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People with Springfield Connections - 18th Century
SPRINGFIELD’S OWN HISTORY MYSTERY OF ISRAEL CLIFFORD!
During the Summer 2005, I happened to be looking through some old copies of the
New England Historical & Genealogical Register, and was pleasantly surprised to find mention of an article about Springfield’s Israel Clifford. We had been trying to find him for sometime in Old Pleasant View Cemetery because all but two of the American Revolutionary Veterans who lived or moved to Springfield are supposed to be buried there. We still have not found him, but the article by two decedents told us more about Israel and his family.
In the late 1700s, the northern part of New Hampshire. Maine, and Vermont was the frontier and records are scarce. It was more important to clear land and settle families than keep records. There are discrepancies in the Clifford information. Charles McDaniel in The History of Springfield, claimed that Israel Clifford, Ebenezer Lovering, Timothy Quimby were the first settlers in 1772. Langlois and Wambold in Identification of Israel Clifford of Protectworth (Springfield), NH, 1790, had lot #5 in Protectworth being granted to Israel Clifford, JR, November 1779. “in consideration of becoming a settler there.” Israel JR’s. wife, Judith was granted 50 acres by the Portsmouth trustees for being the first woman settler in Protectworth. Israel, Sr. and son, Tristram receiving grants of land for becoming settlers in Protectworth in 1782. (The deeds were not necessarily recorded right away.)
Throughout the 1780s and 90s, Israel Clifford Sr. and Jr. were involved in Protectworth (Springfield) government. By March of 1781, town meetings were held in Protectworth, rather than Portsmouth. Israel Sr. was survaer [sic] of highways and Israel Jr. was a selectman. Israel Jr. also served in 1785. In 1788, Israel Jr. was the moderator at town meeting and on the committee to see to the building of the meeting house. In 1781, Israel Jr. was still moderator and Israel Sr. was a selectman. At the 1794 town meeting, Israel Jr. was elected selectman by proxes [sic] and also was the fence viewer. Both Father and son were listed on the first Record of Inventory and Taxes in 1794, the year of Springfield’s incorporation.
During the Revolutionary War, Israel Clifford served with Capt. Henry Dearborn’s company. The family was living in Deerfield, NH at the time. In 1776, he and son Tristram
received money for traveling 140 miles from Deerfield, NH when they served with Col. John Waldron’s Regiment. Between 8 August 1771 and 30th Oct 1777, a Tristram Clifford served in Capt. Nathan Sanborn’s Co. in Bennington, VT, under General Stark. On 21 December 1779, Israel Clifford of Deerfield petitioned the state for reimbursement of the expense of bringing home and nursing son Tristram after he fell ill in the army. Tristram was a minor under 21 years of age. One wonders why son, Israel Jr. is not mentioned as having served in the war. Tristram is not listed in McDonald’s History of Springfield as a veteran of the American Revolution.
Israel SR. was probably born in Kingston, NH on 21 February 1728-29. He married first, Deliverance Bushwell. Their children were Deliverance, Israel J.r, Tristram, and Dorothy born 1760-5. Dorothy married Reuben Hoyt and are buried in Old Pleasant View Cemetery. Near their graves is one for Tristram Hoyt who is probably their son and named for her brother Tristram Clifford. There may have been other children. Israel Clifford’s second wife was Lydia ____ and they probably married between 1780-1785. They had at least one daughter, Mary born 1784-5, who married Ephraim Davis 29 December 1808 in Springfield. There may have been others.
The date of Israel Clifford Sr. death is presently believed to be 1807. His last real estate transaction was in 1801 with John Thorn. He is not on the 1810 census. By 1812, his wife Lydia and son, Israel Jr. were petitioning to administer his estate due to his having been dead at least four years. In 1798, Israel Jr. and his wife Judith had purchased 100 acres of land and moved to Cornith, VT. Judith sold her property in Springfield to Reuben Hoyt, Israel Jr’s brother-in-law. Israel Jr. died in 1822. He was probably buried in Cornith, VT. Tristram died sometime between 9 November 1796 and 15 August 1797 when his wife, Penelope Clifford filed for administration of his will. In late September 1799, Israel SR. had sold off Tristram’s property . Part of it was purchased by Penelope. She had married David Perrin who administered the estate for Penelope.
Patsy Heath Caswell
Used for references were Charles McDaniel, History of Springfield from History off Cheshire and Sullivan Counties,c 1886, and Identification of Israel Clifford of Protectworth (Springfield, NH) 1790 by Andrew Langlois and Alan R. Wambold. c. 2003 by The New Hampshire Society of Genealogists. Inc. As mentioned previously, there are discrepancies between the two sources. What is interesting is the way the researchers Langlois and Wambold came together when they met over the internet while working on the movement of a family to the frontier of the north. Wambold was tracing the parentage of his ancestor Israel Clifford of Cornith, Vt. Langlois was tracing the migration of the Clifford Family from Hampton, NH through the 1700s north to the frontier of NH. They combined their efforts into the research found in the above paper.
SPRINGFIELD’S OWN HISTORY MYSTERY OF ISRAEL CLIFFORD!
During the Summer 2005, I happened to be looking through some old copies of the
New England Historical & Genealogical Register, and was pleasantly surprised to find mention of an article about Springfield’s Israel Clifford. We had been trying to find him for sometime in Old Pleasant View Cemetery because all but two of the American Revolutionary Veterans who lived or moved to Springfield are supposed to be buried there. We still have not found him, but the article by two decedents told us more about Israel and his family.
In the late 1700s, the northern part of New Hampshire. Maine, and Vermont was the frontier and records are scarce. It was more important to clear land and settle families than keep records. There are discrepancies in the Clifford information. Charles McDaniel in The History of Springfield, claimed that Israel Clifford, Ebenezer Lovering, Timothy Quimby were the first settlers in 1772. Langlois and Wambold in Identification of Israel Clifford of Protectworth (Springfield), NH, 1790, had lot #5 in Protectworth being granted to Israel Clifford, JR, November 1779. “in consideration of becoming a settler there.” Israel JR’s. wife, Judith was granted 50 acres by the Portsmouth trustees for being the first woman settler in Protectworth. Israel, Sr. and son, Tristram receiving grants of land for becoming settlers in Protectworth in 1782. (The deeds were not necessarily recorded right away.)
Throughout the 1780s and 90s, Israel Clifford Sr. and Jr. were involved in Protectworth (Springfield) government. By March of 1781, town meetings were held in Protectworth, rather than Portsmouth. Israel Sr. was survaer [sic] of highways and Israel Jr. was a selectman. Israel Jr. also served in 1785. In 1788, Israel Jr. was the moderator at town meeting and on the committee to see to the building of the meeting house. In 1781, Israel Jr. was still moderator and Israel Sr. was a selectman. At the 1794 town meeting, Israel Jr. was elected selectman by proxes [sic] and also was the fence viewer. Both Father and son were listed on the first Record of Inventory and Taxes in 1794, the year of Springfield’s incorporation.
During the Revolutionary War, Israel Clifford served with Capt. Henry Dearborn’s company. The family was living in Deerfield, NH at the time. In 1776, he and son Tristram
received money for traveling 140 miles from Deerfield, NH when they served with Col. John Waldron’s Regiment. Between 8 August 1771 and 30th Oct 1777, a Tristram Clifford served in Capt. Nathan Sanborn’s Co. in Bennington, VT, under General Stark. On 21 December 1779, Israel Clifford of Deerfield petitioned the state for reimbursement of the expense of bringing home and nursing son Tristram after he fell ill in the army. Tristram was a minor under 21 years of age. One wonders why son, Israel Jr. is not mentioned as having served in the war. Tristram is not listed in McDonald’s History of Springfield as a veteran of the American Revolution.
Israel SR. was probably born in Kingston, NH on 21 February 1728-29. He married first, Deliverance Bushwell. Their children were Deliverance, Israel J.r, Tristram, and Dorothy born 1760-5. Dorothy married Reuben Hoyt and are buried in Old Pleasant View Cemetery. Near their graves is one for Tristram Hoyt who is probably their son and named for her brother Tristram Clifford. There may have been other children. Israel Clifford’s second wife was Lydia ____ and they probably married between 1780-1785. They had at least one daughter, Mary born 1784-5, who married Ephraim Davis 29 December 1808 in Springfield. There may have been others.
The date of Israel Clifford Sr. death is presently believed to be 1807. His last real estate transaction was in 1801 with John Thorn. He is not on the 1810 census. By 1812, his wife Lydia and son, Israel Jr. were petitioning to administer his estate due to his having been dead at least four years. In 1798, Israel Jr. and his wife Judith had purchased 100 acres of land and moved to Cornith, VT. Judith sold her property in Springfield to Reuben Hoyt, Israel Jr’s brother-in-law. Israel Jr. died in 1822. He was probably buried in Cornith, VT. Tristram died sometime between 9 November 1796 and 15 August 1797 when his wife, Penelope Clifford filed for administration of his will. In late September 1799, Israel SR. had sold off Tristram’s property . Part of it was purchased by Penelope. She had married David Perrin who administered the estate for Penelope.
Patsy Heath Caswell
Used for references were Charles McDaniel, History of Springfield from History off Cheshire and Sullivan Counties,c 1886, and Identification of Israel Clifford of Protectworth (Springfield, NH) 1790 by Andrew Langlois and Alan R. Wambold. c. 2003 by The New Hampshire Society of Genealogists. Inc. As mentioned previously, there are discrepancies between the two sources. What is interesting is the way the researchers Langlois and Wambold came together when they met over the internet while working on the movement of a family to the frontier of the north. Wambold was tracing the parentage of his ancestor Israel Clifford of Cornith, Vt. Langlois was tracing the migration of the Clifford Family from Hampton, NH through the 1700s north to the frontier of NH. They combined their efforts into the research found in the above paper.
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