Was Hopkins Rowley a Patriot or a Vigilante? The Answer Lies in Vermont’s Records

Green Mountain Boy with Musket and Document" image created using DALL·E by OpenAI, generated via ChatGPT, May 2025

While researching Vermont’s early days, I came across a fascinating article on JSTOR by Michael A. Bellesiles called “The Establishment of Legal Structures on the Frontier: The Case of Revolutionary Vermont.” It tells how Vermont’s early settlers didn’t wait for distant governments to create order; they built a legal system that worked for them, right in the middle of a revolution.

Why Vermont Took Justice Into Its Own Hands

The land we now call Vermont was caught between New York and New Hampshire. New York tried to control the region by setting up courts in counties like Cumberland and Gloucester. But those courts were a mess. They were slow, corrupt, and run by land speculators who didn’t even live there. Most cases dragged on or went nowhere.

The settlers had enough. They wanted justice that worked for real people, not just the rich or powerful. So they created their own system, one that prioritized fairness and speed over technicalities.

Community-Driven Justice

Vermont’s new courts were different. They were led by regular people who were not trained lawyers and they focused on solving problems quickly. Lawyers were often distrusted, and strict legal rules took a back seat to common sense.

The courts also played a huge role in the local economy. On the frontier, cash was scarce, so debt disputes were common. Vermont’s courts helped people settle these issues fairly, keeping communities stable and functioning.

Ethan Allen: Lawmaker with a Musket

Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys weren’t just freedom fighters; they also helped enforce Vermont’s laws. In 1779, Allen even had several New York officials arrested in Vermont to stop them from interfering. But instead of acting like tyrants, the Vermont leaders offered peace to anyone willing to support the new government.

A Legal System That Worked

Some people claimed Vermont used force to control its people, but the court records tell another story. Locals used the new legal system often and effectively. It wasn’t perfect, but it was fast, practical, and respected.

In fact, Vermont’s homegrown courts were ahead of their time. They were more democratic and responsive than many other systems in early America. What others saw as rough or unsophisticated was actually just well adapted to life on the frontier.

The Real Revolution

The article’s author, Bellesiles, argues that Vermont’s real revolution wasn’t just about independence from Britain or New York. It was about creating a system of justice that met the needs of the people. And that’s what made Vermont truly stand out in those early years.

My Family Connection

My fourth great grandfather, Hopkins Rowley, lived on the Vermont frontier during the Revolution and served as a Green Mountain Boy, walked the line between patriot and vigilante, but context matters.

Patriot:
Hopkins Rowley, as a Green Mountain Boy, fought to protect the New Hampshire land grants against British rule and New York’s competing claims. That makes him a patriot in the eyes of most Americans. He supported local control, defended settlers’ rights, and resisted outside interference.

Vigilante:
However, to New York authorities and Loyalists, Rowley and his comrades were vigilantes, unofficial enforcers who disrupted courts, arrested officials, and even used intimidation to defend their land and beliefs. The Green Mountain Boys often acted outside formal law, especially before Vermont declared independence.

As a Green Mountain Boy and early settler, Hopkins Rowley directly benefited from Vermont’s homegrown legal system. Unlike the corrupt and distant courts of New York, Vermont’s courts protected settlers like him in key ways:

• His Land Was Safe: Rowley held land through a New Hampshire grant. Vermont’s courts honored those titles, protecting him from losing his land to outside claims.

• His Actions Were Defensible: As someone who may have resisted Loyalists or New York officials, Vermont’s courts shielded him from prosecution and treated his actions as patriotic.

• His Disputes Were Settled Locally: Whether it was a boundary disagreement or an unpaid debt, Rowley could count on fast, fair, and local resolutions.

• His Voice Mattered: With local citizens serving as judges and jurors, Rowley was part of the legal process, not just subject to it.

Hopkins Rowley was a patriot, a man shaped by a place where formal justice failed and local communities took charge. Vermont’s homegrown legal system didn’t just protect men like him, it was made for them.

 How Vermont’s Legal Chaos Became a Genealogist’s Dream

If you’ve ever groaned over “legal gobbledygook” in your research or this blog post, you’re not alone. Colonial courts, rival land claims, and Revolutionary chaos can make your eyes glaze over. But here's the secret genealogists know: all that legal confusion leads to records, glorious records! Their efforts to build a local justice system gave us something truly priceless: a paper trail.

Why Legal Disputes Equal Genealogy Gold

As Vermont settlers like Hopkins Rowley pushed back against outside authority, they weren’t just waving flags, they were building a whole new legal system from the ground up. They needed courts to settle debt, confirm land ownership, and keep order in a raw, cash-poor society. And every disagreement, every deed, and every decision left behind documents.

These records hold the keys to unlocking our ancestors’ lives:

Military Records

Search for:

• Revolutionary War service files

• Militia rosters of the Green Mountain Boys

• Pension applications (even if your ancestor didn’t apply, a widow or child might have)

Try:

• Fold 3

• Vermont State Archives

• National Archives

• Vermont Historical Society’s collections

Land Records

Search for:

• New Hampshire land grants

• Vermont confirmations and town charters

• Deeds and property transfers

Try:

• FamilySearch → Vermont Land Records Collection

• Local Vermont town clerk offices (like Shoreham or Addison County)

• Vermont State Archives

Court Records

Explore:

• Early county court proceedings

• Civil and criminal cases

• Justice of the peace records

Try:

• Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA)

• New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS)

Town and Vital Records

Search:

• Births, marriages, and deaths

• Town meeting minutes (especially if your ancestor served in a civic role)

• Early church and burial records

Try:

• FamilySearch Vermont Town Records

• Local historical societies and libraries

• Town offices in Hebron, Shoreham, or wherever your ancestor lived

Published Sources and Local Histories

Don’t overlook:

• County and town histories

• Published rosters of Vermont soldiers

• Biographies and Revolutionary War studies

Try:

• Vermont in the Revolution by John E. Goodrich

• The Green Mountain Boys by Allen French

• JSTOR articles for scholarly background and sources

Why This Matters

You don’t need to be a lawyer to appreciate these sources. Each one tells a story of a land purchase, a debt settled, a jury called, a pension granted. Vermont’s homemade legal system may have been rough around the edges, but it preserved the lives of ordinary people like Hopkins Rowley in ink and parchment.

So, the next time someone says, “Ugh, early American legal history is so confusing,” just smile and say: “Yes! and it leads to records. Glorious records.”

Sources

Michael A. Bellesiles, “The Establishment of Legal Structures on the Frontier: The Case of Revolutionary Vermont,” The Journal of American History, March 1987.

Gillies, Paul S. The Law of the Hills: A Judicial History of Vermont. Vermont Historical Society, 2019.

AI Disclosures

This blog post used the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) tools at ChatGPT4o. While the content reflects my ideas, writing, and research. the AI was used for headings, grammar, and spelling editing.

ChatGPT4o suggested blog post titles based upon my writing and ideas and I selected the one with edits to enhance the blog experience.

Image created using DALL·E by OpenAI, generated via ChatGPT

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.

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.

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