William Pillsbury and his wife Dorothy Crosby of Dorchester and Newbury

 

English Origins

William Pillsbury, name spelled variously, is possibly from Leek, Staffordshire. Two genealogies published in the late 19th/ early 20th centuries on the family offered two wills, one for a Thomas Pillsbury of Leek who died in 1622 and a William of Heaton whose will was probated in 1640. Both of these men had sons named William that were born about 1605. Heaton and Leek are only 5 miles apart and it's possible that the two were related. One nod in William's favor is that he was a husbandman and Thomas a blacksmith. As William the immigrant was also a husbandman seems to fit more closely. 

That being said, neither Mary Lovering Holman, noted genealogist of the Pillsbury Family, nor Robert Charles Anderson, confirm any ancestry for William. There is nothing, other than the rarity of the name, to tie William to either man. 

William's possible mother, is dependent on the father. If William Pilsbury of Heaton was the father then  his mother was Agnes (Stodderd) Pilsbury. If Thomas Pilsburie of Leek was the father his mother was Elizabeth (Unknown) Pilsburie. If the father of this profile is neither William Pilsberie of Heaton nor Thomas Pilsburie of Leek, then his mother is unknown.

William's age is based on a 1676 deposition in which he said he was about 71 years old. 

Coming to America

William's name is first found in the records of New England when he and Dorothy Crosby appeared before the Quarterly Court in Boston on 1 June 1641. Both were bound for their good behavior. He was

'enjoined to work with Goodman Wisswell two days of the week and Goodman one day in the week for five years. Their bond was set at ￡10.00.

They next appeared in court on 29 July 1641, this time a married couple. He was censured to be whipped for defiling his masters house as was she. Clearly, both William and Dorothy were indentured servants, in separate houses, and have gotten themselves into a romantic relationship. Their marriage was not recorded, so where exactly they were living is unknown. Their daughter, Dorothy, was born in Dorchester, so it is possible that that is where they resided at the time. 

Children

Deborah, b. April 16, 1642 in Dorchester, m. _______ Ewens

Job, b. October 16, 1643 in Dorchester, m. April 5, 1677 Katherine Gavett in Newbury d. September 10, 1716 in Newbury

Moses, b. about 1645, m. March 1668 Susanna Worth, d. before November 3, 1701 (probate of will)

Abel, b. 1652 in Newbury, m. about 1675 Mary _______, d. before 1697

Caleb, b. January 28, 1653/4 in Newbury, never married, d. July 4, 1680 in Newbury

William, b. July 27, 1656 in Newbury, m. December 13, 1677 Mary Kenny, d. October 28, 1734 in Salisbury. 

Experience, b. April 10, 1658 in Newbury, d. August 4, 1708 in Newbury

Increase, b. October 10, 1660 in Newbury, d. 1690 (drowned off Cape Breton, N.S. in Sir William Phips' expedition)

Thankful, b. April 22, 1662 in Newbury, living and unmarried in 1686

Life in Massachusetts

It is not know for who or for how long William was indentured, but he seems to have been a free man when next he is mentioned in the Dorchester town records in 1648. In 1651 William purchased the home lot of Edward Rawson of Newbury. From 1653 onward, William's name appears in the Newbury records where he bought and sold land. He was a yeoman/husbandman or planter. In otherwords, he was a farmer.

William became a freeman of the Massachusetts Colony in 1668.

William Pillsbury of Newbury wrote his will on 22 April 1686. He named in his will, wife Dorothy, children: Job, Moses, Abel, William, Increase, married daughter Deborah Ewens, Experience and Thankful. William died on 19 June 1686 and buried the next day. His death was noted by diarist Samuel Sewall. 

Sabbath-day Morn. Goodman Pilsbury was buried just after the ringing of the second Bell. Grave dugg over night. Mr. Richardson Preached from I Cor. 3, 21.22, going something out of 's Order by reason of the occasion, and singling out those Words Or Death.

The inventory of William's estate was taken on July 7, 1686 by his son Job and was appraised at over £317, including £190 in land, £45 in livestock, and £12 for a man servant.

His will was probated on September 10, 1686.

Dorothy Crosby was born about 1622 in England. Nothing is known about her ancestry. Her death, after that of her husband, was not recorded. 

My ancestor is their son William who married Mary Kinne, daughter of Henry and Ann Kinne.

Caroline Clyde Holt Holly: Pioneer in the Fight for Women's Rights

A reader recently contacted me and told me a little about a descendant of Samuel Clyde and Catherine Wasson Clyde about whom I've written extensively. I have not followed the genealogy of all of the couples children so I was surprised to find out about their amazing great-granddaughter; Caroline Clyde Holt. Here is what I know about Caroline.

Caroline was born on 1 July 1856 in Manhattan, New York. [1] Her father was William W. Holt, son of Catherine Clyde and Lester Holt of Cherry Valley, New York. Caroline was raised in Stamford Connecticut. In the 1880 census  she was age 23.  Her father, an attorney, did not appear to work. In the 1860 census he had a real estate value of $3000 and a personal estate of $48,000. He has no occupation in 1860,1870 or 1880, either he'd already made a lot of money or being an Attorney was not considered work. (Sorry Lawyer joke)

In 1881 Caroline, who went by "Carrie" married Charles Fredrick Holly, also an attorney. They were living in New York in 1885 when their daughter Emily Ethel was baptized in a church for the Deaf. 

The family moved to Colorado by 1889. Charles was significantly older than her. He was born in 1819 and was a Colorado Territorial Supreme Court Justice in 1865. He also served during the civil war. 

In 1893 Colorado voted to enfranchise women, women could not only vote but run for office. Caroline, who is said to have studied law under her husband, took was active in the Women's Suffrage Movement. She ran for public office, first as a member of the School Board and then in 1895, along with two other women, for the State Legislature. All three were elected. 

Carrie Holly was the first female to introduce a bill into legislature. Her desire to fight for women extended to the right to consent. At the time, the legal age of consent for women was 16. Carrie's bill, which passed, raised it to 18. [2]

Caroline Clyde Holly is still honored in Colorado as a pioneer of Women's Rights. I think her grandmother Catherine Wasson Clyde would have been very proud of her achievements. 

Sources:

[1]"New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2W71-9XR : 11 February 2018), Caroline C. Holt, 01 Jul 1856; citing Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, reference Birth Reg 1856-1857 New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,421,411.

[2] https://www.southerncoloradoterritorialdaughters.org/genealogy-and-history/carrie-c-holly

*Charles Fredrick Holleys death: The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General; Record Group Number: 92; Series Number: M1845

Thornton, Wasson and Clyde Families in the Mohawk Valley, New York during the American Revolution

In 1753, my ancestor William Thornton, born 1713 in Ireland, left his New Hampshire home and headed about 125 miles west to Schenectady, in the Mohawk Valley of  New York. Today it's a scenic three hour drive, then it was an arduous journey that might have taken weeks. Little did William know that in less than 25 years this remote, fertile valley would be the site of some of the bloodiest fighting of the American Revolution. The combatants were English Loyalist, Native Americans, American Patriots of Dutch, English and Scots-Irish descent.

Traveling with William was his wife Dorcas Little Thornton and their children; William, Matthew, James, Mary, and Thomas, all under the age of 10. More children would be born in their new home. Also making the trek to the Mohawk Valley was Thomas Little, father of Dorcas, and William's sister, Agnes Thornton Wasson, and her husband, John Wasson Sr. and  their children; Catherine Wasson Clyde wife of Samuel Clyde, John Wasson Jr. who married Dorothy Little, Thomas Wasson, Thornton Wasson and George Wasson. These families were intimately bound to each other through the bonds of marriage. In fact, William Thornton's son John, born in 1753 in Schenectady, married Anne Clyde, daughter of Catherine and Samuel Clyde. She was born in 1764.

So, why did they go and what was life like in the Mohawk Valley? And how did they survive living in one of the most dangerous places to be during the American Revolution? Let's start with some background on the area.

The Dutch

Arriving in 1661, the Dutch were the first European people to permanently settle in the Mohawk River Valley. You only have to look at a map of the area to see the Dutch influence. Towns such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam, revel their Dutch origins in their names. The Dutch, of course, established Dutch Reform Churches in their new settlements. After the French and Indian Wars, English and Scots-Irish settlers began to move into the fertile valley to establish farms. These groups intermarried, forming new bonds. During the American Revolution many men of Dutch descent fought for the American cause.  [ 1 ] 

The Natives

The Mohawk Valley takes it's name from it's original inhabitants, the Mohawk Indians. The Mohawk was one of five Iroquois tribes that inhabited a vast area of New York and Canada. One Native American in particular played a key role in the response of the people of the Mohawk Valley to the American Revolution. That man was Joseph Brant, a member of the Mohawk tribe whose Indian name was Thayendanega. He was born in March of 1743 in Ohio, during a hunting trip. He was raised at Canajoharie on the Mohawk River in New York. His father was not a chief, but was a member of some standing in his tribe. [2]

Sir William Johnston, Superintendent of the Northern Indians, made Joseph a protegee of sorts. Joseph's sister Molly was Johnston's mistress, whom he married after the death of his wife Catherine in 1759. Sir William recommended him to the Moor Charity School for Indians, at which he studied Western history among other subjects. The school is now known as Dartmouth College, in Lebanon, Connecticut.  After completing his education he went to work for Sir William and was his assistant during the French and Indian Wars. [3]

Joseph married and settled on a farm in Canajoharie. He converted to Christianity and became a member of the Anglican church. He translated parts of the bible into his own language. Brant was also a Freemason. When the war came, he was a Loyalist. [4]

In 1776 Joseph Brant was chosen as Principal Chief of the Confederacy of the Six Nations and a Captain in the British Army. He would wage bloody brutal war on his rebellious friends and neighbors, and was responsible for the destruction of their property and the death of hundreds. [5]

The English

The major players for the Loyalist side of the American Revolution were the Johnsons and the Butlers. Sir William Johnson, who so influenced the life of Joseph Brant, was succeeded in his lands by his son, Sir John Johnson and his position as Superintendent by his son in law, Colonel Guy Johnson, upon his death in 1774. John Johnson lived at Fort Johnson, his father founded Johnstown. Guy Johnson was a nephew of William's and he married his first cousin Mary, William's daughter. [6] Guy and Mary lived in a mansion called Guy Park in the city of Amsterdam.

The Butler family, like the Johnsons, were wealthy and held positions of power in the Mohawk Valley. John Butler and his son Walter were loyalist who formed their own militia company; Butlers Rangers. Walter Butler was among the most hated of the loyalist, following the massacre at Cherry Valley, for which he was blamed. [7]

The Thorntons

The Thornton's left New Hampshire and settled in the fertile river valley near the town of Schenectady in a place called Curries Bush. There is no town there now, only a road called the Curry Bush Road, but it was near modern day Princetown. Thomas Little and his family also settled near Princetown. The records are thin for this era so there is not much in the way of documentation for them. But we do know a few things about the family.

In his bible, James Thornton, son of William and Dorcas wrote that his mother died in Curry Bush in 1763. James who recorded her death in his bible was nineteen at the time, William's  youngest was John, age ten. [8] Dorcas is said to have buried on her father's father, which eventually came into the hands of the Wasson Family, through the marriage of Dorcas's sister Dorothy to  John Wasson. [9]

As the older boys grew to manhood they began to take on the duties of adult life, including military duties. In 1767 the local militia was headed by Captain Daniel Campbell. On his muster roll dated 12 May 1767 are the names William Little, Thomas Little Jr., William Thorenton, James Thornton, and Matthew Thornton. Also on the list, but I think misspelled, is John Wasson Sr. and his son Thomas Wasson. [10] I have two questions concerning the list. The first is why was William's surname spelled differently and second was William the 54 year old father or the 22 year old son?

Matthew was the first of the boys to get married. On 30 March 1768 he married Mary Crawford. [11] James married Antje Schermerhorn in the Dutch Reform church on 19 February 1769. [12] Both couples had a daughter born in June of 1770 and both girls were called Dorcas. [13]

This is confirmed by a land deed in which William sold land in New Hampshire, the deed places him in Curries Bush in 1771.

The Wassons

William's sister Agnes married John Wasson. Like William they immigrated with their family to Schenectady, leaving Chester, NH in about 1753. John Wasson found work in Schenectady as a butcher. Eventually he too moved to Curries Bush.

His only daughter married Samuel Clyde, also from New Hampshire, they moved to Cherry Valley in 1761.  The remainder of the children, all boys, stuck close to home, now Curries Bush.

Sources:

[b] William Maxwell Reid, The Mohawk Valley, it's legends and it's history, (New York, NY : GP Putman and Sons, 1902).

[1] Jonathan Pearson, Contributions for the genealogies of the descendants of the first settlers of the patent and city of Schenectady, from 1662 to 1800, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1976).

[2] George L. Marshall Jr. "Chief Joseph Brant: Mohawk, Loyalist and Freemason," Varsity Tutors (https://www.varsitytutors.com : accessed 5 November 2016).

[3] Richard Berleth, Bloody Mohawk,

[4] Ibid.

[5] Reid, The Mohawk Valley.

[6] Berleth, Bloody Mohawk

[7] Ibid.

[8] James Thornton's Bible

[9] Find A Grave, database and images (http://findagrave.com : accessed ), memorial page for Dorcas Little Thornton (1725-1763), Find A Grave Memorial no. 95382890, citing Wasson Family Cemetery, ; this is a private cemetery on the old farm owned by Thomas Little. Many Wasson's are said to be buried there, but the headstones are degraded and cannot be read.

[10] New York State Historian, New York Colonial Muster Rolls, 1664-1775, Vol 2, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2000) 824.

[11] Thornton book

[12] Ibid

[13] Ibid

[h]

[i] "U.S. Dutch Reformed Church in Selected States, 1639-1989," database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 Novemeber 2016) citing Schenectady Baptisms, Vol. 2, Book 42, entry for Dorcas Thoornton.

Major John Thornton (1753-1819) Schenectady, New York

early life

John Thornton is my 4x great uncle. Born in Schenectady, in the Colony of New York to my great grandfather William Thornton and his first wife Dorcas Little Thornton. Shortly after the families arrival in New York the last of the French and Indian Wars broke out. As they had left their home in Dublin, New Hampshire on account of the Indian troubles, I'm sure they were wondering what they had gotten themselves into. Fort William Henry, made famous by the book and movie, Last of the Mohicans,  was only about 100 or so away from their home.

After the war ended, the Thornton's get on with the business of life. William purchased land in Curriesbush, now called Princetown. John's mother Dorcas died there in 1763. William purchased additional land in 1771. Life seemed to be on track, until a small event called the American Revolution began to pick up steam. At some point before 1773 William and his new wife, Eleanor and their small children, Dorcas and Samuel, returned to New Hampshire to settle in the new town, named by his brother Matthew; Thornton, New Hampshire. Two of his older children returned with them, William and Matthew. Four of his children stayed behind, James, John, Thomas and Mary. 

war years

James, the eldest of the sons to stay in New York was 29 years old in 1773 and married to a wife of Dutch descent. He had a young family. I suspect that he took over William's farm in Curriesbush. Thomas and John were nearing maturity and chose to stay as well. I'm surprised that Mary Thornton, a young lady of 19, also stayed behind. The Thornton's had a large extended family in the area, there were numerous Wasson and Little cousins, perhaps they were well settled and did not want to leave. For whatever the reason, the family split in two. 

The Mohawk Valley saw some of the most brutal fighting during the long eight years of the war. Bands of Tories and their Indian allies swept through the Valley wreaking havoc as they passed. John's oldest brother James served several times with the local militia as did his Wasson cousins. John did not enlist until 1781, two years from the end of the war. He joined the 9 month levies raised by Colonel Marinus Willett. In 1782 he signed on for three years. The war was winding down, but the fighting continued in New York. In 1783, now promoted to Major, John Thornton took command of Fort Stanwix in far western New York. He remained in command until May of 1784. 

The highlight of his career, in my opinion, was the tour of the Mohawk Valley with General George Washington and General Clinton. Major Thornton escorted them from Fort Plain, commanded by his future father-in-law, Lt. Colonel Samuel Clyde, to Cherry Valley and Ostego Lake. Washington was interested in the future of the valley, he saw it had great potential and John was his guide. 

civilian life 

In July of 1784 John traveled to Philadelphia to be officially discharged from the army and to seek payment in arrears. In 1786 he purchased a 100 acre farm in Curriesbush, home to his brother James and his cousins. He married cousin Anna Clyde on 9 March 1789 in the Dutch Reformed church in Fonda, he was 36 years old.  

In 1790 John is listed in the census, living in Schenectady. 1810 he is recorded as living in Schenectady Ward 2. Ann, his widow lived in Schenectady Ward 1 in 1820. It seems in 1800 he lived in Albany and is recorded on the census there. 

John and Anna had five children. 

1. John Clyde Thornton b. 28 July 1793 b. 27 Feb. 1818 age 25 unmarried

2. Adelia b. 28 Aug 1797 d. 1897 age 100,  m. Volney Freeman

3. William Anderson Thornton b. 29 Aug 1802, d. 6 April 1866 Governor's Island, NY.

4. George J. C. Thornton, b. 1810 d. 1825, age 15.

5. Catherine Agnes b. 31 October 1806 d. Unmarried 17 November 1880. 

John Thornton applied for and received a pension for his service in during the American Revolution in 1818. He died the following year. Anna filed to receive his pension and was successful. She died in 1841. John, Ann, their sons John Clyde and George, and daughter Catherine Agnes are all buried together in Vale Cemetery in Schenectady. Their daughter Adelia is buried nearby with her husband and two infant children. I had the pleasure of standing beside their burial place. I have not been able to find a will or probate for John or Ann. 

John is featured in my book BLOOD IN THE VALLEY. The story of his first cousin and  mother-in-law Catherine Wasson Clyde and her family. 

Joshua Thornton of Uxbridge, Massachusetts and Plymouth, New Hampshire; Fifer in the American Revolution

origins

Joshua Thornton was a young boy from Uxbridge, Massachusetts who joined in the fight against England during the American Revolution at the tender age of eleven. He was a fifer. Uxbridge is near the Rhode Island border so it is possible that he belonged to the Rhode Island Thorntons. He does not appear to be related James Thornton of Londonderry, New Hampshire, although he ended up a neighbor of some of his descendants. He was adopted as a baby by Jonathan Penniman and his wife. 

April 1775

Immediately following the battles of Lexington and Concord, young Joshua Thornton enlisted with a group of Minutemen under Captain Wyman and Colonel Patterson. They marched to Charlestown, where he was present during the Battle of Bunker Hill on 17 June 1775. His unit did not participate in the fight but were guarding a redoubt between the hill and the river. 

Joshua was part of the Music Levies, the Fife and Drum Corp. The fife is an instrument similar to a piccolo. Fifers were noncombatants and ranged in age from 10 to 18. Along with the regimental drummers the fifers played musical signals to direct soldiers before, during and after battle.  Still, Joshua was just a child, what was his mother thinking!

At the end of eight months Joshua returned home to Uxbridge. He states that in December 1776 or January 1776 he left Massachusetts and settled in Moultonborough, New Hampshire with the Adna Penniman Family. 

March 1777

In March of 1777 Joshua reenlisted, again as a Fifer under Lieutenant Adna Penniman, his brother. He was still very young, only about 13 years of age. His company marched to Fort Ticonderoga in New York. Ticonderoga was soon evacuated in the face of General Burgoyne who was on the march from Canada. Joshua was in Skenesborough on guard duty, protecting vital stores when his company was forced to evacuated to Fort Ann, then Fort Edward and finally Fort Edward.  They were pushed as far as Cohoes Falls before General Gates ordered them into battle against Burgoyne at the Battle of Bemis Hills. 

Valley Forge

Immediately after the Battle of Bemis Heights Joshua's regiment marched to Valley Forge to join General George Washington. He and his fellow soldiers endured a terrible winter under exacting circumstances. During this time he was promoted to Fife Major. 

Sullivan Campaign

The 3rd New Hampshire returned to New York in support of General Sullivans expedition against the Indians of Western New York. Joshua was present at the Battle of Newtown and other skirmishes with the Indians and their Tory allies. In 1780, after three years of battle, Joshua returned home to Moultonsborough. What tales he must have told. The Penniman Family left Moultonsborough and Joshua with them, to settle in Plymouth, New Hampshire where he lived until 1805.

Plymouth

Joshua married in Plymouth on 24 November 1790, Hannah Nevins. They had four children, including two sons; Adna and William. She died in 1828 in Lyman. Joshua remarried a much younger Sarah Converse in 1830. She was 36, he was 66.  He was very successful, served as Justice of the Peace, Selectman and other civic positions. 

Pension

Following an act of Congress, men who could prove they fought during the American Revolution were awarded a pension. Joshua, applied on 14 August 1832, now an old man, 68, living in Lyman, New Hampshire with his wife Sarah Converse Thornton. For his service he was awarded $88.00 per year. 

Death

Sarah continued to draw a pension after Joshua's death in 1843. 

Descendants of William Thornton (1713-1790) and his two wives Dorcas Little Thornton and Eleanor Unknown Thornton

This is a work in progress if you have any information to share please contact me. Thanks!
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William Thornton m. first Dorcas Little and had:
 1. James 1744-1815
 2. William 1745-1814
 3. Matthew  1746-1824
 4. Thomas 1751-1819
 5. John  1753-1819
 6. Mary 1755

with Eleanor:
 7. Samuel  1775-1866
 8. Dorcas  1779-1857
 9. Eleanor  1784-1825 no descendants
10. Abraham  1785 unable to trace
11. Catherine  1787-1860 - no descendants
12. Sarah  1789 unable to trace
__________________________________________________________________________

1. James Thornton, son of William and Dorcas Thornton, born 1744 in Pelham, Massachusetts, married Antje Schermerhorn in Schenectady, New York a few years before the American Revolution. He recorded his children and their births in a bible, a page of which use used as evidence in his widow's pension application. The couple had 13 children, two were a set of twins. I have tried to trace the children, some with more success than others. [the source for this info is his bible page, found on Fold3]

 1. Dorcas Thornton Wright bp. 2 June  1770 [1]
 2. Abraham S. Thornton b. 1772
 3. Catherine b. 1773
 4. Samuel b. 1776
 5. William 1778-1779 - no descendants
 6. Margaret 1778-1778 - no descendants
 7. Elizabeth b. 1780
 8. Matthew b. 1782-22 Sept 1863
 9. William b. 1783-died young - no descendants
10. Mary b. 1784
11. James b. 1790
12. William b. 1792
13. Margaret b. 1795

________________________________________________

1. Dorcas married Edmund Wright b. 1773-1794 [2] Schenectady. The couple moved to Philadelphia
 
    2. James Thornton Wright b. 1794 Schenectady [3]
    2. Antje Thornton Wright b. 1796 [4]
    2. Fisher Wright b. 1798 Schenectady [5]

I could not trace this family any further.
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1. Abraham S. Thornton b. 12 January 1772 m. Margaret Peek b. 1775 [6] on 9 October 1796. He is likely the Abram Thornton enumerated on the 1800 census as living in Schenectady Ward 1, with a woman and two young male children. [7] and in 1810 living in Ward 3. [8] In 1830 he was enumerated in Rotterdam, just south of the town of Schenectady.  [9] Four children have been traced, they were baptized in the Church of the Woestina, Glenville, Schenectady County, NY.

    2. James (Jacobus) Thornton b. 1797 Schenectady [10] m. Barbary Cornell. James died before the 1860 census, Barbary is is the city directory as a widow in 1864. James and Barbary had at least four children:
        3. Catherine Maria bp. 1 December 1818, supposedly married John Kane [11]{citation needed}
        3. James bp. 29 February 1822 not traced
        3. Abraham bp. 17 July 1824  this may the man who went by 'Alvin' Thornton
        3. Elizabeth Wasson bp. 1 June 1825
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    2.  Aarent/Aaron Thornton b. 17 December, baptized in Schenectady. [12] m. Annatje (Nancy) Van Sice who died in 1826, leaving one child Abraham b. 1824. Aaron then married Harriet Lansing on 11 Dec 1827. {citation needed} [13]
         3. Abraham b. 1824 this is probably the man who married Margaret Van Dyck
-----------------------------------------------------
Two Abrahams born 1824-who is who? Both men, born the same year lived, married and started families in Schenectady. Can we tell who their parents were? Neither are found in a census living with a parent so we have only circumstantial evidence to connect them. 

Abraham Thornton b. 1824 married Mary Page. 


-----------------------------------------------------

    2. Rebecca Ann Thornton, bp. 10 Oct 1802 [14] m. John B. Van Zandt, [15]{citation need} lived in Seneca Falls, died 1898.
------------------------------------------------------

    2.   Abraham Schermerhorn Thornton b. 5 Dec 1804 [16] m. Ann Jane Corker around 1827 in New Jersey. The family lived for a few years in Connecticut. [17]Abraham was a painter by trade; he lived in the city of Albany. He died at age 59 of pneumonia in a Civil War hospital near Washington D.C. Jane had his body removed to Albany. According to his war records he was born in Schenectady.  He joined in October 1862. He had blue eyes, brown hair, was light-skinned at stood 5'10" tall. Records confirm he was a painter. [18] His children are all listed in various census from 1850 to 1865.

        3. Edward A. Thornton 1828-1862, born in Norwalk, Connecticut, [19], he had blue eyes, brown hair, light complexion and was about 5'7",  worked as a cigar maker, enlisted in the 177th NY on 8 October 1862, died 11 December 1862. - no descendants. [20]

        3. George Egbert Thornton 1829-1898, born in Connecticut, m. Margaret Gaynor, in 1855 NY census in Schenectady a cigar maker, after that he seems to have moved to Colorado 1860-1870 census, cigar and cigarette retailer and then to Utah, 1880 census Brickmaker. (both 1870-1880 census say he was born in Connecticut). Possibly the George E. Thornton buried in Denver 1898. Had children:
                  4. John M. b. 1853
                  4. Mary Jane b. 1855
                  4. George E. Junior b. 1860 possibly moved to South Dakota and Wyoming
                  4. Charles b. 1869 possibly the Charley Thornton son of George d. 1903 in SLC, Utah
                  4. Margaret b. 1872 m. John Phillip Lawson Salt Lake City (DAR application)

        3. Joseph E. Thornton 1832, m. in 1865 to Sarah Unknown, one daughter Maria, worked as a printer cannot find after 1866 directory. Is he the Joseph and Sarah Thornton in New York working as a compositor(type setter) in 1870?

        3. Charles H. Thornton 1837-1905 enlisted 18 October 1862, 177th, mustered out. m. Mary J. Murphy and had four daughters, Jennie, Mary, Sophie Thornton Allen and Charlotte Thornton Haller. Charles d. 28 Jan 1905. His wife d. 25 November 1919.

        3. Sophia J. Thornton Sibley Kane 1840-1911, m. Charles H. Sibley, Charles enlisted 7 Oct 1862, KIA 21 June 1863, in Louisiana. They had one child Jane A. born 1860. Sophia m. John Kane, she died 15 April 1911 from burns covering her entire body. She is buried in her mother's burial plot.

        3. Francis L. Thornton 1845-1918 also joined the 177th, mustered out 1863. d. 6 April 1918, acute indigestion, probably a heart attack; he is buried in his mother's burial plot.

        3. Mary b. 1847

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1. Catherine b. 13 November 1773 m. Samuel Wright b. 1770, found in the 1820 census in Duanesburg

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1. Samuel  b. 1776 m. Engeltje Peek 8 July 1798 lived in Glenville Schenectady in the 1820 census

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1. Matthew b. 1781 d. 22 Sept 1863 m. Anne Buyce  who d. 1879, Matthew was buried but his grave was moved in 1930 from Denton's Corner to section L.
   
     2. Abram b. 1822, m. Lovinia had three daughters, all died in 1864 of Scarlet Fever

          3. Harriet Ann
          3. Mary Jane
          3. L?


Sources:

[1] U.S., Dutch Reformed Church Records from Selected States, 1660-1926
[2] Holland Society of New York; New York, New York; Schenectady Baptisms, Vol 4, Book 44
[3] Holland Society of New York; New York, New York; Schenectady Baptisms, Vol 4, Book 44
[4] Holland Society of New York; New York, New York; Schenectady Baptisms, Vol 4, Book 44
[5] Holland Society of New York; New York, New York; Schenectady Baptisms, Vol 4, Book 44
[6] Holland Society of New York; New York, New York; Schenectady Marriages, Vol 5, Book 45
[7] United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRC-G1X : accessed 9 February 2019), Abraham Thornton, Schenectady Ward 1, Albany, New York, United States; citing p. 4, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 22; FHL microfilm 193,710.
[8]"United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2Z-NR6 : accessed 9 February 2019), Abraham Thornton, Schenectady Ward 3, Schenectady, New York, United States; citing p. 959, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 37; FHL microfilm 181,391.
[9] 1830; Census Place: Rotterdam, Schenectady, New York; Series: M19; Roll: 116; Page: 246; Family History Library Film: 0017176
[10] Holland Society of New York; New York, New York; Schenectady Baptisms, Vol 4, Book 44
[11] citation needed
[12]Holland Society of New York; New York, New York; Schenectady Baptisms, Vol 4, Book 44
[13] citation needed
[14] Church of the Woestina need proper citation
[15] [citation needed]
[16] Church of the Woestina
[17] 1830; Census Place: Darien, Fairfield, Connecticut; Series: M19; Roll: 6; Page: 332; Family History Library Film: 0002799
[18] New York Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts found on Fold3
[19] New York, Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts, 1861-1900 found on Fold3
[20] New York, Registers of Officers and Enlisted Men Mustered into Federal Service, 1861-1865, found on Ancestry.com
[20]
[21]

Samuel Thornton of Abbeville, South Carolina; Who Was He? Was he the brother of Matthew Thornton of Londonderry, NH?

If the Thornton Project at FamilyTreeDNA is an accurate  reflection of the Thornton men who immigrated to North America then there are two large groups of  related descendants. The largest by far are the Virginia descendants of William and Luke Thornton. The next largest group seems to be the Thorntons of Rhode Island. Many of the other Thorntons have no match; my father's YDNA has one match.

My father was a descendant of the Thorntons who immigrated from the North of Ireland to New England in about 1720. They first established themselves in Maine, but were forced out by the Native Americans. They moved on to Worcester, Mass before settling in New Hampshire. His ancestors were James Thornton and his son William who died in Thornton, NH in 1790. The YDNA match was from a man who descended from Samuel Thornton who died in 1797 in Abbeville, South Carolina. So who was Samuel Thornton of Abbeville?

the simonton family of conestoga manor
Theophilus Simonton, believed to have immigrated from Ireland, purchased land in what was called the Conestoga Manor in Lancaster County, PA. Sometime around 1754 brothers William and Robert Simonton, sons of Theophilus, bought land in what was then Anson County, North Carolina. [1] Samuel Thornton purchased his land grant on 7 May 1757. He was married to Theophilus' daughter Mary Simonton. There is no record of their marriage so we cannot be sure where this marriage took place, in Pennsylvania or in North Carolina.

The map above shows the location of the Samuel Thornton land. It's interesting to note that his closest neighbors were Wassons. The Thornton family of Londonderry had close family ties with a Wasson family as well.


who was samuel?
Some folks claim that Samuel was the brother of Matthew Thornton who signed the Declaration of Independence. Another thought is that he was the son of Robert Thornton of West Bradford, Chester, PA. Robert did have a son named Samuel. He also had a daughter Hannah Thornton Freeman who is said have immigrated with her husband John to Cane Creek, North Carolina. Thornton/Freeman families were Quakers and they belonged to the first Quaker church in North Carolina. I do not think that Samuel of Abbeville is the Samuel son of Robert in this family for two reasons. First Samuel Thornton of Abbeville was a Presbyterian and was one of the founders of the Forth Creek Church in Anson/Rowan/Irdell County North Carolina. The other problem is that Samuel Thornton was still on the tax rolls for West Bradford, Chester, PA in 1789.

was samuel the brother of matthew?
If Samuel was the brother of both Matthew Thornton and my ancestor William Thornton, then the common ancestor between my father and the matching YDNA kit would have to be their father James Thornton. James would be my father's fourth great grandfather. Below is the chart showing the probability of our common ancestor.

I am only a novice when it comes to deciphering DNA results, but to me it seems that our common ancestor is more likely further up the chain. What we need is more Thornton descendants to take a DNA test to solidify the results. With only two tests it's simply not possible to tell. So, that being said, Hey all you Thornton males, get tested!


related story: The Mysterious Samuel Thornton



Sources:
[1] North Carolina, Land Grant Files, 1693-1960, database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 September 2016), Anson County, Robert Simonton, 20 February 1754.

Eleanor Thornton: An Unfortunate Woman

This is a brief story about the life of Eleanor Thornton. What little I know about her was gleaned from the probate records of her father, William, her mother Eleanor and her own probate. Life in the 19th century was difficult at best. Eleanor's life seems to have been one trial after another, up to and including her death. I hope there was some balance in her life and that there were some good times. Here is what I know about Eleanor Thornton.

Eleanor Thornton was born  in Thornton, New Hampshire. She was named for her mother, Eleanor, whose maiden name is unknown. He father was William Thornton, who was born in County Tyrone, Ireland in 1713. He had come with his family to New England in about 1720. He had married and raised a family with his first wife Dorcas Little, who died in 1763 in Schenectady, NY. Just before the start of the American Revolution, William returned to New Hampshire with a new wife and second family and settled in the new town of Thornton, which was named for his brother, Matthew Thornton.

death of a father
William was probably in his 50's when he remarried and when he died on 27 November 1790 he was 77 years old. He left a pregnant wife with small children. His daughter Eleanor, whose birth was not recorded was at least eight years old. Her older siblings also living in Thornton were; her half brother William, her brother Samuel, and sister Dorcas. She had two younger sisters, Sarah and Catherine and one younger brother Abraham. It is possible that her mother was born in New York and so had no close relatives in New Hampshire to help her. Eleanor struggled to keep things going, but by 1797 she threw in the proverbial towel. She petitioned the probate court to appoint another administrator to her deceased husband's estate. She could not pay off William's debts.

hard times
In 1797 the Judge of the Probate Court appointed Mr. John Brown to be, not only administrator of the estate, but also guardian of Eleanor and her younger siblings. The children would most likely have been taken from their mother's home and placed either with John Brown or with another family to be raised. Eleanor was at least fourteen years old at that time. I imagine she would have been put to work in the home of a local family.

The struggling widow, Eleanor Thornton, remarried in 1798, her husband was Benjamin Avery of Thornton. She had been living on her deceased husband's farm for the eight years since his death, presumably with all her children. In the new accounting of William's estate she was required to pay rent for those eight years. A stark reminder that women had little rights in those days and they could not inherit their husbands land. The new administrator sent notices to all the local towns calling in anyone who was owed money from the estate. He also advertised the sale of the William's farm. The widow would keep her dower right to 1/3 of the land, but the rest was sold.

Eleanor Thornton Avery's oldest children, Samuel and Dorcas, were both married by 1802. Samuel married Katherine Baker of Campton and after a few years left New Hampshire for Canada. He eventually settled in Wheelock, Vermont. Dorcas married John Durgin of Sanbornton, in Sanbornton. After the birth of their first child  they moved to Campton, very near to Thornton. Sanbornton is some twenty eight miles from Campton. What was Dorcas doing there? Was she sent there for work? It seems likely to me that that was the case. In 1818, John Durgin returned to Sanbornton to collect Eleanor and all her belongings and bring her back to Campton. So it would seem that the two sisters went together to Sanbornton.

Eleanor's sister Catherine, never married. In the 1830 census she lived alone in Campton. She would eventually end up living, first with John and Dorcas, and later with her nephew. In the 1860 census she was called a pauper. If their sister Sarah, married there is no record of it, and if she did her married name is unknown, making her impossible to trace. There is also no evidence for what became of their brother Abraham or the child that Eleanor, her mother, was carrying when her father died.

poor choices

Their mother, Eleanor, did not choose wisely when she remarried. Her new husband was or later became a bit of a bum. The town fathers, fearing the town would become responsible for the care of Eleanor and Benjamin went to the probate court seeking guardianship over Benjamin and his estate. They described him as being idle and inattentive to his business and placing his family in a precarious situation. Benjamin did not object to the actions taken by the town, and agreed to allowing William Thornton, step grandson of Eleanor, to administer what was left of his estate.

Benjamin and Eleanor's belongings were duly inventoried. The lived in a small house on about 25 acres. They owned a table and five chairs, one feather bed, some old tubs, cooking utensils, a spinning wheel, one cow, one calf and one pig.  The total value was about $360.00. Not much. The records don't tell us what happened to Benjamin, he died by 1835 and Eleanor lived until 1845. She must have been quite elderly at her death. After her demise, her dower was sold to pay off the remainder of William's debt.

hard life
With no husband of her own, Eleanor, the daughter, now a spinster, toiled on. It's hard to tell, but it would seem that her health was of some concern. She consulted a Doctor, John Kimball, in August of 1822, March of 1823 and Sept of 1824 for advice and medicine. We know that she was very sick in August of 1824 and she lived with the Durgin's for at least two weeks while Dorcas nursed her back to health. Eleanor also saw a Doctor Samuel Fish in Sep 1823 and August of 1824.

In March of 1825 Eleanor, her health seemingly recovered, began working for a man named John V. Barron of Peeling. I'm not sure what her job description was but it was most likely in a domestic setting. She was to earn 50 cents per week. In June Barron sold her seven yards of calico, silk thread and some tobacco, she must have intended to make a new dress.

her final sickness
On the 28th of July she was too sick to work. Her employer, John Barron, hired a man and sent his horse and chaise to Campton to fetch a nurse to care for Eleanor. He also sent to Plymouth  for a doctor. Dr. Robbins and Dr. Simpson, both from Plymouth, 18 miles away, arrived to treat her. On August 1st supplies were purchased to help treat the sick Eleanor. John Barron bought eight, yes eight, gallons of New England Rum, Madeira Wine, tea and loaf sugar. John Durgin also bought three lemons, candles and more sugar.

The local "Pharmacist" provided medicine ordered by the doctors. These medications, in the form of tinctures and elixirs included: Sugar of Lead (lead acetate), Calomel (a cathartic used to treat fevers), Diaphoretic Powder (an opium preparation) Tincturia Opii Camphorata (more opium), Valeriana (made from Valerian, it was used as an antispasmodic and to help sleep) and Hydragyri ( a form of Mercury, and we know how good that is for you). There were several other tinctures which I could not decipher, but I'm sure they were probably just as useless, if not downright detrimental, as these.

As Eleanor's illness progressed more nurses and attendants were called in. Dorcas Durgin and her daughter as well as Catherine Thornton came to help nurse her. John Barron's wife, Oliver Barron's wife, and a local woman named Jenny Sabetee all sat with her. Several men were also in attendance including John Durgin, Jenny Sabatee's husband and a man named Timothy Glover. Dr. Robbins visited Eleanor again on the 13th of August. John Barron bought an additional 2 gallons of rum and more tobacco the same day. I'm not sure if the rum was for the patient or the nurses.

Despite their best efforts, Eleanor died on the 15th of August. Timothy Glover dug her grave and John Barron paid for her coffin.

probate
Almost immediately the process of probating her meager estate began. Eleanor's cousin, William Thornton, who was also the guardian of her mother and step father, recommended John Dugin to act as administrator of her estate. Notices were posted to call in all her debts including all costs accrued during her "last sickness", as it was called. The doctor's bills, medicine bills, all that rum had to be paid. The nurses, including her sisters, wanted to be paid. John Barron wanted to be paid for housing her family and for doing her laundry. Eleanor also had outstanding debts for cloth and other sundries. It seems, no act of human kindness came without a price tag.

An inventory of her estate was done. She had very little. Some furniture, a chest of drawers, a pair of gold ear bobs, an earthenware bowl.  I guess she never got to make that last dress as the cloth was inventoried. The majority of her estate was her personal clothing. John Durgin brought all of her belongings from the Barron's house in Peeling back to Campton. Dorcas washed all of her clothing and prepared it for sale, she, of course, asked to be paid for it. The sale was advertised in the New Hampshire Statesman and the Concord Register as was the call for all claims against her estate. The inventory showed that she had about $163.00 worth of personal property.

By June of 1827 her estate was settled. She had barely enough to pay her debts. I don't know where she was buried. The town of Peeling is now a ghost town. If she is buried there, she has very little company. Hopefully her sister brought her back to Campton, but as there was no bill for it, it may not have happened.

Sources:
New Hampshire, Grafton County, Probate Estate Files; Author: United States. National Archives and Records Administration. Northeast Region; Probate Place: Grafton, New Hampshire

John Savary, A Compendium of Domestic Medicine, (Churchill and Sons, London, England : 1865).

"Multiple Classified Advertisements."[Concord, New Hampshire] 17 Feb. 1827: n.p.19th Century U.S. Newspapers, Web. 7 Sept. 2015.

"

In Search of Sally "The Preacher" Thornton

In his book on the descendants of James Thornton, Charles Thornton Adams mentions but briefly Sally the daughter of Samuel and Katherine Baker Thornton.  He called her Sally "the preacher" Thornton. He said she built a church in Thornton,NH and was a gifted speaker. I've always wondered who should a woman be preaching in that era? I decided to try to find Sally "the preacher" in the records. Here is what I've found.

1809 Sally's parents were living in Hatley Quebec during the first 20 or so years of their marriage. Their second child, David, was born in Hatley in 1808.  Their last child, John, was also born in Hatley, in 1818. It seems safe to say that their daughter Sally, born in 1809, would have also been born in Hatley. There is no record of her birth, or that of her siblings for that matter.

1831 Sally's oldest sister, Hannah, married Shepard Morse in Hatley in 1822. In 1831 a Miss Sally Thornton married Ebenezer L. Colborn in Hatley, Quebec. Sally is a nickname for Sarah. Is this Sarah Thornton our Sally Thornton?

1838 In 1838 a Mary Jane Colborn was born in Campton, NH.

1840 An Ebenezer Colburn was living with his family in Campton, NH

1843 Elvira Colborn was born in New Hampshire.

1850 A Sarah Colburn lives with her husband Ebenezer and daughters Mary J. and Elvira in Lowell, Middlesex, Massachusetts. The census states that Sarah was born in 1809 in Canada. Her daughters were born in New Hampshire.  Husband was working in a cotton mill. He was born in New Hampshire in 1809.

1857 On 31 Dec of 1857 Mary Jane Colborn married Hiram J. Ray in Manchester, NH. No parents were recorded. The couple lived in Concord, NH.

1860 In a town next to Campton, called Rumney, lives E. L Colburn and his wife Sally. Also in the house is a son with the initials B.F. he was born in 1852.

1870 In this census Hiram J. Ray and his wife Mary Jane and their daughter Gertie Bell live in Concord, NH. With them lives her mother Sarah Colburne, widow, born about 1810 in Canada.

1880 Living in Concord are the Hiram, Mary Jane, Gertie Bell, Nettie J. Ray and Sarah Colburn, age 71. Sarah was born in 1809 in NH, according to the census.

1882 Okay, stay with me through this one. In March of 1882 a Sarah Colburn of Concord, NH married a man named John H. Ring of Northwood, NH. So, if this our Sarah Colburn she would be 73 years old and getting married for the second time. It does not seem like this would be our gal. But.....

1893 On the 15th of April 1893 died one Sarah C. Ring of Laconia, NH. She was born in 1809 in Hatley, Quebec. She was buried in Campton, NH.  Her mother was Catherine Baker, born in Campton.  The only stumbling block here is the father, he is listed as John Thornton, born in Campton, NH. If this was our Sally Thornton, her mother was Catherine Baker from Campton, but remember her father's name was Samuel. I think this is her. I think whoever gave her information at her death got the father's name wrong. What do you think? Is this Sally the Preacher?

1900 Hiram and Mary Jane live in Laconia, NH. Hiram died age 58 in July.

1917 Mary Jane Ray died in Billerica, her daughter and husband lived in Billerica.


What do you think?

John Thornton of Wheelock, Vermont and Brookline, Massachsuetts

John C. Thornton age 26

John Clark Thornton was my great grandfather. He was the last born child of Samuel and Chloe Blanchard Thornton of Wheelock, Vermont. John was born on 23 June 1859. His father was a farmer, born in Canada, who spent most of his life in Vermont. Samuel's parents were American, but took advantage of land opening up in Canada in about 1800. They eventually moved south into Vermont. In 1860, according to the census, the family lived in Wheelock, but by 1870 they had moved some 18 miles to the west and settled in the little town of Hardwick. Samuel's farm was on the Caledonia Greensboro County line, with some land in each county. Samuel had maple trees which he tapped for syrup.  

tough times

John's father died at the age of 58 in 1874, his mother Chloe died two years later. He was only 15 when his father died and orphaned at 17. In 1875 the Thornton children were forced to sell the farm to cover Samuel's debts. But, I think, John was a smart determined young man and in the 1880 census he was the head of the household. Living with him were his sister Maria Niles and her son Olin and their brother Benjamin Franklin Thornton. Maria had married Van Doran Niles in 1876, she lost a baby in January of 1880, I don't know why she was living with her brother John, but Van Doran did have an affair later in their marriage, so maybe things were not so good between them. But that is just speculation on my part. Their brother Nathan died of tuberculosis in 1878, the rest of the siblings were married and lived on their own. 

first marriage

On New Years Eve in 1885 John married Laura "Nettie" Hazen. He was 26 and she was 19. I'm sure he had every expectation that they would live a long happy life together, but it was not to be. Less than a year later she was dead of Typhoid fever. I can only imagine what a blow this was to him. 

greener pastures
In 1889 John C. pops up in Boston, MA of all places. I found him in a Boston City Directory. He lived at 146 Seaver St. His occupation was listed as Butter Dealer. So, how does a sugar maple farmer from Vermont end up a butter dealer in Boston? Did the loss of his wife cause him to leave? I don't know, but I do know that he lived at the same address as his first cousin Dudley Clark Thornton.

Dudley was the son of David Thornton and Lydia Clark, hence the middle name Clark for both John and Dudley. Dudley had an older brother also called John Clark Thornton who died in 1873. David Thornton left Vermont in 1860 after the death of four of his children from Scarlet Fever. He and Lydia settled on her family farm in Campton, NH. Dudley married in 1865 and had three children before he left New Hampshire and his family for Boston. In 1877 he remarried and began a new life. Dudley had another brother Jared D. Thornton who had also left New Hampshire for Massachusetts. He was a dairy farmer. Did these two brothers help their cousin find a new career as a butter dealer? 

erie st.
By 1893 the cousins, John and Dudley, had moved to 88 Erie St. in Dorchester. John Clark would make another life change in 1893. In September of that year he remarried; his bride was Miss Jennie Clover Rowell of Albany, Orleans, Vermont. She was the 26 year old daughter of Enoch Converse Rowell and Viola Rowell. So how did these two meet? I have no idea! I do know that she was an accomplished pianist. Dudley and his wife moved to nearby McLellan St. the next year. John C. and Jennie Clover lived on Erie St. for many years.  In 1899, my grandfather, Paul Rowell Thornton was born, and so began J.C. Thornton Co. 

wayne
Jennie had only two children, one after six years of marriage, the second born five years later. Wayne who was born in 1904, was a cute little boy. He died when he was six years old of post diphtheria syndrome. It is tragic to read about all these people who died of communicable diseases that are so easy to prevent and/or cure with today's medicine. I get really mad when I hear about parent's not vaccinating their children I wonder if they have idea what could happen to them. But, that's a soapbox for another platform. 

a family business
John Clark Thornton's business was a success. He delivered butter and eggs in a horse drawn wagon.  Eventually he would buy motorized trucks. His sister-in-law, Mary Viola Rowell, moved in with them and help run the business. My dad said that he could remember her checking eggs under a light to see if they were fertilized. My grandfather Paul worked for the company as well. He met my grandmother, who worked as a house maid, when he was making deliveries to the house where she worked. 

real estate
John Clark Thornton had several houses built in Brookline, MA. One, at 24 Bartlett Crescent and 793 Washington St. were back to back.  John and his family lived at the Bartlett Crescent house which also housed the business. My grandfather eventually lived in and raised his family in the Washington St. house.  John also built a three story house next to the one on Washington St. for a rental property.  

death
John Clark died of a sudden heart attack on the morning of July 18, 1925. He was 66 years old. Jennie lived until 1966, she was eight months shy of her 100th birthday.  My grandfather continued to run J. C. Thornton Co. until the advent of the grocery store with refrigerated cases for dairy products, put all such delivery services out of business. They are buried in the Forest Hills Cemetery with Wayne and Mary Rowell.