Capt. Abraham DuBois

Conjecture

Web trees, apparently based on a Dubois genealogy publication, think there was a son of Barent DuBois named "Charles Abraham" or "Abraham Charles".

I raise the possibility that "Charles Abraham" was really either a twin, one being named Abraham, one being named Charles - or, the "second" date of birth that is sometimes given to him exactly three years before the official recorded date of birth is the real date of birth for a brother.

This is in part because I am trying to identify a so-far missing Dubois brother, one who married Elizabeth Daniels. But on the face of it, Charles Abraham is a very odd name, and web trees that mention it can't decide whether "Charles" is first, or "Abraham" is first.

There is some support for this. Two Dubois wills were created in southern New Jersey in 1811 and 1812 - the first for an Abraham Dubois, the second for a Charles Dubois.

I have therefore created two profiles accordingly. It is conjecture but does represent a very plausible kind of error, especially since (according to the records) Abraham Dubois married Elizabeth Preston, and possibly Charles Dubois married another Elizabeth, probably surnamed Daniels. I have given Charles the earlier birthdate and Abraham the later one, since there is a recorded birth record for Abraham (and none known for Charles).

Date of birth

The book below lists two different birth dates for Abraham Du Bois: 16 November 1735 on page 180 and 16 Nov 1738 on page 181. This may be simply a typo, or it may be evidence that two different children were born on the same exact date three years apart, and have become confused ever since.

• Mary Coates Martin, 350 Years of American Ancestors (Baltimore, Maryland: Gateway Press, 1989), p. 180-181.