Upper Connecticut River Valley Home Page

Badger2 dataBase as of August 2012

Badger2 dataBase Updates

Other Badger Family Webpages:
     I will be more than happy to post a link to your home page or database here.

Badger Genome Project:
     Brief description and information of how to participate.



Purpose of this Page:

     This page is being published to provide updates of major changes to the Badger2 dataBase and an explanation of how it came to be.

Purpose of dataBase:

     In 1909 John Cogswell Badger of Manchester, N. H. and Lynn, Mass. published his "Giles Badger and His Descendants, First Four Generations" [GBD] at Manchester, N. H. and promised in his "Introduction" that if he was not able to later publish a book with any and all additional information sent to him, it would be carefully preserved, together with much unconnected data, and deposited with the New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord, N. H.

     In 1922 he deposited the "Badger Supplement" [BadSupp], a manuscript compilation of what he had received, at the New Hampshire Historical Society. It has never been published, but is available to researchers at their Library; and, as of 2008, a scanned copy is available from the Library on CD in PDF format.

     Among his "Unconnected Families", JCB included a "Family A - Jonathan Badger" who came to Northeastern Vermont and left many descendants. But, the information he received on this branch was incomplete, and in many cases, inaccurate, this dataBase is being compiled to remedy, as much as possible, these deficiencies in "Family A"; and when as complete as my life & finances allow, a PDF CD will also be deposited at the NHHS Library, along with a paper copy for preservation beyond the current generation of internet and digital electronic media. Any, and all, further information sent to me on the Badger families, will also be deposited at the Library along with such source/references are sent (even if only "per my grandmother's recollection"; if such connect to my dataBase, I will include them there as well. Links to your online dataBases are appreciated, as "links" are the purpose of the "web" and will save me unimagined amounts of typing and proof-reading.

Background:

     When I first sought to correct some published errors relating to our family; once numerous in Danville, Vermont and environs; I was literally shocked to discover that no one in the Danville area had ever compiled or deposited any recollections or memorabilia of this family with the Danville Historical Society. My three-month foray into writing something substantial for them started in 2003 and still continues; but, has been reduced to compiling a skeleton family genealogy on which someone younger must hang the history, personalities, and more detailed lives of the Danville Badgers who spread out to the Irasburg and Newport areas.

Sources:

     With the exception of the two "Badger Books", most information was researched in the various towns' original Vital and Probate records. This was supplemented, primarily, by Vermont's state-wide Vital Record Index Card File -- which, as time permits, is being verified and supplemented from original town & courthouse records. Many of these older records were never entered into the state's index card file due to inaccessibility, deteriorated condition, etc.; and those that were, were usually abbreviated. Efforts to restore these old record books in the decades of 1990-2010 have made them once again accessible to the local researcher, but will not result in their addition to the statewide indexes, Morman films, or ancestry.com for-profit-dataBase; until such time as these files are re-generated (vs. updated) for the next generation of technology.

     Such photocopies and scans of census records that I have found, or received, have also been utilized; and a list of those in my files is here; additions are welcome.

Jonathan Badger's ancestry:

     UNKNOWN

     "Jonathan Badger, whose relation to the other[Badger]s [residing in Union, Conn] is UNKNOWN ... m. Abigail Rice of Stafford" [Hist of Union,p.272][mc].

     "ANCESTRY UNKNOWN" [BadSupp]

   I have personally searched page-by-page through the Union, Stafford, and Ashford towns' record books and found NO EVIDENCE of Jonathan's birth or parentage.
   Although he referred to "his brother Josiah Badger" of Union, Ct in his Rev War pension application - the period of service he was referring to was NOT counted in his pension due to lack of evidence - also, at that time such a reference often meant simply, "my friend" or "my brother-in-Christ, Josiah Badger". Especially, as he reported that Josiah "brought news of sickness of his[Jonathan's] family" not, "our family"; this cannot serve as proof of a relationship, only as a possibility.
     Except for his [probable] birth record, Jonathan first appears in surviving written records when on:
   "March 3d 1777 ... Benjamin Walker & Jonathan Badger & Sam'l Laflam" were in court on a complaint that they "did on ye 10th day of october 1776 Steel from him[Wm Abbott] one Jlun{torn} & Jluncy of new complaintonfill(?)" they pled guilty and paid "ten pounds & one shilling" fine to the town of Union which "Satisfied s'd judgment". [last page of Vol 3, Union Land Records](the handwriting of what they apparently stole is illegible to my eyes; but I have uploaded a scan here for anyone who might be able to decipher it -- guesses and theories are welcomed and appreciated).

BIRTH:
     "Jonathan Badger aged seventy four and nearly seventy five ... The applicant cannot state the year in which he was born but he knows that he entered the service the first year of the war [1775] in the month of May and that he was [not "turned"] eighteen years of age in the month of July following..." => b.btwn Jul 09 1756 & Aug 1757. [Jul.09.1830.Rev.War.Pension.Application] (quoting family Bible at his house in Sutton, Vt {Bible's location, and/or existence, is unk to me in 1995}). The only birth of any Jonathan Badger recorded anywhere in New England that could possibly be Jonathan, the Rev War Veteran & husband of Abigail Royce/Rice; is Jonathan, son of Ezra Sr, b. Amesbury, Ma Sep 20 1756 [AVRbr(pub1919)], which falls between these dates. The fact that he did not, himself, know his date of birth; supports the theory that he was raised by a family that did not know it, and could not teach it to him.

DEATH:
     UNKNOWN; references are often found in publication and on the web that he died in 1843; frequently on the web that he died in April 1843; and occasionally on the web that he died April 11 1843; but NONE give a source or verifiable reference. No one seems to know from where these dates originated; and my own search has, to this point, proved fruitless, but continues.

BURIAL:
     UNKNOWN; the Badger lot at Greensboro (transcribed in 1980 as plots 35,36,&37) starts with Samuel on the left and ends with his daughter, Cynthia on the right. There DOES NOT appear to be enough space here for Samuel's father, Jonathan, who was living with him in 1840. [2006.visit].

WILL:
     No file of any kind was found for Jonathan Badger, either testate, intestate, military, etc in a search of both the Caledonia County Probate Court indexes, now at St Johnsbury, Vt (the county of his residence in 1828 when he filed for a Rev War Pension), and of the Orleans County Probate Court indexes, now at Newport, Vt (the county of his residence with son, Samuel, in the 1840 census.
     However, I have been told that there are boxes of unindexed "miscellaneous (non-probate) records" in the basement of the Caledonia County Courthouse - which may only be searched by persons with special permission, as some may contain confidential information.

GENOME PROJECT:

     Current hypothesis speculate that Jonathan is either
(a) the son of Daniel Badger Jr, head of the Union, Conn. family where Jonathan reached adulthood
(b) the son of Ezra Badger of Newbury, Mass; second-cousin of Daniel Jr of Union; who may have apprenticed his young son to Daniel to learn the saw-milling trade
(c) an immigrant; adopted son; or son of an unknown Badger, who apprenticed him to Daniel of Union.

     I have been informed by the Genome Project sales division that if the DNA of direct male descendants of
(1) Jonathan AND known not to descend from Daniel Jr or Ezra; and
(2) Daniel Jr AND known not to descend from Jonathan or Ezra; and
(3) Ezra AND known not to descend from Jonathan or Daniel Jr;
are all compared (costs for the 3 test levels are $124, $149, & $248 for each volunteer - the highest-level test is recommended due to the close relationship of second cousins)
     they can determine whether Jonathan descends from
(a) which of these 2nd cousins OR
(b) neither of them

     We know (from the BadgerSupplement) that several of Ezra's male descendants (born 1900-1920) were living (ca.1922) in the Bangor, Maine area and meet criteria #3;
     We know (from my research) that dozens of Jonathan's male descendants are currently living in the Danville/Irasburg, Vermont area and meet criteria #1;
     Most Badger residents of Massachusetts are believed to meet criteria #2;
     Badger residents of southern NH & southern Vt may descend from either Daniel Jr or Jonathan (possibly both).
     WE NEED TO FIND volunteer male descendants of Daniel Jr of Union, Connecticut who meet criteria #2 in order to form the minimal requisite "ring of three" to prove/disprove this line.
     The genome project generally prefers three samples from each of the three lines, but tells me they may be able to determine a 90% assurity with only one from each, IF they scan the max "markers" and the volunteers do not have an unknown adoption in their ancestry.

     TO JOIN THE PROJECT, and receive a discount, contact: Sheila Beaudry, [email protected] .

    
© 2008 Badger Family Association of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.