Mary Cadogan Brown

Mary Cadogan was the wife of Albany resident William Brown. Perhaps she was the "Mary Cadoogan" who was christened at St. Peter's Anglican church in June 1754 to one Hugh Cadoogan and Mary/Catherine Miller. In any event, we seek defining information on her origins and path to Albany.

Perhaps she was the sister of contemporary Albany wives Catherine Ruby and Nancy Hilton.

In August 1776, "Polly" Cadogan married Brown at the Albany Dutch church. At that time, both partners were identified as single people of Albany County. However, at the christening of their daughter in March 1779, the parents were entered as "William Brown and Mary Cadogan." Additional children were christened to Brown but with no mother specified.

One of a number of same-named contemporaries, Mary's husband William Brown was an officer in the Revolutionary army and later a merchant and mariner. In 1790, his household was configured on the census for the second ward. Living there were a boy, two males over 16, and four females of unspecified ages. In 1800, the Brown household was enumerated on the city census but no adult woman was shown. Also, no specific mention of Mary/Polly appeared. She may have died much earlier and William Brown may have remarried.

In any event, Mary Cadogan Brown was no longer living by 1800 when no adult women were counted on the census of William Brown's household. We seek definitive information on her passing. Her husband, William Brown, died in 1825.

Sources: The life of Mary Cadogan Brown has no CAP biography number. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.