Descendants of John Maxfield
of Salisbury, Massachusetts
Fifth Generation

JESSE ABBOTT5 MAXFIELD (Richard4, Joseph3-2, John1 ) was born at Bradford, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, on 8 December 1801,[1] a son of Richard Maxfield and his wife Sally Young. He died at Hyde Park, Lamoille County, Vermont, on 18 June 1885.[2] He first married at Bradford on 17 August 1834 BETSEY ABBOTT.[3] She was born at Vermont about 1800/1, and died at New Hampshire, on 5 June 1854.[4] Jesse married as his second wife at Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, on 30 October 1861 ELISA CHASE.[5] She was born at Salem about 1804/5.

Jesse Maxfield grew up in Bradford, the second of five children. During his adult life he often moved, was sometimes living apart from his family, and his children were soon dispersed. He was described as a farmer in 1840, 1850, and 1880, a tin and sheet metal worker in 1860, and a carpenter in 1865.

The 1840 census reported him at Newbury [called Fishersfield to 1837], Merrimack County, New Hampshire. The breakdown of the household by age and sex categories could be explained as follows:[6]

male 50-59 Jesse, 38
female 30-39 Betsey, 38
male 20-29 unidentified
male 5-9 Thomas, 5
male 0-4 Franklin, 4
male 0-4 John, 2

The census taker either gretly over-estimated Jesse's age, or just put the mark in the wrong column.

The 1850 census reported Jesse Maxfield at Franklin, Merrimack County. The household consisted of Jesse A., 48, farmer, Betsey, 49, Franklin, 13, and Thomas H., 15. Betsey was born at Vermont, the rest of the family at New Hampshire; the boys were attending school.[7] That same census also reported Jesse A. Maxfield at Bradford, a laborer, age 50, in the home of Enoch and Jane Sweatt.[8] I have not found son John in this Census. Moses Maxfield, age 11, resided in the household of John (age 60, farmer) and Mary (age 40) Smith, at Bradford.[9] Andrew Maxfield, age 6, lived in a household at Franklin headed by Stephen (56, farmer) and Marinda (45) Sawyer.[10] I have not been able to determine any relationship to the Smiths or Sawyers. I do not know why these children were not living with their parents.

Betsey Maxfield, wife of Jesse A. Maxfield, died on 5 June 1854, age 53, and is buried at Presbury Cemetery, Bradford.[11] Moses Maxfield, child of Jesse Maxfield, died at Amherst, Hillsborough County, on 5 December 1859, age 19.[12]

The 1860 census reported Jesse A. Maxfield, 59, tin and sheet metal worker, at Concord, Merrimack County, in the home of Charles S. (30) and Mary (29) Wilson.[13] Andrew J. Maxfield, 16, farm laborer, resided at SalisburyMerrimack County, in the home of Merinda Sawyer (54).[14] On 4 February 1861 Merrimack County Probate Court granted guardianship of Andrew Maxfield to Marinda Sawyer.[15] I have not found the oldest three sons in this census.

Jesse A. Maxfield of Bradford and Elisa Chase of Salem, Massachusetts, married at Salem on 30 October 1861. C. C. Beaman, clergyman, presided. Jesse and Elisa each claimed this to be their first marriage.[16]

The 1865 Massachuestts state census reported Jesse Maxfield, 65, carpenter, and Eliza Maxfield, 60, at Salem, in a household that included eleven other persons, perhaps a boarding house.[17] Son Thomas, a veteran of the Civil War, resided at Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, in that census.[18] Son Frank Maxfield, 28, lived at Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, where he worked as a knitter.[19]

I have not found Jesse or Elisa in the 1870 census. The 1880 census reported Jesse as divorced. So they divorced some time between 1865 and 1880. I have no further record of Elisa. The 1880 census reported Jesse Maxfield at Bradford in the following household:[20]

Line Name Race Sex Age Related MS Occupation B FB MB
32 James L.. Taylor B M 47 M cook in hotel LA LA LA
33 Sarah A. Taylor W F 38 wife M keeping house NH NH NH
34 Mary L. Taylor Mu F 10 daughter S attending school NH LA NH
35 James L. Taylor Mu M 2 son S NH LA NH
36 Jesse A. Maxfield W M 79 uncle-in-law D works on farm NH NH NH

Sarah A. (Bailey) Taylor was the daughter of Elbridge Gerry Bailey and his wife Mary Maxfield, a sister of Jesse Maxfield. New Hampshire was one of only eight states that never passed anti-miscegenation laws. Inter-racial marriage was always legal. James Taylor of Bradford, colored cook, 36, and Sarah Bailey, white, 26, were married at Bradford on 31 May 1869 by minister of the Gospel John Gillingham of Bradford.[21]

Jesse Maxfield died at Hyde Park, Vermont, on 18 June 1885, with a kidney complaint.[22] How did he end up in Hyde Park? His brother George had lived there, and Goerge's widow still resided there.

Jesse Abbott Maxfield and his first wife Betsey Abbott had the following children:

  1. THOMAS H.6 MAXFIELD b. at Bradford abt. 1834/5.
  2. FRANKLIN6 MAXFIELD b. at New Hampshire on June 1836;[23] d. at Philadelphia, PA, on 26 December 1902.[24] Frank was reported in the 1865 Massachusetts census at Chelmsford, working as a knitter. He was reported in the 1900 census at Philadelphia at a lodging house, a day laborer.[25] He was called a widower on that census, but single on his death record.
  3. JOHN GILLINGHAM6 MAXFIELD b. at Bradford abt. 1837/8.
  4. MOSES6 MAXFIELD b. at New Hampshire abt. 5 June 1840; d. at Amherst on 5 December 1859.[26]
  5. ANDREW J.6 MAXFIELD b. at New Hampshire on October 1843.[27] He may be the A. J. Maxfield, 26, at Lawrence, Saint Lawrence County, NY, in the 1870 census, a drug clerk in the household of A. N. Woodman, clergyman.[28] He may be the Andrew J. Maxfield, tavern keeper, at Hastings, Adams County, NE, in 1900 census. He was there described as a widower born at New Hampshire in October 1843.[29] He may be the Andrew J. Maxfield, age 66, residing in the Old Peoples' Home at Omaha, Douglas Co., NE, in the 1910 census.[30]

NOTES

1French, Harry Dana. Descendants of John Maxfield of Salisbury, Mass., New Hampshire Historical Society Library, Concord, NH, about 1952.
2Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-1954; digital images of index cards, Family Search (familysearch.org : accessed 2013).
3French, Harry Dana. Descendants of John Maxfield of Salisbury, Mass.
4Presbury Cemetery, Bradford, Merrimack Co., NH, database, Find a Grave (findagrave.com : accessed 2011), .
5Massachusetts, Commonwealth of, Division of Vital Statistics, State House, Boston, MA, Vital Records of Massachusetts. 144: 213:42.
6Sixth Census of the United States: 1840, population, Newbury, Merrimack Co., NH, 240:173; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).
7Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population, Franklin, Merrimack Co., NH, 436:244B, 155; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).
8Ibid., Bradford, Merrimack Co., NH, 436:84B, 521.
9Ibid., Bradford, Merrimack Co., NH, 436:82A, 478.
10Ibid., Franklin, Merrimack Co., NH, 436:244A, 148.
11Presbury Cemetery, Bradford, Merrimack Co., NH, database, Find a Grave
12State of New Hampshire. Bureau of Vital Statistics, Concord, NH, Index of Deaths to 1900;Family History Library, Salt Lake City, UT.
13Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population, Concord Ward 6, Merrimack Co., NH, 675:912, 1685; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).
14Ibid., Salisbury, Merrimack Co., NH, 677:1082, 1056.
15Merrimack County, New Hampshire, Probate Records; "New Hampshire, County Probate Records, 1660-1973," digital images, Family Search (familysearch.org: accessed 2014); 37:81.
16Vital Records of Massachusetts, 144: 213:42.
17Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, 1865 Massachusetts State Census, , population, Salem ward 5, Essex Co., MA, 399; digital images, Family Search (familysearch.org : accessed 2013).
18Ibid., Boston ward 6, Suffolk Co., MA, 37.
19Ibid., Chelmsford, Middlesex Co., MA, 355.
20Tenth Census of the United States: 1880, population (roll 765), Bradford, Merrimack Co., NH, enumeration district (ED) 163, :58A, 57; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2013).
21New Hampshire, Marriage Records, 1637-1947, Index and images, Family Search (familysearch.org).
22Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-1954.
23Twelth Census of the United States: 1900, population (roll 1456), Philadelphia ward 12, Philadelphia Co., PA, enumeration district (ED) 205, :9A, 133; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2014).
24Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. City Death Certificates, 1803-1915; index and images, Family Search (familysearch.org : accessed 2012).
251900 Census, (roll 1456), Philadelphia ward 12, Philadelphia Co., PA, enumeration district (ED) 205, :9A, 133
26New Hampshire Index of Deaths to 1900; Meadow View Cemetery, Amherst, Hillsborough Co., NH, database, Find a Grave (findagrave.com : accessed 2011), .
271900 Census (roll 916), Hastings ward 3, Adams Co., NE, enumeration district (ED) 11, 10A, 256; if this is the correct identification.
28Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population, Lawrence, Saint Lawrence Co., NY, 1099:98A7:379B, 310; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2013).
291900 Census (roll 916), Hastings ward 3, Adams Co., NE, enumeration district (ED) 11, 10A, 256.
30Thirteenth Census of the United States: 1910, population (roll 844), Omaha ward 12, Douglas Co., NE, enumeration district (ED) 86, 15A, 344, ; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2013).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

French, Harry Dana. Descendants of John Maxfield of Salisbury, Mass. New Hampshire Historical Society Library, Concord, NH, about 1952.

Massachusetts, Commonwealth of, Division of Vital Statistics, State House, Boston, MA. Vital Records of Massachusetts. New Bedford Free Public Library, New Bedford, MA. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, 1865 Massachusetts State Census, population. Digital images. Family Search. familysearch.org : 2013.

Meadow View Cemetery, Amherst, Hillsborough Co., NH. Database. Find a Grave. findagrave.com : 2011.

Merrimack County, New Hampshire. Probate Records. "New Hampshire, County Probate Records, 1660-1973." Digital images. Family Search. familysearch.org: 2014.

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

________. Marriage Records, 1637-1947. Index and images. Family Search. familysearch.org.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, City Death Certificates, 1803-1915. Index and images. Family Search. familysearch.org : 2012.

Presbury Cemetery, Bradford, Merrimack Co., NH. Database. Find a Grave. findagrave.com : 2011.

United States Department of the Census. 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.

________. 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.

________. Twelth Census of the United States: 1900, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2013.

________. Thirteenth Census of the United States: 1910, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2013.

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

Return to "Chuck Maxfield's Genealogy Page"

Return to Maxfield Genealogy

Go to Maxfield Genealogy Outline Index

This web page in the intellectual property of Charles A. Maxfield of Lansdale, PA.
Permission is granted to create links to this page.
Permission is granted to make a copy of this page for personal use only.
For any other use, contact the proprietor of this website Charles A. Maxfield
Last updated 2014