Luther Sisson of Easton, Mass. : his ancestry & descendants

LUTHER SISSON, OF
EASTON, MASSACHU
SETTS, HIS ANCESTRY
AND DESCENDANTS.-'

LUTHER SISSON

OF EASTON, MASS.

His Ancestry & Descendants

Compiled and Printed by

Arthur A. Wood, Slocum, R. I.

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LUTHER SISSON OF EASTON, MASS.

The name of Sisson is probably derived from
Soissons, a province of France. Doubtless the pro-
genitors of the English descendants of the name
came to Britain with William of Normandy,

In the Poll-tax Returns of Howdenshire, (York-
shire), for the year 1379 the following names are
found: Johannes Sisson, Robertus Cisson, Henri-
cus Sisson, Thomas Cysson, and William Cisson.

Canon Bardsley in his "Dictionary of English
& Welsh Surnames" states: "Sisson, 'the son of
Cecilia.' " An English genealogist concludes that
in one instance the name is derived from Syston,

'P

a populous village in Leicestershire. But, the
derivation of the village name may lead again to
the French origin. These English Sissons, as a
rule, are usually non-conformists and engaged in
commerce.

The first record, yet found, of the name in the
United States is at Portsmouth, Rhode Island. On
May 17, 1653 Richard Sisson was admitted a free-
man of the town. July 6, 1668 he bought 1-300
part of Conanicut and Dutch Islands. June 5,
1667 he appears as a resident of Dartmouth, Mass.,
being drawn as a grand juryman.

Oct. 18, 1683 he made his will in which he gives
to son James "all housing and land in Dartmonth."
"To son George £5, in money." "To son John
all house and land in Portsmouth."

From a deposition made in 1668 we learn that he
was born in 1608. He died in 1684. The invent-
ory of his estate amounted to £600, 19s, itemized
as follows :

3

House and lands at Dartmouth, £240

House and lands at Rhode Island, £60

Cattle and horse kind, £113, 15s.

Swine, £30

Sheep, £14, 10s

Beds, etc., £50

New cloth, wool yarn, hemp and flax, £13

One Indian servant, £10 ; Negro servant, £28

Money, £12

From these meagre records we learn but little of
the personality of the man who was the ancestor
of most of those bearing the name of Sisson in the
United States. There are some of the name de-
scended from a Virginian stock, but later discov-
eries may lead to the Portsmouth settlement, as it
is known that some of this family went south and
all trace of the later generations has been lost.

Richard Sisson appears to have been a well-to-
do farmer, possessing estates in Portsmouth and
Dartmouth. At the time of his death his oldest

>

son, George was a prosperous farmer with a large
family and had had his share of his father's estate,
which accounts for the small legacy in the elder
Sisson's will.

The earlier generations of the Sissons were gen-
erally farmers and members of the Quaker sect.
The name is found among the patriot soldiers of
the revolutionary army and we regret to note a few
well deserved the name of tory and had their es-
tates confiscated. In the ranks of the Union army
the Sisson name was borne with honor and courage.

Richard Sisson's wife was named Mary. She
died in 1692. This is all we know of the first New
England mother of our tribe.

The six children of Richard^ and Mary Sisson
were — George, Elizabeth, James, John, Anne, and
]\Iary.

George^ Sisson, ( Richard'^ ) was born in 1644,
probably in England, married, 1667, Aug. 1, to
Sarah, daughter of Thomas Lawton of Portsmouth,

R. I. ; and died, 1718, Sept. 7. He was a farmer
and served as a constable in 1687; as Deputy in
1690, 1702-5-7 ; and Justice of the Peace in 1703.
His will, niade August, 1718, gives to son George
"the farm now possesed by him at Touisset Neck,
Swansey." The inventory of his estate amounted
to £451, 18s 8d. as follows:

Wearing apparel, £8, lis; Armor, £2 ; Plate, ^

£8, 12s, 8d ; Silver money, £13, 12s, 6d ; Bills of
Public Credit, £69, 8s, 6d ; Cows, steers, horses,
93 sheep, }^ of 4 swine, geese, turkeys, fowls, and
household furniture.

The homestead farm was given to Richard^ the
eldest son, and has descended to the present time
from father to son. It lies in the town of Ports-
mouth, R. I., on Rhode Island.

The children of George^ and Sarah ( Lawton )
Sisson were :

p:iizabeth, b. 1669 Ruth, b. 1680

Mary, b. 1670 George

Ann, b. 1672 Abigail, b. 1685

Hope, b. 1674 Thomas, b. 1686

Richard, b. 1676 John, b. 1688

James, b. 1690

George*^ Siason, (Richard^, George^) born March

23, 1683; married (1) Mercy ; married (2)

Oct. 11, 1721 at Swanzey, Mass., Lydia, daugh-
ter of Hugh Jr. and Deborah (Buckland) Cole of
Swanzey. Their children were :

Elizabeth, b. 1709; m. Jeremiah Brown

Jane, m. Hugh Cole

Mary, m. Amos Daggett

Hopestill, b. 1713 ; m. John Fones

George, b. 1715 ; m. Drusilla Cole

James, b. 1717

Benjamin, b. 1722

John

Mercy, b. 1725; m. Luther

Gilbert, b. 1730; m. Mary Sisson

Lydia, b. 1731

Gideon, b. 1733; m. Abigail Chase

John* Sisson, (Richard^, George\ George^) mar-
ried July 21, 1751, at Swanzey, Mary Thurber.
His children were :
-Phebe, b. 1751

George, b. 1753; m. Hannah (Wall) Smith

Jarvis, b. 1766 John, b. 1758 ^

Caleb, b. 1760 P:sek

Jane, b. 1764; m. Aaron Luther
Gardiner, b. 1767; m. Esther Woodmaneee
Fones, b. 1769. Mary, b. 1771. Lydia, b. 1774

Esek^ Sisson, {Rich^., Geo'^., Geo^., John*) was

born Aug. 11, 1762; married at Swanzey, Mass.,

June 30, 1790 Sabra Luther. His children were:

'Luther, b. 1797

Rebecca Luther, b. 1805, Feb. 14; m. Charles

H. Salisbury
Elizabeth Hunter
Philip Allen, b. 1806, Dec. 28

8

,Tohn

Thomas, m. Elmira Kelley
Fones
Esek Sisson was on roll of C"ol. Elliot's Reg. 1776.

Luther*' Sisson, ( RichK, Geo"^., Geo^., Jolm\
Esek^) was born in Swanzey, Mass., Feb. 8, 1797;
married Jan. 27, 1827, Hannah, daughter of Gid-
eon and Hannah (Small) Church. She was born at
Harwich, Mass., Oct. 22, 1808 and died atEaston,
Mass.. April 13, 1887. Luther Sisson died at
Easton, April 25, 1868. He was machinist, an
occupation that has been followed with honor and
profit by many branches of the Sisson tribe. An
aptitude for mechanical pursuits seems to be an in-
heritance in the New England lines of the family.
Luther and Hannah were the parents of eight chil-
dren,most of them residing in Easton ; where, once
a year, on Labor Day, the descendants of Luther
are welcomed to a family reunion.

The children of Luther are :

1.

John H. T.

5.

Jonathan T.

2.

Luther S.

6.

Sarah M.

3.

Hannah C.

7.

Eleanor J.

4.

Asa C.

8.

Henry F.

1 . John Humphrey Thompson" Sisson was born
in Dorchester, Mass., Jan. 26, 1828 ; married, Jan.
20, 1850, Lydia Ann, daughter of Thaddeus and
Eliza(P:nni8) Williams, born Oct. 30, 1832. He
was a machinist, and resided at Easton. He died,
June 13, 1864. His children are :

Frank Henry, b. 1850, Dec, 28; m. Eliza A.
Hobart, residence Whitinsville, Mass.

John Davis, b. 1852, Feb. 3 ; d. in infancy

Luther Clifford, b. 1854, Mar. 1 ; d. in infancy

, Alice Amelia, b. 1855, Mar. 17 ; d. ae 4y., Imo.

Charles Clifford, b. 1860, Mar. 10; m. Nellie M.
Freeman, res. Whitinsville.

Elmer Elwood, b. 1863, Apr. 2S; d. in infancy

10

2. Luther Sabra^ Sisson, born in Dorchester,
Dec. 29, 1829 ; married, Nov. 6, 1856, Sarah Ma-
ria, daughter of James and Adelaide (Greene)

Humphrey, born Jan. 9, 1839; d. Dec. 10, 1903.
He is a machinist, residence, E^aston. One child :
Lennette Greene, b. 1861, May 2; m, George
T. Allen, res. AVorcester Mass.

3. Hannah Church'' Sisson, was born in Boston,
Jan. 10, 1832; married May, 1853 George Wil-
Hams who died Mar. 9, 1859. Her children were:

Ira Luther, b. 1855, Mar. 18; d. ae 7 years
Luella Frances, b. 1859, June 27

4. Asa Church'' Sisson, born in Easton, June 11
1834; married, Oct. 13, 1854, Ellen F. daughter
of Henry and Amanda (Shaw) Randall, born June
2,1838. He is a machinist, residence, Easton.

Children :

Carrie Ella, b. 1856, Nov. 22; m. Frank C.
Wade, res. Easton.

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Herbert Church, b. 1858, June 9 ; m. Marian

Leonard.
Alfred Asa, b. 1800, Dec. 2 ; m. Marian Wilber.

5. Jonathan Thomas' Sisson, born in Easton,
June 18, 1836; married, Nov. 26, 1866, Alomie
Frances , daughter of Ephraim and Mary (Collins)
Ghen, born June 25, IS-iS. Residence, Easton.

Children :

Arthur Clarence, b. 1868, Jan. 1 ; m. Mary B.

Cliffe, res. Pawtucket, R. I.
Daisy D., b. 1870, Mar. 26 ; d. infant.
Gertrude June, b. 1881, July 18 ; m. Ernest T.

Walker.
Edith Alomie, b. 1884, Feb. 12.

6. Sarah Malinda" Sisson, born in Easton May
27, 1838; married April 5, 1855, Orrin B. Swift,
born 1832, Feb. 17; died, 1870, Jan 26. Children:

Ada Lester, b. 1856, Mar. 26
Henry Rosco, b. 1859, May 27

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Lizzie p:tta, b. 1861, Mar. 25

Howard O. L., b. 1863, June 25

Edward Bradford, b. 1865, July 27

Freddie, b, " " " d. ae 1 year.

Luther Everett, b. 1866, Nov. 28

Mary Lottie, b. 1870, June 11

7. Eleanor Jones" Sisson, born Nov. 1, 1841,
at Easton ; married, Nov. 3, 1869, Norman A., son
of Ephraim and Mary (Collins) Ghen, born 1847,
Aug 31. Children:

Minnie Collins, b. 1870, June 16

Edith Sisson, b. 1873, Mar. 19: d. infancy

Lena Church, b. 1875, April 26; m. Samuel

Cheatham.
Elmer Russell, b. 1882, Feb. 7

8. Henry Fones'' Sisson, born in P^aston, Oct.
31,1843; married (1) Jan. 19, 1869, Nellie P
Boynton, She died July 2, 1884; married (2) Cora
Post. Residence, Yonkers, N. Y. Draughtsman.

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Children :

Walter Manley, b. 1870, Aug. 20

Ethel Boynton, b. 1877, Feb. 18

Rebecca Luther*^ Sisson, {Rich^., Geo^.^ Geo^.,
John*, Esek^), was born Feb. 14, 1805; married
at Warren, R. I., Sept. 27, 1827, to Chas. H. son
of Daniel and Mary( ) Salisbury of Baltimore,
Md., born Nov. 8, 1804. She died May 17, 1861.

Children : 6^

Mary Hall, b. 1828, Nov. 20

William H. b. 1831, Sept. 17

Sarah Ann, m. Fuller

Eliza Cole, b. 1836

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