Hercules Gifford (1752 - bef. 1805)

Born 9 Jan 1752 in Little Compton, Newport, Rhode Island

Ancestors

Husband of Lydia (Palmer) Gifford — married 7 Oct 1773 in Little Compton, Newport, Rhode Island

Died before 2 Feb 1805 before age 53 in Williamson, Ontario, New York, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Robert Gerrity [send private message]

Biography

By Almon E. Daniel and Maclean W. McLean.^[1]

HERCULES GIFFORD was the son of Canaan Gifford and Abigail Salisbury.

160. HERCULES-5 GIFFORD (Canaan-4, Enos-3, Christopher-2, William-1) was born 9 January 1752 and died at Williamson, Ontario Co., N.Y. in 1810 [sic, 1805 see below].^[2]

He married first, 17 October 1773, LYDIA PAINE of Tiverton. He is called "of Freetown," and the Freetown records show the intention [was] 19 June 1773. Lydia died before 1782. He married secondly, probably at Freetown, 8 April 1782, JENNIE STAFFORD, called "Jane of Tiverton" in the Freetown records.

By a deed of 10 October 1788 "Hercules Gifford of Freetown, yeoman, and Jane Gifford, his wife," for L129 paid by Noah and Canaan Gifford of Little Compton, R.I., conveyed "all rights to the Real Estate my Father Canann Gifford, late of Little Compton, died seized of, lying in sd Little Compton, and part in Westport and part in Dartmouth." It is signed by Hercules and Jane Gifford and [was] recorded 3 December 1788.^[3]

This sale was evidently made in preparation for his removal to New York State as we find a deed dated 23 June 1789 by which Hercules Gifford of the District of Cambridge, Washington Co., N.Y., purchased for L380 from Thomas Beadle of Eastern District, Lot 78 of the Grand Division of the Township of Cambridge. Humphrey and Batchelor Sherman were the witnesses. It was recorded 25 September 1800.^[4]

The 1790 Census lists Hercules Gifford as head of a Cambridge family of two males over 16 [Hercules and Mahaliel], one under 16 [Hercules Jr.], and four females [Jennie, Lydia and two likely daughters].^[5] Cambridge was then in Albany County, but on 7 February 1791 the towns of Easton and Cambridge were annexed to Washington County. In 1800 Hercules Gifford was in Cambridge with one male between 16 and 26 [Hercules Jr.] and one over 45 [Hercules], one female between 16 and 26 [possible daughter] and one 45 and up [Jennie]. ^[6]

By deed, on 12 August 1800, "Hercules Gifford of Cambridge, yeoman, Gentleman," sold for $400 to Mahaliel Gifford, yeoman, of the same place, land in Cambridge, part of Lot #78. The transaction was witnessed by Robert and Rathburn Miller and was recorded 25 September 1800.^[7] On 2 February 1805 one Hercules Gifford, blacksmith, of the town of Williamson, Ontario County, conveyed to Pardon Butts of Cambridge, for $2100, part of Lot #78 in Cambridge.^[8]

This raises an interesting genealogical point. Since we know that Hercules-5 Gifford had been the owner of Lot #78, and since H.E. Gifford notes that Hercules Gifford had a daughter Lydia who married a Pardon Butts,^[9] there can be no doubt that the 1805 grantor, Hercules Gifford of Williamson, was selling family land. But the deed describes him as "blacksmith." The earlied deeds call him "yeoman" and "Gentleman." We sugges the possibility that the blacksmith, Hercules Gifford, may have been a son. The 1790 Census suggestes the Hercules-5 Gifford had two sons and three daughters. We suspect that one of the sons was Mahaliel Gifford who bought land in 1800.

• • [Editorial note by Robert M. Gerrity: The only way for HG the blacksmith to have legal right to this other part of Lot #78 was if HG the Gentleman had (1) deeded it to him, of which there is NO record, or (2) HB the blacksmith had directly inherited it from HG the Gentleman, son from father. The authors did NOT search Washington County for surrogacy (probate) records not that county's deeds. See their comment below.]

The 1800 Census lists the following Cambridge men consecutively: Jeremiah Perry, Hercules Gifford, Pardon Butts, Tiler Stafford and Charles Almery. There is evidence that Pardon Butts was a son-in-law. Further research may show that Perry, Stafford, or Almery may have married daughters of Hercules-5 Gifford.

Most of the early Ontario County surrogate [probate] records were destroyed by fire, and we find no deed records for Giffords in Ontario County during this early period.

There remains a brief [undated?] surrogate's note, showing that Harcules [sic] Gifford, "late of Williamson, Ontario Co.," was deceased, and the court appointed John Shearman, a friend, [as] administrator.^[10] The town of Williamson, set off from Sodus in 1802, was included in 1823 in the new county of Wayne, which was formed from parts of Ontario and Seneca counties. Search there and in Friends' other records is need to fill in this picture..

Children

See Lydia's profile for more detail on her children and my interpretation of who they were and their birth order. RMG, 4.5.24.

Children (no birth records found, and no proof that they are correctly placed here):

1. i. LYDIA-6, b. probably to the first wife. H.E. Gifford notes this Lydia m. Pardon Butts.
2. ii. MAHALIEL, b. perhaps ca. 1775, if he is the son 16 years or over in 1790.
3.  ? iii. A son, b. perhaps between1780-82.
4.  ? iv. A daughter, b. perhaps 1784.
5.  ? v. A daughter.

Sources

1. ↑ For Gifford and Abigail, see Almon E. Daniel and Maclean W. McLean, "William-1 Gifford of Sandwich, Mass. (D. 1687) and His Descendants," The New England Historical and Genealogical Register 131(1977), p. 296, hereinafter Register.
2. ↑ Register 137(1983) pp. 147-149
3. ↑ Bristol County, Massachusetts, Deeds, 12:64 to be seen now at Family Search.
4. ↑ Washington County, N.Y., Land Records E:26
5. ↑ 1790 Census, New York (GPO 1909) p. _____
6. ↑ 1800 Census - New York (AIS), p. ____
7. ↑ Washington County, N.Y., Land Records, E:28
8. ↑ Washington County, N.Y., Land Records _____.
9. ↑ H.E. Gifford, Gifford Genealogy, p.20
10. ↑ Ontario Co., N.Y., Surrogate's Office, _____

• The Gifford Genealogy by H.E. Gifford.
• Little Compton Families by Benjamin Franklin Wilbour