!BIRTH: FamilySearch2, Mary Sarah Mapes, https://ancestors.familysearch.org/2HS6-CJ3
!BIRTH: Braffet descendants, Mary Mapes, https://willbraffitt.org/roots/BraffittDescendants.txt
!CENSUS: 1800 Franklin, Bergen, NJ, John Braffet, "acres of improved land 0; acres of unimproved land 0; horses at 2 years: 0; horned cattle at 3 years: 0; slaves 0; householders 1; single men 0; shopkeepers 0; saw mills 0; grist mills 0; dogs 0"
!CENSUS: 1800 Cheesecocks, Orange, NY246, John Braffet, 1 male 26-44, 1 female 26-44, 1 female 0-9, living close to Hophni Smith, Sr. and next to David Mapes
!NOTE: These 1800 census records may possibly represent 2 different land holdings for John Braffet.
!NOTE: Unclear where these Ontario, NY references fit.
!CENSUS: 1820 Canandaigua, Ontario, NY, page 225, 1 daughter born 1810-1819
!REFERENCE: 1837 Geneva, Ontario, NY letter for Mrs. Ira Braffit, https://web.archive.org/web/20050509081808/http://...stofficeletters2.htm
!REFERENCE: Holbert Family Notes247, Mary Mapes, "Eleanor Smith was a daughter of Samuel Smith and Mary Mapes (widow of John Braffit) of Dutch Hollow, Town of Chester, N.Y."
!REFERENCE: Braffett Family Notes179, Mary Mapes
!REFERENCE: Rumsey Family Pages27, Mary Mapes
!REFERENCE: Smith Family genealogy248, "According to the 1790 Census and Bob Brennan's book "Black Families of Orange County, N.Y.", Mary Mapes was a person of color. This is interesting in that African people were not the only individuals who were enumerated as black. Indian people were also enumerated in this manner by the census taker. The fact that she is enumerated at all under her own name may indicate the matrilineal custom of the head of the household. It would also hold to the facts related by Anne Marie Plane regarding the custom of Indian marriages. Mary Mapes appears to have been married no less than three times. Three of her sons are married into the same John Newberry line. Hozhiah Breffet was her son and was married to Elizabeth Newberry. According to Predmore she was married to Samuel Smith, Ezea Holbert and Joshua Breffet."; Other sources have read Bob Brennan’s book and concluded that it states that Mary Mapes had a slave, but the book does not state that Mary Mapes was a person of color or whether the Mary Mapes in Brennan’s book is the Mary Mapes who married Joshua Braffett and Samuel Smith.
!REFERENCE: Stonehouse and Related Families, "Mary Mapes was born on 13 June 1757 at Monroe, Orange, New York, United States. She was the daughter of Henry Hendrik Mapes and Ruth Rumsey. Mary Mapes married Joshua Braffit circa 1773. Mary Mapes married Samuel Smith, son of Claudius Smith and Abigail Rumsey, circa 1776. Mary Mapes died in 1853 at Monroe, Orange, New York, United States.", http://www.stonehouse.ca/tree2/p234.htm
!NOTE: Two researchers in 2003 were actively studying the references on Mary Mapes - Liz Heselton and Sue Simonich.
!REFERENCE: Nozell genealogy249
!REFERENCE: 1986 letter from Myrtle S. Edwards250
!REFERENCE: 1989 letter from Erma Morris referencing 1978 letter from Myrtle S. Edwards26
!NOTE: The 1775/1776 marriage date for Mary's 2nd marriage doesn't fit in with Hezekiah being under 21 in 1813 when Henry Mapes wrote his will.
!REFERENCE: 2001, Mary Mapes, https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/mapes/1480/
!REFERENCE: 22-Apr-2002, Apr-2003 emails from Lil Heselton , "I am a descendant of Sam Smith and Mary Mapes. Do you have a copy of the letter you quote as reference? re Mary and Joshua braffit? I agree there are major dating problems in the "accepted" theories. I did much of the original work on Lee Fredericks site."
!REFERENCE: 30-May-2004 email from Lil Heselton, "I cannot trace any Ezea Holbert (or Ezra Holbert) in OCNY except Ezra, son of Eleanor Smith (daughter to Samuel and his first wife whoever she was) and John Holbert Jr. However he is way too young to be her husband. However, all that said I cannot find a Joshua Braffett/Braffitt/Braffey/Brafet/ etc. that could be husband to Mary either."