Maltby Genealogy

American Lineage

(p. 130, Hist. of Fairfield)

"Capt. Joseph Silliman (1732-1788) build on Grover's Avenue, a house for his bride, Christiana Hubbell, dau. of Richard and Penel- ope (Fayerweather) Hubbell. (Christiana, always called "Christian" in early records). He, Capt. Joseph Silliman, died in 1788, and his only son, Capt. Nathaniel Silliman was murdered in Spain in 1795. Chloe Silliman, the younger widow, remarried, but Christiana Silliman remained in the house until she died in 1805.

The house (which was burned about 1900) was a quaint little house with a sloping roof across which sprawled a trumpetvine, accent- ing with bright flowers, the silver gray weathered shingles. Lilacs clustered at the door.

The next owner, John Maltbie, whose wife was Abiel Wheeler's grand-daughter, Rachel Mason, lived only a few years after his mar- riage. He was first keeper of the Black Rock Light, established in 1808. He died the following year and his widow married again and moved to New York. (Subsequent owners were Capt. Walter Thorp; Capt. Charles Penfield and H. W. Fancher.")

     Children of John Maltby and Rachel Mason:
VI.1092.  Sally Ann Maltbie, bp. Dec. 3, 1807, Epis. Ch. Fairfield.
             (Miss Yates states she was born 1804, a year after
                 John's marriage).
VI.1093.  Elizabeth Maltbie, bapt. Dec. 3, 1807, Epis. Ch. Fairfield.
             (According to Miss Yates, "born 1806."  She calls both
                 "sisters of Rebecca.")
VI.1094.  "Rebecca, dau. to John Maltbee, bapt. on 10 Jan. 1809."
                                  (Episcopal Church. Fairfield.)
             (Miss Yates calls her "Rebecca Wheeler, born 1808," and
                 states "She mar. Gov. John Lide Wilson of South
                 Carolina.")

Rachel Mason Maltbie, wid. of John, mar. (2) Medeef Eden of New York, and the three children were adopted by Mr. Eden.

Gov. John Lide Wilson was great-grandfather of Miss Ethel C. Yates of Camden, South Carolina. She writes: "Aaron Burr was guard- ian of the three daughters, Sarah, Elizabeth and Rebecca Wheeler."

An account of Aaron Burr, in "The Tuttle Family, p. 406," states: "Proteges of Aaron Burr. The Misses Eden. Medeef Eden, a wealthy New York brewer, died leaving a large amount of real estate to his two sons, to be equally divided; but if one died unmarried, the survivor to have the whole.

These young men were somewhat fast, and having need of much ready money, borrowed it of sharpers at heavy interest, secured on first mortgages. The loans were called in, and in default the lend- ers took the property at forced sale. There was crookedness in some of these transactions. The Eden young men were reduced to poverty. After suffering a while they took the case to an old friend of their father's named Alexander Hamilton. His decision was that they had been unfairly done, done out of their property but that they could not recover it.

Afterwards they submitted the case to Aaron Burr, who agreed with Hamilton as to the wrong, but differed with him as to recovery. He told them they could get it back, but for some reason the brothers failed to prosecute, lost hope and took to drink.

After Burr's return from Europe (he returned in June, 1812) he happened one day to read a notice of the death of one of the Eden

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