One Rhode Island Family

While at the Family History Library last month, I was finally able to get a copy of the 1726/7 map showing the division of George Lamphere’s property among his heirs.  My goal in investigating the early Lamphere property is to seek evidence of the parents of my 5th-great grandfather Daniel Lamphere of Westerly, who died in 1808 and may have been born around 1735-1740.  Given the timing, it’s likely that Daniel’s father was a grandson of George Lamphere.

View of Westerly and the Pawcatuck River.  Westerly in a much busier era, 1888, from Picturesque Narragansett, p. 163.

The problem

The theory in The Lamphere Family Research Aid (1981) by Shirley Bucknum that the Daniel who married Eunice Wise was Daniel4 (Daniel3, John2, George1) was something I double-checked while in Salt Lake City; unfortunately THAT Daniel signed a receipt in his father Daniel’s 1788 probate record along with his wife, Wealthia.  MY Daniel was married to Nancy at the time. I wanted to explore the whole probate record (my copies download here if you want to take a look – page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4) and when I did, sure enough, THAT Daniel really does seem to be the son of John2, because he names his wife, Cattern.  So I am looking things over again, more broadly.  This is an open question.

I consulted the only reliable compiled tree on the early Lampheres, Scott Andrew Bartley’s series of articles:

• Scott Andrew Bartley. “George Lanphear of Westerly, Rhode Island and his Descendants.”  New England Historic Genealogical Register 153 (April 1999): 131-140.
• Scott Andrew Bartley. “George Lanphear of Westerly, Rhode Island and his Descendants, Part 2.”  New England Historic Genealogical Register 159 (October 2005): 333-340.
• Scott Andrew Bartley. “George Lanphear of Westerly, Rhode Island and his Descendants, Part 3.”  New England Historic Genealogical Register 160 (January 2006): 47-59.
  • (–NEHGS articles are available to members on the NEHGS website, http://www.americanancestors.org, or in many genealogically-oriented libraries.)

Daniel and Welthia Lanpher signed a discharge on March 18, 1789 for their share from Daniel Lamphere’s estate.

George’s children

According to the articles (and also, more or less, according to Austin’s Genealogical Dictionary of R.I.), George’s children were:

• Richard
• Shadrack
• Mary m. Peter Button
• Patience m. Eber Crandall
• John
• Seth
• Theodosios
• Sarah m. James Covey
• Elizabeth m. James Pendleton

While we’re on the subject, I would note Mr. Bartley’s warning that there is no evidence for the name of George’s wife.  People may “have” a name, they may “find” a name, but there is no evidence.

I found in Westerly Probate book 4, p. 181, “A Plot of the Land of George Lanphear & Divided According to the Order of Capt James Hill, Capt Oliver Babcock & Justice John Richmond Committee March 21 1726/7 – Christp: Champlin – Survey”

The names are found clearly on the map (get larger version here):

The map from p. 181 (printed numbering) of Westerly Probate Book 4 shows the division of George Lamphere’s land.

The names appear as follows:

• Top row:  No. 9 Shadrack Lamphear  48 Acres
• Bottom row:  No. 1 Ja. Covey, 27 A 58 R   |  No 2 Seth Lanphear  18 A 80 R  |  No 3 Richard Lanphear  20 A 00 R  |  No 4 Eber Crandall 17 A 64 R  |  No 5 Theodosias Lanphear 28 A 100 R  |  No 6 [Richard?] Lanphear 29 A 40 R  |  No 7 Mary Button 46 A 16 R  |  No 8 James Pendleton 34 A 78 R

Note that the corner landmarks are: A large white oak, large white oak tree, John Lanphear’s [Corner?], and [illegible].  Other landmarks mentioned are a stake, and a stake and stones.

Page 172. Copied in 1735.  “The above draft is a true copy of the original entered April 15th 1734.  William Babcock CC.”

Where is it?

I just don’t know where this land is.  My guess about where MY Daniel Lamphere left land to his second wife and his many children is in this post:  On Lanphere Road. The area I found was called “Lamphere Hollow” and there is a decent chance it represents the general area where George had his land, but I don’t know.

The 1774 Census transcribed in Rhode Island Roots (vol. 10, Dec., 20013, “The 1774 Census of Rhode Island: Charlestown and Westerly“, transcribed by Vera M. Robinson) shows the following interesting set of Lampheres and neighbors (p. 197):

• Joseph Clarke …………….. 1. ……… 1. ……….1 ……………………….. 1 ……………………….. 1 ……
• Elisha Clarke ……………..2. ….4 ….4 . … 1. ….1 ……………………….. 1 ……………………….. 1 ……
• William Brombly ………..3 . ……… 1. … 4 …..1 ……………………….. 1 ………………………..1 . …..
• James Pendleton ………… .3.. …..: ..I.. ……… I.. …………………… …I.. ……………………..I…. …
• James Pendleton Junr ….. 1. … 1. … 1 ….2 . …. 1 . ………………………1 ………………………..1 ……
• Nathan Lanpher.. … :. ….. ..2… . 3.. .. 2.. . .2… .. I.. …………………. …..I ……………………….. I.. ….
• Nathan Lanpher Jur …….. 1… . 2… . l .. .. 3… .. I.. ………………… ……I.. ………………… ……I.. ….
• Daniel Lanpher …………. .2.. ……. .3… . l … ..I.. ……………………… I.. ………………. ……..I.. ….
• David Lanpher Junr ……..1 . … 1. … 1 …. 2. ….1 ……………………….1 … ……………………… 1 ……
• David Lanpher …………… 1. … 3 …. 1. … 2. …. 1 ……………………….1. . ………………………. 1 ……
• William Vinsant …………. l .. . .5… . 3… . 2…. . I.. …………… …………I… …………………….. 1 ……
• Daniel Lampher Junr …… 1. .. .3.. .. I.. .. 5… .. I. ……………….. ……I ………………………. .I ……
• John Burdick ………………4 …. 2 …. 2. …3 ….. 1 ……………………….1. . ……………………… 1 ……
• William Babcock ……….. 2 ………. 3 …. 1 ….. 1 ……………………….. 1 ……………………….. 1 ……
• Samuel Brand …………….. 1. …2 …. 1. ………. 1 ……………………….. 1 ………………………..1 ……

The neighbors are some of the same names mentioned in the deeds of my Daniel’s widow, Nancy, as the property was sold off after 1808. Clearly, “Nathan” and “David” are huge clues since, at this early date, they are not Daniel’s sons.  I think “Nathan” may be Nathan4 (Nathan3, John2, George1) who was married by 1774 to his third wife, Sarah Saunders and had about 10 children already.

The 1777 Military Census for Westerly, R.I. (Rhode Island Roots vol 10, Sept 1984, “1777 Military Census, Westerly, Rhode Island“) lists:

• (page 60) Daniel Lanpher 60+  and
• (page 63) Daniel Lanpher 3d 16-50 A and Daniel Lanpher Jr 16-50 A. (=”From 16 to 50 years and able to bear arms”)

This leaves me confused – I’m not even sure what the right number of Daniels should be.  I need to go through the 1790 and 1800 census page by page – after all, one of the Daniels died in 1788.  Maybe that will clarify things.

map of southern Rhode Island from History of Washington and Kent counties, Rhode Island, 1889, page 1.  The Lamphere property that belonged to my family was just above the bold “Westerly”.

Next steps

• Can the old map help me?  Can I find descendants of the Crandalls, Pendletons, Coveys, and Buttons still living near my Lampheres? – I wonder what happened to the properties inherited in this division. 
  
• Names – Fortunately, my Daniel had a lot of children over the course of two marriages.  I need to investigate the names more thoroughly.  Unfortunately for this purpose, I still don’t know Nancy’s maiden name or family.  Sources for information about the early families are unreliable after generations 1 – 3.  I may just turn to deeds and vital records so at least I know the names I’m finding are real.  An index to early Westerly deed volumes can be found on USgenweb here which is a useful starting place when planning to look at Westerly deeds.
• Rhode Island Roots – I explored these for Lampheres years ago when I probably just tried the index for certain names.  There may be lots of subtle clues in there I could find today.
• Review what’s known – I plan to make a complete list of every fact related to my Daniel and his son Russell.  Some names were mentioned in the probate that I explored extensively a while ago, but need to revisit.
• Census – re-analyze all existing census records looking for patterns of neighbors.

The post you are reading is located at: https://onerhodeislandfamily.com/2015/03/18/the-land-of-george-lanphear/

From At Home Again page 36.