| Ms. Molly Smith's Denison and Stanton Roots |

Mrs. Mary "Molly" [Smith] Stanton (1761-1850)
Image from the public domain work by Henry Allen Smith,  "A genealogical history of the descendants of the Rev Nehemiah Smith of New London County CT."  Exhibit #61, p.112.

Captain Ebenezer Stanton (1757-1811) married the age twenty Stonington Connecticut beauty Ms. Mary “Molly” Smith (1761-1850) in November 1781 ceremonies. Ebenezer Stanton's three years active-duty military service during the Revolutionary War as an officer and Regimental Paymaster with Colonel Sherburne's Second Regiment of The Connecticut Line was then behind him.  His lovely new bride Molly is the eldest daughter of fifteen children born to the gallant Revolutionary War Veteran and New London County Militia Commander Colonel Oliver Smith and Mrs. Mary Noyes [Denison] Smith.

Molly survived her husband Ebenezer by nearly four decades. Family distress certainly resulted following Captain Ebenezer Stanton's untimely death on May 31, 1811, aged 53 years. Further, Molly's aged 20 son Ebenezer Jr. died in July 1811, and her older brother Edward Smith and father Colonel Smith perished in June and August 1811 respectively.  This personally traumatic 1811 year was later sadly accentuated by the premature deaths of Molly's young adult sons Edward and Elisha, both aged in their early-to-mid twenties. Molly never remarried.  She and her surviving adult children were also likely disheartened by the fact that no children were evidently born to them.  Molly and husband Captain Ebenezer Stanton had no grandchildren to carry on their branch of the Stanton Family as all family children had perished childless before the Fall of 1840.  Molly died on January 24, 1850, aged 88 years and 5 months.  She was interred at the family plot to the right side of her beloved husband Ebenezer at Cedar Grove Cemetery, New London, New London County, Connecticut, USA. 

The following image depicts Mrs. Mary "Molly" [Smith] Stanton's maternal lineage (via her mom Ms. Mary Noyes Denison) linking to her famous 3rd Great Grandfather Captain George Denison (d.1694).  

Additionally, Mrs. Mary "Molly" [Smith] Stanton holds paternal lineages to her Southeastern Connecticut Founding Fathers and 3rd Great Grandfathers Thomas Stanton Sr. (d.1677) and Captain George Denison (d.1694) in accordance with the following image.  A lineage chart depicting the lineage from Molly's husband Captain Ebenezer Stanton to Thomas Stanton Sr. is also provided as appended to the following image. 

For more information on Captain Ebenezer Stanton click HERE -- and, additional facts on Captain George Denison may be viewed by clicking HERE. 

Summary: Details of Molly [Smith] Stanton's linkage to the early Colonial Connecticut Denison and Stanton families were personally undiscovered until very recently.  Strong researchers likely have known of cousin Molly's ancestry, but this researcher did not find a concise genealogical paper that clearly cites Molly's lineage.  It is certain that all family genealogists with a claimed blood-related ancestry link(s) to Thomas Stanton Sr. (d.1677) and/or Captain George Denison (d.1694) may refer to this fine lady Mrs. Mary "Molly" [Smith] Stanton -- our Cousin Molly.