Adopted twins Asa Bond & Luther Ballard born on Jan 15, 1796 in Gilsum, NH

Question

According to Hayward's History of the town of Gilsum, New Hampshire, two twin boys were born in Gilsum, New Hampshire on Jan 15, 1796 and were adopted to the Bond and Ballard families, as Luther Ballard and Asa Bond. Both seem to have been given to childless couples who'd been married for some time, and these were their only children. Asa Bond is very distantly related (the adopted nephew of my 4th Great Aunt & Uncle) but as I've been researching my family history in Gilsum, their story intrigues me. 

Has anyone else come across these two? Is there any hint anywhere of what might have happened to their parents? I haven't yet added Asa to the tree because I'm not totally sure how to do so for him (since we don't know his birth parents).

It's really not a big deal, more that inquiring minds just want to know...

Comments

Saphyre, if you add the tag:  adoption_angels  it should get attention from members of that project, who are very, very good at tracking this sort of case down.  Good luck, and please post back if you do find their parents - we LUV to hear success stories!

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Thanks for that!

Answer 1

This says that they were born in Keene.  Asa was a deacon in the Presbyterian church.

https://books.google.ca/books?id=VWgjAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA273&lpg=PA273&dq=1796,+gilsum,+new+hampshire,+asa+bond&source=bl&ots=rHVX4bd9xB&sig=ACfU3U04lGSDd2MYxZi3ic3Wze-T7nmBKg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj9oZuDsdzyAhUUJTQIHXpECr8Q6AF6BAgQEAM#v=snippet&q=asa%20bond&f=false

Keene has their death records on line from 1742, so they may have birth records for the dates of Asa and Luther's date?  It might show who had children at that date and if anyone had twins.  You may have to contact the library here.  https://ci.keene.nh.us/keene-public-library/vital-records-keene-nh-deaths-1742-1881-1887-1942

Just speculation but I wonder if there was a marriage between a Bond and a Ballard which resulted in these two boys?  

Good luck

Answer 2

Here's a help page for historical adoption:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Adoption_Angels:_Historical_Adoption