NORTHAM
Samuel Northam, the first of the family of the branch here under consideration, emigrated from England in 1708, settling in the town of Colchester, Conn., where he was respected and esteemed for his many excellent qualities. He married and was the father of three sons, namely: John, Jonathan and Charles.
(II) Jonathan, son of Samuel Northam, was born in the town of Colchester, Conn., June 8, 1725, died May 8, 1807. He married, March 31, 1754, Anna Williams, who died Oct. 15, 1826, aged ninety-two years.
Children:
1. Samuel, born Jan. 25, 1755, died May 2, 1834.
2. Jonathan, April 10, 1756, died Feb. 5, 1840.
3. Eunice, Sept. 25, 1757, died Oct. 25, 1831.
4. Anna, June 15, 1759, died Sept. 15, 1831.
5. Russell, Feb. 15, 1761, died Nov. 9, 1778.
6. Louis, Feb. 7, 1763, died July 30, 1830.
7. Lucy, Oct. 27, 1764, died July 26, 1851.
8. Asa, Oct. 27, 1766, died Nov. 6, 1855.
9. Charles, July 18, 1768, died March 8, 1852.
10. Eli, June 2, 1770, died Aug. 31, 1857.
11. Polly, Aug. 9, 1772, died July 10, 1833.
12. Dolly, Feb. 19, 1775, died May 8, 1817.
13. Dudley, March 2, 1777, died Nov. 4, 1778.
(III) Samuel, eldest son of Jonathan and Anna (Williams) Northam, was born Jan. 25, 1755, died May 2, 1834. He settled in Leyden, Lewis county, New York, in 1807, removing thence from Haddam, Conn., with an ox team drawing a cart, whereupon was all the household goods, the family usually walking; the trip at that time requiring about six weeks to make. He settled on a farm there, which was nearly all woodland at that time. With the assistance of his sons he cleared off a considerable portion of the farm, cultivating and managing it as long as he was able to work.
He was twenty years of age when the revolutionary war commenced; he participated as a private for several years, but there is no record of the battles he took part in; the stories of that struggle related to his children and grandchildren were full of incidents of the terrible scenes he passed through during those days of army life.
He married, about 1780, Hannah Clark, who died Dec. 23, 1832, at the age of eighty. After her death he lived with his son Samuel on the old farm till his death, whch occurred May 2, 1834, aged seventy-nine years.
Children:
Russell, Sally, Dudley, Erastus and Samuel.
(IV) Samuel (2) son of Samuel (1) and Hannah (Clark) Northam, was born in Haddam, Conn., Feb. 19, 1789, died in Leyden, N.Y., April 30, 1873. He acquired in the common schools of that day an education which enables him to become a teacher, in which capacity he served for several years during the winter season and conducted the farm during the summer months, thereby a comfortable competence. For a year or mroe he was a soldier in the war of 1812, stationed at Sacketts Harbor, and was there at the time of the building of the warship "New Orleans," which, though unfinished, remained at its stock at Sacketts Harbor for many years, a souvenir of the war of 1812. On Feb. 23, 1820, De Witt Clinton, then governor of the state of New York, issued a certificate of appointment in which the following words occur:...."We, reposing especial trust and confidence, as well in your patriotism, conduct and loyalty, as in your integrity and readiness to do us good and faithful service, have appointed and constituted, and by these presents do appoint and constitute you, the said Samuel Northam Jun., captain of a company in the 46th regiment of infantry of our said state." After describing manner of procedure the certificate was signed by De Witt Clinton, Governor, and Joseph C. Yates, Secretary.
Mr. Northam was frequently elected to town office, the most important one being supervisor of his town, and he performed his duties to the satisfaction of his constituents. He was admirably adapted to settling disputes between neighbors, a position which he was frequently called to fill, and the outcome of which was generally satisfactory.
He married, in 1811, Melynda Bailey, whose family emigrated from Middletown, Conn. She was a daughter of Abijah Bailey, born 1756, and Hannah, his wife, born 1761, and they were the parents of ten children, as follows:
Elias, born 1787; Cyrus, 1789, died 1795; Melynda, 1791; Comfort, 1793; Halsey, 1795; Lucretia, 1797; Roxana, 1799; Cyrus, 1801; Edwin and Edward twins, 1805.
Children of Samuel and Melynda (Bailey) Northam:
1. Fidelia, born Aug. 6, 1812, died May 12, 1889.
2. Newton E., Dec. 30, 1816, died Jan. 7, 1885.
3. George, Nov. 26, 1820, died Aug. 18, 1890.
4. Charles C., Feb. 18, 1823, died Sept. 13, 1893.
5. Henry C., Dec. 23, 1826.
(V) Henry C., son of Samuel (2) and Melynda (Bailey) Northam, is the only member of the family now living (1910). His early life was spent at home, attending the public school during the summer months until ten years of age, after which he worked on the farm in summer, attending school four months in the winter. At the age of nineteen he commenced teaching in the so-called district schools, attending Lowville Academy two terms, spirng and fall, for four years, teaching during the winter, and working about forty days in haying time, earning money to pay tuition and board while attending the academy. During his course of study at Lowville Academy he taught the public school at Beach's Bridge for five consecutive winters. In the spring of 1852 he went to Oceanport, near Long Beach, New Jersey, teaching the school there for four years, at the expiration of which time he returned to Port Leyden, N.Y., and established the Port Leyden Institute, which he conducted four years.
In 1860 he was elected school commissioner for the first school commissioner district of Lewis county, which office he filled for two terms of three years each. At the close of the term of office, 1866, he was employed by the superintendent of schools for the state of New York, Hon. Victor M. Rice, to conduct teacher's institutes in several counties of the state, and for thirty consecutive years he has been engaged in the institute work, averaging from twelve to twenty weeks each, having been in all the counties of the state except four, and in many of them several times.
In 1878 he published a book on civics, entitled "Northam's Civil Government of the Empire State for Schools," which became the leading book on the subject, remaining so for many years, being used in nearly all the public schools of the state. Later he published a book entitled, "Helps in History," giving various plans for teaching history, which had quite a large circulation. His later years have been devoted to the revision of these books and keeping them before the public.
More than sixty years of his life have been spent in connection with public schools, with which he is thoroughly familiar, keeping pace with all the changes that have occurred in the excellent educational system that prevails in that section.
Mr. Northam married (first) Oct. 28, 1851, Mary Arminda, daughter of Joseph and Amy Garmon, of Watson, N.Y. She died Aug. 20, 1878. Married (second), April 10, 1882, Mrs. Eliza Buell, who died Sept. 13, 1893. Married (third) Oct. 24, 1900, Mrs. Sarah J. Bennett, who died July 30, 1901.
Children of first wife:
1. Frank H., born July 8, 1854, died Sept. 6, 1855.
2. Emma F., Sept. 26, 1856, died Jan. 26, 1867.
3. Florence A., Aug. 15, 1862.
(VI) Florence A., daughter of Henry C. and Mary Armida (Garomon) Northam, was born Aug. 14, 1862. She was educated in the public schools and Lowville Academy. She has spent her entire life in Lewis county, N.Y. Her mother died when she was sixteen years old, and the entire charge of the home devolved upon her young shoulders, which work was satisfactorily performed by her for four years, at the same time attending school, until Mrs. Buell, whom her father afterward married, became the housekeeper.
She married, April 15, 1885, John E. Haberer, who was one of the largest furniture manufacturers in northern New York, and since then has resided in Lowville. Mr. Haberer died Nov. 23, 1908.
Their children are:
H. Northam, born Jan. 18, 1886.
A. Muriel, Aug. 18, 1887.
Two children died in infancy, namely: Theodore Edward died Dec. 5, 1898; Henry Edward, died Feb. 24, 1901.