Roger Cornwall Elias Birchard (1756 - 1805)

Born 25 Dec 1756 in Mansfield, Tolland, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Drusilla (Austin) Birchard — married 25 Dec 1790 (to 22 Aug 1805) in Wilmington, Windham County, Republic of Vermont

Descendants

Died 22 Aug 1805 at age 48 in Wilmington, Windham County, Vermont, United States

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Ancestor of Rutherford B. Hayes 19th US President

Biography

Roger Birchard served with Vermont Republic during the American Revolution.

His name is Roger Cornwall Elias Birchard , over the years and with poor transcription, this has turned into Roger Cornwall "Alias" Birchard. He never went by the name of Cornwall.

Source 1: Roger BIRCHARD was born on 25 December 1757 in Mansfield Center, Tolland Co., CT..38 Anderson states that the Barbour Index of Vital Records (of CT) states that in Mansfield was born, "Roger, illegitimate son of Sarah Jacobs, b. December 25, 1756"

Also, that First Congregational Church of Mansfield's records state that, on April 17, 1775, "Roger Cornwall, (son of) Sarah Jacobs, alias Birchard" was baptized, along with 7 children of Elias and Sarah Birchard.

However, Anderson also found that when Elias Birchard died intestate in 1778, three years later, administration was granted to Sarah Birchard and Roger Birchard of Stafford and in the distribution, Roger is designated as the eldest son and given a double share.

Since separate primary sources give different accounts, we will follow President Hayes' lead and use Elias Birchard as the father of Roger Birchard. Hayes did research into earlier Birchard generations with no reference to any illegitimacy. It is possible that Elias was the father of Roger, before Sarah married him, and that the church baptism record, written 19 years later, is inaccurate re: his Cornwall name.

Austin Birchard states his father (Roger) was buried in a little burying-ground near High Rock Spring. He died on 22 August 1805 in Saratoga Springs, Saratoga Co., NY.34 He was buried in Sadler Cemetery, Saratoga Springs, Saratoga Co., NY. Ruth Ann Messick, a genealogist and historical researcher in Saratoga Springs, NY, e-mailed corrections to James Holcombe's web page re: Roger's death and burial from Vermont to Saratoga Springs, NY:

Roger Birchard actually died in Saratoga Springs, NY and was buried here in the First or Sadler Cemetery. That cemetery has been removed and I have been tracking the people who were known to have been buried there. Roger Birchard came to Saratoga with a son to seek the healing of the springs here but after a stay of over a month, died at what is now the Waterbury home at the corner of Clinton and Van Dam.

Nathaniel Waterbury, in a story published in the Saratoga Springs newspaper in the early 1880s, told about the family home had previously been a boarding house and Roger Birchard died their. He related in the story that this was the grandfather of the future president, Rutherford Birchard Hayes whose middle name was his mother's maiden name.

Records also show that Cornelius Durkee, who copied all the cemeteries in Saratoga County in 1876 and 1877, having recorded Roger Birchard as buried in First or Sadler Cemetery.

Also, on the Internet is a copy of DIARY AND LETTERS OF RUTHERFORD B. HAYES at The Ohio Historical Society

In chapter 1 page 1, Rutherford, visited his grandfather's grave in Saratoga with his mother.

They left home in June 1834 on an extensive trip, using various forms of transportation arrived in Saratoga Springs from Schenectady on Monday via the train. The railroad station was not far from the Waterbury House (which still stands) and several blocks from the cemetery. The next day, Tuesday, they took a stage to Bennington and on to Wilmington on Thursday. Roger was buried after 22 August 1805 in Wilmington, Windham Co., VT. "I am led to believe on information received here that the dust of ancestor Roger Birchard was removed to Brattleboro. Is this not the fact?" Rutherford H. Platt, Clarendon Hotel, Saratoga Springs, NY to uncle, RBH, Aug. 10, 1888.

The New York genealogical and biographical record, Volume 44, pg. 391 By New York Genealogical and Biographical Society lists names copied in 1876 including Roger Birchard; Sadler Cemetery later closed and bodies reinterred Anderson states that the Barbour Index of Vital Records (of CT) states that in Mansfield was born, "Roger, illegitimate son of Sarah Jacobs, b. December 25, 1756"

Also, that First Congregational Church of Mansfield's records state that, on April 17, 1775, "Roger Cornwall, (son of) Sarah Jacobs, alias Birchard" was baptized, along with 7 children of Elias and Sarah Birchard.

However, Anderson also found that when Elias Birchard died intestate in 1778, three years later, administration was granted to Sarah Birchard and Roger Birchard of Stafford and in the distribution, Roger is designated as the eldest son and given a double share.

Since separate primary sources give different accounts, we will follow President Hayes' lead and use Elias Birchard as the father of Roger Birchard. Hayes did research into earlier Birchard generations with no reference to any illegitimacy. It is possible that Elias was the father of Roger, before Sarah married him, and that the church baptism record, written 19 years later, is inaccurate re: his Cornwall name.

"This may certify whom it may concern, that Roger Birchard is a member of the Baptist Society in this place and likewise communicates to the support of the Gospel in said Society and is of the Baptist profession" Moderator of the Baptist Society, Wilmington, VT. Dec. 26, 1792

"Our parents were natives of Connecticut. Father was born in Mansfield and Mother in Suffield. They both had a good education for those early days. Father (Roger Birchard) was full of life and animation - open, frank, honest and fearless. He possessed the rare faculty of rebuking men for their faults and shortcomings without giving great offense. He died in August 1805 aged 47 years 8 mos... Our parents were both believers in the Christian religion, though neither were united to any church, I believe..." Austin Birchard to his brother, Sardis Birchard, Oct 24, 1868 in RBH's "Hayes Family Genealogy" (manuscript, pg. 80a).

"My father (Roger Birchard) was a well built man, not tall but straight, handsome. His hair was dark brown. He was a little bald, his eyes were blue... He was feeble in his youth from measles -- never able to go through hardship. He died of consumption at Saratoga Springs where he was in the habit of going for his health. He was buried in a little burying ground near High Rock Spring... He was of great ambition and life--no lazy blood in him. He often overdid himself. What he undertook to do he would do at all hazards and do it quick, too. He never stopped to consider the effect of anything on himself. Brother Sardis Birchard is more like him than any of us" Austin Birchard in conversation with RBH, June 1871,RBH's "Hayes Family Genealogy" (manuscript, pg. 81). Parents: Elias Birchard and Sarah Jacobs.

Spouse: Drusilla Austin. Drusilla Austin and Roger BIRCHARD were married on 25 December 1790 in Wilmington, Windham Co., VT. ^[1]

Watt Marchman notes have only 1789 as marriage date.

Children:

1. Cynthia
2. Sophia
3. Austin
4. Arabella
5. Roger
6. Sardis
7. Lorenzo

Sources

1. ↑ Vermont: Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1700-2008 Marriage Record

Source S33

Author: Gary Boyd Roberts

Title: Ancestors of American Presidents

Publication: Name: Name: New England Historic Genealogical Society; Location: Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA; Date: 2009;;

Repository: #R1

Repository R1

Name: Fitzpatrick Home Library

Address:

E-Mail Address:

Phone Number:

Source S65

Author: Ancestry.com

Title: Public Member Trees

Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2006;

Repository: #R5

Repository R5

Name: www.ancestry.com

Address:

E-Mail Address:

Phone Number:

Source S81

Author: Yates Publishing

Title: U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900

Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2004;

Repository: #R5

1. http://www.rbhayes.org/hayes/genefiles/hayes_fgs/b17.htm

Source S494

Title: Symons Genealogy

Abbreviation: Symons Genealogy