Lydia MORGAN

Lydia MORGAN, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Sea Captain's Wife: Lydia Morgan

Buried next to her husband. this plain headstone tells us very little about her life as a sea captain's wife. It does tells us her full date of birth and death and that Morgan is her maiden name and she was Capt. Horatio N. Fish's wife. 

Groton, CT Barbour Index, Ancestry.com

I searched The Barbour Index for Groton, CT and found Horatio and Lydia's marriage and Horatio's full date of birth and his parents first names as well as another piece of evidence verifying his middle name of Nelson. It doesn't tell us who Lydia's parents were, but this is only an index. 

I have sent for vital records for other ancestors from the town of Groton, CT but they don't send an image of the record just a plain certified vital record so I am not going to send any other  records at this time.

After some snooping through another Ancestry.com's public tree, I found a lead about Lydia's parents. 

Using the online database for the Groton Avery Clan, I found her marriage to Horatio and her parent's listed. Lydia's mother was an Avery and this book is familiar to me because I have several lines of Avery's and I am a life member of the Avery Association. 

The Groton Avery Clan, p. 350-351

Ancestry.com. The Groton Avery clan [database on-line]. Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. Original data: Avery, Elroy McKendree,. The Groton Avery clan. Cleveland: unknown, 1912. [Database at Ancestry.com]

Ancestry.com. Connecticut, Town Marriage Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Original data: White, Lorraine Cook, ed. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records.Vol. 1-55. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1994-2002. (also births and deaths)

Benjamin BURROWS and Ann Marie AVERY

Benjamin BURROWS and Ann Marie AVERY
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

BURROWS Monument

Benjamin BURROWS and his [second wife] Ann Maria AVERY

Benjamin Burrows / Feb. 6, 1815 - Aug 3, 1884 / His Wife / Ann Maria Avery / Jan. 27, 1830 - Apr. 12, 1850

Front Row, Left Side [Grave #4] Photo # 3013

Benjamin BURROWS, son of Capt. Benjamin Burrows, was married first, on 25 July 1838, to Sarah Amelia HAMMOND When she and their infant son (he died 10 June 1840, aged five days) died, Benjamin buried his wife and son together in the same plot as Sarah's parents and grandparents at the Avery Morgan Cemetery in Groton, New London, CT

Sarah HAMMOND, daughter of Thomas HAMMOND and his wife Sarah AVERY was born 15 Apr 1815. She died 31 Oct 1840 aged 25.

[A CD of the gravestones in the Avery Morgan Cemetery is available for purchase from the Avery Association]

Benjamin married secondly, Ann Marie AVERY, his first wife's cousin, 23 Oct 1854 in Groton, CT by Elder Isaac CHESEBROUGH. She was a dressmaker born 27 Jan 1830, daughter of Urbane AVERY and his wife [also an AVERY] Amanda Malvina AVERY. They had a son and a daughter, Elizabeth Avery BURROWS and Benjamin Franklin BURROWS.

Sadly, Ann Marie AVERY died 12 April 1860 leaving Benjamin with two small children. He married third, Frances Levina DENISON on 5 May 1837. They were married by her brother, the Civil War Chaplin and Baptist Minister, Rev. Frederic DENISON. She was the daughter of Isaac DENISON and his wife Levina FISH. [my third great grandparents]

Frances was 29 and single at the time of their marriage and probably considered a spinster. She raised his children and out lived him. She buried him with his second wife and is buried with her Denison family at Elm Grove Cemetery in Mystic, New London, CT.

The Burrows genealogy tells us that Benjamin was only 10 years old when he went with his father to Havana, Cuba and at 17 he was a sailor and mate on the schooner Bolivar. In 1838, he was a full sea captain of the schooner, "Talma" and continued in the commerical maritime trade until 1872 when he went into the Coal Trade.

Benjamin lived a prosperous life on "Skipper St." at 5 West Mystic Avenue, was a Whig and a Republican serving in the legislature in 1864. He was a member of the Baptist Church.

Stephen AVERY

Stephen AVERY
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Tombstone Tuesday, 6 October 2009

Stephen AVERY, born 13 Jan 1756 was a Revolutionary War soldier. He served in the 4th Connecticut Regiment 1780.

He died April 1, 1828 and is buried in Great Plain Cemetery in North Stonington, New London, CT. He married twice and had 14 children. His last child, Frances Mary AVERY was the first wife of Judge Richard WHEELER, author of the History of Stonington.

He was the son of the Rev. Nathan AVERY and his wife Hannah STODDARD. They are buried in the same row of gravestones as their son. Rev. Nathan AVERY's gravestone can be found in the Farber Gravestone Collection, which makes it an example of early New England gravestones.

Stephen was "a prominent man in Stonington, and held various public offices of trust, particularly town clerk, which he held a number of years before and at the time when the town was divided and the town of North Stonington was established in 1807, again being elected town clerk of North Stonington, which he held until his death." [Source: Judge Richard Anson Wheeler's History of Stonington #159, p. 207, 208, 209.]

Mr. Stephen Avery, as a justice of the peace, married Edward Stewart and Rebecca Noyes {my 3rd great grandparents] in 1801. It is his signature on the hand written marriage certificate that piqued my interest to seek out his gravestone. His perfect handwriting can be seen in the ledgers for the town of North Stonington. It is a genealogist's dream to have records that are so legible.

Rest in peace, Mr. AVERY

Mary AVERY

Mary AVERY
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

In / Memory of /Mary /wife of Rev. Daniel Burrows/ who died/July 12, 1851/ Aged 83 years.

Mary (Jasper6, Parke5, Ebenezer4, James3, James2, Christopher1) Avery was born 12 Dec 1768 probably at Groton, CT and died 12 July 1851 in Middletown, CT.

Mary and her husband, Rev. Daniel Burrows are buried next their daughter Elizabeth A. Burrows who was the second wife of Capt. William Clift.

Hannah STODDARD

Hannah STODDARD
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Hannah STODDARD was born 4 May 1727 [Barbour Index: Groton VR Vol. 1 Page 108] in Groton, CT, daughter of Ralph STODDARD and his wife Hannah LESTER (who were married 3 Jan 1723 [Barbour Index: Groton VR Vol 1 Page 108]) She died 10 Nov 1810 in North Stonington, CT [gravestone record]

In Memory of
Mrs. Hannah Avery
Relict of the
Revd Nathan Avery
who departed this life
Novr 10th AD 1810
in the 85th year
of her age.

Hannah was the [relict] widow of the Rev. Mr. Nathan Avery. She is buried alonside her husband in the Great Plain Cemetery in North Stonington, CT

Rev. Nathan AVERY

Rev. Nathan AVERY
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

The Rev, Mr. Nathan AVERY is resting in the Great Plain Cemetery (#57) in North Stonington, New London, CT alongside his wife Hannah STODDARD.

I took this photograph in May 2004 while searching for the graves of Nathan and Barbary Steward. Although, I am an AVERY descendant, I was not sure if Nathan was one of my direct line ancestors but I was impressed with this amazing clearly preserved gravestone. I took this photograph prior to the time I learned to use a mirror to reflect light for clearer readings, so the sun shining at the right angle on this minister clearly comes from heavenly light.

Nathan was born 10 Mar 1712 in Groton, son of Christopher AVERY and his first wife Abigail PARK/PARKE. [Source: Barbour Index, Groton Vital Records: Avery, Nathan [s. Christopher & Abigail], b. March 10, 1712 Vol. 1, Page 127] and he married Hannah STODDARD on 27 Mar. 1746. [Source; Barbour Index, Groton Vital Records; Avery, Nathan, m. Hannah Stoddard, Mar. 27, 1746 Vol. 1 p. 127]

Nathan6 AVERY (Christopher5, James4, James3, Christopher2, Christopher1)

Wheeler's History of Stonington says that Rev. Nathan's house was on the lot where my 2nd great grandmother, Eliza Fish Denison Stewart, (Mrs. Dudley Stewart) was living at the time he was writing his book which was about 1900.

Wheeler's listing for Rev. Nathan (p. 203, 206-207) says he came from Groton to Stonington and purchases the farm and built the house (mentioned above). This part of Stonington is now North Stonington.

He "became a member of the Separatist or strict Congregational Church" and was ordained the pastor and remained so until his death. He was respected and had the confidence of his parishioners and was a devoted and able preacher.

The Barbour Index for Stonington lists his death as "Avery, Nathan, Elder, d. Sept. 7, 1780. Vol 4 Page 15"

Rev. Nathan Avery and his wife Hannah had eight children: Isaac, Nathan, Hannah, Mary, Luther, Stephen, Phebe and Wealthy.

M.E. DENISON

M.E. DENISON
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

This is the grave marker for Mary Eldredge AVERY, wife of Nathan Fish DENISON. Information about them in inscribed on the monument.

Nathan F. DENISON

Nathan F. DENISON
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel.

Nathan Fish DENISON (1794-1878) and his wife Mary Eldrege AVERY (1798-1858)

"Nathan F. DENISON
Born
Oct. 7, 1794
Died
May 10, 1878

Mary E.
wife of Nathan F. DENISON
Born
May 15, 1798
Died
Dec. 3, 1858"
Nathan6 (Frederick5, Daniel4, Daniel3, John 2, George1)
Mary6 (Ebenezer5, Ebenezer4, Ebenezer3, James2, James1)

Nathan Fish DENISON son of Frederick DENISON and his wife Hannah FISH married Mary Eldredge AVERY, daughter of Lt. Col. Ebenzer AVERY, III (1762-1842) and his wife Mary ELDREDGE (1767-1854) on 25 December 1823 in Groton, CT.

The couple had 4 daughters.

Sources:
Groton Vital records (Barbour Index, p. 68) AVERY, Mary E. m. Nathan F. DENISON, b. of Groton, Dec. 25, 1823 by Ebenzer Avery, Jr. Vol. 1 Page 12.
Wheeler's History of Stonington, p. 354, 361, #43
Denison Genealogy #1234, page 85
Baldwin & Clift's Denison Genealogy #3549, p 169-170 (includes picture) "lived at Mystic Bridge"