Sunday, May 19, 2024

Vital Records, Chenango County, NY April 1878

 Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, April 11, 1878

Marriages

FREEMAN - PALMER:  At the residence of G.G. Palmer, in Mt. Upton [Chenango Co. NY], April 2d, by Rev. T. P. Halsted, Mr. E.G. Freeman of Gilbertsville [Otsego Co. NY] to Miss Rosa E. Palmer of Mt. Upton.

Miss Rose Palmer of Mt. Upton became a Freeman on the evening of April 2d, and yet she was never suspected of favoring the Woman's Rights movement.  Rev. T.P. Halstead performed the ceremony which wrought this wondrous change, and a large party of friends gave the sanction of their presence.  Mr. and Mrs. Freeman started the same evening for New York, on their bridal tour.

DAVIES - HUGHES:  In Utica [Oneida Co. NY], April 9th, by Rev. W.D. Chase, Mr. Thomas J. Davies of Earlville [Madison Co. NY] to Miss Mary A. Hughes of Utica.

Deaths

POLHILL:  In this village [Norwich, Chenango Co. NY] April 8th, J. Howard [Polhill] youngest son of George and Mary Polhill, aged 1 year and 3 months.

EATON:  In Sherburne [Chenango Co. NY], April 8th, of heart disease, Clarissa [Eaton] wife of the late Horace Eaton, aged 81 years.

CRANDALL:  In Oxford [Chenango Co. NY], April 4th, Eliza [Crandall] wife of Allington Crandall, aged 54 years.

ROOT:  In Oxford [Chenango Co. NY], Aril 5th, Harriet [Root] daughter of Charles Root, aged 18 years.

BEMISS:  In Lincklaen [Chenango Co. NY], March 28th, of consumption, Ella Halbert [Bemiss] wife of Edward Bemiss, aged about 35 years.

PRATT:  In New Berlin [Chenango Co. NY], March 24th, at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. A. CheneyLucinda [Pratt] relict of the late David Pratt, aged 85 years.

McCULLOUGH:  In South Troupsburgh, Steuben Co. [NY], March 21st, Willard [McCullough] son of Simon and Polly E. McCullough, aged about 12 years.

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BENNETT:  At the residence of his son-in-law, Charles L. Turner in this town [Norwich, Chenango Co. NY] April 6th of paralysis, Mr. James C. Bennett in the 71st year of his age.

Another of our old and greatly respected citizens has passed over the dark river.  On Friday last, April 5th [sic] James C. Bennett, who lately resided on the river road between this place and Oxford, but for several years previously on Birdsall Street, in this village [Norwich, Chenango Co. NY], while on a visit at the residence of his son-in-law, Charles L. Turner, some two miles south of this place, was suddenly stricken with paralysis from the effects of which he never recovered and breathed his last about four o'clock on Saturday afternoon.

Mr. Bennett was born November 4th, 1807, on the farm on which he resided at the time of his decease, and where he had continued to reside throughout his life, with the exception of about ten years, during which time he rented his farm and made his home in this village.  Two years since he removed back to his old home.

Deceased was the only son of James Bennett, one of the first pioneers who struck into the dense forest that covered this country eighty-five years ago.  He lived on the same farm, now owned by his son, until his death, which occurred November 25th, 1858, he having then reached the advanced age of nearly eighty-five years.  We extract from the Oxford Times of that month, a notice of his death:

"Mr. Bennett was eighty-four years of age at the time of his death, and one of the first adventurers who came to this then unbroken forest.  He had lived in this town sixty-five years, having come hither with his father in 1792, when but nineteen years of age.  He was one of a family of thirteen children, all of whom attained their majority and were settled in life.  Mr. Bennett had a remarkably retentive memory and his rehearsal of early incidents and adventure was frequently quite interesting.  He came with his father from Great Bend, on the Susquehanna up the river by canoe ascending the Chenango in like manner, there being else no roads or means of conveyance, and saw but one house between this place and Binghamton at Chenango Forks.  When he reached here there was but one house in town.  There had then been no mills erected and the family were obliged to break up their grain in a mortar until the father had contrived a small hand mill which supplied not only the wants of his own family but was frequently resorted to by the early settlers upon the Unadilla.  Mr. Bennett delighted to tell of the days when marked trees were the only means of tracing the pathways of the forest and he visited Norwich when it was houseless to find the trees swaying with pigeon nests, the remnant of the feathered encampment of the previous year, upon the present site of that now flourishing village.  Mr. Bennett had resided fifty-nine years upon the same farm upon which he died."

James C. Bennett has devoted his life to his family and through industry and probity has established a reputation so well deserved for integrity and manliness in his dealings and intercourse with his fellow men, such as few earn in so remarkable a degree.  He was in fact an honest man "the noblest work of God" and his friends can point with pride to his life conduct and console themselves with the thought that no more proud monument can be erected by human agencies than the one he has reared for himself, having for its corner stone stern integrity.  Although his days were lengthened to "three score and ten years," no man can truthfully say he has ever been intentionally wronged by him.

His funeral was largely attended on Monday afternoon at his late residence, Rev. S. Scoville conducting the services, and his remains were laid by the side of those of his ancestors in the Oxford cemetery.

Deceased leaves surviving him a widow and four children -- Mrs. C.L. Turner and Mrs. D.E. Comstock, of Norwich; Mrs. J.J. Van Allen, of Watkins; and James Howard Bennett, who resides on the homestead.  All the relatives were present when he breathed his last.

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Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, Norwich, NY, April 10, 1878: In our last edition we stated that J.C. Benett was suffering from a stroke of paralysis with no hope of recovery.  He never rallied form the shock and now we are called upon to chronicle his death, which occurred Saturday afternoon or about twenty-four hours form the time he was first attacked and during which time he never regained consciousness sufficient to recognize either family or friends.  The deceased had started to come to this village and stopped at the residence of his son-in-law, C.L. Turner, where he found his daughter, Mrs. D.E. Comstock, and so concluded to stop for dinner.  After dinner he asked Mrs. Comstock to cut his hair, and as he was seated on a stool, he suddenly raised his hand to his head and exclaimed "Oh, how my head aches," and the family noticing that he looked and acted strange, started to take off his boots to get his feet into warm water, and as they took hold of his boots he again spoke and said "I can take them off," but made no effort to do so, and immediately became unconscious and never spoke again.  The best medical talent was at once summoned but it was all in vain and he died as above stated.  The deceased resided in the town of Oxford, was 71 years of age and a man universally respected by his neighbors and acquaintances.  He leaves a wife and three daughters, Mrs. C.L. Turner and Mrs. D.E. Comstock of Norwich, and Mrs. J.J. VanAllen of Watkins, N.Y. to receive the sympathy of all in their sudden affliction and bereavement. 

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, Norwich, NY April 10, 1878

Deaths

Mrs. John F. Billings, fell down cellar in her residence, in Smyrna [Chenango Co. NY] Saturday last.  When found she was unconscious and remained so until she died 24 hours after the accident.  The deceased was a very estimable lady, aged about 75 years, and her loss is severely felt by a large circle of friends and relatives.

Mrs. Susan Wedge, a lady well known in Smyrna [Chenango Co. NY] and vicinity, who has been an inmate of the Utica Asylum for some time and who some four years since attempted suicide by cutting her throat, died at the residence of her brother in Orleans County [NY] last week of starvation.  For some time past she has only taken food when forced down her and finally accomplished her object of self-destruction.  Her remains were brought to Lebanon [Madison Co. NY] for interment on Tuesday.

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