Rosetta Lois Griffin- Eleazer Hunt, Essex, Vermont

Rosetta Lois Griffin was born in Essex, Vermont, according to her headstone, on March 20, 1818. She was the daughter of Samuel Griffin and Sylvia Bradley. Her father was a successful farmer. His farm was centered on the beautiful bottomland along Indian Brook. The last three children born into the family were girls, Rosetta, Sylvia and Electa. The Griffin family letters paint a picture of a very close association between the three sisters that lasted throughout their life. The collection of letters written by the family was to their brother, Albert, who was living in Utah. Rosetta was the primary author passing on the family news to a long missing but not forgotten brother. --------- Letter dated 1870; ---------- “I am blest with a kind husband good home and enough of the world to make me comfortable which is worth a great deal to me. Dear brother let us live the life of the Christian that we may dwell together in the world to come is the prayer of your sister it is the heart that God looks at and not the name. I enjoy that peace of mind this world can neither give nor take away and it is a great help to me in getting through this world of sin and sorrow.” ---------- The Essex town records contain marriage records for many of the girls of Rosetta’s generation but one for her marriage to Eleazer Hunt has not been found. With their first child, Jason, born in 1841 it would seem that the marriage probably took place in 1839/40. ---------- Where Rosetta and Eleazer married is not the only mystery surrounding the early days of their marriage. Family records place the birth of their first two children, Jason and Julia, in Hopkinton, New York. Hopkinton is 130 miles from Essex. The area was first settled in 1805 primarily by people from Vermont. Nestled in the foothills of the Adirondacks its key attraction was the streams that could be used to power mills. Those mills must have been a lure for a young husband seeking a way to make a living. ---------- By 1845 the family was again living in Essex where their daughter Lucy was born June 19, 1845. The census records place the family in Essex from 1850 to 1900. Although the census records are entered under Essex the family actually lived in what is now Essex Junction. ---------- Biographies for Jason, Julia and Lucy have been posted on the Blog. ---------- A fourth child, a daughter, Amelia first appears in the 1860 census at the age of 8. In the 1870 census she is listed as age 18. The marriage of Amelia to Henry M Page of Lunenburg, Mass. is found in the Essex records. The marriage date is January 1, 1871. The record indicates that his current residence was Omaha, Nebraska. There are census records dating 1880 and 1900 from Omaha, Nebraska that are a match for Amelia and Henry. The 1900 census offers a date of birth November 1852. There are also hints from the census records that they may have ended up in California. ---------- The death record for Lois Rosetta Griffin Hunt is published in the Essex records. Dated February 25, 1898 if gives her age as 79 years 11 month and 7 days. Her cause of death is listed as Exhaustion for a broken thigh. Her parents are listed as Samuel and Sylvia Bradley Griffin. ---------- Rosetta and Eleazer are buried in the Essex Common Burial Ground. Their family marker is handcrafted with stones set in cement. The plaque for Rosetta includes the dates March 20, 1818 and Feb 23, 1898 the plaque for Eleazer, Apr 15, 1809, Sept 19, 1908. Three of Lucy’s children are buried in the family plot. --------- There is an entry in the Norwich, Vermont early town records for the family of Eliphalet Hunt. --------- “Lory Hunt daughter of Eliphalet Hunt and Lucy his wife was born Sept 14th 1807. Elelyn or Eleazer Hunt their son born April 15th 1810.” ---------- The census records and his death record place the date in 1809. In 1906 the city of Essex published a memorial. One of the entries was a list of the birth dates for its older citizens. Included was Eleazer Hunt age 97 on April 15. --------- Land records from Essex show that Eleazer was actively buying and selling property for most of his life. He purchased property from Rosetta’s father, Samuel. There are deeds between Ezeazer and Hannah Griffin, Orlo Griffin’s wife, again for property that originally belonged to Samuel Griffin. When each of his children began buying property deed records show that Eleazer would put up the money and then take a mortgage from his children. Indications are that he was a successful farmer. We previously published a newspaper article. The article reported a fall take by an elderly Eleazer. The cause of the fall was a result of him being tired from watching the men cut hay on his old farm an activity that he frequently engaged in. ---------- There is a deed registered on August 14, 1893 between Eleazer Hunt, Rosette L Hunt and their daughter Julia R Booth for what was their home lot.--------- “Ten dollars paid to our satisfaction by our daughter Julia R Booth”. ---------- The property is described as being bounded, ---------- “East by the Highway leading from Essex Junction to Butler Corners. 14 acres of land …. Also farming tools, wagons, carriages and sleds… being the home place where we now reside.” ---------- The sale price indicates that is more of passing on of an inheritance than a pure sale of a piece of property. Further evidence of the fact is the 1900 census, which shows Eleazer as part of the household of Cassius and Julia Booth in all likelihood in his old home. ---------- In 1900 Eleazer is living with Julia. In 1907 he is living with Jason’s son Willie/William. His death is recorded September 19, 1908 in Athol, Massachusetts. Athol was the home of his daughter Lucy Richardson. Lucy is listed as the “Informant” for the information on his, Return of a Death. The record lists his age as 99 years, 6 month, 4 days, born in Norwich, Vermont the son of Eliphalet Hunt and Lucy Goodrich. ---------- Eleazer’s father, Eliphalet Hunt in found in the census records in Johnson, Vermont from 1830 to 1860. The 1830 census shows an older son who is probably Eleazer. In the absence of any birth records in Essex for Rosetta’s two oldest children, Jason and Julia, early family historian made the assumption that they must have been born in the Hunt family home of Johnson, Vermont. We now understand that they were born in Hopkinton, NY. Eliphalet’s death is recorded in Johnson in 1861 at the age of 83, a farmer born in Connecticut. ----------------------------------- Rosetta Griffin / Samuel Griffin / Samuel Griffin / Samuel Griffin of Kllingworth. ---------------------------------- Reference; Samuel Griffin Genealogy Blog

Julia R Hunt and Cassius M Booth, Essex, Vermont

Julia Rosetta Hunt was born May 19, 1843 in Hopkinton, New York the daughter of Rosetta Lois Griffin and Eleazer Hunt. There is very little to be found in the family records to explain the Hunt families’ sojourn in New York were both Julia and her brother Jason were born. In the census records she is listed as, Julia R., born in New York. The birth records for her children, Ernest and Jessie, list their mother as, Julia Hunt, born Hopkinton, NY. Julia’s own death record gives her date of birth as May 19, 1943, born in New York, State. Hopkinton is 130 miles from the family home in Essex, VT. ----------- The marriage of, “Cassius M. Booth and Miss Julia R Hunt both of Essex” is found in the Essex records, the date is, “21st of Nov. 1865”. ---------- Cassius M. Booth was born in Essex August 7, 1843. He was the son of Samuel Booth and Eunice Woodworth. Both Cassius’s father and grandfather had long made Essex their home. Cassius served in the Civil War from 1862 to 1865. He was discharged June 25, 1865 giving him a summer to romance his future bride. ---------- Their first child, Ernest H. Booth was born in Essex on July 14, 1869. The birth record, from Essex, lists his parents as Cassius M and Julia Hunt Booth. The record lists a birthplace for his mother as Hopkinton, NY. In the 1870 census the family is living in Colchester. The entry lists Ernest, age 9/12. This fact has led some family historian to incorrectly list Colchester as his place of birth. ---------- The second child born in the family is Alba Cassius Booth. There are a number of documents from his life that place his birth in St Albans, VT on April 10, 1873. By then Alba’s father was probably working as a customs inspector. St Albans is a port on Lake Champlain. In the 1880 census the census enumerator recorded his name as “Alva”. That mistake in spelling has found its way into a number of family histories. There are no surviving birth records from the time frame. ---------- The third child was Jessie Julia Booth. Her birth is also recorded in the Essex records. The entry is dated April 4, 1882. Again her parents are identified as Cassius M and Julia Hunt Booth. Her mother’s place of birth is again identified as Hopkinton, NY. ---------- In 1870 the family is listed in the census for Colchester. The enumerator mistakenly used the name Charles for Cassius. Listed are Cassius/ Charles, Julia R and Ernest. Cassius’s occupation is give as cheese maker. In a family letter his mother-in-law wrote that, “Cassius dislikes farming he is working in a cheese factory for $80 per month”. ----------- In 1880 the family is living in Essex. By now Cassius is referred to as a Custom House Official a profession he would follow for the rest of his life. ---------- In 1900 the family is living in Essex/ Essex Junction. Previous to 1900 both places were listed as being one and the same. After 1900 the two places began to assume separate identities. Even though family records are found in the archives of the original Essex evidence supports the idea that they always lived in the area that is now Essex Junction. The 1900 census gives us some interesting insights into American life in 1900. Listed in the household of Cassius Booth are his wife, Julia, his daughter, Jessie, his mother, Eunice, and his father-in-law Eleazer Hunt. ---------- Ernest Hunt Booth was born in Essex July 14, 1869. The marriage of Ernest H Booth, age 21, born in Essex and Emma A Myers, age 19, of East Washington is recorded in the Essex records February 11, 1891. The record notes that they were married in Essex Junction. The couple is found living in Burlington, VT up until the time of his death. Starting with his marriage record he is always referred to as a clerk/ bookkeeper. The Burlington City Director lists him as “bkpr Burl Trust Co”. Ernest and his brother, Alba, are listed a few lines apart in the directory. The death of “Ernest Hunt Booth” is recorded in the Burlington records. Dated January 15, 1929, Ernest Hunt Booth, age 59, born Essex, parents, Cassius M “Hunt”, a transcription error, and Julia Hunt. Ernest is buried in the Lakeview Cemetery in Burlington. ----------- Alba Cassius Booth was born in St. Albans April 10, 1873. Alba C Booth age 25, born St Albans married Emma S Harkness, age 25, born Hinesburgh, Vt on October 10 1901 in Burlington, VT. The couple lived in Burlington for most of their lives. The surviving records list his occupation as “Druggist” the owner of his own shop. The Burlington City Directory lists him as “prop Park Drug Store”. Alba married Winona Left, April 30, 1921 in Burlington. One of the few places we find the full spelling for his name is on his draft registration card “Alba Cassius Booth”. Alba’s death is recorded in Fairfax, VT. July 17, 1942. The record notes that he had lived there for six weeks. Alba is buried with his brother in the Lakeview Cemetery in Burlington. ---------- Jessie Julia Booth was born in Essex, April 4, 1882. She is living with her parents in the 1900 census and with her mother in Essex in the 1910 census. The census records note that she was an invalid. The death of “Jessie Julia Booth” is recorded on May 10, 1917. Jessie is buried with her parents in the Village Cemetery in Essex Junction. ----------- Julia Rosetta Hunt Booth was born in Hopkinton, NY, May 19, 1843. Julia’s Certificate of Death records her death on September 5, 1929 in Essex Junction. Alba C Booth furnished the information listed on the certificate. Her birth was recorded, as May 19, 1843 in New York State. Her parents are listed as Eleazer Hunt and Rosetta Griffin. ---------- There are no original records documenting the birth and death of Cassius M Booth. Lucky for us as family historians his life is well documented in the local histories. In particular his service in the Civil War is well document. The highlight of his Civil War service is his duty in the Union Navy during the Mississippi River campaigns. Those biographies provide a date of birth August 7, 1843 in Essex and a date of death of June 24, 1903. His headstone in the Village Cemetery in Essex Junction lists the dates 1843-1903. ---------------------------------------- Julia Hunt / Rosetta Griffin / Samuel Griffin / Samuel Griffin / Samuel Griffin of Killingworth. ------------------------------------- Reference; Samuel Griffin Genealogy Blog

Jason E Hunt / Eliza J Nichols Essex, VT

Jason E Hunt was the son of Rosetta Lois Griffin and Eleazer Hunt. While his parents spent the majority of their life in and around Essex VT all of the census records list New York as the place of Jason’s birth. Hopkinton, St Lawrence County, NY is listed in a number of the birth and marriage records of his children as the site of their father’s birth. Hopkinton is about 100 miles west of Essex in upstate New York. The marriage record between their daughter, Nellie Hunt, and George Lawrence is particularly detailed in providing family demographics. The 1900 census records that Jason was born in May 1841. There are family histories that offer a day of May 12, 1841. ---------- There is an entry in the Essex records for the marriage of Jason, Jason E Hunt of Essex… a farmer by occupation and of the age of 24 years, and Eliza J. Nichols of Essex ……of the age of 19 years. The date is April 28, 1866. ---------- Eliza Jane Nichols was born in Essex October 14, 1846. She was the daughter of Charles Nichols and Abigail Warner. ---------- Jason and Eliza had four children together. The record of their birth is registered in the Essex town records. Each child is identified as the child of Jason E. and Eliza J. Hunt. The records provide us with Eliza’s maiden name, Nichols. They provide us with a place of birth for Jason, Hopkinton, and Eliza, Essex. ---------- April 26, 1867, Elmer Hunt ----------- January 14, 1869, Alice Gertrude Hunt ---------- April 16, 1871, Willie Edson Hunt ---------- May 1, 1878, Nellie May Hunt ---------- We find the whole family recorded in the 1900 census taken in Essex. ---------- The whole family is found in the transcription from the Village Cemetery now located in Essex Junction, VT. The nature of the record is based around where the people are buried within the cemetery. It appears that the whole Hunt family is buried in a family burial plot much in the same manner as the Griffins in the Essex Common Burial Ground. ---------- The entry lists; ---------- Jason E. Hunt, 1841-1927 --------- Eliza J. Nichols, 1843-1925 (May 28 1925)---------- Elmer J. Hunt, 1867-1901 ---------- Alice E. Hunt, 1869-1952 ---------- William E. Hunt 1873-1950 ---------- Nellie M. Hunt, 1878-1964 ---------- Children of J. E. & E. J. Hunt ---------- As with many such transcriptions it contains a number of small errors. ---------- The death record for Nellie J. Hunt is found in the Essex records. Her date of birth is given as October 14, 1846 and date of death as May 28, 1925. ---------- The death record for Elmer J Hunt, dated September 1, 1901, is also found in the Essex records. It notes that he died of Typhoid. Elmer married Nellie Latimore of Chazy, NY. They had three children; Rudolph Nelson, Helen Barbara and Sherman Spears who went by Sherman Elmer. ---------- Willie Edson referred to himself as William E. for the remainder of his life. He married Carrie / Caroline Hanley. William lived in Essex VT, DeLand, Florida, Hartford CT. In 1940 he is living in Cheshire, NH. The 1940 census is the last record we can find that references William. The names of William and Caroline are also found on a plaque associated with her parents in the Saint Thomas Cemetery in Underhill, VT. That plaque includes the dates 1871-1950. ---------- Nellie May Hunt married Clarence Martin in Essex June 27, 1900. In the 1910 census they are living in Oakland, Kennebec, Maine. Records indicate that they divorced in 1915. In 1925 she married George Burt Lawrence in Ogdensburg, St. Lawrence, NY. Ogdensburg is a short distance from Hopkinton her father’s birthplace. She was living in Ogdensburg in the 1940 census. Nellie married John Sias Barr in Burlington VT on August 9, 1947. The last record of her is the 1954 city directory for Burlington. ------------------------------------------- Jason Hunt / Rosetta Griffin / Samuel Griffin / Samuel Griffin / Samuel Griffin of Killingworth

Lucy J Hunt / Burton C Richardson

Lucy Jeannette Hunt was the fourth of five children born to Rosetta Lois Griffin and Eleazer Hunt. Lucy was born in Essex, VT, 19 June 1845. She grew up in what family letters describe as a close family circle. She would have been about the age of six when her grandfather, Samuel Griffin passed away. The 17-year-old Lucy Hunt of Essex married the 21-year-old Burton C Richardson of Jerico on September 6, 1865 in Essex. ---------- The family was living in Brookfield, Orange County, VT in 1868 when twins Nellie and Nettie were born. The birth is found in the Brookfield records dated March 28, 1868. ---------- Winnie M Richardson was born August 16, 1870 in Underhill, VT. The family was living in Ft. Edwards, NY when she died on August 15, 1871. Ft. Edwards is at the southern end of Lake Champlain just across the border into New York. ---------- Willie Burton Richardson was born in Underhill February 15, 1872. ---------- May Lucy Richardson was born in Essex in May 1874. ---------- Nellie, Willie and Winnie share a headstone with their grandparents Rosetta and Eleazer Hunt in the Essex Common Burial Ground. ---------- The headstone for Nellie reads, “ August 16, 1868, twin dau. of B.C. & L.J. Richardson, AE 5 mos.” ---------- The headstone of Winnie reads, Aug 15 1871, dau of B.C and Lucy J. Richardson, died at Ft Edwards, NY, AE 1 yr.” ---------- The headstone for Willie reads; “Feb 16, 1877, son of B.C. & Lucy J. Richardson, AE 5 yr, 1 da.” ---------- The family moved to Athol, Massachusetts in 1891. Athol is in the western part of the state not too far from the Vermont border. The census records indicated that Burton worked for the US Postal Service. That may explain the number of moves made by the family. ---------- The Richardson family is buried together in a family ploy in the Highland Cemetery in Athol. Lucy J. Hunt Richardson, b. 1846 d. 1937, Burton Clark Richardson b. Feb 22, 1845 d. Aug 8, 1913, Nellie Amelia Richardson Wood, b. 1868 d. 1919 and Maybird Lucy Richardson Twitchell b. 1874 d. 1948. ---------- We have not found an official death record for Lucy that provided us with a more definitive date for her death. However the date comes to us from an unusual source the Athol City Directory. Lucy had appeared in the director each year for a number of years. The 1938 directory had the following entry. ---------- “Richardson, Lucy J wid Burton C died May 25, 1937 age 91” ----------Update; recently we recoverd a Certificate of Death for Lucy R Richardson. It is found in West Lafayette, Indiana. It identies Lucy R Richardson of Athol, Mass. Her parents are listed as Eleazer Hunt and Rosetta Griffin. It makes note that she is to be buried in Athol. The informant for the information is "Mrs Charles Burnaham" the wife of her grandson Charles.----------- The obituary for Burton Clark Richard is posted in the Find A Grave entry for him in Athol. The obituary notes that he was born in Cambridge, VT the son of Martin Richardson. The obituary proves details of his Civil War service. He joined early on in the war. He was discharged because of disability quite likely from wounds. On his recovery he reenlisted and served until the end of the war. The 17th Vermont was part of General Grant’s forces that pushed General Lee back to Richmond. The history of the 17th places them in the battles as General Grant tried to break the Richmond stalemate. Burton was involved in the battle of Popular Spring in September 1864 in Grant’s offensive to turn the flank of the Confederate Army. We have posted a description of the Popular Spring Battle below. You can follow what happen to Burton by following the actions of his commanding officer Robert B. Potter. Burton was capture at Popular Spring and spent the next five months in the infamous Libby Prison in Richmond. He was moved to North Carolina and eventually paroled in February 1865. His “Personal War Sketch” is part of a collection put together by Lamoille County, Vermont for its native sons who served in the war. ------------------------------------------------------- Lucy Hunt / Rosetta Griffin / Samuel Griffin / Samuel Griffin /Samuel Griffin of Killingworth. ------------------------------------------------