Amos ELY
Deborah WHITSON
Husband:  Amos ELY
Birth:  6 Feb 1769, Solebury Twp., Bucks Co., PA
Death:  20 Aug 1847
Father:  George ELY
Mother:  Sarah MAGILL
Marriage said to be:  1791
Wife:  Deborah WHITSON
Birth:  19 Oct 1769
Death:  9 Feb 1823
Father:  Thomas WHITSON
Mother:  Elizabeth BURT
Children — born in Solebury Twp., Bucks Co., PA:
1.  (Son A) ELY, b. 1790-1800
2.  (Daughter A) ELY, b. 1790-1800
3.  George ELY, b. bef. 1797; m. Phebe SMITH (b. 1 Jun 1797)
4.  (Daughter B) ELY, b. 1800
5.  (Son B) ELY, b. 1800-1810
6.  Amos ELY, Jr., b. bef. 1822; m. Elizabeth SMITH (b. 30 Sep 1822)

Is Amos really their son?  Assuming Amos is just a few years older than Elizabeth, this is an extraordinary span of fecundity for Deborah.  Or, if Amos is actually "Son A," as the census suggests, then Elizabeth must be Amos's second (or third) wife.


Sources:

1.  Census Index:  U.S. Selected Counties, 1790 (Broderbund CD-311):  not found, as would be expected if they didn't marry until 1791.

2a.  Census Index:  U.S. Selected Counties, 1800 (Broderbund CD-312).  Please see my WARNING regarding use of this database (the numerical data have the genders switched).
1800 Ely, Amos PA Bucks Co. p. 274 10100-2011000

2b.  1800 Census Images (online at Ancestry.com; Image #37 of 55; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):
1800 PA Bucks Co. Solebury Twp. p. 274 Amos Ely 20110-10100-00
These data indicate:
No. & Sex  Age Class Therefore Born Individuals Inferred
2 males 9 or under 1790-1800 = George
= Son A
1 male 16-25 1774-1784 = ?
1 male 26-44 1755-1774 = Amos (b. 1769)
1 female 9 or under 1790-1800 = Daughter A
1 female 16-25 1774-1784
0 female 26-44 1755-1774 = Deborah (b. 1769)
The male age 16-25 is too old to be Amos's son.  Is he hired help?  A younger brother?  And is Deborah fibbing about her age already?  Or are we mistaken with regard to her birthdate?  Or is this census-taker error?

3.  1810 Census Images (online at Ancestry.com; Image #2 of 7; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):
1810 PA Bucks Co. Solebury Twp. p. 65B/938 Amos Ely 12101-02001-00
These data indicate:
No. & Sex Age Class Therefore Born Individuals Inferred
1 male 9 or under 1800-1810 = Son B
2 males 10-15 1794-1800 = George
= Son A
1 male 16-25 1784-1794 = ? 
0 male 26-44 1765-1784 = Amos (b. 1769)
1 male 45 or over in or bef. 1765
2 females 10-15 1794-1800 = Daughter B (b. 1800)
= Daughter A
0 female 26-44 1765-1784 = Deborah (b. 1769)
1 female 45 or over in or bef. 1765 =
Now, both Amos and Deborah are in the wrong age category!  Yet, I don't doubt this is our subjects' household — who else could it be?  Again, we have an unknown male age 16-25, who could only be the same one as in 1800 if he was born in 1794.  The second female age 10-15 could only be their daughter if she was born in 1800.

4.  Census Index:  U.S. Selected Counties, 1820 (Broderbund CD-314):
1820 Ely, Amos PA Bucks Co. Salsbury Twp. p. 16
1820 Ely, Amos PA Bucks Co. Salsbury Twp. p. 18
The appearance of two Amoses in 1820 suggests our subjects' "Son A" may have been Amos Jr., in which case, Elizabeth SMITH has to be Amos Jr.'s second  (or third) wife.

5.  WorldConnect / Ancestry World Trees (online at RootsWeb.com/Ancestry.com).

6.  LDS.  Family Search: Internet Genealogy Service:  AF - Ancestral File (online at FamilySearch.org).

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