Person Page

     Lorin French married Emeline Jane Town, daughter of Orrin Town and Lydia Ann Ford.¹

     Warren Ford was born on 10 October 1798 in Schoharie Co., New York.² He married Sophia Town, daughter of Isaac Town and Judith Hutchins, on 11 February 1819.¹ (The Ford genealogy says they were married in Blairsburg, Iowa (although Blairsburg was then in Howard Co., Missouri Territory).¹ It seems more likely that they were married in Onondaga Co., New York. Warren and Sophia were then just 20 and 19 years old, respectively; Sophia's parents died in Onondaga Co. in 1819 and 1821^3,4; and Sophia's widowed mother Judith and Warren's father John are both listed in Spafford, Onondaga Co., in the 1820 census, just three lines apart.)^5,6 He died on 8 April 1877 at the home of his son-in-law J. R. Sherwood in Blairsburg Twp., Hamilton Co., Iowa, at age 78.^7,2 He was buried at Blairsburg Cemetery in Blairsburg.⁸
     On 11 July 1833 he bought 74.83 acres of land in Munson Twp., Geauga Co., Ohio, from Titus Street.⁹ He and his wife Sophia apparently moved from Munson Twp. to Burton Twp., Geauga Co., probably in late 1835. On 3 September 1835 Warren Ford "of the town of Munson" bought 5.74 acres in Burton Twp. from Harris Goold for $100.¹⁰ On 4 December 1837 he and Sophia "of Burton" sold this land to James Gilmore for the same price.¹¹
     He is listed in Parkman Twp., Geauga Co., in the 1840 census.¹² The Ford genealogy says he bought land in Hamlin Twp., Eaton Co., Michigan, on 30 April 1846.¹ However, on 5 October 1847 he bought an acre of land in Parkman Twp. from Archy Loveland for $225.¹³ They sold it a little over a year later, on 5 December 1848, to Sophia's brother Clark Town for the same price, and they were then described as being of Parkman Twp.¹⁴
     He and his family are listed in Eaton Rapids, Eaton Co., Michigan, in the 1850 and 1860 censuses. His father John, age 86, was living with them in 1860.^15,16 He was listed as a farmer in 1850, and as a carpenter in 1860.
     On 30 September 1862 he bought 20 acres in Albion, Calhoun Co., Michigan, from Micajah Aldrich and Laura Aldrich for $550.¹⁷ He and Sophia sold this land a year later, on 1 September 1863, to Charles Squiers for $600.¹⁸ In both transactions they were described as being of Eaton Rapids.
     In 1870 he and Sophia were living with their daughter Altheda's family in Willow Creek Twp., Lee Co., Illinois,¹⁹ and later moved with Altheda's family to Blairsburg, Hamilton Co., Iowa, where Warren died in 1877.²

     Mary Ann Ford was born on 9 February 1820.¹ She married Harry Norton on 29 December 1842 in Parkman, Geauga Co., Ohio.² She died on 29 March 1898 at the home of her sister Mrs. D. R. Fuller in Otho, Webster Co., Iowa, at age 78.^1,2

     Harry Norton was born on 12 January 1813.² He married Mary Ann Ford, daughter of Warren Ford and Sophia Town, on 29 December 1842 in Parkman, Geauga Co., Ohio.² He died on 8 December 1884 at his son's home in Otho, Webster Co., Iowa, at age 71 from acute bronchitis.²

     Julia Ann Ford was born on 14 January 1822.¹ She married Steven K. Parkhurst.¹ She died on 26 September 1845 at age 23.¹

     Steven K. Parkhurst married Julia Ann Ford, daughter of Warren Ford and Sophia Town.¹

     Daniel Earl Ford was born on 16 January 1824.¹ He died on 29 August 1845 at age 21.¹

     Chloe Merry Ford was born on 17 January 1826.¹ She married Daniel Earl Hampton.¹ She died on 21 October 1919 in Charlotte, Eaton Co., Michigan, at age 93.¹

     Daniel Earl Hampton married Chloe Merry Ford, daughter of Warren Ford and Sophia Town.¹

     Statira Deland Ford was born on 14 April 1828.¹ She died on 2 October 1845 at age 17.¹

     Martha Angeline Ford was born on 20 September 1830.¹ She married David H. Fuller.¹ She died on 6 August 1907 at age 76.¹

     David H. Fuller married Martha Angeline Ford, daughter of Warren Ford and Sophia Town.¹

     Ovid Elijah Ford was born on 29 December 1832.¹ He died on 23 September 1845 at age 12.¹

     Matilda Semela Ford was born on 6 April 1835.¹ She died on 13 October 1836 at age 1.¹

     Warren Jay Ford was born on 7 September 1837 in Ohio.¹ He married Fidelia A. Valentine.¹ He died on 12 May 1909 at age 71.¹

     Fidelia A. Valentine married Warren Jay Ford, son of Warren Ford and Sophia Town.¹

     Lydia Sophia Ford was born on 20 February 1840 in Ohio.¹ She married Jacob Stevens.¹

     Jacob Stevens married Lydia Sophia Ford, daughter of Warren Ford and Sophia Town.¹

     John I. L. Ford was born on 19 April 1842 in Parkman, Geauga Co., Ohio.¹ He married Louisa M. Bray.¹ He died on 17 April 1915 at age 72.¹

     Louisa M. Bray married John I. L. Ford, son of Warren Ford and Sophia Town.¹

     Betsey Altheda Ford was born on 20 December 1844 in Ohio.¹ She married John R. Sherman.¹ She died on 23 October 1902 at age 57.¹

     John R. Sherman married Betsey Altheda Ford, daughter of Warren Ford and Sophia Town.¹

     James Grant was born about 1792 in either New York (according to the 1850 and 1860 censuses) or New Jersey (according to the 1870 census).^2,3,4 He married first Nancy Wolverton on 12 January 1820.¹ He married second Matilda Town, daughter of Isaac Town and Judith Hutchins, on 27 February 1833 in Ontario, Wayne Co., New York.¹ He died on 12 June 1873 in Wolcott, Wayne Co.⁵ He was buried at Sand Hill Cemetery in Butler, Wayne Co.⁶
     In late June 1812 he was drafted at Ontario, Ontario Co. (now Wayne Co.), New York, for service during the War of 1812 as a private in Capt. John Brown's Co., Col. Allen's Reg., of the New York Militia.⁷ During most of his service he slept on open ground without cover, and developed a severe cold that "settled in his hip," causing lameness. He was sent to the hospital at Lewiston, Niagara Co., New York, where he developed rheumatism and "the summer complaint." He was allowed to go home after about four weeks, on 4 October 1812, and never returned to duty.⁸ He later was awarded bounty land for his service, 40 acres in 1851, and 120 acres in 1855.⁹
     On 11 April 1855 he filed a claim with the state of New York for $62.75 for clothing, equipment, and expenses furnished by him during his service, including $27 for transportation to Niagara and back.¹⁰
     Also in 1855, he filed a claim for an invalid pension, saying that due to the rheumatism he developed during his service he was unable to do labor of any kind for 4-5 years, and that he was now a cripple, unable to earn a living by bodily labor.⁸ The pension office apparently asked for corroborating evidence, and supporting affidavits were supplied from two people who served with him¹¹, a neighbor¹², and two doctors.¹³ However, a letter to the Treasury Department dated 29 March 1859 stated that muster rolls showed no evidence of disability.¹⁴ On 5 March 1862 his attorney asked the pension office to re-examine his claim, saying that his case had been suspended due to inadequate proof, but that he was "confident that some other examiner whose mind was not, I may say, prejudiced against the claim, would be apt to allow it."¹⁵ On 31 May 1870 another letter from the same attorney again asked that his claim be re-examined.¹⁶ His claim was formally rejected on 4 June 1870.¹⁷
     Shortly afterward, however, on 14 February 1871 Congress passed an act that provided survivor's pensions for War of 1812 veterans based solely on their service, not requiring disability. He applied on 23 March 1871 and was awarded $8/month.¹⁸
     On 14 March 1826 he bought 45.75 acres of land in Wolcott, Wayne Co., New York, from Chauncey Eaton for $252.71.¹⁹ He is listed in Butler, Wayne Co., in the 1830²⁰ and 1840 censuses.²¹ He and his second wife Matilda are again listed in Butler in the 1850 and 1860 censuses. In 1850 James's son Willis from his first marriage, age 20, was living with them.^2,3 They are listed in Wolcott in the 1870 census.⁴
     He and Matilda may have lived in Savannah, Wayne Co., for a short time. On 8 April 1835 he bought 50 acres of land there from Seth Robinson for $850.²² They sold it on 15 September 1837 to Peter Winne for $1300, and were then described as being "of Savannah."²³
     He was involved in many land transactions in Wayne Co. during his life, buying, selling, and mortgaging land in both Butler and Wolcott. On 1 October 1837 he bought land in Butler, perhaps 50 acres, from David Pearce for $1250. He also assumed Pearce's mortgage on the land, with a balance of $704.83.²⁴ On 16 August 1839 he sold 40 acres of this land, plus a 14.5-acre parcel, to Russell Hibbard for $1500, along with the balance of Pearce's mortgage.²⁵ The next day he gave Hibbard a mortgage for $300 on the 40-acre tract²⁶, then bought that portion back for $900.²⁷ He sold it again, on 22 October 1839, to Cornelius Waldron for $1000.²⁸
     He bought 25 acres in Butler from Seymour Titus for $1000 on 27 March 1841²⁹, and 15 acres from Thomas Roberts for $275 on 30 July 1842.³⁰ He later mortgaged the land from the 1841 purchase as security for loans, first on 8 August 1846 for $150 from Lyman Reddington, due in two years³¹, and again on 26 September 1848 for $250 from Philip Munro, due in six years.³² On 1 April 1854 he sold 17.5 acres from the tract he bought in 1841 to Danford Wadsworth for $975³³, and on that same day he sold 7.5 acres from the tract he bought in 1842 to Peter Doty for $275.³⁴ On 25 September 1854 he sold the rest of these two tracts, 7.5 acres each, for $250 to Willis Grant, his son from his first marriage.³⁵
     On 3 February 1852 he sold a small lot in Wolcott, about 7600 square feet, to Henry McIntyre for $45.³⁶
     He bought 50 acres in Butler from the estate of E. C. Merriman on 20 January 1854 for $1300.³⁷ On 1 January 1855 he mortgaged this property to Henry Graves for a loan of $500, due in five years.³⁸ He sold 11 acres of it on 22 February 1858 to John Hough for $391.34.³⁹ On 29 September 1858 he took out a mortgage on the remaining 39 acres to Philip Munro for $500, due in six years⁴⁰, then sold it for $1400 on 21 March 1859 to Emily Blakeman, who agreed to pay off the mortgage.⁴¹
     On 2 April 1866 he sold 20 acres of land in Butler to John Wescott for $2000.⁴² That same day he purchased 55.89 acres in Wolcott from Jacob Decker for $2515⁴³, partially financed by a mortgage on the property to Decker of $1000, due in five years.⁴⁴ He sold the property about two years later, on 24 January 1868, to Phinaes Rose for $3000.⁴⁵
     On 13 April 1869 he took out a mortgage of $100, due in one year, from George Baker on two tracts of land in Wolcott totaling about 12.2 acres.⁴⁶ A year later, on 16 April 1870, he again mortgaged the property to Baker, this time for $450 due in two years.⁴⁷ He then sold the property on 19 October 1872 to Harvey Jones for $1200.⁴⁸
     Prior to and during the Civil War he "gave his sympathetic and material assistance toward the abolition of slavery, and his house was a Mecca for the fugitive."⁴⁹

     Sylvia Grant was born about 1837 in New York.¹

     James W. Grant was born about 1839 in New York.¹