Unraveling Vermont’s Land Records: Tracing My Rowley and Fenn Ancestors through Ira Allen

The image above was created by AI software, DALL-E.

Timeline of the Onion River Land Company and the Vermont Frontier

1749: Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire begins granting lands west of the Connecticut River, initiating the New Hampshire Grants.

1764: A royal decree establishes the Connecticut River as the boundary between New Hampshire and New York, escalating territorial disputes.

1770: New York courts rule against the validity of New Hampshire titles, intensifying the conflict with settlers.

1773: The Onion River Land Company is formed by Ira Allen, Ethan Allen, Heman Allen, Zimri Allen, and Remember Baker to consolidate landholdings in Vermont's Champlain Valley.

1774-1775: The company promotes settlement and development of their lands, building Fort Frederick as a base for operations.

1777: The Vermont Republic is declared independent, easing pressures from New York and facilitating land settlement.

1780-1781: Ira Allen engages in secret negotiations with British officials (the Haldimand Negotiations) to ensure Vermont's security and enhance trade prospects.

1784-1785: Post-Revolution, Ira Allen develops mills and infrastructure along the Winooski River to support settlement and commerce.

1791: Vermont is admitted as the 14th state of the United States, cementing territorial stability.

The Rowley and Fenn Families: Settlers on the Vermont Frontier

The histories of the Allen and Rowley families are closely intertwined, whether through land transactions or shared service in the militia. Notably, Hopkins Rowley entered Fort Ticonderoga alongside Ethan Allen, marking a significant moment in both family and American history.

Researching land records from the Vermont frontier has proven challenging due to the complex and disputed land history of the region. The area was claimed at different times by New Hampshire and New York before eventually becoming Vermont. These shifting jurisdictions have complicated the search for accurate land records. To gain better insights, I decided to take a step back and explore the pre-statehood history of Vermont. Understanding this context may provide valuable clues about the records' origins and where they might be housed today.

I am interested in finding Rowley land records to establish family connections, not only within the Rowley family but also with the Fenn family. Huldah Rowley married Daniel Fenn, and proving the parentage of both has been a major challenge in my research. I have many avenues to explore. I just need to organize what I have and move forward from there. This is one area where I believe AI could be particularly helpful. AI can assist in organizing land records, and if I write the prompts correctly, I may be able to correlate the incoming and outgoing transactions within those records in order to see what records I am missing.

In all my land research in New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont I have never come across the Onion River Land Company. The timeline above shows the Onion River Land Company being formed. It was founded in 1773 by Ira Allen and his family, and promoted settlement along the Champlain Valley where the Rowley and Fenn family eventually settled in Shoreham, Vermont. Further study of this land company might open up other areas of research.

Conclusion

Researching early land records on the Vermont frontier has been both a challenge and an opportunity to uncover new insights into my ancestors' lives. The shifting land claims between New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont have complicated the search, but understanding the historical context has helped me understand the times in which they were living. I will continue to explore resources like the Onion River Land Company and utilize AI tools to organize and analyze data. I hope to make further connections between the Rowley and Fenn families. Every record I find is another piece of the puzzle, bringing me closer to learning how my family fit into Vermont’s early history.

AI Disclosures

Journey to the Past blog posts uses the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

While the content reflects my ideas, writing, and research, GPT-4o was used for grammar and style suggestions.

The headlines on this blog may be suggested by GPT-4o algorithms. I review, select, and edit the most fitting one to capture the essence of the content.

The timeline on this post was created using GPT-4o by uploading a journal article and generating a timeline based on its content.

The image used on this blog post was created by AI software, DALL-E. The visual was designed to complement the content and enhance the reader's experience.

Sources

Graffagnino, J. Kevin. “The Country My Soul Delighted In”: The Onion River Land Company and the Vermont Frontier. The New England Quarterly 65, no. 1 (March 1992): 24–60. Published by The New England Quarterly, Inc. Accessed April 2025. Available on JSTOR.

Lost Land: Was Daniel and Abel Fenn's Property Seized in 1857?

In an earlier blog post, Abel R. Fenn and Daniel C. Fenn Lose Court Case, I shared the attachment notice that was printed in the Ann Arbor Michigan Argus newspaper. Last fall I conducted further research at the Archives of Michigan, where I examined the Washtenaw County court records from 1857. Here is Part II of my findings.

During my research, I located additional court records documenting the appraisal of the Fenn brothers' property. Due to the poor quality of the photographs, I have chosen to share transcriptions of these records rather than images. Below is the record detailing the appraisal process and the property involved in the attachment.

Court Notice of Appraisal

State of Michigan

Washtenaw County

 

I do hereby return that by virtue of the attachment

 hereunto Annexed, I did on the 20th day of December

AD 1856 Attach the premises mentioned in the Inventory

Hereunto  Annexed, as the property of Daniel C Fenn and

 Abel R. Fenn. Defendants in the said attachment

named. All of Which Said property was appraised

by Edward H. Branch And John W. Brown two

disinterested freeholders who were by me first

duly sworn to make a true appraisement thereof

And whose appraisal is in writing signed by

 themselves And herewith returned, and I do

Further return that on the 5th day of January A.D 1853.

I served Daniel C Fenn one of the defendants in said

Attachment named with a copy thereof together and

A copy of an inventory of said property duly

Certified by delivering the same to him and

I also further return that I am unable to find

Abel R Fenn in said attachment named in my

Bailiwick

Dated January 6th 1857                     John C Mead

My fees   $4.25                                               Sheriff

? for ? fee 1.00

                 $5.25

Property Attached by Court

 State of Michigan

Washtenaw County

 By virtue of the writ of attachment

hereunto Annexed I did on the 20th

day of December AD 1856. Seize and attach all the right

Title and interest of Daniel C. Fenn and Abel R. Fenn

Vs Either of their defendants in Said Attachment named in

And to the following described premises situated in the

County of Washtenaw and State of Michigan to ? the

South East quarter of the North East quarter of section

twenty three (23) The South west quarter of the North

West  quarter of section twenty four (24) Containing

Eighty acres more or less Being in Township Number

Two (2) South of range Three East 

Also lots number seven (7) Eight (8) and Nine (9) in block ten according to

The recorded plat of the Village of Chelsea

Also a part of lot number six (6) to wit

Seventeen feet in width off the North Side and

Extending the whole length of said lot. And a strip

Off the South side of Lot number five (5) being five

Feet wide and extending the whole length of said

Lot the whole being in block number two (2) in the

Village of Chelsea according to the recorded ?

Of said village in the county of Washtenaw

State of Michigan

Dated December 20, 1856

 

                                                John C. Mead

                                                            Sheriff

December 20, 1856 copy filed with Register of Deeds

These documents offer a glimpse into the legal and financial troubles faced by my second great-grandfather, Daniel C. Fenn, and his brother Abel R. Fenn. It provides insight into the properties they owned and subsequently lost due to the court case. The court's inability to locate Abel adds another layer of mystery. Was he intentionally evading the legal process, or had he already moved away from Washtenaw County?

As I continue to uncover more about the Fenn brothers and their history, I hope to piece together the circumstances that led to this lawsuit and its long-term effects on their lives. If any descendants or researchers have additional information, I would love to hear from you.

I asked GPT-4o to plot the coordinates on a map, and this was the result on a present day map. I have not cross-referenced it with an 1856 map, so proceed with caution.

Chelsea, Michigan Google Map

The Washtenaw County map from Google Maps shows red pins marking Chelsea, MI, matching the locations on the map above. 

The blue pins indicate locations in Lima Township.

This paragraph was written entirely by GPT-4o when I prompted it to write a summary of map resources for Washtenaw county and Chelsea, Michigan in 1856.

"The Old Maps Online platform provides access to various historical maps of Washtenaw County, including detailed surveys from the mid-19th century. One of the most valuable maps for this research is Gustavus R. Bechler’s 1856 Map of Washtenaw County, Michigan, which depicts township boundaries, landowner names, and property divisions. This map, available through the Library of Congress, allows researchers to locate Township 2 South, Range 3 East (Lima Township) and pinpoint specific land sections, including Section 23 and Section 24, where Daniel C. Fenn and Abel R. Fenn owned land. Additionally, inset maps of Chelsea from this period show individual blocks and lots, including those attached in the legal proceedings against the Fenn brothers. Platforms like Historic Map Works and David Rumsey Map Collection also offer high-resolution scans of period maps, which can be cross-referenced with modern GIS tools to precisely map historical property locations."

Additionally, I have Family Maps of Washtenaw County, Michigan by Gregory A. Boyd, J.D. that I will look at to find older maps of the Fenn land. It looks like I will be digging into land records soon.

This isn't all that I have found. Stay tuned for further updates as I continue my genealogical journey!

AI Disclosures

This blog post used the assistance of the artificial intelligence (AI) tool GPT-4o.

While the content reflects my ideas, writing, and research, GPT-4o was used for grammar and style suggestions, and for the transcription of court documents.

The summary of old map resources was entirely written by GPT-4o.

The headlines on this blog may be suggested by AI algorithms. I review, select, and edit the most fitting ones to capture the essence of the content. 

The Missing Link: The Sole Record Connecting Huldah Rowley to Her Father, Hopkins

 

Source: The Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York: An Historical and Genealogical Study of All the 18th Century Settlers in the Patent by Frank J. Doherty (Volume X), p85.

GPT 4o Transcription     The Rowley Family

adjoins the Nine Partners Patent and is adjacent to the CT border. On 1 May 1759 the rent book reads: "This farm is cleared of rent by a bond given by Daniel Rowley and Jonathan Rowley for £45. Each has now half the farm, see p. 163 and 164." The rent book, page 164 reads: "Jonathan Rowley lot 15, 100 acres, rent begins 1760 at 11 bushels per year. Now Garret Winnegar, gave bond for Jonathon Rowley his part of the bond remains £28/18/7. Dan'l Rowley paid his part by Davis last April & interest to now is 2 & 3 years back rents is 33 bushels of wheat @7/bushel £11/11, net together is £41/16/2, so the bond is £41/16/2, which clears this farm to May last 1763, which farm now belongs to said Winnegar." Jonathan was still of Beekman when on 22 Feb. 1764 he bought 100 acres in Mount Ephraim. He sold 40 acres of this to Daniel Rowley 10 July 1766 when both were living Richmond, MA.

On 16 Jan. 1801 Samuel Hake of Rhinebeck, merchant mortgaged several parcels to John S. Jones of New York, merchant. The second parcel is described as: In lot 15 SW corner Daniel Rowley. Bounds Christopher Elliot 100 acres. Leased May 1 1750 to Jonathan Rowley, wife Elizabeth and son Hopkins.^(50) On 13 May 1808 Samuel Hake and his wife Elizabeth sold this 100 acres to James Grant of Pawling for $1,062.50. The deed noted that Josiah Wheeler was then on the farm formerly Daniel Rowley, that had been leased to Jonathan Rowley 1759.^(51)

Jonathan Rowley was in Pittsford, Rutland Co., VT in 1790 at 2-3-3 and died, probably at Pittsford, between 4 March 1805 and 25 May 1806.

Children: (by Elizabeth)^(52)
i. Hopkins, b. 18 Dec. 1758; m. Elizabeth Stewart, b. 1770, d. 1825.
He was in Pittsford Town, Rutland Co., VT in 1790 at 1-0-2 and is buried as a Revolutionary War Patriot in Shoreham, VT. He died 1 Sept. 1831. They had dau. Huldah b. at Pittsford, VT 18 March 1789 who married Daniel Fenn 28 Feb. 1808 at Shoreham, VT.^(53)

ii. Mary, b. ca. 1759; m. John Mott. They went to OH.

iii. Jonathan, b. 1760-61; he was killed and scalped on a military scouting mission in May 1779.

iv. Joseph, b. ca. 1762-63; m. 1st unk., 2nd Content Randall. He is said to have died in War of 1812.

---

Footnotes:
^(50) M 8:386.
^(51) D 20:457. A map drawn 1795 by Will Cockburn shows that Josiah Wheeler is on a 100 acre farm in the north-east corner of lot 15. A road goes through the west center of the farm and the house is on the road, just north of the southern property line. Daniel Rowley's farm was just to the west of Jonathan's.
^(52) Children by Elizabeth from Mayflower Families through Five Generations, Volume Six, Stephen Hopkins, p. 401-2.
^(53) Link to ancestry record. See following for others in his family: http://www.flint.com/rowley/Biographies/1790/1-6.0149_hopkins.htm.

Unraveling the Hopkins-Huldah Rowley Connection

In over fifteen years of researching the Rowley family, one sentence from The Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York: An Historical and Genealogical Study of All the 18th Century Settlers in the Patent by Frank J. Doherty (Volume X) remains the only direct link I've found tying Huldah Rowley to her father, Hopkins Rowley. The passage simply states:

"They had dau. Huldah b. at Pittsford, VT 18 March 1789 who married Daniel Fenn 28 Feb. 1808 at Shoreham, VT."

It’s just one piece of evidence, but it’s the strongest I’ve found among dozens of secondary records. Unfortunately, after evaluating the source, it proves unreliable, as it does not cite the origin of the information when referring to the source in (53) above. Despite years of research, I’ve come up empty-handed when it comes to primary sources that confirm this connection. The fact that the family was Baptist adds to the challenge—without baptism records to consult, proving this link feels nearly impossible.

Is this brief mention, combined with other circumstantial evidence, enough to confirm Huldah's parentage? That’s the question I continue to explore.

I consulted GPT-4o to assist in planning future research. The prompt I used was: "Plan for future research to prove that Hopkins Rowley is Huldah Rowley's father." and added to the transcription response. Below is the response generated from that prompt. My findings, or lack thereof, are indicated in bold text.

1. Reevaluate and Analyze Existing Evidence

• Review Secondary Sources: Reassess all secondary records you've gathered, looking for overlooked details or indirect evidence that could strengthen the connection. DONE
• Cross-Reference Timelines: Create detailed timelines for both Hopkins and Huldah, focusing on overlapping locations and events. This may reveal patterns or gaps to guide further research. (Need to do)
• Evaluate Witnesses: Review marriage, land, or probate records for witness names that could indicate familial or community connections. DONE

2. Focus on Land and Probate Records

• Land Deeds and Transfers: Search for property transactions in Pittsford, Shoreham, and surrounding areas. If Hopkins transferred land to Huldah or her husband, Daniel Fenn, it could indicate a familial relationship. (I have found that Daniel Fenn received six $100 promissory notes from Hopkins Rowley 31 Aug 1815 in Shoreham Vermont. I feel this is important and ties Daniel Fenn to the Hopkins Rowley family. Why else would Daniel be lent $600 which in today's money is a little over $12,000. )
• Probate Records: Investigate wills, estate inventories, or guardianship records for both the Rowley and Fenn families in Rutland County, Vermont, and any nearby counties. Look for mentions of Huldah or her husband. (Hopkins Rowley probate records were involved in a fire and the remnants that I looked at holds no information. I have not found Daniel Fenn's probate record which could be in Michigan.)
• Neighbor and Associate Research: Trace families living near Hopkins Rowley and Daniel Fenn. Neighbors often appear in legal records and can provide context for family connections. (Completed)

3. Church and Religious Records

• Baptist Church Membership Records: Even though baptism records are unlikely, Baptist churches may have kept membership rolls, marriage records, or minutes. Check for records in Pittsford, Shoreham, and nearby communities. (Have not found any for Vermont areas; I found Lima Township Michigan ones where they were members.)
• Minister’s Journals: If a local minister officiated Huldah's marriage, their journals or records may mention family connections. (None found)

Other research I have conducted includes researching Huldah's brothers and sisters to establish connections among them and to Hopkins. I have researched Hopkin's family but nothing ties Huldah to Hopkins directly.

I have searched for Huldah's release of dower but have been unable to locate it. Although I do not have definitive proof that Hopkins Rowley is the father of Huldah Rowley, who married Daniel Fenn, I believe this to be the case based on dozens of indirect secondary sources. These include census records, school and land documents, military records, and town history books. However, the research I have conducted has not been accepted by the DAR to establish the connection between Huldah and Hopkins. 

Do you have a father-child connection you believe to be true but no direct evidence proves it? Share your stories in the chat, please.

AI Disclosure

This blog post used the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

Specifically, GPT4o was used to transcribe the book page and to check spelling and grammar. 

GPT4o was asked to plan future research based on the transcription it provided. 

GPT4o suggested blog post titles based upon my writing and ideas and I selected the one with edits to enhance the blog experience.

Abel R. Fenn and Daniel C. Fenn Lose Court Case

 

Transcription:

Attachment Notice

STATE OF MICHIGAN,-The Circuit Court for the County of Washtenaw, Samuel W. Sears, John P Adriance and Samuel R. Platt vs. Daniel C. Fenn and Abel R. Fenn. Notice is hereby given that on the second day of December A.D. 1856 a writ of Attachment was issued out of the circuit court for the County of Washtenaw in favor of the above names Samuel W. Sears, John P. Adriance and Samuel R. Platt, Plaintiffs, against the lands and tenements, goods, chattles, moneys and effects of the above named Daniel C Fenn and Abel R. Fenn, for the sum of one hundred and seventy-nine dollars and seventy-four cents, which said writ was returnable on the 1^st Tuesday of January A.D. 1857, it appears from the return of the Sheriff of the County of Washtenaw, that property of the said Daniel C. Fenn and Abel R. Fenn has been attached thereon, and that the said Abel R. Fenn cannot be found.

Samuel W. Sears

John P. Adriance

And Samuel R. Platt

Beakes & Massitt Attys. For Plaintiffs

Jan. 26^th. 1857.                                             6w573

Source: Michigan Argus, Ann Arbor, Michigan 27 Feb 1857 page 4; column 8

The newspaper clipping above details a legal settlement involving Daniel C. Fenn, my second great-grandfather, and his brother, Abel R. Fenn. Upon discovering this article, I realized that court records related to the case must exist. Since the case dates back to 1857, I turned to the Archives of Michigan, where historic Washtenaw County court records are housed.

Using the Archives catalog, I searched for "Washtenaw County Court Records." Several results were returned, but the one I needed was:

Records of the 4th Circuit Court for Washtenaw County, 1828-1876.  

 Authors Michigan. Circuit Court (4th Circuit)

Archival Material 1828

Summary This record group consists of various records of the 4th Circuit Court of Michigan. The record group includes: criminal court case files (1836-1876), documenting various criminal cases, including breaking and entering, intoxication, larceny, murder, rape, and other criminal matters; chancery court case files (1834-1876), including cases involving equitable rights, estates, divorces, establishment of birth records, and other cases not based on statutory or common law; and law court case files (1828-1873), documenting cases such as attachments, bail forfeitures, chattel mortgages, contests of wills, debts, and other civil matters.  (My Note: Writ of Attachment Dated 2 Dec 1856 for Daniel C. Fenn and Abel R. Fenn)

Available

Archives of Michigan, Archives

RG 96-178

I visited the Archives of Michigan during a Michigan Genealogical Council's Fall Seminar lock-in. While I had used various resources at the Archives before, this was the first time working with court records. A very helpful staff member, AnnaKathryn Welch guided me through the process of using the blue binders to locate the exact record I needed. Once she retrieved the record, I got to work.

Accession No. 96-178. Lot No. 10. No. Boxes 146. Box No. 100. Record Group Washtenaw County Circuit Court. Description of Records Law Court Case Files, Calendar D #595-699 c. 1855-1858.

Source: Washtenaw county, Michigan, United States, Records of the 4th Circuit Court for Washtenaw County, 1828-1876 Record Group 96-178, Fenn vs Sears et al, Daniel C. Fenn, Abel R. Fenn, Samuel W. Sears, John P Adriance and Samuel R. Platt, 12 January 1857; Archives of Michigan, Lansing, Ingham, Michigan, United States.

Transcription: Washtenaw Circuit Court

Samuel W. Sears, John P. Adriance, and Samuel R. Platt

vs.

Daniel C. Fenn &
Abel H. Fenn

Writ of Attachment

No. 1128

Filed the 12th January
A.D. 1857
R. J. Birny (?), Clk

Beakes and Massitt
Attys for Pltf

The record was about twenty pages long and I have transcribed it. I will sharing the transcriptions in the weeks to come. From one newspaper notice, I was able to find the complete court case (and more) and learn more about my ancestor and his brother, Daniel C. Fenn and Abel R. Fenn.

, 

The Marriages of Claude Raymond Glover

My father's uncle, Claude Raymond Glover, was married twice. He married his first wife, Elizabeth Bellinghausen on 7 October 1905 in Marquette, Marquette, Michigan. A notice was printed in the "Marquette (MI) Republican" newspaper. I found the clipping in his mother's, Hattie Fenn Glover, Bible. 

Source: Family data, Hattie L. "Fenn" Glover Family Bible, The Holy Bible: with Revised New Testament, (Chicago: GW Borland & Co., 1882); original owned in March 2025 by Brenda Leyndyke, [address for private use], Kalamazoo, Michigan, In the possession of Hattie Fenn Glover's grandson, Jack Tyson, who gave it to Mary Louise Fenn Blades, who gave it to Brenda Leyndyke.

Transcription: Claude Glover, of this place, and Miss Lizzie Bellinghausen, of Frankfort, were joined in marriage last Saturday at the home of the groom's parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. H. Glover, in this city.  The groom has been a resident of this city for the past year and is a popular employee of the Munising R'y.  The Republican congratulates him and his bride and wishes them a long life, happiness and prosperity.  1905 written in pencil.  

Elizabeth died in 1937 of a heart attack.

L-R: Claude R. Glover, my dad, Bruce Glover, and I believe his first wife, Elizabeth. My dad was born in 1925 and Elizabeth died in 1937. I don't believe was dad was 12 in this picture. This picture is in the personal collection of Brenda Leyndyke.

Claude married Edith, also seen as Edythe, Sarasin Booker in 17 May 1941 according to Hattie's Bible, cited above. Edith Sarasin had been married to George Irving Booker, then Claude Glover, and lastly to a Mr. Hansen. I haven't found Claude and Edith's marriage record yet. Maybe I need another trip to Marquette.

Claude had two wives never had any children.

The Death of Myrta Fenn

 Source: Michigan Department of Health, "Michigan, Death Certificates, 1921-1946," Index and Images, , Michiganology (www.michiganology.org : accessed 5 September 2023), death certificate state file number 481 2126; 23 Jun 1945 for Myrta A. Fenn; Michigan Department of Community Health, Lansing

Myrta A. Fenn, the daughter of Courtney Fenn and Ann McDonough, was born 5 April 1869 in Chelsea, Washtenaw, Michigan. She lived her whole life in the Chelsea area. She died 23 June 1945, at the age of seventy-seven. She died at Ypsilanti State Hospital, Ypsilanti, Washtenaw, Michigan after a twelve day stay. The cause of her death was chronic myocarditis with the contributing cause of senile psychosis.

Myrta's death certificate states her body was removed to Oak Grove Cemetery, Chelsea, Washtenaw, Michigan, but Myrta is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Chelsea, Washtenaw, Michigan. (Find a Grave Memorial Number 52828647)

The Marriage of Samuel D. Breed and Orpha A. Fenn in 1841

One hundred eighty-one years ago today, Orpha Ann Fenn, the daughter of Daniel Fenn and Huldah Rowley Fenn, married Samuel Dwight Breed on 12 September 1841 in Grass Lake, Michigan. Michigan marriages were not recorded at this early date and I needed to look for other records to confirm this date. One such secondary source record was on page 16 of The 1900 Congregational Yearbook. In addition to marriage information a biography of Samuel Dwight Breed was provided. The transcription is

BREED, SAMUEL DWIGHT, son of Reuben and Martha (Everett) Breed, was born in Volney, N. Y., 1820, Nov. 3. Grass Lake, Mich. 

Academy. Chicago Seminary, 1859. 

Ordained, Augusta,now Whittaker, Mich., 1862, Feb. 19; acting pastor there, 1862-7 ; Grand Blanc, 1867-9; New Haven and Chesterfield, 1869-70; Napoleon, 1870-2; Rochester, 1872-5; without charge, Ypsilanti, 1875-85; Ann Arbor, after.

Married, 1841. Sept. 12, Orpha Ann, daughter of Daniel and Huldah (Rowley) Fenn, of Shoreham, Vt. She died, 1846, Feb. 12. One son died in the civil war.

Married, 1848, Sept. 14, Amelia Eliza, daughter of Amos and Laura (Mills) Bosworth, of Sandisfleld, Mass., who died, 1893, Sept. 28. Two daughters and two sons, the latter being Revs. Dwight P. and Merle A. Breed. 

Died of arterial sclerosis, 1899, Aug. 16, aged 78 years, 9 months, and 13 days. '

My next step in my research would be to look for Grass Lake church records. I know in 1836 there were three churches in Grass Lake, Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian, which the later became a Congregational Church. Currently, it is the Federated Church of Grass Lake.

'States, General Council of the Congregational and Christian Churches of the United. The Congregation Yearbook: 1900. Boston: Congregational Publishing Society,. Digital images. Google Books. https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=9BRKAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=GBS.PP1 : 2015. 

The Birth Anniversary of Estella Fenn Shaw 175 Years Ago

Source: Family data, Hattie L. "Fenn" Glover Family Bible, The Holy Bible: with Revised New Testament, (Chicago: GW Borland & Co., 1882); original owned in August 2022 by Brenda Leyndyke, [address for private use] 

Estelle Jane Fenn, daughter of Daniel C. Fenn and Jane E. Poor was born on 8 September 1847, in Jackson, Michigan. Estelle lost her mother when she was seven months old. Her father, Daniel C. Fenn married Jane's sister, Elizabeth Poor between 1848-1850.

 

Estelle spent most of her life in Jackson, Michigan. She married James Shaw in Jackson on the 10th of May 1866.  Later in her life Estelle travelled to Florida and California to spend her winters there. 

Estelle died 13 July 1934, of cardiac degeneration, in Jackson, Michigan. Interestingly, I found her obituary in my local Battle Creek newspaper archives.

Source: Obituary: Local Woman's Sister Succumbs in Jackson, Battle Creek Enquirer, Battle Creek, Calhoun, Michigan, United States, 15 July 1934, page 3; column 6.

LOCAL WOMAN'S SISTER SUCCUMBS IN JACKSON

Mrs. Estelle Shaw Was Member of Prominent, Mother of Publisher.

     Mrs. Estelle Shaw, member of a well known family of Jackson and sister of Mrs. Hattie Glover of Goguac lake, died at 2:30 o'clock Friday afternoon at the home of her daughter, Mrs. R.H. Rossman, in Jackson. Mrs. Shaw was the widow of the late James F. Shaw, who was a prominent shoe merchant of Jackson. She had been ill about two weeks according to the message received by her Battle Creek relatives.

     Mrs. Shaw is survived by two children, the daughter at whose home she died and a son, Arch Wilkinson Shaw of Chicago, well known publisher.  She is also survived by the sister, Mrs. Glover, who lives with her daughter, Mrs. Victor Tyson, 103 Lakefront, Goguac lake and two brothers, Tully D. Fenn of route five, Battle Creek and George Fenn of Hersey, Osceola county. Mrs. Shaw had often visited in Battle Creek.

     Funeral services will be held Monday afternoon at 2:30 from the daughter's home in Jackson.  All of the Battle Creek relatives will motor over to attend the service.  Burial will be in Jackson cemetery.

Brickwall Tip: Prove It Can't Be Anyone Else

Do you have ancestors who you think belong to one family or another, but don't have proof of it? This is where I am with my Daniel Fenn brick wall and finding who his father was. 

A few years ago my husband and I went on a New England research trip. While he was at Sam Adam's brewery I was at the library of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. I paid for a consultation with Rhonda McClure and her ideas have helped me further my research.

One of her suggestions was to show how it can't be anyone else but the person you think it is. What did she mean by that? I took it to mean that I needed to research all the Fenn's in the area where I knew they were living. Chances are that if they were living in Shoreham, Addison county, Vermont in 1808, other Fenn's are related. I needed to show that there isn't any other Fenn that could be Daniel's father. 

I started with the 1800 U.S. Federal Census. I discounted anyone living outside of the New England area. I have never found any existence of my Fenn family in Philadelphia, Georgia, Maryland, or Mississippi. I can always come back to these Fenn's if none are found in New England.

That left me with Benjamin, Edward, Gideon, John, Austin, and Joseph (Fenne). These six men were living in Vermont and found in the 1800 U.S. Federal Census or the Vermont, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1778-1840. I transcribed these Fenn families on an 1800 census form found at Ancestry.com. I knew that Daniel Fenn was born around 25 November 1787. I used the information from his death age of 49 years, 3 months, 13 days. 

That meant that I was looking for an entry that had at least one free white male between the ages of 10 and 15. Edward, Gideon, John, and Austin were candidates because they were all living in Rutland county, Vermont. Joseph was in Windsor county, Vermont. Benjamin and Edward couldn't be found in the 1800 Census. Who had children of those ages ?

• Gideon had 2
• John had 0 
• Austin had 1
• Joseph had 1

Now, I am looking at three candidates, Gideon, Austin, and Joseph. I could repeat the process for the 1810 U.S. Federal Census, looking for Free White Males between 20-25 years old, but Daniel married Huldah Rowley in 1808. I believe Daniel and Huldah are enumerated in the home of Hopkins Rowley in the 1810 Census.

You would think narrowing the choices down to three men would make it easier to find Daniel's father. I could not find any clues from naming patterns. Daniel had a son, Daniel C., but no Gideon, Austin, or Joseph to be found. I have no clue if Daniel had any brothers or sisters.

Further research on Gideon, Austin, or Joseph has not proven who Daniel's father was. I am still searching. I need to find out where the Fenn's came from prior to Vermont. I have a feeling it is Connecticut, but don't have definitive proof for this.

There are forty Fenn's in Connecticut in the 1800 U.S. Federal Census and I am in the process of narrowing down the candidates. It would be so much easier if they had listed all the family members.

Although, I haven't proven it couldn't be anyone else, I did narrow it down to three in Vermont and I am working on Connecticut. I have faith that this brick wall tip will work. I will keep trying to prove that Daniel Fenn's father is...

Do you have a brick wall tip for finding parents? If so, please share in the comments.

School Days, School Days, Dear Old New England Rule Days

Vector illustration from "Ethels Keepsake" circa 1888 - archive.org. in the public domain

School days, school days

Dear old golden rule days

Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic

Taught to the tune of the hickory stick 

Lyrics written by Will B. Cobb (1907)  

Have you ever wondered what school was like for your ancestors? Were they home schooled, church schooled, public schooled? Was it mandatory for children to even attend school? What age could they drop out of school? Was school free? All these questions and more enter my mind when I am looking at school records in my research.

 Colonial Education

Students who did receive any schooling were mostly males during colonial times. Reading and writing was taught mostly to males. The thought at the time was that females only needed to read the Bible. This explains why many colonial women used an x for their signature. I wonder if they even knew what they were signing.

 

 

Nick Allen, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons accessed 2 April 2022.

 

The New England colonies opened the first schools in the 1600's. Boston Latin School was the first public school, founded in 1635. All New England colonies required their towns to set up schools.

Laws Pertaining to Colonial America and Education

In 1642, the Massachusetts Bay Colony made schooling compulsory. Parents were expected to teach their children and servants to read. In 1647, the Massachusetts Bay General Court passed an act compelling every town of fifty householders to appoint a teacher for all their children, and further required a grammar school for every town of one hundred families or more.¹The laws of 1658 advised each town to consider the matter of getting a schoolmaster. In 1677, the General Court ordered that each town with fifty families or more have a grammar school.² Grammar schools were the precursor to today's high schools. Connecticut, New Haven, and Plymouth adopted the same system. Rhode Island was the only colony not adopting these laws. Massachusetts was the first colony to have a college, Harvard College, in 1635.  Harvard was originally formed as a missionary college. It wasn't until the 1700's that boys AND girls attended schools together. It was usually a one room schoolhouse with one teacher. 

How does this help with my genealogy research?

Knowing this information can help in one's research. My school records research starts in the late 1700's and early 1800's. I found school records in the Family Search collection: Shoreham Town Records and Associated Material 1783-1964  I created a table to help keep my Fenn family organized. This is the information I found. I did find records for 1831, 1832, and 1833 but formatting options limited the years I could post on this blog. The highlighted portions are the ages when children would be expected to attend school. 

Daniel Fenn (1787-1836) Children and Ages

Shoreham VT School Records

 

Name	Birth Year	1818	1823	1825	1827	1828	1829
# in School		3	5	5	4	5	5
Orlo H Fenn	1808	10	15	17	19
Tully C. P. Fenn	1811	7	12	14	16	17	18
Martha Fenn	1819		4	6	8	9	10
Orpha Ann Fenn	1820		3	5	7	8	9
Daniel C Fenn	1823		0	2	4	5	6
Betsy Meurisa Fenn (m. 1833)
Abel Fenn	1826				1	2	3
Aminda Fenn	1829
Female Fenn

Another record I found was recorded by families and there weren't any individual children named.

A list of the scholars residing in school district number 4 in the town of Shoreham on the first day of March 1818

John Larrabee8

Elijah Rowley6

Ransom Cummings3

Augustus Hanks4

George Cutting3

Timothy Larrabee4

Calvin Stewart 1

Harlet Thorn 5

Daniel Fenn 3

Reuben Bisbee 3

James Baker 6

Job Bodwell 1

                             45

Calvin Stuart district clerk

The father's name is listed with the number of children attending school.

One might not think these records too helpful. It helped me because I was able to identify family members that would lead to further research. Sometimes researching siblings will provide you with the information you need.

In the second example, one can see who attended school with the children. Did your ancestor marry a classmate? The Larrabee, Rowley, and Fenn families were tied together through marriages. 

The further I get into researching my ancestors the more I look for unique records, like school records. I especially like the ones that list the children and father's name.

¹https://www.massmoments.org/moment-details/massachusetts-passes-first-education-law.html#:~:text=Colonial%20Massachusetts%20was%20an%20agricultural,%2C%20writing%2C%20and%20basic%20arithmetic.

2Ibid

The Expansion of New England . Spread of New England Settlement and institutions to the Mississippi River, 1620-1865, Lori Kimball Mathews. 1936. Reprinted by New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012