Edward STURGIS IV (1710 – 1773) was Alex’s 7th Great Grandfather; one of 256 in this generation of the Shaw line.

Edward Sturgis was born in 24 Jul 1710 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Massa His parents were Edward STURGIS III and Mehitable HALLETT. He married Thankful HEDGE on 4 Mar 1731 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass. Edward died in 9 Feb 1773 in Yarmouth, Mass.

Two first cousins named Thankful Hedge were born a couple years apart on Cape Cod.

Thankful Hedge was born 23 Oct 1712 in Yarmouth, Mass. Her parents were John HEDGE and Thankful LOTHROP. Thankful died after 17 Apr 1762 Yarmouth.

Alternatively, Thankful Hedge was born 17 Apr 1714 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass. Her parents were Samuel HEDGE and Grace SNOW. Thankful died 17 Apr 1762 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.

Children of  Edward and Thankful:

Children

1. Temperance Sturgis

Temperance’s husband Rueben Taylor was born 15 Sep 1729 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.  His parents were Hezekiah Broad Taylor (1699 – 1776) and Mehitabel Tobey (1701 – 1769).  Rueben died 5 Aug 1785 in Yarmouth.

Temperance and Reuben had at least six children by the time he enlisted. Reuben was one of the four men paid an enlistment bounty by the West Precinct of Yarmouth on  Aug 6 1776. He became a private in Capt. Matthias Tobey’s company, Col. Aaron Willard’s regiment of Militia. He was paid a travel allowance to and from Ticonderoga in Jan 1777, taking part in the battle, and then being discharged at Ticonderoga. Reuben also served in Capt. Elisha Hedge’s company, Col. Nathaniel Freeman‘s 1st Barnstable County Regiment, on a three day alarm at Dartmouth Mass. in Sep 1778.

Children of Temperance and Ruben:

i. Samuel Taylor b. 20 Oct 1755 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass; d. 30 Apr 1841 in Yarmouth; m. 23 Aug 1783 Yarmouth to Lucretia “Lu” Taylor (b. 9 Apr 1761 in Yarmouth – d. 19 May 1852 in Yarmouth) Lucretia’s parents were James Taylor (1707 – 1779) and Hannah Hedge (1715 – 1782) Samuel and Lucretia had six children born between 1784 and 1797.

Sgt Samuel Taylor was included on the 18 June 1777 Muster role for Capt John Russell’s company, Colonel Gamaliel Bradford’s 14th Massachusetts Regiment

Samuel Taylor Muster Role

The 14th Massachusetts Regiment was raised on September 16, 1776 under Colonel Gamaliel Bradford at Boston, Mass. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Saratoga and the Battle of Monmouth.

ii. Hezekiah Taylor b. 10 Feb 1758 Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.; m. 18 Mar 1779 Yarmouth to Sarah Parker (b. ~ 1758) Hezekiah and Sarah had at least one child Temperance (b. 1789)

iii. Abigail Taylor b. 19 Jun 1760 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 16 Jul 1834 in Yarmouth; m. 1 May 1791 Yarmouth to Lothrop Taylor (b. 20 Dec 1761 in Yarmouth – d. 12 Mar 1841 in Yarmouth) Lothrop’s parents were Lothrop Taylor (1722 – 1764) and his cousin Thankful Taylor (1732 – 1778). [lots of cousins marrying cousins in this family, the people of Yarmouth married each other for almost 200 years]. Abigail and Lothrop had seven children born between 1791 and 1803.

iv. Shubael Taylor b. 8 Oct 1762 Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 27 Nov 1792 – Yarmouth

v. Reuben Taylor b. 22 Mar 1765 Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass; m. 12 Nov 1789 – Yarmouth to Desire Howes (b. ~ 1768 in Yarmouth) Desire’s parents were Daniel Howes (1738 – ) and Sarah Collins (1737 – 1792). Her grandparents were Ebenezer Howes (1674 – 1727) and Sarah Gorham (1678 – 1705).  Both sets of great grandparents on her father’s side were our ancestors:   Jeremiah HOWES and Sarah PRENCE. and Capt. John GORHAM & Desire HOWLAND. The Yarmouth community stayed put for almost 200 years (1640 – 1840) and frequently married each other’s children.

Reuben and Desire had four children born between 1791 and 1799.

vi. James Taylor b. 17 Feb 1769 Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass; d. 25 Apr 1790  Yarmouth

2. Elizabeth Sturgis

Elizabeth’s husband Elisha Matthews was born 7 Aug 1730 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass. His parents were John Matthews (1683 – 1776) and Hannah Sturgis (1692 – 1754). Elisha died in 1825.

There was another Elizabeth Sturgis born in 1734 in Barnstable, Barnstable, Mass whose parents were Nathaniel Strurgis and Abigail Cobb. I’m not sure which Elizabeth married Elisha.

Elisha Matthews from Yarmouth enlisted Oct 19 1779 as a Private in Capt. Joseph Richardson’s company., Col. Samuel Denny’s 1st Worcester County regiment. Elisha was discharged Nov 23 1779; service, 1 mo. 12 days, at Claverack, including 7 days (140 miles) travel home; regiment raised for 3 months.

Children of Elizabeth and Elisha:

i. James Matthews b. 1 Mar 1753 Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 23 Dec 1828 Vassalboro, Maine; m. 8 Feb 1776 in Yarmouth to Desire Crowell (b. 10 Nov 1757 in Yarmouth – d. 24 Dec 1853 – Yarmouth) Desire’s parents were Jabez Crowell (1721 – 1787) and Thankful Vincent (1722 – 1788). James and Desire had at least three children born between 1776 and 1788.

In the 1840 census, Desire was living on a veteran’s pension in Vassalboro.

ii. Temperance Matthews b. 11 Oct 1755 Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 22 Mar 1777 Yarmouth

iii. Mercy “Marcy” Matthews b. 1 Aug 1759 Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.; d.  24 Feb 1853 in Barnstable, Barnstable, Mass.; m. 21 Sep 1780 Yarmouth to Capt. Peleg Thacher (b. 22 Nov 1751 in Yarmouth – d.  12 Aug 1817 Barnstable, Barnstable, Mass; burial Cobb’s Hill Cemetery (East and West)) Peleg’s parents were Joseph Thacher (1726 – 1771) and Abigail Hawes (1730 – 1789) His maternal grandparents were our ancestors Ebenezer HAWES II and Sarah HEDGE. Mercy and Peleg had no children.

Alternatively, Mercy’s parents were Isaac Matthews (1712 – 1790) and Sarah Hawes (1709 – 1761).

Peleg lived at East Barnstable, on S. W. corner, opposite Ezekiel Thacher’s house; he was a  mariner.

Inscriptions:
“In memory of Capt. Peleg Thacher he died August 12th 1817 in the 66th year of his age. They die in Jesus and are blest, How kind their slumbers are, From sufferings and from pain released And freed from every snare.”

“In memory of Mrs. Mercy widow of Capt. Peleg Thacher, died Feb. 24, 1853 aged 93 years.”

iv. Isaiah Matthews b. 5 Nov 1767 Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass; d. 25 Sep 1803 – Barnstable, Barnstable, Mass.

4. Edward STURGIS V (See his page)

5. Abigail Sturgis

Abigail’s husband Hezekiah Gorham was born 14 Sep 1732 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass. His parents were Josiah Gorham (1692 – 1775) and Priscilla Sears (1701 – 1760). His grandparents were Joseph Gorham (1654 – 1726) and Sarah Sturgis (1656 – 1739). Both sets of great grandparents on his father’s sided were our ancestors: John GORHAM (1621 – 1676) & Desire HOWLAND (1623 – 1683) [our ancestors three times over] and Edward STURGIS (1613 – 1695) and Elizabeth HINKLEY (1617 – 1692). The Yarmouth community stayed put for almost 200 years (1640 – 1840) and frequently married each other’s children. Hezekiah died in Apr 1794 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.

Children of Abigail and Hezekiah:

i. Rebecca Gorham b. 19 Jan 1761 in New Haven, New Haven, CT; d. 28 Jan 1791 in New Haven, New Haven, CT; m. 3 Aug 1780 New Haven, New Haven, CT to Stephen Atwater (b. 1758 in New Haven, CT – d. 27 Dec 1815 or 26 Nov 1836 in Crawford, Pennsylvania) Stephen’s parents were Jeremiah Atwater (1734 – 1811) and Anna Mix (1735 – 1778) Rebecca and Stephen had six children born between 1780 and 1790. After Rebecca died, Stephen married Rebecca’s sister Elizabeth.

ii. Bethiah Gorham b. 27 Jun 1763 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.

iii. Thankful Gorham b. 12 Jan 1760 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 1798; m. 5 Jan 1786 in Yarmouth to John Rider (b. 20 Oct 1759 in Yarmouth – d. 18 Oct 1798 in Yarmouth) John’s brother Ebenezer married Thankful’s sister Desire.  Their parents were John Rider (1721 – 1812) and Susannah Crowell (1731 – 1825)

iv. John Gorham b. 8 Aug 1761 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.;

v. Abigail “Nabby” Gorham b. 27 Jun 1766 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 12 Feb 1792 in New Haven, CT; m. 17 Jan 1790 to Mark Howes (b. 28 Jul 1765 in Yarmouth – d. 8 Jul 1853 in Ashfield, Franklin, Mass.) Mark’s parents were Thomas Howes (1727 – 1793) and Bathsheba Sears (1739 – 1799) Abigail and Mark had one child, Nabby (b. 1791). After Abigail died, Mark married 7 Mar 1793 in Ashfield to Susanna Alden (b. 1 Jul 1768 in Ashfield  – d. 6 Oct 1852) and had ten more children between 1793 and 1812.

In the 1850 census, Mark and Susanna were living in Ashfield, Franklin, Mass.

vi. Elizabeth Gorham b. 18 Jan 1768 in New Haven, New Haven, CT; d. 17 Feb 1835; m. 2 Jun 1791 in Congregational, Branford, CT to Stephen Atwater (b. 1758 in New Haven – d. 27 Dec 1815 or 26 Nov 1836 in Crawford, Pennsylvania) Stephen had first married Elizabeth’s sister Rebecca. Stephen’s parents were Jeremiah Atwater (1734 – 1811) and Anna Mix (1735 – 1778)

vii. Mary or Mercy Gorham b. 27 Mar 1771 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 16 May 1830 Delhi, Delaware, New York; m. 14 May 1780 in Dartsmouth, Bristol, Mass to Rescom Tallman (b. 7 Jan 1757 in Dartsmouth, Bristol, Mass. – d. 13 Nov 1832 in Castile, Wyoming, New York; Burial: Grace Cemetery, Castile). Rescom’s parents were Gideon Tallman (1725 – 1800) and [__?__]. Mary and Rescom had five children born between 1781 and 1793.

Rescom’s 2nd great grandfather was our immigrant ancestor Peter TALLMAN (1623 Hamburg, Germany – 1708 Portsmouth, RI).   He was Solicitor General of Rhode Island in 1662 and records indicate he was volatile, stubborn, prone to dispute and lawsuits and had the first divorce in family history.  (See his page for the juicy details)  The line is Gideon (b. 1725 Dartmouth, Mass), James (b. 1698 Portsmouth) , Dr. Jonathan (b. 1666 Portsmouth), Peter (b. 1623)

Rescom Tallman Revolutionary Service (1776 – 1780) – Sons of American Revolution Application

1804 – Rescom and Mary moved from Greenfield, Saratoga, NY to Delhi, Delaware, NY (Note that the name is pronounced with a long “i”, “Dell-high”) (105 miles southwest)

1816 – Rescom, Mary and their grown children moved from Delhi to Wyoming County, New York and settled near Silver Lake. (220 miles west)

Silver Lake had a legendary sea serpent , According to an affidavit sworn by four men who were out fishing on July 13, 1855, it was a 60-foot-long  serpent with glowing, red eyes. The resulting frenzy that came from this story created an immense boom for the nearby town of Perry and Silver Lake. After this incident, about 100 other people claimed to see the giant beast. This phenomenon lasted throughout the summer and was last seen towards the end of the season. Despite the lack of appearance, it remained one of the most popular places in America.

One of the main beneficiaries of the sea serpent was A. B. Walker, the owner of the Walker Hotel in Silver Lake. When the Hotel burned down in 1857, firemen discovered the remains of the legend: a large mass of canvas. He had constructed the entire monster in order to attract business to the lake. It was said he got the idea from an Indian legend

Rescom Tallman Bio — From The Wyoming County Times (Warsaw, NY)

viii. Desire Gorham b. 21 Aug 1773 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 7 Jun 1857; m. 1810 Yarmouth to Ebenezer Rider (b. 10 Dec 1771 in Yarmouth – d. 15 Jan 1853). Ebenezer’s brother John married Desire’s sister Thankful.  Their parents were John Rider (1721 – 1808) and Susannah Crowell (1731 – 1810). Desire and Ebenezer had two children Olive (b. 1811) and Ebenezer (b. 1813)

In the 1850 census, Ebenezer and Desire were living with their son-in-law and daughter Joshua and Olive Hamblin in Yarmouth.

ix. Hezekiah Gorham b. 5 Aug 1776 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 8 Aug 1835 Burial Woodside Cemetery, Yarmouth; m. 4 Feb 1800 Yarmouth to Phebe Thacher (b. 10 Nov 1778 in Yarmouth – d. 22 Jul 1859 in Yarmouth; Burial: Woodside Cemetery. Yarmouth Port) Phebe’s parents were Solomon Thacher (1750 – 1798) and Susannah Crosby (1754 – 1808). Hezekiah and Phebe had eleven children born between 1801 and 1818.

In the 1850 census, Phebe was living alone in Yarmouth.

x. Edward Gorham b. 9 Nov 1780 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 24 Nov 1824 Yarmouth; m. 18 Jan 1803 to Sarah “Sally” Thacher (b. 19 Apr 1782 in Yarmouth – d. 17 Nov 1862). Sally’s parents were John Thacher (1739 – 1799) and Hannah Matthews (1747 – 1832). Edward and Sally had five children born between 1804 and 1814.

In the 1860 census, Sally was living with her son-in-law and daughter Allen and Lois Nickerson in Yarmouth.

6. Samuel Sturgis

Samuel’s wife Lydia Crocker was born 14 Apr 1739 in Barnstable, Mass. Her parents were Cornelius Crocker (1704 – 1784) and Lydia Jenkins (1704 – 1773). Lydia died 9 Apr 1825.

Alternatively, the Samuel Sturgis that married Lydia Crocker was born 27 May 1737 in Barnstable, Mass. (not 11 Dec 1742 Yarmouth, Mass.) and died Aug 1762 in Barnstable (not 17 Apr 1762) Note that Barnstable is both a town and county so they both could have been born in Yarmouth.  The other Samuel’s parents were Jonathan Sturgis (1711 – 1752) and Sarah Baker (1713 – 1737). He is listed as a Captain. Given that our Samuel was just 17 on 3 Apr 1760 when Lydia Crocker married and their daughter married in Barnstable town, this alternative is probably the most likely.

Child of Samuel and Lydia

i. Sarah “Sally” Sturgis b. 8 Nov 1760 in Barnstable, Mass.; d. 3 Nov 1837 in Barnstable; m. 7 Nov 1784 Age: 24 Barnstable, Barnstable, Mass. to Daniel Crocker (b. 1762 in Barnstable, Barnstable, Mass. – d. 1811 in Barnstable, Barnstable, Mass.) Daniel parents were Daniel Crocker Sr. (1725 – 1788) and Phebe Winslow (1735 – 1765). Sally and Daniel had two children Samuel Sturgis (b. 1796 ) and Mary (b. 1799)

Sources:

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=7890792&st=1

http://taylorsamerrev.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html