FAIRBANK[S]
Jonathan Fairbanks or Fairbank, immigrant ancestor, was born in England before 1600, and came to Boston with his family in 1633. He remained there about three years, then settled in Dedham, where he was a pioneer, and a signer of the Dedham covenant. His house is still standing [1910] in Dedham, and is now owned by the family association, having been occupied to the present time by Jonathan and his lineal descendants.
He was a town officer, and died Dec. 5, 1668.
John, George, Mary, Susan, Jonas, mentined below, Jonathan.
(II) Jonas, son of Jonathan Fairbanks, was born in England and came to Dedham with his parents. He signed the covenant in 1657, and March 7, 1659 became one of the fathers of the town. He was a farmer and believed to be a carpenter also. In 1652 he was fined for wearing great boots, not being worth two hundred pounds, the amount of wealth prescribed by the laws of the colony, in 1651 to suffice for men who could lawfully wear great boots. He removed to Lancaster in 1657. There he met his death in the assault by King Philip and fifteen hundred warriors, Feb. 10, 1675-76. Some fifty persons were slain that day, including Joshua Fairbanks, son of Jonas.
Jonas Fairbanks married, May 28, 1658, Lydia Prescott, born in Watertown, Aug. 13, 1641, daughter of John Prescott, who came from Sowerby, Halifax, England, the English home of the Fairbanks family. She married (second) Ellis Barron, of Watertown, Groton and Lancaster.
Children:
Marie, Joshua, Grace, Jonathan, Hazadiah, Jabez, mentioned below, Jonas.
(III) Captain Jabez, son of Jonas Fairbanks, was born at Lancaster, Jan. 8, 1670-71, and settled there after the war. He died March 2, 1758. He was a very efficient soldier and officer in the Indian war, and was no doubt incited to heroic exploits by the massacre of his father and brother in 1676, and of his only surviving brother in 1697 during a raid on the town. At the time his brother, Jonathan and one of his children were killed, Captain Jabez was the means of saving a garrison and perhaps many lives, including that of his little son Joseph. Twenty-one persons were killed in this raid, two were wounded, and six carried off captives, of whom five were ransomed later, including the wife on Jonathan Fairbanks.
In 1700 Jabez Fairbanks had land granted him on both sides of Dane's brook above Thomas Sawyer's sawmill. This site was the homestead of Jabez and his descendants for a hundred years. He was deputy to the general court in 1714-21-22-23.
He married (first) Mary Wilder, who died Feb. 21, 1718, in her forty-third year, daughter of Thomas and Mary (Houghton) Wilder. He married (second) March 25, 1719, Elizabeth Whitcomb, who died May 11, 1755, aged about eighty years.
Children of first wife:
Joseph, Jabez, Elizabeth, Jonas, Thomas, mentioned below, Abigail, Jonathan, Grace, Joshua, Anna.
(IV) Deacon Thomas, son of Captain Jabez Fairbank, was baptized in Lancaster in 1707, died Feb. 10, 1791. He was sentinel in Captain Josiah Willard's company in the Indian War, June 3, to Nov. 10, 1725. He was also a soldier in Captain Ephraim Wilder's company. Colonel Samuel Willard's regiment in July, 1748, called out to rescue John Fitch, his wife and four children, who had been captured by the Indians.
He married, April 24, 1729, Dorothy Carter, baptized Feb. 4, 1710-11, died Sept. 13, 1784, daughter of Samuel and Dorothy (Wilder) Carter.
Children:
Corporal Samuel, killed at Lake George, Sept. 8, 1755; John, mentioned below; Jonathan, Thomas, Dorothy, Joseph, Ephraim, Mary, Silas, Oliver.
(V) John, son of Deacon Thomas Fairbank, was born in Lancaster, May 4, 1731, and was a soldier in the Colonial wars. He removed to Athol after 1757. He married (first) July 10, 1751, Relief Houghton; (second) Dec. 15, 1796, Mrs. Tabitha White, born Dec. 30, 1747, daughter of Josiah and Tabitha (Howe) Carter, of Leominster.
Children, born in Lancaster:
Relief, Nahum, John, mentioned below, Samuel, born in Athol, Benjamin, Dorothy, Ephraim, Rhoda, Parney.
(VI) Major John (2) son of John (1) Fairbank, was born in Lancaster, May 6, 1755. He removed with his parents to Athol, and in 1790 to northeastern New York then called "The Chazy." He died at the home of his son, Warren C. Fairbank, Oct. 20, 1830. He was a soldier in the revolution and his name appears on the coat rolls. He was eight months in 1775 in Captain Ichabod Dexter's company, Colonel Woodbridge's regiment; two months and twenty days from Sept. 1, 1777, in Captain Thomas Lord's company, Colonel Cushing's regiment, in the miscellaneous militia service, and spent a hard winter at Valley Forge. His dwelling in New York, on the border of Canada, was the scene of a conflict between Captain Mayer's company and Forsyth's riflemen, during the war of 1812, the family taking refuge from the shot in the cellar. His teams were pressed into drawing baggage on the invader's way to Plattsburgh. His son John, a lad of considerable spirit, drove his ox-team; he objected to his load, but was ordered forward, when he upset the cart on the road; his objections were then heeded.
Major John Fairbank married, in Athol, July 16, 1780, Fanny Kelton, who died July 10, 1847.
Children:
Reuben, Asa, Lydia, Malinda, Frances, John H., Warren Calvin, mentioned below, Lorenzo.
(VII) Warren Calvin, son of Major John (2) Fairbank, was born in Rouse's Point, Sept. 15, 1801, died Sept. 6, 1872. He was a farmer. Although never very robust physically, he was a man of strong character, firm and determined, changing his mind, when once made up, only for the best of reasons.
He married, Dec. 25, 1839, Sarah Ann Stearns, born Feb. 22, 1813, died Jan. 27, 1890. (see Stearns VI).
Children:
1. Clark Stearns, born Nov. 18, 1840; married, Feb. 13, 1873, Ann Celia Lansing.
2. Marion Helen, March 23, 1847, died Feb. 23, 1851.
3. Alexander Warren, dec. 19, 1852, mentioned below.
4. John Calvin, born Jan. 1, 1855, mentioned below.
(VIII) Dr. Alexander Fairbank, son of Warren Calvin Fairbank, was born Dec. 19, 1852, at Rouse's Point, N.Y. He attended the public schools and the Academy in Champlain, and afterwards the Franklin Academy in Malone, N.Y. After teaching school for a time, he began the study of medicine in the office of Drs. G.G. and L.C. Dodge, of Rouse's Point, and in the spring of 1871 attended medical lectures in the Albany Medical College. In the fall of 1872 his father died, which prevented his attending college that year, and during the winter he devoted his time to teaching, reading, rolling bandages and dressing minor wounds in the office of Dr. Doge. He returned to college in 1873-74, graduating Dec. 22, 1874, at the age of twenty-two. He established an office in Chazy, N.Y. May 5, 1875, ten miles from Rouse's Point where he has since remained in active practice, and has built up a good business. He is the consulting physician to the St. Lawrence Hospital. For twenty-one years he was a member of the board of education at Chazy, and chairman of the board of trustees of Chazy Public Library from its organization to the present time. [1910]. He is a director in the First National Bank of Champlain, N.Y., serving since 1890, and is loan commissioner of Clinton county. He is a member of the Northern New York Medical Society, State and American Medical associations, and the County Medical Organization. He is a member of Northern Light Lodge, No. 505, Free and Accepted Masons; Plattsburgh Chapter; De Soto Commandery, Plattsburgh; Oriental Temple, Troy, N.Y.
He married, June 19, 1877, Evelyn, born Sept. 22, 1853, daughter of Willard Wetherly and Mary Ann (Wait) Little, of Chazy, N.Y.
Children:
1. Bertha Evelyn, born Sept. 26, 1879; married, Sept. 26, 1907, Paul W. Towner of Waverly, N.Y.
2. Warren Little, Dec. 24, 1882.
3. May Augusta, April 26, 1886.
(VIII) John Calvin, son of Warren Calvin Faribank, was born Jan. 1, 1855. He is a farmer at Rouse's Point, N.Y., his farm consisting of one hundred and thirty-two acres, which he devotes to dairying and general farming. He takes an active interest in the affairs of the community, and served on the board of assessors seven years. He is a member of Champlain Grange, No. 883, of which he was a charter member; he filled the chair of master of the County Grange four years, and is now deputy to the State Grange.
He married, Nov. 27, 1877, Clara M., born at Port Hope, Canada, daughter of Francis and Mary (Farrow) Van Buskirk.