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Children of Dr. Oliver and Esther (Gardner) Bigelow, all born Luzerne co, PA:
16321.11 Anna, called Nancy, b 21 Nov 1789; d 13 Apr (20 June?) 1870 Lansing, NY; m Garrett Goodwin Gibbs of Lansing, NY(now part of Ithaca, NY). Garrett's father and uncle were the first white settlers in that area. Full family not known.
16321.12t Esther, b 11 Sept 1792; d 08 Mar 1856 Fredericksburg, Bremer co, IA; m Peter Walling.
16321.13 Oliver, b 01 May 1794; in 1850 res Lansing, NY; unm.
16321.14 Sabra, b 20 Jan 1797; d 10 May 1817 Genoa, NY; unm.
16321.15 Lydia, b 15 Dec 1798; d 20 June 1874 Lansing, NY; marriage unknown.
16321.16 Eunice, b 23 Apr 1801; d 18 Apr 1816 Johnstown, OH; unm.
16321.17 Harriet, b 02 July 1809; d 24 May 1840 Owega, NY; m ____ Johnson and left issue.
Sources:
Bigelow Society,The Bigelow Family Genealogy Vol I, pg 330;
Howe, Bigelow Family of America; pg #1138
Bible inscriptions, Esther Bigelow Bible, from volume at NSDAR Library;
history of Bremer co, IA;
correspondence with Walling descendants;
Forge: The Bigelow Society Quarterly; vol 16; no 4; Oct
1987;
page 75; (see will)
Forge: The Bigelow Society Quarterly; vol 8; page 53;
Forge: The Bigelow Society Quarterly; vol 12; page 66;
Do you remember Dr.
Oliver
Bigelow—#1138 in Howe, #16321.1 in our
new
genealogy? Also he was featured in Forge, Vol. 8, page 53,
and
his descendants in Vol. 12, page 66. Now from reader Elizabeth
Bills
of Burlingame, CA we have additional facts:
Summing up, Oliver was born 23 Dec 1759 CT;
married
25 Jan 1786 Esther Gardner; died 06 Nov 1817 Licking county, OH.
He
was a surgeon in the Revolutionary War; after his marriage
he
settled in Luzerne co, PA, then Tompkins co, NY, then
founded
Johnstown, Licking co, OH. Following are extracts of his will and
probate
records, dated 11 Apr 1820 at Tompkins co, NY:
A codicil names wife Esther as executrix,
and
in addition to her share of the estate, Oliver named heirs
only
son Oliver jr.; oldest daughter Anna, known as Nancy Gibbs; second
daughter
Esther (the will states if she were to marry Peter Walling she is to
have
only a Bible and 10 cents; third, fourth, and fifth daughters:
Sabra,
Lydia, and Eunice (who died in 1817); and
youngest
daughter Harriet, who was to receive her mother's clothing
and
gold beads and $100, to be put at interest until she be 21
years
of age.
By the time of probate, Esther had
married
Peter Walling against her father's will, so she forfeited her share
of
the estate. Whatever Oliver's grudge against Peter Walling, he and
Esther
moved to Iowa and succeeded there, without Oliver's blessing.
SOURCES: Howe, op. cit.;
Bigelow
Society, op. cit.; New York Probate
Records
1817-1851.
Descendant note:
For any who are interested I am a direct descendent of Dr. Asa Ambrose
Bigelow
of Toledo, Ohio through his son William Edgar, grandson Chester Charles
Sr.
and Great grandson Chester Charles Jr. I have marriage and birth
documentation
for William Edgar which shows his father and mother. I would like to
collaborate
with Bigelows searching revolutionary war service by Oliver 6,
John 5 or John 6, and the land
aquisition by
them that resulted in the founding of Johnstown, Ohio.
Chester Charles Bigelow III email ccbigelow@aol.com
More from Chester:
Subject: Re: [Fwd: Oliver Bigelow]
Date: Wed, 14 May 2003 09:51:12 -0400
From: Ccbigelow@aol.com
I am descended from one of Oliver's younger brothers who
accompanied him to Ohio from Connecticutt etc... I do not know if there
are descendants remaining in Ohio from this line, I do know there are
descendants remaining in Ohio from his brothers line, my father and
uncles. I have queried them and they are not familiar enough to point
me in a direction that would help.
My name is Dee Marks and I am with the Johnstown Historical Society
in
Johnstown, Ohio. Johnstown was founded by Dr. Oliver Bigelow and he is
buried in the Johnstown Cemetery. An Ohio Bicentennial Historial Marker
at
the cemetery street entrance will be dedicated this 4th of July at 9:00
am.
The Johnstown community would like to have member's of Oliver's family
present for the program. Is there any possibility that could happen,
are
there any family members that live in Ohio or close by?? The
plaque
will
honor Dr. Oliver Bigelow the founder of our village and the Revolution,
War
of 1812 and Civil War Veterans, and we would be honored to have any
family
members present. Any assistance will be appreciated. Dee
Note: E-mail from Chester
Bigelow prior to 6/1/1998 to (Don who forwarded it to JEL,)
states possible confusion with Elihu, son of Oliver's brother John
16321.6 (R8147), since that Elihu was born 5 Sep 1792, and died 9 Nov
1821 Johnstown, Licking Co., Ohio where Oliver had settled and where he
was founder of Johnstown, Ohio. This Elihu, however, was born the
same month as Esther, 2nd child of Oliver ---Bigelow Society, "The
Bigelow Family Genealogy," Vol. 1, pg 330. Could this be an
error? Loring L. Bigelow wrote that he would need more clarification on
this 11-8-98.
In the e-mail, Chester mentions this Elihu as being BORN in Johnstown,
Licking Co., Ohio -- which the book doesn't say -- it states he died
there but was born in Colchester, New London Co., Connecticut. So
he could have gone to where his uncle was sometime before death in 1821.
See Bigelow Society Quarterly, "FORGE," Jan 2000, Vol. 29, No. 1,
article: "Clare Bigelow Sheppard, St. Albans, Vermont, discovered
the following letter and genealogical information tucked into her old
Gilman Bigelow Howe Genealogy. Her mother, Stephanie Siney
Bigelow, met "Theo", author of this letter in 1964, when they
discovered they were descended from the same Bigelow branch."
Sources: Howe, "Bigelow
Family of America;"
Bible inscriptions, Esther Bigelow Bible, from volume at
NSDAR Library;
history of Bremer Co., Iowa;
correspondence with Walling descendants
09 Feb 1998,
letter from descendant, Clare Bigelow Sheppard, 53 Smith St.,
St. Albans, Vermont 05478, with "mysterious" correspondence she just
discovered tucked in her old Gilman Bigelow Howe book, "The Bigelow
Family of America." She writes: "Apparently my mother,
Stephanie Siney Bigelow, met "Theo" in 1964, possibly doing DAR
activities. The envelope is missing, so we have no address."
"It is interesting that "Theo" tells that she sent family
information to the New York Library at 42nd St. in 1964. I wonder
if it is still there. Of course, you may already have these
fragments, and hopefully a much fuller picture."
"I practiced on a worksheet, but was stumped when I
noticed two of Sabra but no Oliver, Jr. I hope he isn't
lost. He may be in the 42nd St. packet of 1964!"
See material copied and in file folder of Clare Bigelow
Sheppard. Materials she sent were copied and mailed to Anne
Phillips, Editor of Forge; and Loring L. Bigelow, to verify and check
for addenda items. Originals in file folder.
"Theo" who wrote letters 1964 to Clare's mother
writes: "In Howe's record he shows Oliver born 1759, married ???
and that is all. He was apparently a great disappointment to his
family. I have letters written by his grandaughter born 1812 and
as that was not too long after the Revolution, I take it that she knew
her grandparents well--and their story. His parents were
well-to-do and lived in Colchester, Connecticut. They educated
him as a doctor and she said he had 7 years of higher education.
He volunteered his services aboard the "Jersey" vilest of the prison
ships. Then he settled down to a practice in Pittston,
Pennsylvania. After a few years there he was unhappy because the
periodic overflow of the Susquehenna River washed his crops away.
He moved up into New York state and did not like it there, so on by
covered wagon to Marietta, Ohio he went. When he died his parents
remembered his wife, Esther in the will but thought he had had his
share in education. Poor Oliver! I wonder what he was
looking for. I have his family bible and also sent information to
the 42nd St. Library and hope they inserted it in Gilman Howe's
book. Imagine how many of their descendants may have been
searching in vain while I have the bible and the records.
"Did you know that the marriage of John and Mary (Warren)
Bigelow was the first registered marriage in Watertown, Massachusetts?
"And did you know that John Warren was fined 5 pounds and
some shillings for 'skipping ten sabath day services in a row?'
I'm still smiling at that.
He was said to be a prosperous yeoman in England.
[Loring writes: He was only a teenager in England, how could he
baa "prosperous yeoman" in England?
"Was it 'the winthrop Woman' written several years ago
which portrayed Goody Warren as a tremendous gossip? That annoyed
me but I found, in the author's notes in the back, that she explained
that most of her characters were taken from actual people and their
handwriting depicted their characters in the book. Well, I can't
argue with her on that point."
"Incidentally, we stopped for a bite to eat last summer,
in a tiny town in NE Connecticut. Have often wondered if that is
where he hied away to when he fled Watertown for that church
business. The town is named Warren." ["Loring: I doubt
this."]
.........signed "Theo"
In July 1998, Chester C. Bigelow III, 1923
Wilmington Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23227, e-mail:
Ccbigelow@aol.com, states that Oliver and Esther (Gardner) Bigelow
resided in Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania; Thompkins Co., New York; and
Licking Co., Ohio. Served in the Revolutionary War, and had 7
children. (Bigelow Society, "The Bigelow Family Genealogy,"Vol.
1, pg 330.
Oliver Bigelow and Esther Harding, born in
Colchester, Conn., in 1759, belonged to most worthy and patriotic
families, well known in the early history of the commonwealth of
Connecticut. Having finished a course of academic study, Oliver Bigelow
enlisted as a soldier in the army of the revolution. After the war he
graduated from a medical course. For a short time he practiced medicine
in Goshen, N.Y., to which place the Hardings and others went, in
consequence of the desolation of the Wyoming Valley, where they had
settled before the war. They afterward left Goshen and returned to the
valley. At the time of the memorable "Wyoming Massacre" in 1778, when
the fort was about to fall into the hands of Indians, two brothers of
Esther Harding were slain. The lead in the fort was buried. Esther,
then eighteen years old, assisted by a colored girl, took the powder in
a leather sack to the river and sunk it. Though seen by the savages,
they reached the fort in safety. For six months Esther was a captive
among the Indians. Dr. Oliver Bigelow and Esther Harding were married
in 1786. To them were born five daughters and one son. The eldest of
these, Nancy, married Gerritt Goodwin Gibbs (son of Samuel above
mentioned). They had four sons and four daughters. Of these children,
Barney Barzillai, the subject of this notice, was the fifth, and the
third son.
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