The 9 Children of Elijah West (1722-1798)

Compiled by Joy Ikelman, September 2015. Disclaimers apply.

Children of Elijah West (1722-1798)

Thomas West (1630/1631-1720) m. Phebe Waters

       - Benjamin West (1665-1733) m. Hannah Shadduck

            - Benjamin West, Jr. (1696-after 1739) m. Mehitable Bailey

                  - Elijah West (1722-1798) m. (1) unknown; (2) Hannah Thurber

                        - Children of Elijah West: Benajah, David, Elisha, Mary, Abigail,

                            Susan, Elizabeth, Sophia, Lewis   

Please see the blog article about Elijah West for his story: http://westproj.blogspot.com/2015_08_01_archive.html

In 1774, Elijah West (a widower) moved from Pawling, Dutchess County, New York, to Windsor, Windsor County, Vermont. He left behind his five children: Benajah, David, Elisha, Mary, and Abigail. He started a new family with Hannah Thurber Nichols. Their children were Susan, Elizabeth, Sophia, and Lewis.

Elijah West bought land in Windsor using the names of his first five children. He never told them about the land deed. In 1785, West petitioned the court to annul the deed, probably to put it in his own name. He admitted that he did not know where his first five children were, or if they were still alive. The court managed to find them, and the land was re-conveyed to West. By doing this, Elijah West excluded his first five children in New York from any property or wealth that he acquired in Vermont.

The petition of Elijah West connected the children in New York to the children in Vermont. It also connected one of our FG#5 DNA participants back to Thomas West in the 1600s. This article gives a bit of information about Elijah West’s known children.

Children of Elijah and His First Wife

(1) Benajah West

In 1967, an 85-year old genealogist offered “$50 for first documentary evidence of the parents and birthplace of Benajah West.” [1] That is about $350 in today’s money. [2] The fellow must have been researching a long time!

Benajah was born on 17 Sep 1752. [3] Family tradition says Benajah was born and died in New Lebanon, Columbia County, New York. However, in 1752 New Lebanon did not exist. Columbia County did not exist. This area was comprised of “the Canaan settlements” within the Van Rensselaer Manor. [4] Perhaps he was born in one of these settlements.

When Benajah was 6 years old (1758), his father rented land in Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York. [5] At age 19 (1771), Benajah has an entry in the ledger of Daniel Merritt’s general store in Quaker Hill (Pawling). [6]

Marriage to Anna Younglove. Benajah West and Anna (or Annah) Younglove were married in July of 1775. [7] Anna’s parents, Isaiah Younglove and Mary Lucas, lived in Cambridge, New York at that time. There is a lot of information on the Younglove family. Their immigrant ancestors, Samuel and Mary Younglove, settled in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts in 1635. [8] Benajah West’s ancestors had also settled in Essex County.

Benajah and Anna were the parents of the following children: Sarah (“Sally”), Mary (“Polly”), Azuba, Marcia, Elijah, David, Abraham, Anna, Elizabeth, Lydia, Eliza, and Isaiah. I have not verified this list of children. I noticed a lot of information on-line. The first three children were baptized at the Schaghticoke Dutch Reformed Church, Rensselaer County, NY [9]

Petition for Military Assistance. In 1777, more than 100 men of Saratoga and Cambridge sent a petition to New York Governor George Clinton. [10] Benajah West and Isaiah Younglove, his father-in-law, were among the signers. The petitioners—living in the frontier of New York—requested that military aid be sent to their region. They expected an attack at any time.

Your Petitioners are Expos’d to the Incursions of the Savages and their more Savage abettors, the British and Tories from Canada, that your Petitioners have Great reason to Expect that the Enemy will Commit depredations on them, and that if they are Under the necessity of Guarding the Frontiers, Their farms must lay waste and their families Exposed to Inevitable want and the Greatest distress.

This was in April. The request was denied by Governor Clinton. He said the current number of troops was sufficient. In June, the British “Saratoga Campaign” began. Forces led by General John Burgoyne moved from Quebec, Canada, down through the Hudson Valley to Saratoga. [11] Local militia forces added to American troops led to a victory, although not without casualties on both sides. General Burgoyne surrendered in October.

Revolutionary War Service. Benajah West belonged to one of the militia regiments fighting Burgoyne’s forces. In July of 1777, Benajah West joined a new regiment led by Colonel Lewis Van Woert—the 16^th Cambridge, Albany County, New York militia. [12] West was a Private in Captain John McKillip’s Company [13]. At the time he resided in King’s District, Albany County, New York. [14] I could not find his exact service years.

Census Records. Benajah was mentioned in the 1775 land deed of Elijah West, along with David, Elisha, Mary, and Abigail. All lived in Dutchess County. When the court reviewed the document in 1785, the court discovered that Benajah had moved to Albany County. [15] He appears in the 1790 United States Federal Census as a resident of Cambridge, Albany County, NY. Cambridge would later be designated as part of Columbia County. In the 1800 and 1810 Census his residence is Canaan, Columbia County, NY. In the 1820 Census his residence is Lebanon, Columbia County, NY. [16]

Petitioning for a Pension. In January 1832, Benajah West and other men petitioned the U.S. Government, “respectively praying that their names may be placed on the pension list of the United States.” [17] Most of the requests were passed along to Committees; Benajah’s was tabled. [18]

Deaths of Benajah and Anna West. Anna West died 20 Aug 1821. Benajah West died 30 Dec 1832 in New Lebanon, Columbia County, NY. The tombstone is in the Cemetery of the Evergreens, New Lebanon, New York. However, it might have been moved there. George West Van Siclin, in his application for the Sons of the American Revolution, wrote (in 1896):

        Benajah West, under whom I am entitled to membership in the S.A.R. lies buried in the door yard of the farm-house of his deceased daughter Lydia West Warner, in New Lebanon, Columbia Co., N.Y.; his tombstone is there. The family Bible of his son, David West of Hudson, N.Y., my grandfather, has descended to me and is in my possession.

        The first entry in the fly-leaves between the Testaments relates to Moses Younglove and wife; the next one, which was there before I can remember, and over fifty years ago is “Benajah West born Sept. 17^th, 1752, old style. Died Decr. 30^th, 1832. Annah Younglove, Born October 23^rd, 1758, Died Aug. 20^th 1821, married July 1775.” Annah Younglove West’s tombstone is next to that of her brother Dr. Moses Younglove in the old burying ground, Hudson, N.Y. [19]

(2) David West

David West was born 25 Feb 1758—the year that his father first leased land in Dutchess County. [20] We are particularly interested in David West, as he is the direct ancestor of a West FG#5 DNA participant. The birth date is from a Quaker record that mentions his birth place as Pawling, Dutchess County, New York. [21] The town of Pawling was officially founded in 1788, but it was a precinct created from Beekman’s Patent beginning in 1768. [22]. Therefore, the location in the Quaker record is correct.

David West married Susannah (or Susanna) Hoag [23] who was from an established Quaker family. She was the daughter of Benjamin Hoag, Jr. and Lydia Jones of Amesbury, Essex County, Massachusetts. [24] David and Susannah’s known children are Benjamin West, Abraham West, and Levi West. More information about this West family will be in a future blog article. The article will show the family against the backdrop of Quaker history.

(3) Elisha West

Elisha West was born in Pawling, Dutchess County, New York. My theory is that Elisha West was born about 1760 to 1762. Census records show that David is older than his brother Elisha.

In 1777—three years after his father Elijah moved to Windsor—Elisha was involved in a court case.  Elisha was boarding at John Caswell’s house when a murder occurred on the Caswell property. The victim was Lieut. Ephraim Nichols, a settler in Pawling, and a Patriot who had served as a Minute Man in 1776. [25] This murder occurred on 30 Jun 1777. Elisha West was arrested along with eleven others—including John Caswell—and confined to jail. [26]

By 1777, Dutchess County was tense with vigilante activities. New York had declared its independence, and anyone with Tory leanings was suspect. The Caswells had been singled out in other incidents. One family historian wrote: “The Caswell family seems to have been very Tory minded and may account for many of their later migrations.” [27]

Elisha gave the key testimony in the investigation:

        Elisha West being duly sworn, Deposeth & Saith, that on Monday Evening last being the same time when Lieut Ephraim Nichols was shot, the Dept Lodged at the house of John Casewell, where that affair happened; That he does not know what time in the night it was, as he was asleep & did not hear the report of the Gun or Guns.

        That some time after Lieut Nichols was slain two men came up in the Chamber where the Dept lay, the one of them named Moses Northrop havg a sword in his hand addressing himself to the Dept said, that he need not be afraid, that he confessed he had fired the Gun; The other person appeared to have no Arms. That Northrop asked the Dept if there were no Damn’d Rebels up in the Chamber, that upon Examining the Chamber, and finding no person there but the Dept they Departed.

        The Dept further saith, that in the Evening when he retired to bed, he saw no other person there, save, John Casewell & his family, that Casewell was gone to bed before the Dept but that he was not home at that time of night, when the said two persons came up in the Chamber to him.           That the next morning he was informed by the way of Nehemiah Merit, that a party of Tories had been concealed there, back of the house of said Jno Casewell in the woods, and had sent thither for provisions, but recd none. [28]

Elisha West signed “his mark.” The phrase “Damn’d Rebels” referred to Tory sympathizers. On 18 Jul 1777, Elisha was discharged from prison after taking the Oath of Allegiance to the State of New York. [29] John Caswell was sent to the Fleet Prison [30] on Esopus Creek, Kingston, NY—“a place of detention for disloyal and unsafe men.” [31]

The Caswells had been neighbors of the West family. Nehemiah Merritt, also mentioned (above) was another neighbor. [32]

Census Records. In 1785, Elisha lived in Dutchess County, New York according to the investigation of Elijah West’s land deed. [33] The 1790 Census records show both Elisha and David living in Washington, Dutchess County. [34] In 1800, Elisha was counted in Stanford, Dutchess County. [35] His brother, David, still lived in Washington township. Stanford was created from the town of Washington, so it is likely that Elisha did not move. The Census of 1800 indicates that Elisha and his wife probably had two girls and four boys. There is another Elisha West that appears in the 1800 Census. Elisha West of Woodstock, Windsor County, Vermont was a church musician, music teacher, and composer. [36] In 1800, he lived in Pomfret, Windsor County, Vermont. [37]

Tax Rolls. The New York Tax Assessment Rolls for 1799, 1800, and 1801 show that Elisha owned a very small house in Stanford. [38]

(4) Mary West

There is a “Mary West” recorded in the 1771 ledger of Daniel Merritt’s general store in Quaker Hill (Pawling). The Wests are listed in this order: “Mary West, Elijah West, Delight West, Aaron West, Clement West and wife Sarah, and Benajah West.” [39] Mary could be (1) the wife of Elijah West; (2) the daughter of Elijah West; (3) the daughter of Clement and Sarah West; or, (4) from a different West family.

Mary was mentioned in the 1775 land deed of Elijah West, along with Benajah, David, Elisha, and Abigail. She lived in Dutchess County, New York, in 1785. [40]

(5) Abigail West

In his petition to the court in 1785 to nullify his land deed, Elijah West neglected to include Abigail’s name. [41] When the court reviewed the case, they made the correction:

Whereas, it appears by the testimony of sundry persons, and especially by the testimony of the former town clerk for said town of Windsor, that the record of a certain deed or conveyance of land, made by Watts Hubbard of said Windsor, to Benajah West, of Albany county, and David West, Elisha West, Mary West, and Abiga[i]l West, of Dutchess county, in the (then) province of New York, made and executed on the eighth day of December, Anno Domini, seventeen hundred and seventy-five, was made on the said town book, through mistake . . . [42]

From this we see that in 1775 and 1785, Abigail West lived in Dutchess County, New York.

Children of Elijah and Hannah West

In 1774, Elijah West moved to Windsor, Windsor County, Vermont and started a new family with his second wife. She was a widow named Hannah Thurber Nichols. She was 24 years old and Elijah was 52. Hannah had previously been married at the age of 16 to Josiah Bennett Nichols (from Windsor). [43] Hannah and Josiah lived in Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada. They had one son, Samuel Nichols. Josiah Nichols died before 1774. Hannah left her son in Canada when she moved to Vermont. [44] We do not know if Samuel eventually came to Windsor. Elijah and Hannah had four known children.

(1) Susan (or Susannah) West

Susan (or Susannah) West was born in 1774—the same year that Elijah moved to Vermont from Pawling, Dutchess County, New York. [45] She was most likely born in Windsor, Windsor County, Vermont. Susan did not marry. On 4 Oct 1812, she became a member of the First Congregational Church of Windsor. [46] She died on 19 Jun 1825—she was 51 years old. [47]

(2) Elizabeth West

Elizabeth West was born 29 Jan 1776 in Windsor, Windsor County, Vermont. [48] She married Abner Forbes in Windsor on 24 Sep 1797. [49] They had two children—Charles Forbes and Elizabeth West Forbes. [50]

Elizabeth died on 1 Jan 1801, [51] less than two months after her daughter was born. Abner did not remarry for more than four years. He then married Sarah Spooner on 4 Sep 1805. Abner and Sarah Forbes had thirteen children. [52]

Abner Forbes died on 28 Dec 1828 [53] in Montpelier, VT. [54] He was 57 years old. His tall monument in the Old South Church Cemetery (Windsor) reflects his status. He served Vermont in many capacities: Colonel and General, bank president, judge, and representative in the State Legislature. [55] Elizabeth West and Sarah Spooner are listed on the monument. [56] It is likely that all three are buried at that site.

Abner Forbes and his brother-in-law Allen Hayes were administrators of the estate of Elijah West. [57]

(3) Sophia West

Sophia West was born in 1777 or 1778 in Windsor, Windsor County, Vermont. She died on 2 May 1846 at the age of 68. [58] She married (Captain) Thomas Allen Hayes, a prominent Windsor merchant, in 1796 or 1797. He was born 12 July 1756 in Connecticut, and died on 18 Feb 1831. [59] They were both buried at Old South Cemetery, Windsor, Vermont. [60]

There is a story associated with Sophia West and Allen Hayes:

It is related that this inn-keeper, Mr. West, had a daughter born to him in that memorable year, 1777, and that her name was Sophia. At the bewitching age of nineteen she took, one evening, a brief but rather unexpected walk with a mature bachelor of some forty years, to the parson’s residence at the north end of the village, and returned as the bride of her escort, Mr. Allen Hayes—a thriving merchant of the village . . . [61]

Allen and Sophia had three known children: Eliza Hayes, Augustus Allen Hayes, and Sophia West Hayes. [62]

Hayes eventually moved his mercantile business to the building where his mother-in-law, Hannah West, had kept a millinery shop. [63] Allen Hayes and his brother-in-law Abner Forbes were administrators of the estate of Elijah West. [64]

(4) Lewis R. Morris West

Lewis West was born about 1788 in Windsor, Windsor County, Vermont. [65] He was probably named after a Windsor selectman and Windsor County Clerk at the time—Lewis Richard Morris. [66] Mr. Morris later became active in Vermont government. [67]

Lewis West was about 10 years old when his mother and father died. The property of Hannah and Elijah West was to be divided among their children: Susan, Elizabeth, Sophia, and Lewis. In October 1799, Allen Hayes and Abner Forbes (both were sons-in-law) filed a petition to legally include Lewis (a minor child) in the transactions.

Petition of Allen Hayes & Abner Forbes Adms of Elijah West, filed Oct 14, 1799

    —humbly Sheweth,

    That your Petitioners being Appointed (by the Honble Elijah Robertson, Judge of Probate for the district of Windsor) Administrators on the Estate of Elijah West Late of Windsor deceased—as by the Letters of the Sd Judge bearing dait the 23d day of novemr 1798—may appear, Which estate belongs equally to four heirs, three of which, are of lawfull age to act for them Selves, but that the fourth is a minor of only eleven Years of Age—

    --that the Value of Sd Estate consists chiefly in Buildings, much exposed to Accidents by fire & subject to decay—that they now have an offer for the whole of Sd Real estate, which the three eldest of the Sd heirs wish to have us Accept . . . [68]

In November 1799, a bill was passed in the Vermont House of Representatives to settle the matter:

A bill, passed in the house of Representatives, Entitled “An act to enable Allen Hayes and Abner Forbes to sell and convey all the real estate of Lewis R. Morris West, a minor,” was set up for revision, &c. and being read, Resolved, To concur in passing the same . . . [69]

References and Additional Notes

Benajah West

1. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1967: The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume CXXI, January, p. 240. The query is from C. Hamilton West of St. Cloud, Minnesota.

2. The inflation calculator that I used is at http://www.davemanuel.com/inflation-calculator.php. Accessed Jun 2015.

3. Find-a-grave listing for Benajah West. http://www.findagrave.com. Accessed April 2015.

4. John L. Brooke, 2010: Columbia Rising: Civil Life on the Upper Hudson from the Revolution to the Age of Jackson, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, p. 174.

5. Frank J. Doherty, 2005: “Lee to Millington,” Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York; An Historical and Genealogical Study of All of the 18^th Century Settlers in the Patent, Volume 8, Frank J. Doherty, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Pleasant Valley, New York, p. 758.

6. Warren H. Wilson, 1907: Quaker Hill, A Sociological Study, Columbia University, New York, New York, p. 166.

7. George West Van Siclin, 1896: Application for Membership, Empire State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, 9 January 1896.

8. Cuyler Reynolds, 1911: Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs, Volume II, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, p. 829.

9. New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1929 to 1934: Baptisms at the Schaghitoke Dutch Reformed Church, 1752-1866. Copied to the Rensselaer County, NY GenWeb site by Debby Masterson.  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyrensse/index.htm. Accessed September 2015.

10. State of New York, 1900: Public Papers of George Clinton, First Governor of New York, Volume III, James B. Lyon, State Printer, Albany, p. 209-212.

11. Wikipedia, “Battles of Saratoga.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battles_of_Saratoga. Accessed July 2015.

12. George Neild West, 1914: Application for Membership, Empire State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, 2 Jan 1914.

13. Sons of the American Revolution, 1899: Register of the Empire State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Empire State Society, New York, p. 571-572.

14. Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Research Database. http://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search/. Accessed April 2015. The Canaan settlements were located within the King’s District. Eventually this would be part of Columbia County.

15. William Slade, compiler, 1823: Vermont State Papers: Being a Collection of Records and Documents, Connected with the Assumption and Establishment of Government by the People of Vermont, J. W. Copeland, Middlebury, Vermont, p. 504.

16. United States Federal Census of 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820. Records of the Bureau of the Census, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

17. House of Representatives of the United States, 1831: Journal, Volume 22, Issue 1, U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 187.

18. Ibid., p. 207.

19. Van Siclin, Sons of the American Revolution application.

David West

20. Doherty (2005), p. 758.

21. Josephine C. Frost, compiler, 1910: “Members of Hartland Monthly Meeting, Niagara County, New York, Residing at Elba, Genesee County, New York,” Quaker Records, Hartland Monthly, Niagara Co., NY, p. 4.

22. Wikipedia, 2015: “Timeline of Town Creation in the Hudson Valley.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_town_creation_in_the_Hudson_Valley. Accessed September 2015.

23. Frank J. Doherty, 2003: “Hadden to Hunt,” Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York, Volume 6, p. 527. This information is in the “Hoag” family section, and it is possible that the original  information is from Quaker records. The line in Doherty reads: “Susanna, b. 3 July 1755; m. David, b. 25 Feb. 1758, son of Elijah West of Beekman.”

24. Josephine C. Frost, compiler (unknown date): “Quaker Births from Oblong Monthly Meeting, Dutchess County, New York.” LDS Film #873511, transcribed by Debbie Axtman, 1999. Lists the children of Benjamin Hoag, Jr.

Elisha West

25. Frank J. Doherty, 1990: “Historical Records,” Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York, Volume 1, p. 426.

26. State of New York, 1925: Minutes of the Committee and of the First Commission for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies in the State of New York, December 11, 1776 – September 23, 1778 with Collateral Documents. New York Historical Society, New York, NY, p. 328.

27. Ray Johnston, 1979: “Letter to Miss Margaret Craven, Tillsonburg, Ontario, from Ray Johnston, Dayton, Ohio, 3 September 1979.” Elgin County, Toronto, Canada Archives. http://www.elgin.ca/elgincounty/culturalservices/archives/tweedsmuir/Eden%20Vol%204/page%200028%20-%200032.pdf. Accessed June 2015.

28. State of New York, p. 329.

29. Ibid., p. 338.

30. Ibid., p. 354, 392. John Caswell was at Fleet Prison from August through October.

31. Benjamin M. Brink, 1913: “The Lady Washington Galley,” Old Ulster: An Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Volume 9, Ulster County, New York, p. 306.

32. Doherty (1990), p. 352. The Caswell and Merritt families were mentioned in the road survey of 1761.

33. Slade, p. 504.

34. Census of 1790, Dutchess County, New York. Records of the Bureau of the Census, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

35. Census of 1800, Dutchess County, New York. Records of the Bureau of the Census, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

36. Henry Swan Dana, 1889: “Church Music and Singing Schools,” History of Woodstock, Vermont, Houghton-Mifflin, p. 220-223.

37. Census of 1800, Pomfret, Windsor County, Vermont. Records of the Bureau of the Census, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

38. New York Comptroller’s Office, 1799-1804: Tax Assessment Rolls of Real and Personal Estates, New York State Archives, Albany, New York. Digital data at Ancestry. Accessed April 2015.

Mary West

39. Wilson, p. 166.

40. Slade, p. 504.

Abigail West

41. Edward A. Hoyt, compiler, 1952: “General Petitions: 1778-1787,” Journals and Proceedings of the General Assembly of the State of Vermont, Volume 8, p. 183.

42. Slade, p. 504.

Elijah West and Hannah Thurber Nichols

43. Hants County, Nova Scotia Registration Year 1766, Book 1700, p. 45, at http://www.novascotiagenealogy.com.  Accessed June 2015.

44. Katherine E. Conlin, Wilma Burnham Paronto, and Stella Vitty Henry, 1977: Chronicles of Windsor, 1761-1975, The Countryman Press, Taftsville, Vermont, p. 117.

Susan West

45. Sherman Evarts, 1914: “The Vermont Constitution and the Constitution House,” The Vermonter, Volume 19, Number 4, April, 1914, p. 61.

46. Ezra Hoyt Byington, 1898: History of the First Congregational Church of Windsor, from 1768 to 1898, The Journal Company, Windsor, Vermont, p. 58.

47. Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954: True Copy of a Death Record for Susan West. Karl W. Perkins, Town Clerk, Windsor, VT, 27 July 1921. Family Search record, http://www.familysearch.org. Accessed July 2015.

Elizabeth West

48. Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954: Birth record of Elizabeth West. Family Search record, http://www.familysearch.org. Accessed September 2015.

49. Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954: Marriage record for Abner Forbes and Elizabeth West. Family Search record, http://www.familysearch.org. Accessed September 2015.

50. Lewis Cass Aldrich and Frank R. Holmes, editors, 1891: History of Windsor County, Vermont, D. Mason and Company, Syracuse, New York, p. 309.

51. Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954: True Copy of a Death Record for Elizabeth Forbes. Karl W. Perkins, Town Clerk, Windsor, VT, 27 July 1921. Family Search record, http://www.familysearch.org. Accessed September 2015.

52. Aldrich and Holmes, p. 309.

53. Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954: True Copy of a Death Record for Hon. Abner Forbes. Karl W. Perkins, Town Clerk, Windsor, VT, 27 July 1921. Family Search record, http://www.familysearch.org. Accessed September 2015.

54. Lawrence G. Fobes, 1972: The Fobes Family in America: The Descendants of John Fobes, Immigrant in 1636 to Duxbury, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Self Published, Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, p. 72. Abner Forbes’ ancestors used the name “Fobes.”

55. Ibid.

56. Find-a-grave listing for Abner Forbes. http://www.findagrave.com. Accessed August 2015.

57. Ed Soule Allen, compiler, 1962: General Petitions, 1797-1799, State Papers of Vermont, Volume 11, Vermont Secretary of State, p. 425-426.

Sophia West

58. Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954: True Copy of a Death Record for Hayes, Sophia West. Karl W. Perkins, Town Clerk, Windsor, VT, 29 July 1921. Family Search record, http://www.familysearch.org. Accessed September 2015.

59. Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954: True Copy of a Death Record for Hayes, Allen. Karl W. Perkins, Town Clerk, Windsor, VT, 29 July 1921. Family Search record, http://www.familysearch.org. Accessed September 2015.

60. Find-a-grave listing for “Capt Allen Hayes.” http://www.findagrave.com. Accessed August 2015.

61. Each child is documented in Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954.

62. Hamilton Child, 1884: Gazetteer and Business Directory of Windsor County, Vermont, for 1883-1884, The Journal Press, Syracuse, New York, p. 267.

63. Conlin et. al, p. 40.

64. Allen, p. 425-426.

Lewis R. Morris West

65. Based on the probate record of Elijah West.

66. Aldrich and Holmes, p. 99. Lewis Richard Morris was the Windsor County Clerk from 1789 to 1796.

67. Wikipedia, “Lewis R. Morris.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_R._Morris. Accessed May 2015.

68. Allen, p. 425-426.

69. E.P. Walton, editor, 1876: Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont, Volume IV, J. & J.M. Poland Press, Montpelier, Vermont, p. 250.