Winsor Family Reunion - 1885

Annual Gathering of Paris Winsor Family

Chenango Union, September 24, 1885

The history of the Winsor family dates back to the fifteenth century, when Lord Edward Winsor, a Roman Catholic, was beheaded, whether for politics or religion is not known.

 

Joshua Winsor, the first of the family in the United States, was one of the twenty who gave thirty pounds, the amount paid the Indians for the land on which Providence, R.I., was built, on being admitted equal shares therein with Roger Williams, who originally purchased the land, and the twelve others who had preceded them.  Most of his descendants lived in R.I.

 

Stephen, the father of Paris, came to this county in 1796 and settled about one and one-half miles west from Latham's Corners.  His son Paris settled in sight of  his father's towards Rockwell's Mills, where he lived until he died in 1840.  His children all settled in this county and near the old home.  In January, 1862, Samuel enlisted and was about to go into the army when the thought was impressed on the mind of his sister, Mrs. Ollis Bowen, that perhaps we will never be permitted to all meet again here on earth, and so a family gathering or visit was planned, and in January, Ziba, of Norwich; Hon. George H., of Bainbridge; Samuel, of New Berlin; Otis of Norwich, with their wives; Eppenetus of Guilford; Mrs. D. Wescott, a sister, with her husband, of Norwich, and the stepmother, Mrs. Lavisa Winsor, of Guilford, with a few other relatives and friends, met at the residence of Ollis Bowen, near Latham's Corners, in the town of Guilford.

 

Stories of "Ye olden times" were told, speculations as to the future made, hopes and fears expressed as to their being permitted to all see each other's face again.  The separation came and in a few weeks Samuel went into the army, where he served until July, when he was taken sick and died.  Excepting one, every year since the surviving brothers and sisters with their families have met at the home of a brother or sister for an annual visit.

 

This, the twenty-first meeting, was held Thursday, September 17th [1885], at the new and beautiful residence of Henry Bowen, son of Ollis Bowen, who now owns the old homestead, where the first visit was held and within sight of where the Winsor family were born and grew to be men and women.  But how changed;  the old house is no more to be seen, for a new one has taken its place, and in the fields crops are being gathered where father and sons used to chop wood and burn the huge log piles to clear the land. The stepmother, George H., Ziba, Samuel and Ollis Bowen have gone to that country where change and parting are never known.

 

Eppenetus lives at Sidney Plains, Otis at Greene, Mrs. R. Bowen at Norwich, and Mrs. Wescott at Utica.  Thus we find but four of the Paris Winsor family now living and of his grandchildren only twenty-three, while in the family of his grandfather, John Winsor, there were twenty children, a family five times larger than any of his grandchildren could ever boast.  And the names of this large family indicated that the Bible was not to the father and mother an unknown book; for we find Stephen, Sarah, Prudence, Joshua, Ruth, Alice, Deborah, Candace, Zenac, Mercy, Zilpha, Cyntha, Lydia, Adah, John, Salome, Abraham, Phebe and John.

 

Just as these names are being reviewed and stories told of what "we boys" used to do when father was not around, how we ran when the preacher was seen coming, and many other incidents where we cannot now speak of, the company was invited to the dining room, where a sumptuous feast had been prepared.  Such a dinner, and such pears are not often seen.  We cannot describe either.  We do know, however, that after dinner not one of the company could be induced to try a foot race.

 

Toward evening the guests assembled in the parlors and joined in singing some of the old hymns.

 

Rev. L.C. Hayes read a few select passage of Scripture and offered prayer, and the separation came once more; and we went home trusting that the next annual meeting would be like this, pleasant and profitable.