Timothy Russ (1747 - 1824)

Born 16 Jun 1747 in Willington, Tolland, Connecticut Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Deborah (Read) Russ — married 23 Mar 1769 in Canterbury, Windham, Connecticut Colony

Descendants

Died 16 May 1824 at age 76 in Pompey, Onondaga, New York, United States

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Biography

Timothy Russ is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A215480.

Timothy was born 16 June 1747^[1] in Willington, Tolland, Connecticut Colony. He was the seventh of eight children born to Joseph Russ and Patience (Baldwin) Russ. Timothy was baptized 21 June 1747 at the Congregational Church in Ashford, CT.^[2]

Timothy, age twenty-one, married Deborah Read/Reed 23 March 1769 in Canterbury, Windham, Connecticut Colony.^[3][4] She was the twenty-two year old daughter of Aaron Reed and Hannah (Knight) Read. Timothy and Deborah were farmers.^[5]

Children of Timothy and Deborah (all born in CT):

1. Jedediah (1769 - 1820) married Phebe Hibbard in 1795, lived in Dalton, MA, settled in Pompey, Onondaga, NY
2. Mary (Polly) (1771 - 1819) married Timothy Olds c. 1786, lived in Dalton, MA, Pompey, NY and settled in Huron County, Ohio
3. Benjamin (1773 - 1840), married Electa Clark in 1798, lived in Pompey, NY and Williamsburg, MA
4. Sibbel (1774 - 1860) married Rev. Billy Hibbard in 1793, settled in Canaan, Columbia, NY
5. Abel (1783 - 1852) married 1st Zibbiah Gilbert in 1803, married 2nd Joanna Wiswell in 1812, lived in Dalton, MA, Pompey, NY and settled in Phoenix, NY

The family lived in Canterbury from 1769 to ca. 1771 (Jedediah and Mary were born there). By 1773, they moved some 30 miles north to Ashford, Connecticut Colony, where Benjamin, Sibbel and Abel were born.

Timothy served as co-administrator of his older brother Benjamin's estate in Feb 1777. In these documents, Timothy is described as "of Ashford in the District of Pomfret."^[6]

During the American Revolution, in 1777, Timothy signed the "oath of Fidelity."^[7] In 1779, he took the "Freemans Oath,"^[7] pledging to "truly and faithfully adhere to and maintain the government established in this State under the authority of the people ... and that you believe in your conscience that the King of Great Britain hath not, nor of right ought to have, any authority or dominion in or over this State ... and that you will, to the utmost of your power, maintain and defend the freedom, independence, and privileges of this state against all open enemies ... So help you God." Becoming a "freeman" at that time also meant that Timothy owned land and had the right to vote.^[8]

Timothy and family moved to the Town of Partridgefield (now Hinsdale and Peru), Berkshire County in western Massachusetts sometime after 1783 (after the birth of Abel). The town is located about 100 miles northwest of Ashford.

Timothy and family are found in the 1790 census for Dalton, MA under Timothy Rust.^[9] Dalton is adjacent to Partridgefield, part of which became established as the town of Hinsdale.

Timothy traveled to the newly settled town Norway. New York with his eldest son, Jedediah, in April 1793. Norway is located in the center of the state, northeast of Utica. They joined his future son-in-law, Billy Hibbard, who would marry his youngest daughter, Sibbell. Their intention was "to seek a place to settle ourselves"^[10] however, it appears that they fairly quickly decided to stay in Massachusetts for the time being.

In his memoir, Rev Billy Hibbard, Timothy's son-in-law, wrote of his conversion from Congregationalist to Methodist and how early on, he was troubled by the lack of support and respect from his family, including his new wife and in-laws. He wrote ...

My wife's father was a still man. He neither cursed them [the Methodists] nor blessed them ; but her mother [Deborah] was very talkative, and positive that they were a deluded people ; so that my wife [Sibbel], by her influence, was opposed to the Methodists, and ashamed of me as she said, because every body was speaking against me ; and that she was ashamed to shew her head out of the door.^[11]

With the eventual support of his wife and family, Rev Billy Hibbard became a well-known and beloved traveling preacher for the early Methodist Episcopal Church, with circuits in Massachusetts and New York.

Timothy and son Jedediah appear on a list of residents petitioning the General Court in Boston on 5 Jan 1795. The petitioners were "Inhabitants of the West part of Partridgefield and the South East part of Dalton" in Berkshire, MA. The petition requested that the court send a committee to them to determine whether they could form a new "Town or Parish".^[12] The petition was granted and the West Parish of Partridgefield became incorporated. The parish was short lived however. Less than nine years later, it was merged with Hinsdale and became the First Congregational Church of Hinsdale.^[12] Also in the church records, Timothy, Jedediah and son Benjamin are found on a list of "subscribers of Partridgefield West Society on the polls and state of the inhabitants ... for raising the sum of forty-one hundred dollars for the purpose of building and finishing a meeting house in said Society ..." dated 21 Feb 1799. Timothy was assessed at $24.27, Jedediah $14.36 and Benjamin $9.04. The record showed that they would raise $4,230.97.^[13]

In April 1799, Timothy and his son, Jedediah, sold their 109 acres of land "lying in Dalton," Berkshires, MA on "Lot number sixteen in the first Division" for 200 pounds.^[5] The deed states that both Timothy and Jedediah were "of Dalton" and were "yeoman" (farmers). Although not appearing as co-owners of the land, the names of Deborah Russ (Timothy's wife) and Phebe Russ (Jedediah's wife) are seen at the bottom of the document.

Timothy is found on the tax rolls for Pompey, Onondaga County, NY in 1801,^[14] and under the name Timothy Rust, in 1802 and 1803. His sons Jedediah and Benjamin are also listed near his name on these records.

The book of "Marks and Strays" for the Town of Pompey contains drawings and descriptions of animal ear markings used to identify ownership during the time before fencing. Timothy and his son, Jedediah, are listed under the date of 1802. Timothy's marking was two slits at the end of the left ear. Jedediah's was the same but with an added small hole through the left ear.^[15]

Timothy (and Deborah) are found in the 1810 census for Pompey, NY.^[16] Timothy (and Deborah) do not appear in the 1820 Pompey census records, however, in examining the entry for their youngest child, Abel, there is listed one male and one female over the age of 45.^[17] Timothy and Deborah were in their 70's by 1820, Abel and his wife were in their 30's. It is likely that they were part of Abel's household in 1820.

Timothy died at the age of seventy-three on 16 May 1824,^[1] likely in Pompey, NY. The entry for his death in the Wiswell-Russ Family Bible reads:

Timothy Russ Father of A. Russ died May 16, 1824 aged 74 in June 16.

The details of his burial are unknown, but he is likely buried in the Baker Cemetery. This cemetery was taken off the southeast corner of the original lot purchased by son Abel Russ in 1810 and according to the Town of Pompey Historical Society, many of the "early settlers of LOT 31 are buried in this cemetery - the Sutherlands, the Ives, the Wheelocks, the Russ's, the Hibbards ..."^[18]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Wiswell and Russ Family Bible. The Holy Bible (Philadelphia, PA: Matthew Cary, 1812). In the possession of James F. Russ, Phoenix, NY, 2007. James Russ writes, "There is no name on the title page [of the bible] but it would appear to have belonged to Henry Wiswell as his family record appears first among the names. Then follows a record of the Abel Russ family. This last is written in a large, rather shaky hand, and may easily be in Abel's own hand writing." Transcribed copy of birth, death and marriage pages in the possession of Krista Auyer Cayea, Nov 2023
2. ↑ Ashford, CT, Congregational Church (now Church of Christ) Records, 1718 - 1834. [1]
3. ↑ Windam County, CT, Canterbury Vital Records Births Marriages Deaths, Vol. 1, pp. 303.[2]
4. ↑ "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGYV-YY2Z : Thu Nov 09 21:10:19 UTC 2023), Entry for Timothy Russ and Deborah Reed, 23 Mar 1769.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Berkshire County, MA, Deed Book 38:279, Timothy and Jedediah Russ to Daniel Wentworth 17 Sep 1799; Berkshire Middle District Registry of Deeds, Pittsfield, MA.
6. ↑ Probate Files Collection, Early to 1880; Author: Connecticut State Library (Hartford, Connecticut); Probate Place: Hartford, Connecticut. Notes: Probate Packets, Randall, Jonathan-Russell, Smith, 1752-1880. Ancestry.com. Connecticut, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data:Connecticut County, District and Probate Courts. Entry for Benjamin Russ, 1777, Ashford, Pomfret District, CT, #3481.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Mullen, Jolene Roberts. Connecticut Town Meeting Records during the American Revolution, Vol. I, Westminster, MD : Heritage Books, 2011. p. 19.

   The following Persons took ye oath of Fidelity ..13 Dec 1777 .. Tim (y) Russ

8. ↑ O'Sullivan, Bryna.[3]. Charter Oak Genealogy. Accessed 16 Jan 2024.
9. ↑ First Census of the United States, 1790.; Year: 1790; Census Place: Dalton, Berkshire, Massachusetts; Series: M637; Roll: 4; Page: 191; Family History Library Film: 0568144. Ancestry.com. 1790 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Entry for Timothy Rust, 1790 (the names in brackets are best guess based on the age range).

   3 males 16 and over [Benjamin 17, Jedediah 21, Timothy 43]

   2 males under 16 [Abel 7, ?]

   4 females [Sibbel 16, Deborah 44, ?, ?]

10. ↑ Hibbard, Rev. Billy. Memoirs of the Life and Travels of B. Hibbard, Minister of the Gospel, Containing an Account of His Experience of Religion; and of His Call to the Labors in the Ministry for Nearly Fifty Years, New York, NY: Piercy & Reed, 1843. p 84.
11. ↑ Hibbard, Rev. Billy. Memoirs of the Life and Travels of B. Hibbard, Minister of the Gospel, Containing an Account of His Experience of Religion; and of His Call to the Labors in the Ministry for Nearly Fifty Years, New York, NY: Piercy & Reed, 1843. p 98.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Commemoration of the Centennial of the Congregational Church, Hinsdale, Mass., Organized December 17th, 1795. Pittsfield, MA: Press of the Sun Printing Company, 1896. pp. 28-9 [4]
13. ↑ Commemoration of the Centennial of the Congregational Church, Hinsdale, Mass., Organized December 17th, 1795. Pittsfield, MA: Press of the Sun Printing Company, 1896. pp. 122-3 [5]
14. ↑ Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., Tax Assessment Rolls of Real and Personal Estates, 1799-1804 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: New York (State), Comptroller's Office. Tax Assessment Rolls of Real and Personal Estates, 1799–1804. Series B0950 (26 reels). Microfilm. New York State Archives, Albany, New York. Timothy Russ, real estate value $200, personal estate value $30, total $230, 1, 21, Pompey, Onondaga, NY, 1801
15. ↑ Marks and Strays, 1794 - 1870, Pompey Township, Onondaga, NY, pp. 18. Copy located at the Town of Pompey Historical Society, Manlius, NY.
16. ↑ "United States Census, 1810", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2Z-9XM : Wed Oct 04 03:52:03 UTC 2023), Entry for Timothy Russ, 1810.
17. ↑ "United States Census, 1820", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHGW-ZQM : Fri Oct 06 04:53:38 UTC 2023), Entry for Abel Russ, 1820.
18. ↑ Unknown Compiler, Town of Pompey Historical Society, Lot 31 File, Abel Russ House, c. 1990.

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