The Gorham family in Connecticut and Vermont

VPo

,0

\^ . ’ • “, ^ j.0^ V » * • »<. c::'

"^^0^ '^os^ ^^0^ f^^M; '^o^

^oK
iP 'Tj

' ^ f\ ^ o'

' ,•!>'*■'' \. ^ %“'" ■ •
V ..„ .o^ ..v*,^ <3

•-

^ (y

c. qO ^

■•• % "' ^0^ .Li;,'. -■^ ""° v' '"O^ A?‘ -Likl. '>

• "K '® "K" X 'fe X!

.^T»’ A <> 'o.»‘ .0^ ^ A <;^ '».*• ,0

.•> A no^ ^ (r 4^ *Vv77^’ %r ^ * '^

^ '’^ ^ «>* ♦.Jf?r//z>s, .

* V^> -'^^llVVOOs^ *• fUjSg A ^ •* ^^x\VvS5» W ^\.

y % '.^\ / '\.".--

, -O,.- ,0^ ^

c° -i^;- °-^ / 'V^i^- «'° •^;:. A ■■' ’■

'oK

A *• * iP

^ ■•<' , ^ V i#'. ^■^iiwxV'Ci » k.>

^ X- "*"’*’ .. X ,

> A^ ‘'o.,'*'' ,0^ <^ '*’• ‘

A \X'^,-^v 'o. ''TT."’ *0' 'V V -.».

.^.l;;-'.^'> v'r.:'>Av A % A •:VA-X

A » ^ ^v »AsrA.„ ,c

:n‘b'

* -i* 't- *

-

♦

. 'O..- ,0'- '"v3 "v'TA' A 'o.** ,0' o '"^...»' A

- 0^ 0“ " * * ^o A t • ‘ ' * -* ^ f 0^ ‘’Jc^ " - ^ s^

(j • ^s^IJvVv-.k*',. *i^ ^0^/1'??^'' "y, ^ .*csSaS^'%.»

•> '>3

b V

A P,

’ " ^o '‘‘^fs 0’ ' '"ii. '-'t'^-' /■ ^o'^f-'' A

* ■<>y ti^ *• .

4.

TIIK (iOKIIAM FAMILY IN CONNECTICUT AND
VEiniONT.

1. Cattain .Ic)I1n^ Goiuia.m (son of Ralph) niarrie<l Dosha* Ilowlaiul,
in Ki lo. (Son Rkoi.stkk, nnb-, \'ol. ')2, page .‘{oS.)

2. .Iahkz' (ioiuiA.M (./o/(n‘), born in Harnstablo, Mass., ^Vng. 3, KioG,
inarried widow Ilannali (Sturgis) (Jray.

.‘J. .losKi’ii* (iuiaiAM (Jubez,- Ju/in^) i^vas born in Hristol, R. I., Ang.
22, 1()‘.)2. lie gave a receipt, at FairliebC Conn., .Inne IG, 172o, for a
portion of bis father’s estate. (See Rkgi.stkh, ante, \'ol. 54, page 168.)
lie married. May 11, 1715, Abigail, <langbter of Daniel Lookwoo<l of Fair-
Held, Conn. “ Abigail y” wife of dosepb (lorbain. Who died lamia’^^ y®
2.‘{''. 1721-5.” (Fail-Held Inscriptions, page 16.) lie inarried second, Jan.
lo, 1725-6, Deborah Railow.

Children by first wife, born in Fairfiebl :

i. Daniki.,-* 1). Nov. 10. 1717.

ii. .Iauk/., 1). Mar. 22, 1718-0; in. Mary Conch, Nov. 27, 1752.

iii. l.ocKWoon, I). .Jan. 1, 1720-1.

•1. iv. IciiAHon, 1). in 1722; bapt. Jan. 31, 1724-.'j ; in. Sarah Barlow ; d. in
Uoxbury, Conn., Ang. 10, 1790, aged 77.

Children by second wife, born in FairHeld :

V. SiiUHAKi., b. Oct. 28, 172(!; in. Rebecca Ilurlbiirt, Jan. 21, 174(i-7.

vi. .ViuGAin, b. Apr. 7, 1728.

vii. Isaac, b. Nov. 14, 1730; in. .Vnn Wakeinan, July 20, 17.52.

5. viii. Joiix,b. July 4, 1732; in. .Vbigail Wakeinan, Oct. 2, 1754.

ix. Hannah, b. May 4, 1737.

X. Maiiy, 1). Dec. 25, 1730.

xi. Josicrii, b. Nov. 20, 1741 ; in. Marv Gray, Nov. IG, 1703.

xii. Auigaii., b. .Apr. 7, 1744.

“ Family Book, Green’s Farms" (Fairfield).

4. IciiAiH)!)'' Gokham {Joseph,^ Jahezi^ John^), born in FairHeld, in
1722, baptized Jan. Jl, 1724-5, married in Fairfield, Feb. 2, 1748-9,
Sarah, born .Mar. 28, 1782, daughter of George Barlow. Mar. 22,
1757, be bought a farm of seventy acres in the town of Ridgefield
(once a part of Danbury), and sold the same, Apr. 21, 1767. lie
removed to Roxbury, Conn., where be died Aug. 19, 1799, aged 77.
(See Hist, of Woodbury, Vol. o, page G27.)

Children :

G. i. Daniki.,* b. in Fairfield, Nov., 1740.

7. ii. Benjamin, bapt. in Fairfield, Dec. 24, 1752.

iii. Joseph, b. in Fairfield, Dec., 1754.

iv. PiiiNEAS, b. in Ridgelield (part of Danbury), Apr., 1757.

8. V. Seth, b. in Danbury, Jau. 18, 17G2. (This record is from his family

Bible.)

4

5. JonN^ Gorham [Joseph,^ Jahez^^ John^)^ born in F;iirlield( Green’s
Farms), -Inly 4, 1732, married Oct. 2, 17d4, Abigail A\Aikeman.
John,'* of New Fairfield, bought land in Kent, Conn., April 10^
1 781. (Land Records, Vol. 7, p. G'J.) Joseph* Gorham and Timothy
8t. John were administrators of the estate of John^ Gorham, of
New Milford, Jan. 13, 180(i. (Land Records, Vol. 2.) JoseplF
Gorham, of Kent, gave (piit-claim to Jolin® and Jared,® of Vermont,
of all his right in land on east monntain left him in the will of his
mother Abigail Gorham, Sept. 4, 1808. (Land Records, Vol. 2,
2^. 420.) John,® of Bakersfield, Vt., sold to James,® of Poultney,
Vt., land in Kent, Oct. 2o, 1809. (Land Records, Vol. 2, j). 401.)
Seth® Gorham, of Castleton, Vi., and wife Betsey, sold land in Kent,
which came fi’om the estate of lier father, Eleazer Thompson. (Land
Records, Vol. 12, p. 80.) Setli,® of Castleton, Vt., sold one seventli
part of undivided land in Kent, Jan. 23, 1810. (Land Records,
A"ol. 12, p. 84.) The will of Abigail Gorham, of Kent, dated Oct.
2, 1805, and j)rohated Jan. 24, 1811, at New Milford, Conn., gave
to her daughters Deborah, Abigail, and Lucy, all her household
furniture, and to her sons John, James, Seth, .Jeremiah, AVakeman,
Ilezekiah, and Joseph, all her landed estate of every description
lying in Kent, or elsewhere. Mrs. Ella Comstock Beckham, of
lltica, N. Y., a descendant of JohiB Gorham and his wife Abigail
A\hd ieman, has sent the writer the following list of the children of
JoliiB Gorham. The baptisms of the first two, Deborah® and John,®
are at Green’s Farms. The will of the mother, Abigail Gorham,
mentions the seventh child as Jeremiah. The Kent land records,
under date of Se{)t. 4, 18()8 (Vol. 2, p. 420), calls the same man
Jared, of Vermont. Airs. Beckham’s Bible list of children calls
him Jared, and the History of Boultney, Vt., calls him .Jared.
There were hut seven sons.

Children :

i. DEnoRAii,* bapt. Apr. 27, 175.">; m. Timothy St. ,Iohn.

ii. John, bapt. June 20, 1750.

iii. James, bapt. May 28, 1758.

iv. Setii, bapt. June 8, 1700 ; m. Betsy Thompson.

V. Jaueo, m. Asenath Morgan.

vi. AVakeman, settled in Chittenden, Vt. ; in. Tolly - .

vii. Aijigail.

viii. AniGAiL, b. July 19, 1770; in. Solomon Comstock, June 1(1, 1788.

ix. Hezekiau.

X. Lucy.

xi. Joseph, b. in 1780; m. Lucy Beecher; removed to Tenn.sylvaiiia.

fi. Daniel® Gorham {^Jchahod,^ Joseph,^ Jahez,^ Johid), liorn in Fairfield,
Nov., 1 749, died in Roxhury, Conn., .Jan. 25, 183G, in which year
his estate was settled. (Woodbury, Conn., Brohate Records.)
Alary, wife of Daniel Gorham, died in Roxhury, Conn., Jan. 31,
1817, aged Gl. - Daniel Gorham a^jpears among the Litchfield
County 2:)ensioners, jilaced on the jiension roll Alay 15, 1833, age
83. (This agrees with the record of his birth.) There is on
record at New Alilford, Conn., an agreement between Daniel® and
his son Daniel,® which gives the farm to the son, subject to the life
right of the father. It has been claimed that Daniel® was the son
of .Joseph,^ who died in Norwalk in 1760, and his wife Abigail
Lovell, hut that Joseph’s family returned, immediately after his death.

5

t(j Hariistalde and Xantiicket, where four of his children married.
1 le did have a son Daniel,® and the bust record of him was in tlie

will of his grandfather, at liarnstahle, in 1770. The writer has
made many researches to lind trace in Connecticut of Daniel® the .son
of Joseph'* and Abigail (Lovell), hut witlnnit success. None of
that family are recorded in Connecticut after 17()U.

Children, horn in Koxbury, Conn.:

i. .V.\l!()N.<

ii. Ll’cv, t). Sept, l.'i, 1782; lu. .Joseph Treat, Dec. Ifi, 1800.

iii. Daniki., b. Dec. 10. 1781; d. Dec. 2, IHO'J; m. I’olly Kaiulall.

iv. El. I, 1). Jan. 2, 1787 ; d. Apr. 10, 1807; in. laetitia Hamilton. July

0, 1811. In 1808, he was a mannfacturer of woolen machinery in
Osweico, N. V., aiul he was the tlrst to introduce cardin'', or cloth
dressin;', machinery into western Canada. He estalilislied a fac¬
tory in Newmarket, Canada, in 1809. His son Churles,^ b. Eel).
2, 1818, m. .May 20, 18.’52, Helen Durthie .Milne; and their son,
.liidf'c Thomas* .V. (lorliain of .Milton, Ontario, Canada, b. Nov. 2.
18.jl, in. .Vnmibella Villiers, Nov. 20, 1h;»:J. The writer is indebted
to Ju(Iy:e (lorhain for some of the Ko.xbnry, Conn., notes.

JosKiui, b. Dec. o, 1788; d. Oct. 13, 1839; m. Lydia Haight.

Mauy, m. - IJotsford.

Sakaii, m. - llennett.

V.

vi.

vii.
viii

lliUA.M, d. July 31, 1820; m. Hannah I’eck.

7. Dk.n.iamin® (lor.MAM [Ic/iabixl,* Jabez,^ horn in F.air-

lield, Dec. 21, 17o2, married .\my Comlis, wlio died in isg'.l. lieii-
jamin® and .Vmy (Jorham i^ieded laml in Danbury, in 17'Jlh .Vmy
(Jorham’s estate was setthid in IttJU.

Cldldrcn :

i. lU’ssia.r,,* b. in Danbury, in 177.-».

ii. Wii.i.iAM, 1). in Danburv, Jan. 3, 1779; d. in Oneonta, N. V.; m. at

Kidgelleld, Mar. 12, 1800, Tolly Weed, b. July 1, 1784, d. Aug. 31,
1850. Children, all Ijorn in banlmrv: 1. HfiiUon,'' b. Dec. 23,
1800. 2. Sally, b. Dec. 30, 1804. 3.' (ieonje S., b. Oct. 4, 1807.

4. Charles T., b. May 29, 1812; m. .Vpril 10, 183!», Charlotte K.
Hart. He was .Vmbassador to Holland, during the administration
of Trcsiilent (Jrant, and held many other important ofllccs. Tor
many years lie was Tresident of the Marshall, .Michigan, Hank.
He li. in Marshall, March, 1901. (He employed Miss Louise Tracey,
of New Haven, Conn., to trace his line of ancestry, and some of
her notes, as well as .some Kent, Conn., records, have been u.sed
by the Avriter.) 5. llev. Barlow IT., b. June 24, 1814.

iii. llinsY.

iv. Sam.y.

-- v. .Mauy.

vi. KulIKCt’A.

vii. David.

viii. Lai’ua.

ix. .\ mu AIL.

X. .\my.

8. Seth® Gorham (Ic/tahod* Joseph,^ Jabez^‘ Johd), according to his own

family liible, was horn in Danbury, Jan. 18, 1702. The inscription
upon his monument at West Rutland, Vt., agrees wdth the Bible
record of his age. lie married first, Amelia Dunks, born in Dan¬
bury, Mar. 21), 17G3, died Oct. 17, 1841 ; and married second, Louisa
Everson, in 1842. lie died Aug. 29, 1852. Aliss Charity® Gorham,
of West Rutland, Vt., the owner of the family Bible, writes : “ My
father Chauncey’ T. Gorham, son of Judson,® and grandson of Seth®

%

(j

and Amelia (Dunks), remembers both Seth® Gorhams, and says they
were cousins.”

Children :

i. Betsy,® b. Feb. 20, 1785; d. July 28, 1866.

ii. Barlow, b. Feb. 21, 1787 ; d. Feb., 1883.
ill. Deming, b. June 6, 1789; d. Nov. 14, 1861.
iv. Eli, b. Sept. 8, 1791 ; d. Oct. 7, 1870.

V. JuDSON, b. Oct. 11, 1794; d. July 30, 1877.

vi. Alonzo, b. Aug. 15, 1801; d. May 11, 1888.

vii. Laura, b. Aug. 9, 1804 ; d. Feb. 6, 1833.

7

[Reprinted from the New-Fingland Historical and Genealogical Register for Jan., 1905.]

Goruvm _ It liitviiig recently been stated in print that John* Gorham (atife,

vol o2 pa-'e 358), son of Capt. John' and Desire (Howland) Gorham, acquired
his 'title of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Militia, the writer desires to show that
he was commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel of the regular f«)rces, by Colonel
Benjamin Church, in .March 1703-4. According to a letter of n.stmctions
written by Lieutenant-Governor Stoughton, dated Boston, .\ng. u, Cap¬

tain John* Gorham was second in command under the then Major Benjamin
Church in the expedition against the French and Indians, in that year. I his i.s
shown in the History of the Indian Wars, by Thomas Church, with Notes am
an Apiiendix by Samuel G. Drake (second edition, 183;»), page Ll.b U e tlnd
on pa-'es 250 and 252 of this History that Benjamin Church, who had re-
ceived^his own commission asC’olonel from Governor DiuHcy, March 18, l i0.l-4,
at once issued commissions to the ofllcers of his regiment, giving fl'at of
Lieutenant-Colonel to John* Gorham. On page 2H1 we llnd the names of all of
the Field Olllcers and Captains, under date of July 4, 1704.

Since the writer’s notes were published in the Kkoi.stku, ante, vol. 50, pages
32—34 the names of the olllcers and men who took part in the captuie^of Louis-
bour*’’ have been pulilished in the Massachusetts Historical Society s Collec¬
tions" Sixth Series, Vol. X., Pepperrell Paper.‘<, Appendix, page 500. The olll-
cers of the Seventh Mass. Kegiment were in part: Shubael* (.orham, Lsq.,
Colonel and Captain, 1st Companv, commissioned Feb. 20, 1(44 ; and John Gor¬
ham Es(i. Lieut.-Colonel and Captain, 2d Company, commissioned Feb. 20,
1744’ These records show that wlien “ Captain” John^ Gorham wrote his let¬
ter under date of May 7, 1745, to Sir William l‘ep|)errell, he held the commis¬
sion of Lieutenant-Colonel of the Seventh Mass. Kegiment. Lpon the death
of his father. Colonel Shubael* Gorham (Feb. 20, 174.5-0), he was given the
commission of Colonel of his father’s regiment. (Usher Parsons s Life of 1 ep-

perrell, pages 238-240.) • 1 o • * 1 i n

Dr. Samuel A. Green, of the Massachusetts Historical Society, has kindly
called mv attention to an interesting point, as follows : “ See 1 aige s //istory
of Cambridfje (p. 507), near the bottom of the page, for an instance of a Major-
general being a Captain at the same time. It was the case of Samuel Green,
though he was no kinsman of mine.” Fr.^xk W. Sprague.

Brookline, Mass.

'I'liA (iurliaiii Kaiiilly. j

[From tho Boston TranMoript.] .

,e Uoiue of Ibo (Jorbaru family in
istable, Mass., was built beforo 1716. ■'

tlrst owner of it was Lieutenuit
nel Jobu (2) Uorham, wbo married
y Otis in 1674-6. It stands upon the
I that belonged to bis father. Among
many distinguished rlocondants of *
tenant Colonel John (2) Oorhatn are ,
'anilly of the Frosident of the United
38, anEngliah nobleman and a baro- 3
i’resldent Koosevelt’a wife and chil- .

, with the cicoption of hia oldest ,
;hter (wbo is the child of his lirat '
’) are descended from this family in i
following line:

eutenant Colonel John (2) Gor-
’h son Stephen (2) Gorhatn married *
pbth Gardner of Nantucket ; tbeir aon .
ain Nathaniel (4) Gorham, born in
jstable, married Mary Holey of
rlostown, Mass., July6. 173ii, and their .
fbter Elizebotb (5) Gorham (who was ^
»ter of lion. Nathaniel (5) Gorham of <
Continental Congress), married Cap- 3
John Leighton, and their daughter
abeth (6) Leighton, born Hept. 22, 1776.
ried Benjamin Ixie, in Bohlon. May
797. They lived in Cambridge, MaBs.
ir daughter Emily (7) Lee, born in
brlilge, Nov. 17, 1813, married Daniel
T of Norwich, C<jnn., May 20, 1832.

re.st of this line is given In the
•moir of Benjamin Leo,” llaivard Col-
Library.

xording to liiu memoir of Benjamin '
by his son. Bishop Alfred Loo of
iware. Captain John Leighton and his
, Elizabeth (5) Uorham, had a son,
baniel Uorham Leighton, born Feb. 1,
and this is conllrmed by the Boston
b records. Bishop Alfred Lee was
cousin to the mother of Bishop
dips Brooks. Colonel Hhubael (3) ,
bain of Barnstable bad a son Joseph
who went with him to Louisburg, in
. This man was in the English army
more than forty years; ho was made
ajor general in 1790. He took part in
siege of Quebec and tho battle of the
ns of Abraham. He also took part in
capture of Havana In 1762. llis daugb
Charlotte (5) Spry Uorham, married
, 13, 1797, Sir John Jackson. (See
ke’s Peerage (1901), page 816.
iptain Sturgis (5) Gorham of Barn-
•de. Mass., was the great-grandson of
itenant Colonel John (2) Gorham,
tenth child, Charlotte (6) Gorham,
Tied Thomas Leader Harman of New
sans. La., and their daughter, Charlotte
ham Harman, married Oct. 26. 1839,
iry William Eaton, First Baron
ylesmore, of Cheylosmore, Coventry,
rland. (Burke’s Peerage, page 315.)

" mother, the daughter of Captain
rgis (5) Gorham, died in Batb, Eng., ..
!821, and she died Feb. 27, 1877.' The
sent Lord Cheylesmore is a great-
ndson of Captain Sturgis (5) Gorham
Mrostable. He married July 14, 1892,
kabeth, daughter of F. O. Frencb of
Yo«'V’ , -

Stephen (5) Gorham, who married Mary t;
While, was a sou of Captain Nathaniel F
(4) Gorham and Mary Soley. His son.
Dr. John (6) Gorham, married Mary
Warren, in 1808. She was the daughter
of Dr. John Warren, who was a surgeon
in the Revolutionary Army. Dr. John
(6) Gorbam was a Professor of chemis¬
try at Harvard College in 1816. He was
born in 1783, end died in 18'29. His chil¬
dren were- Julia (7) Gorham, born 1810;
Dr. John (7) Warren Gorham, born in
1812, and died in Rhode Island in 1893;
Hallowoll (7) Gardner Gorham, born in
1816; and Francis (7) Gorbam born in
1820. The latter was a Boston broker.
The Bostonian Society baa a picture of the
“Old Tremont Club,” “The Koginning of
the Somerset Club," and 11. Gardner Gor¬
bam is one of the group.

Mercy (3) Gorham, daughterof Lieuten¬
ant Colonel John (2) Gorbam and Mary
Utis, married, in 1717, Hon. Sylvanus
Bourne, of Barnstable. Their son, .Mele-
tlab Bourne, m<rried Mary Bayard, a
niece of Governor Bowdoin. Ho was a
cousin of Major General Joseph Gorham.

Many of the letters written by General
Gorbam to him from 1760 to 1768 are
among the “Bourne Papers,’’ at Harvard
College Library.

Edward (5) (Jorham wastbe'son of Ben¬
jamin (1) Gorbam and his wife. Mar}'
Sturgis, and grcat-grand.son of liiculen-
ant Colonel John (2) Gorbam and .Mary
Otis. Edward Gorbam married Abi¬
gail Taylor, and tbulr daughter. Desire
(6) Gorbam, married Captain Daniel C.
Bacon, of BiruHtablu and Bost'<n. Capt.
Bacon’s residence In Boston was on the
corner of Tremont street and luuiple
place.

Captain Benjamin (1) Gorham, son of
Colonel Shubacl (3), married Nancy
Hinckley. Nov. 28, Lit, and their son.
Captain lienjamiu (6i Gorham, Jr., mar¬
ried Nancy Kneelaiid, Feb. 13, 1809; and
their son, James (6) L. Gorbam of Jamai¬
ca Plain, was the last of the sixth genera¬
tion of the Gorbam family. He died
within a year or two. It was bis grand¬
father. Captain Benjamin (4) Gorbam of
the Brig F'ortune wbo brought the tea
that was emptied Into Boston dock,
“March 7, 1771.’’

Some years ago .Mr. Walter K. Wat¬
kins wrote an article for the Transcript
entitled “One Cape Cod Homestead.’’ In
his list of the noted families who were
descended from Lieutenant Colonel John
(2) Gorbam and Mary Otis, he included
Hon. John Gorbam Palfrey, Hon. Charles
Francis .^dams, Peter C. Brooks, Pro¬
fessor Everett and many others. Among
tho.oe descended from the same ancestors
wbo made their home in Barnstable are
Guatavus A. Hinckley, the well-known
historian of bis native town, and the late
Major Sylvanus B. Phinuey, who was the
editor of the Barnslabie Pariot.

F. W’. 8,

>i'<< 'i4vuL(i‘L^ 4'

[fUu ad /^ tU^-UuU^^fJU^' ^

^ 8 ^u, i <Z, iO 9yfci^ Q Cn^ 4^ 'ync^

THE

GORHAM FAMILY

IN

CONNECTICUT AND VERMONT.

D . 5 '? ^

>

I

► • ,

^ .7

. ■¥

r

A.

f

1

0