Wade & Webb Family History

Ada Eliza Marritt1873–1953

Loughton · Brooklyn · New York City · Waterford

Ada Eliza Marritt was baptised in Essex in 1871 and grew up at Loughton, where her mother kept a shop. She came to Brooklyn, married Joseph Gilbert Darrow there in 1904, and by 1930 had moved with him to his native Waterford, Connecticut, where the couple were still living in 1940.

On this page
  1. Family Record
  2. Life
  3. Documents (3)
  4. Places
  5. Timeline
  6. Open questions
  7. Searches made
  8. Notes

Birth

  1. 5 Feb 1871 Christening: Essex, England, United Kingdom 1, 4
  2. 1873 Essex, England, United Kingdom

Marriages

  1. 14 Aug 1904 Joseph Gilbert Darrow, at Kings, New York 9, 10

Death and burial

  1. 1953 Death: Connecticut

Family

Parents
William Marritt 1826–?
Eliza Keel 1840–1925
Spouse, 14 Aug 1904
Joseph Gilbert Darrow 1874–1948
Children
Joseph Gilbert Darrow 1910–?
Kenneth G Darrow 1906–1926

Line of descent Wade line

  1. Ada Eliza Marritt
  2. Sister of Ellen Mathilda Marritt
  3. Frank Edward Wade, son
  4. William Albert Webb Wade, son

Grandaunt of Webb Wade, from whom this history is traced. Why Webb Wade?

Life

Ada Eliza Marritt was baptised in Essex, England, on 5 February 1871, a daughter of William Marritt and Eliza Keel; the Essex parish register names both parents.1 Her parents had married in the parish church of Hendon, Middlesex, on Christmas Day 1857, when her father was a shepherd.2 The census of England and Wales taken in April 1871 lists the infant Ada in the household of William Merritt, as the index spells the name, at Loughton, Essex.3

A conflict over her birth year

The FamilySearch tree gives her birth as 1873, in Essex, without an attached source.4 That year cannot be right.4 She was baptised in February 1871 and was already in her father's household at the census of April 1871, and the census of 1881 gives her age as 10, which points to a birth in 1870 or early 1871.5 Inference She was most probably born in 1870 or the first weeks of 1871, shortly before her baptism; the Loughton baptism entry itself may give the date of birth.5

Loughton

In April 1881 she was 10 and at school, living at Easton Cottage, Loughton, with her mother, described as married, the head of the household and a shopkeeper, and her sisters Catherine Alice, Edith Alice and Ellen Mathilda; all five were recorded as born at Loughton, and her father was not in the household.6 The census-taker first wrote her name as "Dora," struck it through and wrote "Ada" above.6

Brooklyn and Waterford

The tree, without a source, gives her immigration to the United States as 1885, the same year it gives for her sister Edith.7 Her mother and her sisters Edith and Ellen were living in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, by 1891, when Edith and Ellen were known there by their stepfather's surname, Thompson.8 Inference A "Kate and Ada Mernt" listed at an Ocean Hill Baptist Church sociable in Brooklyn in November 1891, beside Edith and Nellie Thompson, may be a misprint for Catherine and Ada Marritt, but the reading is unconfirmed.8

On 14 August 1904, in Kings County, she married Joseph Gilbert Darrow; the marriage was recorded on certificate no. 5969.9 Unlike her sisters Edith and Ellen, who had married in 1893 under the name Thompson, she married as a Marritt, and the New York City marriage record names her parents as William Marritt and Eliza Keel.10 Joseph Darrow had been born at Waterford, New London County, Connecticut, in December 1874.11 The tree records two sons, Kenneth G. Darrow, born in 1906, who died in Connecticut in 1926, and Joseph Gilbert Darrow, born in 1910.12

The New York state census of 1905, the federal census of 1910 and the state census of 1915 list Ada E. Darrow in her husband's household in Brooklyn.13 She is named on his draft registration card of 1917–1918, the record of the men registered for military service in the First World War, on which the registrant named his nearest relative.14 By 1930 the couple had moved to Waterford, Connecticut, and in 1940 the census enumerated them at Jordan, in Waterford.15 The tree also lists a residence for her in 1935 at "Loughton, Shropshire, England," with no source; no record in hand supports it.16

When her eldest sister, Elizabeth Jane Marritt, died in Brooklyn in June 1942, the death notice named her as one of two surviving sisters, "Mrs Ada M. Darrow," the other being Mrs. Edith A. Frost.17 Inference The initial M. is most likely that of her maiden name, Marritt, which married women often used in place of a middle name.17 Her husband died at New London, Connecticut, on 11 March 1948.18 The tree gives her death as 1953, in Connecticut, without a source.19

Documents

  1. 1881 1881 census of England: Eliza Marritt household, Easton Cottage, Loughton, Essex 1881 Census of England and Wales, RG 11/1735 · image
  2. 14 August 1904 Index entry: Ada Marritt and Joseph G Darrow, 1904 (Extracted Marriage Index) Ancestry, New York, New York, U.S., Extracted Marriage Index, 1866-1937 · image
  3. 3 June 1942 Marritt—Elizabeth J. (death notice) The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York) · clipping

Places

  1. 1871–1873Essex
  2. 1871–1881Loughton
  3. 1904Kings
  4. 1905–1910Brooklyn
  5. 1915New York City
  6. 1930Waterford
  7. 1935Loughton
  8. 1940Jordan

Timeline

  1. 1871ResidenceLoughton, Essex, England, United Kingdom
  2. 5 Feb 1871ChristeningEssex, England, United Kingdom
  3. 1873BirthEssex, England, United Kingdom
  4. 1881ResidenceLoughton, Essex, England, United Kingdom
  5. 1885Immigration
  6. 14 Aug 1904Marriage, Joseph Gilbert DarrowKings, New York
  7. 1905ResidenceBrooklyn, Kings, New York
  8. 1910ResidenceBrooklyn Ward 3, Kings, New York
  9. 1915ResidenceNew York City, New York
  10. 1930ResidenceWaterford, New London, Connecticut
  11. 1935ResidenceLoughton, Shropshire, England, United Kingdom
  12. 1940ResidenceJordan, Waterford, New London, Connecticut
  13. 1953DeathConnecticut

Open questions

None recorded yet.

Searches made

  1. 2026-11-08Bulk review of Matt's OneDrive genealogy folder (Phase 3): all documents transcribed and compared with the tree3 document(s) name this person; see Documents above. Conflicts and new facts are in each document record and in research/sources/document-review-2026-11-08.md

Notes

  1. "England, Essex, Parish Registers, 1538-1997", FamilySearch, Ada Eliza Marritt, 5 Feb 1871. Record: Ada Eliza Marritt, Essex parish registers, 5 Feb 1871 "England, Essex, Parish Registers, 1538-1997", FamilySearch, William Marritt in entry for Ada Eliza Marritt, 5 Feb 1871. Record: William Marritt in entry for Ada Eliza Marritt, 5 Feb 1871 "England, Essex, Parish Registers, 1538-1997", FamilySearch, Eliza Marritt in entry for Ada Eliza Marritt, 5 Feb 1871. Record: Eliza Marritt in entry for Ada Eliza Marritt, 5 Feb 1871 back to the text
  2. 1857-12-25-marritt-keel-marriage: William Marrott, bachelor, shepherd; Eliza Keel, spinster; Parish Church of Hendon, December 25th back to the text
  3. "England and Wales, Census, 1871", FamilySearch, Ada Merritt in entry for William Merritt, 1871. Record: Ada Merritt in entry for William Merritt, 1871 FamilySearch Family Tree, profile GDXK-XQP: residence 1871, Loughton, Essex back to the text
  4. FamilySearch Family Tree, profile GDXK-XQP: birth 1873, Essex, no source attached; christening 5 Feb 1871 back to the text
  5. "England, Essex, Parish Registers, 1538-1997", FamilySearch, Ada Eliza Marritt, 5 Feb 1871. Record: christening 5 Feb 1871 "England and Wales, Census, 1871", FamilySearch, Ada Merritt in entry for William Merritt, 1871. Record: 1871 census 1881 census of England: Eliza Marritt household, Easton Cottage, Loughton, Essex, 1881 Census of England and Wales, RG 11/1735: Ada Eliza Marritt, Daur, 10; notes: the ages of Catherine and Ada conflict with the tree back to the text
  6. 1881 census of England: Eliza Marritt household, Easton Cottage, Loughton, Essex, 1881 Census of England and Wales, RG 11/1735: Easton Cottage, Loughton; Eliza Marritt, Head, Mar, Shop Keeper; Ada Eliza Marritt, Daur, 10, Scholar, born Essex, Loughton; written Dora, struck through and corrected to Ada "England and Wales, Census, 1881", FamilySearch, Ada Eliza Dohar Marritt in entry for Eliza Marritt, 1881. Record: Ada Eliza Dohar Marritt in entry for Eliza Marritt, 1881 back to the text
  7. FamilySearch Family Tree, profile GDXK-XQP: immigration 1885, no source attached FamilySearch Family Tree, profile GMWV-JZ5 (their page): immigration 1885 back to the text
  8. 1891-11-07-wade-thompson-social-item: Mr. and Mrs. William Thompson ... Edith and Nellie Thompson ... Kate and Ada Mernt; notes: possibly a misprint of Marritt FamilySearch Family Tree, profile GMWV-63F (their page): William Thompson, husband of Eliza Keel back to the text
  9. Index entry: Ada Marritt and Joseph G Darrow, 1904 (Extracted Marriage Index), Ancestry, New York, New York, U.S., Extracted Marriage Index, 1866-1937: Ada Marritt, Marriage Date: 14 Aug 1904, Kings, New York, Spouse: Joseph G Darrow, Certificate Number: 5969 "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1938", FamilySearch, Joseph Gilbert Darrow and Ada Eliza Marritt, 14 August 1904. Record: Joseph Gilbert Darrow and Ada Eliza Marritt, 14 August 1904 back to the text
  10. "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1938", FamilySearch, William Marritt in entry for Joseph Gilbert Darrow and Ada Eliza Marritt, 14 August 1904. Record: William Marritt in entry for Joseph Gilbert Darrow and Ada Eliza Marritt, 14 August 1904 "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1938", FamilySearch, Eliza Keel in entry for Joseph Gilbert Darrow and Ada Eliza Marritt, 14 August 1904. Record: Eliza Keel in entry for Joseph Gilbert Darrow and Ada Eliza Marritt, 14 August 1904 1893-10-18-edith-thompson-frost-marriage-certificate: Edith A. Thompson, father William Thompson 1893-10-18-ellen-thompson-wade-marriage-certificate: Ellen M. Thompson, father William Thompson back to the text
  11. FamilySearch Family Tree, profile GWNV-DKT (their page): born Dec 1874, Waterford, New London, Connecticut back to the text
  12. FamilySearch Family Tree, profile GDXK-XQP: children Kenneth G Darrow (1906-1926) and Joseph Gilbert Darrow (1910) "Connecticut, Deaths and Burials, 1772-1934", FamilySearch, Joseph G in entry for Kenneth G Darrow, 1926. Record: Joseph G in entry for Kenneth G Darrow, Connecticut Deaths and Burials, 1926 back to the text
  13. "New York, State Census, 1905", FamilySearch, Ada E Darrow in entry for Joseph G Darrow, 1905. Record: Ada E Darrow in entry for Joseph G Darrow, 1905 "United States, Census, 1910", FamilySearch, Ada E Darrow in entry for Joseph G Darrow, 1910. Record: Ada E Darrow in entry for Joseph G Darrow, 1910 "New York, State Census, 1915", FamilySearch, Ada Darrow in entry for Joseph G Darrow, 1915. Record: Ada Darrow in entry for Joseph G Darrow, 1915 FamilySearch Family Tree, profile GDXK-XQP: residence 1905, Brooklyn; 1910, Brooklyn Ward 3; 1915, New York City back to the text
  14. "United States, World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", FamilySearch, Ada E Darrow in entry for Joseph Gilbert Darrow, from 1917 to 1918. Record: Ada E Darrow in entry for Joseph Gilbert Darrow, World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 back to the text
  15. "United States, Census, 1930", FamilySearch, Ada E Darrow in entry for Joseph G Darrow, 1930. Record: Ada E Darrow in entry for Joseph G Darrow, 1930 "United States, Census, 1940", FamilySearch, Ada E Darrow in entry for Joseph G Darrow, 1940. Record: Ada E Darrow in entry for Joseph G Darrow, 1940 FamilySearch Family Tree, profile GDXK-XQP: residence 1930, Waterford, New London, Connecticut; 1940, Jordan, Waterford back to the text
  16. FamilySearch Family Tree, profile GDXK-XQP: residence 1935, Loughton, Shropshire, England, no source attached back to the text
  17. Marritt—Elizabeth J. (death notice), The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York): beloved sister of Mrs. Edith A. Frost and Mrs Ada M. Darrow back to the text
  18. FamilySearch Family Tree, profile GWNV-DKT (their page): died 11 Mar 1948, New London, Connecticut back to the text
  19. FamilySearch Family Tree, profile GDXK-XQP: death 1953, Connecticut, no source attached back to the text
Every FamilySearch record attached to Ada Eliza Marritt (11)
  1. 5 Feb 1871Ada Eliza Marritt, "England, Essex, Parish Registers, 1538-1997"
  2. 1871Ada Merritt, "England and Wales, Census, 1871"
  3. 1881Ada Eliza Dohar Marritt, "England and Wales, Census, 1881"
  4. 14 August 1904Ada Eliza Marritt, "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1938"
  5. 1905Ada E Darrow, "New York, State Census, 1905"
  6. 1910Ada E Darrow, "United States, Census, 1910"
  7. 1915Ada Darrow, "New York, State Census, 1915"
  8. from 1917 to 1918Ada E Darrow, "United States, World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918"
  9. 1930Ada E Darrow, "United States, Census, 1930"
  10. 1940Ada E Darrow, "United States, Census, 1940"
  11. 1891 England and Wales Census