Betsey Harris

Notes:

Name:
Father: William Harris
Mother: Abiah Brooks

Betsey married Captain William Newton on 18 May 1818 in Brattleboro, Windham County, Vermont. William was born on 17 Aug 1788 in Berlin, Worcester County, Massachusetts; died on 27 Sep 1878 in Marlboro, Windham County, Vermont. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 1850, Marlboro, Windham County, Vermont; In the 1850 US Census he was recorded, age 20, living in Marlboro, Vermont with his parents. He was single and a farmer.
• 1st Marriage: say 1851, Wardsboro, Windham County, Vermont; He married first Josephine Victoria Whitaker, the daughter of Joseph and Betsey (Braley) Whitaker of Newfane, Vermont. She was born 10 September 1838 in Newfane, Vermont and died 14 August 1871 in New Salem, Massachusetts. Children: 1. Marshal Delevan Newton (1862-1930) 2. Martha Clara Newton (1865-1884) 3. William Levi Newton (1871-1952)
• Census: 1860, Marlboro, Windham County, Vermont; In the 1860 US Census he was recorded, age 29, living in Marlboro, Vermont. His parents were living with him and he was a farmer.
• Census: 1870, New Salem, Franklin County, Massachusetts; In the 1870 US Census he was recorded, age 38, living in New Salem, Massachusetts with his first wife and children. He was a farmer.
• Census: 1880, New Salem, Franklin County, Massachusetts; In the 1880 US Census he was recorded, age 49, living in New Salem, Massachusetts. His three children from his first marriage were living with him. Livi was a farmer.
• 3rd Marriage: 26 Jul 1891, North Dana, Worcester County, Massachusetts; He married a third time Estella Jane (Dean) Babcock, the widow of Samuel B. Maxwell Babcock, and the daughter of Luther and Emeline (Crawford) Dean of Oakham, Massachusetts. She was born 11 January 1851 in Oakham, Massachusetts and died 2 April 1897 in New Salem, Massachusetts. They had no children together.
• Census: 1900, New Salem, Franklin County, Massachusetts; In the 1900 US Census he was recorded, age 69, living in New Salem, Massachusetts. He was a widower living on his farm.
• History: 1907; He was interviewed for the Newton Genealogy in 1907, and wrote""I wanted a blacksmith's trade ; my father would not suffer it. I told him that was the only trade I wanted; but he would not let me go while I was a minor, and said I had no ingenuity whatever, and kept me on the farm. When I was 21 I felt discouraged. I told them, then, that if I ever had any boys and they wanted a trade they should have it. I stopped around home a few years; got married; my wife had friends in Massachusetts and we moved to Greenwich, Mass., where I worked at farming five or six years—the last year doing some carpenter work. Hearing of a shop in North Dana, Mass., where they made piano legs, employing about fifty hands, I went there and worked on the job three years. The dust affected me so that I began to cough and the doctor said' I must leave the shop. I left it for a year—went back for ten months, then left it and staid out. I then bought a stage line from North Dana to Barre, a distance of twelve miles. I ran this line between nine and ten years, carried the U. S. Mail, and did well in the business; bought a small farm and left the stage business. About a mile from me a creamery was started at Millington. I took the route of gathering cream three days in the week, which business I followed for ten years; retired from that and have lived on my place ever since, sometimes alone, sometimes I have a family with me. I hope I have enough to carry me through the remaining years of my life"
• Last Full Review: 24 May 2020

Notes:

Birth: The Find-a-Grave record states he was born in Petersham, yet, his marriage record states Marlboro, Vermont. I have chosen to go with the official record.

Death: Find-a-Grave states he died in New Salem, Massachusetts.

Burial: He was originally interred in the Pine Grove Cemetery, Dana, Massachusetts. He was reinterred at Quabbin Park 17 May 1935 owing to the flooding for the Quabbin Reservoir.

History:
He was interviewed for the Newton Genealogy, and wrote""I wanted a blacksmith's trade ; my father would not suffer it. I told him that was the only trade I wanted; but he would not let me go while I was a minor, and said I had no ingenuity whatever, and kept me on the farm. When I was 21 I felt discouraged. I told them, then, that if I ever had any boys and they wanted a trade they should have it. I stopped around home a few years; got married; my wife had friends in Massachusetts and we moved to Greenwich, Mass., where I worked at farming five or six years—the last year doing some carpenter work. Hearing of a shop in North Dana, Mass., where they made piano legs, employing about fifty hands, I went there and worked on the job three years. The dust affected me so that I began to cough and the doctor said' I must leave the shop. I left it for a year—went back for ten months, then left it and staid out. I then bought a stage line from North Dana to Barre, a distance of twelve miles. I ran this line between nine and ten years, carried the U. S. Mail, and did well in the business; bought a small farm and left the stage business. About a mile from me a creamery was started at Millington. I took the route of gathering cream three days in the week, which business I followed for ten years; retired from that and have lived on my place ever since, sometimes alone, sometimes I have a family with me. I hope I have enough to carry me through the remaining years of my life"

Levi married Persis Pratt on 30 Mar 1873 in Petersham, Worcester County, Massachusetts. Persis (daughter of Daniel Pratt and Bathsheba Delvee) was born on 29 Aug 1839 in Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts; died on 19 Feb 1890 in New Salem, Franklin County, Massachusetts; was buried in Quabbin Park Cemetery, Ware, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]