Friday, November 19, 2010

Using the FAN Club Principle - Thomas J. Newton, Father of Sophia Newton (1834-1923) - Post 1

In my post Target the FAN Club to tackle "Elusive Ancestors" problems, I described Elizabeth Shown Mills "Bullseye" concept to help researchers solve elusive ancestor problems using the "FAN Club Principle."

I decided the only way I was going to get going on my elusive ancestor problems was to do it, and I might as well share the experience with my readers.  Perhaps my readers will have some ideas to help me along my research journey. Hint hint!! 

The research problem I chose to start with is Thomas J. Newton.  I wrote about my research and the information I've collected in Mystery Monday - Thomas J. Newton of Maine (19th century).

Applying the Bullseye concept, here are the first three circles (with known assertions):

1.  Target Ancestor:  Thomas J. Newton

*  Birth: born in the 1790-1810 time frame in Maine to unknown parents
*  Residences: may have resided in Oxford County, Maine, Lamoille County VT, and Worcester County MA between 1790 and 1850.
*  Death:  Death date and place unknown - any time after 1834, probably in New England. 
*  Marriages:  Married Sophia (Buck) Brigham in 1830 to 1835 time frame, probably in Worcester County MA

2.  Known Relatives and In-Laws

*  Parents: Unknown, very likely surname Newton
*  Siblings: Unknown
*  Spouse:  Sophia (Buck) Brigham, born 3 May797 in Holden MA to Isaac and Patty (Phillips) Buck; married (1) February 1817 in Sterling MA to Lambert Brigham (1794-ca 1832), and had two children, Augustus Brigham (1820-1909) and Aurelius Brigham (1822-1878); married (2) Thomas J. Newton in 1830 to 1835 time frame, had two children, Thomas J. Newton (1832-1915) and Sophia Newton (1834-1923); married Jonathan Stone 7 July 1862 in Westborough MA; died 6 January 1882 in Westborough MA.
*  Children: 
** Thomas J. Newton: born 3 June 1832 in Cambridge VT; died 31 May 1915 in Albany VT; married Amanda Proctor (1841-1920) on 22 November 1864 in Worcester MA; had two adopted children.
** Sophia Newton: born 14 September 1834 in Cambridge VT; died 29 August 1923 in Leominster MA; married Edward Hildreth (1831-1899) on 25 December 1852 in Northborough MA; had two children:
*** Hattie Louisa Hildreth (1857-1920), married Frank Walton Seaver in 1874
*** Clarence Edward Hildreth (1874-1878).

3.  Others of Same Surname

*  Newtons in Maine:  there are 5 heads of household in 1800, and 12 in 1820.  There seem to be two major groups in Oxford County ME before 1800: 

** Nathan Newton (1764-1832, son of Joshua and Mary (Bellows) Newton) and (1) Anna Brigham (1761-1794, daughter of Noah and Miriam (Allen) Brigham), married 1784 in Marlborough MA; had 3 children born in MA, but resided in Andover, Oxford, ME:
*** Hildreth Newton (1788-????); Winthrop Newton (1790-1853); Clarissa Newton (1792-1832).
** Nathan Newton (1764-1832) and (2) Dorothy Wood (1771-1859), married 1794 in Marlborough MA; had 9 children, all born in Andover, Oxford, ME:
***Lambert Newton (1795-1873); Nathan Newton (1797-1`872); Sophia Newton (1799-????); Anna Newton (1801-????); Benjamin Newton (1809-1885); Lydia Newton (1810-????); Silas Newton (1812-1812); Albert Newton (1814-1896); Dollie Newton (1817-????).

** Levi Newton (1746-1837, son of Gershom and --?-- Newton, born in Southborough MA) and Elizabeth Woodward (1743-1837, daughter of Jonas and Mary (Cook) Woodward) married 1769 in Sutton MA; resided in Dixfield, Oxford County, ME after 1786; had 7 children (all born in Sutton MA, except for the last who was born in ME):
*** John Newton (1770-????); Elizabeth Newton (1771-????); Simeon Newton (1774-1866); Levi Newton (1776-1858); Isaac Newton (1778-1863); Jacob Newton (1784-1865); Abraham Newton (1787-1842).

More information about these two Newton families in Maine can be found in Steve's Rootsweb WorldConnect database "5 New England Newton Families" - Nathan here and Levi Newton here.

*  Newtons in Vermont:  There are many Newton families that reside in Vermont in the 1800-1840 time frame (46 heads of household in 1800,  104 in 1840) - too many to list here.  Lamoille County and Windsor county are of special interest because they are mentioned in the marriage and death records of the children if Thomas J. Newton.

*  Newtons in Massachusetts:  There are hundreds of Newton families that reside in Massachusetts in the 1800 to 1840 time frame (111 heads of household in 1800, 215 in 1840).

Many of the descendants of Richard Newton of colonial Massachusetts are chronicled in the book:

Ermina Newton Leonard, Newton genealogy, genealogical, biographical, historical: being a record of the descendants of Richard Newton of Sudbury and Marlborough, Massachusetts 1638, with genealogies of families descended from the immigrants, Rev. Roger Newton of Milford, Connecticut, Thomas Newton of Fairfield ..., Published by B. A. Leonard, 1915

In succeeding posts, I hope to discuss the localities involved, the records available and reviewed, and try to identify potential records that might help me find the parents, birth date and birth place of Thomas J. Newton.

1 comment:

Martin said...

You might want to look into the recently published Brigham genealogy, the book review for which is in the October 2010 Register