USA > Vermont > Addison County > Salisbury > History of Salisbury, Vermont > Part 17
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Mr. Graves' descendants, so far as known, are Graves, Hogsden, Sprague, M'Donald, Noyes, Blodget, White, Smith, Ranney, Cook, Gibson, Foster, San- derson, Campbell, Lane, Allen, Taft, Savery, How- ard, London, Goodyear, Black, Reynolds, and Hare .*
GILBERT EVERTS was from Salisbury, Connecticut, and came here in 1786. He was one of the original grantees and the only one who came and took posses- sion of his lands. He was a royalist, and of course his political sentiments were adverse to a revolution ; he thought the American people at that time too
These genealogical lists must necessarily have been im- perfect in the first instance, and especially are they so now, since they were made nearly ten years ago. But they may not be altogether devoid of interest and use, and are therefore inserted .- ED.
32 & 34 John St N.Y.
Cameron& Walsh, Lith.
Samuel S. Crook.
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weak in population and wealth to throw off the Brit- ish yoke. His descendants are Everts, Bump, Rider, Stewart, Brown, Kingsley, Powers, Hamilton, and others.
EPHRAIM CROOK came to Salisbury from West- minster, Vermont, in 1793 and always pursued the business of agriculture. He was a man of strong constitution, which enabled him to work profitably in his vocation. By his labor and economy he ac- cumulated quite a large amount of property, and as his boys, of whom he had four, grew up, he gave each a farm, and at his death possessed a good one himself. His wife, Fanny, after moving to this town, learned the art of midwifery, which she practiced with great success about forty years. She officiated in the exercise of her calling in all the neighboring towns, until prevented from further duty by a can- cerous affection, which terminated her valuable life in 1846. The descendants of the preceding are Crook, Dike, Weeks, Barker, Wooster, Hyde, and Merrill.
SAMUEL S. CROOK, one of the sons of Ephraim and Fanny Crook, was born at Westminster, Vermont, January 11th, 1789, and came into town with his father when about five years old. He inherited his father's strength of constitution and habits of industry and economy. His main occupation has been that of a farmer, though he has realized considerable profit
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from his aptitude at trade. About the beginning of the war of 1812, having had the experience of the two or three preceding years in the capacity of clerk in a store, he determined to enter the mercantile busi- ness, and for that purpose bought out the establish- ment of Jacob Linsly at Salisbury village, but after remaining in the business about a year, the bad in- fluences of the war upon his trade induced him to relinquish it and return to agriculture.
In 1845 and 1846 he represented the town in the state legislature, where he performed his duties with characteristic promptness and prudence. In 1848 he moved into the south part of Middlebury, where he still lives in quiet and ease.
Mr. Crook has been a person of unusual activity and energy, and is well known, not only for his busi- ness traits of character, but for his hospitable and generous home. He was married in 1816 to Eliza- beth Sheldon, but has no children.
PLINY FLAGG was from Boylston, Mass., and came here in 1784, when about seven years of age. He had several brothers, of whom Solomon and Samuel lived with their mother. Mrs. Flagg, the mother, was a widow, and moved into town among the first settlers. Mr. Flagg was longer a resident of Salis- bury than any other person since its settlement, hav- ing been here sixty-seven years and three months.
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He was well known for his industry and economy; and after having accumulated quite a large amount of property, he died in July, 1851. His descendants are Doud, Campbell, and Hedden.
CAPT. JOEL NEWTON was from Cheshire, Connecti- cut, and settled in 1784. He was a soldier of the revolution, and drew a pension till his death. He was a wise and good man. No person in town did more, in proportion to his means, for the support of the Gospel, and other public and benevolent insti- tutions, than Captain Newton. He died in 1842, aged eighty-four years. His descendants are New- ton, Mc Wane, and others.
CAPT. WILLIAM PRATT was from Easton, Massachu- setts, and was also a soldier of the revolution, and drew a pension. He settled the same year with Cap- tain Newton. His descendants are Pratt, Dewey and Gibson.
JOSIAH FARNHAM also settled the same year, and was a revolutionary soldier. He lived to an advanced age. His descendants are Farnham, Graves, Crook, Barker, Mc Vine, Bump, Pond and Ludlum.
ABE WATEROUS was another settler of 1784, and a revolutionary soldier. He was in several battles, among which was the battle of Bennington. He died about 1800. His descendants are Waterhouse, John-
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son, Andrews, Wilcox, Bell, Miles, Daniels, and Langdon.
ELISHA WHITE, from Lancaster, Massachusetts, and WIDOW STEPHEN HOLMAN, from Sterling, Massachu- setts, also settled in town during the same year. The descendants of the former are White, Sawyer, Ham- mond, Mead, Cole, Conant, Johnson, Baldwin, Col- vin, Paige, Alden and Ward; and of the latter, Holman, Wolcott, Smith, Waterhouse, Doty, Prout and others.
ELIAS KELSEY was born in Guilford, Connecticut, and came here in 1785. He was the first constable (previous to the time at which the table previously given commences), was on the first committee to lay out roads, and among the first selectmen. He had several sons, of whom Elias, junior, lived in Salisbury sixty-seven years and one month, and died April 28th, 1852, aged seventy-seven. His descendants are Kel- sey, Bradley, Woodcock, Bigelow, Hawley, Allen, Howe, Clark, Stewart, Bly, Actly, Sumner, Lee and many in the western country.
SAMUEL PIERCE was a native of Canaan, Connecti- cut, and settled in 1787. He was a revolutionary soldier. He was distinguished for his muscular elas- ticity, and among other feats, would, on level ground, jump over a string stretched six feet above it. His strength, united with other abilities, rendered him a
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fit person for the office of constable, which he held fourteen years in succession. His descendants are Pierce, Story, Farrand and Chapin.
THOMAS SAVERY, from Sutton, Mass., and HENRY KELAR, from Orange county, N. Y., settled in 1788, and were both revolutionary soldiers. The former was in the battle at Lexington, Monmouth, and White Plains, and his descendants are Savery, New- ton, Powell, Filly, Cotton, Owen, Holman, and Rem- ington.
JOHN FYFE was a Scotchman, and settled in 1788. He was said to have been in the British service dur- ing the war. However that may be, he was a very useful man among the settlers, for he was a brick- layer, and could work in many ingenious ways. His descendants are Fyfe, Perry, and Hooker.
ASA LAWRENCE Was a native of Canaan, Conn., and settled in 1789. He took a prominent part in all transactions of the town. Although a carpenter by trade, he also made carts and wagons, which, especi- ally at that time, rendered him a very useful person in community ; and in addition to his usefulness, he was proverbially honest. He had only one son, Jedediah by name, who, after doing the town some valuable services, finally settled in Crown Point, N. Y.
HOLLAND WEEKS was from Litchfield, Conn., and 27*
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settled in 1789. He received the title to his land from Gov. Wentworth of New Hampshire, in 1785, and came on and made his survey in 1787. In 1788, he moved his team and farming tools, cleared land, built a log house, and made other preparations for moving his family, the following year. Early in
1789, his family were moved into this log house, having made the journey from Connecticut, in seven- teen days. He died of lung fever, Nov. 22d, 1812. His descendants are Weeks, Goodell, Adams, Sey- mour, Burnham, Avery, Shepherd, Everts, Barker, Merrill, Bump, Rider, Stewart, Brown, Kingsley, Beach, Shumway, Park, Clark, Wilcox, Shelden, Robinson, Bingham, Ellsworth, Hall, Hamilton, and others.
SOLOMON STORY, brother of Amos Story, was from Norwich, Conn., and later from Dalton, Mass., and settled here in 1789. After a life of great usefulness, he died, May 22d, 1816, aged ninety years. His de- scendants are Story, Hammond, Raymond, Swan, Chapin, and Farrand.
JONAS STORY, son of the preceding, came into town with his father, and by hard labor at chopping, clear- ing land, and otherwise, accumulated means sufficient to defray his expenses, while pursuing the studies preparatory to the legal profession. He was, finally, admitted to the bar, and settled in Poughkeepsie, N.
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Y., where he lived to an advanced age, a respectable and successful lawyer.
RUFUS STORY, another son of Solomon Story, also came to Salisbury with his father, in 1789. He is still living in town, and is one of its oldest and most respected inhabitants. He inherited much of the un- ostentatious worth which characterized his father, and has lived a life which, for its honesty and Christian meekness, and charity, may well be imitated by all.
GILBERT EVERTS, Jr., was a native of Salisbury, Conn., aud came into town with his father, in 1786. He was one of the original members of the congrega- tional church, to which, at his death, he bequeathed the sum of about one hundred and fifty dollars. He was an industrious and exemplary man, and at his death was mourned by a large circle of relations and friends.
ELI SMEAD, a revolutionary soldier, was from Greenfield, Mass., and settled in 1795. His descend- ants are Smead, Long, Sanford, and Stowell.
AARON L. BEACH was from Torrington, Conn., and settled in 1790. He died in 1826, aged fifty-seven. His descendants are Beach, Shumway, Park, Wilson, and others.
SALATHIEL BUMP, a revolutionary soldier, was from Oblong, N. Y., and settled in 1790. He was justice of the peace a great number of years, and was sent
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to the legislature, as town representative, many times. He was a leading man in town, and may well be considered one of its fathers. His descendants are Bump, Beach, Allen, Smith, Capron, Jefferson, Rounds, Elmore, Crook, Ranno, Moses, Paine, Ward, Gibson, Harris, Boardman, Briggs, and Hamilton.
SIMEON STRONG, also a revolutionary soldier, was from Salisbury, Conn., and settled in 1790. His des- cendants are Parsons, Blood, Bump, Moses, Gibson, Paine, Wright, Beach, Gipson, Flagg, Doud, and Parker.
ABNER MORE was from Whittingham, New Hamp- shire, and settled in 1793. His descendants are More, Jenney, Bishop, Tubs, Carr and Gipson.
DANIEL WHITNEY, a revolutionary soldier, was last from Westminster, Vermont, and settled in 1793. His descendants are Whitney, Eggleston, Brown, Griffin, Hadlock, Carr and Gipson.
DANIEL NOYES, another soldier of the revolution, was a native of Sudbury, Massachusetts, and settled in 1794. His descendants are Noyes, Powers, Lahee, Hare, Reynolds, Wright, Barns, Brown, Kneeland, Carlisle, Holiday, Ingerson, Field and Briggs.
JOHN DEMING, was from" Canaan, Connecticut, and last from Middlebury, Vermont. He moved to Salis- bury village in 1794, and took possession of the water power that he had previously purchased of Colonel
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Thomas Sawyer. He carried on the business of black- smith, and kept a store for a number of years, but finally, in 1807, moved back to Middlebury. His descendants are Deming, Walker, Paine, Curtis, Tripp and Green.
ETHAN KELSEY was a native of Killingsworth, Con- necticut, and moved his family into town in 1795, but made his home mostly in Whiting, and was dea- con of the Congregational church in that place. His descendants are Kelsey, Foster, Taylor, Graves, Holt, Barker and Ludlum.
JOHN HOLT, a soldier of the revolution, was a native of Woburn, Massachusetts, and settled in 1795.
He was one of the original members of the Congre- gational church, and one of its first deacons. His descendants are Holt, Noyes, Tharp, Weller and others.
LUNAH TITUS was from Attlebury, Massachusetts, and settled in 1795. His descendants are Titus, Hil- dreth, Payday, Pratt, Remington and Beach.
SAMUEL TAYLOR was from Eastham, New Hamp- shire, and also settled in 1795. His descendants are Taylor, Gorham, Barker, Bump, Elmore, Eaton, Car- penter, Noyes, Ranno, Crook, Brown, Carlisle, Inger- son, Holdridge, Ballard and Sturdevant.
JOSHUA MOOSMAN was from Frenchtown, Massa- chusetts, and moved his family to Salisbury in 1798.
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He was in the revolutionary war; was present at the battle of Bunker Hill, and was carried away captive by the Indians, at Crown Point, New York. His descendants are Moosman, Bidwell, Chafee, Strong and Mead.
REUBEN SAXTON was a native of Northampton, Massachusetts, and settled in this town in 1799. The first year of his residence here, he was elected town clerk, which office he held for twenty-nine succes- sive years. He was justice of the peace about the same length of time, and represented the town six years in the state legislature. He was one of the most thorough business men the town has ever possessed ; he took a leading part in all public transactions, and did much for the support of education and religion. In 1837, he sold out his property here, and left town, to the great regret and sorrow of a large community of friends. He died in the autumn of 1850.
MRS. ANNA WEEKS, mother of Holland Weeks, senior, was born in Pomfret, Connecticut, and came to Salisbury in 1799. From about 1760, she had practised in the calling of midwife in her native state, and on arriving here, again entered upon the duties of the same vocation, which she performed with remark- able success. She officiated at the birth of more than a thousand children, and rarely, if ever, was unsuc- cessful. Mrs. Fanny Crook learned the obstetric art
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of her. She always rode on horseback and made her visits alone, even at the advanced age of eighty- six, and was extensively employed until her death, which occurred in the latter part of 1805.
SAMUEL DANIELS was from Upton, Massachusetts, and settled here in 1775. By the compromise with Leicester in 1796, his farm was brought within the limits of that town. He was a revolutionary soldier, and, as has already been stated, was killed by the Indians and tories at Shelburne in 1778. He had two sons, Dan and Samuel, the former of whom remained among us and still resides on the old place in the south part of the town. Among his descendants are Daniels, Story, Gibson, and Forbes.
SOLOMON THOMAS was last from Chittenden, Ver_ mont, and settled here about the year 1800. He settled in the eastern part of the town, where he pur- sued the business of a farmer until his death. His descendants are numerous and mostly retain the family name. Marrying cousins or distant relations has been a peculiarity of the family, thus giving no great variety to the descendants' names.
CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON a revolutionary soldier, was a native of Harrington, Connecticut, and moved into the town in 1799. His descendants are Johnson, Smith, Jewett, Sherman, Wheeler, Waterons, Cap- ron, Tripp, and Barrett.
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GEORGE GRISWOLD was from Salisbury, Connecticut, and came here in 1800. In the revolutionary war he was a servant to Captain Eleazer Claghorn. Mr. Griswold was a useful citizen and wielded a great and beneficial influence wherever he went. He was kind, generous, and peace-loving, and when he died was mourned by all who knew him. His death occurred in 1811, and was caused by a wound in the knee, re- ceived while cutting a bee tree.
WILLIAM COPELAND was born in Pomfret, Con- necticut, and settled in 1800. He was an ingeni- ous mechanic and worked at wheels and plows. His descendants are Copeland, Cadwell, Carpenter, Bancroft, Tucker, Griffith, and Mead.
GURSHAM BEACH was a Virginian, and came here in the year 1800. He was in the service of his country most of the time during the revolutionary war, was with Ethan Allen at the taking of the fort at Ticon- deroga, was present at the capture of Burgoyne, and was in the battle of Hubbarton. He fell through the ice when crossing a pond in Canada East, in 1812, and was drowned. His descendants are Beach, Thomas, Blanchard, Woodard, Graves, Goodyear, Savery, Lon- don, Howard, Emerson, Root, Washburn, Ford, Mar- tin, Brown, and Gibbs.
NATHANIEL R. FIELD was from Tolland, Connecti- cut, and moved to Salisbury in 1804. He married
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Ruth Noyes, and followed the trade of a tailor nearly all his life. He now resides with his son in Brandon. His descendants are Field and Briggs.
JOSEPH HUBBARD was born in Windsor, Connecti- cut, and came here in 1805. He was a very pious and exemplary man, of the sect known as Freewill Baptists, and was licensed to preach. His descendants are Hubbard, Thomas, Beach, Hollister, and Kilburn.
JONATHAN WAINWRIGHT was from Cheshire, Con- necticut, and moved into this town in 1805. He was a teamster in the revolutionary war. His descendants are Wainwright, Wooster, Hyde, Dyke, Sessions, Thomas, Severance, Emerson, Beckwith, Barber, Spaulding, Smith, Beardsly, Guernsey, Pray, Howe, Northrop, and Wheeler.
ELLERY HOWARD was last from Jamaica, Vermont, and settled here in 1806. He was a cloth-dresser by trade, and followed the business of that calling sev- eral years, but finally commenced tavern-keeping, in which he has continued to this day. Mr. Howard has kept a public house in Salisbury village nearly fifty years. His descendants are Howard.
JABEZ SPENCER came into Salisbury from New Ha- ven, Connecticut, in the year 1807. He was also a revolutionary soldier. His descendants are Spencer, Adams, Ames, Bush, Smith, Phelps, and Barker.
JOHN MORTON was a native of Middleborough, Mas- 28
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sachusetts, and brought his family to this town in 1807. He was in the revolutionary war, and though only a boy, was engaged in the skirmish with the British at the burning of New Bedford, and was out with the troops in Rhode Island and other places, in times of alarm. When Mr. Morton came here, the military company appeared to be losing its strength and discipline, for want of proper officers ; and he being an efficient man, and having had some military experience in the war, was urged to accept the ap- pointment of captain, and did so. After serving faithfully and acceptably in this office two or three seasons, he resigned, and was chosen captain of a large company of Silver Grays, formed of old revolu- tionary soldiers and others, both from Salisbury and Leicester, for the purposes of defence if necessary, in the war of 1812.
Captain Morton called this company together, con- sisting of seventy-seven men, beside officers, and went to meet the British at Plattsburgh, at the memorable battle at that place, in 1814. He lived to the ad- vanced age of ninety-four years, and died December 23d, 1857, and was buried on Christmas day-the day of his birth. His descendants are Morton, Wel- lington, Dyer and Haight.
JACOB CHASE is a native of Newburyport, Massa- chusetts, and came to Salisbury in 1806, when a
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young man. Having learned the business of iron making, he was unsettled for a few years, obtaining employment at different places, but at last became a permanent settler here, in 1811. He has been a leading man in the business of iron making, in Salisbury, for more than forty years. Possessing much more than or- dinary physical strength and hardihood, he was pecu- liarly fitted for the labors of his calling. He spent two years in the service of his country, in the war of 1812, in which he received a severe wound, by which he was disabled for quite a long time. He has drawn a pension of ninety-six dollars per annum, since 1814.
Mr. Chase's business as a bloomer, led him, in early life, into the habit of drinking ardent spirits quite freely ; and for many years he had the peculiar repu- tation of being able to drink more rum, without its disturbing his equilibrium, than any other person who indulged in that dangerous habit. To use his own words, "he could no more be made drunk, than the distillery itself." But when the temperance re- form commenced among us, he was early found among the reformed, and took a very active part in the temperance meetings. His great-grandmother, on his mother's side, was an Indian woman, from the Mohawk tribe. His descendants are Chase, Estee, Dow, Lamphier, and Jennings.
MOSES SHELDON was from Salisbury, Connecticut, and moved to this town in 1810. He married a
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daughter of Samuel Keep. His descendants are Sheldon, Case, Johnson, and James.
SAMUEL KEEP was also from Salisbury, Connecticut, and was one of the original grantees of the town. He first settled in Crown Point, New York, about the year 1773, and being well acquainted with the forts both at Crown Point and Ticonderoga, was one of Ethan Allen's advisers in taking the fort at the latter place in 1775. In order to obtain a more perfect knowledge of the fort at Ticonderoga and of its guards, he made pretence that his cow had strayed and could probably be found grazing somewhere near the camp ground, and accordingly he was allowed to pass the guard. After making a full survey of all the place, he lost no time in giving Allen the benefit of all his discoveries, which greatly assisted in the plan for the taking of the fort immediately after.
Mr. Keep afterward feeling it unsafe for his family to remain here during the revolution, moved back to Salisbury, Connecticut, where, until the close of the war, he was employed in casting cannon for the American army. After he came to this town he im- mediately engaged in the business of iron making, and superintended the erection of forges. He was Colonel Sawyer's first bloomer. It is said that while he was engaged in the war he received a captain's commission. He died in Brandon, in the year 1802, aged seventy-one, but was buried by the side of other
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deceased relatives in the burying-ground of District No. 1, in Middlebury.
ASA BLODGETT was from Litchfield county, Connec- ticut, and settled in the first place in Middlebury, on the farm owned by the late Ira Stewart. Sub- sequently, he moved to Salisbury, and lived on the farm now owned by F. L. Dyer. This was at quite an early day, though the exact date is not known. Mr. Blodgett never took any active part in town matters, but was satisfied with his quiet employments at home .*
If all the truth must be told of Mr. Blodgett, it must be added, that he was a very profane man and inclined to treat all religious exercises with contempt. He used to say he never prayed (prayered, as he expressed it), but once, and that was when a bear caught him. The circumstances were these : Jesse Graves being greatly annoyed by bears crossing the creek to his corn-field, undertook to stop their depredations by setting a spring-gun in the road they most frequently passed. The gun had not been set many days before it was discharged by a very large bear as she was entering the field. The ball only wounded the animal, which turned back the way she came, and, having crossed the creek, crept under a log on the western bank and lay down to rest.
Meantime Blodgett, having heard the report of the gun, has- tened to the spot, and finding marks of blood on the ground and bushes followed on and crossed the creek, making pursuit in such haste, that as he jumped over the log under which the 28*
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LEVI BRIGGS was from Middleborough, Massachu- setts, and settled here in 1819. He brought up his children in usefulness, one of whom has already been noticed. His second son, Levi, was constable and deputy-sheriff many years; and the third, Sumner, has filled many town offices with credit, among which is that of town representative and trustee of the pub- lic money.
STEPHEN HARD was one of the first settlers, both in point of time and influence, but the exact time of his moving here is not known. He represented the town in the legislature of the state in 1788, and was one of its first selectmen. He was also town clerk and constable, and held the office of justice of the peace about twenty years. He was twice married and had about
bear lay, he came down directly upon her. She, already in- furiated by the wound she had received, seized her pursuer by one of his legs and held him fast. Blodgett having no means of self-defence, stooped down to liberate his leg from its un- pleasant fastening, when the infuriated bear seized upon his arm near the shoulder with her teeth, holding him in a stoop- ing posture, while with her hind feet she commenced tearing away the seat of his trowsers, at the same time inflicting sun- dry wounds in those quarters. It was at this stage of the affair that Blodgett was said to have prayed. About this time his dog also arrived, which so diverted the attention of the bear, that Blodgett escaped, and went home to bind up his wounds. During this conflict he also received a wound in the face, the scar of which he carried to the end of his life.
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