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JESSE NEWTON (1810-1850) and his wife LOUISA PUDDY NEWTON By Myron L. Newton, Jr.
Jesse Newton was the fifth child born to Reuben and Eunice Manley Newton. He was born in the Town of Marcellus, Onondaga County, New York on June 9, 1810, as noted in the Newton Bible, and died in the Town of Mansfield, Cattaraugus County, New York on October 2, 1850. Around 1823, Jesse traveled with his parents from the Town of Marcellus in Onondaga County to the Town of Cecilius (later renamed Mansfield) in Cattaraugus County. Jesse would have been have been about 12-years-old at the time and once they arrived the first tasks would be cutting virgin timber, building a small dwelling, and clearing the land for crops and grazing. The family would have included his parents; two older siblings, Betsey and Lyman; and three younger siblings, Eunice, Daniel and Sally. Nathaniel, Jesse’s oldest sibling, may have come to assist but by 1826 he was back in Onondaga County where married. Holland Land Company records show that Jesse’s father, Reuben Newton, acquired land in Lot (Section) 52 of Town and Range 4-7, which is the Town of Mansfield. The transaction was dated April 19, 1824, however that may be the date Reuben paid off the total sum of his purchase. The History of Cattaraugus County (see references) states that Reuben Newton arrived in Mansfield in 1823 and owned 100 acres. The 1830 U.S. Census shows that Jesse was still part of his father’s household and would have been the primary person to help Reuben on the farm since his brother, Lyman, had hired himself out clearing land to raise money to buy his own farm. Jesse Newton had married Louisa Puddy by 1833 and their first child was born in April 1834. One researcher indicated their marriage took place in 1831. This information may have come from family records, however this has not been verified. All available documentation consistently states that Louisa Puddy was the daughter of another Town of Mansfield couple, James and Anna Venn Puddy. In 1823 James owned 110 acres of land in the area so it appears he arrived in the area at the same time as Reuben Newton. He also completed a land transaction in 1824 with the Holland Land Company, but his land was in Section 1 of the Town of Mansfield. James was an attendee at the first town meeting, which was held at Reuben’s home where he was elected “Overseers of Highways”. Jesse surely was aware of Louisa who was but a few years younger than he. Jesse’s parents, Reuben and Eunice, died in 1833 and 1836, respectively. Sometime between those years Reuben’s land may have been divided between Jesse and brother Lyman. The 1840 U.S. New York Census for the Town of Mansfield enumerated the Jesse Newton household, however only the head-of-household was enumerated by name. The other family members were counted in columns by sex and age groups, and the entire family can be accounted for in the census columns. There were three male children under the age of five (Edwin, Truman and Augustine), one female between five and 10 (Caroline), one male between 30 and 40 (Jesse), and one female between 20 and 30 (Louisa). Jesse and Louisa’s last three children were born after the 1840 U.S. Census was taken. Two land records involving Jesse were found in Cattaraugus County records within the Town of Mansfield. In May 1844, Jesse acquired property in the southern part of section 52, and in December 1844, he was the grantor of at least some of this property to School District #6. The school property was at the southeast corner of what is now known as Sodum Road and Kidney Road. (Note: the wood-frame school house that was built on this land was later heavily converted into a dwelling and as of March 2017 was still inhabited). As mentioned earlier, Section 52 was the location of Reuben Newton’s original 100 acres (see references for map of this area).
Jesse and Louisa’s seven children are covered in separate biographies:
The 1850 U.S. New York Census was the first Federal census that listed all the names of each family and again the Jesse Newton family was enumerated in Town of Mansfield. Jesse was age 39, Louisa age 36, Caroline age 16, Edwin age 14, Truman age 13, Augustine age 9, Oril age 7, Reuben age 4, and Harlen age 2. In 1850 there was also a Federal Non-Population Agriculture Schedule that counted acreage, livestock and produce from June 1, 1849, until June 1, 1850. Jesse had 60 acres of improved land and 40 acres unimproved. He owned 3 horses, 15 cows, 11 sheep and 3 swine; and produced 50 bushels of corn, 25 bushels of oats, 75 pounds of wool, 35 bushels of potatoes, $6 in orchard products (most likely apples), 500 pounds of butter, 1500 pounds of cheese, 28 tons of hay, and 200 pounds of maple syrup. When compared to nearby farmers he was in the mid-to-upper range of most items counted. Jesse Newton died on October 2, 1850. The cause of his death has not been discovered. He is buried near his parents in the small Willson Cemetery (aka Jersey Cemetery) on Jersey Hollow Road, about 2.5 miles north of the Newton farm. Louisa was also interred there upon her death. Jesse’s grave marker noted his date of death and that he died at age 40 years, 3 months and 23 days (see grave stone).
Life for the Newton family after Jesse Newton died
After Jesse’s death Louisa continued to farm and provide for her children, but it must have been a struggle. Although her brother-in-law Lyman lived on an adjoining farm, he may have been of limited help since his farm was larger. Louisa’s oldest son, Edwin, had just turned 15 and appeared to be the only male available to help out on the farm, but within two years he left home and headed west. Caroline, the oldest daughter, was 16 when Jesse died and she may have been recruited as farm help also, however much of her time may have been consumed with caring for her younger siblings. By September 1854, Caroline had married and moved to the nearby Town of New Albion, but she was probably too far away to be of further help to her mother. It would not be inconceivable that Louisa slowly downsized the farm, both in livestock and production of crops and goods. The 1855 New York State Census shows that Louisa remained in the Town of Mansfield, probably on the same property where the family lived when Jesse was still alive. She was the head-of-household but not listed as a farmer, a designation that was assigned to her son, Truman. Louisa was age 39, widowed, and had lived in Mansfield for 22 years; which means that she arrived with her Puddy family in Mansfield in 1823. Louisa’s children were listed as Truman, age 18; Augustin (sic), age 14; Orel (sic), age 12; Ruben (sic), age 9; and Harlen, age 7. All of Louisa’s children were born in Cattaraugus County and the family was enumerated next to Lyman Newton’s family on the census sheet. The 1856 map of the Town of Mansfield (see references) showed a “Mrs. Newton” residing in a dwelling in the most southern part of Section 52 and this must have been Louisa. The approximate location of the dwelling was at GPS coordinates 42 17.636, -078 47.375. Land records suggest this was Louisa’s property at the time and may have been where Reuben Newton built his original home. It is unknown where Louisa lived in 1860 since she was not found anywhere in the 1860 U.S. Census. All of Louisa’s children except for Edwin and Oril appeared in the 1860 U.S. New York Census for the Town of Mansfield. Caroline and her husband, William Tracy, were enumerated with their three children in Mansfield and living in the same dwelling were four of Louisa’s children. Truman, age 25, was a farmer; Augustine, age 20, was a carpenter; Reuben was age 14, and Harlan was age 12. Edwin by his own account had left New York but was not found in the census. Oril, who was single at the time, was also not found in the census, so perhaps she and Louisa were living together but missed being enumerated. There is no record of William Tracy ever owning land in the Town of Mansfield so he, Caroline, and her siblings may have been farming on property that Louisa owned. Twelve years passed before Louisa was again found in a public record. She was not found in either the 1865 New York State Census or the 1870 U.S. Census, but her name was mentioned in a land record transaction for Cattaraugus County. This transaction noted that in October 1872 “Jesse Newton (by wife)”, i.e. Louisa, gave or sold land to Truman Newton, i.e. her son, in part of section 52 of Township 4-7 (Mansfield). This is interesting because census records indicate that Truman lived in Michigan as early as 1870. Louisa was next found in the 1875 New York State Census for the Town of New Albion in Cattaraugus County. She was age 60 and resided with William and Caroline Newton Tracy. Louisa Puddy Newton reportedly died sometime in 1894, however no primary record or obituary of her death has been found and it is unknown where she lived when she passed away. Louisa was buried next to Jesse Newton in the Willson Cemetery (aka Jersey Cemetery). No birth or death date is readable on her grave marker but her age when she died is engraved on the marker. It reads: 78 Yrs 5m’s & 21 days (see grave stone). There is some confusion about her exact age. All available records indicate that she was born in England and this is not in contention, however census enumerations indicated she could have been born anytime between 1813 and 1815. The Newton Genealogy by Leonard (see references) documents her being born on December 23, 1815, and the Wadsworth document by DeHond (see references) states December 23, 1814. Yet another researcher offers December 28, 1813, as her date of birth. The only sure way of knowing her birth date is to find a birth record in England and this has not been attempted by this author. Without a primary reference the best record found to date is the Wadsworth document that provides the birthdates of the known children born to James and Anna Venn Puddy, although no primary reference is offered. This document lists an older sibling who was born on March 23, 1813. Therefore a birth year of 1814, as stated in the Wadsworth document, is most reasonable.
References
1840 U.S. New York Census, Cattaraugus County, Town of Mansfield 1850 U.S. New York Census, Cattaraugus County, Town of Mansfield 1850 U.S. Non-Population Schedule, Agriculture, Cattaraugus County, Town of Mansfield 1855 New York State Census, Cattaraugus County, Town of Mansfield 1860 U.S. New York Census, Cattaraugus County, pg 214 1875 New York State Census, Cattaraugus County, Town of New Albion
1856 Map of the Town of Mansfield, Cattaraugus County. Viewed April 2017 at: http://www.paintedhills.org/CATTARAUGUS/1856WallMap/Townships/Mansfield.jpg
Ancestors and Descendants of Ward Wadsworth and Vida Lillian “Lida” Tracy of Cattaraugus County, New York, July 1993, by Karen Wadsworth DeHond, local pub only
Cattaraugus County land records, viewed at Cattaraugus County Courthouse by Myron L. Newton, Jr. at Cattaraugus County Courthouse, Little Valley, New York
Findagrave.com Memorials. Willson Cemetery (GPS 42.32830, -78.80211) Jesse Newton, Memorial #80481020, includes photo of grave marker Louisa Puddy Newton, Memorial #80481133, includes photo of grave marker
History of Cattaraugus County Co. New York. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts, 1879. This document may be viewed online at: http://www.paintedhills.org/CATTARAUGUS/HistCattCo1879.htm
Newton Family Bible birth records. Jesse Newton, born June 9, 1810.
Newton Genealogy: being a record of the descendants of Richard Newton of Sudbury and Marlborough, Massachsetts, 1838: Compiled by Ermina Newton Leonard. DePere, Wis, B.A. Leonard, 1915. May be viewed online at various websites.
The Descendants of Reuben Newton (1774-1833) and Eunice Manley Newton (1782-1836) of Vermont and Cattaraugus County, New York, by Myron L. Newton, Jr. Viewed online April 2017 at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~reubnewt/
Western New York Land Transactions, 1804-1824 (digitized version of the Holland Land Records for Western New York). Viewed April 2017 at Ancestry.com, http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=49407 (membership required. Reuben Newton, page 351, James Puddy, page 365
Myron L. Newton, Jr. April 2017
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