Person:Jabez Baldwin (2)

"Jabez Baldwin (Nathan⁴, Daniel³, Daniel², Nathaniel¹) was born in Newtown, Conn., April 8, 1733, and died March 31, 1803. …

Jabez Baldwin was early identified with the town of Stratford. In 1772 land is transferred to him by Samuel Averill, and his name appears as one of the original proprietors. By the different offices he held we know that he must have visited Stratford several times during its early settlement, but he did not bring his family here until March, 1788. His eldest son, Heth, had preceded him by a year or two. Jabez was disappointed in his pitch, and did not build for a couple of years, remaining with his son at what has been known as the Connary place, where his son, Elisha, was born. About 1790 he erected the first framed house in town the present site of the Baldwin Homestead.

Jabez Baldwin was a man of unusual ability, sagacious and enterprising, dignified and courtly in manner, and fitted alike to fill the high social position he held or to encounter in later years the hardships of pioneer life. The great depreciation in Continental money and the loss of a ship of which he was part owner materially reduced his fortunes, and, although he still owned a residence on Newtown Street, he could not live in the manner to which he had been accustomed, and so was induced to seek a new home in the Upper Coös, whose beauty and fertility were so glowingly described."^[2]

"Smallpox made its appearance in 1803, and Jabez Baldwin, then a man of 70, died from the effects of inoculation. The infection was brought into town in the clothing of a young woman, to a party which one of Mr. Baldwin's daughters attended. The family was immediately inoculated, a direct virus being used, vaccination not being employed here at that time. Mr. Baldwin was away from home, but on his return, instead of remaining at a neighbor's as his wife requested, he rejoined his family, and in his enfeebled condition he succumbed to the treatment of those days. There is no record of any other cases, but great alarm was felt at the appearance of that disease, so common and so uncontrollable at that time."^[3]

1. ↑ 126. Jabez⁵ Baldwin, in Baldwin, Charles Candee. The Baldwin Genealogy, from 1500 to 1881. (Cleveland, Ohio: Leader Printing Co., 1881)
   426.

   "126. Jabez⁵ (Baldwin) Nathan⁴ Nathan³ of Newtown, Conn., He m., in 1755, Mary Peck, of Newtown. He m. 2nd, in 1770, Judith Brace."

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Jabez Baldwin, in Thompson, Jeannette Richardson. History of the town of Stratford, New Hampshire, 1773-1925. (Concord, New Hampshire: Rumford Press, c1925)
   311-13.
3. ↑ Thompson, Jeannette Richardson. History of the town of Stratford, New Hampshire, 1773-1925. (Concord, New Hampshire: Rumford Press, c1925)
   128.
4. ↑ Jabez Baldwin, in Find A Grave.