Preview to her biography:
After researching Almira for over 40 years, I have sympathy for her in that she came from a well to do family, was not accustomed to frontier life and married an ambitious war veteran, ten years her senior who had been on his own for many years. He had been hardened, physically, by the need to survive. Elias' children saw him as brave and gentle, always providing well for them. Almira had 8 babies in 14 years, suffering the loss of 2 daughters. Perhaps the emotional stress of losing children to death and the harshness of frontier life was too great for her to bear. No one knows if she had miscarriages in between the live births. My great great grandfather, George Washington Adams, was the last born before the divorce, the other children being under 13 years old.
When the family reached Utah, a secret was kept, about the divorce and their last child, Sylvester - every generation afterward, believing Almira had died before Elias married a second time in 1837. Times were hard, Almira could have had depression, Elias being away, working hard to build up his brick making business and other pressures of caring for their land on the frontier.
He and Belinda made a wonderful life in the West; she was a loving mother to his earlier children and their own, all of them feeling like full siblings. Almira, and her three dead children, were forgotten for over 170 years......
No gravestone remains for Almira nor her last son, Sylvester.
She was a daughter and first child of Elizabeth Barker and Abijah Cadwell.
Almira's mother was the daughter of Jane Goddard and William Barker. Elizabeth Barker married Almira's father, son of Elizabeth Hubbard and Matthew Sr. Cadwell, March 20, 1800, at Marlborough, Cheshire, New Hampshire. Elizabeth was Abijah's 2nd wife.
They moved to Fair Haven, Vermont where Almira (often misspelled "Elmira") was born about 1801 and her brother, Curtis, was born 28 May 1803. Later another brother, Solomon, was born about 1805 and a sister, Eunice in 1807.
Almira has been "assigned" various birth dates between 1801 and 1802 and locations such as Madison Co., Illinois and even Marlborough, Cheshire, Massachusetts, where her mother resided at the time of marriage to Abijah. However, Abajiah was residing near his brother, George at Fair Haven, Vermont and since Curtis Cadwell always maintained the children were born in Vermont, Fair Haven was the family home.
The younger sister, Eunice, was named for her father's first wife, who had died, along with their first child; the two buried earlier at the Old Wintonbury Cemetery, in Wintonbury Parish, Windsor Township, which is now Bloomfield, Hartford, Connecticut.
About 1810, Almira's family is found on the U.S. Census of Boyle Township, Ontario County, New York, which later became part of Rochester City, New York.
By 1820, her family had joined their father's brother, Dr. George Cadwell, on the Cadwell farm at Six Mile Prairie, Madison County, Illinois.
Almira married Elias Adams here in March 1822. Their license # 381 was dated 4 March. They then established their own home and farm east of the Cadwell farm, and south of what would become Quincy, Adams County, Illinois. (see Elias Adams' biography).
Almira was the mother of Mary Ann Adams, 1824-1852; Selecta Adams, 1826-1826; Rufus Adams, 1828-1876 (unmarried); Lizetta Adams 1830-1841; John Quincy Adams, 1832-1910 (md. Ellen Dolan); Anna Maria Adams, 1834-1929 [md.(1) Issac Monroe Shepard, md.(2) Albro Starkweather]; George Washington Adams, 1836-1903 (md. Mary Ann Pilling); and Sylvester Cadwell Adams, 1837-1842.
Almira and Elias were divorced in 1836, prior to the birth of her last child, Sylvester. She lived with this son and her father until Sylvester's death in 1842, and Abijah Cadwell's death in 1845. Her other living children remained with her husband, Elias.
The first "Deseret Territorial Census" was added to the U.S. Census of 1850, which shows Almira living in Adams County "Poor House". Family tradition recounts the reason for her divorce and losing custody of her children as excessive severity in treatment of them. Court records also relate this charge and also show she refused summons from the court on several occasions.
One wonders if the stress of losing children to death and the harshness of frontier life was more than some individuals could emotionally survive. Post partum depression was not commonly diagnosed during this period and few had access to emotional support.
Almira died sometime after 1 November 1850 and was buried near her father, her son, Sylvester and her brother, Curtis.
After researching Almira for over 40 years, I have sympathy for her in that she came from a well to do family, was not accustomed to frontier life and married an ambitious war veteran, ten years her senior who had been on his own for many years. He had been hardened, physically, by the need to survive. Elias' children saw him as brave and gentle, always providing well for them. Almira had 8 babies in 14 years, suffering the loss of 2 daughters. Perhaps the emotional stress of losing children to death and the harshness of frontier life was too great for her to bear. No one knows if she had miscarriages in between the live births. My great great grandfather, George Washington Adams, was the last born before the divorce, the other children being under 13 years old.
When the family reached Utah, a secret was kept, about the divorce and their last child, Sylvester - every generation afterward, believing Almira had died before Elias married a second time in 1837. Times were hard, Almira could have had depression, Elias being away, working hard to build up his brick making business and other pressures of caring for their land on the frontier.
He and Belinda made a wonderful life in the West; she was a loving mother to his earlier children and their own, all of them feeling like full siblings. Almira, and her three dead children, were forgotten for over 170 years......
No gravestone remains for Almira nor her last son, Sylvester.
She was a daughter and first child of Elizabeth Barker and Abijah Cadwell.
Almira's mother was the daughter of Jane Goddard and William Barker. Elizabeth Barker married Almira's father, son of Elizabeth Hubbard and Matthew Sr. Cadwell, March 20, 1800, at Marlborough, Cheshire, New Hampshire. Elizabeth was Abijah's 2nd wife.
They moved to Fair Haven, Vermont where Almira (often misspelled "Elmira") was born about 1801 and her brother, Curtis, was born 28 May 1803. Later another brother, Solomon, was born about 1805 and a sister, Eunice in 1807.
Almira has been "assigned" various birth dates between 1801 and 1802 and locations such as Madison Co., Illinois and even Marlborough, Cheshire, Massachusetts, where her mother resided at the time of marriage to Abijah. However, Abajiah was residing near his brother, George at Fair Haven, Vermont and since Curtis Cadwell always maintained the children were born in Vermont, Fair Haven was the family home.
The younger sister, Eunice, was named for her father's first wife, who had died, along with their first child; the two buried earlier at the Old Wintonbury Cemetery, in Wintonbury Parish, Windsor Township, which is now Bloomfield, Hartford, Connecticut.
About 1810, Almira's family is found on the U.S. Census of Boyle Township, Ontario County, New York, which later became part of Rochester City, New York.
By 1820, her family had joined their father's brother, Dr. George Cadwell, on the Cadwell farm at Six Mile Prairie, Madison County, Illinois.
Almira married Elias Adams here in March 1822. Their license # 381 was dated 4 March. They then established their own home and farm east of the Cadwell farm, and south of what would become Quincy, Adams County, Illinois. (see Elias Adams' biography).
Almira was the mother of Mary Ann Adams, 1824-1852; Selecta Adams, 1826-1826; Rufus Adams, 1828-1876 (unmarried); Lizetta Adams 1830-1841; John Quincy Adams, 1832-1910 (md. Ellen Dolan); Anna Maria Adams, 1834-1929 [md.(1) Issac Monroe Shepard, md.(2) Albro Starkweather]; George Washington Adams, 1836-1903 (md. Mary Ann Pilling); and Sylvester Cadwell Adams, 1837-1842.
Almira and Elias were divorced in 1836, prior to the birth of her last child, Sylvester. She lived with this son and her father until Sylvester's death in 1842, and Abijah Cadwell's death in 1845. Her other living children remained with her husband, Elias.
The first "Deseret Territorial Census" was added to the U.S. Census of 1850, which shows Almira living in Adams County "Poor House". Family tradition recounts the reason for her divorce and losing custody of her children as excessive severity in treatment of them. Court records also relate this charge and also show she refused summons from the court on several occasions.
One wonders if the stress of losing children to death and the harshness of frontier life was more than some individuals could emotionally survive. Post partum depression was not commonly diagnosed during this period and few had access to emotional support.
Almira died sometime after 1 November 1850 and was buried near her father, her son, Sylvester and her brother, Curtis.
Preview to her biography:
After researching Almira for over 40 years, I have sympathy for her in that she came from a well to do family, was not accustomed to frontier life and married an ambitious war veteran, ten years her senior who had been on his own for many years. He had been hardened, physically, by the need to survive. Elias' children saw him as brave and gentle, always providing well for them. Almira had 8 babies in 14 years, suffering the loss of 2 daughters. Perhaps the emotional stress of losing children to death and the harshness of frontier life was too great for her to bear. No one knows if she had miscarriages in between the live births. My great great grandfather, George Washington Adams, was the last born before the divorce, the other children being under 13 years old.
When the family reached Utah, a secret was kept, about the divorce and their last child, Sylvester - every generation afterward, believing Almira had died before Elias married a second time in 1837. Times were hard, Almira could have had depression, Elias being away, working hard to build up his brick making business and other pressures of caring for their land on the frontier.
He and Belinda made a wonderful life in the West; she was a loving mother to his earlier children and their own, all of them feeling like full siblings. Almira, and her three dead children, were forgotten for over 170 years......
No gravestone remains for Almira nor her last son, Sylvester.
She was a daughter and first child of Elizabeth Barker and Abijah Cadwell.
Almira's mother was the daughter of Jane Goddard and William Barker. Elizabeth Barker married Almira's father, son of Elizabeth Hubbard and Matthew Sr. Cadwell, March 20, 1800, at Marlborough, Cheshire, New Hampshire. Elizabeth was Abijah's 2nd wife.
They moved to Fair Haven, Vermont where Almira (often misspelled "Elmira") was born about 1801 and her brother, Curtis, was born 28 May 1803. Later another brother, Solomon, was born about 1805 and a sister, Eunice in 1807.
Almira has been "assigned" various birth dates between 1801 and 1802 and locations such as Madison Co., Illinois and even Marlborough, Cheshire, Massachusetts, where her mother resided at the time of marriage to Abijah. However, Abajiah was residing near his brother, George at Fair Haven, Vermont and since Curtis Cadwell always maintained the children were born in Vermont, Fair Haven was the family home.
The younger sister, Eunice, was named for her father's first wife, who had died, along with their first child; the two buried earlier at the Old Wintonbury Cemetery, in Wintonbury Parish, Windsor Township, which is now Bloomfield, Hartford, Connecticut.
About 1810, Almira's family is found on the U.S. Census of Boyle Township, Ontario County, New York, which later became part of Rochester City, New York.
By 1820, her family had joined their father's brother, Dr. George Cadwell, on the Cadwell farm at Six Mile Prairie, Madison County, Illinois.
Almira married Elias Adams here in March 1822. Their license # 381 was dated 4 March. They then established their own home and farm east of the Cadwell farm, and south of what would become Quincy, Adams County, Illinois. (see Elias Adams' biography).
Almira was the mother of Mary Ann Adams, 1824-1852; Selecta Adams, 1826-1826; Rufus Adams, 1828-1876 (unmarried); Lizetta Adams 1830-1841; John Quincy Adams, 1832-1910 (md. Ellen Dolan); Anna Maria Adams, 1834-1929 [md.(1) Issac Monroe Shepard, md.(2) Albro Starkweather]; George Washington Adams, 1836-1903 (md. Mary Ann Pilling); and Sylvester Cadwell Adams, 1837-1842.
Almira and Elias were divorced in 1836, prior to the birth of her last child, Sylvester. She lived with this son and her father until Sylvester's death in 1842, and Abijah Cadwell's death in 1845. Her other living children remained with her husband, Elias.
The first "Deseret Territorial Census" was added to the U.S. Census of 1850, which shows Almira living in Adams County "Poor House". Family tradition recounts the reason for her divorce and losing custody of her children as excessive severity in treatment of them. Court records also relate this charge and also show she refused summons from the court on several occasions.
One wonders if the stress of losing children to death and the harshness of frontier life was more than some individuals could emotionally survive. Post partum depression was not commonly diagnosed during this period and few had access to emotional support.
Almira died sometime after 1 November 1850 and was buried near her father, her son, Sylvester and her brother, Curtis.
After researching Almira for over 40 years, I have sympathy for her in that she came from a well to do family, was not accustomed to frontier life and married an ambitious war veteran, ten years her senior who had been on his own for many years. He had been hardened, physically, by the need to survive. Elias' children saw him as brave and gentle, always providing well for them. Almira had 8 babies in 14 years, suffering the loss of 2 daughters. Perhaps the emotional stress of losing children to death and the harshness of frontier life was too great for her to bear. No one knows if she had miscarriages in between the live births. My great great grandfather, George Washington Adams, was the last born before the divorce, the other children being under 13 years old.
When the family reached Utah, a secret was kept, about the divorce and their last child, Sylvester - every generation afterward, believing Almira had died before Elias married a second time in 1837. Times were hard, Almira could have had depression, Elias being away, working hard to build up his brick making business and other pressures of caring for their land on the frontier.
He and Belinda made a wonderful life in the West; she was a loving mother to his earlier children and their own, all of them feeling like full siblings. Almira, and her three dead children, were forgotten for over 170 years......
No gravestone remains for Almira nor her last son, Sylvester.
She was a daughter and first child of Elizabeth Barker and Abijah Cadwell.
Almira's mother was the daughter of Jane Goddard and William Barker. Elizabeth Barker married Almira's father, son of Elizabeth Hubbard and Matthew Sr. Cadwell, March 20, 1800, at Marlborough, Cheshire, New Hampshire. Elizabeth was Abijah's 2nd wife.
They moved to Fair Haven, Vermont where Almira (often misspelled "Elmira") was born about 1801 and her brother, Curtis, was born 28 May 1803. Later another brother, Solomon, was born about 1805 and a sister, Eunice in 1807.
Almira has been "assigned" various birth dates between 1801 and 1802 and locations such as Madison Co., Illinois and even Marlborough, Cheshire, Massachusetts, where her mother resided at the time of marriage to Abijah. However, Abajiah was residing near his brother, George at Fair Haven, Vermont and since Curtis Cadwell always maintained the children were born in Vermont, Fair Haven was the family home.
The younger sister, Eunice, was named for her father's first wife, who had died, along with their first child; the two buried earlier at the Old Wintonbury Cemetery, in Wintonbury Parish, Windsor Township, which is now Bloomfield, Hartford, Connecticut.
About 1810, Almira's family is found on the U.S. Census of Boyle Township, Ontario County, New York, which later became part of Rochester City, New York.
By 1820, her family had joined their father's brother, Dr. George Cadwell, on the Cadwell farm at Six Mile Prairie, Madison County, Illinois.
Almira married Elias Adams here in March 1822. Their license # 381 was dated 4 March. They then established their own home and farm east of the Cadwell farm, and south of what would become Quincy, Adams County, Illinois. (see Elias Adams' biography).
Almira was the mother of Mary Ann Adams, 1824-1852; Selecta Adams, 1826-1826; Rufus Adams, 1828-1876 (unmarried); Lizetta Adams 1830-1841; John Quincy Adams, 1832-1910 (md. Ellen Dolan); Anna Maria Adams, 1834-1929 [md.(1) Issac Monroe Shepard, md.(2) Albro Starkweather]; George Washington Adams, 1836-1903 (md. Mary Ann Pilling); and Sylvester Cadwell Adams, 1837-1842.
Almira and Elias were divorced in 1836, prior to the birth of her last child, Sylvester. She lived with this son and her father until Sylvester's death in 1842, and Abijah Cadwell's death in 1845. Her other living children remained with her husband, Elias.
The first "Deseret Territorial Census" was added to the U.S. Census of 1850, which shows Almira living in Adams County "Poor House". Family tradition recounts the reason for her divorce and losing custody of her children as excessive severity in treatment of them. Court records also relate this charge and also show she refused summons from the court on several occasions.
One wonders if the stress of losing children to death and the harshness of frontier life was more than some individuals could emotionally survive. Post partum depression was not commonly diagnosed during this period and few had access to emotional support.
Almira died sometime after 1 November 1850 and was buried near her father, her son, Sylvester and her brother, Curtis.
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