TITUS
Robert Titus, immigrant ancestor, was born in St. Catherine's parish, near Stanstead Abbotts, Herfordshire, England, about thirty miles from London, in 1600. He was probably a son of Colonel Silas Titus and wife Constantia. Colonel Titus died at this place, Oct. 22, 1667.
Robert Titus sailed from London, April 3, 1635, in the ship "Hopewell," with wife Hannah, aged thirty-one, son Jo., aged eight, and Edward, aged five years. He settled in Boston and had a grant at Muddy River (now Brookline). He was admitted a freeman, May 13, 1640. He removed to Weymouth and about 1644 to Rehoboth, with Rev. Samuel Newman. He was one of the founders of the town of Rehoboth; a commissioner of Plymouth county in 1648-49-50-54. He sold out his Rehoboth property to Robert Jones, of Nantasket, and went to Huntington, Long Island, May 23, 1654, with sons Samuel, Abiel and Content. His son John remained in Rehoboth.
The will of his wife Hannah was dated May 14, 1672, at Huntington, Long Island, and was proved Dec. 17, 1679. It is on file in the office of the clerk of the court of appeals at Albany.
Children:
1. John, born 1627, mentioned below.
2. Edmund, 1630, died 1727.
3. Samuel.
4. Susanna.
5. Abiel, born at Weymouth, March 17, 1640-41.
6. Content, March 28, 1643, died 1730.
(II) John, son of Robert Titus, was born in England in 1627, died April 16, 1689. He was one of the original purchasers of the town of Rehoboth, North Purchase, now Attleborough. He was active in state and church affairs. He and his son John were soldiers in King Philip's war.
He married Abigail, daughter of William Carpenter. She married (second) Nov. 9, 1692, Jonah Palmer.
She died March 5, 1710.
Children, born at Rehoboth:
1. John, Dec. 18, 1650, mentioned below.
2. Abigail, Feb. 18, 1652.
3. Silas, May 18, 1656.
4. Hannah, Nov. 28, 1658.
5. Samuel, June 1, 1661.
6. Joseph (twin), March 17, 1665.
7. Mary (twin), March 17, 1665.
8. Experience, Oct. 9, 1669.
(III) John (2) son of John (1) Titus, was born at Rehoboth, Dec. 18, 1650, died Dec. 2, 1697. He married (first) at Rehoboth, July 17, 1673, Lydia Redway, who died Nov. 25, 1676. He married (second) July 3, 1677, Sarah Miller, who died March 10, 1752.
Child of first wife:
1. Lydia, Dec. 6, 1674.
Children of second wife:
2. John, March 12, 1678.
3. Samuel, July 29, 1680.
4. Hannah, Nov. 10, 1682.
5. Robert, Feb. 23, 1684.
6. Sarah, Feb. 21, 1687-88.
7. Elizabeth, May 5, 1691.
8. Timothy, Dec. 16, 1692.
9. Abigail, April 25, 1695.
(IV) John (3) son of John (2) Titus, was born March 12, 1678, died April 16, 1758. He married (first) Hannah _____; (second) at Rehoboth, Nov. 23, 1709, Mercy Fisher; (third) Aug. 21, 1712, Mary Palmer.
Children, born at Rehoboth by first wife:
1. Hannah, Oct. 27, 1701.
2. John, Sept. 26, 1703.
3. Nathaniel, May 4, 1705.
4. Patience, Sept. 21, 1706.
5. Seth, Jan. 20, 1708-09.
Child of second wife:
6. Jonah, July 10, 1710.
Children of third wife:
7. Ebenezer, March 29, 1714, mentioned below.
8. Dorothy, May 18, 1716.
(V) Ebenezer, son of John (3) Titus, was born March 29, 1714, at Rehoboth. He married there (intentions dated July 15, 1738) Mehitable Garnsey.
Children, born at Rehoboth:
1. John, Aug. 23, 1739, mentioned below.
2. Comfort, Oct. 22, 1741.
3. Silvanus, April 10, 1744.
4. Elmer, Feb. 19, 1745-46.
5. Ebenezer, June 4, 1749.
6. Simeon, June 23, 1752.
(VI) John (4) son of Ebenezer Titus, was born at Rehoboth, Aug. 23, 1739. He married there, March 27, 1760, Polly Lloyd.
Children, born at Rehoboth:
1. Nancy, March 17, 1761.
2. John, mentioned below.
(VII) John (5) son of John (4) Titus, was born at Rehoboth, Oct. 28, 1762. He married at Rehoboth (intention dated May 19, 1786) Mehitable, born Sept. 28, 1765, daughter of Oliver and Sarah Fuller; granddaughter of Josiah and Mehitable Fuller. Oliver Fuller was born Nov. 29, 1732; Joaish Nov. 18, 1704. Robert Fuller, father of Josiah, was born June 28, 1671, son of Jonathan and Mehitable Fuller.
Children of John and Mehitable Titus:
Sally, William, Polly, Sophronia, Russell, Mehitable and Samantha.
(VIII) William, son of John (5) Titus, settled at Crown Point, New York, later at Moriah, and removed to Bloomindale, where he died. He married Hannah Harris, born at Moriah, N.Y., and died at Peru, N.Y.
Children:
Elbridge, Collins, Joseph A., George, Edgar and Judith.
(IX) Dr. Joseph A. Titus, son of William Titus, was born at Crown Point, N.Y., 1830, died at Elizabethtown, N.Y., 1880. He received a common school education, and in his youth worked in the lumbering and saw mills. He went to Bloomingdale, N.Y., in 1855, and engaged in business as a general merchant. He also conducted a hotel there. He was active in public affairs and a Republican in politics. For ten years he was supervisor of the town of St. Armond. He was appointed postmaster there by President Lincoln and served until 1872, when he was elected county clerk of Essex county and served two terms of three years each. When he assumed the duties of this office in 1872 he went to Elizabethtown to live, in order to have his house at the county seat near his office, and he continued to live there the remainder of his days. He retained his ownership of the store at Bloomingdale, however, as long as he lived. At the expiration of his term of office as county clerk, he began to study medicine, attended a course of study and began to practice at Elizabethtown, and continued to the time of his death in active practice.
He was a member of the local lodge of Free and Accepted Masons at Elizabethtown. In religion he was a Methodist.
He married Elizabeth Ricketson, of Peasleyville, Clinton county, N.Y. She died in 1906, aged eighty-four years, daughter of Howland and Rachel (White) Ricketson.
Children:
1. Josephine (twin), born in 1861.
2. Elizabeth (twin), born in 1861.
3. Howland Filmore, mentioned below.
(X) Howland Filmore, son of Dr. Joseph A. Titus, was born at Bloomingdale, Nov. 6, 1856, and educated there in the public schools, and at the Elizabethtown high school. He worked for his father, and after his father died he settled his business at Bloomingdale. He was a clerk for Smith & Prime, druggists, for one year, and afterward in the same line of business in the employ of H. E. Gillispie & Company at Au Sable Forks, N.Y., for a year. He then attended the College of Pharmacy and received the certificate for the State Board of Pharmacy. In company with Mr. Towne, he bought the drug store of H. E. Gillispie & Company, and also had a store in Bloomingdale, and for two years the firm name of Titus & Towne. In 1887, Mr. Titus bought out his partner's interest and continued the business alone until 1905, when he took into partnership another man named Towne, and the old name was resumed, Titus & Towne.
In politics Mr. Titus is a Republican, and he has been town clerk and clerk of the incorporated village. He is [1910] a member of the local lodge of Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Saranac Lake, and of the Independent Order of Foresters, of Bloomingdale, and charter member of the Maccabees. He attends the Methodist church.
He married, in 1885, Nettie E., born at Bloomingdale, daughter of Charles E. and Jeanette (Lamson) Towne.
Children:
1. Bennett E., born Aug. 1, 1886, employed by Paul Smith Hotel Company.
2. Charles J., 1890.
3. Elizabeth, 1891.
4. Howland H., died aged seven.
5. Ruth, died aged four years.
6. Reginald, 1902.