Confusion over Josiah Watson and his son Arnold

While researching my ancestor Wheeler Watson (a Newport, RI native who moved to Rensselaerville, Albany, NY about 1800) I found an unexpected statement in the Bi-Centennial History of Albany listing a previously unknown brother, Josiah, and his son Arnold B. Watson.  I thought that I had identified all of Wheeler's siblings and Josiah was not one of them.... or was he?

Arnold B Watson was mentioned as a prominent banker in Unadilla, NY so I thought I’d start with him and work backwards to his parents. The same publication mentioned that Arnold moved to Unadilla from Albany County in 1821 at the age of 23. I found him listed in census records there with wife Susan (Hayes) and several children. After Susan's death Arnold married her sister Augusta.

I also discovered Arnold listed on some online trees as the son of Josiah Watson and Mary Beach -- might that be his middle name? Digging further, I discovered that Mary Beach Watson died in 1800 and that Josiah then married Wheeler's sister Bridget in 1803 -- making him a brother-in-law rather than a brother.

Josiah was a decade older than Wheeler. Both were born in Rhode Island and pursued "new frontier" opportunities in the expanding New York Manor of Rensselaerwyck. Josiah 1762-1844 was actually a second cousin to Wheeler's father John with both lines descending from John 1658-1702 and Dorcas Gardiner 1654-1702.

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Bi-Centennial History of Albany. History of the County of Albany, N. Y., From 1609 to 1886. With Portraits, Biographies and Illustrations.  By Howell and Tenney, published 1886. see  Page 916, item 5 Rensselaerville

1895 Catskill NY guests at Hunter-Bulkley wedding

Bride:  Julia F Bulkley 1867-1932 daughter of Henry + Caroline (Comfort)

Groom: N Herbert Hunter 1834-1910 son of William + Rachel (Washburn)

 The groom worked in NYC for the firm Acker, Merrall & Condit founded by David D Acker & partners. David's son J Park Acker was married to Eunie, a cousin of the bride listed below.

Out-of-town guests listed in a local news item were:

Julia Clark nee Comfort (widow of George W Clark), maternal aunt of bride

Mrs J Park Acker (widow), nee Eunie Clark, daughter of Julia, cousin of bride

Mrs Harriet Turck, nee Ludington (widow of Henry Turck), great aunt of bride

Miss Ella Brunjes and J E Whitehouse of New York ... believe this is actually Caroline ELMA Brunjes, 1833-1906 a 2nd cousin of the bride's mother descending from the Ludington branch; she was an unmarried teacher in NYC; uncertain about Mr Whitehouse

Mrs Axel Lohmann and Miss Laura of Astoria, Queens

  Axel, a native of Catskill, was still living in 1895

  His wife was Anna Mahaffey born in Catskill

  Their only daughter Laura (later married Wm Duncan) was born in 1868

Other than being Catskill acquaintances, not aware of their connections with either bride nor groom.

Mr and Mrs C C TenBroek of Kingston

  Druggist Charles TenBroeck 1845-1935 was the bride's first cousin as their mothers (Mary Ann Comfort TenBroeck and Caroline Comfort Bulkley) were sisters

Miss Millie Lusk of Saugerties 1868-1948 was the daughter of Charles Lusk, and grand-daughter of Harriet Ludington Lusk Turck and her first husband John Lusk

   Millie was a 2nd cousin of the bride

Mrs David Ely of Hudson was a maternal great aunt of the bride, nee Charlotte Comfort, sister of the bride's mother Caroline

Mr and Mrs Henry Ely of Hudson =   Henry 1865-1930 son of Charlotte Comfort Ely and David;   Henry's wife was Minnie Salspaugh