AS I WANDERED #69 HORNBY

Tags

Alamo, Greene NY, Hornby, John BIrdsall, Native Americans, Oneida, Sam Houston, Texas, Tuscarora

The tiny village of Hornby was new.

It was land purchased from the Oneida and Tuscarora natives. Many of the Oneida remained in the area until about 1812.

That means that a young boy born in 1802 had plenty of time for exposure to these natives.

Then Hornby became “Greene, New York.”

Along with the new name came cultural changes, legal changes, technological changes and political changes.

The young boy saw great opportunity in those changes.

He wanted to be part of those changes.

So he set  out his course in life.

The young boy became a lawyer and a politician.

But New York State lacked excitement and opportunity.

~~~~~

 

~~~~~

The new Republic of Texas had both excitement and opportunity.

The young lawyer who had a future in New York decided that he wanted to see where he fit within this new republic.

He fit very well.

 

 

Just three years after the Alamo, two years of being the Attorney General for the Republic of Texas, and one year after being appointed the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Texas this young man died of yellow fever.

 

~~~~~

 

 

 

~

©W. Tomosky♠

Henry Birdsall’s Family Tree

Tags

Abashaby Birdsall, Abram Storms, Amos Parsons, Archaeology, Chauncy Rogers, Chenango Canal, Chenango County, Chenango County NY, Chenango Forks, Deborah Birdsall, Dutchess County NY, educational, Eliza Birdsall, Emma Rosell, Emma Tuthill, Epinetus Birdsall, George McClellan Birdsall, Gloudy Hamilton, Greene NY, Henry Birdsall, Horace Birdsall, Jean Guillaume deBesse, John BIrdsall, Margaret Birdsall, Maria Birdsall, Mariah Birdsall, Merritt, Nathan Birdsall, Oliver Hoyt, Polly Birdsall, Rachel Birdsall, Sarah Birdsall, Thomas Tew, Town of Greene, Triphosia Birdsall, Tryphose

This family tree has been generated from wills, deeds and cemetery records as well as from visits to the small Birdsall Family cemetery. There are several holes in this tree that could be filled in with additional effort. Other documents such as newspaper entries and census data could be used to verify data listed elsewhere in this blog.

Henry Birdsall and Abashaby Birdsall established residence in the Town of Greene about 1812. They brought with them several of their children.  They had previously resided in Westchester County, Town of Salem, NY.

NOTE:   Legends –

 % indicates that the person’s NAME came from Henry Birdsall’s will.

 # indicates that the DATE/NAME came from North Fenton Cemetery Records.

* indicates that the DATE/NAME came from a Birdsall Family Cemetery stone.

 Othere sources cited individually.

Due to not knowing exactly which lineage Henry Birdsall originated from I am assigning him as first generation with the superscript of ¹. His descendants will be assigned their proper generation number (superscript designation) as they appear in the tree.

Henry ¹ Birdsall, born ~ 11/29/1758, died 26 Dec 1837, age 79 married Abashaby¹ (Basheba), born ~ 10/1755, died 9/23/1848, age 93        %, *

Henry¹ and Abashaby had Children, all born in Westchester County:

Hester², daughter, born ~ 1783, died 9 Nov 1849, married Isaac Marshall, he born     ~1780,     died 9 Feb 1861        %, *

Fanny², daughter, born  ?,   died  ?, married Tyrus Page, he born ?, died ?    %

Abashaby², daughter, born ~1790, died 21 Oct 1854, married Oliver Hoyt, he born ? died ?     %, #

Rachel², daughter, born ?, died ?, married Gloudy Hamilton (son of Amos), he born ?, died ?      %

Deborah², daughter, born ~ 1798, died 1881, married Amos Parsons, he born 1792,  died 1841       %, *

Eliza², daughter, born ?, died ?, married Chauncy Rogers, he born ?, died ?

Horace², son, born ~ 1799, died 1850, married Tryphose (Triphosia), she born ~ 1802, died 13 Jun 1871          %, #

Henry², son, born ~ 15 May 1791, died 9 Feb 1879, married Margaret, she born ~19 Jan 1789, died 10 Feb 1869      %

Polly², daughter, born ?, died ?, married a Merritt, he born ?, died ?      %

     Horace² and Tryphose had children

              Epinetus³ (Epantus), born ~ 1826, died 28 Nov 1893, married Sarah, She born ?, died ?

                        Epinetus³ and Sarah had children:

                                        George McClellan⁴, born ~ 3/1865, died 22 Jan 1867  #

                                         Maria⁴ (Mariah), born ~ 1822, died 12 Jul 1856 #

                                                Maria had child Emma Rosell ⁵, born 1850  same person named Emma Tuthill listed in 1855 census as living with mother Maria & grandmother Triphosia

      Henry² and Margaret had children:

            John³, born ~ 1 Mar 1818, died 3 May 1881, married Hannah (Jane or HJ), she born 1821, died ?      *

            John³ and Hannah had children:

                      Clarissa⁴, born 10 Apr 1847 (from Chen. Cty. Vital records), died ?, married a Delamarter, he Born ?, died ?.    (from deeds)

                       Alice⁴, born 15 Jun 1848, died 19 Feb 1929,married Theodore Turner, born ?, died 24 Feb 1929 (from deeds)

                                    Alice⁴ and Theodore Turner had children:

                                                    Floyd B.⁵ Turner, born ?, died ?.

                                                     Carrie J.⁵ Turner, born 1871, died 25 Feb 1929, married Johnson E. Burrows, he born 1863, died ?.(from deed and #)

                                                         Carrie J.⁵ and Johson Burrows had children:

                                                                               Walter T.⁶ Burrows

                                                                                Alice R.⁶  Burrow (from deeds)

 

            Polly² and a Merrit had children:

                        Steven³, born ?, died ?.    %

                        Alice³, born ?, died ?       %

                        Abigail³, born ?, died ?   %

                        Polly³, born ~ 1809, died 23 Jun 1856, married Lockwood Montross, he Born ?,  died ?.     %, *

                                        Polly³ and Lockwood Montross had children:

                                                John S.⁴ Montross, born ~ 1829, died 1 Sep 1851  *

            Deborah² and Amos Parsons had children:

                        Henry³, born ~ 1839, died 1858     *

                        Alvah³, born ~ 1829, died 1872 *

A DISCLAIMER:  Although my apparent interest in the Birdsall family may lend some to think I am related I must clarify that I am not.

This is the end of the series of archaeological research posts on the Birdsalls.

The next series (starting this week) will be discussing the life of a neighbor of the Birdsall family, prior to his living in New York State;

JEAN GUILLIAUME De BESSE (John Bessac)

CONCLUSION: To a private archaeology

Tags

Abram Storms, Archaeology, Benjamin Birdsall, Birdsall, Birdsall Cemetery, Chenango Canal, Chenango County, Chenango County NY, Chenango Forks, David Davis, Dutchess County NY, educational, Greene NY, Henry Birdsall, History, Hudson Valley, Jean Guillaume deBesse, John BIrdsall, Juliand, Lt. Col. Benjamin Birdsall, North Fenton, Oyster Bay, Preston Manor, Quaker, Revolutionary War, Thomas Tew, Town of Barker, Town of Greene

CONCLUSION

Before anything else in this conclusion I must admit that despite the gathering of historical documents, and in conversation with a resident of the Village of Green, I continue to be plagued by one simple fact; one document and one conversation identify Henry and Benjamin Birdsall as brothers.

 I remain to be convinced of that.

 It is documented that Benjamin was raised a Quaker and rejected his creed, therefore his rejection of pacifism. He did this in order to join the Revolutionary Forces. The remainder of Benjamin’s life and continuity of his descendants then holds true; i.e., mutual benefits in all endeavors, “one for all and all for one, no matter the risk”.

If Henry and Benjamin were indeed brothers, then Henry was a Quaker and this would explain the culture he carried and passed on to his kin.  Pacifism appears almost as a given. Brotherhood with neighbors and in-laws appears to be a given. BUT, I have no direct proof that Henry was a Quaker. AND, Henry could have been a Quaker without being Benjamin’s brother.

Despite the above facts there appears to be too large of a gap between Henry’s culture and Benjamin’s culture. There is no mention of business or social activities between the two. Henry and his son(s) could not write their names (and therefore it is assumed that they could not read). Benjamin’s sons could read and write. Henry’s family tended to migrate locally and Benjamin’s tended to migrate across the USA. There is no commonality in lawyers names on legal documents of the two. If they were brothers, why would they settle so close to each other and not continue the relationship?

Despite that burning question let us get on with the conclusion. We have sufficient documentation, copies of historical records, excerpts from historical books and theory from archaeological books and articles, and last, a smattering of artifacts.

Louann Wurst, 1999, tells us that “The wealthy farmers were publicly conspicuous in their use of material culture.”  I do not see the Henry Birdsalls as being terribly wealthy but they were not terribly poor either. I do not see the Henry Birdsalls as being publicly conspicuous in their material culture. From this I must assume that the Henry Birdsalls were somewhat introverted, and that appears to be born out in their daily work and lives.

They could have easily traded raw unworked stone for a finished “grand monument” in their family cemetery. Their family cemetery is reverent and simple and the stones progress in design as the century progressed in time.

Birdsall Family Cemetery

Wurst (1999) also states that “[wealthy farmers] occupied a highly visible place in the community through their presence in the local “vanity press” histories, the use of large ostentatious gravestones, and the construction of large, costly Greek Revival style homes.”

We have looked at the gravestones and home sites of the Henry Birdsall family and neither are ostentatious. However, in comparison are the gravestones of Benjamin Birdsall’s descendants (see Appendix H, cemetery records and photos), and what you can read about them in the “History of Greene”, or peruse the background of “Maurice Birdsall, banker, [who] obtained plans from I.G.Perry [famous Binghamton, NY architect], and from them built, in 1873, what was the most expensive residence built in the village to that time. It far exceeded the estimated cost of $8,000- – -“, as stated in “Echoes of the Past”, Mildred Folsom, 2nd printing 1991.

A second anomaly of the Henry Birdsall compound is the scattered sheet midden (garbage strewn) in close proximity to the side door of the last existing home on the eastern side of Stillwater Road . This is not what one would expect at the turn of the century (‘1890’s). Yet the artifacts do date to that time. Epinetus is the last Birdsall living in that home.

Newspaper records place his death as occurring on November 28th, 1893 in Preston, NY. The County [Poor] House records show a bill for one “Nathan” Birdsall who died on November 28th, 1893 in Preston, NY as well as a bill dated November 29th, for Two Burial Cases and Outside Boxes, one set for Margaret Hicks and one for Nathan Birdsall.

Aside from the bureaucracy renaming poor Epinetus to “Nathan” it is most likely that Epinetus could no longer take care of himself either physically or mentally while at home. If his mobility was limited he would surely be throwing his garbage out the side door. However, the “Brunswick Pattern” of discards indicates a low percentage of bone; exactly what was found in the scatter pattern found at Epinetus’ house. South (1977) stated that the lack of bone was a conscious decision; bone and other garbage that would attract animals was thrown far away from the home. Was Epinetus more mobile and thoughtful than it would appear or did someone else live in the home after Epinetus?

Sian Jones (1999), writing about ethnicity states “[Textual sources] rather than being taken at face value, – – should be considered in terms of the social and political contexts in which they were produced, the positions and interests of the authors and the audiences – – and the roles that texts play in – – cultural identity”

I hope that these concerns have not only been taken into consideration, but also stated throughout this paper. I would hasten to add that I, the author, should also be questioned as you are reading this material. My vantage point should not be your vantage point. However, I hope that my vantage point has enlightened your knowledge of the Henry Birdsall family.

Sian Jones (1999) has made the point that “Shared habitual dispositions provide a basis for the recognition of commonalties of sentiment and interest, and the perception and communication of cultural affinities and differences, which ethnicity entails.”

Hence, my reason for including the narrative about the friendship between Henry Birdsall and Abram Storms. They, although possibly unconsciously, recognized the similarities and differences in their ethnicity. John Bessac and David D. Davis’ ethnicity  would also play a part in this discourse. Henry and Abram would likely “mentally misstep” when attempting to assimilate what they heard and saw about each of the distinct and different ethnic backgrounds of John Bessac and David D. Davis.

Sian Jones reflects these missteps as ” – – taken for granted modes of behavior. Such exposure to the arbitrariness of cultural practices, which had hitherto been taken as self-evident and natural, permits and requires a change in the level of discourse – – -.”

Henry and Abram had to think differently to conceive what Davis and Bessac were ethnically displaying. This was surely a learning experience and possibly some minor cultural adaptations took place on the part of Henry and Abram . . . . . and possibly on Davis and Bessac also.

Cook, Yamin and McCarthy, Historical Archaeology, 1996, state that the term “socioeconomic status – – – appears to have found its way into the discipline [of historical archaeology] without any critical evaluation of its assumptions. Among these is the assumption that social status and economic status are somehow equivalent, or that the two concepts cannot or should not be analyzed separately from one another.”

Obviously I have fallen into that trap as this paper discusses social status, social levels, economic levels and socioeconomic levels all in one section on class and ethnicity. I have attempted to break that section down into subsections describing each of the above. I hope that I  have not confused the reader.

That would leave this conclusion with more questions than answers. However, thanks to Wurst’s article on “Internalizing Class”, other methods were made available that give us a sense of who Henry and Benjamin were, whether they gave cultural continuity to their descendants, and the way this continuity played in the face of a farm economy that was changing into a capital economy.

The whole has been broken down into its manageable parts and analyzed.      

It is now up to the reader to reassemble those parts back into a whole that tells a story about two families, separated by culture (and possibly not by birth), who each wove their way through life in very different ways.  However different, each family left the world in better condition that they found it; and that is our inheritance whether you are a descendant or an unrelated observer, such as I.

THERE WILL BE SIX OR SEVEN MORE POSTS THAT WILL ACT AS THE APPENDICES; Historical documents and photos.

© Copyright – Waldo Tomosky

INTRODUCTION (To a private archaeology on a public blog)

Tags

Archaeology, Benjamin Birdsall, Cheif Justice of the Supreme Court of The Republic of Texas, Chenango Canal, Chenango County NY, Dutchess County NY, educational, Greene NY, Henry Birdsall, History, John BIrdsall, Lt. Col. Benjamin Birdsall, Revolutionary War, Salem Township, Town of Greene

Introduction

This is the first post of many within a blog that I hope is both entertaining and educational.

The blog is an archaeological study of two families who settled in Chenango County, NY in the early 1800’s.

Both families have the surname of Birdsall. However they lived quite different lives.

One lived in the center of Greene, NY [previously “Hornby”] the other lived in a rural setting of the same township.

This blog will be a comparison between the two families to determine what we may learn from each.

There were two distinct portions of the original study. The first was a physical archaeology in which artifacts were obtained and analyzed. The second portion of the study was a “historical archaeology.”  The name applies to a study of available documentation about the subject and the time period that the subject was studied.

Lest you become concerned about the artifacts losing their provenance and data, allow me to assure you that neither occurred. The data and artifacts are in professional hands.

There is a place in the town of Greene, Chenango County, NY, that is as peaceful and serene as any remote location in the Adirondacks. There, in that place, hours of refuge have given my mind the ability to recreate and escape the environment of corporate deadlines, technology gone mad, and mindless meetings; a rest from the racket of my own choice. There, in that place, a tapestry of well executed natural fresco blends with the emotions of feathered creatures, seeking each other in the curtains of hemlock that flow to the ground. One can sit and enjoy the sights and sounds of tranquility, or, one can walk, still-like, and catch a glimpse of a wild turkey; that gray ghost of the forest.

It is there, far in the background; the mountaintop.

This magic place was once the home of Henry Birdsall, the first settler on this remote land. Others had passed by, but did not settle, as that was the nature of the Native Americans who fished the river and hunted the upland areas; and then moved on. Henry, though, carved out fields from the forest, constructed homes, stone fences and thereby established a compound for his descendants.

But “technology gone mad” had already established itself despite Henry’s efforts to ignore it. His beloved farm was about to be cut in half by a trench, a trench 4 1/2 feet deep, 46 feet wide, and 95 miles long. The trench would bring cultural change and daily conflict. This trench was the Chenango Canal; three years in construction and only 39 years in existence.

This blog is about Henry Birdsall and his family. It also compares his life to that of a Benjamin Birdsall who lived in the Village of Greene. Support actors and actresses are present and their roles in life, as well as Henry’s and Benjamin’s, are considered from various points of view.

I can not continue without a few acknowledgements.

            First of all I would like to thank my wife of 50 years, Pury, for her understanding and patience as I drove around central NY State collecting data. I also wish to acknowledge her patience for those times I ‘widowed’ her as I worked on this project.

I would like to thank Michele McFee, author of “Limestone Locks and Overgrowth” for depicting daily life on the canal and the towns along its path. Michele was also kind enough to furnish a copy of an old canal map depicting Henry Birdsall’s farm.

I would also like to thank Dr. Gabriella Castro for her enthusiastic mentoring in a class on “Laboratory Methods in Archaeology”, Dr. Randy McGuire for his extensive background and lectures on “Historical Archaeology”, and Dr. Nina Versaggi for allowing me to work in the Public Archaeology Facility. All three of these people are associated with Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY.

 

PROJECT GENESIS

Henry Birdsall lived in Salem Township, Westchester County, NY in 1800. He moved to the Town of Greene, Chenango County, NY and settled on a large piece of property. He, his sons and daughters, and their sons and daughters continued to farm for the next hundred years.

Public policy created tremendous pressures on their way of life. At times these pressures were economically beneficial. However, this came at a cost of cultural modification. In other instances public policy created drastic economic hardship, which in an ironic way, allowed the family to escape some social pressures. The family then often found itself faced by other and newer pressures.

During the same time period Lt. Col. Benjamin Birdsall, a revolutionary war veteran, also moved from Dutchess County to Greene. His family also expanded. However they tended to be real estate and mercantile entrepreneurs as well as lawyers and politicians.

Much has been recorded regarding the Benjamin Birdsall family. Almost nothing has been written about the Henry Birdsall family.

Gathering data on the family of Henry and comparing the two families is the purpose of this blog.

The common thread that allows this comparison is the building of the Chenango Canal, the demise of this canal, and the replacement of it by a railroad. The creation and operation of these transport links allowed both families to be in New York State documents.

This project originated as a fuzzy idea on how I could best record the origins of the people who initially settled a parcel of property that we own. The property is used for recreation (hiking and peaceful solitude). Nature and logging had taken a toll on the remnants of the existing features (home foundations, springs, stone walls and dug roadways).

At the beginning of this endeavor it was decided not to disturb anything without recording its exact provenance (location) and there definitely would be no excavations. Therefore all artifacts are catalogued with their found location, diagnostics and photographs.

In preparation for determining what I could about the Henry Birdsall family it became apparent that there was another Birdsall family; the Benjamin Birdsall’s. An attempt was made to establish family relationships between the two. However, no documentation or circumstantial evidence proves that point. Other aspects regarding each family’s culture tend to show a wide chasm between the way each family responded to various social and public policy pressures.

The next post will cover the features of the Henry Birdsall compound; foundations, privies, dug roads, corrals, quarries, etc.

© Copyright – Waldo Tomosky