Temperance Denton

Temperance Denton could not have been Temperance Titus, as daughter of Edmond Titus and Martha Titus, who died in 1704.

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Steevens-47

Temperence Steevens was born in Killingworth, New London, Connecticut about 1683. Her parents were Samuel Steevens and his first wife, Elizabeth (Unknown) Steevens.[1][2] She was not the daughter of Samuel's second wife Melatiah (Bradford) Steele Steevens, who in 1683 had not yet married her first husband John Steele, and did not marry her second husband Samuel Stevens until 1702, after Elizabeth's death in 1701.[3] Temperance married Richard Denton on August 20, 1709.[4][5] Temperance's age and marriage date is given in her father's probate records in 1712, but not the name of her husband. That connection was given in a later document whereby her husband Richard Denton gave her power of attorney in 1722 to return to Killingworth and settle the estate of her stepmother Melatiah Steevens.[6][7] The couple lived in Hempstead, Long Island in 1711, Jamaica, Queens, New York in 1722, then moved to Huntington by the 1740s.[8] Temperance died in Huntington on January 9 1742/3[9] and is buried in the Old Presbyterian Burying Hill Cemetery there. (her name is spelled "TempIrenc" on her gravestone)

Notes for Richard Denton:

Richard Denton and his wife Temperance lived at Huntington and Hempsted and other parts of Long Island. Temperance (born 1681) married Richard in 1712. She was likely the daughter Edmond and Martha Titus. She died 6 January 1742/3 and is buried in the Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Huntington, Long Island.

Temperance and Richard had four children:  

• i.   Richard Denton, born 1714; married Tabitha Rogers Feb 24, 1735/36.
• ii.   John Denton, born 1715 in Huntington, Long Island, New York; died 1782 in Huntington, Long Island, New York; married Elizabeth Kelsey Jan 23, 1738/39 in Huntington, Long Island, New York.
• iii.   Temperance Denton, born Abt. 1718; died Abt. 1778; married John Brush Jan 12, 1736/37 in Huntington, Long Island, New York.
• iv.   Benjamin Denton, born 1721; died May 12, 1789; married Rebecca Ketcham Mar 26, 1747 in Huntington, Long Island, New York.

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Disputed origins

Samuel Stevens 1712 inventory listed his children, The older children were by Samuel's first wife, the two youngest children were children of Melatiah:[1]

1. John Stevens aged 27 years
2. Samuel Stevens 25
3. William 6
4. Temperance 29
5. Tamison 22
6. Mary 16
7. Elizabeth 9

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..Other sources have suggested a Temperance Steevens was the wife of Richard Denton.

Temperance Steevens as wife of Richard Denton

Information from Dan Rugers, 1998: "About ten years ago it was discovered that this was Temperance Steevens/Stevens, not Temperance Titus."

Apparently Walter Bion Denton mistakenly indicated it was Titus.[1.ged]"

A good explanation of the true identity of Temperance Steevens as Richard Denton's wife can be found in Krumm, Vol. 122, p. 38 and Barlow, p. 117. See Richard's profile for more detail.

Untangling Temperance Steevens and Temperance Titus

The identity of Richard Denton's wife Temperance has often been confused. There's a common belief that she was Temperance Titus, but Walter Krumm[7] and Claude Barlow[8] both show conclusively that Richard Denton married Temperance Steevens.

In the probate records of Temperance Steevens's father Samuel, the date of her marriage is recorded but not the name of her husband.[9]

A later document in 1722[10] has "Richard Denton of Jamaica, weaver" granting his wife Temperance Denton power of attorney to return to Killingworth, CT to sell her interest in five acres of land held by his "mother in law (stepmother, in current terminology) Malletiah Steevens, widow of Killingworth" to Samuel Willcocks.

There are three known members of the Long Island Titus family named Temperance in this time period, but none of them could plausibly have been married to Richard Denton.

1. Temperance Titus, daughter of Edmund and Martha (Washburn) Titus - born in March 1681,[11] died November 15, 1704.[12] She married Nickolas Haight of Flushing.[13] This is the Temperance Titus most commonly stated in error to have been Richard Denton's wife.
2. Temperance Titus, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Powell) Titus - born January 6 1695/6; died February 15 1704.[14]
3. Temperance Titus, daughter of Silas and Sarah (Haight) Titus - born October 14, 1707.[15] She would have been about 7 years old when the eldest son of Richard and Temperance Denton was born.

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Temperance Titus died at age 23

b. Mar 1681, Westbury, Queens Co., LI, NY

d. 15 Nov 1704 (Age 23), Westbury, LI, NY

References

1. Reference: https://www.longislandsurnames.com/getperson.php?personID=I02280&tr... Reference Cites:
   1. S011999 Titus Family in America, Titus, Dorothy M, (Weston, MA: 1943).
2. [S011297] Edmund Titus of Westbury, L. I., And Some His Descendants, Johnson, Mrs. William, (New York Genealogical and Biographical Record Vol.77, July 1946, pg.97).
3. [S011692] Records of the Society of Friends of the City of New York and Viciinity, Underhill, Abraham S, (New York Genealogical and Biographical Record V.3 No.1, V.5 No.2,3,4, V.6 No.2). V.3,4:184
4. [S011301] Encyclopedia of American Quakers Genealogy, Hinshaw, William Wade, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1977).
5. Book Title: Daniel Shed Geneology, Ancestry and Descendants of Daniel shed of Braintree, Massachusetts 1327-192 Page 93; Third Generation. 20. (slide-42-of-951)
6. WikiTree contributors, "Temperance (Steevens) Denton (abt.1683-1742)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Steevens-47 : created 12 May 2015 | Last modified 30 Dec 2023 accessed 21 February 2024).
7. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30144114/temperence-denton: accessed February 20, 2024), memorial page for Temperence Steevens Denton (1682–9 Jan 1742), Find a Grave Memorial ID 30144114, citing Old Burying Hill Cemetery, Huntington, Suffolk County, New York, USA; Maintained by Michael Roszelle (contributor 46849866).
8. Updated from MyHeritage Family Trees via brother John Titus by SmartCopy: Nov 24 2014, 23:40:50 UTC
9. From http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/h/a/r/Andrew-G-Harris/BOOK-0001/0008-0... “Temperance Titus, born Mar 01, 1680/81 in Westbury, Nassau Co. New York; died Jan 06, 1742/43 in Huntington, Long Island, New York.She was the daughter of Edmond Titus and Martha Washburn.”
10. WikiTree contributors, "Samuel Stevens (1657-1712)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stevens-2437 : accessed 21 February 2024). cites
    1. Barlow, Claude W. "William Steevens of Killingworth, Conn.; A New Mayflower Line," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 129:18 (Boston: NEHGS, 1975); Link at AmericanAncestors ($)
    2. Holmes, Charlotte Steevens, A Genealogy of the Lineal Descendants of John Steevens, Who Settled in Guilford, Conn., in 1645, (Elmira, N.Y.: 1906), pp. 15, 91; Digital Images, Internet Archive, (https://archive.org/details/genealogyoflinea00inholm/page/169/mode/2up : accessed Jan 2023).
11. WikiTree contributors, "Richard Denton IV (abt.1687-abt.1752)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Denton-1033 : accessed 21 February 2024). Cites
    1. Barlow, Claude Willis. John Steevens of Guilford, Connecticut. Rochester, NY: Stephens, 1976. Page 117.
       1. 59. TEMPERANCE* STEEVENS (Samuel3, William2, John1) was born in Killingworth about 1683 and died in Huntington, Long Island, New York 9 January 1742/3 in her 61st year (GS Presbyterian Church Cemetery) . She married 20 August 1709 (see her father's probate) RICHARD DENTON, born about 1687, son of Richard and Mary (Thurston) Denton {Boston Transcript 13 April 1921, no. 8528.2 by MWDD, and Gen. of the Desc. of Rev. Richard Denton of Hempstead, L.I., compiled by George D. A. Combes, Rockville Centre, L.I. 1936, pp. 24, 45ff.) Richard Denton of Jamaica, Queens County, weaver, gave a power of attorney to his wife Temperance Denton 11 July 1722 (Killingworth LR 3-116) . She returned to Killingworth and on 4 August 1722 signed by mark when she sold to Samuel Willcocks for 14 shillings her interest in "5 acres of salt meadow now in the possession of my mother-in-law Malletiah Steevens, widow of Killingworth, as part of her thirds." By present terminology mother-in-law would be called stepmother.
    2. Genealogies of Long Island Families: From the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1987.
    3. Krumm, Walter C. "Descendants of the Rev. Richard Denton." New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Vol. 120-122 (1989-1991).
    4. Long Island Source Records: From the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1987.
    5. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/h/a/r/Andrew-G-Harris/BO...