The Towers in New Brunswick

My apologies for the error on Benjamin Tower’s birth year in the former post. As many times as I checked, rechecked and double checked, I still missed that incorrect entry. It has been corrected in this post.

We left Judith in New Brunswick with her children having lost her husband, Joseph, to the sea. It may have been this loss that set the family on the journey to NB, since Joseph Sr. was a grantee of land there but never took possession of it. Very little is known about Judith after they arrived in NB. There is controversy over when and where the youngest daughter was born. However there are some things that are known and prove that at least some of the family remained and thrived in their new location.

Joseph and Judith Briggs Tower

Their children were:

          *A. Benjamin (1744-1804 Sackville NB) m. 1766 Ann Finney (1747                                Rehoboth MA - c. 1804 Sackville, NB)

          B. Joseph (1746-1822 Ira, VT) m. 1768 Ellen Mason (1748-?)

          C. Nathaniel (1748-1836 Lennox PA) m. 1774 Lucy Tingley (1758-?)

          D. Joshua (1750-1753)

          E. Lucy (1752-1822) m. 1770 Gideon Smith (1748 Providence RI-1784)

          F. William (1755-1783)

          G. Nancy (c.1761-?) m. 1778 Gershom Maxwell (1758-1828)

Judith was a widow and as was the case for many in that era, she did marry again. It has been suggested that her 2^nd husband was her son Benjamin’s father-in-law, Nathaniel Finney. I have been unable to determine if this is accurate, although I do have information that says she married a man named Finney. If she did marry Nathaniel, that could be the reason why she is so hard to find. Nathaniel Finney eventually left Sackville and moved back to the states, settling in Machias, ME, where he died in 1809. The Finney family deserves an entire blog, so I won’t go into any great detail here. The family seems to consider itself as three different branches. The splinter that went to and stayed on Cape Cod, spell their name Phinney.  The group in Swansea MA and the group in RI use the spelling, Finney. The family site maintains that it’s all the same family. I’ll come back to this family at a later date.

We know that Benjamin, Lucy and Nancy remained in NB, married and had families. Joseph married a Mason girl and lived in Ira VT, the same place James Cole and his wife, nee Mason, lived. The younger Nathaniel set out for PA and I have not tried to follow his line as yet. Joshua died as a toddler and William was lost at sea, unmarried. Therefore, it can be said that it is highly probable that Benjamin and Anne Finney were the progenitors of all the Towers located in the Sackville NB area.

The following are the three Tower children of Joseph and Judith Briggs Tower who remained in the Sackville/Dorchester NB area and most likely have descendants who still there.

Benjamin Tower (1744-1804 Sackville NB) m. 1766 Ann Finney (1747 Rehoboth MA - c. 1804 Sackville, NB).  They had 10 children:

          1. Joshua (1768-?)

          2. Benjamin (1770-?) m. 1795 Mehitable Unknown – 6 children

          3. George (1772-?) m. 1797 Sarah Unknown – 10 children

          4. Nathaniel (1774-?)

          5. William (1776-c. 1804)

          *6. Phoebe Elizabeth (1777-1822) m. 1792 Edward Buck (1763 England- 1826 NB) 

– 7 children

          7. Ann (c. 1780-?) m. 1805 Charles Delesdernier (1780-1860)

          8. Joseph (c 1784-1857) m. 1808 Sarah Maxwell (1788-?) – 7 children

          9. Gideon (1786-?) m. 1815 Catherine MacFarlane

          10. Ruth (1787-?) m. 1807 Israel Thornton (1787-1885) – 1 child

Lucy Tower (1752-1822) m. 1770 Gideon Smith (1748-1816)

          1. Ruth (1772-?)

          2. Zilpha (1773-?)

          3. Jotham (1775-?)

          4. Gideon (1777-?)

          5. Joseph (1781-?)

          6. Henry (1781-?)

          7. Stephen (1783-?) m. Sarah Peck – 2 children

This Gideon Smith family was part of the Planter Migration Group who left the Providence RI area in the 1760’s and settled in Sackville NB. Gideon Smith’s father, also Gideon Smith (Sr.) arrived with at least some of his family. This elder Smith died in 1784. It appears that Joseph and Henry may have been twins, but as can be seen I have not followed the Smith line since it isn’t a direct line for me.

The same applies to the following Maxwell family.

Nancy Tower (c.1761-?) m. 1778 Gershom Maxwell (1758-1828)

          1. Dolly (1779-?)

          2. Mary (1782-?)

          3. Lucy (1786-?)

          4. Sarah (1788-)

          5. Ruth (1792-?)

          6. Zilpha (1795-?)

          7. Gideon (1797-?)

          8. James (1800-?)

          9. Gershom (1804-?)

                                            Looking from Sackville across the Bay of Fundy toward Dorchester.

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nbwestmo/census.htm

http://archives.gnb.ca/Archives/Default.aspx?culture=en-CA

For an interesting and informative newsletter on the area where the Towers lived you might enjoy:

http://archives.gnb.ca/Archives/Default.aspx?culture=en-CA

The 2^nd article is most intriguing!!

The Tower Connection to New Brunswick

Robert Tower lived in Hingham, Norfolk Co., England, was married there and died there, but it isn’t known if he was born there.  He married Dorothy Damon who also died at Hingham, Eng. There may have been several children in this family but I have the name of only one, John.

First Generation

I.  Robert (c. 1582-1634) m. 1607 Dorothy Damon (c. 1590-1629):

          Their son:

          John (1609 Hingham, Eng.-1702 Hingham, MA) m. 1639 Margaret Ibrook (1620                       Eng.-1700 Hingham, MA)

John came to the colonies in 1637 with his friend, Samuel Lincoln (4^th gt. grandfather of Abraham Lincoln), where they settled in New Hingham in Plymouth Colony. In 1639, he married Margaret Ibrook, d/o Richard, who was born in England, possibly in Southold, Suffolk Co., England. No record of the Ibrook family has been found in that place after 1626 so where they lived until they left for the colonies is unknown. Richard Ibrook married Margaret (Unknown), and they had 9 children. Most of them came to the colonies some time around 1635 and settled in (New) Hingham MA. An interesting sidebar for the Ibrook family is that Margaret’s older sister, Elizabeth, married Rev. Peter Hobart, a well known, if not well-liked, minister, in New Hingham. Her younger sister, Ellen, married Peter’s younger brother, Joshua Hobart.

Second Generation

II. John Tower and Margaret Ibrook had 11 children, all born in Hingham MA

          A. Mary (?-1712) m. William Whipple (1652-1712)

          *B. John (1639-1693) m. 1669 Sarah Hardin (1648-1729) – 6 children

          C. Jonathan (1641-1701)

          D. Ibrook (1643-1732) m. 1668 Margaret Hardin (1647-1705) – 12 children

          E. Jeremiah (1645-1676) m. 1670 Elizabeth Goodale (?-1723) – 3 children

          F. Elizabeth (1648-?) m. 1667 William Roberts – 1 child

          G. Sarah (1650-1733) m. 1683 Samuel Curtis  - 1 child

          *H. Hannah (1652-1722) m. 1677 David Whipple (1656-1710) – 7 children

            I. Benjamin (1654-1722) m. 1680 Deborah Gardner (1654-1722) – 12 children

           J. Jemima (1659-?) m. 1705 Thomas Gardner (1664-?)

           K. Samuel (1662-1724) m. 1683 Silence Damon (1663-1702) – 5 children

William and David Whipple were brothers who married Tower sisters, Mary and Hannah. Deborah and Thomas Gardner were siblings who married Tower siblings Benjamin and Jemima.

Third Generation

III. (*B) John Tower m. Sarah Hardin

          There seems to be a conflict in the spelling of Sarah’s last name. Since the earlier records show it as Hardin, I’ve chosen to use it that way. Later references to this name have it spelled Harding.  Sarah’s father, John Hardin was b. in Braintree MA c. 1625. His parents were Joseph Hardin and Martha Doane. She’s believed to be the sister of Deacon John Doane,           since, at her death, in 1633, she gave her sons to him to be raised and cared for. It is believed that she and Joseph were in the colonies as early as 1623 and were apparently well acquainted with the Gorges (Georges) family, Sir Ferdinando, Gov. of Maine and his son, Robert, Gov. General of New England. Their children were all born in Hingham MA, except for        Joseph who was born in Braintree MA.

          Their children were:

          **A. Benjamin (1674-1743) m. 1699 Deborah Whipple (1681-1755)                               – 11 children

          B. Gideon (1677-1698)

          C. Sarah (1679-?)

          D. John (1682-?)

          E. Joseph (1686-c.1765) m. Ruth Thayer (1689-1752)

          F. Mary (1690-?) m. Ebenezer Spear (1680-1732)

III. (*H) Hannah (1652-1722) m. 1677 David Whipple (1656-1710) – 7 children; all children born in Providence RI.

                   

          A. Israel (1678-1720) m. Mary Wilmarth (1678-1720)

          **B. Deborah (1681-1755) m. 1699 Benjamin (1674-1743) – 11 children

**Deborah Whipple and Benjamin Tower were first cousins.

          C. Jeremiah (1683-1721) m. Deborah Bucklin (1692-?)

          D. William (1685-?) m. Mary Unknown (?-?)

          E. Sarah (1687-?)

          F. Hannah (1690-?)

          G. Abigail (1692-?)

Fourth Generation

IV. Benjamin (1674-1743) m. Deborah Whipple (1681-1755):

          A. Gideon (1700-1772) m. 1729 Mary Ray (1710-1794) – 6 children

          B. Patience (1702 [in Bristol, MA] - bef. 1743) m. 1723 Nathan Carpenter

          C. Sarah (1704 in Attleborough MA - ?) m. 1732 Elisha Sabin

          D. Margaret (1705 in Attleborough MA – 1787) m. 1730 Jeremiah Bartlett

          D. Zipporah ((1709 in Attleborough MA - ?) m. 1731 Joseph Jackson

          E. John (1711 in Attleborough MA - ?) m. 1739 Hannah Hancock

          F. Hannah (1714-?) m. 1733 William Hancock

          G. Benjamin (1715-?) m. Ruth Unknown

          H. Hester (1719-?)

          *I. Joseph ( 1721 in Attleborough MA – 1761 lost at sea) m. 1743 Judith Briggs (c. 1725- c.1773) – 7 children

          J. Enoch (1724-1774)                    

                                                                   

Fifth Generation

V. (*I.) Joseph ( 1721 in Attleborough MA – 1761 lost at sea) m. 1743 Judith                           Briggs (c. 1725- c.1773) – 7 children

         

Before continuing with the children of this family, it should be noted that Judith Briggs was from Taunton MA. After her marriage, this family moved to Cumberland Hill, Providence RI. All of their children were recorded as being born in that place. The Tower Genealogy devotes about one page to Joseph, but does not seem to follow this family after they left New England. Joseph Sr., was a grantee of Sackville, NB, but never took possession of it as he was lost at sea in 1761.

There’s a bit of interesting history concerning Judith Briggs. There’s been an on going thread on some of the message boards for the last ten years or so. It concerns her ancestry. She was the d/o Nathaniel Briggs and Judith Guild, who was the d/o John Guild and Sarah Fisher. John Guild was the s/o John Guild and Elizabeth Crooke. This Elizabeth provides the ‘history mystery.’  Several people on the message boards claim descent from this woman and they claim that family folklore says she was an Algonquin Indian. Another person claimed she was a Wampanoag, who are a part of the Algonquin language group. Apparently there have been no definite records found to prove or disprove this. Yet there is much that lends it some veracity. The Dedham, Natick, Wrentham, Roxbury areas were known to have ‘Praying Towns.’ These were established for the Praying Indians. John Eliot did much to Christianize the ‘heathen’ and even wrote the Bible in their language. This is the area where Elizabeth Crooke was born. Another piece of family information passed down was that her name had been anglicized. The search for the Crooke family was to no avail. The possibility that she was an Algonquin Indian still exists quite strongly, until some record comes along to refute it.

Back to Joseph and Judith Briggs Tower!

Their children were:

          *A. Benjamin (144-1804 Sackville NB) m. 1766 Ann Finney (1747                                  Rehoboth MA - c. 1804 Sackville, NB)

          B. Joseph (1746-1822 Ira, VT) m. 1768 Ellen Mason (1748-?)

          C. Nathaniel (1748-1836 Lennox PA) m. 1774 Lucy Tingley (1758-?)

          D. Joshua (1750-1753)

          E. Lucy (1752-1822) m. 1770 Gideon Smith (1748-1784)

          F. William (1755-1783)

          G. Nancy (c.1761-?) m. 1778 Gershom Maxwell (1758-1828)

There are a lot of names that don’t have much information. This is not because there isn’t any, it’s because I haven’t investigated all the lateral lines. I apologize for the omission if your ancestor has little or incomplete information.

Now that Judith Tower and her family are settled in Canada, I’ll pick her family up again next time around.

Welcome, Spring!!

The History of Hingham, by Solomon Lincoln, Jr., 1827.

http://genforum.genealogy.com/tower/messages/365.html

submitted by Stuart Ward

http://www.towergenealogy.com/Home_Page_correct/History.html

http://www.answers.com/topic/praying-towns

Ebenezer Cole's first marriage, last child

Ebenezer Cole’s last child from his first marriage was Martin, born 1809. His year of birth and the death of his mother, Martha Grace Cole, in 1809 seem to suggest that the two events may have been connected. Whether or not this last birth contributed to Martha’s death at the age of 41, she did leave behind 7 children and Martin would have been an infant.  Although, by today’s standards, we would think it too soon to marry again, Ebenezer did just that in 1810. His oldest son Jonathan was 18 and Martin may have been about a year old. When Margaret Wade married Ebenezer, she became a mother to a ready made family and became the only mother that Martin ever knew.  It is this Martin who partnered with his older brother, Squire Rufus, in the grindstone and shipping businesses.

Martin became a Master Mariner, which entitled him to be known as Capt. Cole. In 1830, he married (1) Mary Smith, b. 1811 in Sackville, NB. There were many families by the name of Smith but I haven’t been able to connect Mary to any of them, so her parents remain unknown. 

Martin (1809-1885) m. (1) 1830 Mary Smith (1811-bef. 1871)

Martin and Mary had the following children:

A. Mariner Lamb (1831-1862) m. 1853 Lucy Ann Snowden (1836-?)

          1. John (1859-?)

          2. Thomas (1861-?)

Mariner died at Hopewell Cape and was buried at Edgett’s Landing all in Albert Co., NB.

B. Alfred D., Capt. (1834-1912) m. Margaret Bell McIntyre (1849-1916)

          1. Dorrance (1874-1914) buried in the Rockport (Sackville Parish) Cem.

          2. Isadore (1879-?)

          3. Mary Grace (1882-?)

          4. Lalia (1883-?)

In the 1901 Canadian census, Dorrance, Isa and Mary were still at home. Margaret was recorded by the name Margaret.

In the 1911 Canadian census, Dorrance and Mary were still living at home with their parents. Margaret was recorded by the name Bell.

Alfred and Margaret are buried in the Rockport (Sackville Parish) Cem.

C. Ruth E. (1837-1877)

D. Jonathan (1840-?) m. 1861 Catherine Palmer (1841-1888)

          1. Marcus (1866-?)

          2. Clarence (1869-?)

This family is listed in the 1880 Federal Census for Portland CT.

Catherine is buried in the Dorchester Pioneer Cem., Dorchester NB.

         

E. Martha Ann Grace (1842-1877) m. Asa Read (18931-1880 at sea)

          1. An infant daughter

F. Joseph Bedford (1850-1924) m. 1878 Ada Clara Tower (1856-1935)

          1. Eliza Gertrude (1878-?)

          2. Bessie Zora (1881-?) m. unknown Richardson

          3. James William (1885-?)

          4. Lalia (1887-?)

          5. Sarah Annie (1892-?) m. unknown King

          6. Bedford (1894-?)

          7. Minnie Martena (Tina) (1901-?)

An unproductive search was made to see if the first names of either
Richardson or King could be found.  Will need more information for this.

Martin also married (2) Phebe Pearsons on Aug 10 1871.

Ebenezer's Youngest Daughters

Ebenezer Cole’s 5^th child and 2^nd daughter of his first marriage was Ruth. I have been unable to discover very much about Ruth’s short life.  She married John Calhoun and moved from the Dorchester area to Hopewell Cape, Albert Co., NB. There were several Calhoun families in Albert Co., descendants of the original settler Thomas Calhoun and his wife Rebecca Peck. Thomas was born in 1738 in Chester Co., PA. He was the son of John Cohoon*, an immigrant from County Donegal in 1714. Thomas was a licensed Indian Trader but later moved to what is now Albert Co., NB to manage a large land grant. He and his wife are considered to be the progenitors of the Calhoun families of Albert Co., some of whom can still be found there. The little info I did run across listed them as Master Mariners and/or Farmers. Some were both. After many years at sea, they would retire to farming in their later years.  Shipbuilding, lumbering and mining were other profitable occupations for the residents of this county.

*Another reminder to check all spelling variations for any surname. There was no standardized form of spelling until the late 19^th century. 

Hopewell Rocks - Bay of Fundy at low tide

A. Ruth E. Cole (c1800-1826) m. 1820 John Calhoun, Jr. (1795-1843 Bermuda)

          1. Ingraham (?-?)

          2. Henry A. (1822-1912) 

          3. Ruth Matilda (1824-1912) m. 1846 James Manford Ayer (1822-1887) - 9 children

          4. John (1825-1879) m. Caroline (c1835-?) -  2 children

After Ruth died, John Jr. m. again in 1827 to Mary Brewster.  They had one daughter, Mary Ann Calhoun, daughter of James Calhoun, who married (1) Elijah Calkins and 2^nd Squire Rufus Cole.

I haven’t seen it documented but it’s most likely that John was a mariner. He died in Bermuda in 1843 from Yellow Fever. He is, however, buried in Mountain View Cem., Lower Cape, Albert Co., NB.

Then a 3^rd daughter is born was born to Ebenezer and Martha Grace Cole.  Martha was born in Dorchester, but as an adult, she moved to the States where she lived with her husband and family.

B. Martha (1805-1890 Portland CT) m. 1824 Caleb Read (1803-1865 Portland CT)

          1. Zena Jane (1825-?) m. George Kirkpatrick (1822 Ireland -?) - 3 children

          2. John Gideon (1827-1912) m. 1849 Mary Jane Tower  (1829-1912)  – 7 children

          3. Rufus (1829-1918) m. Sara A. (born in Ireland) – 4 children

          4. Asa ( 1831-1880 lost at sea) m. Emily Cole (1834-1870) – 5 children

          5. Ruth Calhoun (1834-?) m. John Gosmer – 1 child.  Since this child was living with his          uncle and grandmother in 1870, it is likely that his mother, Ruth Calhoun Gosmer, had passed away before that census was taken.

          6. Jane  (1835-?)

          7. Cyrus (1836-?)

          8. Joseph (1939-?)

          9. Martin (1841-?) m. Jane Unknown – 2 children

          10. William (1843-1847)

          11. Bedford (c 1845-?)

          12. Bliss (1847-?)

Tidal Bore - Bay of Fundy   

It’s unknown just when this family moved to CT, but Martha has been found in the 1860 Federal census for Portland CT. By the 1870 census she was a widow living with her son, Martin, and his wife, Jane. Another son, Bliss, was also living there. He listed his occupation as a quarry worker. In addition, grandson John Gosmer, age 7, was also living with Martin’s family. He would have been the son of Martha’s daughter, Ruth and her husband John Gosmer.  Martin’s occupation was listed as a sailor.

Although it appears that all of the Read children were born in NB, I have been unable to locate this family in any 1850 census. Perhaps it was at that time that the family was on the move and hadn’t settled in CT yet for the USA 1850 census and were no longer in NB for the Canadian 1851 census.

There is one more child, Martin, from Ebenezer’s first marriage, which will be the subject of the next blog.

http://albertnb.tripod.com/default.htm

http://albertnb.tripod.com/albhist.htm

http://bayoffundy.com/communities/new-brunswick/albert-county-nb/

http://bayoffundy.com/communities/new-brunswick/albert-county-nb/

http://albertnb.tripod.com/

Ebenezer Cole's First Daughter

The 4^th child of Ebenezer’s first marriage to Martha Grace was Elizabeth, the first girl to come along in this branch of the family in nearly 40 years. Elizabeth was about 17 when she married John Palmer, the s/o Gideon and Catherine Harper Palmer.  John was born in Pointe de Bute, Westmorland Co., NB and Elizabeth was born in Sackville. John’s father, Gideon, was a Loyalist in the American Revolution, fighting with the British. The Palmer family had extensive holdings in Westchester Co., NY, near Throg’s Neck.  Gideon, and those like him, forfeited all their lands when the war ended and made their way north into Canada.

Elizabeth Cole (1797-1875) m. 1814, John Palmer (1789-1889) – the Palmer’s lived and raised their family in Dorchester, NB. John has the distinction of living to 100 years 8 months and 23 days in an era of highly contagious diseases and little or no medical intervention available.

A.  Martha Grace (1815-1902) m. 1834 Eliphalet Read Hicks (1813-1856)

          1.  Elizabeth (1836 -?)

          2.  Esther (1837-?)

          3.  Sarah (1840-?)

          4.  Lydia (1842-?) m. 1863 Edmond Allen Read

          5.  Josiah (1844-?)

          6.  John (1846-?)

          7.  William (1848-?)

          8.  Edward (1850-?) m. 1871 Clarinda Richardson (1848-?) -  2 children

          9.  Martha Grace (1851-?) m. 1871 William H. Wry (1837-1873) William died at Fort Fred    Steele in WY. The Fort was on of three established to protect the men building the Union Pacific Railroad. It is unknown if he was part of the building crew or part of the military staff at the Fort.

B.  Catherine (1818-1818)

C.  Gideon (1819-1826)

D.  Ebenezer Cole (1820-1892) m. 1844 Charity McCallum Reid (1823-1902)

          1. Mary E. (1846-1910 Concord MA) m. George W. Blake (?- aft. 1910)

          2. John A. (1847-1909) m. Jennie Stratton (1852-1927) – 3 children

          3. Lucy Ann (1849-1850)

          4. Sarah (1851-1852)

          5. Alice (1853-aft 1871)

          6. Abel (1853-1854)

          7. William R. (1856-1907) Lost at Sea m. (1877) Althea B. Tower (1855-?) – 4 children

          8. Vesta (1858-1905 Concord MA) (Sometimes listed as Augusta) didn’t marry

          9. Ida Alma (1861-1934 Westport MA) m. 1886 William H. Robson (1853-1927)              – 2 children

          10. Emma (1863-?)

          11. Frederick (1864-?)

          12. George (1866-?) Not included in the 1871 census

E.  Anne Trueman Palmer (1823-1871) m. 1840 Richard Cook (1816-1880)

          1.  Albert (1842-1929) m. 1865 Frances Maria Buck (1841-1925) – 8 children

          2.  Elizabeth Ann (1844-1861)

          3.  Charity (1846-1869)

          4.  Martha G.  (1848-1933 Amherst NS) m. 1877 Robert B. King

          5.  Diana (1849-?) m. 1875 David Lavers

          6.  Henry (1851-?) m. 1872 Caroline Warbec (?-1874)

          7. John W. (1853-?) m. 1875 Sarah Jane Bowser (1855-?)

          8.  Edward R. (1856-?) m. 1871 Alice Card (1861-?)

          9.  Marcus Herbert (1859-?)

          10. Ella Bernice (1867-?) m. 1884 Robert Milner

          11. George (1868-?)

F. Unknown Son – most likely died as an infant

G. Andrew Nelson (1826-1885) m. 1845 Seraphina Cutler Cole (1827-1909).   There is some controversy over Seraphina Cutler Cole. Squire Rufus had a daughter with this exact same name but her birth year was 1819. This couple were married in 1845, but in the 1851 Canadian Census, Squire Rufus’ daughter of the name, Seraphina, was age 31 and still living at home with her parents. In addition to that, although not much is known about this woman, it is recorded that she died in 1853, while Andrew’s wife lived until 1909. So far, the bottom line is that no one seems to have a clue who Andrew’s wife was or, indeed, if she was a member of the Dorchester/Sackville Coles.

         

          1. John H. (1847-1861)

          2. Melinda Jane (1850-1940) m. 1872 Comfort Killam Eagles (1843-1916) – 8 Children

          3. Martha Olivia (1853-bef 1881) m. 1873 William Coulliard – 2 children

          4. Elizabeth (1855-1867)

          5. Easter (probably Esther) (1857-?)

          6. Andrew Nelson. (1861-?) m. 1881 Annie Crossman (1862-?) – 5 children

          7. Alvira Maud (1863-?) m. 1887 Dixon Murray Little (1861-) 3 children

          8. Elbridge Wilder (1867-1906) m. 1894 Minnie Livingston, in Dover, ME (1868-?)            – 5 children

         

H. Alpheus Palmer (1828-1910) m. 1849 Mary E. Crossman (1830-1892)

          1. Julianna (1850-1921) m. 1867 Ephraim Weldon (1844-1921)

                    Julianna died in West Somerville MA – 2 children

          2. Margaret L. (1851-1928) m. 1871 Joseph Bishop  They lived in Wolfville, NS                – 7 children

          3. Joseph B. (1853-1872)

          4. Isaac Melbourne (1855-1873)

          5. Samuel Albert (1858-1936) m. 1880 Delilah Percival Ward (1861-1940)

                    Delilah died in Somerville MA – 6 children. Delilah was a granddaughter of Ebenezer Cole through his 2^nd marriage to Margaret Wade. Her mother, Olive Cole Ward was a half sister to Samuel’s grandmother, Elizabeth Cole Palmer.

          6. Frederick Clinton (1859-1945) m. 1884 Anne Maud Dobson (1853-1951)                     – 11 children

          7.  Leander (1864-1912) m. Ella Soulis (1864-?) Leander died in British Columbia

          8. John E. (1864-1933)

          9. Infant (1866-1866)

          10. Infant (1868-1868)

          11. Clifford A. (1870-1891)

          12. A. Clarenece (1870-1870)

          13. Arthur E. Palmer (1875-?)

I. Ruth Elizabeth (1831-1919) m. 1851 William H. Lavers (c 1827-1905)

          A. Andrew Lavers (1851-?)

J. Caleb Read Palmer (1834-1912) m. 1865 Agnes Murray (1838-1912)

          This couple apparently had no children or no surviving children. In the 1881 Canadian Census, when this couple were in their 40’s, listed no children in the family.

K. Edward Chandler Palmer (1836-1935) m1. 1857 Mary Elizabeth Ann Bowser (1839- 1906)

          1. Mary E. A. (1859-1909)

          2. Bissell Barbour (1850-1929) m. Margaret Unknown – 1 child Bissell became a dentist and died in NY, NY

          3. Agnes M. (1866-1939) m. S. J. Perry

          4. Hattie Palmer (1869-1869)

          5. Mabel L. Palmer (1871-1950)

Edward m2. Martha A. Brooks aft. 1906 – no children listed

L. Emily Jane Palmer (1838-1919) m. 1858 Charles Patterson Wry (1828-1906)

          1. Herbert Havelock (1860-1928) m. Mary Annie Killam – 3 children

          2. Ella (1860-?)

          3. Elmer A. (1863-1880)

          4. Elizabeth A. (1965-c. 1946)

          5. Albert Stanley (1867-1880)

          6. Jeneva (1870-?)

          7. William E. 1872-1880)

          8. Eva T. (1876-1880)

The anguish this family must have felt when Elmer died on Jul 22, William died on Jul 23, Albert died on Jul 30, and Eva died on Aug 10, all in the year of 1880.  Because I don’t have death dates for Ella and Jeneva, it is well within the possibility that they may have expired during this time as well.

M. Melvina Augusta (1842-1927) m. 1863 Elijah Ayer (1837-1927)

          1. Andrew Humphrey (1864-1940 Providence RI) m. Cassie Jones (1873-1953)                 – 3 children all born in MA

          2. Minnie Grace (1865-1914 Plainville, MA) m. 1892 Edward Oscar Herring (1853-1937) -  1 child

          3. Melville Parker (1867-1867)    

          4. Charity (1869-1955 Pawtucket RI) m. Unknown Wilson – 1 child

          5. Mary Elizabeth (1971-1858 Wakefield MA) m. Edward A. Hanrigh (c. 1873-?)

          6. John William (1873-1957 Sussex NB) m. 1904 Anna B. Crossman (1882-1908)            – 2 children

          7. William Gifford (1875-1965 Attleboro MA) m. 1902 Gertrude Eugenie Newell in Plainville MA (1876-1921 Attleboro MA) – 2 children

          8. Ernest J. (1878-1880)

          9. Emma Haseltine (1881-1970 Plainville MA) m. 1905 Arthur Darling Rhodes in Plainville MA (1872-1931) – 1 child

Ebenezer's first family (Con't.)

This segment introduces the 3^rd child of Ebenezer and Martha Grace Cole. Rufus Cole was born in Sackville, NB, in 1796. Rufus and his younger brother, Martin, eventually bought the property their Uncle Martin Cole (1762-1808) had owned.  They began a Grindstone Business which continued for quite a few years. This whole area, the Chignecto Peninsula, was known for its “Nova Scotia grit”. There are no records that indicate the process that Rufus and Martin used in getting the grindstones from their earthbound location to a ship ready to deliver them to other ports. They most likely used a method that was common to the area in that day. It all depended on the tides of the Bay of Fundy, considered to be the highest in the world. The grindstones were quarried from the cliffs exposed during low tide. The stones were then attached to a special type of boat and allowed to rise with the incoming tide.

 They were then floated to another area to be prepared for transport. Rufus and Martin had part ownership in several boats. Martin was the Master Mariner sailing the grindstones to east coast ports, while Rufus saw to the business on land. Rufus also engaged in farming, as in Milne’s book on The History of Sackville, it’s stated that he drove a team of oxen, pulling a load of grain, to Palmer’s mill in Dorchester.  Rufus is called Squire Rufus in almost every place he is referenced. There seems to be no explanation for this title. He was a land owner, farmer, and businessman but so were many of the other men in the Dorchester and Sackville area. He seemed to have no further education than what was available in that area, at that time, which would not lead to a formal title of Esquire. So it remains a curiosity as to why he was dubbed Squire Rufus.

Rufus Cole (1796-1884) m. 1818 Lavinia Cutler (1797-1862), d/o Ebenezer Cutler, a Harvard graduate and an educator in the Sackville area. Rufus and Lavinia settled in Sackville and raised a large family. Their children were:

A. Seraphina Cutler Cole (1819-1853)

B. Martha Grace Cole (1821-1846) m. Charles Calhoun of Hopewell, NB

          1. Samuel (1841-1911) m Seriph Unknown (1843-?) – 3 children

          2. Seraphina (1844-?)

          3. Martha (1846-?)

C. Mary Ruth Cole (1823-1890) m. 1845 Stephen Barnes (1807-1872) as his 2^nd wife

          1. Martha (1846-?)

          2. Rufus C. (1849-?)

          3. Henry C. (1850-?) m.  Marion Harris

          4. Mary O. (1855-?) m. James Bedford Hamilton

          5. Lavinia R. (1857-1936) she died in Boston, MA

D. Olive C. Cole (1826-1862) School Teacher

E. Rufus Cutler Cole (1829-1918) m. 1855 Charlotte Smith

          1. Henry L. (1859-?)

          2. Horace W. (1862-?)

          3. Bessie E. (1865-?)

          4. Gordon W. (c. 1871-1877)

          5. Lottie M. (1874-?)

          6. Maggie M. (1878-?)

          7. Daisy E. (1879-?)

F. Jonas Cutler Cole (1831-1883) m. Adelia Jane Calkins (1853-1924)

          1.  Rufus Warren (1880-?)

          2. Laura (bef. 1881-?)

G. Ruth Elizabeth (1834-1864) lost at sea m. 1863 Thomas Anderson (1840-1918)

H. Lavinia V. Cole (1837-1884) m. 1863 Edwin Bennett (1841-1870) – 1 son

I. Charles W. (1840-1875)

J. Augusta (1844-1866)

K. Laleah Burpee (1845-1870) m. 1867 Alfred Bennett (1844-1870) both lost at sea

Lavinia and Augusta were also thought to be lost at sea on board the Brigantine William Bennett of Hopewell, Albert Co., NB, but they both survived the shipwreck. Although it may seem strange to see so many female family members lost at sea, it must be remembered that this was the day of sailing ships. Many of the women in this area of Dorchester and Sackville, NB were married to Master Mariners and frequently went to sea with their husbands, sometimes traveling the world, not just up and down the eastern seaboard.5.

Rufus’ wife Lavinia died in 1862 and Rufus married his 2^nd wife in 1863. She was Mary Ann Calhoun Calkins, a widow. Her husband Elijah Calkins had died leaving her with one child, Adelia Jane (1853-1924). 

Rufus and Mary Ann had a daughter, Alice Grace (1865-1941) who never married.

As can be noted above, Jonas married his step-sister Adelia Jane Calkins.

 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nbwestmo/sackvill.html

http://archives.gnb.ca/Search/VISSE/default.aspx?culture=en-CA

HISTORY OF SACKVILLE NEW BRUNSWICK
by
DR. WILLIAM COCHRAN MILNER
Historian, and Former Dominion Archivist
(1846-1939)