11 December 2012

Backus Family Notes And Mayflower Ancestry - Part 2


The Genealogical Bulletin published BACKUS FAMILY NOTES, By Theron Royal Woodward, excerpted below:

Now a record of a deed has been discovered, dated Sept. 21, 1774, from "John Backus and Joanna his wife, both living in Sheffield, Berkshire Co., Mass.," to Silas Cleveland of Canterbury, Conn., conveying land which Joanna inherited from her father Edward Cleveland. John, Timothy, Solomon and Elijah, all sons of John and Joanna, paid taxes in Sheffield, Mass., 1772-1775, but the town records give no mention of the Backus name.

Nearly, if not all, of this branch removed to Granville, N. Y., and many of the prominent men of the name in New York and the West are their descendants. The son John Backus, b. Aug. 25, 1747, served, in the Revolution against Ticonderoga, from Hancock, Mass., and afterwards enlisted twice from Granville, N. Y. He married Jerusha Baker, daughter of Benjamin and Jerusha (Parish) Baker, and removed 1812, to Freetown, N. Y., and died in Groton, N. Y., Feb. 11, 1842, aged 95.

Among his descendants may be noted Jay Spicer Backus, D.D., a celebrated Baptist clergyman, Truman J. Backus, L.L.D., President of the Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, N. Y., Manson Backus, President of the First National Bank of Washington, Seattle, Wash., and Rev. A. H. Backus, Rector of St. Mary's Church, Chihuahua, Mexico. [I'M A DESCENDANT, TOO]

It is probable that this will be the first notice that the descendants of John and Joanna Backus will have of their Mayflower ancestry [written in 1904], and they may also add the following distinguished Colonials to their list of lineal ancestors- Ensign Jared Spencer, b. 1614, soldier in King Philip's war; Stephen Post, Cambridge 1634; William Hyde, b. 1600, of Newton 1633; John Reynolds, Norwich 1659; Moses Cleveland, b. 1624, soldier King Phillip's war; Edward Winn, Woburn 1640; Walter Palmer, b. 1585, first Representative from Rehoboth; Thomas Paine, Representative 1696, soldier King Phillip's war; Nicholas Snow, came on the Ann, 1623, Deputy 1648; John Doane, b. 1591, Asst. Gov. 1632, 1633, 1639; and Edward Bangs, b. 1592, came in the Ann 1623, Captain of the Guard Plymouth Colony, Deputy 1652.

Also here.

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