General Notes

Notes from Bud Schafer:

#920 JBR

"Zephania Richmond 6 (Sylvester 5, Silvester 4, Ebenezer 3, John 2, John 1) was born in New Braintree, Mass, Oct 20, 1799.  He married Aug 8, 1822, Nancy Gardner in Troy (Rensselaer County,) New York.  She was born Feb 15, 1806 in Pittstown, New York.  They removed at a young age to Madison Co. New York."  Their 12 children are as enumerated in this database, lineages are not carried further.  The birthplaces for some of the children are noted as follows:  Melintha, Troy N.Y.; Zephaniah Lenox N.Y.; Susan B. and Jonathan, Stockbridge N.Y.; Nancy and Abigail Lenox N.Y.  (from the Genealogy by Joshua Bailey Richmond)

Zephania's 1st cousin Sylvester Richmond and wife Christina Walter (of Troy) also removed to Stockbridge, perhaps they removed at the same time?  Bud

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FROM A LETTER WRITTEN BY GERALD E. RICHMOND AS TOLD TO HIM BY NANCY RICHMOND VAN AUKIN, DAUGHTER OF ZEPHANIA AND NANCY:

If you descend from Leonard and Gladys Adle Zabele, then this is one of your great-gr... grandfathers.

"I have done no search but just what my father had told me and his Aunt Nancy VanAuken, who was 98 when she passed on in 1933.   Nancy VanAuken had told me that her Grandfather Silvester Richmond took part in the Revolutionary War, her father Zephania was born 1786.   In her talks she said her father told her that his father (Sylvester) said he was stationed at Fort Stanwick (Rome) during the Revolutionary War, "therefore he had been further west than any of the family would ever go."

"Zephania traveled west to Troy where he learned the Pavers Trade (paving streets with brick).  While in Troy he met and married Nancy Gardner, her father owned a lot of land and property in and around Troy. Zephania and Nancy accumulated some property also.  After the Erie Canal was built the year (?) they came to Skaden's Basin and started towards Stockbridge."

[Gov. Clinton broke ground 4 Jul 1817; the first boat to travel the Erie Canal went from Rome to Utica in October of 1819; Rochester and Albany are linked as 280 mile section opens 27 O ct 1822; the final link connecting Lake Erie with New York City via the Hudson River was comp leted 25 Oct 1825 - Bud]

"Route 46 (West Road) didn't go only 2 or 3 miles south of Oneida in its present route) then it turned and went along the side of the "west hill".   Zephania and his wife went about 3 miles north west of the present hamlet of Stockbridge and settled.   There was where their first baby was born.   Nancy didn't like it there because there were too many Indians and it was a wild country.   On one late afternoon in the summer a thunderstorm was coming up and they heard a racket down the trail, Indians whooping and shouting, so he got his gun and about that time a white man came in sight carrying an axe handle. There were a half dozen drunken Indians following him, when they would get too close he would turn and swing the axe handle.   Zephania called to him, they went in the cabin and shut the door and windows.  The Indians surrounded the house, threw stones and sticks until the storm came and then they left.  So they went back to Troy for a while."

"The second time they came back, her sister had married Daniel Daggert, (her sister's name was Nancy [sic]).   They also brought their Uncle Arnold and another family." (they never knew whether it was his first or last name)."

[Gamaliel Arnold was husband to Zephaniah's sister Esther.   The other was likely Zephaniah' s sister Nabby and her husband Frank Crain - Bud]

The children were all born in the Township of Stockbridge.   The place of settlement was called Daggertsville.  As Zephania and 'Nancy' made trips back to Troy and I think my father said they were buried there.   On about his last trip back to Troy my grandfather (Zephania Jr. ) took him to the train in Oneida, they were paving Main Street and his father asked the foreman if he could lay some blocks so that his grandchildren could say he helped pave the street in Oneida, the foreman obliged and he laid ten or twelve blocks.   I don't know exactly how many brothers and sisters my grandfather had.   All I knew was Henry W., Johannes" [Jonathan], "Zephania Jr. (my grandfather) he was born in 1830, Nancy, Arulia ???, and at least one other that I can't recall the name."

[Aurelia was the son of Jonathan, a nephew of Zephania Jr. - Bud]

"In Bennetts Corner there was a Asa Richmond, his father was a cousin to my grandfather Zephania Jr."   "Betsy and Nancy Gardner (???) had an uncle by the name of John Henry Kitley (I think that is the way the last name is spelled).   He was a bachlor and was with Washington all through the War."

[Asa N. Richmond [son of Sylvester and Christine Walter Richmond] was a second cousin to Gerald's father Daniel.   Daniel's grandfather Zephania [born 1799] and Asa's grandfather Sylvester [born 1772] were half-brothers. - Bud]

I could not find mention of him in the "Encyclopedia of the American Revolution", author Mark M. Boatner III, I will check other sources. Also, Nancy Richmond VanAuken had an aunt Catherine Kitley Richmond - born 1793, wife of Zephaniah's brother James Richmond - born 1788, possibly "she" had an uncle who fought in the Revolution? - Bud

Sylvester's 1st wife Lucy Weston died when their eldest child (Sylvester 1772) was age 6.   They had 5 children by this marriage and no doubt were raised by Sylvester and his second wif e Elizabeth (Betsey) Gardner Richmond.   Census records indicate that Zephania's half-brother Sylvester died in Bennington, Vermont and probably settled there early in life.   His son Sylvester (Jr.), born 1798, nephew of Zephaniah, was 9 months older than Zephaniah and also removed to Troy (married Christine Walter of Troy) and then into the Stockbridge Valley where his son Asa married Mary Nelson of Lenox. Because of their ages, I would suspect Zephaniah and his nephew Sylvester were more like brothers than uncle/nephew. There is no doubt that many of the children of Sylvester and his 2nd wife Betsy Gardner Richmond settled in Madison County, N.Y.

James, Nabby Richmond Crain, Esther Richmond Arnold and Zephaniah, the youngest - settled in Madison County.   It is further likely that their half-brother Sylvester [1772] also moved to Troy (where his son Sylvester was born).
The time of their arrival to Madison County, had to be between 1 Sep 1827 or 28 (the birth of Milantha in Troy) and the birth of Zephiniah Jr. on 4 Feb 1830 twn Lenox, Madison County, New York.

Another sister, ?? husband born or of Vermont (settled Madison County, did they all go to Vermont before going to Troy?  Also one died in Troy and some went to Onondaga County, Need to do SS.


THIS CHRONOLOGY IS BASED ON JBR'S GENEALOGY UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED:

1799 Oct 20  born Zephania Richmond in New Braintree, Mass., son of Sylvester

1806 Feb 15  born wife Nancy Gardner in Pittstown, N.Y. (dau of ???)
In 1810, there were the following Gardner heads of household in Rensselaer County, that had females between the ages of 0-9, per ancestry.com:
Caleb Gardner pg 049 31101-02011
Isaac Gardner pg 053 01101-00201
Jonathan Gardner pg 054 01201-00001
Nathaniel Gardner pg 127 01101-01201
S. Gardher pg 071 21121-00201
This was of 13 households, entire county.  Z and Nancy did name their second born son Jonathan but they named their first born son Zephaniah. Z Sr's father's name was Sylvester for whom they did not name any of their known sons.

             did Zephaniah remove to Troy with his parents? I will research further.  Bud

A brief history written by Rae Walton, descendant of John Richmond (1786 –1862).  Jonathan was the elder brother of Zephaniah.  s623

"Jonathan Richmond was buried in an unmarked grave at Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira, New York.  Why Elmira when he had lived all of his adult life in Augusta (where he lived during the first 17 years of his married life) and then Onondaga?  And why an unmarked grave?  He was too old to have been in the Civil War so this rules out the possibility that he was in the Elmira Prison where many Civil War soldiers died.  Also, till we find out where and when his wife, Hannah Harriet Duncan Richmond died, we don't know whether she died before he did.  If this was the case, he could possibly have moved to Elmira to live with one of his children. Virtually nothing is known about his children except for our ancestor, John Richmond.  I have not been able to find out why he left Braintree. Perhaps the family farm in New Braintree was not big enough for all the brothers, perhaps because Jonathan was not the oldest son, Etc .  There was a lot of migration west about the time Jonathan and Hannah were married and, since they were young, they decided to head west into a less settled area of the country.  The revolutionary war was over and many young men felt it was the right time to move from the more crowded areas of the east to where there was much more land available for farming.  Many Richmond's moved to New York State and settled in the central part of the state."

1822 Aug 8   married Zephania and Nancy in Troy, Rensselaer County, N.Y (JBR)
        IGI Record  Nancy GARDNER  Sex:  F
        Marriage(s):  Spouse:  Zephania Richmond   Marriage:  8 Aug 1822 Troy, Rensselaer , New York
        Batch number:  8401903  -  Source Call No.:  1395713

1823 Oct 21  born dau (1st child) Susan (1), probably at Troy. (she died age 2)

1825 Dec 22  died dau (1st child) Susan (1), probably at Troy.

1826 Mar 15  born dau Susan A. (2), probably at Troy. (she died age 3 mo.)

1826 Jun 12  died dau Susan A. (2), probably at Troy.

1827 Sep 1   born dau Melintha at Troy, N.Y. (JBR has her born 1 Sep 1829, 1827 or 1828 is m y guess.

1829/30      removed to Madison County,
1829/30      removed to Bennett's Corners, see notes for nephew Ebenezer Crain.

1830 Feb 4   born son Zephaniah in Lenox, N.Y. (probably Stockbridge)

1832 May 13  born dau Susan B. (3) in Stockbridge, N.Y.

1834 Jun 4   born son Jonathan in Stockbridge, N.Y.

1835         "Richmond, ZEPHINAH. Owned 46 acres in Lenox 1835." Pioneers pg. 211

1837 Sep 1   born son Albert (died age 3)

1840 Aug 24  died son Albert (1)

1839 Jan 10  born son Henry [Bud's gggrandfather]

1841 Aug 19  born dau Catherine

1844 Oct 11  born son Albert (2)

1844/45      moved to twn of Lenox, dist 2, per 1855 census, there 10 years.     s227

1847 Jan 17  born dau Nancy in Lenox (probably Stockbridge)

1850         census, twn Lenox, pg 196, Richmond: 30 Jul 1850 s197-4/s8/s630
             Zephiniah   51  farmer, born Mass    (resided 6 dwellings from
             Nancy       44  born Mass            John Adle, another family
             Malintha    22  All ch born New York       I am related to, Richmonds
             Zephiniah   20                       and Adles are not. s8)
             Jonathan    14
             Henry       11
             Caty         9
             Albert       5
             Nancy        2
             Betsey      91 born Mass

1855         no listing for this family in state census per s197-4, but>
1855 Jun 25  New York State Census, Richmond, twn Lenox, 2nd dist, Madison County,:                  s2 27
             Zephaniah  55  Mass, married once, here 10 yrs, farmer, voter
             Nancy      48  wife, Renssalaer County, here 10 yrs.
             Zephaniah  25  child, all ch born Madison County, voter
             Jonathan   21  child, voter
             Henry      15  child
             Catherine  13  child
             Albert A.  11  child
             Nancy       8  child
             Abigail     3  child
             (Neighbors:  Henry B. Miner, Edwin Perkins, John Wilson, Charles
             Carpenter, James Keech, William Clement and Isaiah Carpenter)
             NOTE:  Henry Richmond (age 15) married Christina Miner, dau of Henry V. Miner, appears he married the girl next door.

1852 Aug 22  born dau Abigail in Lenox (probably Stockbridge)

1860         Zephaniah Richmond residing Wampsville,
             twn of Lenox, between Joseph Adle (fam # 704) and Jacob Adle
             (fam # 800 abt) per census index.  Census reads as follows: S215
[data in parenthisis is additional info from my personal abstract 7/01 Oneida City Library, h ave photocopy, to be indexed.]
[Page 90, dwg 752; fam 743]
             Richmond, Zephaniah   60  Farmer [born Massachusetts, RE $1500, resides near Abram Ratnou r and son Henry]]
                       Nancy       53 [born Massachusetts; prob wrong, prob born Pittstown, New York]
                       Johnathan   26 [born Massachusetts]
                       Zephaniah   32 [born Massachusetts]
                       Henry       21 [born New York, my great-great-grandfather]
                       Catherine   18 [born New York]
                       Albert      14 [born New York]
                       Nancy       12 [born New York]
                       Abigal       8 [born New York]

1863 Nov 11  Zephaniah and Nancy sold to sons Jonathan and Albert part
             (or all?) of their farm land:   s228
Land Record, Liber 107:56; 11 Nov 1863 "Zephaniah Richmond of  Town of Lenox, County, of Madis on, State of New York...and Nancy his wife...of the 1st part...to Jonathan and Albert Richmon d (of same)...for $1650...to them paid...land in Town of Lenox south half of lot no. 16 of On eida purchase of May 23, 1842... 25 97/100 acres ... Acknowledged 11 Nov. 1863...Signe d by Zephaniah Richmond and by mark of Nancy Richmond...before J. E. Ferry, J.P.... Copy of o riginal Feb. 16, 1866."  (the above abstract was recorded and given to me by Millicent McWill iam (of Rome, New York) and Elizabeth Edmunds (of Lee Center) c1978.)

1865 Jun 12  New York State Census, Richmond, twn Lenox, 2nd dist, Madison County,:                  s2 27
             Zephaniah  65  Madison Co (wrong), parent of 12 children
             Nancy      58  Renssalaer County,  (both married once)
             Jonathan   30  all ch born Madison County,
             Henry 26, Albert 20, Nancy 17, Abigail 12.

1870 census, Stockbridge, Madison County, New York,  ancestry.com image #14, dwg 115  fam 111
Richmond, Abigail  18  domestic servant  New York  (resides with George Hammond (40) and family)

1875 New York State census, twn Lenox, 2nd dist, Madison County,:  s228
Alonzo Van Aukin  28, Madison County, Carpenter, Voter, owner of land
Nancy 28  wife, Minnie 5 dau, John 3 son
Zephaniah Richmond 75 Mass Father-in-law (no land recorded)
Nancy Richmond 68 wife
William Lenadof 26 Germany, Laborer

1880:  Nancy residing with her dau Nancy Richmond VanAuken in Stockbridge' must be widowed.
"Nancy Richmond;  MotherL, Female, Single, White, 74, born New York Fa: b. MAMo:b.  Massachusetts"


? Was Nancy Gardner related to her mother-in-law Elizabeth Gardner Richmond?

? Where are Zephaniah Richmond and wife Nancy Gardner Richmond buried?
See notes for Nancy, I suspect she died 1883 and is buried in the Stockbridge Cemetery.

? Where also is his father Sylvester Richmond and mother Elizabeth (Betsy) Gardner Richmond buried?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Recorded Events in His Life

• He had a residence in Troy, Rensselaer County, New York, USA.

• He has conflicting birth information of 20 October 1799 and New Braintree, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. ⁵

• He appeared on the 1800 US Federal Census on 4 August 1800 in New Braintree, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. ⁶
  
  New Braintree, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA (head: Silvester Richmond)
  FWM under 10 — 2 [Zephaniah Richmond, age 1; ?Sherlock, child of "Miss Patty"]
  FWM 10-15 — 2  [Jonathan, age 14y7m; James, age 12]
  FWM 16-25 --  1 [Elijah, age 19]
  FWM 26-44  — 2? [looks like was written in wrong column and then erased]
  FWM 45+ — 2  [Sylvester Richmond, age 54; prob also Silvester Richmond, father, age 88 (but then where is his wife??]
  FWF under 10 — 3 [Nabby, age 9; Esther, age 5; ?child of Katy Richmond]
  FWF 10-15 — 0
  FWF 16-25 — 2  [Catherine, age 20; Betsey, age 17]
  FWF 26-44 — 1  [Elizabeth Gardner Richmond, age 41]
  FWF 45+ — 0
  Slaves — 0

• He appeared on the 1810 US Federal Census on 6 August 1810 in New Braintree, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. ⁷ New Braintree, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA (head: Betsey Richmond)

• He appeared on the 1850 US Federal Census on 30 July 1850 in Lenox, Madison County, New York, USA. ⁸ 1850: Federal Census: Lenox, Madison County, New York, USA:  Henry Richmond, age 11 years, residing in HH of Zephiniah (age 51) and Nancy (age 44) Richmond.

• He appeared on the 1860 US Federal Census on 8 July 1860 in Lenox, Madison County, New York, USA. ²
  

1860 Census — Lenox, Madison County, New York, USA

                                              Real    Personal
Name                Age   Sex   Occupation   Estate   Property   Birthplace
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zephaniah Richmond   60    M    Farmer        1500      --       Massachusetts
Nancy        "       53    F    --             --       --          "
Johnathan    "       26    M    --             --       --          "
Zephiniah    "       32    "    --             --       --          "
Henry        "       21    "    --             --       --       New York
Catharine    "       18    F    --             --       --          "
Albert       "       14    M    --             --       --          "
Nancy        "       12    F    --             --       --          "
Abigal       "        8    "    --             --       --          "
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source Citation:  Year: 1860; Census Place: Lenox, Madison, New York;
                  Roll: M653_781; Page: 693; Image: 191.