SNELL
Most of the colonial families of the name of Snell, and probably all of them, are descended from John Snell, who came from England to Weymouth, Massachusetts. He was a shipwright in Boston. His wife Philippa, died there, and he married Hannah, daughter of James Smith, of Weymouth. He died Nov. 27, 1668, leaving a will in which he bequeaths to wife Hannah and four children; son John to be brought up by his father-in-law, James Smith, and mother-in-law (parents of Snell's second wife) Jane Smith; Susanna and youngest daughter Jane by wife; Hannah by his master and Mrs. Timothy Prout, Sen.; money to be sent to his brother, Symon Snell, of London, England.
Children:
1. Susanna, born June 21, 1659.
2. Anna, Jan. 2, 1661.
3. John, Oct. 9, 1663.
4. Philippa, Oct. 10, 1663.
5. Simon, August 22, 1667.
Descendants have been numerous in Weymouth, Bridgewater and vicinity, in Ware and North Brookfield, Mass.
The relationship of the Mohawk Valley Snells has not been established on account of the deficiencies of records. It is known that the Snell family came before the revolution and had a grant of three thousand acres of land near what is now Little Falls, then Tryon county, now Herkimer county, in the Mohawk Valley. Five generations have lived on this original grant and the name is still [1910] common in that section. The family was numberous in revolutionary days.
In the Second Regiment of Tryon county, N.Y., Colonel Jacon Klock, we find in the revolution, Adam, Hanckl, Hanyost, Jacob, Jacob Frederick, John, John Jr., John F., John J., John, P., Nicholas, Peter, Selfrinus, Thomas Jacob, Nicholas and Jacob were heads of families in 1790, and also John, John J., and John S. Snell all of Palatine town, or Otsego, New York. The names indicate that the family had Dutch blood in its veins, perhaps by intermarriage with the Palatines of the Mohwak Valley. According to family tradition there were nine brothers among the ancestors from Snell Bush under General Herkimer at the battle of Oriskany in the revolution. The record appears to corroborate the tradition, though the exact names of these soldiers are not known.
(I) John Snell, probably son of John Snell, and grandson of one of the first settlers at Snell Bush, Little Falls, N.Y., was born at Snell Bush in 1796. He came to Lewis county with his parents when he was a young man. He was educated in the common schools, and then devoted his life mainly to farming. He was at one time captain of a company in the state militia.
After his marriage he settled on a farm in Denmark, New York, cleared the same and erected a house and barns. He married Margaret Goutermont.
Children:
Silas, born 1830; Mary, 1832, died 1876; Eva, 1836, died 1859; Philena, 1838, diedd Feb. 26, 1842; Enos, mentioned below; Philip, 1843, died 1892.
(II) Enos, son of John Snell, was born Jan. 21, 1841, at Denmark, N.Y., and was educated there in the public schools. He was employed on neighboring farms when a young man. Soon after he came of age, he enlisted in Company A., One Hundred and Eighty-sixth Regiment, New York Volunteers, and served to the end of the civil war. Then he purchased a farm at Harrisburg, N.Y., and conducted it for a time. He sold it and bought another at Lowville; this farm is located on the East road, overlooking the Black River Valley. He conducted this farm for many years and prospered. Having earned a period of rest and leisure by a long and laborious life, he retired a few years ago [this was pub. in 1910] to a pleasant home in Castorland village, where he now lives. In politics he is a Republican; in religion a member of the Baptist church.
He married, at Copenhage, N.Y., Mary V., daughter of Elisha and Lucia (Watson) Carter. Elisha and Lucia Carter had children: Lucius Carter, born Sept. 1839; Harrison Carter, Aug. 1841; Mary V. Carter, June 9, 1843; Madison Carter, March 1848; Irena Carter, April 1850; Eva D. Carter, Aug. 1859; Emma C. Carter, Jan, 1862; Olive J. Carter, DEc. 1866.
Enos and Mary V. Snell had one child:
Eva, born Oct. 4, 1870, died April 18, 1909; married, Dec. 9, 1896, Ernest Buxton; children: E. Stewart Buxton, born Feb. 9, 1898; Jesse Ernest Buxton, Sept. 15, 1899; Edith Ardell Buxton, July 13, 1902.
Madison Carter, third son of Elisha and Lucia Carter, married, March 26, 1878, Cora Connelly; children: Clarence I., born Feb. 9, 1879, married Ada Joy Nelson, born July 1881; Ada E., Sept. 17, 1883.; Eva D. Carter, third daughter of Elisha and Lucia Carter, married Chauncey Wilcox, at Lowville, March 24, 1886; children: Ethyel Wilcox, born Jan. 17, 1887; De Vene Wilcox, Dec. 13, 1891, died Sept. 22, 1892; Roscoe J. Wilcox, April 2, 1894. Emma C. Carter, fourth daughter of Elisha and Lucia Carter, married John R. Schantz, Feb. 29, 1888 at Lowville, N.Y. children: Clinton H. Schantz, born April 30, 1889; Mildred M. Schantz, April 15, 1892; Marion R. Schantz, Jan. 18, 1900.
SECOND ENTRY:
John Snell was born in Herkimer county, in the Mohawk Valley, New York. His father is believed to have come from Holland. John was a farmer, and removed to Ludlow, Vermont. He married Mary Howard.
Children:
Martin, Allanson J., mentioned below, Almira, Lucinda, Laura, Mary, Charles and George.
(II) Allanson J., son of John Snell, was born at Ludlow, Vermont, in 1812 and died at Potsdam, New York, in August, 1885. He was educated in the district school in his native town, and became a farmer and lumber dealer. He served as lieutenant in the state mlitia when a young man. In 1852 he removed to South Colton, N.Y., where he conducted a farm. He served as assessor in Colton, and was a Republican. He was a member of the Baptist church.
He married (first) Mary Flint; (second) Clarissa Flint, sister of his first wife.
Children, all by first wife:
Laura, John, Charles E., mentioned below, George, Wellington, Ovett, Hollis, mentioned below, Crodden.
(III) Charles E., son of Allanson J. Snell, was born in Jay, Vermont, May 20, 1837. He came to New York state with his parents when an infant, and attended the public schools in Clintonville and also at Elizabethtown. On their removed to Potsdam in 1852 he attended school there for a year, and in 1853 settled in Colton, where he finished his schooling. He engaged in the lumber busines until the opening of the civil war, and in 1864 enlisted in the Thirteenth New York cavalry, Company F, and served until 1865. He was on scouting duty most of the time pursuing Mosby's Guerillas in Virginia and Maryland. He was at the battle of Cedar Creek, Oct. 19, 1864. At the close of the war he returned to Colton, bought timber land and resumed his lumber business, having a saw and grist mill at South Colton. In 1874 he removed to Potsdam, and has since been engaged in farming and lumbering, jobbing and contracting, but has lately retired from active work. [this pub. in 1910].
In politics he is a Republican, and has served as assessor and collector of taxes in Colton. For two years he was poor master of Potsdam. He is a member of Marsh Post, No. 214, Grand Army of the Republic, of Potsdam.
In religion he is a Universalist. He married, Sept. 28, 1859, Evelyn Johnson, born in Vergennes, Vermont, 1838, daughter of Samuel and Mary (Hepburn) Burns.
Children:
1. Mary, born July 2, 1861; married Edwin Wallace Hitchcock, of Potsdam; associated with the Hannawa Falls Power Company; has Fayette, Wallace E. and Louise E. Hitchcock.
2. Ovett A., Oct. 31, 1862; resides at Watertown, N.Y.; married Elizabeth J. Irwin; children: i. Charles O., married Alva Rich and has Gladys Mary; ii. Laura May; iii. Jeanette Irwin; iv. William James.
3. Elbridge C., May 13, 1865; died 1905.
4. Irving Eugene, 1872, a paper manufacturer; married Margaret Chalmers.
(III) Hollis, son of Allanson J. Snell, was born in Jay, Vermont, Feb. 12, 1844, died at Potsdam Dec. 18, 1891. About 1853 he came to Colton with his parents, and his education was obtained in the common school. On Sept. 3, 1864, he enlisted for the civil war in Company F, Thirteenth New York Cavalry, under General Philip H. Sheridan, for detached service, in the same company with his brother. He was severely wounded May 6, 1865, and never entirely recovered from the effects of the wound, which shortened his life. He was mustered out at Fairfax Court House in June, 1865, and returned to Colton. He engaged in business in the firm of Flint & Snell for a time, and then in the lumber business. He was foreman for a lumber company at first, and in 1875 went into business on his own account. In 1886 he removed to Potsdam, where he lived the remainder of his life, and was actively engaged in the lumber and timber land business up to his death. He was a leading citizen of the town, a Republican in politics. He was a director of the People's Bank at Potsdam from its organization until his death. In religion he was a Methodist.
He married, Sept. 21, 1868, Flora E., born April 1, 1850, daughter of Israel Andrew Jackson and Sarah Maria (Brown) Kimball, of Strafford, Vermont.
Children:
1. Bertrand H., born Dec. 9, 1870, mentioned below.
2. Kimball Jackson, Feb. 1, 1875; manager of Hannawa Falls Power Company in Potsdam.
(IV) Bertrand Hollis, son of Hollis Snell, was born at Colton, N.Y., Dec. 9, 1870. He was educated in the public schools of his native town, and was a graduate of the Potsdam Normal School. He graduated at Amherst College in 1894. He was engaged in the lumber business, buying lumber lands, and organizing the Canton Lumber Company at Canton, N.Y., with mills there. He was one of the original stockholders in the Raquette River Paper Company, of which he was secretary and one of the managers for several years, and has been very successful in the business. He was formerly a director in the People's Bank of Potsdam, and is now vice-president and director of the Citizen's Bank of that town. He is also director in the St. Lawrence County National Bank at Canton, N.Y., and director and president of the Potsdam Clothing Company; director and president of the Northern Wall Paper Company, director and president of the F. H. Watkins Lumber Company of New York City, a member of the Potsdam Milling Company, trustee of the Building and Loan Association of Potsdam, N.Y.; is also the largest stockholder, director and vice-president of the Phoenix Cheese Company of New York City. He is president of the Business Men's Association of Potsdam, N.Y., and is director of the Northern New York Development League. He is prominent in the various lodges; member of the Raquette River Lodge of Free Masons, of Potsdam; of St. Lawrence Royal Arch Chapter; of St. Lawrence Commandery, Knights Templar, of Canton; of Media Temple, Order of Nobls of the Mystic Shrine of Watertown. He belongs to the fraternity Beta Theta Phi, of Amherst College. In politics he is a Republican, and is an active worker in the Episcopal church, serving as vestryman.
He married, June 3, 1903, Sara Louise, daughter of Dr. Edgar H. and Elizabeth (Carpenter) Merrick, of Toronto, Canada. They have one child, Helen Louise, born in Potsdam, May 10, 1904.