The Ancestry of Elias Withey of Livingston Co., Michigan Barbara Snow, Ann Arbor, Michigan Advice given to every novice genealogist is to gather all possible information related to an individual, as well as to people with connections to that person. Sometimes a crucial piece of evidence can be hidden in a few words of a document or contained in a source about someone else. Efforts to identify the origins of Elias Withey, who settled in Livingston County, Michigan sometime before 1838 were successful only after studying bits of information in a variety of sources. No direct evidence names his father, but indirect evidence proves that he is a son of John Withey of St. Albans, Vermont and Oswego Co. New York and a grandson of Silas McWithey, a Revolutionary War soldier. ELIAS WITHEY Elias Withey’s life in Michigan is quite well documented. He was in Brighton Township, Livingston County as early as 1838, when he served as collector the first year the township was formed.1 He is enumerated as a resident of Brighton Township in the 1840-‐1880 census records. The 1850-‐1880 records consistently state a birth of 1813 or 1814 in Vermont.2 The death record of his daughter Esther names her mother Anna Goodspeed.3 And a biographical sketch of a son states that Elias Withey and Anna Goodspeed were married in New York.4 A Goodspeed genealogy places Anna as the daughter of Elijah & Mary Ann (Goodenough) Goodspeed. 5 His oldest child, Jerome, was born in New York 1835 or 1836; all other children were born in Michigan. 6 A late-‐in-‐life second marriage, at age 68, states that Elias was born in St. Albans, [Franklin County] Vermont. 7 One record that might name his father would be his 1 Franklin Ellis, History of Livingston County, Michigan. With illustrations and biographical sketches of 2 1840 U.S. Census. Livingston County, Michigan, Brighton, p. 200 (stamped, facing page), Elias Withey; NARA microfilm publication M704 roll 208; 1850 U.S. Census. Livingston County, Michigan, population schedule, Brighton, p. 414 (stamped) line 1299 family 1303, Elias Whitey, age 37; NARA microfilm publication M704 roll 356; 1860 U.S. Census. Livingston County, Michigan, population schedule, Brighton p.115 line 817 family 829 ,Elias Withey, age 47; NARA microfilm publication M653 roll 552, 1870 U.S. Census, Livingston County, Michigan, population schedule, Brighton p. 13 (back), line 199 family 205, Elias Withey, age 57; NARA microfilm publication M593 roll 687; 1880 U.S. Census. Livingston County, Michigan, population schedule, Brighton, p.2 (stamped), Elias Withey, age 66; NARA microfilm publication T9 roll 592. 3 Michigan. “Death Records 1867-‐1920” index and digital images, Archives of Michigan, Seeking Michigan (http://www.seekingmichigan.org; accessed 03 November 2012) entry for Esther Crippen, died 1916. 4 “Charles Allen Withey,” Bench & Bar of Michigan: a Volume of History and Biography, (Chicago: Century Publishing and Engraving Co., 1897), 450-‐452. 5 Weston Arthur Goodspeed. History of the Goodspeed family, profusely illustrated: being a genealogical and narrative record extending from 1380 to 1906, and embracing material concerning the family collected during eighteen years of research, together with maps, plates, charts, etc. (Chicago: W.A. Goodspeed, 1907), v.1 p. 410. 6 1850 U.S. Census. Livingston County, Michigan, population schedule, Brighton, p. 414 (stamped) line 1299 family 1303, Jerome Whitey, age 14; NARA microfilm publication M704 roll 356 7 Livingston County, Michigan, “Marriage Records” vol. 3A p. 164; His birth is not recorded in the St. Albans Town Records; St. Albans, Vermont. Town Records, vol. 1-‐2 (1784-‐1856); Town Clerks Office, The Origins of Elias Withey of Livingston County, Michigan 2 death record. There is no reason to believe he did not die in Livingston Co., but no death record for him has been found in Livingston Co.8 nor is his death indexed for other counties in Michigan.9 He is buried in Brighton, Livingston Co. His tombstone gives a birthdate of 17 November 1814, but the death date is illegible.10 The Livingston Republican of 17 October 1889 provides this information “Elias Withey of
Brighton died last week Thursday aged 75 years. He was another of our respected
pioneer citizens having resided there for nearly 50 years."11 “Last week Thursday”
would be 14 October 1889.
A biographical sketch of his son, Charles Allen Withey, gives further information about Elias: • Charles’ grandfather “attended a tea party in Boston… was entertained eight years by the British on a prison ship.” • Elias worked as a gatekeeper on the Oswego Canal.12 And finally, a news item in an 1886 Brighton newspaper stated “E. Withey attended the funeral of his uncle, Judge Withey of Grand Rapids."13 This last piece of information connects Elias to another Michigan Withey family, although Judge Withey could not have been his uncle. RELATIONSHIP OF ELIAS TO JUDGE WITHEY “Judge Withey” refers to District Court Judge Solomon Lewis Withey, a member of a prominent family in Grand Rapids, well documented in Kent County records. Solomon Lewis Withey was one of 5 sons of Solomon D. Withey. The father and sons all settled in Kent County Michigan in 1837.14 They migrated from St. Albans Vermont, where all five brothers were born between the years 1809-‐1815.15 None of these brothers could have been the father of Elias, who was born in St. Albans in 1814. Could it be that Elias was a cousin of Judge Solomon L. Withey, a nephew not of Judge Withey, but of the Judge’s father, Solomon D. Withey? The fact that the given name of the father and son are both Solomon and a lack of precision in newspaper reporting of these types of events make this mix up understandable. SOLOMON D. WITHEY OF WASHINGTON CO. NY AND FRANKLIN CO., VT St. Albans, Vermont. In addition to checking indexes in the book, a page by page search was made to find any mention of either surname in the records. 8 Livingston County, Michigan, “”Death Index v.1 (1867-‐1948)” and “Death Records v.1-‐2 1867-‐
1927”; in addition to checking the index for any possible spelling. I also checked all records recorded for the year 1889; FHL microfilm 1,005,434-‐1,005,435. 9 “Michigan Deaths 1867-‐1897,”database and images, Family Search (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1452402 ; accessed 03 November 2013) search for various combinations of information, e.g. first name Elias date of death 1889. 10 Findagrave.com Find A Grave, digital image (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 02 November 2013), photograph, gravestone for Elias Withey (Nov. 17, 1814-‐). 11 “Throughout the County” Livingston (Michigan) Republican, 20 Oct. 1889, last page. 12 “ Charles Allen Withey,”Bench & Bar of Michigan, 450-‐452. 13 “Twenty Years Ago Today,” Brighton (Michigan) Argus, May 9, 1906. 14 Charles R. Tuttle. The History of Grand Rapids with Biographical Sketches. Grand Rapids, Tuttle & Cooney, 1974, 41-‐42. 15 St. Albans, Vt. Town Records, vol. 1-‐2, v.__p._ Barbara Snow ProGen22 4/28/15 The Origins of Elias Withey of Livingston County, Michigan 3 Solomon D. Withey was born 31 August, 1787, Washington Co., New York, the son of Silas McWithey and Abigail Ferry.16 In 1797 Silas McWithey was living in Granville, New York, where his two sons, Solomon and John were sent to John Crarey, teacher of a school in Granville.”17 This establishes that Solomon D. had a brother John; both were sons of Silas McWithey. In 1800 there are two males 10-‐16 in the “ Silas McQuire” household in Granville.18 Their ages are consistent with being school-‐boys in 1797 and with the 1787 birth of Solomon. The age grouping narrows the possible birthdate of John to between 1784-‐
1790. There are no other males in the household except Silas, who is in the age group 45+. If there was a third brother in 1790, he is not in the household in 1800. Sometime before Feb. 18, 1805 Silas removed to St. Albans, Franklin Co., Vermont where town records on that date include this notation: "I do not agree with the
majority of this town in religious sentiments by me, Silas McWithey”19 He
would have had this notation officially recorded in order to be exempt from taxes to support the clergy. Silas McWithey/Withey dropped the Mc from the patronymic, but in this record he still uses the older spelling. 20 By 1810 John and Solomon would be in their early to mid twenties. The census for Franklin County Vermont includes only two households with surnames appropriate for this family: 1. A household headed by Sol McWethy was enumerated in St. Albans; the age groupings of the adult men in this household include a male 26-‐44 and a male 45+. 21 Silas was 58 in 1810, so matches the male 45+. Solomon D. would have been 23, not 26-‐44, but the small discrepancy in age is not troublesome, given the fact that there are no other households in St. Albans with a like surname, either McWithey or Withey. The composition of the household includes a female 16-‐25, who could have been the wife of Solomon and a male under 10, which is consistent with the 1809 birth of his first son. 2. A John Withey (possibly spelled Wethey) was in Highgate, Franklin Co. Vermont, which lies about 20 mile north of St. Albans.22 There are two people in the 16 History of Kent County Michigan, 1171. 17 Boston Transcript, 29 June 1921, #8989. 18 1800 U.S. Census. Washington County, New York, Granville 275 (penned, lower right corner) Silas McQuire; NARA microfilm publication M32 Roll 26; The McQuire spelling is not as unusual as it may seem. Some branches of this family used the name McQuivey, which was can be written McQuive and misreading of the v as an r is common. The family is enumerated within a few households of Michael Parker, who married Silas’ sister, Rachel and several households distant from Silas’ cousin and cousin’s son, who also are listed under the spelling McQuire. 19 St. Albans, Vt. Town Records, vol. 1-‐2, v.__p.__. 20 F.A. Barnard, American biographical history of eminent and self-‐made men ... Michigan volume Representative Men of Michigan, (Cincinnati: Western biographical publishing Co., 1878), 138. 21 1810 U.S. Census. Franklin County, Vermont, St. Albans, 282, Sol McWethy; NARA microfilm publication M252Roll 64. 22 1810 U.S. Census. Franklin County, Vermont, Highgate, 259 (stamped, lower right corner) John Wethey; NARA microfilm publication M252Roll 64. Barbara Snow ProGen22 4/28/15 The Origins of Elias Withey of Livingston County, Michigan 4 household, a male and female, each 16-‐25. The birthdate of John is consistent with the information in the 1800 household of Silas McWithey above. No record was found of a marriage for John Withey in Highgate,23 but this census record suggests he had married by 1810. These two census records indicate that both sons of Silas were in Franklin County Vermont in 1810. Solmon D. was married, with a son and living in the home of his father, Silas. John was living in Highgate and probably married by 1810, but not yet the father of any children. 3 March 1818 Silas McWethey or McWithey (both spellings are used), a resident of St. Albans Vermont, age 65 applied for a pension based on Revolutionary war service in Capt. Benjamin's Co, Col. Livingston's regiment from 3 May 1777 to 28 November 1782. During that term of service he was captured by the British 2 August 1781 and held captive in Canada until 28 November, when he was exchanged at Boston. His captivity lasted 1 year 4 months and 19 days.24
This story doesn’t quite match the details reported in the biography of Elias’ son, Charles Allen Withey, which stated that his grandfather “attended a tea party in Boston… was entertained eight years by the British on a prison ship.” Silas is Charles’ great-‐grandfather, not his grandfather. However the facts do match the essence of the story; that his ancestor was captured and held prisoner during the Revolutionary war and the fact that the details are somewhat embroidered in a biographical sketch of his adult great grandson, published almost 100 years after the event is unsurprising. In 1820 Solomon Wethy and Silas Wethey were enumerated in St. Albans, on the same page, but several entries distant from each other. No male of the right age to be John is in either household, nor is he found elsewhere in Franklin County.25
JOHN F. WITHEY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK “In 1821 John F. Withey, a Vermonter, became the first settler on the site of Hinmansville, [Oswego Co. New York] where he built a log house near the east end 23 Highgate, Vermont “Card index to marriages and a few births found in the town records, ca. 1800-‐
ca. 1895” checked for spellings beginning with McW, McQ, We and Wi (Highgate Town Clerk, Highgate Center), FHL 2, 210,168 and Highgate, Vermont, Town Records vol. 4, page by page search, checking for spellings beginning with McW, McQ, We or Wi,( Highgate Town Clerk, Highgate Center). 24 "Revolutionary War Pensions and Bounty-‐Land Warrants," digital images, Fold3, (http://www.fold3.com: accessed 3 November 2014), Deposition of Silas McWethey or McWithey, 03 March 1818 in soldier’s pension application no. S 41,822 for service of Silas McWithey (Pvt., Capt. Benjamin’s Co., Col. Livingston’s NY Regiment.); citing National Archives microfilm publication M804, Revolutionary War Pensions and Bounty-‐Land Warrant Applications." 25 1820 U.S. Census, Vermont, Franklin County, St. Albans, p. 113, Solomon Wethy and 114, Silas Wethey; NARA publications M33 roll 127. There is a John Willys in St. Albans, but the name appears to be clearly written. There are also two other Willys families in Franklin County; this does not seem to be a mistaken entry for John Withey. Barbara Snow ProGen22 4/28/15 The Origins of Elias Withey of Livingston County, Michigan 5 of the bridge....”26 Hinmansville is a postal village in the town of Schroeppel, which was formed from Volney in 1832.27 The Oswego Canal runs along the southern boarder of the town.28 The Oswego Canal has 7 locks; all are in Oswego County 29. If Elias worked as a gatekeeper on the Oswego Canal, he would have done so sometime after 1828 when the canal opened. Elias was 14 in 1828. An 1830 census record would help support or cast doubt on whether the John Withey who lived in Franklin Co. Vermont is the John F. Withey, a Vermonter, who settled in Oswego County New York, but no census record can be found for him. It is possible that he is in a household headed by someone else. Elias Withey married Anna Goodspeed in New York and their first known child, Jerome, was born in New York June 1835. Because Elias was only 21 in 1835, it is likely that he married around 1834. Anna Goodspeed’s father, Elijah Goodspeed, lived in Hastings, Oswego County, New York between 1796 and about 1835, when he removed to Brighton, Michigan. 30 The town of Hastings is adjacent to what is now Schroeppel, where John F. Withey settled in 1821. CONCLUSION The relationship of Elias Withey to “Judge Withey,” whose funeral he attended in 1886, is crucial to the identification of Elias’ father. Elias could not be nephew of Judge Solomn L. Withey, whose brothers were all born in the same decade as Elias or later. But he could be a cousin to the Judge, who’s father Solomon D. Withey had a brother John, living in Franklin Co., Vermont around the time when Elias was born. He was born either in St. Albans Vermont, where his uncle and grandfather were living or possibly in nearby Highgate, where John Withey was living in 1810. Elias moved to Oswego County New York with his father, John Withey, around 1821. They lived in an area close to the Oswego Canal and as a young man Elias worked as a lock keeper on the canal. He was living in Oswego County when he married, around 1834, and the couple moved to Michigan shortly after the birth of their first child, joining the wife’s father in Brighton. For a summary of the events, see Table of Events, following page. 26 John C. Churchill, editor, Landmarks of Oswego Co. (Syracuse, D. Mason and Co., 1895), 733. 27 J.H. French. Historical and Statistical Gazetteer of New York State (1860; reprint, Interlaken, New York: Heart of the Lakes Publishing, 1980), 527. 28 Peter W. Huntley, Schroeppel (Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing , 2003), 36. 29 “Index of Locks” NY Canals (http://www.nycanals.com/Index_of_Locks: accessed 02 November 2013). 30 Goodspeed. History of the Goodspeed family, v.1 p. 418.
Barbara Snow ProGen22 4/28/15 Date The Origins of Elias Withey of Livingston County, Michigan Event TABLE OF EVENTS Relationships Between Birth of the John Withey, 1785-‐1790 son of Silas and brother to Solomon. A school record establishes that Silas had a son John as well as a son Solomon. 1787 Birth of Solomon D. McWithey 1790 Silas McWethy 1797 School list names Solomon D. and John McWethy Silas McWethy moves to St. Albans, Vermont Solomon D. is identified as a son in the Pension application of Silas McWithey, as well as many secondary sources in Kent Co. 1 male over 21, 3 males under 21 and 3 females . 2 of the males under 21 would be sons Solomon and John. Names sons of Silas McWethy, so brothers. Both sons are still children and probably moved with him. By 1805 1810 1810 Sol McWithey is enumerated in St. Albans with an older male in the household, probably his father Silas Withey. John Withey is enumerated in Highgate, Franklin Co. Vermont 1814 Birth of Elias Withey in St. Albans Vermont. 1820 Birth of Solomn L. Withey St. Albans, Vermont 1821 John Withey, a Vermonter, settles in Oswego Co. Elias Withey works as a lock keeper on the Oswego Canal. Census, Oswego County New York Between 1828 and 1835 1830 Before 1835 Elias Withey marries and has son Between 1835 and 1838 Elias Withey and family remove to Livingston County, Michigan Solomon and Silas are probably living together, along with other family members still at home; John is not with them John has removed to the town of Highgate in Franklin Co. He appears to have married; a woman in the same age grouping is also in the household. No birth record found in the town records of St. Albans or Highgate, where John lived in 1810. Birth record of all children of Solomon D. are in the St. Albans town records. His son Elias only 7, so would remove with him. John may or may not still be in Oswego County. John Withey or his son Elias, along with any other family members should be there, but no census record found. Elias would be only 16 in 1830. Anna Goodspeed, who’s father resides in Hastings, a town nearby Schroeppel, is his wife. Joining Elijah Goodspeed, his father in law 6 Place Probably in Granville, Washington Co., New York. Granville, Washington Co., New York Granville, Washington Co., New York Washington Co., New York St. Albans, Franklin Co. ,Vermont St. Albans, Franklin Co. , Vermont Highgate, Franklin Co., Vermont. St.Albans, Franklin Co., Vermont St.Albans, Franklin Co., Vermont Oswego Co., New York Oswego Co., New York Oswego Co., New York Oswego Co. New York Brighton Twp., Livingston Co., Michigan Barbara Snow ProGen22 4/28/15