Christmas 1870

This is an excerpt from a letter written by

Mary Clementine Dearman (1857 - 1944)

Christmas of 1870

We knew about the celebration of Christmas but we did not know about Santa Claus until Christmas, 1870.

Uncle George Dearman was the first one to tell my small brothers and sisters about Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve, he and my father went to Cuba. That night Uncle George told the children to hang up their stockings. Everyone did except my brother, Bud.

“I don’t believe in it. How can Santa Claus come down the chimney with the fire in it? I won’t do it. I haven’t got a bit of confidence in it,” said Bud.

The next morning all the children were delighted to find oranges, apples and candy in their stockings. There wasn’t a more disappointed boy in Alabama that morning than Bud.

“Well,” he said , “I just didn’t believe it.”

“Well,” said Uncle George,” go-look in your shoe. Perhaps he left something in it.

Bud pulled his shoes from under the bed. There were oranges, apples and candy in his shoes.

“I’ll believe in Santa after this,” he said.

After that Christmas was celebrated in our home as it is today.

That Christmas of 1870 , I spent on Mobile Bay with grandfather Thomas and Uncle Henry Walker. I had never heard of Santa Claus, but didn’t tell anyone while they were all talking. Late that evening Uncle Henry said , “All of you hang up your stockings.”

We did and the next morning there were apples and candy. Oranges weren’t anything special to them as they raised their own on the Bay.

That day Mr. And Mrs. Parrish and their children came over. Jimmy, their son , asked what Santa Claus gave us. I didn’t answer for I still did not know who Santa was.

Then he explained that every Christmas Eve they hung up their stockings to get presents. Again on New Year Eve they would hang up their stockings, “but,” Jimmy explained,” we won’t get much for them Santa’s wife comes and she is very poor.”

When my father came after me, Uncle Henry sent my brother Bud some torpedoes
Those were the first he had ever seen and he had fun fooling the older people.

Old Preacher Stephens came that evening, he was always slow but when the torpedoes exploded under him, he moved fast.

Later he said he thought a gun had fallen and gone off. Those were the first torpedoes anyone around that part of the country had seen.

Excerpt from

THE DEARMANS……….
As told by Mary Clementine Dearman Motley

Mary is my 1st cousin 4x removed
Thomas Lee Dearman (1833 - 1907)
Father of Mary Clementine
Solomon Dearman (1796 - 1837)
Father of Thomas Lee
Elisha Dearman (1819 - 1882)
Son of Solomon
James Thomas Dearman (1859 - 1934)
Son of Elisha
Lula Catherine Dearman (1885 - 1935)
Daughter of James Thomas
Alta Vay Cook (1906 - 1984)
Daughter of Lula Catherine
Ida Belle Reed (1925 - 2000)
Daughter of Alta Vay
Ruth Elizabeth Hayley
You are the daughter of Ida Belle




In my Christmas card this year I wanted to share a portion of a letter written by :

Mary Clementine Dearman Motley



Mary typed a long letter detailing the family relationships and great stories of the Solomon Dearman Family.

The typed letter has the "old typewriter font" and is very quaint. I retyped this portion of the letter for your enjoyment.

These people are related to us directly. Grandma Altie's mother's maiden name is Dearman, Lula Catherine Dearman Cook. Our direct lineage Grandfather Solomon Dearman owned several large portions of land in Alabama. I have city maps of the town Cuba, Sumter County, Alabama that illustrates his vast holdings.

Reading this over, I get the impression Mary's younger siblings stayed home and Mary was separated from her family at Christmas time.

Enjoy; Ruth

Unraveling American Revolution Soldier Robert Reed

Unraveling American Revolution Soldier Robert Reed. While teaching some basic charts and form classes I found a person asking if our "Reed" families were related. So I decided to understand when and if we shared a common ancestor. So I began my work:



Ok I told family I would show how I go about unraveling facts and figures.
So I copied some notes here
This is the kind of analytical work I would do to try to piece a life of a direct relative together/

This census data is primary to Robert Reed Junior --- father of James W. Reed
in addition to this data I have bits and pieces of Elizabeth Jane's life and James' wife Rachael Ward to piece together the life Robert Reed Junior
Robert Reed
Birth
1757 in Ireland
Death
Jan 16, 1842 in Ashville, St. Clair, AL

Parents & Siblings

Robert Reed Senior (-) No Mother (clues developing that her name was probably Nancy....... more to follow
Spouse & Children

Unknown Spouse --- Rachael Ward --- source not in this report.
Calvin Reed (-)
Robert Reed (-1814)
James W. Reed (1785-1857) David Reed's father
Elizabeth Reed (1793-)
George Reed (1796-)

Age: 33 Residence Burke, North Carolina, United States shows 4 m children, 1 m over 16, 3 f, & 1 slave; 2 extra females?1 1790 United States Federal Census 1800

Age: 43 Residence Morgan, Buncombe, North Carolina shows 7 children & m & f over 45, 2 extra females under 10?1 1800 United States Federal Census 1810

Age: 53 Residence Haywood, North Carolina, United States shows 4 children , 1 m 16-25 (could be George), 1 f 10-15 (could be Elizabeth), 1 each m & f over 45,----- but also 2 f 16-25?? who could they be?? 1810 United States Federal Census

1830Age: 73 Residence St Clair, Alabama, United States lived with daughter Elizabeth and her husband Champ Langford1
1830 United States Federal Census

1840
1 JunAge: 83 Residence Saint Clair, Alabama, United States lived with daughter Elizabeth Reed Lankford and 4 children
1840 United States Federal Census 1840

Age: 83 Residence St. Clair County, AL Alabama census--AL 1840 U.S. Pensioners Index--(Revolutionary War Pension Roll)--- see attached U. S. Pensioners 1818-1872 for details Alabama Census, 1810-90

Sad but True but it explains So Much--- Part 3 My Parent's Courtship

My parents had many wonderful successes and accomplished a lot in their lives. My parents owned several homes. Provided shelter and family for many people throughout the years. Owned their own businesses. Took regular vacations, had a vacation spot for large family reunions, participated in many activities over the years including hard-top racing, boating, bowling, travel. They were very social people and always had lots of friends.

Yet I knew my mother was not as fulfilled and worry free as her well kept hair, nails and clothing would have made you believe. Mother seldom went to church because she knew she was a sinner and did not measure up well with the other church-going ladies. She always felt judged and falling short of some invisible level of performance.

Dad was often disgusted at mother's housekeeping abilities and lack of education. Fights about money were constant. Mother's bleeding-heart need to help others infuriated my father because "we could not even pay our own bills". Many times mother would get herself in some kind of financial troubles and the pursuing games would begin. Mother racing to the mailbox to hide bills, mother answering the phone and obviously faking a chit chat call while trying to soothe a bill collector. Usually mother would eventually call her parents for money and hope dad did not find out. The sad thing is mother seldom went into debt for herself. She was always helping someone else. Mother's lack of a formal education and frail body often precluded mother from finding employment. Although she did try a few times.

I will include some of these in Mom's book.

So when I heard about mother and father's courtship, small hints about the unhappy match up given to me over all the years suddenly became very clear. My parents were neighbors in Santa Maria, California. My father had sisters my mother's age and introduced my mother to my father. World War II just broke out. Going into the military was on most young men's mind. Young girl's were caught up in dating as a flurry of men disappeared from the neighborhood. As a diversion from the realities of war, young people were dating and saying their good-byes etc. It was not uncommon for promised letter writing, war time engagements were made in haste. For most war-time engagements meant someday when we can seriously think about marriage, maybe we will get married but in the mean time we can enjoy a long distance relationship and you can leave to the military saying you have a girl-friend. Girls often accepted marriage proposals. My mother was 17 years old, I am not going to judge her too harshly with getting swept up in the wartime flurry.

So on a Saturday night, my father took my mother to the picture show. After the picture show, my father asked my mother to marry him.
Then in my father's own words:

"All I remember is that she said yes and we told my father and mother. By that time it was about 11 pm. We had been to the show. My father immediately got up and took us to her home and woke her parents up and told them what was going on. Much to our embarrassment and the following Wed.we all drove to Santa Barbara to get our marriage license and the Following Sun. we had a wedding in our home. The pastor of the Nazarene Church. Exactly 3 months to the day I went into the service.

The life we live. The choices we make or allow others to make for us. I was appalled at what my grandfather had done. In his God-fearing thinking he had surmised that mother was pregnant. His fear was if dad went away without them being married, this would have been horrible. The truth was mother did not have any children until several years later.

When I first realized what happened to my parents, I wondered why their parents were unable to guide and direct them. Then I became extremely angry at my father's father.
Including thinking of him as a bullheaded jack-a**. There are several other episodes when my mother's father-in-law caused my mother great grief and sorrow.

I also will include some of these in Mom's book.

So why did I tell this story? was it necessary? Is it needed to be included in Mom's Book? I dunno.....

Sad but True but it explains So Much--- Part 2 My Father's Childhood.

I knew my parents were having problems working through life's ups and downs.

My parents and their respected families were very different people. My mother's family is jovial, enjoys the holidays, embraces all children, informative constantly teaching children things of life, of how things work. Very accepting and always there to help.

In contrast my father's family are sullen people. Everything is black or white. Life is hard, children are clay to be shaped in the perfect image of church going quiet beings. You must be thankful for every morsel of bread. Life here on earth is to be lived in fear of wrong thoughts, wrong actions. Hell and damnation is waiting for anyone short of a God-fearing Born Again Christian. There is not enough money, resources, time to spend on frivolous things and or outings. We do not have enough to share. We are too busy having a perfect clean house, sewing clothing, practicing music for church to interact with anyone. Also in that "wonderfully Christian competitive way" if you did not keep a perfect house, sew at a certain level, or play a musical instrument you are not as righteous as those whom do those things. If you are not busy doing the work of the LORD, then you are lazy, worthless, inconsiderate, and most of all a sinner going to burn in hell forever.

In defense of this life style, there are very good reasons I am glad to have had this influence in my life. I had a fantastic traditional Bible study upbringing. I had a grandmother that taught me to get on my knees three times a day to pray. I knew I had a grandmother that prayed for me everyday. I learned to play the piano, cook, crochet, sew and clean house. I had beautifully hand sewn tailored clothing, and knew how to "act" at church or people's homes. I learnt thriftiness, patience, and how not to fidget for hours at a time.

My grandfather was a "hell and damnation" missionary to the Native Americans on the Indian Territories of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Arizona. He often used his ability as a car mechanic to get access to the reservations to do "his real work" which was to win souls for the LORD. They moved often, many days they went without food, I will share stories about that later.

I am just anxious to share this sad but true twist of fate that shaped so many of our lives.

Sad but True but it explains So Much--- Part I my Mother's Childhood.

Let me explain first my parents are very nice people and provided myself and my siblings a wonderful life. My childhood is filled with stories of family outings, holiday gatherings, and stability of being in the same neighborhood all my life. My parents had rigid rules about marriage and children rearing. One of the rules was no fighting in front of the children. So many were the mornings when I would come into the kitchen and know something was terribly wrong but had no idea what caused this chill in the air. I knew my parents were having problems working through life's ups and downs.

My parents and their respected families were very different people. My mother's family is jovial, enjoys the holidays, embraces all children, informative constantly teaching children things of life, of how things work. Very accepting and always there to help. Some of my most fondest memories is joining grandpa in the garden and he explaining to me about gardening and pruning roses. Once listening to Grandpa advice a young man about class choices for college, my husband was impressed at the grasp Grandpa had on the jobs of the future. Grandpa read the newspaper every day along with National Geographic and Wall Street Journal. My grandfather was unusually kind to my grandmother. Every dinner, visit, outing was a grand affair. My mother's family regarded education very highly. Grandpa worked for Mobile Oil in the Los Angelas area. Every year as a child and then every year with my own children Grandma and Grandpa opened their huge home, made up big fluffy beds, cooked elaborate two-three meat dinners and invited us down for a Disneyland vacation. My grandparents were experts on everything Disney. Grandfather would set me down the night before a trip to Disneyland, map of Disneyland in hand and go over the path I should take the next day. He would explain in detail all the new exhibits, an account of the cost, difficulties in the construction, and what to be sure to observe. Grandpa always had a drawer full of Disney tickets. As family visited and left any extra unused Disney tickets went into Grandpa's drawer. There were always plenty of "A" tickets for the younger children, but few "E" tickets for the most daring rides. Life was to be lived, children were to be enjoyed, at grandma's house all things were possible and all children were precious. Mother was raised loved, cherished, and pampered.

To add to my mother's life and the how very loved, cherished, pampered my mother suffered physical pain, surgeries, hospital stays for most of her childhood. Mother suffered a fall as a small 3 year old child and contacted Osteomyelitis (osteo- derived from the Greek word osteon, meaning bone, myelo- meaning marrow, and -itis meaning inflammation) simply means an infection of the bone or bone marrow.[1] It can be usefully subclassified on the basis of the causative organism (pyogenic bacteria or mycobacteria), the route, duration and anatomic location of the infection. 3–8 . Mother spent most of her childhood in a hospital bed or home isolated from others. Someone was always with mother, reading her stories, holding her as she healed after each surgery. The family knew mother was going to die. So nothing was too much for mother. Mother never had to do household chores, learn to read and write beyond letter writing, or worry about life's struggles. Mother's job was to be brave, endure, and enjoy company as a precious young lady.

Subsequently mother had a soul of gold, always took for the underdog, and was very needy for other people to keep her company. She had an appreciation for the finer things in life but always had deep empathy for a child in physical pain or deformity.

My Maternal Line is our SNGF this week...

In honor of Mother's Day

And because your maternal line is most accurate for a number of reasons
I present my mother's lineage
Oh By the Way Vandy, Simi and Jason this will be yours also: if you substitute your mother for my mother.

I have stopped my research to the waters--- having not jumped the pond (that Zoe reminded me if I was going to the pond I am ".....to put on sunblock!!!") ASK AUNT HELEN---IT IS A FUNNY STORY

My maternal line is:

a) Ruth E Hayley
b) Ida Belle Reed (1925 Oklahoma - 2000 Napa, CA) married Claude Wm. Hayley
c) Alta Vay Cook (1907 Oklahoma - 1984 California)married Harry Chapin Reed
d) Lula Catherine Dearman (1885 Alabama - 1935 Oklahoma) married John Wesley Cook
e) Laura Helen Bunyard (1867 Alabama - 1908 Oklahoma) married James Thomas Dearman
f) Catherine B McCaskill(1837 Mississippi- after 1870 Alabama) married Isham Bunyard
g) Elizabeth T Boggan (1816 North Carolina,- 1882) married Alexander McCaskill
h) Sarah H Caraway (1797 North Carolina - 1872 Mississippi) married Joseph Boggan
i) Elizabeth Taylor(1777 North Carolina-1821 No. Carolina) married Archibald Caraway
j) Sarah Sanders (1760 North Carolina - 1810 No. Carolina) married William Taylor
k) Mary Tully (1712 Maryland - 1801 North Carolina) married John Sanders
l) Mary Beamont (1647 Connecticut - 1701 Connecticut) married John Tully
m) Lydia Danforth (24 May 1625 Framingham, Suffolk, England- 16 Aug 1686 Saybrook, Connecticut) married William Beamon and came to AMERICA *see below
n) Elizabeth Symmes (1588 - 1628) married Nicholas Danforth 1588/89 Apr 1638
o) Elizabeth Hill(1551 Somerset England - 1598 Somerset England married Rev. William Symmes
p)Alice Clark(1528 Somerset England - 1565 Somerset England) married Robert Hill
and this is where I loose my track: there are records to suggest Alice's parents are THOMAS CLARK and an ANNIE ENGLAND maybe from Yarde, Somerset, England. But I have dropped this lineage until my trip across the pond!!!!

William Beamon1
M, b. circa 1608, d. 4 February 1698/99
William Beamon was born circa 1608 at England (aged 27 in 1635).2
He married Lydia Danforth, daughter of Nicholas Danforth and Elizabeth Symmes, at Saybrook, Connecticut, on 9 December 1643.3
William Beamon died on 4 February 1698/99 at Saybrook, Middlesex Co., Connecticut.4
Also known as William Beaumont.5,6,7,8
Also known as William Beament.2
Also known as William Beaman.2
Also known as William Beman.2

William Beamon came from Bridgenorth, Shropshire, England, to America in 1635 aboard the Elizabeth

. He first resided at Salem, Massachusetts and had settled at Saybrook, Connecticut, by 1643.9
On 8 November 1637 The Salem selectmen heard "William Beman's" request for a lot, "and is promised to have a lot in due time."2
He was admitted freeman on 20 May 1652 at Connecticut.9
On 7 March 1681/82 William Beaman appeared on the list of men entitled to land in the ox pasture based on an estate of 150 pounds (Saybrook Land Rec. 1:117). In the Pataconke lands laid out to Saybrook inhabitants, "William Beament" received fourteen acres (Say LR 1:86).2
On 27 January 1687/88 "William Beamont" of Saybrook deeded to his "beloved son Samuell Beamen of Saybrook" half my now dwelling house and the one half of my barn and the one half of my orchard and homestead, as well as half his other lands, two steers, and one feather bed and bolster, "given him by his wife before her decease" (Say LR 1:210). "William Beamont" acknowledged this deed on 18 March 1688, and in a deed dated 25 Nov 1691, further clarified it to say that at his death Samuel was to receive the other half of the dwelling house and all other real estate, as well as one yoke of oxen, all utensils, "his great table in the parlor and also one rug, two blankets and two pair of sheets," and no responsibilities for William's debts.2
William Beamon and John Beamon are possibly brothers. They both took the oath from two magistrates of Bridgenorth, Shropshire.10

Chapins and Adams; 1700s Braintree, Mass., Can I get a scorecard?

Peaceful, quaint, religious Braintree Mass.(later a part of Quincy, Mass) seems to have been a hotbed of multiple marriages and family intermixing and basically a difficult web of knots to unravel. It appears the LDS does not have it quite correct yet. Adding the Bass (spelt Basse), Thayers, Paines, Faxon, and Wales families, the town is a fine representation of the Mayflower and Presidents families.

There is a group of well educated, and devout genealogist in the process of unraveling the knots at present. I am very pleased to find out about this group before my trip to England. Thankfully the group is not leaving any stone unturned, no hearsay, no assumptions or undocumented facts allowed. Many books have been written on these families, and in these books nearly every author has taken some degree of guessing or just omitted data completely. This project has been going on for over eight years now and every piece of documentation, published fact, record, family records is being compiled to come up with hopefully a more fact based genealogy of all these many children and who they married, and what children belonged to which families.

So how did I get involved in all of this??? Working on Randy Seavers 6 degrees of separation, I knew Abigail Adams was the aunt of President John Adams. Randy's Saturday Night fun for Genealogist was to track your family back to someone who may have known, spoke to, or shook the hand of First US President George Washington. I wanted to assure myself the facts were clear, and well established before I printed my findings. The facts were adding up to the fact that
Abigail Adams (born Feb 17, 1684) in Braintree, Mass to her mother, Mary Chapin Adams, and then decides to marry Seth Chapin. - but I did not realize how closely she was related to her husband. She was the first cousin of her husband and eight years his senior. All these families are intertwined like this! Therefore my original cry for a scorecard. But luckily we have database software programs that will allow us to show the twisted mess. I plan to color code the lineages and see how the tree?? (bush??) shakes out.

But once it is finished just as in some of my other lineages (like the Dearmans)we will have a well documented and precise tree.

Another genealogical pet-peeve of mine "accuracy versus precision". But that is another blog.....

My Mrs. Roger Chapyn has a name

As I prepare for my trip to England; I checked out the Paignton Parish Church Website at
www.paigntonparishchurch.co.uk. and contacted The Chapin Foundation in US and in England


My Mrs. Roger Chapyn has a name

Her name is Margery Urdde

Birth 1538 in Totnes, Devon, , England Death
9 Sep 1590 in Totnes, Devon, , England

Plus I have met several new cousins: who have done extensive research and traveling regarding the Chapin Name

I have been trying to reach the Chapin Foundation in the US but they never responded to my letters. Paignton Parish Church informed me that the Chapins were all really old now. The Chapin Foundation was set up to maintain the burial spots, history of the Chapins in England. The Church may have a new address for them so I will email the church to find out. I need to apply to "The Friends of Paignton Parish Church" and I get their newsletters.

I have photos of some of the members completing history projects in England. As we know, we need to maintain our cemetaries, history books, and public records. If we do not, like so many families, we will lose everything.

Wordless Wednesday ---

Chapin ---Written in the 1860s, could he be talking about me???

A Mr. Orange Chapin was commissioned to compile a genealogy of Deacon Samuel Chapin by an act of Congress in 1862. This book is nearly 400 pages long. He acquired much of his data from the historical collections of the Hon. Charles Sterns. Sterns was going to write an extensive history book on Springfield Mass.


Orange Chapin compiled the book--

The Chapin genealogy : containing a very large proportion of the descendants of Dea. Samuel Chapin, who settled in Springfield,

In the introduction of this book page vi, Mr Orange writes:

As to Josiah Chapin, another son of Dea. Samuel, I have not found any of his descendants who could make it convenient to furnish me with but a small portion of the names, &c. of his numerous posterity.....and may be of some use to some persons who may hereafter collect a genealogy of his descendants.

Written in the 1860s, could he be talking about me???

The descendants of Josiah Chapin continue to not be able to make it convenient to depart of much data. Yet, in the last 150 years there has been a small sprinkle of us "die-hards" that have pieced together data on the descendants of Josiah Chapin.

I honor those ladies (yes, so far they have all been ladies that I have found) and Mr Orange that recorded, compiled, and recorded family history. I find myself borrowing from each of their styles.

Helen Cox was methodical, she was the one in the 1940/1950s sent letters to all family requesting data from each branch of the John Arnett Chapin family. She meticulously typed out a self published book of some 700 pages complete with book references and photographs collected from different family members.

And sweet Molly Chapin wrote long laborious stories of her family, their current occupations, and funny anecdotes.

Of late Helen Roberta Reed has spent much of her 72 years writing and compiling genealogy data.

Jeanette Reed provided long letters to Helen Reed that continue to be a wealth of information.

Late at night (it is now 2:10 am) Orange, the two Helens, Molly, my mom, and at times others keep me company, keep me typing, keeps me trying to continue this work of love. This is just a thank you to them ------we are the some persons referred to in the 1860s by Orange Chapin. And so the journey continues......

Surname Saturday----Reed

John Paul Reed 1906

Dear Cousins;

Update on Reed Research. As many of you know Aunt Helen has come to visit with me this week. We have had a marvelous time. Busy Busy every single day.

Wesley and Clyde have been sealed to their parents of which Aunt Helen is very pleased.

It was an open issue for Aunt Helen. In fact; we have nearly all of Monroe and Arminita's children sealed which brings me to John Paul Reed. John Paul although we know had no children was indeed the grandpa for all of us and many others!!! Well to complete this work Helen needed Paul's death date. Simple request: except I can not find it!!! I pay lots of money for many search engines not to be able to find Grandpa's SS Death Index. How can this be?? Is there a mistake on his data??? Sleuth Ruth is on the case.......and I will be ruthless until I solve it --- so I will just be _______________ until I can be Ruth once again.
I did learn a lot about Grandpa along the way though; Grandpa's father died when he was merely 10 years old. Grandpa took care of his mother. As this story of where and how they survived from 1916---until Grandpa goes to war in 1940s, will surprise us all. Silly kids we had no idea!
But getting back to it-----ok, wanting exact data I am looking for Grandpa's exact death date and lo and behold I can not find it.

But as luck will have it I have already planned a trip to the Los Angeles Library as a trip with the San Diego Genealogy Society.

And now I know what I must do to prepare for my trip --- I plan to get obituaries for Grandpa and Grandma, copy of their marriage certificate (1955) : Very funny potential title to a blog: my favorite Grandpa was never married and married my Grandmother in 1955!!! And no; none of the children were born out of wedlock. One of those fun Genealogy puzzles;
So there is work to be done----- while I am in Los Angeles I will be looking up Grandpa's land deeds. and maybe even Harry's land deeds-----
Yeah Yeah I am so glad I started this new blog ------ I have lots and lots to share but I can not believe I did not put Chapin in the title; but so be it.

Deacon Samuel and Cicely Chapin had the following 7 children:

Deacon Samuel and Cicely Chapin had the following children:

Catherine Chapin married (1) Nathanal Bliss in 1646, (this is an OBTW, Nathanial's sister was tried for being a witch three times in her life. The court records are absolutely ridiculous. A neighbor complained the woman saw her child, the child fell sick and died, and since the two women did not get along she was tried as a witch.) 2) Thomas Gilbert, July 31, 1655, (3) Samuel Marshfield, December 28, 1664
According to the "Life of Deacon Samuel Chapin, by Howard Millar Chapin", Catherine was widowed when she married Samuel Marshfield.

David Chapin d. August 16, 1672, Boston County, Massachusetts, married Lydia Crump
David Chapin resided a few years near the center of the town of Springfield and afterwards removed to Boston where he was married and was made freeman 1649 and he died in 1672. Less is known of him than any other child of Samuel.

Sarah Chapin married Rowland Thomas, 1654

Henry Chapin, b. January 1629/30, Berry Pomeroy, Devonshire, England; d. August 15, 1718, Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts; married Bethiah Cooley, December 15, 1664, Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts; b. September 16, 1644, Hampden County, Massachusetts; d. December 09, 1711, Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts.

Josiah Chapin and Mary King are our direct lineage:



Josiah Chapin, b. October 29, 1637; d. September 10, 1726; married Mary King.Josiah was the son of Deacon Samuel Chapin and Cicely Penny. He was born 29 Oct 1634 in Berry, Pomeroy, Devonshire, England. He married Mary King of Weymouth on November 30, 1658. They had 11 children. She died in May 30, 1676 in Braintree, Massachusetts.

He was a leading citizen of Mendon. He was a selectman for many years; Chairman of the Board for 11 years; and was Justice of the Peace by a commission said to have come from the British Parliament. For many years he was the largest taxpayer in Mendon.

Military Records: Was Captain of Massachusetts Colonial forces at Mendon. Sergeant in 1685; Ensign in 1687; Lieutenant in 1689 and Captain in 1692.

Josiah Chapin, Esq. died in Mendon, Massachusetts on September 10, 1726, aged 92 years, having out lived three wives.



Japhet Chapin, b. October 05, 1642, Roxbury, Massachusetts; d. February 20, 1711/12, Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts; married (1) Abelenah Cooley, July 22, 1664, Milford, New Haven County, Conneticut; m. (2) Dorothy Root, May 31, 1711.
Japhet was prominent in town affairs of Springfield, MA. Was chosen Selectman 8 times. According to The Chapin Genealogy (page 4) by Orange Chapin he was involved in King Phillip's War of 1676, 'I went out Volenteare against ingens the 17th of May, 1676 and we ingaged batel the 19th of May in the moaning before sunrise and made great Spoil upon the enemy and came off the same day with the Los of 37 men and the Captin Turner, and came home the 20th of May.'
Japhet is buried in the Springfield Graveyard, Springfield, Hampden Co., Massachusetts

Hannah Chapin, b. December 2, 1644 married John Hitchcock, 1666
Hannah, daughter of Samuel Chapin, was born on the 2 day of the 10 month (December) 1644 (S.rec.) at 10 o;clock at night (Judge Chapin's Address, 22). She was baptized on December 8 (Judge Chapin's Address, 22). She was the youngest of Samuel and Ciely's seven children.

From the Life of Samuel Deacon Chapin, Howard Millar Chapin

Deacon Samuel Chapin timeline

Deacon Samuel Chapin
In 1651 William Pynchon is convicted of heresy, by the General Court, and returned to England. His son-in-law, Henry Smith then became chief magistrate. The next year he too returned to England and Capt. John Pynchon, Lieut. Elizur Holyoke and Samuel Chapin were by the General Court commissioned magistrates for the administration of justice, "allowing them the power of a County Court." He held the office until 1664, and in addition performed important duties, laying out land grants and the plantations that became North Hampton and Hadley. His first home lot was at the corner of the present Main and Pynchon Streets, but by 1664 he appears to have been living in Chicopee, with his son Japhet. His holdings in Springfield were large, but he gave all to his sons in his life time, reserving a life interest for himself and wife, his will disposing of personal estate only.

In October, 1675 Springfield was attacked by Indians and burned. Deacon Chapin did not see the town rebuilt, for in about a month as wrote his son Japhet, "My father was taken out of this troubelsom world the 11 day of November about eleven of the clock in the eve, 1675." Deacon Samuel Chapin "conscientiously and wisely discharged important trusts for the maintenance of religion and good order and left an abiding impress of his character and life on the city." To judge from the private and official acts of the man, and from the firm hand he wrote, he was a man of some education, strong will, inflexible integrity, abundant charity and real piety.

See Life of Deacon Samuel Chapin of Springfield, by Howard Millar Chapin, Providence, R. I., 1908, the fullest account, based upon original documents and records. source: THE CHAPIN BOOK, Vol. I, p. XII.

A chronology of Samuel Chapin's activities:

1638: Samuel CHAPIN and wife Cicely were at Roxbury. Came to Springfield, MA from Roxbury, MA.
1641, 2 Jun: Samuel CHAPIN of Springfield, MA, admitted Freeman.
1643: Town officer. He took a prominent part in all the affairs of the town, both religious and civil.
1648: A member of the Board of Selectmen on which Benjamin COOLEY first served. A member of the first Board of Selectmen and served 9 consecutive years.
1649: Deacon.
1651: Commissioner.
1652: John PYNCHON, Elizur HOLYOKE and Samuel CHAPIN were appointed Commissioners, or Magistrates, to hear and determine all cases and offences, both civil and criminal, "that reach not to life, limbe and banishment."
1653: The General Court appointed him and John PYNCHON to lay out North Hampton and its bounds, and they made purchase of the lands from the Indians.
1664: He petitioned the General Court for some land for services done.
1669: The General Court granted him 200 acres as laid out 4 miles from Mendon, bounded as in the platt which is on file, provided it did not exceed 200 acres and that it did not take in any of the meadows now granted to Mendon.
1674, 4 Mar (1st mo.): Samuel CHAPIN wrote his will. Bequeathed to wife, son Henry, grandson Thomas GILBERT.
1676, 24 Mar: Will probated. Son Japhet CHAPIN with his wife Abilene deposed.

Next Post: Samuel and Cicely's children......

Deacon Samuel Chapin right hand man of William Pynchon

Tradition says that he lived in Dartmouth, England, for a time, or at least sailed from that port, about 1635, while there is reason for the belief that he came over in 1631 or 1632 in the "Lyon," if he was not of the original Pyncheon company.

In genealogy sometimes you want to go further than the dates, locations and parentage and learn more about the man/woman. One way to do this is to understand the friends, organizations, and interest of your ancestors.

Chapin was a contemporary with Pyncheon in the settlement of Roxbury, Massachusetts. He followed him to Springfield and was known as "Pyncheon's right-hand man" and one of the "founders of Springfield".

Pyncheon led the 1635 settlement of Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, which was named after Pyncheon's home village, now a suburb of Chelmsford in Essex, England. Pynchon built a trading post at Enfield Falls, which would become Springfield, Massachusetts from which he exported between 4,000 to 6,000 beaver pelts a year between 1636 and 1652

Pynchon was a theologian; he expressed his views in The Meritorious Price of Our Redemption (1650).

Chapin and Pynchon have a falling out when Pynchon turns against Chapin's Calvinist beliefs.

Officials of the colony ordered this book burned and demanded that he retract its argument, which was contrary to the colony's official Calvinism. Instead of retracting, Pynchon returned to England in 1652 where he remained for the rest of his life. The profits from Pychon beaver pelt bussiness enabled him to retire to England as a wealthy man.

William Pynchon is an ancestor of the novelist Thomas Pynchon and the actress Fay Wray.

Chapin was made a freeman, June 2. 1641, and elected to town office in 1642.

Oath of a Freeman was a loyalty oath drawn up by the Pilgrims during the early 17th century. A freeman was an established member of a colony who was not under legal restraint. The Oath was a vow to defend the Commonwealth and not to conspire to overthrow the government.

It survives only in a handwritten copy from 1634 and in a later printed version from 1647. Stephen Daye made a broadside printing of the document in 1639, but it is now lost.

The Chapins of this country are all descended from him, according to the best authorities. He was a distinguished man in church and state. He was deacon of the Springfield church, elected in 1649, and employed to conduct services part of the time in 1656-57 when there was no minister in town. He was appointed commissioner to determine small causes, October 10, 1652, and his commission was indefinitely extended in 1654. His wife, Cicely Penny, died February 8, 1682-83; he died November 11, 1675. Of their children five were born in Europe: Catherine, Sarah, David, Henry and Josiah. Japhet was born August 15, 1642, and Hannah, December 2, 1644. Rev. Henry Ward Beecher was a descendant of Catherine Chapin and President William H. Taft is of the Josiah Chapin line.

Sources for Deacon Samuel Chapin

Aunt Helen is on her way to San Diego. She will be checking and double checking my genealogy work. She will want to check my references, she will want to double check my data entries.

My Mother's Father's name was Harry Chapin Reed, he was the son of Armenita Clementine Chapin, daughter of John Arnett Chapin, this lineage enters American history with Deacon Samuel Chapin.

World Family Tree V74t0241.ftw

Daughters of America; or Women of the Century, page 378, Higgins, Katharine Chapin, Educational Work.

American Biographical Library, The Biographical Cyclopædia of American Women Volume I.

History of Milford, Massachusetts, Data of Josia.

Life of Deacon Samuel Chapin, Data of Hannah.

Richard F. Strait, Grandson of Adolphe Chapin, 6th Great Grandson of Samuel Chapin.

The Chapin Genealogy by Orange Chapin, The Samuel Chapin Genealogy Author: Orange Chapin Call Number: CS71.C462 PRINTED BY METCALF & COMPANY.1862. Entered,according to Act of Congress, in the year 1862, by ORANGE CHAPIN, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

Information provided by: Vernon S. Chapin, 12th generation descendent of Deacon Samuel Chapin.

New England Historical and Genealogical Register, English Origins, 450.
James Savage, Genealogical Dictionary, Vol 1, 360.

Life of Deacon Samuel Chapin, Page 17, By Howard Millar Chapin.

IT WAS SOMEONE'S BIRTHDAY

February 28, Aunt Helen turned 72 years young! Aunt Helen is the youngest child of Harry Chapin Reed and Alta Vay Cook.