Julia A. Austin

Notes:

I have a photocopy of the original death entry from the North Kingstown Archives.

Samuel Ward Austin, a prosperous farmer, owned property in North Kingstown near the well-known landmark called "Devil's Foot." Although he himself was a member of the Six-Principal Baptist Church on Stony Lane, he deeded the northern corner of his land, located on Post Road between Wickford and East Greenwich, to the Quidnessett Church Society in 1841. Its church was dedicated there August 11, 1842. A new church building, called the Quidnessett Baptist Church, now occupies the site. After Samuel's death, his wife Mary (Mitchel) Austin donated an additional piece of land in 1869 for stables to be built next to the church, for horses and carriages.

This church fellowship, some of whom may be descended from the original congregation, is where I was baptized and brought up, and is where my parents were still active members until they died in 2007 and 2010. I have old negative photocopies of sections of the original deeds, as well as a lawyer's transcript of them dating from the 1950s or thereabouts.

In the 1850 Federal Census, Samuel & Mary Austin, ages 71 & 69, are living at North Kingstown, RI. Wilth them are: Julia A. Austin 42, Hannah E. Thurber 25, and Samuel Austin 23; these are three of their children.

In the 1860 Federal Census, Samuel & Mary Austin, ages 80 & 77, are living at North Kingstown, RI. With them are two of their adult children, Samuel W., 33, and Julia A., 52.

I believe Samuel Ward Austin was given his first and middle names in honor of Samuel Ward (1725-1776), a Rhode Island political leader in the days preceding the Revolutionary War. This leader was one of the founders of Rhode Island's two-party system, said to be the very first in America. The merchants and farmers of southern Rhode Island were led by Samuel Ward in their political battles against the politicians and businessmen from the Providence area, who were led by Stephen Hopkins. Ward was elected as governor in 1762, and again at least twice after that. He and Hopkins served together representing Rhode Island in the 1775-1776 Continental Congress in Philadelphia, where Ward was a committee leader, and was instrumental in appointing George Washington as general of the colonial army. In March 1776 he suddenly became ill with smallpox and died.

Since Samuel Ward Austin was born three years later, in the midst of this struggle to birth a new nation, it is likely that he was named after this Rhode Island hero.

Apparently other parents named their sons after this respected leader also. During the 1840s, Rhode Island's governor was Samuel Ward King, who headed a state faction that supported the voting power of landowners, opposing Thomas Wilson Dorr's proposal to institute a new state constitution which would grant voting rights to all free adult males (regardless of whether or not they were property owners), in recognition of the increased urbanization of the state. Dorr's Rebellion went down in defeat, but popular citizen support led to the drafting of a new state constitution in 1842. However, even in this document, all cities and towns -- regardless of population, were granted one senator each for representation in the state Senate; this provision afforded Senate control to the rural towns. I wonder what Samuel Ward Austin, as a substantial property owner and farmer, thought of all this?

From The Narragansett Historical Register, Volume II, July 1883, No. 2; Historical Sketch of the Quidnessett Baptist Church, North Kingstown, RI, pp 81-97
"Another matter, more local in its influence, claimed also the attention of the church at this time. Their house of worship had long been too small for their use. It also was not sufficiently central in its location as to be adapted to the best development of the religious interests of the field. It was decided, therefore, to build anew. Samuel Austin, a member of a neighboring Six Principle Baptist church, gave the building site, situated on the post-road from Wickford to East Greenwich, about equal distance from each village, and near the three manufacturing villages of the Quidnesset field. Possibly no site could have been selected more central, or better adapted to the wants of the Quidnesset people than this. Funds were raised by subscription on the field itself to build the new meeting-house, which was dedicated Thursday, Aug. 11, 1842, free from debt. The dedication sermon was preached by Rev. John Dowling, of Providence, from the text, Haggai ii.,7: 'And I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.' "

Samuel married Mary MITCHELL Abt 1801. Mary (daughter of Samuel MITCHELL and Margaret GARDNER) was born 9 Dec 1780, Warwick, Kent Co., RI; died 16 Oct 1874, North Kingstown, Washington Co., RI; was buried , Austin Burial Ground, Hunt's River, North Kingstown, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

I have a photocopy of the original death entry from the North Kingstown Archives.

In the 1870 Federal Census, Mary Austin is age 89, living at North Kingstown, RI, as "Keeper of House." With her are daughter and son-in-law Sally R. & Samuel Dyer, and three of their children.

Notes:

In the record of his birth, the last digit was burned off, so his exact birth year is not known. DAR files have it as 1739.

The gravestone says he died in his 84th year.

Shirley Greene's notes (email) say he left over 100 descendants (from obit in Prov Journal?).

James Austin:
Rev War Soldier's Book 2 p. 15 at Knight Memorial Library, Elmwood Ave., Cranston, RI
1775 Capt. Phillips Co., Col. Richmond's Regt.
1777 Capt. Benj. Hopkins Co., Col. Topham's Regt.
1780 Capt Tew's Co., Topham's Regt.
Wounded in battle on Lake Champlain, Sullivan Expedition

"The Austin family owned large farms both east and west of the Post Road. The first Austin, James, was in North Kingstown in the early 1730s. His old homestead stood east of the Post Road opposite Frenchtown Road, on the slope overlooking the Hunt River north of where Grossman's now stands. His great grandson, Fones, occupied it for many years. It was torn down in the mid-1920s having become derelict and a haven for tramps. Austin Road and Austin Farm Bridge on the Post Road are named for the several farms owned by successive generations of Austins." (source: "Graveyards of North Kingstown, Rhode Island" by Althea H. McAleer, Beatrix Hoggius, and Deby Jecoy Nunes; 1992.)

James married Katharine (Catharine) HUNT 4 Mar 1759, North Kingstown, Washington Co., RI. Katharine (daughter of Samuel HUNT and Elizabeth Unknown) was born 16 Nov 1738, North Kingstown, Washington Co., RI; died 24 Nov 1808, North Kingstown, Washington Co., RI; was buried , Austin Burial Ground, Hunt's River, North Kingstown, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

The gravestone inscription says Catharine died at age 70 y 8 d.

Notes:

I have a photocopy of the original marriage entry in the North Kingstown books, Town Hall Archives. It says:

Kings County SS
These may certify that on the 4th day of May
anno 1759 James Austin and Katharine Hunt both of
North Kingstown Kings County were lawfully
Joyned Together in Marriage
Town Witness William Hall Jus Peace
M. W J Thomas LCh

(it is difficult to read all of it because the edges are missing, and some parts of the letters have faded)

Samuel — Margaret GARDNER. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

The History of Washington and Kent Counties, p. 1229, states that James' father (Edmund) was lost at sea. His ancestry has not been determined, although it is surmised that he is very likely a descendant of Robert Austin of Kingston, RI. Edmund's descendants certainly lived in the southern RI area, particularly North Kingstown.

Edmund's year of death is uncertain. If indeed his son James was born in 1739, which is not known for sure (last digit is burned off in the town records), then presumably Edmund was living at least as late as 1738. He probably was deceased by 1741 when his wife Mary sold land to William Sweet. Other than his marriage information and the incomplete birth record for his son James, no other record of his life has ever been found.

The following notes are from the web site www.afaoa.org (Austin Family Association of America):
"This is one of the families that EAM [Edith Austin Moore] included in the Robert Austin of Kingstown, RI book. She thought that it had a connection to the Robert Austin family but could not find documentation to prove it. I think that it could be connected to the family as son of Edward E. &______ Cromb with brothers Edward & John. A second possibility is that he is Edward son of Edward E. and was recorded as Edmund on the birth of his son James. (ams 8/10/2008 [Arthur M. Sikes, Jr.])

To summarize, our Edmund could be a son of Edward E. Austin.

"EAM notes, The History of Washington and Kent County, RI, p 1229, states that James's father was lost at sea.

"EAM Ref. Mrs Leon T. Wilson, Putnam, Conn., Mr. G. F. Austin, East Greenwich, RI, Mr. George R. Austin, Middleboro, Mass. Arnold's vital records, Vol XII, p 411. Austin Cemetery between East Greenwich and Wickford, RI.

"CHILDREN: North Kingston birth records have children from 1730's, only one of them is named James, the rest just have birth dates.

"ORIGINAL SOURCE: Edith Austin Moore, "A Genealogy of the Descendants of Robert Austin of Kingstown, RI"; St. Petersburg, FL, 1951; pp. 448."

See this web page on Edmund: http://www.afaoa.org/cgi-bin/display_poi.cgi/n=Dummy?Edmund_Austin_RI@1

Also see this page on Robert: http://www.afaoa.org/cgi-bin/display_poi.cgi/n=Dummy?Robert_Austin_RI@1

Edmund married Mary WEST 22 Aug 1731, Kingston, Washington Co., RI. Mary (daughter of Francis WEST, Jr. and Sarah HILLARD) was born 29 Jun 1711, North Kingstown, RI; died Aft 16 Jul 1763. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Some genealogies have her name as Mary Hunt. The Mayflower Society identifies her as Mary West, descendant of Francis West & Susanna Soule. (see notes below)

Mary West b. NK 29 June 1711, living there on 16 July 1763. She mar NK 22 Aug 1731 Edmund Austin, a mariner. In 1741 Mary Austin sold land to William Sweet, "it being in full for right of dower in the land of my father . . . West, dec." It is to be noted that the only landowner in NK surnamed West and dying before 1741 leaving undivided land was Francis West. On 17 July 1763 she deeded to son James a house lot. Son James Austin had his birth re-recorded on 17 March 1761 but the last digit could not be read. A record in the DAR files has his birth year as 1739. Other than the marriage records and the incomplete birth record of his son, we have found no other records of Edmund Austin. We have found no probate or distribution of Mary Austin's estate. The burned records [at North Kingstown Town Hall] give only fragments of the record for this family. (notes supplied by Shirley M. Greene)

Samuel — Elizabeth Unknown. [Group Sheet]