Borthwick 25

Before we speak of other members of the family of Baldwins, we wish to add the names of Jonathan Baldwin's children. The eldest Densey, married John Dibble, of Durham N.Y., and settled in Kingsville, Ohio, where they she died in 1875m age 87. Of Elihu W. we have already written. Sylvester married Julia Ann Lord, of Saybrook, Conn., they lived or did live in 1877, in Hudson, Summit county, Ohio. Their ages at that time were 85 and 81. They had one son who settled in Alabama, and was a musician in the Confederate army. Patty married Obed Dibble, a brother of John, and removed to Hudson, Ohio. Jonathan, Jr., married Miss Green, and lived and died in Atwater, Ohio. Louisa married Timothy Kilbourne, of Hudson, Ohio, where she still resides. Jonathan, the father of this family, died in Atwater, Ohio, in 1843 aged 85, and Submit, the mother, also died there in 1855 aged 91.

To what we have written about Abiel Baldwin Jr., we will add: He was a soldier of the Revolution, and drew a pension for life. His first wife was Eunice Coe, and they had nine children. We have already spoken of Simeon C., the eldest. Ermessa, the second child, married Jonathan Hooker, of Salmon River, NY, and died about 1863. Abiel died when about a year old, from falling backward into a kettle of fat. Chauncey married Nancy Bryan; he died Oct 7, 1850. They lived in Volney, Oswego county, NY. Abiel married Polly Gilbert, of Paris, NY, and second Minerva Gaylord; lived in Volney; died in 1875. James 2nd, we have already mentioned. John's son married Mary Baldwin, of Cooperstown, and died Nov. 30, 1830, aged 34 years. He was a Congregational minister, and preached in Yates, near Rochester. He left two children, Mary and Theodore Freilinghuysen, both of whom are supposed to have perished in a great prairie fire in Illinois, about 1871. Anna Morris married Oliver Cary. Elizur G. born June 9, 1802, married Lucinda Brainard, of East Haddam, Conn. He lived in Boston, Mass., where he carries on the business of stone carving. He is an active and benevolent Christian.

Permit me also to add to the record already made concerning Curtis Baldwin. Betsey the oldest , died at two years. Samuel married Mrs. Sally (Dunn) Spencer, and lived in Atwater or Ravouns, Ohio. He died in 1874. One of his sons, Henry Marsden, was an adjutant in the 6th Ohio cavalry, under the command of O. Sheridan, and was killed at Charles City, VA, June 24, 1864. After the death of Sally, his first wife, Samuel married the widow Hart, whose son, Alfonso Hart of Cleveland, was lately Lieutenant-governor of the State of Ohio. David 2nd, was adopted by his uncle David, and died of smallpox at 20 years of age. Curtis C., married Vanessa Smalley, of Lenox, Madison county, NY. He died at Prattsburgh, NY (Steuben County-AC), March 3, 1873. He was a graduate of Hamilton College and a lawyer. Polly died Jan. 5, 1816, of small pox; she was 15 years of age. Betsey, Julia C. and Anson were mentioned in the last sketch. Curtis Baldwin, the father of this branch of the Baldwin family, was a very modest, self-distrustful man. He was elected a deacon in the church; but he felt so unworthy that he could not consent to accept the position, but it was said of him that a stranger might know that he was a good man, even by seeing him walk the street.

David Baldwin, commonly called "Deacon David", was the fourth son and seventh child of Abiel Baldwin, Sr., and was born in Durham, Conn., Nov 23, 1768. About the year 1796 he came to Durham, NY, and settled on the farm recently owned by the late Justus Finch. The West wing of the house, as it now stands, was built by him, and it is a very sturdy structure. He married Miss Julia Chittenden, a sister of Polly Chittenden, the wife of his brother Curtis, as we saw in the last sketch. They were married by the Rev. Jesse Townsend, pastor of the Presbyterian church, Durham, NY. They together united with the church, Aug 2, 1801. They had no offspring. He adopted David Baldwin, 2nd, the son of his brother Curtis, but he died Jan 15, 1816, of small pox. He also adopted Almira Chittendon, besides assisting in the education of Zilba and Dwight, two of his nephews, who afterward became ministers. He was a man of uncommon piety, and also of rare good sense. He took a deep interest in the young; speaking to every little child, and presenting them with a Testament or giving them a bit of good advice. He had a wonderful memory and could almost give the book, chapter and verse of any passage of Scripture. Rev. Seth Williston used to call him his "Concordance". He had a good education, and contemplated the ministry as his profession; but for some reason never engaged in that work. Indeed, he was a minister although never ordained. He possessed that rare combination of ardent piety, abounding charity, meekness, humility, intense activity, large generosity, executive ability, and good strong common sense, which made him probably the most useful man in the church and community. Religion with him was not cant, it was Christianity, honesty was not a cloak, it was a living principle. Life was not a dream, it was a consecration to the welfare of man, and the glory of God. He was the first land surveyor who resided in the town, and some of the patents, many of the roads, and nearly all of the farms were surveyed by him. [Eliab Youmans surveyed the patents generally, throughout this region, in 1767, before any of the settlements were commenced] He was chosen frequently to settle disputes between neighbors, to write deeds, wills, bonds, etc; while at the same time laboring hard on his farm, and using the proceeds for the benefit of the church and the community. He filled various offices in the town: commissioner of highways, commissioner of schools, school inspector and supervisor. In the church, he was the church clerk, trustee, deacon, elder, clerk of the Board of Elders, and the first superintendant of the Sabbath school. He was so widely and so favorably known that other churches sought his assistance in the settlement of difficulties among them. But all this activity came to an end; the good man died, but his works remain, and his influence lives. His change came March 27, 1841, he having reached the age of 72 years, 4 months and 4 days. Julia, his wife, survived him only a few months; she died Dec. 4, 1841, aged 68 years and 5 months.

I find from "The Baldwin Genealogy," compiled by Charles C. Baldwin, of Cleveland, Ohio, to whom I am indebted for many of these facts, that Aaron Baldwin was the fifth son, and the eighth child of Abiel Baldwin, Sr., and also that the first born of the family was Rhoda, born in 1757, and died in 1766, at Durham, Conn. Aaron was born in Durham, Conn., Nov. 8, 1770, and married Sarah Norton of the same place. I find his name on the society book of Durham, NY, as having subscribed 1 pound sterling for the support of the Gospel here. In 1815 he accompanied his brother Jonathan to Atwater, Ohio, where he died, July 13, 1847, aged 76 years. They had seven children. One of them, Lemuel Norton, went south and married a daughter of Judge McDougall, of Mississippi. He is a lawyer and a judge, and resides at Port Gibson, Miss.

Seth Baldwin was the youngest of Abiel Baldwin's family, and was born in Durham, Conn., April 27, 1775; married Rhoda Hull, daughter of Timothy Hull, of Durham, Conn. He lived on the old farm until 1804, when he removed to this town, and lived on the farm now owned by Reuben Moss, near Cornwallsville. They had twelve children: Sophia, born in 1796, and died at the Sandwich Islands in 1874. Dwight, missionary (will give history in the next sketch). David B., married Nancy Cooley, of Durham, NY; is a cabinet maker and lives in St. Louis, Mich., They had eight children and celebrated their golden wedding on the 29th of Sept. 1873. Lyman Hall married Julia Ann Mead, of Durham, NY, and now lives at Chilton, Wis.; is a cabinet maker. Seth, unmarried, was a soldier in the Florida war, and died at Prairie Du Chien, Wis., in 1840. Ruth, died 1834, in Norwich, NY, unmarried. Sophronia married Edward B. Robinson, of Bridgeport, Conn., and they live in Hartford, Conn. Porter Pall, shot and killed himself (probably accidentally) in 1830, aged 10 years. Phebe Ann married Corydon Benton, of Otis, Berkshire county, Mass., removed to Coldwater, Mich., where she died in 1856. Delia B., married Benjamin Franklin Hotchkiss, of Otisco, NY; removed to Freedom, ILL; thence to Ottawa, ILL, where he was a county surveyor; thence to Beatrice, Nebraska. Franklin, the youngest, married Mary M. Johnson, of Otisco, NY; they removed to Freedom, ILL, and thence to Sandwich, ILL., where he still lives; is a farmer.

I notice that I am made to say in the last sketch that the "elderly ladies carried footstones to church" in the olden time. This is a mistake, I meant footstoves; a small tin box about eight inches square and six inches high; which was enclosed in a strong wooden frame, and having inside a cup of living coals of fire, which made a very comfortable footstool, and a very important part of their church-going outfit.