LANPHER
LANPHER
George Lanpher, the immigrant ancestor, came to Westerly, Rhode Island, as early as 1669. The place and date of his birth are not known. April 19, 1669, he bought land in Westerly of John Clarke. May 17, 1671, he took the oath of allegiance to Rhode Island. Under date of March 2, 1678, Samuel Hubbard writes: "Then we went to the waterside at the mill, then Brother Hiscock baptized George Lanphear, he came out rejoicing; his wife went into the water, was faint-hearted and came out unbaptized."
September 17, 1679, he took a second oath of allegiance. In July 1704, he had two hundred acres of land laid out.
He married, _______. He died October 6, 1731. Children: 1. Mary, died 1727. 2. Shadrach, died Jan. 29, 1728-29. 3. John, mentioned below, died 1757. 4. Theodosius, died 1749. 5. Seth, died 1725. 6. ______, daughter. 7. Sarah, married March 21, 1707-08.
(II) John, son of George Lanpher, married Ruth, who died in 1730. He died in 1757. His will was proven May 30, 1757. To his wife he left "what household goods she needs," her choice of a room, and maintenance while a widow. To his son John he left twenty-five acres of land; to son Daniel, forty-six acres, and house; to sons Ames and Nathan the rest of the land which he had from his father. To daughters Anna Lewis, Ruth Shaw, Experience Satterly, Mary, Patience and Keziah Lenpher, five pounds each. Children: L. John; Daniel; Ames; Nathan, mentioned below; Anna; Ruth; Experience; Mary; Patience; Keziah.
(III) Nathan, son of John Lanpher, was born in Westerly, Rhode Island, about 1715. He married (first), at Westerly (by Elder John Maxson), June 22, 1739, Mary Langworthy. He married (second), at Hopkinton, near Westerly, (by Joshua Clark), Anna or Amma Champlain. Children born at Westerly: by first wife: 1. Mary, April 5, 1740. 2. Nathan, Feb. 8, 1742; married Amey _____. 3. Elisha, Jan. 21, 1744. 4. Jonathan, April 19, 1748. 5. Langworthy, Feb. 5, 1753. 6. Amey, March 20, 1755. Children of second wife: 7. Patience, May 26, 1760. 8. Paul (twin), Feb. 25, 1762, settled with his brother Pardon in Lewis county, New York, and married a sister of Pardon's wife; served in the war of 1812; mentioned below. 9. Pardon (twin), Feb. 25, 1762. 10. Anne, Feb. 26, 1767. 11. Maxson, Dec. 5, 1769. 12. Catherine, Nov. 9, 1779(?).
(IV) Paul, son of Nathan Lanpher, was born at Westerly, Rhode Island, Feb. 25, 1762, and died May 1, 1836. He went with his twin brother, Pardon, to Lewis county, New York, in 1801, and settled in the town of Lowville. He married, Feb. 18, 1789, Elizabeth Barry, born Dec. 20, 1770, died Dec. 7, 1858, sister of the wife of his brother Pardon. He was a farmer, and served in the war of 1812. Children: 1. Abel, born at Westerly, Jan. 25, 1790, died on his ninety-fourth birthday. 2. Clark, born at Westerly, April 27, 1792. 3. Susannah, born March 6, 1795. 4. Paul B. 5. Jonathan, mentioned below.
(V) Jonathan, son of Paul Lanpher, was born at Lowville, New York, Aug. 17, 1806, and died there Feb. 17, 1887. He attended the district schools of his native town and worked during his boyhood on the farm of his father, now owned by Mrs. James Mefsey, a great-granddaughter of the first settler. He remained on the homestead, caring for his parents, until 1838, when he removed to Champion, Jefferson county, New York, and purchsed a farm.
In 1847 he sold his property in Jefferson county and bought a farm in Denmark, Lewis county, where he lived the remainder of his life, following farming for an occupation. A son succeeded to this farm. In politics he was an old line Whig originally, but a Republican after the breaking-up of the old party lines. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He married, April 2, 1837, Elizabeth Bailey Ellsworth, born Nov. 9, 1813, died Aug. 1903, daughter of Rev. Grove Ellsworth, one of the early settlers in Lewis county. (See Ellsworth). When she was an infant her mother died, and she was brought up by an aunt in Windsor, Connecticut. Children: 1. Eunice P., born July 1, 1838. 2. Harriet L., Dec. 15, 1839. 3. A. Marcellus, mentioned below. 4. Ann Eliza, Dec. 22, 1845. 5. Loren Grove, Oct. 2, 1847. 6. Eugene, July 27, 1850. 7. Abner Franklin, July 26, 1854. In 1909 Marcellus and Abner were the only survivors of the family.
(VI) A. Marcellus, son of Jonathan Lanpher, was born in Champion, Jefferson county, New York, Sept. 3, 1843. He was reared on the farm and educated at public, select and commercial schools. He was for a time a teacher in the public schools of Champion. He enlisted in Jan. 1864, in Company H, Twenty-sixth regiment, New York cavalry, and served until the end of the war. He was honorably discharged from the service, July 12, 1865. The following year he spent in Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. He began a mercantile career as clerk in the grocery and drug store of Stanford & Lanpher, at Lowville, New York, Aug. 22, 1867, and became a partner in 1875. The firm name was changed to A. M. & H. Lanpher, afterward Lanpher & Stevens. He withdrew from the firm in Jan. 1889, to undertake his duties as county clerk. He held that office nine consecutive years, being re-elected thrice.
When he retired from the office in Jan. 1898, he entered partnership with Julius Wood in the real estate business under the firm name of the Lowville Real Estate and Loan Agency. This firm had a prosperous business and continued until June 1, 1908, when Mr. Lanpher withdrew to accept the appointment of postmaster at Lowville from President Roosevelt. He has continued in this office and has filled other offices of trust and responsibility.
In 1881 he was elected treasurer of the village and overseer of the poor, holding these places for eight years. He attends the Presbyterian church of Lowville, of which his son Harry is organist. Mr. Lanpher is a prominent Free Mason. For twenty-nine years he was secretary of Lowville Lodge, No. 134, being elected first in 1879, and he is at present treasurer and trustee of the lodge. In 1875-6 he was worshipful master of the lodge; in 1885-6, district deputy grand master. In capitular Masonry he has received high honors. He is past high priest of Lowville chapter, Nov. 223, R. A. M., and representative of the grand chapter of New York. He is a member of Watertown Commandery, No. 11, Knights Templar. He is a comrade of Guilford D. Bailey Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of which for five years he was senior vice-commander.
He married Dec. 13, 1871, Emma A. Hawver, born in Jefferson county, New York Jan. 24, 1852, daughter of Abram and Eliza (Snyder) Hawver. Abram Hawver was born Feb. 16, 1826, died July 22, 1884; married Dec. 3, 1846, Eliza Snyder, born Dec. 10, 1824, died Aug. 23, 1865. Children: 1. Bertha E., died aged thirty years. 2. Erwin E., born Jan. 28, 1875; married Helen S. Moore of Atlantic City, New Jersey, April 5, 1805; a civil engineer, was on the Nicaraugua canal survey, and is now on the Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, water system. 3. Anna Muriel, born June 1, 1876; married George P. Kalk of Chicago, Illinois, May 1, 1906. 4. Harvey M., born May 13, 1878, clerk in the Lowville post-office.