NORTHERN NEW YORK
Genealogical and family history of northern New York: a record of the achievements of her people
in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation.
New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co. 1910.



STEVENS



Transcribed by Coralynn Brown



There were many emigrants bearing this name in the early settlement of New England. In Essex county, Mass. alone there were several of the name within two or three towns, all of whom left a numerous progeny. The name has been identified with progress and culture down through all the generations to the present time, and is worthily represented in northern New York.

(I) Colonel Thomas Stevens was an armorer in Buttolph's Lane, London, England, who contracted with the governor and company in March, 1629, to supply arms for Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was himself a member of the company and gave fifty pounds to the common stock. Three sons and a daughter became settlers in the colony. He signed the insturctions to Captain Endicott. Though the family was of Devonshire in the early days, he went to London, where his children were probably born.
Children:
Thomas, emigrated in 1660.
Richard, father of Samuel, of Marlborough.
William, mentioned below.
Mary, married Captain Whipple, of London.

(II) William, third son of Colonel Thomas Stevens, was born in London, and came to America with several children, including Thomas, who lived in Sudbury and Stowe, Mass.;
Cyprian, mentioned below.
Richard, who returned to England.
Mary, who married Captain Whipple, of Ipswich.

(III) Cyprian, second son of William Stevens, was born about 1644-45, in London, and sailed from that city for New England. He resided first at Rumney Marsh, now Chelsea, and settled at Lancaster, Mass., about the time King Philip's war broke out. Being forced to find a safer place of residence for his famly he went to Sudbury and was given authority to receive an Indian child of six years, probably of a friendly tribe, whose father perhaps was serving in the English ranks. He lived at one time in Boston, where his fourth child was born.
After the close of King Philip's war he returned to Lancaster, where he was a prominent citizen, serving in various town offices, and was clerk of writs from 1682-1686.
He married, at Lancaster, Jan. 22, 1672, Mary, daughter of Major Simon Willard, a prominent founder of Lancaster, and his third wife, May Dunster, a relative of President Dunster, of Harvard College.
Children:
Mary, born Nov. 22, 1672, at Lancaster, became wife of Samuel Wright, of Sudbury.
Dorothy, died in infancy.
Simon, mentioned below.
Elizabeth, born 1681, married Captain Ephraim Wilder, of Lancaster.
Joseph, 1683, married Prudence Rice, was a prominent citizen of Rutland, Mass., father of Captain Phineas Stevens, a foremost citizen of Charlestown, New Hampshire.

(IV) Simon, elder son of Cyprian and Mary (Willard) Stevens, was born Aug. 13, 1677, at Boston, and resided in Marlborough, Lancaster, and again in Marlborough, where he died Jan. 25, 1758. He "owned" the covenant at Marlborough church and removed from that town to Lancaster about 1708.
He married, in 1701, at Lancaster, Mary, daughter of Nathaniel and Mary (Sawyer) Wilder. She was born May 12, 1679, in Lancaster and died in that town. He married (second), after 1729, Mary (Gove) Martin, widow of Thomas Martin, of Marlborough. She survived him and died in that town. Her mother, Mary Holmes, was an unwilling emigrant to America. While bidding adieu to some friends on shipboard the vessel sailed, and on arriving she decided to remain here, and subsequently married a Mr. Gove, whose baptismal name does not appear of record.
Children of Simon Stevens:
Cyprian, born 1702.
Mary, 1705, baptized 1707, at First Church, Lancaster.
Simon, bap. May 30, 1709.
Nathaniel, died young.
Nathaniel, born June 14, 1714.
Dorothy, Sept. 13, 1719.
Joseph, mentioned below.
Lucy, born 1733.
The last was probably the only child of the second wife.

(V) Joseph, sixth son of Simon and Mary (Wilder) Stevens, was born 1721, in Lancaster, and settled in Petersham, Mass., where he died in 1771. He married Dorothy Sawyer.
Children:
1. Eunice, born Jan. 31, 1752; married Captain Wing Spooner, of Petersham.
2. Lemuel, Jan. 10, 1752 [transcriber's note: the sibling above was born in 1752, so this doesn't work. They are not twins, either, as the dates in Jan. are different]; married Hannah Green; removed to Canada.
3. Joseph, died in infancy.
4. Damaris, Jan. 9, 1755; married Dana Ward, of Petersham.
5. Simon, died young.
6. Gardner, Feb. 15, 1758; married (first) Mary Baker, of Templeton; (second) Abigail Bridgman.
7. Simon, mentioned below.
8. Oliver, Aug. 10, 1761; married Elizabeth Long.
9. John, June 7, 1763, settled in Barnet, Vermont.
10. Polly, May 8, 1767; married Joseph Baker.
11. Cyprian, April 6, 1769; married Sally Robinson; was a physician in Paris, Maine.
12. Dolly, Nov. 19, 1770; married Willard Barnes, of Hardway, Massachusetts.

(VI) Simon (2), fourth son of Joseph and Dorothy (Sawyer) Stevens, was born Feb. 15, 1760, in Lancaster, and was a practising physician in Guilford, Vermont, and associated with Dr. Hyde, a well-known physician of that town. He served as a surgeon with the rank of major in the war of 1812, and resided in Guilford until his death, Aug. 15, 1824. He was an active and useful citizen, and served as justice of the peace and representative in the legislature.
He married (first), about 1786, Lois Willard, of Winchester, New Hampshire.
Children:
Simon, born 1787, mentioned below.
Benjamin, 1789.
Cyprian.
Dr. Stevens married (second) Eunice Cunnabell.
Children:
____, born 1794.
Eunice, 1796.
He married (third) Susannah Greenleaf.
Children:
Greenleaf.
Eliza, born 1806.
Elvira, 1809.

(VII) Simon (3), eldest child of Dr. Simon (2) and Lois (Willard) Stevens, was born Feb. 13, 1787, in Guilford, Vermont, and died July, 1852 in Moira, New York. He lived for some time at Dunham, province of Quebec, whence he removed about 1835, to Moira, Frankin county, N.Y. He taught school when young and later was a farmer.
He married, in 1811, Clarissa Hyde, born May 20, 1787, in Guilford, died Oct. 1, 1852, in Moira, daughter of Dana and Lucy (Fitch) Hyde, of that town.
Children:
1. Dana, born 1811; a successful physician in Moira, was county superintendent of schools at the time of his death, Oct. 11, 1850.
2. Lucy (twin of Dana), died in infancy.
3. Lois, born 1814, died in infancy.
4. George, 1816, died March 1895, resided in Malone.
5. Simon Dwight, 1818, died April, 1899; was a merchant in Malone; the only Republican in the family.
6. Lois, 1822; married D. W. Lawrence, and resides in Malone, N.Y.
7. Louisa, 1824; married Wesley Pierce.
8. Baker, 1827, lives in Malone, retired.
9. Clinton, mentioned below.
10. Clarissa, twin of Clinton, died in infancy.
11. Ann, 1832.

(VIII) Clinton, fifth son of Simon (3) and Clarissa (Hyde) Stevens, was born April 9, 1830, in Dunham, Quebec, and settled in Bangor, later Moira, New York. He was a merchant and interested in banking, and is now (1910) retired, residing in Malone, where he was many years an active citizen. He resuscitated the Franklin County Agricultural Society, of which he was twice president, and which maintains one of the best fairs in the state.
He married, Dec. 17, 1856, Sabra Lawrence, born March 2, 1835, in Moira, daughter of Jonathan and Desire Huntington (Fuller) Lawrence, of that town.
Children:
Carrie, born 1860, died May 23, 1910.
Edward, mentioned below.
Robert, born Sept. 5, 1871, is superintendent of the Skinner Engine Company, of Erie, Pennsylvania.

(IX) Edward Lawrence, elder son of Clinton and Sabra Lawrence Stevens, was born May 20, 1867, in Malone, where he passed his boyhood and received his primary education. He entered Hamilton College at Clinton, N.Y., from which he was graduated with the degree of A.B. in 1890, and three years later received the degree of A.M. from the same institution. St. Lawrence University, at Canton, gave him the honorary degree of L.H.D. in 1906. His life work has been that of teaching and he served as principal of several grade and high schools, and became an instructor in the State Normal School at Jamaica, N.Y. As superintendent he organized the schools in the borough of Queens, New York City, in 1898, and became a member of the board of school superintendents of New York City in 1902, which connection has since continued. Since 1904 he has been in charge of the high schools of the city, and he has also been lecturer on education in Columbia, Cornell and New York universities.
Since 1906 he has been a member of the State Examination Board. He is a member of the National Educational Association, and of the Masonic fraternity, in which he has attained the principal degrees.
For some years previous to 1894 he was a member of the National Guard, and is now identified with the following clubs: City, Alphra Delta Phi and City Graduates.
He married, at Chateaugay, N.Y., 1894, Carrie M. Hatch, born 1868, daughter of Silas Wright and Frances (Farnsworth) Hatch.
Mr. and Mrs. Stevens have one son, Robert Farnsworth, born 1896.

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