Was Edward Bagley the grandson of James Bagley?

Introduction

 

Edward Bagley of New Brunswick and Utah is possibly the grandson of James and Sarah Bagley of Nobletown, Providence, and Hector. Evidence is largely circumstantial and incomplete. Base on the available evidence, James and Sarah likely had a son named Richard, have strong ties to Connecticut and potentially have four other relatives named Edward and relatives named Cyrenus. Records put a man named Edward Bagley in close proximity to descendants of James Bagley and present a logical reason for Edward's migration to New Brunswick and coincide favorably with family traditions and contemporary records referring to Edward from New Brunswick.

Previous Research

 

Largely what family historians believe about Edward Bagley is based on oral traditions kept by various branches of Edward's family. The traditions are inconsistent and sometimes contradict publicly available records created before and during Edward's lifetime. The family has published these traditions in various books, charts, and family newsletters. The most widely held tradition is Edward Bagley was born on 18 February 1815 in Hartford, Connecticut to Richard Bagley, the youngest son of Isaac and Mehitable Bagley of Amesbury and Esther Puffer the daughter of Amos Puffer. Richard and Ester were married or had an affair about 1814. Richard, along with his sons, moved to New Brunswick in search of timber for the New England shipbuilding trade.

Published family histories available online present variations of this this tradition. The earliest is Maude B. Allen's Samuel Allin (1756-1841), Revolutionary War soldier of North Carolina and Kentucky : a record of his many descendants, 1756-1960. On page 227 there is an un-sourced chart that connects Edward Bagley of  New Brunswick and Salt Lake through his father to Orlando Bagley back to the prophet, Joseph Smith. The chart lists dates that match the family of Richard Bagley of Amesbury. Edward's birth date is given as 18 February 1815. This is the earliest publicly available document that associates Edward Bagley with Richard Bagley of Amesbury and gives a maiden name for Edward's mother. On this chart the name for Edward's mother is given as Esther Peffer. Maude is likely compiling the information received from members of John Grant Bagley's family.

Norton Russell Bagley published a series of manuscripts about Bagley families.  Some Descendants of Richard Bagley and of his son Edward Bagley of New Brunswick and Salt Lake was published in 1973. Based on the introduction, research was conducted mostly by contacting individuals and asking for family relations. Norton stated in Descendants of Richard Bagley there was no "Richard Bagley had dates that would match the father of Edward Bagley" and identified Samuel Bagley of New Brunswick without identifying a relationship with Richard. He identified Amos Puffer's daughter, Esther Puffer, as the married wife of Richard Bagley and referenced the Puffer genealogy by Charles Nutt for dates. Nutt lists birth and death dates for Esther. He does not list any reference to a marriage between Esther Puffer and Richard Bagley. Norton gives Edward the birth date of 18 Feb 1815, notes the record of John Bagley showing Edward was born in New York, and notes other accounts put his birth in Hartford, Connecticut.

Bagley family history : the story of William Henry Bagley, Hannah Brunyer, their Progenitors and Progeny was published by the William Henry Bagley Family Association in 1987. The editors compiled work from several sources including un-sourced pedigree charts showing Richard Bagley of Amesbury and Esther Puffer of Jamaica as Edward's parents. Frances B. Thorn, a granddaughter of Edward provided a biography of Edward and his sons and largely glossed over Edward's parents simply stating that Edward moved from Connecticut where he "was born and worked in the shipping business with his father and brother Richard," to New Brunswick. 

Martha Bagley Halverson published A lasting legacy : the Bagley family history since 1628 in 1997. On page 39, she recounts the family story about Richard and Edward Bagley. She identifies Richard Bagley as Richard of Amesbury, states he was a sea captain, and identifies Esther Puffer - with the dates of Amos' daughter - as the mother of Edward Bagley. She gives Edward the birth date of 18 February 1815. Halverson states "Their son, Edward, told his own children that his father was Richard Bagley and his mother was Esther Puffer." From the bibliography, Halverson lists the journals of John Bagley and Hawley Bagley and interviews with family members as sources. Martha's sources are then Edward's grandchildren and great-grandchildren with written sources from one child.

Clell V. Bagley published Edward Alma Bagley, 1847-1929, His Life and Families in 2005. Clell references the names of Edward's parents from Edward's Patriarchal Blessing in 1855. He refers to a Bagley Bulletin that refutes the identification of Edward's parents as the son of Amos and Esther Puffer of Jamaixa. Clell lists Edward's birthday as Feb. 18, 1815, but acknowledges other records list his birth in 1810 and 1807. Clell lists a land transaction for Edward in 1833 and his marriage that same year.

These five histories and public records agree on key points:

• Edward Bagley was in the lumber business in New Brunswick
• Edward Bagley lived in New Brunswick from 1832 to 1855
• Edward joined the Mormon Church in 1855 and migrated to Utah
• Edward's father was named Richard
• Edward's mother was named Esther
• Edward married Julia Grant in 1833

The disagreements between the histories and public records raise the following questions:

• When and where was Edward born?
• What are his father's origins?
• What is his mother's maiden name? What are her origins?
• How and when did Edward migrate to New Brunswick? Who if anyone migrated with him?

Clues

Identifying Edward's Birth Place and Date from Original Records

Records created during Edward's lifetime - the 1860 census and Edward's LDS church records give his birth place as "CT", "Old Hartford, Connecticut" and "Hartford, CT". 

His son John Bagley wrote in his diary that his father was from New York. Census records for Edward's children put Edward's birthplace in New York, Connecticut, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, England, Massachusetts and Maine. 

Child	1880 Census	1900 Census	1910 Census	1920 Census	1930 Census
Charles Stewart Bagley (1835-1913)	England	Conn.	Conn.
John Bagley (1836-1923)	New Brunswick	New York	New York	New York
William Henry Bagley (1841-1923)	New York	New York	New York	England
Joseph Smith Bagley (1845-1897)	New York
Edward Alma Bagley (1847-1929)	Connecticut	New York	New York	New York
Cynthia Ann Bagley (1849-1928)	New York	Conn.	Canada
Hyrum Alvin Bagley (1854-1932)	New Brunswick	Conn.	Mass.	New York	Maine

Considering Maine was part of Massachusetts until 1820 and the boundary between New Brunswick and Maine was settled during the life of Edward, we should consider Maine, Canada, Massachusetts, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to be same place. Charles Stewart's birth place, as well as his mother's birthplace were also identified as England in the 1880 Census. This would indicate either the informant did not know the birth places, or considered Canada part of England. England then should be included with these border lands. Based on census information given for his children, Edward was born in Connecticut, New York, or the contested borderland between Maine and New Brunswick.

The family consistently reports Edward's birth in 1815. External records support an earlier birth date. Census and church records put Edward's birth before 1810. The earliest uncontested record of Edward Bagley is a land transaction - John C. Grant and Abisha his wife sold land to Edward Bagley on 14 July 1832. John is likely the brother of Julia Grant. This is 15 months before Edward's marriage. Edward would be 17 to 25 at the time. In the English colonies of North American, Edward would need to appear at least 21 to purchase land; otherwise, he would need a guardian or parent signature on the contract. Edward signed without a parent or guardian. If he is 21 or older he would have been born in or before 1811.  The 1860 US Census lists Edward's age as 50, making his birth date in 1810. LDS Church records list his birth date as 1807 in the Provo First Ward records and 1809 in his patriarchal blessing. 

For Edward's parents we are looking for a Richard and/or Esther Bagley living in Connecticut, New York, or the contested boundary between Maine and New Brunswick. Ideally, they live in a place that was or is identified as Hartford, or they moved to a place early enough that Edward could misidentified it as his birth place. Ideally, we expect they could appear in records at that location from around the time of Edward's birth and shortly thereafter - roughly from 1800 to 1820.

Mother's Maiden Name

Martha Bagley Halverson identified the maiden name of Esther as Puffer based on the family's oral traditions. Samuel Allin lists the maiden name as Peffer. The uncertainty of the tradition tells us the children likely never met their paternal grandparents. They would not have any direct knowledge of them. Since oral traditions may change over time, the difference makes it likely the actual name sounds like Peffer and Puffer. So in addition to looking at families named Puffer, we should also consider German names like Pfeifer, or Peffer and their English transliterations, Pepper and Peppers, To identify Edward's mother we are looking for a family that lives near a Bagley family with any variant of these names.

Edward's Migration to New Brunswick

As I noted in Edward Bagley: Working Hypotheses, there is an Edward Bagley who joined the US Army in 1829 in Rochester. He is listed as 22 at the time he enlisted and reported his birth place as Connecticut. He did not list a city. He was part of a unit that was building fortifications along the US Canadian border. That unit was stationed at Hancock Barracks in Houlton, Maine. In December 1831 Edward is listed as deserted. If this Edward was stationed in Houlton at the time, this would put him 11 miles and 7 months from the earliest land record for Edward in New Brunswick. This migration would not require any family members in New Brunswick and would explain why there is no direct knowledge of Edward's parents among his children. While this Edward could have traveled to Rochester from anywhere on the East coast, he could also be located near family members. We may be able to identify possible members of Edward's family in and around Rochester. We would expect to find records between roughly 1820 and 1830 for his family.

Family Names

It was a common practice in last half of the 18th Century and the beginning of the 19th Century for colonial English families to follow naming conventions that named children in honor of ancestors. While the practice was not universal, commonly the eldest son was named after his father, the second after his paternal grandfather and the third after the maternal grandfather. Larger families would use other family members such as uncles for sons. Families also often converted family names into first names for sons - so an unusual first name may be the maiden name of a grandmother or great grandmother. A family with a large number of men named Edward or men named Cyrenus could be part of the family of Edward Bagley of New Brunswick.

Comparing Clues to Richard son of James Bagley of Nobletown, Providence, and Hector

Origins for Richard Bagley

As I have shown previous, in James Bagley of Westmoreland County Connecticut, James and Sarah Bagley likely had at least four children - Elias, Bethiah, Richard and Jesse. The first record we have of Richard is in the 1790 census when he is listed as the head of household in Providence, PA. In 1798, he is living on land owned by Elias Bagley. He apparently moved with James to the finger lakes region of New York. In 1803, Jesse and Richard Bagley are listed in the New York tax rolls for Milton, New York (modern Genoa). In 1809 Richard purchases land in Hector, New York. In 1811, he sells that land to Jesse Bagley. At about the same time, Elias also buys and sells land in Hector, New York.

I have found three other records that may refer to this Richard:

• In 1817 a Richard Bagley, Cordwainer, enlisted in the US Army in New Orleans. He was born about 1774 in Columbia County, New York. 
• Richard Bagley, merchant, aged 50 entered New York in 1825. 
• Richard V. Bagley applied for a Revolutionary War bounty in 1833 from Christian County, Kentucky. He claimed he was born in 1766 in Hudson, New York and he served as a substitute for Samuel Darling in the Ninth Albany Militia. His claim was denied. The Ninth Albany Militia was raised in the area that would become Columbia county. Three men named Bagley appear on the rolls of the Ninth Albany Militia during the Revolutionary War - James, John, and Edward.₁

It is not clear whether each record refers to the same individual, or if they refer to the son of James and Sarah.

Family Connections to Connecticut

 

James and John Bagley are listed as proprietors in Nobletown in 1764. Many of these families came from western Connecticut or were disgruntled tenants of Robert Livingston. James and John were likely from Connecticut. James and Sarah's daughter, Bethia, was baptized in 1773. At  about the same time James Bagley, Elias Bixby, and Zacher H. Squire purchased a partial right in the Susquehannah Purchase. Elias Bixby was likely from Fairfield, Connecticut. The Bixby and Bagley families seem to be closely aligned. Besides being neighbors in Nobletown and Westmoreland, Connecticut, John Bagley's daughter, likely James' niece, Mercy, married Elias Bixby's grandson, Hull.


James Bagley and his wife Bethiah Munroe lived in the same general area of Fairfield as Elias Bixby. James and Bethiah's daughter Lydia was baptized in Westport. A Lydia Bagley married George Grimes in Sheffield, Massachusetts in 1757. James Bagley the father of Lydia is the son of John Bagley.  The proprietors of Nobletown could be named after James and his father. The daughter of James, Bethia Bagley, could be named after her grandmother, Bethiah Munroe. This would follow common naming conventions for English colonial families.

Tentative Family Tree for Jame Bagley and Bethia Munroe

The migration path from western Connecticut, to western Massachusetts and then to New York was common. While it is far from definitive, the children of James and Bethia are probably James, John and Lydia.

In the Nobletown records, James Bagley was chosen to advocate the legitimacy of the Nobletown claim over the claim of Robert Livingston. In Luzerne county he was strong advocate for the Connecticut claim over the Pennsylvania claim. James served in the Westmoreland Independent Company during the Revolutionary war as part of the Connecticut Line. From these records, we can see James identified strongly with Connecticut and may have passed this attitude on to his children and grandchildren.

Neighboring Peffer Families

 

In Pennsylvania and New York, Richard's family lived close to families with a variation of the family name in Edward's family oral tradition. John Pepper is listed as a head of household in Luzerne County in 1790 in the same enumeration district as Richard and Ezra Bagley. Michael and Peter Phiper or Phifer are listed in Milton, NY in 1800. Michael Peffer or Pipher is also listed on the 1799, 1800, and 1803 New York tax roles in Milton. Each record likely refers to the same person. Richard and Jesse Bagley are listed in the Milton 1803 tax rolls. These records would put Richard Bagley, the son of James, in close proximity to families with a name that would match family oral tradition.

 

Old Hartford

 

In the 1820 Census an Elias Pagley is living in Avon, New York. This is likely the son of James Bagley. Elias moved his family to Irwin Township, Pennsylvania. In 1826 he purchased land there. He moved there with his wife Phebe and sons Alanson and Azor. The ages of these sons match the ages of the individuals listed in the 1820 census in Avon. Alanson was born in Pennsylvania at the time Elias Bagley lived in Luzerne County. Azor was born in New York after the family would have moved to New York. This parallels the family of Jesse Bagley, whose elder son, Jinks, was born in the Wyoming river valley and whose younger son, Jesse, was born in New York. 

Avon is south of Rochester. When Avon was settled in 1797 it was called Hartford. The name was changed to Avon in 1808. The last records for Elias and Richard in Hector is 1810 and 1811.  An Elias Pagley is listed in Avon in 1820. This 1820 federal census shows a possible presence in Avon. The pension application for Jenks Bagley  puts the family of Jesse Bagley in the area around Rochester at the same time. If Richard moved his family with his brothers' families, or if Edward was cared for by his uncles he could have been in the area at least through the middle of the 1820s. Edward Bagley who enlisted in the US Army in 1829 would then be a long time resident of  the area. This Edward would then be connected to Old Hartford through the family of James Bagley. 

 

Shared Family Names

 

Shared family names sometimes indicate a relationship between two families. The family of James Bagley has potentially four men named Edward Bagley.

1. Richard's brother Jesse moved his family to Michigan. His son Jenks likely had a son named Edward. 
2. At the same time Jesse and his sons Jenks and Jesse moved to Michigan, Edward Bagley from Erie county, New York purchased land in that same part of Michigan. Jenks' pension applications put him in this part of New York prior to moving to Michigan. Edward's age would put him in the gap between Jenks and Jesse making it possible he is a brother.
3. During the Revolutionary War, an Edward Bagley was listed on the rolls of the Ninth Albany Militia. This man later was a neighbor of John Bagley in Columbia county. While no direct connection to James or John can be found, Edward's age and residence mean he could be 
• a son of James who remained in New York when his father moved to Westmoreland county, 
• a son of John Bagley, or 
• a brother of Lt Josiah Bagley from New York City
• someone from another Bagley family

The first three possibilities for Edward would make him a brother or cousin of Richard.
4. Edward Bagley of Columbia county has a grandson named Edward.

The family of James son, Jesse, has one, possibly two men named Edward. Edward Bagley the neighbor of John Bagley is possibly a son, nephew, or cousin of James Bagley.

Possible Descendants of John Bagley named Edward

The name Cyrenus is attached to Edward by tradition - no records from his lifetime list this name. There are two men named Cyrenus Bagley with no known connection to Edward - Cyrenus Chapin Bagley and his son Cyrenus Augustus Bagley. A tenuous connection can be drawn between the families. John A Bagley is the father of Cyrenus Chapin Bagley. In Holland Land Company records, John A. Bagley and Gilbert Bagley assumed the payments of John Bagley. Often, children would assume the payment on land after a parent died. It is likely John A and Gilbert are the sons of John Bagley. According to a family bible, John A was born about 1795 in Pennsylvania. There is a John Bagley listed in Providence, PA in the 1800 Pennsylvania census. If John A. were born in the Wyoming Valley, John could be James' neighbor and possibly James' son named after his brother and grandfather.

Summary and Future Research

Edward Bagley of New Brunswick and Utah is possibly the grandson of James and Sarah Bagley of Nobletown, Providence, and Hector. Based on records created during Edward's life time, Edward was likely born before 1811. He identified his birthplace as Connecticut; however, his family identified his birthplace as Connecticut, New York and border between Maine and New Bruinswick. Oral family tradition gives Edward's mother the maiden name "Peffer" or "Puffer". His children likely did not know their grandparents or other members of their father's family. An Edward Bagley joined the US Army in 1829 in Rochester. The unit he joined was stationed on the northeastern border between the United States and the British Colonies. This individual deserted in December 1831. Edward first purchased land in New Brunswick in 1832. It is likely this is the same person.

Richard, the son of James and Sarah Bagley, is a possible match for the father of Edward Bagley based on the existing records and oral traditions. We can match the details recorded about the father of Edward to this man:

• Richard would have been in New York at the time of Edward's birth. This is one of the three places identified by his children. 
• Before Edward's birth, this Richard lived near families with names that match the traditional maiden name of Edward's mother. 
• James, Richard's father, was likely from Connecticut and has a documented affiliation for Connecticut. Edward may have confused the family being "from Connecticut" with his birth place.
  
• Elias, Richard's brother, likely lived in Avon, New York which was known as Hartford prior to 1808. Richard may have lived in or visited this Hartford, offering a possible explanation for "Old Hartford" on Edward's church records.
• Richard's brothers and nephews lived in the Rochester area through the middle of the 1820's showing the family was present in that part of New York, shortly before Edward Bagley enlisted. 
• Richard's family has one and possibly as many as four men named Edward, not counting Edward Bagley of New Brunswick, making it plausible Edward is a family name.
• There is a tentative connection between this family and the family of Cyrenus Bagley of New York, Ontario and Michigan.

The following further research is needed:

• We don't know what happened to Richard after 1811. We can not show that Richard had children or married. No records have been found identifying a woman who could be his wife. We don't know if Richard is the cordwainer in New Orleans, the merchant in New York, or the pension applicant in Kentucky.
• We can show the unit Edward Bagley joined was stationed along the Canadian border and at various times, parts of it were in Maine. Existing muster rolls available  for the US Army might show where Edward Bagley was stationed between 1829 and 1831 and confirm how close he was to the New Brunswick border.

Western New York was the frontier at the time James Bagley's family lived there. Records are scarce and incomplete. As records from this era become available, we have a clearer picture of James Bagley and his family. This picture presents a plausible story showing Edward could be the grandson of James Bagley.

¹Samuel Darling and men named Bagley served in the Ninth Albany Militia during the Revolutionary War: Asher Bagley; John Bagley, likely the brother of James Bagley; James Bagley - possibly the man who served in the Connecticut Line; and Edward Bagley. See New York in the Revolution as a Colony and State. pp. 116, 117, 230  

Side Trips - Robert M. Foster

I was looking for Sarah, the daughter of Josiah Bagley (about 1784 to 1860) who was born in NY or NJ, fought in the War of 1812,  settled in the Ohio river valley and died in Cincinnati. I found the Golden Anniversary of Sarah E. Bagley who married Alonzo Marks in 1858 in the Fulton County Tribune.₁ Further research located a death record listing her father as Richard Bagley.₂

In 1870 Richard's family consisted of his wife Catherine, daughters Mary and Samantha. Next door is the family of Alonzo and Sarah Marks. Catherine is too young to be the mother of Sarah Marks. In 1860 Richard is living in York Township with Sarah aged 31, Sarah E, aged 15, Eleanor S, age 9. Richard was born in Virginia. The other family members were born in Ohio. Sarah is possibly Richard's first wife and mother of Sarah (Bagley ) Marks and Eleanor (Bagley) Jones.

Richard H. Bagley married Catherine A. Foster on December 27, 1868.₃ Catherine was the widow of Robert M. Foster. Catherine A. Foster applied for a dependent pension August 16, 1865.₄ It was granted July 12, 1869. The guardian for minor children is R. H. Bagley. Robert M. Foster was a musician in company H of the 100th Ohio volunteers.₅ He was a drummer. The Official roster of soldiers of the state of Ohio, indicates he enlisted in 1862, was captured in 1863, and died in Andersonville prison in 1864.₆

Katherine Bagley was living with Richard Bagley in the 1880 census. Her 18 year old daughter is listed as Elle S. Bagley. In 1902, Catherine A. Hall is listed as the remarried widow of Robert M. Foster.₇ At some point after Richard Bagley died. She must have remarried.

¹Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, August 28, 1914, Image 1, brought to you by Ohio Historical Society, Columbus, OH, and the National Digital Newspaper Program. Chronicling America. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87076552/1914-08-28/ed-1/seq-1/. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
²"Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F667-22K : 13 December 2014), Sarah Marks, 26 Dec 1938; citing Death, Wauseon, Clinton Township, Fulton, Ohio, United States, source ID v4 pm4 1n38, County courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 423,615.
³"Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZZJ-8ZN : 26 August 2019), Richard H. Bagley and Catharine A. Foster, 27 Dec 1868; citing Marriage, Huron, Ohio, United States, vol3 p191 #570, Franklin County Genealogical & Historical Society, Columbus; FHL microfilm.
⁴"United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KD1C-9J1 : 13 March 2018), Catherine A Foster in entry for Robert M Foster, 1865.
⁵Record Group 94. Publication M552. Indexes to the Carded Records of Soldiers Who Served in Volunteer Organizations During the Civil War, compiled 1899 - 1927, documenting the period 1861 - 1866. Foster, Robert M. Record Group 15. Publication A1158. Numerical Index to Pensions, 1860-1934. 177405. RG15. A1158. 776505. ⁶Ohio. Official roster of the soldiers of the state of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866. Volume 7. ( Akron : Werner Co.), 1886. p. 436
⁷"United States Remarried Widows Index to Pension Applications, 1887-1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K69Z-57D : 8 August 2017), Catharine A Hall in entry for Robert M Foster, 1902; citing Pension, NARA microfilm publication M1784 and M1785 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 2,155,465.

Bagley Families of Greene County, New York

Overview

Separating families named Bagley that settled Greene county, New York is challenging. There are at least five migrations and two unrelated family groups.  The first migrations occurred between 1790 and 1800. These comprise three separate families.

• One family, the families of brothers, John and Cutting Bagley, came from New Hampshire. 
• Another immigrant, with connections to New Hampshire, Barnard Bagley, came from Southbury, Connecticut. 
• The third group of families came from Columbia County, New York. 

The last two migrations - the migration of Samuel Bagley, and the migration of John Holroyd Bagley - have documented relationships to known families.₁ A sixth group: Lydia and Joseph Badgley are mentioned in Church records but do not have a clear relationship to their neighbors or a clear migration.

Previous Published Research

Anderson and Bagley identify John and Cutting as sons of Lt. Jonathan and Anne (Favour) Bagley.₂ This assertion is strongly corroborated by land records. They identify Barnard Bagley as the son of Jonathan's brother, David.₃ They identify Samuel Bagley as Bernard's nephew, but are not able to identify his father. Other family historians in unsourced family trees on FamilySearch and Ancestry, identify Samuel as a son of David and Eunice Bagley - a couple very active in land sales in Albany and surrounding counties in the 1790s.

Williard G. Bixby, in his genealogy of the Bixby family, records facts about the Bagley family to support the assertion that Mercy Bixby was the daughter of Prudence Bagley.₄ Based on a letter from Harry Bagley, likely the grandson of Cutting Bagley, Bixby asserted the family was likely descended from Orlando Bagley. Bixby identifies the baptisms of John and Prudence's children in Nobletown and several contemporary individuals named Bagley in the early Greene County church records. Based on Bixby's transcriptions of Presbyterian Church records, other family historians in unsourced family trees place Barnard, Samuel, Joseph and Lydia in the family of John and Prudence. Other unsourced trees put Lydia and Joseph in the family of Stephen Badgley of Chatham, NY.

Discussion

Reviewing the available records from Greene county help us determine which families originated in New Hampshire and which originated in Columbia County, New York. The 1800 Federal Census for Freehold, Greene, New York, lists on page 30, Benjamine [sic], Daniel, and John Bagley, and Hull Bixby; on page 37, Barnett Bagley - probably Barnard; on page 41, Hutten - probably Cutting, and John Bagley; and on page 42, David Bagley and his brother-in-law Michael Boomhower. In 1810, Barna, Cutten, John, and John M are listed in Durham, as is Hull Bixby. Benjamin is listed in Cairo. By1820, Barnard, Christiana - Cutting's Widow, and John remain in Durham, with related families in the surrounding communities. The other men have left the county, either through boundary changes, or migration.

New York tax rolls from 1799 to 1804 are available on Ancestry.com. The rolls are organized by last name grouped by the first letter, listing the head of household and property values. In one case, two head of household are listed an a single line. There may be more than one list for a given letter. The 1801 and 1802 list the owner as well as the head of household. I assumed when two names were on successive rows, the men were likely neighbors - the assessors copied the lists in the order they entered them. I also grouped men who rented farms from the same owner. Using this method I split the various men named into the following groups to access relationships:

• Benjamin Bagley, John 2nd Bagley, Jesse Butler, Daniel Bagley, Hull Bixby, William Shuefelt, Christopher Shuefelt. These men are renting land on William Cockburn's patent. 
• David Bagley, Andrew Bomhoward, Michael Bomhoward.
• Barnard Bagley
• Cutting and John Bagley

I consulted existing family histories, Church records, and Revolutionary War pension applications to determine how these groups are related and when they may have migrated to Greene County.

Benjamin Bagley - the first group from Columbia County

Benjamin Bagley (1766) is likely the son of Prudence (1740-1831) and John Bagley (1736-1797). Benjamin along with sisters Rhoda and Hannah (1763-1841) were baptized in Nobletown in 1770.₅ A John Bagley was a proprietor in Nobletown.₆ He is possibly the brother of James Bagley, another Nobletown proprietor.₇ John is possibly the man who served in the Albany Ninth Militia with Van Ness₈ and likely the man who served a term as a juror in the newly organized Columbia county.₉ John died in 1797 and was interred in Collins Cemetery.₁₀ We can tell this is the husband of Prudence: Prudence is listed in the 1800 census in Columbia county, and listed in the New York tax rolls from 1799 to 1802. In 1801 and 1802, she is listed as a widow.

Hannah Bagley married John Shutts. Benjamin Bagley provided corroborating evidence for Hannah's application for a widow's pension in 1844 while living in Middleburg, NY.₁₁ When Prudence died intestate in Greene county, Benjamin Bagley and Seth Bixby - Mercy's Bixby's son, filed to administer her estate.₁₂ Hannah's son John Shutts and his wife Lucretia (Baldwin) sold land to Prudence Bagley that she then sold to Mercy Bixby reinforcing Willard G. Bixby's assertion that Mercy is the daughter of Prudence Bagley.₁₃ Hull Bixby is Mercy's husband. Benjamin Bagley and his likely brother-in-law, Hull Bixby, are two of the seven men renting land from William Cockburn.

John Bagley and Neeltie Shufeldt had their son John Bagley baptized in the Dutch Reformed Church of Hillsdale, New York in 1807.₁₄ The sponsors are John and Catherine Shufeldt. Neeltje Zoufel is the daughter of Hannes Zoufel and Sara Freer. This is likely the wife of John Bagley. John Shufelt's widow filed a pension application for his service during the Revolution.₁₅ The application has an affidavit from his brother William of Greene county and lists his wife, Caterena or Catherine Weaver.  William Shufelt's pension application includes an affidavit of service completed by John Shufelt of Ghent.₁₆ John, and William Shoefelt/Shufelt/Shuefelt are likely brothers of Neeltie. Christopher Shoefelt according to his marriage record is the son of Henry and possibly a cousin.₁₇

The family of John M Bagley in the 1810 census includes a woman over 45. If John M is the same man as John 2nd, this woman may be Prudence - the last record we have of Prudence in Columbia county is her tax record in 1802. John may have returned to Hillsdale in 1807 to move his mother, Prudence, to Greene county. The timing of the baptism, the close association of the Shufelt family with Columbia county, and timing of Prudence leaving the record in Columbia county make it probable, Benjamin Bagley's neighbor John is a brother. John Bagley, Christopher, and William Shuefelt are three more of the seven men on the Cockburn patent.

Daniel Bagley is the only man in this group to buy land in Greene County. In 1814, Daniel Bagley of Durham purchased land from the estate of Benjamin Carpenter.₁₈ In 1819 Daniel and his wife Elizabeth of Durham sold land to James Goff.₁₉ In the 1820 Census, Daniel Bagley is list in Crawford County, Pennsylvania. In 1820, Daniel Bagley of Cussewago buys land from William Power of Juniata.₂₀ John and Andrews Bagley are witnesses. In 1821 Daniel buys land from Jon and Rebecca Huidekoper.₂₁ In 1823 Daniel and his wife Elizabeth of Cussewago sell land to Jacob Bagley.₂₂ David Bagley is a witness. In 1830, Daniel Bagley has a neighbor, David Bagley, who is 30 to 40 years old. We have a family headed by Daniel and Elizabeth Bagley with possible sons John, Andrews, and David. It appears likely the family in Greene County, NY moved to Crawford County, PA. Jacob is possibly Benjamin's son born in 1793.₂₃

Daniel Beckly and his wife, Elizabeth Schauerman baptized a son David Beckly at the Dutch Reformed Church in Hillsdale.₂₄ The name Bagley can be transliterate into Dutch and German as "Beckley".  Benjamin Bagley is also listed in these church records with the surname "Beckley".  Benjamin Bagley's wife is Anna Magaretha "Margaret" Schauerman.  Her parents are Andreas and Anna (Stiever) Shauerman.₂₅ These are also the parents of an Elizabeth Schauerman, likely the wife of Daniel Bagley.₂₆ David Beckly would be is in the age range of the neighbor of Daniel and Elizabeth. The church record links the family to Columbia county. In 1790, John Bagley's family consists of two males over 16, one under 16 and 5 women. John would be one of the males and Prudence would be one of the females. Benjamin has his own household in 1790 and appears separately in the census. John Bagley would be about age 20. Daniel would be about age 16. This would account for the other males. From the available evidence Daniel is likely a child of John and Prudence.

The Bagley household in 1790 has four women unaccounted for. Benjamin mentions sisters in Hannah Hallock's widow pension application. In 1790, Hannah and Mercy are married, living with their respective families: Mercy in Saratoga and Hannah in Hillsdale. Rhoda Bagley, baptized in 1770, might be one of the missing women. This indicates John and Prudence may have had three or four additional daughters. Jesse Butler may have married one of these women. All we can tell from the tax records is Jesse Butler was close enough to be listed on the same line with John Bagley in 1799. He is not readily found in Columbia County records.

David Bagley and the Baumhauers - the second group from Columbia County

David Baggly married Cornelia Baumhauer in Claverack, NY in 1795.₂₇ Cornelia Baumahuer was born in 1778 to Andreas "Andrew" Baumhauer and Catherine (Weis) Baumhauer.₂₈ In 1799 New York Tax rolls, David Bagley is listed next to Andrew Bomhoward, likely his father-in-law. In 1801, David Bagley and Michael Bomhoward are living on the land of A Bomhoward. In 1802, David is listed right after Andrew and Michael Bomhoward. In 1802, David bought land in Greene county from Jacob and Polly Bomhoward of Delhi, NY, likely Cornelia's oldest brother.₂₉ In 1805, David Bagley sold land to Andrew Bomhaward,₃₀ his father-in-law and in 1806, he sold land to Michael Bomhoward,₃₁ his brother-in-law.

In 1855, Cornelia Wolcott applied for Widow's pension.₃₂ According to the application, Cornelia Bomhour married Solomon Wolcott in Windham, NY, in 1810. She makes no mention of David Bagley. She does mention a son in passing, but does not name him. Two sons of Solomon and Cornelia Wolcott are documented. David and Cornelia may have a son based on the ages of the household members in 1800 there is a male under 10, one 16-25 - perhaps one of Cornelia's brothers, or David's child from a previous marriage, and a male 25 - 44 who may be David. Cornelia is probably the woman 16-25; this matches the her birth date given in baptismal records. It is not clear what happened to David after 1806. If he died before Cornelia married Solomon Wolcott, there is no record. 

David is not clearly related to the other Bagley families in Greene County. David Bagley probably moved from Columbia County, NY with his in-laws the Bomhowards.

Barnard and Samuel Bagley

Barnard Bagley arrived early in what would become Greene county. Barnard is likely the man who married Elizabeth Wade in 1789.₃₃ According to his Revolution War Pension Application he served in the New Hampshire line and the Connecticut Militia.₃₄ He enlisted in Candia, NH and finished the war in Southbury, CT.  John Bagley is cited as a witness of his service with Connecticut. This may be his neighbor, the brother of Cutting. When Barnard died in 1838, his will lists his second wife Polly, his son Henry Barnard, and his nephews Samuel of Windham and nephews Barnard and David of New Hampshire, sons of his deceased brother Ebenezer as heirs.₃₅ Samuel is likely the member of the First Prebyterian Church noted by Willard Bixby. He appears in the census in Windham in 1820, 1830, and 1840.

In Anderson and Bagley, the information supporting the relationship to David of Southbury is circumstantial. The claim may be correct but the underlying documents contain conflicting information:

• Barnard claims he was born in Newtown, Massachusetts in his Revolutionary war pension - this could be Newton, New Hampshire or Newton, Massachusetts, in the suburbs of Boston.₃₆ Anderson and Bagley identified Newtown, Massachusetts as Newton, New Hampshire. 
• Barnard's birth - and the births of the men identified as his brothers Winthrop and David, predates the earliest recorded marriage for David Bagley of Southbury. There is no good indication of who his mother would be if this is true.
• Barnard's will claims his brother Ebenezer is dead. The headstone for the Ebenezer Bagley of Merimack, NH - identified as his brother, places his death in 1841, three years after Barnard's death. This is explained as either a mistake made when Ebenezer's stone was replaced as part of the Works Project Administration, or bad communications at the time of Barnard's death.
• According to cemetery records, Ebenezer's mother is Jemima. There is no record of a marriage or divorce for Jemima and David.
• According to his pension application, Barnard did not settle in Southbury until after joining the Connecticut Militia in West Point, NY. While it is possible he settled on his father's land, it is also possible he just happened to land in Southbury at the end of the Revolution.

Adding to the difficulty is the identification of Samuel Bagley of Windham as the nephew of Barnard, but no clear identification of Samuel's father. Samuel may have been raised by his uncle or migrated to Greene county after his uncle. Undocumented research indicates Samuel is the son of David and Eunice Bagley, raising the possibility Samuel is a stepson of Cordelia Bomhauer.

The name Barnard is common in the families related to Cutting and John - their father, Jonathan named a son Barnard. John named a son Barnard. Their brother Ebenezer named a son Barnard. It is likely Barnard, based on shared family names and shared geography, is closely related to the John and Cutting Bagley families from New Hampshire.

Cutting and John Bagley from New Hampshire

John and Cutting Bagley are very well documented. The available records corroborate the research of Anderson and Bagley. Unlike the younger men who migrated from Columbia county, John and Cutting purchased land early - either before Greene county was organized from Albany county or shortly after. They and their descendants remained in Greene county for many decades, and were present for later migrations.

Joseph Bagley and Lydia Badgley

Willard Bixby listed Joseph Bagley and Lydia Badgley in his transcripts of the First Presbyterian Church of Greenville. Joseph died in 1813 at the age of 40 years. Lydia married Solomon Johnson in 1815 after being baptized a few months earlier at the Greenville Presbyterian Church. That same date her two children Asenath and George were baptized.₃₇ Lydia Badgley applied to be the administrator of estate of Joseph Badgley of Greenville in 1813.₃₈ It is likely Joseph is the husband of Lydia. Solomon Johnson would be her second husband. Lydia Johnson the wife of Solomon Johnson is buried in the Greenville Rural Cemetery.₃₉ She died in 1830. The transcript of the inscription indicates she was 53 years old, putting her birth in 1776. This makes Lydia about 32 when she was baptized. She was likely baptized with her children, making Joseph the likely father of Asenath and George.

Joseph and Lydia's family are outliers - the records do not spell the family name the same. They did not migrate with other family members. Joseph does not appear in the tax rolls. His family does not seem to be on the census. The name Badgley is common in southern New York. This family may be descended from George Anthony Badgley (1619-1670) who settled in Flushing.

Summary and Further lines of Research

The tax records indicate three sons of John and Prudence Bagley of Columbia, Benjamin, John and Daniel moved to Freehold before 1799. They were accompanied by John's brother-in-law William Shufelt and William's cousin, Christopher Shufelt. In 1800, the family of Hull Bixby moved to Freehold from Saratoga. We can be fairly certain any children born to Hull and Mercy Bixby before 1799 were born in Saratoga. John Bagley returned to Hillsdale and had his son baptized in the Dutch Reform Church. At that time he may have moved his widowed mother, Prudence to Greene county where the families of at least three sons and one daughter lived. The children of John and Prudence are likely Hannah, Benjamin, Rhoda, Mercy, John, and Daniel. There may be as many as four additional daughters. Further research is needed to determine the names of any missing daughters and identify any sons that may not have migrated to Greene county. Prudence's maiden name has not been confirmed and there is the possibility that Jesse Butler is related to this family. The relationship of Jacob Bagley and Daniel Bagley should be confirmed.

David Bagley likely moved with his in-laws the Baumhauers to Greene county. He may be related to other families in many ways:

• He could be a son of John and Prudence. Both families originated in Colmbia County, NY. 
• He could be a brother of John and James Bagley. Currently this researcher's working hypothesis is John is possibly a son of James Bagley and Bethia Munroe of Fairfield CT. In this scenario, James is named after his father. John is named after is paternal grandfather and David is named after his maternal grandfather. 
• David could be the brother of Barnard Bagley and the father of Samuel Bagley. Samuel is the right age to be the male 16-25. David Bagley's brother-in-law, Michael Bomhoward was a character witness for Barnard Bagley in the pension application. Michael could be just a neighbor, or a person with a family connection. 
• David could be the brother of John and Cutting.
• David could be old enough to be the David Bagley that served in Willet's Regiment during the Revolution. This David joined the Militia in New York City and could then be a brother or cousin of Lt. Josiah Bagley who later settled in Columbia County.
• David could be the husband of Eunice.

Finding a death record or a migration after the sale of land in Greene county or determining which David Bagley married Cornelia are good next steps for this line. Research of the Wolcott's may be helpful - that family may have preserved a memory of the death of David, or brothers from previous marriages in published family histories.

The challenges to the identification of Barnard raise the possibility that Anderson and Bagley combined two or more distinct families: the family of David of Southbury, the family of Ebenezer and Jemima Bagley of New Hampshire, and the family of Barnard of Greene County may not be one and the same. In this scenario the sons of David could be about a decade younger than the children of Jemima and possibly the sons of his first wife. Barnard may represent a related family that settled in the Boston area prior to moving into New Hampshire. Looking over land and vital records in both Newton, New Hampshire and Newton Massachusetts is warranted. The death date of Ebenezer for 1841 should be confirmed if possible, as should the death date of his mother Jemima. Connecticut land records need to be review to determine if there are any clear connections between the sons of David and locations in New York or New Hampshire.

Edited 24 Sept. 2020 for clarity. In the original post John Bagley is listed as the husband instead of James Bagley. James Bagley is the son of John Bagley and Mary Jackson.

¹Samuel is the Barnard's nephew according to Barnard's will. John Holroyd Bagley is the son of Luther and Sally (Baker) Bagley of Providence, Rhode Island.

²Anderson, Martha Bagley and Bagley, Norton Russell. Some Descendants of Orlando Bagley of Amesbury Massachusetts. 1971. Volume 1.  p. 52-54, 55-57

³Anderson and Bagley, Orlando Bagley, Volume 1. p. 27-28, 59-61

⁴Bixby, Willard G. A genealogy of the descendants of Joseph Bixby, 1621-1701 of Ipswich and Boxford, Massachusetts. (New York City : W. G. Bixby), 1914. p. 337-9. Harry may also be the source for the assertion the descendants of John Holroyd Bagley were likely descendants of Orlando Bagley.  Reynolds, Cuyler. Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs. (New York, New York : Lewis Historical Pub. Co.), c1911. p. 1679-80.

⁵Great Barrington, Mass. St. James Church. St. James' Church records. 1903. p. 53.

⁶NOBLE TOWN PROPRIETORS MEETINGS Transcribed by Susan Mulvey October 2000. The Felt Collection: Volume 6, Pages 405-413. Microfilm at Massachusetts State Archives (http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~clifflamere/genealogy/Misc/MI-Noble-Prop.htm, Accessed 10 April 2019)

⁷James Bagley of Westmoreland County Connecticut

⁸Brodhead, John Romeyn. Documents relative to the colonial history of the state of New-York : procured in Holland, England, and France. (Albany : Weed, Parsons, 1853-1887) 316.

⁹Ellis, Franklin. History of Columbia County, New York. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers. (Everts & Ensign : Philadelphia, 1878) 59. Archive.org (https://archive.org/details/historyofcolumbi00ever/page/58 : Accessed 22 March 2019)

¹⁰Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 05 September 2019), memorial page for John Bagley (unknown–2 Jul 1797), Find A Grave Memorial no. 22642392, citing Collins Cemetery, Hillsdale, Columbia County, New York, USA ; Maintained by Alysia (contributor 46903070) .

¹¹Record Group: 15.  NARA M804. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. Halleck, Hannah. Pension Number: W. 17042

¹²New York. Surrogate's Court (Greene County), Letters of Administration. Volume D, 1830 - 1840. 20.

¹³"New York Land Records, 1630-1975," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9W4-5XRP?cc=2078654&wc=M7H5-QMC%3A358135201%2C358274101 : 22 May 2014), Greene > Deeds 1823-1827 vol H-I > image 89 of 538; county courthouses, New York.

¹⁴Holland Society of New York; New York, New York; Hillsdale and New Claverack Records, Book 18 and Records of the Reformed Dutch Church of Albany, New York, 1683–1809. Excerpted from Year Books of the Holland Society of New York. (1908) p. 52;  Pearson, Jonathan. Contributions for the genealogies of the first settlers of the ancient county of Albany, from 1630 to 1800. (Albany, N.Y. : J. Munsell) 1872. 96.

¹⁵Record Group: 15.  NARA M804. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. Shufelt, Catharine. Pension Number: W. 22,188

¹⁶Record Group: 15.  NARA M804. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. Shufelt, William. Pension Number: S. 22980 William lists Michael Boomhower as a character witness. William moved to Pennsylvania.

¹⁷The marriage is recorded in his wife, Christina's pension application. Record Group: 15.  NARA M804. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. Shoefelt, Christina. Pension Number: W. 19,024

¹⁸"New York Land Records, 1630-1975," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WH-M9Q8-7?cc=2078654&wc=M7H5-424%3A358135201%2C358284301 : 22 May 2014), Greene > Deeds 1826-1828 vol K-L > image 157 of 573; county courthouses, New York.

¹⁹"New York Land Records, 1630-1975," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WH-M9QZ-L?cc=2078654&wc=M7H5-424%3A358135201%2C358284301 : 22 May 2014), Greene > Deeds 1826-1828 vol K-L > image 156 of 573; county courthouses, New York.

²⁰Crawford County Pennsylvania. Crawford County Pennsylvania Deed Book H. 526-7. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSNL-79DW-2?i=294 : 29 August 2019)

²¹Crawford County Pennsylvania. Crawford County Pennsylvania Deed Book I. 123-4. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSNL-798F-3?i=377 : 29 August 2019)

²²Crawford County Pennsylvania. Crawford County Pennsylvania Deed Book I. 359-60. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSNL-796Q-4?i=502 : 29 August 2019)

²³Reformed Dutch Church (Hillsdale, N.Y.) Records of the Reformed Dutch Church. (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah), 1974.

²⁴Ibid

²⁵Ibid

²⁶Ibid

²⁷Holland Society of New York; New York, New York; Claverack, Vol II, Book 8

²⁸Holland Society of New York; New York, New York; Claverack, Vol I, box 1

²⁹"New York Land Records, 1630-1975," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9W4-1SF6?cc=2078654&wc=M7HP-B3D%3A358135201%2C358233201 : 22 May 2014), Greene > Deeds 1800-1808 vol A-B > image 315 of 527; county courthouses, New York.

³⁰"New York Land Records, 1630-1975," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89W4-1SK3?cc=2078654&wc=M7HP-B3D%3A358135201%2C358233201 : 22 May 2014), Greene > Deeds 1800-1808 vol A-B > image 312 of 527; county courthouses, New York.

³¹"New York Land Records, 1630-1975," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9W4-1SXL?cc=2078654&wc=M7HP-B3D%3A358135201%2C358233201 : 22 May 2014), Greene > Deeds 1800-1808 vol A-B > image 379 of 527; county courthouses, New York.

³²Record Group: 15.  NARA M804. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. Wolcott, Cornelia. Pension Number: W. 26096.

³³Records of the First Presbyterian Church in the village of Durham, town of Durham, Greene County, N.Y., 1792-1857

³⁴Record Group: 15.  NARA M804. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. Bagley, Barnard. Pension Number: S 10341.

³⁵Abstracts of wills of Greene County, New York, 1800-1900 p. 55

³⁶See About Newton, New Hampshire (https://www.newton-nh.gov/home/pages/about-newton-new-hampshire) and More About Newton's USGS listed Hills (https://bostonbasinhills.org/pages/newton-hills.html) for a history of each town and when the name Newtown applied to each.

³⁷Presbyterian Church, Greenville, Greene, New York, reference ; FHL microfilm 533,479.

³⁸New York. Surrogate's Court (Greene County). Letters of Administration. Volume B. p. 8

³⁹Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 03 September 2019), memorial page for Lydia Johnson (1776–24 Mar 1830), Find A Grave Memorial no. 140310916, citing Greenville Rural Cemetery, Greenville, Greene County, New York, USA ; Maintained by Mookie (contributor 47515129).

Davids Bagley

On FamilytreeDNA there is a descendant of David Bagley (about 1765-1829) whose DNA closely matches the descendants of Edward Bagley (1815-1868) indicating there is probably a recent shared ancestor. This is likely the David Bagley who married Sally Covey of Dutchess County, NY. Their daughter Christena joined the Mormon Church. Most of what we know about this family comes from her family's oral traditions, guesses, research and public documents.

From the public documents we can guess the following:

• Sally the wife of David Bagley was living in Ohio according to the list of heirs of the estate of Walter Covey of Venice, NY probated in 1834.
• Salla Bagley was listed in her father's will dated 17 June 1822, so she was married prior to 1822, and believed to be alive at that time.
• The three children ascribed to this family with public records are born in New York.

The family's oral traditions have the following:

• David was born in Scotland in 1765-1775 and wandered a lot.
• David had a family prior to marrying Sarah: sons, Daniel 1797, twins Alvin and Calvin 1799 and Isaac 1801.
• David and Sarah were married in Dutchess County, NY
• Sarah died about 1820 in Illinois
• David died in 1829 in Cleveland, OH

From family records we believe: 

• Christena was born in Frederickstown, Dutchess, New York in 1808. 
• Her younger brothers and sister were born in Scipio, NY between 1812 and 1816.

This makes it possible the record indexed as David Bodey in Scipio, NY in the 1810 census is for the family of David Bagley and Sally Covey. The household has 

• three males under 10
• two males between 10 and 15
• two males between 16 and 25
• one male over 45
• two females under 10
• one female between 26 and 45

If this is correct, we can make the following guesses:

• David Bagley was born before 1765
• Sarah was born between 1765 and 1784
• David is old enough to be the individual who served in Willet's Regiment, the New York 3rd Regiment and New York 1st Regiment from 1777 to 1781.
• There are possibly 7 sons and two daughters - the only daughter accounted for is Christena and dates are wrong for her brothers in the oral tradition, or one of them died before 1810.

Adding to the confusion, the descendants of Christena have also associated David and Sarah's family with the David Bagley household appearing in Freehold, NY in 1800 and the household in Mentz, NY in 1820 and 1830. David and Sally have also been associated with the household in Monroe, IL in 1820. These associations are probably incorrect:

• The Bagley family in Freehold is usually associated with the children of Lt. Jonathan Bagley of New Hampshire. This David is likely a cousin of that family. Governor John Judd Bagley of MI is a member of this family and it has been well documented and researched since the 19th century.
• The Bagley family in Mentz is likely the family of David Bagley and Harriet Smith. Land records show sales from David Bagley and Harriet his wife in 1819. David was born in Connecticut. He migrated to Hillsdale, MI. 
• The Bagley family in Monroe, IL is likely Elder David Badgley of New Jersey an early Baptist leader in that part of Illinois.

So the only conclusions we can make at this time is:

• We can't rule out a direct connection to the Samuel Bagley family. 
• If this is the David that enlisted in the 3rd Regiment of the New York line, he was likely from New York City - this would imply a connection to the family of Josiah Bagley either as an unknown child of Josiah and Martha Wenman, or through Josiah's contemporary, William. 
• The residence in Scipio, raises the question of whether or not David is related to his neighbor John. John and his wife Betsey engaged in land transaction in Scipio at the time David was living there. John may have moved to Clarence, NY where John A and Glibert took over his mortgage to the Holland land company. It is likely they are his sons. A family bible lists John A.'s birthplace as Pennsylvania, setting up a possible link to the family of James and Sarah of Nobletown, NY and Providence, PA. 
• If the family in Scipio is correct, the dates are wrong:
• Sally may be considerably older than the current estimated dates. She is old enough to be the parent of children older than Christena. 
• David is older than expected by the dates given in the oral family traditions.
• Sally probably did not die in Illinois - we don't have a good record showing the family in Illinois.
• David may not be from Scotland - the family might have confused generations and one of his ancestors is from Scotland.
• David may not have died in Cleveland - there is little evidence for a Bagley family in Cleveland.
• David and Sally may or may not have been alive in 1822 and 1834. 

The descendants of David Bagley and Sally Covey have the same problems facing Edward Bagley's family: a lack of public records, a lack of written family records and well developed oral tradition that might have been creatively edited to fit family aspirations. The fact that the two men appear to be closely related is interesting without being very helpful.

February 6, 2020 Update: David and Edward are likely not closely related. The DNA tests are almost identical except for a single marker. That single marker is used to distinguish Middle Eastern families from European families. A common paternal ancestor likely lived thousands of years ago. A shorter test would show them as closely related. 

James and Edward Bagley - Columbia County, New York and Berkshire County, Massachusetts

Good Morning Folks,

It's the Fourth of July. Fold3 opened the Revolution War Pension records for the holiday. Due to the diligent indexing work of the employees at Fold3, I was able to find a Revolutionary War Pension application for Abraham Humaston, (Record Group 15 Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1773 - 2007. NARA M804. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. Humaston, Abraham. Pension R. 5369.)

The heirs of Abraham Hummiston [sic] applied for his Revolutionary war pension under the Act of 1832 from Albany County, NY on 11 March 1846. They believed he had filed an application for a pension 20 years prior that was still pending when he died in 1843. The file includes a rejection dated 28 February 1826 for Abraham Humerston, based on his name not being in the rolls for Col. Swift's regiment. In 1832, he applied again listing the following service:

• 1775 Capt. Ford's Company of minutemen in Green River (Chatham, Columbia, NY)
• May 1776 enlisted in Wyoming (Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne, PA) Capt. Durgee or Durkee's Company
• He continued with Durgy's until he was in the hospital in Morristown (NJ)
• He joined Col. Peirson or Parson's Regiment in Newark, NJ and was discharged in New Haven, CT in Aug. 1782

Among the affidavits supporting the 1832 application is a one from James Leggett of Berne, New York dated 23 May 1837. James Leggett states that Abraham named two witnesses that could prove his claim - James and Edward Bagley of Sheffield, Massachusetts. Mr. Leggett went to Sheffield:

"I went last Monday to the town of Sheffield aforesaid for the purpose of finding James Bagley and Edward Bagley, but on enquiring learned that they were dead. That James Bagley had been dead sometime and Edward Bagley died this spring. I also learned on enquiring of several persons in that town that the said James Bagley and Edward Bagley were reputed to have been soldiers in the Revolutionary War, but they were men of considerable property, and had never applied for pensions."

James Bagley of Nobletown, Providence, and Hector is likely the James Bagley Leggett was seeking. He had extensive land holdings in Nobletown - 2 sixty-fourths and 1 256th which translates into roughly 600 acres. He purchased land in Providence soon after arriving in 1776. He had extensive lands in Luzerne County when he left in the early 19th century. He served in Durkee's Company, the same Company as Abraham.

Edward Bagley (1761-1837) is likely the Edward Bagley Leggett was seeking. He has an extensive record of land transactions in Columbia and Berkshire counties. He served in the 9th Albany militia. He died in April, 1837.

Edward's widow Fanny and some of his children were still in Columbia and Berkshire counties after Edward's death. If they were the source for Leggett's information, the family of Edward was aware of James death. It is plausible the families are closely related. Edward may be the son or nephew of James Bagley.

This gives us a list of men named Edward Bagley who could be related to James:

1. Edward Bagley of Columbia, New York - James and Sarah's son or nephew
2. Edward L. Bagley of NYC - the son of Lewis Bagley and grandson of Edward of Columbia
3. Edward Bagley of Erie, New York and Superior, MI  - possibly a son of Jesse and Phebe Bagley and grandson of James
4. Edward Bagley of Superior, MI - teenager living with Jenks and Phebe Bagley in 1850 - likely a son; ie grandson of Jesse, g. grandson of James
5. Edward Bagley of New York, New Brunswick and Utah - possibly the son of Richard, grandson of James

A tentative family tree for Edward Bagley New York, New Brunswick and Utah looks like:

Edward Bagley (about 1809 - 1868) is the son of Richard Bagley (about 1775 to after 1811) and Esther [Peffer?] (about 1780 - )
Richard is the son of James Bagley (before 1742 - after 1810) and Sarah (about 1740 - ) of Nobletown, Providence, and Hector
James is the son of James Bagley (1704 - ) of Fairfield and Bethia Munroe (1711 - ) daughter of David Munroe
James is the son of John Bagley (1668 - ) of Weymouth and Fairfield and Mary Jackson (1670 - ) daughter of Joseph Jackson
James is the son of Samuel Bagley (1634 - 1711) of England and Weymouth and Mary

One, two, or three?

Margaret Bagley is interred in Swan Point Cemetery in  Rhode Island.  The marker for her grave is old, in poor shape, missing the bottom half. Margaret was likely moved from West Burial Ground in Providence. A picture of the stone is available at the Rhode Island Historic Cemetery Commission. (http://rihistoriccemeteries.org/newgravedetails.aspx?ID=432464) If you squint you can make out the inscription:

Her[e] li[es the bo]dy of

Margaret B[agl]y the wife

[of[ D[ea]con Joseph Bag

ly De[cease]d March 18

in the [year of our Lord]

Cemetery records include notes: Margaret is the wife of Deacon Joseph Bagley and died 18 March 1799. The marker may have originally given her age - it would be common for the era. However that information would have eroded away before the transcription was made.

In 1725, Margaret Bagley was baptized by Samuel Moody, the Congregational Minister in York, Maine, during one of the Minister's visits to Providence. Based on this, church histories of the Beneficent Congregational Church indicate she was one of the early members of the Congregational Church in Providence. (https://archive.org/details/) The church histories seem to indicate Margaret is an adult. Some family histories make an assumption Margaret is a child and daughter of Joseph Bagley. In the 1740's the congregation split in two over differences caused by the Great Awakening. Joseph Bagley is not mentioned in the records of either Congregation after the split. However, family members were still buried in the plots provided by the Congregational Churches.

Family historians have generally associated Deacon Joseph Bagley of Providence with the son of Samuel Bagley of Weymouth. This is very reasonable - there are very few people in New England prior to 1750. There is probably only one Joseph Bagley/Bagly/Bayley in that time and place born in the 1680's. It is likely the individual mentioned in several church and town histories in Rhode Island is this man. (http://www.4familytrees.com/mckee/Family%20Group%20Record%20of%20Joseph%20Bagley.pdf) Based on a land transaction in 1714, his wife is thought to be Mary or Martha Bates, the sister of Samuel Bates.  Samuel Bagley (1709 to 1773) is usually identified as the son of Joseph and Mary/Martha Bates. 

The following table summarizes what we know from these records:

Record	Name	Relationship
1714 Deed	Samuel Bates	Brother in law of Joseph Bagley
1725 Baptism	Margaret Bagly	by Samuel Moody
1799 Grave Marker	Margaret Bagley	Wife of Joseph Bagley

So

• Is Margaret Bagley the sister of Samuel Bates?
• What is the relationship between Margaret Bagly, baptized in 1725 and Deacon Joseph?
• Is Margaret the mother of Samuel?

Option 1: Margaret, Mary and Martha are the same person. Margaret would be born around 1790, would be the mother of Samuel, and would have been around 110 when she died. She would have married fairly young. This is possible but not likely.

Option 2: There are two women named Margaret. Margaret Bagley baptized in 1725 is an adult daughter of Joseph and Mary/Martha (Bates) Bagley. She would be older than Samuel by at least 4 or 5 years. Margaret Bagley a second wife could be born as late as the 1720's if she married Joseph late is his life. The the wife would be between 70 and 100 when she died.

Option 3: Margaret Bagley baptized in 1725 is the second wife of Joseph Bagley.  She could be born as late as 1704 making her in her mid to late 90s when she died in 1799. Martha/Mary Bagley would have died before 1725, putting her death at around age 40.

Grammar corrections made 9/28/2019.

Sources:

Anderson, Margaret Bagley and Bagley, Russel Norton. Some descendants of Orlando Bagley of Amesbury, Massachusetts, vol. 2. 1972.

Anderson, Margaret Bagley and Bagley, Russel Norton. Some descendants of Orlando Bagley of Amesbury, Massachusetts, vol. 3. 1990.

Vose, James G. Commemorative preached in the Beneficent Congregational Church, Providence, R.I., October 18, 1868. 1868. Providence : Beneficent Congregational Church. 

Wilson, Arthur Edward. Weybosett Bridge in Providence Plantations, 1700-1790. 1947. Boston: The Pilgrim Press.

Why did George Pearson die in New Orleans?

When Eliphalet Pearson (1802 - 1870) died in New Orleans he had three living children: George Pearson (1842 - 1922), Caroline "Carrie" (Pearson) Granger (1845 - 1880), and Eliphalet Pearson (1848 - ?).  Carrie was the first wife of Louis Edwin Granger and they had one daughter.

The outline of George's life is fairly simple. George was born about 1842 in Troy, New York, the oldest child of Eliphalet and Salome (Boutwell) Pearson. George was an auctioneer in New Orleans. He married Mary Louisa Deunkel, a daughter of Bavarian immigrants, in New Orleans in 1868. They had three children born in New Orleans: Catherine Louisa (1869 - before 1900), Lottie Isabelle (1872 - 1923) and George (1876 - 1950). The family lived in New Orleans until at least 1880. As late as the mid 1880s George was well known and remembered in New Orleans, but had apparently left the city. By 1900 the family had relocated to California. In California, George and Mary Louisa ran an investment company at least until Mary Louisa's death, in 1912. Mary Louisa died in the San Francisco bay area and was eventually interred in Colma City. A George Pearson died in 1922 in New Orleans in the Charity Hospital. He died of a carcinoma in the neck and chronic bronchitis. He was 80 years old and had been born in New York. The informant was the undertaker.

On the surface there is no connection to the family that moved to California and the man who died in New Orleans. However, when his daughter, Lottie Isabelle, died in San Francisco in 1923, the coroner send a telegram to New Orleans looking for the next of kin to claim the body. The response from the New Orleans coroner was her father George Pearson had died the previous fall and no next of kin were known.

George went back to New Orleans after his wife died. When? Why? Did he still have friends there? Family? His brother's children? His sister's daughter?