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.