Rhoda Bailey / Bayley 1785-1869 Corinth, VT

Rhoda Bailey, the daughter of Jesse Bailey and Sarah Thurston, was born in Newport, New Hampshire September 26, 1785. Rhoda moved with the family seventy miles west to Corinth, Orange County, Vermont. Her marriage to John Ford is found in the Corinth town records dated January 26, 1803. She is listed as Rhoda Bayley the family still using the old world spelling of the family name.---------- Rhoda’s husband John Ford is always referred to in Corinth as Capt. John Ford. His death record even refers to him as Capt. John Ford. Maybe because of his local prominence when recording the family of her parents the Thurston Genealogies include a short biography for Rhoda. It notes that she was the mother of sixteen children. We have only been able to discover twelve. I suspect the number is actually closer to the twelve than the sixteen.---------- There is a list of seven of the children recorded in the Corinth town records. The remainder are quite easily identified in town, cemetery and probate records.---------- Robert 1805, Jemima 1807, Sally (McCrillis) 1808, Polly (Southwick) 1810, John 1812, Francis 1814, Rhoda (Woodworth) 1817 Mercy 1818, James 1822, Wesley 1826, Mary 1837.---------- Rhoda and John are buried along with a number of their children in the West Corinth Cemetery. She died September 5, 1869, John November 3, 1867.---------- Rhoda is the niece of Mercy Bailey wife of Samuel Griffin

Jesse Bailey Jr. 1779-1862 East Montpelier, VT

Jesse Bailey Jr.’s birth is recorded in the Newport, New Hampshire town history. The entry records the birth of four children of Jesse Bailey and Sarah Thurston including Jesse Bailey Jr. born Feb. 9. 1779.---------- The family moved to Corinth, Vermont around the turn of the century. Jesse Jr. married Rhoda Pease. In Vol-1 of the Corinth town records we find an entry that lists the children born to Jesse Bailey Jr. the Jr. an acknowledgment that both father and son lived in Corinth. Note on the spelling, the double “s” in Jesse is written with a large “s” and a small “s” that some misread as a single “s” writing the name “Jese”.---------- The list of children includes; Samuel, born March 20, 1808, Squire, November 28, 1812, Jesse born January 26, 1811 who died March 6, 1811. They then named a second son Jesse born May 17, 1815, Noah, September 30, 181 and Daniel born January 31, 1822 died September 7, 1822.---------- Jesse Bailey Jr. spent most of his married life in East Montpelier, Vermont. He along with his wife, Rhoda, and two sons Jesse and Squire are buried in the Cutler Cemetery in East Montpelier.---------- Jesse’s death is recorded in the East Montpelier town records. Dated January 12, 1862 it lists his age as 82 years, 11 months and 3 days. His parents are listed as Jesse & Sally Bailey.---------- Rhoda’s death is also recorded in East Montpelier. Her death record contains the only biographical information we have of her life; dated July 18, 1858, Rhoda Bailey, age 77 years, 2 months ad 26 days, born Harford, Vt., daughter of Samuel and Sarah Pease.---------- Jesse is the nephew of Mercy Bailey, wife of Samuel Griffin.

Phineas Bailey 1783-1864 Corinth, VT

Phineas Bailey was the son of Jesse Bailey and Sarah Thurston. I would like to think that he dropped in on his aunt, Mercy Bailey Griffin, while they were both living in Vermont. Phineas was born in Newport, New Hampshire July 13, 1783. He died in Corinth, Vermont on November 24, 1864.---------- There is an entry in Vol-1 page 75 of the Washington, VT. town records. It is a list of the children of Phineas Bailey. It lists both their date and place of birth. The record provides clues to the life of Phineas. ---------- The record starts with Sarah S. Bailey born in Corinth Feb 17, 1811. Next is John Bailey born Salem N.H. Feb 17, 1813, Elizabeth Bailey, Salem, May 7, 1816. The forth child is Joel, born August 8th 1819 in Corinth, VT. The next three children were probably born in Washington, VT. Abial, April 3, 1822, Luther, March 17, 1825 and Calvin, March 26, 1828.---------- Phineas probably moved from Newport, N.H. to Corinth, VT with his father, Jesse, around 1800. As a young man it seems that he returned to New Hampshire. Even though the Washington record lists Corinth as the birthplace for Sarah evidence argues that the first three children were all born in Salem, New Hampshire. In the New Hampshire vital records index is the record of the marriage of Phineas Bailey and Dorcus Morrison in Salem, New Hampshire January 31, 1809. The 1810 census places the family in Salem. There are also military records from the War of 1812 that record his enlistment in New Hampshire in September of 1814. Without the entry in the Washington records this Salem connection would be easy to miss. It has also proved to be the cause of some confusion. Given the reference to a to “Salem” in the family history some historians have mistakenly listed the more well know Salem, Massachusetts as the birthplace of the children.---------- By the time Joel is born in 1819 Phineas is living Vermont. The census records place him in Washington and neighboring Corinth, Vermont. Phineas’s death is recorded in the Corinth town records. It shows Phineas Bailey age 81 years, 4 months and 11 days, born in Newport, N.H. ,the son of Jesse and Sally Bailey. A poorly written Sally has been misread as” Raley” in several subsequent transcriptions of the original record. We also find the death of Dorcus recorded in Corinth. Dated January 22, 1778 she is listed simply as Mrs. Dorcus Bailey age 89.

Joel Bayley/Bailey 1746-1813 Middletown, NY

Joel Bailey was the younger brother of Mercy Bailey, the wife of Samuel Griffin. His birth is recorded in the town records in Killingworth, Connecticut. The entry for his birth reads; “Joel ye son of John & Mercy Bayley was born June ye 1st 1746”. Joel and his brother Jesse used the old world “Bayley” spelling of the family name. His children spelled the name “Bailey”.--------- The search for the historical Joel Bailey centers on information retained by his extended family from what they referred to as the Joel Bailey Family Bible. We have posted a copy of the Bible information below. It comes from a publication title, A Chronicle of Everyday People, by Catherine Marshall Gardiner. There are also several entries in the, Sons of the America Revolution, that are available that also reflect a well know family genealogy.---------- Joel followed his younger brother, Jesse, to Newport, New Hampshire. In Newport Joel married Elizabeth Deming March 9, 1773. In Newport Joel and his brother were both very involved with the local Militia during the American Revolution. We have documented their service in the entry for Jesse Bailey. The family Bible lists six children born in Newport; Mary b. Nov 1773 (Josiah Winslow), Mercy b. Oct. 6, 1775, Twins, John and Joel b. Dec. 2, 1777, Elizabeth b. Sept. 3, 1779 and Benjamin b. Aug. 24, 1782.---------- There are records of the birth of three more children that were born in nearby Sunapee/ Wendell N.H. Their birth is recorded on page 44 of the original town records, James b. March 6, 1785, Anna b. Jan. 20, 1788, Peter b. Aug. 23, 1780. Family tradition suggests that anther child, Sally, was also born in Wendell June 13, 1794. At the turn of the century both Bayley brothers left New Hampshire with Joel moving to Middlefield, Otsego County New York. The area historically has been referred to as Cherry Valley. Family tradition suggests that the last child in the family, Hannah, b. Nov 4, 1797 was born in Middlefield.---------- Joel died in Middlefield December 1, 1813. Elizabeth lived until August 13, 1840. His generation maintained a presence in the area for some time.---------- The most prominent citizen of Cherry Valley at the time was James Fenimore Cooper, 1778-1851. It tantalizing to think he may have added a line to one of his novels based on a conversation he had with the old soldier Joel Bailey.

Jesse Bailey 1750-1837 Corinth, VT

Jesse Bailey was born in Killingworth, CT. April 22, 1750 the son of John Bailey and Mercy Farnam. His sister Mercy Bailey, wife of Samuel Griffin, was the oldest child in the family. As a young man Jesse moved to Newport, New Hampshire to seek his fortune. Newport was a land grant founded by men from Killingworth and New London, CT. If you look at the first volume of the Newport town records you will see that the first twenty or so pages were recorded in Killingworth. In Newport Jesse met and married Sarah Thurston. If you follow the family’s history you will see her referred to in many records as, Sally. ---------- One of the prominent themes in the early history of Newport was the activity of the local Militia. Both Jesse and his brother Joel were members. Their names appear on the proclamation of war signed in Newport, ---------- “We, the Subscribers, do hereby solemnly engage, and promise, that we will, to the utmost of our Power, at the Risque of our Lives and Fortunes, with Arms, oppose the Hostile Proceedings of the British Fleets and Armies, against the United American, COLONIES.”---------- There are references to the two brothers found in the, Sons of the American Revolution, documentation. One such record comes from the family of Joel Bailey, “Joel Bailey was one of the early settlers of Newport, N.H. which was first settled by men from Killingworth, CT. Jesse Bailey a brother proceed him in going to Newport, N.H. Bothe Jesse and Joel served as privates in Capt. Samuel Wetherbee’s company of Col Isaac Wyman’s regiment.”---------- The two brothers served in two call-ups the first time for 6 months. Their service involved actions around Boston. Their most famous service was for a two-month duration in which they fought in the Battle of Bennington. Jesse’s service records noting these events are part of his pension file. A copy is posted below.---------- The Battle of Bennington was an important prelude to the war changing Battle of Saratoga. British General John Burgoyne led a large British force down from Canada with the goal of splitting the American colonies in half. In the area surrounding Bennington, VT he sent out a detachment of Hessians let by Lt. Col. Friedrich Baum to gather horses, draft animals and supplies to aid in the build up of his forces for the larger battles that were to eventually be fought. A contingent of New Hampshire militiamen under the command of General John Starks was dispatched to aid in the campaign. Counted in the ranks were brothers Jesse and Joel Bailey. A series of skirmishes between the two forces led to a general confrontation ten miles from Bennington. In anticipation of a coming clash the Hessians entrenched themselves on high ground. General Starks was determined to drive them away. He famously said,” If we fail Molly Starks will be a widow tonight.” Attacking with a determined ferocity the militiamen drove the Hessians from their position. Later in the day as British reinforcements came up the two sides clashed again. This time the New Hampshire regiments were supported by the Green Mountain Boys let by Seth Warner who threw his troops headlong into the fight. One of Seth Warner’s leading non commissioned officers was Sargent Samuel Bradley, future father in law to Samuel Griffin.---------- The result of the Battle of Bennington was the death of Col. Baum and the destruction of the British units as an effective fighting force. The lost of these units proved very costly for the British at the pivotal Battle of Saratoga.---------- As a result of his Revolutionary War service the early histories written for Newport contain a short biography for Jesse along with the other prominent men of his day. It notes his marriage to Sarah Thurston Sept. 13, 1775. It lists four children; Amanda b. Mar 25, 1777, Jesse Jr. b. Feb 9, 1779, Elizabeth b. Mar 12, 1781, Phineas b. July 13, 1783. The New Hampshire vital records contain the birth and death record for another child Mary born Feb 12, 1776 died Feb 16, 1776.--------- Sometime around the mid 1790s Jesse moved his family 70 miles west to Corinth, Vt. His life in Corinth is well documented in the Corinth town history and in land and census records. His sister Mercy lived sixty miles away in Essex, VT. I am hard pressed to believe that during those twenty plus year they both lived in Vermont they did not get together.----------- Most of what we know of Jesse’ children comes to us from the Thurston Genealogies. The Thurston family published a detailed well research family history in 1892. The volume contains a detailed entry for Jesse and Sarah Thurston Bailey.--------- “Sally b. in Straham, N.H., Feb 6, 1756; m. September 13, 1774 or 5 Jesse Bailey of Dracut Mass. He was a farmer and settled in Corinth, VT., where he died, September 5, 1837; she died Sept. 12, 1853, aged 97y. 7 m. 7 d.”--------- The reference to Dracut Mass. has been the source of a good deal of confusion over the identity of Jesse Bailey. Many genealogies list Dracut as the birthplace for his children. How or why that mistake crept into the Thurston genealogy is a mystery.--------- In addition to the children listed in the Newport history the Thurston genealogy lists; Rhoda b. Sept 26, 1785, Dolly b. April 5, 1788, Alotty b. May 26, 1790, Polly b. Aug 8, 1792, Sarah b. Dec 27, 1794, Abial b. Feb 11, 1798 and Permelia b. Aug 12, 1801. Permelia’s birth is also recorded in the Corinth, VT town records. The history of Corinth also lists another child Beriah born in 1802.--------- The families of Rhoda , Jesse Jr. Phineas and Permelia are well documented in Corinth. There is very little if anything regarding the remaining children.---------- The final documentary chapter in the life of Jesse Bailey plays out in his Revolutionary War pension files filed in Vermont. It is interesting historical journey to trace Jesse Bailey from Killingworth CT. to Newport, N.H. and then on to Corinth, VT. There are historically multiple interpretations for the journey. He has been confused with another Jesse Bailey born in Mass. the son of Ebenezer Bailey. This second Jesse was also in the Revolutionary War but his history plays out in Weare, N.H.---------- The pension records included a copy of a marriage record for Jesse Bailey and Sarah Thurston provided by the town clerk of Newport. N.H. In his testimony before the commission Jesse relates his history from his time in Newport and service in the war and subsequent move to Corinth. He also testifies, ---------- “He was born in Killingworth in Connecticut in there year 1750, where he supposes that there is a record of his age.”---------- The final documentary chapter in the Jesse Bailey story is the 1850 census taken in Corinth. In the household of James and Rhoda Bailey Southwick is the 92 years old Sally Bailey. I find it amusing that in all of the official documents she is referred to as Sarah and in census and other references she is referred to as Sally.