Bivena W. Howard

Notes:

In the 1870 Federal Census, George P. & Triphena Howard, ages 20 & 16, are living at West Greenwich, RI, with George's (presumed) parents, Ephraim & Hannah W. Howard. They are next to John W. Howard and family on one side, and next to Searls & Susan D. Capwell and family on the other side.

By the 1880 Federal Census, the family has moved to Coventry. The household consists of: George P. 30, Trifena H. 27, Hertillar B. 9 (dtr), Bivena W. 8 (dtr), George H. 6 (son), Mary E. 5 (dtr), Ephram 74 (father), & Francis W. 17 (nephew). They are living next door to Henry & Edna Shippee and family; Edna Shippee & Tryphena Howard are sisters.

In the Federal Census of 1900, George is a widower age 51, living at Scituate, RI. With him are married son George H. and his wife Mary G., both aged 27.

George married Tryphena Hoxie Johnson 30 Dec 1869, Coventry, Kent Co., RI. Tryphena (daughter of Philip JOHNSON, Jr. and Tryphena Hoxsie GREENE) was born Abt 1854, Coventry, Kent Co., RI; died 21 Aug 1899; was buried , Maple Root Cemetery, Harkney Hill Rd., Coventry, RI. [Group Sheet]

Ephraim — Hannah W. Unknown. Hannah was born Abt 1812, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

We have a nice five-generation picture which includes Philip in 1913, when he was ninety. There is another one taken around the same time in which he has Margaret Estelle Whitford on his lap. The story is that he was blind in his old age.

Philip's gravestone has been photographed. According to the RI Cemetery Database, the Maple Root Cemetery "is a very old cemetery containing many inscribed field stones for the earliest settlers in this area. Records at Town Hall indicate that the first lot in the newer section was sold to Philip Johnson on 7 Nov 1893." I would guess that this was my 3xGreat-grandfather Johnson, or else his son Philip R. Johnson.

In the 1860 Federal Census, Philip & Triphina H. Johnson are living in Coventry, RI. In the home are Hearty P. 10, Philip R. 9, and Triphina 5, as well as Persilla Johnson, 74, Philip's mother.

By 1870 Philip has remarried, and he and Phebe are at Coventry with three children in the household: Ednah P. 9, Patience J. 6, and Zilpha W. 1.

In 1880 they are still at Coventry, and two daughters are with them: Orvilla P. 24 and Zilpha W. 11. Orvilla is Phebe's daughter from her previous marriage to Isaac Paine.

Philip married Tryphena Hoxsie GREENE 25 Nov 1849, West Greenwich, RI. Tryphena (daughter of Hiram GREENE and Abigail JOHNSON) was born 19 Aug 1827; died 9 Jul 1866, Coventry, Kent Co., RI; was buried , Maple Root Cemetery, Coventry, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Her gravestone has been photographed. Her surname has been spelled as Green and Greene, as has the name of the clergyman who married them, Caleb Green(e).

"Tryphena Greene-Johnson, daughter of Hiram, m. her second cousin, Philip Johnson [Philip, Philip, Ezekiel, EIizabeth Greene-Johnson, Usal Greene, John, John]. Their children have five strains of Greene blood. Harty Johnson-Whitford, m. Carmi Whitford. Philip R. Johnson. Has a son and a daughter." (source: "The Greene Family and its Branches" by Lora S. LaMance, Mayflower Pub Co.)

The following is a partial quote from "Acts and Resolves of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" pub. by Henry Ward, Sec'y, 1846, p 7: "Upon the petition of Abigail Greene of Coventry, A. Greene, in this State, guardian of the persons and estates of Tryphenia H. Greene and Benjamin Greene, minors, children of Hiram Greene, late of said Coventry, deceased, praying for the reasons therein stated, that . . . "

Notes:

I have a photocopy of the original record from the official book of the Town of West Greenwich for 1851, p. 77. They were married on 25 Nov 1849 by Caleb Green, Minister of the Gospel, and the marriage was recorded by John James, Town Clerk, about a year and a half later. The minister, Elder Caleb Green(e) (elsewhere it is spelled with a final "e"), was married to Lucetta Nichols, daughter of Susanna Whitford and Ambrose Nichols.

Notes:

Philip's gravestone is at Maple Root Cemetery, but he died in Ohio, so perhaps he is buried there.

According to Beaman's RI Genealogical Register, there was a Philip Johnson admitted to membership at Maple Root on 6 August 1814. This is probably the husband of Priscilla, and it was their son Philip who was born in Ohio in 1822. When, and for what reason, did they move to Ohio?

Supposedly there was another Philip Johnson admitted to membership at Maple Root on 30 June 1785, and this one died 13 July 1785. Who was this Philip? Was he an uncle, brother to Philip's father Ezekiel? Or perhaps his father wasn't Ezekiel at all, as stated in J.R.Cole's "History of Washington and Kent Counties," but rather was another Philip (?).

Ruth Nichols Reynolds, in her article titled " A Line of Descent from David Nichols of Coventry," writes that Prisilla Nichols, d/o Jonathan & Prisilla Nichols, married a Philip Johnson who was admitted a member of Maple Root on 30 June 1785 and died 13 July 1785. Where did she get this information from, that his wife was Priscilla? Could our Philip Johnson have been a son of this couple, born after the father died? If so, why does the "History of Washington and Kent Counties" say his father was Ezekiel?

What makes this confusing is that our Philip actually did marry a Priscilla Nichols, but not the one who was a daughter of Jonathan & Priscilla. She was a daughter of David, s/o Jonathan & Priscilla.

Philip married Priscilla NICHOLS Abt 1807. Priscilla (daughter of David NICHOLS and Mary GREENE) was born 30 Oct 1785; died 27 Jul 1879; was buried , Maple Root Cemetery, Coventry, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

She is named as his daughter Priscilla Johnson in the will of David Nichols, dated 8 Sept 1815, proved 6 November 1815 in Coventry. Her gravestone, located in the cemetery across from Mapleroot Baptist Church in Coventry, RI, says she died at age 93, 8 months, and 27 days.

Notes:

Apparently Hiram was married twice, but no marriage records for either marriage have been found.

According to Hiram's gravestone, he died in the 23rd year of his life.

See the following quote:

"Hiram Greene, son of Judge Benjamin and grandson of Col. Isaac. His first wife's only son died at manhood. His second wife was Abigail Johnson of Greene descent. [Abigail, Daniel, Abigail Greene-Johnson, Usal Greene, John, John]. By her he had Tryphena and Benjamin. Hiram died, aged but 23, though twice married and the father of three children." (source: "The Greene Family and its Branches" by Lora S. LaMance, Mayflower Pub Co.)

Also note this from Google Books (snippet view available only):

The following is a partial quote from "Acts and Resolves of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" pub. by Henry Ward, Sec'y, 1846, p 7, January, 1846: "Upon the petition of Abigail Greene of Coventry, A. Greene, in this State, guardian of the persons and estates of Tryphenia H. Greene and Benjamin Greene, minors, children of Hiram Greene, late of said Coventry, deceased, praying for the reasons therein stated, that . . . "

Hiram married Abigail JOHNSON Abt 1826. Abigail (daughter of Daniel JOHNSON and Freelove ARNOLD) was born 25 Oct 1802, West Greenwich, RI; died 12 Sep 1856, Coventry, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

The following is a partial quote from "Acts and Resolves of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" pub. by Henry Ward, Sec'y, 1846, p 7, January, 1846: "Upon the petition of Abigail Greene of Coventry, A. Greene, in this State, guardian of the persons and estates of Tryphenia H. Greene and Benjamin Greene, minors, children of Hiram Greene, late of said Coventry, deceased, praying for the reasons therein stated, that . . . "

Some of our family info has her name as Abigail Matteson, but a couple of online genealogies at Rootsweb have her surname as Johnson, daughter of Daniel. If that is true, I have traced her ancestry. (This needs more research. I have not yet checked the death record at Coventry.) See Lora LaMance's book on the Greene family; she says Hiram's second wife was Abigail Johnson, d/o Daniel.

According to the above official document, she was Abigail Greene on or about January 1846.

The will of Daniel Johnson of West Greenwich dated 28 Nov 1833 mentions a wife named Freelove and a daughter named Abigail Greene. For this reason and the above evidence, I have placed Abigail in this family.