Queensbury Quintuplets


I just stumbled across an interesting note within the 1810 census for the
Town of Queensbury, Washington County (now Warren County) New York.

On page 364, at the bottom of the page, the census marshal made a note
that referred to an unnamed woman living in the household headed by a
David Irish.
"This woman is 24 years old and has had 10 children, 5 of which were born
at one and the same time." In the David Irish household only 6 people were
listed on the census. Two males under 10, One male 26-45 (this would be
David Irish, himself); one female under 10, the 24-year-old woman and a
Woman who was older than 45. So obviously the woman's 10 children were not
living with her, if in fact they were all living. Presumably, the
quintuplets did not all survive but I do not know that for certain.

I thought, however ,that this would be an interesting bit of information
for someone (who was interested) to follow up; it would seem to open a
door to all sorts of interesting historical questions. So I wanted to
broadcast it.

Ian McGiver