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The Darling Family of Long Island
     The Darling family, of Long Island, were originally from Smithtown.  They were Quakers who went to Nantucket Island during the Revolutionary War rather than compromise their principles.  There they operated the first whaling ships that went to the northern latitudes in search of whales. Descendant Matthew Darling bought land from the Van Brunt family on the west side of Port Jefferson Harbor and with Sylvester Smith, also from Smithtown, established a shipyard there as early as 1832.
    Capt. Selah H. Darling (1860-1941) was descended from Adam Darling of Smithtown, New York. He was born in Northport on August 16, 1860, the son of Ebenezer and Mary Melissa (Howell) Darling. Captain Darling began his career at sea on whaling ships and then ran coastal schooners to Nova Scotia.
    Captain Darling moved from Northport to Port Jefferson in 1886. His first wife was Sarah I. Smith (1858-1890). They had one daughter, Lilly Belle. Two years after his first wife's death, he married Agnes Jane Wheeler (1867-1953). They had six children; Charles S., Harry B., Maud E., Elsie S., Amy H. and Howard S.
     Captain Darling retired from the sea in 1927 at the age of 67. On December 19, 1941, he died in his home at the age of 81. He was buried in the family plot at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Captain Darling was survived by his wife, Agnes Jane (Wheeler) Darling; three sons, Howard and Charles Darling of Port Jefferson and Harry Darling of the Bronx; three daughters, Mrs. Joseph Lucas and Mrs. John Murphy of Port Jefferson and Mrs.William Valentine of Bridgeport.
     Captain Benjamin B. Darling (1816-1895) and his brother, Jeremiah, were born to John and Jemima (Conklin) Darling of Smithtown.  Jeremiah Darling and his wife, Mary J. Darling, sold Capt. Benjamin Darling "That certain piece or lot of land with the Buildings thereon situated on the West side of the Bay in the Village of Port Jefferson," according to a deed dated September 24, 1854, in the Suffolk County Records.
     The 1870 census lists Benjamin B. Darling, age 55, as a seaman. Margaret B Walker Darling, his wife, is 40; Mary C. is 21; Benjamin B. Jr. is 18; Matthew J., is 17; Rachel W., 16; Josephine A., 13; Emma E. is 7.
     The ages given in the 1880 census are not compatible with the 1870 census. They are: Benjamin B. Darling, sailor, .60; his wife, Margaret B., 48, occupation, "Keeping House" son, Benjamin, sailor, 24; son, Mathew J., sailor, 22; daughter Rachel W., 20; daughter Josephine J., 18; and daughter, Emma L., 16.
DARLING QUERY: 
My great great grandmother was Diadama Wicks. She was married to Henry N. Wicks.
Tombstones in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Port Jefferson show that Diadama was born May 24, 1820 and died June 7, 1901.  An obituary in a Port Jefferson Newspaper notes that Diadama was formerly a Miss Darling of Smithtown.
Diadama and Henry had four children as follows:
  Keturah Ann b. 4/28/1837 - m. William Reeve Satterly
  Washington Clark b. 11/10/1841 - m. Isabella Janet Clifton
    (known as Captain Clark - he was my great grandfather)
  Mary b. about 1851
  William Flavius b. 1854 - m. Hattie A. Howell
 
Since there were a few Darling families in Smithtown, I am having a brick wall as to which family she is descended from.
 
Any help appreciated!
 
Margaret Wilshere
maggiew@alltel.net
Darling Family Images
Further family information for this branch is in the Main Darling Surname file
Ebenezer Darling
Ebenezer Darling
January 22, 1834 - April 05, 1909
 Mary Howell
Mary Melissa Howell (Ebenezer's wife & Selah's Mother)
January 22, 1838 - June 14, 1917
Selah Howell Darling
Selah Howell Darling
August 16, 1860 - December 19, 1941
 "Nell" Agnes June Wheeler
Agnes Jane Wheeler
December 22, 1867 - October 26, 1953
HELP NEEDED - Detached Darling lines that need to be tied in
If you have info please contact Long Island Genealogy
  • CHARITY DARLING was born in Setauket, Suffolk Co., LI, NY.  She married ELBERT HERING SMITH1 April 25, 1848 in Setauket, LI, NY, son of MICAH SMITH and ELIZABETH SMITH.  He was born Abt. 1804 in Smithtown, Suffolk Co., LI, NY.
  • LYDIA DARLING was born February 14, 1815 in Smithtown, Suffolk Co., LI, NY1, and died June 08, 1892 in Setauket, Suffolk Co., LI, NY.  She married GEORGE WASHINGTON HAWKINS2 Abt. 1835 in Suffolk Co., LI, NY, son of JAMES HAWKINS and MARY BAYLES.  He was born June 10, 1811 in Setauket, Suffolk Co., LI, NY, and died July 05, 1880 in Setauket, Suffolk Co., LI, NY.
  • MARIA DARLING was born Abt. 1826 in Suffolk Co., LI, NY, and died Bef. 1870 in Huntington, Suffolk Co., LI, NY.  She married DAVID ROGERS1, son of JACOB ROGERS and ELIZABETH BUNCE.  He was born May 29, 1807 in Northport, Suffolk Co., LI, NY, and died April 06, 1884 in Cold Spring Harbor, LI, NY.

    • LOCATION INFORMATION: - "Darlingtown, LI, NY" - Darlingtown, aka Darlington, Darling's Hollow, was the area along Landing Avenue on the west side of the Nissequoque River, roughly a little north of the Landing Avenue bridge to present-day San Remo. The Landing Methodist churchyard is in Darlingtown.
    Darling Reference Material available on Long Island Genealogy - All pdf Format
    Selected pages Related to the Long Island Darling Family from - Portrait and biographical record of Suffolk County, New York: Chapman Pub. Co., 1896
         
    Brooklyn Eagle Article (pdf) - February 21, 1899, pg 16 - "Suffering of Bayles Crew, Captain of the Wretched Schooner held his Wife's Body in his arms for Two Days."
        
    The Darling Family in America (full Text) - The Darling family in America : early settlers prior to 1800. New York: W.M. Clemens, 1913, 31  pgs.
        
    Clarke's kindred genealogies: (Darling Section Only) - a genealogical history of certain descendants of Joseph Clarke, Dorchester, 1630, Denice Darling, Braintree, 1662, Harvard Print. Co., 1896, Clarke, Augustus Peck, 195  pgs.