Among The First Pilgrims

View Pedigree Charts
These files are in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view them in this format.

Chart No., Reference and Birth			Link
1. Present to Joseph Palmer, 1761			Download
2. Joseph Palmer to Johah Palmer, 1397			Download
3. Dunham 1768-1684			Download
4. Westlake, Holmes, Wiggins to 1725			Download
5. Bond, Hall Gardner to 1741			Download
6. Jonah Palmer to Robert Palmer, 1480			Download
7. Grissell, Griswold, to 1500			Download
8. Robert (1480) to Sir Jonah, 1397			Download
Chart 9 Download	Chart 10 Download	Chart 11 Download
Chart 9 Download	Chart 10 Download	Chart 11 Download

Among the first pilgrims from the old world to the new world were Palmers: William in 1621, Walter and Abraham (brothers) in 1629, from Nottinghamshire, England. William settled in what is now called Duxbury, Mass., Walter at Pawtucket, now Stonington, Ct., while Abraham removed to Barbados, West Indies. William and Walter are the ancestors of a legion of descendants, the larger of Walter, who finally settled in Stonington, Ct., in 1653, dying there in 1661.

A reunion of the Palmer family took place at Stonington, Ct., on the 10th and 11^th of August, 1881, the anniversary of the battle of Stonington in the war of 1812. The Palmers of this county were cordially invited to participate in the reunion and festivities in connection herewith.

Walter Palmer came to Stonington Ct. In 1653 and was one of the first settlers of the town. His descendants number thousands and the gathering of them together on the 10^th and 11^th of August was for their social acquaintance and enjoyment, at it was through their correspondence at this time that we owe largely our knowledge of the Palmer ancestors.

Walter was of the first generation from England, Jonah 2^nd, Samuel 3^rd, Seth 4^th, Joseph Palmer Sr. 5^th, the subject of our sketch, was born Jan 13^th, 1761, at Scotland, Windham county, Conneticut and was the oldest of a large family.

At the commencement of the Revolution, he volunteered and performed a tour of duty, being 16 years old at the time of his enlistment. He served out his term, and was discharged ten days before New London was burned by the British. At the age of 21 he went to Poltney, Rutland county, Vermont. After some little acquaintance he went into partnership with Elisha Hebert, engaging in the mercantile business and was quite successful. In 1785 he returned to Windham Conn. To marry Miss Hannah Fox on the 7^th of Feb 1785. They returned to Poltney and commenced housekeeping. A descendant of Hannah Fox, 3^rd generation, is present here today and bears her full name.

His partnership with Mr. Hebert, after a time, was not agreeable, and through some mismanagement of the later, he was left penniless and homeless. He then, by hard work and frugality, secured a piece of land and commenced farming. When he got business in shape so that he could begin to enjoy life, the house was burned with all its contents, save one chest, which did not exceed in value five dollars.

The house was soon rebuilt and the family once more had a home to protect them. Their oldest child, Joseph, Jr. was born 24^th Nov, 1785 at Poltney; the second son Jabez Fox was born 31^st August 1766, third, Benjamin Franklin 10^th Nov, 1791, fourth Jerusha 12^th Aug 1795, fifth, Isaac Lazelle 11^th Jan 1797, sixth Ephriam 4^th Aug 1799, all in the new Palmer township. Their first born Joseph, was the second child born here in the wilderness, the first being John Malster.

Some time about 1800, Mr. Palmer informed his family that as soon as he could make satisfactory arrangements , he would remove to Ohio.

Accordingly, in the spring of 1801, he sold his farm to Joseph and Ezra Smith. Joseph was the father of Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormons who built the temple in Navou, Illinois. The business was all settled and they were ready to emigrate by the first of September. They started in company with Peter Howe, Esq., Prado, Elise and Thedeus Pond, brothers---five families in all. They took dinner with Dr. Walker who came and settled in Amesville,, Athens county, shortly after.

Next morning over the state line in New York, their company consisted of 30 people, 16 horses and 5 wagons. Peter Howe’s family consisted of himself, wife and two children, Mrs. Prado, who was Mrs. Howe’s eldest daughter, her eight daughters and two sons. The Pond brothers had two children each. Stephen Otis, who was in the employ of Mr. Howe came with them, driving one of the teams. They settled on the Muskingham River near Lowell, Ohio.

Their first day’s drive brought them to Fort Ann, their course being by way of a place called Painted Post, from that point on to Pittsburgh on the Ohio river. Leaving Fort Ann, they arrived at Cuyogoga Lake without any mishap, crossing Cuyogoga Lake on a bridge that was over a mile in length. The next point was Seneca Lake , from Seneca Lake, making a point on the Mohawk River, and following upstream for some distance. Their next point was Dike’s Settlement. There, meeting an acquaintance by the name of Olds, he packed his belongings and came with them to Ohio. There they met Elisha and Elizabeth Alderman, who afterward came out and settled on Federal Creek in Athens county.

From Dike’s settlement they came to King’s settlement, a distance of 40 miles, cutting their way through the wilderness. Their first day in the woods was very peasant, the second fine, and on this evening everything was so lovely that Peter Howe decided they must have a dance. Elijah Pond was requested to get out his violin and make ready. The dancing was kept up till a late hour of the night. When the clouds were seen to gather, the dancers retired for the night. Shortly after, a storm came and the rain poured down in torrents till morning.

The third evening out they cut a tall pine which gave a bright light for quite a distance when lit. As soon as the fire was burning brightly the wolves opened up their music which kept up the entire night.

At King’s Settlement, they put up with a man who was engaged in making canoes. This station was on Oswego Creek, a tributary of the Allegheny River. Joseph Palmer and the Pond brothers made two large canoes. These carried their wagons, their families and all their goods. Their canoes were run single until they reached the Allegheny, then two by two, just far enough apart to let the end of the hub rest on the edge of the canoe. At King’s settlement, Joseph Palmer Jr.,26 years old, with others, took the horses across to Pittsburgh.

When they started down the Allegheny, the water was low and there was no one of their company that had any experience with boating. They were put to a great deal of trouble to get their boat over the riffles. They came to a missionary station and the women and children were permitted to sleep in the schoolhouse, which was regarded as a great favor.

After leaving the missionary station, they came to an Indian by the name of Cornplanter who had considerable improvement and a very comfortable house.

They next came to an Indian village. They landed and build a fire and prepared dinner. After dinner they boarded their boats and started out. Mr. Palmer remarked that they were too close together and if they got into a riffle they would have trouble. No sooner said then done; their canoes grounded: the end of Mr. Howe’s canoe ran in between, separating them, leaving most of their goods, women and children in the river, the water being from two to three feet deep. Fortunately they were all gathered up safely, the most of them on a point of an island a short distance below, while the balance made the main shore. There were six children under four years of age. Every old lady caught a child as they were floating. Jerusha Palmer was the only one that came near being drowned. Jabish Palmer caught his brother Isaac in his arms and managed to catch a piece of canoe and climb on it, gloating down, and stranded on a rock in the middle of the river.. Mr. Palmer and Mr. Pond reached them, releasing them from an insecure position. One canoe was ruined and the other was repaired. A short distance below they bought a good canoe from Mr. Galin and hired him to pilot them to Pittsburgh. They were detained two or three days by the mishap. R. Pond had twenty dollars tied up in a white cloth, which was lost, and they had given up finding it. Mr. Galin remarked that it would not do to leave it, and he would try once more. Getting a canoe of the Indians, and in company with Mr. Pond, Mr. Prowty and Mr. Palmer, they rowed out just below where they were shipwrecked, and soon found the lost money. They continued their way once more for Pittsburgh.

Their provisions were getting low at Fort Franklin, but could get but little at that place, but at Parker’s Mills they secured flour, etc. that would last until they arrived at Pittsburgh. Arriving at the last named place---where they met those conveying the horses. From Pittsburgh they had no further misfortunes and landed at Marietta on the 12^th day of November, 1801, the parties with the horses arriving a few days later. Mr. Palmer secured a house of Dudley Woodbridge, south of Duck Creek. He lived there a short time until he could make further arrangements, after coming up Wolf Creek Mills, near the home of the late Moses Malster. He visited soon after with Ephriam Cutler at Amesville, where he met Jason Rice. Mr. Palmer and Mr Rice purchased half section of land of Mr. Cutler, the lot upon which they settled, now in Palmer Township. In March 1802 ,Joseph Palmer, Sr. moved to the tract of land now owned by A F Breckenridge--lot 1067--and situated in what is now Palmer Township, named after the family so much concerned in the settlement and growth of its territory and interests.

At the time of the first settlement, Waterford extended over all this section. Roxbury township was set off in 1805, and long after, Wooster, then Watertown, now Palmer Township. Since May 19,1851, portions of Roxbury, Wesley, Barrow and Watertown were consolidated forming a new township and the Palmer’s were the second family to settle in the township. Elisha Mallory, who had found employment in gathering knots from the pine trees and burning them for the tar they afforded, had built a cabin 10 by 12 feet which stood north of the A F Breckenridge home. Mr. Palmer, with his two sons, Joseph Jr., and Jabez, lived there while building the home in which they lived from March 1802 along with his family, until the death of the builder in 1831, his 71^st year.

Joseph Palmer, Sr. was quite a prominent character in the settlement he had helped to found. He was the first Justice of the Peace. In 1807 he was sent to thelegislature as a representative of Washington county.

Joseph Palmer, Jr. married Sarah Martin 26^th Sept, 1808, the first marriage ceremony of the settlement. They settled not many years after on the farm now owned by J C Stellar whose wife was a descendant (a granddaughter).

The third generation of this family have crossed the river and passed to the great beyond, leaving a spotless record, honest, upright, generous, of pure character. If we of the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th generation do not come up to the standard and live true honest lives, we alone must bear the blame. We write historical papers--not for the dead--for we can give to them no immortality. The glory that trailed in the clouds behind them after their sun has set, falls with a benediction on us who are living. We assemble today, reverently to acknowledge the glory they achieved, the benediction they left behind them.