret, named Elizabeth (she died in infancy) and Jane, who passed at the age of thirteen. We couldn’t find any information on either of them, yet, but my guess would be either or both were born before Henry K, or at least one in between Margaret and Thomas U, given the age gaps between the other four. (7)

 Some interesting facts about their children:

• Henry K was adopted at a very young age and raised by his great uncle Henry, near Pennington, NJ. He was baptized in 1832 and became a Christian preacher, after inheriting from his great uncle, establishing the Pennington Seminary, and living a life where he was well loved by his family and the community. He had seven children by two different wives, and his eldest, Isaac, remained single all his life, working the farm beside his father (when he wasn’t preaching!) He is buried near Pennington, and his descendents still live in and around the area. (8)
• Margaret Head married Samuel B Taylor, a cabinet maker and farmer, and from the family that founded Taylorsville. Her granddaughter (Mary Snyder Taylor, published in 1940) is the author of the family history cited above, and for a great read on some of the family history, we recommend this book. She herself had nine children, (two of whom died in infancy), was active in the United Methodist Church in Washington Crossing, and is buried in its cemetery alongside her husband, who preceded her in death by ten years. Her first child died shortly after birth. She also lost another one, a girl, within a month of her birth in 1845. That daughter’s name is Susan, and there is a reference to her being buried in Slate Hill as well! We know there is more work to do, so hopefully some day, we’ll find her as well.
• Thomas U also drifted off to New Jersey, taking a printing apprenticeship first with his uncle Stephen Ustick in Washington, DC, (also at a young age), and then moved to Philadelphia, PA, where he lived with his wife and three children, eventually becoming a prominent union member in Trenton, NJ, where he is buried. (9)
• Samuel stayed put in Upper Makefield Township where he was born (as was his brother Thomas), remaining a farmer until 1866 when he and his wife relocated first to Taylorsville, then on to Baptistville, NJ, where she preceded him in death. It’s possible the grief of losing his only child, a daughter, at the age of thirteen in 1855 left him adrift, as they also adopted a daughter, Annie Bowman, who married a minister and moved to upper Pennsylvania. It’s said he spent most of his life very close to his sister Margaret, perhaps as a result of his two other siblings' early departure from Henry and Mary’s home. In fact, at least one of Margaret’s children were sent to the farm to work under “uncle Sammie”, as their father (Margaret’s husband Samuel B) felt boys were better off being raised on the farm rather than in town. It’s quite possible Samuel benefitted from the company and care of his male kin since he had no sons of his own.

 One has to wonder, why was Henry put up for adoption? Was there financial difficulty in Henry and Mary’s growing family? There are some family stories that allude to Henry Sr making poor decisions when it came to money, including the inherited rights to property eventually deemed to be worth a fortune. The family seemed to move a lot, and with an unknown occupation, it’s possible. And, it’s mentioned more than once the family was “poor but happy”.

 It’s also possible that family traditions, religious customs, or other factors played a part in Mary and Henry’s children leaving home while still so young, but each of them found their way, worked hard, did their duty to God, and many lived well into their 80’s and 90’s.

 It’s interesting to note that Mary had a will-something rare for that time, but expected, given she inherited directly from her husband. She left her household furniture and kitchen utensils to her only living daughter, Margaret. To her eldest son Henry, she left her silver watch. Thomas was given the family bible, and 6 silver spoons were given to Samuel. She also explained that because her eldest son Henry was well established in New Jersey, she wanted the land near Washington’s Crossing that Mary inherited directly from her father shortly before he died, sold and the profits  divided among the three remaining children. (10)

 And their legacy lives on today in many familiar names throughout the Bucks County, PA and Hunterdon and Mercer Counties in NJ.. Several other close relatives are also buried at Slate Hill, and given the Quaker history for a good part of the family, it’s highly likely there are others buried here as well, given custom at the time (after founding around 1690 and the lack of ANY gravestones dated earlier than about 1850 in the Quaker sections).

 Some of the relatives still around the area include Browne, Hough, Hibbs, Chambers, Head, Baker, and Ustick. We may yet uncover other connections in the future.