Esther (Preston) Sexton (1792 - abt. 1834)

Born 19 Nov 1792 in Strafford, Orange, Vermont, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Earl Sexton — married 13 Jul 1815 in Strafford, Orange, Vermont, United States

Died about 4 Sep 1834 at about age 41 in Monroe, Michigan Territory, United States

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Biography

Esther Preston was born Strafford, Orange County, Vermont, 19 November 1792. She was the daughter of Benjamin Preston and Elizabeth Kimball.,^[1] died Monroe County, Michigan, 4 September 1834 (five days prior to her husband),^[2] probably of cholera.^[3]

Esther married at Strafford, 13 July 1815, Earl Sexton^[4] of Sharon. He was born Wilbraham, Hampden County, Massachusetts, 18 April 1794,^[5] son of Oliver Chapin Sexton and his wife, Jerusha West. Earl died Monroe County, Michigan, 9 September 1834 (five days after his wife),^[6] probably of cholera.^[7]

Earl and Esther (Preston) Sexton are probably the "Earl Saxton" (died September 1834) and "Mrs Unknown Saxton" (died 4 September 1834), both burials recorded at Memorial Place Cemetery, Monroe, Monroe County, Michigan.^[8]

From Portrait and biographical album of Hillsdale county, Mich ... (1888), sketch of Gideon and Marcus B. Emerson, in relevant part, emphasis added,^[9]

Gideon L. and Marcus B. Emerson, who have lived together many years in Wright Township. are natives of Painesville, Ohio, the former born April 28, 1818, in a log cabin, and the latter July 26, [1825?] in a frame house. They are the sons of George W. Emerson, a native of Wendell Mass., whose father, Jesse Emerson, is believed to have been a native of the same State, and of English ancestry. He owned a farm in the vicinity of Wendell, from which he removed, in 1810 with his three sons to Ohio, and spent his last years at Painesville, that State.

The father of our subject grew [up in Massachusetts] ... where he was married before setting out for Ohio. Besides his parents and his two brothers, he was accompanied by three other families, and the entire journey was made overland with horses and wagons. Lake County at that time was but thinly settled and was largely a timbered country. George Emerson had traded his farm of seventy acres in Massachusetts for 400 acres of land in Ohio, 200 of which were in the vicinity of Painesville ... a part of which is now included in the city limits. [He] put up a log house ... [where] were born the brothers of whom we now write .... After [living] there at a little more than twenty years ... he [removed to] the Territory of Michigan, and settled [at the now] town of Erie in Monroe County ... [In] the spring of 1836, ... he sold his land [to move to western Michigan but the ] mother [was ] taken ill ... In the winter ... he was himself seized with fatal illness, and died in February, 1837. The mother survived her husband many years, and spent her last days with her sons [Gideon and Marcus, she died] April 19, 1860. Her maiden name was Lucy Lee, the daughter of Gideon Lee, of Amherst, Mass, where she was born. The Lees were for many generations born and reared in the Bay State, and were, it is believed, of English descent ...

George W. and Lucy (Lee) Emerson [were] the parents of nine children, five sons and four daughters. Seven of these grew to mature years. Lucy, the eldest daughter, was twice married, first to N. G. Palmer, and subsequently to Alexander Livingston, and died in Kewanee. Ill. Jesse W. is a resident of Concord, Lake Co., Ohio; George died in North Toledo, that State; also Gideon L. and Aaron; Martha died in Erie, Monroe County, this State.

Gideon L. Emerson was a lad of thirteen years when he came to the Territory of Michigan with his parents ... Bean Creek Valley was then a wilderness ... The boundary line had not yet been established between Michigan and Ohio ... precipitated what was then call the Toledo War, and in which Gideon L. engaged, although but a boy. He enlisted in a company of artillery under Capt. McBride, and they repaired to Toledo ... They camped amid the stumps and logs ... In a short time the trouble was adjusted and the volunteers dispersed and returned home ... the ... brothers settled with their parents in Monroe County ...

Gideon L. was ... [age] eighteen years at the time of his father’s death, and the year following, accompanied by a brother, he went into Van Buren County and located on a tract of land which his father had purchased. The ... town of Detroit was then 100 miles distant, and constituted their nearest market ... Young Emerson remained a few months on this land, his shelter being a log house, then returning to Monroe County, he continued with his mother until the spring of 1852. [Then removed to] Wright Township and purchased twenty acres of land on section 33, upon which was a log house and stable, and space enough cleared for a small garden spot. He was accompanied to this place by his family ... Mr. Emerson added to the first purchase until he became the owner of eighty acres, with which he [sold] and purchased the farm which he now occupies. Here he has [lived] since 1866 ... Gideon L. Emerson, on the 12th of November, 1848, was united in marriage with Miss Emeline D. Sexton, who was born in Vermont, Dec. 8, 1828, and is the daughter of Earl and Est[h]er Sexton; who are supposed to have been natives of [Vermont]. In 1829 they [removed to] Bethany, Genesee Co., N. Y., [and] two years later they [migrated] to the Territory of Michigan and settled in Monroe County. There Mr. Sexton died in 1834, five days after the decease of his wife. Their family consisted of five children. Mrs. Emerson after the death of her parents returned to Erie County, Pa., and made her home with an aunt until reaching womanhood, when she came a second time to this State, and lived with her uncle in Monroe County until after her marriage. Marcus D. Emerson was in the twelfth year of his age at the time of his father’s death, and continued with his mother until reaching manhood. He has never married, but since coming to this county, in 1852, has been carrying on farming mostly with his brother, Gideon L., with whom he has made his home ...

Children of Earl and Esther (Preston) Sexton,^[10][11]

1. James M. Sexton.^[12]
2. Albigence Pierce Sexton, born Vermont, 16 November 1825, died Toledo, Lucas County, Oho, 29 July 1902;^[13] married two or more times.
3. Emeline D. Sexton, born Vermont, about 1827 (1850 census); married Gideon L. Emerson.
4. William McCalib Sexton (twin), born Ohio, 1833 (1870 census) or 1834, died, probably Leavenworth, Leavenworth County, Kansas, before 1900; married Elizabeth Phelps (five children), lived at Leavenworth, Kansas in 1869;
5. Dr. Charles West Sexton (twin), born Ohio, 1833 or 1834, died Rushville, Rush County, Indiana, 21 January 1856; unmarried. Educated by Dr. Horatio Gates Sexton.

Research Notes

See Sexton-Preston Research.

Sources

1. ↑ ___ther Preston 1792 birth, "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954," images, FamilySearch, DGS 004705246, image 2856 of 4118.
2. ↑ Chapman Brothers, Portrait and biographical album of Hillsdale county, Mich ... (Chicago : Chapman brothers, 1888), 878 (Sketch of Gideon and Marcus B. Emerson); digital images, Hathi Trust.
3. ↑ Kathy Warnes, "Cholera, the Invisible Enemy, Invades Southeastern Michigan and Monroe," blog post, [18 December 2016]; Monroe Memories and More; for "Mrs. Saxton. Died of cholera on September 4, 1834 at age 40 [sic]. She is buried in Memorial Place Cemetery."
4. ↑ Sexton-Preston 1815 marriage, "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954", database with images, FamilySearch.
5. ↑ Earl Sexton 1794 birth, "Wilbraham Record of Births" in "Records of six towns in Hampden County, Massachusetts," image, FamilySearch; DGS 007575980, image 140 of 164.
6. ↑ Chapman Brothers, Portrait and biographical album of Hillsdale county, Mich ... (Chicago : Chapman brothers, 1888), 878 (Sketch of Gideon and Marcus B. Emerson); digital images, Hathi Trust.
7. ↑ Kathy Warnes, "Cholera, the Invisible Enemy, Invades Southeastern Michigan and Monroe," blog post, [18 December 2016]; Monroe Memories and More; for "Earl Saxton. Died of cholera at age 35 [sic]. September, 1834. He is buried in Memorial Place Cemetery."
8. ↑ Esther Preston Sexton (1792-1834), FindAGrave memorial 154910204 (only), and Earl Sexton (1794-1834), FindAGrave memorial 154910278 (only); see this profile comment
9. ↑ Chapman Brothers, Portrait and biographical album of Hillsdale county, Mich ... (Chicago : Chapman brothers, 1888), 878 (Sketch of Gideon and Marcus B. Emerson); digital images, Hathi Trust.
10. ↑ Mike Flood, "Descendants of Noah Sexton"; entry for Earl Sexton; RootsWeb; see also correspondence of 2006.
11. ↑ Chapman Brothers, Portrait and biographical album of Hillsdale county, Mich ... (Chicago : Chapman brothers, 1888), 878 (Sketch of Gideon and Marcus B. Emerson); digital images, Hathi Trust.
12. ↑ Mike Flood, c2008 writes, " died of paralysis at New York; was a prominent steamboat captain on Lake Erie."
13. ↑ Albigence Pierce Sexton 1902 death certificate, "Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001," database with images, FamilySearch, Lucas > Death certificates, 1902, image 1394 of 1892; parents names not reported.

See also,

• ___ther Preston 1792 birth, "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954," images, FamilySearch, DGS 004705246 > image 2856 of 4118.
• FamilySearch.
• FamilySearch