Thomas Bingham, Backus's Stepson

The Hartford Courant had a nice article about Thomas Bingham.

Through the ages, this is what families have worried about: Economic opportunity. Education. Happiness. Each other.  Is the family of today really so different?  The Courant looks at seven Connecticut families, from colonial times to today:

Colonial Connecticut:

At the top of the Windham slope sat the Bingham family's saltbox. At the bottom snaked a brook, a source of pleasure and worry for Thomas and Mary Rudd Bingham. 

See more of the Bingham genealogy here.

Fun With Flags

Origin and history of the american flag...:

William Backus And His Will

From the article William Backus of Sheffield, Yorkshire, and Norwich, Connecticut, By Everett F. Bingham NEHGS article, Volume CXLII  [C?], July 1988, pages 253-254:

William Backus was said to have been in New England as early as 1637, but no actual record of him prior to 1659.

William Backus's Will dated 12 June 1661 (New London Probate, 1646-1666, 143-4) names his sons Steven, William, and Thomas, and mentions daughters who were the wives of John Renalds, Benjamin Crane, and John Bayley.

Dueling Congressmen

Source

"...the famous duel in which Jonathan Cilley of Thomaston was killed by William J. Graves of Kentucky. Next to the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, no event of the character ever attracted more attention, than that between Graves and Cilley...".

Source

The Collections and Proceedings of the Maine Historical Society's article about the duel:

[See link for transcript of the letter]

"A charge of corruption against a senator in Congress, made by 'The Spy In Washington,' Matthew L. Davis...".

"The charge [of corruption] led to an excited debate, in which one of the members was savagely severe on all newspapers, newspaper editors, and newspaper letter writers. In this debate, Jonathan Cilley, one of the members from Maine, was particularly severe on the character of Colonel James Watson Webb, of the Courier and Enquirer. On reaching the attention of that gentleman, he immediately started for the national capital to obtain satisfaction. Those who were connected with the press and politics in that year will never forget the excitement the appearance of Webb in Washington, and the subsequent tragical scene near that city, produced throughout the country." [Source]

Persistent Neglect

See John Maunsell, A Soldier Of Wolfe's for more information of Lieutenant-General Maunsell (1724-1795).

"The persistent neglect of the home government to provide any defense for the American colonies against the attacks of the French in Canada, and their Indian allies, can only be excused on the ground of its own unsettled state and the wars on the Continent into which the accession of William of Orange drew it. For a century and a half they were left to defend themselves, garrison their forts, and protect their frontiers, each for itself, as best it could, without any substantial aid from the mother country or from each other. So disaffection grew, and the Dutch at Albany secured their own safety by giving the French at Montreal information and a lucrative trade."

French Habitants

"In 1746 Louisbourg, the key to the St. Lawrence, had been captured by the soldiers of New England and New York, aided only by a squadron under Sir Peter Warren; but it was recklessly given back to France, to the humiliation and disgust of the colonies, the untold misery of the French in Acadia, and to the disgrace and confusion of the government, for they were compelled to retake it in 1758 at an enormous cost of blood and treasure."

The French In The Upper Mississippi Valley

"At last, after France had established herself solidly along the St. Lawrence and the great lakes, and in the valleys of the Ohio and Mississippi, and inclosed the English colonies with a chain of strong fortresses which seemed to defy any attempt to take them, the lion aroused himself to see the foe on every side of him."

British Military (Near Braddock's Gravesite)

"Virginia moved first on her own account in 1754, when young Washington first gave token of the valor, fortitude, and prudence which made him the foremost man-of his own and every age. The next year Braddock was sent against DuQuesne, Johnson against Crown Point, while Shirley prepared to attack Niagara; but all that they gained was a rout and massacre, a fruitless victory, and a knowledge of the strength of the French in position and resources. The three following years were spent in getting rid of incapables, with incredible suffering and useless bloodshed."   [Source]

Watson's Participation In History

Source

A preface from Elkanah Watson's son:

Various Flags

Source

Hannah Dustin's Escape

Source

"The eastern Indians were hardly at rest from Philip's War when roused by the French to engage in this. An attack was made upon Haverhill, Mass. and Hannah Dustin, with a child only a few days old, another woman, and a boy, was led captive to an Indian camp up the Merrimac."

"The [Native Americans]...killed the infant, but thereby steeled the mother's heart for revenge. One night the three prisoners slew their sleeping guards and, seizing a canoe, floated down to their home."

Dudley Woodbridge, Sr.

Source

"Dudley Woodbridge, Sr., after being graduated at Yale, opened a law office and import shop in Norwich, where he met and married Lucy Backus.

Dudley Woodbridge, Sr., and Lucy Backus had six children.  When they came west in 1789, Dudley, Jr., and William (later the first governor of Michigan) were left in "prep" school in the East.

The Woodbridge and Backus families were part and parcel of New England's ministry and governmental forces since the early days and their descendants played an important part in laying the foundation of our own State. [Source]

Mound Cemetery In Marietta, Ohio
Several Woodbridges Are Buried There

The William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan has a finding aid for the Dudley Woodbridge Papers, 1773-1789, that are in their holdings.

Mutual Ancestors In A Backus Book

The New England ancestry of Dana Converse Backus

Main Author: Backus, Mary Elizabeth (Neilson) 1876-

Published: [Salem, Mass.] Printed for private distribution [1949].

Subjects: Backus family (William Backus, d. 1661).

William Backus (d. 1661), the original immigrant, was both an ancestor of Dana Converse Backus and me.  William's daughter, Sarah Backus, was one of his children who was my ancestor.

William Backus m. (perhaps Sarah Charles)

his daughter Sarah Backus m. John Reynolds

their daughter Sarah Reynolds m. John Post

their daughter Sarah Post m. Timothy Backus

their son John Backus m. Joanna Cleveland

their son John Backus m. Jerusha Baker

their son John Backus m. (perhaps Hannah Fuller)

their daughter Laura Backus m. Thomas Richmond

their daughter Cynthia Richmond m. James More

their daughter Addie More m. William Powers

their son Ralph Powers m. Beatrice Cameron

their son Richard Powers m. J. Garrett

Me

William's son, Stephen Backus, was my ancestor as well.  Stephen is an ancestor through both his son, Timothy, and his daughter, Rebecca.  

William Backus m. (perhaps Sarah Charles)

Stephen Backus m. Sarah Spencer

Timothy Backus m. Sarah Post

John Backus m. Joanna Cleveland

John Backus m. Jerusha Baker

John Backus m. (perhaps Hannah Fuller)

[See Above Lineage For Descendants, Including Me]

William Backus m. (perhaps Sarah Charles)

Stephen Backus m. Sarah Spencer

Rebecca Backus m. William Baker

Benjamin Baker m. Jerusha Parish

Jerusha Baker m. John Backus

John Backus m. (perhaps Hannah Fuller)

[See Above Lineage For Descendants, Including Me]

Grissell Fletcher [also in the Backus book] was also an ancestor of mine through her daughter, Hannah Jewell.

Thomas Jewell m. Grissell Fletcher

Hannah Jewell m. John Parish

Benjamin Parish m. Mary Tracy*

Jerusha Parish m. Benjamin Baker

Jerusha Baker m. John Backus

John Backus m. (perhaps Hannah Fuller)

[See Above Lineage For Descendants, Including Me]

Lieutenant Thomas Tracy is another ancestor of mine who was also in the Dana Converse Backus ancestry.  Thomas Tracy's son, Jonathan, had a daughter, Mary*, who married Benjamin Parish.

Also of note: Matthew Marvin (also in the book) was my son-in-law's ancestor, through his daughter, Sarah Marvin. 

New England Non-Resistance Society

The Society was the first organization in the [William Lloyd] Garrison movement.

Source

Evils of the Revolutionary War,  By Charles King Whipple (New England Non-Resistance Society) written in 1839:

Ships In A New England Harbor

Source

Hannah Dustin's Escape

From 1492-1763:

A discussion of Hannah Dustin's actions here.

King Philip's War

Source

See a synopsis at Wikipedia.

Doane's Place On Cape Cod

Cape Cod, By Henry David Thoreau

Doane Rock is the largest exposed glacial boulder on Cape Cod (per the National Park Service's website - Doane Rock And Doane Memorial).


See Doane Rock and Memorial on YouTube presented by another Doane descendant (Deacon John is my ancestor as well).

Abigail Richmond's Sister-In-Law

Bridgetown, Barbados

Abigail Davis Richmond's [presumed] sister-in-law, Mary Parker Davis, married Abigail's brother, William, and it is thought that they moved to Barbados.

 [New England Marriages Prior to 1700]

Abigail Davis and her brother, William, were the children of William Davis [referenced above].

Early Counterfeiters In Canada

Source

From Life in Canada


"...the Spanish milled dollars in which military services were paid for. Mexican dollars were also in vogue, and a few years previous to the American War of 1812, some enterprising New England counterfeiters, fancying the densely-wooded portion of Lower Canada, near the state lines, would afford a secure base for their operations, emigrated to our lower province.

"So expert had they become at the business that paymasters in the American army actually crossed over the lines by stealth through the woods and bought these Mexican dollars from the counterfeiters to pay the American troops with."

"...they ceased to produce the Mexican dollars for fear they might be traced out. Counterfeiting bank notes was what they next turned their hands to."

Possible Early Backus Roots

From The Backus Families Of Early New England, by Reno W. Backus (excerpted *here, too):

After 1200, references to the family became more numerous, though with varying spelling of the name. Joseph Foster's "Descendants of John Backhouse, Yeoman, of Moss Side",...list[s] several branches of the family in [England]... .

But a review of the Backhouse family records gives no clue to a William Backhouse or Backus of Norwich in the late 1500's or early 1600's. This does not rule out the possibility that our William could have been a member of a more distant and unlisted branch of the family, yet the assumption seems rather thin.

2. A second possibility is that William came from an entirely different English family... .

3. A third possibility looks more promising. The frequency of occurrence of the name Backhaus or its equivalent in German or Dutch suggests the chance value of a search for a German or Dutch connection. [See link* for more detail]

Of further interest regarding Dutch emigration is this paragraph from a "History of the City and County of Norwich, 1768", p. 225. 

The Wall Of Wall Street

Source

"Today this name is synonymous with that of speculation and great financial transactions. It is one of the famous streets of the world, but its name has no relation to the business carried on in it. In 1653, during the reign of Stuyvesant, when the Dutch were afraid of an attack from the north, either by the Indians or by the English from the New England colonies, a wall was built across the island to the north of the city. It passed through what is now Wall street, thence to the Hudson River through the place where Trinity church now stands."

Standard Of The Three County Troop

Source

In the 'New England Historical and Genealogical Register' for 1871 there is an interesting account of a local company of cavalry raised in 1659, just before the restoration of Charles II by the counties of Essex, Suffolk, Middlesex, Mass., and hence called 'The Three County Troop,' which, according to the records, continued in existence until 1677 and possibly longer. The annexed drawing of its standard, and bill of its cost, is from an entry in a herald painter's book of the time of Charles I., preserved in the British Museum.