USA > New York > Oswego County > Orwell > History of the town of Orwell, New York, from 1806 to 1887 > Part 5
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Charles attempted to rule without the aid of Parliament, which you may recollect, is contrary to the laws of England, and had agreed to carry on wars with France and Spain without its knowl- edge, for which Parliament refused to supply him with money. Still he persisted in going ahead, and raised money in the most illegal ways. This, as may be expected, offended Parliament and soured their minds toward him, so he dissolved Parliament, and issued warrants for borrowing money of the subjects. A new Par- liament was found equally uncomplying, and consequently, he dis- solved again and a new Parliament which was now convoked, resolved on reformation. A "Petition of Rights" was passed by both Houses, which declared the illegality of raising money with- out their aid, and annulled all taxes imposed without the consent of Parliament, and abolished the exercise of the martial law, and Charles was obliged to give his assent to this great retrenchment of prerogative. Still he persisted in raising money and a member of the House, refusing to pay, was imprisoned. About this time a great number of the Puritans, weary of the restraint they received from the King and domineering priests, embarked for America. Things had now arrived at such a pass that the sword was to decide the contest. The two Houses of Parliament took into their hands the forces constituted by the militia of the country. At the same time the King erected his standard at Nottingham in 1642. Several battles were fought during three or four consecutive years with varied success. At length the royalists were overcome and the King thrown into the hands of his enemies. They declared it
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treason in a king to levy war against his Parliament. A court of 133 was appointed to try him as a tyrant, traitor and murderer. He was condemned to suffer death and beheaded the third day afterward in the 42nd year of his age and the 24th year of his reign, 1649.
I must pass over the history of Cromwell, protector of the Commonwealth, to the time Charles II was restored to the throne of his ancestors, 1660. He attempted to avenge the murder of his father. About this time our ancestors fled to America and settled at Hingham, Mass., among the Puritans, James, our ancestor, and John, his brother. Sir James Whiton lived to be old, enjoying Christian liberty and devoting his life to usefulness. He had a son James who died rather early in life. This James had three sons, James, Samuel and Joseph Whiton, who was born in Hing- ham Mar. 10, 1686. Joseph had quite a family, among whom was our grandfather, Elijah, who was born at Hingham, 1714. They removed to Rhehoboth and resided there a few years. Then re- moved to Ashford, Ct., about the year 1729. His wife, Rebecca, died Mar. 17, 1776, aged 76 years, and he himself Mar. 8, 1777, aged 91 years. Elijah, our grandfather, and his brother, James, continued to reside in Ashford during a long life which was spent in the service of Christ and usefulness to his fellowmen. He trained a large family consisting of eighteen children and died Aug. 20, 1784, aged 71 years. His descendants filled respectable stations in the community. He was deacon of the church and justice of the peace to the end of his life. His sun set in peace. May his posterity imitate his example by doing good to all around them. We are descended, it appears, from the nobles of England, and may we prove worthy of our descent. The memory of the just is blessed.
Your Cousin, HANNAH MORE.
The Elijah Whiton referred to in the above letter was the grand- father of Amelia Stowell. He was widely known as the peace- maker, for when cases came before him in his official capacity, as justice of the peace, his first question was, always: "Now can't this be settled in some way ?" and he almost invariably succeeded in reconciling the parties and preventing litigation. He possessed the typical Puritan virtues; was simple in his manner of life, of unswerving rectitude, deep religious convictions and unquestion- ing faith. As illustrative of his earnest life, and the strong impres- sion it left upon his children in later years, we give the following
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from the "American Messenger of May, 1859.
"He is Faithful that Promised."
Deacon Whiton was a plain but godly man who lived, during the latter part of the last century, in a quiet country town in Con- necticut. He was an intelligent, hard working farmer, contented to support his family of eighteen children by unremitting toil, and to serve God in the humble sphere in which He had seen fit to place him. Only one fact of special interest in regard to him has come down to us, and that preserved in an old letter written more than half a century since, to one of his numerous children. It is simply this, that he was in the habit of praying for all of his chil- dren every day by name. What a patrimony for a large family ! How many prayers, warm from that father's heart, were offered and accepted at the mercy-seat and laid up in remembrance before God !
Tower Whiton, one of the sons of this good man, passed through his college course without becoming a christian. He entered the medical profession and practiced in his native state a few years, when he removed to a neighboring state. Here his indifference to the truths of the gospel was more and more confirmed, until he became decidedly sceptical in regard to all religious truth.
Years passed on; the praying father was taken to his heavenly home, and the unbelieving son was already past the meridian of life, "without hope and without God in the world." He lived in neglect of the Bible, or read it only to cavil at its sacred truths, and remembered not the God of his father, Yet God's long suffer- ing failed not. He was out one day alone in the woods when it seemed to him that he heard his name called; and that on turning around, his father said to him in solemn tones, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." It seemed to him like a voice from heaven. He was seized with deep conviction for sin, He saw, as he had never seen before, his guilt in rejecting God, and with the humility of a child, he cried, "Lord, I believe, help thou mine un- belief." From this time his son began to live a new life, and till the time of his death, which occurred when about eighty years of age, he was a faithful and consistent Christian,
What an answer to that father's prayers ! His voice had long been silent in the grave, yet the eye of God had followed that rebellious and sceptical son through his life of unbelief, till, in God's own time, truth was set home to his heart with irresistable power. What an encouragement to parents to pray for their chil-
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dren, to "pray for them every day by name !" In this case, it was doubtless the holy life, and example of that father, which came back upon him like a living voice, and was to him indeed as "life from the dead."
His entire family were seldom, if ever, absent from church, even in the stormiest weather, though it was so far that his wife rode one of his horses and his daughters travelled by the "ride and tie" method, then much in vogue in primitive New England. One rode a certain distance, dismounted and tied the horse, leaving it for the use of the others.
Next to religious privileges, he prized educational advantages, and his life and conversation were constant sources of instruction to his children. His love of study and ability to impart instruc- tion, and firm adherence to principles of right, he left as a priceless heritage to his children and children's children. All were tireless students and possessed remarkable memories, as evinced by the fact that several of them could repeat from memory nearly all of the New Testament and much of the Old. They numbered among them college graduates, teachers, ministers and physicians.
Elijah Whiton was twice married. By his first wife, Priscilla Russ, he had nine children.
I. Sybil. She inherited many of her father's qualities; was given to study and historical research ; never married.
II. Joseph, died June, 1817, aged 71; had two children-Elijah, died 1851, aged 70, and Sarah who married Ezekiel Chapman.
III. Elijah; had one child, Henry.
IV. Stephen. He came to New York and was killed in the Wyo- ming Massacre of 1778. His wife, with a few campanions, made her way on foot back to Connecticut, a distance of 300 miles. Here was born a son, Stephen. He had one daughter, Eunice, who mar- ried a Parsons, and one son, Ashbel.
V. Israel. He was a minister ; children, John Milton, also a minister, and Israel, a physician. Both were graduates of Yale college.
VI. Abraham.
VII. James.
VIII. Abigail. Married Hezekiah Eldredge; had nine children: Abial, Hezekiah, Elijah, Sybil, Abigail, Micah, Stephen, Hosea, Persis. Elijah No. 2 had ten children: Sarah, Persis, Elijah, Hezekiah, Lucius, Abigail, Eri, Royal, Eliza, Cyrus.
IX. Priscilla. Married a Dudley and settled in Vermont,
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Elijah Whiton and Hannah Crocker, his second wife, had nine children.
X. Eleazur.
XI. Martha.
XII. Judith. Married Abijah Smith and settled in Vermont.
XIII. Boaz. Born Dec. 24, 1762, died Jan. 22, 1853, aged 90 years. His wife, Triphena Eastman, born Oct. 1, 1765, died Dec. 30, 1831.
The mantle of Elijah fell upon his son, Boaz, who occupied the old homestead and filled the same positions in the church and com- munity. The children were :
Abigail, born September 30, 1788 ; married a Dunworth ; died Feb. 27, 1855.
Hannah, born Oct. 28, 1790 ; never married.
Flavel, born Jan. 16, 1793 ; died April 10, 1874.
Eleazur, born Sept. 9, 1795 ; died March 3, 1858.
Horace, born Nov. 24, 1797 ; died Feb. 13, 1871.
Matilda, born April 19, 1800 ; died March 25, 1830.
Roswell, born May 18, 1803 ; died in 1879.
Chauncey, born May 20,1805, married his cousin Lucinda More, sister of Hannah More, March, 1833. He, too, followed in his fa- ther's footsteps, and a patriarch, past four-score, still dwells upon the ancestral acres.
It will be seen that the Whitons are a long-lived race, nearly all of them reaching threescore and ten, and not a few fourscore and ten. "The fear of the Lord prolongeth days." An old arm chair owned by James Whiton more than two centuries ago, holds a place of honor by Chauncey Whiton's fireside. His only son, Sam- uel J., went with Hannah More to Africa. At the breaking up of the Mendi mission there in 1858, he returned to this country and labored for some years among the Freedmen. Later he was a home missionary in Iowa, where he died in 1874.
XIV. Ruth, twin sister of Boaz, married a Collins and settled in Locke, N. Y., near Seneca Lake.
XV. Sarah, married Roger Crain and removed to Groton, N. Y. A number of her children settled on the Western Reserve.
XVI. Tower, married Betsey - and settled in Locke, N. Y.
XVII. Amy, married Samuel More, and all their children were teachers. Children: Amy, Sophia, Lucinda, (married Chauncey Whiton,) Lydia, Johanna, Louisa, Samuel and Hannah. Hannah More, the writer of the historical letter above quoted, was for some
-
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years a teacher and then was sent as a missionary to the Choctaw Indians. She spent two years with them and five among the Cherokees, learning both languages. Returning to visit her friends, she remained two years in Orwell and Sandy Creek, mean- while teaching three terms of school. Then her zeal for mission - ary work induced her to journey to the "Dark Continent" to labor for the benighted Africans, her sister Lucinda's son, Samuel, being her companion. She was located at the Mendi mission in West Africa, and one of the associate missionaries there, Rev. George Thompson, now of Oberlin, Ohio, pays high tribute to her efficiency as a physician, teacher and preacher. He declares that he never knew a person who could "pray so much Bible," or showed so much familiarity with the Scriptures in general conver- sation as did she. After seven years her health failed, and she returned to die in her native land.
XVIII. Hannah Whiton, grandmother of Amelia Stowell, daugh- ter of Elijah Whiton, by his second wife, Hannah Crocker, was born in Ashford, Connecticut, in 1760. She married Samuel Stowell, of Willington, Connecticut, in 1787. His father, Samuel Stowell, (No. 1.) was born in 1735; married Polly Russ in 1858.
Samuel Stowell, (No. 1.,) was noted as being the strongest man ever raised in the town, no one being able to cope with him in handling the axe or scythe, or in any form of manual labor. It was said that he could lift a barrel of cider and drink at the bung- hole; cider being a perfectly orthodox beverage in those days. His chief wealth lay in his seven sturdy sons and five daughters:
I. Asa; born 1760.
II. Samuel, (No. 2 .; ) born July 26, 1761; came to Orwell, N. Y. III. Abel, IV. Nathan, V. John, VI. Horace. The last four with Asa, settled in Vermont.
VII. Ozni, had three sons, William, Shubel and Ozni ; settled in Houndsfield, Jefferson county, N. Y.
VIII. Annie, married Whitehouse. IX. Mary, married Good- enough. These two settled in Willington, Conn.
X. Rebecca, married Davis, settled in Adams, Jeff. Co., N. Y.
XI. Eunice, married an Eastman and settled in Vermont. In 1774, he moved to Vermont, leaving in Willington several of his older children, including Samuel, No. 2, (already mentioned as marrying Hannah Whiton,) one of the pioneers in Orwell.
He was bound to one Captain Parsons, a rich, hard man who
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thought scanty clothing, light food and hard work good for boys. He was to have board, clothing and three months' schooling in winter, and a small sum of money when 21 years of age. Being bound out meant something in those days. The history of one day taken from his lips will serve as a sample of that three years' drill with Capt. Parsons. Up in early morning, at or before call, out to barn to do chores promptly, then in to eat a piece of bread and bowl of bean porridge. If enough, well, if not, just as well; not sit a minute, out to woodpile to cut and split wood until school time, then off. No dinner but apples, straight home, evening chores and woodpile until dark, then chunk of rye and indian bread and very small piece of skim cheese, to "smell of," they told him, and, said he, "I thought I must do it." If he had lived a life of ease and pleasure, the name of Stowell had never been known in Or- well. That three years' drill taught him energy, activity and self- denial. It fitted him to endure the hardships of the soldier's life that lay just before him. The British had landed upon our shores, blood had been shed, battles fought and Independence declared. The "battle cry of freedom" and call to arms were sounding through the land. Bound boys were free if they enlisted. He had a double motive, freedom for himself and country. So at 16, he marched away to what was to him, through life, the sweetest of all music, the fife and drum. He served for five years in the Revo- lution, first enlisting in the Connecticut militia, and then in the regular army. He was in seven or eight important battles, and followed the fortunes of General Washington, for the last three years, through New York, New Jersey and Virginia. He knew all about the suffering, cold, hunger and sickness in winter quarters at Morristown and White Plains. He crossed the Delaware with Washington that cold December night, went south into Virginia, was the first man upon the first redoubt taken at Yorktown, the last battle of the Revolution, where Cornwallis surrendered. It was a glorious day for him and the rest, when they formed two lines, and Cornwallis, with his officers and men, marched through and laid down their arms at Washington's feet to the sound of the Brit- ish march, and then of "Yankee Doodle." To him it was freedom in a double sense, for he was just twenty-one. He was everywhere a prompt, efficient, faithful soldier, and was twice promoted for bravery. He was honorably discharged January 1, 1784, by Gen- eral Knox, Commander of his Division,
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Copy of the Discharge:
BY THE HONORABLE MAJOR GENERAL KNOX, Commanding the AMERICAN FORCES on Hudson's River. Samuel Stowell, Sergeant, in the Corps of Connecticut troops,
being enlisted for Three Years, is hereby Honorably Discharged from the Service of the United States. Given in the State of New York, the first day of January, 1784.
T. KNOX, Major General. By the General's Command, McDOUGHTY, A. D. Camp. Registered in the Books of the Regiment.
He received his pay in continental money, then almost worth- less, and, on his way home, unable to get change, he paid $50 of it for a meal. He was married the year of his discharge to Eunice Crocker, and by her, had one son:
I. Orrin; born June 10, 1785; died Dec. 4, 1847.
At 23 he was a widower, and soon after married Hannah Whiton (already mentioned.) They had four sons and four daughters:
II. Eunice; born March 16, 1788; died Dec. 26, 1867.
III. Elijah; born March 27, 1789; died July 23, 1861.
IV. Samuel; born July 26, 1791; died June 18, 1885. V. Hannah; born June 24, 1793; died Aug. 4, 1864. VI. Elon; born Sept. 20, 1796; died June 13, 1867. VII. Apphia; born Nov. 12, 1798; died July 1, 1877. VIII. Almena; born Dec. 25, 1800; died June 2, 1838. IX. Florilla; born Sept. 29, 1802; died July 15, 1805.
It may be noticed, as an interesting fact, that the period of time from the birth of his eldest child, Orrin, to the death of his last surviving child, Samuel, was just one hundred years and eight days; so that the life'of that family of brothers and sisters covered a century.
Samuel Stowell had settled upon a rocky New England farm, which furnished but a scanty livelihood; and as his sons grew up, one by one, they left Willington, and came to seek homes and fortunes in the almost untrodden wilderness, which became, later, the township of Orwell.
Orrin, the oldest, came to Jefferson county about 1807 to visit his uncle, Ozni Stowell. Being pleased with the new country, he shortly after settled upon what was afterwards known as the "Dunlap Stand," on the Ridge Road, Richland. From an old
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letter written by him while there, we make the following extracts.
"Honored Parents :- I have just had the great pleasure of read- ing your letter. * I write to let you know that I am well suited with the country in which 1 now reside. Will inform you of my circumstances at present. I am now in possession of a piece of land of 73 acres, which is very valuable, on the public road from Albany and Utica to Sacketts Harbor, an excellent place for a public house. I pay $4.50 per acre. I have always got a good living as yet. I own a good yoke of oxen, and two good cows. I had almost forgot to tell you, that, two years ago, I had the misfortune to break my shoulder by the fall of a tree, which is some damage to me now in some sorts of work, but I think, if I have my health, I shall do yet. I haye three children, Eunice, Samuel and William." After declaring himself and family well, and in good spirits, and giving a cordial invitation to his father and brothers to come and settle in this country, he closes thus:
"Richland the 12th of March, 1814,
the State of New York, OREN STOWELL,
the County of Onidea, in the woods of Lake Ontario."
LOVISA STOWELL.
Probably the above letter had much to do with bringing the rest of the family into Orwell. In the following year, 1815, Elijah moved up, and the year after, his brother, Samuel, arrived and soon after settled upon the farm where he resided till his death in 1885. In March, 1825, in answer to letters of inquiry from his father and brother, Elon, still in Connecticut, as to land and pros- pects here, he wrote as follows: "There is a farm about three-fourths of a mile north of me lying on the main road leading through the town, of fifty acres, with about thirty acres of improvements, and an oldish frame house thereon that is quite comfortable for a family, and a very good barn, 20x30, which I think will suit you. The farm is almost entirely level, and very well watered, and there is quite a chance for getting in spring crops. You can have that farm, if it suits you, and turn out one two-horse wagon towards it. [His brother, Elon Stowell was there making wagons in Connecticut. ] 'The man asks five hundred dol- lars for it, but I think it can be purchased for less, perhaps four hundred dollars. There is plenty of wild land joining the farm not taken up, at four dollars per acre on credit; but for pay down it might be purchased for considerable less; I think altogether likely
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for three dollars per acre. The price of wild land is according to the situation $2.50 to $4.50 per acre on credit. * * If you should purchase that farm I would advise you to come as early in the spring as you can conveniently on account of getting in the crops. * The best glass is $3.00 per box; nails 8 cents per pound by the quantity; hollow ware as cheap as in Connecti- cut, five pail kettles are $4, barter pay, to be had 6 miles distance. Provisions plenty, wheat 75 cents per bushel, corn and rye 50 cents, pork not high. Axes $2 apiece. There was the largest crop of wheat raised I ever knew, the year past. We have not had snow enough the year past to get our firewood, nor much last winter. If you want to buy the farm I have described, you can have a house to move into this spring if you choose. You can get land cleared for sowing at $10 per acre. We are all in health, so I con- ยท clude by subscribing myself your son, Samuel Stowell, Orwell, February 30, 1825."
They came up, as advised, early in the spring of 1825. Elon purchased, of Jabez H. Gilbert, the farm described in above letter and built a house upon it. He also built Gilbert's saw mill, lately known as the Castor mill. His father, Samuel Stowell, (No. 2.) was still uncertain as to the desirability of settling in Orwell, as the following quaint letter, written to his wife, Hannah, will show. It also gives an interesting account of the general condition at that time, and is characteristic of the writer's turn of mind.
"I now set down to write a few lines to inform you that we are all well and hope that through the Divine goodness of God these lines will find you and the rest of our dear family enjoying the same blessing. I must inform you that it is very sickly in these parts, chiefly confined to children. There has been three deaths in the place since I came here. It is, in these parts, a cold land as respects religion. They are very indifferent, cold and stupid, careless and inattentive. There is a Methodist that preaches one sermon once every third Sunday, one sermon in a day. There are three members of the standing order in the settlement, two of them females. I can't find out but two praying families in this settlement. There is a settlement three miles distant, that has six or seven members of the church. [Pekin.] They assemble on Sundays, but don't have any preaching. There are plenty of Universilers, but I trust that they will do me no harm. The times are quite different here from what they were in Willington, when I came away. Wish you to write of your feelings together with
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the rest of our dear family, whether you and they would wish to come, or stay in Connecticut. The land is good; we can cut hay enough to winter a span of horses this season. Wish you to write your mind in full as soon as you receive this, that I may know how to order my affairs. I don't see any prospect of any regulated society being formed any more than when we were there thrce years ago. There is a church and settled minister at six miles half the time, and seven miles the other half the time. Wish to consult all feelings for our everlasting good and happiness. We have not long to stay here. This from your affectionate husband. SAMUEL STOWELL. To my beloved wife Hannah Stowell, Orwell, July 9, 1825.
Notwithstanding all disadvantages, including the advanced age of himself and wife, they could not forget that all their sons were here, and they finally decided to leave their old home and its sur- roundings, and become residents of the new country. Within the year they moved into Orwell, occupying the farm already purchas- ed by Elon, he being still unmarried. Samuel Stowell's wife, Hannah, died Nov. 4, 1829, aged 69 years. He lived twenty years after her death, dying Jan. 27, 1850. He left about 150 descendants in the town of Orwell, and saw his children to the fifth generation. He was a man of Christian integrity and sterling worth. Nothing so stirred the depths of his nature as a mean or dishonest act. His record is one of which his descendants may justly be proud. Truly, he "fought a good fight." He and Allen Gilbert, father of Jabez, are the only Revolutionary soldiers buried in the Orwell cemetery.
Among the many interesting incidents of his life in camp and field, we select the following extract from the Sunday School Times, of Feb. 22, 1878:
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