Relief Thurber (abt. 1768 - 1846)

Ancestors

Husband of Phebe Merithew — married 19 Feb 1795 in Rhode Island, USA

Descendants

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Biography

Relief was born about 1768.^[1] He is the son of Samuel Thurber and Alice Wood.

The only evidence yet located for Relief's parentage is a note in the Providence Gazette from April 11, 1778:^[2]

"Absconded from my service, on Tuesday morning the 17th instant (thro' the instigation of evil-minded persons) Relief Thurber, son of the late Samuel Thurber, shipwright, deceased: He is a short, thick-set boy, about ten years of age, much pitted with the small pox, and generally known in this town.

The Providence Gazette indicates a marriage between Relief Thurber and Polly Smith, daughter of Capt. Joseph, at Barrington, on Nov. 5, 1791. Polly died at Providence shortly before 7 September 1793, when the Providence Gazette" reported her death: "Mrs. Thurber, wife of Mr. Relief Thurber."

Whoever will return him to me, within 20 days from the date hereof, shall be paid two dollars reward. Any person who shall be guilty of secreting him, may depend on being prosecuted, by me, Jonathan Arnold. Providence, March 20, 1778."

Only one Relief Thurber appears in the United States censuses for 1790, 1800 and 1810. In 1790, a Relief Thurber appears in a household with himself and one female. This is rather strange, since presumably he was not married yet.

In 1800, the household has two men and one woman between 26 and 45, two men and one woman over 45, and two girls under 10. We may surmise that these are Relief and Phebe with their daughters and some unknown older relatives.

In 1810, the household has one woman over 45, two men and a woman between 26 and 45, and two girls and one boy between 10 and 16. This suggests the birth of a boy in the year 1800. The Providence Phenix has a death notice from Sep. 26, 1822: "Relief Thurber Jr., of Providence, at Havana, in 22nd year." This is, presumably, the additional boy.

Relief can be found in the United States Census, 1820 database by searching for the name "Rehif Thurber". His household shows one boy under 10, one boy between 18 and 26, two women between 16 and 26, and a man and a woman over 45.

In 1830, the household shows a man aged 60-70, a women aged 40-50, and a boy aged 15-20. In 1840, the household shows a man aged 70-80 and a woman aged 60-70. It seems that the wrong column was marked for Phebe's age in the 1830 census.

From the 1820 and 1830 census data, it appears there is another unidentified son, born between 1805 and 1810.

In the 1840 census, daughter Abby Simmons appears as the head of household on the line immediately below Relief.

All of these census records then suggest that there was only one man named Relief Thurber in the United States during this period. We can therefore assume that references to "Relief Thurber" are all to this same man.

In particular, we have the following additional information:

From the Providence Gazette, April 8, 1813, a marriage of Mary Thurber, eldest daughter of Relief, to Job Spencer.

From the Gazette, March 17, 1821, a marriage of Mrs. Polly Thurber, eldest daughter of Relief, to John Wilbour (performed by Rev. Dr. Gano).

From the United States Chronicle, September 12, 1793, the death of Mrs. _____, wife of Relief Thurber.

All of this points to the narrative that Relief had a first wife, Polly (Smith) Thurber, who married him in 1791 and died in 1793 (possibly in childbirth), with whom he had a daughter Polly. This leaves the mysteries of who the female in the household was in 1790, where daughter Polly is in the censuses of 1800-1820, and why Mary Thurber was indicated as the eldest daughter.

Relief passed away in 1846 and is buried at the North Burial Ground in Providence. His headstone is inscribed, "Erected to the memory of Relief Thurber who departed this life April 12, 1846 aged 78 years."

Sources

1. ↑ estimated from gravestone
2. ↑ Providence Gazette online [1]."Accessed 23 Sep., 2017. Providence Gazette for April 11, 1778, back page.

• Providence Gazette