The family of Jacobus Slot 1669-1725

If you are reading about the Slot family for the first time, be forewarned: It's a difficult family to research and understand, partly because of the many spellings of both the first and last names of most of the people I'm writing about.  For example, Marritje has about as many variations as you can imagine, before finally settling into Mary or Maria, sometimes in two or three generations and sometimes in the next generation.  Slot is also seen as Slodt, Sloat, Slott, and other variations.  By now, you've got the idea.  I make no claim that any of these names are technically correct; I'm choosing the ones that make sense to me.  And with that, I should also comment that there may be more children for this family than I am acknowledging, simply because some names are so similar that I've taken them for the same person, when there could have been, for instance, babies with the almost same name when the first one died young.  In addition, there is the challenge of assigning the child to the correct parents, as there were almost always more Slots of the same name and close to the same age that could be potential parents.  Having said all that, here's how I see this family at the moment.

Jacobus/Jacob/Jacobse Slot was born about 1669 in Bergen County, New Jersey, the son of Pieter Jansen and Maritje Van Winkle Slot. He married Maria Demarest, the daughter of Jan and Jacomina De Ruine Demarest.  Jacobus died in 1725 at Hackensack, Bergen County, New Jersey.  Jan and Maria had at least nine children.

Their first son, Petrus or Peter, was born in 1696. He married Maritje Leyne, the daughter of Conradt and Mary Margaretha Lein, who died about 1744.  Their children are Maria, Margaret, Jacobus, Abraham, and Johannes.  After Maritje's death, he married Molley Foord, not yet further identified.  Their children are Eva, Mary, Elizabeth, and Peter.

Johann was born in 1698 and died later the same year, which surely was a source of sadness for the young family.

Johannes was born in 1699 and died in 1783 in Montgomery, Orange County, New York.  He also was married twice.  His first wife is Willemtje (I found many, many variations for this name so keep your eyes peeled!) Van Voorhees,.  I can't identify her further at this point, but there were a lot of Voorhees families in and around Bergen County, it seems.  Their children are Jacobus, Stephen, David, and Cornelis.  Willemtje died in 1730 and Johannes next married Christenjen Ackerman \/Akkerman, the daughter of David and Gerebrecht Classe Ackerman.  Their children are David, Maretta or Marie (not sure whether this is one person or two), Petrus, Jonas, Daniel, Cornelius, Rachel, Benjamin, and Alexander.

Eva was born in 1711 and died in either 1741 or 1747 at Staten Island, New York.  She married Hendrick VanDerHoeven or Vanderhoof, the son of Cornelius and Dorothea Jans Vanderhoof.  Their children are Johannes, Gerard, Petrus, Marytje, Gerret, Iona, another Petrus, and an unknown infant.  

David was born in 1714 and died in 1715, the second early death to hit this family.

Sara was born in 1715.  I have not yet found a death date for her.  She married Thomas Outwater (other spellings, of course), the son of Thomas and Tryntje Brestede Outwater.  Their children are Sara, Thomas, Jacob and Annatje. I have seen Benjamin Ellen named as a second husband but have seen nothing to support that.  

Trintje was born in 1718 but her death date remains a mystery.  She married Joost Beam (different spellings, including Beon), the son of Anthony and Margreie Leyne Beam and they were associated with the Pompton Plains Dutch church, so apparently lived apart from many of her siblings. Their children are Margareth, Catherine, Sara, Maria, Anthony, Jacobus, Johannes, Angienetje (likely there is a different spelling), Eva, and Abraham. 

 Benjamin was born in 1721.  He died in 1796 in Mercer County, Kentucky, where many of the families from Bergen County, New Jersey had migrated.  He married Sarah Demarest, the daughter of Samuel and Lea Demarest Demarest (yes, a Demarest married a Demarest),  Their children are Samuel, William, John, Gerardus, Peter, and possibly Polly.  I will follow this family in my next blog post.  

I have seen other names mentioned as daughters of this couple, but I'm not convinced.  They are Maria, married to Peter Young, Mary, married to Garrett Van Allen, and Elizabeth, wife of Court Bevore.  At this moment, I think they are likely children of others in the Slot family, but not Jacobus and Maria.  I'd love to hear from anyone who can clarify this!  

Some of these men served in the Revolutionary War, either as patriots or soldiers.  It is possible that others were Loyalists, but perhaps they were just of that group of people who tried to stay neutral.  At any rate, Jacobus and Maria raised a large family, had many grandchildren, and were an important part of their community.   

 

The family of Pieter Jansen Slot 1639-1688

 This family is going to take us on a bit of a wild ride, I think, as there are several marriages with the Demarest family, and locations traveling back and forth between New York and New Jersey, and of course, many of the same names used over and over again.  Even though the family seems to have originated in Holstein, Denmark/Germany, the names are more like names from the Low Countries (Dutch) and they were associated closely with Dutch Reformed churches here in the Colonies.  I suspect  the identification for them might best be called Huguenots.

Pieter is the son of Jan Pieter and Antje Jans Slot, one of the two sons who emigrated with them in about 1650.  He married Maritje Van Winkle, the daughter of Jacob and Tryntje Jacobse Van Winkle.  They are supposed to have had seven children, but I am locating information for only six.  I am suspicious that I am missing grandchildren, too, as some of the couples seem to have had just two children, while others had rather large families.  Pieter died in 1688 in New York, and his wife in 1702 in New Jersey, after she had married Jan Demarest, the son of David and Maria Sohier Demarest.

Their first child is Jan Pietersen, born about 1665 because he was baptized January 1, 1666.  He died in 1704 in Monmouth, New Jersey (or possibly Bergen County).  His wife is Janneske Andriansse, the daughter of Andreas Cland Pryntje (is that a type for Tryntje?) Vreelen Classen.  They have just two known children, Maria and Johannes.  

Jacob was born next, in 1669, and died in 1725 at Hackensack, Bergen County, New Jersey.  He married Maria or Mary Demarest, the daughter of Jan and Jacomina De Ruine Demarest.  (Jan Demarest is the same man who married Maritje Van Winkle Slot as her second husband, so there's a complicated relationship here.) Jacob and Maria's children are Johannes, Petrus, Eva, Maria, Lea, Jonathan, David, Sarah, Tryntje, Benjamin, and Juna.  I will follow this family in my next blog post.

Tryntje was born in 1671 and died in 1708 at Hackensack, New Jersey.l  She married Klaas Lozier, the son of Francois and Jannetje (maiden name not yet found) Lozier.  I've located just two children for them, Johannes and Jacobus.  There may well be more.  

Antie or Annetie was born about 1676 and died in 1710 in Bergen County, New Jersey. She married David Demarest, the son of Jan and Jacomina De Ruine Demarest.  (See comments above.)  Their children include Jacquiementie, Lea, David, and Rachel.  Her second marriage is to Jonathan (Jonetan) Hart, son of Jonathan and Hannah Budd Hart.  Their daughter is Margrita (De) Hardt.   

Abeltie, also seen as Beltie, was born in 1678 and died in 1720 at Hackensack, New Jersey.  She married Adam Van Orden or Van Norden, son of Pieter (Surname not known) and Elizabeth Roos.  Their children are Elizabeth, Jan, another Jan, Peter, James, Albert, and David.  Her second marriage is to Cornelis Epke Banta, son oif Epke and Sitske Banta. (To keep things interesting, his first marriage was to Magdalena Demarest, connected to the Demarests mentioned above.)

The last known child is Jonas, born in 1681 and died in 1721, possibly in New York.  He married Jannetje Oosteroom, the daughter of Jan and Machteltje Roelofs Osteroom.  Their only known child is Martjen or Maria.  

I have seen reference to a Stryntje Slot, which another site reported as the same as Tryntje, mentioned above.  If this was a separate person, she apparently did not live long enough to leave records, but I'm mentioning it as a possibility because of the several references to seven children.

I've always found this to be an interesting family in the Beeks line.  We have several more generations to go, following them from New Jersey/New York eventually to Kentucky.  And there will likely be more Slot-Demarest marriages, because-why not confuse us further?  

 

 

Beeks line: The family of Jan Pietersen Slot 1620ish to 1688 or later

Dates on Jan Slot's birth, marriage, and death are not certain.  His birth date is given as anywhere from 1613 to 1624.  He apparently married in 1639 or possibly a bit later, and then, at last, one firm date, that of his second marriage.  His death date is given as 1688 or 1691.  And the locations are not much better.  He was born in Holstein, which is now part of Germany but was then part of Denmark.  We know he arrived in New Amsterdam in 1650, which of course became New York City.  He arrived with his wife and two children.  We know he remarried in 1665 but we're not sure when his first wife died.  And he died in New York City, probably in 1688.

At least we are more certain about names.  His parents are Pieter and Mary Baerts Sloat.  His wife is Aeltje Jans, who was born in what is now The Netherlands, but date, a more exact location, and her parents are all still to be identified. Another name we know is that of his second wife, Claartje Domenicus.  She was about 35 when they were married, and it's unknown whether they had children.

As far as is known, the two children that were with Jan and Aeltje when they arrived in New Amsterdam were the only two children they had, or at least that lived long enough to make a record of some kind.   

Pieter Janszen Slot was born about 1639 and died before 1692 in Bergen County, New Jersey. He married Maretje Jacobse, the daughter of Jacob and Tryntje Jacobse Van Winkle. Their children are Styntje, Jane, Arrentje, Jacobus, Tryntje, Abeltie, and Jonas.  I will follow this family (I hope!) in my next blog post.

The second son, Jan Jacobse, was born in 1650, but I don't know where, as his parents may have already started their trip to America.  He married Judike Elsworth, the son of Theophilus and Annaje Jans Elsworth.  Their children are Heyltje, Johannes, Theophilius, Batilye, Annetje, Hendrick and Judith.  He died after 1688. but the death and location are uncertain.

This is a hard family to research because of the various ways so many of the names are spelled.  Slot is also seen as Slodt and Sloat, and the first names all have variations.  Some of these variations likely come from different interpretations of hard to read ancient records. and are perhaps perpetuated by later hand-written copies.  I may very well have not chosen the most common spelling for some of the names, so researchers, this is a heads up!

It's interesting to me to think about why the Slots pulled up roots in Holstein and came to America.  The most likely causes are that family may have gone ahead, although since we don't know who Aeltje's family was, we don't know whether that's a possibility. or economic woes in Holstein and perceived opportunity in America.  The 30 years war in Europe had caused great disruptions and loss of life, and perhaps it was just time to start over.  Whatever the reason, Jan saw great change both before he left Holstein and after he arrived in New Amsterdam, as he would have been there when the English took the Dutch colony over.  What a fascinating time he lived in! 

 

Allen line: The family of John Moore 1741ish to 1816

 Once again, there is great confusion on line about John Moore.  He is stated as having been born in Dublin, Ireland in 1745, but it appears that his correct birth date may be 1741.  I regard his parents as "unknown" at this point, although some people say they are Thomas More and Christina Bishop.  I find a later couple with those names, but I haven't found any hints that even point toward someone with an appropriate birth date, let alone an actual document.  John first shows up in Greene County, Pennsylvania, married to Hannah Armstrong, the daughter of Adam and Elizabeth Olifer Armstrong.  The Armstrong family goes back to the Borderlands between England and Scotland, and their history is fascinating.  This blog post is about the Moore family, though.  I wonder if it is possible that John Moore is actually from the Borderlands also, not from Dublin as so many trees state.  More research needs to be done.

Of course, part of the difficulty in writing about this family is that there were at least two John Moores in Greene County, Pennsylvania when our John was there.  I am basing much of this post on material found in "The Ten Mile Country and Its Pioneer Families" by Howard Leckey, with the caution that he was not correct about everything in his valuable book. I have seen several wedding dates for John and Hannah, at various locations, but until I learn otherwise, I am going with the date of 25 September 1761 in Washington County, Pennsylvania, which at the time was Westmoreland County and which later became Greene County.  And of course, the Moores are credited with anything from 8 to 19 children.  Since Hannah Armstrong was born in 1744,  I am highly suspicious of anyone born after 1788 or so.  That leaves me with 8 children, most of who have at least some information available.

It may be that their first child was Catherine, born in 1764 and died in 1833 in Pike Township, Marion County, Indiana.  She married Alexis Jackson, son of Henry and Elizabeth Stump Jackson, and they had 13 children together.  They are John, Sally, Hannah, Edward, Israel, Mary, Alexis, Henry, Barbara, Thomas, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Eleanor.  Eleanor is our connection.

Jane was born "about 1770" and I know very little about her.   Her death date is given as 19 April 1854 in Kirby, Greene County, Pennsylvania, but I have not found records for that nor have I found any information regarding a spouse.  I would love to know her story, and I hope it's not a sad one.

Also born "about 1770" is son John.  It is possible that John and Jane are twins, but it is just as likely that we simply don't have accurate birth dates for them.  He died in 1859 in Greene County, Pennsylvania.  His wife is said to be Susannah Shriver, but I couldn't trace her any further.  Their children are Elsie, Armstrong, John, Abraham, James, Thomas, Jane, and Sarah.

Armstrong was born in 1775 and died in 1843 in Greene County, Pennsylvania.  His wife, sadly, is unknown at this time but he is believed to have fathered at least four children-Abner, Mary, Isaac, and Armstrong.

Margaret was born in 1778 and died in 1865 in Wetzel County, West Virginia.  She married James Morris, the son of Jonathan and Barbara Millard Morris and they are said to have had 21 children. Some died young, but Amos, Isaac, Anthony, Jonathan, James, Samuel, Nathan, Jesse, Moses, Miciah, Jacob, Mordica Lunkhorne, John, Hesekiah, Ruth, and Hannah liked to adulthood.  An article on Wikitree states that Margaret was a physician and a midwife and traveled through the country.  She would be a fascinating person to study further, the potential subject of a good novel!  

Anthony was born in 1782 and died in 1832 in Greene County, Pennsylvania.  He married Francis Elizabeth Steele, as yet not further identified.  Their children are Catherine, Elizabeth, Hannah, Margaret, Hughy (Huey), John, Isaac, and Mary.  

Finally, there was Sarah, born in 1785 and died in 1855 in Belmont County, Ohio.  She married John Vanner, not yet further identified.  Known children are John, Joseph, and Daniel.  Again, there is more work to be done for this family.

This is seven children and presumably there are eight.  I'm missing a daughter.  There may be a Hannah Moore, based on family names, or possibly a Martha.  The Martha Mahala Moore born in 1800 is not a candidate, as far as I can see, because Hannah would have been 56 when she was born.  Honestly, the missing daughter is still a mystery and I'd love to find her.

I should mention that this family lived in a very tempestuous time and place.  John served in the Revolutionary War and it is likely that the sons also served, in the battles with the natives that preceded and led into the War of 1812.  I don't know whether the family ever had to escape to a more fortified location but it is certainly possible.  Also, what became Greene County was right in the heart of the Whiskey Rebellion of 1787, which again was a troubling time.  Our ancestors and their children were not sissies!   

 

 

The family of Nathan Paine 1741-1818

 By now, the Paine family in America, the ones descended from Stephen and Ann Chickering Paine, is quite a large family indeed.  In this post, we will follow Nathan, a great great grandson of Stephen and Ann.  His parents are Stephen and Sarah Thornton Paine, and he was born in Glocester, Rhode Island.  He didn't stay there, though.  He married Lillis Winsor, the daughter of Joseph and Deborah Mathewson Winsor, about 1765, and it appears that all of their children were born in Glocester.

"All", in this case encompasses at least 11 children and perhaps as many as 17.  Again, there are a lot of Paines born in the right time period and with "family" names that would support a possibility that they are part of Nathan and Lillis's family, but I'm lacking corroborating information for several, and in some cases, the information on line is clearly erroneous.  I have possibly contributed to the incorrect information, as in my last blog post I attributed Artemesia to this family.  I now believe she would have been a daughter in law, not a daughter, as there is an Artemesia Payne buried with son Nathan Payne in Albion, Orleans County, New York.  And incidentally, any reference you find to Nathaniel Payne is likely not this man, nor any of his immediate family.

So, with trepidation, I'll list his family as best I can, hoping as always for additions and corrections to this post.

The first child may have been Zattu/Zather/Zatto, born in 1767.  (The name, it turns out, is Biblical.  Zattu returned from Babylon to Jerusalem with Zerubabbel, in Old Testament times.)  His wife is Abigail Eddy, the daughter of Jesse and Lydia Brown Eddy.  Since we have both Brown and Eddy lines in our tree, I'm guessing that we are somehow related to these two people also, but they are not entered on my software.  Their children are Eddy Brown, Winsor, Mary, Phebe, Arnold, Laura, Mathewson, and Peter.  Zattu had gone to New York with most of the rest of his siblings, but apparently died in Rhode Island in either 1840 or 1847.  I notice that none of the children were given his name! 

The next child born seems to be Nathan, about 1769.  He was married to someone named Artemisia, but apparently not until 1809.  He is also said to have married Mary Carpenter, but I believe that marriage may apply to a different Nathan, later in the 19th century.  His children are said to be Potter, Eli, Joseph, Daniel, Rebecca, Augustus, Sarah, and possibly Nathan and Lydia, but I've not found good records for this.  Nathan died in Barre, Orleans County, New York in 1853.

Deborah is their first daughter, born in 1772.  She married Enos Eddy, the son of Enos and Sarah Brown Eddy.  Their children are Chloe, Lydia, Enos, Deborah, Joseph, Nathan, Lillis, Sarah, George, John, and Almira.  She died in 1849 in Byron, Genessee County, New York.  

Olive was born in 1774 and died in 1853 in Rome Center, Lenawee County, Michigan.  She married Levi Hawley, the son of Stephen and Patience (maiden name not yet found) Hawley.  (Please note that this name is also seen as Holley.) Their children are Henry, Eliza, William, Emeline, Levi, Betsey, Olive, Nelson, Thankful, and Nathan.  

Stephen was born in 1776 and died in 1849 in Cattaragus County, New York.  He married Sally/Sarah Angell, the daughter of Jesse and Amy Hammond Angell.  Angell is another of our family names in Rhode Island, so there is a strong possibility that this Jesse is a distant relative, also.  Their children are Harrison, Amy, Olive, Dorus (male, if you're wondering), Sally, Minerva, Maria, Marcy or Mercy, Stephen, and Mary Anne. 

Samuel was born in 1778 and died in 1800, 1821. or 1868, either in New York or somewhere else.  I  am using the 1821 date in my notes because 1800 would be too young for him to have had as many children as he has, and 1868 would be a very long life.  There is a Samuel Paine who died in 1868 in Yates, Orleans County, New York, but I am not yet convinced that it was this Samuel Paine.  He married Lillis Cole, the daughter of Sisson and Elizabeth Hunter Cole.  Their children are Winsor, Caroline, Samuel, Amos, Cynthia, Lizzie, Lyman, Lillis, Charlotte, Damon, and Jackson-unless, of course, some of these names belong to the son Samuel.  Based on birth dates, either could be correct.  More research is called for!

I actually have two candidates for daughters born in 1780, with no mention that there were twins born to this couple.  I am fairly confident that Thankful is their daughter, born in 1780 and died in 1864 in Seneca,  Ontario County, New York.  She married Daniel Colwell, the son of Daniel and Mercy Hopkins Colwell, and then married Nathan Whitney, the son of Jonathan and Esther Parkhurst Whitney.  Her children were all with Daniel Colwell.  They are David, John, Daniel, Elvira, Minerva, Angelina, Nathan, Christopher, Oliver, and William.  

The other possibility is Lydia, and there is very little reliable information about her.  She is reported to have died in 1811 in Seneca, Ontario County, New York, and is buried in the Whitney Cemetery (see above).  She died "in her 38th year" which would likely mean her birth year is 1774 or possibly 1775.  She had a daughter, Relief, and another infant who is buried with her.  Her husband is Joseph Gibbs but he is still a mystery.

Asa was born in 1782 and died in 1868 in (possibly Barre), Orleans County, New York.  He married Amy Angell, who was also a daughter of Jesse and Amy Hammond Angell (see above; siblings married siblings).  Their children are Valorus, Cordelia, Sophronia, Veeder, Asa, James, Christopher, Amy and possibly Maria and Sarah. Amy died in 1845, and he then married married Jane Rosabella, maiden name unknown, and they had three children, Rosabella, Elva, and Ellen.  He may have also married Mrs. Zilpha Burch, after Jane's death in 1849.  

Sally, possibly Sarah, was born in 1784 and died in 1822, possibly in Orleans County, New York.  (She is not the Sallie Paine who died in Vermont in 1868.) She married William Parker, the son of Cornelius and Sarah (maiden name not yet found) Parker.  Their children are Lydia, Savilla, Lovina, Daniel, Isaac, Adeline, William, and Olive.

Christopher was born in 1787 and died in 1855 at Albion, Orleans County, New York. He married Laura Paine, the daughter of Zattu and Abigail Eddy Paine.  Laura was a niece to Christopher, which seems unusual but perhaps there is something here that I am not understanding.  Their children are Martin, Oville, Celinda, Albert, Christopher, William, and John.  

I have names for three more potential children of Nathan and Lillis, but very little is to be found about them and so I will mention them only briefly, as possibilities.  There may have been a son John, born in 1767 and died in 1821.  He may have married Hannah.  Joseph was born about 1774 and died in 1862 in Ontario, New York.  Finally, Israel was born about 1784 and died in 1813. He may have married Lovica.  That is all that I have about those three men, and I am not at all sure that they belong in this family.  

As we have seen, there are a lot of Paines in Rhode Island and New York, especially, and it is hard to differentiate between one Stephen and another, one John and another, one Nathan and another.  I have three genealogy wishes for this family.  First, I'd like to know for sure whether the three "possibles" actually belong to this couple.  And of course I'd like to have the information I'm missing as to dates and places.  The last question I have is "Why?" Why did Nathan and his family move from Glocester, Rhode Island to New York.  Generally there is a push-pull when a family pulls up stakes and moves on.  What pushed them from Rhode Island?  And what pulled them to New York, which is not the safest of places until after the War of 1812?  

This is the last of the posts on the Paine families who are our ancestors, as we "daughtered out" with Deborah who married Enos Eddy.  It's been both fun and frustrating, and I'd sure love to learn more about all of them. 

 

 

 

 

 

  

The family of Stephen Paine 1716-1797

 For reasons I don't understand, this Stephen is usually seen in trees, but not records that I could find, as "Stephen Christopher" Paine.  Middle names were highly unusual in this time period (except in some aristocratic families, which the Paines were not part of) so I'm skeptical of the middle name.  Nevertheless, if you see him with the two names, don't dismiss the information out of hand.  Consider it carefully; there could very well be something I've missed.

Stephen is the son of Stephen and Sarah Vallette Paine, born in 1716 in Providence, Rhode Island and died in 1797 in Glocester, Providence, Rhode Island.  He married Sarah Thornton, the daughter of Benjamin and (possibly Mary, but perhaps not) Gurney Thornton.  He may have served in the Revolutionary War.  If he did, he was 60 years old when he became a lieutenant.  It seems possible to me that it was his son Stephen who served at that time, but I've not seen anything that firmly establishes one man or the other as the lieutenant.  

Stephen and Sarah had at least 6 children together, although by confusing one Stephen's children with another,  I've seen as many as 17 names.  I have also seen several names mentioned as a second wife for Stephen, after Sarah died in 1772.  A Stephen Paine certainly married Jemima Martin, but I believe it is just as likely to be the son Stephen who married her.   

Stephen and Sarah's first son is Nathan, born in 1741 and died in 1818 in Castleton, Ontario, New York.  He married Lillis Winsor, the daughter of Joseph and Deborah Mathewson Winsor.  Their children are Deborah, Artemesia, Lydia, Nathan, Olive, Stephen, Thankful, Samuel, Asa, Christopher, Sally, and Zattie.  There maybe more children, and if so, I will identify them in my next post when I try to follow this family.

Stephen was born next, in 1742, The death date I have for him is one day prior to his father's death, which seems a bit suspicious.  Perhaps the two men did actually die one day apart, or perhaps the records are confused.  I've not done a reasonably complete search, but from what I can tell, perhaps we should leave his death date/location as unknown, at least for now.  He may be the Stephen Paine who married Jemima Martin, daughter of William and Jemima Martin Martin (yes, she was a Martin by birth), or/and he may be the Stephen Paine who married Elethea or Eleutheria Sanders, the daughter of Robert and Naomi Paine Sanders.  I've not found children for Stephen.  

Sarah was born next, in 1743.  Again, the number of Sarah Paines to be found in and about Glocester, Rhode Island is large.  Her proposed husbands are Stephen Saunders, with whom she may have had a child Oliver, Asa Franklin, and Royal Inman.  Royal Inman is credited with several children, but as this marriage would not have taken place until Sarah was 44, most if not all of his children were not likely to be Sarah's.  I will leave Sarah to another researcher, if one will step forward, or if someone already knows the answers to the questions about her life, I'd love to hear from you.

Mary was born in 1746 and died before 11 March 1791 in Bristol, Providence, Rhode Island.  She may have married a man with the surname of Page, but that is as much as I could learn about her.  

Benjamin was born in 1749 and died in 1831 in Glocester, Rhode Island.  He served in the Revolutionary War, and married Anna Aldrich, who is likely but not proven the daughter of Noah and Tabitha Inman Aldrich.  Tabitha is most likely related to Edward Inman, who is another of our ancestors.  Benjamin and Anna's children are Dorcas, Hazael, Lydia, Benjamin, Drusilla, Caleb, Phebe, Ransom, Abigail, Noah, and Aldrich.  

Stephen Paine deserves to have more of his family documented than this.  Since most family historians think he was the lieutenant of the Revolutionary War, he should be honored by every family that is descended from him.  (There is also the possibility that he participated in the French and Indian War, perhaps giving an explanation as to why he was made a lieutenant in the Revolution.)     

The family of Stephen Paine 1686-1745

 We are now in the fourth generation of Paines who helped build America, and particularly Massachusetts and then Rhode Island.  Three of the men I've written about, including this one, are named Stephen, and following tradition, there are several men who are siblings, cousins, etc who are also named Stephen, which makes it rather difficult to keep them all straight.  I believe that some of the trees our there have confused the various men named Stephen, particularly in the lists I've seen of children of these men.

This particular Stephen Paine, the son of John (!) and Elizabeth Belcher Paine, was born in 1686 in Rehoboth, Massachusetts and died in 1745 in Glocester, Providence County, Rhode Island.  He married Sarah Vallett or Vallette, who may or may not be the daughter of Jonathan Vallette of Glocester.  I have seen three other wives for Stephen.  One, Sarah Thornton, is definitely not correct because she was married to Stephen's son named (what else?) Stephen.  That leaves Sarah Leach, who did marry a Stephen Paine in 1727, and Martha Smith, who married a Stephen Paine in 1737.  The marriage to Martha was in Glocester, and the one to Sarah Leach was in Pomfret, Connecticut.  I think the Stephen who married Sarah Leave was not this Stephen Paine, but I believe that Martha Smith was indeed his second wife, although no children were born to this marriage.  I don't know who Martha's parents are.

Three children are usually attributed to Stephen Paine and Sarah Vallette.   There may be a fourth.

The first child, Stephen, was born in 1716 and died in 1797 in Glocester, Rhode Island.  He married Sarah Thornton, the daughter of Benjamin and (possibly Mary)Gurney Thornton.  Their children are Nathan, Stephen, Sarah, Mary, Benjamin, and Moses.  I will write more of this family in my next blog post.

Naomi (Neomy) was born in 1718 and died in 1763.  She married Robert Saunders, the son of Robert and Elizabeth Howland Saunders.  (Don't get excited about the Howland name; it doesn't appear to be part of the Mayflower Howland family.) Their children are Sarah, Othniel, Robert, Abiah, and Jeremiah.

Then there seems to be about an eleven year gap between children.  Was Sarah ill, or were there unsuccessful pregnancies and infant deaths we know nothing about?  Perhaps Dorcas was a bit of a surprise.  She was born in 1729 abd died in 1810 in Glocester, Providence, Rhode Island.  She married Captain Stephen Keech, the son of Jeremiah and (spouse unknown) Keech.  Their children are Rhoba (Rhoda?), Urana, Jeremiah, Stephen, Freelove, David, Martha, and Nicholas.   

Some family historians think that Rebecca, born about 1716, is also the child of Stephen Paine, and perhaps an unknown person who could be a spouse, or a one night stand, or something in between.  Since her records are of Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts, I am leaning fairly strongly to the idea that she is not the child of this Stephen Paine, but perhaps someone has seen records that would prove or disprove this.  As of now, I am not pursuing Rebecca but I wanted to bring her to your attention.

I'd like to know more about Stephen, and about his life.  How many wives did he have, really? Is Rebecca actually his child? Did he serve in any military actions (he died before the French and Indian War began)? But mostly, I'd like to acknowledge him as another part of our family, and as a builder of America.