Joseph Neree Balestier was my 3rd great grandfather. He was born in Martinique, West Indies in 1814. His mother passed away soon after from childbirth, he was placed in the care of his father who passed away when Joseph was 6. Eventually he was sent to the United States, with his 2 brothers and sister, to be raised by his older brother Joseph Balestier, (who was a planter and merchant and was the first United States Consul in Rhiau and Singapore)and his wife Maria Revere Balestier, daughter of Paul Revere and Rachel Walker of Boston, Massachusetts.
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He was a graduate of Columbia Law School in New York City. Soon after graduation he headed for Chicago to start his law practice. While in Chicago he also wrote for the Chicago American which was the daily Whig paper at the time. During the year 1836 he met his wife Caroline Starr Wolcott, daughter of Dr Henry and Mary Almira Starr Wolcott of Connecticut. After a year of courtship they were married in 1837. They remained in Chicago till 1842, where he moved his wife and two sons back to New York City.
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While in New York Joseph connected with an old friend he knew from his college days and they started a law firm together, Balestier & Lane, where he was the senior partner until 1868.
After retiring from law he and his wife Caroline moved to Battleboro, Vermont to their summer home named "Beechwood"
His granddaughter was Caroline Starr "Carrie" Balestier Kipling
Who was married to Rudyard Kipling
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Joseph had 3 brothers and 1 sister:
Maria Theresa Balestier: 1804 - ?
Augustus Balestier: 1812 - ?
Joseph Neree Balestier had 5 children:
Robert Starr Balestier 1838-1903
Henry Wolcott Balestier 1840-1870
John Augustus Balestier 1842-1912
Joseph Neree Balestier Jr. 1845-1909
Caroline Wolcott Balestier 1852-1855
His birth record has birth in Mullineque West India
[Note: Transcribed in error on location of birth. Should be Martinique,
West Indies]
Source Citation for Vermont, Vital Records, 1720-1908
Name Joseph N Balestier
Gender Male
Birth Date abt 1814
Birth Place Martinique, West Indies
Death Date 15 Sep 1888
Death Place Brattleboro, Vermont, USA
Death Age 74
NOTE*
Through DNA research "no" Spanish dna was found in the male direct descendants or female direct descendants DNA
On a document that I sent for through the United States National Archieves. Joseph Ner'ee Balestier was born in the Guadeloupe Islands, which includes Martinique. Most of his records have Martinique, West Indies as his place of birth. In our family tree book, which was published in 1949 by a reputable genealogist named Gordon Ireland, who was a member of the New England Genealogical Society. Only 100 copies were made, mine is #64. Each family head member received a copy, including several Universites distributed across the United States. Most of the information about the Balestier's is from the family tree book. There is no mentioning, which states in the book that Joseph Ner'ee Balestier ever graduated from Columbia University, no document or any listing has Joseph Nee're attending Columbia University, however he did start a law practice in Chicago as well as New York City, as far as having a degree from Columbia University, nobody knows.
My maternal grandmother, Ruth Starr Balestier, was Joseph Ner'ee Balestier's great granddaughter, her story always was that Joseph Neree Balestier was shyster. Whether he was a shyster or not, we will never know.
Joseph Neree Balestier was my 3rd great grandfather. He was born in Martinique, West Indies in 1814. His mother passed away soon after from childbirth, he was placed in the care of his father who passed away when Joseph was 6. Eventually he was sent to the United States, with his 2 brothers and sister, to be raised by his older brother Joseph Balestier, (who was a planter and merchant and was the first United States Consul in Rhiau and Singapore)and his wife Maria Revere Balestier, daughter of Paul Revere and Rachel Walker of Boston, Massachusetts.
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He was a graduate of Columbia Law School in New York City. Soon after graduation he headed for Chicago to start his law practice. While in Chicago he also wrote for the Chicago American which was the daily Whig paper at the time. During the year 1836 he met his wife Caroline Starr Wolcott, daughter of Dr Henry and Mary Almira Starr Wolcott of Connecticut. After a year of courtship they were married in 1837. They remained in Chicago till 1842, where he moved his wife and two sons back to New York City.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While in New York Joseph connected with an old friend he knew from his college days and they started a law firm together, Balestier & Lane, where he was the senior partner until 1868.
After retiring from law he and his wife Caroline moved to Battleboro, Vermont to their summer home named "Beechwood"
His granddaughter was Caroline Starr "Carrie" Balestier Kipling
Who was married to Rudyard Kipling
_________________________________________________________________
Joseph had 3 brothers and 1 sister:
Maria Theresa Balestier: 1804 - ?
Augustus Balestier: 1812 - ?
Joseph Neree Balestier had 5 children:
Robert Starr Balestier 1838-1903
Henry Wolcott Balestier 1840-1870
John Augustus Balestier 1842-1912
Joseph Neree Balestier Jr. 1845-1909
Caroline Wolcott Balestier 1852-1855
His birth record has birth in Mullineque West India
[Note: Transcribed in error on location of birth. Should be Martinique,
West Indies]
Source Citation for Vermont, Vital Records, 1720-1908
Name Joseph N Balestier
Gender Male
Birth Date abt 1814
Birth Place Martinique, West Indies
Death Date 15 Sep 1888
Death Place Brattleboro, Vermont, USA
Death Age 74
NOTE*
Through DNA research "no" Spanish dna was found in the male direct descendants or female direct descendants DNA
On a document that I sent for through the United States National Archieves. Joseph Ner'ee Balestier was born in the Guadeloupe Islands, which includes Martinique. Most of his records have Martinique, West Indies as his place of birth. In our family tree book, which was published in 1949 by a reputable genealogist named Gordon Ireland, who was a member of the New England Genealogical Society. Only 100 copies were made, mine is #64. Each family head member received a copy, including several Universites distributed across the United States. Most of the information about the Balestier's is from the family tree book. There is no mentioning, which states in the book that Joseph Ner'ee Balestier ever graduated from Columbia University, no document or any listing has Joseph Nee're attending Columbia University, however he did start a law practice in Chicago as well as New York City, as far as having a degree from Columbia University, nobody knows.
My maternal grandmother, Ruth Starr Balestier, was Joseph Ner'ee Balestier's great granddaughter, her story always was that Joseph Neree Balestier was shyster. Whether he was a shyster or not, we will never know.
Bio by: Patricia
