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6. WILLIAM PALMER (1731–1801) (William, William, Gershom, Walter)

William Palmer was born on 11 September 1731 in Stonington.  He was baptized on 1 April 1733 in North Stonington. He died between 10 October 1801, when he signed his will, and 18 November 1801, when it was proved, probably in Brookfield. He married Phebe Darrow on 8 November 1753 in Stonington. [1]

By a 1758 deed, his father gave William 30 to 40 acres of land in Stonington. William bought land from William Coats in 1765. He sold ten acres of land in North Stonington to his brother Jonathan Wyatt Palmer for three pounds on 30 December 1771. [2]

William’s uncle Elijah Wyatt left him a bequest in his will of 23 March 1777 and named him his executor.

On 2 August 1791 Elias Sanford Palmer and William Palmer each proposed to pay 50 cents an acre for lots of land in Chenango township 19, on the west side of the Unadilla River, containing 250 acres. On 3 April 1792 there was recorded a certificate of the surveyor general that the lands to which William Palmer were entitled for his service in Colonel Willet’s regiment were never granted. [3]

William went to Brookfield about 1796. [4]

By an indenture signed on 5 December 1799, William Palmer of Brookfield sold to [his son] Vose Palmer of Stonington for 100 dollars about 10 [11?] acres of land in Brookfield described as beginning at the northeast corner of lot 71 in the 19th township, thence west 16 chains, thence south seven chains, then east 16 chains then north seven chains. The indenture was witnessed by Joshua and William Whitford and recorded on 15 September 1813. [One chain is equal to four rods or 66 feet and 22 yards or 100 links; ten square chains equal an acre.] [5]

William was assessed for taxes in 1790 in Brookfield. He had a house and lot valued at 600 dollars and a personal estate of 48 dollars. In 1800 William headed a household in Brookfield consisting of a man and a woman over 45 and a male and female between 16 and 25. [6]

By an indenture signed on 10 October 1801 (the same day that he signed his will), William Palmer of Brookfield sold to [his son] Lemuel Palmer of Brookfield for 250 dollars about 50 [42?] acres of land in Brookfield described as beginning at the southeast corner of lot 71 in the 19th township, thence north on the road 13 chains and 18 links to a stake and stones; thence west 32 chains to a stake and stones on the east line of Bill York's property, thence south 13 chains and 18 links to the southeast corner of York's land, thence east 32 chains. The indenture was witnessed by Oliver Brown and Lucy Palmer and recorded on 10 October 1804. [7]

William Palmer of Brookfield signed his will on 10 October 1801. It was proved on 18 November 1801. It says (original spelling and punctuation, italics mine): [8]

In the name of God amen I William Palmer of the town of Brookfield in the County of Chenango being weak in body but of a sound and perfect mind and memory blessed by Almighty God for the same do make and publish my last will and testament in manner and form following. That is to say first I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Phebe Palmer the use of all my cleared land and all the woodland west of the clearing and the use of the buildings and all of my personal estate goods and chattels and my dafter Lucy Palmer to have the same priveledge and use of the land and goods and chattels and buildings equil with my wife after my debts are paid so long as my Dafter remains single but at the day of her marriage or at the death of my wife Phebe my Dafter Lucy Palmer shall have seventy dollars out of the moveables and that my sons Vose Palmer, George Palmer and Lemuel Palmer shall at the time pay her ninety dollars thirty dollars apiece and if my wife Phebe shall think it worth awhile to dispose of a part of my moveables in building or repairing the same or to pay for nursing or doctoring she may dispose of the same and if my said wife should marry again then in that case she shall not be entitled to only the use of one half so much. I also give and bequeath to my Dafter Sally Benjamin Brown's wife twelve dollars to be paid out of my moveables within six months after my deceas and after the death of my said wife the moveables or the residue of them to be divided equilly between my five Dafters (viz) Priscilla, Phebe, Sally, Ester and Lucy I also give and bequeath to my son Vose all that piece of land west of the Ten acres that he now owns to be a parel line with the other to contain Ten acres be the same more or less and I give and bequeath to my son George twenty acres of land beginning at the quarter line of the southeast corner of Vose's land thence west to the ash swamp or so far that a south line may come on the east side of the said swamp and to contine a parel line with the north line so far south as to contain twenty acres but if it should go so far as to take any of the clearing it is not to come into his possession until the death of my said wife I give and bequeath unto my son Lemuel Palmer ten acres to be taken of the south side of my land and to be a parel line with the north line of his land he nor his heirs not to have possession until the death of my wife. I give and bequeath the spruse and ash swamps to my three sons namely Vose George and Lemuel Palmer to be equally divided equially between my said three sons (viz) Vose George and Lemuel I hereby appoint my son in law Joshua Whitford sole executor of this my last will and Testament hereby revoking all former will by me made In witness whereof I have herewith set my hand and seal the Tenth day of October in the year of your Lord one thousand eight hundred and one.

7. PHEBE DARROW (1737–1829) (George, Christopher, George)

Phebe Darrow was born on 18 April 1737 in Stonington. She was baptized on 24 April 1737 in Stonington. She died on 25 February 1829 in Brookfield. [9] She married William Palmer.

After the death of her husband, Phebe was assessed for taxes in Brookfield in 1802. She had a house and lot evaluated at about 343 dollars and a personal estate of 103 dollars. [10]

Children of William Palmer and Phebe Darrow, the births of the first eight recorded in Stonington: [11]

i. Vose Palmer was born on 9 October 1754. He died between 19 July and 28 December 1815. He married Desire Babcock on 7 August 1774 in Stonington.  Desire, the daughter of Timothy and Lois (Billings) Babcock and granddaughter of Ensign James Billings (#22), was born on 17 May 1756 in Stonington. She died on 10 June 1819, age 63 years and 28 days, and is buried in the Budlong Cemetery in Oneida County, New York. [12]

By an indenture dated 11 September 1800, Samuel Langworthy of Hopkinton sold to Vose Palmer, yeoman of Brookfield, land in Brookfield for 20 dollars. By an indenture dated 2 January 1801 John Morgan of New York City sold to Vose Palmer, a farmer of Brookfield, 140-1/4 acres of land in the 19th township in Brookfield for 140 pounds and five shillings. By an indenture dated 27 December 1804 George Palmer of Brookfield and his wife Fannie sold to Vose Palmer of Brookfield for 200 dollars their one-third of the land in Brookfield that their father William had left jointly to his three sons Vose, Lemuel and George after the death of their mother Phebe. By an indenture dated 16 January 1805 Lemuel Palmer of Brookfield and his wife Martha (also called Patty in the indenture) sold to Vose Palmer of Brookfield for 200 dollars their one-third share of the land that their father William had left jointly to his three sons after the death of their mother. By an indenture dated 17 March 1805 Lemuel Palmer of Brookfield and Patty his wife sold to Vose Palmer of Brookfield for 450 dollars other land left to Lemuel and George by their father. The transactions were all recorded on 15 September 1813. [13]

Vose Palmer was assessed for taxes in Brookfield in 1802. He had a house and lot valued at 500 dollars and a personal estate of 70 dollars. [14]

Vose Palmer of Brookfield made his will on 19 July 1815. It was proved on 28 December 1815. He named his wife Desire, his mother Phebe Palmer, his four sons Vose, Jeremiah, Billing and Limon and his six daughters Desire, Abigail, Sallie, Pollina, Fanna and Colinda. [15]

 ii. Priscilla Palmer was born on 22 January 1757.  She married Thomas Palmer. She died after 10 October 1801, when she was mentioned in her father’s will. She might be the Priscilla Palmer, who is said to have died on 1 January 1834 and who is buried in the Daniel Brown Cemetery in Brookfield. [16] 

Thomas might be the Thomas Palmer, son of Captain Ichabod (Ichabod, Ichabod, Gershom, Walter) and Lydia (Utley) Palmer, who was born on 8 May 1754 in Stonington. This Thomas might be the Thomas Palmer of Brookfield who died intestate on 2 January 1834, leaving no widow or children and less than 250 dollars and who was buried in the Captain Daniel Cemetery in Brookfield.  Nathan Mitford [?] of Brookfield applied for letters of administration on his estate on 25 March 1834. Nathan said that the only kin that he knew of were Eunice Palmer, Nabby Palmer, G[?] Palmer of Lenox and Oliver Palmer of Connecticut. Thomas, the son of Ichabod, had half siblings Eunice and Oliver. [17]

iii. Phebe Palmer was born on 29 March 1760 and she died in 1831. She married Joshua Whitford. Joshua was born in 1755 and he died in 1826.  Joshua and Phebe are buried in the Brookfield Rural Cemetery in Brookfield. [18]

Phebe, the daughter of William Palmer, was left a bequest in the 23 March 1777 will of [her great-uncle] Elijah Wyatt.

Joshua Whitford was assessed for taxes in Brookfield in 1799. He had a house and lot valued at 1,488 dollars and a personal estate of 79 dollars. He headed a household in Brookfield in 1800 with a man and a woman 26 to 44, two boys ten to fifteen and two boys and two girls under ten. He was assessed for taxes in 1802 and he had a house and lot valued at 620 dollars and a personal estate of 140 dollars. [19]

Joshua was one of the first assessors in Brookfield. He was chosen in 1795 and he was later the town clerk for several years. [20]

He died intestate and administration on his estate was granted to William Whitford on 29 November 1826 after his widow Phebe renounced the role. [21]

iv. William Palmer was born on 31 October 1762. He probably died before 10 October 1801, when he was not mentioned in his father’s will.

v. Sarah “Sally” Palmer was born on 26 January 1765. She died on 5 September 1838. She married Benjamin Brown. Benjamin, the son of Eleazer and Anne (Green) Brown, was born on 20 February 1765 in Stonington. He died on 12 April 1832, age 67 years. Sarah and Benjamin are buried in the West Edmeston Cemetery in Brookfield. [22]

vi. Frances Palmer was born on 6 January 1767. She probably died before 10 October 1801, when she was not mentioned in her father’s will.

vii. George Palmer was born on 11 June 1769. He married Fanny Brown, the daughter of Captain Daniel and Abigail (Crary) Brown of Brookfield. [23]

Fanny was one of the ten daughters of Captain Brown who came to Brookfield in 1792. George also arrived that year and settled by the river in Brookfield on the turnpike between Leonardsville and Clarkville. In 1793 he built the first frame house in town. [24]

George was assessed for taxes in 1802 in Brookfield. He had a house and lot worth 792 dollars and a personal estate of 140 dollars. [25]

George sold the land in Brookfield that he inherited from his father to his brothers Lemuel and Vose. He moved to Genesee County at about the end of the War of 1812. [26]>

viii. Esther Palmer (#3) was born on 22 October 1771. She died on 25 May 1813 in Brookfield. She married Major General Noyes Elias Palmer.

ix. Welthea Palmer (said to be a daughter) probably died before 10 October 1801, when she was not mentioned in her father’s will.

x. Lemuel Palmer was born on 21 November 1776. He is probably the Lemuel Palmer who died on 13 February 1853 and is buried in the Mount Hope Cemetery in Brodhead, Green County, Wisconsin. [27] He married Martha “Patty” Unknown, said to be Martha Babcock. She died after 1850.

Lemuel was assessed for taxes in Brookfield in 1802. He had a house and lot valued at about 203 dollars and a personal estate of 140 dollars. [28]

Lemuel sold the land in Brookfield that he inherited from his father to his brother Vose. In 1850 Lemuel, age 73 and born in Connecticut, and Martha, age 63 and born in Massachusetts, were living in Spring Grove, Green County, Wisconsin with Alfred B., age 19 and born in New York. Lemuel was a farmer. [29]

xi. Lucy Palmer was born on 23 March 1780. She married Joseph Palmer. Joseph might be the Joseph Palmer who was the son of Elijah (Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, Nehemiah, Walter) and Lucretia (Palmer) Palmer, born on 23 March 1784 in Voluntown, New London County. [30] Lucy and Joseph might be the Lucy, wife of Joseph Palmer, who died on 7 March 1862 and the Joseph Palmer who died on 5 January 1852, both buried in the Chaffee Cemetery in Alene, Madison County. [31]

In 1850 Joseph, 66, and Lucy, 70, both born in Connecticut, and Phebe, 36 and born in New York, were living in Lenox, Madison County. Joseph was a farmer with real estate worth 3,000 dollars. In 1860 Lucy, 80 and born in Connecticut, was living in Lenox with her possible son William and apparent wife and children and with Phebe, 47 and born in New York. [32

Endnotes

Revised November 8, 2019

© A. Buiter 2019