One Rhode Island Family

In part one I reviewed the few records I had of Lydia Minor’s life.  But there is so much more to know.  My research question is:

Who were the parents of Lydia Miner, who married Russell Lamphear in 1807 in Preston, Connecticut?

Last time, several people mentioned to me that surely deeds and probate would solve this.  Trust me, if deeds and probate of any person connected to this, whatsoever, would have solved this, I would have found it long ago.  I have even gone through decades of Minor/Miner probates in the surrounding counties, looking for candidates to be Lydia’s father.

Sadly, this is where southern New England’s 19th century history begins to interfere with our genealogy research.  Lydia’s husband had very few deeds because he moved to the early factories and worked all his life for others, usually renting, and only occasionally owning a piece of a property; certainly he had no early deeds related to Lydia’s connections.  And I suspect Lydia’s father did not leave a farm to pass down, thereby limiting the need for probate for him, whoever he was.  Sometimes, problems around 1725-1750 can actually be easier.

Lydia’s birth

To begin at the beginning, Lydia was born.  This occurred in approximately 1786, based on her death record.  Since Lydia married, in 1807, Russell Lamphere, originally of Westerly, R.I. (and at the time of the marriage, reportedly a resident of Norwich, Conn.)[4], Lydia may reasonably have been born in either Rhode Island or Connecticut, since I have no idea at what point she met him. Since much more is known of Russell’s life, we’ll review that next time in an effort to determine the possible meeting place of the couple.

There are several possible sources of information on Lydia’s birthplace:

1. The newspaper listing for the marriage (see part one) mentioned that it took place in Preston, Connecticut.  To pursue this clue, deed, probate, census and vital records from Preston must be examined.
2. Although she was never in an 1850 or later census, Lydia’s known children were enumerated many times in the federal census and gave a birthplace for her.
3. Death records for any of Lydia’s known children might give a birthplace for her.
4. Combining the clue (from part one) that Lydia and her husband were Methodists, explore any Methodist churches in Preston (although clearly she did not necessarily grow up Methodist).
5. Look for surviving Methodist church records from Norwich Falls to see if Lydia transferred from another location.
6. Look for Minors in Westerly where Lydia’s husband grew up
7. Look for leads in the book Thomas Minor Descendants, 1608-1981 by John A Miner (Trevett, Maine, 1981)

(1) Preston, Connecticut records

Maps – To review the state of records for Preston, Connecticut, I first examined the map.  I also pulled out some New London County history books.

Part of New London County, Connecticut, bordering Rhode Island, showing Norwich and nearby Preston/Griswold; also Westerly, R.I. and Stonington, Conn.

And right away, as I reviewed the history of New London county towns, I realized something.  Griswold, Connecticut was not set off from the town of Preston until 1815.  Therefore in 1807, when Lydia married, the area of both Griswold and Preston would have been referred to as Preston. This is especially interesting because Griswold borders the Windham County town of Plainfield, something that will figure in this story when I talk about Lydia’s husband.

Southwestern Preston also extended slightly further west in 1807 with a strip a land that was re-incorporated back into Norwich in 1901.[5]  In a way, that makes Preston barely distinguished from Norwich, and makes me think Russell and Lydia could have been close neighbors, perhaps working in the same Norwich cotton mill.

Census – The 1790 census does not distinguish between the various towns of New London County.  Looking at the 1800 census for Preston, only one Minor:

• 1800 – Elisha Miner, Preston, New London, Connecticut
  • males under 10    2
  • males 26-45   1
  • females under 10    2
  • females 26-45    1

No Minors appear in the 1810 Preston census.

Probate – from New London County records on Familysearch.org.  These are from various New London County towns; none appear to be from Preston residents.

• Thomas Miner, late of New London. Court of Probate, District of New London.  Book N (16 Sep 1786 – 11 Aug 1794), p. 178, 190, 191. Inventory filed 13 December 1790 mentions 3 tracts of real estate only. (Not traceable in the Thomas Minor book.[6])
• Elisha Miner, (presumably of East Lyme where he and his wife Ruth Robbins are buried – Thomas Miner book p.69), Court of Probate, District of New London.  Book N (16 Sep 1786 – 11 Aug 1794): 32, 233, 239. Page 232 with most of the will is missing; will mentions sons Elisha & William.  Inventory, undated, approx. June 1792.
• Daniel Miner, late of Lyme.  (Rev., born Norwich, of “Separates” church. Son of Abigail Turner, m. Amy Smith – Thomas Miner book p. 65).  Court of Probate, District of New London.  Book unlabeled (January 1799-1801): 201, 207.  Will presented Oct 1799. Mentions numerous adult children. No Lydia.
• Elias Miner, late of Lyme.  Court of Probate, District of New London.  Book unlabeled (January 1799-1801): 321-323, 407, 417, 441-444.   Inventory dated Jun 24 1800.  Quite substantial. Heirs: Widow Sarah, sons Benjamin, Selden, daughters Esther, Sara, Lydia, son Isaac.  Parcels of land assigned to heirs 10 Apr 1801 (married second wife Sarah Ely in August, 1786. Lydia b 1791 married Eliphalet Gillette, she died 1880 — Thomas Miner book, p. 118-9. Note – checking deeds would clarify what name Lydia used when she disposed of her plot of land.) 
• Joseph Miner, late of Lyme.  Court of Probate, District of New London.  Book unlabeled (January 1799-1801): 440.  Inventory filed 25 Apr 1801.  No heirs mentioned.  (Hard to pin down in the Thomas Miner book.) 
• Don Carlos Miner, late of Lyme, 9 January 1802. Extensive inventory totaling $1258.22.  5:1. (Not in the Thomas Minor book.)
• Ephraim Miner of New London (wife: Desire Miner).  Will dated 22 Jun 1799 mentions: my granddaughter Abigail Frink, daughter Desi[re?] Frink, son-in-law David Frink. Inventory valued $4630.05. 5:157, 208. (Thomas Minor book p.77 Ephraim was the son of Rufus; m. 21 December 1751 Desire Cheeseborough. Ephraim d. 12 November 1802. Only surviving child Desire who m. David Frink. p. 77.)
• Sarah Miner of New London, wife of Nathan Miner. Will: estate to be divided equally among her children Martha Coit Gove, Jesse Gove Miner, Mary Miner, Lucretia Miner, Rebecca Miner, and nothing to daughters Elizabeth and Sarah (already given their portions). Inventory dates 3 September 1804. 5:277-278. (Thomas Minor book p. 128, Nathan married Sarah Gove 22 May 1786; children are detailed.)
• Phebe Miner of Lyme. Will mentions: my husband Thomas Miner, my brother Thomas Mather, nephew John Gill son of Thomas Gill and my sister Mehitable Gill, brother Samuel Mather. Will not complete; ending and date omitted from record. Exhibited in probate court 17 June 1811.   6:507.  (Thomas Minor book, p. 54, mentions that Phebe Mather and Thomas married in 1810 rather late in life, she died within a year after a stillbirth.)  
  
• Lydia Miner (sometimes Minard) of Montville.  7:350 will dated 11 January 1815 mentions Lydia Miner daughter of Abiather Miner, widow Mary Bishop, Mrs. Howard wife of Mr Nathan Howard, Mrs. Weeks wife of John Weeks, Betsey Waterhouse; Nathan Steward to be executor.  7:427 receipt signed by Abiathar Minnard, father and guardian of Lydia Minard. (Not found in Thomas Minor book.)
•  Elisha Miner of Lyme, will dated 24 October 1816 (7:526) mentions daughter Ruth (wife of Ezekiel Huntley of Bozrah), daughter Amy wife of Roderick Gardner of Bozrah, daughter Betsey Miner, daughter Nancy Miner, daughter Eunice Miner, son Alvin Miner, son Elisha Miner.  Inventory $3839 (7:535-537).  (According to Thomas Minor book, p. 139, Elisha was predeceased by his wife, Amy Way Miner, and died 25 December 1816.  List of children with no birth dates.)
• Daniel Miner of 2nd Society, Lyme, widow Esther Miner, dec’d mentioned. Real estate distribution: Esther Lee wife of Levi Lee mentioned, Allan Miner mentioned, 6 Oct 1817. (7: 590). (Thomas Minor book p. 69 details wife Esther Prentis and children born in the 1750’s.)
• Elizabeth Miner of New London, inventory taken 12 December 1825; total not visible due to flaws in microfilm copy (9:71), estate insolvent 9 October 1826, list of debts totaling $50.36 (9:143), sale of personal estate advertised in the Republican Advocate, reported October 1826 (9:171). (Not traced in Thomas Minor book.)             

Deeds (from Preston only).

I looked carefully though the deed index volumes 1765-1829.  I compiled a slip of requests and the clerk photocopied them for me, for a fee.  I prefer to photograph but that’s the way it is in Connecticut.  Here is what I found:

• 9 (1770-1779): 201.  9 May 1775, Simeon Miner and Samuel Miner both of Stonington requested review of a boundary between land laid out to William Billings and an adjoining tract laid out to Roger Billings in 1680/81; James Rice, Thomas Rice, Theophilus Rice and Daniel Rice (Rix?) all of Preston were the adjoining owners in contention. Boundary was laid out satisfactorily along the west side of Billings Brook.  (No Simeon/Samuel pair (of brothers?) identified in Thomas Minor book.)
• 12 (1792-1797): 507.  23 May 1796, at the request of Thomas Rix, a true copy of an 1680/81 deed by Thomas Miner gives “to my two sons Ephraim and Joseph Minor” one hundred acres of land “laid out to Mr Ephraim and Mr Joseph Minor” and granted to Thomas Minor. (Ephraim and Joseph not identified in Thomas Minor book.)
• 12 (1792-1797): 521.  9 April 1792, Luther Thurber of Preston for 135 pounds [?] sells to Elisha Miner of New London a lot of land [detailed in another 1792 deed] with the buildings thereon. Elisha Miner agrees to maintain the north fence. Recorded 11 February 1796. Witn: Elias Brown, Samuel Capron. (May be the Elisha Minor, son of Simeon and Mary Owen Minor, and brother of John O., who married Eunice Capron 2 February 1792; p. 155-156 in Thomas Minor book. This possibility also applies to all subsequent deeds below.)
• 12 (1792-1797): 554.  9 January 1797, Elisha Miner of Preston for 170 pounds a lot (same as purchased from Luther Thurber) to William Pollard. William Pollard to support the north fence.  Witn: Elias Brown and Obadiah Chapman.
• 13 (1794-1803): 9. 28 June 1790 (recorded 8 May 1797), Benjamin Green of Boston for 100 pounds quitclaims unto Elisha Miner of Preston land and buildings at Pauquatonnock on which an execution against Samuel Capron was levied on 15 September 1788.
• 13 (1794-1803): 287. 13 October 1800, Elisha Miner of Preston for 300 dollars sell to John O. Miner of Groton half of a dwelling house in Pauquatonnock village with land as described.  Neighbor: Ebenezer Penderson [?] (house and lot formerly owned by Samuel Capron). John O. Minor signed a note for 280 dollars to Simeon Minor naming Elisha Minor as surety.  Witn: Simeon Miner, John Elderkin.
• 15 (1807-1811): 210. 1 April 1809, John O. Minor of Groton for $279.75 sells to William P. Capron of Preston two tracts mortgaged to me by Elisha Minor formerly of Preston but now deceased (1) half a house in Pauquatonnock formerly belonging to Samuel Capron and (2) half a lot in Groton (recorded there October 1800); the 279.75 is the amount needed to settle the mortgages.  Witn: Samuel Capron, Alice Capron. (for more on Dr. John O. Minor, see also D. Hamilton Hurd, A History of New London County, 1882, p. 450.)
• 18 (1822-1829): 17. 7 January 1822, Elijah Brewster of Preston for $120.65 sells to John O. Minor Jr. of Groton 60 acres. Neighbors: Shipley Halsey, Elisha Brewster, Absolom Pride, [?] Smith. Failure to pay note of $120.65 will void this deed. Witn: Ralph Hurlbut, Gilbert A. Smith.
• 18 (1822-1829): 58. 13 June 1822, John O. Miner Jr of Groton for $170 quit claim to Elijah Brewster of Preston 60 acres in Preston. Neighbors: Jeremiah S. Halsey, Elijah Brewster, Absolom Pride, Thomas Smith. Witn: John O. Minor, Benjamin Stoddard.

Preston Town Hall

Vitals

There were several books containing vital records at the town hall, including church records and one about support of soldiers’ families after the Revolutionary War.  A couple of Minor women married around 1700.  Nothing since then.

Summary of results from Preston records

The New London County probate records mostly eliminate the possibility of Lydia’s being a daughter in that family, and no probate records are from Preston. The rest are inconclusive.

Probably the most interesting result is that only one family, a set of two brothers, shows up in Preston deeds.  John O Miner was a doctor in Groton, Connecticut with a large family.  It seems almost incomprehensible that a daughter would marry in Preston, away from his family.  Elisha Miner, his brother, did not marry until 1792, too late to be Lydia’s father.  The thought that Lydia could be an orphaned niece, say, in this family is not backed up by any connections found in the book, but it’s interesting to keep track of this family for future reference, as other evidence is found.

The Minors mentioned in the earlier deeds, asking for re-analysis of old land boundaries from long-ago grants of land, are not findable in the book without further evidence.

I should add that I would never rely on the Thomas Minor Descendants book for anything other than clues.  The book is extensive but essentially unsourced.

Conclusion:  we will refer back to these records as new clues arise from other sources.

My copy of Thomas Minor Descendants. The colorful tabbed notes refer to DNA connections I’ve found. At this distance in time, in New England, it’s almost impossible to know why I am connected to someone through a small matching DNA segment. But it’s kind of fun to look around.

(2) Reports by Lydia’s children

Of Lydia’s 14 children (more another time on them), the known children who lived until 1880 reported the birthplaces of their parents to the census enumerator as follows.

• 1880 census: both parents were born in Connecticut. 
• 1880 census: both parents were born in Rhode Island.
• 1880 census: both parents were born in Rhode Island ( and 1900 census, same).
• 1880 census: father was born in Rhode Island, mother was born in Connecticut.
• 1880 census: both parents were born in Connecticut.

It’s split right down the middle between Connecticut and Rhode Island.  However, the birthplace of the father is definitely known (Rhode Island) and in fact Russell Lamphere lived in Westerly, Rhode Island until adulthood. The children themselves were born in Connecticut, so might be inclined to favor Connecticut as the answer.  I have two (contradictory) observations:

1. Only the children who mis-identified their father’s birthplace (by assigning him to Connecticut) said that Lydia was born in Connecticut.  But if Lydia WAS born in Connecticut, that fact may have tipped the balance of their thinking.
2. When the answer was split, Lydia was placed in Connecticut.

(3) Death records for Lydia’s children, mentioning her

Although two independent sources confirm that Lydia and Russell had 14 children (footnote 2 of part 1 and another source to be detailed along with her children, later), I have tentatively identified only 10 of them, because the births were not recorded.

My hope, here, is to see a death record that names a place of birth for the MOTHER of the deceased person. That fact is sometimes included in formal state death records by the late 1800’s.

I have seen enough of Connecticut death record books in person to know that no place of birth for the parents will be included, but perhaps a son or daughter died in a location where there would be such a record (like Massachusetts).  Tracing each of Lydia’s children has been challenging and I have a known place of death for only seven, of which four died in Connecticut.  Lucy Ann Lamphere Cook died in Burlington, Kane County, Illinois in 1865 – I have not found a death record for her yet.  Williard/Willard Lamphere, who lived for a long time in Iowa, died in Wyoming in 1902, I am seeing only a grave, not a death record. My ancestor Russell Lamphere died in Cranston, Rhode Island; no birthplaces of parents given.

So, struck out on this one.

(4) Methodist church in Preston?

I’m not finding a lot of information about early non-Congregational churches in Preston.  Consulted D. Hamilton Hurd, A History of New London County, 1882, chapter LXXII, “Preston”, page 595-604.

(5) Methodist church in Norwich Falls?

An 1833 map of Norwich shows a Methodist Church in the Falls area where Russell and Lydia lived (evidence for their life in The Falls will be covered next time in Russell’s life story).

A Map of Norwich from Actual Survey by William Lester Jr, 1833; close up of The Falls area. The “M” and the orange box indicates a Methodist Church.

Frances M. Caulkins, in her 1866 History of Norwich, Connecticut devotes two pages to the Methodist churches (p. 605-603), and mentions the Falls chapel:

In May, 1825, a small church was dedicated at the Falls village, and for several years the members from the Landing resorted thither for public worship, forming but one church and society.

This gives the impression that the small church was not viable for long.  Nothing I’ve tried has brought up a manuscript record set for that church; maybe someday, though. If I ever get to the New London County Historical Society I will check out anything related to Methodist churches, or to The Falls area of Norwich. While it would be nice to find records, they probably wouldn’t reveal much because Lydia only lived there as a married adult, not as a child.

(6) Minors in Westerly

Since Russell and Lydia married at typical southern New England marriage ages – he, about 30, she, about 20 – it’s possible they met as young people.  So I must consider the town where Russell grew up: Westerly, Rhode Island. Lydia was likely born in 1786.

I reviewed the early census records for Westerly and surrounding towns, the searchable issues of Rhode Island Roots, and Records of the Colony of Rhode Island.

According to the Records of the Colony of Rhode Island, Asa Minor served as an Ensign in Colonel Greene’s battalion during the Revolutionary War (8:230) and Phinehas Miner sold to John York, in September 1778, a ton of pig iron.

In 1777, there were two Minors in Westerly noted in the 1777 Military census, listed one after the other [7]

• Asa Miner, listed as a legal resident of Stonington [Conn.]
• Phinehas Miner, 16-50, able to bear arms

By 1790, Phineas was still in the Westerly federal census pages:

Phineas Miner in the 1790 Federal Census, Westerly, R.I.

Notable, for a year when Lydia should have been a toddler, Phineas shows no wife or children.  He is living alone.  But what I realized about this record, after many years of investigating this extended family, is that “Joshua Vose” and “John Tift” are significant to the Lampheres.  Russell’s youngest brother, Daniel Lamphere, married a daughter of John Tefft and Daniel was also connected to the Vose family in a way that I believe is connected to another wife.  This makes Phineas more significant, but even The Thomas Minor Descendants asserts that Phineas was single all his life.  He had a brother Asa who married Jane Lewis but, reportedly, also died childless.  Their extended family were residents of Stonington.

On Fold3.com, Simeon Miner is included in [Col. John] Topham’s Regiment and Battalion (folder 53, page 164, person 11) on 17 January 1779.

(7) Revisit Thomas Minor Descendants

The Lydia Minor mentioned in the book that is closest in age to this Lydia is Lydia, the daughter of Lodovick and Jerusha (Peabody) Minor of Stonington, Conn. The book includes her but gives only her birth, no further details of her life.  Other trees online claim that she married Paul Maine in 1811 and died in Pharsalia, Chenango County, New York in 1874. There was no death record. The daughter of Lodovick and Jerusha COULD be my Lydia Miner, but there’s direct evidence that the entire family ended up in central New York, so I’m not going to re-investigate at this point. 

Results so far

So far, I have collected some puzzle pieces that are not fitting together.  In the next post, I will keep going with some evidence I have about Lydia’s husband Russell Lamphere, and see if any pieces start fitting together at all.  Russell had a number of associates that might, somehow, be related to Lydia.  We’ll look at them.  

Footnotes

[4] Westerly, R.I., Council and Probate, 8 (1798-1818): 350-352.

[5] Benjamin Tinkham Marshall, editor, A Modern History of New London County Connecticut, 3 vols. (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1922), 1: 2 and 1: 216.

[6] John Augustus Miner, Thomas Minor Descendants 1608-1981. (Trevett, Maine: 1981). See particular notes in green for page numbers.

[7] Mildred M. Chamberlain, The Rhode Island 1777 Military Census. Baltimore: Clearfield, published under the direction of the R.I. Genealogical Society, 1985, p. 50. [Access on Ancestry.com at http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=49316 ])

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