The “Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, VT. 1764-1887” contains a brief biographical sketch of Nathaniel Reed and Susan Sweat (Susannah Swett), early settlers of Concord, VT (1). However, it states that one of their sons, Stephen, first married a Polly Chickering and that they had one daughter named Adelaide. No other information about their daughter was included. The same details appear in a subsequent Gazetteer (2). The current bio documents that Stephen Reed’s first marriage was actually to Polly Boynton of Thornton, NH, and that they had a daughter named Adaline, who married Harvey S. Gates of Concord, VT, and with whom she had seven children.
The primary document pertaining to the identification of the first wife of Stephen Reed of Concord, VT is a Town Clerk record from Thornton, NH, which certifies that Stephen Reed of Concord, VT and Polly Boynton of Thornton, NH were published for marriage on October 4, 1832 (3). Furthermore, the set of records for the birth of Polly Boynton (4), her marriage to Stephen Reed (4,5), the birth of their only child Adaline in Concord on July 21, 1833 (5), and Polly’s subsequent death on July 25, 1833 (6) are internally consistent and provide a credible narrative. These records show that Polly gave birth in Concord about nine and one-half months after her marriage, and died soon after childbirth. The year of Polly’s birth, calculated from her age given at death as 1807 (6), is the same as the year of birth listed in the Boynton genealogy book. These and other records from the Boynton (4), Gates (5-8) and Reed (9) families each independently support major elements of the family relationships. Both Boynton and Gates family records document that Stephen Reed married Polly Boynton. The birth of their daughter Adaline Boynton Reed is listed in the Gates genealogy book, and the Probate Estate File for Nathaniel Reed of Concord, VT clearly identifies Adaline as his granddaughter.
U.S. Census records for NH and VT also support the above details and narrative. The 1810 and 1830 records for NH (10,11) are consistent with Polly Boynton being the child of Thomas Boynton and Lydia Davis of Thornton in Grafton County (4). The Census records for Grafton County in 1820 were lost, although Town Clerk records indicate that the Boynton family was still living in Thornton (12). The 1840 Census records for VT, which is the first Census after Polly’s death, are consistent with Adaline living with her Reed grandparents, Nathaniel and Susannah in Concord (13). This interpretation is supported by the Special Legacy that Adaline received in Nathaniel Reed’s Probate Estate. The 1850 Census, which occurred soon after Adaline’s marriage in Concord to Harvey S. Gates on July 27, 1850 (14-16), indicates that the couple was living in Concord, near Adaline’s grandparents (17) and her father (18). The 1860-1880 Census records for VT and NH document the move from Concord, VT to Keene and then to Troy, NH (19-21), and provide independent support for the names of Adaline’s seven children that are given in the Gates genealogy book. Their names were Albert C., Emma J., Bessie A., Flavilla E., Lillian G. (Genevieve), Mary G., and Harvey E. Gates. Various records from Troy, NH for Adaline, her husband, and her children also indicate that Adaline’s parents were Reed/Read and Boynton and that Adaline’s middle name was Boynton (8). Adaline died in Troy, NH on June 20, 1897. The middle name of a granddaughter, Helen, was Adaline.
That Stephen Reed married twice, first to Polly Boynton (3), and second to Polly Hutchinson (22,23) is also clear. Besides the vital records for both marriages, the index for the Town Clerk records from Concord, VT specifies that the marriage to Polly Hutchinson was Stephen’s second, and the Reed gravestones at Grove Cemetery in St. Johnsbury also indicate the sequence of Stephen’s marriages (24-27).
Aside from the error in the maiden name of Stephen Reed’s first wife as Chickering, the two Gazetteers support the above summary. For example, they correctly indicate that Stephen had two wives named Polly and that there was a single daughter from his first marriage. The name of this child as Adelaide is quite close to the actual name, and his second marriage was indeed to Polly Hutchinson. Vital records dated 1837 for Mary W. Chickering (28) from nearby St. Johnsbury, VT indicate that she died several years after Polly (Boynton) Reed. Both Pollys died in their late 20s as well. Possibly Polly W. Chickering also died as a consequence of childbirth and there was uncertainty, as recalled many years after the fact for the 1887 publication.
Note Added in Proof: A photo of Adaline's half-brother, Nathaniel G. Reed (1839-1925) and family, was found in the records of one of Adaline's children.
Sources
1. Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, VT. 1764-1887, by Hamilton Child, 1887, p. 6 & 229.
2. Successful Vermonters: A Modern Gazetteer of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties, by William Hartley Jeffrey, 1904, p. 135.
3. New Hampshire, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records 1636-1947, Grafton, Thornton, Town Records 1819-1834, vol. 2, p. 592 (image 299 of 398 in FHL record).
4. The Boynton Family, A Genealogy of the Descendants of William and John Boynton, Compiled by John Farnham Boynton and Caroline (Harriman) Boynton, 1897, p. 25.
5. Stephen Gates of Hingham and Lancaster Massachusetts and His Descendants, by Charles Otis Gates, 1898, p. 203 & p. 267.
6. Vermont Vital Records (Death), 1833, St. Johnsbury, Caledonia, Polly L Reed.
7. New Hampshire Death Records, 1897, Troy, Cheshire, Adaline B Gates.
8. Genealogy of Births, Marriages, Deaths in the Town of Troy, NH, Gay-Kimball Library.
9. Vermont Probate Files, 1859, Essex County Probate Estate Files, Nathaniel Reed.
10. United States Census, 1810, Thornton, Grafton, New Hampshire, p. 469, Thomas Baynton (Boynton).
11. United States Census, 1830, Thornton, Grafton, New Hampshire, p. 28, Thomas Boynton.
12. New Hampshire, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records 1636-1947, Grafton, Thornton, Town Records 1819-1834, vol. 2, p. 242 (image 122 of 398).
13. United States Census, 1840, Concord, Essex, Vermont, p. 164, Nathl Reed.
14. United States Census, 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, sheet 368, Adaline B Gates in household of Warner Williams.
15. Vermont, Vital Records (Birth), 1827, St. Johnsbury, Caledonia, Harvey Strong Gates.
16. Vermont, Vital Records (Marriage), 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, Harvey T Gates (Harvey S Gates).
17. United States Census, 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, sheet 368, Nathaniel Reed.
18. United States Census, 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, sheet 370, Stephen Reed.
19. United States Census, 1860, Concord, Essex, Vermont, p. 31, Harvey S Gates.
20. United States Census, 1870, Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire, p. 133, Harry S Gates (Harvey S Gates).
21. United States Census, 1880, Troy, Cheshire, New Hampshire, p. 249, Harvey S Gates.
22. Vermont, Vital Records (Marriage), 1834, Stephen H Reed and Polly H Hutchinson.
23. Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005, Essex, Concord, Births, Marriages, Deaths, Town Records 1784-1856 (image 247 of 514).
24. Gravestone Research by Elizabeth (Reed) Stevens, as Described on John Swett of Newbury Website.
25. Gravestone image for Stephen Reed from Grove Cemetery, Saint Johnsbury, Caledonia, Vermont, died July 1, 1854, 44 years, 1 month, 19 days.
26. Gravestone image for Polly L wife of Stephen Reed from Grove Cemetery, Saint Johnsbury, Caledonia, Vermont, died July 25, 1833, 26 years, 1 month, 25 days.
27. Gravestone image for Polly H wife of Stephen Reed from Grove Cemetery, Saint Johnsbury, Caledonia, Vermont, died February 29, 1872, 64 years, 11 months.
28. Vermont, Vital Records (Death), 1837, St. Johnsbury, Caledonia, Mary W Chickering.
The primary document pertaining to the identification of the first wife of Stephen Reed of Concord, VT is a Town Clerk record from Thornton, NH, which certifies that Stephen Reed of Concord, VT and Polly Boynton of Thornton, NH were published for marriage on October 4, 1832 (3). Furthermore, the set of records for the birth of Polly Boynton (4), her marriage to Stephen Reed (4,5), the birth of their only child Adaline in Concord on July 21, 1833 (5), and Polly’s subsequent death on July 25, 1833 (6) are internally consistent and provide a credible narrative. These records show that Polly gave birth in Concord about nine and one-half months after her marriage, and died soon after childbirth. The year of Polly’s birth, calculated from her age given at death as 1807 (6), is the same as the year of birth listed in the Boynton genealogy book. These and other records from the Boynton (4), Gates (5-8) and Reed (9) families each independently support major elements of the family relationships. Both Boynton and Gates family records document that Stephen Reed married Polly Boynton. The birth of their daughter Adaline Boynton Reed is listed in the Gates genealogy book, and the Probate Estate File for Nathaniel Reed of Concord, VT clearly identifies Adaline as his granddaughter.
U.S. Census records for NH and VT also support the above details and narrative. The 1810 and 1830 records for NH (10,11) are consistent with Polly Boynton being the child of Thomas Boynton and Lydia Davis of Thornton in Grafton County (4). The Census records for Grafton County in 1820 were lost, although Town Clerk records indicate that the Boynton family was still living in Thornton (12). The 1840 Census records for VT, which is the first Census after Polly’s death, are consistent with Adaline living with her Reed grandparents, Nathaniel and Susannah in Concord (13). This interpretation is supported by the Special Legacy that Adaline received in Nathaniel Reed’s Probate Estate. The 1850 Census, which occurred soon after Adaline’s marriage in Concord to Harvey S. Gates on July 27, 1850 (14-16), indicates that the couple was living in Concord, near Adaline’s grandparents (17) and her father (18). The 1860-1880 Census records for VT and NH document the move from Concord, VT to Keene and then to Troy, NH (19-21), and provide independent support for the names of Adaline’s seven children that are given in the Gates genealogy book. Their names were Albert C., Emma J., Bessie A., Flavilla E., Lillian G. (Genevieve), Mary G., and Harvey E. Gates. Various records from Troy, NH for Adaline, her husband, and her children also indicate that Adaline’s parents were Reed/Read and Boynton and that Adaline’s middle name was Boynton (8). Adaline died in Troy, NH on June 20, 1897. The middle name of a granddaughter, Helen, was Adaline.
That Stephen Reed married twice, first to Polly Boynton (3), and second to Polly Hutchinson (22,23) is also clear. Besides the vital records for both marriages, the index for the Town Clerk records from Concord, VT specifies that the marriage to Polly Hutchinson was Stephen’s second, and the Reed gravestones at Grove Cemetery in St. Johnsbury also indicate the sequence of Stephen’s marriages (24-27).
Aside from the error in the maiden name of Stephen Reed’s first wife as Chickering, the two Gazetteers support the above summary. For example, they correctly indicate that Stephen had two wives named Polly and that there was a single daughter from his first marriage. The name of this child as Adelaide is quite close to the actual name, and his second marriage was indeed to Polly Hutchinson. Vital records dated 1837 for Mary W. Chickering (28) from nearby St. Johnsbury, VT indicate that she died several years after Polly (Boynton) Reed. Both Pollys died in their late 20s as well. Possibly Polly W. Chickering also died as a consequence of childbirth and there was uncertainty, as recalled many years after the fact for the 1887 publication.
Note Added in Proof: A photo of Adaline's half-brother, Nathaniel G. Reed (1839-1925) and family, was found in the records of one of Adaline's children.
Sources
1. Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, VT. 1764-1887, by Hamilton Child, 1887, p. 6 & 229.
2. Successful Vermonters: A Modern Gazetteer of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties, by William Hartley Jeffrey, 1904, p. 135.
3. New Hampshire, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records 1636-1947, Grafton, Thornton, Town Records 1819-1834, vol. 2, p. 592 (image 299 of 398 in FHL record).
4. The Boynton Family, A Genealogy of the Descendants of William and John Boynton, Compiled by John Farnham Boynton and Caroline (Harriman) Boynton, 1897, p. 25.
5. Stephen Gates of Hingham and Lancaster Massachusetts and His Descendants, by Charles Otis Gates, 1898, p. 203 & p. 267.
6. Vermont Vital Records (Death), 1833, St. Johnsbury, Caledonia, Polly L Reed.
7. New Hampshire Death Records, 1897, Troy, Cheshire, Adaline B Gates.
8. Genealogy of Births, Marriages, Deaths in the Town of Troy, NH, Gay-Kimball Library.
9. Vermont Probate Files, 1859, Essex County Probate Estate Files, Nathaniel Reed.
10. United States Census, 1810, Thornton, Grafton, New Hampshire, p. 469, Thomas Baynton (Boynton).
11. United States Census, 1830, Thornton, Grafton, New Hampshire, p. 28, Thomas Boynton.
12. New Hampshire, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records 1636-1947, Grafton, Thornton, Town Records 1819-1834, vol. 2, p. 242 (image 122 of 398).
13. United States Census, 1840, Concord, Essex, Vermont, p. 164, Nathl Reed.
14. United States Census, 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, sheet 368, Adaline B Gates in household of Warner Williams.
15. Vermont, Vital Records (Birth), 1827, St. Johnsbury, Caledonia, Harvey Strong Gates.
16. Vermont, Vital Records (Marriage), 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, Harvey T Gates (Harvey S Gates).
17. United States Census, 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, sheet 368, Nathaniel Reed.
18. United States Census, 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, sheet 370, Stephen Reed.
19. United States Census, 1860, Concord, Essex, Vermont, p. 31, Harvey S Gates.
20. United States Census, 1870, Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire, p. 133, Harry S Gates (Harvey S Gates).
21. United States Census, 1880, Troy, Cheshire, New Hampshire, p. 249, Harvey S Gates.
22. Vermont, Vital Records (Marriage), 1834, Stephen H Reed and Polly H Hutchinson.
23. Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005, Essex, Concord, Births, Marriages, Deaths, Town Records 1784-1856 (image 247 of 514).
24. Gravestone Research by Elizabeth (Reed) Stevens, as Described on John Swett of Newbury Website.
25. Gravestone image for Stephen Reed from Grove Cemetery, Saint Johnsbury, Caledonia, Vermont, died July 1, 1854, 44 years, 1 month, 19 days.
26. Gravestone image for Polly L wife of Stephen Reed from Grove Cemetery, Saint Johnsbury, Caledonia, Vermont, died July 25, 1833, 26 years, 1 month, 25 days.
27. Gravestone image for Polly H wife of Stephen Reed from Grove Cemetery, Saint Johnsbury, Caledonia, Vermont, died February 29, 1872, 64 years, 11 months.
28. Vermont, Vital Records (Death), 1837, St. Johnsbury, Caledonia, Mary W Chickering.
The “Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, VT. 1764-1887” contains a brief biographical sketch of Nathaniel Reed and Susan Sweat (Susannah Swett), early settlers of Concord, VT (1). However, it states that one of their sons, Stephen, first married a Polly Chickering and that they had one daughter named Adelaide. No other information about their daughter was included. The same details appear in a subsequent Gazetteer (2). The current bio documents that Stephen Reed’s first marriage was actually to Polly Boynton of Thornton, NH, and that they had a daughter named Adaline, who married Harvey S. Gates of Concord, VT, and with whom she had seven children.
The primary document pertaining to the identification of the first wife of Stephen Reed of Concord, VT is a Town Clerk record from Thornton, NH, which certifies that Stephen Reed of Concord, VT and Polly Boynton of Thornton, NH were published for marriage on October 4, 1832 (3). Furthermore, the set of records for the birth of Polly Boynton (4), her marriage to Stephen Reed (4,5), the birth of their only child Adaline in Concord on July 21, 1833 (5), and Polly’s subsequent death on July 25, 1833 (6) are internally consistent and provide a credible narrative. These records show that Polly gave birth in Concord about nine and one-half months after her marriage, and died soon after childbirth. The year of Polly’s birth, calculated from her age given at death as 1807 (6), is the same as the year of birth listed in the Boynton genealogy book. These and other records from the Boynton (4), Gates (5-8) and Reed (9) families each independently support major elements of the family relationships. Both Boynton and Gates family records document that Stephen Reed married Polly Boynton. The birth of their daughter Adaline Boynton Reed is listed in the Gates genealogy book, and the Probate Estate File for Nathaniel Reed of Concord, VT clearly identifies Adaline as his granddaughter.
U.S. Census records for NH and VT also support the above details and narrative. The 1810 and 1830 records for NH (10,11) are consistent with Polly Boynton being the child of Thomas Boynton and Lydia Davis of Thornton in Grafton County (4). The Census records for Grafton County in 1820 were lost, although Town Clerk records indicate that the Boynton family was still living in Thornton (12). The 1840 Census records for VT, which is the first Census after Polly’s death, are consistent with Adaline living with her Reed grandparents, Nathaniel and Susannah in Concord (13). This interpretation is supported by the Special Legacy that Adaline received in Nathaniel Reed’s Probate Estate. The 1850 Census, which occurred soon after Adaline’s marriage in Concord to Harvey S. Gates on July 27, 1850 (14-16), indicates that the couple was living in Concord, near Adaline’s grandparents (17) and her father (18). The 1860-1880 Census records for VT and NH document the move from Concord, VT to Keene and then to Troy, NH (19-21), and provide independent support for the names of Adaline’s seven children that are given in the Gates genealogy book. Their names were Albert C., Emma J., Bessie A., Flavilla E., Lillian G. (Genevieve), Mary G., and Harvey E. Gates. Various records from Troy, NH for Adaline, her husband, and her children also indicate that Adaline’s parents were Reed/Read and Boynton and that Adaline’s middle name was Boynton (8). Adaline died in Troy, NH on June 20, 1897. The middle name of a granddaughter, Helen, was Adaline.
That Stephen Reed married twice, first to Polly Boynton (3), and second to Polly Hutchinson (22,23) is also clear. Besides the vital records for both marriages, the index for the Town Clerk records from Concord, VT specifies that the marriage to Polly Hutchinson was Stephen’s second, and the Reed gravestones at Grove Cemetery in St. Johnsbury also indicate the sequence of Stephen’s marriages (24-27).
Aside from the error in the maiden name of Stephen Reed’s first wife as Chickering, the two Gazetteers support the above summary. For example, they correctly indicate that Stephen had two wives named Polly and that there was a single daughter from his first marriage. The name of this child as Adelaide is quite close to the actual name, and his second marriage was indeed to Polly Hutchinson. Vital records dated 1837 for Mary W. Chickering (28) from nearby St. Johnsbury, VT indicate that she died several years after Polly (Boynton) Reed. Both Pollys died in their late 20s as well. Possibly Polly W. Chickering also died as a consequence of childbirth and there was uncertainty, as recalled many years after the fact for the 1887 publication.
Note Added in Proof: A photo of Adaline's half-brother, Nathaniel G. Reed (1839-1925) and family, was found in the records of one of Adaline's children.
Sources
1. Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, VT. 1764-1887, by Hamilton Child, 1887, p. 6 & 229.
2. Successful Vermonters: A Modern Gazetteer of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties, by William Hartley Jeffrey, 1904, p. 135.
3. New Hampshire, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records 1636-1947, Grafton, Thornton, Town Records 1819-1834, vol. 2, p. 592 (image 299 of 398 in FHL record).
4. The Boynton Family, A Genealogy of the Descendants of William and John Boynton, Compiled by John Farnham Boynton and Caroline (Harriman) Boynton, 1897, p. 25.
5. Stephen Gates of Hingham and Lancaster Massachusetts and His Descendants, by Charles Otis Gates, 1898, p. 203 & p. 267.
6. Vermont Vital Records (Death), 1833, St. Johnsbury, Caledonia, Polly L Reed.
7. New Hampshire Death Records, 1897, Troy, Cheshire, Adaline B Gates.
8. Genealogy of Births, Marriages, Deaths in the Town of Troy, NH, Gay-Kimball Library.
9. Vermont Probate Files, 1859, Essex County Probate Estate Files, Nathaniel Reed.
10. United States Census, 1810, Thornton, Grafton, New Hampshire, p. 469, Thomas Baynton (Boynton).
11. United States Census, 1830, Thornton, Grafton, New Hampshire, p. 28, Thomas Boynton.
12. New Hampshire, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records 1636-1947, Grafton, Thornton, Town Records 1819-1834, vol. 2, p. 242 (image 122 of 398).
13. United States Census, 1840, Concord, Essex, Vermont, p. 164, Nathl Reed.
14. United States Census, 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, sheet 368, Adaline B Gates in household of Warner Williams.
15. Vermont, Vital Records (Birth), 1827, St. Johnsbury, Caledonia, Harvey Strong Gates.
16. Vermont, Vital Records (Marriage), 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, Harvey T Gates (Harvey S Gates).
17. United States Census, 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, sheet 368, Nathaniel Reed.
18. United States Census, 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, sheet 370, Stephen Reed.
19. United States Census, 1860, Concord, Essex, Vermont, p. 31, Harvey S Gates.
20. United States Census, 1870, Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire, p. 133, Harry S Gates (Harvey S Gates).
21. United States Census, 1880, Troy, Cheshire, New Hampshire, p. 249, Harvey S Gates.
22. Vermont, Vital Records (Marriage), 1834, Stephen H Reed and Polly H Hutchinson.
23. Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005, Essex, Concord, Births, Marriages, Deaths, Town Records 1784-1856 (image 247 of 514).
24. Gravestone Research by Elizabeth (Reed) Stevens, as Described on John Swett of Newbury Website.
25. Gravestone image for Stephen Reed from Grove Cemetery, Saint Johnsbury, Caledonia, Vermont, died July 1, 1854, 44 years, 1 month, 19 days.
26. Gravestone image for Polly L wife of Stephen Reed from Grove Cemetery, Saint Johnsbury, Caledonia, Vermont, died July 25, 1833, 26 years, 1 month, 25 days.
27. Gravestone image for Polly H wife of Stephen Reed from Grove Cemetery, Saint Johnsbury, Caledonia, Vermont, died February 29, 1872, 64 years, 11 months.
28. Vermont, Vital Records (Death), 1837, St. Johnsbury, Caledonia, Mary W Chickering.
The primary document pertaining to the identification of the first wife of Stephen Reed of Concord, VT is a Town Clerk record from Thornton, NH, which certifies that Stephen Reed of Concord, VT and Polly Boynton of Thornton, NH were published for marriage on October 4, 1832 (3). Furthermore, the set of records for the birth of Polly Boynton (4), her marriage to Stephen Reed (4,5), the birth of their only child Adaline in Concord on July 21, 1833 (5), and Polly’s subsequent death on July 25, 1833 (6) are internally consistent and provide a credible narrative. These records show that Polly gave birth in Concord about nine and one-half months after her marriage, and died soon after childbirth. The year of Polly’s birth, calculated from her age given at death as 1807 (6), is the same as the year of birth listed in the Boynton genealogy book. These and other records from the Boynton (4), Gates (5-8) and Reed (9) families each independently support major elements of the family relationships. Both Boynton and Gates family records document that Stephen Reed married Polly Boynton. The birth of their daughter Adaline Boynton Reed is listed in the Gates genealogy book, and the Probate Estate File for Nathaniel Reed of Concord, VT clearly identifies Adaline as his granddaughter.
U.S. Census records for NH and VT also support the above details and narrative. The 1810 and 1830 records for NH (10,11) are consistent with Polly Boynton being the child of Thomas Boynton and Lydia Davis of Thornton in Grafton County (4). The Census records for Grafton County in 1820 were lost, although Town Clerk records indicate that the Boynton family was still living in Thornton (12). The 1840 Census records for VT, which is the first Census after Polly’s death, are consistent with Adaline living with her Reed grandparents, Nathaniel and Susannah in Concord (13). This interpretation is supported by the Special Legacy that Adaline received in Nathaniel Reed’s Probate Estate. The 1850 Census, which occurred soon after Adaline’s marriage in Concord to Harvey S. Gates on July 27, 1850 (14-16), indicates that the couple was living in Concord, near Adaline’s grandparents (17) and her father (18). The 1860-1880 Census records for VT and NH document the move from Concord, VT to Keene and then to Troy, NH (19-21), and provide independent support for the names of Adaline’s seven children that are given in the Gates genealogy book. Their names were Albert C., Emma J., Bessie A., Flavilla E., Lillian G. (Genevieve), Mary G., and Harvey E. Gates. Various records from Troy, NH for Adaline, her husband, and her children also indicate that Adaline’s parents were Reed/Read and Boynton and that Adaline’s middle name was Boynton (8). Adaline died in Troy, NH on June 20, 1897. The middle name of a granddaughter, Helen, was Adaline.
That Stephen Reed married twice, first to Polly Boynton (3), and second to Polly Hutchinson (22,23) is also clear. Besides the vital records for both marriages, the index for the Town Clerk records from Concord, VT specifies that the marriage to Polly Hutchinson was Stephen’s second, and the Reed gravestones at Grove Cemetery in St. Johnsbury also indicate the sequence of Stephen’s marriages (24-27).
Aside from the error in the maiden name of Stephen Reed’s first wife as Chickering, the two Gazetteers support the above summary. For example, they correctly indicate that Stephen had two wives named Polly and that there was a single daughter from his first marriage. The name of this child as Adelaide is quite close to the actual name, and his second marriage was indeed to Polly Hutchinson. Vital records dated 1837 for Mary W. Chickering (28) from nearby St. Johnsbury, VT indicate that she died several years after Polly (Boynton) Reed. Both Pollys died in their late 20s as well. Possibly Polly W. Chickering also died as a consequence of childbirth and there was uncertainty, as recalled many years after the fact for the 1887 publication.
Note Added in Proof: A photo of Adaline's half-brother, Nathaniel G. Reed (1839-1925) and family, was found in the records of one of Adaline's children.
Sources
1. Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, VT. 1764-1887, by Hamilton Child, 1887, p. 6 & 229.
2. Successful Vermonters: A Modern Gazetteer of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties, by William Hartley Jeffrey, 1904, p. 135.
3. New Hampshire, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records 1636-1947, Grafton, Thornton, Town Records 1819-1834, vol. 2, p. 592 (image 299 of 398 in FHL record).
4. The Boynton Family, A Genealogy of the Descendants of William and John Boynton, Compiled by John Farnham Boynton and Caroline (Harriman) Boynton, 1897, p. 25.
5. Stephen Gates of Hingham and Lancaster Massachusetts and His Descendants, by Charles Otis Gates, 1898, p. 203 & p. 267.
6. Vermont Vital Records (Death), 1833, St. Johnsbury, Caledonia, Polly L Reed.
7. New Hampshire Death Records, 1897, Troy, Cheshire, Adaline B Gates.
8. Genealogy of Births, Marriages, Deaths in the Town of Troy, NH, Gay-Kimball Library.
9. Vermont Probate Files, 1859, Essex County Probate Estate Files, Nathaniel Reed.
10. United States Census, 1810, Thornton, Grafton, New Hampshire, p. 469, Thomas Baynton (Boynton).
11. United States Census, 1830, Thornton, Grafton, New Hampshire, p. 28, Thomas Boynton.
12. New Hampshire, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records 1636-1947, Grafton, Thornton, Town Records 1819-1834, vol. 2, p. 242 (image 122 of 398).
13. United States Census, 1840, Concord, Essex, Vermont, p. 164, Nathl Reed.
14. United States Census, 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, sheet 368, Adaline B Gates in household of Warner Williams.
15. Vermont, Vital Records (Birth), 1827, St. Johnsbury, Caledonia, Harvey Strong Gates.
16. Vermont, Vital Records (Marriage), 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, Harvey T Gates (Harvey S Gates).
17. United States Census, 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, sheet 368, Nathaniel Reed.
18. United States Census, 1850, Concord, Essex, Vermont, sheet 370, Stephen Reed.
19. United States Census, 1860, Concord, Essex, Vermont, p. 31, Harvey S Gates.
20. United States Census, 1870, Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire, p. 133, Harry S Gates (Harvey S Gates).
21. United States Census, 1880, Troy, Cheshire, New Hampshire, p. 249, Harvey S Gates.
22. Vermont, Vital Records (Marriage), 1834, Stephen H Reed and Polly H Hutchinson.
23. Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005, Essex, Concord, Births, Marriages, Deaths, Town Records 1784-1856 (image 247 of 514).
24. Gravestone Research by Elizabeth (Reed) Stevens, as Described on John Swett of Newbury Website.
25. Gravestone image for Stephen Reed from Grove Cemetery, Saint Johnsbury, Caledonia, Vermont, died July 1, 1854, 44 years, 1 month, 19 days.
26. Gravestone image for Polly L wife of Stephen Reed from Grove Cemetery, Saint Johnsbury, Caledonia, Vermont, died July 25, 1833, 26 years, 1 month, 25 days.
27. Gravestone image for Polly H wife of Stephen Reed from Grove Cemetery, Saint Johnsbury, Caledonia, Vermont, died February 29, 1872, 64 years, 11 months.
28. Vermont, Vital Records (Death), 1837, St. Johnsbury, Caledonia, Mary W Chickering.
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