Introductory
note: this
is one of a series of “continuations” of families listed in Edward P. Jones’ genealogy of the descendants
of Captain John Bissell of Windsor, Connecticut. Building on Stiles’ History
of Ancient Windsor, Jones traced a number of lines of Bissells no further than the late 1700s or early 1800s,
and other researchers (including myself, as compiler of this series) have subsequently managed to bring those lines on down
to the present. Some continuations have already been published, and this series will simply extract the data from those works
and present it here. Others have been more loosely gathered and are being published here for the first time. In still other
cases, published continuations are being more completely filled in or extended for this series. Someday, building on the foundation
laid by Stiles and Jones, a new genealogy of the Connecticut Bissells will be published and submitted to appropriate libraries,
and it is hoped that this series will play an important role in helping to bring that about....Roger Bissell, Orange, California,
November, 1999.
As listed in Edward P. Jones’ Genealogy of the Descendants of Captain John Bissell of Windsor,
Connecticut by 1639, Benjamin Bissell appears as #667, son of Joseph Bissell #303, grandson of Benjamin Bissell
#137, great-grandson of John Bissell #10, great-great-grandson of Lieut. Thomas Bissell #3, and great-great-great-grandson
of Captain John Bissell #1. This line of descent may be more readily seen as follows:
Captain John #1àThomas #3àJohn #10àBenjamin #137àJoseph
#303àBenjamin#667
Descendants
of Benjamin Bissell and Elizabeth Heath of Lebanon, Connecticut, Otsego County, New York, and Painesville, Ohio
The following article on Benjamin Bissell 1761-1841
was posted on the Internet in 1996 by Becky Falin, and the material is taken from A Record of the Revolutionary Soldiers
buried in Lake County, Ohio, published in 1902 by the New Connecticut Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, Painesville,
Ohio.
Benjamin Bissell enlisted in the Revolutionary War from Lebanon, Conn. in 1778 or 1779 in Capt. Bliss' Company,
Col. Ledyard's Regiment for three months; again in 1781 for nine months in Capt. Munson's Company, Col. Zebulon Butler's
Regiment, Connecticut Troops.
Benj. Bissell was born at Lebanon, Conn., March 31, 1761.
At the same place he married Elizabeth Heath in 1784, and later removed to New York, spending the larger part of their lives
at Hartwick, where they raised a family of eleven children.
In 1832 Mr. and Mrs. Bissell
were with a daughter at Burlington, N.Y., from which place he applied for a pension which was granted him. Later he came to
Painesville, Ohio, to spend their remaining years with their son, Judge Benjamin Bissell, where Benjamin Bissell, Sr., died
Oct. 1, 1841, and his wife Elizabeth, Feb. 24, 1851, aged eighty-nine years. Both are buried in Evergreen Cemetery.
Benjamin Bissell was a cousin of Gov. Clark Bissell of Conn., and his son Judge Benjamin Bissell was State Senator
from Painesville in years 1839-40.
From the L.D.S. database and U.S. censuses, we have gleaned
the following information and made the following speculations about Benjamin and Elizabeth and their children: Benjamin Bissell
[hereinafter referred to as Benjamin 1761] b. March 30, 1761, Lebanon, Windham Co., CT, d. Oct 1, 1841, Painesville, Lake
Co., OH. His parents were Joseph Bissell and Hannah Partridge. He m. Jan. 20, 1784 at Lebanon, Windham Co., CT to Elizabeth
Heath, daughter of Josiah Heath and Mercy Owen. She was b. May 13, 1761, Salisbury, Windham Co., CT, d. Feb. 21, 1851, Painesville,
Lake Co., OH. [Note the slight discrepancies in some of these dates with those in the above account.]
We have adopted the listing of their children found on the Internet, but with the addition of Timothy and John H.
as fairly likely candidates, in order to round out the 11 children claimed for the family. Timothy, who lived in Painesville
near Judge James Benjamin, named a son James. John H., who lived in Otsego Co. and in Michigan, used the family names Julia,
Caroline, and Cynthia for his daughters, and it may be that his middle name is Heath.
We have departed from the Internet assignment of approximate years of birth for the older children, because census
details made it obvious that the guesses were not accurate. First of all, it is apparent from the 1850 and 1860 censuses that
Julius was the eldest child, and it is also apparent that Clarissa was born 10 years earlier than is claimed by the Internet
listing. This writer suspects that a daughter named Angeline belongs in this time period, though perhaps that is Clarissa’s
or Julia’s middle name. It may also be that Marcus should be kept in this period, but a more likely candidate exists,
Timothy Bissell who appeared in the 1840 census of Painesville, OH where Judge James Benjamin Bissell also lived. These are
minor problems, however, rather easily solved.
The first real
problems appear in the census of Lebanon, Windham Co., CT of 1790, which shows Benjamin’s household
to include 2 sons under 16 and 2 daughters. This breakdown is also found in the Otsego Co., NY of 1800, which further shows
2 sons and 1 daughter b. 1790-1800. Even revising the listing to place Clarissa in the 1784-1790 group, and assuming that
Marcus is correctly placed, we are still missing a daughter for that time period. Secondly, we are missing a son and a daughter
for the 1790-1800 group. Thirdly, and most importantly, there being 7 children in the 1800 household leaves only four slots
after 1800 for children, so John H. 1808 cannot be included, if Marcia is correctly placed, along with the twins (Charlotte
and Caroline) and (Judge) James Benjamin, as being born after 1800. But even if we were to fix this problem by discovering
(or assuming, as we shall) that Marcia belongs to the 1784-1790 or 1790-1800 group, thus freeing up a space for John H. 1808,
that is still not the end of the difficulties.
A more serious problem appears in the 1810 census listings, which present us with not one but two Benjamins, neither
of whom appears to be Benjamin 1761! Consider first Benjamin Bissell in the 1810 census of Hartwick, Otsego Co.,
NY:
1M 10-16 2M 16-26 1M 45+
2F 0-10 1f 10-16 1f
16-26 1F 45+
He is certainly the right age and in the right
place to be Benjamin 1761. So, assuming this is Benjamin 1761’s household, we analyze it as: Benjamin b. before 1765
(Benjamin 1761), 2 males b. 1784-1794 (Marcus and Julius?), 1 male b. 1794-1800 (Joseph?), wife b. before 1765 (Elizabeth
1761), female b. 1784-1794 (Clarissa? No she was married about 1808. Julia?), female b. 1794-1800 (Julia?), 2 females b. 1800-1810
(the twins, but where is Marcia, supposedly b. 1801?). Also, worst of all, where is (Judge) James Benjamin b. 1805, not to
mention John H. b. 1808?
Now, consider Benjamin Bissell in the 1810 census
of Otsego, Otsego Co., NY:
2M 0-10, 1M 10-16, 1M 26-45, 1F 0-10, 1F 26-45
In other words, here we have Benjamin b. 1765-84, one male b. 1794-1800, two males b. 1800-1810, his wife b. 1765-84,
and one female b. 1800-1810. Who are these people? This might actually be the household of Benjamin 1761,
but with his and his wife’s ages incorrect (should be 45+). If so, the other males could be his sons Joseph 1796, (Judge)
James Benjamin 1805, and John H. 1808, and the female could be his daughter Marcia C. 1801. But then, if this is so, where
are the twins? And who was the first-mentioned Benjamin, who was of the correct age?
On the other hand, assuming the adults’ ages are correct in this household, and that the head of household
is relatively younger, with a brother and two young sons living with him, this could instead be a son of Benjamin
1761, namely, Benjamin b. ca. 1784, with brother Joseph 1796, son (Judge) James Benjamin 1805, son John H. 1808, and daughter
Marcia C. 1801. In fact, since it is known that Marcus was still alive in 1810 (since he fought in the War of 1812), but is
nowhere to be found in the census of that year, it is very possible that he is this Benjamin of Otsego, NY, and that his full
name was Marcus Benjamin Bissell. (It would appear, if this is true, that the two oldest sons were named after ancient
Roman figures: Marcus Aurelius and Julius Caesar.) That will be our working assumption. But whoever this second-mentioned
Benjamin is (unless he actually is Benjamin 1761 with erroneous age given), he had died or disappeared by the 1820 census,
so his children were left to their own devices—or to the kindness of relatives.
Because of all these tangled, perplexing problems, we make here a radical leap, but one which is firmly based on
precedent. As noted, we theorize that Hartwick Benjamin of 1810 was indeed Old Benjamin 1761, and Otsego Benjamin
of 1810 was actually Old Benjamin’s son, Marcus Benjamin Bissell. (There is another Benjamin Bissell living in Otsego
during this period, but he is the son of Isaac Bissell, and he is identifiable by the fact of his consistently appearing next
to his father-in-law in the census.)
If so, then the explanation for all the discrepancies
in the 1810 census data is fairly simple: we suggest that Marcus Benjamin Bissell died (perhaps in the War of 1812) sometime
between 1810 and 1820, and that Old Benjamin 1761 and his wife took in these three children of the younger Benjamin (i.e.,
their son, Marcus Benjamin) and, since Marcia C., James Benjamin, and John H. were their grandchildren, raised them as their
own—a practice common at the time. (Samuel Bissell of Hartwick from the Rhode Island Bissell clan did the same for three
of his grandchildren, and they were included in the enumeration of dependents made in his pension application.) Benjamin 1761’s
pension application should be examined to see if there is any evidence that he also adopted or foster parented some of his
grandchildren.
This proposed scenario has its problems. The 1820
census of Hartwick for Benjamin Bissell seems to show two girls too few and one boy two few: 1M 10-16, 1M 45+, 1F 16-26, and
1F 45+. If this is actually Old Benjamin’s household, then for the two children to be deceased son Marcus Benjamin’s
children, they must be Marcia (age approximately 19) and John H. (age approximately 12). His twin daughters Charlotte and
Caroline (age approximately 17), as well as Benjamin Jr. (age approximately 15) must all have been living outside the household
(perhaps with older siblings).
If this adopted-grandchildren scenario is correct,
that would provide all the more reason for Judge James Benjamin 1805 to take in Old Benjamin and Elizabeth, when they lived
in Painesville, Ohio; it would be payback for their taking him (and his brother and sister) in when they were youngsters.
Also, we will point out that 9 natural children – 1 natural child (Marcus Benjamin, who died before 1820) + 3 adopted
grandchildren = a “family of eleven children,” as started in his pension documents. We urge anyone
who has proof that the following is not correct to contact us with documentation to back it up, and we will correct it immediately.
Here, then, is a side-by-side comparison of the standard listing on the Internet and our
own speculative reconstruction of the children of Benjamin 1761:
Marcus BISSELL
b. ca. 1785 Otsego, NY ?
Marcus Benjamin BISSELL b. ca. 1784
Maria C. Bissell b. ca. 1801—adopt.
James Benjamin Bissell b. 1805—adopt.
John H. Bissell b. 1808—adopt.
Julius BISSELL
b. ca. 1789 Otsego, NY (error)
Julius BISSELL b. 1784 VERIFIED (twin?)
Joseph BISSELL b. ca. 1794 Otsego, NY (error)
Clarissa BISSELL b. ca. 1786 VERIFIED
Clarissa BISSELL b. ca. 1797 Otsego, NY (error) Angeline
BISSELL b. ca. 1789 SPECULATIVE
Julia BISSELL b. ca. 1799, Otsego, NY ?
Timothy BISSELL b. ca. 1792 SPECULATIVE
Marcia C. BISSELL b. ca. 1801 Otsego, NY ?
Joseph BISSELL b. ca. 1795 VERIFIED
Charlotte BISSELL b. 28 Feb 1803 Otsego, NY
Julia BISSELL b. ca. 1799 SPECULATIVE
Caroline BISSELL b. 28 Feb 1803 Otsego, NY
Charlotte BISSELL b. 1803 VERIFIED
Benjamin BISSELL b. ca. 1805 Otsego, NY
Caroline BISSELL b. 1803 VERIFIED
We realize that some researchers may be concerned
about the amount of speculation in reconstruction, as well as the listings below. In reply, we make two points:
(1) This family is woefully under-researched and under-documented, and even with some possible errors here and there,
this is by far the most complete and accurate listing that has ever been made of Benjamin’s and Elizabeth’s family
and grandchildren.
(2) The names Angeline, Caroline, and Cynthia recur so repeatedly in
the Otsego Co., NY and Clinton Co., MI censuses and marriage records, and with reference to New York births, that we took
it as a reliable indication that they were members of this extended family. From there, it was a simple matter of figuring
out whose households, based on the census data, had slots into which the stray Angelines and Carolines could be placed.
A.
Julius
Bissell (twin of Marcus Benjamin?),
b. ca. 1784, CT, d. after 1870.
1. Angeline Bissell, b. ca. 1808, Otsego Co., NY, m. Mar. 5, 1829 to Aaron Barnard (probably
born about 1803) in Hartwick, Otsego Co., NY. [Although the Barnards were close neighbors to Julius and his father
Benjamin, this relationship to Julius remains speculative!] They apparently had two children:
a. Herman E. Barnard b. ca. 1836, Hartwick, Otsego Co., NY.
b. Mary Barnard b. ca. 1839, Hartwick, Otsego Co., NY.
Here is a brief interruption of the listing to include some census data and analysis of Reuben and Aaron Barnard’s
Otsego Co., NY households:
1810 census:
Hartwick, Otsego Co., NY – Reuben Barnard, 2M 0-10, 1M 10-16, 1M 26-45, 1F 0-10, 1F 16-26.
1820
census: Hartwick,
Otsego Co., NY – Reuben Barnard, 1M 16-18, 2M 16-26, 1M 45+, 1F 0-10, 1F 45+. [Aaron is probably the male age 16-18
and one of the males age 16-26.]
1830 census: Hartwick, Otsego Co., NY – Reuben Barnard, 1M 10-15, 1M 20-30,
1M 50-60, 1F 10-15, 1F 20-30, 1F 40-50. [It’s likely that Aaron and Angeline were living with Aaron’s parents
in this census. Angeline’s father Julius was living next door.]
1840 census: Hartwick, Otsego Co., NY –
Aaron Barnard, 1M 0-5, 1M 10-15, 1M 30-40, 1F 0-5, 1F 10-15, 1F 30-40.
1850 census: Hartwick, Otsego Co., NY –
Aaron Barnard 47, Maria 48, Herman E. 13, Mary 10, Reuben A. 3, Edna 70. [Edna is the widow of Aaron’s father, Reuben.]
1860
census: Hartwick,
Otsego Co., NY – Herman E. Barnard 23, Wager Barnard 54, Frederick M. Wager 56, Mary Barnard 20, Reuben Barnard 13.
[It’s apparent that Wager Barnard is actually Aaron Barnard, and the census taker was merely confusing him with Frederick
Wager. However, the likelihood is that Aaron’s age was correctly stated in 1850 and not in this census. As for the identity
of Frederick Wager, he may be a brother of Aaron’s second wife, Maria.][Reuben A. Barnard and wife Alice were in the
1920 census of Charles Mix Co., South Dakota. Herman and Mary are untraced as yet.]
Analysis and speculation: It is apparent that Aaron and Angeline, having married in 1829, were living with his father
Reuben in the 1830 census, and had not yet had any children. Then by 1840, Aaron’s household had two small children
(under 5 years of age), who are Herman E. and Mary; and two teenagers, neither of which appeared in Reuben’s 1830 household,
nor in Aaron’s 1850 household. Since Aaron’s wife in 1850 was named Maria, it is apparent that Angeline had died
by 1840, that Aaron had remarried to Maria probably in 1840, that the two teenagers are Maria’s from a previous marriage,
and that Herman E. and Mary are Aaron’s and Angeline’s children. This last supposition is more likely because
of the 7-year difference in the ages of Mary and Reuben, Reuben certainly being Aaron’s and Maria’s son.
2.
Unidentified
son, b.
ca. 1811, Otsego Co., NY. [Probably d. or in separate household by 1830.]
3. Unidentified daughter, b. ca. 1814, Otsego Co., NY.
4.
Chester
Bissell, b.
ca. 1820-22, Otsego Co., NY. He m. July 22, 1855 in Winnebago Co., IL to Betsy Buttons. [This is speculative!]
5.
Dennis
Wentworth Bissell(e),
b. February 1821, Otsego Co., NY. (The 1850 census says he was born in Vermont, but subsequent censuses say
New York.) Dennis was named after his first cousin, Dennis Wentworth (a son of his father’s sister, Clarissa Bissell
Wentworth), who died in 1819 at the age of three. Family lore says he got tired of people pronouncing his name with the accent
on the last syllable (bi-SELL), so he added the final “e” to make his name’s spelling consistent with how
everyone was pronouncing it. This is quite likely, since there was a family of Rhode Island Bissells living at Hartwick, and
the Rhode Island Bissells generally use the last-syllable-accented pronunciation, while Connecticut Bissells generally use
the first-syllable-accented version (BISS-el).
Dennis m. first ca. 1846 to Sarah A. ____ (b.
1820 VT), and they had two daughters. He m. second ca. 1868 to Jennie Elizabeth Nicholass (b. February 1837 NY, d. 1916 at
Wilmington, DE), and they had five children. He lived at Hartwick, NY, then moved about 1868 to Lancaster, PA, and finally
(after 1880) to Wilmington, DE. Dennis’s children were:
a. Sarah Elizabeth Bisselle, b. ca. 1847, NY.
b. Frances Alida Bisselle, b. ca. 1849, NY.
c. Hattie Bisselle,
b. ca. 1859 Lancaster, PA, d. 1935, California. She m. Louis T. Leech. They had:
i. Estelle Leech m. James Scully. They had:
(1) Raymond
Scully. He had two daughters.
d. Willis William Bisselle, b. August 1867, NY, d. 1934, Delaware. He married about 1890 to Mary
E. Hall (“Molly”) (b. Dec. 1867, MD, d. 1850, Delaware). They had:
i. Willis Leroy Bisselle, b. Jan. 10, 1892, Wilmington, New Castle Co., Delaware,
d. Aug. 26, 1970, Wilmington, Delaware. He m. June 19, 1918 to Margaret N. (“Madge”) Bradley (b. Nov. 2, 1896,
Wilmington, Delaware).
e. Katie
L. Bisselle, b. ca. 1869, Lancaster, PA. She married Howard L. Pyle (b. ca. 1860, Delaware).
f. Hulburt Leroy (Burtie) Bisselle b. Oct. 24, 1874, Lancaster,
PA, d. Jan. 9, 1956, Washington, D.C. He married Sarah Maria Wastell (b. Jan. 1879 in London, England and d. 1963 in Washington,
D.C.). They had:
i.
Hulburt
Thaddeus (“Hully”) Bisselle
b. Jan. 27, 1900, Washington, D.C., d. Jan. 27, 1957, Washington, D.C. He m. Sep. 5, 1924 in Washington, D.C.
to Alice May Ashford (b. Oct. 23, 1901, New York City, d. Feb. 7, 1987, Bethesda, MD). They had:
(1) Robert Ashford Bisselle b. Sep. 5, 1927, Washington, D.C., d. Nov. 1,
2004, Bethesda, MD. He married August 8, 1959 in Reidsville, NC to Frances Taylor Balsley (b. Sep. 24, 1928 in Reidsville,
NC). He adopted the two daughters from Frances’ 1st marriage: Mary Elizabeth Edwards (b. July 15, 1951) and
Katherine Balsley Edwards (b. November 9, 1954). He and Frances had:
(a) Thad Rankin Bisselle b. April 21, 1960, Greensboro,
NC. He m. Nov. 16, 1960 at Detroit, MI to Dianne Lynne Adams (b. Nov. 16, 1960, Detroit, MI). They had three sons:
(i) Brandon Thad Bisselle b. 1989.
(ii) Ryan Joseph Bisselle b. 1989.
(iii) Eric Ashford Bisselle b. 1992.
(b)Robert
Benjamin Bisselle
b. April 20, 1962, Greensboro, NC. He m. Sep. 11, 1961 at Berlin, Germany to Marion Sabrina Kiesow (b. Sep.
11, 1961, Berlin, Germany). They had two children:
(i) Christopher Benjamin Bisselle b. 1992.
(ii) Stephanie Brianna Bisselle b. 1996.
(2) Shirley
Ann Bisselle b. Mar. 31, 1930, Washington, D.C. She m. June 29, 1957 at Washington, D.C. to David
Ross Toll (b. Aug. 16, 1925, Denver, CO, d. May 1, 2000, Bethesda, MD). They had:
(a) Christopher Hulbert Toll b. Aug. 25, 1959, Washington,
D.C. He m. 1st Aug. 16, 1986 at Richmond, VA to Erin Yvette Kellermann (b. Mar. 5, 1961, New York, NY), and he
m. 2nd Sep. 4, 1999 at Golden, CO to Julia Rae Jowers (b. Feb. 14, 1967, Poughkeepsie, NY). He had two children
with each wife:
(i)
Eric
Wolcutt Toll b. 1990.
(ii) Alexander Hansen Toll b. 1992.
(iii) Kara Marie Bisselle Toll b. 2000.
(iv) Brenna Grace Toll b. 2005.
(b) David Wolcott Toll b. Feb. 18, 1961, Vienna, Austria, d. June 4,
1986, Chevy Chase, MD.
(3) Richard
Bisselle born 1935, died Feb. 25, 1935, Washington, D.C.
(4) Dr. Charles Anthony (“Tony”) Bisselle b. Aug. 25, 1937, Washington, D.C. We are in contact with him, having
done DNA testing which shows us a full match on 12 markers and with a “genetic distance” of 1 on 37 markers.
ii. John William Bisselle b. Mar. 29, 1906, Washington, D.C., d. May 10,
1976, Bethesda, MD. He m. 1st Helen Stoutemeyer and m. 2nd on Aug. 28, 1943 to Lucy Davison Dunbar at
Princeton, New Jersey. She was b. June 21, 1912, Washington, D.C., d. Dec. 9, 2004, Bethesda, MD.
iii. Sara Elizabeth Bisselle b. June 4, 1910, Washington, D.C., d. Mar. 2,
1995, Broward Co., Florida.
g. Arthur
Maximillian (“Max”) Bisselle
b. June 5, 1877, Lancaster, PA, d. Dec 1973, Washington, D.C.
The following
census data provides some basis for our speculations:
1820 census: Hartwick, Otsego Co, NY – Julius Bissell
age 26-45, wife age 26-45, three sons age 0-10, daughter age 10-16, daughter age 0-10.
1830
census: Hartwick,
Otsego Co., NY – Julius Bissell age 30-40, wife age 40-50, son age 10-15, son age 5-10, daughter age 15-20.
Analysis: As of 1830, Julius had a son b. 1810-1815, a son b. 1815-1820, a son b. 1820-1825, a daughter
b. 1804-1810, and a daughter b. 1810-1815. This data implies that Julius was b. 1790-94, wife b. 1780-1790, but this cannot
be. With eldest daughter at least age 10-11 in 1820, she was born no later than 1810 à Julius not much younger than age 20 at marriage à Julius born no later than 1789, probably several years earlier
à age given for Julius in 1830 census probably
incorrect, should have been 40-50, unless we are dealing with two different Julius Bissells. The age of the eldest daughter
is more consistent with a father b. 1785, as the 1850 and 1860 entries show.
Speculation: At this
point, the two sons and daughter b. 1810-1820 are unidentified, but we speculate that the eldest daughter is Angeline Bissell,
and the son b. 1820-25 is Chester Bissell of Winnebago Co., IL, who m. Betsy Buttons. Chester’s
and Betsy’s son said he was b. New Berlin, “Chenango Co.” (actually, Otsego Co.), NY, so his father probably
was, too. (Betsy’s apparent brother, Ambrose Guinnet Button 1806-1891 lived in Chenango Co., NY. His children were all
born at New Berlin, Otsego Co., NY, including a daughter Betsy b. 1852. His parents were Guinnette Button and Nancy Baker,
no dates or places of birth given.) Chester said in the censuses of 1850-1870 that he was born ca. 1820-1822 either in Ohio
or in New York. In 1830 he would have been age 8-10, and Julius has a son that age in his 1830 household.
[Note: the following census data seems not to be of the same family as above. One daughter
may actually be a daughter-in-law, but the three daughters age 15-20 in 1840 don’t even appear in 1830. The most likely
scenario is that Judith is Julius’ second wife, and that she herself was widowed, bringing all the older daughters into
the 1840 household. We need to check the 1830 census of Vermont for Bissell households with son age 0-10, check positives
against L.D.S. database for possible marriages of those Bissells with a Judith and list of children. Hypothesis:
Judith is the widow of Marcus Bissell.]
1840 census: New Berlin Village, Chenango Co., NY – “Falous Bisnell”
age 50-60, wife age 40-50, son age 20-30, 2 daughters age 20-30, 3 daughters age 15-20.
1850
census: Otselic,
Chenango Co., NY – Julius Bisel 64 CT, wife Judith 67 NY, Dennis W. 29 VT, wife Sarah A. 30 VT, Mary E. 3 NY, Frances
A. (female) 1 NY. [Note: This is the strongest evidence that Judith is Julius’ second wife.
Dennis W. Bissell’s being born 1821-22 in VT, and Chester Bissell’s being born 1820-1822 in NY makes it a tight
squeeze for both of them to be Julius’ son. There is no evidence that Julius lived elsewhere between 1820 and 1830 than
in Hartwick, but Dennis W. Bissell was obviously named for Julius’ sister Clarissa’s son, Dennis Wentworth, who
d. 1819, just a year or two before Dennis W. Bissell was born.]
1860 census: Otselic, Chenango Co., NY – Julius Bissell
75 CT, wife “Elsey” 54 NY, Mary Vosburgh 6 NY.
1860 census: Lancaster, Lancaster Co., PA – D. W. Bissell
39 NY, Jennie 23 NY, Elizabeth 13 NY, Alida 11 NY, Hetta 1 PA, Sarah Nicholass 69 CT.
1870 census: Otselic, Chenango Co., NY
– “Ansie” Bissell 63 NY, in household of Catherine Legg 62 and sons.
1870
census: 4th
Ward, Lancaster, Lancaster, PA – Daniel Bissell 48 NY, Jane 33 NY, Hattie 11 PA, Wm 4 NY, Kate 11/12 PA, Julius Bissell
84 NY.
1880 census: Otselic, Chenango Co., NY – Elsie Bissell 74 NY, in household
of sister Katherine Leg 72 and son Isaac W. Leg 35.
1880 census: 6th Ward, Lancaster, Lancaster Co.,
PA – D. W. Bissell 59 NY (NY, NY), Jennie E. wife 43 NY (NY, NY), Willis 13 NY (NY, NY), Katie 10 PA (NY, NY), Bertie
(listed as daughter!) 5 PA (NY, NY), Max 3 PA (NY, NY).
1900 census: 3rd Ward, Wilmington, New Castle
Co., DE – Dennis Bisselle 79 (Feb 1821), m. 43 years NY (NY, NY), Elizabeth J. 63 (Feb 1837), NY (NY, NY). Arthur? (Hulbert)
23 (June 1876), PA (NY, NY).
Same location: 7th Ward, Wilmington, New Castle Co., DE – Willis
Bisselle 33 (Aug 1867), NY (NY, NY), married 10 years, Holly 32 (Dec 1867), mother of 1/1, MD (MD, MD), W. Leroy 8 (Jan 1892),
DE (NY, MD).
1900 census:
Washington, D.C. – Hulbert L. Bisselle 24 (Oct 1875) DE (DE, DE), Sarah (Jan 1880), Engl (Engl, Engl),
Albert T. (Hulbert T.) 6/12 (Jan 1900), Wash. D.C.
1910 census:
Washington, D.C. – Hulbert L. Bisselle 35 PA (NY, NY), Sarah M. 31, mother of 2/2, married 12 years,
Eng (Eng, Eng), Hulbert T. 10 (Dist of Columbia), John W. 4 (Dist of Columbia), Matilda Bowber (aunt), 80, Eng (Eng, Eng).
B. Marcus Benjamin Bissell (twin of Julius?), b. ca. 1785, Lebanon, Windham
Co., Connecticut.
He appeared on the War of 1812 Muster Rolls as a Corporal in the 16th Regiment (Stranahan’s) of the New York
Militia. (The numbers 17 and 602 follow the other information, in case researchers want to follow up on the details of his
record.) We do not know whether he married and had children. However, we speculate
here that he is the twin of Julius, and that he is the Benjamin Bissell listed in the 1810 census of Otsego,
Otsego Co., IL, who disappears from the census after 1810. There is thus a good possibility that he died in the War of 1812,
and that his father adopted his three young children (two of whom are usually taken to be children of Benjamin 1761). We present
those three children here as Marcus’s children, with the understanding that there is a possibility that Marcia C. and
James Benjamin actually are the children of Benjamin 1761; the data should be read and held in mind with that as a second,
but lesser possibility:
1. Maria C. Bissell, b. 1803, Otsego Co., NY, d. before 1850, Painesville,
Lake Co., OH. She is said, without documentation, to have been born in 1801; we think it is more likely she was born two years
later. She is listed in the IGI database as Marcia and as having married about 1824 to ____ Clayton, but no such marriage
appears in Otsego Co., NY records. Instead, Ohio marriage records show a Maria Bissell marrying a William Clayton in Licking
Co., Ohio on April 26, 1840. They appeared there in the 1840 census as a young couple, not yet having children; William was
in the 20-30 age group, and his wife was in the 30-40 age group, which fits Maria’s supposed birth date of 1801. As
is apparent from the 1860 census, William and Maria had two daughters, born about 1842 and 1844, and William was born about
1815 in Pennsylvania. He appears to have been the brother of David B. Clayton, a neighbor of Maria’s
brother, James Benjamin Bissell. Maria apparently died around 1845-46, since William remarried in Cuyahoga Co., Ohio on February
21, 1847 to Minerva (“Minnie”) F. W. Elderidge. William and his second wife and the daughters of his first marriage
could not be found in the 1850 census, but they appeared in the 1860, 1870, and 1880 censuses of Painesville, Lake Co., Ohio
(see below), where Maria’s brother, James Benjamin, had been living since at least 1829, and where her parents moved
sometime during the 1830s. William and Maria had two daughters:
a. Sarah E. Clayton b. ca. 1842, Ohio. She m. Jan. 7, 1868 in Painesville,
Lake Co., OH to Edward H. Casement b. ca. 1831 in New York. He had a son, Frank E., from his first marriage, and he and Sarah
had two sons:
i. William C. Casement b. ca. 1872, Painesville, Lake Co., OH.
ii. Edward C. Casement b. ca. 1878, Painesville, Lake Co., OH.
b. Maria A. Clayton b. ca. 1844, Ohio.
1840
census: Painesville,
Lake Co., OH—William Clayton 1M 20-30, 1 F 30-40.
1850 census: record not located.
1860
census: Painesville,
Lake Co., OH—William Clayton 45 PA, M… F. W. 30 NY, Sarah E. 18 OH, Maria A. 16 OH.
1870
census: Painesville,
Lake Co., OH—William Clayton 54 PA, Minnie F. 40 NY.
1880 census: Painesville, Lake Co., OH—William Clayton,
Minerva F. W. 49 NY, daughter Clara 8 OH, sister-in-law Myra F. Paine 39 NY.
2. James Benjamin Bissell,
b. 1805, Otsego Co., NY, d. Oct 13, 1878, Red Oak, Montgomery Co., IA. He m. Apr. 10, 1829, Geauga Co., OH
to Sarah Bright. She was b. 1807 in NY, d. Apr. 12, 1898, Clearfield, IA. Special note: James Benjamin Bissell is referred
to in nearly all public records thus far consulted as “Benjamin Bissell.” Here is the Internet address for photos
taken of Benjamin and Sarah about 1850.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~livcomo/robinson/judgbiss.ht ml
James Benjamin and Sarah had at least one son and four daughters. [Would anyone like to bet that they had daughters
named Angeline and Julia b. sometime during that huge gap between 1834 and 1845, who did not survive to the 1850 census?]
In the 1840 census, Benjamin’s parents were included, as well as a boy and two girls age 15-20. It is not presently
known whether these were Sarah’s children from a previous marriage. We are currently seeking probate information on
Benjamin and his father (or grandfather?) from Geauga Co., Ohio.
A rather complimentary
paragraph on Judge Bissell and his valuable assistance to the founder of the Mormon Church appeared in Janet Lisonbee’s
Obituaries and Life Sketches of the Early Saints who lived in the Kirtland, Ohio Area:
BISSELL, BENJAMIN (1805 – 1878) Benjamin Bissell was a Painesville lawyer and was a member
of the State legislature in the late 1830’s to early 1840’s. He followed the bill for the formation of a new county
through the proper legislative channels, and on March 20, 1840, Lake County was formed from Geauga County. He served as Joseph
Smith’s lawyer and rescued him many times from the “vexatious lawsuits”. Joseph wrote of him, “Mr.
Bussel [Bissell] the State’s Attorney for Portage County called on me this evening: He is a gentlemanly appearing man,
and treated me with respect.” [Jesse, Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, p. 32] Oliver Cowdery studied law under Judge
Bissell in Painesville.
Through the courtesy of a researcher in Red Oak, Iowa, my sister, Julie Bissell Tupker, received the following obituary
from a local newspaper, which reveals that, though he always went by Benjamin, his given name was James:
THE PEOPLE'S TELEPHONE, October 16, 1878.
Died in Red Oak, October 13, Judge James Bissell, age 73; former
citizen of Ohio; lived here 5 years; remains escorted to the depot by Masonic fraternity and back to Ohio by wife, daughter
Mary, and A. A. Clapp, son-in-law.
Through a variety of sources, we have the following
list of children and descendants:
a. Algernon Bright Bissell, b. Jan. 15, 1830, d. May 14, 1838, Painesville, Geauga Co., OH. This
interesting item from a webpage devoted to Fairport, OH explains how Algernon died:
Painesville and Fairport were railroad-conscious at an early date. In 1835, a railroad was constructed connecting
the two villages with wooden tracks; horses supplied the locomotive power. This road was intended to be part of a larger
project later to reach Warren and Wellsville, but the idea dimmed after the panic of 1837. The countries first fatal
railroad accident happened on this road; the son of Judge Benjamin Bissell was the victim.
b. Caroline S. Bissell, b. Jan. 1832, Painesville, Geauga Co., Ohio.
She m. June 22, 1865, Lake Co., OH to Robert N. Shephard (b. ca. 1832, New Brunswick, Canada, d. June 7, 1873, Painesville,
OH). They had:
i. Robert Shephard, b. ca. 1866, died in infancy, buried at Painesville,
Lake Co., OH.
ii.
Benjamin
“Bissell” Shephard,
b. ca. 1869 OH.
iii. Sarah “Grat” Shephard b. Nov. 26, 1871, Painesville,
Lake Co., OH.
iv. Mary Bissell Shephard, b. August 3, 1872, Painesville,
Lake Co., OH.
c. Elizabeth
Charlotte Bissell,
b. 1834, Painesville, Geauga Co., OH, d. Mar. 4, 1917, Nun, CO. She m. Mar. 19, 1854 in Lake Co., OH to Charles
Spencer Warring (b. Feb. 6, 1829 NY, d. May 1, 1862). (They were listed as Elizabeth C. Bessell and Charles S. Warring.) Charles
apparently died in the Civil War, and Elizabeth remarried Apr. 1, 1867 in Lake Co., OH to Charles’ brother, Oscar Eddie
Warring (b. Sep. 3, 1839). (The brothers’ last name was spelled Warring in the L.D.S. database entry that establishes
their relationship.) They moved to Iowa in 1875. Her children were:
i.
Mabel
Warring, b.
June 1855 OH, d. June 26, 1931. She m. 1877 in Iowa to Alexander R. Hill (b. ca. 1854 PA). They had:
(1) John
T. or Thomas J. Hill,
b. ca. 1879 Benton Twp., Ringgold Co., IA.
(2) Raymond E. Hill,
b. Apr. 18, 1881 IA, m. Ruth E. ____ (b. 1880, OH).
ii.
Benjamin
B. Warring, b. Aug. 1860 OH, d. Mar. 12, 1908, Maloy, IA. He m. ca. 1889 to Maude M. ____ (b. Oct. 1868 IL). They had:
(1) Mabel M. Warring, b. May 1892 IA.
iii.
Charles
Warring, b.
ca. 1869 OH, d. Jan. 1, 1881, Benton Twp., Ringgold Co., IA.
iv. Ruth E. Warring, b. May 1873 OH.
v.
Earl
Warring, b.
1877 IA.
vi.
Unnamed
infant
d.
Cynthia
B. Bissell, b. Feb. 1845, Painesville, Geauga Co., OH. She m. Sep. 17, 1867, Lake Co., OH to Albert Adams Clapp (b. May 1, 1841
NY, d. May 7, 1911 CA). They had:
i. Robert M. Clapp, b. ca. 1868 OH. He m. ca. 1900 as her third husband Bertie B. ____ (b. ca. 1868 CA):
(1) Helen Clapp, b. ca. 1895. (adopted step-daughter from wife’s
second marriage).
(2) Frances C. Clapp,
b. ca. 1904 CA.
ii. Archibald W. Clapp, b. Jan. 1872 IL.
iii. Ralph B. Clapp, b. May 1876 IA, m. 1905 Florence H. ___ (b.
1883 MO). They had:
(1) Roger
W. Clapp, b.
1906 CA.
(2) Graham
D. Clapp, b.
1909 CA.
iv. Albert Clapp, b. Apr. 1879 IA.
v. Randall Clapp, b. Oct. 1880 IA, m. 1st Bertha ____
(b. ca. 1887 IL), m. 2nd Sylvia Williams (b. 1882).
e. Mary Bissell,
b. Jan. 1853 OH.
1850 census: Painesville, Lake Co., OH – Benjamin 45 NY, Sarah 43 NY, Caroline
18 OH, Elizabeth 16 OH Cynthia 5 OH, Elizabeth 90 CT (widowed mother).
1860 census: Painesville, Lake Co., OH
– Benjamin Bissell 55 NY, Sarah 53 NY, Caroline 28 OH, Elizabeth 26 OH, Cynthia 15 OH, Mary 12 OH (wrong age).
Same
location: Charles
Warling 30 NY, Elizabeth 26 OH, Mabel 4 OH. (Charles was buried in the Bissell family plot in Painesville.
1870
census: Painesville,
Lake Co., OH – Benjamin Bissell 65 NY, Sarah 62 NY, Benjamin Shephard 38 New Brunswick, Caroline S. Shephard 38 NY,
Bissell Shephard 1 OH, Mary Bissell 17 OH.
1870 census: Concord Twp., Lake Co., OH – Albert Clapp
29 OH, Cynthia 25 NY, Robert 2 OH.
Same location: Oscar Wareing 30 NY, Charlotte 35 OH, Mabl 12
OH, Benjamin 8 OH, Charles 1 OH.
1880
census: Red
Oak, Montgomery Co., IA – Sarah Bissell 73 NY (NY NY), Mary Bissell Dau 27 OH (NY NY), Caroline Shepherd Dau 47 OH (NY
NY), Benj. B. Shepherd GSon 11 OH (PA OH), Grat Shepherd GDau 9 OH (PA OH), Mary Shepherd GDau 7 OH (PA OH).
Same
location: Albert
A. Clapp 39 NY (OH OH), Cynthia B. Clapp wife 35 OH (NY NY), Robert M. Clapp Son 12 OH (NY OH), Archibald Clapp Son 8 IL (NY
OH), Ralph Clapp Son 4 IA (NY OH), Albert Clapp Son 1 IA (NY OH), Bertha Anderson, Other (servant) 19 Denmark (Denmark, Denmark).
1880
census: Benton
Twp., Ringgold Co., IA – Oscar Wering 40 NY (Maretule MT?), Elisabeth 46 OH (NY NY), Bengiman 19 OH (NY OH), Charles
11 OH (NY OH), Ruth 7 OH (NY OH), Earl 3 IA (NY OH).
Same location: Alexander Hill 26 PA (PA PA), Mabal 24 OH (NY
OH), John T. (son) 1 IA (PA OH), Friend LONG (son?) 12 IA (PA PA).
1895 census: Taylor Co., IA – O.
E. Waring 55 NY, Charlotte 58 OH,
Ruth 21 OH.
1900 census: Benton Twp., Ringgold Co.,
IA – Benjamin B. Wasing 40 b. Aug. 1860 m. 11 yrs. OH (NY OH), wife Maude 31 b. Oct. 1868 IL (OH IL), daughter Mabel
M. 8 b. May 1892 IA (OH IL).
1900 census: Grant Twp., Ringgold Co., IA – Marry Bissell 47 b. Jan. 1853
single OH (NY NY), Caroline Shepard (sister) 68 b. Jan. 1832 widow (one child/one living) OH (NY NY), Sarah Shepard (niece)
28 b. Nov. 1871 OH (NY OH).
1900 census: Grant Twp., Taylor Co., IA – Oscar E.
Warring 60 b. Sep. 1839 NY (NY NY), Elizabeth 65 b. Feb. 1835, m. 1 (6 children/3 living) OH (NY NY), Ruth E. 27 b. May 1873
OH (NY OH).
Same
location: Alexander
Hill b. August 18__ (yr. unknown) PA (-- PA), Mable R. 44 b. June 1855, m. 23 years (3 children/2 living), Thomas J. 21 b.
Oct. 1878 IA (PA OH), Raymon 18 b. Apr. 18, 1881 IA (PA OH).
1900 census: San Gabriel Twp., Los Angeles Co., CA –
Albert A. Clapp 59 b. May 1841 m. 32 years NY, Synthia 55 b. Feb. 1845 (five children/five living) OH, Randall 19 b. Oct.
1880 IA.
1900
census: Twp.
4, Mariposa Co., CA – Archibald W. Clapp 28 b. Jan. 1872 IL (NY OH), Ralph B. 24 b. May 1876 IA (NY OH).
1900
census: Twp.
5, Madera Co., CA – Albert Clapp 21 b. Apr. 1879 IA (OH OH).
1910 census: Grant Twp., Ringgold Co.,
IA – Marry Bissel 67 OH (NY NY), Caroline Sheperd sister 78 (four children/two living) OH (NY NY), Grat Sheperd (female)
30 OH (OH Canada?).
1910 census: Nunn, Weld Co., CO – Oscar E. Waring 71 m. 1 42 years NY (RI
NY), Charlott 75 m. 2 (6 children/2 living) OH (NY NY).
1910 census: Denver, Denver Co., CO – Alexander R.
Hill 54 PA (PA PA), Mabel 52 m. 1 32 years (3 children/2 living) OH (NY OH), Raymond E. 27 IA (PA OH), Ruth E. “Marring”
(sister in law) 30 OH (NY OH), Marie Stephens (lodger) 30 IA (Germany, Germany).
1910
census: San
Gabriel, Los Angeles Co., CA – Albert A. Clapp 69 m. 43 years NY (OH OH), Cynthia B. 65 OH (NY NY) (5 children/5 living).
Same
location: Ralph
B. Clapp 34 m. 5 years IA (NY OH), Florence H. 27 MO (NH IL) (2 children/2 living), Roger W. 4 CA, Graham D. 1 CA.
Same location:
Robert M. Clapp 42 m. 10 years (1st marriage) CA (NY OH), Bertie B. 42 m. 3 times (4 children, 3
living) CA (ME TN), Helen Clapp (stepdaughter) 16 CA (MI CA)(from marriage number 2, apparently adopted), Amy B. Leslie (stepdaughter)
WA (IA CA)(from marriage number 1), Frances C. Clapp (daughter) 6 CA (IA CA).
1910
census: Twp.
11, Kern Co., CA – Albert A. Clapp 35 m. 18 yrs CA (MO IL), Ann 30 (3 children/3 living) CA (IL IL), Albert J. 5 CA
(CA CA), Sylvia 3 CA (CA CA), Robert 1 CA (CA CA), Randall Clapp (brother) 28 CA (MO IL), Sylvia Williams (sister in law)
28 CA (IL IL). [Note the large amount of questionable data in this entry. First, there are the incorrect California birthplaces
for Albert and Randall and their parents. Secondly, it is questionable whether the only children of a couple married 18 years
would be three youngsters aged 5, 3, and 1; more likely they have been married only 8 years by this point, especially since
the man presumed to be the son of Albert A. Clapp Sr. and Cynthia Bissell was unmarried in the 1900 census. Despite these
problems, these no doubt are the people we are looking for; the odds of two people having sons named Albert A. and Randall
Clapp is very small, so the odds of these two brothers not being the sons of Albert A. Clapp Sr. and Cynthia Bissell
is also very small.]
1920 census: Denver, Denver Co., CO – Oscar Waring NY (NY NY), A. M. MacKnowlt
50 NY (Scotland NY), Ruth (daughter) 46 OH (NY NY).
1920 census: Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., CA – Raymond
C. Hill 39 IA (US US), listed as married but no family listed with him. This could be Mabel’s son, but not sure.
1920
census: Pasadena,
Lamanda Co., CA – Archibald W. Clapp 47 IL (NY OH), Mable (wife) 34 KS (US US), Grace Preble 48 (lodger) IA (NH VT),
Robert M. McBride 63 IN (IN KY), Annetta/Anella 61 OH (Ireland, PA).
1920 census: Bishop, Inyo Co., CA –
Randall C. Clapp 39 IA (IA IA), Bertha 33 IL (Norway, Norway).
1920 census: San Gabriel, Alhambra Co.,
CA – Cynthia B. Clapp 74 OH (NY NY) (indexed as BLACK)
Same location: Robert M. Clapp 51 OH (OH
OH), Bertie B. 51 CA (ME IA), Frances C. 16 CA (OH CA), Elizabeth L. 8 CA (OH CA), John J. Morris (son in law) 26 IL (US IL),
Helen (daughter) 25 CA (OH CA).
Same location: Ralph C. Clapp 43 IA (OH NY), Florence H. 37
MO (NH KY), Roger W. 14 CA, Graham D. 11 CA.
1920 census: 5th Ward, Santa Rosa, CA –
Albert A. Clapp 40 IA (NY OH), Ethel V. 30 IL (IL IL), Albert H. 13 NV (IA IL), Benjamin M. 11 NV (IA IL), Ernest G. 10 NV
(IA IL). [Note: this entry is doubtful, especially considering the birthplaces of the children. The
1910 census for Nevada should be consulted to verify whether this is Albert A. Clapp is from a different family.]
3.
John
H. Bissell,
b. July 25, 1808 (one record says 1813), Otsego Co., NY, d. Jan. 18, 1874, Clinton Co., MI. (This
is speculative! It’s possible that John is a son of one of the older sons of Benjamin and Elizabeth, either
Julius or (more likely) Marcus Benjamin. However, we are trying to account for the supposed 11 children of Benjamin and Elizabeth,
and John H. would have been born when his mother was age 47, still within the range of feasibility. His (supposed) sister
Caroline had a child at age 44, and his (supposed) mother (supposedly) had Benjamin Jr. (James Benjamin) at age 44. If he
and/or his son had “Heath” as his middle name, this would pretty well establish John H. as a son (or at least
grandson) of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Heath) Bissell. This needs to be researched.) John m. ca. 1827 to Marcy Smith (b. Apr.
17, 1805 MA, d. Oct. 18, 1888 MI). They lived in Otsego Co., NY and Clinton Co., MI. They went to Michigan about 1841-1843.
They had eight children:
a. Caroline
Bissell, b.
ca. 1827 NY, m. May 3 1845 at Cooperstown, Otsego Co., NY to Henry L. Luther (b. ca. 1825 NY). [This is speculative!
See unidentified daughter in 1830 and 1840 censuses below.] They had:
i.
Eugene
D. Luther, b. July 1848, Oneonta, Otsego Co., NY.
b. Angeline Bissell, b. ca. 1831, Otsego Co., NY. She m. May 6, 1852 in Clinton
Co., MI to R. S. Van Scoy.
c. Julia
Bissell, b.
ca. 1833, Otsego Co., NY. She m. Dec. 17, 1852 in Clinton Co., MI to Edwin Hewit (b. ca. 1835 NY). They had no children, and
he remarried in 1860.
d. John
H. Bissell, b. ca. 1835, Otsego Co., NY. He m. Apr. 20, 1864 in Clinton Co., MI to Caroline Andrews. They had:
i.
Marcia
Delitia Bissell,
b. Mar. 18, 1869, Wacousta, Clinton Co., MI.
e. Charles Bissell,
b. ca. 1837, Otsego Co., NY.
f. Cynthia Bissell,
b. ca. 1839, Otsego Co., NY.
g. Sarah
Bissell, b.
ca. 1843, Clinton Co., MI.
h. Emily
Bissell, b.
ca. 1845, Clinton Co., MI. She m. Jan. 16, 1866 in Eaton Co., MI to Alonzo Waldron (b. ca. 1845 OH). They had:
i. Frank E. Waldron, b. ca. 1867 MI.
ii. Lottie May Waldron, b. ca. 1869 MI.
iii.
Edward
Waldron, b.
ca. 1873 MI.
iv.
John
H. Waldron, b. Dec. 28, 1877, Watertown, Clinton Co., MI.
v.
G. Allen
Waldron, b.
Mar. 17, 1881, Watertown, Clinton Co., MI.
i. Edward
Bissell, b.
ca. 1849, Clinton Co., MI. He m. Apr. 3,
1871 in Clinton Co., MI to Aurille Stone (b. ca. 1852 OH). They
had:
i.
Mattie
Bissell (female),
b. ca. 1871, MI.
ii.
Clara
Bissell, b.
ca. 1874, MI.
iii. Le Roy Bissell, b. ca. 1876, MI.
1830 census: Butternut, Otsego Co., NY
– John H. Bissell is one of two males age 20-30, wife age 20-30, daughter age 0-5. This is John and perhaps his wife’s
brother. The young girl is also in the 1840 NY census, but not the 1850 MI census, so she probably married about 1845-1850.
For this reason, we suspect that John’s eldest daughter is the Caroline Bissell who was b. ca. 1828 and m. 1845 in Cooperstown
to Henry L. Luther; this would not necessarily explain why she stayed behind while the rest of the family moved to Michigan
about 1841-1843.
1840 census: Butternut, Otsego Co., NY
– John H. Bissell age 30-40, wife age 30-40, son age 5-10, son age 0-5, daughter age 10-15, two daughters age 5-10,
one daughter age 0-5.
1850 census:
Watertown Twp., Clinton Co., MI – John H. Bissell 41 NY, Mercy[Mary] 44 MA, Angeline 19 NY, Julia 17
NY, John H. 15 NY, Charles 13 NY, Cynthia 11 NY, Sarah 7 MI, Emily 5 MI, Edward 1 MI.
1860 census: Watertown Twp., Clinton Co.,
MI – John H. Bissell 52 NY, Mary 54 MA, Charles N. 22 NY, Emily 15 MI, Edward 11 MI. John is age 52, so this establishes
that he was born about 1808, rather than 1813 as one record claims.
1860 census: Laurens Twp., Otsego Co.,
MI – Henry Luther 35 NY, Caroline 32 NY, Eugene D. 12 NY.
1880 census: Watertown Twp., Clinton Co., MI – Edward Bissell 31 MI (NY MA), Rillie 28 OH (OH OH), Mattie 9 MI (MI OH), Clara 6 MI
(MI OH), le Roy 4 MI (MI OH), Marcy Bissell (mother) 75 MA (RI CT).
Same location: Alonzo Waldron 35 PA (PA PA), Emily L. 35 MI (NY NY),
Frank E. 13 MI (PA MI), Lottie 11 MI (PA MI), Edward 7 MI (PA MI),
John H. 2 MI (PA MI).
1880 census: Oneonta, Otsego Co. NY – Henry L. Luther 57 NY (NY NY), Caroline
C. Luther wife 53 NY (CT CT), Louisa Youngs (other) 26 NY (NY NY).
C. Clarissa Bissell, b. ca. 1786, Lebanon, Windham Co., CT, d. Feb. 1864,
Rochester, Monroe Co., NY. She m. Oct. 1808 Ariel Wentworth (b. ca. 1782, Hinsdale, Berkshire Co., MA, d. Aug. 27, 1819, Clarkson,
Monroe Co., NY). They had five or six children:
1. Ariel Wentworth,
b. Sep. 8, 1809, d. Dec. 18, 1850. He m. Nov. 14, 1832 to Maria Blain. They had:
a. Leigh Richmond Wentworth, b. Sep. 8, 1833. He m. Dec. 31, 1861 to
Margaret Ann Kenyon.
b. Reginald Heber Wentworth,
b. Jan. 30, 1835, d. Nov. 3, 1836.
c. Gertrude
Jane Wentworth (twin of Reginald), b. July 19, 1839. She m. May 19, 1865 to Henry B. James.
d. Reginald Heber Wentworth (twin of Gertrude), b. July 19, 1839. He
m. June 5, 1859 to Adelia Smith.
e. Julia Rogers Wentworth, May 20, 1841.
f. Frederick Swartz Wentworth, Nov. 11, 1843.
g. Sophia Demarest Wentworth, Jan. 18, 1846.
2. Clarissa Verona Wentworth, d. young.
3. Delos Wentworth, b. Dec. 30, 1814,
Milford, Otsego Co., NY. He m. May 30, 1849 to Sarah M. Wheat in Otsego Co., NY. They had:
a. Levi DeWitt Wentworth, b. Nov. 19, 1850, Rochester, Monroe Co., NY.
4. Dennis Wentworth, b. ca. 1816, d. Aug. 22, 1819.
5. Levi Wentworth, b.
ca. 1818, d. Sep. 12, 1819.
1860
census: Rochester,
Monroe Co., NY – Delos Wentworth 45 NY, Clarisa 73 CT, Gertrude 23 NY, Julia R. 19 NY/next household: Maria Wentworth
49 NY, Lee 20 NY, Frederick 16 NY, Sophia 14 NY.
1870 census: Rochester, Monroe Co., NY – Delos Wentworth
55 NY, Maria 59, Sophia 34, Rejnold, Fred 31, Fred 26.
D. Angeline Bissell,
b. ca. 1789 CT. [This is speculative!]
E. Timothy Bissell, b. ca. 1792 CT. [This is speculative!]
He lived at Painesville, Geauga Co., OH near Judge James Benjamin Bissell. The 1840 census of Painesville,
Lake Co., OH shows: 1M 10-15, 1M 30-40, 1M 40-50, 1F 30-40. He may have been the Timothy Bissell who died Jan. 1850
in Detroit, Wayne Co., MI. If so, then the James Bissell in the 1850 census of Huron Twp., Wayne Co., MI could be his son.
However, since this Timothy was listed in the 1850 mortality census as age 67, born in Connecticut, he appears to be too old
to have been the one living near Judge James Benjamin Bissell in Painsville, Ohio in 1840. Alternatively, these 1850 Wayne
Co., MI Bissells could instead be Timothy Bissell of Ludlow, MA and his son James Edward Bissell born 1830 in Ontario, Canada,
the latter coming to the Detroit area before moving to northeastern Iowa.
F. Joseph Bissell, b. ca. 1796, Otsego Co., NY. He m. 1st Martha
Wallace 1827, Otsego Co., NY. Martha appears to have d. ca. 1836. He moved to Michigan about 1836-37, and he m. 2nd
Dec. 7, 1837 to Margaret “Wallas” (the sister of Martha?) in Washtenaw Co., MI. Joseph had six children:
1.
Unidentified
daughter, b.
ca. 1828-1829, Otsego, Co., NY and d. or m. before the 1850 census.
2. Marian Bissell, b. ca. 1835, Otsego Co., NY.
3. Martha Bissell, b. ca. 1838 MI.
4. Sarah Bissell, b. ca. 1840 MI. She m. Dec. 24, 1857 to Charles D. Kennedy
(b. ca. 1833) in Branch, Co., MI.
5. Marcus J. Bissell, b. ca. 1842 MI. He was named after his uncle, Joseph’s older
brother. The following military record found by my sister, Julie Bissell Tupker, confirms that Marcus served in the Union
Army during the Civil War: “Name: Marcus J. Bissell; State Served: Michigan; Enlist Date: 24 August 1861; Enlist Rank:
Priv.; Enlist Age: 19; Enlist Place: Butler; Army: Union.”
6. Manville Albertus Bissell, b. Feb. 20, 1843, d. Sep. 18, 1923, MI. He m.
ca. 1866 to Alice Aurelia Lyons (b. Oct. 12, 1847 NY, d. July 17, 1928). They had:
a. Carrie A. Bissell, b. ca. 1867. She m. Dec. 17,
1889 in Butler, Branch Co., MI to William Holmes.
b. Mary Emmy Bissell, b. Feb. 25, 1870, d. Dec. 6, 1943, MI. She m.
Nov. 5, 1887 in Butler, Branch Co. MI to Frank J. Blake.
We
have some census data to help substantiate the above listing of children:
1830 census: Otsego, Otsego Co., NY –
Joseph Bissell age 30-40, wife 20-30, daughter 5-10. Male and female age 60-70. Are Joseph’s father and mother living
in his household?
1840 census:
J. W. Bissel in MI index is not Joseph. He has two sons age 5-10 and no daughters! Need to look more closely
at Michigan 1840 index and perhaps go line to line in Jackson and Washtenaw Counties, to locate Joseph and to see if oldest
daughter is still alive.
1850 census:
Liberty Twp., Jackson Co., MI – Joseph Bissell 53 NY, Mayette (Margaret) 40 NY, Marian 15 NY, Martha
12 MI, Sarah 10 MI, Marcius 8 MI, Manville 6 MI.
G. Julia Bissell,
b. ca. 1799, NY. We have absolutely no data on this child, except for the indication that there was a daughter
b. between 1790 and 1800.
H. Charlotte
Bissell, b.
Feb. 28, 1803 (twin of Caroline), Hartwick, Otsego Co., NY, d. Oct 31, 1885, Johnson Co., IA. She m. 1824 at Milford, Otsego
Co., NY to Albert Westcott (b. Dec. 5, 1798, Warwick, Kent Co., RI, d. Dec. 21, 1880, Iowa City, Johnson Co., IA). They had:
1.
Moses
A. Westcott, b. May 5, 1825, Milford, Otsego Co., NY, d. Oct. 21, 1898. He m. June 4, 1851 in Milford, Otsego Co., NY to Lydia
Caroline Goodrich (b, Oct. 8, 1824, NY, d. July 25. 1877 ND).
2. Caroline B. Westcott, b. Jan. 5, 1827, Milford, Otsego Co., NY, d.
May 15, 1906. She m. Oct. 11, 1849 at Milford, Otsego Co., NY to Comfort L. Hoyt (b. Oct. 2, 1811 IA, d. June 18, 1866 IA).
3.
Eliza
Westcott, b.
Aug., 26, 1828, Milford, Otsego Co., NY, d. Mar. 16, 1911, Lake Co., OH. She m. Apr. 14, 1859 in New York to Jesse Baily Hayden
(b. Jan. 20, 1832 NY, d. Jan. 22, 1895 OH).
4.
Jane
Westcott, b.
Aug. 27, 1830, Milford, Otsego Co., NY, d. May 4, 1923.
5. Albert Westcott, b. Mar. 17, 1832, Milford, Otsego Co., NY, d. Dec. 16,
1919, Des Moines, Polk Co., IA. [Living as student with uncle Benjamin in Painesville OH in 1850 census.] He m. Jan. 4, 1866
in Iowa City, Johnson Co., IA to Mary E. Parrott (b. June 4, 1844, Scott Twp., Johnson Co., IA, d., June 3, 1911, Cornucopia,
Bayfield Co., WI). They had:
a. Adda Alice Westcott, b. Dec. 2, 1866 Scott Twp.,
Johnson Co., IA, d. Mar. 1944. She m. Oct. 6, 1887 in Johnson Co., IA to Thomas Jefferson Stevenson (b. July 29, 1862 IA,
d. Nov. 1949 in MN).
b. Mary Westcott, b. Jan. 13, 1868, Scott Twp., Johnson Co., IA, d. Nov. 1955. She
May 31, 1887 in Johnson Co., IA to Erwin Adams Patterson (b. Nov. 19, 1964 NY, d. May 31, 1887 IA).
c.
Catherine
Eddy Westcott,
b.
Oct. 7, 1871, Scott Twp., Johnson Co., IA, d. July 15, 1959. She m. Feb. 26, 1896 in Johnson Co., IA to William Atkinson (b.
Apr. 7, 1873 IA, d. May 12, 1948 ND).
d. Albert Lester Westcott, b. July 4, 1874, Scott Twp.,
Johnson Co., IA, d. July 28, 1949, Iowa City, Johnson Co., IA. He m. Mar. 28, 1900 in Johnson Co., IA to Elizabeth Grace Robertson
(b. May 5, 1876 IA, d. Mar. 28, 1800 IA). They had:
i. Unidentified child, b. Mar. 1901,
Iowa City, Johnson Co., IA, died same place, Mar. 1901.
ii. Ruth Elizabeth Westcott, b. Mar 24, 1902, Iowa City, Johnson Co., IA,
d. Aug. 2, 1902, Iowa City, Johnson Co., IA.
iii. Albert Ralph Westcott, b. Sep. 2, 1904, Iowa City, Johnson Co., IA,
d. Dec. 20, 1969, Iowa City, Johnson Co., IA.
iv. Mary Alice Westcott, b. Jan. 30, 1906, Iowa City, Johnson Co., IA,
d. Jan 11, 1990, Iowa City, Johnson Co., IA.
v. Harold Raymond Westcott, b. Nov. 3, 1913, Iowa City, Johnson Co., IA,
d. Dec. 1, 1986, Iowa City, Johnson Co., IA.
e. Wallace Bright Westcott, b. Oct. 16, 1877, Scott Twp.,
Johnson Co., IA, d. Apr. 1928, 1949, Iowa City, IA. He m. Feb. 25, 1911 to Caroline O. Benson.
f.
Elizabeth
Vaughn Westcott,
b. Nov. 1885, Iowa City, Johnson Co., IA, d. Dec. 12, 1944, Cornucopia, Bayfield Co., WI. She m. Oct. 29, 1913
at Cornucopia, Bayfield Co., WI to Louis Julius Rosinsky (b. ca. 1833).
6. Edwin Rhodes Westcott, b. Apr. 8, 1835, Milford, Otsego Co., NY, d.
Aug. 8, 1894. He m. Jan. 22, 1862 in Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY to Frances Helen Compton.
7. Emma Westcott, b. Jul. 22, 1838 (twin of Emory), Milford, Otsego Co.,
NY, d. Apr. 5, 1919.
8. Emory
Westcott, b.
Jul. 22, 1838 (twin of Emma), Milford, Otsego Co., NY, d. Feb. 14, 1923. He m. Sep. 27, 1866 in Johnson Co., IA to Eliza Bowen
(b. Feb. 24, 1845 OH, d. Nov. 6, 1926 IA).
9. Laura Starr Westcott, b. Feb. 17, 1841, Milford, Otsego Co., NY, d. same place, Apr. 13,
1853.
10. Mortimer Leslie Westcott, b. May 21, 1844, Milford,
Otsego Co., NY, d. Oct. 22, 1871. He m. Feb. 9, 1867 in Johnson Co., IA to Caroline Douglas (b. June 10, 1844 IA).
11. Catherine Eddy Westcott, b. Jul. 9, 1848, Milford, Otsego Co., NY, d.
Nov. 10, 1919.
The above listing was taken from the L.D.S. database. It is partially substantiated by the following census record:
1880
census: Iowa
City, Johnson Co., IA – Albert Westcott 81 RI (RI RI), Charlotte Westcott 77 NY (CT CT), Jane Westcott 48 NY (RI NY),
Emma Westcott 41 NY (RI NY), Kate E. Westcott 31 NY (RI NY).
I. Caroline Bissell,
b. Feb. 28, 1803 (twin of Charlotte), Otsego Co., NY. She m. Feb. 15, 1846 in Lake Co., OH to James H. Cook
(b. ca. 1801, NY). They had one child:
1.
Albert
G. Cook, b.
1847. Caroline Cook age 77 in his 1880 census household, said to be b. OH (but see 1870 census below), parents b. MA, CT.
He m. Emma L. ___ b. 1856 OH.
1870 census: Painesville, Lake Co., OH – James H. Cook 63 NY, Caroline Cook
67 NY, Albert G. Cook 23 OH.
The following are presumed to be adopted grandchildren:
Marcia
C. Bissell, b. 1801—adopted after 1810 by Benjamin 1761 and Elizabeth (Heath) Bissell. See above, listed under Marcus Benjamin
Bissell.
James Benjamin Bissell, b. 1805—adopted after 1810 by Benjamin 1761 and Elizabeth (Heath)
Bissell. See above, listed under Marcus Benjamin Bissell.
John H. Bissell, b. 1808—adopted after 1810 by Benjamin 1761 and Elizabeth (Heath)
Bissell. See above, listed under Marcus Benjamin Bissell.