 |
| Eighteenth century watercolor of the first edifice of St. Johns Episcopal Parish in Stamford, Connecticut. The cornerstone was laid in 1743 and it was near enough to completion by 1747 so that it could be used |
Family history has been an interest for many years. It is not only interesting because of what you find, but the process used to get the results can be just as exciting. I want to use this blog to describe the process as well as the results. This year I made my third trip to Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania to dig up my family history (no pun intended). I am going to use this blog mostly to post some of the sites I found on the three trips to get to know my ancestors.
My research on John and Lovisa Burtis Sherwood has been done over many years. This blog will just scratch the surface of the material I have gathered. Any questions or comments on this blog or anything related to it will be welcome. I will try to respond.
John and Lovisa Burtis Sherwood were the grandparents of Stephen Sherwood (of thestephensherwoodletters). They were married January 19, 1769 by the Reverend Eliphalet Ball, the Presbyterian Minister of Bedford, Westchester, New York. John and Lovisa were the last couple married by the Reverend Ball before he left Bedford for Ballstown Spa, New York (named after him).
Eleven years after their marriage, April 26, 1780, four of their children, Betsy, Sally, John, and Solomon, were baptized in the Church of England. They were listed as "children to Levisa Sherwood, Stamford." On July 27, 1788, Jabez was baptized. He was listed as "Jabesh, son to John Sherwood, Stamford."
It was suggested by the Parish Historian of the St. Johns Episcopal Church of Stamford that Levisa was the only parent listed for the baptisms of Betsy, Sally, John, and Solomon because John was not baptized in the Church of England at the time of their baptism.
The Parish Historian for the Church suggested John may have become a member later. She said, "I was browsing in the baptism register and happened upon the following entry: John Defrees, John Sherwood, Samuel Jones of Canaan Society, on January 24, 1783. The entry is on a page labelled Baptism of Infants. Alongside the entry for these three males, however, there is a note, declared conformity to the Church of England." She continues: "That does not sound to me like baptism of three infants (or children), but of three adults. Even though (Ebenezer) Dibblee's records are a bit chaotic, in general when he registered a child's name, he gave the name(s) of the parents. No parents are given for these three persons, suggesting also that they were adults."
The Sherwoods lived in Dan Town, or North Stamford, about ten miles from this Church. If the children were baptized at this particular location, the Church had been closed from the Declaration of "independency" until Christmas 1779. The Episcopal Church had suffered the most of all American churches from the Revolution. Many clergy were exiled or killed. The Reverend Dibble was held in such great esteem that he was practically undisturbed by mobs or patriot violence. I don't believe the Sherwood Family were loyalists as John Sherwood served in the local militia with many of his neighbors and friends. The Sherwood family stayed in Dan Town during most if not all of the war.
Eleven years after their marriage, April 26, 1780, four of their children, Betsy, Sally, John, and Solomon, were baptized in the Church of England. They were listed as "children to Levisa Sherwood, Stamford." On July 27, 1788, Jabez was baptized. He was listed as "Jabesh, son to John Sherwood, Stamford."
It was suggested by the Parish Historian of the St. Johns Episcopal Church of Stamford that Levisa was the only parent listed for the baptisms of Betsy, Sally, John, and Solomon because John was not baptized in the Church of England at the time of their baptism.
The Parish Historian for the Church suggested John may have become a member later. She said, "I was browsing in the baptism register and happened upon the following entry: John Defrees, John Sherwood, Samuel Jones of Canaan Society, on January 24, 1783. The entry is on a page labelled Baptism of Infants. Alongside the entry for these three males, however, there is a note, declared conformity to the Church of England." She continues: "That does not sound to me like baptism of three infants (or children), but of three adults. Even though (Ebenezer) Dibblee's records are a bit chaotic, in general when he registered a child's name, he gave the name(s) of the parents. No parents are given for these three persons, suggesting also that they were adults."
The Sherwoods lived in Dan Town, or North Stamford, about ten miles from this Church. If the children were baptized at this particular location, the Church had been closed from the Declaration of "independency" until Christmas 1779. The Episcopal Church had suffered the most of all American churches from the Revolution. Many clergy were exiled or killed. The Reverend Dibble was held in such great esteem that he was practically undisturbed by mobs or patriot violence. I don't believe the Sherwood Family were loyalists as John Sherwood served in the local militia with many of his neighbors and friends. The Sherwood family stayed in Dan Town during most if not all of the war.
