EARLY SETTLERS

EARLY SETTLERS OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY

By Mrs. A. B. Johnson, Historian Gan-e-o-di-ya Chapter D. A. R.

ELIAS HARRINGTON

Elias Harrington, (in early years spelled Herrington) the eldest child of Henry Harrington and Sarah Manchester, his wife, was born in South Arlington, Bennington County, Vermont, November 24th, 1802, was brought up on a farm and received a fair education for the times. He married December 31st, 1826, Nancy Maria Lodica Wright, daughter of Seaman Wright and his wife, Fanny Briggs. She was born January 18th, 1810. Soon after their marriage they came to Scipio, Cayuga County, N. Y., where Elias H. had purchased a farm of fifty-seven acres of Elias Manchester, uncle of Mr. H. This was quite newly settled and the distance from their Vermont home seemed great at that time, the journey having to be made by wagon, drawn by horses or oxen over roads that were rough, to quote from a letter written to his parents, June 11th, 1826:

"We arrived here after a long and wearisome journey through mud and water deep enough. It was a very discouraging road. I had to keep home out of my mind as much as possible and look to the end of my journey to which I arrived in very good health. I often think of those hills and mountains, friends and relations that I left behind; how pleasant they would look if I could see them once more. Time seems

long since leaving father, mother, brothers and sisters. No one knows what it is to leave father's house until they experience it. We have got a little habitation here in Scipio, but it does not seem like father's house, although it is a comfortable and a very pleasant place, although there are no mountains or brooks to look at."

November 4th, 1827, a son was born and he was named Elias Wright. Although the land produced well, they remained upon this farm but a short time and sold it back to Elias Manchester. In 1828 Elias Harrington writes to his parents in Vermont, letter dated November 15th:

"I have made two journeys to the west this summer since I saw you and have bought in Leicester, Livingston County, New York, on lot No. 78, two and a half miles from Moscow northwest, and exactly west of

Geneseo. The farm contains ninety-seven acres, sixty acres cleared, a log house with a brick chimney, an oven and a cellar, and a good well, a good proportion of wheat and grassland and timber, white oak and other kinds, a good new barn. I am to pay $16 per acre."

These letters were carried by postmen or on stages through the country at this date. No envelopes were used or postage stamps, legal cap sheets, folded and sealed with red sealing wax. Postage due at place of destination, ten cents or twenty-five cents as the case demanded. And so we find this little family located in their new home in Leicester in the spring of 1829. Several friends and kindred had located in the same vicinity. One sister, Patience Harrington, who had married Emerson Rood, lived near by. They were well pleased with their new home, as Elias writes to his people: "I am by the providence of God placed in a goodly land, I believe, and should take much comfort I think; if the rest of my people were here. But there is the same God here as there, and in Him I feel to put my whole trust. By the goodness of divine providence we are all in comfortable health and are placed in a good neighborhood where peace and friendship abound. I am wonderfully blest and for which I oft times give thanks to the Lord of heaven and earth. The Roods and all the rest of the neighbors and ourselves live in the greatest harmony. In sickness, accidents or whatever, we are all ready to assist each other."

Although this happy pair enjoyed their new home in the then far west, they often expressed a longing to see parents and kin of which they often speak. Letter under date of June 7th, 1829:

"Although I find myself separated a number of miles from you I am not deprived of the use of my pen. I received a letter from you by way of Scipio speaking of my mother's and brother Daniel's illness which gave me pain at heart. But the wise Disposer of all the universe, knows what is best for His children and these afflictions will only work for you to make your crowns shine the clearer in the world to come. have given up seeing any of you this summer. All kind of property is as high here as at Scipio. This spring there has been a farm sold for twenty-five dollars per acre, I think not as good as mine."

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June 21st, 1829, another son was born to them named Henry. He was engaged as a printer in the Livingston Republican office in 1847, Geneseo. Some time during the 50's, perhaps 1854-56, he was a teacher in Temple Hill Academy. July 19th, 1830, a daughter was born and named Sarah Maria. In 1831, letter dated March 9th, Elias writes an urgent letter to his people:

"As to your coming to this country my advice is I cannot think of father living in that place, and I propose his selling and all come together. There is a farm in the town of York for sale now at $15.00 per acre which is a great bargain to any purchaser. if you had to sell for less than half cost I do not know but you would be better off. I would not give my farm for all the land in that mountainous country. If brother Jesse would come here, he could hire out at perhaps thirteen dollars per month this summer, and he could get the same next winter in a school. Emerson Rood wants to have me build a schoolhouse in our district this summer. We intend to build a good one. Tell Luther Wright if he wants to double on his proptery, he cannot sell too soon and come to this country. Fail not to come out here. Put all your effects on board of the Erie Canal at the first opening in the spring and

write me what time you will be at Rochester and I will meet you with teams to carry you safely to my home. If the family were able to come by land I should prefer bringing them by land but the goods by canal." Letter dated June 23d, 1831: "I was in hopes of seeing you here before this time but have been disappointed. Sister Hannah has talked of coming. It would give us the greatest of pleasure to see some of you if not all in this land. You wrote of the doings of the Redeemer in your part of the country. There has been a great reformation in our country. Sometimes we think we feel in our hearts that the Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice."

These beautiful affectionate letters, of which there were many, were treasured by the home folks until all had passed away. Elias H. lived until August 19th, 1831 when he was taken suddenly ill in the field. Some say peritonitis, (in this day probably appendicitis) he lived only a few hours, and a worthy life went out into eternity. His parents never moved to this country, he was buried in LaGrange Cemetery, Wyoming County, New York, where today one may find the ancient slab that marks his grave His little daughter Sarah died soon after, aged a little over seven years. A tiny slab marks her grave beside the parents. The farm was a home for the motherless and fatherless boys for a time. Jedediah Hosford of the town of Leicester was appointed guardian for Elias Wright and Henry. The widow's parents, Seaman Wright and wife, came from Vermont and settled near Perry about 1832. A year or more after the death of Mr. Harrington, his widow married Wm. W. Jones, born 1786, (son of Horatio Jones, the early settler and Indian interpreter) who was a widower. Children born to them were: William, Elizabeth, Amelia, Nancy, Flora, Homer and Minnie. The Harrington farm was sold by Elias W. and Henry to a Mr. Guthrie in 1851, Elias W. went to Palmyra and Geneva, N. Y., and Henry to New York City, to make their home.

This sketch was written by the daughter of Elias Wright Harrington from letters found in an attic in the ancestral home of the Harringtons in Arlington, Vermont. This family of Harringtons were descendants of an English family who came to America in 1630. The first ancestor to America (traditon says, a son of John Harrington of Queen Elizabeth's Court, England) who came in a ship fitted out by kinsmen in 1630 to Boston, Mass.

1st, John (his wife a

Clinton, daughter of the Earl of Lin

coln, England) was drowned in Boston Harbor, left two sons.

2d, Benjamin (married Elizabeth White) a refugee to Rhode Island. was a personal friend of Roger Williams, their families intermarried, large land owner, died 1687 in Providence, R. I.

3d, Joseph (wife Sarah

,) lived at N. Kingston, R. I.

4th, Job and his first wife, Martha Wheeldon. 5th, Job, Jr., (second wife, Elizabeth Anna Spencer) he was called Captain Job, was a man of political trend, served as a member of the town council in Exeter, R. I., also as president of Council, Moderator, etc., several years.

6th, Henry M., (second cousin Freelove Herrington) was a soldier of the French and Indian war, acting as captain, also a Revolutionary soldier, moved to New York state, town of White Creek, Washington County, from Exeter, R. I.

7th, Henry, 2d, and his wife Sarah Manchester lived at Arlington, Vt.

8th, Elias, wife Nancy Maria Lodica Wright, the subject of this sketch.

The brothers and sisters of Elias Herrington were: Patience, born Sept. 10th, 1804, married Emerson Rood; Hannah, born May 16th, 1806, married John D. Tinkham; Henry W., born Jan. 10th, 1808, married Susan Bailey; Jesse, born Dec. 27th, 1809, married Lydia Burnett; Daniel, born July 7th, 1812, twice married, first, Sarah B. Herrington, a distant relative; Daniel, was a Baptist minister, second wife, Evaline Starrin; Caleb, born March, 1815, married Jerusha Cook; Sarah M., born July 18th, 1817, married Wm. Henry Cole; Joshua, born Jan. 17th, 1820, died 1823 Mary Ann, born June 1st, 1822, unmarried; Cyrena, born Oct. 23d, 1824, unmarried; Maria, born November 19th, 1827, unmarried.

JOHN WRIGHT

John Wright, born in Newport, Rhode Island, June 6th, 1763, was the son of Captain Peter Wright and his wife, Elizabeth Baker, one of the sixteen children born to them. Removing with his parents to Sheftsbury, Vermont, about 1779, John, at the age of seventeen years, served in the Bennington County Militia, Revolutionary War, in Captain Bigelow Lawrence's company, Col. Herrick's regiment of Vermont militia which was in service in the Alarm, Oct. 1780. The name appears on a roll dated: Paytable Office, June 9th, 1781, in service ten days. The record also shows that John Wright, rank not stated, served in. Capt. Bigelow Lawrence's company, Col. Wallbridge's regiment engaged in the Alarm at Cambridge and Saratoga July, 1781. His name appears on a pay roll dated Bennington, Dec. 4th, 1781, in service three days. His name also appears on a pay roll dated Paytable Office, Sunderland, Dec. 29th, 1783, of the same company, then commanded by Ensign Josiah Perry, in service five days, assisting the sheriff in Windham County in September, 1782. His name also appears on the pay roll of the same organization December 26th, 1781, in service eight days at Castleton in the Alarm, October, 1781.

John Wright married first, Anna Preston, children, Sybil, Benjamin, Peter, John, Anna, Elizabeth. Anna, his first wife, died 1797. His second wife was Mrs. Mary (Gibbs) Thurber. Children: Mary, Clark, Joseph, Susan, Lavinia, Alexander, Hamilton, Lois, Priscilla, Abigail, Matilda, Rachel, Daniel.

About 1783-'84 he removed to the then west and settled in the town of Russia, Herkimer County, N. Y., where he cleared land and was very successful. He served in the militia of New York state and his commission as cornet of cavalry, Oneida County Militia, 1806; second lieu

tenant of same corps described in this connection as being of Oneida and Herkimer County in 1808; Captain 1812, resigned 1815. This body of troops was ordered to Sackett's Harbor in the fall of 1812, and doubtless saw much service. In 1817 John Wright removed with his large and increasing family to the township of Groveland, Livingston County, New York, where he lived until his death July 2d, 1847. He died at the home of his daughter Susan, who married James Havens in Springwater, N. Y. He was a respected citizen and known as Esquire Wright. His grave is located in Lake View Cemetery. The inscrpition on the marble slab that marks his tomb is "John Wright died July 2d, 1847, aged eighty-four years." Each year it is marked with a flag by the G. A. R. of Mt. Morris, but only as a soldier of 1812. It remained for some of his descendants to find his Revolutionary services in recent years, and a suitable bronze marker will be placed upon his grave by the Daughters of the American Revolution, Ganediya Chapter of Caledonia, N. Y., assisted by a few of his descendants, probably this summer (1915). The hardships John Wright endured to enter a newly settled country and bring up a large family is worthy of note in the early history of this land. His descendants are numerous and many of them noted in the world's record as honorable citizens, soldiers and statesmen. He was of Scottish ancestry so tradition relates.

The following were the children of John Wright: Sybil Wright, born Dec. 23d, 1782, married Capt. Isaac Norton; Benjamin, born Sept. 23d, 1784, married Sarah Ward, was a lawyer, soldier of the New York State Militia, Jefferson County, commissioned 1814; Peter Wright, born Jan. 14th, 1786, married Phoebe Reed; John, born May 23d, 1788, married Dormada Kelsey; Anna, born May 9th, 1794, married Mr. Bull; Elizabeth, born May 8th, 1796, married Elijah Dresser: Mary, born June 27th, 1799, married Rev. Mr. Smith Clark, born Sept 4th, 1800, married -; Joseph, born April 7th, 1802, married Celia Corvant; Susan, born December 25th, 1803, married James Havens; Lavina, born December 15th, 1805, married Wm. R. King; Alexander H., born October 17th, 1807, married Louisa Ogden; Lois, born May 29th, 1809, married Stephen Johnson; Priscilla, born May 19th, 1811, married Simon B. King; Abigail, born April 6th, 1813, married Nathaniel King; Matilda, born June 6th, 1815, married Tompkins Campbell; Rachel born June 11th, 1817, married Abram Titsworth; Daniel, born October 11th, 1823. The family scattered throughout the western states and other localities of New York State. None of the descendants are found to be living at present, none in Livingston County, N. Y., as yet discovered, though there possibly may be.

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