The Descendants of Reuben Newton (1774 - 1833) and Eunice Manley Newton (1782 - 1836)

THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND EUNICE MANLEY NEWTON

By Myron L. Newton, Jr.

            Three documents are available that recorded the children of Reuben and Eunice Newton. 1) The Small Newton Family Bible; 2) the Newton Genealogy­ (1915) compiled by Ermina Newton Leonard; and 3) the U. S. New York Censuses of 1810, 1820 and 1830. All have certain inconsistencies with each other.

The Small Newton Family Bible

The Small Newton Bible was handed down to the descendants of Lyman Newton. Considering the dates of the entries, it may have been a Bible belonging to Lyman and Sarah Kidney Newton of Cattaraugus County, New York or even their parents, Reuben and Eunice.

All of the entries in the “BIRTH” section were entered in the same handwriting and with the same pen. On the “DEATHS” page, the first entry was for Reuben and also appeared written with the same hand as was used for the “BIRTHS” section. The only other entry on the “DEATHS” page was for Reuben’s wife, Eunice it was created by a different hand and pen.

It would seem that the mass entry of all the births and the death of Reuben took place after Reuben’s death on April 21, 1833 but before Eunice’s death on August 20, 1836. Since no deaths were recorded for the children of Reuben and Eunice, it is possible that they were all alive as late as August, 1836.

A transcription and scanned images from the Small Newton Bible follow:

BIRTHS

                                                Rheuben Newton                 Born June 17, 1774

                                                Eunice Newton                     Born July 15, 1782

                                                ………………………………………………..

                                                Nathaniel Newton                Born November 1, 1804

                                                Betsey Newton                     Born December 13, 1805

                                                Lyman Newton                     Born June 11, 1807

                                                Elsa Newton                          Born March 24, 1809

                                                Jesse Newton                       Born June 9, 1810

                                                Eunice Newton                     Born December 31, 1812

                                                Daniel Newton                      Born May 23, 1816

                                                Sally L. Newton                    Born August 18, 1821

                                                                                DEATHS

                                                Rheuben Newton                 Died April 21, 1833

                                                Eunice Newton                     Died August 20, 1836

The following names and dates appeared in the Newton Genealogy (1915)

                                Nathaniel, b. Nov 1, 1804; d. Feb 13, 1855.

                                Betsey, b. Dec. 13, 1805.

                                Lyman, b. June 11, 1807; d. before 1908.

                                Jesse, b. Jan. or June 9, 1810; d. Oct. 2, 1850.

                                Eunice, b. Dec. 31, 1812; d. _____

                                Elsey Tisdale, b. March 24, 1814; d. _____

                                Daniel, b. May 23, 1816; d. _____

There are a few noticeable differences between the Newton Genealogy and the Small Newton Bible. The Newton Genealogy omits Elsa but includes an Elsey Tisdale. Sally is also missing in the Newton Genealogy. The information source used in the Newton Genealogy is unknown, but Elsa and Elsey were probably the same person since the month and day of their births are the same. The difference in the year, 1814 versus 1809, could have been a transcription error and going forward, the 1809 date will assumed to be correct.

The origin of the “Tisdale” name is uncertain. One possible clue came from a photograph of a middle-aged gentleman found in one of the old Newton family photo albums. On the back is written, “Harman J. Tisdale. Hannibal, Missouri.” On the front was written “Distant Cousin”. Perhaps at the time of Ermina’s data collection Elsey had married into the Tisdale family. The 1830 U.S. New York Census for Cattaraugus County, Town of Cecilus gives a further hint. The next name enumerated after Reuben Newton was an Otis Tisdale and a female in that household was in a range that would have been equal to Elsey’s age of “Of twenty and under 30”. 

U. S. Censuses

            The U.S. New York Censuses for 1810, 1820 and 1830 listed only the names of the head of households. In addition, the exact dates these early censuses were taken are not always known, but enumeration usually occurred between spring and fall of the census year. This could cause a one year age conflict and occasionally place an individual one a different age group. Following are the 1810 through 1830 Censuses that pertain to Reuben with a column added to list the probably persons in the household at the time the census was taken.

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

                Of 10 and under 16               1                                              Betsey

                Of 16 and under 26               0                             

                Of 26 and under 45               1                                              Eunice (mother)

                Of 45 and up                         0                      

1830 U.S. New York Census, Cattaraugus County, Town of Cecilus (later Marcellus)

Reuben Newton – Head of Household

                                                         Males                                               Probable persons

                                Under 5                                  0

Of 5 and under 10 0                                                             

                Of 10 and under 15               1                                              Daniel                                    

                Of 15 and under 20               1                                              Jesse

                Of 20 and under 30               1                                              Lyman

                Of 30 and under 40               0

                Of 40 and under 50               0

                Of 50 and under 60               1                                              Reuben

                                                       Females                                               Probable persons

Under 5                                  0

Of 5 and under 10 1                                              Sally      

                Of 10 and under 15               0                                             

                Of 15 and under 20               1                                              Eunice (daughter)

                Of 20 and under 30               0

                Of 30 and under 40               0

                Of 40 and under 50               1                                              Eunice (mother)

                Of 50 and under 60               0

            The attempts to trace the female offspring of a family present certain problems that often result in a dead end. In the early 1800’s, especially in rural areas, vital records were either poorly maintained or not saved at all. Therefore, when a female married and changed her last name, she often became lost to further genealogical study. Frequently, when biographies were written about a male, little attention was given to their spouse or female offspring. Note that in Edwin Newton’s (1835-1898) biography, grandson of Reuben (1774-1833), he only mentioned his father and uncles but not his mother or aunts.

            Occasionally an obituary will give a researcher a clue that proves lucrative. Often, though, the female just disappears without a trace. If one is lucky she did not travel far and occasionally a first name found in a census, along with a corresponding age and place of birth, would match a subject under study.

            Of the daughters of Reuben and Eunice Newton, only Eunice Newton has been successfully traced. She was found to be the wife of Robert King by analyzing handwritten entries in an old family photograph album. To date, no traces of Betsey, Elsa, or Sally Newton have been discovered since the 1830 census.

            Individual biographies will cover all that is known about each child of Reuben and Eunice Manley Newton.

References:

                Small  Newton Family Bible [Holy Bible], np, nd, p.Births, Death,

Ermina Newton Leonard, Newton Genealogy – A Record of the Descendants of Richard

Newton, De Pere, Wisconsin, Bernard Ammidown Leonard, 1915. p.682.

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

1830 U.S. New York Census, Cattaraugus County, Town of Cecilus, Roll M19-85, p.197

Myron L. Newton, Jr.

June 2003