William 5 BIGELOW

15196.   William 5 BIGELOW, son of Jotham 4 (John 3,Samuel 2, John1) and Mary (RICHARDSON) BIGELOW , was born in Holden, Worcester co, MA, 20 February 1751. In 1761 the family removed to Guilford, Windham county, VT, where they were among the earliest settlers. On 15 March 1782 he married Damaris HAPGOOD, daughter of Seth and Lydia (BOWKER) HAPGOOD, at Petersham, MA. He was early chosen a town clerk and soon became one of the prominent men in the vicinity, serving some years as selectman [town council], and represented the town in the state legislature. During the troubles between New York and Vermont, over the jurisdiction over the western portion which lies against Lake Champlain (where Washington county, NY now is), he was prominently identified as taking part with the state of New York. He served 20 years as Judge of Windham County Court, and was a large landowner in Guilford. He died in Guilford 14 October 1814. His will mentions wife Damaris, sons Levi, Joseph, and Asa, and daughters Damaris and Betsy.
1790 census: VT-Windham- Guilford-William Bigelow: 2-3-3-0-0.

Children of William and Damaris (HAPGOOD) BIGELOW, all born Guilford, VT:

15196.1    Capt. William, b 26 Jan 1783; d 6 Oct l848 Phlllipston, MA. William's death is as taken from town records for Phillipston; however he is buried at Guilford, VT and the headstone gives a death date of 15 Oct 1848, from which we judge it was erected at a later date, and the inscription made from faulty memory; married at Phlllipston 20 May 1810, Lucretia Ashcroft; res Guilford, VT. 6 children.

15196.2    Hon. Levi, b 25 Feb 1785; d unknown date Chenango co, NY; m, 23 Feb 1814 Hannah Goodrich; res Bainbridge, Chenango co, NY; 7 children.

15196.3    Rebecca, b 24 July 1787; d 7 Aug 1858 Leyden, MA; m 1 Apr 1810 Salmon Sheldon; res Leyden, MA. 9 children.

15196.4    Asa Edwin, b 21 Jan 1790; unknown death date; m 26 Jan 1818 (Colnain, MA) Eliza Browning; at one time res Greenbush, NY. 4 known children.

15196.5    Demaris, b 9 May 1792; unknown death date; m 31 Oct 1816 Daniel Garreu; res Bainbridge, Chenango, NY.

15196.6    Betsy, b 1 Aug 1795; unknown death date; m _____ Daniels; res NY state.

15196.7    Joseph, b 22 Oct 1798; d ca 1828 at Catskill, NY; unmarried.

Sources:
Bigelow Family Genealogy Volume. I page.109;
Howe, Bigelow Family of America;
vital records of towns mentioned above;
Hapgood genealogy.
Note:
Subject: William Bigelow Jr. m Rebecca Barney
Date: Sat, 27 Nov 1999 15:54:55 EST
From:  Helga Andrews    Hanjm@aol.com

The "Official History of Guilford Vt" says that William Bigelow Jr. married Rebecca Barney, b Oct 2 1751 d Feb 3 1781. I note that William Bigelow b 1751 Feb 20, son of Jotham and Mary Richardson Bigelow, married Damaris Hapgood in 1782 and had 10 children. Even though he's not William Jr. did he possible marry Rebecca first and if so did they have any children?  I'm researching the Barneys in Guilford.
More:
Thanks for your prompt response. The Bigelow web site is a wonderful job. If  the Temples had known that Persis Bigelow who married John Temple was a Beaman it would have saved us a dreadful trip to the Worcester Court House! Her parents were Ezra and Persis Keyes Beaman, by the way, but I didn't write down when and where Persis was born though it was in Worcester County--easy enough to find should anyone care.  The other Persis Bigelow, who married William Packer, probably died in  Preston, Chenango Co NY where her last children were born, but I've not tracked down the date yet--I found her children on the Ancestral File. Thanks again and I hope someone responds to my query.  Helga
12/24/99...I have a theory, which I cannot yet prove, but it may make sense out of the marriage of Persis Bigelow and William Packer.  They married in 1785 and had 8 children, but the wife that is ascribed to him (daughter of Jotham and Persis Temple, b 1739) would have been much too old to manage this. I wonder if after Jotham married Mary Richardson as his 2nd wife and had William, Joel, Josiah, Abel who d young, Lucretia m Dean Chase, and they moved to Guilford around 1761, they perhaps had two more daughters, Mary and Persis. This would make sense of his will in 1786, leaving to daughters Mary and Persis, wife of William Packer.  Can anyone verify this?? (I haven't access to VT Vital Records at the moment, and they're not too complete either.) According to the IGI there was a Persis Bigelow born 1764 Oct 25 which would fit and Mary Richardson Bigelow would have been only 37 by then. It seems at least a reasonable assumption and I would love confirmation!
Helga Andrews Sudbury MA

Rod Bigelow
Box 13  Chazy Lake
Dannemora, N.Y. 12929
  rodbigelow@netzero.net 
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