HomeMy WebLinkAbout1821 peopleWho was born in Enfield in 1821? 1
To get an idea who might have been born in Enfield the year it was created, we looked at the
1850 census — the first United States census that listed all members of each household, not
just the head of household – and chose Enfield residents who were listed as age 29, so,
presumably, born in 1821. Friend of Enfield and Hector Historian Bob Wixom then researched
those residents, and discovered some of them were born in 1821 and some were not; some
were born in Enfield and some were not. They provide an varied and interesting view of early
life here.
Jonathan Auble
Jane Dey (Johnson) Bostwick
Abram Bragaw
William C. Chase
Charles Compton
Clarissa A. Cowen
Mary A. (Lovell) Georgia
Calista (Godding) Byrum
Samuel A. Holmes
Priscilla (Smith) Lyon
Flulore Roff (Aka) Freelove Carman Rolfe
Myron Augustin Sexton
Lydia Ann (Crawford) Sherer
Nelson R. Updike
John VanDorn
John H. Willis
Mary Budd Wood
Orsemus Wortman
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 2
JONATHAN AUBLE
Jonathan Auble was born to George and Rachel Auble in 1821 in the State of New Jersey. Although his
parents had married in Hunterdon County, NJ in May 1813 and moved to Tompkins County about 1815
where their first child, Anthony, was born in 1816, they (or at least Rachel) returned to New Jersey to
have their next two children—Jonathan and Sophia.
According to cemetery and census records, since the early 1800s, the Auble family has been present in
the Towns of Ulysses, Enfield, and Hector.
Jonathan Auble never married and was a farmer all his life. At various times he was living with his
siblings (1850) or with his single sister Sophia (1870, 1880). Sophia died in 1881.
Jonathan died 24 April 1900. His death notice was published in the Trumansburg Free Press and
Sentinel 12 May 1900:
“Jonathan Auble, an aged resident of this place [Enfield], died at the home of his nephew Will Jones,
on Tuesday, April 24. The funeral services were held at the house on Thursday. Interment in the
cemetery here [Enfield Village Cemetery].”
Jonathan’s Will was made 26 February 1900 and witnessed by W. H. Jones and Geo. H. Nobles. It
named Jason G. Jones and William H. Jones, Jr. as Executors of his Estate. The Will was filed with the
Tompkins County Surrogate’s Court 25 June 1900. The Will’s provisions were:
1.All just debts and funeral expenses to be paid.
2.Purchase and erect six old-fashioned gravestones like Peter Wagner’s for his father
[George], mother [Rachel], sister [Sophia], two brothers [Anthony and Jacob] and himself.
Also, six marble posts and chain to mark out the family plot.
3.Four children of brother Elias: Luella [Auble] Drake, Ida June, Frankie [Auble]
Buckingham, and Libbie Auble: $100 each.
4.Andrew Auble, Joseph Auble, and Evaline Auble: $100 each.
5.Four children of sister Mary: Jane Eliza Darling, Annie Darling, Edson Darling, and Edgar
Darling: $100 each.
6.Nephew Jason G. Jones: $1500 and 10 acres near Jacksonville in the Town of Ulysses.
7.Nephew William H. Jones, Jr. of Enfield: 19 acres in Enfield [boundaries itemized], plus 10
acres in Enfield knows as the “Quail Place” [boundaries itemized].
8.Niece Sarah Elizabeth Bailey: 12 acres in Enfield known as the “Wortman Place”
[boundaries itemized]
9.Jason G. Jones and William H. Jones, Jr. to share equally all the rest, residue, and remainder
of his property.
10.Half-brother Andrew Auble as trustee for my half-sister Evaline Auble, to receive and
receipt for her $100 legacy.Not knowing what his “just debts and funeral expenses” were,
and the cost of six engraved gravestones, his monetary disbursements to his kin amounted to
$2,600 (approx. $81,500 in 2020). If the total 41 acres of land were the bulk of his estate,
he would have been considered a small farmer*.
11.Jonathan’s father George Auble (1793-1870) had two wives and twelve children:
12.Rachel Cripps (1793-1849)
13.Anthony (1816-1861) NY/NY
14.Jonathan (1821-1900) NJ/NY
15.Sophia (1823-1881) NJ/NY
16.Mary (1826-1873) NY/MI +John Darling
17.Jacob (1828-1863) NY/CAN
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 3
18.Elias (1831-1900) NY/NY +Julia/+Phoebe/+Eunice
19.Sarah (1838-1918) NY/NY +Samuel Stone/+Jonathan Miller
20.Caroline (1840- ??) NY/?? +William H. Jones
21. Elizabeth “Betsy” Lunger (1817-1870) PA/NY
22.Andrew (1855-1905) NY/NY +Flora Robinson
23.Joseph (1856-1920) NY/NY
24.Evaline (1858- ??) NY/??
25.Wilhelmina (1860- ??) NY/??
26.*In 1870, the breakdown of 290 farmers and the amount of land they owned:
27.0-50 acres…….33.4%51-100 acres…… 45.2%
28.101-150 acres……14.8%150+ acres…… 6.6%
JANE DEY (JOHNSON) BOSTWICK
Jane Dey (Johnson) Bostwick was born in 1821 to Benjamin and Jane (Dey) Johnson in either the
Village of Ithaca or what is now the Town of Enfield formed in early March of that year. Her father
was considered an aggressive but honest lawyer who served as President (Mayor) of the Ithaca Village
in 1828.
Two years after her father died in 1848, in February 1850, Jane at the age of 29, married Orson
Bostwick (44) a widowed farmer with two young sons: William (13) and Hermon (8). Orson’s farm
was in the Northeast Quarter of Section 68, a mile south of Enfield Center at what is now called
“Bostwick Corners”. By all definitions, Orson would have been considered a highly successful farmer
—he employed two live-in farm laborers and the farm, in 1860, was worth about $700,000 (in 2020 $
$).
When Orson Bostwick died in November 1868, he was buried in the Enfield Village Cemetery with his
first wife Sarah. By that time, the Bostwick family had left a permanent imprint on the Town of
Enfield. Not only was Orson a wealthy and influential farmer, his son William, at the age of 21 was the
Town Supervisor in 1858. William would later hold positions in County, State, and Federal
governmental jobs with increased importance. The younger son, Hermon was successful in his own
right by being the owner and operator of a large cooperage (barrel maker) in Ithaca employing several
men.
Following Orson’s death, Jane moved into Ithaca to live in her younger brother William Gordon
Johnson’s home at 20 East Seneca St. William was an accomplished estate garden planner, caretaker,
and florist. He died in 1897 and is buried in Ithaca City Cemetery.
Two years later, Jane died because of pneumonia. She also is buried in Ithaca City Cemetery with other
members of the Johnson family. The inscription on her headstone reads: “Jane Dey, daughter of Ben
and Jane Dey JOHNSON, widow of ORSON BOSTWICK, January 16, 1821, February 2, 1899.
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 4
ABRAM BRAGAW
Timeline
1821 Born in Dutchess County, New York
1850 28 Sep; US Census. Enfield, Tompkins Co., New York. Abram (29) Living with wife Sarah
(28, b.Dec 1822) and son Sam A. (5, b. 1845). Value of Real Estate: $2000.
1856 2 Sep; wife Sarah dies, age 33y 10m; buried in Hayts Cemetery, Town of Ithaca, NY
1857 2 Apr; married Rhoda Culver at the Reformed Dutch Church in Ithaca, NY. Evening event.
1860 10 Sep; US Census. Enfield, Tompkins County, New York. Abraham [Bragam] (37), wife
Rhoda (36), daughters Jane A. (15) and Sarah (4). Jane is attending school; Abram is a Farmer
whose real property is valued at $6000; personal property is valued at $1000.
1865 May; Taxes. Enfield, Tompkins County. Total tax: $11.20 derived from Income ($4.20), Gold
watch ($1.00), Piano ($4.00), and two Carriages at $1/ea ($2.00)
1865 24 Jun; NYS Census. Enfield, Tompkins Co., New York. Abraham [Beragaro] (44), owns a
wood house valued at $1000, born in Dutchess Co., NY, occupation: Farmer, has 2 children, in
his second marriage. Wife Rhoda (40), b 1825 in Tompkins Co., has 2 children, in her first
marriage. Daughters Jane Ann (19) and Sarah (8)—both born in Tompkins County [Enfield].
1866 Map of Enfield shows Abram’s property lies in the west half of Section 47 on the east side of
Van Dorn Rd, about ½ mile north of Van Dorn Corner (at Mecklenburg Road). Two residences
are shown being owned by Abram—one is probably a tenant house.
1867 31 Jan; wife Rhoda (Culver) Bragaw dies, age 43y 10m; buried in Hayts Cemetery, Town of
Ithaca, NY alongside Abram’s first wife Sarah.
1870 7 Jul; US Census. Enfield, Tompkins Co., New York. Abram S. Bragaw (48), born in New
York, Real property is valued at $10,000; personal property is valued at $15,000. Daughter
Sarah (18) who is attending school, and widowed daughter Jane A. (Bragaw) Shearer (24) are
living in his household.
1875 1 Jun; NYS Census. Enfield, Tompkins Co., New York. Abraham (53), widower, occupation:
Farmer, owns a frame house valued at $1500, born in Dutchess County, NY. Daughters Jane A.
(29) and Sarah (18) are living in his household.
1880 9 Jun; US Census. 60 South Geneva St., Ithaca, NY. Abraham [Bragan] (59) widower,
occupation: Farmer. Daughters Jennie Shearer (widow) (34) and Sarah (23) are living in the
household.
1892 16 Feb; US Census. Ithaca, NY. Abram S. (70), occupation: Farmer. Son-in-law John
Reynolds (55, b. England) whose occupation is Mesmerist (Hypnotist) and his wife
Jennie Ann (Bragaw) (Shearer) Reynolds (54) and their daughter Florence (3) are
living in the household. John and Jennie were married in 1881.
1894 30 Sep; Abram Bragaw died at age 73 years. Buried in Hayts Cemetery, Ithaca, New York with
his two wives Sarah and Rhoda. His gravestone information is unreadable. Source of Date of
Death: New York State Death Index.
1894 18 Dec; Daughter Jane Ann Reynolds was appointed Administratrix of her father’s Estate by
Superior Court Judge Bradford Almy.
1900 8 Jun; US Census. 320 S. Geneva St., Ithaca, New York. John Reynolds (63, b. July 1836),
Occupation: Lecturer, arrived from England in 1868. Married to Jennie (Bragaw) Reynolds
(54, b. July 1845). They have one child, Florence (11, b. May 1889) who is attending school.
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 5
WILLIAM C. CHASE
William C. Chase was born 14 September 1821 either in Hector or Ulysses. At the time, both
Townships were in Tompkins County. He was the son of Ezra Chase (1783-1873) and his second wife
Julia Curry (d. 1870). Ezra was originally from Putnam County and was a Minister in the Disciples of
Christ Church, an offshoot of the Baptist Church.
In 1850, William, at the age of 29 and single, was living with his parents and siblings in Enfield where
he was a farmer in partnership with his father. Within a year, William had married Margaret
Schumaker and had their first child—Alice F. born 30 June 1852. Allice died a little over 11 months
later in May 1853.
Throughout the next 10 years, Williams family grew: Ann Elnora (1853-1931), American (1855-1921),
LaGrande (1863-1881), and James Sage Chase (1866-1947). Between 1865 and 1870 the family
moved into Ithaca where William continued his occupation as an undefined Laborer according to the
various Censuses (US and NYS). Following his early death at age 53 on 7 May 1871, his widow
Margaret moved her family back to Enfield. William was buried in Christian Cemetery in Enfield
where his father Ezra and daughter Alice were buried. The son LaGrande who died at age 18 in 1881 is
also buried in Christian Cemetery.
Margaret, his widow, never remarried and lived in Enfield until she died in 1910. Her burial location
has not been located.
Daughter Elnora married Dr. Hazen Fish and was buried in Grove Cemetery, Trumansburg when she
died in 1931. Dr. Fish, a veterinarian born in Mecklenburg, died the following year.
Son American married Carrie Austin and moved to the Town of Danby where they had 9 children. He
was buried in South Hill Cemetery, Ithaca when he died in 1921.
Son James Sage Chase married Addie Dean April 1889 in Cayutaville and lived in the Searsburg area
of Hector Township. In 1917, James was convicted of 2nd degree forgery in Tompkins County and
received a 3-7-year term of incarceration at Auburn State Penitentiary. Within a month, his two
children Charles and Beatrice (Melvin Bodine) had sold his household goods and personal effects in
Trumansburg. James was released from prison around 1920 and began living in Geneva, Ontario
County where at the age of 58, he took a second wife, widow Carrie (Sprague) Canfield (57) in 1924.
James died in Geneva in June 1947 at the age of 81 when he was struck and killed by an automobile.
He is buried in Jones Cemetery, Hector, Schuyler County with his first wife Addie.
CHARLES COMPTON
Charles Compton was the youngest of David and Anna (Linderman) Compton’s four children. David,
the father, was born in New Jersey, Anna in New York. They were married in Ithaca in 1806. David
was counted in Enfield in the 1830 Census as Head of Household. Except for Charles, the Compton
family all lived and died in Tompkins County. Many are buried in Budd Cemetery, Enfield.
In 1853 Charles who was 32, married Nancy Smith of Newfield. Until then, according to the 1850
Census, he had been living with his parents in Enfield and was a farmer. Soon after Charles and
Nancy’s daughter (name unknown) was born, the young family left for Rockford, Winnebago Co.,
Illinois. Soon after arriving, Charles died in July 1854—probably from a large cholera
outbreak in that area. He was buried in Cedar Bluff Cemetery in Rockford at the age of 32 years.
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 6
Nancy went on to marry Calmo Webster (who deserted her) then Allen Jones (1824-1881). Both Allen
and Nancy are buried in Clinton Cemetery, Clinton, Rock County, Wisconsin who died 51 years later
11 February 1932 at the age of 94.
Notes about the US Census: Between 1790 and 1840, the US Census only named Heads of
Households. Numbers and sexes of household members were tallied by age groups: i.e. males under
age 6, females 6-10, etc. Beginning with the 1850 Census, individual names and ages were recorded—
but not their relationships to the Head of Household—that did not start until 1880.
Beginning with the 1900 Census (the 1890 Census was lost to fire), social questions began appearing
such as how many years couples were married; who was divorced; income (up to $5000 in 1939),
nationality of parents, etc.
Personal information from Censuses are not made available to the public for 72 years. The last Census
made public was 1940 which was released in 2012. The 1950 Census will be released in 2022.
CLARISSA A. COWEN
Clarissa, the daughter of Lewis and Esther (Carman) Cowen, was born in 1819 and died 16 Mar 1898
at the age of about 79 years. She lived with her parents until they died—Esther in 1857 and Lewis in
1860. Clarissa never married and lived with various siblings throughout her life. She is buried in Rolfe
Cemetery in the Town of Enfield along with her single sister Caroline Cowen (1830-1915)
Lewis Cowen, her father, was a farmer who with his family lived on the south side of what is now New
York Route 79 (Mecklenburg Road) between Applegate and Halseyville Roads. He was born in
Connecticut and came to Enfield by way of Dutchess County in the lower Hudson Valley which is
where he probably met his wife Esther. (There were a number of Carman families living in Dutchess
County at that period,)
In 1850, Lewis’s farm consisted of 60 acres; 50 acres improved and 10 acres unimproved. Compared
to other farms in the area, it would have been considered a small farm. He owned 2 horses, 4 cows, 14
sheep (from which he was able to shear 15 pounds of wool), and 4 hogs. The cows produced enough
milk to satisfy the family in addition to 400 pounds of butter. From the fields, Lewis reaped 11 tons of
hay for the livestock, 15 bushels of buckwheat and 50 bushels of potatoes. He was one of the few
farmers in the area with beehives which produced 20 pounds of honey (in 1860 he reported 32 pounds
of beeswax taken from the hives). Esther his wife, gave him 9 children—5 boys and 4 girls. One son,
also named Lewis, owned a farm nearby at the intersection of Applegate and Mecklenburg Roads.
Their children:
Lewis (b. 1803; d. 1882)
Harry (b. 1812)
Deborah Ann (b. 1814; d. 1864)
Abigail (Abby) (b. 1816)
William (b.1816; d. 1864)
David P.
Clarissa (b. 1819)
Esther Caroline (b. 1830; d. 1915)
Fannie (b. 1855)
Esther died 22 August 1857 and is buried in Christian Cemetery, Town of Enfield. Her husband Lewis
died three years later on 19 August 1860 and is also buried in Christian Cemetery.
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 7
At the father’s death in 1860, there was a delay in getting his Will probated as the Executor (son
William) delayed in filing the document and eventually died himself. The Court then appointed
Lewis’s oldest son
Mary A. (Lovell) Georgia
Mary Lovell was the oldest of Aaron and Hetta/Hetty (Griffin) Lovell’s 8 children. She was born May
1821 in the Town of Enfield. Her father Aaron came to Enfield from Sussex County, New Jersey with
his parents Asahel and Hannah (Byram) Lovell about 1805. Hetty was born in Westchester County,
New York. Aaron was a Carriage Maker along with other members of the Lovell family.
In 1855 at the age of 34, Mary wed Cyrenus Stilson Georgia, a widower and farmer who was 41.
Together, they had two children: Charles (b. 1858) and Jerome (b. 1863). Cyrenus’ first wife was
Margaret Ann (Harvey) Georgia, daughter of Joel and Olive Rose (Ink) Harvey—both of well-known
Enfield families.
In 1866, when Tompkins County was mapped, Cyrenus Georgia’s farm was located on the south side of
Fish Road in the SW ¼ of Section 51. His name was erroneously labeled as “C. S. Gregory”.
Cyrenus died in 1901 and is buried in Mecklenburg Union Cemetery (Town of Hector). Wife Mary A.
(Lovell) Georgia died in 1910 and is buried alongside Cyrenus.
About Aaron Lovell, Mary’s father: He was the son of Asahel Lovell (1756-1835) and Hannah Bryam
(1756-1824) who came to Enfield in 1805 from Sussex County, New Jersey. Both are buried in Budd
Cemetery, Enfield. Aaron (1791-1851) married Hetty Griffin (1803-1868). Both are buried in Enfield
Cemetery. Their eight children, all born in Enfield, are:
Mary A. (b. 1821)
Amos (b. 1824)
John J. (b. 1825)
Elizabeth (b. 1827)
Jerome (b. 1829)
Oliver A. (b. 1832)
George W. (b. 1836)
Emily Ann (b. 1841)
CALISTA (GODDING) BYRUM
Calista Godding was born June 1820 in the Town of Enfield, the daughter of William and Mary
(Bennett) Godding.
In 1850, Calista (29) was working as a Domestic in the home of widower Oliver W. Byrum* (35) and
his three children: Viola (9), Joseph (8), and Rodrick (6). His departed wife was Caroline (Newberry)
Byrum (NFI). Not too much time elapsed before Calista and Oliver decided to marry. Which they did
before 1860. Oliver’s 42-acre farm was in the NE ¼ of Section 51 in Enfield on the south side of
Route 79 at Rothermich Road, two miles east of the Tompkins/Schuyler County Line.
When Oliver died in September 1875 without a Will, he was buried in Budd Cemetery in Enfield.
Shortly thereafter, Calista approached the Tompkins County Surrogate Court Judge and requested she
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 8
be released as Administrator of Oliver’s estate and be replaced by Oliver’s youngest child Rodrick. It
was obvious to the Judge that Calista was incapable of the task assigned her as she was unable to write
(her unmistakable “X” was prominent on the request) and probably could not read either. Her request
was granted.
Calista then took up residence with her sister Hannah and family (husband Rowland Wilbour and
daughter Kate). By 1900, Calista was 79 and living with her niece Kate and husband James Courtney
in Enfield. Calista died 1 December 1901 at the age of 81. She is buried in Trumbull’s Corners Rural
Cemetery in the adjacent Town of Newfield. Three years later in 1904, Kate died at age 65 and is
buried in the same Cemetery.
* There are two spellings of Oliver’s family name: Byrum and Byram.
SAMUEL A. HOLMES
Samuel Holmes was born in 1815 in New York State of parents who also were born in New York. Only
once (1875) did he claim to have born outside of New York—Connecticut.
Therein lies the problem with Samuel. He had a way of shading the truth whenever he met a Federal or
State official conducting a Census. In 1850 he claimed to be 29 years of age when he was actually 35.
Samuel married Margaret Ann Van Dorn, the youngest daughter of Peter and Mary (Irwin) Van Dorn of
Enfield. In the 1850 Census, they had a 3-year-old daughter Mary Julia Holmes. At the time, Samuel
was a Drover—a driver of cattle or sheep.
By 1860, the Holmes family had grown by two more daughters: Harriet (b.1854) and Carrie (b. 1856).
They had also moved into Ithaca where Samuel was operating a Livery. This occupation consisted of
renting horses, wagons, buggies, etc. for city residents who had no place to keep their own horses and
equipment.
Before the move to Ithaca, Samuel had been an undersheriff (deputy) for the Town of Enfield.
Sometime between the New York Census in 1865 and the Federal Census in 1870, there had been a
significant change in the makeup of the Holmes family. Daughter Mary Julia married Abial Stamp;
Samuel had given up his livery business and in 1866 had become a partner with Mary’s new husband in
ownership of the Tompkins House Hotel at the corner of N. Aurora and E. Seneca Streets in Ithaca. He
had also separated from his wife Margaret Ann.
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 9
Tompkins House at N. Aurora and E. Seneca Sts., Ithaca, NY
(now the site of the East Seneca Street Parking Garage)
In 1875, Margaret was living and working as a housekeeper in the household of John and Mary Pregar
in Enfield and Samuel was still half-owner of the Tompkins House. Margaret was now going by her
middle name Ann and had declared she was divorced. Meanwhile, the Census Enumerator in Ithaca
noted Samuel was “married but not living with his wife”. In the 1880 Census, Ann still claimed she
was divorced but Samuel reported he was “widowed” even though Ann did not die until 8 years later in
1888.
The 1880 Census showed Ann Holmes (56) living as a boarder in the household of Edwin and Sallie
Ford. It also showed she was insane. Another part of the Census relating to insane individuals reported
she had been declared insane at the age of 46 (about 1870) and she did not require restraint even though
she had experienced 10 attacks in the previous 2 months. At her death in 1888, Ann was buried in
Christian Cemetery, Enfield with her parents. Her gravestone shows span of life was 1830-1888. Her
actual birth year was 1825/1826.
Samuel Holmes died at the age of 78 in 1892. He is buried in Ithaca City Cemetery with his daughter
and son in law Mary J. and Abial Stamp and daughter Hattie (Holmes) Hoagland.
Ithaca City Cemetery Holmes/Stamp Monument
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 10
PRISCILLA (SMITH) LYON
Priscilla Smith, daughter of Joshua and Margaret ‘Peggy’ (Harper) Smith, was born in 1811, probably
in what is now the Town of Enfield (which is where her father died in 1839). Priscilla married Alfred
H. Lyon in November 1827.
In 1850, when the Federal Census began naming all persons living in a residence, Alfred Lyon’s family
was recorded as:
Alfred H. Lyon, 34, Farmer (1805-1859)
Prusetta (Priscilla), 29 [both her and her husband’s ages were misrepresented] (1811-1878)
Ellen, 19
William, 14
Francis J., 11 (1838-1891)
Edward, 9
Louisa, 5
Between 1850 and 1860, Alfred had moved his family to Bengal, Clinton County, Michigan where he
continued his occupation as a farmer. The Town of Bengal is in central Michigan and is approximately
the same size as Enfield (36 sq. mi.) with a population of 1,200. In December 1859 at the age of 54,
Alfred died of apoplexy and was buried in Bray Cemetery, St. Johns, Clinton County, Michigan.
When the next Census was taken the next year in 1860, William had married and had his own farm;
Francis had taken over operating his father’s farm and Priscilla was Head of Household that included
Francis and his siblings. By 1870, Priscilla and Francis had reversed their family roles and he was now
Head of Household. For some unexplained reason, Priscilla, at age 62, was recorded as ‘aged’.
Priscilla died in 1878 at the age of 67 and Francis 12 years later at the age of 53 in 1891. Both are
buried with Alfred Lyon in Bray Cemetery.
FLULORE ROFF (AKA) FREELOVE CARMAN ROLFE
Freelove was a daughter of Charles and Sarah (Ludlum) Carman. Charles (1792-1875) was born in
Greene County, New York, and Sarah (1795-1881) was born in Orange County, New York. They met
in Hector, Seneca County and married in 1813 before Hector was set off to Tompkins County. Freelove
was born 20 October 1820, in Hector, one of nine children. Her father Charles was the son of Caleb
and Mary (Lisk) Carman. Caleb, after settling in Perry City in the adjoining Town of Hector was one
of the founders of the Quaker Church in the area.
At the age of 26, Freelove married George Rolfe on 22 Apr 1847. George had been born in Enfield 19
Sep 1823 and was one of many Rolfe Family members in the Town. Their farm, located at the
southwest corner of Fish and Black Oak Roads, would be considered a self-sustaining small farm by
contemporary standards. Total acreage was 33 acres of which 24 was tilled. There were three horses
(one of which was used for wagon pulling, the other two for field work), a cow for milk and butter, two
dozen chickens for eggs and two hogs. Crops raised were barley, corn, oats, wheat for a variety of
flours and animal feed, and another acre for potatoes. An additional acre was set aside for 45 apple
trees and a peach tree. They also raised three children:
Cyren A. was born in Enfield 28 Jun 1848. She remained single her entire life, living with her
parents. Events leading up to her death were recorded by the Trumansburg Free Press: 6 Jun 1908:
while attending the 50th wedding anniversary of friends in Blodget Mills, Cortland County, Cyren was
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 11
stricken with paralysis while dining with 100 other guests. 20 June: Cyren is confined to a bed at the
Ithaca Hospital suffering from paralysis. (She had already passed on the 19th, not quite reaching the age
of 60.) 27 June: The funeral was held at her home in Enfield. She is buried in the Rolfe Cemetery
with her parents.
Charles C. was born in Enfield February 1850. Like his sister, he also remained single his
entire life, living with his parents until his death in December 1884 at the age of 34. Like most young
men who lived at home on the farm, he spent his days helping his father with the farm work. After he
turned 20, he began teaching school; a job he continued until his death. Charles is buried in Rolfe
Cemetery with his parents.
Floyd F. also was born in Enfield in October 1857. He married a local woman, Sarah Russell
on 28 Nov 1888 when he was 31 and she 22. They had two daughters Bertha and Bessie. Throughout
his life he worked the family farm. Shortly after his death on 24 January 1910 at age 52 and buried in
Rolfe Cemetery with his parents and siblings, the family farm was auctioned on 2 March 1910.
Floyd’s widow, Sarah moved on and took jobs as a Housekeeper. At the age of 63, in 1930, she
remarried to widower Florence Fish (80) a retired mason who lived in Trumansburg. Sarah had been
working for him as a housekeeper. (Florence was a veteran of the Civil War having enlisted at the age
of 14.) Sarah (Russell) (Rolfe) Fish died at the age of 93 and is buried with her second husband
Florence in Grove Cemetery, Trumansburg.
George and Freelove both died in late 1903—a month apart. Freelove in October and George in
November. Both are buried in Rolfe Cemetery. After their deaths, son Floyd became the owner of the
farm and continued working it until his death seven years later in early 1910. The farm was sold out of
the family two months later.
Charles Lisk Carman, father of Freelove Carman
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 12
MYRON AUGUSTIN SEXTON
Myron A. Sexton was born July 1819 in Madison County, New York to Augustin and Hannah Sexton.
By 1850, he and his wife Hannah (Harvey) Sexton and daughter Evaline “Lina” (b. Feb. 1848) were
living in Enfield on his farm. Son Joseph was born June 1857. Between 1860 and 1865, Myron and
his family moved from the Town of Enfield to the Town of Ithaca where he had purchased a 100-acre
in Section 56 on the northside of the intersection of Mecklenburg Road and Westhaven Road.
In 1875, the New York Census recorded Myron, Hannah and son Joseph being joined by daughter
“Lina” and her family—husband Noah Dimmick Keator and their 10-month-old daughter Emma
Louise.
The winter of 1879-1880 was a disaster for Myron Sexton’s family. Beginning on January 4th, 1880,
son Joseph died at 23 years of age. Later that month, daughter “Lina” died on the 30th not quite 33
years of age. Five days later, granddaughter Emma Louise died at the age of 5 years. Three days after
Emma died, Myron’s wife Hannah succumbed on February 7th at age 58.
The Ithaca Journal on February 7th carried this article:
“Mrs. Myron Sexton died this afternoon, making the fourth person of her family who have
fallen victim to the terrible disease that has scourged the Sexton household, the first being Joseph, the
next Mrs. Keator [“Lina”] then the little daughter [Emma], and now the aged grandmother.
Mr. Keator has gone east in hope of warding off the fever. Mrs. Sexton’s funeral is announced
among the regular obituary notices.”
Noah Keator died six months later August 3rd at age 42. Only Myron survived this disaster which was
reported either as Typhoid Fever or Malarial Fever. Water samples from the family well were taken
and analyzed by Cornell University which found “poisons in the water”. (See the attached record of
Ithaca Journal news items regarding this incident.)
Myron survived and later remarried to Jane (Parmalee) Slawson and moved to her residence in
Knowsville, Orleans County, New York where he died March 8, 1901 at the age of 80 years. His
remains were returned to Ithaca to be buried with members of his family at Ithaca City Cemetery.
Sexton-Keator Monument
Ithaca City Cemetery
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 13
Myron Augustin Sexton (1819-1901)
Hannah (Harvey) Sexton (1821-1880)
Joseph Harvey Sexton (1857-1880)
Eveline “Lina” (Sexton) Keator (1848-1880)
Noah Dimmick Keator (1838-1880)
Emma Louise Keator (1874-1880)
LYDIA ANN (CRAWFORD) SHERER
Lydia was born in 1820 in New York State to David and Lucinda Crawford. She had a younger sister
Rachel (b. 1825).
In 1845 at the age of 25, Lydia married William D. Sherer (33) who was born December 1812 in
Orange County, New York. William was a Shoemaker. They had one child, Lucinda (“Lucy”) V.
Sherer, born August 1846. By 1850, William and his small family were living adjacent to Lucy’s
parents. William had established himself as a shoemaker in the town of Enfield, working from his
home.
Lydia died 8 November 1855 from unknown causes. She was buried in Harvey Cemetery located on
Buck Hill Road (Hector/Enfield Town Line Road) on the Hector side of the road. The cemetery lies
between Harvey Hill Road and Enfield Center Road and is named for the large number of Harvey
family members located in the western part of Enfield. Her gravestone carries this eerie epitaph:
“Remember as you pass by, As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you must be. Prepare for
death and follow me.”
Following her death, daughter Lucy (14) began living with her Crawford grandparents and her father
William moved to the household of Bradford L. Almy also a Shoemaker. The Almy household was
located on the northern Town Line Road (Ulysses/Enfield). Bradford Almy’s son also named Bradford
(15) would later in life become a Tompkins County Judge.)
Grandfather David Crawford died of consumption (tuberculosis) on 12 May 1863 and was buried in
Harvey cemetery. His widow Lucinda and granddaughter Lucy then moved in with Lucy’s aunt Rachel
who had by then married James Durling. The Durling home/farm was located in the NW ¼ of Section
58, three miles west of Enfield Center, on the Hector/Enfield Town Line Road across from the Harvey
cemetery. Grandmother, Lucinda Crawford (69) died 6 September 1864 of Bloody Dysentery a week
after her grandson Bower L. Darling (3) died of the same malady. Although her name does not appear
on the Harvey Cemetery listings, she is more than likely buried there with her husband. No obituary or
death notice was found in the local newspapers.
Lucy went on to marry Oliver Perry Swick (b. 1844, Hector) in 1868. By 1870 they had a little farm on
Town Line (Buck Hill) Rd. north of the Mecklenburg Road. Meanwhile, her father was now living
with his wife’s sister Rachel and her husband James Durling.
In 1880, William (the father) was living with Lucy and Oliver and their two sons Frank and Howard on
a farm in Catherine, Schuyler County. By this time, William had given up his trade as a Shoemaker.
The family later moved to North Hector (Valois) in Schuyler County where William died on 21
September 1893. He was two months shy of being 81 years of age. His obituary from a local paper
reads:
“DIED. At North Hector, NY, September 21, 1893 William Shearer [sic], aged 80 years and 10
months.
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 14
Mr. Shearer was born in Orange County, and removed to this county many years ago, and
worked the trade of shoemaking.
He was an honest, kindly man, and although for many years a partial invalid—lost to the active
world—yet he will be greatly missed in the home circle. He had for many years lived with his
only child, Mrs. Perry Swick [Lucinda/Lucy], from whose house the funeral was held. The
interment was in Harvey Cemetery.”
Oliver Swick died in 1913 and his wife Lucy (Sherer) Swick died in 1917. Both are buried in Laurel
Cemetery near Odessa, Catherine, Schuyler County.
Nelson R. Updike
Nelson R. Updike/Updyke was the son of Reuben and Alche (Rappleye) Updike. He was born about
1821 either in Ulysses or Enfield. His parents are buried in the Old Log Meeting House Cemetery at
the intersection of Perry City and Podunk Roads in Ulysses.
In 1850, Nelson was married to Mary Jane Harvey and was operating a farm in Enfield. They had 3
children: Everett Clayton (9), Frances M. (6), and Jane Ann (3).
By the 1860 Census in June, Nelson had given up farming and had purchased the Union House Hotel in
Trumansburg, Ulysses, Tompkins County and became its Proprietor. His family had increased by the
addition of son Clarence W. (9). In the ads he ran in the Trumansburg newspaper, he noted that “horses
and carriages were kept constantly on hand for the accommodation of the public.”
Apparently, his efforts at operating a hotel were unsuccessful as by February 1862 a Sheriff’s Sale was
ordered to sell “all goods, chattels, land and tenements” owned by Nelson Updike. The Sale kept being
postponed until August 1862. By the middle of January 1863, the local newspaper reported that
Rodney Marsh of Freeville, Tompkins county had taken over operation of the Union House.
Two months later in March 1863, it was officially announced that Nelson R. Updike had just been
sentenced to two years and one month in the Auburn State Prison for the crime of bigamy. (No public
record had been made of this situation prior to the sentencing announcement.)
In June 1865 when New York State conducted its Census, Nelson (45) was out of prison and living in
Elmira with his second wife Maggie (25). He was again operating a Hotel. Later that year a daughter
Inza would be born.
By 1867 when his second daughter with Maggie was born (Hattie), Nelson and his family had moved
to Williamsport, Pennsylvania where his occupation was listed in 1870 and 1880 as a Teamster.
In 1880, while living at 252 E Third St., Williamsport (now a parking lot), daughter Inza (14) was
recorded as being crippled but able to attend school along with her sister Hattie.
Other than son Everett who died in Iowa in 1917, no public record of Nelson, his two wives, or their
children have been located by over 70 researchers beyond 1880 when Nelson was 59 years old.
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 15
JOHN VAN DORN
John Van Dorn was born in Peapack, Somerset Co., New Jersey in November 1819. His parents were
Peter and Mary Irwin Van Dorn. (Peapack is approximately halfway between New York City and the
Delaware Water Gap.) The Van Dorn family moved to Enfield between John’s birth (1819) and 1830
when Peter was recorded in the Federal Census as having a wife and 8 children.
Mary died in August 1834 at the age of 45 and is buried in Christian Cemetery, Enfield. There is an
acknowledgement on Findagrave.com that she helped her husband Peter build Van Dorn’s Tavern at
Van Dorn’s Corner in Enfield. In 1846 Peter was appointed Postmaster of Enfield a position typically
given to a person, among other criteria, who operated a public business—general store, inn, tavern, etc.
In 1850, he was operating an Inn with his second wife Caroline. Peter died in January 1866 at the age
of 72 and is buried with his first wife Mary in Enfield’s Christina Cemetery. (Caroline died in May
1865 and is buried in Hayts Cemetery.)
Peter Van Dorn (1793-1866)
John Van Dorn, the son, married Julia Burton about 1850 when both were living in Enfield and he was
a Drover (driver of cattle or sheep). Shortly thereafter, they began building their family of 4 sons:
William (1851), Edward (1853), Charles (1858) and Daniel (1865). The first three were born in
Enfield, Daniel was born in the Town of Ithaca. In 1866, John was appointed an Administrator of his
father’s estate.
By 1863, John and his family had moved from their farm in Enfield to a farm on the north side of
Mecklenburg Road at the Westhaven Road intersection in the Town of Ithaca. His new farm was
located immediately to the west of the farm of Myron Sexton whose family was decimated by typhoid
fever in the winter of 1879-80 due to what was believed to be contaminated well water.
JOHN H. WILLIS
John H. Willis was born in New Rochelle, Westchester County, New York on October 20, 1820 son of
John and Mary (Sivalls) Willis. He was the youngest of three sons: William, James, and John. The
family came to Tompkins County in 1838 and settled in the Town of Enfield.
For the first few years, John worked at being a harness maker. Then in September 1843, he married
Caroline Marshall. They had one child, a son, Morris S. Willis born in 1848. By that time, John’s
father had died in 1847 and he had given up being a harness maker and was back on the family farm
where he farmed a portion of it. His mother Mary died in October 1848.
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 16
Between 1850 and 1855, John and his family moved from the Town of Enfield to the Town of Belfast
in Allegany County where they settled on a 132-acre farm. This was not a ‘spur of the moment’ move
as John’s wife had family living in Allegany County.
After son Morris had completed his education in the adjoining Town of Angelica (Angelica Academy),
in 1868, the family moved back to Tompkins County in the Town of Ithaca where John had purchased a
farm. In a few years, by 1875, three of John and Caroline’s nephews and niece (James, Edward, and
Louise Marshall) of Allegany County were old enough and joined them on the Ithaca farm.
As the rigors of age set in, John left most of the farm work to his nephew Edward Marshall and a live-
in farm laborer, E. E. Kellogg while he, at the age of 60, peddled milk in and around Ithaca.
Meanwhile his son Morris married Ella Kennedy, daughter of Steven Kennedy of Ithaca in December
1877. She died six years later at the age of 32 in September 1883. In 1886, Morris purchased a 150-
acre farm in the Town of Lansing that had a running stream which supported a grain and sawmill. He
invited his parents John and Caroline to live with him. Two years later Morris married for a second
time, Louisa (Norton) Drake, daughter of Jonathan and Emma Norton of Lansing.
John and Caroline continued to live with Morris and his wife until their deaths: John in June 1898 and
Caroline in January 1912.
John, Caroline, Morris who died in May 1928, and Morris’ first wife Ella are buried in Hayts Cemetery
in the Town of Ithaca.
MARY (BUDD) WOOD
Mary (Budd) Wood was born September 8, 1820 to John and Christina (Shafer) Budd in part of the
Town of Ulysses that became Town of Enfield a few months later in 1821.
In 1850 she married Daniel R. Wood (1818-1885)* a farmer in Enfield who lived on the south side of
Gray Road in the north half of Section 77. It was here Mary died at the young age of 32 years on
September 1, 1853.
Mary is buried in Enfield Falls Cemetery (aka Budd Cemetery) with other members of the Wood and
Budd families a few days shy of her 33rd birthday.
ORSEMUS WORTMAN
Orsemus: Latin: “Let Us Pray” (Wikipedia)
Orsemus Wortman was born in 1821 to John and Ida (Viscelius) Wortman either in the Town of Ulysses
or the Town of Enfield (which had been formed that year from Ulysses). When Orsemus was 4 years
old, his father and older brother Azariah died in 1825. The father, 35, in April and the brother, 9, in
August. Both are buried in the Old Log Meeting House Cemetery located at the intersection of Perry
City and Podunk Roads in Ulysses.
Ida, the widow, with four children: Theodore V. (1818-1864), Orsemus (1821-1897), Jacob R. (1823-
1904), and John G. (1825-1894) who she was pregnant with, remarried to Nathaniel Gray (1778-1849).
Together they had Naomi Gray who was born in 1830.
When the 1850 Census was taken, Orsemus, at 29, was Head of the Household that consisted of his
widowed mother Ida (55) (Nathaniel had died the previous year), his brother John G. (25) and his new
wife Elizabeth (23), and his half-sister Naomi Gray (20). Orsemus was single and owned a 100-acre
farm with 5 horses, 3 cows, 15 sheep.
Who was born in Enfield in 1821? 17
In 1865, Orsemus had given up farming and had moved into Ithaca, living with his younger brother
Jacob and his family. (Jacob was a butcher). Their single half-sister Naomi Gray was also living in the
household. Within five years, Orsemus was back in Enfield living with another brother John G.
Wortman and his family. John was an Undertaker and Orsemus was listed in the Census as a
‘Merchant”. It is presumed, based on their occupations, their home was in or near Enfield Center.
In the New York State Census of 1875, Orsemus was boarding with farmer James and Loraine Bagley
and was recorded as ‘Orsey” and was a Store Clerk. Meanwhile Naomi was working on the west side
of the Town on Town Line Road (now Black Rock Rd.) in the household of George and Hannah Bodle
as a Domestic Servant. By the summer of 1876, Naomi (46) had married the widower Annanias Smith
(66) of Catherine, Schuyler County. A year later, he died and was buried in Cayutaville Cemetery in
the Town of Hector with his first wife Sally. According to Annanias’ Will, Naomi received his entire
estate.
By 1880, Orsemus had purchased a 12-acre lot where he and his widowed half-sister Naomi were
living. He owned a cow, a horse and 7 chickens. They lived here until his death in 1897.
‘Orsemus Wortman died at his home in Enfield Center yesterday morning at 6 o’clock, aged 76 years.
He leaves to mourn his loss a brother, J. R. Wortman, of this city [Ithaca], the only surviving member
of a family of five sons. The funeral will be held from his late residence Wednesday at 2 p.m.’ (The
Ithaca Daily News, Tuesday May 4, 1897)
Orsemus Wortman (1821-1897) is buried in Enfield Village Cemetery with his half-sister Naomi (Gray)
Smith who died in 1908. The grave marker is labeled SMITH.