Seth Deming (1781 - 1845)

Born 28 Mar 1781 in Berlin, Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Sophia (Galpin) Deming — married 29 Jan 1804 in Berlin, Hartford, Connecticut, United States

Descendants

Died 12 Aug 1845 at age 64 in Lake Erie, Michigan, United States

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Biography

Seth Deming was born on 28 March 1781 in Berlin of Hartford county, Connecticut. He was the son of Captain Seth Deming (1748-1827) and Hannah (1752-1832).^[1]

He married Sophia Galpin on 29 January 1804,^[2] probably in Berlin because she was also born there in 1783. She was the daughter of Joseph Galpen (1754-1840) and Catharine Parsons (1757-1791). They lived in Berlin and appear to have had about six children.

Residence in 1820 was in Berlin, Hartford county, Connecticut^[3]

Residence in 1830 was in Berlin, Hartford county, Connecticut^[4]

Residence in 1840 was in Berlin, Hartford county, Connecticut^[5]

Seth had gone to Illinois to get two of his grandchildren and take them back to Connecticut, in order to provide schooling for them there. He was traveling on his return trip from Illinois back home to Connecticut with a grandson, either Seth or Bruce, and a granddaughter, Catharine Amanda. They probably boarded a steam-powered ship at Detroit for the two and a half day trip to Buffalo. Railroad was not an option at that time, so a ship was faster than traveling by horse or coach. The steamer they took was named Kent and it collided with another steamer, the London, early in the morning on 12 August 1845.^[6] The Kent sank but the London's bow was undamaged. Both ships saw each other from a distance of six miles, but neither yielded. The London was said to have the right of way and the Kent should have yielded by altering speed and course, but did not. Seth and his grandson were among the eight victims who drowned. The location quoted from a newspaper account was "below Point au Pelee," which is on the Canadian shore at the western end of the Lake. Another account says the distance from the point was five miles^[7] and the direction would have been roughly south. It is difficult to fix a place of death, geographically, in the middle of Lake Erie. Would it be a distance and direction from the nearest point on shore, a point on the shore nearest the accident, or would it be reckoned as the point of departure or destination? The place it sank was nearer Detroit than Buffalo. Today the exact location would have GPS coordinates.
Seth Deming died on 20 August 1845 in the steamboat collision on Lake Erie, his place of residence was in Connecticut.^[8]
Amanda was rescued and lived with her grandmother, Sophia, probably at least until she finished school. Sophia spent a large amount of money trying to have the bodies of her husband and grandson recovered, but unsuccessfully. Seth has a burial memorial in the same cemetery as his wife, even though his body was not recovered, along with a memorial for the grandson, naming him Bruce.^[9][10] Newspaper stories about the accident name the grandson Bruce, and one Connecticut death record has been found with that name. dated eleven days later, 23 August 1845. That might indicate that Bruce was on the steam ship and survived, then died at his grandmother's house.^[11] The conclusion being drawn from this evidence seems to point toward the grandson, Seth, being called Bruce when in the company of his grandfather, Seth.

Sources

1. ↑ FamilySearch.org, [1], Connecticut Births.
2. ↑ FamilySearch.org, [2], Connecticut Marriages.
3. ↑ FamilySearch.org, [3], 1820 US Census.
4. ↑ FamilySearch.org, [4], 1830 US Census.
5. ↑ FamilySearch.org, [5], 1840 US Census.
6. ↑ Auburn Journal and Advertiser, New York, [6], Wednesday, 20 August 1845.
7. ↑ Great Lakes maritime History, [7], Chapter XXXVI
8. ↑ FamilySearch.org, [8], Connecticut Deaths.
9. ↑ FamilySearch.org, [9], Burial Index.
10. ↑ Find-a-Grave.com, [10], Burial Memorial.
11. ↑ Aunt June's Journal, [11], Pages 56-57.

• Seth Deming, "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906"

Indexed Information
Name: Seth Deming
Event Type: Birth
Event Date: 28 Mar 1781
Event Place: Kensington, Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Sex: Male
Father's Name: Seth Deming
Mother's Name: Hannah
Citation
"Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7W1-DBM : 7 January 2020), Seth Deming, 1781.

• Seth Deming, "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906"

Indexed Information
Name: Seth Deming
Event Type: Birth
Event Date: 28 Mar 1781
Event Place: Kensington, Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Sex: Male
Father's Name: Seth Deming
Mother's Name: Hannah
Citation
"Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F7W1-DBM : 3 December 2014), Seth Deming, 28 Mar 1781; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown.

• Seth Deming and Sophia Galpin, "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850"

Indexed Information
Name: Seth Deming
Event Type: Marriage
Spouse's Name: Sophia Galpin
Citation
"Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP32-1C6W : 21 September 2019), Seth Deming, ; citing Marriage, , Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 008143429.

• Seth Deming, Junior, "United States Census, 1820"

Indexed Information
Name: Seth Deming, Junior
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1820
Event Place: Berlin, Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Citation
"United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHL6-ZLK : accessed 1 March 2022), Seth Deming, Junior, Berlin, Hartford, Connecticut, United States; citing p. , NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm .

• Seth Deming, "United States Census, 1830"

Indexed Information
Name: Seth Deming
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1830
Event Place: Berlin, Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Citation
"United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHPH-KV4 : 20 February 2021), Seth Deming, Berlin, Hartford, Connecticut, United States; citing 106, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 7; FHL microfilm 2,800.

• Seth Deming, "United States Census, 1840"

Indexed Information
Name: Seth Deming
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1840
Event Place: Berlin, Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Citation
"United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHRV-G38 : 24 August 2015), Seth Deming, Berlin, Hartford, Connecticut, United States; citing p. 384, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 24; FHL microfilm 3,019.

• Fatal Steamboat Accident on Lake Erie

(http://fultonhistory.com/newspaper%202//Auburn%20NY%20Journal%20And%20Advertiser/Auburn%20NY%20Journal%20And%20Advertiser%201845%20-1846%20pdf/Newspaper%20Auburn%20NY%20Journal%20And%20Advertiser%201845%20-1846%20-%200058.pdf) Auburn Journal and Advertiser, New York
Wednesday, 20 August 1845
Notes: LOSS OF THE STEAMER KENT. (From Correspondence Detroit Advertiser)

• "Great Lakes Maritime History, History of the Great Lakes"

(http://www.linkstothepast.com/marine/chapt36.php : 1899) Volume 1 by J.B. Mansfield. Published Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co. 1899

• Seth Deming, "Connecticut, Charles R. Hale Collection, Vital Records, 1640-1955"

Indexed Information
Name: Seth Deming
Event Type: Death
Event Date: 12 Aug 1845
Event Place: Connecticut, United States
Sex: Male
Age: 65
Birth Year (Estimated): 1780
Citation
"Connecticut, Charles R. Hale Collection, Vital Records, 1640-1955", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7Z5-8Q7 : 16 September 2020), Seth Deming, 1845.

• Seth Deming, "Find A Grave Index"

Indexed Information
Name: Seth Deming
Event Type: Burial
Event Date: 1845
Event Place: Berlin, Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America
Photograph Included: Yes
Death Date: 12 Aug 1845
Cemetery: Bridge Cemetery
Affiliate Record Identifier: 49032197
Citation
"Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QVKV-VYH8 : 13 December 2015), Seth Deming, 1845; Burial, Berlin, Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America, Bridge Cemetery; citing record ID 49032197, Find a Grave, (http://www.findagrave.com). Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49032197/seth-deming : accessed 28 February 2022), memorial page for Seth Deming (28 Mar 1781–12 Aug 1845), Find a Grave Memorial ID 49032197, citing Bridge Cemetery, Berlin, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA ; Maintained by C Greer (contributor 47180683) .

• Deming, Judson Keith. Genealogy of the Descendants of John Deming of Wethersfield, Connecticut (Mathis-Mets Co., Dubuque, Ia., 1904) Page 98

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