USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > Annual of the Bradford County Historical Society, 1906 > Part 23
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The first church building erected in the township was the Lutheran in the Saxer district, the second the Cath- olic in the Norconk district, and the third the Presbyter- ian at Sugar Run, which was dedicated July 22, 1896.
In Bradford county, in early times, funerals were not conducted like they are now. Judson Beeman said he came into Wilmot with his father in 1799, and soon af- ter attended the funeral of a respectable man in Wyalu- sing, who died in good financial circumstances. Where Mr. Beeman came from in Connecticut, a sermon was preached, and funerals were conducted with proper order and decorum, and he had expected to see the same or- derly management here, but to his surprise found the men all out of doors telling hunting stories, and the wo-
7.3
History Wilmot Township.
men in the house. There was no preacher and no fune- ral director. After a while one of the men said, "I sup- pose the time has come for this funeral to begin." So saying, he went to the corn-house, brought out a two-gal- lon jug full of whiskey, and after taking a good horn himself passed the jug around ; then he and four or five others went into the house and brought out the coffin containing the corpse, placed it on a bier and started for the burying ground. The mourners, their friends and neighbors straggled along on foot just as it happened. Arrived at the burying ground the body was lowered in- to the grave, the grave filled and that was all there was of it.
The first doctor, who practiced in Wilmot, was Samuel Hayden, who lived seven or eight miles from Sngar Run on the road to Scottsville. He had graduated from the medical department of Yale College, was well learned, of good judgment and a successful physician. His failing was a quiek temper, and a habit of being a little profane when excited. He was doetoring Joseph Gamble, who had been low with a fever, and, although convalescing, was weak and peevish. The doctor had prepared his medicines, had given the nurse instructions and was about ready to depart, when Mr. Gamble said in a petu- lant voice, "Doctor, don't you leave me any more of that stuff in the vial-I shan't take it!" The doctor's tem- per was fired in a second and he said, "You are d- 'fraid I am going to poison you to death ! " Picking up the vial he drank the whole contents himself, and ex- claimed : " That was the best medicine I had for you, and I have not got another bit !"
Bradford County Families,
1790.
· Contributed by C. F. Heverly.
-
T HE first census of the United States, taken in 1790, comprised simply an enumeration of the inhabitants. This enumeration has re- cently been published by the Government. What is now Bradford county was included in the enu- meration of Luzerne county. Unfortunately there was no classification by districts, the enumeration being made and returned for Luzerne county as a whole. After much research and verification from various rec- ords, we are able to separate the families living within Bradford county, which are given below. We find a number of omissions.
Probably in some cases, two fam- ilies were living together and enumerated as one. There was a large accession of settlers in 1790, which does not appear in the enumeration. However, the list is of great value in showing very closely the population of the county in 1790 :
MALES
FEMALES
TOTAL
Jesse Allen
5
3
S
David Alexander
2
1
3
Robert Alexander
5
4
9
Cornelius Atherton
4
3
7
Samuel Baker
2
3
5
1
1 I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
75
TOTAL.
4
5
2
6
3
3
3
5
9
4
5
4
9
7
4
7 8
2
3
9
5
8
5
9
8
8
5
6
9
4
6
2
7
6
2
1
1
5
2
4
'2
3
4
1
3
1
4
5
3
3
1
1
1
7 2
3
3
6
3
3
3
2
4
2.
2
3 - 1
3
1
2
4
1
1
1
2
2
3
2
3
5
2
1
4
7
2
2
3
5
2
3
5
5
2
4 5
2
4
4 -
1
4
5
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
t
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
J
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
J
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
I
I
1
1
1
I
1
1 1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Amos Bennett, Jr Amos Bennett
Ichabod Blackman Chester Bingham Oliver Bigelow Thomas Bennett
Jacob Bowman
Nicholas Brink
Benjamin Brown Thomas Brink
Obadiah Brown Ezekiel Brown.
Andrew Budd William Buck Thomas Brown
Henry Burney
Uzziel Carter
Benjamin Clark Gideon Church Nathan Cary.
Benjamin Cole Samuel Clark John Clark
Samuel Cole
Moses Coolbaugh
William Coolbaugh
Robert Cooley
Benjamin Crawford
Jonathan Croswell James Culbertson
Henry Decker Elisha Decker
I
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
!
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Judah Benjamin
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
i
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
7 1
Bradford County Families, 1790.
Gideon Baldwin
Waterman Baldwin
Stephen Beckwith
Isaac Benjamin
11
FEMALES
MALES
1 1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1 1 I
1
1
1
1
6 7
1
TOTAL
6
4
2
7
4
6
2
3
4 5
4
4
4
5
4
5
S
7
7
4
5
10
6
6
3
3
4
3
9
6
7
3
FEMALES
5
3
4
1
4
3
3
2
1
2
3
2
7
1
3
1
2 3
5
5
2
2
2
6
2
2
1
1
7
2
4
3
2
1
1
1
7
1
3
4
1
1
1
4
2
6
3 3
2
3
3
3
3
2
5
2
3
4
4 3
2 3
4
1 5
3 5 2
1
1
I
1
I
1
I
1
1
L
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
I
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
Jonathan Frisbie John Franklin Jehiel Franklin Arnold Franklin
Thomas Gardner Stephen Fuller John Fuller
Ephraim Garrison
Justus Gaylord
Justus Gaylord, Jr.
Samuel Gordon Thomas Gibson
Jacob Grenadier Obadiah Gore
Daniel Guthrie Peter Grubb
Richard Halstead
Elisha Harding Isaac Hancock
Jonathan Harris Samuel Harris
John Heath
Jacob Herrington
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
!
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
I
I
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
I
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
76
Bradford County Families, 1790.
John Dorrance Oliver Dodge Peter Dingman Joseph Dewy
William Dorton (Dalton)
William Daugherty
Frederick Eikler Stephen Durrell
Zephon Flower Joseph Elliott Henry Elliott
Isaac Foster
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1 1
I
1
1 I
1
1
1
4 1
1
1 1
4 I
1
1
L
1
1
1
1
1
I
1 1
Rudolph Fox Rufus Foster
13
6 .:- 1
1
1
MALES
11
7
11
1
1
TT
TOTAL
5
4
8
6
6
2
4 3
6
3
6
7 3
5
7 4
8
4 3
7
7 5
2
8
9
7
5
8 4
7
9 8
3 7
FEMALES
2
2
3
4
3
3
2
3
2
3
3
2
2
2
2
5
5
1
3
3
4 3
4 3
4
1
4
4 2
4
1
3
MALES
3
1
1
4
3
3
1
2
2
3
2
4
4
2
2
5
2
6
1 2
2
2. 3
2 3
5
5 4
6
2
4
3
3 6
7 4
2 4
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
I
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
I
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
F
1
1
I
₹
1
I 1
1 1
I 1 1 1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
I
1
1 I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Abraham Minier
Daniel Minier
Theophilis Mosier Daniel Moor
Noah Murray Isaac Moss
John Newell
Nathan Northrup
William Ovenshire
Isaac Parker
Robert Patterson
1
1
1
1
f
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
I
Leonard Lott William Lochry
Josiah Marshall Adam Man
Elisha Matthewson Ralph Martin
Guy Maxwell
John McCoy
Daniel McDuffy
William Miller
Robert McAlhaes
1
I
1
I
I
I
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
I
İ
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1 I
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1 1
1
1
1
Eldad Kellogg John Johnson
Warenham Kingsley Nathan Kingsley
Joseph Kinney.
Richard Keeny
Thomas Lewis. James Lewis
1
I
1
I
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
J
1
1
I
J
I
1
1
1
I
L
1
I
!
I
I
Stephen Hopkins
Daniel Holly
William Houck
Christopher Hurlbut Elisha Hubbard
John Hutchinson John Hurlbut
William Hyde
6 -:- 1
10
10
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
6
Bradford County Families, 1790.
78
Bradford County Families. 1790.
MALES
FEMALES TOTAL
John Pepper
4
3
7
John Platner
4
3
7
John Persen
1
Zachariah Price
1
4
5
James Quick
5
3
8
Hugh Rippeth
1
2
3
John Roberts
3
3
6
Moses Roberts
2
1
3
Sale Roberts
1
1
Josiah Rogers
1
1
2
William Ross
2
5
1
Ezra Rutty
3
5
8
Gideon Salisbury
2
2
4
Ephraim Sanford
1
4
11
Benedict Satterlee
1 2
2
4
Christopher Schoonover
3
3
6
Oliver Seelye
1
1
2
Ichabod Shaw
4
3
7
Jedediah Shaw
1
2
3
Jeremiah Shaw
5
5
10
John Shepherd
1
1
2
David Shoemaker
1
3
4
Garrett Shoemaker
2
5
7
John Shoemaker
5
2
7
Adrial Simons
5
4
9
Casper Singer
2
1
3
William Slocum
3
4
7
Benjamin Smith
3
2
5
David Smith
5
1
John Smith
2
6
Jonas Smith
5
2
7
Lockwood Smith
4
3
7
Jacob Snell
10
1
11
Peter Snyder
5
4
9
Samuel Southward
2
3
5
John Spalding
5
1
6
Joseph Spalding
3
1
4
1
1
1 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1 1
1
1
1 1
I
I
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1 1
1
1
1
I
1
I
1
(
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1 1
1 1
1
7
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I 1
1
1
1
1 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1 1
I 1
1 1
1
1
1
1 I 1
1 1
1
2
Elisha Satterlee
1
1
1
1 1
3
1
79
Bradford County Families, 1790.
MALES
FEMALES
TOTAL
Simon Spalding
4
3
7
William Spalding
2
1
3
Samuel Stark
3
3
6
Ira Stephens
3
3
6
Stephen Strickland
1
3
4
Bastian Strope
3
4
7
Henry Strope
1
3
4
John Strope
2
4
6
Daniel Sullivan
3
'2
5
Henry Tallidy
3
5
S
John Taylor
3
4
7
Jonathan Terry 1 1 1
5
3
S
Joshua Terry
1
3
4
Charles Townsley
2
2
4
Richard Townsley
1
1
2
Elijah Townsend
3
6
9
Solomon Traey
4
2
6
Henry Tuttle
3
3
6 -:- 1
Joseph Tyler
4
2
6
Joshua Vanfleet
3
2
5
Richard Vaughn.
6
5
11
Thomas Weeks
1
2
3
James Welch
6
3
9
Amasa Wells
3
2
5
Guy Wells
1
1
2
Reuben Wells
3
1
4
Cherrick Westbrook
2
1
3
Leonard Westbrook
3
3
6
Elisha White
4
4
8
Thomas Wigton
4
4
8
Abel Yarrington
4
2
6
Lucretia York
1
1
1
-
David Young
3
3
6
Robert Young
4
3
7
Total : Families, 189
574
502
1090
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I 1
I
1
1
I
1
[
1
1
1
1
I
1
J
1
1
1
1
1
t
1
1
1
1
1
1
J
1
1
1
1
t
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
F
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
I
1
I
I
I
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
t
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
I
I
1
F
!
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
1
I
1
I
1
1
!
1
1 1
80
Bradford County Families, 1790.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the average number in each family was six, and that the largest fam- ily, consisting of 13 members, was that of Rudolph Fox, the first permanent settler in the county. Five slaves were enumerated. One each being the property of Stephen Hopkins and Guy Maxwell of Athens, one of Adam Man of Wysox, and two of Wm. Houck of Stand- ing Stone. Prominent names not found in the first enumeration are those of Thos. Park, who had settled in Litchfield ; Samuel Gore, Sheshequin ; Wm. Means, To- wanda ; Samuel Cranmer, Monroeton ; the Van Valken- burgs, Wysox ; Richard Fitzgerald, Standing Stone. There were probably a few others, so if every family had been found, the total would have been fully 200 and the population a little more than 1,100. However, it should be remembered that many settlers came in during 1790, and it is safe to say that by the close of the year the pop- ulation of Bradford county must have been near 1,300.
FAMILIES BY DISTRICTS.
The names of the foregoing families are given by dis- tricts or localities as nearly as can be ascertained, as fol- lows :
ASYLUM.
Robert Alexander Robert Cooley
Samuel Cole Stephen Durell
Charles Townley Richard Townley
David Alexander
Jacob Herrington
Wm. Ovenshire John Persen
Waterman Baldwin
Stephen Hopkins Christopher Hurlbut
William Ross
Obadiah Brown
John Hurlbut
Gideon Salisbury
Andrew Budd
William Hyde
Benedict Satterlee
Nathan Carey
Eldad Kellogg
Elisha Satterlee
Gideon Church
Elisha Matthewson Guy Maxwell
Elisha Decker Henry Decker Peter Dingman Zephon Flower John Franklin
Daniel McDuffy William Miller Daniel Moore
Isaac Moss
Noah Murray
Nathan Northrup
Daniel Sullivan Joshua Vanfleet
Richard Halstead Elisha Harding Jonathan Harris Samuel Harris
Robert McAlhaes John McCoy
Oliver Seelye John Shepard William Slocum Benjamin Smith Jacob Snell Ira Stephens
Oliver Bigelow
ATHENS OR TIOGA.
81
Bradford County Families, 1790.
MONROE.
Usual Carter John Platner
Stephen Strickland
SHESHEQUIN.
Ichabod Blackman
Josiah Marshall
Peter Snyder
Benjamin Cole
John Newell
John Spalding
John Fuller
Hugh Rippeth
Joseph Spalding
Stephen Fuller
Ichabod Shaw
Simon Spalding
Obadiah Gore
Jedediah Shaw
William Spalding
Joseph Kinney
Jeremiah Shaw
Elijah Townsend
STANDING STONE.
Henry Burney
Daniel Holly
William Houck
TERRY.
Oliver Dodge
Jonathan Terry
Joshua Terry
TOWANDA.
Jacob Bowman
Jacob Grantier
John Smith
Daniel Guthrie
Jonas Smith
William Daugherty Isaac Foster Rufus Foster Rudolph Fox
John Heath Ezra Rutty
Elisha White
Casper Singer
ULSTER.
Chester Bingham
William Lochry
Solomon Tracy
William Buck
Abraham Minier
Daniel Minier
Adrial Simons
Lockwood Smith
John Hutchinson
Samuel Stark
WILMOT.
Isaac Benjamin James Quick
Richard Keeny Christ'r Schoonover
Leonard Lott
WYALUSING, OR SPRINGFIELD.
Cornelius Atherton Gideon Baldwin Stephen Beckwith Judah Benjamin Amos Bennett
Amos Bennett, Jr. Thos. Bennett Thos. Brink
John Dorrance Henry Elliott Joseph Ellliott
Jonathan Frisbie Thos. Gardner
Justus Gaylord Justus Gaylord, Jr. Samuel Gordon
David Shoemaker John Shoemaker John Taylor
Joseph Tyler Richard Vaughn
Amasa Wells Guy Wells Reuben Wells
Cherick Westbrook Leonard Westbrook Abel Yarrington
Benjamin Clark John Clark Samuel Clark
Bradford County Families, 1790.
Benj. Brown
Isaac Hancock
Thomas Weeks
Ezekiel Brown
Nathan Kingsley
Warenham Kingsley
Lucretia York
Thomas Lewis
David Young
Zachariah Price
Robert Young
WYSOX OR CLAVERACK.
Jesse Allen
Thomas Gibson
Moses Roberts Sale Roberts
Nicholas Brink
John Johnson
Moses Coolbaugh
James Lewis
Garret Shoemaker
William Coolbaugh
Adam Mann
Henry Strope
Frederick Eiklor
Ralph Martin
John Strope
Arnold Franklin
Theophilus Moger Sebastian Strope
Jehiel Franklin
John Pepper
Henry Tallidy
Ephraim Garrison
John Roberts
Henry Tuttle
UNCLASSIFIED.
The following can not be classified with certainty. Most were good patrons at Judge Gore's store and evi- dently lived in the vicinity of Ulster or Sheshequin :
Samuel Baker
Elisha Hubbard
Samuel Southward
Jonathan Croswell
Robert Patterson
David Smith James Welch
James Culbertson Peter Grubb
Isaac Parker
Ephraim Sanford
Thomas Wigton
Thos. Brown Benj. Crawford William Dalton Jeseph Dewey
Josiah Rogers
Memorative.
We note with sorrow the death of the following mem- bers of the Society during the past year :
GUY C. HOLLON, son of Daniel O. and Lorany (Over- ton) Hollon, born December 17, 1854, at Liberty Corners, Pa. ; for more than 25 years constable of North Towanda and Towanda; noted for his clever and efficient detec- tive work, becoming a terror of evil doers ; performed many important public duties and noted for his kindly acts and good deeds ; died December 22, 1909, in To- wanda, Pa.
CLINTON S. FITCH, a native of Falls, Wyoming county, Pa., came to Towanda in 1870 and successfully engaged in the confectionery business for 40 years ; died March 10, 1910, aged 65 years.
EDWARD FROST, son of James O. and Chloe (Hill) Frost, born September 8, 1846, at Rush, Pa. ; for 39 years in the furniture manufacturing business with his father and brothers in Towanda ; three times burgess of Towanda and several times councilman ; a highly es- teemed, patriotic and useful citizen ; died March 18, 1910.
MRS. EMMA I. WILT, beloved wife of Capt. J. Andrew Wilt, and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Wellman, was born December 21, 1851, in Towanda, Pa. ; a wo- man of beautiful Christian character and kindly deeds ; died July 2, 1910, in Towanda, Pa.
83
84
Memorative.
STEPHEN FOWLER ROBINSON, son of Major James C. and Martha (Kennedy) Robinson, born September 2, 1859, in Troy, Pa. ; for many years associated with his father in the mercantile business at Bentley Creek ; served as sheriff of Bradford county from 1903-1906, being an efficient and popular officer ; cashier of the Athens National Bank from 1904 until the time of his death, September 5, 1910.
CHARLES L. TRACY, son of Guy and Uilla (Hoyt) Tracy, born January 30, 1845, at Milan, Pa. ; for many years director, vice president and president of the First National Bank of Towanda, Pa. ; engaged in the manu- facture of boots and shoes for 34 years, being associated with Ira B. and Charles D. Humphrey ; was one of To- wanda's foremost citizens in many enterprises ; died September 23, 1910, in Towanda, Pa.
GUY C. HOLLON.
STEPHEN F. ROBINSON.
tifit
Reports -- 1909-'10.
Meetings.
Twelve regular monthly meetings and three special meeting of the society have been held during the year ; the regular meetings have been well attended ; the June meeting extended over a period of three days, constitut- ing " Home Days," and "Old People's Day," which at- tracted more people and a greater general interest than heretofore. Special meetings were held as follows: Troy, Pa., April 26, with a registered attendance of 200; Wya- lusing, Pa., August 5 and 6, with an attendance as shown by register of 100 at the afternoon meeting ; Overton, Pa., September 16, registration of 203, at afternoon meeting, Centennial observance, at which between 500 and 600 were in attendance. These meetings in different parts of the county have created an interest in the local history of their vicinity, and have shown the people of those places, that the Society is interested in obtaining and preserving the history of every part of the county. Good results will unquestionably follow. Excellent papers have been read at all the regular and special meetings. Interest in the object and aims of the Society is unabat- ed, and the enthusiasm of its officers and members is not diminished, and the consequent future of the Society is bright.
81
88
Reports.
Library and Museum.
There has been material improvement and advance- ment in both the Library and Museum during the past year, and with a janitor in charge of the rooms the pub- lic has been afforded a better opportunity of seeing the collections. The large number of visitations shows that the people are becoming more and more interested in the matter of collecting and preserving local history and safely storing articles of " precious memory." Resulting from these visits many articles have been donated to the Society and many others deposited with it for safe keep- ing. The following are the acquisitions and donors for the year ending September, 1910 :
Portraits.
Col. Jno. A. Codding by Hon. Jas. H. Codding. Judge Obadiah Gore by Society.
Books-History.
Regimental History 153rd P. V., State Library.
Regimental History 18th P. V. Cavalry, State Library. History Hampton's Battery, State Library.
Journal of Col. Adam Hubley, Jr. (1779), Penn'a. Historical Society.
"Conrad Weiser and the Indian Policy of Colonial Penn'a."
Bradsby's History of Bradford County, Hon. Jas. H. Codding.
"Craft's Historical Discourse on Wyalusing," Hon. Jas. Codding.
Books-Exchanges.
Oregon State Historical Society.
Library of Congress.
89
Reports
State Library.
Pennsylvania Historical Society.
Berks County Historical Society.
Lehigh County Historical Society.
Pennsylvania Federation Historical Societies.
Pennsylvania German.
Books-Miscellaneous.
Report Sixth Census of U. S., J. V. Geiger.
Old time singing book, Asa S. Ennis.
Bible of James Drake, Revolutionary Soldier, C. W. Drake.
Legislative Hand Book (1909), State Library.
Laws Pennsylvania (1909), State Library.
Statutes Pennsylvania (1787-1790), State Library.
Sabbath School Address of David Wilmot (1855), Hon. T. J. Ingham.
Address of David Wilmot Before Judiciary Committee (1858), Hon T. J. Ingham.
Maps. Map, Bradford County (1858) John A. Biles.
Periodicals.
Harper's Weekly and Century Magazines (several years), Thos. A. Curran.
Relics and Curios.
Badge, Towanda Clay Club (1844), Mrs. E. O. Macfar- lane.
Old Snuffers, Marshall Coon.
Hand-made hinges from door old French house at Asylum, J. H. Abbott.
Old fashioned tongs, H. S. Clark.
90
Reports.
Twist of tobacco brought from the Carolinas during the Civil War, H. C. Porter.
Brick from the old Spanish sugar mill (1570) at De- Leon Springs, Fla., J. H. Yeager.
Indian War club, Capt. F. N. Moore.
Shuttle used (1798) by Mrs. Polly Vought of Rome, Mrs. W. H. Stephens.
Arrow and spear points, R. S. Sabin.
Old time carpet bag, Storrs Sisters.
Coin (1822), Freddie H. Vankuren.
Democratic ticket as voted in 1823, A. H. Kingsbury.
NUMBER
FIVE
ANNUAL
Bradford County
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
CONTAINING
Papers on Local History, Acquisitions to Library and Museum and a Great Fund of Local Historical Information.
TOWANDA, PA. BRADFORD STAR PRINT. 1911.
Justus A. Record, The oldest member of the Bradford County Historical Society. Born December 25, 1815.
The Browns (1550 1910).
Paper by Catherin Elliott (Brown) Brumbaugh Be- fore Special Meeting of Bradford County His- torical Society, at Wyalusing, .Aug. 6, 1910.
S OMEWHERE about 1550, in the town of Inksborrow, England, Edward Brown and Jane Leids were married. To them were born Nicholas and his brother Preserve, whom Nicholas mentioned in his will, together with his wife Elizabeth-her last name is unknown. In the winter of 1629-1630 a party was formed to go to the great New England, across the waters. The fleet consisted of eleven vessels, having on board 17,000 per- sons, among whom were John Winthrop, first Governor of Massachusetts, and many other persons of dignity, wealth and reputation. In such company came our pro- genators to this great land, in the persons of Nicholas Brown and his wife, Elizabeth. Three vessels landed at Salem, Mass. in the month of June, 1630, and the pas- sengers began to make settlements in the pathless woods.
The settlement of Lynn had been begun in 1629, and here Nicholas and Elizabeth made their first American home, here soon after was born Thomas. Nicholas was a farmer and hearing of better land in Reading he moved there in 1644, leaving the young lad, Thomas at Lynn,
The Browns
where he later, about 1652, married Mary Newhail, whose father was one of the earliest and most influential men of the place. Thomas was a dish turner and carried on that occupation in Lynn until his death, August 28, 1693.
The following is his will which he dictated in July, 1693, but did not sign, dying six weeks later. It says: "Thomas Brown of Lynn, Sen., being of proper memory, etc., declared what his last will and testament should be.
"My will is that after my honest debts and funeral charges are paid, my home and homestead, with all my land in Lynn, as also my cattle and movables, without doors, I give and bequeath to my son, Ebenezer (the old- est son at home), who hath been very careful of me and my family and whom I have betrusted with the manage- ment of my outward affairs, only my will is that my son, Ebenezer, provide for my wife, that she be comfortably maintained out of my estate.
"I give and bequeath to my wife all my moveables with- in doors, pewter, brass, bedding, etc., to be at her abso- lute disposal. I give to my eldest son, Thomas, my long gun, which I value at forty shillings. I give to my son, Joseph, twenty shillings, having already bestowed some lands upon him. I give to my son, John, twenty shil- lings. I give to my son, Daniel, five pounds. I give to my daughter, (Mary) Norwood, twenty shillings. My will is that my loving wife should be executrix, and my son, Ebenezer, executor. To this my last will and testament, I constitute my brother, John Newhall and Robert Pot- ter, Sr., to be my overseers."
His children numbered sixteen, the eldest, Thomas, with whom we are most concerned, being born in 1653. In February, 1677, Thomas, Jr., married Hannah Collins,
3
The Browns
and in 1706 he and his brothers, John and Eleazer, sell- ing all their possessions in Lynn to their brother, Daniel, they moved to Stonington, Conn., where they built many houses, Thomas being a joiner and John a carpenter. Thomas built his own home on the Anguila Road, on a hill at the foot of which is a fine spring. Here his ten children were born and here he died on December 27, 1723, being buried at the Ceder Swamp cemetery, on land first purchased by the three brothers and given for use as a burying ground.
About two years before his death he deeded to his eld- est son, Daniel, a large tract of land one mile east of the homestead. One of ten children was Thomas, third, born, February 14, 1692. There were also names familiar to us today, as Elizabeth, Daniel, Humphrey and Mary, who married Thomas York, the ancestor of Amos York of Revolutionary fame. Thomas 3d married October 4, 1715, Deborah Holdredge and had by her seven children, the eldest being Thomas, born April 5, 1717, and in whose memory we are gathered together today.
Thomas Brown (born 1717, Stonington, Conn.) unlike his forefathers, followed the sea, but being crippled by ex- posure, was compelled to find other occupation and set- tled in Quaker Hill, N. Y., from whence he came, with the first 200 Connecticut settlers, into the Wyoming Val- tey in 1770. Here they cleared the land and began making ready to bring their families, but were driven out by the Pennamites and Thomas did not return until 1776, when he brought with him his second wife, Patience Brockway, and their young children, and three children, Thomas, John and Betsey, by his first wife, Hannah Spooner. These two sons were killed during the Mas- sacre.
4
The Browns
With the Browns also came Jabez and Joseph Elliott, the latter marrying Thomas' daughter, Patience. They settled on the river bank, just below Market street bridge, Wilkes-Barre, where they lived until July 3, 1778. Thomas being unable to render military service, joined the meager force in the fort to protect the women and children. The morning of July 4, Jabez Elliott helped Thomas lash two canoes together, and on these placed a platform large enough to carry the mother and her young children, and Thomas prepared to lead his three horses down the river bank to Cattawissa. As they were about to start, Joseph Elliott appeared in a deplorable condition, having escaped from the Indians. He was placed on the float and the journey began. Passed Cat- awissa, by Fort Allen, to Strouds and on to Goshen, where they remained until late in October. While in
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