Ruth JEROME, 1760-1824, CT USA

My 4th great-grandmother on my maternal line, Ruth JEROME, is the youngest daughter [the 11th child] of my favourite-named ancestor, Zerubbabel JEROME - and his wife Phebe COOK. Interestingly, Zerubbabel married her younger sister Sarah first. Unfortunately Sarah died in childbirth of her first child who also died, a daughter named Mary. 

I do wonder how those marriages were talked about in the family. Probably the families were close, I have found several siblings to Sarah and Phebe Cook; their father married several times, with 1-4 children from each wife. More research would be helpful in understanding the social context. Certainly the region was still opening up to settlers.

Back to Ruth JEROME: She was born 14 Jun 1760, in Harwinton, Litchfield, CT, surrounded by her many siblings. And on 8 Dec 1778 in Harwinton, CT, she married Stephen Wells GRAVES [sr], b 2 Feb 1752 in East Plymouth, Litchfield CT. Take note of that 1778 date - the "Revolutionary War" had been ongoing for 2 years by this time. Both the Jerome and Graves families, as well as some of their farming neighbours, were apparently not actively pro-revolution. Stephen had furnished a substitute soldier after first being drafted into service. But he and up to 30 of his neighbours were harassed regularly by "Patriot" vigilantes   - the Sons of Liberty - attempting to hogtie the men and force them into fighting the British. The Graves' home was particularly targeted by the Sons of Liberty as it was known to be a rendezvous for the local Loyalists. 

Interestingly, a 32 page history of the region provides anecdotes of how the neighbouring women would blow conch shells to warn the working men to high-tail it to the Tory Den [see photo] and other hiding places when the Patriots came calling on horseback to their farms. Unfortunately that small history is no longer shown on any of the Harwinton sites, nor on Internet Archive.  

I have two short articles which you can request from me - see email address at bottom of page - with this historical information.  One was from the NEHGS March 2015:  "The Connecticut Tory Den - Safe Haven for the Royalist Sympathizers."  The second source would be "The Tories of Chippeny Hill, Connecticut," by E.LeRoy Pond. In addition, there is a history of Harwinton House, compiled by Roger Plaskett, Harwinton Town Historian, 2006.  Stephen GRAVES built this house after the war, 1795. It was moved from Harwinton to New Canaan, where it still stands.

Ruth JEROME and Stephen GRAVES in lived in Harwinton CT, where their 7 children were born - note the two first little girls dying on the same day:

   1.  Nancy, b 7 Nov 1779, d. 20 Aug 1783

   2.  Ruth, b 1 Mar 1781, d. 20 Aug 1783 

   3.  Cornelius [ancestor], b 15 Feb 1783, d. 27 Sep 1828 Auburn, Cayuga,
           NY; m. Anna TREAT est. 1803 in Harwinton; 8 known children,  2 died
           young.

   4.  Major Nelson, [Major is his name], b. 29 Dec 1784, d. 4 Aug 1861 Jordan,
          Onondaga, NY; m. 3 Apr 1806 in Litchfield CT to Abigail Lankton; 10
           known children, of whom 4 died young.

   5.  Stephen Wells jr, b 5 Aug 1791, d. 3 Aug 1854 in Dover, MI; m. 15 Nov
           1811 to Rhoda Clark, in Burlington CT; 3 known children

   6.  Nancy, b. 23 Jun 1793, d. 11 Dec 1873 in Cambridge IL; m. 15 Feb 1815
           in Jordan NY to Miles Welton; 10 children, 9 of whom lived to adulthood.

   7.  Ruth, b. 20 Jul 1795, d. 15 Apr 1886 in Plymouth Hollow [Thomaston],
           Litchfield CT; m. 26 Mar 1817 to Marvin Blakeslee from Plymouth Hollow;
           no children researched as yet.

As you can see, 18 year old Ruth married, moved to Stephen's farm during the early years of the Revolutionary War, and suffered her first two children dying on the same day - likely from a contagious disease - while caring for her 3rd child, a son, who was only 6 months old. During the Revolutionary War, she and her husband were fighting off the Sons of Liberty who stole and destroyed her conch shell at gunpoint, as she was trying to keep her husband safe. She also brought food for the men hiding, leaving it a ways from the cave so as not to lead the Patriots to the loyalist men. Fascinating challenging times.

Several of her children moved away with their spouses to Michigan, Illinois, and further in New York. 

Ruth died 28 Aug 1824, in possibly Harwinton, CT, and has a tall slab gravestone next to her husband's in Terryville, Litchfield, CT.  Her gravestone is inscribed with a short sentence: "The memory of the just is blessed"  She was 64 years old, her original 5 living children were married, and with eventually over 28 grandchildren. Note Terryville is just under 8 miles from Harwinton. See FindaGrave for image of both Ruth and Stephen's gravestones. 

Stephen lived a few years past her death, and died 6 Jun 1828, in Terryville, aged 76 years. He is buried beside her, with his own tall slab gravestone as well. Terryville is a town within the town of Plymouth CT.

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If these are your ancestors, I am happy to share what little I have on these ancestors. And if there are errors, please do let me know, via calewis at telus dot net, or in the Comments below and I will get back to you either by email or in the Comments. I appreciate the opportunity to correct any issues in these family trees.

Blogger - or my computer - is not letting me "reply" to your comments. If I don't reply to your Comment, please know that I'm totally thrilled you came to read my post and commented! You truly make my day!! 

"Favourite Name" - #52ancestors: Zerubbabel JEROME

This week, in the year-long #52ancestors challenge by genealogist Amy Johnson Crow, has the prompt: Favourite Name.  

Mine is Zerubbabel JEROME.

This is indeed my all-time favourite first name in our ancestors. I also listed a few more which are appealing for various reasons, but this one is the winner.

Can you picture a darling little boy in the arms of his mother, with father looking on happily, and they smile and say, "Let's call him Zerubbabel!"  

Of course, that is not how they named him - such a very unusual name. No, they would have opened their Bible and poked a finger at a page, then looked at the nearest male name. Apparently Zerubbabel is listed only three or four times in the Bible, and  translates to Seed of Babylon. 

I immediately wonder how he was called to come in for supper when he was playing outside, and what did his best friends call him... 

I know little about him as yet. He was born 3 Apr 1715 in Windham, Connecticut, married two sisters in Meriden, Connecticut, lived for a time in Bristol, CT, and died in October 1783 in Farmington, Connecticut, aged 68.  

Zerubbabel was the third child of the seven known children, second son, of Timothy JEROME & Abagail RICH, who married in 1709 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. All seven children married and had children, the start of a large pool of descendants to this day. By the way, Timothy JEROME is Winston Churchill's wife's great-great-great-grandfather [Jennie Jerome]. 

Zerubbabel married two sisters, daughters of Henry COOK. His first wife was Sarah Cook, and in 1737, she died in childbirth, her baby girl, Mary, also died.  

The following year, August 30, 1738, he married Sarah's sister, Phebe, in Meriden, New Haven, Connecticut. I can hear Judy G. Russell's voice in my head - "Did you check the laws to see if this marriage was approved/allowed by law-? There could be records!" Sigh, I haven't but I will. Honest! Any day now.

Zerubbabel and Phebe had 11 children, several of whom died youngish [females in their 20s], as well as a namesake Zerubbabel who died as an infant. A subsequent son, the 10th child, was named Zerubbabel also, and lived into his 60s. I have written about Zerubbabel previously - search the site for other posts, using the Search this Blog box below my photo, on the right. 

My line comes from their youngest daughter, Ruth JEROME, who married into the GRAVES family in Harwinton, Connecticut.

A few other interesting first names:

• Achsa Beebe - I believe this is a girl, born in Naugatuck, CT
• Agnes Gosling - 1500s England; this one tickles my fancy, as Agnes means "lamb of God" and Gosling - well really, "little goose."
• Barzilla Beebe - those Beebe's! born in the 1700s, early 1800s 
• Cliofus Veach - late 1800s, in Illinois [RICE line]
• Concurrence Meigs - mid-1600s, Massachusetts
• Egbert Noyes Foster - mid-1850s, Oregon - AKA "Norman" 
• Eusebius Jacobus Owings - early 1800s, PA
• Gamaliel Reynolds - early 1700s, CT; and Gamaliel Veach, 1800s Illinois
• Increase - several, in mid-1600s to 1700s, MA & CT. Since a pregnant woman was said to be 'increasing', this seems an odd name to give a baby girl... 
• Jabez Healy - meaning "sorrowful" - for a boy, late 1700s in MA. Hmmm. 
• Legoria Kuhn - I have no idea here: perhaps a Spanish name
• Macedon Ault Rudisill - a mouthful, born in late 1800s, PA
• Resolved White [Mayflower] - born 1614 Eng; brother born on ship 1620, Peregrine.
• Taliaferro Craig - eventually spelled as pronounced: Tolliver, born 1700s in Virginia

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If any of these are ancestors of yours, I would be happy to hear from you with your comments or corrected information. I am also very happy to share any details I might have that are not shown on this post. Contact information is found at the very bottom of this blog.

Blogger has a glitch which is stopping me from replying to your comments, but please do know that I appreciate your comments very much. You make my day! Thanks so much for stopping by to read my family blog.

52 ANCESTORS in 52 WEEKS, No. 41: Abigaile GREENE, early NE settler

Following the challenge from Amy Johnson Crow to write a post weekly, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, here is my 41st installment, Abigail GREENE, who d. after 1687.  I know little about her, which is why I chose her for today's post. Abigail is my 7th Great-grandmother on my maternal line. 

Abigaile was born 22 February 1659/60, in Salem, Essex, MA.  Histories state her parents were John GREENE & Mary WARREN, from England.  Various records online seem to indicate she was the eldest of 5 children (4 girls, 1 boy), named Abigail, Mary, Sara, Elizabeth, and John.  

Abigaile is the grandmother of my favouritely-named ancestor, Zerubbabel JEROME, whom I wrote about on January 7, 2014 - #2 in this blog challenge for the year.

Abigail GREENE married Nicholas RICH (Jr.), the son of Nicholas & Sarah RICH, both from England as well.  I have estimated her marriage date to Nicholas Jr. as approximately 1680-1685 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts.  

I have been able to find 6 children listed as their children, however there is a significant gap after #2, Abigaile, which makes me wonder whether she may have died, and the remaining four children might be from a 2nd wife:
  1.  Samuel, b. 1685; m.?; d. 1729
  2.  Abigaile [ancestor], b. 2 Oct 1687, Wenham [Salem] MA; m. in 1709 to Timothy JEROME; 7 children
  3.  David, b. 1695
  4.  Sara, b. 1697
  5.  Mary, b. 1699
  6. John or Jonathan, b. 1702

I do not have a death date for Abigaile GREENE Rich.  Her husband, Nicholas RICH (jr), apparently died 21 Oct 1726 in Preston, Connecticut, although I have confirmed neither this date nor place.

Note that Abigaile was spelled in a variety of ways: Abigail, Abigall, Abigale, Abigaile.  Early records in Massachusetts are wonderful, but challenging to wade through, online.  One day I would love to spend several weeks at the New England Historic Genealogical Society Library in Boston.  I'm certain I'd find relevant and interesting records on this family!  

If you have further information or details, or corrections, please do not hesitate to contact me via calewis at telus dot net or, in the Comments below.  Thanks so much for stopping by.

52 ANCESTORS in 52 WEEKS: #2 ZERUBBABEL JEROME

Zerubbabel JEROME - I simply love this name. Four syllables, with the emphasis on the 1st and the 3rd syllables.  What did his mother call him when she wanted him right away?   I have a hard time thinking of a new mother looking at a new little baby boy and saying "Oh, how sweet, I think we'll call him Zerubbabel!"  

My 5th great-grandfather, he was the 3rd child (2nd son) of Timothy (Chauncey) JEROME and Abagail RICH, who were married in Dorchester Massachusetts in about 1709.  Both parents were born in England, possibly frrom Hampshire.

Zerubbabel was born on Wednesday 3 Apr 1715 in Meriden, New Haven, according to the Barbour Collection of births in Connecticut towns. The family had started off settling in Windham, but moved after the first two children were born, to Meriden, where Timothy is shown owning land.  They eventually settled later in Wallingford, CT.

His first marriage was to 1st, Sarah Cook, in about 1735, but she died in 1737 with her first child, Mary Jerome who died also.  The following year, 30 Aug 1738 in Meriden, Zerubbabel married 2nd, Phebe Cook, and they had 11 children: Mary, Robert, Thomas, Jerusha, Zerubbabel (d. young), Chauncey, Asahel, Phebe, Abigail, Zerubbabel, Ruth.  My line goes through Ruth JEROME who married Stephen GRAVES.   Phebe, his 2nd wife, died soon after her last child - those were very tough times for women.

Zerubbabel and four of his sons were known as Tories (pro-Britain) during the Revolutionary War: Robert, Thomas, & Asahel.  In 1777, his other two sons Zerubbabel Jr. and Chauncey were imprisoned in the Hartford jail "as Tories". One wonders how they managed to survive during that turbulent time!  His son-in-law, Moses Dunbar, was the only man hanged for treason in 1777 - the note on Wikipedia states Moses' own father provided the rope!  Sends shivers down my spine...

Zerubbabel died in October 1783 in Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut.  Some records say he died in Bristol, others say Farmington.  His burial place is not known at present, but it is assumed to be in Hartford county.

A small note:  on a Memorial page on FindAGrave, it states:  "Sir Winston Churchill was the 3rd greatgrandnephew to Zerubbabel".  At one point I tracked down the connections, and they are there... but such a collateral line, I haven't bothered to put this into my tree.

If you know of any more details of Zerubbabel & his wives and children, I'd love to hear from you, at calewis at telus dot net.  Leave a comment below.