Holbrook line: Joseph Brown Eddy 1803-1876

 Somehow, I missed writing about Joseph Brown Eddy, son of Enos and Deborah Paine Eddy.  There isn't a lot that is known about him, but I did manage to find a few tidbits that may add to our knowledge base.  

Joseph was born in Richfield, Otsego County, New York on March 15, 1803.  He was one of at least 13 children.  As he was growing up, the village was actually fair-sized for a town that was only about 10 years old when he was born.  By 1820, when Joseph was approaching manhood, the town had about 1700 residents.  He married Susan Lamphire, daughter of James and Hannah Eames Lamphire, on January 1, 1827, most likely in Richfield.  

The young family didn't stay in Richfield for long.  In fact, Joseph had already purchased lot 52 in Ellington, Chautaqua County, New York, which had just formed in 1824.  This was about 250 miles, or more, from Richfield so it was a major move for Susan, and perhaps the two of them were a bit homesick from time to time.  

They soon wouldn't have time for homesickness.  Besides the joy of setting up housekeeping (perhaps Joseph had built a home for them before they married), the babies started arriving.  In fact, if Permelia is their child, it appears that she arrived before they married, as I show a birth date of 1826 for her.  The last child that is likely theirs was born in 1853, so Susan was a busy mother and wife, and Joseph would have worked hard to support that family.

We don't know what Joseph did for a living in Ellington, but since he lived in town, he perhaps did something other than farm.  He may have had a trade, or he may have been involved in Great Lakes shipping (Ellington is not far from Lake Erie).  Joseph and Susan lived in Ellington for over 20 years.  I am not sure when Enos died, but Deborah, Joseph's mother, died in 1849.  The 1840 census shows there was a male aged 60-69 staying with them, and this could be Enos, who would have been about 66 years old at the time. 

Whether or not Deborah's death and a possible inheritance had anything to do with it, the next year Joseph and family moved again.  This time is was not 250 miles they moved, but 610 miles, all the way to Harmon in Lee County, Illinois.  It seems likely that they made the trip from Erie or another port all the way to Chicago, by sailing through three of the Great Lakes and then traveling overland to Lee County.  The final leg of their trip may have taken as long as three weeks.  Susan had delivered a daughter in February of 1850, and the weather would have probably dictated a spring moving date.  Census day in 1850 was June 1, and the family is shown at Harmon in Lee County on that date, with their six youngest children.  

There, Joseph purchased a tract of 40 acres and then a tract of 80 acres, with the original title to each.  He paid $1.25 an acre for the land. We can trace him through the census up through 1870.  There is a J.B. Eddy in 1870 in Dixon, Illinois who was the second assistant for the Dixon Hose Company (fire department) but it doesn't seem likely that this was our Joseph.  As far as we know, he lived near Lee Center, (post office of Sublette) the rest of his days.  

I have a copy of a book, "Pioneers of Lee County" that details the hard living conditions and happy lives of the early settlers of the county.  There is no direct reference to Joseph, but there is a reference to a "Mr. Eddy", who was a tall man and a Republican, who helped eject raucous people at a political meeting.  I like to think this was our Joseph.  It makes sense that he would have been a Republican in his later days, since he did, after all, live in the "Land of Lincoln."  

We know that at least two of his sons served in the Civil War, which would certainly have caused a good deal of concern for the rest of the family.  I didn't locate him in the IRS tax lists for the time period, so he must have lived a simple life.  

Joseph Eddy died February 16, 1876, at Lee Center, without leaving a will.  However, his wife died in 1899 and at about the same time, there is an interesting set of guardian records for two young children named Pine.  The records state that they were the great grandchildren of Joseph Eddy, and as such were entitled to a share of his estate.  The records continue for about 3 years, with the conclusion that part of his land, a small part, was sold, and the $142 and some odd cents were to go to these small children.  At that time, the total in the estate was given as 134 acres.  There is a very thorough legal description of the land, which could likely be plotted on a map even now.  

There is still much we don't know about Joseph.  Why did he decide to leave Ellington when he was 47 years old, to start over in a strange and difficult place?  Was he a religious man?  As a child, did he hear stories about the War of 1812?  Living in Richfield, his neighbors who were old enough were likely to have served during that time, and New York was one of the battle fields.   I'd like to know more about Joseph, who after all, lived not so very long ago.  

The line of descent is

Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire

Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard

Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen