In the mid-1830s, four of Alden’s married daughters left Ontario County, New York, and immigrated to Macomb County, Michigan. They were what is now called the Pioneers of Macomb County, Michigan.

Alden Adams

Born: 9 SEP 1766 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA

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

Spouse: Mary Wilcox (1759 to 1848)

Married: 18 JAN 1785 in West Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island, USA

Children:

Mary Adams (3 JUN 1785 to 4 FEB 1861)
Deborah Adams (21 NOV 1788 to 2 DEC 1874)
Elizabeth Adams (2 SEP 1789 to 21 JUN 1821)
Susan Adams (8 SEP 1790 to 5 SEP 1855)
Ruth Adams (9 APR 1792 to Unknown)
Willard Adams (18 MAR 1794 to 23 NOV 1808)
Selinda Adams (4 JUN 1796 to 12 JAN 1869)
Melinda Adams (6 SEP 1799 to 5 DEC 1873)
Alden Alonzo Adams (12 FEB 1802 to 12 DEC 1856)

Died: 23 FEB 1848 in Richmond, Ontario County, New York, USA

Burial: Lakeview Cemetery

Timeline:

1785 Marriage to Mary
1785 Birth of daughter, Mary
1788 Birth of daughter, Deborah
1789 Birth of daughter, Elizabeth
1790 Wallingford, Rutland County, Vermont, USA
1790 Birth of daughter, Susan
1792 Birth of daughter, Ruth
1794 Birth of son, Willard
1796 Birth of daughter, Selina
1799 Birth of daughter, Melinda
1800 Mount Holly, Rutland County, Vermont, USA
1802 Birth of son, Alden
1808 Death of son, Willard
1810 Honeoye, Ontario County, Connecticut, USA
1821 Death of daughter, Elizabeth
1830 Richmond, Ontario County, Connecticut, USA
1834 Death of father, Timothy
1839 Death of brother, Isaac
1843 Death of mother, Susannah
1844 Death of brother, Asahel
1848 Death and Burial

Occupation: unknown

Records:

1790, 1800, 1810, and 1830 US Federal Census Records
Connecticut Town Birth Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection)
Rhode Island, U.S., Vital Extracts, 1636-1899
History of Ontario County, New York
New York, Wills and Probate Records, 1659-1999
The U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current

Variations of Surname: none

I always find it interesting when a new name appears in my family tree. Timothy and Susannah’s son was christened with the given name of Alden. Could they have named him after the famous Pilgrim, John Alden (1598 to 1687)?

Alden’s Wife:

Mary Wilcox:

Mary was born on 22 DEC 1759 in West Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island, USA. She died on 7 MAR 1848 in Richmond, Ontario County, New York, USA.

Mary’s father was Thomas Wilcox. He was born on 10 APR 1737 in West Greenwich, Kent, Rhode Island, USA. I do not know when he died.

The year of death for Thomas is greatly varied on other family trees. These years range between 1782 to 1802. The family trees list the place of death as either West Greenwich or Exeter, Rhode Island. West Greenwich is 10 miles northwest of Exeter.

Mary’s mother was Elizabeth Jacques. I do not know when she was born or when she died.

Thomas married Elizabeth on 22 JAN 1759 in West Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island, USA. The entry shows that Thomas was from West Greenwich and Elizabeth was from Exeter, Rhode Island.

This document, and the birth records for their children, can be found in Ancestry.com’s database “Rhode Island, U.S., Vital Extracts, 1636-1899”.

Mary had eight brothers and sisters:

Stephen Wilcox (1762)
Sarah Wilcox (1765)
Elizabeth Wilcox (1767)
Anne Wilcox (1770)
John Wilcox (1771)
Susannah Wilcox (1774)
Frederick Wilcox (1780)
Samuel Wilcox (1782)

Alden and Mary’s Daughters:

Mary Adams:

Mary was born on 3 JUN 1785 in West Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island, USA. She died on 4 FEB 1861 in Armada, Macomb County, Michigan, USA.

Mary married Melancthon W Chamberlin around 1817 in Richmond, Ontario County, New York, USA. Four known children were born during their marriage:

Mary S Chamberlin (1818)
Abigail Chamberlin (1819)
Chancy Chamberlin (1822)
Tryphenia Chamberlin (1824)

Melancthon W Chamberlin was born on 1 JUL 1796 in Richmond, Ontario County, New York, USA. He died on 9 OCT 1844 in Armada, Macomb County, Michigan, USA. Melancthon was 48 years old when he died.

The headstone for Melancton was inscribed with the death year of 1845. This was likely an error that was never corrected. There are probate records that are dated 1844. There was an estate notice published on 2 DEC 1844 in the Mount Clemens Patriot.

Another Unusual Name:

Mary’s husband was christened with the name Melancthon. A search of the internet produced very few results, especially as a given name.

I wonder if Melancthon was christened with his mother’s maiden name. This would explain why his given name is a surname.

Mary’s husband could have been named after two historic figures:

Philip Melanchthon (1497 to 1560) was a German Lutheran reformer and collaborator with Martin Luther.

Melancton Smith (1744 to 1798) was a merchant, lawyer, and New York delegate to the Continental Congress.

I discovered the origins of this surname on Wikipedia. The article on Philip Melanchthon included this sentence:

“He [Philip] was influenced by his great-uncle Johann Reuchlin, a Renaissance humanist, who suggested Philipp follow a custom common among humanists of the time and change his surname from Schwartzerdt (literally ‘black earth’), into the Greek equivalent Melanchthon.”

There were many German immigrants who settled in New England during the American Colonial Period. Many of these new settlers were Lutherans and Quakers.

That would mean some of Philip Melanchthon’s descendants immigrated to America. Could Melancthon Chamberlin be one of these descendants?

Deborah Adams:

Deborah was born on 21 NOV 1788 in Mount Holly, Rutland County, Vermont, USA. She died on 2 DEC 1874 in Richmond, Ontario County, New York, USA.

Deborah married James McCrossen on 22 MAR 1806 in Richmond, Ontario County, New York, USA. Five known children were born during their marriage:

David McCrossen (1808)
Susan McCrossen (1812)
Jane McCrossen (1815)
John Willard McCrossen (1816)
James McCrossen (1818 to 1822)

James McCrossen was born in 1774 in Ireland. He died on 4 JUL 1820 in Richmond, Ontario County, New York, USA. James was 46 years old when he died.

Elizabeth Adams:

Elizabeth was born on 2 SEP 1789 in Mount Holly, Rutland County, Vermont, USA. She died on 21 JUN 1821 in Honeoye, Ontario County, New York, USA. Elizabeth was 31 years old when she died.

Elizabeth married Jonas Merriam around 1805 in Richmond, Ontario County, New York, USA. Five known children were born during their marriage:

Halsey Merriam (1806)
Elkanah W Merriam (1807)
Calista Merriam (1808)
Hannah Merriam (1811)
Caroline Merriam (1814)

Jonas Merriam was born on 1 FEB 1784 in Barre, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. He died in 1817 in Honeoye, Ontario County, New York, USA. Jonas was 33 years old when he died.

There is a memorial on the Find A Grave website for Elizabeth. The creator of this page indicates that she married a man named A Mariam (1759 to 1817). I could find no information on this man.

Establishing a Connection:

I did find a comment on another family tree that seems to confirm Elizabeth married Jonas Adams. The family tree owner is a descendant of John Merriam and his first wife, Mary. John and Mary were Jonas’ parents.

The family tree owner posted this information:

“John appeared in Shrewsbury [Vermont] in the 1800 census . . . This location is significant because Jonas’ possible future wife Elizabeth Adams was born and raised in Mount Holly, a Rutland County township immediately south of Shrewsbury. Her father was Alden Adams.”

Mount Holly is seven miles south by southwest of Shrewsbury, Vermont.

The 1810 US Census shows that both Alden Adams and Jonas Merriam were living in Honeoye, Ontario, New York, USA. The hash marks on Jonas’ entry listed two females and one male under the age of 10 years old.

That is why I believe Elizabeth married Jonas Merriam.

Susan Adams:

Susan was born on 8 SEP 1790 in Mount Holly, Rutland County, Vermont, USA. She died on 5 SEP 1855 in Armada, Macomb County, Michigan, USA.

Susan married Timothy B Banister around 1816 in Richmond, Ontario County, New York, USA. Six known children were born during their marriage:

Mary Ann Banister (1817)
Luzetta Banister (1818)
Deborah Banister (1820)
Joseph Madison Banister (1822)
James Timothy Banister (1827)
Alice Cornelia Banister (1831)

Timothy B Banister was born on 25 MAR 1793 in Vermont, USA. He died on 7 NOV 1873 in Shelby, Macomb County, Michigan, USA.

Ruth Adams:

Ruth was born on 9 APR 1792 in Mount Holly, Rutland County, Vermont, USA. I do not know when she died.

There is a memorial on the Find A Grave website for Ruth. It includes a photograph of a headstone. Her name was engraved on the stone with no death date. I sent an inquiry to the town clerk of Bruce Township. On June 21, 2023, she replied:

“I have looked through all of the records here at the township. I do have Ruth in the books, but no dates. It says: 1937 Ruth No dates shown. I do have James. It says: 1933 James D. Jan 21, 1862 (74Y 9M).”

Ruth married James Parker around 1809 in Richmond, Ontario County, New York, USA.

The tally marks on the 1820 to 1840 US Census records indicate that six females and three males were born during their marriage. The birth years of the unnamed children are estimates based on the census records. All the children except the youngest were born in New York. She was born in Michigan.

[male] Parker (1810)
Caroline Parker (1815)
[female] Parker (1818)
[female] Parker (1820)
[female] Parker (1822)
Alonzo Jerome Parker (1823)
Alden Willard Parker (1827)
Debra M Parker (1829)
Martha L Parker (1833)

James Parker was born in 1787 in Massachusetts, USA. He died on 21 JAN 1862 in Romeo, Macomb County, Michigan, USA.

Selinda Adams:

Selinda was born on 4 JUN 1796 in Mount Holly, Rutland County, Vermont, USA. She died on 12 JAN 1869 in Richmond, Ontario County, New York, USA.

Selinda married Galen Pemberton around 1817 in Richmond, Ontario County, New York, USA. Seven known children were born during their marriage:

Almira Pemberton (1818 to 1825)
Cyrus Pemberton (1821)
Alden R Pemberton (1823)
Cheney W Pemberton (1825 to 1830)
Norman R Pemberton (1829 to 1853)
[male] Pemberton (1831 to 1831)
Prudence Pemberton (1833 to 1848)

Galen Pemberton was born on 27 JUN 1791 in New Hampshire, USA. He died on 2 DEC 1847 in Richmond, Ontario County, New York, USA.

Did You Notice?

All the children except Cyrus and Alden died young:

Almira was 7 years old.
Cheney was 5 years old.
Norman was 24 years old.
Infant Son was 1 month old.
Prudence was 14 years old.

I do not know the causes of these deaths. I wonder if Galen and Selinda shared the same X chromosome or somehow carried a genetic mutation that was passed on to their children.

Another Unusual Name?

I searched the internet for the origins of the name, Selinda. The closest I could find was that it might be a variation of the Greek name, Selene.

If anyone knows the answer to this question, please contact me. My email is dlwakenight@yahoo.com. You can also leave a message in the Comments Section of this post.

Melinda Adams:

Melinda was born on 6 SEP 1799 in Mount Holly, Rutland County, Vermont, USA. She died on 5 DEC 1873 in Armada, Macomb County, Michigan, USA.

Melinda married Beekman Chamberlin around 1815 in Richmond, Ontario County, New York, USA.

The tally marks on the 1820 to 1840 US Census records indicate that five females and six males were born during their marriage. The birth years of the unnamed children are estimates based on the census records. The eight oldest children were born in New York. The three youngest children were born in Michigan.

Sallie Ann Chamberlin (1816)
Galen Chamberlin (1817)
[male] Chamberlin (1820)
John Chamberlin (1823)
[female] Chamberlin (1824)
[female] Chamberlin (1828)
Alden Chamberlin (1830)
David Beekman Chamberlin (1831)
Chancy Chamberlin (1836)
Mary Chamberlin (1839)
Susan R Chamberlin (1843)

Beekman Chamberlin was born on 20 JUN 1793 in Richmond, Ontario County, New York, USA. He died on 31 OCT 1867 in Armada, Macomb County, Michigan, USA.

Did You Notice?

Mary and Melinda married men with the surname Chamberlin.

There is a memorial on the Find A Grave website for Beekman. The creator of this page added a short biography. The first three sentences of this post explain the connection between Beekman and Melancthon.

“Beekman Chamberlin (Sometimes spelled Chamberlain) came to Macomb County in the mid-1830s from Ontario County, NY with his brother, Malancton W. Chamberlin (Buried in Hadley Cemetary), and a brother-in-law, James Parker(Buried in Bruce-Armada cemetery). They all married sisters(Melinda, Mary, and Ruth Adams). They were Pioneers of Macomb County and are listed in county history books.”

Both of their names are listed in a publication entitled “History of Macomb County, Michigan“. You can view this book on the Internet Archive website. Melancthon’s name is listed on Page 484. There is a very short biography of Beekman on Page 489.

The author of this publication stated that Beekman was born in Canada. I believe he confused Ontario County, New York with Ontario, Canada.

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!