Marie Madeleine Brooks

Mary (Gano) Denman's second marriage, to Phillip Brooks, is recorded in the register of the parish of Jamaica (Long Island), Grace Episcopal Church.

NOT Mary GANO

Mary’s father was Francois Gerneaux (aka Francis Gano) -- not Etienne. Mary had two brothers, Stephen (aka Etienne Gerneaux) and Jeremiah (aka Jeremiah Gunnough). Mary Gano's mother is Unknown.

Mary Gano married twice, first to John Denman III, and secondly to Philip Brooks. With John Denman III she had 4 sons and at least 2 daughters. Following the death of her first husband and her remarriage, the family sold their Long Island estate and she moved to New Jersey with her husband and eldest son, John Denman IV. One of her sons relocated to Connecticut, where the family had relatives.

From "Denman Family History" by Harriet Newell Harris (c.1913): Page 10-11 < GoogleBooks >

""[After New Netherlands became New York] an investigation was made of disputed lands. When government took possession of 1200 acres they began to survey from near the house of John Denman. After his death in December, 1713, the farm was sold in 1717 by the Denman heirs, to Richard Hallett, and from him has descended to present proprietors 170 acres." So, after the government had seized 1200 acres of the original purchase, this 170 acres was all that was left to John Denman. This farm was sold to Richard Hallett for the sum of "three hundred and fifty pounds current money of the Colony of New York, well and truly paid," etc. The deed was signed by the widow, Mary Denman, and her brother, Jeremiah Gannugh of Flushing, L. I., who were the executors of the will of John Denman, made December 13, 1713, and proved March 1, 1714. to be "the last Will and Testament of John Denman of Newtown in Queens County, Long Island." This will is yet to be seen in the office of the County Clerk at Jamaica, L. I., written in a bold, strong hand. The dignified language and the Christian spirit of the document, naturally lead us to hold this pioneer ancestor of ours in the new world, in great respect. We have no knowledge of the place of his burial, beyond the fact that he died at Newtown, while all his family left there within a few years. Neither do we know the time of his marriage, nor the age of his wife.

"[John Denman III's] wife was a Huguenot [Mary Gano, aka Marie Madeleine Gerneaux], escaped from the greater stress in France, of which we must now give some account...Francis Gerneaux escaped to England by being nailed up in a hogshead, as freight, on a boat across the channel. How his family escaped we do not know; but at least his daughter Mary and his son Jeremiah were with him when, the next year, 1686, he came to America and settled at New Rochelle, Colony of New York. He was wealthy in France; but when told that his estates were confiscated, he said: "Let it go with the name. Henceforth we will be known as Gano." The full change of name was not at once adopted, but followed in course of time. Francis [aka Francois] Gerneaux [aka Gano] died at New Rochelle in 1723 at the age of 103 years."

Family of John Denman and Mary Gano. Their children were Martha, Mary, Elizabeth, John, William, Philip and Thomas. The date of birth in case of the daughters is not given. John was born in 1700, William in 1702, Philip in 1704, and Thomas in 1706 or 7. John bought a farm of 100 acres at Westfield, Essex Co., N. J., in 1720 and settled there. The farm continued in the possession of his children for several generations, the portion of it occupied by the original home being still the home of a Denman, although very little of the original house can be found in the present one. William settled at Elizabethtown, where he married Abby and died in 1751, leaving no record of any family. Philip and Thomas both settled at Springfield, also in Essex Co.

https://www.geni.com/discussions/201556?msg=1339254

https://archive.org/details/recordkeptbyrevt00poye/page/n107

Marriage of Mary Denman to Philip Brooks on January 2, 1716 at Maspeth Kills, Long Island, NY; performed by Rev. Thomas Poyer, rector of the Episcopal churches at Jamaica, Newtown & Flushing, Long Island.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19164014/mary-denman_brooks

Wife of John Denman (d. 1713), and of Philip Brooks (d. 1747).

1714, December 13. Denman, John, of Newtown, Queens County, New York, will of. Wife- Mary, estate during widowhood. Sons- John, William, Philip, and Thomas, remainder of estate. Daughters- Martha, Mary, and Elizabeth, personal estate. Son John, my musket as a birthright. Executors- wife Mary and brother-in-law Jeremiah Genoung of Flushing. Witnesses- Samuel Scudder, Jacob Reeder, and John Gunnell. Proved March 1, 1714/5.

Mary Denman was then married by Mr. Thomas Paver, rector, on January 2, 1716 "at ye Kilns publish'd" (Maspeth, Queens County, New York) to Philip Brooks.

Mary's youngest daughter Elizabeth Denman became the wife of Andrew Briant.

PLEASE DO NOT SEND REQUESTS TO ENTER HER MAIDEN NAME AS GANO. This is an error started by shoddy research which is being propagated further by careless genealogists. Mary's sister-in-law Martha Denman was married to Jeremiah Gen(o)ung, which explains the 'brother' relationship between Jeremiah and Mary's husband John Denman. The Genung connection has been misconstrued as a connection to Gerneau and Gano surnames.

Inscription
Mrs. Mary, Widow
of Mr. Philip Brooks
departed this Life
June ye 30th 1761.
In the 87th Year of
her Age~~~~

References

1. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/i/l/Melody-Dawn-Bills-...
2. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19164014/mary-brooks
3. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19164015/philip-brooks
4. https://aasmwa-my.sharepoint.com/personal/nfiske_mwa_org/_layouts/1...
5. https://archive.org/details/denmanfamilyhist00harr/page/n43
6. Denman Family History: From the Earliest Authentic Records Down to the Present Time. Compiled by Mrs. Harriet N. Harris. 1913. The Glendale News, Glendale, California. Reprinted by Nabu. Page 10. < GoogleBooks >
7. New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. < AmericanAncestors > Name John DENMAN Marriage 1700 Location Newtown, Queens, New York, United States Original Text DENMAN, John (1643-1714) & Mary [GANNUGH/GANO/ GENNUNG?]; by 1700; Newtown, LI {Mathews-Denman 6; Denman 11; Cory (1914) 87; NYGBR 65:320; McCormick-Hamilton 320} Spouse Mary GANNUGH Volume Name Volume 1 Page 443