Sarah Francis Sears

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Archibald Sears, noted in the pioneer days of Kendall county, was born February 23, 1802 in Putnam County [then Dutchess County], N.Y., and for his time possessed an exceptional education as he was a successful teacher and a competent surveyor. For a period he was engaged in merchandising and in 1836 started for the West, going by way of the Canal and Great Lakes. After prospecting throughout this region he concluded that he could not find better land for farming purposes than in Kendall County. He settled on section 13 and there built a log house. He located one section of land situated on the banks of the Little Rock Creek and in 1842, when there was a land sale, he bought the six hundred and forty acres. He made a specialty of raising wheat and swine, as better prices were realized on these products than on any other farm produce at that early day and it was necessary to haul things to Chicago as the railroad was not constructed until long afterwards. There being great demand for surveyors, Mr. Sears found plenty of employment as such, and laid out farms and roads and did general government surveying throughout this portion of the state. In this way he was enabled to pay for his large landed estates and to make necessary improvements. He was the first supervisor of this township after its organization and continued to fill that office for several years. He also served as a justice of the peace and county surveyor. In 1866 he retired from active life and for twenty years dwelt in the town of Sandwich. His last years were spent in Plano where his death occurred in November, 1893 [28 Oct 1893]. The first marriage of Archibald Sears took place in the Empire state in June, 1833, his choice being Miss Susan Hadden. She was a native of the same county as her husband, a daughter of Morris and Sarah (Nelson) Hadden, both natives of New York. Susan Hadden died June 10, 1845 in Plano. On the 23d of August 1850, Archibald married Mrs. Rachel Smith, daughter of David T. and Charlotte (Tarbox) Carver. Six children were born to his union, namely, Charles M, Albert H, Sherman S, Mary E Henning, Alice M Mather and Ada A Miller. - Genealogical and Biographical Record of Kendall and Will Counties, Illinois
SEARS, Archibald (deceased), for so many years a factor in the development of different sections of Illinois, came early to Kendall County, interested himself in its agricultural and manufacturing development and after an unusually long life, passed away at Plano in November 1893 [28 Oct 1893] when aged ninety-two years. He was born in Putnam County [then Dutchess County] N.Y. February 23, 1802, a son of James Sears and Mehetabel Sherwood and a grandson of Thomas and Mary (Baldwin) Sears. Grandfather Thomas Sears was an officer in the Revolutionary War from Massachusetts. To James Sears and wife were born: Eli, Archibald, Thomas, Isaac, Caroline, Melanchthon [Melanthe], and Sally. When twelve years old, Archibald Sears accompanied his parents in their removal to Wayne County, New York and there helped his father to clear pioneer farm, meanwhile acquiring sufficient knowledge of books to enable him to teach school at the age of 22 years. He also followed surveying which entailed considerable mathematical knowledge and at that time was a very profitable profession. In June 1833 he was married to Susan Hadden who was born in New York, December 25, 1815 daughter of a merchant at Westchester, Putnam County, New York. In 1836 with a capital of $1,500 Archibald Sears accompanied by Joab Austin, a relative, came to Illinois by way of sloops on the Hudson River as far as Albany and then by Erie Canal to Buffalo, crossing the lakes to the swampy village of Chicago. There he bought surveying tools and came on to Kendall County where he was soon engaged in assisting contractors in making surveys, working in as many as four counties laying out sections and townships. He was so engaged for about seven years, this region by that time having been covered by surveys but Mr. Sears kept his instruments and was ready to do a job of surveying even when an old man and his services in this direction were valued because of their absolute accuracy. He surveyed public and private roads and several State roads, farm lines, woodland tracts, and in fact, anything the correct dimensions of which came under the ordinary work of one of his profession. In the meanwhile, Mr. Sears invested in property as land came into the market and owned 550 acres on Big Rock Creek. Because his time was mainly occupied with surveying he rented out that land until 1863 when he sold his farm and retired to Sandwich where he resided for twenty years, moving to Plano about 1890. He became a stockholder in the Sandwich Manufacturing Company and assisted in solidly establishing what is one of the most substantial industries to Illinois, one that now has a capital stock of a half million dollars and his interest is still retained by the family. Mr. Sears was recognized to be not only a man of irreproachable life and incorruptible intergrity, but also one of sound business judgement and active public spirit. After townships were organized in Kendall County, he was elected the first Supervisor. He was also the first County Surveyor when Kendall was cut off from Kane County [1841] and served also as Commissioner and County Surveyor. He also served as a Justice of the Peace. When the old political parties broke up and the Republican party was organised, he, with other true-hearted patriots, identified himself with the new movement and gave support to the political campaign of Gen. John C. Fremont. The death of Mr. Sears' first wife occurred in June 1845 when her age was thirty years. His second marriage took place August 23, 1850, to Rachel M. Carver, born October 26, 1818 in Connecticut, daughter of David T. and Charlotte (Tarbox) Carver. To the first union a family was born one son, James M., surviving, one daughter, Mrs. Frances Beard, died at Bedford, Iowa in 1892, and others died in infancy. To the second union the following children were born: Charles M. who lives in Hamilton County, Nebr, Mary E. who lives at Plano, Ill, is the widow of Edgar Henning; Albert H. who is in the banking business at Plano; Alice M. who is the wife of Frederick Mather of Aurora, Nebr; Sherman S. also of Nebraska; and Mrs. Ada A. Miller. - Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois, History of Kendall County
Plano was not founded on a desolate terrain as were many villages. This area had been occupied by a few early Kendall County settlers who had been here for several years. A Mr. Ball had built a saw and grist mill on the Big Rock Creek one mile south of Plano in 1835. He sold this mill to John Schneider two years later. Mr. Schneider had built the first mill at Yorkville in 1832, being an early settler there. Other mills were built nearby along the creeks and Fox River. David and Benjamin Evans were among the first settlers who claimed land where Plano is now located. Plano is the Spanish word for plain. They sold out to Marcus Steward in 1838. Archibald Sears and Cornelius Henning settled in 1836 from New York State. - http://www.cityofplanoil.com/
Kendall County came into being on February 19, 1841, being named for Amos Kendall. The bill, at first introduced in the state legislature, provided that the county be called "Orange" County. Many early settlers here came form Orange County, New York, which undoubtedly had its in influence on that name. When the bill was finally read, the name Kendall was substituted and passed as such. The county was formed by taking six townships from LaSalle County and three from Kane. Yorkville was designated as the county seat until 1845, when it moved to Oswego. Yorkville finally became the county seat again in 1864, and no further changes were made. The first settlers in the county were Robert Beresford and his wife and two sons. They settled in what was later known as Holderman's grove in 1826. - http://www.cityofplanoil.com/history.html

(Research):E: letter Darnell to Arnold, 27 Oct 1960: "Archibald Sears was born in Putnam County [DBC note: It was still Dutchess County, Putnam formed out of Dutchess later], New York, the son of James and Mehitabel (Sherwood) Sears."


Sears-Sherwood Timeline
1735
1738/9 b. Jehiel Sherwood in Fairfield CT
1740
1745 1745 b. Thomas Sears in Yarmouth MA?? or South East NY??

1750

1755

1760 1763 m. Jehiel Sherwood (age 24/5) + Sarah Squire in Fairfield CT
1765 1767 m. Thomas Sears (age 22) + Deborah Baldwin ?in South East NY??
1770

1775
1778 b. James Sears in South East New York
1780

1785
1790 1790 Census Jehiel Sherwood (age 51/2) in Fairfield CT 1790 Census Thomas Sears (age 45) in Dutchess Co NY
1795 1797 m. James Sears (age 19) + Mehitable Sherwood where?? 1800 1800 Census James Sears (16-26) (age 22) Stanford Twp, Dutchess Co, NY 1800 Census Jehiel Sherwood (45+) (age 61/2) South East Twp, Dutchess Co, NY 1800 Census Thomas Sears (45+) (age 55) South East Twp, Dutchess Co, NY 1802 b. Archibald Sears in Carmel (Dutchess or Putnam Co?) NY
1804 d. Thomas Sears (age 59) in South East NY
1805 1807 d. Jehiel Sherwood (age 68) in South Eash NY 1810 1810 Census James Sears (26-45) (age 32) South East Twp, Dutchess Co, NY 1814 Moved James (age 36), Mehitable (age ?), Archibald (age 12) to Western NY (N.E. Sears notes) 1815

1820 1820 Census James Sears (45+) (age 42) Seneca Co NY 1820 Archibald (age 18) starts school (N.E. Sears notes) 1824 Archibald (age 22) a school teacher "for a number of years" N.E. Sears notes
1825
1830 1830 Census James Sears (50-60) (age 52) Savannah Twp, Wayne Co, NY 1831 m. Archibald Sears (age 31) + Susan Hadden in probably Wayne Co, NY
1835 1836 (fall) Archibald (age 34), wife, one child move to Plano IL
1840 1841 ref Archibald Sears (age 39) County Surveyor (History of Kendall Co)
1845 1843 d. Susan Hadden (Archibald age 43) in probably Plano IL 1850 1850 Census James Sears (age 72), Phebe, 3 children, Seneca Co 1850 Census Archibald Sears (age 48) + Elizabeth (age 30) Plano IL 1850 m. Archibald Sears (age 48) + Rachel Maria Carver in Plano IL
1851 b. Charles Madison Sears in Plano IL
1855 1857 d. James Sears (age 79) in Tyre, Seneca Co, NY
1860
1865 1865 Archibald Sears (age 63) moves to Sandwich, DeKalb Co, IL (The Voters & Taxpayers of DeKalb Co)
1870 1874 m. Charles Madison Sears (age 23) + Katherine Evans
1875

1880

1885 1887 Archibald Sears (age 85) moves back to Plano IL (N.E. Sears notes)
1890
1893 d. Archibald Sears (age 91)
1895

1900
1905 1905 d. Rachel M. Carver 10 Mar 1905 (age 86) in Aurora NE

Archibald married Susan Hadden on 30 Jun 1833 in Probably Westchester Co, New York. Susan (daughter of Morris Hadden and Sarah Nelson) was born on 25 Dec 1815 in New York City, New York; died on 10 Jun 1845 in Plano, Kendall Co, Illinois. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In Charles Madison Sears papers, p4 my ref SE29, it is written that Susan Hadden died ae 29y 5m 15d. That calculates to 4 June 1845 thus introducing a third date for her death. All dates predicated on a birth date of 20 Feb 1802.
See Darnell to Arnold (Clerk, Plano IL); Gravestone inscription has death date 10 Jun 1845

Other Events and Attributes:

• _TODO: Open

Notes:

"James Sears was present in the probate of Jehiel Sherwood's estate" - taken from a letter to Hubert Andrew Arnold from a professional genealogist identified as "Box 480, Salt Point" (Salt Point is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States. It lies northeast of Poughkeepsie following New York Route 115, the Salt Point Turnpike). This statement is very important with respect to establishing circumstantial evidence that Mehitible Sherwood, James Sears' wife, was the daughter of Jehiel Sherwood.

James married Mehitable Sherwood on 19 Nov 1797 in Probably South East New York. Mehitable (daughter of Jehiel Sherwood and Sarah Squire) was born about Nov 1780 in Fairfield, Fairfield Co, Connecticut; died on 12 Mar 1826 in Wayne County, New York; was buried about 14 Mar 1826 in Hunt's Corners (Briggs Cemetery), Wayne Co, New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• _TODO: Open

Notes:

Mehitable/Mabel Sherwood was the daughter of Jehiel Sherwood. She was born about November 1780. The first solid reference to "Mehitable" wife of James Sears, appears on the 1826 gravestone at Hunt's Corners, Wayne Co, New York. Previous references to the wife of James Sears had her name as "Mabel" Sherwood. Is the "Mabel" of South East, New York the "Mehitable", wife of James Sears, at Hunt's Corners? Circumstantially, it is convincing but no specific documentation exists to verify that Mehitable/Mabel Sherwood was the daughter of Jehiel Sherwood. She died 12 Mar 1826 in Wayne County NY aged 45 years and this inscription on Mehitable's gravestone was what I used to arrive at a birth date of approximately Nov 1780. The central problem with Mehitable is that in a Fairfield Church journal of families (not kept in real time), a list of Jehiel Sherwood's family members does not contain either Abigail or Mehitable. This has caused over a century of consternation even leading 19th century DAR applicants to falsify records (in the New York City Public Library) to enable the inclusion of these two children. In fact, Hezakiah Sherwood's name was erased from the Fairfield Church list in order to get Abigail's name in there. There's no justification for doing this. I am able to "fit" birthdates for all without erasing anyone. The burnng of Fairfield by the British in 1779 could well have prevented the recording of Abigail and Mehitable Sherwood's births. From Wikipedia: "On the morning of July 7, 1779, approximately 2,000 enemy troops landed on Fairfield Beach near Pine Creek Point and proceeded to invade the town. When they left the following evening, the entire town lay in ruins, burned to the ground as punishment for Fairfield's support of the rebel cause. Ten years later, President George Washington noted after traveling through Fairfield, that "the destructive evidences of British cruelty are yet visible both in Norwalk and Fairfield; as there are the chimneys of many burnt houses standing in them yet."
The gravestone inscription in the Hunts Corners Cemetery in Wayne County NY is "In memory of/Mehitable/wife of James Sears/ who died March 12, 1826 in the 45th/year of her age." At one time there was a dispute about the year, that it could be 1824, but I have closely examined the gravestone picture and the last digit of the year definitely has a curved top thus it could not be a four.

_TODO:
Cutter looks like he got the list that had deleted Hezekiah in favor of Mabel

Morris married Sarah NelsonProbably Westchester Co, New York. Sarah and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The following are extractions from various sources, especially from letters received by Hubert Andrew Arnold (HAA) when he hired professional genealogists in the early 1960s to investigate the Seases and Sherwoods of South East, New York
Thomas Sears, Capt Higgins' company, Dutchess Co NY militia - NARA Roll 2145
Thomas Sears was a captain in the Revolutionary Army, and after the peace settled in South East, Putnam [then Dutchess] County, N.Y. on land which he bought of the government, and on which his descendants still live. He was a prominent church member and trustee during many years. - Nelson Sears Journal, 1895

B Book of Wills, page 444, will dated 24 Apr 1804 To wife Deborah, one thid of the increase and profit of real estate and 1/4 from the personal estate, horse, saddle, bridle and all the furniture To son Archibald Sears $250 over and above and to have also an equal share with the rest of my sons; Thomas Baldwin Sears, Samuel Sears, and Isaac; to two grandsons, issue of son Eli, deceased, named Thomas and David, $40 each...his sons to have a double share, daughters (not named) a single share. Sons Thomas and Archibald executors to receive a reasonable compensation for their trouble in settling the estate. - Margaret H. Talbot (MHT) to HAA May 3, 1961 (no son James mentioned)
A letter from Clifford M. Buck to HAA dated April 27, 1960: "Looking over B 444 carefully I find James is there inserted above the line after the name of Thomas Baldwin Sears and before Isaac Sears very similar to the way Baldwin is inserted in third line from bottom...".Why, then, did MHT not find the inserted names when she examined page 444 of the B Book of Wills in May of 1961 about one year later?
In a letter Luedemann to Wasilik (who hired Luedemann in the early 1990s to study the Searses and Sherwoods as did HAA in the 1960s) dated 18 Jun 1991, Luedemann has examined the same book of wills page 444 (as did MHT) and found the following: "I Thomas Sears of Southeast, County of Dutchess...24 April 1804...dear wife Deborah Sears, son Archibald Sears, son Thomas Baldwin Sears, son James Sears, son Isaac Sears..." (what happened to Samuel Sears?)

Thomas married Deborah Baldwin on 9 Sep 1767. Deborah (daughter of Thomas Baldwin and Deborah Paddock) was born on 23 Nov 1749 in Mansfield, Windham Co, Connecticut; died on 13 Sep 1828 in South East, Dutchess Co, New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

DAR Patriot: Connecticut, Ensign, 9th Co, 4th Regt, Jan 1780
Letter of Administration, Dutchess County, New York from Surrogate Office's Records Liber C p33. Summary: Lyman Sherwood appointed executor of Jehiel Sherwood's estate; officially recorded at Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York on 24 Oct 1807 The People of the State of New-York by the Grace of God, Free and Independent. To Lymen Sherwood of the town of South East in this County of Dutchess son of Jehial Sherwood deceased. Whereas Jehial Sherwood of the Town of South East in said County as is alledged, lately died intestate, having whilst living, and at the time of his Death, Goods, Chattels, or Credits within this state...do grant unto you the said Lymen Sherwood full power by these presents, to administer, and faithfully dispose of all and singular the said Goods...And we do by these presents, depute, constitute and appoint you the said Lymen Sherwood Administrator of all and singular the Goods, Chattels and Credits which were of the said Jehial Sherwood. IN TESTIMONY whereof, we have caused the seal of office of our said Surrogate to be hereunto affixed. Witness James Talimadge(?)...Esquire, Surrogate of the said county, at Poughkeepsie, the twenty fourth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seven and of our Independence the thirty second...James ______ Dutchess County...Recorded the preceding Letter of Administration to Lyman Sherwood this twenty fourth day of October 1807
"James Sears was present in the probate of Jehiel Sherwood's estate" - taken from a letter to Hubert Andrew Arnold from a professional genealogist identified as "Box 480, Salt Point" [Salt Point is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States. It lies northeast of Poughkeepsie following New York Route 115, the Salt Point Turnpike]. This statement is very important with respect to establishing circumstantial evidence that Mehitible Sherwood, James Sears' wife, was the daughter of Jehiel Sherwood.

South East, New York The first settler arrived around 1730. The area first exploited was called "The Oblong," and was outside of the land claimed by the Philipse Patent. Due to a border dispute between New York and Connecticut the area between the undisputed border of NY and the undisputed border of CT was an approximately 4-mile-wide area which ran the full north-south dimension of Dutchess County. This was called the Oblong. Land was sold in this area both by the governor of NY and the King of England for Connecticut, with conflicting deeds. The boundary was settled in New York's favor by the 1731 Treaty of Dover. A southern portion of the Oblong was alternately known as Southeast as it was the southeasternmost town in Dutchess County. It consisted of the eastern half of the current Town of Patterson, and the eastern half of the current town of Southeast. The western half of the current town of Southeast was part of the large Phillipse Patent which had not yet been divided into towns. The most heavily-settled area of the Oblong at this point was the "city" of Frederickstown, now the hamlet of Patterson. The town of Southeast, then still including its portion of the Oblong, was founded in 1788, and formed the southeast corner of Dutchess County. In 1795, the town that had been Southeast's neighbor, Frederickstown was divided into the present Carmel, Kent, and Patterson, the latter two known at first as "Frederick" and "Franklin." At that time, Southeast lost its northern half to Patterson, and expanded to the west to become the shape it is now. Putnam County split from Dutchess in 1812. The most densely populated area in the town is the village of Brewster.

Jehiel married Sarah Squire on 5 Oct 1763 in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Sarah (daughter of Daniel Squire and Abigail Osborn) was born on 23 Jan 1746/47 in Fairfield County, Connecticut; died on 6 May 1793 in Fairfield County, Connecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]