Lydia (Doolittle) Franklin (1751 - 1778)

Born 2 Aug 1751 in Middletown, Hartford County, Connecticut Colony

Ancestors

Wife of John Franklin — married 2 Feb 1774 (to 17 Nov 1778) in Canaan, Litchfield, Connecticut

Descendants

Died 17 Nov 1778 at age 27 in Windsor, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Randy Beebe [send private message] and George Franklin [send private message]

Biography

Lydia Doolittle was born 2 August 1751 in Middletown, Hartford County, Connecticut Colony to parents Jonathan Doolittle and Lydia Williams.^[1]

Lydia married John Franklin, Jr. 2 February 1774 in the Congregational Church of North Canaan in Canaan, Litchfield County, Connecticut Colony.^[2]

According to the narrative in Pioneer and Patriot Families of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, John and Lydia Franklin settled in Plymouth, Lucerne County, Pennsylvania by about 1775. After the American Revolution began, John Franklin became captain of the Salem and Huntington Company of the 24th Regiment of the Connecticut militia. He was near, but did not take part in the huge Patriot loss of the Battle of Wyoming [Valley, Pennsylvania[ (also known as the Wyoming Massacre) on 3 July 1778. Following the defeat, he took his wife and three children (the oldest 4, the youngest 8 months), with the intent of moving them to safety; however, when they reached Windsor, Berks County, Pennsylvania, the family was attacked by smallpox, of which Lydia died November 17, 1778.^[3]

There is no record of birth for the three children mentioned in the above paragraph; however they are named in the cited work as Billa, Amos, and Kezia. ^[3] Also in Craft ^[4]

Children

• This profile names four children; in addition to the three named in the biography, is one named "Lydia". That Lydia is given a birth date of 26 August 1774 in Virginia. That is just 6-1/2 months after Lydia Doolittle's marriage, and there is no evidence that she and her husband ever were in Virginia. There is a conflation of the correct John Franklin with the "wrong" John Franklin Jr., Further, Lydia's birth date conflicts with the November 1774 birth date of Billa Franklin. Based on the date conflict and birth location, Jim Parish is disconnecting Lydia Franklin from Lydia (Doolittle) Franklin.

End of Biography.

Genealogical Records

The following section of this profile provides detailed information found in the collected information sources. The purpose of this section is to provide the reader access to the information contained within the cited sources; to examine the genealogical record for areas of data corroboration and conflict, and to establish a hierarchy of reliability for the cited information. In addition, this section provides a platform to analyze, cross-correlate, and comment on important aspects of the cited historical data record.

Biographic and Genealogical References

• Secondary Source, David Craft, History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, ^[4] Data Extract:

1. ) History of Bradford Co., PA: Page 101-107: Biography of Col. John Franklin, father of Keziah (Franklin) Beebe. This reference contains a six page narrative on the political battle between the Connecticut contingent of settlers in Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania natives. It was a political battle where the party holding the position of political strength was using the power of government to bully the Connecticut property holders off their legitimately titled land. Col Franklin was the leader of the resistance by Connecticut settlers and his integrity, leadership, and courage nearly cost him his life. This story is absolutely amazing and MUST READ material for anyone with a spark of interest in John Franklin!!!
2. ) History of Bradford Co., PA: Page 107: Family Structure of Col. John Franklin:
   1. ) History of Bradford Co., PA: Page 102: On 2 February 1774, John Franklin married Lydia Doolittle (born in Canaan, Conn., 13 August 1751, and the following spring they moved to Wyoming, PA., and settled in Plymouth. They were the parents of:
      1. ) Billa Franklin, who settled first in Palmyra, NY. and afterwards to St. Albans, NY where he died. He was the father of nine children.
      2. ) Dr. Amos Franklin, a physician by profession , settled at Cayuga, NY. and died there on 11 Oct 1804. Amos was the father of one son; Henry who died childless.
      3. ) Kezia Franklin married Dr. Solomon Beebe and settled at Geneva, NY and died without children. {Editorial she settled with her husband in Sullivan, Madison County and the Sullivan, Madison County, NY census records seem to indicate that she may have had one or more children.}
   2. ) After the Battle of Wyoming, John moved his wife and three children (the oldest was four years of age, and the youngest Keziah born April 11, 1778 at Huntington was three months) from Huntington to Paxton, and then Windsor in Berks County. While at Windsor the family was attacked with smallpox which claimed the life of his wife, Lydia, on 17 November 1778. After recovering from smallpox himself, Capt. Franklin embarked on a 260 mile ox cart journey with his children to Canaan, Connecticut where they could be placed and cared for by family, and he then returned to Wyoming, and served a Captain of the militia, and justice of the peace.

• U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970: Image of SAR 77940: John Franklin Jr. son of John Franklin and Keziah Pierce, was born 23 Sep 1749 at Canaan, Connecticut and died 1 Mar 1831 at Athens, Pennsylvania. He married Lydia Doolittle and they were the parents of Billa Franklin. SAR Membership: 77940; Application Date: 2 Dec 1954
• Connecticut Town Birth Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection): Ancestry.com. [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. White, Lorraine Cook, ed. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records. Vol. 1-55. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1994-2002. Image of Middletown, Conn. Vital Records: Lydia Doolittle, daughter of Jonathan and Lydia was born 2 Aug 1751 at Middletown, Connecticut.
• Connecticut, Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920 Ancestry.com.[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: 2013. Connecticut. Church Records Index. Connecticut State Library, Hartford, Connecticut. Data Extract: Lyddia Doolittle, daughter of Jonathan Doolittle was baptized on 4 Aug 1751 at Middletown, Connecticut, USA.

Research Notes

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   1. ) A Primary Source contains data that was recorded by the person in the profile; or by someone known to or with first hand knowledge of that person, during the person's lifetime, death or within two generations thereafter.
   2. ) A Secondary Source is a genealogical reference created as the result of a extensive study of available source material and it provides some evidence of the source documentation used to generate the text data.
   3. ) A Tertiary Source is a genealogical data source which is a collection of genealogical information that does not cite Primary or Secondary information sources, and the data may be factual or hearsay.
   4. ) Braces {Editorial Note Example} are used to insert editorial comments; that is to say, information or clarification that is not contained in the original, cited source material.
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Sources

1. ↑ Connecticut Vital Records to 1870 (Barbour Collection), (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.) From original typescripts, Lucius Barnes Barbour Collection, 1928. Volume: Middletown, page 149. See record at subscription site.
2. ↑ New Horizons Genealogical Services (www.newhorizonsgenealogicalservices.com); Page: "1770 - 1800 Congregational Church, North Canaan, Connecticut Early Marriage Records - 1800" retrieved 21 July 2017.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Heverly, Clement F.; Pioneer and Patriot Families of Bradford County, Pennsylvania; pages 169-182, Also available online at:

   1. Google books, page 173.

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Craft, David; History of Bradford county, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers;', Published by L. H. Everts & Co., 714-16 Filbert St. Philadelphia, 1878 Public Domain

Other Sources