Descendants of John Maxfield
of Salisbury, Massachusetts
Fourth Generation

BENJAMIN4 MAXFIELD (Joseph3-2, John1) was born at Salisbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, on 18 July 1776[1] a son of Joseph and Love Maxfield. He died probably at Wayne County, New York, sometime after the 1860 census. He married at Henniker, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, on 25 March 1799 POLLY SARGENT.[2] She was born at New Hampshire on 11 January 1780.[3] She died on 5 October 1858,[4] probably at Wayne County.

Benjamin and Polly Maxfield began the treck westward, which their sons continued. Born in the coastal town of Salisbury, Massachusetts, Benjamin was baptized at the Second (Congregational) Church there on 8 September 1776.[5] When Benjamin was about three years old, the family moved north to Weare, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, where he grew up. After marriage, Benjamin and Polly moved further north, to Warner, Hillsborough County, where the 1800 census reported them. By 1810 they had moved yet further north, to Fishersfield (now Newbury), Hillsborough County. Some time about 1812-3 they were living in Massachusetts, where Jonathan was born. Their next stop was Onondaga County, New York, where Joseph was born in 1815, and they were reported in the 1820 census. By 1830 they had reached Wayne County, New York, where they remained, farming in the towns of Sodus and Williamson.

The sons continued further west. Richard reached Ohio by 1840, and William was there by 1850. Isaac had moved to Wisconsin by 1850, and Joseph reached that state by 1855, before moving on to Minnesota by 1862. Only Jonathan remained in Wayne County, New York, with his parents.

Benjamin and Polly Maxfield had at least five sons, and perhaps other children whose names are unknown. The census records indicate several other children in the family, some of whom could have been their children. Census records before 1850 only gave the name of the head of the household, and the numbers of persons in different age and sex categories. This family was reported as follows, with a suggestion of who some of these persons might have been.[6]

1800 Warner, NH
male 16-25 Benjamin, 24
female 16-25 Polly, 20
female 10-15 unidentified "A"
male 0-9 Richard, 0
1810 Fishersfield, NH
female 26-45 Polly, 30
male 16-25 Benjamin, 34
male 10-15 Richard, 10
male 0-9 William, 8
female 0-9 unidentified "B"
female 0-9 unidentified "C"
female 0-9 unidentified "D"
1820 Onondaga, NY
male 45+ Benjamin, 44
female 26-44 Polly, 40
male 16-25 Richard, 20
female 16-25 unidentified "B"
female 10-15 unidentified "C"
female 10-15 unidentified "D"
male 0-9 Jonathan, 8
male 0-9 Joseph, 5
male 0-9 Isaac, 1
male 0-9 unidentified "E"
female 0-9 unidentified "F"
1830 Williamson NY
male 50-59 Benjamin, 54
female 40-49 Polly, 50
female 20-29 unidentified "C"
male 15-19 Jonathan, 18
male 10-14 Joseph, 14
male 10-14, Isaac, 11
female 10-14 unidentified "F"
female 0-4 unidentified "G"
female 0-4 unidentified "H"
1840 Williamson NY
male 60-69 Benjamin, 64
female 60-69 Polly, 60
female 15-19 unidentified "I"

Except for the census taker placing Benjamin in a younger category in 1810, and slightly under-estimating Polly's age in 1830, this explanation fits. Son William, 18 in 1820, and sons Joseph and Isaac, 24 and 21 in 1840 respectively, are missing, and not heads of their own households. Perhaps they were working on other farms and therefore counted in other households in those years. Unidentified persons "B" "C" "D" and "F" appear in more than one census, and could possibly be daughters of Benjamin and Polly.

On 24 October 1839, Benjamin Maxfield joined 48 other persons in purchasing one acre in Sodus for $40 from Simeon Graham, for a burial place.[7]

The 1850 census reported the Benjamin Maxfield household at Sodus, near son Joseph. The household consisted of Benjamin, 74, farmer, Polly, 68, Isaac Stoppings, 34, common laborer, born at Holland, and Maria Pearce, 9, attending school. Benjamin's real estate was valued at $850.[8]

Polly Maxfield, wife of Benjamin, died on 5 October 1858, age 78 years, 8 months and 25 days.[9] She was buried at Centenary Cemetery, Sodus. The inscription on her tombstone reads:

God in creation thus displays
His wisdom and His might.
While all His works with all His ways
Harmoniously unite.

The 1860 census reported Benjamin Maxfield, 83, living with his son Jonathan Morse Maxfield, at Williamson.[10] Benjamin Maxfield died some time after that date.

Benjamin Maxfield and his wife Polly Sargent had at least the following five sons. Four possible daughters, who appeared in more than one census, are also indicated below.

  1. probably RICHARD5 MAXFIELD b. at New Hampshire abt. 1800.
  2. WILLIAM5 MAXFIELD b. at New Hampshire on 17 June 1802.
  3. possibly (first daughter)5 MAXFIELD b. bet. 1804 and 1810.
  4. possibly (second daughter)5 MAXFIELD b. bet. 1804 and 1810.
  5. possibly (third daughter)5 MAXFIELD b. bet. 1804 and 1810.
  6. JONATHAN MORSE5 MAXFIELD b. at Massachusetts abt. 1812/3.
  7. JOSEPH5 MAXFIELD b. at Syracuse, Onondaga Co., on 28 July 1815.
  8. ISAAC5 MAXFIELD b. at New York on 18 November 1818.
  9. possibly (fourth daughter)5 MAXFIELD b. bet. 1815 and 1820.

NOTES

1Vital Records of Salisbury, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (Topsfield, Massachusetts: Topsfield Historical Society, 1915), 151.
2New Hampshire, State of, Division of Vital Records, Concord, New Hampshire, New Hampshire: Births, Deaths and Marriages, index card 9825, Marriage, Maxfield-Sargent, 1799; digital images, New England Historical and Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (americanancestors.org : accessed 24 January 2017).
3Centenary Cemetery, Sodus, Wayne County, New York, Find a Grave, digital images (findagrave.com : accessed 22 December 2018), Polly Maxfield; Created by: Butterfly~Kisses, Photo added by Diane Schinsing Burlee. Place from 1850 Census
4Ibid.
5David W. Hoyt, The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1982), 452.
6Second Census of the United States: 1800, population, Warner, Hillsboro County, New Hampshire, 20:634; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012); Third Census of the United States: 1810, population, Fishersfield, Hillsboro County, New Hampshire, 24:548; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012); Fourth Census of the United States: 1820, population, Onondaga, Onondaga County, New York, 67:211; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012); Fifth Census of the United States: 1830, population, Williamson, Wayne County, New York, 117:23; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012); Sixth Census of the United States: 1840, population, Williamson, Wayne County, New York, 350:246; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).
7New York, Land Records, 1630-1975: Wayne County, 56:16-17; digital images, Family Search (familysearch.org : accessed 2014).
8Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population, Sodus, Wayne County, New York, 612:162B, 544; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).
9Centenary Cemetery, Sodus.
10Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population, Williamson, Wayne County, New York, 876:362, 519; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2012).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Centenary Cemetery, Sodus, Wayne County, New York. Find a Grave. Digital images. findagrave.com : 2018.

French, Harry Dana. Descendants of John Maxfield of Salisbury, Mass. New Hampshire Historical Society Library, Concord, New Hampshire, about 1952.

Hoyt, David W. The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1982.

New Hampshire, State of, Division of Vital Records, Concord, New Hampshire. New Hampshire: Births, Deaths and Marriages. Digital images. New England Historical and Genealogical Society. American Ancestors. americanancestors.org : 2017.

United States Department of the Census. Second Census of the United States: 1800, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

________. Third Census of the United States: 1810, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

________. Fourth Census of the United States: 1820, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

________. Fifth Census of the United States: 1830, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

. ________. Sixth Census of the United States: 1840, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

________. Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

________. Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

Vital Records of Salisbury, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. Topsfield, Massachusetts: Topsfield Historical Society, 1915.

Wayne County, New York. "New York, Land Records, 1630-1975: Wayne County." Digital images. Family Search. familysearch.org : 2014.

Wright, Elizabeth. "John Maxfield of Salisbury, Massachusetts, 1652, and Some of His Descendants." The Nebraska and Midwest Genealogical Record (1928–1930): 6:52-56; 7:20-24, 42-47, 61-71, 87-96; 8:15-22.

Return to "Chuck Maxfield's Genealogy Page"

Return to Maxfield Genealogy

Go to Maxfield Genealogy Outline Index

This page updated in 2023
This web page in the intellectual property of Charles A. Maxfield of Lansdale, PA.
Permission is granted to create links to this page.
Permission is granted to make a copy of this page for personal use only.
For any other use, contact the proprietor of this website Charles A. Maxfield