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Robert Whitcomb |
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Eunice Sheldon |
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No parents conclusively identified |
Robert
Whitcomb (James, Sarah) was born to James and Sarah
Whitcomb on May 1, 1741 in Rochester, Plymouth County, Massachusetts MA27, VI7, WH5, CO5, and he may have been baptized on May 3, 1741 MA27, VI7. His birth was also recorded in the
records of Warren, Worcester County, Massachusetts MA26.
He married Eunice Sheldon WH5, CO5 in 1763 WH5. The intent of their marriage was posted in Greenwich,
Hampshire County, Massachusetts on August 20, 1763, and on September 22, 1763,
they were wed by Ezra Thayin HO6. The record of their marriage intention was slightly
more legible than the record of their marriage, which was a scribbled mess.
While Jay Mack Holbrook was able to read their names and transcribe these two
events, the actual handwritten records appear as HO6:
Intentions of Marriage… [followed by a list of
prospective brides and grooms] also Between Robert Whitcomb & Eunice She…
[most of her name was quite faded, and that which was visible was still
difficult to read] of Greenwich. August 20th 1763
To Isaac Power [this should read “Powers”] Town Clerk:
The within named Robert Whitcomb & Eunice Sheldon were joined in marriage Septm 22, 1763 by me Ezra Thayin
Clerk
In her book, The Whitcomb Family In America,
Charlotte Whitcomb surmised that Robert moved from Greenwich,
Massachusetts to Sharon, Litchfield County, Connecticut, followed by
Sunderland, Massachusetts, and
finally to Richmond, Vermont WH5, but the census records indicated that he resided in Sunderland
Township, Vermont, before he eventually moved to Richmond, Vermont. As a point
of interest, Greenwich ceased to
exist in 1938, when it was flooded by the Quabbin
Reservoir.
On February 2, 1776,
Robert enlisted in Captain Luther Stoddard’s Sixth Company in Colonel Charles Burrall’s Battalion RO12, CO5, US12. After the campaign in 1777, nine men, including Robert
Whitcomb, were prosecuted for not marching to
the relief of Peekskill, which was the original seat of the Continental Army,
located in New York, but they were discharged because they were able to provide
a reason why they did not report for muster SE1. Had they been found guilty, they would
have each been fined ten pounds SE1.
On March 31, 1781, he joined Captain Matthew (or Mathew US12) Smith’s Company, Colonel David Waterbury’s Regiment in
Connecticut, as a sergeant WH5, CO5, US12.
Robert Whitcomb and over forty other men
signed their names to a petition dated February 26, 1787, which requested that
the General Assembly not interfere with the Massachusetts Bay dispute, and to
dismiss their petition VE3:
To
the Honourable the Gen.e Assembly
of Vermont now Conven,d at Bennington
the
Petition of a Number of the Inhabitants of the Town of Sunderland Humbly sheweth
that
whereas the Late Disturbances in the state of the Massachusets
Bay, has Caused a Number of those unhappy people who Stet.d
themselves Regulators to take Refuge in this State and whereas we are inform,d that on a Request made by Authority from the Massachusets___ Your Honours have
Pass,d a Resolve Directing or advising His Excelency the Govr to Issue his Proclamation Directing the
Authority to apprehend Several Persons that they may be Return,d
to the S.d State from whence they came
Your
Petitioners having a tender feeling for the peace Happiness & welfare of
this State and fearing the unhappy Consequences that may arise, if this State
(which is not in Confederation with the United States) shall intermeddle in
that Quarrel Beg Leave to address Your Honour on the
subject Requesting that Your Honour will reconsider
the Sd Resolve and not intermeddle in the Affair least by taking an active part
in the matter we take up the Quarrel amongst ourselves which in our Opinion
will bring this State into Confusion and Distress we Your Honour,
Petitioners placing the greatest Confidence in your wisdom and understanding
and believing that you will Act for the best good of the State
Pray
Your Honour, to take this our petition into your wise
Consideration and Dismiss the Petition from the Massachusets
Bay
Your
Petitioners as in Duty Bound shall ever Pray Dated at Sunderland this 26th Day of Feb.y
1787
Robert “Whitcom”,
Elisha Sheldon, Samuel B. Sheldon, Elisha Sheldon, Jr., George Sheldon (Samuel
Bellows Sheldon, Elisha, Jr., and George were sons of the elder Elisha Sheldon SH1), Jesse Benton, James Alford, Abner Richeson, Daniel Ward, Timothy Goodrich, Calvin Ward, and
Silas Hathaway signed a petition dated in Hungerford, Chittenden County,
Vermont on October 4, 1790 which stated that, while the township of Hungerford
desperately required roads and bridges, there weren’t enough men to cut and build
those roads, nor could the few inhabitants of Hungerford afford to bankroll
such an endeavor HO21.
They requested the Vermont State Legislature to allow a land tax of two cents
per acre on all of the land in Hungerford HO21.
The township of Hungerford, which later became known as Sheldon HO21, was indeed miniscule at that time, for
the census in that year recorded just seven households, and three of these bore
the family name of Sheldon. Actually, the Sheldon men were the only residents
of Hungerford who signed this petition, for the remaining signers were not
found in Hungerford at the time of the 1790 census. The surnames recorded on
that census, aside from Sheldon, were Hawley,
Deming, Basteel, and Dutcher, and the enumerator
indicated that the elder Elisha Sheldon was a colonel.
On February
15, 1797, Robert Whitcomb signed his name to a very similar petition, in which
the citizens of Richmond wished to create a land tax for the purpose of
raising money to repair the roads and bridges VE5. The transcript of both the petition, and
its answer, has been provided below VE5:
To
the honorable House of Representatives, the General Assembly of the State of
Vermont, to convene at Rutland by adjournment this present Month of February
Your
Petitioners humbly petition, that a Land Tax of two Pence pr. Acre be granted on land, by said
Assembly on all the Land in the Township of Richmond, in the County of
Chittenden & State of Vermont, which formerly belonged to the Township of
Williston & now belonging to said Richmond; for the Purpose of Building
& repairing Bridges & making & repairing Highways in that Part of
said Town of Richmond All which your Petitioners humby
submit
Richmond
15th Feb.y
1797
Your
Commite To Whoom was referd the within Petition Report that in the opinion of
your Committee the Praye: thereof aught
to Be granted and that the Petitioners have leave to bring in a Bill
accordingly Thos. Porter for Committee Rutland Feb.y
28th
1797 In General Assembly 7th
M. 1797 [this probably was dated in March, as the abbreviated superscript
letter after the “M” may have been an “h”, although it was carelessly written]
Read and accepted Mr.
R Whitney Clerk
Robert died on April 26, 1817 in Bolton,
Vermont WH5, CO5, US12. At a Probate Court held at Williston on
June 3, 1817, the probate judge for Chittenden County granted letters of
administration for the deceased Robert Whitcomb of Bolton to the administrator
of his estate, James Whitcomb, and to Leonard Hodges VE13.
·
1787
Vermont Census: lived in Sunderland Township, Bennington County, Vermont.
·
1790
US Census: lived in Williston, Chittenden County, Vermont with one other male
who was over sixteen years old, two young men who were under sixteen years old,
and two women who were older than sixteen.
·
1800
US Census: lived in Richmond, Chittenden County, Vermont with one man between
sixteen and twenty-six and one woman who was over forty-five.
·
1810
US Census: lived in Richmond, Chittenden County, Vermont with one man between
the age of sixteen and twenty-five and one woman over age forty-four.
Eunice Sheldon was born in Massachusetts and was the mother
of James, Joseph, Justus, Winslow, Robert, and Polly WH5. James
Whitcomb was born on September 8, 1764 WH5 or September 3, 1764, in Greenwich, Hampshire County, Massachusetts HO6, MA26.
Joseph Whitcomb
was born to Robert and
Eunice Whitcomb in Greenwich, Hampshire County, Massachusetts on July 9, 1767 MA26, WH5, HO6. He was said to have first married
someone with the surname “Harrison”, who was from Québec, and after her death
married Mrs. Huldah Bacon, who was English WH5. Joseph and his second wife, Huldah,
were said to have died at Hawkesbury, Ontario WH5. A marriage record between Joseph
Whitcomb and anyone with the Harrison or Bacon surname (or anyone at all) has
not yet been located. A person named Huldah Bacon was born to Nathaniel and
Anna Bacon on October 9, 1761 in Lanesborough,
Berkshire, Massachusetts MA26.
She allegedly married Noah Harrison, who was born in 1759 and died in 1789 US12. The children of Noah and Huldah
Harrison were Lois, Polly, and Hannah, who were born in Williamstown, Berkshire
County, Massachusetts in 1784, 1785, and 1788, respectively MA26. Huldah Harrison was enumerated as the
head of a household of four females (including herself) in the 1790 US Census
in Williamstown, Berkshire County, Massachusetts UN4. Joseph Whitcomb was said to have been
the father of Joseph Skinner Whitcomb, Samuel Bacon Whitcomb, Anna Whitcomb,
and Noah Harrison Whitcomb WH5.
If so, these children were probably born between 1790, when Huldah was an
unmarried widow, and 1809, which was the year in which she allegedly died US12. Joseph was alive in September 1803, when
he witnessed his brother’s wedding in Québec QU1.
Justus
Whitcomb was
allegedly born on January 25, 1769 and married Polly Ellis on January 6, 1795 WH5. He was elected to the office of
postmaster for Otego on April 5, 1796 HI19.
Otego, in Otsego County, New York, was later renamed to Oneonta, and this town
is south of Laurens HI19. The
1800 US Census recorded a Justice Whitcomb, who was between the age of
twenty-six and forty-four, living with a young woman between the age of sixteen
and twenty-five, in Stockbridge, Windsor County, Vermont UN5. In the US Census years of 1820 (as
Justice Whitcomb) and 1830 and 1840 (as Justus Whitcomb), he was enumerated in
Laurens, Otsego County, New York.
Polly Whitcomb was born about 1780 in Massachusetts UN10, but her birth record indicated that she
was born on February 11, 1780 in Sharon, Litchfield County, Connecticut SC7. W.S. Rann
called her Mary when he stated, “Benjamin [Bishop] married Mary Whitcomb, a
daughter of Robert Whitcomb, of Richmond, Vt., by
whom he had a family of nine children –
Orissy, Hulda, Polly, Seth,
Orrin, Saul, Joel, Azro B. and Zeno D.” RA6. An original record
(or a copy of an original record) which links Benjamin and/or Polly with any of
these children has not been located. The 1850 US Census in which Benjamin and
Polly Bishop lived in Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont did record Zeno D.
Bishop in their household, but their relationship was not expressed on this
census record UN10.
The children of Benjamin and Polly Bishop are discussed below in the following
six indented paragraphs:
There
are two marriage records for Orissa
Bishop with the same marriage date of June 19, 1819 in Richmond, Vermont;
one record stated that she married Smith Ballou, and another stated that she
married Benjamin York VE12.
A man named Seth Bishop who may or
may not have been the son of Benjamin and Polly was born about 1803 UN10 or 1804 UN11, UN12 in Vermont UN10, UN11, UN12. He was married to
Caroline, and they lived in Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont with Hiram,
Emily, Huldah, Henry, Mary, twins Willard and William, George, and Charles in
1850 UN10.
They had relocated to Elgin, Kane County, Illinois by 1860, where they were
enumerated in that year and in 1870 UN11,
UN12.
Orin Azro Bishop
(or Orrin A. Bishop AP3)
married Celina Lillie DO23, AP3 and graduated at the Jericho Academy in Jericho, Vermont
DO23, and later relocated to Northfield Township, Summit
County, Ohio DO23, AP3 in 1831 DO23. Orrin A. Bishop, who was between thirty
and thirty-nine, was enumerated with one boy under the age of five, another boy
who was between five and nine, and a woman who was between twenty through
twenty-nine in Northfield, Summit County, Ohio in the 1840 US Census UN9. Celina had remarried by 1850, when she
was enumerated as Salina Seidel in Northfield, Summit County, Ohio with George
Seidel and Clark, Aza, and George Bishop UN10.
A biographical sketch of George T.
Bishop, the president of the Northern Texas Traction Company and the president
of the Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis Street Railway, stated that George
was the grandson of Orin Azro Bishop, who was born in
Richmond, Vermont, and the great-grandson of Benjamin Bishop DO23. The Branch County, Michigan death
certificate for Clark B. Bishop recorded that he was born to Orin A. Bishop and
Celina Lillie in Summit County, Ohio, and died at age sixty-five on April 3,
1899. The
gravestone (a photo is on the Find a Grave website) for Orin A. Bishop is
located in Northfield-Macedonia Cemetery in Northfield, Summit County, Ohio. It
indicates that he was born in Richmond, Vermont on August 3, 1805, married
Celina of Bethel, Vermont, and died on October 20, 1845.
Saul Bishop
may have been the Saul Bishop of Canada who married Julia Gleason on July 8,
1833 in Richmond, Vermont VE12.
He was born about 1806 UN11,
1809 UN13,
or 1811 UN12
in Vermont UN10, UN11, UN12, UN13.
He was a Postmaster for Richmond, Chittenden County, Vermont in May 1844 US16, and was called a mail agent in 1860 UN11, a farmer in 1870 UN12, and a retired hotel keeper in 1880 UN13. Saul and Julia Bishop were enumerated
in Richmond, Chittenden County in 1850 and 1860 with Helen and Henry Bishop UN10, UN11. They lived in Bolton, Chittenden
County in 1870, but Julia died before 1880, when Saul lived alone in Bolton UN13. His death record stated that Saul was
born in Richmond, Vermont to Benjamin Bishop and died at age eighty-four years
and seven months on April 25, 1893 in Bolton, Vermont from Grippe VE12, which is an old term for influenza.
This indicates that he was born about September 1808. His obituary stated that
he was born in 1809 in Richmond and died in Bolton on April 9, 1893 DE18. He was a wheelwright in West Troy, New
York, then helped to construct the Central Vermont railroad DE18. After this, he was a railroad station
agent in Richmond, and then he owned a hotel called the Franklin House in
Burlington, and finally he managed the Bishop House in Bolton DE18.
Joel Bishop
may have been the Joel W. Bishop of Burlington, Vermont who married Lucretia J.
Willard on March 25, 1834 VE12.
Joel and Lucretia Bishop were enumerated in Lawrence, Saint Lawrence County,
New York in 1850 with Julia M. and Hollis W. Bishop UN10. If he was the Joel Bishop who married
Lucretia, then he was also the Joel Bishop who relocated to northern Wisconsin
in 1854 HI18.
He constructed the first hotel in Wonewoc, Juneau
County, Wisconsin, which was “a portion of the Frazell
House”, but he sold the hotel the next year to J. Clements HI18.
He was enumerated in Wonewoc, Juneau County,
Wisconsin in 1860, 1870, and 1880 UN11, UN12, UN13.
He was born about 1800 (this is likely incorrect) UN11, 1811 UN10, 1812 UN12, or 1814 UN13 in Vermont UN10, UN11, UN12, UN13.
Joel Bishop’s gravestone (a photo is
on the Find a Grave website) in Pine
Eden Cemetery in Wonewoc, Juneau County, Wisconsin was
engraved with a birthdate of September 22, 1811 and a death date of September
30, 1887. Also included on the same stone are the
birth and death dates for Lucretia J. Bishop (January 19, 1815 through January
27, 1857) and Julia Bishop (June 22, 1839 through February 22, 1915).
Azro Bishop may or may not have been the “A.P.”
Bishop who was listed as a printer who lived at 186 Broadway in the San
Francisco City Directory in 1854 LE9.
A.B Bishop was enumerated in Brandy City, Sierra County, California as a
printer in 1860; he was born in Vermont about 1820 UN11. Azro
Benjamin Bishop, age forty-six of Vermont, was registered on August 14, 1866 in
Sacramento, California SA14. He
was listed as in the California Voter Register in Sacramento; on September 29,
1868 Azro Benjamin Bishop, a fifty-eight-year-old
printer, lived on D Street between 9th and
10th
Street CA84. He
was buried in an unknown location in the Sacramento City Cemetery; his entry
stated that Azro B. Bishop of Vermont died from
tuberculosis at age fifty-one; his death or burial date was December 5, 1869 SA15. It is unclear if the Azro Benjamin Bishop who was a printer in California was
the same Azro whose parents were Benjamin and Polly
Bishop.
Zeno D. Bishop
married Laura Comstock on May 29, 1849 in Burlington, Vermont VE12. Zeno was born in July 1822 UN14 or about 1821 UN10, UN12 or 1822 UN13 in Vermont UN10, UN12, UN13, UN14.
Zeno D. and Laura Bishop lived in the household of Benjamin and Polly Bishop in
Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont in 1850 UN10. They had journeyed across the
continent sometime by 1863, because their son, Franklin C. Bishop, was born in
California in May 1863 UN14.
Z.D. Bishop, along with L., G.B., F.C., and L.W. Bishop were enumerated in
Lincoln, Sierra County, California in 1870, where Z.D. was an above-ground
miner UN12.
They had relocated to Slate Range Township by 1880, where they were enumerated
in that year and in 1900 UN13, UN14.
In 1880, the household included Zeno D., Laura, George Benjamin, Franklin C.,
and Lewis W. Bishop UN13,
and in 1900, the family included Don Z. Bishop, Laura, Franklin C., Lewis W.,
Ida M. (a daughter-in-law), and Lenord L. Bishop UN14.
Returning
to the children of Robert and Eunice Whitcomb, Winslow Whitcomb was born on September 29, 1773 in Sharon,
Connecticut WH5. He allegedly was a
physician and surgeon who married Margaret Ellis on September 28, 1806 in
Burlington, Vermont WH5.
After Margaret died, he was said to have married Elizabeth Neff and died at the
age of ninety-two WH5.
Winslow Whitcomb was enumerated in Otego, Otsego County, New York in the US
Census years of 1820, 1830, and 1840. Winslow Whitcomb, Isaac Fairchild, and
Ralph Shepherd were listed among the original physicians who practiced in Otsdawa, Otsego County BL6.
His residence was said to have been located “a little way below the first
schoolhouse built in the Green Street district, where he kept a little tavern” BL6.
Robert Whitcomb was
born on October 26, 1778, perhaps in Sunderland, Massachusetts WH5. Robert Whitcomb was called a “Plaisterer”
(probably plasterer) of Québec who was twenty-five years old when he married
Mary Ann McCoy, the twenty-year-old daughter of Robert McCoy, on September 15,
1803 at the Anglican Cathedral Holy Trinity Church in Québec QU1. Robert McCoy was a soldier in the British army (the 41st “Regiment of Foot”) QU1.
Robert’s brother, Joseph Whitcomb, and Mary Ann’s sister, Eleanor McCoy, were
both present for the ceremony QU1. He
was enumerated in Madrid, Saint Lawrence County, New York in 1810, but in the
US Census years 1820, 1830, and 1840, he was enumerated in Bolton, Chittenden
County, Vermont. A record of his death indicated that he was born in October 1777,
died on March 20, 1844, and was buried at “Underhill Flatts” in Underhill,
Vermont VE12. A memorial marker, located at Underhill Flats Cemetery in
Underhill, Chittenden County, Vermont, stated that Robert was born in October
1777 and died on March 20, 1844, and that Mary Ann Whitcomb was born in January
1784 and died on January 16, 1857 (a photo of which can be viewed on the Find a Grave website).
Based
on the birth year of her son, James, Eunice was probably born between 1739 and
1749. She died on June 24, 1828 in Bolton, Vermont WH5, US12. Eunice and her parents have not yet been
linked. While she was described as “of Greenwich” in her marriage intent record
in 1763, there were no Sheldon families listed
in the Greenwich birth, marriage, and death record books for the time period of
1741 through 1780, nor were there Sheldons living in
Greenwich at the time of the 1790 census UN4. A Northampton, Hampshire County,
Massachusetts birth record, which was dated March 31, 1752, stated that Eunice
Sheldon was the daughter of Ensign Stephen Sheldon, and his wife, Thankfull
Sheldon MA26, but it is very doubtful that this particular Eunice Sheldon was
the Eunice who married Robert Whitcomb. If this Eunice had married Robert
Whitcomb, she would have been age eleven at her wedding, and twelve at the
birth of her son, James. Further, the Eunice Sheldon who was born in
Northampton in 1752 was probably the same Eunice who married Elias Lyman, Jr.
sometime after their banns were published in Southampton, Massachusetts in July
1776 HO8.
Greenwich was not
far from Northampton, where, aside from Stephen and Thankful, there were
several Sheldon/Shelden families in the middle of the eighteenth century. As
demonstrated below, Deacon Thomas Sheldon and his father, Isaac, had nearly a
dozen sons between them, and it is possible that Eunice may have been related
to one or more of these Northampton Sheldon families, for her husband signed a
Hungerford, Vermont petition dated October 4, 1790 with one of these men, Elisha
Sheldon HO21, whose father had Northampton origins MA26, SH1. Elisha was called “Col. Elisha Sheldon” in the 1790 census for
Hungerford, Chittenden County, Vermont UN4,
and according to a photograph of his gravestone (located in the Find a Grave
website) in Sheldon Cemetery in Sheldon, Franklin County, Vermont, he was
“Colonel Elisha Sheldon”, who died on March 11, 1805 in his sixty-fifth year.
The
parents of Colonel Elisha Sheldon were Captain Elisha Sheldon of Lyme,
Connecticut and Elizabeth Ely of Saybrook,
Connecticut, the daughter of Samuel Ely, who were married on October 7, 1735 in
Lyme, near the Connecticut River, in Connecticut KA3, SH1. Elisha had
graduated from Yale five years before his marriage, and would later become an
assistant of the colony from 1762 until 1779 SH1. Elisha and
Elizabeth were the parents of eight children whose births were recorded in
Lyme, Connecticut: Mary, who was born in June 1737 and died in August 1737,
Loas, born on June 24, 1738, Elisha, born on March 6, 1739/40, Mary, born on
January 19, 1741/2, Thomas, who was born in October 1743 and died in November
1743, Thomas, born on August 5, 1745, Samuel, who was born in March 1746/7 and
died in December 1747, and Samuel, born on September 26, 1750 KA3. The fairly even
spacing of these children, who were born during the estimated range of years
for Eunice’s birth, precludes her from this particular Sheldon family.
Captain
Elisha Sheldon’s parents were Deacon Thomas Sheldon and Mary Hinsdell (Mary Hinsdale, who was the daughter of Samuel and
Mehitable Hinsdale, née Johnson SH1); a Northampton marriage record stated that
Thomas Sheldon and “Mercy Hinsdell” married in 1685 MA26, SH1. Thomas Sheldon was
named as the father of Thomas, who was born in June 1688, and Mary, who was
born on July 26, 1690 MA26. Later, Thomas and Mary Sheldon were named
as the parents of Rebeckah, born in May 1693, Josiah,
born in December 1695, Benjamin, born in 1697, Rachel, born on February 22,
1701, Jemima, born on May 31, 1703, and lastly Elisha, who was born on
September 2, 1709 MA26, SH1.
Deacon Thomas
Sheldon’s father, Isaac, was born in approximately 1629 SH1. In 1652, Isaac owned a house, barn,
orchard, three acres, and three additional lots in Windsor, Connecticut, but he
sold his property in 1654 to Samuel Rockwell, and relocated due north to
Northampton, Massachusetts, where he purchased cropland in Manhan
Meadow, and a four-acre house lot SH1.
He had married Mary Woodford, the daughter of Thomas and Mary (Blott) Woodford of Hartford, Connecticut, in 1653, and they
were the parents of Mary, born in 1654, Isaac, born in September 1656, John,
born in December 1658, Thomas, born on August 6, 1661, twins Ruth and Thankful,
born in August 1663, Mindwell, born in February 1666,
Joseph, born in February 1668, Hannah, born in June 1670, Eleazar, born in
August 1672 and died in 1673, Samuel, born in November 1675, Ebenezer, born in
March 1677, and Mercy, who was born in 1681 and died in 1682 SH1. After Mary died on April 17, 1684, Isaac
married Mehitable (Gunn) Ensign in about 1685, with
whom he was the father of Jonathan, born in May 1687 SH1. Isaac died in Northampton on July 29,
1708, and Mehitable died in January 1720 SH1.
