| Notes |
- - David Weeks and wife Mary Polly Willson Weeks are buried in Sandy Lawn Cemetery, Pamelia, NY: David Weeks, d. 1852, age 84; Polly Weeks, d. Feb. 28, 1844, age 64; Laura Ann Weeks, d. May 28, 1844, age 8 y, 9m, daughter of DW & Susan; and, Justin Weeks, d. Sept. 30, 1853, age 78. Polly's stone was erected by J.B. Hebert, husband of Polly's daughter Mary Weeks. Laura was the first daughter of David and Polly's son David Willson Weeks and Susan Annis Campbell, who lived in Watertown before moving to Hermon, NY. Justin Weeks was David's brother.
- Vermont marriage records show that David Weeks married Polly Wilson (spelled with one "L") on Oct. 2, 1799 at Guilford, Windham VT. The record shows that both David and Polly were both residents of Guilford. Another reference in a Jefferson County, NY record states that Polly Willson (spelled with two "L's") was from Guilford.
If indeed Polly lived in Guilford, there are only two Wilson/Willson families in Guilford in the 1790 census to which she could have belonged: James, and John, both spelled with a single L. James in 1790 shows 2 males over 16 and 3 males under 16 and no females. So he could not be Polly's father. Apparently, James' wife died leaving him with four sons to care for - he remarried at Guilford Aug. 1, 1800, to Nancy Dwico/Devile with Simeon Snow officiating (Simeon also married David and Polly.)
John has 1 male over 16, 1 male under 16, and five females. In the 1800 census, John shows 1 male over 45 (John), 1 male 16-25 (the male under 16 in 1790); 1 female under 19 (who wasn't there in 1790 of course;) three females 10-15; 1 female 16-25 and 1 female 26-44. So, there is one less female in 1800 than in 1790, who we may assume is Polly.
In the 1800 census, David and Polly reside in Marlboro, VT, some 15 miles west of Guilford, with 1 male under 10, who is Holland, b. Feb. 9, 1800. A biographical sketch of Holland's son George states that Holland "was born in Guilford, Windham County, Vermont, in 1800, there went to school and attended to the farm duties." Holland may have been born at Guilford in February but by August, when the census was taken, the family was in Marlboro. David and Polly had three more children - Sally, Mary and Esther - before the first child that we can document born in New York, who was David Willson in April, 1810. At least several of the girls were likely born in VT, and the family moved to Jefferson County, NY between 1800-1810. They are found in the 1820 census at Pamelia, NY. They are not found in the 1810 census in VT or NY.
Further evidence for John Wilson being the father of Polly is that David and Polly named their first-born son John Willson Weeks. In 1810, John Wilson is at Guilford: 1 male over 45; 1 female over 45; 1 male under 10, 1 male 16-25; 1 female 16-25. So the oldest male has now left the family but is not in Guilford as in 1810, John is the only Wilson/Willson in Guilford. The male was 16-25 in 1800, or born 1775-1784. If he was b. 1780, then John was likely born about 1755, or perhaps even as early as 1745. In 1820, John is at Guilford with 1 male under 10, 1 male over 45, and 1 female over 45. In 1820, John would be around 70. The male under 10 must be a grandchild. In 1830 John is not found. In 1840 there are no Wilsons in Guilford. John apparently died 1820-1830.
In 1764, a John Wilson co-owned with Salmon Goodenough, a 100-acre lot (lot #17) at Guilford, VT. This is a homestead lot. Goodenough had other lots co-owned by other homesteaders. One was Levi, who served in the American Revolution; another David, another Ebenezer. If he owned land in 1764, he was at least 18 then, so John may have been born about 1745, and died about 1823 at age 78. Guilford was chartered in 1754 of 54 proprietors, principally of Mass. Settlers who were to clear and cultivate 5 acres for every 50; so John Wilson had 50 and Goodenough, 50, for a total of 100.
There is another, though unlikely, possibility for Polly. I mention this as a possibility since David Weeks and Polly used Willson (with two L's) as a middle name for two of their children and while John Wilson of Guilford is not spelled with two L's in any census, there is a John Willson nearby. Not far from Guilford is Putney, VT and in 1790, there was a John Willson there with 3 males over 16 and five females. In 1800, the family shows 1 male over 45 and 1 female over 45 with 2 males under 10, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 16-25, 1 male 26-44, 1 female 16-25 and 1 female 26-44. So, in 1800 there are 3 females vs. 5 in 1790. One of the two who left may have been Polly. This John Willson may have been John Willson Jr., 1764-1847, b. Petersham, Worcester, MA, d. Louisville, St. Lawrence, NY; married Mary Wheeler, is in Putney in 1789.
Exhaustive searches fail to find any further information on either of these John Wilson families. Despite that both had many children, there are no references to be found to them in the usual sources. I have found an Esther Wilson who married Feb. 3, 1808 at Guilford to John Rockwill, also with Simeon Snow officiating. So I have no doubt this is Polly's sister.
Also:
- James Wilson married Aug. 1, 1800 at Guilford, Nancy Dwico on one record, Nancy Devile on another. SImeon Snow officiating. town clerk William Bigelow.
- Samuel, 26-44. 1 male under 10, 1 male 26-44, 1 female 16-25. So Samuel was born 1756-1774. He might be a younger brother to John.
Research notes: Polly Willson of Guilford, VT was marr. 1799 to David Weeks in VT and first son, Holland, was born VT. Check 1800 census for Willson/Weeks: - David Weeks, 26-44 with wife, 16-25 at Marlboro, Windham, VT with 1 male child under 10. This is certainly our David. Any Willsons nearby? NO.
- Willson: Many Willson families at Putnam, about 15 miles NE of Marlboro; two Willson families at Grafton, VT, which is about 30-40 miles north. None in Marlboro. None in Guilford. Guilford is adajacent
to Putney, 10 miles. So our Willson family likely is one of those at Putney. They include, with # family members, Alex, 5; David, 7; David G. III, 5; Ezek C., 6; Fawling, 5; Jeremiah, 8; John, 9; Levi, 5; Lucas, 6;
Lucas Jr., 8; Luke, 7; and Reuben, 4.
- Check 1790 census for Willson in Putney, VT: There are no Willsons in VT in 1790. So they all moved there between 1790-1800??? NO. Searched again for Wilson with one "l" and got:
- In Guilford: James, 10; John, 7.
Since Polly was from Guilford, is James or John her father? James has 10 family members and John has 7. So rechecked 1800 for Wilson. There's John, with 8 fam. members, and Samuel, with 3. Either could be her father, but more likely John, who was there in 1790 when Polly was still living at home. There is one male over 45. So John was born NLT 1754 and probably after 1740. We may assume he died at 60, give or take 10 years, or, likely between 1810-1820?
- 1810 census, John still at Guilford, with 5 fam. members, one over 45: 1 male under 10, 1 16-25, 1 over 45; 1 female 16-25; 1 over 45.
- FS has John Wilson, died March, 1820, Putney, VT of old age. This is likely John who was at Putney above, and not our John who was at Guilford. So, let's go looking for John WIlson/Willson, b. 1740-1754, who had daughter Polly, b. 1780. Note, arguing for this as Polly's father is that her first son was named Holland, after husband David's mothers last name, but her next son, b. 1806, was named John Willson Weeks, likely after her father, John Willson. Polly's first daughter is named Sally. Was that after her mother? Did John Willson marry a Sally?
- In 1764, John Wilson owned a 100-acre lot (lot #17) at Guilford, VT with Salmon Goodenough. However, in 1777, only Oliver Wilson was on a list of town inhabitants, with 7 family members, but no wife. Maybe he was a brother to John who lived with him?
In Putney: David, David Jr., Edward, Ezekl, Jeremiah, John, Levi, Lucus, Paul, Peter. So, in the event they moved there, is there a Polly Willson b. abt. 1770 with a father with one of these names?
- A Polly Wilson was b. 1772 at Putney and married Timothy Bigelow - no parents.
- Another possibility is a record of a Mary Wilson born 26 Jul 1780 at Pownal, VT. That's the same year our Mary was born. Pownal is about 25 miles west of Guilford in southern VT. The parents are Jerimiah Wilson and Susannah Mattison.
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1780 - 1844 (64 years)