Family:Amzi Doolittle and Hannah Miller (1)

Biography

Contrary to the genealogy "Doolittles of America," Hannah Miller was NOT the mother of Amzi's children; Jerusha Smith was. Amzi and Hannah did not marry until 1787, not only after the birth of all of Amzi's children, but also after Hannah's child-bearing years were over. /1

Amzi and Hannah probably initially met each other in Warwick, MA. Both Hannah and Amzi were of Baptist sympathies at least while in Warwick, MA. /2 Amzi was identified as a leading Baptist in the biography of Universalist Caleb Rich (who married Amzi's daughter Electa). Hannah may have been Baptist herself, coming from Baptist-friendly Rehoboth, and daughter of a minister, quite possibly a Baptist minister, Daniel Miller, who removed to Baptist-friendly Rhode Island.

Both of their first families were caught up in the "spiritual wife-ism" controversy of mid-1778 in Warwick, MA. Amzi's first wife, Jerusha Smith, ran off with Amos Marsh. His 16-year-old daughter Lavina eloped with Elder (Moses) Hix. And Amzi himself hooked up with "Mr. Thomas Barber's wife" -- i.e., Hannah Miller. /3

While there is evidence that Hannah returned to Thomas Barber (she had several more children by him until 1785), BOTH the Doolittles (without Jerusha?) and the Barbers left Warwick and settled in Townshend, VT by 1782. Despite the supposed controversy, they lived very near to each other, and sold property to each other, and two Doolittle sons married two Barber daughters.

Sometime after the 1785 birth of her last Barber child, Hannah and Thomas Barber divorced. Amzi and Hannah married each other in Vermont in October 1787.

Amzi and Hannah remained in Townshend until about 1824 when they moved with several of their children to Winchester, NH.

Hannah and Amzi are buried side-by-side at the Evergreen Cemetery in Winchester, NH. [Source: US Census 1790, 1800, 1820; research by Jillaine 19:10, 2 November 2008 (EST) conducted May 2002 at said cemetery.]

Hannah's children loved Amzi Doolittle enough that one of her sons (Calvin) named his son after Mr. Doolittle (this child being Amzi Doolittle Barber, the clergyman who moved west to Ashtabula, OH), and two of Hannah's Barber daughters married sons of Amzi Doolittle!

1. ↑ Townshend (Vermont). Town Clerk. Town and vital records, 1786-1869. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1952)
   [https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L999-L9TR?cc=1987653&wc=Q8ZY-CB4%3A324710801%2C325254201%2C325260801 Book A, p. 10(?).

   The Following Persons were Joined in Marriage by Joshua Wood Esq'r (one of the Justices of the peace within & for the County of Windham & State of Vermont) at the following Dates - (to wit)
   ...
   Amzi Doolittle and Hannah Barber Married Oct'r 9th 1787
   ---
   * Doolittle, Amzi. * Hannah Barber. Oct 9, 1787. [Asterisk * indicates that person's residence was not recorded.]
   (As researched in person at the Townshend, VT town clerk office by Jillaine Smith in May 2002.)

2.   Phelps, James Houghton. Collections relating to the history and inhabitants of the town of Townshend, Vermont. (Brattleboro, VT: G. E. Selleck, 1877).

   The publication "Collections relating to the history and inhabitants of Townshend, Vermont" contains a chapter about the Second Baptist church which was formed in Townshend in 1827. But on page 249, the writer notes: "At the time of the organization of this body, a Baptist church had existed for 17 years [therefore since 1810] at the west village, had maintained its pastor or stated supply, and had occupied its portion of the time in the meeting-house." (But there is no list of Barbers or Doolittles mentioned relative to this Baptist congregation.)

3.   Blake, Jonathan. History of the Town of Warwick, Massachusetts: from its first settlement to 1854. (Boston, Massachusetts: Noyes & Holmes, 1873).