Clarissa Sayre Denton Smith

Clarissa Sayre Denton
born 3 April 1808 at Durham, Greene County, New York
died 18 July 1866 at Brooklyn, Kings County, New York

Clarissa was the second of about six children born to Daniel Denton and Elizabeth Sayre Denton. She was raised at Durham, New York where her father was, presumably, a farmer. He relocated to Marathon, New York about 1849 with his wife and daughter, Elizabeth L. “Eliza” Denton. Clarissa’s father died at Marathon in 1855 and her mother died at that place in 1880. Eliza married to John Turner in 1865 and died at Marathon in 1892.

Clarissa married to David More Smith on 22 February 1832. They made their home at Roxbury, New York where her husband was a tanner. They relocated to Brooklyn, New York about 1863 where her husband was a government employee with the Custom House. Clarissa and David had no children. For a number of years, when living in Roxbury, David and Clarissa fostered Scotland born Ann Stewart. Although listed in the 1855 New York State census as their adopted daughter, there is no documentation as yet to confirm a formal adoption.

©2016 Cindy Coffell