52 Ancestors Week 1: The Batchelder Family's Fresh Start in Plainfield, Vermont

Which ancestor had to make a fresh start after a loss or setback?

My 7^th great grandfather, Lieutenant Joseph Batchelder, was born on 28 December 1750 in Hampton, New Hampshire. He was the son of Nathaniel Batchelder Anna Butler. By 1790, Joseph was residing in Lyndeborough, New Hampshire where he likely married his wife, Sarah Ferrin. He fought in the American Revolution as part of the New Hampshire Militia where he received his title.

In 1793, Joseph made a pitch for 650 acres of land in an area called St. Andrews Gore, which would later be known as Plainfield, Vermont.  Joseph, along with his two brothers, Moulton and Nathaniel, were among the first four families to settle in Plainfield. The brothers abided by the charter granted to the town, which required that each grantee to “plant five acres of land, erect one house at least eighty feet square on the ground floor, and have one family on each share of land” (Grimaldi, n.d.). All of the houses of this early settlement were log cabins.

Joseph’s land was located at the southwest corner of Plainfield, near to Barre. He likely grew corn on his land and may have produced up to 40 bushels per acre (Grimaldi, n.d.). The land in Plainfield was known for being especially fertile. It was at his home where the town’s Congregational Church was formed (Representative Men 1908).

Joseph and Sarah had the following children:

1. Joseph Batchelder b. 22 Feb 1770
2. Nathaniel Batchelder b. 10 Jan 1772
3. Isaac Batchelder b. 08 Oct 1774; d. 11 Jan 1775
4. Anna Batchelder b. 30 Sep 1775; d. 22 Jan 1777
5. Isaac Batchelder b. 01 Mar 1779
6. Alpheus Batchelder b. 07 Aug 1781
7. Abigail Batchelder b. 03 Nov 1783; m. Joseph Glidden; d. 27 Aug 1859
8. Sarah Batchelder b. 09 Feb 1785
9. William Batchelder b. 15 Jul 1788
10. Polly Batchelder (see below)
11. Alice Batchelder b. 23 Jun 1797
12. Josiah Batchelder

Joseph’s daughter and my 6^th great grandmother, Polly, was the first girl and second child born in Plainfield. She is only referred to as Polly on her birth records. Other records list her as Mary. She was born on 26 July 1795. She married Henry C. Parker (1797-1887). She died in Elmore, Vermont on 22 Jun 1877 and is buried at the Lake Elmore Cemetery along Route 12.

Mary (Polly) and Henry had the following children:

1. Sarah F. Parker b. 05 Sep 1824 in Barre, Vermont; m. Samuel Childs on 14 Aug 1845; d. 27 Oct 1863 in Barre, Vermont. Sarah is my 5^th great grandmother.
2. Robert Parker b. Abt 1831 in Vermont
3. Alpheus Parker b. Abt 1832 in Vermont
4. Mary Parker b. Abt 1835 in Vermont

Joseph died on 25 March 1827 in Plainfield and is buried at the Bisson Barre Cemetery on Lower Road in Plainfield.

References:

Grimaldi, S. (n.d.). The early history of Plainfield, Vermont from the beginnings to 1880. Retrieved from http://plainfieldvthistory.org/history.html

Representative Men and Old Families of Rhode Island. (1908). Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=sNo4AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false