USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Pittsford > History of the town of Pittsford, Vt., with biographical sketches and family records > Part 25
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* Mr. Hall afterwards built and occupled the house which is now the residence of Alexander Parmelee.
t There were two houses near that barn. One was for a time occupied by Chap- man, and the other by a Mr. Brooks.
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ยท HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
which stood on the Hubbardton road, on the hill west of Mar- shall Thomas', and near where the barn now stands. Quite likely this was the same man who, some time afterwards moved to the State of New York.
Bradley Squire was from Manchester, Vt., but we can learn little of his ancestry. He was a large, portly man, and in early life became a school teacher, a vocation which he followed several years in this town. He married Sally, daughter of Jonathan Rowley, July 30, 1803, and resided a short time in the family of Deacon Caleb Hendee who, in 1791, had married his mother, Mrs. Mary Squire, then a widow. Mr. Squire resided in this town but a few years after his marriage. He had a brother, Phineas Squire, who married Esther, another daughter of Jonathan Rowley, and resided some years on the Rowley farm, but eventually moved to Pennsylvania.
Joshua Bates, born in Mendon, Mass., March 20, 1782, came to Pittsford in 1801, and married, Dec. 6, 1804, Rebecca Douglas, who was born March 6, 1785. They located on the farm* first improved and occupied by Elias Hall. His wife Rebecca died Sept. 9, 1839, and he married Mary Warner who died Sept. 10, 1865. Mr. Bates died February 10, 1867.
Noah Cooley, son of Col. Benjamin, married Jane, daugh- ter of Peter Sutherland, January 24, 1804, and located on the west side of Otter Creek, upon land now owned by Ransom Burdett. The house he occupied, built by him, stood on the east side of the old road leading from the residence of Tilly Walker to that of Peter Rice-now R. Burdett's. The cellar of the house can still be seen in the pasture about thirty rods west of the railroad. Mr. Cooley resided there a few years, and then removed to the western country where he died, Jan. 11, 1856. Mrs. Cooley died July 4, 1854.
* Mr. Bates bought this farm of his elder brother, Michael, who purchased it of Elias Hall, Sept. 6, 1795.
321
PETER THOMAS-THOMAS BURDITT.
Elisha Woodruff, Jr., son of Elisha, married Welthen, daughter of William Spencer, Jan. 5, 1804, and located on the place now owned by Peter Bullet. He removed to St. Lawrence County, N. Y., about the year 1814.
Peter Thomas, born in Concord, Mass., March 1, 1770, son of John Marion, located here in 1804. He well remembered the battle of Lexington and the eventful scenes of that day. His parents, in common with other inhabitants of the town, were alarmed by the approach of the enemy, and while Mr. Marion joined the men of the town in secreting what was left of common and military stores, Mrs. Marion and her son, a little more than five years of age, with other women and children fled to the hills for safety. There young Marion, who after- wards took the name of Thomas, saw the British Regulars as they marched into the town ; and after their departure he saw the dead bodies of several persons whom they had murdered. These events, at that tender age, made a deep impression upon his mind, and he was accustomed to narrate them with deep emotion. He married Mary, daughter of Joseph Read of Acton, in October, 1803. The following year they came to this town and located on the farm now owned by his son Marshall. Mr. Thomas purchased this of John Marion who had it of Nathan Whittemore. Mr. Whittemore built the house in which the family resided till 1846, when it was removed and the present one built by Marshall Thomas.
Thomas Burditt, from Lynn, Mass., came to Pittsford about the year 1804, and located on the easterly slope of West Hill, on land now owned by Ransom Burditt. He made the first clearing there and built a house very nearly west of the present residence of Mrs. Susan Burditt. Mr. Burditt and his wife both died in this town.
We know little of Samuel Smith. He married Rebecca, daughter of Abraham Owen, December 24, 1804, and located in the westerly part of the town, on the easterly slope of the
22
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
hill west of Thomas Beals' place-now Rufus Thomas'. The house he occupied was about one-half mile from Mr. Beals'.
From that place he removed to Canada where he resided a few years, and then returned to Pittsford and occupied the house now owned by Haskell Burditt. This house formerly stood on the William Beals farm, but was removed to its pres- ent position by Mr. Smith, who resided there a few years and then moved to Michigan where he died.
Isaac Leonard was from Easton, Mass. His father, Jacob Leonard, was born in Easton in 1746, and married Jerusha Capen who was born in Stoughton, Mass., in 1750. They located in Easton where were born the following children, viz .: Isaac, Jacob, Capen and Militiah. On the 11th of July, 1801, Jacob, the father, purchased of Elisha Bradford a tract of wild land in Vermont, a part of which lay in the northeast part of Pittsford and a part in Chittenden. The Pittsford portion was, in 1805, deeded to his son Isaac* who built a house and made the first improvements on it. Before this, however, in 1795, he had married Ruth Fullert of Sharon, and they came to Pittsford and located on this land which is the farm now owned by their son Martin. Mr. Leonard died in 1855 ; Mrs. Leonard in 1839.
Samuel Mead, son of John, married Anne, daughter of Elijah Brown, Jr., March 13, 1805, and resided some time with his brother-in-law, Nathan Nelson, on the place now owned by George Brown. Mrs. Mead, at the time of her marriage, was only about fourteen years of age. The latter part of their married life was passed in the easterly part of the township on the farm now owned by J. McCail. There Mr. Mead died, January 11, 1831. Mrs. Mead died in Troy, N. Y., May 31, 1866.
William Beals, from Cornish, N. H., came here in 1806,
* Born in 1772 in Easton.
+ Born in 1776.
Shinge RA
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STURGES PENFIELD.
and bought the place upon which Richard Adams had resided, and made the first improvements. Mr. Beals built a new house and barn some rods northeast of the house built by Mr. Adams, and here he resided till his death, when the farm passed into the possession of his son William, Jr. This has for years been known as the Beals farm, but it is now owned by John Eggleston.
Sturges Penfield, son of John, Sen., was born in New Fair- field, Conn., Sept. 1, 1780, and came to Pittsford with his father's family in 1796. While a young man he learned the hatter's trade of a Mr. Butler of Rutland. On the 12th of January, 1806, he married Laura Giddings, who was born Jan- uary 23, 1785. This event took place in New Fairfield. The pair came directly to Pittsford and resided in a house which stood on the same spot where they ever after lived and where they died. This house was formerly the saddler shop of Mr. Penfield's brother John, but it had been removed and fitted up for a dwelling house. His father built him a hat shop which stood five or six rods south of the house, and in this he carried on hat making some years. This building has recently been removed, and it is now the house occupied by John Lique. In 1808, Mr. Penfield built a store at the corner of the road, on the ground formerly occupied by his brother's saddle shop and traded there about ten years. Then, in company with his brothers, Allen and Abel, he bought the woolen factory, which had been operated for some time by Stephen Avery and others; and here they carried on wool-carding, and manufacturing and dressing cloth. After a few years the three brothers dissolved their copartnership, when Mr. Sturges Penfield bought his brothers' interest in the stock property, though he did little manufacturing. Retiring from business, he devoted the rem- nant of his life to light horticultural pursuits. He was a man of strong constitution, great energy and strict integrity. He
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
was also an exemplary Christian, and did much to support the religious institutions of the town.
Martin Leach, the son of Abisha and Patience (Wood) Leach, was born in Easton, Mass., in 1771. He became a blacksmith by trade and worked with his brother Andrew in Pittsford as early as 1798, and afterwards, he worked at his trade in Middlebury. In 1801, he married Sylvia Powers of Norton, Mass., who was born in 1774, and they located in Cummington where they resided till 1806, when they came to Pittsford and resided on the place now owned by Asa Nourse. The house they occupied has since been removed, and it is now the house owned by Jeduthan Thomas. During the time of his residence on that place, he worked at his trade in the shop, which stood a few rods west of the house. But wishing to devote his time to agriculture he sold this place in 1809, and bought the farm then owned by Martin Mead, and now by Moses P. Humphrey. The construction of the house-the one now on the farm-had been commenced by Mr. Mead, but it was not finished. Mr. Leach completed the work and soon occupied it. The most of the improvements on that farm are the result of his labor. He died in 1855; Mrs. Leach, in 1858.
Elisha Cox, son of William, married Abigail, daughter of Edward Clifford, Sen., March 6, 1806, and located on the home farm. The house he occupied had been built by his father, and it stood on the east side of the present highway and about sixty rods south of the stone house owned by Mr. Sar- gent. Mr. Cox was a soldier from this town in the war of 1812, and after the war he became somewhat embarrassed in his financial matters, sold his farm to his brother-in-law, Ebene- zer Conant, of Brandon, and moved to Canada.
William Ripley, son of Phineas, married Ellis Durfee, October 26, 1806, and located on the homestead, where he resided till 1818, when he moved to the State of Ohio.
Joseph Tottingham
325
STEPHEN WOOD-JOSEPH TOTTINGHAM.
Stephen Wood, a stone-cutter by trade, married Deborah Avery, July 13, 1806, and located on the place formerly owned by Dr. William Frisbie. His principal business was the making of gavestones, and he quarried his stone from a ledge now owned by Abraham Owen, and lying a little southeast of the residence of Abel Morgan. He changed his residence several times while a citizen of the town and left it about the year 1814.
The Tottingham families of this country have mostly descended from Henry Tottingham (or Tottman as formerly often written and pronounced) who was born in England, but was in Charlestown in 1640, when and where he sub- scribed the "Town Orders" for Woburn. He removed shortly after to Woburn; was taxed there in 1645, 1646, 1666; and had a right assigned him, in 1668, in the common lands of the town. By his wife, Anna, he had-1st, Nehemiah, born Aug. 23, 1646, died 28th March, 1714; 2d, Elijah, born Feb. 28, 1651. Anna, his wife, died Feb. 23, 1653, and he married Alice Alger, July 13, 1654. Elijah, son of Henry, married Mary -, and had Anna, Mary, Sarah, Henry, Elisha, Elizabeth, Alice and Arminell. Elisha, son of Elijah and Mary, was born July 22, 1696, and married Rebecca --- ,
by whom he had Rebecca, Elisha, Elizabeth, John, Phebe and Abigail. Elisha, son of Elisha and Rebecca, married Sarah Lawrence of Woburn, May 27, 1736, and had Elisha, Sarah, Nathaniel, Ephraim, Moses, Jonathan, James, Rebecca, Abi- gail and David. Nathaniel, son of Elisha and Sarah (Lawrence), was born June 10, 1740, married Esther Brown, of Lexington, and settled in Westminster, Mass. Joseph Tottingham, sup- posed to have been the son of Nathaniel, was born in West- minster, September 14, 1783, came to Pittsford in 1805, and on the 14th of August of that year he bought one acre of land with the buildings thereon, the land the same that is now owned by Mrs. Elizabeth Bogue. This purchase was made of William
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
Baxter, and the house, an old one, was, some years after, burnt. Mr. Tottingham married, January 16, 1806, Nancy Wood who was born in Westminster, Feb. 16, 1786. They located, in February, on the place purchased in Pittsford, and resided on the same till 1813, when Mr. T. purchased of Jonathan Kendall a farm of which part is now owned by Abraham Owen. He resided in the Kendall house till 1816, when he built a new house-the same now owned and occupied by Mr. Owen. Mrs. Tottingham died Nov. 9, 1841. Mr. Tottingham died July 4, 1859. He was a man of great moral worth, a deacon of the Congregational church, and one of the men who organized the Pittsford Temperance Society.
Amos Crippen, son of Samuel, was born May 22, 1778, and was the only son in his father's family, though he had two sisters. After the death of his father, about the year 1783, he was placed in the family of Samuel Fairfield, of Whipple Hol- low, where he remained eight or ten years. Some time in this period he came near being drowned in Otter Creek. It appears that he was visiting his cousin, Darius Crippen, at some time when there was no bridge over the Creek near Roger Stevens'. The water was high and he attempted to cross the stream in a boat at the fordway, but had proceeded only a short distance from the bank when, by some mismanage- ment, the boat was upset and he was precipitated into deep water. Some boys on the bank gave the alarm, and Abel Stevens, being in the hay-field near, ran to his rescue and saved him. He learned the trade of a blacksmith and, about the year 1806, married Lucy, daughter of John Hitchcock, Jr., and located on the place now owned by Nehemiah Barnes. His house and shop stood on the west side of the road. Feb- ruary 25, 1814, he bought of John Hitchcock, Jr., sixty acres of land which included the principal part of the farm now owned by Lewis White. The house in which Mr. White now resides was built by Mr. Crippen. In a few years he sold that
Andrew Reach
327
MOSES HAVEN-ANDREW LEACH.
place and bought the one which had been owned by Lyman Rockwood-now owned by James Bucknam -and occupied the house, working at his trade in the shop on the opposite side of the road. He removed to the State of Pennsylvania about the year 1855, and died there in August, 1864. He was twice married. His wife Lucy having died, he subsequently married Mrs. Lucinda Ives, who now lives in this town.
Moses Haven, Jan. 7, 1807, married Polly, daughter of Samuel Davis, who was born March 7, 1787. He resided some years in a log house which stood on the west side of the road, about one hundred rods north of the late residence of Israel Burdett, deceased. He removed from the town some years since.
Andrew Leach was the son of Abisha, who was born at Titicut, Mass., March, 1740, and in 1765, married Patience Wood who was born at Bridgewater, September, 1745. They located in Easton, where were born Andrew, Philip, Mar- tin, Jason, Shepherd, Cephas, Solomon, Jerusha and Anne. Andrew, the eldest, born Dec. 14, 1768, became a blacksmith by trade, came to Pittsford in 1795, and worked some time in the shop formerly occupied by Elias Hopkins. In 1805, he purchased what has since been known as the Leach farm, includ- ing land now owned by William C. Cotting, Joshua D. Barber, Jeffrey A. Randall, Henry F. Lothrop and Asa Nourse, with some land on the north side of the present highway. He built a blacksmith shop near where Thomas Tennian's shop now stands, and in 1806, built the house now owned by W. C. Cotting. On the 24th of February, 1807, he married Mary Powers,* and occupied the new house. His wife Mary died in June, 1810, and the following October he married Deborah Spooner, who was born in New London, Conn., February,
* Born in 1777.
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
1779. Mrs. Deborah Leach died February 7, 1823, and Mr. Leach married Olivia Moulton, of Fairhaven, Nov. 13th, the same year. Mr. Leach died September 15, 1852. Mrs. Olivia Leach died August 27, 1840. The following extract from an obituary, published shortly after Mr. Leach's death, probably shows the true character of the man :
" He removed to Pittsford when a young man, and by industry and energy in business as a mechanic accumulated considerable property, and on account of his integrity, prompt- ness and trustworthiness, has ever held a prominent station in the community. The cause of education found in Mr. Leach a firm and steadfast friend. Though his own education was very limited, yet having a strong native intellect, he became a very intelligent man, and cherished enlarged and liberal views of the importance of mental training and development.
* He early made a profession of religion, and united with the Congregational church of which he remained, to the time of his death, one of the most useful and active members. Decision and constancy were the most prominent traits in his character. In no pursuit could it be said of him that when 'he put his hand to the plow he looked back,' and least of all could this be said of him in the work of religion In late years especially, when old age and infirmity were upon him he sought no relaxation from Christian duty, but mani- festly grew in grace as he advanced in years, and continued unto the end. The heart of Mr. Leach was fixed on the object of building up the Savior's kingdom. This was manifest not only from his diligence in Christian duties at home, but from the liberality with which he contributed of his substance to send the gospel abroad. All the principal societies for the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom received from him a constant, and according to his means, an uncommonly liberal support. For many years his annual contributions to Domestic
329
JONATHAN DIKE-SOLOMON FARR-JUSTIN DARLING.
Missions was twenty dollars, and to Foreign Missions one hun- dred dollars. In eleven successive years, he has made as many members of his family-himself, children, and wife's children- life members of the American Board."
Jonathan Dike, son of Jonathan, was born in Chittenden, April 16, 1786, and in May, 1808, married Tamesin, born Jan- uary 4, 1787, daughter of Thomas Hammond, and located on the June farm. Mr. Dike built a house on the east side of the present highway, and about midway betwixt the old June house and the present stone house on the Cox farm. He was a Deputy Sheriff some years, and was eventually appointed Sheriff of the county, when he removed to Rutland where his wife died Aug. 23, 1829. Mr. Dike died in Crown Point, N. Y., 1871.
Solomon Farr, Jr., a moulder by trade, married Mabel Dean, January 3, 1808, and located on the place now owned by Mrs. Eliza Connell He resided in the town but a few years and the most of this time was spent in the service of Gibbs & Co., at the Furnace.
Justin Darling was born in Marlboro', Mass., October 30, 1784, and his early life was spent in that township. He came to Pittsford when a young man, married Margaret, daughter of Caleb Cooley, March 17, 1808, and located in the house now owned by Mrs. Margaret Hennessey. They resided in this town till 1836, when they moved to the western part of the State of New York.
Daniel Sherman was the son of Daniel who was born in Massachusetts, in July, 1763, and married Anna Knight who was born May 8, 1766. They died in Bolton, leaving one son, Daniel, who was born July 23, 1785. He became a wheel- wright, and having migrated to this town in 1806, he bought the place now owned by his son Henry. In 1808 he married Polly Gorham, who was born in Connecticut, April 16, 1790. Mr. Sherman built the house and other buildings now owned
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
by his son. He worked at his trade a large proportion of the time till his death, June 29, 1854.
John Dimick, from Sullivan, N. H., located here in 1808. He bought of Michael Sanders the farm now owned by Joseph Wolcott, the deed being dated November 3, 1808. The first improvements on that farm were made by Mr. Sanders who resided some time in a log house which stood on the west side of the road, and some distance northwest of the present house which Mr. Sanders had built before he sold the farm to Dimick.
Jacob Thayer married Wealthy Crossman and located in Easton, Mass. In 1809, he came with his family to Pittsford and purchased the farm now owned by Mrs. Eliza Connell.
Samuel Wheeler was born in 1787. His birth-place is not known to the writer, though his parents resided some years in this town. In 1809, he married Catherine-born Nov. 22, 1789-daughter of Caleb Cooley, and resided a few years in the family of his father-in-law. He afterwards removed to the Isle La Motte, Grand Isle County, where he died, April 10, 1851. Mrs. Wheeler died Feb. 5, 1869.
John June, son of Joshua, born in 1780, married Lydia, daughter of Ebenezer Lyman, January 1, 1809, and resided some years on the Lyman farm-now David Scofield's. After changing his residence several times he settled in Brandon, where he died in June, 1866.
Zachariah Rand became a resident of this town in 1809. He was the son of Col. John Rand who was residing in Narra- ganset, Mass., in 1753, whose first wife, Elizabeth, died Dec. 14, 1756, and who married, 1766, widow Tabitha Stedman. He had Zachariah, John, Thomas, William, Samuel, and four daughters. He sustained important town offices and rose to the rank of Colonel in the militia. He also served as Colonel in the Revolution. He died Dec. 11, 1789, in the sixty-seventh year of his age. His eldest son, Zachariah, born in Westmins- ter, Mass., was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. His name
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EXTRACT FROM RECORDS.
is found upon the roll of a company of eight-months men who enlisted into the service immediately after the Lexington alarm. At the time when the alarm was excited by the Bennington fight, in August, 1777, his name is found upon the roll of a company of men who marched from Westminster and were in service ten days. After the war he married Jerusha Sawyer and located in Westminster, his native town. He had the fol- lowing children, viz .: Asa, Phebe, Nathaniel, Jerusha, Tamar, Lucinda, Susanna, Betsey, John Stark, Ebenezer Blanchard, Diantha. In January, 1809, he removed from Westminster to Pittsford, Vt., and located on the Powers farm in Sugar Hol- low, now owned by Watson C. Rand and William Nicholas. Mr. Rand died here in April, 1826; Mrs. Rand died August 13, 1844.
Some of the public acts of the past ten years will appear from the following quotations from the records of this period :
At a meeting held on the 24th of February, 1800, the town " voted, on application of Hiram Hopkins, that the selectmen for the time being, be authorized to Deed to Ephraim Morgan of Troy in the State of New York and his Heirs and Assigns, so much Land from off the S. E. Corner of S. side of the Plot of Land, on which the Meeting House now stands, as will com- pensate him or them for the Land which now lies in Common or Highway, which belonged to the said Morgan's House lot, now occupied by Hiram Hopkins and take a Deed to the Town of Pittsford of the Common Land from the said Morgan's Lot, and agreeable to the former contract made between the Town and the prior owner of sd Lot."
" Voted to raise a Tax of three Mills on a Dollar on the Grand List for A. D. 1799, payable on the first day of June next."
"Voted to raise a Tax of one Cent on a Dollar on the Grand List of A. D. 1800, payable in Rye, Wheat or Indian Corn on the first day of January next."
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
" Tuesday, March 25, 1800.
Voted that the Selectmen be allowed to grant liberty to any number of Individuals of sd Town, to build a Horse Shed or Sheds on the Town's Land, near the Meeting House for his or their own use."
" Tuesday, September 2, 1800.
Voted to Establish a Survey of a Road as a Town Road laid by the present Selectmen from Mr. Penfield's, by Jenner's Mill to Andrew Leach's tavern."
"March 3, 1801.
Voted that Swine be allowed to run at large well yoked and ringed, the Pound Keeper to be the Judge of the suffi- ciency of said Yokes and Rings."
" Voted that there be a Committee of three to make arrange- ments for a squirrel hunt this spring and report to this or our next adjourned meeting. Chose Caleb Hendee, Jr., Caleb Cooley and Ebenezer Hopkins for said Committee."
" Voted to raise a Town tax of one Cent and five Mills on the Dollar to be assessed on the Grand List of A. D. 1801."
" Here follows a list of the persons' names who were admit- ted by the Selectmen to the privileges of freemen and were duly sworn as the Law directs at the aforesaid meeting, viz .: Elisha Rich, Jr., Samuel Lucas, Edward Clifford, Paul Lucas, Timothy Taft, Eleazer Harwood, Jr., Calvin Conant, Heman Johnson, Joab Powers, William Allen, Jr., Jonathan Warner, Jr., Nathaniel Quincy, Gordon Newell, Joseph Johnson, James Hicock, Isaac Matson, Hiram Baxter, Thomas Joy, Hiram Phillips, Howard Lathrop, Peter Bresee, Jr., Isaac Clark, Calvin Wilder, Amos Churchill.
Attest, CALEB HENDEE, T. Clerk."
" March 2, 1802.
Voted to give a bounty of the Town's money of ten dol- lars, for each grown Wolf that shall be caught in the Town of
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EXTRACT FROM RECORDS.
Pittsford, or pursued out of sd Town and caught by any Inhab- itant or Inhabitants of sd town, and five dollars for each young Wolf caught as aforesaid.
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