Martha Louisa Cartwright was the daughter of William A. Cartwright (1775-1845) and Abigail Davis (1779-     )  Living in Hancock County in 1850 were Abigail Cartwright, 71, born in Rhode Island, value of real estate 100; her daughter, Abigail, 53, born in New York; and son, William A., 40, farmer, born in New York.  See also, a possible sister, Ada Cartwright Alton.

Martha Louisa Cartwright was married first in 1836 to Solomon Pendleton in Amity, Allegany County, New York.  This union produced one child, named as Marion Pendleton, 12, female, in the 1850 Federal Census of Hancock County.

Joshua Duff and Martha Cartwright Pendleton were married on August 14, 1847, in Hancock County.  Marriage License

They farmed for many years in Fountain Green Township and raised their family there.

According to the inscription on her tombstone, Martha was born August 12, 1815, in Allegany County, New York.  There is some evidence that she was born in 1818, rather than 1815.  On that subject, it's fairly clear that she was older than Joshua; it's curious to note that in the four census years from 1850 through 1880, her age bounced from being approximately 2 years older, to 5 years older, to 1 year older, to 5 years older.  Perhaps it's nothing more than a coincidence, but these variations lend a little support to the alternate birth year.

Martha died August 1, 1880, in Hancock County.  Joshua died August 31, 1897, in Decatur County, Iowa, six counties west of Illinois along the southern border of Iowa.  Does the inscription on his marker indicate his body was not actually laid to rest at Webster Cemetery?  We do not know.

Joshua and Martha's children were probably all born in Fountain Green Township (so named in 1850).  They were:

i.	William D. Duff, born July 19, 1848.  He died June 9, 1902, probably in Garden Grove, Decatur County, Iowa; burial at Blockton Cemetery, Taylor County, Iowa.
ii.	Thomas B. Duff, born about 1850, died after April 15, 1910.
iii.	James Franklin Duff, born December 21, 1852, died April 25, 1906.  a transcription of a death record indicates he died in Jackson County, Missouri, cause of death - gangrene.  Burial at Hillcrest Cemetery, Mountain Grove, Wright County, Iowa.
iv.	John Day Duff, born April 16, 1854, died October 7, 1928, in the town of Wilson, Adair County, Missouri.  Burial at Union Cemetery, Gibbs, Adair County.
v.	Charles Wesley Duff, born February 4, 1856.  He died June 11, 1922, and was buried at Majorville Cemetery, in Hancock Township.
vi.	Martha Louisa Duff, born February 28, 1858.  She died in Hancock County on January 28, 1879, and was buried at Webster Cemetery.  According to a reading by Warren Van Dine in 1965, her marker bears this epitaph: See truth love and mercy in triumph descending And nature all glowing in Eden's first bloom On the cold cheek of death smiles and roses are blending And beauty immortal awakes from the tomb.
vii.	Victoria Duff was buried at the Hadley Cemetery in Fountain Green Township.  In 1961 the inscription on her tombstone was deciphered as "Victoria Duff, dau of J.G. and M. L. Duff, Died Sept 17,1850, Age 4 yr., 5 mo., 10 days".  This calculates to a birth date of April 7, 1846. While it's certainly possible she could have been born prior to Joshua and Martha's marriage, little Victoria did not appear in the 1850 census listing of her family.  Based on our experience reading hundreds and hundreds of Hancock County census pages, enumerator Wesley Williams was one of the more accurate recorders.  The 1850 Federal Census was supposed to reflect the residents in each household as of June 1, 1850.  One possibility is that the inscription on Victoria's tombstone (perhaps deteriorated and not found in a visit to the despoiled burial site in 1999) was misread.  A second possibility is that when Wesley Williams visited the home on October 22, 1850, he inadvertently omitted this deceased child.

Joshua Duff, 30, male, farmer, value of real estate 800, born KY
Martha, 32, female, born NY
William, 2, male, born IL
Thomas, 3/12, male, born IL
Marion Pendleton, 12, female, born NY, attended school within the census year
John White, 29, male, farmer, born NY

Joshua Duff, 40, male, farmer, value of real estate 1000, value of personal estate 700, born KY
Martha, 45, female, born NY
William, 12, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Thomas, 10, male, born IL, attended school within the year
James, 7, male, born IL, attended school within the year
John, 6, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Charles, 4, male, born IL
Martha, 2, female, born IL

Duff, Joshua, 50, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 4000, value of personal estate 1200, born KY, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Louisa, 51, female, white, keeping house, born NY
William, 21, male, white, farm laborer, born IL
Thomas, 20, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
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Duff, James, 17, male, white, teacher common school, born IL
John, 16, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Charles, 14, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Martha, 13, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year

Duff, Josh G, male, white, 59, married, farmer, born KY, father born SC, mother born KY
Louisa, white, female, 64, wife, married, keeping house, born NY, father born RI, mother born CT
Charles, white, male, 24, son, single, at home, [entry for sickness or temporary disability illegible], born IL, father born KY, mother born NY