Joseph Badger (1757 - 1846)

Born 28 Feb 1757 in Wilbraham, Hampden, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Husband of Lois (Noble) Badger — married 1 Oct 1784 in Washington, Litchfield, Connecticut, United States

Descendants

Died 5 Apr 1846 at age 89 in Perrysburg, Wood, Ohio, United States

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Biography

Joseph Badger was a Massachusettsan.

Birth and Early Life

Rev. Joseph Badger was born on 28 February 1757 in Wilbraham, Hampden, Massachusetts to Henry Badger (1717-1812) and Mary Langdon (1719-1798). His father was among the first settlers Berkshire County, Massachusetts. In 1766 his parents moved to Partridge Field, Berkshire, Massachusetts. The family came from a Puritan background.[1]

Siblings

1. Mary Badger was born on 17 March 1740 in Union City, Tolland, Connecticut. She died on 1 December 1816 in Wilbraham, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States.
2. Henry Badger was born in 1743 in Wilbraham, Hampshire, Massachusetts. He married Judith Cogswell (1746-1787) on 30 September 1773 in Preston, New London, Connecticut. Henry died in 1778 in Peru, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States.
3. Lemuel Badger was born on 4 July 1754 in Wilbraham, Hampden, Massachusetts. He married Sabra Smith (1759-1850) on 10 October 1780 in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Lemuel died on 30 August 1839 in Harpursville, Broome, New York, United States.
4. Jerusha Badger was born on 9 September 1759 in Wilbraham, Hampden, Massachusetts. She married Dr. Oliver Brewster (1760-1812) on 27 May 1781 in Becket, Berkshire, Massachusetts. Jerusha died on 21 November 1841 in Lenox, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States.
5. Lovisa Badger was born on 28 July 1761 Wilbraham, Hampden, Massachusetts. She died on 16 December 1822 in Onodaga County, New York, United States.
6. Louise Badger was born in 1772 Wilbraham, Hampden, Massachusetts.
7. Edmund Badger was born on 21 June 1776 Becket, Berkshire, Massachusetts. He died on 23 November 1851 in Knox, Knox, Illinois, United States.

Marriage and Family

He married twice.

1. Lois Noble (1755-1818) on 1 October 1784 at Washington, Litchfield, Connecticut.^[1]
2. Abigail Ely (1775-1846) on 13 April 1819 in Conneaut, Ashtabula, Ohio.

Children of the Badger-Noble Marriage

1. Henry Langdon Badger was born on 12 August 1786 in Waterbury, New Haven, Connecticut, United States. He died on 9 October 1836 in Waterbury, New Haven, Connecticut, United States.
2. Julia Anna Badger was born on 23 July 1788 in Blandford, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States. She died in May 1809.
3. Lucius Badger was born on 23 February 1790 in Blandford, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States. He died on 29 February 1872 in Centerville, Appanoose, Iowa, United States.
4. Sarah Badger was born on 26 March 1792 in Blandford, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States. She died age 3 years, 7 months on 27 October 1795 in Blandford, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States.
5. Lucia Badger was born on 19 January 1794 in Blandford, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States. She married Rev. Isaac Van Tassel (1791-1849) on 17 September 1822 in Ashtabula, Ashtabula, Ohio. Lucia died on 5 February 1874 in Ohio, United States.
6. Sarah Badger was born on 27 October 1795 in Blandford, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States. She died on 6 May 1829.
7. Joseph Badger, Jr. was born on 5 September 1799 in Blandford, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States. He died on 7 April 1813 in Ashtabula, Ashtabula, Ohio, United States.

Occupations

He was a Pioneer, Missionary, Educator and co-founder of the Burton Academy in Burton, Ohio. He was also a soldier in the Revolution. Founder of the first church in Austinburg, which was called New Connecticut or the Western Reserve.

Military Service

Private Joseph Badger served with 12th Massachusetts Regiment (1777), Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Joseph Badger is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A004470.

Joseph turned 18 on 28 February 1775 and entered the Continental Army about three weeks after the Battle of Lexington. He was in the Battle of Bunker Hill in Captain Nathan Watkins' (12th MA) Company, Colonel John Patterson's Regiment. His post during the battle was Cobble Hill. Later he served with his regiment at Litchmore's Point. When his regiment later was ordered to Canada, he was encamped along the banks of the St. Lawrence. They were ordered to defend a small fort. An outbreak of smallpox spread through the troops and since Badger was inoculated, he helped with the sick.^[2]

He also accompanied General George Washington on the Delaware and nursed the sick until he became sick himself on 24 February 1777. The illness was so wasting that he was unable to continue and was discharged to return home as his time of service had expired.^[3]

He enlisted again, but on 1 January 1778 returned to his father's home.

Reverend Badger also served as a guide to General William Henry Harrison in the War of 1812. He was appointed chaplain for the brigade and postmaster of the army. He also attended to the sick and wounded and saw to providing bunks and attendants which had been sorely lacking before his arrival. He really never approved of this war according to his own writings on the subject.

Education and Later Life

After his military service, he studied with Reverend Day and began to consider the ministry while he was also teaching school until he again grew sickly in March 1781. Rev. Day took him to New Haven, Connecticut where he was admitted to college. He worked his way through college and graduated in 1785. After graduation he studied under Rev. Leavenworth of Waterbury, Connecticut and received his license to preach in 1786.^[4]

He took his first position in Blandford, Massachusetts on 24 October 1787. Joseph had married before leaving college. He didn't stay in the position long.

His frontier adventures were too numerous to tell them all, but he had many instances of encounters with Indians and others in the far off reaches of the America of the time. Also he became a man of great use to others by helping with building, repairs, medical needs, spiritual needs while all the time being a simple pioneer missionary who traveled from place to place and helping in any way that he could. He eventually resigned his commission with the Connecticut Missionary Society because they cut his salary which drastically reduced his means of support for his family.

Removal to the Western Reserve

On 23 February 1802, he loaded his family consisting of wife and six children and as much of their furniture as they could carry in a wagon and moved to the frontier area called Connecticut Western Reserve which was later called Austinburg, Ohio where he built a cabin for his family.

Later he received an appointment with the Massachusetts Missionary society and worked among the Indians. This meant long hours on horseback and often more than 100 miles between villages. Eventually he took sick and the Missionary society realized they had treated him badly with their expectations. They gave him more money and he continued his work with the Indians. He worked to keep alcohol away from them by getting rid of the traders who were selling it, mended fences, hoed their corn alongside them, mended broken tools of all kinds and generally assisted them in any way he could. This he continued until 1809 when his wife reported by letter that their house had been burned and almost everything lost in Ashtabula County. He returned home.

Death of First Wife & Removal from Ashtabula

Lois died on 4 August 1818 in Ashtabula. He moved to Kirtland in 1822 with his second wife, Abigail Ely. He continued preaching in the area. He resigned at the age of 75 in 1835 and moved to the home of his daughter Lucia in Plain, Wood, Ohio. She had married a minister and he enjoyed a quiet retirement, but still preached in places where he saw the need. He also organized what is now the Badger Library with gifts of books he received.

Death and Burial

He seems to have suffered from poor health most of his life according to his own writings. Rev. Badger died on 5 August 1846 at the age of 90 in Perrysburg, Wood, Ohio, United States. He was buried in the Fort Meigs Cemetery, Perrysburg, Wood, Ohio. Find A Grave: Memorial #13014338 There is a headstone photo available and a Sons of the American Revolution Plaque on his gravesite.

Inscription: "REV. JOSEPH BADGER First Missionary upon the Western Reserve. Born Feb. 28, 1757, Removed to the Reserve in 1800, Died April 5th 1846. Erected by the Synod of Western Reserve."[10]

Inscription on Plaque: "Revolutionary Soldier Rev. Joseph Badger 1757-1846. Placed by the Fort Industry Chapter."[10]

Sources

• Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. Name and Birth.
• 1790 United States Federal Census. Blandford, Hampshire, Massachusetts.
• 1800 United States Federal Census. Blandford, Hampshire, Massachusetts. Tally only for Revd. Joseph Badger with a household total of 8. ^[5]
• 1830 United States Federal Census. Gustavus, Trumbull, Ohio. Tally only for Joseph Badger with a total household of 3. ^[6]
• 1840 United States Federal Census. Wood County, Ohio for Joseph Badger aged 83, veteran.
• Early Connecticut Marriages.
• Ohio Compiled Census and Census Substitutes, 1790-1890.
• U.S. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900.
• U.S. Pensioners, 1818-1872.
• Find A Grave Index.
• Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots.
• Ohio Obituary Index, 1830s-2011, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center. Name, Death, Birth, Marriages.
• Williams, William W. History of Ashtabula County, Ohio. Philadelphia: Williams Bros., 1878. Pages 86-89. On-Line at [1]
• Badger, Joseph. A Memoir of Rev. Joseph Badger: Containing an Autobiography, and Selections. Hudson, Ohio: Sawyer, Ingersoll and Company, 1851.
• Rev. Joseph Badger, The National Magazine A Journal Devoted to American History (The National History Company, New York, Nov. 1884) Vol. 1, No. 1, Page 432-43
• Badger, John Cogsell. Giles Badger and Descendants. Manchester, New Hampshire: 1909. Pp. 13 & 23.

Footnotes

1. ↑ Badger, J., pg. 21.
2. ↑ Badger, J., pg. 10.
3. ↑ Badger, J., pg. 11.
4. ↑ Badger, J., pg. 20
5. ↑ 1800: 1 male under 10; 2 males 10-15; 1 male 45 and over; 2 females under 10; 1 female 10-15; 1 female 26-44.
6. ↑ 1830: 1 male 70-79; 1 female 10-14; 1 female 50-59.