USA > New York > Genealogical and family history of central New York : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the building of a nation, Volume III > Part 62
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(VII) Joel J., third son of Samuel (3) and Lois (Moss) Bixby, was born in 1811, in Bainbridge. died in October, 1865. He re- ceived the ordinary education of the district schools, and learned the trade of carriage-
maker. For many years he engaged in the manufacture of carriages in Bainbridge and in Norwich, New York, and was colonel of a regiment of the state militia, Thirty-ninth Regiment, Tenth Brigade. He was an active member of the Episcopal church in which he served as vestryman. He married Sophronia, daughter of Charles Sumner. Children : Anna, died young ; Helen, became the wife of Theodore R. Campbell, and is now deceased ; had one child, Carrie C. William; Sophronia Sumner, deceased, was the wife of Joseph E. Packard ; Joel Jolinstone, mentioned below.
(VIII ) Joel Johnstone, only son of Joel J. and Sophronia (Sumner) Bixby, was born July 17, 1863, in Bainbridge, Chenango coun- ty, New York. He received his primary edu- cation in the schools of his native town. Re- moving to Norwich he began the study of law with Isaac S. Newton, and continued his studies with Hon. Albert F. Gladding, now a justice of the state supreme court. Under these able preceptors, Mr. Bixby was an earn- est student, and passing a successful examina- tion was admitted to the bar, April 24, 1885. He immediately entered upon the practice of his profession in Norwich, New York, where he has since continued with gratifying suc- cess. Being public-spirited and broad-minded he has done much in developing the best in- terests of Norwich and his native county. He is a vestryman of Emanuel Episcopal Church of Norwich, a director of the National Bank of Norwich, and has been very active in the councils of the Republican party, serving as chairman of its county committee. He is prominent in Masonic circles, being a member of Norwich Lodge, No. 302, Free and Ac- cepted Masons; Norwich Commandery, No. 47, Knights Templar; and Chenango Consis- tory, No. 31. He is also a member of the local tribe, Improved Order of Red Men. His affable manner and faithful attention to the interests of his clients have brought and re- tained for him many strong friendships.
He married. February 6, 1888, Marie Louise Newton, of Norwich, daughter of Warren and Lydia (Wheeler ) Newton. They have one child, Warren Newton, born Decem- ber 31, 1890, a graduate of Harvard Univer- sity, class of 1912.
ELLICOTT
This is a name distinguished in more than one of the orig- inal states. From one branch
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of the family, Ellicott City, a suburb of Balti- more, takes its name. Andrew Ellicott, one of the third generation in this country, was surveyor-general of the United States. Ben- jamin, one of the third generation also, was member of congress from New York. Joseph Ellicott, more especially referred to herein, was the surveyor, and is considered the foun- der of Buffalo, the second city in importance of the Empire State. Others of the family were of note in Pennsylvania. In Maryland they were prominent as millers. founders, builders and inventors. In Buffalo the name is perpetuated in one of the central business blocks.
The first of the name to settle in this coun- try were Andrew and Ann Bye Ellicott, na- tives of Cullopton, in Wales. The wife was a member of the Society of Friends. or "Quakers," as they are more commonly called. For marrying Andrew, a non-member, she was disowned by this people and the couple came to this country in 1731. They landed, with an infant son, in New York. Having some means they bought land and settled upon it. but up to 1760 little is known of their prog- ress except that they lived in Bucks county. Pennsylvania, and had four sons, the elder of whom was engaged in business.
These four sons of Andrew Ellicott were by name Nathaniel, Joseph, Andrew, John. About 1770 they purchased a tract of land on the Patapsco river in Maryland province. and built there the mills long known by their name.
Joseph, of this second generation, was a skilled mechanic and something of a scien- tist in a practical way. He constructed a clock of much ingenuity, of astronomical character and playing twenty-four tunes.
The sons of this Joseph, the first, were Joseph, our subject, Andrew, Benjamin, Da- vid. Andrew devoted himself to surveying. and was the man above referred to as sur- veyor-general of the United States. Benja- min was assistant to Joseph in the service of the Holland Company, an association of mer- chants of Amsterdam, Holland, owning large tracts of land in New York and Pennsylvania. He rose later to be judge in Genesee county, and as aforesaid an M. C. David, youngest of this third generation, was a surveyor under Joseph, for a time, then went south and disap- peared.
In the fourth generation in this country we
have record only of the sons of Andrew : An- drew A., John B. and Joseph, nephews of our subject and residents of the Holland purchase in New York state.
Joseph Ellicott, founder of Buffalo, was born, as we have seen, in Bucks county. Penn- sylvania. He was fourteen when his father, the first Joseph, moved to Maryland, and what schooling he had was received in the common public schools. Surveying he learned under his brother, Andrew, with whom he served in the survey of the capitol city, Washington. In 1791 he ran the boundary between (ieorgia and the lands of the Creek Indians for the war department of the National government. Then he surveyed the Holland Company's lands in Pennsylvania, and after a time in business with his brothers in Maryland was engaged about 1797 by the Holland Company for work in New York.
The active life of Mr. Ellicott covered about thirty-one years, from 1790 to 1821. He passed about twelve of those years sur- veying in what was still the border country, then gave up that employment for the scarce- ly lighter task of land agent for the company. In that position he was uncommonly success- ful. He was a practical man of great in- (huistry and method, with a high degree of executive talent. These qualities are illus- trated in his correspondence and his journal. He was identified, not alone with the settle- ment of Buffalo and with that of Western and Central New York, but with such large enterprises as the Erie canal, of which he was one of the early promoters. He opposed Gov- ernor Clinton's proposal to send to England for engineers, declaring that there was abun- cant home talent.
His was a life of great activity and useful- ness. Sad to relate his end was tragic. He had been subject to periods of great depres- sion and melancholy, and this settled into a confirmed hypochondria. He was unmarried. lonely, had suffered disappointment-, and in 1821. realizing his condition, he withdrew from the land agency and this practically closed his career. In 1824. upon medical ad- vice, he went by canal packet to the city of New York. Here a council of medicos upon his case decided Bellevue Hospital the best place for his treatment. There he failed to improve, and in August, 1826, he escaped from his attendants and took his own life. Ilis remains were interred at Batavia.
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Dr. John Henry Christopher STISSER Stisser, the first of the name in this country, was born in Germany, and had an exceptionally fine edil- cation for his day, being able to speak seven languages. He was a physician and surgeon, and in company with other Germans came to this country with the British army during the revolution in the capacity of surgeon. IIe was taken prisoner at Saratoga. After the war he made his home in what is now the city of Amsterdam, New York. He married a widow and among his children was John, see forward.
( Il) Captain John Stisser, son of Dr. John H. C. Stisser, was born in Amsterdam, New York. died at the age of forty-nine years. When a young man he came to Madison county. New York, carted coal for the old Lenox Furnace in order to make iron, and also cleared a farm, being the owner of about eight hundred acres of land. He married De- lilah Buyra, who was of Dutch descent. and who lived to the advanced age of eighty-three years. Children : Jacob, Augustus, Martin. Maria. John, see forward: Nancy. Jane, and three that died in infancy.
(III) John (2), son of Captain John ( 1) Stisser, was born in Oneida. Madison county, New York. September 12, 1834, on the home- stead settled by his father, and he still re- sides there. He was educated in the public schools, and the Polytechnic Institute of Chit- tenango. He has always followed farming as an occupation. He became one of the solid and influential citizens of the town, and com- mands in the highest degree the respect and confidence of his townsmen. He is a Master Mason, a Royal Arcanumite and an Odd Fel- low. He married Minerva P .. daughter of Warren and Marilla ( Parmely ) Gridley. Children: Warren John, mentioned below : Delia, born December 5. 1867, married Frank Conley, a contractor of Utica, New York. daughter, Mildred Conley.
( IV) Warren John, son ot John (2) Stis- ser, was born at Oneida, Madison county. New York, Decerber 1, 1872. He was edu- cated in the public and high schools of his native town. He worked with his father on the farm during his boyhood, and after leav- ing school for a year with his brother-in-law, Frank Conley, in the contracting business in Utica. In 1902 he entered partnership with Frank E. Davies under the firm name of
Davies & Stisser. general merchants, at Can- astota, New York. In 1907 he sold his inter- ests in the business and purchased the chair manufactory at Cortland, New York, and under the name of the Cortland Cabinet Com- pany began the manufacture of china closets and buffets. The factory is located at Lehigh Station and the concern has enjoyed a pros- perous and growing business. Mr. Stisser is president and manager of the corporation. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Canastota, and of the Oneida Commercial Travellers Association. He is an active member of the Presbyterian church at Cortland.
He married Lena Mary, born at Stock- bridge, Madison county, New York, October, 1872, daughter of Davis Lewis and Rozalia Idalia (Spaulding) Davis, granddaughter of David Davis, a native of Wales, who settled at Eaton, New York. Children: Clarence Warren, born at Stockbridge, New York, Au- gust 20, 1894: Wesley Davis, born at Oneida. New York, January 20, 1896: Frank Gridley, born at Stockbridge, May. 18,,8.
LATIMER Robert Latimer, immigrant ancestor, came first to New London, Connecticut. He mar- ried Mrs. Ann Jones, widow of Nathan Jones. and daughter of George Griggs, Esquire, of Boston. He was a ship owner, and died at sea. Children : Robert, mentioned below : Elizabeth.
(II ) Captain Robert (2) Latimer, son of Robert (I) Latimer, was born February 5, 1664. Ile was rich in landed estate. He owned a homestead in New London and town lots, also a large tract of swamp and cedar land in the vicinity of New London, and an tinmeasured quantity of wild land in the north- west part of New London, afterwards occu- pied by his descendants. He also owned a tract of land in Chesterfield on which some of his descendants afterwards lived. He held many offices of trust : deputy in 1706 and for several years in succession. In 1712 he was a member of the governor's council, and was again chosen in 1720, and held the position until his death, in New London, November 29, 1728. He married Elizabeth -. Chil- dren: John, Robert, Jonathan, mentioned be- low : Samuel, Peter, Ann.
(III) Captain Jonathan Latimer. son of Captain Robert (2) Latimer, was born about
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1698. He settled in New London, and was like his father a wealthy landholder. He was captain and major in the colonial wars. He owned a large tract of land in Chesterfield, inherited from his father, and another on the west side of the Niantic river, now in the town of East Lyme. The site of a dwelling-house on the latter tract of land, formerly occupied by one of his sons, was in 1882 still visible, and a spring from which water was taken to supply the house is still known as "Latimer Spring." A ledge of almost perpendicular rocks lying along the west bank of the river has been called "Latimer's Rock," and a beautiful white sand beach at Black Point in Lyme, formerly owned by him is still called "Latimer's Beach." He married. April 6. 1721, Borodell, daughter of George Denison, and great-granddaughter of Jonathan and Lu- cretia Brewster. Children : Anne, born about 1723; Jonathan, mentioned below ; Elizabeth, September 16, 1726; Mary, April 16, 1729: Amos, December 5, 1730; Robert, February 26, 1732; Henry, February 28, 1737: Daniel, August 16, 1739: John, December 21, 1741 ; Borodell or Boradel. baptized February 21, 1744.
(IV) Jonathan (2). son of Captain Jona- than (1) Latimer, was born March or May 27, 1724, in Chesterfield Society, Montville, Connecticut. He lived in New London in Chesterfield Society, on land which he had inherited from his father. He served in sev- eral campaigns against the French on the northern frontier, and during the revolution was much of the time in the field of service. He was colonel of the Third Regiment of militia in Connecticut at the time of Arnold's raid on New London in 1781, and at that time was censured for not taking a more active part in bringing forward the forces under his command to meet the enemy.
Colonel Latimer with seven sons removed from Montville to Tennessee about 1790. They moved in an emigrant wagon drawn by oxen, and took with them articles and provi- sions for use on the way. He himself did not live to reach his destination, but died on the journey and was buried at the place where he died. The sons settled in that state and became the ancestors of numerous descendants now living in the western states. It was a tradition in the family that Colonel Latimer and six of his sons measured forty-two feet, and their descendants have always been noted
for their height and stalwart, muscular frames. He married Lucretia Griswold, born March 26, 1731. Children: Hannah, September 19, 1747; George, July 20, 1749; Borodell, De- cember 13, 1750, died young ; Jonathan, April 12, 1753; Borodell, April 12, 1755 ; Wetherel, March 18, 1757 ; Charles, June 20, 1759; Rob- ert, November 2, 1760; Nicholas, June 8, 1763; Griswold, September 8, 1764; Joseph. mentioned below ; Nathaniel, February 25, 1768; Daniel, May 4, 1771.
(V) Joseph, son of Jonathan ( 2) Latimer. was born January or June 8, 1766, in New London. Ile moved with his parents in 1790 to Tennessee. He was a large real estate owner. In 1833 he moved to Abbington, Illi- nois, where he died about 1846, aged seventy years. He married, November 10, 1796, Anna Dobbins, born in Lancaster county, South Carolina, May 10, 1776. She also moved to Tennessee when quite young. Children : Mary, Borodell, Elizabeth, Jonathan, men- tioned below: Sarah, May 13, 1805: Alex- ander, George G., John C .. David T., Susan- nah P.
(VI) Jonathan (3), son of Joseph Latimer. was born in Tennessee in 1801, died in Ab- bington, Illinois, about 1866. He moved there about 1832, and was an extensive real estate owner. He was a builder and pro- moter of railroads, built manufacturing plants, owned many stores, and many men were tin- der his employ. He was active in public life, and was very influential because of the large number in his employ. He married Nancy West, born in 1801, died in 1888, daughter of Jacob and Bathsheba (Cooper ) West, of North Carolina. Children : Jacob, William, James, Joseph, Jonathan C., mentioned be- low ; Emily, Louise, Mary, Anna, Clara.
(VII) Jonathan Columbus, son of Jona- than (3) Latimer, was born May 5. 1842, in Abbington, Knox county, Illinois. lle at- tended the public schools, Abbington high school, and graduated from Knox College at Galesburg, Illinois. He studied his profes- sion at the Harvard Law School and was graduated in 1866. From that time until 1872 he practiced law in Chicago, Illinois. He came to Tioga Center, New York, in 1872 on ac- count of the ill health of his wife's parents, and took charge of large real estate inter- ests. He has followed farming in this town to the present time and now owns two thou- sand acres of land and large herds of cattle.
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In 1863 he enlisted in Company E, Seventy- first Illinois Regiment, for one hundred days, and was on guard duty most of the time. He was a non-commissioned officer of his regi- ment. He has always taken an active part in public affairs in the town of Tioga ; served in the board of supervisors eight terms, in 1887-88 represented his district in the state assembly and served on important commit- tees ; was chairman of the committee on print- ing and member of the committee on ways and means, and for twenty-five years was president of the union school board of Tioga. In politics he is a Republican. He is a promi- nent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, a trustee and for thirty years has been superintendent of the Sunday school.
He married, May 10, 1870, Angeline Del- phine, born at Tioga Center, New York, De- cember 6, 1835, daughter of Ira and Sarah (Forman) Ransom, adopted daughter of Will- iam Ransom (see Ransom VI). Children: I. Angie, born May 3, 1872, in Chicago; married Elisha Lee, assistant general manager of the Pennsylvania railroad; children: Jonathan Latimer, Dorothy and Elisha Lee. 2. Sarah, born October 26, 1874, died May 7, 1875. 3. Clara V., born May 20, 1876; married Clar- ence Lyman Collins (2), of Cleveland, Ohio, president of the Reliance Motor and Electrical Supply Company ; children : Emily Robert and Clarence Lyman Collins (3) .
(The Ransom Line).
(I) Robert Ransom, American progenitor, was born in England, where the family was prominent from early times, especially in Ips- wich, in Kent. Sussex and other eastern coun- ties. He came to this country before 1654 and settled in Plymouth, Massachusett. He was a member of the church and was admit- ted a freeman in 1657, but he rebelled against the bigotry and intolerance of the Puritan government and was often in court in his younger days. He resided at Sandwich for a time, and was there in 1654 as apprentice of Thomas Dexter Jr., who treated him harsh- ly and whom he had before the court. After- ward he bought his time of his employer. He was in court in 1665 charged with fencing a piece of common land, evidently a charge based on some land title dispute, and also for calling William Hawkins a rogue, which perhaps was the truth. In 1669-70 he was in court for striking John Tilson, and there
is nothing to prove that Tilson did not deserve a thrashing. In the same year he was ar- rested for airing his unfavorable opinion of the governor. One could not criticize public officers and ministers with impunity in those days. In 1673 John Andrews was arrested for assaulting him and he was again in court for using abusive language. He was once arrested for selling rum without a license- inn-keeper's-and he was in the same com- pany as many of the most prominent men of the colonies. In 1691 he had trouble with John Doty. All these cases, which the geneal- ogist has hunted up, merely show that Ransom was somewhat turbulent and independent, and had a good old English temper and flow of language. He probably had an unhappy child- hood, for he came here an apprentice without relatives, as far as we can learn. His mas- ter was cruel. But in later life he was quiet and respected, an officer of the town and a man of property. His children intermarried with some of the most prominent families. In later years he lived at Lakeville, Middle- borough, Plymouth county, now the town of Plympton. In 1686 he deeded land to his son Robert Jr. He was a highway surveyor in 1675. He married Susanna Chil- dren : Mathew, born at Sandwich about 1661; Joshua, about 1663 : Robert, mentioned below ; Hannah, Mercy, Samuel, Mary.
(II) Robert (2), son of Robert (I) Ran- som, was born about 1668 at Lakenham (Lakeville). now Plympton, then Middlebor- ough, Massachusetts. He married, in 1689, Anna, daughter of Deacon Waterman. of Halifax. She survived him and administered his estate. The estate was divided March 13, 1723-24. His descendants scattered widely, in Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecti- cut, and Western New York, and also in the vicinity of Saugerties and Poughkeepsie, New York. Children, born at Middleborough : Abigail, June 7, 1691 ; Samuel. 1693 ; Robert, mentioned below; Lydia, February 26, 1700; Ebenezer, September 6, 1702: Mary, June 9, 1705; Joseph, December 23, 1709; Anna, No- vember 18, 1711; Deborah, May 3, 1714.
(III) Robert (3). son of Robert (2) Ran- som, was born in Middleborough, September 15, 1695. He married (first) August 30, 1719. Sarah Thomas; (second) in 1729, Sa- rah Chyles (Childs). Among their children was Samuel, mentioned below.
(IV) Captain Samuel Ransom, son of Rob-
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ert (3) Ransom, was born at Middleborough or Plympton, April 10, 1738. He settled in Canaan, Litchfield county, Connecticut, where he was living as early as May 6. 1756, when he married Esther Lawrence. His wife was born in 1738 in Windham county, Connecti- cut. In 1758 the town of Norfolk was set off from Canaan and here he bought land and lived until he removed to the Wyoming Valley with the Connecticut settlers in 1773 and on this farm all his children, except the youngest, were born. The farm was near Doolittle Pond. He was evidently prosper- ous and influential. In less than six months after coming to the Wyoming Valley he was established as a prominent and leading citi- zen and was elected selectman of the town of Westmoreland and also surveyor of highways. He was active in the controversy over land titles due to the conflict in jurisdiction between Pennsylvania and Connecticut. He was cap- tain of a company in the revolution, August 26. 1776, in Westmoreland county, Pennsyl- vania, and served in New Jersey and Penn- sylvania in 1777-78. He was commissioned captain of the Third Company, Twenty-fourth Regiment of Connecticut militia (in Pennsyl- vania, then part of Litchfield county ). He hauled the first logs for the fort at Garrison Hill, Plymouth, Pennsylvania, and he was commissioned captain by congress, August 26, 1776. of the Second Independent Company. attached to the Connecticut line. The com- pany joined Washington at Morristown, New Jersey, and was first under fire in January. 1777, at the battle of Millstone, New Jersey. under General Dickinson. He took part in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Bound Brook and Mud Fort and other lesser engagements. In October. 1777, his company was reduced by casualties to sixty-two men. During the winter they were with the main army in camp at Morristown. In the follow- ing June he resigned to assist in protecting his home in the Wyoming Valley against the British and Indians under General John But- ler. He reached home on the morning of the massacre, July 3, 1778, and volunteered under General Zebulon Butler. In the battle hie was with Whittlesey's company on the ex- treme left. He was one of the eleven officers killed. Every captain of the six companies was found dead at the front of the line. The place where they fell is about a mile above the Wyoming station of the Delaware, Lacka-
wanna & Western railroad station and very nearly on the line of the tracks. Captain Ran- som's body was found near Fort Wintermoot with a musket ball through his thigh, his head severed and his whole body scarred with gashes. His name heads the list of the killed on the monument erected to the memory of those who fell. The town of Ransom in Lack- awanna county was named for him. His house was burned and his family fled, but afterward returned and claimed their land.
His widow married (second ) Captain James Bidlack Sr. and is said to have returned to Norfolk, Connecticut, where she probably died. Children, born at Canaan, now Norfolk, except youngest : Sarah, August 23. 1757; Samuel, September 28, 1759; George Palmer, January 3, 1762 ; Sybil, February 5, 1764; Es- ther, March 12, 1766; Lovisa Laurence, May 28. 1768; William, mentioned below; Mary, May 20, 1772; Lois, March 20, 1775, at or near Plymouth, Pennsylvania.
(V) William, son of Captain Samuel Ran- som, was born May 26, 1770, at Canaan, now Norfolk. Connecticut, died January 8, 1822. Ile married, in 1792, Rachel Brooks, at Tioga Center, New York. She was born February 18, 1776, in Hunterdon county, New Jersey, died May 29, 1857, at Tioga Center, daughter of James and Mary (Johnson ) Brooks. She married ( second ) about 1840, Arthur Frink. Children, born at Tioga Center, New York : Ira, mentioned below : Sybil, born August 14, 1794; David, October 14, 1796; Benjamin, September 26, 1799; William, April 9, 1801 ; Rachel, August 23, 1803 ; Charles, September 19, 1805 : Printice, September 17, 1807: Har- riet, August 15, 1809; Charlotte, April 13, ISII : Mary Johnson, November 24, 1812.
(VI) Ira, son of William Ransom, was born at Tioga Center, New York, December 4, 1792, died June 1, 1848, at Wysox, Penn- sylvania. He married, at Nichols, New York, January 22, 1814, Sarah Forman, born at Nichols, November 5, 1795, died at Brook- lyn, New York, May 14, 1872. She married ( second ) Abiel C. Campbell, April 16, 1858. Children, born at Tioga Center: Susan Emily, December 1, 1815; Miles Forman, February 1, 1817; Esther Caroline, April 15, 1819; Elizabeth Frances, April 26, 1821 : Hy- att Clark, October 12, 1823; Sarah Ann, No- vember 29, 1825 ; Harriet Eliza, May 16, 1828; David William, June 4, 1830; Angeline Del- phine, December 6, 1835, married, May Io,
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