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Sylvester Richmond Jr. (abt. 1838 - 1881)

Sylvester Richmond Jr.
Born about in Brighton, Cramahe, Northumberland, Upper Canadamap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 22 Aug 1858 in Hilton, Ontario, Canadamap
Husband of — married 29 Nov 1866 in Northumberland, Canada Westmap
Father of , , , , , , and
Died at about age 43 in Delaware Township, Sanilac, Michigan, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 29 May 2021
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Contents

Biography

Birth

Sylvester Richmond Jr. was born about 1838 in Hilton, Brighton, Northumberland, Upper Canada (now Ontario, Canada). He was the son of Sylvester Richmond and Dorcas Strevel.

First Marriage

Sylvester Richmond, 21, resident of Hamilton Township and Adaline Van Dusen, 18, resident of Brighton, were married by Baptist Minister Hoyes Lloyd on August 22, 1858 in Hilton. Witness to the marriage was W W Elliott of Port Hope.[1]

Sylvester and Adaline had the following children:

  1. Sylvester Sanfield, born December 21, 1860[2]

In 1861 he was a 22-year-old farmer living in a single-story frame house in Brighton, Northumberland, Canada West with his wife, Adeline, 18, and newborn son Sylvester. The family were members of the Episcopal Methodist Church.[3]

Adaline passed away unexpectedly on April 18, 1861 in Brighton.

Second Marriage

Sylvester Richmond, 28, of Brighton, and Elvira Augusta Short, 20, of Hilton, were married by Wesleyan Minister Andrew A Smith on November 29, 1866 in East Riding, Northumberland, Canada West. Witnesses to the marriage were George and MInerva Gibson, residents of Hilton.[4]

Sylvester and Elvira had the following children:

  1. Kenneth Blake, born about 1867
  2. Edward B, born about 1869
  3. Adeline, born about 1871
  4. John, born about 1873
  5. Oliver, born April 3, 1874 in Belleville, Hastings, Ontario
  6. Maud Theresa, born May 10, 1878 in Delaware Township, Sanilac County, Michigan
  7. Jane Marrilla, born Feburary 22, 1880 in Delaware Township

In 1871 he was working as a carpenter and living in Sidney Township, West Hastings with his wife and children. His in-laws lived next door.[5]

Immigration

Sylvester and his family immigrated to Michigan sometime after 1874.

By 1880, Sylvester was 42 and living in Delaware Township, Sanilac County, Michigan with his wife, Augusta, and children Kenneth, Edward, Adeline, John, Oliver, Maud, and baby Marilla. He owned land in the township, which he used as farmland.[6]

Death and Legacy

Sylvester Richmond, 43, was burnt to death in the great Thumb Fire along with his wife and his six youngest children.[7]

Detroit Evening News, September 8, 1885
The bodies of a family of seven persons named [Richmond] were found in a well near Charleston, they having entered the well for shelter and were there suffocated.[8]

Tuscola County Advertiser, 1997
By Rudy Petzold, editor
  The Richmond family were near neighbors of the publisher of the Tribune. The whole family dove into a new 12 foot deep well with about two feet of water in the bottom. They hoped to escape the suffocating smoke and heat and lames which swept over them from their burning buildings. The top of the well was covered with boards and planks. These caught fire and while burning dropped down on the father, mother and five children. The baby, less than a year old, was drowned in the water. The father's head was partially burned off. All were dead when found the next day. The Richmonds, however, lived in Delaware Township instead of Marion. The family consisted of the father, mother, and six children. The oldest boy, 12, was away at a neighbor's and was the only member of the family left alive.[9]

The settlement of Charleston consisted at 21 buildings at the time of the fire, but was completely destroyed. It was later rebuilt. Today it is simply the intersection of Charleston Road and Bay City Forestville Road in Delaware Township, Sanilac County, Michigan.

Sylvester was survived by his two eldest sons: Sanfield, aged 20, who was living in Canada and Kenneth, aged 13, who was away at a neighbor's. Both sons have living descendants.

Sources

  1. ↑ "Northumberland Marriage Register" vol. 43, pg. 8, section 17, entry 7 for Sylvester Richmond and Adaline Vandusen. Indexed in "Canada, Ontario County Marriage Registers, 1858-1869" Northumberland and Durham > 1858-1869, vol 43 > [Image 11] of 107.
  2. ↑ Van Deursen, pg. 264. Issue: Sanford Richmond, b. Dec 21, 1860. (likely Sylvester, misrecorded)
  3. ↑ "Census of 1861" (Online: Library and Archives Canada, 16 Oct 2015) Canada West, Northumberland District, Brighton Sub-District, pg. 62, line 28 for Sylvester Richmond.
  4. ↑ "Northumberland Marriage Register" vol. 39, pg. 49, section 3 entry 6 for Sylvester Richmond and Elvira Augusta Short. Indexed in "Canada, Ontario County Marriage Registers, 1858-1869" (Online FamilySearch, 17 Mar 2018) Northumberland > 1859-1869, vol 39 > Image 27 of 59.
  5. ↑ "Census of Canada, 1871" (Ottawa, ON: Library and Archives Canada) District 60 West Hastings, Sub-District Sidney Township, pg. 91, family 350, line 14 for Silvester Richmond.
  6. ↑ "United States Census, 1880" (Online: FamilySearch, 19 Feb 2021) Michigan > Sanilac > Delaware > ED 329 > Image 19 of 44; pg. 21, side A, family 165, line 9 for Sylvester Richmond, 42, farmer.
  7. ↑ "Michigan Death Records" (Lansing, MI: Secretary of State) pg. 130, from the Sanilac County Death Records, pg. 10, record no. 210 for Sylvester Richmond and records no. 211 to 217 for his wife and six children. Indexed in "Michigan Deaths, 1867-1897" (Online: FamilySearch) Film # 004207953 > Image 467 and 468 of 1440.
  8. ↑ Tim Taugher, "Great Thumb Fire," (Online: GenDisasters) p. 2. Surname was recorded incorrectly as Redmond.
  9. ↑ Betty Sodders, "Michigan on Fire" (Thunder Bay Press, 1997) p. 120 & 121.

See also:

  • Captain Albert Harrison Van Deursen, Van Deursen Family (New York City, NY: Frank Allaben Genealogical Company, 1912) vol. 1, pg 264.

Notes

  • There is a transcription error in the Library and Archives of Canada index for the 1871 Census. The location is clearly Sidney Township, West Hastings County on the document, not North Marysburgh, Prince Edward County.




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Featured National Park champion connections: Sylvester is 15 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 20 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 17 degrees from George Catlin, 19 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 27 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 16 degrees from George Grinnell, 27 degrees from Anton Kröller, 16 degrees from Stephen Mather, 23 degrees from Kara McKean, 19 degrees from John Muir, 19 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 26 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.

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Categories: Canada, Needs Profiles Created | Delaware Township, Sanilac County, Michigan | Thumb Fire, Sanilac County, Michigan, 1881