Deacon Eastman first saw the light February 22, 1806, in the town of Randolph, Vt., a son of Rev. Tilton Eastman, a college graduate, who for a quarter of a century was a Congregational minister, and when he died left the heritage of a spotless reputation and a good name. He was born August 15, 1773, in Amherst, Mass., and died July 8, 1842. He was not wealthy as far as this world goes; but he was a close student, a powerful thinker, and forcible sermonizer. The genealogy of the family points to English Puritan ancestry, prominent in New England early history, and the immediate forefathers of Rev. Tilton Eastman, like himself, entered the ministry, becoming noted laborers in the Lord's vineyard. We are enabled to give a brief record of the family, commencing with the grandfather of the subject of this sketch: Ebenezer Eastman was born May 31, 1749, and died May 7, 1820; he was married November 12, 1772, to Mary Dickinson, who was born December 27, 1746, and died March 16, 1825. Their children were:
Rev. Tilton Eastman; Mrs. Polly Dickinson; Elijah, born March 13, I777, married October 24, 1802, to Rebecca Hall, and (died March 26, 1820; Zebina, born September 28, I780, a well-known politician and Abolitionist in his day, who was given a consulship by his friend, Abraham Lincoln (in the great Chicago tire he lost a remarkably fine library; his death occurred in Elgin, Ill.'; Salome, born October 25, 1781, died December ii, Isis (she was married April 14, 1803, to Silas Adams, and afterward to 1) David Pestnau); Samuel, born March iS, 1783, married December 20, 1809, to Sally Pyncheon; Clarissa, born November 9, 1784, married November 27, to i, to Asa Adams; Achsah, born October I9, 1786, married April i 5, 1805, to Josiah Warner; Theodore, born December 17, 1788, died Max 27, 1816 (he was married January 3, 181 I, to Susannah Scott ; and Ebenezer, Jr., born November 22, 1790. Rev. Tilton Eastman was married October 20, 1802, to Miss Speda Smith, a native of Plainfield, Conn., whose brother-in-law, "Father Clark," was a Congregational minister near Buffalo, N. Y. To this marriage were born five children, viz.: Francis, Edward, Eunice, George V. and Mary.
[many OCR errors]
