William Avery Jr., a farmer, was born 1774 in Connecticut, and died in Parish, Oswego County, New York, 13 February 1849.  His father was in the Revolutionary War and fought under George Washington at the Battle of White Plains.  William Jr. married about 1799 or 1800, either in Connecticut or in Duanesburg, Schenectady Co., New York, Jemima Ford, who died in 1862 in Parish.  Though her tombstone says that she was born in 1778, her birth record in Mansfield, Tolland Co., Connecticut, indicates that she was born 16 July 1780 to Richard Ford and Jemima Hall, daughter of Ephraim Hall and Miriam Walcott of Mansfield. Miriam's grandfather was the brother of Mary Walcott, one of the original accusers in the Salem Witchcraft Trials.

       In 1810, Richard Ford Sr. was enumerated in the town of Duanesburgh with one male under 10, three males between 16 and 26, and one over 45 years of age.  Also in the home were one female between 16 and 26, and one female over 45 years of age.  In the same town, Richard Ford, Jr., born on 9 September 1782 in Mansfield, Connecticut, was enumerated with his wife Marcy, both between ages 16 and 26 years.  Richard Jr. served as a private in David Prior's Regiment of New York Militia during the War of 1812. 

     About the year 1815, several members of the Methodist Episcopal Church formed a class in schoolhouse No. 1, Mexico, now Parish, Oswego County, and Richard Ford was appointed leader. It is not clear whether he was Richard Sr. or Jr. 

     In Esperance Cemetery, Duanesburgh -- resting place of many Averys -- lies the grave of young Ephraim Earl Ford, son of Richard and Marcy Ford.  The child died 21 December 1816, age 4 years 6 months and 15 days. 

     Considering naming patterns and ages, it is probable that the Ephraim Earl Ford of Parish was a brother of both Jemima Ford Avery and Richard Ford Jr., and was undoubtedly named after their father Ephraim Hall.  In 1829, Ephraim E. Ford erected the first store in Parish, a small building which was enlarged and later owned by the Mosher brothers.  He kept it until 1856, part of the time in company with Paul W. Allen.  By 1877, ten stores had been built in the town, including those devoted to drugs and hardware.  Ephraim was also the first postmaster of Parish, and he held that office until he moved out of town in 1856.  From 1841 to 1843, Ephraim served as town supervisor. 

    The first death that occurred in the town of Parish was that of Jonathan Bedell, one of the first settlers, who was killed in 1806 by the fall of a tree.  According to The History of Oswego County, New York (Everts, 1877), Bedell was buried on the Charles Ford farm.  In Pleasant Lawn Cemetery, Parish, lies the grave of Charles Ford of Parish, born about 1796, died 9 May 1886, age 90 years, 3 months, perhaps another son of Richard Ford, Sr.  The Charles Ford born in 1796 would have been only 10 years old at the time of Bedell's death, so the author must have been speaking of the owner of the property in 1877.  Charles Ford must have been closely related to Richard Ford and Ephraim Earl Ford because the information about them found in the Parish section of The History of Oswego County, New York was contributed by Charles Harris Ford, farmer of Parish.  Charles Harris Ford, born 6 February 1832 in Parish, was son of Charles Ford, born 1796, and his wife Sarah "Sally" Palmer, daughter of George Palmer and Hannah Harris of Stonington, Connecticut.  Charles Sr. & Charles Jr. are buried together in Pleasant Lawn Cemetery.

     According to the History of Oswego County, William Avery and Jemima Ford came to the town of Parish, Oswego County, from Montgomery County in 1818, bringing several children with them. William is named as one of those pioneers arriving in Parish before 1825 in the book "Echoes of Parish Past" (Parish Historical Society, 1999).  William and Jemima are buried with her mother, Jemima Hall Ford, in Pleasant Lawn Cemetery in Parish. That Richard Ford Sr. is not also buried in Parish with wife Jemima is perhaps an indication that he died before the family moved to Oswego County. Jemima Avery may have brought her widowed mother to Parish after Richard's death.
 

Among William and Jemima's nine children was Samuel Merwin Avery born 14 March 1819 in Parish, and died 8 September 1904, Mexico, Oswego County, New York.  He was typically referred to as "Merwin" or "M. Avery" in records.  He was noted as one "prominent among those who were born in the county prior to 1825 and became honored residents of Parish" in "Echoes of Parish Past" (1999).

    Merwin attended Rensselaer Oswego Academy  in "Mexicoville," Oswego County, during the 1840's as shown by a receipt for expenses totaling $6.75 for one spring semester, signed by ninth principal Benjamin I. Diefendorf.  (see below).

  "Samuel Merwin Avery (1819-1904)"
 
 

     On 13 May 1852, Merwin married Mary Jane Becker, of Parish, born 20 May 1828, died 27 August 1895.  In 1855, the couple moved to the neighboring town of Mexico.  Mary Jane was one of the eight children of John Becker and Jane (Janet) Boughton of Parish.  John Becker, a farmer, was born 26 May 1797, baptized 10 July 1797 at Schenectady Reformed Church, New York, and died 19 June 1862 in Parish.  He was a descendant of Jan Juriaensen Becker, the Dutchman who was Treasurer of the City of Albany in the late 1600s.  Janet Boughton, was born about 1804, and died January 1862 in Parish.  She was daughter of Joseph Boughton, born in Connecticut, and Jennet Guffin, born in Scotland, who were both residents of Shodack, Rensselaer Co., New York.  In the 1855 census for the town of Parish, John and Jane reported that they had been residents of Parish for 28 years. 

      According to the History of Oswego County, the first grist mill in the present village of Parish was erected with three run of stones in 1828 by Paul Allen and John Becker, on the north branch of Salmon Creek.  In 1872 it was destroyed by fire, and in its place the larger mill owned by Robertson & Co. was erected at a cost of $18,000.  At the time of publication there had never been any other grist mills in the town. 

      John Becker was elected town clerk at the first town meeting, held the first Tuesday of May 1828, at the Parishville schoolhouse.  He was also elected sealer of weights and measures. 

     The first Sunday school was formed in the town of Parish about the year 1830.  John Becker was one of the first superintendants, and held the position most of the time until his death in 1862. 

      In the winter of 1840-1841, after a "powerful revival of religion" it was thought desirable to build a church edifice during the coming season.  After several meetings, a subscription was drawn up, payable to John Becker, in consideration that he should erect the church and give the land on which to build it, which he did.  The church was erected in 1841, and in October of that year it was dedicated.  Rev. Ralph Robinson was the preacher and Rev. Mr. Van Alstyne offered the dedicatory prayer.  The church was used by Congregationalists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and Lutherans for many years alternately until 1869, when it was taken over by the Methodists.  When the History of Oswego County was published in 1877, it was still the only church edifice ever built in the town. 

      On Sunday, 17 December 1899, after the janitor built a fire and went home for breakfast, a fire broke out and the original church burned.  Many confused citizens thought that fire alarms were the church bells calling them to services. 

     When Elder Gamaled Barnes's daughter Hanna Huntley died in May 1814, he buried her on his farm in Parish.  Later, he set aside a portion of the surrounding ground which today forms the oldest part of Pleasant Lawn Cemetery.  Among the thirty-nine people to whom he granted lots were Merwin Avery, his brothers Rodman Avery and Ephraim Earl Avery, and his father-in-law John Becker. 

     Merwin and Mary Jane had one son, Johnnie Merwin Avery, and two daughters Emma Velmer Avery, wife of Edmund Potter, and Hattie M. Avery.  Hattie was born 2 October 1856 in Mexico, and died in August 1924.  On 9 January 1889 in Mexico, New York, she married as his second wife, Rev. Noah Elijah Jenkins, born 2 January 1834 in Missisquoi Co., Quebec, Canada.  Rev. Jenkins was president of the Syracuse Conference of the Methodist Church for several years.  In the year 1897, because of declining health, he settled upon a farm near the village of Mexico, where he remained until his death on 18 May 1905.  Hattie later remarried to Mr. Charles H. Brown.  A daughter, Josephine Emma Jenkins, teacher and spinster, lived on the family farm until her death in the early 1980s. 

     Merwin was one of the citizens who contributed personal statistics to the book History of Oswego County, N. Y., 1789-1877, in which he was listed as a retired farmer with post office address at Parish. 

     The pioneers, William & Jemima Avery are buried together in Pleasant Lawn Cemetery in Parish.  Nearby stands the Becker family monument, around which are interred John & Janet Boughton) Becker, Merwin & Mary Jane (Becker) Avery, and Hattie (Avery) Jenkins Brown.