Jefferson County, NY Pioneers


PIONEER BEDFORD FAMILY


1. CORNELIUS BEDFORD, son of STEPHEN BEDFORD III and RACHEL BRIANT was born, circa 1753, in Elizabeth, Essex co, NJ. He died, 29 Mar 1813, on Grenadier Island NY. He was buried in Bedford Cemetery, on the "Old Bedford Farm", Cape Vincent, NY. Gravestone gave his age as 60 years. A Cornelius served as a private in Albert Pawling's Regiment of New York Militia in the Revolutionary War from New Paltz, Ulster co, NY.

He married circa 1778 (?) in Esopus, Ulster co, NY
CATHERINE WILEY who was born circa 1754. She died, 15 Mar 1829 and was buried in Bedford Cem, Cape Vincent, NY. Her tombstone gives her age as 75 years.

Children, BEDFORD:

2 i STEPHEN BEDFORD married CHRISTINA POWERS, daughter of EDWARD POWERS and MARGARET ROSS.


3 ii (Female) BEDFORD

4 iii (Female) BEDFORD (Sally and Rachel?)

5 iv JACOB BEDFORD

6 v ANDREW BEDFORD married Mrs (---) SAGE

7 vi JONAS BEDFORD

8 vii RICHARD BEDFORD

9 viii DAVID BEDFORD

2. STEPHEN BEDFORD, (son of CORNELIUS and CATHERINE (---) BEDFORD) was born in 1790 in the Town of Esopus, Ulster County NY. He also lived at Sacketts Harbour, Jefferson County; Marysburg, Canada; and Grenedier Island, Cape Vincent. He died in 1860 at Cape Vincent, Jefferson County. Stephen's siblings were Jacob, Richard, Andrew, Sally and Rachel.

He married
CHRISTINA POWERS, of Canada. Her brothers were John, Edward and William.

Children, BEDFORD:

10 i JOHN BEDFORD married MARY COOLEY

11 ii ALEXANDER BEDFORD

12 iii JANE BEDFORD

13 iv EDWARD BEDFORD

14 v CORNELIUS BEDFORD

15 vi JACOB BEDFORD

16 vii HARRIET BEDFORD

For further information on the Stephen Bedford family, contact: Phyllis Putnam

5. JACOB BEDFORD, (son of CORNELIUS and CATHERINE (WILEY) BEDFORD) was born, c1788, in Esopus, Ulster County, NY. According to census records, he was living in Cape Vincent in 1850 and 1860. Living with Jacob in 1850 is Edwin L Bedford age 20 b 1830 NY & Mary A Bedford age 17 b NY. It is assumed that they are his children, but they may be grandchildren or other family members. Grandsons are Thomas, George and an infant son. "Some NJ Bedfords" states that Jacob lived near Cape Vincent, NY. He owned and operated an extensive and profitable horse & cattle farm. He was also a breeder. He became quite well known in this community. He was the uncle of John Wiley who at one time lived in Lyme, NY. The 1860 census has him living with Jacob, Warren Jennings with wife Harriet b 1826 NY. Her children were born in Illinois. She may be the child of Jacob's brother Stephen who died in Illinois in 1857. One of her children, aged 3 and born in Illinois, was named Bedford Jennings.

He married c1819 (?) on Grenadier Island
Mrs MARY CARLEY who was born c1793. She died aged 42 years from tombstone and cemetery record, on 13 Mar 1835 and was buried in Bedford Cemetery, Cape Vincent. Her infant son died Feb 15, 1835.

Children, BEDFORD:

17 i CORNELIUS BEDFORD

18 ii ARVILLA BEDFORD

19 iii LORENZO S. BEDFORD

20 iv LOUISA BEDFORD

21 v EDWIN L. BEDFORD

22 vi MARY A. BEDFORD

23 vii (Male) BEDFORD

THIRD GENERATION

10. JOHN WILEY BEDFORD, (son of STEPHEN and CHRISTINA (POWERS) BEDFORD was born 1810 in Fifthtown, Ontario, Canada. "Fifthtown" is the original name for Marysburgh. JOHN M. BEDFORD lived in the Town of Lyme, Jefferson County in 1840. According to the 1850 census he was then living in Cape Vincent and was from Canada West. At that time, living with his family is Leroy Cooley age 16 b 1834 NY, probably his wife's family. By 1 Aug 1860, the census places him in Warren, Jo Daviess County, Illinois. In 1900, he was farming in Littleton, Grafton co, New Hampshire. JOHN supposedly wrote that he was taken back to Grenadier Island NY when they returned after the War of 1812 along with his next older brother. The third one was born on Grenadier Island and the fourth one, my ancestor, on Amherst Island while they trapped muskrats one winter.

He married 2 Oct 1837, in Point Peninsula, Jefferson County,

MARY COOLEY born, c1819, in NY. The 1850 census places her in Cape Vincent, and the 1860 census in Warren, Jo Daviess County, Illinois.

Children, BEDFORD:

24 i ELLEN AUGUSTA BEDFORD

25 ii CLEANTHUS GRANGERS BEDFORD (shown as CLEANTHUS GRENVILLE BEDFORD in "Some New Jersey Bedford's.)

26 iii EDWARD LEANDER BEDFORD

27 iv EDWARD LEANDER BEDFORD

28 v LORENZO COOLEY BEDFORD married MARTHA M. (---)


For further information contact: Luetta Kirker



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