Descendants of John Maxfield
of Salisbury, Massachusetts
Sixth Generation

RUFUS G.6 MAXFIELD (Eliphalet5, Nathaniel4, Eliphalet3, Nathaniel2, John1) was probably born at Union, Maine, in 1812. His age at death and on numerous censuses point to that year, although Elizabeth Wright gave the date as 12 November 1808 (NMGR 7:67). He was a child of Eliphalet Maxfield and his wife Jane McCrillis.

HANNAH BROWN of Dexter, Maine, married Rufus G. Maxfield, probably some time around 1835, at Dexter (NMGR 7:67). They probably left Maine about 1835, and settled in Ohio Town, Herkimer County, New York. They were there in the 1840 Census (M. E. Morgan). Some time before the 1850 Census, Hannah died, and Rufus married MEHITABLE BENNETT (M. E. Morgan). Mehitable was born in New York about 1818, according to census records and her age at death. The 1850 Census reported the family as follows (Herkimer Co., 277):

Name Age Sex Occupation R.E. Birthplace Other
Rufus Maxfield 38 M laborer Me
Mehitable Maxfield 32 F NY
Mary J. Maxfield 10 F NY school
Edgar Maxfield 8 M NY school
Rouse Maxfield 3 M NY

Thanks to Mary Ellen Morgan, we have the following Census records for this family:

1855 New York State Census for Russia Town, Herkimer County, New York

Name Age Sex Relation Birthplace marital stat. Occupation
Maxfield, Rufus 42 M husband Me. married lumberman
Maxfield, Mehetible 36 F wife Herkimer married
Maxfield, Mary J. 15 F daughter Herkimer
Maxfield, Edger 12 M son Herkimer
Maxfield, Rouse 8 M son Herkimer

1860 Federal Census for Russia Town, Herkimer County, New York:

Name Age Sex Occupation R.E. P.E. Birthplace
Rufus G. Maxfield 48 M farmer $1720 $ 100 Me
Mehetable Maxfield 42 F NY
Duane Maxfield 17 M NY
Rouse Maxfield 13 M NY

1870 Federal Census, Russia Town, Herkimer County, New York:

Name Age Sex Race Occupation R.E. P.E. Birthplace
Rufus Maxfield 58 M White sawyer $3000 $ 150 Me

In the 1875 State Census and the 1880 Federal Census, Rufus was living with his daughter Mary, her husband Robert Hodge, and their children, in Russia Town. Rufus was still called a sawyer or lumberman (M. E. Morgan).

Elizabeth Wright's last reference to Rufus Maxfield was a letter to his brother Oren, dated 29 June 1868. Rufus was still in New York State, and mentioned three children, Rouse, Mary Jane, and David (NMGR 7:67).

Mehetable Maxfield died on 29 June 1868, age 49 years (TT Herkimer 42). Rufus Maxfield began receiving a pension of $8.00/month in December 1879, on behalf of his son David, who evidently died before that time (rootsweb: New York: Herkimer & Montgomery Counties--Pensioners of Herkimer County, NY, Jan 1, 1883). Rufus died on 6 January 1884, age 71 (TT Herkimer 42). The newspaper noted:

Maxfield, in Grant, Herkimer County, New York, Rufus G. Maxfield, father of Rouse B. Maxfield of Taberg, New York, died Sunday January 6, 1884, aged 71 years. Rome Citizen Death Notices in 1884. Rootsweb, New York, Oneida County, County Deaths.

Rufus and Mehetable were both buried in Wordin Corners Cemetery, Russia Town (TT Herkimer 42).

Rufus Maxfield wrote his will on 26 May 1881; it was presented to surrogate court on 3 March 1884 (M. E. Morgan). Rufus left $5 to his daughter Mary Jane Hodge and the balance of his estate to his son and executor Rouse B. Maxfield.

Rufus Maxfield and his second wife Mehitable Bennett had the following children:

  1. MARY JANE7 MAXFIELD
    • b. at New York in November 1840 (M. E. Morgan)
    • res. at Camillus, NY, in 1868 (NMGR 7:67)
    • will of 29 October 1887 (M. E. Morgan)
    • d. at Herkimer on 29 May 1908 (M. E. Morgan)
      • New York State Death Certificate #24213 Mary Jane Hodge died 29 May 1908, Village of Herkimer, Herkimer County, New York, age 67 years, 6 months, 12 days, widowed, born New York State. father: Rufus Maxfield b. Maine mother: ______ Bennet b. New York. burial: Oak Hill
    • probate: at Herkimer County on 8 September 1908
    • m. abt 1867 ROBERT HODGE (M. E. Morgan)
      • b. at Herkimer County abt 1838/9 (1875 Census)
      • d. bef 1908 (wife a widow at death)
  2. DAVID EDGAR7 MAXFIELD (see NOTE below)
    • b. at New York abt 1841/2 (1850 Census)
    • military. muster roll at Grayville, Herkimer County, on 15 June 1861. company C, 34th regiment (rootsweb--New York: Herkimer County: 34th NY Voluntary Infantry, Companies B, C, F, G, and K)
    • military. from 7 October 1861 to 24 October 1862 (Civ W Sold)
        Name: David E Maxfield, Enlistment Date: 07 Oct. 1861
        Service Record : Enlisted as a Private on 07 Oct. 1861 at the age of 19
        Enlisted in Company E, 97th Infantry Regiment New York on 15 Oct. 1861.
        Wounded on 17 Sep. 1862 at Antietam, MD
        Died of wounds Company E, 97th Infantry Regiment New York on 24 Oct. 1862 in Frederick, MD
    • d. at Frederick, Maryland, on 24 October 1862 (Civ W Sold)
  3. ROUSE BROWN7 MAXFIELD b. at Ohio T., Herkimer Co., NY, on 29 June 1847

NOTE ON EDGAR, DAVID, and DUANE MAXFIELD

Could Edgar, David and Duane all be the same person? Edgar appeared on the 1850 and 1855 census records. Duane appeared on the 1860 Census, about the same age as Edgar would be. This would be old enough to enlist in the Army in 1861, which David did. David was not mentioned in any census. The 1868 letter mentioned only three children, Rouse, Mary Jane, and David.

Information on this family is found in: Other sources abbreviated above include:
Civ W Sold
American Civil War Soldiers. Ancestry.com.
rootsweb
www.rootsweb.com. (File indicated)
TT Herkimer
Tree Talks: Herkimer County. Syracuse: Central New York Genealogical Society.
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