MINOR6 MAXFIELD (probably Henry5, David4, Eliphalet3, Nathaniel2, John1) was born at Vermont about 1802-3,[1] probably a child of Henry and Minerva Maxfield. He died at Prince William County, Virginia, on 1853.[2] He married ELVIRA _______. who was born at Vermont about 1807-8[3] and died at Prince William County on 23 December 1885.[4]
I do not have conclusive evidence to link Minor Maxfield to Henry. However, Henry and Minor were in the same Town in the 1830 census, and Minor's age fits into the age categories of children of Henry in the 1810 and 1820 censuses. This is assuming that "Myron" Maxfield in the 1830 census, "Min." Maxfield in the 1840 census, and "Minor" Maxfield of the 1850 census were the same person.
While Minor's brother Philo migrated west, and the rest of their siblings remained close to home, Minor migrated south. Based on the birth states of his children, the Minor Maxfield family was in Vermont until 1837, in New York state from 1838 to 1842, and in Virginia by 1848. All records indicate Minor was a farmer.
The 1830 Census reported this family at Milton, Chittenden County, Vermont, consisting of a couple in their 20s and a child under five.[5] This fits precisely with what we know of this family, their first child, Hiram, being about two years old.
In 1840 this family resided at Half Moon Town, Saratoga County, New York, consisting of a male in his 30s (Minor 37), a female in her 20s (Elvira 32), a male 10-14 (Hiram 12), two males 5-9 (Albert 8 and one unidentified) and two males under 5 (Edwin 3, George 1).[6]
The 1850 census reported the family of Minor Maxfield at Prince William County as follows:[7]
| Name | Age | Sex | Occupation | R.E. | Birthplace | Other |
| Minor Maxfield | 47 | M | farmer | $500 | VT | |
| Elvira Maxfield | 42 | F | VT | |||
| Hiram C. Maxfield | 22 | M | laborer | VT | ||
| Albert M. Maxfield | 18 | M | laborer | VT | school | |
| Edwin A. Maxfield | 13 | M | VT | school | ||
| George L. Maxfield | 11 | M | NY | school | ||
| Orvis Maxfield | 9 | M | NY | school | ||
| Lydia J. Maxfield | 8 | F | NY | school | ||
| Sizmore Maxfield | 1 | M | VA |
Minor died in 1853, leaving his widow with children ages 25, 21, 16, 14, 12, 11, and possibly 4.
Elvira Maxfield appeared in the 1860 census at Landsdowne Post Office, Prince William County, with son Orvis, a farmer, and daughter Lydia, still in school.[8] Son Edwin was farming nearby with his wife and one-year-old daughter.[9] Son Albert had moved west, to Hampshire County (Sheetz Mill Post Office), which would soon become part of the new state of West Virginia. There he was a laborer, with his wife and one-year-old daughter.[10] I have not located Hiram or George in this census.
The nation was soon consumed in Civil War, which pitted their neighbors against their place of origin. Son George enlisted in the rebel army, in the Stafford County Light Artillery Battery.
Edwin died in 1864; Hiram and Orvis married in 1865, George married in 1867. Elvira Maxfield appeared in the 1870 census at Nokesville Post Office, Coles Township, Prince William County, with daughter Lydia.[11] Thst census found Hiram, a carpenter, living at New Creek, Mineral County, West Virginia, with his wife Margaret and seven-year-old daughter Clara.[12] Albert, a farmer, was still near home, at Rock Hill Township (Stafford Store Post Office), Stafford County, Virginia, with his wife and three children.[13] Edwin's widow Roberta lived near her mother-in-law in Prince William County, with her daughter.[14] George was also farming in Prince William County, with his wife and one-year-old daughter.[15] Orvis was farming at Occoquan Township, Prince William County, with his wife and two-year-old son.[16] Elvira died in 1885.
Minor and Elvira Maxfield had the following children:
1Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population, Prince William County, Virginia, p. 130A, household 487, Minor Maxfield family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 17 October 2012); NARA microfilm record group M432, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
2"RootsWeb's World Connect Project", database, Roots Web (wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com : accessed ), Relatives of Theresa Anne Helmick & James Ellwood Pogue; undocumented and unnamed family tree submitted 2004 by Theresa Pogue.
31850 Census, Prince William County, Virginia, p. 130A, household 487, Minor Maxfield family.
4Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, "Virginia Death Registers, 1853–1911," Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 16 August 2023), Elvira Maxfield, 1885, Prince William County, e. 50.
5Fifth Census of the United States: 1830, population, Milton, Chittenden County, Vermont, p. 240, Myron Maxfield; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 22 September 2012); NARA microfilm publication M19, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
6Sixth Census of the United States: 1840, population, Half Moon, Saratoga County, New York, p. 213, Min. Maxfield; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 26 September 2012); NARA microfilm publication M704, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
71850 Census, Prince William County, Virginia, p. 130A, household 487, Minor Maxfield family.
8Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population, Prince William County, Virginia, p. 497, household 486, Elvira Maxfield family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 17 November 2012); NARA microfilm record group M653; Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
91860 Census, Prince William County, Virginia, p. 497, household 487, Edwin A. Maxfield family.
101860 Census, Hampshire County, Virginia, p. 254, household 7, Albert Maxfield family.
11Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population, Coles, Prince George County, Virginia, p. 378B, household 75, Elloize Maxfield family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 15 February 2013); NARA microfilm record group M593; Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
121870 Census, New Creek, Mineral County, West Virginia, p. 622B, household 7, Hiram Maxfield family.
131870 Census, Rock Hill, Stafford County, Virginia, p. 80A, household 148, Albert Maxfield family.
141870 Census, Coles, Prince George County, Virginia, p. 378B, household 74, Roberta Maxfield family.
151870 Census, Coles, Prince George County, Virginia, p. 376B, household 38, George Maxfield family.
161870 Census, Occoquan, Prince George County, Virginia, p. 447B, household 14, Orvis Maxfield family.
171850 Census, Prince William County, Virginia, p. 130A, household 487, Minor Maxfield family.
18Beth Fridley, "Prince William County, Virginia Deaths, 1853-1896," database, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 4 January 2014), Lydia Lee.
19Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, "Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940," database, Family Search (familysearch.org : accessed 2 May 2012).
201850 Census, Prince William County, Virginia, p. 130A, household 487, Minor Maxfield family.
Fridley, Beth. "Prince William County, Virginia Deaths, 1853-1896." Database. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2014.
Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. "Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940." Database. Family Search. familysearch.org : 2012.
"RootsWeb's World Connect Project." Database. Roots Web. wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com .
United States Department of the Census. 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.
________. Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2013.
Virginia, Library of, Richmond, Virginia. "Virginia Death Registers, 1853–1911." Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2023.
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