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THE CASE OF TWO REUBENS By Myron L. Newton, Jr.
Early Assumptions
C. Albro Newton (1902-1991) researched and locally published a genealogical study, The Lyman Newton Story, where he linked the ancestry of Lyman’s father, Reuben, through James Newton of Southborough, Massachusetts and eventually back to the Richard Newton (1601-1701) who sailed from England and arrived in the Colonies around 1638. It is unclear exactly what information C. Albro Newton (henceforth CAN) viewed that allowed him to reach the above conclusion, but he constructed an ancestral chart from Reuben back to Richard that resembled the ancestry established by Ermina Newton Leonard (henceforth ENL) in her Newton Genealogy (1915). That ancestral line would be: Richard, Moses, James, Andrew, James (1751 – 1824), Reuben.
CAN did cite the English Origins of Richard Newton of Sudbury and Marlborough, Massachusetts by Douglas Richardson as his basis of knowledge for Richard Newton. This work has not been viewed so it is unknown if it contained descendant information. It may be that C. Albro had access to the ELN compilation. Whatever data he used, CAN dutifully admitted that he could not recall the source for his chart but he thought the information came from the Buffalo Library and he believed the data to be valid.
The Problem Defined
A problem exists for the descendants of Reuben Newton as concluded by CAN because data has not been found to conclusively prove the pedigree of this Reuben to James and therefore back to Richard. In the absence of proof, at least for the present time, interested descendants of Reuben can only analyze the known information that exists about him and his surroundings in an effort to reach a reasonable conclusion that a link must exist between Reuben and James.* The aforementioned Newton Genealogy by ENL will be a starting point to analyze the Reuben Newton pedigree. *In March 2006 Myron Lyman Newton, Jr. supplied a DNA sample for the Newton DNA Project. The results proved that he was a direct descendant of Richard Newton and therefore of James Newton. Since proof exists for the direct lineage of Myron to Reuben it should be enough to prove that Reuben must be the son of James and also links Reuben directly to Richard.
A Preview of Two Reubens
ENL documented thousands of persons with the last name of Newton, but only two men with the name of Reuben Newton will be investigated. One was the person ENL called “2367 REUBEN”. He was said to be the son of “1891 JAMES (Andrew, James, Moses, Richard).” The other Reuben was noted as “6876 REUBEN” by ENL.
ELN did not list any descendants of “2367 REUBEN” who she indicated was born June 17, 1774. She did, however, record a marriage to Betsey Burnham on November 3, 1803. Extensive information was provided on the descendants of “6876 REUBEN”, but no ancestral data was recorded. “6876 REUBEN” appeared to have had descendants as we know them from the Small Newton Family Bible and the History of Cattaraugus County (1879).
In the absence of primary data that would legitimatize the pedigree of “6876 REUBEN” an attempt will be made to share relative and/or circumstantial information that would suggest that “2367 REUBEN”, the son of “1891 JAMES”, and “6876 REUBEN” are the same person. Below are two excerpts from the ELN Newton Genealogy. The first shows “2367 REUBEN”, third child of “1891 JAMES”. Next is “2367 REUBEN” who appeared without ancestry, but with a well-developed list of descendants.
1891. JAMES NEWTON (Andrew4, James3, Moses2, Richard1), son of Andrew and Mehitabel (Bellows) Newton of Southborough and Framingham, was born at Southborough, August 24, 1751, and died February 23, 1824, probably at Truxton, Cortland Co., NY.
He married at Hopkinton, MA, November 15, 1769, Bathsheba Nurse, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Walkup) Nurse of Hopkinton, where she was born -November 9, 1752. She had nine children.
He married (2) Rachel Greeley, who was born April 22, 1765, and died, possibly in Medina County, OH, September 24, 1841. One child.
James Newton was “of Framingham” at date of his marriage, and before that his name appears with his father’s family in the history of that town. As a soldier of the Revolution, he was enrolled as of Framingham. There are no births nor deaths of this family in Framingham nor in Hopkinton; but the five children given below were all baptized in Christ Church at Hopkinton. There was no James Newton head of a family in Massachusetts at the taking of the First United States Census, 1790. After the war he went to Putney, Windham County, VT, and is the James Newton there, head of a household that consists in all of two males above sixteen years, three males under sixteen years, and females.
In 1775, as a man skillful in working in metals, he was given a position in the shipbuilding yards at Plymouth; later at Salem, and after the evacuation of Boston by the British, in that city. It will be remembered that his father had a forge in Framingham.
An abstract of his service in the Revolutionary War: “James Newton. Framingham. Petition addressed to Col. Samuel Bullard, dated Framingham. June 1,1776, signed by said Newton and others belonging to Capt. Jesse Eames’ Company, Col. Bullard's regiment, asking that the company be divided into two companies. Also, Private in Capt. Aaron Gardner’s Company, Col. E. Brooks' regiment. Company return endorsed ‘1776’; service Sept 10, 1776 on North river until November 19, 1776, 62 days. Said Newton reported as having lost articles and as sick in Camp.”
When this James Newton was in “Deerfield River Valley, MA”, as stated, seems not clear to his family. They think some of his children were born there and the others at Putney, VT. About 1800 he moved with his family to Westward, Otsego County, NY – twelve miles east of Cooperstown. About 1820 he removed to Truxton, NY, and probably died there, because of this fact: In 1822 he gave his property into the hands of his son, Elijah, who gave bonds to this father for the support of James and his wife, Rachel, until death. The father died in 1824 and Elijah did not leave Truxton, NY until 1830.
CHILDREN
2366 PATTY, b. March 9, 1770; bapt. at Hopkinton July 4, 1773. 2365 JOHN, b. June 14, 1772; bapt. at Hopkinton, July 4, 1773; d. Oct. 24, 1791, at Putney, VT. 2367 REUBEN, b. June 17, 1774; bapt. at Hopkinton, July 17, 1774; m. in Hopkinton, Nov. 6, 1803, Betsey Burnham, dau. of Zadock and Sarah (Haven) Burnham. She was born at Hopkinton, MA Feb 27, 1785. 2367a SALLY, b. April 6, 1778. 2368 SUBMIT, b. July 30, 1780; bapt. at Hopkinton, Sept. 24, 1780. 2369 MARY, b. Sept. 5, 1782; bapt. at Hopkinton, Oct. 20, 1782. 2389a ELIJAH, b. Sept. 27, 1784; m. (1) Jane Taggart; m. (2) Lydia Holmes. NATHAN, b. Oct. 18, 1786 PHILINDIA, b. Aug. 21, 1792 JAMES, b. July 26, 1799; “only child of second wife, Rachel, was father of 1. Milton Newton, of Quincy, Ill., a manufacturer of regalia for lodges.”
6876. REUBEN NEWTON “from Vermont, near the Green Mountains,” went with his family in 1824 to New York State and settled in Mansfield, Cattaraugus County. “I think his wife's name was Eunice Manley.” He was born June 17, 1779, and died April 21, 1833. His wife, Eunice, was born July 15, 1782, and died August 21, 1846 (sic). Children:
6877 NATHANIEL, b. Nov. 1, 1804; d. Feb. 13, 1855. 6878 BETSEY, b. Dec. 13, 1805. 6879 LYMAN, b. June 11, 1807; d. before 1908. 6880 JESSE, b. Jan. or June 9, 1810; d. Oct. 2, 1850; m. Lousia Purdy, who was b. in England, Dec. 23, 1815. They lived in Cattaraugus County, N.Y., where all of their children were born, viz. (note: Ermina goes on to document the children of Jesse – mln,jr) 6881 EUNICE, b. Dec. 31, 1812; d. _____. 6882 ELSEY TISDALE, b. March 24, 1814. 6883 DANIEL, b. May 23, 1816, d. _____.
The Argument for the Two Reubens Being the Same Person
ELN indicated that some of her information on James Newton came from the census of 1790, which was probably her source for placing this family in Putney, Vermont. An online search found a James Newton living in Putney, Windham County, Vermont that perfectly matched the “1891 JAMES” and his family.
1790 U.S. Vermont Census, Windham County, Town of Putney Newton, James – Head of Household ( Probable persons ) Males 16 and Over 2 James (head), John Males Under 16 3 Reuben, Elijah, Nathan Females 5 Bathsheba (wife), Patty, Sally, Submit, Mary
This firmly placed the James Newton household in Vermont by 1790. Ermina Leonard noted that the “2367 REUBEN” was “from Vermont, near the Green Mountains” Actually that could be anywhere in Vermont since the Green Mountains run north-south through the state, including the Putney area, but it does place “2367 REUBEN” in Vermont. The History of Cattaraugus County (1879) also placed this Reuben in Vermont.
The documentation of two different wives, one for each Reuben, makes it somewhat difficult to prove them the same person. Could Betsey Burnham have married “2367 REUBEN” and then died shortly after their marriage in November of 1803? Only that hypothesis would allow for “6876 REUBEN” to quickly marry Eunice and have the child, Nathaniel, in 1804.* *In August 2003 the following information was discovered. This should be enough proof to state that Reuben Newton did not marry Betsey Burnham: DeHond, Karen Wadsworth, Ancestors and Descendants of Ward Wadsworth and Vida Lillian “Lida” Tracy of Cattaraugus County, New York, p. 121-124, provides a concise ancestry of Reuben Newton back to Richard Newton (abt 1601 – 1701). This family history addresses the matter of Reuben Newton’s marriage to Betsey Burnham that was documented in Ermina Newton Leonard’s Newton Genealogy, 1915. DeHond states, “On 6 Nov 1803, an intention to marry was posted for Reuben Newton and Betsy Burnham of Farmington, MA. I can find no further record that this marriage ever took place. Also, I can find no further record of Betsy Burnam”.
ELN did not indicate the source she used in documenting the marriage between “2367 REUBEN” and Betsey Burnham. Perhaps she used local government or church records from Massachusetts. If this Reuben actually married Betsey it brings up certain logistical problems. First, the marriage would have taken place least 13 years after the James Newton family moved from Massachusetts to Vermont. Also, the ceremony would have taken place in a town located 120 miles from the Reuben Newton home in Putney, Vermont in the middle of November.
The 1800 U. S. Vermont Census for Dummerston, a town adjacent to Putney, enumerated roughly 150 “head of family” names. A James Newton household and a Jesse Manley household that matched the father of Eunice who later married “6876 REUBEN”, were found in that Dummerston census (see following census info). No Zadock Burnham, the reported father of Betsey, was found in 1800 U. S. Census for either Vermont or Massachusetts and no Burnham family at all was found in the Hopkinton vicinity of Massachusetts. Both a Jesse Manley and a James Newton were also found in the 1790 U.S. Vermont Census for Dummerston. Could the Reuben Newton – Betsey Burnham marriage been recorded by Leonard in error. The question will remain until proof of the marriage is found. The marriage of probable neighbors, Reuben Newton and Eunice Manley, was not only documented by ELN, but also substantiated by the History of Cattaraugus County (1879), the Small Newton Bible, later census enumerations, and gravestone inscriptions.
1800 U.S. Vermont Census, Windham County, Town of Dummerston
Newton, James – Head of Household
Males ( Probable persons ) Under 10 1 James Of 10 and under 16 2 Elijah, Nathan Of 16 and under 26 1 Reuben Of 26 and under 45 1 ? Of 45 and up 1 James (head)
Females ( Probable persons ) Under 10 0 Of 10 and under 16 0 Of 16 and under 26 2 Mary, Submit Of 26 and under 45 1 Rachel (2nd wife) Of 45 and up 0
Manley, Jesse – Head of Household
Males ( Probable persons ) Under 10 1 Of 10 and under 16 1 Of 16 and under 26 1 Of 26 and under 45 0 Of 45 and up 2 Jesse (head)
Females ( Probable persons ) Under 10 1 Of 10 and under 16 2 Of 16 and under 26 1 Eunice Of 26 and under 45 1 Of 45 and up 3
The different birth dates attributed by ELN for the two men named Reuben is easier to explain than the preceding marriage conflict. A common error probably occurred in the data ELN used concerning “6876 REUBEN”. The History of Cattaraugus County (1879), The Small Newton Bible, census records, and a gravestone inscription, all indicate that this Reuben was born on June 17, 1774 and not in the year 1779 as noted by ELN. This type of error is very common when transcribing information, substituting a “9” for a “4”. The aforementioned references should be enough prove that both “2367 REUBEN” and “6876 REUBEN” have the same birth date, namely June 17, 1774.
ELN also noted that “6876 REUBEN” “went with his family in 1824 to New York State and settled in Mansfield, Cattaraugus County, New York”. Again, Ermina’s source appears to have been wrong or misinterpreted. The History of Cattaraugus County (1879) and census records confirm that Reuben moved from Vermont to New York between 1805 and 1807. A further inconsistency reinforces the suspicion that ELN was provided with faulty, or quickly assembled, data because she recorded that Eunice died in 1846 but Bible records and her gravestone inscription prove the year of death was actually 1836.
The similar migration route of “2367 REUBEN” and “6876 REUBEN”, although not unusual for the era, still lends credibility to the supposition that the two men were the same person. ELN documented that “1891 JAMES” first moved from Vermont to Otsego County, New York around 1800 and by 1820 was in Truxton, Cortland County, New York. The 1820 U.S. New York Census for the Town of Truxton recorded John, Elijah and Nathan Newton as individual heads of households. James Newton was found in the Town of Westford in Otsego County. Judging from the ages of the household residents, this was probably the home of James, the youngest child of “1891 JAMES”, with the elder James and his wife, Rachel, also being accounted for in that household. There was no Reuben Newton in Truxton or Otsego in 1820. The only Reuben Newton in the area was the “6876 REUBEN” of Onondaga County who is detailed in the following paragraph.
“6876 REUBEN”, as mentioned earlier, moved to New York between 1805 and 1807. These dates were determined by the birth locations of two of his children. Later census data indicated that Betsey Newton was born in Vermont in 1805. The History of Cattaraugus County (1879) noted that Lyman Newton was born in Truxton, New York in 1807. The History of Cattaraugus County (1879) placed this family in Onondaga County in 1809. Both the 1810 and 1820 U. S. New York Censuses place “6876 REUBEN” in Onondaga County, New York.
It is significant to note that while all the sons of “1891 JAMES” (John, Reuben, Elijah, Nathan and James, Jr.) appear to be enumerated in the 1820 U. S. New York Census, but the only Reuben enumerated is the one who fits the description of “6876 REUBEN”. If the two Reubens were not the same man, it would follow that another Reuben, the “2367 REUBEN”, would be found elsewhere in the census for that area.
1810 U.S. New York Census, Onondaga County, Town of Marcellus
Reuben Newton – Head of Household
Males ( Probable persons ) Under 10 3 Nathaniel, Lyman, Jesse Of 10 and under 16 0 Of 16 and under 26 0 Of 26 and under 45 1 Reuben Of 45 and up 0
Females ( Probable persons ) Under 10 2 Betsey, Elsa Of 10 and under 16 0 Of 16 and under 26 0 Of 26 and under 45 1 Eunice Of 45 and up 0
1820 U.S. New York Census, Onondaga County, Town of Marcellus
Reuben Newton – Head of Household
Males ( Probable persons ) Under 10 1 Daniel Of 10 and under 16 3 Nathaniel, Lyman, Jesse Between 16 and 18 0 Of 16 and under 26 0 Of 26 and under 45 0 Of 45 and up 0 Reuben
Females ( Probable persons ) Under 10 2 Eunice, Elsa ? (should be in 10-16) Of 10 and under 16 1 Betsey Of 16 and under 26 0 Of 26 and under 45 1 Eunice Of 45 and up 0
1820 U.S. New York Census, Cortland County, Town of Truxton
Elijah Newton 300010 00100 John Newton 410010 00110 Nathan Newton 300010 20010
James Newton – Head of Household (Head could be either James the father or James the son) Males ( Probable persons ) Under 10 2 Children of younger James Of 10 and under 16 0 Between 16 and 18 0 Of 16 and under 26 1 James the son Of 26 and under 45 0 Of 45 and up 1 James the father
Females ( Probable persons ) Under 10 0 Of 10 and under 16 0 Of 16 and under 26 1 wife of James the son Of 26 and under 45 0 Of 45 and up 1 Rachel, 2nd wife of James the father
A Confusing Sidebar
Another document further complicates the task of the descendants of “6876 REUBEN” who wish to prove their ancestry back to Richard Newton via “1891 JAMES”. The biography of Edwin Newton, the grandson of “6876 REUBEN” was published when Edwin lived in Harrison County, Iowa. It can be read in its entirety in a later section devoted to Edwin Newton, but below is an excerpt:
He (Edwin) can trace his family back to his great-grandfather, Reuben Newton, who came from England to Vermont, prior to the Revolutionary War, he having served as a Captain during that fierce struggle for liberty, and was with the “Green Mountain” boys. His son, Reuben, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Vermont and came to New York State. He was a manufacturer of steelyards. He married Eunice Manly, a Vermont lady, …….
The above statement names yet another Reuben, this one supposedly the father of “6876 REUBEN”. Note that the description of this Reuben is similar to the portrayal of “1891 JAMES” by ENL. An exception to the similarity would be that this elder Reuben was a native of England, where “1891 JAMES” was four generations removed from Richard Newton’s native land. In Leonard’s extensive compilation, which included the surnames all the soldiers of the Revolution, no Reuben was noted.
Were Edwin’s recollections of his ancestry incorrect? Possibly so, especially since Edwin admitted that he left home, and his family surroundings, at age 15. It is not unreasonable to believe that this new "Reuben" that Edwin mentions was really “1861 JAMES”.
Conclusion
Were the two Reubens the same person? Can the descendants of “6876 REUBEN” nobly claim heritage back to the formative years of the Colonies? Or must we settle for a lesser ancestral dead end in post Revolutionary Vermont? Was it coincidental that two different Reubens had the same birthday? If “6876 REUBEN” did not come from the line of James, was he born of some unknown and undocumented other Reuben of direct English origin?
Wish as we might, the above discourse has not provided proof that the two Reubens are the same man. And so, we are stuck with the same unanswerable questions. I believe there has been enough information presented that it is a high probability that “6876 REUBEN” is the son of “1891 JAMES”, but probability is not confirmation.
Perhaps, in time, documentation will be uncovered that will end the controversy, one way or the other. ELN related in her book, “I was told by a genealogist that it was better to give one’s deductions when a case could not be proven that to say nothing; for the deductions were something to begin upon – to refute if wrong, to confirm if right.”
________________________________________________________________________________________________________ References:
C. Albro Newton, The Lyman Newton Story; His Ancestors Back to Richard, 1836 – His Descendants, (Knoxville, Tennessee, By the Author, 1988) p.2-3. [Two copies were placed by CAN in the Cattaraugus County Historical Museum, Little Valley, New York. Additional copies were distributed to the close relatives of CAN.]
DeHond, Karen Wadsworth, Ancestors and Descendants of Ward Wadsworth and Vida Lillian “Lida” Tracy of Cattaraugus County, New York, p. 121-124,
Ermina Newton Leonard, Newton Genealogy – A Record of the Descendants of Richard Newton, De Pere, Wisconsin, Bernard Ammidown Leonard, 1915, p.257-259,682.
Small Newton Family Bible [Holy Bible], np, nd, p.Births, Death. [copies available from Myron L. Newton, Jr.
Franklin Ellis, History of Cattaraugus County, New York, Philadelphia, L.H. Everts, 1879, Press of J. B. Lippincott & Co., p.457 and facing page.
History of Harrison County, Iowa [date, publisher and editor not recorded. Copy found at State Historical Society of Iowa in Des Moines, Des Moines, Iowa]
1790 U.S. Vermont Census, Windham County, Town of Putney. 1800 U.S. Vermont Census, Windham County, Town of Dummerston. 1810 U.S. New York Census, Onondaga County, Town of Marcellus. Roll M252-34, p.48 1820 U.S. New York Census, Onondaga County, Town of Marcellus. Roll M33-67, p.122 1820 U.S. New York Census, Cortland County, Town of Truxton. Roll M33-66, p.608, 1820 U.S. New York Census, Otsego County, Town of Westford. Roll M33-74, p.34
Myron L. Newton, Jr. August 2003 Updated December 2012
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