Rachel Olney (Nutting) Astle (1825 - 1883)

Born 27 Jul 1825 in Pierreville, Yamaska, Quebec, Lower Canada

Ancestors

Wife of James Thomas Astle — married 21 Dec 1843 in Warwick, Canada

Descendants

Died 30 Mar 1883 at age 57 in Waterford, Caledonia, Vermont, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: David Babcock [send private message] and Andrea Paduchak [send private message]

Biography

Rachel Olney (Abenaki) Nutting was born on 27 July 1825 to indigenous parents of the Abenaki (Wabanaki) tribe in the Centre-du-Quebec region, Quebec, Lower Canada, North America, then a British colony.^[1] The family lived in the shadow of the St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Mission, founded in 1683, near present-day Odanak - Pierreville, Centre-du-Quebec region, Quebec, Canada. ^[2] In June 1832 a terrible Asiatic cholera epidemic spread from the port of Quebec city, when a ship with infected passengers coming from India, landed. It decimated the Abenaki population and killed Rachel's parents. ^[3]

The orphan child, about 7 years old, was adopted by John Nutting and his wife, Hannah (Doying) Nutting from the St. Francis de Sales mission after her Abenaki parents died in the cholera epidemic.^[4] They raised her on their farm in nearby Shipton, Buckinghamshire, Quebec, Lower Canada.

Rachel's adopted mother passed away in May 1843. Rachel then married James Thomas Astle (1818-1877), eight years her senior, on 21 December 1843 in Warwick, Richmond, Canada-East (Quebec). He was her adopted mother's 1st cousin (son of her mother's aunt: Abigail (Doying) Astle), They lived in Warwick, Arthabasca County, Richmond, now Centre-du-Quebec (Canada-East), and in about 1863, they moved to Caledonia, Vermont, USA. They had at least 10 children: ^{[5] [6]}

1. Amanda Susan Astle, 1846–1924, born in Quebec, Canada East
2. Joseph Ashley Astle, 1849–1922, born in Quebec, Canada East
3. Adwina Minerva Astle, 1851–1926, born in Quebec, Canada East
4. Angeline Agnes Astle, 1853–1881, born in Quebec, Canada East
5. Ada Elizabeth Astle, 1857–1940, born in Quebec, Canada East
6. Asher Oscar Astelle, 1857–1931, born in Quebec, Canada East
7. Adelia Harietta Astle, 1859–1936 , born in Quebec, Canada East
8. Dora L Astelle, 1864–1918, born in Vermont, USA
9. J. Alexander Astle, 1866–1866, born in Vermont, USA
10. Alice Elizabeth Astle, 1867–1958, born in Vermont, USA

Rachel & James Astle's family was recorded on the 1870 US Census as living on a farm near Lisbon, Littleton Twp., Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA. ^[7] Their surname was mis-transcribed as "James Satte," age 51, & "Rachel Senne," age 43, with 5 children, all being called "Solte," instead of Astle but the given names are correct. James was a "Farmer". All of the family, including Rachel, were considered as "white". The 5 children recorded on the 1870 Census as living in the household were:
Alvina [Adwina] M Solte, Female, age 19, born in Canada, At Home ^[8]
Asher O Solte, Male, age 14, born in Canada, Works on Farm
Addie H Solte, Female, age 11, born in Canada, Attending School
Adora L Solte, Female, age 6, born in Vermont, Attending School
Alice E Solte, Female, age 2, born in Vermont, At Home

James Thomas Astle passed away on 28 August 1877 on his farm, now in Waterford, Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. He was 58 yrs., 9 mos., & 20 days old. His Vermont death record stated he died from complications of Measles. He was born in Shipton, Quebec, the son of Joseph and Abigail Astle,^[9]

Three years later the 1880 US Census recorded Rachel Astle, age 54, as a white widow, born in Canada, now living on her farm in Waterford Twp., Caledonia County, Vermont, USA. She was Head of Household and "Keeping House". Her family included 5 children, all but the oldest girl had also been recorded in 1870 in New Hampshire. They were: ^[10]
Agnes A. Astle, Female, age 26, born in Canada, House Keeper
Asher A Astle, Male, age 23, born in Canada, Farmer
Adelia H Astle, Female, age 20, born in Canada, Keeping House
Adora L Astle, Female, age 16, born in Vermont, Keeping House
Alice E Astle, Female, age 12, born in Vermont, Attending School

Rachel Olney (Nutting) Astle passed away on 30 March 1883 at her home in Waterford Twp., Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. Her Vermont death certificate states she died of "Lung fever". She was said to be 57 yrs., 8 mos., & 3 days old at her death. This gives her a birth date of 27 July 1825. ^[11] She was buried next to her late husband at Riverside Cemetery, Waterford, Caledonia County, Vermont, USA. ^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ Birth date calculated from exact age & death date as per Vermont Vital Records. See: "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XF96-L4F : 19 February 2021), Rachel Astel, 1883.
2. ↑ Odanak article in Wikipedia
3. ↑ https://case.edu/ech/articles/c/cholera-epidemic-1832
4. ↑ Entered by David Babcock.
5. ↑ Details for Rachel Olney Nuttig on FamilySearch; cites 34 sources. Note: It includes 2 more daughters but with "0" sources or good dates.
6. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #100758059 Rachel Nutting Astle. Includes mention of several of her children & links for graves of some of them
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH5X-DNP : 29 May 2021), Rachel Senne in entry for James Satte, 1870.
8. ↑ Adwina Minerva Astle married Albert Woodbury Babcock, 1851-1930, on 27 Nov. 1872 in Waterford, Caledonia, Vermont, USA. See: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/27S1-NR6
9. ↑ "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XF96-L4Y : 19 February 2021), James T. Astle, 1877.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8WH-Y4R : 15 January 2022), Rachel Astle, Waterford, Caledonia, Vermont, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .
11. ↑ "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XF96-L4F : 19 February 2021), Rachel Astel, 1883.
12. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #100758059 Rachel Olney Nutting Astle

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/100758059/rachel-astle : accessed 9 May 2022), memorial page for Rachel Nutting Astle (1826–1888), Find A Grave: Memorial #100758059, citing Riverside Cemetery, Waterford, Caledonia County, Vermont, USA ; Maintained by Anne (contributor 47137413) .

• History of the St. Francis Mission in Quebec

• Source: S203314666 Repository: #R200197809 Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=103827436&pid=75
• Repository: R200197809 Ancestry.com

Acknowledgments

Thanks to David Babcock for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by David and others.