Descendants of John Maxfield
of Salisbury, Massachusetts
Fifth Generation

VARNIS⁵ MAXFIELD (Joshua^4-3, Joseph², John¹) was born at New Hampshire, on 26 January 1808 a son of Joshua Maxfield, Jr., and his second wife Ascenath Young. He died at Richfield, Genesee County, Michigan, on 2 August 1896.^[1] He married probably at Fort Ann, New York, about 1831 PERCEY AMANDA IRISH. She was born at New York on 21 August 1814, a daughter of David Irish and his wife Sadie Phelps. She died at Richfield on 18 July 1901.^[2] Varnis and Percey both had uncommon given names, subject to various spellings; it is not clear which spelling is correct.

A birth record for Varnis has not been found clearly linking him to Joshua and Ascenath Maxfield. However, the 1835 New York state census placed Hiram, Varnis and Joshua next to each other in Fort Ann, all censuses give his place of birth as New Hampshire, and his birth date, from his grave stone and age on his death record, place him within the categories of age/sex groupings in the Joshua Maxfield household in the 1810 census. Varnis is also closely associated with Hiram Maxfield, both appearing in the same township in Michigan in the 1840 census, along with David Irish, the father of Percey. Also, Varnis and Percey named one of their daughters Assenatt, the same name as Varnis' probable mother.

Anna Gallagher has been researching this family, and has provided me with images of the 1835 New York census.^[3] More research could be done on the interconnections of the Maxfield, Irish and Phelps families of Fort Ann.

Varnis Maxfield probably spent his boyhood in his parents' home at Bradford, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. By the time he reached the age of twelve his family had moved to Chester, Windsor County, Vermont. In another ten years his family of origin would move to Springfield, Windsor County, Vermont, and five years later to Fort Ann, Washington County, New York. But Varnis was already on the move. He married Percey Irish of Fort Ann by 1831 (their first known child was born in 1831). They had children born at New York in 1831, 1833 and 1835 and were reported at Fort Ann in the 1835 census. By 1837 they had moved to Michigan, where the rest of their children were born.

The 1835 census reported the Varnice Maxfield family at Fort Ann, listed immediately after Hiram Maxfield and immediately before Joshua Maxfield. The Varnice Maxfield household consisted of two males and two females,^[4] which can be explained as Varnis and Percey, their first son Elhanan, and first daughter Caroline.

The 1840 census reported the V. Maxfield household at Groveland Township, Oakland County, Michigan, the same township in which his brother Hiram and his father-in-law David Irish lived. The description of the V. Maxfield family, by categories of age and sex, can be explained as follows:^[5]

V. Maxfield was engaged in agriculture.

The 1850 census reported a much enlarged family, still at Groveland, as follows:^[6]

About 1855 Varnis Maxfield moved to Genessee County, Michigan, and played a role in the development of the village of Richfield. Varnis Maxfield and E. R. Goodrich built a saw mill on the Flint River, the first steam saw-mill in the town. The mill provided employment for eight or ten men, who built homes, and so the village was born. About ten or twelve years later Maxfield and his partner sold the mill. Meanwhile, Varnis Maxfield, often called "Capp," short for Captain, built a tevern in 1857, which he operated for about twelve years, and continued to reside there afterwards. The village of Richfield was in its early days often called Maxfield's.^[7]

The decade of the 1850s brought much change to this family, as indicated in the 1860 Census. "Vorum" still described himself as a farmer, but now had real estate of $4000 and a personal estate of $800. The eldest five children had left home, four of whom married in the three years from 1857 to 1859. A new child appeared on the list of family members, "Dan" (probably "Dorr" is intended), age 1 year.^[8] Yet another child did not appear: Varnis was born in 1853 and died in 1855.

In 1870 only one child remained at home, Dorr, age 11.^[9] Mary and Helen had married; Adelaide may have also married, I do not have her marriage date.

The 1880 census reported a household of two persons, Varnis Maxfield, age 72, farmer, and Persy Maxfield, age 66, wife, keeping house.^[10] However the census entry for this household follows immediately after Elhanan Maxfield and immediately preceeds Linos D. Maxfield.

Varnis Maxfield died on 2 August 1896, Persis Maxfield on 18 July 1901. They are buried together at Flint River Cemetery, Richfield.^[11]

Varnis Maxfield and his wife Percey Irish had the following children, and probably one more; Percey's death record indicated that she had eleven children, eight of whom survived:

1. CAROLINE⁶ MAXFIELD b. at Fort Ann on 13 March 1831, d. at Groveland on 22 April 1853;^[12] m. at Groveland on 28 November 1847 CHESTER SANFORD WILKINS^[13] b. at Ontario County, New York, on 22 November 1827, d. on 9 February 1912.^[14] Chester m(2) ELIZABTH C. CAMPBELL b. at Oakland county on 2 March 1838, d. at Flushing, Genesee County, on 24 March 1909.^[15]
2. ELHANAN W.⁶ MAXFIELD b. at New York on 19 September 1833.
3. SALLY ETTE⁶ MAXFIELD b. at New York on 23 December 1835;^[16], d. on 1906;^[17] m. at Saint Charles, Saginaw Co., MI, on 7 February 1858 JOHN BACON ADAMS,^[18] b. at Brattleboro, Windham County, Vermont, on 11 November 1836.^[19], d. on 1899.^[20] Children of Etta and John:^[21]
   1. Achesh Adams b. at Michigan about 1865-6.
   2. John Adams b. at Michigan about 1867-8.
   3. Blanche Adams b. at Michigan about 1870-1.
4. ASENATT ANN⁶ MAXFIELD b. at Genesee County on 8 October 1838; d. at Richfield on 1 June 1911;^[22] m. abt. 1857-8 CORNELIUS WORTH,^[23] b. at Uxbridge, Ontario, on 12 February 1836, d. at Genesee County on 15 February 1911.^[24]
5. SYLVIA JANE⁶ MAXFIELD b. at Genesee County on 3 January 1842; d. at Pine River, Genesee County, on 25 September 1921;^[25] m. at Genesee County on 5 March 1859 AUSTIN BLACKMORE,^[26] b. on 7 April 1835, d. on 21 September 1900.^[27]
6. SUSAN ADELAIDE⁶ MAXFIELD b. at Michigan on 12 April 1844;, d. at Grant, Clare County, Michigan, on 21 February 1890;^[28] m. JOHN HINKLE b. at Maryland on 15 February 1835, d. at Clare County on 27 April 1907.^[29]
7. MARY DELIGHT⁶ MAXFIELD b. at Richfield on 11 July 1848; d. at Petoskey, Emmet County, Michigan, on 20 December 1921;^[30] m. about 1867-8 JOHN D. THOMAS,^[31] b. at Goderich, Huron County, Ontario, on 29 October 1848, d. at Bear Creek, Emmet County, on 11 November 1907, child of Henry E. and Elizabeth Thomas.^[32]
8. HELEN REBECCA⁶ MAXFIELD b. at Michigan on 8 October 1849; d. at Riverdale, Gratiot County, Michigan, on 8 August 1898;^[33] m. at Davison, Genesee County, on 21 July 1867 GEORGE SEELEY, b. at New York about 1840-1.^[34]
9. VARNIS BERDET⁶ MAXFIELD b. on 24 July 1853; d. on 30 September 1855.^[35]
10. LINUS DORR⁶ MAXFIELD b. at Richfield on 2 February 1859.

¹Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing, Michigan., Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952, Genesee County, p. 292, e. 149, Varnis Maxfield, 1896; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 23 June 2023).
²Michigan Death Records, 1867-1952, Genesee County, certificate 250, Percey Amanda Maxfield, 1901.
³Anna Gallagher, to Charles A. Maxfield, electronic mail, 19 May 2012; privately held by Charles A. Maxfield, Lansdale, Pennsylvania. Includes digital image of 1835 New York state census.
⁴Ibid.
⁵Sixth Census of the United States: 1840, population, Groveland, Oakland County, Michigan, p. 142, V. Maxfield; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 25 September 2012); NARA microfilm publication M704, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
⁶Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population, Groveland, Oakland County, Michigan, p. 334A, household 550, Varnis Maxfield family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 5 October 2012); NARA microfilm record group M432, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
⁷Franklin Ellis, History of Genesee County, Michigan: with illustrations of its prominent men and pioneers (Philadelphia: Everts & Abbott, 1879), 413-14; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 23 August 2013.
⁸Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population, Richfield, Genesee County, Michigan, p. 442, household 420, Varnis Maxfield family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 3 November 2012); NARA microfilm record group M653; Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
⁹Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population, Richfield, Genesee County, Michigan, p. 364B, household 221, Varnis Maxfield family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 6 February 2013); NARA microfilm record group M593; Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
¹⁰Tenth Census of the United States: 1880, population, Richfield, Genesee County, Michigan, enumeration district (ED) 84, p. 378B, household 156, Varnis Maxfield family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 9 March 2013); NARA microfilm publication T9, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
¹¹Flint River Cemetery, Richfield Center, Richfield, Genesee County, Michigan, Find a Grave, digital images (findagrave.com : accessed 5 September 2018), V-Persis Maxfield; Originally Created and photo by: s schmidt, Maintained and photo added by: Glenn & Anna Sakcriska.
¹²Flint River Cemetery, Richfield Center, Caroline B. Wilkisn; Originally Created and photo by: Tegan Baiocchi, Maintained and photo added by: Glenn & Anna Sakcriska.
¹³Genealogical Society of Utah, "Michigan, Marriages, 1822-1995," database, Family Search (familysearch.org : accessed 6 October 2013), Wilkins-Maxfield, 1847.
¹⁴Hadley Cemetery, Groveland Township, Oakland County, Michigan, Find a Grave, digital images (findagrave.com : accessed 5 September 2018), Chester-Elizabeth Wilkins; Originally Created and photo by: Leslie Odell Ousnamer, Maintained by: Richard William Green. Day amd month provided by informant.
¹⁵Ibid.
¹⁶Alice Turner Miller, Portrait and Biographical Album of Gratiot County, Michigan (1864), 355; digital images, (books.google.com : accessed 2012).
¹⁷Riverside Cemetery, Saint Charles, Saginaw County, Michigan, Find a Grave, digital images (findagrave.com : accessed 24 July 2023), Ett Adams; Created by: Glenn & Anna Sakcriska, Photo added by Tami.
¹⁸"Michigan, Marriages, 1822-1995," Adams-Maxfield, 1858.
¹⁹Miller, Portrait and Biographical Album of Gratiot County, Michigan, 355.
²⁰Riverside Cemetery, Saint Charles, Saginaw County, Michigan, Find a Grave, John Bacon Adams; Created by: Deb Hayes-Wolfe, photo Added by Tami.
²¹1880 Census, Seville, Gratiot County, Michigan, ED 101, p. 624C, household 182, John B. Adams family.
²²Michigan Death Records, 1867-1952, Genesee County, Certificate 9, Acenith Ann Worth, 1911.
²³Twelth Census of the United States: 1900, population, Vienna, Genesee County, Michigan, enumeration district (ED) 28, p. 4B, household 106, Cornelius Worth family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 4 October 2014); NARA microfilm group T623; Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
²⁴Flint River Cemetery, Richfield Center, C. Worth; Created and photo by: Glenn & Anna Sakcriska.
²⁵Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952, Genesee County, certificate 25-267, Sylvia J. Blackmar, 1921.
²⁶"Michigan, Marriages, 1822-1995," Blackmer-Maxfield, 1859.
²⁷Flint River Cemetery, Richfield Center, Austin Blackmer; Created by: Len Thomas, Photo added by Dave Johnson.
²⁸Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952, Clare County, p. 165, e. 16, Adelade Hinkle, 1890; Surrey Township Cemetery, Farwell, Clare County, Michigan, Find a Grave, digital images (findagrave.com : accessed 3 September 2018), Susan Hinkle; Created and photo by: Tams.
²⁹Surrey Township Cemetery, Farwell, John Hinkle; Created and photo by: Tams. Day and month provided by informant.
³⁰Michigan Death Records, 1867-1952, Emmet County, Mary D. Thomas, 1921.
³¹1900 Census, Petoskey, Emmet County, Michigan, ED 90, p. 10A, household 211, John Thomas family.
³²Michigan Death Records, 1867-1952, Emmet County, certificate 14, John D. Thomas, 1907.
³³Michigan Death Records, 1867-1952, Gratiot County, Certificate 460, Helen R. Seeley, 1898.
³⁴Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867–1952, Genesee County, p. 146, e. 115, Seeley-Maxfield, 1867; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 15 June 2023).
³⁵Flint River Cemetery, Richfield Center, Varnis Berdet Maxfield; Originally Created and photo by: s schmidt, Maintained and photo added by: Glenn & Anna Sakcriska.

Ellis, Franklin. History of Genesee County, Michigan: with illustrations of its prominent men and pioneers. Philadelphia: Everts & Abbott, 1879. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2013.

Flint River Cemetery, Richfield Center, Richfield, Genesee County, Michigan. Find a Grave. Digital images. findagrave.com : 2018.

Gallagher, Anna. "Joshua Maxfield, Jr., & Hiram and Varnis." E-mail to Charles A. Maxfield. 25 May 2013. Privately held.

Genealogical Society of Utah. "Michigan, Marriages, 1822-1995." Database. Family Search. familysearch.org : 2013.

Hadley Cemetery, Groveland Township, Oakland County, Michigan. Find a Grave. Digital images. findagrave.com : 2018.

Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing, Michigan. Michigan Death Records, 1867-1952. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2023.

________. Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867–1952. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2023.

Miller, Alice Turner. Portrait and Biographical Album of Gratiot County, Michigan. 1864. Digital images. books.google.com : 2012.

Riverside Cemetery, Saint Charles, Saginaw County, Michigan. Find a Grave. Digital images. findagrave.com : 2023.

Surrey Township Cemetery, Farwell, Clare County, Michigan. Find a Grave. Digital images. findagrave.com : 2018.

United States Department of the Census. 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.

________. Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2013.

________. Tenth Census of the United States: 1880, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2013.

________. Twelth Census of the United States: 1900, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2014.