I got contacted by a man who is a distant collateral relative about a letter he had, and offered to sell to me. I have purchased it because it was written by Esquire/Squire Ide, a Revolutionary War patriot, and my fifth great grandfather.
Squire (or Esquire as he signed the letter), was born 30 July 1751 in Rehoboth, Massachusetts Bay Colony to Timothy and Esther Bosworth Ide. He was the sixth of at least 10 children. On 3 June 1773, in Rehoboth, he married Mary Bowen, the daughter of Uriel and Elizabeth (Perry) Bowen [Arnold's Rhode Island VR]. They moved to Clarendon, Rutland Co, Vermont, where most of their 8 children were born..... Otis 1774; Ester 1777; Mary, 1780; from hereon born VT Leafe 1782; Squire 1784; Betsey 1787; Patience? 1791; William Perly 1795 [Clarendon VT Vital Records]
Here is the letter! (I'll transcribe to separate tab page later).
Just having the letter would be a treasure enough, but in addition, the primary information in it helps to answer some of the unknowns in this lineage.
Everyone carries "post 1800 census" as the death date for Squire, as he has a son of the same name, and it is difficult to know which of them is the head of household in the 1810 or 1820 census --by 1820 could be either father or son, since both fit in the age group, and only 1 male is there.
The date of the letter is November 1 1806, so Squire was definitely alive then, but amazingly enough, in the letter, he states "...it was my Son Squier that was dead and not my Da[gh?]ter.."
So the father Squire is the one in both the 1810 and 1820 census!!!
Since then, another genealogist William Bart Saxbe, who is writing the third volume of the Descendants of Richard Bowen located a deed from 28 Sept 1821 by Squire Ide, so we can now state his death as post 28 Sept 1821, the date of the deed in Clarendon VT.
Really a full treasure Tuesday!!!
