Samuel Pickett (abt. 1755 - 1812)

Born about 1755 in New York

Ancestors

Husband of Phoebe (Finch) Pickett — married 1779 in Sherburne, Chenango, New York

Descendants

Died 19 Dec 1812 at about age 57 in Charlotte, Chautauqua, New York, United States

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Biography

Samuel was born about 1755. He passed away in 1812.

Samuel was the grantee in a land tax record in 1794 in Chenango, New York, United States. The grantor was John Watts.^[1]

In Sherburne, NY, 9 persons, 1800 US Census^[2]

Samuel was the grantee in a land tax record in 1802 in Chenango, New York, United States. The grantor was John Watts.^[3]

US Census 1810 Chenango, NY, 3 persons^[4]

The Pickett Burying Ground was the first to be dedicated as a resting-place for the dead in the town of Charlotte. In the year 1812, about one-fourth of an acre, on Lot 60, was set apart from the farm of John Pickett for that purpose. It is situated at the southeast corner of the four corners in School District No. 1, and opposite the school house, in the "Pickett Neighborhood." It has now been in use for over seventy-seven years. Samuel, the father of John Pickett, and the ancestor of the Pickett and Cleland families of Charlotte, came to the town in 1811. He died December 19, 1812, in the fifty-seventh year of his age, and he is believed to have been the first person buried there.*

His wife Phebe Finch is also believed to be here. She was the daughter of Peter and Rebecca Finch.

The known children of Samuel and Phoebe were six in number, the first three born in Spencertown NY, the younger three in Sherburne, Chenango Cty, NY:

• Daniel Pickett (abt.1783-abt.1855)
• John Pickett (1789-1876)
• Selah Pickett (1791-1872) m. (1) Olive Lawson (abt.1794-1825) (2) Christiana Comstock (1794-abt.1872)
• Phoebe (Pickett) Austin (abt.1793-bef.1817) m. Arva Owen Austin (1791-abt.1863)
• Ira Pickett
• Samuel Pickett

Samuel died 19 December 1812 in Chautauqua NY. Phoebe died there as well, after 1850.

The Pickett family were from Columbia County, NY and via Chenango County came to Chautauqua. They settled on lots 62 and 63 in Charlotte in 1809. John built the first log house in the town of Charlotte or perhaps anywhere in this locale. John came here unmarried with his brother Daniel and his family and Daniel’s brother-in-law, Arva Taylor. The latter settled on lot 63 with Daniel. These folk were the only people who passed the winter of 1809-1810 in Charlotte and were truly the earliest settlers in Charlotte.

Research Notes

From Jamestown Journal 2/22/1969 by Edna Ingham:

PICKETT CEMETERY CHARLOTTE, NY (Sinclairville-Cassadaga Road) The Pickett Cemetery at the left angle turn on the old Sinclairville-Cassadaga Road in the Town of Charlotte is the burial place of some of our earliest pioneers. Though it is enclosed by an iron fence and is kept free of brush and high grass, many of the stones are broken and are lying prone. Many too, have disappeared. It would be nice if some organization would "adopt" this cemetery and repair the stones as has been done in the old Pleasantville Cemetery near Dewittville by the William P. Jackway Veterans of Foreign Wars and its Auxiliary.

Amos Atkins, a soldier of the Revolutionary War, came to Ellery in 1808 and settled near William Bemus. In 1810 he moved to the town of Gerry, was town supervisor in 1814. As part of a surveyor team he selected a lot in the town of Gerry for himself and one for his brother-in-law, Stephen Jones.

Stephen Jones’ wife Clarissa died in 1844 and is buried in the old Gerry Cemetery, possibly because there was a church there. But Atkins’ wife Clarinda died in 1815 and this was the first death in the town of Gerry which then comprised the present towns of Gerry, Charlotte, Cherry Creek and Ellington.

We believe that Clarinda, named in a cemetery list of 1930, is the wife of Amos. Her stone was missing, as was his, when last we were there. The person who copied the stones in 1930 made 18 known mistakes. Young’s "History of Chautauqua County" says Amos and Stephen went to the far "west," but when the DAR copied the stones in 1925 for their book, "Soldiers of the Revolution buried in Chautauqua County," they included Amos Atkins, saying his stone had the words "A Revolutionary Soldier" written on it, but that they could find no verification of his service in Washington.

Caleb Clark, also a Revolutionary Soldier, served over two years in Captain James Norris’ Company, Second New Hampshire Regiment under Colonels Poor and Haley. He took part in the battles of Hubbardton, the second battle of Stillwater and was at Monmouth. He was also in General Sullivan’s expedition. He moved at an early date from Colchester, Conn. To Exeter, NH where he married Lodoma Gage, 28 Feb. 1784. They moved from there with their family to Exeter, NY, and from there to Chautauqua County, settling in Charlotte. He and Lodoma had 12 children: Clarissa, born 10 Sept. 1787; Adin, born 13 July 1786 (married Mehittie Palmer); Charlotte 1789-1795; Jacob Tilton born 16 June 1791; Chelal born 18 Feb. 1793; John born 31 Aug. 1794, died June 1826; Charlotte born 12 July 1796, died 1833; Polly born 21 July 1798; Harry born 24 June 1800; Orton born 20 June 1802, died 1868; Curtis born 11 March 1804; and Cyrus born 28 June 1805, died 1827.

John Cleland, a Revolutionary War Soldier, served two years under Captain Thomas, enlisting February 1778. During his service he is said to have been an orderly to General Washington and to have seen considerable active service. He lived in Plainfield, MA but was married in East Windsor, CT 27 April 1780 to Thankful Eaton. In 1807 with eight children they moved to Otsego Co., NY. In the spring of 1811 his sons Nathan and Oliver made the long trip of 300 miles to Chautauqua County where their brother John had preceded them in March 1810. Being pleased with the land, they reported favorably to their father, and in the fall, John and Thankful brought their other children to join the three sons in what is now the town of Charlotte. The homestead farm was on lot 54 just east of present Charlotte Center. According to family records, John Cleland and his wife were buried in the Pickett Cemetery, a plot of ground given the neighborhood for burial purposes by John Pickett off the original Pickett farm. John and Thankful had 11 children, two dying in infancy. The others were: Beriah born 15 Nov. 1781; Edna born 28 June 1782; Samuel born 14 May 1788; Thankful born 22 April 1790; John and James, twins, born 19 Feb. 1792; Oliver born 25 Oct. 1793; Nathan born 5 March 1795; Martin born 10 April 1797. In 1810 John was but 18 while Oliver and Nathan were 17 and 15. Very young to make a 300 mile trip through almost trackless woods and to decide that the land was favorable. The Cleland brothers were said to be men of great strength and endurance and all lived to be over four score.

Sources

1. ↑ Land Assessment: "United States, New York Land Records, 1630-1975"
   citing Page: 251; Entry: I; Record number: 19;
   FamilySearch Record: ZVBD-RVZM (accessed 17 February 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-99WX-YZPX Image number 00195
   Name: Samuel Pickett; Land Assessment Date: 1794; Land Assessment Place: Chenango, New York, United States.
2. ↑ 1800 Census: "United States Census, 1800"
   citing p. 810, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 28; FHL microfilm 193,716.
   FamilySearch Record: XH51-39R (accessed 17 February 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GRZT-99JM Image number 00266
   Samuel Pickett in Sherburne, Chenango, New York, United States.
3. ↑ Land Assessment: "United States, New York Land Records, 1630-1975"
   citing Page: 174; Entry: C; Record number: 0;
   FamilySearch Record: W1JF-D8PZ (accessed 17 February 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 3QSQ-G9WN-922H Image number 00151
   Name: Samuel Pickett; Land Assessment Date: 1802; Land Assessment Place: Chenango, New York, United States.
4. ↑ 1810 Census: "United States Census, 1810"
   citing Page: 350; Affiliate Publication Number: M252;
   FamilySearch Record: XH23-QXD (accessed 17 February 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9YYN-9F5Q
   Samuel Picket in Sherburne, Chenango, New York, United States.

• Family trees on Ancestry
• Foster family records, Tim Dowling family tree, Geneanet web site
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 14 February 2021), memorial page for Samuel Pickett (1755–19 Dec 1812), Find a Grave Memorial no. 75857159, citing Pickett Corner Cemetery, Cassadaga, Chautauqua County, New York, USA ; Maintained by Red Headed Navy Nurse (contributor 47363480) .
• Fenton Historical Society Deserted Cemetery Series. From the Jamestown Journal 22 February 1969, compiled and written by Edna Ingham

• HISTORY of CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, NEW YORK, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE PRESENT TIME: WITH NUMEROUS BIOGRAPHICAL AND FAMILY SKETCHES. By ANDREW W. YOUNG, BUFFALO, N. Y. PRINTING HOUSE OF MATTHEWS & WARREN. 1875. (p252)