Asahel’s genealogy appears in “The History of Yates County, New York”. When I compared this information with my family tree, I noticed some discrepancies. The author mentioned Asahel’s second wife, Polly, but not his first wife, Sarah. He also used the name Asahel instead of Chauncey when referring to Asahel’s son.

Asahel Adams

Born: 7 OCT 1764 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA

Father: Timothy Adams (1742 to 1834)
Mother: Susannah Adams (1742 to 1843)

First Spouse: Sarah Herrick (1758 to 1797)

Married: 1787 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA

The marriage year is an estimate based on the birth of their first child. There is no entry in the Barbour Collection of Connecticut for their marriage. Could they have eloped?

Children:

Betsey Adams (21 FEB 1789 to 15 OCT 1879)
Chauncey Adams (4 JUL 1792 to 4 SEP 1884)
John Adams (3 OCT 1793 to 9 AUG 1858)
Alta Adams (17 MAY 1795 to 31 JAN 1835)

Second Spouse: Polly Lowell (1771 to 1857)

Married: 29 DEC 1799 in Pawlet, Rutland County, Vermont, USA

Children:

Cyrus Adams (12 AUG 1801 to 13 SEP 1885)
Polly L Adams (9 FEB 1803 to 7 SEP 1872)
Sally Adams (31 DEC 1804 to 2 DEC 1881)
Asa P Adams (1808 to 1867)
Lovel L Adams (22 SEP 1809 to 26 FEB 1868)
Cynthia Adams (1814 to 1 JAN 1887)

Died: 28 NOV 1844 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA

Burial: Overackers Cemetery

Timeline:

1787 Marriage to Sarah
1789 Birth of daughter, Betsey
1790 Pawlet, Rutland County, Vermont, USA
1792 Birth of son, Chauncey
1793 Birth of son, John
1795 Birth of daughter, Alta
1797 Death of wife, Sarah
1799 Marriage to Polly
1800 Pawlet, Rutland County, Vermont, USA
1801 Birth of son, Cyrus
1803 Birth of daughter, Polly
1804 Birth of daughter, Sally
1808 Birth of son, Asa
1809 Birth of son, Lovel
1810 Middlesex, Ontario County, New York, USA
1814 Birth of daughter, Cynthia
1820 Livonia, Ontario County, New York, USA
1830 Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA
1834 Death of father, Timothy
1836 Death of daughter, Alta
1839 Death of brother, Isaac
1843 Death of mother, Susannah
1844 Death and Burial

Occupation: unknown

Records:

1790 to 1830 US Federal Census Records
Connecticut Town Birth Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection)
Vermont, U.S., Vital Records, 1720-1908
History and Directory of Yates County
The U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current

Variations of Surname: none

Asahel’s genealogy appears in the publication entitled “History and Directory of Yates County“, Volume 1, Pages 610 to 612. You can view this book on the Internet Archives website.

The “History and Directory of Yates County” was published in 1873 which was 29 years after Asahel died. The author must have interviewed Chauncey, Cyrus, or one of his grandchildren for this biography.

As people age, memories get hazy. Family folklore gets retold through the generations. At some point, these stories get embellished or altered in their retelling. It is like the children’s game called “telephone“. By the time you get to the end of the line, the message has changed.

I mention this because there are also Find A Grave memorials for Asahel, his two wives, and nine of his children. When I compared the information in the article to these memorials, there were a few discrepancies.

In the first paragraph, the author mentioned Asahel’s second wife, Polly, but not his first wife, Sarah. On the last page, he used the name Asahel instead of Chauncey when referring to Asahel’s son.

The author stated that Asahel moved from Vermont to New York in 1806. This coincides with the entries in the 1800 and 1810 US Census records.

There are birth records for Betsey, Chauncey, John, and Alta. These documents listed their mother as Sarah. You can view these records in Ancestry.com’s database “Vermont, U.S., Vital Records, 1720-1908”.

There may be other items in the above article that are not accurate. That is why it is important to confirm the information contained in historical publications. The authors can only use the data that was relayed to them.

Asahel’s First Wife:

Sarah Herrick:

Sarah was born on 21 AUG 1758 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. She died on 12 MAR 1797 in Pawlet, Rutland County, Vermont, USA. Sarah was 38 years old when she died.

Sarah’s father was John Herrick. He was born on 10 MAR 1729 in Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA. He died on 24 NOV 1794 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA.

Sarah’s mother was Sarah Smith. She was born in 1738 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. I do not know when she died.

Sarah had one sister and one brother:

Mehetabel Herrick (1756)
Asael Herrick (1761)

Asahel and Sarah’s Daughters:

Betsey Adams:

Betsey was born on 21 FEB 1789 in Pawlet, Rutland County, Vermont, USA. She died on 15 OCT 1879 in Bethel, Branch County, Michigan, USA.

Betsey married Isaac Adams on 10 JUN 1810 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA. Ten known children were born during their marriage.

Phoebe Adams (1811)
Susan Adams (1813 to 1815)
Andrew Sutherland Adams (1815)
John Wesley Adams (1817)
Alta Adams (1821)
Eliza Adams (1823)
Jane Adams (1825)
Chester Adams (1827)
Lydia Adams (1829)
Lavina Adams (1832)

Isaac Adams was born on 16 SEP 1788 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA. He died on 1 JUN 1862 in Ovid, Branch County, Michigan, USA.

Betsey and Isaac were first cousins, once removed. Their common ancestor was Isaac Adams (1696 to 1757). He was Betsey’s paternal great-grandfather and Isaac’s paternal grandfather.

Alta Adams:

Alta was born on 17 MAY 1795 in Pawlet, Rutland County, Vermont, USA. She died on 31 JAN 1835 in Clay County, Missouri, USA. Alta was 39 years old when she died.

Alta married Solomon Hancock on 12 MAR 1815 in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, USA.

Solomon Hancock was born on 14 AUG 1793 in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, USA. He died on 2 DEC 1847 near Winter Quarters, Florence, Douglas County, Nebraska, USA.

There is a biography of Solomon on the Find A Grave website. In 1830, he converted to the religion called LDS or Latter Day Saints. Solomon was ordained a high priest on 4 JUN 1831 in Geauga County, Ohio, USA.

Ten known children were born during their marriage. The two oldest children were born in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, USA. The next seven children were born in Ohio, USA. The youngest child was born in Cass County, Missouri, USA.

Lucina Hancock (1817 to 1818)
Rufus Hancock (1819 to 1819)
Eliza Hancock (1820 to 1848)
Joseph Hancock (1822)
Charles Brent Hancock (1823)
George Washington Hancock (1826)
Asael Hancock (1828 to 1832)
Cyrus Hancock (1830 to 1832)
Nephi Hancock (1832 to 1832)
Ameren Hancock (1833 to 1834)

Did You Notice?

Six of Solomon and Alta’s ten children did not survive to adulthood. The Find A Grave memorial for Alta shows that Asael and Cyrus died of Cholera. Ameren died of exposure.

After Alta died, Solomon married her niece, Phoebe Adams, on 30 JUN 1836 in Canaan, Wayne County, Ohio, USA. Five known children were born during their marriage. The oldest child was born in Missouri, USA. The other four children were born in Illinois, USA.

Isaac Adams Hancock (1838)
Alta Hancock (1840)
Solomon Hancock (1842)
Elijah Hancock (1844)
Jacob Hancock (1846)

Phoebe Adams was born on 7 JUN 1811 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA. She died on 4 FEB 1897 in Payson, Utah County, Utah, USA.

Phoebe was the daughter of Alta’s sister, Betsey Adams. There is a Find A Grave memorial that contains her biography.

The person who created this memorial transcribed Phoebe’s biography from a historical publication. The book is entitled “A Short Sketch of the Hancock and Adams Families“. It was written by Alta’s son, Charles Brent Hancock. You can view this book on the Family Search website.

The last sentence on Page 22 begins with the words “A short sketch of the life of Solomon Hancock . . .” This is actually the start of Charles’ autobiography. He very concisely narrates events that occurred throughout his life.

Have you read the history of the Latter-Day Saints? Did you ever wonder why they settled in Utah? The Mormons suffered religious prosecution. In the 1830s and 1840s, they were expelled from Illinois and Missouri for their religious beliefs.

Charles Brent Hancock had first-hand knowledge and witnessed much of this anti-Mormon antagonism. You will get a better understanding of what the Mormons endured when you read his book.

Asahel’s Second Wife:

Polly Lowell:

Polly was born on 7 NOV 1771 in Mason, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, USA. She died on 31 MAR 1857 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA.

Polly’s birth record listed her father as David Lowell and her mother as Phoebe. David Lowell was born on 8 JUN 1746 in New Ipswich, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, USA. I do not know when he died. I could find no information on Polly’s mother.

Asahel and Polly’s Daughters:

Polly L Adams:

Polly was born on 9 FEB 1803 in Pawlet, Rutland County, Vermont, USA. She died on 7 SEP 1872 in Plainfield, Livingston County, Michigan, USA.

Polly married Chauncey Curtiss in 1822 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA. Ten known children were born during their marriage. The nine oldest children were born in Brooklyn, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. The youngest child was born in Canandaigua, Ontario, New York, USA.

Thomas Adams Curtiss (1823)
Mariette Curtiss (1825)
George Searles Curtiss (1827)
Charlotte Ann Curtiss (1830)
Charles Henry Curtiss (1833)
John Lovell Curtiss (1835)
Jane Curtiss (1838)
James Alexander Curtiss (1842)
Sarah Curtiss (1844)
Olive Curtiss (1847)

Chauncey Curtiss was born on 26 SEP 1796 in Cooperstown, Otsego County, New York, USA. He died on 23 APR 1886 in Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan, USA.

Sally Adams:

Sally was born on 31 DEC 1804 in Pawlet, Rutland County, Vermont, USA. She died on 2 DEC 1881 in Lima, Washtenaw County, Michigan, USA.

Sally married Paul Drake Easton in 1826 in Yates County, New York, USA. Seven known children were born during their marriage. The oldest child was born in Yates County, New York, USA. The other children were born in Lima, Washtenaw County, Michigan, USA.

Rufus Easton (1828 to 1849)
Ambrose J Easton (1832 to 1862)
Fernando Easton (1834)
Rhoda Easton (1836)
Leander Easton (1840)
Almeda Easton (1842)
Orpha Easton (1845)

Paul Drake Easton was born on 12 AUG 1805 in Seneca County, New York, USA. He died on 23 DEC 1858 in Lima, Washtenaw County, Michigan, USA.

Cynthia Adams:

Cynthia was born in 1814 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA. She died on 1 JAN 1887 in Deerfield, Livingston County, Michigan, USA.

Cynthia married Seth Easton on 27 APR 1834 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA. Two known children were born during their marriage:

Lucina A Easton (1841)
Charmes Melvin Easton (1843)

The marriage date came from other family trees. I wondered why there was a 7-year gap between this date and the birth of Lucina. The 1840 US Census listed one child under five years old living in the household. This might indicate that another child was born during Cynthia and Seth’s marriage.

Seth Easton was born on 28 JUN 1813 in Seneca County, New York, USA. He died on 26 JUL 1892 in Deerfield, Livingston County, Michigan, USA.

Did You Notice?

Sally and Cynthia married men with the surname Easton. I discovered that Paul and Seth Easton were brothers.

Their father was Enos Easton. He was born on 15 APR 1774 in Morristown, Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. He died on 25 NOV 1838 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA.

Their mother was Sarah Drake. She was born on 1 OCT 1782 in New Jersey, USA. She died on 12 APR 1827 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA.

Lowell or Lovell?

The 1799 marriage record for Asahel and Polly listed her maiden name as Lowell.

I found a copy of Polly’s birth record on the Family Search website. Her maiden name was listed as Lowell. The document can be viewed in their database “New Hampshire, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1714-1904”, Image 1002 of 5103.

Asahel and Polly’s fifth child was named Lovel L Adams. Their daughter, also named Polly, christened her sixth child with the name John Lovell Curtiss.

Why were the children not named Lowell? I searched the Surname Database website and found that Lowell and Lovell are interchangeable. The author included one sentence showing this fact:

“Richard Luvel alias Lovel or Lowel of Kari Lowel barony was recorded in the Somerset County Rolls of 1263.”

Notes:

John Adams (1595 to 1633) was the first person with that English surname to immigrate to North America from England. In 1621, John boarded the Fortune. This was the second ship, after the Mayflower, to bring Puritans to North America. In late November of that year, the Fortune arrived at Plymouth Colony. John was the progenitor of all the Adams descendants listed in these posts.

Creating Your Family Tree

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for births, marriages, and deaths.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory that is passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. The records can include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestor.

If you have a unique surname, like Wakenight, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are many others on the internet for other countries like Ireland, Italy, and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would typically start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on.  There are also family trees that go “forward into time.”  Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty, and move forward into the present time.  The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline with that famous person.

There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!