Well-- Monday Madness seems to be my favorite theme, as I've gotten more frustrated in finding documents. And even when I think I have finally found something, a problem always occurs...
This time, it's getting 4 letters from the DAR in my attempt to connect to additional American Revolutionary soldiers. All four letters concern the same lineage tie, from Mary Ann Wadsworth Petty to her father Ariel. Now, at least 2 others have connected to these patriot men through Ariel and his wife only about 10 years ago, so I figured should be easy, right?!
Nope. The Bible record which was used then is no longer considered acceptable.... sigh.... I need to write up this one man going through all I know, to see if anyone can think of records I might have missed... I'm afraid it will be long and boring but here goes...
It all starts with the proverbial "black sheep" of the family. I'm not sure if this guy was born with wanderlust, gave up easily, or was just a weird guy, but he has consumed many almost uncountable research hours over the last 40 years, so it's only fitting that I document his story, or as much of it as I have discovered, although it will take several posts to cover it all...
Ariel ( also found as Arel, Biel, and even Royal-- try ah Rah' all in a Boston accent) B. ( we all believe stands for Brace, his mother's maiden name) Wadsworth was born in Hartford CT on 19 April 1791., the 11th ? child and 8th? son of James Wadsworth ( a Minuteman answering the alarm at Lexington and Concord!!!) and his wife Mary Brace. The birth is shown in at least one Bible Record in the Connecticut State Library.....
He's baptized in Hartford CT on 14 July 1800 (age 9) along with 4 siblings, an older adult brother Rodney, a brother William, and sisters Katey and Anna Cadwell Wadsworth. He's listed as Ariel Brace in the minister's book, so that's our official naming point He is always Ariel Brace or Ariel B. from here on..
Viets, Roger,. Records of Rev. Roger Viets, rector of St. Andrew's, Simsbury, Conn. : and missionary from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, 1763-1800. Hartford: Press of the Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., 1893. p. 48
His next record appears in 1809 (age 18) where he appears in the Records of the church in Bolton, CT [in the NEHGS Register 1900 , vol 54 p 85] getting married :
1809 May 15 Ariel Wadsworth Susanna Skinner
The birth of their son Ariel S(kinner) Wadsworth is not recorded in any Barbour or church records (Hartford or Bolton). The next records are from both Bolton, CT church records and cemetery inscriptions:
NEHGS Register 1902 vol 56, p 350
1810 Decemr10 Susanna wife of Ariel Wadsworth 18
NEHGS Register 1929 vol 83 p. 104
Susannah, consort of Ariel Wadsworth died December 11, 1810 in her 19th year. [note one day discrepancy]
He does not show as a head of household in the 1810 census anywhere.
So before he's 21, he's married, had a son, and lost his wife leaving him with an infant son.. This is where things start getting a little dicey....
He marries our ancestress, Roxey Rouse Robinson... but not recorded anywhere in official records that we've been able to find. After all, he needs someone to take care of the baby!
Roxey was born in Windham, CT, a town 18 miles to the east of Bolton (Google maps), and she's about 9 years older than Ariel (b. 27 July 1782- Barbour Records, Windham, p. 215) in her late 20s, so a real spinster.... The date of the wedding that we have found ( more about that Bible record later!) is May 1811, no place known...
The children have given their birthplace in the later censuses usually as Massachusetts, although once CT is listed. The family tale that has passed down was that CT was conscripting for the war of 1812, and Ariel didn't want to serve, so they moved to Massachusetts.... His occupation of farmer and waggoner [early 19th century version 18 wheel trucker!!!!] meant he did do a little traveling. He had 4 daughters with Roxcy. He doesn't show up on the 1820 census anywhere as head of household....
The birth years of the daughters are 1813 ( Roxcy married John Dort), 1815 (Mary Ann, married Rev. Zenas T. Petty), 1818 (Susanna married Abram Sanford) and 1821 (Elizabeth, married George Reynolds).
He first shows up in the census as head of household in 1830 in Belfast, Allegany Co NY, quite a distance away from Hartford, Bolton and ??? Massachusetts!
A deceased cousin from Alabama had the book in which Roxcy wrote her receipts and notes. I believe that is where I first saw the birth dates of the daughters. But my thermal copies from 1980 have long since disintegrated, and I am trying to locate her by now married daughters to see if they still have the book. The most interesting item in the book was a page on which Roxcy had a date in 1835 where she wrote "Ariel B runaway and left me". Another date in 1836 follows with "I left the farm". That date corresponds with the sheriff's sale of the property I located in the Allegany Co deed books.She also had listed a visit by Ariel S. Wadsworth, her stepson. [He has his own interesting saga!]
That is a good place to end the first part of Ariel's saga, although it contains the most mysteries, it's not by far the weirdest,.... stayed tuned for Terrible Tuesday's chapter!
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