Amos was a relatively well known personage active in the community of Woodford, Bennington, VT in the last half of the 19th century.  He was the nephew of Anson Aldrich, my gr-gr-grandfather.  Although he did not merit a full biography in Lewis Cass Aldrich’s History of Bennington County, a short biography was included in the Personal Sketches section of the book (History of Bennington County, Vt.:  with illustrations and biographical sketches of some prominent men and pioneers, Lewis Cass Aldrich, D. Mason & Co. 1889, Syracuse, NY.):  "Aldrich, Amos, Woodford (Bennington p.o.), was born in Clarksburg, Mass., June 23, 1829, and came to Woodford in September, 1849.  He was engaged in the manufacture of lumber for himself until about ten years ago (ed. 1879), when he became superintendent of the Glastenbury Railroad and Manufacturing Company. He has been selectman for about thirty years, and has also served the township as lister, overseer of the poor, justice of the peace, was town representative five years, and was a delegate to the Chicago convention that nominated Cleveland in 1884.  He was married July 4, 1850, to Martha J. Hitchcock.  They have had five children:  Janet married Tramer Harber; Annie, wife of F. W. Town; Fannie, wife of George Mathers; George, merchant at Woodford; Harriet, wife of Giles Harbour." [ed. note - Tramer (actually Trenor) and Giles were brothers and are also mentioned in Lewis Aldrich’s book as the Harbour brothers of Woodford].   In the records of Vermonters in the Civil War it is shown that Amos was drafted in 1863 but he paid $300 commutation fee and so never served.  Indications are he was a staunch Democrat and anti-Lincoln. He was a descendant of Quakers so chances are he was a practicing Quaker and anti-war also.

       Amos’ father was also named Amos (abt. 1800-18??) and, according to Bob Criswell, historian for the National Aldrich Society, he was a son of Daniel Aldrich (1763-1855) by his first wife Mary Fairfield.  Since Daniel married his 2d wife, our ancestor Polly Stockwell Clark, widow of Joseph Clark, in 1817 when the elder Amos would have been about 17 it seems logical that he was a member of their household.  Unfortunately those censuses did not list individuals in a household, only the age range of occupants.  There are entries in 1810 and 1820 that could correspond to Amos.   He married Sally Eldridge/Eldrick, date not known, but probably 1920 or later.  Since Eldridge is a common corruption of Aldrich it may be she was the daughter of one of the other Aldrich’s in Clarksburg at the time (Jacob and Zenas).  He does not appear heading his own household in the 1830, 1840 or 1850 census for Clarksburg or adjacent Stamford, VT which is strange.  Daniel Aldridge (sic) is the only Aldrich appearing in the 1830 census.   In 1840 no Aldrich’s appeared in Clarksburg or in Stamford.  This is strange because in the 1850 census I found Polly Aldredge (sic) 60 living with sons Henry 17 and Anson 15.  Asahel Aldrich and Laban Clark were living next door to each other. In the 1860 census for Clarksburg, Polly was 72 and living with Laban Clark (her son by her first marriage), next door to her sons Asahel and Anson Aldrich.  So it appears as though whole families could be neglected in those days.

       Amos the 2d’s son George married Carrie Harbour, also of Woodford, in the 1883-1885 time frame.  They had 5 children:  Amos b. May 1883 – 1886 (there are conflicting records), Clifford b. Jan 1888, Ruth b. Oct 1889, Fanny b. May 1894 and Julia b. Mar 1897.  The family lived first in Woodford and then in Bennington for many years.  George died on April 13, 1917 and the following obituary appeared in the Bennington Banner for that day:
 

       George’s son Amos married Bertha Hathaway, daughter of Edward Payson Hathaway and sister-in-law of Burnside Slade (my great-granduncle) on 21 Apr 1909.  In a way this makes us related to him on both our maternal and paternal sides, although the paternal side is only as an in-law.  Amos was apparently much younger than Bertha, possibly as much as 6 years.  Both died young, she in 1915 at 38 and he in 1919 at either 34 or 36 depending on his actual birth year.  As noted above he was living in Northampton, MA at the time of his father’s death in 1917.  His obituary in the Bennington Banner for May 6, 1919 states he would have been 36 on May 26, 1919. It also states he was married to Bertha Hathaway who predeceased him 4 years earlier.  He was identified as the son of the late George N. Aldrich and Mrs. Aldrich of School St.  Quote:  "Few men of his years were better known in Bennington and in the southern half of the county.  He was a social, generous, big hearted man who easily made and kept friends.  He was closely identified with the local democratic organization, was a regular attendant at caucuses and meetings and took an active interest in his party politics."  It sounds like he followed in his namesake’s footsteps.
 
 
 

       W. D. “Bud” Foucher

   Submitted on 20 May 2007