Descendants of John Maxfield
of Salisbury, Massachusetts
Sixth Generation

WARREN⁶ MAXFIELD (Warren⁵, Timothy^4-3-2, John¹) was born at New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts, on 8 May 1808,^[1] a son of Warren Maxfield and his wife Ruby Peckham. He died at Fairhaven, Bristol County, on 4 August 1859.^[2] He married at New Bedford on 6 December 1829 SARAH H. STETSON.^[3] She was born at New Bedford on 4 July 1809,^[4] the daughter of Smith Stetson and his wife Phebe Horton. Sarah was born in that section of New Bedford which was later incorporated as Fairhaven, and still later as Acushnet. She died at Fairhaven on 21 April 1880.^[5] He was often called Warren Maxfield Junior.

Warren Maxfield, Jr., grew up in the bustling whaling port of New Bedford, where his father worked as a mason, and he and his brothers all learned that trade. Warren was dscribed as either a mason or a bricklayer on all census records and property transactions. Warren Maxfield, Jr., of New Bedford, and Sarah H. Stetson of Fairhaven, published their marriage intentions at Fairhaven on 21 November 1829.^[6] They were married at New Bedford on 6 December 1829. This young newly-wed couple was reported at New Bedford in the 1830 census, but by 1833 had built a home in a newly developing section of Fairhaven.

Warren Maxfield, Jr., participated in much buying and selling of land in a developing section of Fairhaven near the village, in the midst of "contemplated" streets, in particular an extension of Bridge Street:

• 29 April 1833, Timothy I. Dyre of New Bedford sold to Warren Maxfield, Jr., of Fairhaven, mason, for $800, a lot in Fairhaven of 160 rods.^[7]
• 6 May 1833, Timothy I. Dyre of New Bedford sold to Warren Maxfield, Jr., of Fairhaven, mason, for $274.88 a lot in Fairhaven of 30.30 rods, "It being the lot upon which the said Maxfield has recently erected a dwelling home and in which he now resides." ^[8]
• 8 May 1833, Warren Maxfield, Jr., of Fairhaven, mason, mortgaged to Timothy F. Dyre of New Bedford, for $1074.88, the lot with buildings in Fairhaven, of 30.30 rods, which Dyre had sold to Maxfield two days before, to be paid back with interest; Maxfield to continue to live there.^[9]
• 5 June 1833, Warren Maxfield, Jr., of Fairhaven, mason, sold to John Alden, Jr., of Fairhaven, carpenter, for $293.84 a lot of 36.73 rods. Also, Warren Maxfield, Jr., of Fairhaven, mason, sold to William Stetson of Fairhaven, mariner, for $293.84, land in Fairhaven, 36.73 rods. Also, Warren Maxfield of Fairhaven, mason, sold to Wesley Chace of Fairhaven, mariner, for $287.36 a lot in Fairhaven of 35.92 rods.^[10]
• 25 July 1833. Joseph Millet of Fairhaven, yeoman, sold to Warren Maxfield, Jr., of Fairhaven, mason, for $688.54, a lot in Fairhaven, next to the village, of 175.19 rods.^[11]
• 24 Oct 1833, Wesley Chace of Fairhaven, bricklayer, sold to Warren Maxfield, Jr., of Fairhaven, bricklayer, for $100, a lot in Fairhaven.^[12]
• 29 Oct 1833, Warren Maxfield, Jr., of Fairhaven, bricklayer, sold to John F. Hoyt and Jonathan Slade 2d of Fairhaven, three lots in Fairhaven, for $190, $100, and $300. Also, Warren Maxfield, Jr., of Fairhaven, bricklayer, sold to Wesley Chace of Fairhaven, for $100, a lot in Fairhaven.^[13]
• 1 Nov. 1833, Warren Maxfield, Jr., of Fairhaven, bricklayer, sold to Nicholas F. Brownel and Rodman W. Albro of Fairhaven, for $260, a lot in Fairhaven.^[14]
• 14 February 1834, Warren Maxfield, Jr., of Fairhaven, bricklayer, sold to John Alden, Jr., of Fairhaven, housewright, for $249, a lot in Fairhaven, 45 1/5 rods.^[15]
• 15 February 1834, Warren Maxfield, Jr., of Fairhaven, sold to Melvin O. Bradford, Philemon Fuller, Jr., and Malbro Bradford, of Fairhaven, a lot in Fairhaven.^[65]
• 13 November 1849, Warren Maxfield of Fairhaven sold to Abner Pease and Rodolphus Dexter of Fairhaven, for $1235, land with buildings in Fairhaven on Privilege Street, 15 ½ rods.^[17]

The 1830 census reported the family of Warren Maxfield, Junior, at New Bedford, consisting of two males and one female in their twenties, and one male between 15 and 19.^[18] Warren and Sarah were a couple in their twenties. It is not clear who the other males were. Perhaps one was his brother Benjamin(?)

The 1840 census reported Warren Maxfield at Fairhaven, with a household consisting of a man and a woman in their thirties, two young men between 15 and 20, a male between ten and fifteen, two girls between five and ten, and a boy and a girl under five.^[19] The family of Warren and Sarah and their children can account for all of these persons except for the two teenage boys, 15-20. One of them could have been Warren's younger brother James. Another could possibly be Warren's nephew William, son of Ephraim. According to this census, two persons made their living by manufacturing and trade, one by navigation on the ocean.

The 1850 census, reported this family in Fairhaven as follows:^[20]

Although this was his official residence, son Warren Maxfield was in fact on the Pacific Ocean somewhere chasing whales, at this time.

The 1855 Massachusetts state census reported the family at Fairhaven consisting of Warren Maxfield, 47, mason, Sarah H. Maxfield, 46, Warren S. Maxfield, 25, mariner, Sarah J. Maxfield, 23, Susan R. Maxfield, 21, Mary P. Maxfield, 19, Betsy H. Maxfield, 13, William F. Maxfield, 10, and Charles P. Maxfield, 5.^[21] Son Warren S. Maxfield was, again, in fact far away on the Pacific Ocean. Warren Maxfield, Junior, died at Fairhaven on 4 August 1859, from erysipelas, age 51 years, 3 months, and 26 days.^[22]

The 1860 census described the three-generation household of recently widowed Sarah Maxfield as follows:^[23]

James Severance was Sarah's son-in-law, Mary Severance her daughter, and Henry Severance her grandson. William and Charles were attending school. Son Warren was on his way back from the Indian Ocean at the time of the census.

The 1865 state census reported Sarah Maxfield, 56, at home with three sons: Warren, 35, mariner, William, 20, mariner, and Charles, 15.^[24] All the daughters had married and left home, except Betsy, whom I have not found in this census. Two years later, when Betsy married, she would be described as a resident of Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts.

The 1870 census reported widow Sarah Maxfield in Fairhaven, Mattapoiset Post Office, with her son-in-law and daughter, Charles A. (age 47, cooper) and Sarah J. (age 37) Tripp and their daughter Hattie (age 12).^[25]

Sarah (Stetson) Maxfield died at Fairhaven, on 21 April 1880. Warren and Sarah Stetson were both buried at Riverside Cemetery, Fairhaven.^[26]

Warren S. Maxfield, eldest son of Warren and Sarah, went to sea and never married. He was a green hand on the Samuel Robertson, which hunted whales in the Atlantic Ocean, from 18 June 1846 to 2 May 1849. His share of the voyage's profits was 1/225. Warren soon returned to sea, as a boat stearer on the Desdemona, a whaler bound for the Pacific Ocean, from 8 September 1849 to 29 July 1852. His share was 1/85. He then sailed as a fourth mate on the Niger to the Pacific Ocean, 14 October 1852 to 24 March 1856. He received 1/70 share. Warren S. Maxfield sailed as a third mate on the whaler Chile, bound for the Indian Ocean, from 31 July 1856 to 8 June 1860. He received 1/55 share.^[27] He probably sailed again. He died from consumption at San Francisco, California, on 21 April 1868, age 38 years and 6 months.^[28]

Warren Maxfield and his wife Sarah Stetson had the following children:

1. WARREN S.⁷ MAXFIELD b. at Fairhaven 28 October 1830;^[29] d. at San Francisco on 21 April 1868; bur. at Riverside Cemetery, Fairhaven.
2. SARAH JANE⁷ MAXFIELD b.at Fairhaven on 6 August 1832;^[30] d. at Fairhaven on 30 April 1890 from blood poisoning;^[31] m. at Fairhaven on 13 July 1856 CHARLES H. TRIPP^[32] b. at Westport, Bristol Co., abt. 1823/4 to Pardon and Sarah (Macomber) Tripp; d. at Fairhaven on 30 March 1908 from cerebral sclerosis.^[33]
3. SUSAN RITCHIE⁷ MAXFIELD b. at Fairhaven on 11 January 1834;^[34] d. at Middleboro, Plymouth Co., MA, on 4 November 1907, from fibroid tumor of uterus, also fatty degeneration of heart;^[35] m. at Worcester on 9 September 1863 WILLIAM LESLIE COBURN^[36] b. at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., MA, on 9 September 1842;^[37] d. at Winthrop, Suffolk Co., MA, on 15 December 1907; child of Nathan S. and Margaret (Picket) Coburn. William was a railroad clerk, lived at Middleboro, and died from pleuro pneumonia, also pulmonery oedema.^[38]
4. MARY P.⁷ MAXFIELD b. at Fairhaven on 26 February 1836;^[39] d. at Fairhaven on 23 February 1906, pulmonary tuberculosis;^[40] m. at New Bedford on 31 July 1857 JAMES A. SEVERANCE^[41] b. at Fairhaven abt. July 1819; d. at Fairhaven on 27 January 1878 from typhoid fever;^[42] mariner, child of William and Hannah Severance.
5. BETSY H.⁷ MAXFIELD b. on 6 April 1838; d. on 23 April 1838;^[43] bur. at Riverside Cemetery, Fairhaven.
6. WILLIAM T.⁷ MAXFIELD b. on 23 March 1840; d. on 19 September 1841;^[44] bur. Riverside Cemetery, Fairhaven.
7. BETSY H.⁷ MAXFIELD b. at Fairhaven on 25 May 1842;^[45] d. at Worcester on 17 June 1914 from cardio renal vascular disease (sudden death);^[46] m. at Worcester on 25 October 1867 DAVID BAKER, Jr.^[47] b. at Canada on 1 August 1844; d. at Worcester on 13 March 1913 from cerebral hemorrhage;^[48] he was a truckman, a child of David Baker.
8. WILLIAM FRANCIS⁷ MAXFIELD b. at Fairhaven on 17 April 1845;^[49] d. at Fairhaven on 11 January 1897 from bright's disease;^[50] m. at New Bedford on 4 April 1879 SARAH L. TRIPP^[51] b. at New Bedford abt 1855/6; d. at Taunton, Bristol Co., on 9 February 1893 general peritonitis., child of Alexander A. and Mary Ann (Lancaster) Tripp.^[52] She had m. (1) at Fairhaven on 8 October 1870 ALBERT F. ELDRED. ^[53] He was b. at Fairhaven on 6 May 1848, a child of Lemuel and Adeline Eldred. ^[54] The 1880 census reported William and Sarah Maxfield at 125 North State Street, New Bedford, ages 35 and 25; William was a railroad hand at the depot. ^[55] His death record described William as a carpenter.
9. CHARLES POPE⁷ MAXFIELD b. on 22 September 1847; d. on 23 July 1848;^[56] bur. Riverside Cemetery, Fairhaven.
10. CHARLES POPE⁷ MAXFIELD b. at Fairhaven on 3 December 1849

¹Elisha Leonard, "Leonard Papers," New Bedford Free Public Library, New Bedford, MA.
²Massachusetts Archives, "Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," digital images, American Ancestors (americanancestors.org : accessed 2012), 129:67:29.
³Vital Records of New Bedford, Massachusetts, to the year 1850, 3 volumes (Boston: New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 1932. 1932, 1941), 2:366.
⁴Leonard, "Leonard Papers."
⁵"Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," digital images, American Ancestors, 319:88:17.
⁶Leonard H. Smith and Dorothy Marvelle Boyer, editors, Vital Records of the Town of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, to 1850 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1993), 61.
⁷Bristol County, Massachusetts, Deeds, 138:396-97, 29 April 1833; Bristol County Court House, Taunton, MA (familysearch.org).
⁸Ibid., 138:3997-98.
⁹Ibid., 137:534.
¹⁰Ibid., 140:26-27, 31, 54-55.
¹¹Ibid., 141:171.
¹²Ibid., 141:169.
¹³Ibid., 141:165-68.
¹⁴Ibid., 141:168-69.
¹⁵Ibid., 143:94-95.
¹⁶Ibid., 143:69-70.
¹⁷Bristol County (South District), Massachusetts, Registry of Deeds, 18:262-63, 13 November 1849; , New Bedford, MA.
¹⁸Fifth Census of the United States: 1830, population, New Bedford, Bristol Co., MA, 59:315; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).
¹⁹Sixth Census of the United States: 1840, population, Fairhaven, Bristol Co., MA, 178:349; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).
²⁰Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population, Fairhaven, Bristol Co., MA, 308:180B, 345; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).
²¹Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, 1855 Massachusetts State Census, population, Fairhaven, Bristol Co., 148; digital images, Family Search (familysearch.org : accessed 2013); Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, MA.
²²"Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," digital images, American Ancestors, 129:67:29.
²³Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population, Fairhaven, Bristol Co., MA, 489:428, 619; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).
²⁴Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, 1865 Massachusetts State Census, population, Fairhaven, Bristol Co., MA, 240; digital images, Family Search (familysearch.org : accessed 2013).
²⁵Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population, Fairhaven, Bristol Co., MA, 603:255B, 561; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2013).
²⁶Riverside Cemetery (Fairhaven, Bristol Co., MA ; about 2000.
²⁷"Whaling Archives," database, New Bedford Free Public Library, City of New Bedford, Massachusetts (https://www.newbedford-ma.gov/Library/Whaling/Whaling.html : accessed 2014)
²⁸"Death Records in the New Bedford Mercury, 1845-1874," 788.
²⁹Bertha Harriet Tirrell Maxfield Family Record.
³⁰Ibid.
³¹Jay and Delene Holbrook, "Massachusetts Vital and Town Records," digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012), Fairhaven; Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts.
³²Massachusetts, Commonwealth of, Division of Vital Statistics, State House, Boston, MA, 99: 79:18.
³³"Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," digital images, American Ancestors, 1908/35:193.
³⁴Bertha Harriet Tirrell Maxfield Family Record.
³⁵Holbrook, "Massachusetts Vital and Town Records," digital images, Ancestry, Middleboro.
³⁶Holbrook, "Massachusetts Vital and Town Records," digital images, Ancestry, Worcester, Marriages, 2:117, 207.
³⁷Vital Records of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston: NEHGS, 1911), 57.
³⁸"Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," digital images, American Ancestors, 1907/70:235.
³⁹Bertha Harriet Tirrell Maxfield Family Record.
⁴⁰"Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," digital images, American Ancestors, 1906/34:403.
⁴¹Massachusetts Division of Vital Statistics, 108: 133:158.
⁴²"Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," digital images, American Ancestors, 301:84
⁴³Bertha Harriet Tirrell Maxfield Family Record.
⁴⁴Ibid.
⁴⁵Ibid.
⁴⁶Massachusetts Vital Records, 1911-1915, digital images, American Ancestors (americanancestors.org : accessed 1914).
⁴⁷"Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," digital images, American Ancestors, 201:312:357.
⁴⁸Massachusetts Vital Records, 1911-1915, 1913/108 Deaths:280.
⁴⁹Massachusetts, Division of Vital Statistics, 10: 57.
⁵⁰"Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," digital images, American Ancestors, 472:165:3.
⁵¹Massachusetts, Division of Vital Statistics, 307: 115:88.
⁵²"Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," digital images, American Ancestors, 436:332:75.
⁵³Ibid., 226:88:10.
⁵⁴Ibid., 34:116:30.
⁵⁵Tenth Census of the United States: 1880, population (roll 526), New Bedford, Bristol Co., MA, enumeration district (ED) 108, 69C, 32; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 8 March 2013).
⁵⁶Bertha Harriet Tirrell Maxfield Family Record. .

Bristol County, Massachusetts, Deeds. Bristol County Court House, Taunton, MA (familysearch.org).

________ (South District). Registry of Deeds. , New Bedford, MA.

"Death Records in the New Bedford Mercury, 1845-1874," New Bedford Free Public Library, New Bedford, MA.

Hartshorn, Doris Maxfield. "Genealogy of Charles Pope Maxfield Family." Mimeographed document, 1968.

Holbrook, Jay and Delene. "Massachusetts Vital and Town Records." Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

Leonard, Elisha. "Leonard Papers." . New Bedford Free Public Library, New Bedford, MA.

Massachusetts Archives. "Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910." Digital images. American Ancestors. americanancestors.org : 2012.

________. Massachusetts Vital Records, 1911-1915. Digital images. American Ancestors. americanancestors.org : 1914.

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, 1855 Massachusetts State Census, population. Digital images. Family Search. familysearch.org : 2013.

________, 1865 Massachusetts State Census, population. Digital images. Family Search. familysearch.org : 2013.

Maxfield, Bertha Harriet Tirrell. Family Record. before 1938. Privately held by Charles A. Maxfield.

Riverside Cemetery (Fairhaven, Bristol Co., MA). Grave marker.

Smith, Leonard H., and Dorothy Marvelle Boyer, editors. Vital Records of the Town of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, to 1850. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1993.

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.

Vital Records of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850. Boston: NEHGS, 1911.

Vital Records of New Bedford, Massachusetts, to the year 1850. 3 volumes. Boston: New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 1932. 1932, 1941.

"Whaling Archives." Database. New Bedford Free Public Library. City of New Bedford, Massachusetts. https://www.newbedford-ma.gov/Library/Whaling/Whaling.html : 2014.