Josiah J Bailey (1823 - 1903)

Born 20 Jun 1823 in Peacham, Caledonia, Vermont

Ancestors

Died 2 Oct 1903 at age 80 in Potton, Brome, Quebec, Canada

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Biography

Josiah J. Bailey was born in Peacham, Vermont (as stated on his 1876 Marriage Certificate)^[1] in 1823 (birth date per 1901 census).^[2] He was the second of eight children born to Jonathan Bailey and Sally Jennison.

He spent his very early years in Peacham, then Albany, Vermont. The family moved to Canada when he was 9 or 10 years old. His name first appears in Potton, Quebec in 1844, when he is listed as one of Potton's citizens that year.^[3]

Josiah had a colorful marriage history, with 5 marriages, including twice with the same woman:

1. Sarah Cory, m. abt 1845 (Sarah died 16 Aug 1847, in North Troy, VT)^[4]
2. Nancy Jane Elkins, b. 25 Jan. 1827; m. 30 Sep. 1847;^[5] divorced in 1850s and she re-married Abel Butler Flint in 1858). Nancy was the daughter of Moses Elkins, Jr and Eliza Miltimore, and granddaughter of Moses Elkins, Sr.
3. Betsey _____ (surname unknown), m. before 1860
4. Irene (Miller) Willard (b. abt 1823, widowed from Harry Willard in 1856) m2. 16 Nov. 1865;^[6] and
5. Nancy Jane (Elkins) Flint, b. 25 Jan. 1827; m. 26 Oct 1876 (the Marriage Certificate referenced above specifies this as marriage nbr 5 for Josiah).^[7]

In 1853, Josiah was witness at the wedding of his older brother Jesse.^[8]

Before 1860, Josiah moved back to the USA - 1860^[9] & 1870^[10] in Franklin, Franklin, Vermont. In 1878, they auctioned some property in North Troy, VT and moved to Manchester, NH, where they were recorded on the 1880 census.^[11][12]

It is not thought that Josiah fathered any children, in spite of all the marriages. There is a "George Bailey", who is listed as living with them at age 8 on the 1870 census, but it is thought this may have been Josiah's nephew (son of Alfred) as Alfred had in 1869 lost his first wife. There were also 4 Willard children in the house (per the 1870 census), from Irene's prior marriage. But wife Irene died 8 May 1876.

Josiah's relationship with Nancy Jane (wife nbr 2 and 5) must have been a complicated and emotional one. On 4 Oct 1850, Josiah ran a notice in the Stanstead Journal, declaring as follows: "Whereas my wife Nancy Jane, without any provocation, has left my bed and board and refused to live with me, therefore this is to forbid all persons to harbor or trust her on my account, as I will pay no debts of her contracting after this date".^[13] On 26 Oct 1857, Judge Milo L. Bennett of the Vermont Supreme Court (Burlington) issued a Summons to Nancy Jane Bailey of Potton to appear in St. Albans and "answer to the foregoing libel". Things were ultimately worked out and forgotten in time, as witnessed by their remarriage many years later.

After Nancy Jane's death in 1895 (in Goffstown, NH), Josiah moved back to Canada, where he appears as a "Boarder" (age 78) on the 1901 census in Potton, Quebec.^[14] He was obviously unwell from a health perspective - the Waterloo Advertiser on 28 Nov 1902 reported that "Josiah Bailey is out again - Dr. Rogers attended him".^[15] He passed away in Potton (age 80) in 1903.^[16]

Sources

1. ↑ Marriage Certificate, Oct 26, 1876, Richford, Vermont, between Josiah Bailey and Nancy J. Flint| Vermont Vital Records, Marriage #5 Josiah Bailey
2. ↑ 1901 Canada Census, Province: Quebec; District: 144 (Brome); SubDistrict: H; Polling SubDivision: 2; Township of Potton, Pg. 5; Line 4| 1901 Canada Census, "Joseph Bailey, Age 78"
3. ↑ List of Potton Citizens in 1844, compiled by historian Edgar C. Barnett
4. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #112722276 for Sarah Bailey
5. ↑ Marriage Notice, The Saint Johnsbury Caledonian, 23 Oct. 1847| Page 3
6. ↑ Vermont Marriage Records| Marriage, Bailey - Willard
7. ↑ Town of Richford, Vt., Marriage Register, 1876, No. 25| Richford Marriage Register, No. 25
8. ↑ Potton Methodist Church Records, 1837-1845 and 1852-1853; Volume 1, Pg. 13, Extracted and Compiled by Pamela Wood Waugh and Shirley Dean Wood
9. ↑ 1860 United States Federal Census, State of Vermont, Franklin County, Town of Franklin, Page 37, Line 13| 1860 US Census, "Josiah Bailey, Age 40"
10. ↑ 1870 United States Federal Census, State of Vermont, Franklin County, Town of Franklin, Page 36, Line 16| 1870 US Census, "Josiah Bayley, Age 49"
11. ↑ 1880 United States Federal Census, State of New Hampshire, Hillsborough County, Manchester, Page 182, Line 9| 1880 US Census, "Josiah J Bailey, Age 56"
12. ↑ Express and Standard, Newport, VT, 19 Mar. 1878| Page 3
13. ↑ Stanstead Journal, 4 Oct 1850
14. ↑ 1901 Canada Census, Province: Quebec; District: 144 (Brome); SubDistrict: H; Polling SubDivision: 2; Township of Potton, Pg. 5; Line 4| 1901 Canada Census, "Joseph Bailey, Age 78"
15. ↑ Waterloo Advertiser, 28 Nov 1902
16. ↑ Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Mansonville, Methodist Church, 1903

See Also:

• Family Search | Josiah J Bailey