Rufus Fanning (abt. 1775 - 1845)

Born about 1775 in Groton, New London, Connecticut Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Hannah (Barnes) Fanning — married about 8 Oct 1800 in Groton, New London, Connecticut, USA

Died 20 Dec 1845 at about age 70 in Bath, Summit, Ohio, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Daphne Maddox [send private message]

Biography

Rufus Fanning was born in April^[1] 1775^[2] to Asher and Priscilla (Kinne) Fanning in Groton, Connecticut.^[1] He was the eldest of 7 children.^[3]

Continuing up the Fanning line: Rufus was the grandson of Jonathon Fanning (1717-1795) and his wife Mary^[4] and the great-grandson of Jonathon Fanning (1684-1761) and Elizabeth Way (1695-1772), all of whom lived in New London, Connecticut. The gateway ancestor to North America was Edmund Fanning, who arrived in 1653.

Rufus was a sailor. Brooks' min-biography of him states he was captain of the Criterion, and that the ship was said to have been captured in the War of 1812. This may be so, but is more likely the conflation of two things -- one, his eventual captaincy of the Criterion, and two, the capture of the Aristomenes in 1812, on which he was the captain's mate.^[5]

He married Hannah Barnes, daughter of Jesse and Elizabeth Barnes,^[6] supposedly on 8 October 1800.^{[7][citation needed]}

Children of Rufus and Hannah (Barnes) Fanning:^{[7][citation needed]}

• Edwin Fanning, b. 1801
• Emily Fanning, b. 6 July 1803, m. Waterman James
• Rufus Leeds Fanning, b. December 1806
• Asher Fanning, died young, lost at sea
• Eliza Fanning, d. young, but "after 16 February 1829" -- may be Eliza F. Fanning whose death recorded in North Stonington Church, 27 December 1832, age 17^[8]
• Harriet Newell Fanning, b. abt. 1820, m. Nathaniel C. Bowen^[9]

Hannah died 2 June 1831 in Groton,^[10] some time after which Rufus removed west to Ohio.

Rufus married, second, Mary ("Polly") (Brown) Barber, widow of Isaac W. I. Barber^[11][12] and daughter of Samuel and Lucinda (Coy) Brown,^[13] on 4 September 1836^[13] in Bath, Ohio^[14]

Children of Rufus and Mary (Brown) Fanning:^[15]

• George Talcott Fanning, b. 22 November 1839, m. Mary Ann Miller
• Julia Abigail Fanning, b. 17 January 1845, m.. George Howard Dickson

Rufus died 20 December 1845 in Bath.^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Brooks, 1:206. A footnote indicates that Asher and Priscilla's children's names are given by their descendants, no such records being found in contemporaneous records of Groton. The descendants may be considered reliable in this case -- Rufus' son George Talcott Fanning was still living when Brooks was writing his book, and from the details given under George's entry (1:420) it seems the two were in touch. The grandson was quite likely to know who his grandparents were.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 10 June 2018), memorial page for Rufus Fanning (Aug 1775–20 Dec 1845), Find A Grave Memorial no. 25702052, citing Bath Center Cemetery, Bath Center, Summit County, Ohio, USA ; Maintained by Pamela Parks Costa (contributor 46842959).
3. ↑ See Brooks, pp.205-209, for names and details of all 7 children:
   • https://archive.org/details/historyfanningf00broogoog/page/n256/mode/2up
4. ↑ See Brooks, pp.123-126:
   • https://archive.org/details/historyfanningf00broogoog/page/n162/mode/2up
5. ↑ Kert, Faye M. Prize and Prejudice: Privateering and Naval Prize in Atlantic Canada in the War of 1812. , 1997, p. 102, citing, likely, Papers of the Admiralty Court at Nova Scotia, Vol. 73.
6. ↑ Probate record, estate of Jesse Barnes, 1819. Ancestry.com. Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Connecticut County, District and Probate Courts. Hartford Probate Packets, Barber, J-Boardman, 1766-1875, images 209-248. Hannah Fanning, daughter of Jesse and wife of Rufus Fanning, is a legatee. Her husband's name is given in the codicil and the couple co-signed on acknowledgement of receipt from the executor.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Brooks, 1:306-307. The marriage date and names of children are given by Brooks, but not found in vital records. The assertion that Eliza Fanning died after 16 February 1829 may be a clue to the means by which the other children were determined, but as yet, the clue has not yielded a document. Apparently not knowing of the death notice for Hannah (Barnes) Fanning, Brooks also stated that she died "between 1829 and 1836," and that Rufus remained in Groton until "at least 1829," so there must be some record which has not yet been located or consulted. He states that Hannah's marriage to Rufus is proved by Groton Deed Book 17:240, and so it may be a list of children would be found there, or that the list came from their half-brother George.
8. ↑ Connecticut. "Church Records Index." Connecticut State Library, Hartford, Connecticut. Ancestry.com. Connecticut, Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920. Provo, UT, USA: 2013, Volume 83 North Stonington, p. 25.
9. ↑ "Connecticut Headstone Inscriptions," 38:325.
10. ↑ "Connecticut Newspaper Notices," 27:790.
11. ↑ "Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958," database, FamilySearch (10 February 2018), Isaac W. T. Barber and Polly Brown, 18 Mar 1824; citing Medina,Ohio, reference ; FHL microfilm 0423817 V. A, A1-A2.
12. ↑ Wilson, Lillian M, and Edmund D. Barbour. Barber Genealogy: (in Two Sections) Section I. Descendants of Thomas Barber of Windsor, Conn. 1614-1909. Section II. Descendants of John Barber of Worcester, Mass. 1714-1909. Haverhill, Mass: Press of the Nichols Print, 1909, 1:205.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Brooks, 1:306.
14. ↑ "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch (10 December 2017), Rufus Fanning and Mary Barber, 07 May 1836; citing Medina, Ohio, United States, reference 115; county courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 423,817.
15. ↑ Brooks, pp. 308 and 420.

• Brooks, Walter F. History of the Fanning Family: A Genealogical Record to 1900 of the Descendants of Edmund Fanning..., Worcester, Mass: Privately printed for the compiler, 1905.