Category: Individuals

H. M. Atkinson was either not impressed with the application of Mary Martin claiming dependent support from her son, Lewis Martin, who had died during the Civil War, or he was just doing his due diligence. In his process to confirm the physical disability of Charles Martin, husband of Mary, and father of Lewis, he wrote to the Postmaster of Highgate Center, Vermont, J. R. Cross, and had him do a little snooping into the situation. The most damning testimony on the character of the family may have also been the most beneficial as it provides proof that Charles was unable to rely on his other sons. It comes at the end of Cross’ letter where he states Charles “has other sons but in like condition of the father poor +some of them remarkably shifters.”

First, I notice that he used the word “some” implying that it was more than just one (aka Seleme). I wonder who else he was describing in 1875? The only other sons that an individual who resided in Highgate Center since 1865 would personally know would be Joseph, John, and Antoine.

A shifter is another word for a cozener. Both are words which describe a fraudster. The Post Master is directly stating that some of the sons of Charles Martin practiced deceit to obtain things they desired. And that’s saying it nicely!

C M T
K 50.

Department of the Interior
Pension Office

Washington D.C. Oct. 5th 1875

Sir:

Mary Martin, mother of Lewis Martin has filed a claim as dependent mother for a pension (no. 215,996.) Will you please report to this office such facts as you have or may obtain on inquiry, touching the nature and degree of the physical disability of claimants husband (Charles Martin) during the years 1863 and 1864. What amount of labor could he perform, and what was the value of his property during this period. Were said parents dependent upon this son and if so, to what extent were they assisted by him.

Your communication will be treated as confidential (over)

---

Very respectfully
H. M. Atkinson
Commissioner

Post Master
Highgate Centre,
Franklin Co.
Vt.

Please return this letter with your reply endorsed thereon.

---

Highgate Centre, Vermont
Oct 13th 1875

Charles Martin + Mary Martin I have known for about ten years [since  65 written above]. Charles Martin, husband of Mary is able I should wage to do about 3/4 of a mans labour. He works by the day job + carries on land on shares as opportunity offers do not think he was worth any thing in 1863 or 1864 and nothing now. Whether the parents were dependent on this son or not I do not know when he went into the army. I think his father able to earn a good living + did so, do not think the son helped any until after he enlisted then he bought 20 acres of land (if I am correctly informed) and paid for it or nearly so and his father went to live on it + when he died the father became the owner but has since lost it in consequence of bad management + is poor to day but manages to live some how. He has other sons but in like condition of the father poor + some of them remarkably shifters.

Yours truly, J. R. Cross
Post Master

P.S. If I have not answered this so you understand it or all the points you wished to know   write again

Source: Box 35098, Pension Certificate #219698, Charles Martin (father of Lewis Martin), Federal Military Pension Application; Civil War and Later Complete File, National Archives record Group Form 85D; National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.

Sally (Susan) Fisher was probably ^[1]For an understanding of how I use qualifiers, such as likely and probably, please see: How I Describe Levels of Conviction in Genealogical … Continue reading born between 1805 and 1815 in the sleepy little town of Lyndon Vermont. Little is known of her childhood, but she was able to read and write in her adult years^[2]1870 U.S. Census, Washington County, Vermont, population schedule, Waterbury, p. 323B (stamped), line 11; image, Ancestry.com … Continue reading, so she probably attended local schools in her early life. Lyndon Vermont is a “child town” of Rhode Island, and many of the early settlers of Lyndon came to clear land in the township in exchange for some of that land^[3]“History of the Lyndon Area”, Lyndon Area Chamber of Commerce (http://www.lyndonvermont.com/index.php/learn-more/history : accessed … Continue reading. Perhaps that is what brought her unconfirmed parents to Lyndon.

In 1831 Sally would marry in Lyndon Vermont my 4th great-grandfather Francis (John) Farnsworth^[4]“Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : 22 May 2014), Caledonia > … Continue reading. While marrying in Lyndon, both Sally and Francis would be listed as residing in Kirby Vermont at the time of the wedding. There is an 1830 census enumeration of a Sally Fisher residing alone in the town of Lyndon ^[5]1830 U.S. census, Caledonia County, Vermont, Town of Lyndon, p. 328 (penned at top left), line 8, Sally Fisher; image, Ancestry.com … Continue reading. If the 1830 census is of Sally then the move to Kirby by her would have been within the year prior to her marriage, or 1830-1831.

Francis and Sally moved about different townships of Vermont as is evident by the locations in the 1850-1880 census. In 1850 they resided in Moretown, Washington County, Vermont^[6]1850 U.S. Census, Washington County, Vermont, population schedule, Moretown, p. 275A (stamped), dwelling 1542, family 1552, line 8, Susan Farnsworth; … Continue reading; in 1860, they resided in Bolton, Chittenden County, Vermont^[7]1860 U.S. Census, Chittenden County, Vermont, population schedule, Bolton, p. 1 (stamped), ; image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed … Continue reading; and in 1870 and 1880 they resided in Waterbury, Washington, Vermont^[8]1870 U.S. Census, Washington County, Vermont, population schedule, Waterbury, p. 323B (stamped), line 11; image, Ancestry.com … Continue reading ^[9]1880 U.S. Census, Town of Waterbury, Vermont, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 218, p. 262D (stamped), line 22; image, Ancestry.com … Continue reading. While residing in five different townships in three separate counties, the entire breadth of Sally’s known residences through her life were less than 50 miles apart as a crow flies.

 

Residences of Sally Fisher

My 4th great-grandmother is asserted as Sally Fisher in the Waterbury Vermont Town Records which recorded the death of Weltha [sic] Rich, my 3rd great-grandmother. She, along with her husband, Francis Farnsworth, are listed as the parents of Weltha [Wealthy] Rich [Farnsworth] ^[10]“Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : 22 May 2014), … Continue reading.

I have been unable to locate a birth record for Sally. This includes physically browsing the Lyndon and Kirby town records. This is not unusual for townships in Vermont. Many of them did not begin to record births on a regular basis until the state required it. Some online family trees^[11]“Sally Fisher” FamilySearch, family tree (https://familysearch.org : accessed 5/1/2017). have based Sally’s birth on that given in the Waterbury Vermont Town Records ^[12]“Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 24 … Continue reading and then repeated in the derivative work, Vermont Vital Records 1720-1908 ^[13]Ancestry.com. “Vermont Vital Records, 1720-1908” [database]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com accessed … Continue reading,  both of which assert she was 80 years old when she died on 12 March 1885 of pneumonia. Researchers may also have used her gravestone, which she shares with her husband Francis Farnsworth, and which repeats the information found in the death record, that she was 80 years old when she died on 12 March 1885^[14]See gravestone image and transcription available on this page.. Likely, whoever supplied the information for the death record, also supplied the information for the marker of the gravestone. The location of birth, as listed in the death record is Kirby Vermont^[15]“Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 24 … Continue reading. There were no Fisher family’s residing in Kirby Vermont during the 1810 census, and it is more likely Sally was born in Lyndon where several Fisher families resided. The county remains the same (Caledonia), and the towns do border each other.

1830

In the 1830 census of Lyndon Vermont is an entry for a Sally Fisher^[16]1830 U.S. census, Caledonia County, Vermont, Town of Lyndon, p. 328 (penned at top left), line 8, Sally Fisher; … Continue reading. I have included this entry in the records for my Sally as perhaps her, however I see contradicting evidence to this fact, which makes me hesitant in forming a conclusion:

Contradictory Evidence

1. The age of Sally in the 1830 census (30-40) is different than her likely age of 15-25 at the time.
2. Sally’s marriage record to Francis, which would occur about 1 year later, has her residence as Kirby Vermont.

1831

In 1831, about a year after the 1830 census, Sally married Francis Farnsworth. The record is recorded in the Lyndon Town Records, Vol 2, page 31. ^[17]“Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : 22 May 2014), … Continue reading

State of Vermont Caledonia Co. J. Be it remembered that at Lyndon in the County and State aforesaid in this fifth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty one  Mr. Francis Farnsworth and Miss Sally Fisher both of Kirby County and State aforesaid were duly joined in Marriage by me

Jared Perkins Minister

A true copy of record  Attest Jared Perkins Minister Lyndon June 6th 1931

The marriage, while taking place in Lyndon, states the residence of Sally in 1831 was Kirby Vermont.

1840

I have not been able to locate the 1840 census for Francis or Sally Farnsworth.

1850

Enumerated as Susan Farnsworth, age 37, female in the 1850 Moretown, Washington, Vermont census ^[18]1850 U.S. Census, Washington County, Vermont, population schedule, Moretown, p. 275A (stamped), dwelling 1542, family 1552, line 8, Susan Farnsworth; … Continue reading. While the names given for John and Susan were different than their given names of Francis and Sally, the names of their children line up with those of Francis and Sally.

1860

Sally Farnsworth was enumerated in the 1860 Census at Bolton Vermont, age 52, female, born in Vermont. She is living with her husband Frank and seven of their children: William, George, Russell, R. Senna, Sarah, Lurana, and Firnando.^[19]1860 U.S. Census, Chittenden County, Vermont, population schedule, Bolton, p. 1 (stamped), ; … Continue reading

1870

Sally Farnsworth was enumerated in the 1870 Census at Waterbury Vermont, age 55, female, white, born in Vermont. She is living with her husband Francis and son, Fernando. Also living in the house was a 1 month old child, Grace Copeland, who was born in May 1870 in New York.^[20]1870 U.S. Census, Washington County, Vermont, population schedule, Waterbury, p. 323B (stamped), line 11; … Continue reading

1880

Sally Farnsworth, white, female, age 76, was enumerated in the 1880 census, keeping house in Waterbury Vermont, residing with Francis, and their son Rinaldo and his wife Marion. She and her parents were listed as being born in Vermont. ^[21]1880 U.S. Census, Town of Waterbury, Vermont, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 218, p. 262D (stamped), line 22; … Continue reading

1885

Sally (Fisher) Farnsworth died 12 March 1885 in the Town of Waterbury Vermont. Her entry in the town ledger for Waterbury^[22]“Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 24 … Continue reading, recorded her age as 80 years. She was listed as a married female, who was born in Kirby Vermont. Her cause of death was pneumonia. The Vermont death record card^[23]Ancestry.com. “Vermont Vital Records, 1720-1908” [database]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com accessed … Continue reading was created by a town clerk, Frank N. Smith, from the town ledger; as such, it is only a derivative work of the original.

Genealogy

FRANCIS JOHN³ FARNSWORTH (Joseph¹, Ebenezer²) was born on 12 Dec 1803 in Massachusetts. He died on 08 Aug 1900 in Waterbury, Washington, Vermont. He married Sally Fisher on 05 Jun 1831 in Lyndon, Caledonia, Vermont. She was born between 1809 and 1815 probably in Lyndon, Caledonia, Vermont, likely the daughter of William Fisher, Jr. and Esther Riggs. She died on 12 Mar 1885 in Waterbury, Washington, Vermont.

Francis John Farnsworth and Sally Fisher had the following children:

1. WEALTHY A. FARNSWORTH was born about 1833 in Vermont. She died on 07 May 1902 in Waterbury, Washington, Vermont. She married GEORGE F. RICH. He was born in 1825 in Vermont, USA. He died on 25 Jun 1886 in Northfield, Vermont.
2. WILLIAM FARNSWORTH was born in 1837 in Vermont. He married MARY A. GALLUP. She was born about 1832 in Vermont.
3. GEORGE R. FARNSWORTH was born on 30 Jan 1839 in Vermont. He died on 09 Mar 1925 in Waterbury, Washington, Vermont. He married BETSEY J. _____ in 1862. She was born in Jun 1845 in Vermont.
4. HENRY F. FARNSWORTH was born on 03 May 1840 in Kirby, Caledonia, Vermont. He died on 15 Jul 1915 in Duxbury, Washington, Vermont. He married (1) LUCY _____ in 1868. She was born in Oct 1844 in Vermont. He married an unknown spouse in 1868. He married (3) JOSIE M. _____ born about 1848 in Vermont.
5. RUSSELL FARNSWORTH was born in 1842 in Vermont.
6. ANNA FARNSWORTH was born in 1843 in Vermont.
7. SARAH FARNSWORTH was born in 1847 in Vermont. She married WILLIAM TOBIN. He was born about 1845 in Ireland.
8. FINAUDO RESOLIS FARNSWORTH was born on 22 Dec 1848 in Waterbury, Washington, Vermont. He died on 27 Feb 1921 in Waitsfield, Washington, Vermont. He married (1) MARION C. BRINK. She was born about 1863 in Vermont.
9. RACHAEL EURENA FARNSWORTH was born in Apr 1849 in Vermont.

Supporting Documents