Descendants of John Maxfield
of Salisbury, Massachusetts
Fifth Generation

JOHN B.⁵ MAXFIELD (Samuel⁴, Michael³, John^2-1) was born at Gilmanton, Strafford County, New Hampshire, on 11 December 1796 a son of Samuel Maxfield and his wife Abigail Gilman. He died at Greensboro, Orleans County, Vermont, on 17 January 1875.^[1] He married at Piermont, Grafton County, New Hampshire, on 19 December 1824 AMANDA B. BARKER.^[2] She was born at New Hampshire about 1802^[3] and died at Greensboro on 19 June 1891.^[4]

Born and raised at Gilmanton, John had moved to Piermont by the time of his marriage, in 1824, when he and his spouse were both described as residents of Piermont. The John and Amanda Maxfield family was living at Albany, Orleans, County, at the time of the 1830 census. The family then moved to Craftsbury, Orleans County, where they were reported in every census from 1840 through 1870. Greensboro was the place of John's death in 1875, Amanda's residence in the 1880 census, and the location of her death in 1891. The 1840 census indicated John Maxfield's occupation fell in the category of "manufacture and trade," however every census after that called him a farmer.

Censuses before 1850 did not name every family member, but only gave the numbers in various age and sex categories. The following is a possible identification of the family members asa indicated in the 1830 and 1840 censuses, based on other information on this family.^[5]

The 1850 census reported the family at Craftsbury as follows:^[6]

The two Johns, father and son, were each listed as owning real estate valued at $2000. The whereabouts of daughter Eliza, who would have been twelve, is not indicated, although she is known to have been living at that time.

John B. Maxfield was evidently involved in some illegal liquor trade. In August of 1855, it was reported that a cask, containing 30 gallons of liquor was taken from him, condemned, and spilled, and he was fined $20 and costs.^[7]

The 1860 census reported the family with very little change from 1850. Eldest daughter Jane Ann was missing, otherwise unaccounted for, and next daughter Helen had married. All of the other surviving children were present, including Eliza. The family consisted of John Maxfield, 63, farmer, with real estate of $1800 and personal estate of $550, Amanda, 58, Catherine, 27, Eliza, 22, Mary, 20, and John, 19.^[8]

The decade of the 1860s brought much change to this family. Catherine married in 1861, Mary Frances married in 1863, Eliza died in 1865, son John fought in the Civil War, then moved to Iowa and married in 1868. The 1870 census reported the family in the East Craftsbury section of the town of Craftsbury. John B. Maxfield, 73, was a farmer with real estate of $2200 and personal estate of $650. Amanda Maxfield, 68, was keeping house. With them were their daughter, Helen Baily, 39. tailoress, and Frank Baily, 16, farm laborer, and Fred Baily, 7. Both boys attended school.^[9]

John B. Maxfield died of cancer at Greensboro on 17 January 1875, age 78 years 1 month and 6 days. The death record clearly named his parents and his place of birth.^[10]

The 1880 census reported widow Amanda Maxfield, 77, at Greensboro in the household of her son-in-law Erastus R. Hansen, 57, farmer, and her daughter, Jane A. Hansen, 51, keeping house. Also in the household was William E. Hansen, 10, attending school, and a servant, John W. Davis, 54, who worked on the farm.^[11] Amanda Maxfield died of old age at Greensboro on 19 June 1891.^[12]

John B. Maxfield and his wife Amanda Barker had the following children:

1. JANE ANN⁶ MAXFIELD "Amanda” b. at Albany on 1 October 1828; d. at Greensboro on 8 April 1892;^[13] m. prob. bef. 1870 (eldest child age 10 in 1880 Census) ERASTUS R. HANSEN,^[14] b. at Vermont about 1822/3.
2. HELEN MARION⁶ MAXFIELD b. at Albany on 29 August 1830; d. at Greensboro on 30 October 1917;^[15] m. prob. bef. 1858 (birth of first child) LYMAN CAROLS BAILEY.^[16]
3. CATHARINE⁶ MAXFIELD “Katie” b. at Vermont abt. 1832/3;^[17] m. at Hardwick, Caledonia Co., VT, on 11 December 1861 GEORGE L. PAGE.^[18]
4. ELIZA A.⁶ MAXFIELD b. at Vermont abt. 1837/8; d. at Craftsbury on 10 March 1865.^[19]
5. MARY FRANCES⁶ MAXFIELD b. at Craftsbury abt. 1839/40;^[20] m. at Craftsbury on 19 October 1863 THOMAS BRANCH ALEXANDER,^[21] b. at Hatley, Stanstead Co., Quebec on 1835, d. at Newport, Orleans Co., bet.n 1885-1890. Thomas was a sharpshooter in the Civil War and was discharged with disability after the Battle of Antietam.^[22]
6. JOHN B.⁶ MAXFIELD, Jr. b. at Vermont on March 1841.
7. (infant child)⁶ MAXFIELD d. at Craftsbury on 12 August 1844.^[23]

¹Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-1954; digital images of index cards, Family Search (familysearch.org : accessed 2013).
²State of New Hampshire. Bureau of Vital Statistics, Concord, NH, Index to Marriages Up to 1900;Family History Library, Salt Lake City, UT.
³1801/2 in 1850, 1860, 1870 censuses, 1802/3 in 1880 Census.
⁴Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-1954, Family Search.
⁵Fifth Census of the United States: 1830, population, Albany, Orleans Co., VT, 183:164; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012); Sixth Census of the United States: 1840, population, Craftsbury, Olreans Co., VT, 544:316; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).
⁶Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population, Craftsbury, Orleans Co., VT, 925:29B, 388; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).
⁷"Liquor Seizures," Vermont Watchman, 17 August 1855; 19th Century U.S. Newspapers (http://infotrac.galegroup.com : accessed 2013).
⁸Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population, Craftsbury, Orleans Co., VT, 1322:883, 1520; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).
⁹Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population, Craftsbury, Orleans Co., VT, 1623:88A, 124; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2013).
¹⁰Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-1954, Family Search.
¹¹Tenth Census of the United States: 1880, (roll 1346) population, Greensboro, Orleans Co., VT, enumeration district (ED) 157:398A, 45; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2013).
¹²Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-1954, Family Search.
¹³Ibid.
¹⁴1880 Census (roll 1346), Greensboro, Orleans Co., VT, ED 157:398A, 45.
¹⁵Vermont Death Records, 1909-2008; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2013).
¹⁶Ibid., provides his surname.
¹⁷1831/2 in 1850 Census; 1832/3 in 1860 Census.
¹⁸Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-1954, Family Search.
¹⁹Ibid.; Craftsbury Common Cemetery, Craftsbury, VT
²⁰1839/40 in 1850, 1860 censuses.
²¹Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-1954, Family Search.
²²Arthur Cram to Charles A. Maxfield, e-mail, 31 July 2001.
²³Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-1954, Family Search.

Craftsbury Common Cemetery, Craftsbury, VT. Database. Vermont Northeast Kingdom Genealogy. www.nekg-vt.com : 2013.

Cram, Arthur. E-mail from, to Charles A. Maxfield. 2 October 2001.

New Hampshire, State of. Bureau of Vital Statistics, Concord, NH. Index to Marriages Up to 1900. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, UT.

United States Department of the Census. Fifth Census of the United States: 1830, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

________. Sixth Census of the United States: 1840, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

________. Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

________. Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

________. Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2013.

________. Tenth Census of the United States: 1880, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2013.

Vermont Death Records, 1909-2008. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2013.

Vermont. Vital Records, 1760-1954. Digital images of index cards. Family Search. familysearch.org : 2013.

Vermont Watchman. Montpelier, VT. 17 August 1855.