Stephen Arnold (1739 - 1810)

Born 20 Apr 1739 in North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island

Ancestors

Husband of Martha (Gardiner) Arnold — married 3 Mar 1760 in Exeter, Washington, RI

Descendants

Died 24 Feb 1810 at age 70 in Stephentown, Rensselaer County, New York

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Biography

Arnold was a farmer and landowner who lived in Exeter, and this is where the births of many of his children were recorded.[4] He left behind few records other than land transactions, but was called a Deacon in a family record, and was given the title of Esquire in his obituary.[1][5] He is most noted for his very large progeny of 16 children, and at least 89 grand children.[6] His first wife was Patience Gifford, the daughter of Yelverton Gifford and Ann Northup, who bore two children, and then died, possibly in childbirth with her second child who did not survive.[4] Arnold then married Hannah Gifford, the sister of Patience, and with her had 14 children, and all 15 of his surviving children married and had offspring.[6] His second child with his second wife, Stephen Arnold, moved from Rhode Island to Stephentown, New York, and became the great grandfather of Stephen Arnold Douglas, who became famous as the leader of the Northern Democrats before the Civil War, sparring with Abraham Lincoln in a series of famed debates prior to a U.S. Senate contest in 1858, and later losing to Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election.^[1]

Stephen was the son of Joseph Arnold and Hannah Gifford who lived in the part of North Kingstown, Rhode Island that became Exeter in 1742. He was married 3 March 1760 to Martha Gardiner, the daughter of Nicholas Gardiner and Martha Havens. In 1765 he was a lieutenant and in 1766 he was captain of North Kingstown's Third Company of militia. He and his wife had five known children, born in Rhode Island. It is not known if he served during the American Revolutionary War, but it is likely that after the war he and his family moved to Stephentown, New York. His younger brother, John, moved to neighboring Saratoga County, NY.

Stephen's daughter Martha married Benajah Douglas, and they had a son, Stephen Arnold Douglas. This Stephen Douglas had a son, Stephen Arnold Douglas, Jr., who became a US Senator from Illinois, debated Abraham Lincoln in a series of famous debates, and lost to Lincoln in the 1860 election.

The children of Stephen and Martha, all born in RI, were:

• Honor, b. 28 Aug 1760, d. 16 Apr 1840, and m. 6 Feb 1783 Samuel Carpenter.

• Martha, b. 1762, d. 1818, m. Benajah Douglas

• Beriah, b. 1764, d. 29 Sep 1802, married and had a daughter Martha.

• Amey, b. 18 Nov 1765, m. 14 Mar 1786 Robert Gardner who was b. 13 Feb 1766

• Mary, m. Beriah Douglass (though this entry appears in the Arnold Memorial (1935), I cannot confirm that either of these people ever existed, and therefore suspect that Mary was placed in this family by accident).^[2]

Burial

Denison-Jones Cemetery

Stephentown

Rensselaer County

New York, USA^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia [1]
2. ↑ Stan Arnold [2]
3. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial# 29180447[3]

• Stephen A. Douglas ancestry [4]