TOWN LINE CEMETERY

TOWN LINE CEMETERY

Bacheller Hill Road
(formerly South Town Line Road)
STOCKTON, NY
This farm plot cemetery is at the top of the hill on the South Town Line Road out of Cassadaga.  This road is to the left, or west, running off the road leading to the former John XXIII Center.  It is fenced and mowed.  There are no trees to attract burrowing animals, but the stones are a sad mess.
We were contemplating using this cemetery in August, but a woman who had been told about the Fenton Library by an enthusiastic Michigan friend whom we had been able to help, dropped in for a visit and glanced at the cemetery names.  She told us she was sure she had the missing links at home, so we postponed using this cemetery and featured the Prendergast Cemeteries instead.  Her Keith family lines are very relevant, we believe.
She gives two lines with a Ruel Keith in them.  First was Rev. James Keith who came from Aberdeen, Scotland in 1662, studied under Increase Mather in Boston, then settled in Bridgewater, MA.  His son Josiah married Mary Lothrop and moved to Easton, MA.  Josiah Jr. married Ruth Manley in 1730 and their son Josiah III, bor at Easton 11 Oct. 1732, died 9 April 1803 married (1) Susannah Williams in 1758, (2) the widow Rebecca Lathrop Williams (3) Hannah Wetherill. (Dates and wifes are from DAR records.)  His children were Bathsheba born 1759, Benjamin, Thomas, Ruel, Lewis and perhaps James.  Apparently these children were born in the 1860s.  The second line is Zephaniah Keith (she doesn’t give his father’s name) who also lived in Eaton, MA.  He married Mary Hooper, daughter of Nathaniel, in 1750.  He later moved ot Vermont.  His children were Israel, born 1750, Scotland, Cyrus, Ruel, Jonathan, Unite and Alfred.  Note the Ruel and Jonathan.
According to the tombstones, Ursula, the wife of Ruel was born in 1803 and Ruel in 179_.  Lewis Keith is buried in the Stockton Village Cemetery with his second wife Lydia who was born 28 April 1783 and died 13 Oct. 1871.  It doesn’t seem as if this Ruel and Lewis could be the same as the sons of Josiah III.
In the Mayville Sentinel for 20 July 1848 we have Ruel’s second marriage:  "Married in Pomfret 4 July by the Rev. H. Trotman, Mr. Ruel L. Keith and Miss Caroline S. Barden of Pomfret."  The Sentinel for 23 Sept. 1847 gives:  "Died in Troy, Sept. 5th, Mrs. Mary Ann Keith age 42, wife of Jonathan Keith of Silver Creek."  This Jonathan may be a brother of Ruel and Lewis.  Again in the Sentinel for 24 Jan. 1850:  "Died in Silver Creek, Jan. 8th, Mrs. Keith, aged 79 years."  This makes her born in 1771, just right to be the mother of Ruel, Lewis and Jonathan.
According to the Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the American Revolution, Vol. 9, p. 3:  Josiah Keith of Easton served as a lieutenant in Capt. Macey Williams’ company of Minute Men and as Captain of the 4th Bristol County Regt. of Militia which marched to Tiverton on the alarm of 1777.  Page 39 lists Ruel Keith of Easton as a private who marched to Tiverton.  But which Ruel was it?  And what relation was he to Ruel of Pomfret?
Vol. 15, p 892 lists Jeduthan Tower of Rutland in a list of men mustered by Thomas Newhall, muster master, to serve in Col. Waid’s Regt. at the alarm of Rhode Island.  He saw a great deal of service in the Revolution and is undoubtedly the husband of the Mary in this cemetery.  The DAR lists him as born 17 May 1756, died 27 Aug 1817 and his wife as Mary Smith.
As for the Gates, we found out nothing, but we surmise that Betty, born about 1785, was also a daughter of Jeduthan Tower and a sister of Patty.  We found no connection between these Towers and Elisha Tower of Ellery or Perham Tower of Hanover.
Joseph and Jonathan were on two small stones thrown off in a far corner, broken and eroded. Jonathan may be Jonathan Keith, although it looks like a longer name with "chette" on the end.  Joseph Eli may be Elijah or Elisha but it could be Joseph E. Keith.  It is so eroded it will not trace.  It looked as if he were the son of Jonathan or Nathaniel but we couldnt’ be sure.
Young’s History of Chautauqua County, p. 474, says, " In 1817 Eli Webster bought on lot 34 at or near where A. Bacheller and L. Keith resided 20 years ago."  Lot 34 would be just where this cemetery is located, so L. Keith must be Lewis.  There is a "no trespassing" sign on the fence.  Who takes care of this cemetery?

QUESTIONS

B44  McClenathan:  Need records on this family, especially pertaining to Permelia McClenathan 1804-1882 who married Haran Scofield. Was she a daughter of William and Chloe McClenathan in The Abbey or John and Rachel in Forestville?  M.F., CA.

B45  WELLMAN, James, son of Barnabas and Lois Page Wellman of Busti.  He married Rhoda Gates (when?) daughter of Jesse and Rhoda Gates.  Did Jesse and Rhoda come to Chaut. Co.?  The children of James and Rhoda were:  Harvey, born about 1810; Timothy, born about 1819; Curtis, born about 1827; and Roseannah, born 15 May 1823.  Were there other children?  Roseannah married 1842 Morris Mulkins son of John and Sarah Lovejoy Mulkins.  Want data on this Mulkins family.  Roseannah and Morris had two children born in Forestville:  John W., 1845 and Flora, 1848, before moving to Oakland County, Mich. would like all possible information on these people.  JCA, Clio, Mich.

B46  CORNELL:  Want names and dates of parents of Abram Casler Cornell, born Jamestown 9 Oct. 1840 and information about this Cornell family. VFM, Okla.

B47  BEEBE:  The DAR has turned down my application for membership through Amon Beebe Sr. 1750-1830 of Clymer.  Amon Jr. who came with him from Guilford, NY applied for administration papers but nowhere do the papers say that he was a son and the DAR say the "Jr" on his name doesn’t prove anything either.  Are there any old records in Clymer (perhaps church records) that might help?  Amon Jr. married Joann Northrup.  Did he marry her in Guilford, in Clymer or in Napoli, where he moved in 1822?  Her father John L. Northrup, owned land in Napoli too.  But Amon Jr. was born 1784 and would be 38 in 1822.  Would like information on these Northrups too.  OBW, Los Angeles.

B48  PERKINS:  Kitchell 1808-1881, and wife Almina ROLPH 1811-1856 are buried in the Stockton Village Cemetery.  Is she a sister of Thomas, Staples, James and Lawrence ROLPH buried in the same cemetery?  Who was Kitchell Perkins?  Want information on both families. Jamestown.

B49  FRANK:  Want information on Theodore Frank, son of Davis Frank of Busti an Kiantone.  Davis Frank was born in Busti but lived in Kiantone. He didn’t die in Kiantone.  Where did he die?  Who was his wife Elizabeth 1833-1888?  Fredonia

B50  TOWER-KEITH:  Would like to have all possible information on Jeduthan and Mary Smith Tower and on Ruel and Lewis Keith and their descendants.  Fenton.

ANSWERS

B45  WELLMAN, James, son of Barnabas & Lois Page Wellman.  We have had no response on this query which was in the October article.  The 1940 census of Busti shows them living there with James and Rhoda aged between 50 and 60; 2 sons between 20 and 30 and 2 sons between 10 and 15;  1 female betweeb 15 and 20; 1 between 10 and 15 and 1 between 5 and 10.  In the 1845 census for Oakland County, Mich, James is not given but Rhoda is there with sons Timothy and Harvey (unmarried with a son under 10) and 2 sons unnamed.  Someone in the Wellman family must have some information.

SOURCE: Fenton Historical Society Deserted Cemetery Series.  From the Jamestown Journal 25 October 1969, compiled and written by Edna Ingham