Person:George Newton (59)

GEORGE NEWTON (1840 - BET 1900 & 1910) By Myron L. Newton, Jr.

George Newton

George Newton and Martha A. Buxton Bement were both residents of Wyoming Township when they married in Grand Rapids, Michigan on September 10, 1865. This was the second marriage for Martha and she had one child at the time. She was age 22 and George was age 26.

Martha’s son became part of the Newton household and the couple had two children of their own while still residents of Michigan. Sometime between 1875 and 1880 the family of five moved to Kansas. George and his descendants are covered in more depth in a separate biography.

GEORGE NEWTON (1840 - BET 1900 & 1910) By Myron L. Newton, Jr.

Primary references have not been found to prove that this person is the son of Daniel and Lavina Newton, however enough secondary data exists to make the author believe this George Newton is the correct person. 

George Newton was probably the first child born to Daniel Newton and Lovina Brown. He was born in New York State, probably in the Town of Mansfield in Cattaraugus County, where his parents resided. The 1840 U.S. Census, which only named the head of households, listed his father in the Town of Mansfield. There was only one child enumerated in the household, a male under the age of five. It is believed that this child was George. The filing date of this Census was November 1840 so it is possible that George, who was born in March 1840, according to a later census, was counted.

A few years later George moved westward with his parents and younger sister, and by 1850 the family had settled in Illinois. The family was enumerated in the 1850 U.S. Illinois Census for Dekalb County, Pampas Township and George was age ten.

According to the 1860 U.S. Census, George Newton no longer lived with his parents. The closest possible match for him was the 21 year-old farm laborer by that name who lived with the Miles Reed family in the Town of Alto, Lee County, Illinois. This location was only about 25 miles from his parent’s home in Sycamore, DeKalb County.

It is unknown if George served in the military during the Civil War, but his age would have made it possible. A number of persons with that name served in the Union Army but none have been found to be a perfect match for this George Newton.

By the mid-1860’s George was in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he wed Martha A. Bement (nee Buxton) on September 10, 1865. She was previously wed to Clemons C. Bement and had one child, Horace Bement. Martha was age 22 and George was age 26 at the time of their marriage and they were both residents of Wyoming Township, Kent County, Michigan.

Various dates have been provided for the year of Martha’s birth but the 1900 U.S. Census noted that she was born in October 1841, in Michigan. Martha appeared with her parents, Thomas and Matilda Buxton, in the 1850 U.S. Michigan Census for the Town of Georgetown, Ottawa County and in the 1860 U.S. Michigan Census for the Town of Wyoming, Kent County where the family was enumerated under the surname Baxton.

Elizabeth Newton, the first child George and Martha had together, was born on July 5, 1867, in Georgetown Township, Ottawa County, Michigan. So far the family has not been found in the 1870 U.S. Census but it is probable that they continued to reside in the Kent County or Ottawa County, Michigan since their next child, Walter, was also born in Michigan around 1873.

George was mentioned in an 1870 letter (probably written by Ephraim Brown), noting that he broke his foot in three places in a fall while working on Ephraim’s barn. This accident must have occurred at Ephraim’s property in Englishville near the Algoma – Plainfield Township line in Kent County, Michigan. In another Ephraim Brown letter, dated January 5, 1875, and written in Kent (County), Michigan, mentioned that George Newton was to perform Ephraim’s chores for him. These chores, again, probably took place on Ephraim’s Englishville farm.

Within the next few years George Newton and his family moved to Kansas where they were enumerated in the 1880 U.S. Kansas Census for Leota Township, Norton County. George, a farmer, was age 38 and Martha was age 36. Martha’s child by her previous marriage, Horace (Bement), was age 18. Lizzie (Elizabeth) was age 13, and Walter was age six. The couple’s last known child, George Truman Newton, was born in Kansas on December 12, 1881 or 1882. Norton County is located on the Kansas – Nebraska State line. Leota Township later became part of Orange Township and both Townships are now defunct. Leota Township was south of the present day city of Norton and in 1880 had 969 residents.

The children of George Newton and Martha Buxton Bement:

 Elizabeth Newton b. abt 1867 d. aft 1910 
 Walter Newton b. abt 1873 d. bet 1900 & 1910 
 George Truman Newton b. 12 Dec 1881 or 1882 d. 17 Mar 1948 

George Truman Newton is covered in more detail in a separate biography.

Sometime after the birth of their last child in late 1881 or 1882, George and Martha moved to Nebraska. The move may have taken place after 1885 since George was not found in the 1885 Nebraska State Census. No record pertaining to George Newton has been found from the years 1882 to 1900.

The 1900 U.S. Nebraska Census found George, Martha, the younger George, and Elizabeth living in Richardson County, Humboldt City. This census recorded the month, year and location of each person’s birth. George, age 60, was born in March 1840. He indicated that he was born in Illinois but it is known that his parents resided in New York at the time of his birth. No occupation was listed for George. Martha, age 58, was born in Michigan in October 1841. George and Martha had been married for 35 years. George, the son, was age 18 and born in Kansas in December 1881, and he worked as a day laborer. The census indicated that Elizabeth was born in Michigan in June 1870, however other census data, based on her stated age, suggested that she was born around 1866 or 1867. No occupation was listed for her.

Walter Newton was no longer part of the household in 1900. It is unknown where he resided that year, but it is believed that he was still alive since Martha indicated on the census that all four of her children (Horace Bement was included) were living. So far Walter has not been found in the 1900 U.S. Census.

Horace (H.L.) Bement, who was George’s stepson and the natural son of Martha, was enumerated on the same page as George and Martha in the 1900 Census. He was employed as a carpenter, married to Anna, and had two children, Lennie and Charlie.

George Newton died between 1900 and 1910 since the 1910 U.S. Nebraska Census enumerated Martha as a widow. She lived in Humboldt with her daughter, Elizabeth (Lizzie), and son, George. A cemetery index book found online for Humboldt indicated that at least one Newton is buried in the Humboldt area (Book 5, page 452), but there is no proof that this is George. If an obituary or death certificate on George can be found it should remove any doubt about his ancestry. The younger George was employed as a “farm and feed” retail dealer. Elizabeth was not employed and Martha had her “own income”. The Horace Bement family was again enumerated next to the Newton family and Horace was employed as a “mail carrier”.

Walter Newton must have died by 1910 since the 1910 U.S. Census noted that only two of Martha Newton’s three children (Horace Bement was not counted) were still alive.

The 1910 U.S. Census was the last record found on Elizabeth Newton, who was age 43 in 1910. She may have died or married in the Humboldt, Nebraska area, or possibly moved to California with her mother who was found in the 1920 U.S. California Census.

Martha Newton, the widow of George Newton, apparently moved to California with her son, George Truman Newton, between 1916 and 1920. She was age 75 when enumerated in the household of her son according to the 1920 U.S. California Census for Los Angeles County, Pasadena. She was not found in the 1930 U.S. California Census so she probably died between 1920 and 1930. George Truman Newton is covered in a separate biography.

References:

Correspondence, photographs and Newton letters from P. Hudek, January 2004 Correspondence from T. Potes, November 2006 Potes Family Tree at Rootsweb.com:

    http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=potesmich&id=I2871

Kent County, Michigan Marriage Index at http://www.rootsweb.com/~mikent/marriages/

George Newton, Martha A. Bement. Book 1, page 133, 1842 - 1867

1840 U.S. New York Census, Cattaraugus County, Town of Mansfield 1850 U.S. Illinois Census, DeKalb County, Pampas Township 1850 U.S. Michigan Census, Ottawa County, Georgetown Township 1860 U.S. Illinois Census, Lee County, Town of Alto 1860 U.S. Illinois Census, DeKalb County, Town of Sycamore 1860 U.S. Michigan Census, Kent County, Town of Wyoming 1880 U.S. Kansas Census, Norton County, Leota Township 1900 U.S. Nebraska Census, Richardson County, Humboldt 1900 U.S. Nebraska Census, Adams County, Hastings, E.D. 10, p. 7 1910 U.S. Nebraska Census, Richardson County, Humboldt City, p. 3A & 7A 1920 U.S. California Census, Los Angeles County, Pasadena City 1930 U.S. California Census, Los Angeles County, Pasadena City Richardson County (Nebraska) Cemetery Project, online Cemetery Index available at the NEGenWeb Page; Volume 5, page 452. http://www.rootsweb.com/~nerichar/

Myron L. Newton, Jr. December 2007