Person:Job Stafford (4)

Disambiguating Two Job Staffords

Source:Whitman, Roscoe L. Book of Appendices to the History and Genealogy of the Ancestors and Some Descendants of Stukely Westcott, 1592-1677, p. 142, conflates two separate men (uncle and nephew) into one person, when it says "Job Stafford, b-Feb. 11, 1767, d-Mar. 21, 1846; m-Chloe ---, b.-1755, d-Oct. 17, 1812." This appears wrong from the age at death on this man's gravestone (as reported in the Colrain, MA, VRs) giving his age as 66, i.e., born about 1780, not 1767. (Additionally, Chloe's death as reported in this source is off by thirty years, 1812 instead of the correct 1842, causing a similar discrepancy in her estimated birth year, 1755 instead of the correct 1785, possibly influenced by using the wrong birthdate for the husband. Note that Find A Grave has no image on its memorial page, presumably copied from the vital records and not providing what could have been a useful confirmation that the transcription in the VRs was correct.)

That the above source must be wrong seems obvious based on the age at death, but the possiblity that the transcription of the gravestones is wrong suggests further research is needed. And additional complications raise more doubts. First it appears by deeds that both men lived in Chenango County, NY. Or was it the same man? They had different wives, but records of the older man's wife and birth of his children stop before the presumed younger man married. Could Chloe be the second marriage of the older man?

As if often the case, once one clue sets one on the right path, more and more facts are found, and the answer becomes obvious. Eventually, in this case, the gravestone of the older man's first wife was found, which says she died in 1840. This proves the older man did not marry Chloe, whose husband must have been a different man. Also the older man's own gravestone is found, showing that while he ironically died the same year as the younger man, the location where he is buried, the day within the year of death, and his age at death were all different and not as reported by the Whitman source.

Documentation is posted on the various pages, but in summary:

So the older Job had a wife Amy before 1790 and resided in Rowe, MA for both the 1790 and 1800 census, moved to Chenango County, New York, by 1807 according to deeds there. His wife Amy died in 1840, and he married a wife Permelia (named in his probate) and died 30 Jul 1846, age 80 according to his gravestone, leaving a widow and 5 daughters. Meanwhile, his nephew, the younger Job, of Colrain, m. 1808 to Chloe, moved about 1813 to Chenango County, New York, was of Guilford, VT, in 1837, and back in Colrain apparently by 1842 when his wife died, he himself dying there 21 Mar 1846, age 66.

Note: the newer Source:Lewis, Edna Jay. Westcott Family Tree : Westcott Descendants from Stukely and Juliana, p. 14, though it gives the older Job the right wife, but still assigns the death date that belongs to the younger Job. Source:Slafter, Edmund Farwell. Memorial of John Slafter (published 1869! by far the oldest source cited here), p. 76, has the correct wife and correct death date for the older Job, but does not go into enough depth to mention his second wife, and of course, does not cover the younger Job Stafford.

1. ↑ Vermont, United States. Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-1954: Database with images. (FamilySearch. Citing Secretary of State. State Capitol Building, Montpelier.)
   [1].

   Name of Child: Job Stafford
   Date of Birth: 1767 Feb 11
   Mother: Mary
   Father: John Stafford
   Town: Guilford
   [Note: no birth record found in Rhode Island, but Source:Whitman, Roscoe L. Book of Appendices to the History and Genealogy of the Ancestors and Some Descendants of Stukely Westcott, 1592-1677, p. 140, suggests the father did not move to Vermont until about 1780.]

2. ↑ Find A Grave: Foster Cemetery, Norwich, NY, in Find A Grave
   Job Stafford.

   JOB STAFFORD
   DIED
   JULY 30, 1846,
   AE. 80 Y's.

3.   New York. Surrogate's Court (Chenango County). Probate records, 1798-1970. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1970).

   Wills Vol. E, p. 538 Will of "Job Stafford of the town of Preston", dated 13 Jul 1846, proved 2 Sep 1846, names daughter Esther Stafford, daughter Elizabeth Wilcox, daughter Mary Skinner, daughter Lois Tracy, daughter Amy Aldrich, daughter Chloe Tracy. Nephew Abel Stafford of Preston to be executor.
   Letters Testamentary Vol. D, p. 358 2 Sep 1846: Letters granted to Abel Stafford as executor of Job Stafford deceased.
   Minutes Vol. E, p. 172 23 Jun 1851: Various complaints about accounting ruled on, including account of payment to widow for dower. Whitman Willcox and Elizabeth his wife, Daniel M. Holmes guardian of minor heirs, Sherwood S. Merritt Esquire proctor for [Runslia?Permelia?] Stafford widow of deceased, John Skinner & Esther his wife, Clinton Smith & wife, Amariah Tracy for himself and wife, and Luke [sic] Skinner widow. Distribution to Elizabeth Willcox, Lois Tracy, Chloe Tracy, Amy Aldrich, Esther Skinner, Estate of Mary Skinner deceased.

4. ↑ Windham, Vermont, United States. 1790 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   [2].

   Job Stafford in Guilford
   Males: over 16: 2
   Females: 1

5.   Franklin, Massachusetts, United States. 1800 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Franklin, Massachusetts, United States)
   [3].

   Job Stafford in Rowe, Mass.
   Males: 25-44:1
   Females: 0-10:3 10-18:2 25-44:1

6.   Franklin County (Massachusetts). Register of Deeds. Deeds, 1787-1947 (bulk 1787-1910). (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1972, 1991).

   Vol. 20, p. 489 1 Oct 1804: Job Stafford of Rowe for $900 conveys to Asa Foster of Rowe a parcel of 100 acres in Rowe.
   Vol. 23, p. 248 5 Nov 1806: Job Stafford of Rowe for $1250 convey to Levi Walters of Ashford Connecticut a parcel of 130 acres in Rowe. 5 Nov 1806: Anna Stafford wife of the within named Job Stafford relinquishes her right of dower.

7.   Chenango County (New York). County Clerk. Deed records, 1798-1905; index, 1798-1969. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Reproduction Systems for the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1970).

   Vol. L, p. 508 5 Jan 1807: Paul Knolton of Preston [and wife Eunice] for $607.90 conveys to Job Stafford of Rowe Massachusetts a parcel of 86 acres in Preston part of lot 30Vol. L, p. 506 5 Dec 1807: Thomas White of Preston for $325 conveys to Job Stafford of Preston a parcel of 60 acres in Preston part of lot 30.
   Vol. L, p. 510 15 Dec 1807: Jesse Lapham of Preston and Sarah his wife for $1172 convey to Job Stafford of Preston a parcel of 146 acres in Preston being part of lot 49.
   Vol. L, p. 511 21 Dec 1807: Frederick Wagner and Anna his wife of Preston for $120 convey to Job Stafford of Preston a parcel of 10 acres in Preston being part of lot 33.
   Vol. 75, p. 115 1 Apr 1847: Abel Stafford of Preston executor of the will of Job Stafford late of Preston for $3000 conveys to Amos B. Packer of Norwich land bought with three deed: from Paul Knolton, from Thomas White, and from Frederick Wagner subject to a mortgage to Benjamin N. Huntington of Rome and dower of Parmelia Stafford widow of Job Stafford which Abel is to pay from the $3000.
   Vol. 79, p. 181 4 Jan 1849: Lois Tracy, Reuben Aldrich, Amy Aldrich his wife, Amaziah Tracy and Cloe his wife, Whitman Willcox [and] Elizabeth his wife, John Skinner and Mary his wife and Esther Stafford of Norwich heirs at law of Job Stafford formerly of Norwich deceased for $39 convey to Cornelius Slater and Charlotte Slater of Bainbridge a parcel of 56 acres in Bainbridge in southwest corner of Great Lot 96.