There are 14 people in this post who died fairly young. Infant mortality was high in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Giving birth was dangerous before the advent of modern medicine. Epidemic diseases killed millions during these years.

Chauncey Adams

Born: 4 JUL 1792 in Pawlet, Rutland County, Vermont, USA

Father: Asahel Adams (1764 to 1844)
Mother: Sarah Herrick (1758 to 1797)

First Spouse: Susan Adams (1781 to 1813)

Married: 1811 in Gorham, Ontario County, New York, USA

Child:

Eleanor Adams (1812 to 26 FEB 1895)

Second Spouse: Cynthia French (1786 to 1853)

Married: 1815 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA

The marriage year is an estimate based on the birth date of their oldest child.

Children:

Chauncey Herrick Adams (15 JAN 1816 to 7 JUL 1847)
Cynthia Adams (1817 to 22 DEC 1840)
Giles F Adams (1820 to 16 JAN 1903)
Lafayette Adams (5 MAR 1822 to 18 SEP 1913)
Theodosia Adams (25 MAY 1825 to 30 OCT 1883)
Asahel Adams (1827 to 25 SEP 1839)
Ozias French Adams (7 APR 1830 to 24 SEP 1898)
Timothy Adams (1844 to 30 JAN 1845)

Died: 4 SEP 1884 in Potter, Yates County, New York, USA

Burial: French Cemetery, Rushville, Yates County, New York, USA

Timeline:

1797 Death of mother, Sarah
1811 Marriage to Susan
1812 Birth of daughter, Eleanor
1813 Death of wife, Susan
1815 Marriage to Cynthia
1816 Birth of son, Chauncey
1817 Birth of daughter, Cynthia
1820 Birth of son, Giles
1822 Birth of son, Lafayette
1825 Birth of daughter, Theodosia
1827 Birth of son, Asahel
1830 Birth of son, Ozias
1830 Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA
1835 Death of sister, Alta
1839 Death of son, Asahel
1840 Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA
1840 Death of daughter, Cynthia
1844 Birth of son, Timothy
1844 Death of father, Asahel
1845 Death of son, Timothy
1847 Death of son, Chauncey
1850 Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA
1853 Death of wife, Cynthia
1858 Death of brother, John
1860 Summit, Juneau County, Wisconsin, USA
1865 Potter, Yates County, New York, USA
1867 Death of half-brother, Asahel
1868 Death of half-brother, Lovel
1870 Potter, Yates County, New York, USA
1872 Death of half-sister, Polly
1875 Farmersville, Cattaraugus County, New York, USA
1879 Death of sister, Betsey
1880 Potter, Yates County, New York, USA
1881 Death of half-sister, Sally
1883 Death of daughter, Theodosia
1884 Death and Burial

Occupation: farmer

Records:

1830 to 1880 US Federal Census Records
1865 and 1876 New York State Census Records
Vermont, U.S., Vital Records, 1720-1908
10,000 Vital Records of Western New York, 1809-1850
The U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current

Variations of Surname: none

Did You Notice?

Four of Chauncey and Cynthia’s children died when they were fairly young:

Chauncy Herrick Adams (31 years old)
Cynthia Adams (23 years old)
Asahel Adams (12 years old)
Timothy Adams (1 year old)

Chauncey’s Biography:

The “History and Directory of Yates County New York” Pages 610 and 612 contain a biography of Chauncey Adams. On Page 612, the author mistakenly used the name Asahel instead of Chauncey.

The Family Connection:

I discovered that Chauncey and Susan were first cousins, once removed. Here are their lineages:

Chauncey Adams (1792)
Asahel Adams (1764), father
Timothy Adams (1742), grandfather
Isaac Adams (1696), great-grandfather

Susan Adams (1781)
Chester Adams (1754), father
Isaac Adams (1696), grandfather

Their common ancestor was Isaac Adams. He was born on 30 JAN 1696 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. He died on 26 APR 1757 in Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut, USA.

The Age Difference:

Chauncey and Susan’s marriage record appears in the publication “10,000 Vital Records of Western New York, 1809-1850” Page 3. You can view this on the Internet Archive website. The entry shows that Chauncey was 19 years old and Susan was 34 years old when they married.

Susan’s death record appears in Family Search’s database “New York, Yates County, Swann Vital Records Collection, 1723-2009” Image 394 of 1845. The entry shows that Susan was 32 years old when she died.

That would mean Susan was 11 or 13 years older than Chauncey. Why did Susan wait so long to marry? Were they truly in love? Did Chauncey and Susan’s parents arrange their marriage? These are questions a family historian might be able to answer.

Chauncey’s First Wife:

Susan Adams:

Susan was born in 1781 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA. She died on 22 JUN 1813 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA. Susan was 32 years old when she died.

Susan’s father was Chester Adams. He was born on 15 JUN 1754 in Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut, USA. He died on 17 MAR 1829 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA.

Susan’s mother was Elizabeth Southerland. She was born in 1760 in Maine, USA. She died on 5 MAR 1848 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA.

Susan had six known brothers and sisters:

Isaac Adams (1788)
Lydia Southerland Adams (1794)
Elizabeth Adams (1797)
Berthena Adams (1800)
Abner Adams (1802)
Chester Adams (1804)

Chauncey and Susan’s Daughter:

Eleanor Adams:

Eleanor was born in 1812 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA. She died on 26 FEB 1895 in Rushville, Yates County, New York, USA.

Eleanor married George Blaney Turner around 1834 in Potter, Yates County, New York, USA. One known child was born during their marriage:

Mary Turner (1835)

George Blaney Turner was born in 1804 in New York, USA. He died on 15 JUN 1894 in Rushville, Yates County, New York, USA.

Chauncey’s Second Wife:

Cynthia French:

Cynthia was born on 18 DEC 1786 in Chester, Hampden County, Massachusetts, USA. She died on 3 FEB 1853 in Potter, Yates County, New York, USA.

Cynthia’s father was Ozias French. He was born on 4 MAY 1761 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA. He died on 26 JAN 1809 in Rushville, Yates County, New York, USA.

Cynthia’s mother was Elizabeth Dayton. She was born on 28 AUG 1762 in New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut, USA. She died on 15 MAY 1823 in Rushville, Yates County, New York, USA.

Cynthia had eight brothers and sisters:

Harvey French (1788)
Lucy French (1790 to 1795)
Elizabeth French (1793)
Eunice French (1795 to 1815)
Linus French (1797)
Theodosia French (1799)
Erastus Dayton French (1801)
Ozias Franklin French (1803)

Did You Notice?

Lucy French was five years old when she died. Eunice French was 20 years old when she died.

Another example of infant and childhood death can be seen in the Dayton family lineage. Cynthia’s mother, Elizabeth Dayton, had eight brothers and sisters:

Isaac Dayton (1761 to 1761)
Isaac Dayton (1764 to 1776)
Freeman Dayton (1767 to 1776)
Gershom Dayton (1770 to 1770)
Plimet Dayton (1771 to 1774)
Giles Dayton (1776)
Hannah Dayton (1779)
Mary Dayton (1781)

These deaths were recorded in Ancestry.com’s “Connecticut, U.S., Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920”. You will notice that the five oldest children died when they were fairly young.

Isaac Dayton (2 years old)
Isaac Dayton (12 years old)

Freeman Dayton (9 years old)
Gershom Dayton (infant)

Plimet Dayton (2 years and 6 months old)

Chauncey and Cynthia’s Daughters:

Cynthia Adams:

Cynthia was born in 1817 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA. She died on 22 DEC 1840 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA. Cynthia was 23 years old when she died.

Cynthia married Warham Bentley Williams around 1835 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA. One known child was born during their marriage:

Davis Williams (1836)

Warham Bentley Williams was born in 1817 in New York, USA. He died on 3 APR 1864 in Wattsburg, Erie County, Pennsylvania, USA.

After Cynthia died, Warham married Mary Jane McNair. Two known children were born during their marriage:

Permilla Williams (1847 to 1847)
John W Williams (1848 to 1848)

Mary Jane McNair was born on 27 AUG 1832 in Venango, Erie County, Pennsylvania, USA. She died on 25 JUL 1876 in Wattsburg, Erie County, Pennsylvania, USA. Mary was 43 years old when she died.

Warham and Mary’s daughter died when she was five months old. Their son died when he was 21 days old.

Note: The 1850 and 1860 US Census records list Warham as a physician. I am sure he would have done everything possible to save the lives of his wife and children.

Theodosia Adams:

Theodosia was born on 25 MAY 1825 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA. She died on 30 OCT 1883 in Canandaigua, Ontario County, New York, USA.

Theodosia married Zachariah Mather on 22 JAN 1849 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA. One known child was born during their marriage:

Lucius Chauncey Mather (1849)

Zachariah Mather was born on 29 NOV 1819 in Middlesex, Yates County, New York, USA. He died on 14 SEP 1898 in Canandaigua, Ontario County, New York, USA.

There is a biography of Zachariah Mather in the publication “History of Ontario County New York” Page 125. You can view this book on the Internet Archive website.

My Thoughts:

I have listed 14 people in this post who died fairly young. I do not know what caused any of these deaths. The women may have died in childbirth. The mortality rate for infants was quite high in the 1700s.

There were also diseases such as smallpox, Scarlet Fever, dysentery, and typhoid fever that killed young and old alike with no discrimination. The year could also be an indicator of what caused a death. Four of Elizabeth Dayton’s may have died from the Smallpox Epidemic of 1775.

Sometimes these types of lists provide insight into family genetics. A child receives genes from both his parents. When there are recessive genes, a child can develop heart, metabolic, and neurological disorders.

Economic and social conditions also play a part in longevity. The average life expectancy for people in the 1700s and 1800s was between 36 and 43 years of age. By the 1900s, life expectancy nearly doubled due to the advent of “modern medicine”, clean drinking water, and better nutrition.

These were all factors that affected the lives of our ancestors. Their health, their livelihood, and their propagation.

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 ancestors.

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!