Samuel Ayrault, the 14th of 15 children born to Pardon Mawney and Experience Gardner, was m. 1816 to Phebe NICHOLS, b. RI 16 July 1799, d. 19 Sep 1868 (dates from Wightman genealogy), the daughter of Jonathan Nichols and Mary Wightman. Phebe was named in her father's will. As a very young man, Samuel was a mariner, and was issued a Seaman Protection Certificate on 20 Oct 1809 at the age of 17. His complexion was given as light, and his birth place E. Greenwich. In 1820 Samuel was living in Reading, Steuben Co., NY, aged 26-44 with wife, aged 16-25, two presumed daughters, aged less than 10, and another girl, aged 10-15. In 1830 the family was living in Starkey, Yates Co., NY, he and wife aged 30-39, two daughters aged 10-14 and one aged 5-9, and a boy aged 15-19.

Unusual for the day, Samuel and Phebe were divorced, and though they were living in Yates Co., NY, their separation agreement, dated 6 Jan 1831, appears in the deed book of E. Greenwich, RI. Phebe has not been found in 1840, but Samuel was living in E. Greenwich, RI that year, aged 50-59, with females aged 15-19 and 20-29, presumably two of his three daughters. In 1850 Phebe was living in Henrietta, Monroe Co., NY with her daughter Mariah Chappell and family, and her name on the census was "Phebe Mewsey", aged 50, b. RI. That same year, Samuel was living in Fairfax Co., Virginia with another daughter, Isabella Maynard and husband, his name being incorrectly given as Samuel A. Maynard, aged 65, farmer, b. RI. Neither Samuel nor Phebe has been found in the 1860 census. According to the Wightman genealogy, Phebe eventually remarried to a Walter Cannel. Children:

*Elizabeth, b. c. 1818, m. Edward Wheeler of Auburn, NY

*Maria, b. NY 1820, m. Mainard Chappell , b. NY 1815 a shoemaker. The couple lived with her mother in Henrietta, Monroe Co., NY in 1850.

*Isabella Ann, b. NY 1822, m. James G. Maynard of Providence, RI; Fairfax Co., VA; and Bureau Co., IL. In 1850 the couple was living in Fairfax Co., with her father in the household.