Jefferson County, NY Pioneers

JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK

PIONEER FAMILIES OF ABRAM GRAVES and of JOHN AYERS

1. ABNER GRAVES was born about 1734 at Swanzey, NH and died 2 Feb. 1787 at Stratton, VT. He served in the Revolutionary War as a corporal in October 1776 from Cheshire Co., NH to reinforce Ft. Ticonderoga. He married DORCAS BELDING, daughter of MOSES BELDING of Winchester, NH. She was born 28 May 1737 and died 14 April 1812 in Barnard VT.

Children of Abner Graves and Dorcas Belding:

2          i          SARAH GRAVES born 3 Nov 1765; married PETER WHEELOCK on 1 June 1786; she died 16 Oct. 1854 in Wisconsin. Peter was born 19 May 1766 in Lancaster, Worcester, MA and died 29 Sep. 1851 in Newbury, Orange Co., VT.

3          ii          JOHN GRAVES born 20 June 1771; married 1)SARAH HUNTINGTON on 8 Oct. 1797 and 2) the widow, HANNAH (WINSLOW) AYRES. John moved to Royalton, VT, the year after his brother, Abram. He married Sarah Huntington of Bethel, VT, who was the daughter of JAMES AND HANNAH (CURTIS)HUNTINGTON, on 8 Oct. 1797 in Royalton, VT. She died 6 March 1813 in Vt. John then moved to Watertown, NY and married the widow Hannah Ayres. Her first husband was JOHN AYRES,* who had died as a prisoner in Quebec in the War of 1812. She was the daughter of SAMUEL WINSLOW and MARTHA GOODSPEED, born at Chesterfield, NH. Hannah died in 1853 at 88 years and is buried in Hounsfield, Jefferson Co., NY. John Graves died in 1850 at 79 years, 6 months, 5 days and is buried in Hounsfield, Jefferson Co., NY. John's first wife and six children are buried in the Howe Cemetery in Royalton, VT. (Also known as Hickey Cemetery; markers are in critical condition; there is a marker for JAMES HUNTINGON who married HANNAH CURTIS on 24 May 1765 in Norwich, however.)

4          iii          ABRAM GRAVES born 14 June 1773; married MEHITABLE HOWE on 9 June 1797; died 27 March 1854

5          iv          ISAAC GRAVES born 13 April 1775; married PRUDENCE HOWE; died 10 March 1859. Prudence was born 1778.

6          v          GRATIA GRAVES; married JAMES AIKENS 25 March 1790. James Aikens was born 8 Oct. 1752 in Hardwick, MA; he married 1st to ABIGAIL SHED, who died 10 July 1789 in Barnard, VT. James served in the Revolutionary War.

7          vi          DORCAS GRAVES born 9 June 1778; married ELISHA SCOTT; died 4 Mar. 1852 at Watertown, NY at 73 years 8 months. Elisha died before Dorcas removed to Jefferson County.

4. ABRAM GRAVES was born 14 June 1773 in Swanzey, NH and died 27 March 1854 at 80 years, 9 months, 13 days, and is buried in Watertown, NY. He married MEHITABLE HOWE of Royalton VT, a sister of his brother Isaac's wife, on 9 June 1797. She was born 29 Feb 1780 in Royalton and died 29 May 1861 at 81 years 3 mos and buried at Watertown, daughter of THEODORE AND LYDIA HOWE. In the fall of 1794, Abram bought the Young farm at Royalton, VT and lived there until 1809, when presumably he moved to Jefferson Co., NY. However, Child's History notes that he came from Vermont in 1805 and settled on 177 acres where his grandson, BYRON W. GRAVES, later resided. He was chosen as Ensign in the Jefferson Co. Militia and was ordered to Sackett's Harbor on 28 May 1813 where he was captured and held prisoner for a little over one year in Nova Scotia. Abram was on the pension roll for the War of 1812 and in 1815 became a lieutenant and captain in 1817. Abram and Mehitable lived in Watertown, NY; the first six children were born in Royalton, VT and the rest born in Watertown NY.

Children of Abram Graves and Mehitable Howe:

8          i          LYDIA HOWE GRAVES, born 17 May 1799; died 9 April 1873 at Watertown, NY

9          ii         RHODA GRAVES, born 17 April 1800; died 9 April 1833 at Watertown

10        iii          REBECCA GRAVES born 16 Feb. 1802; married AMBROSE THOMPSON JR. Aug. 1821 in Watertown; Rebecca died 13 August 1832 at 20 yrs 6 mo 27 days and is buried in Watertown, NY

11          iv          ABNER GRAVES born 9 Feb 1804; married Sybel Potter on 21 Oct. 1820. He died 31 March 1877

12          v          ALMIRA GRAVES born 2 June 1806; died 15 June 1822 in Watertown

13          vi          MEHITABLE GRAVES born 20 Nov. 1808; married JOHN PECK of Watertown on 14 Jan. 1838; she died 1 October 1841

14          vii          LUCRETIA GRAVES born 4 Feb 1811; married DUBOIS WHITE of Watertown on 19 Aug. 1837. Lucretia died in 3 Aug. 1883. Dubois White was born in 1810 and died 1890 Jefferson Co. NY

15          viii          EUNICE GRAVES born 20 July 1813; married WILLIAM RICHEY of Watertown on 27 May 1835. Eunice died in 1898 and is buried in Jefferson Co., NY. William Richey was born in 1812 and died in 1888; buried Jefferson Co., NY.

16          ix          IRA GRAVES born 16 Dec 1815; died 26 Feb 1816

17          x          ORRIN ABRAM GRAVES born 3 Jan 1818; married JULIA ANN STEWART on 13 Feb 1840. Orrin died in 1882 and is buried in Watertown, NY. Julia Ann was born in 1821 and died in 1876; she is buried in Watertown, NY.

7. DORCAS GRAVES born 9 June 1778; married ELISHA SCOTT; died 4 Mar. 1852 at Watertown, NY at 73 years 8 months. Elisha died before Dorcas removed to Jefferson County.

Children of 7. Dorcas Graves and Elisha Scott

18 i LUTHER SCOTT died 29 Sept 1888 at 83 yrs 5 mos; buried Watertown, NY

19 ii ELIZA R. SCOTT died 27 March 1897 at 94 years 7 days. Buried Watertown, NY

10. REBECCA GRAVES born 16 Feb. 1802; married AMBROSE THOMPSON JR. Aug. 1821 in Watertown; Rebecca died 13 August 1832 at 20 yrs 6 mo 27 days and is buried in Watertown, NY

Children of Rebecca Graves and Ambrose Thompson:

20 i JANE R. THOMPSON, died 23 Mar. 1841 at 18 yrs 6 mos 8 days; buried in Watertown NY

14. LUCRETIA GRAVES born 4 Feb 1811; married DUBOIS WHITE of Watertown on 19 Aug. 1837. Lucretia died in 3 Aug. 1883. Dubois White was born in 1810 and died 1890 Jefferson Co. NY

Children of Lucretia Graves and Dubois White:

21 i HENRY D. WHITE born 1843; died 1868 buried Jefferson Co NY

17. ORRIN ABRAM GRAVES born 3 Jan 1818; married JULIA ANN STEWART on 13 Feb 1840. Orrin died in 1882 and is buried in Watertown, NY. Julia Ann was born in 1821 and died in 1876; she is buried in Watertown, NY.

Orrin and Julia were the parents of:

22 i BYRON W. GRAVES, who occupied the homestead; born 15 Feb. 1845 on the farm, which was two miles west of the city of Watertown. In 1865 he married CORNELIA HALL, daughter of GEORGE HALL of Adams Center. Byron died in 1923. Cornelia was born in 1846 and died 1925.
Children of Byron W. Graves and Cornelia Hall:

1)WILLARD J. GRAVES was born 1866 and died 1895; buried Ellisburg, NY

2)GEORGE O. GRAVES

3)CELIA A. GRAVES married Brundage and died 1899

4)LENA J. GRAVES

5)MABEL L. GRAVES born 1878; died 1972; married Gardiner

6)CLARA L. GRAVES

23 ii LYDIA GRAVES

*Notes on JOHN AYERS from Child's:

1. John Ayers was a native of Vermont and married Hannah Winslow. They raised two sons: JESSE AYERS and CHARLES AYERS. John was a farmer and shoemaker and his name appears in the 1810 census at Rodman, NY. He served in the War of 1812, was taken prisoner and died in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Children of John Ayers and Hannah Winslow:

2 i CHARLES AYERS, son of John, was born in Bridgewater, VT in 1798 and came to Jefferson County with his parents in about 1806. He married ELIZA ALLEN, a native of Hartland, VT and they had two sons and three daughters: John W., E. A., Rucia, Eliza M. and Mary I. Charles died 8 June 1852 at 54 yr 10 days and Eliza Allen born 1804, died 1884 in Watertown, NY.

Children of Charles Ayers and Eliza Allen:

4 i E. A. (EBENEZER A.) AYERS was born in Watertown on 29 Jan. 1827 and raised on the farm where he received a common school education. He married 1st, LUCY IVES, daughter of JEROME IVES and 2nd JANE WARREN, daughter of THOMAS W. WARREN of Hounsfield. Ayers children from this marriage were: Lucy A; Jesse W; Edward A; Henry L; and Mary E. He was a farmer in Watertown and nine years in Hounsfield. In 1884 he was appointed postmaster at Rice's. Ebenezer was heavily involved in various dairy and buttermaking operations in the county. THOMAS W. WARREN, father of Jane, came to Jefferson County from New Brunswick; he was a farmer and shoemaker and had four sons and four daughters. Ebenezer's first wife, Lucy, died 21 Aug 1853 at 20 years 2 m, 22d and is buried in the Field Settlement Cem. I in Watertown, NY.

3 ii JESSE AYERS, died 24 Oct. 1878 at 67 years, buried in Brownville, Jefferson Co., NY. He married Mary (---); she died 2 Sept. 1878 at 69 years 13 days and is also buried in Brownville.

Children of Jesse Ayers and Mary:

5          i           HENRY H. AYERS died 3 Dec 1837 at 2 y 5 m 5 d

6          ii          J. MILTON AYERS died 12 Aug 1836 at 2 y 4 m 3 d

7          iii          LAURA ANN W. AYERS died 13 July 1840 at 11 months

8          iv         LAURA W. AYERS died 12 July 1848 at 2y 4 m

For some time, there was a controversy about who the parents were of Hannah Winslow Ayers Graves. I am including here, for the benefit of descendants, the actual words of Samuel Winslow:

"I Samel Winslow was born at Rochester april ye 6 Day old Stile A. D. 1735 my wife martha goodspede was born at Barnstable february ye 7 Day old stile 1739 we was marad at Barnstable June ye 12 New Stile A D 1760:

The VIR of Hardwick, MA show the marriage of Martha Goodspeed of Barnstable and Samuel Winslow on 12 June 1760.

Sources: Hist. Of Royalton VT; Child's – Jefferson Co; cemetery records; military records; census records; Historical Records of the Winslow family; VIR of MA. VT. NY

Researched 7/2011 by M. Sapienza

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