Jairus Madison Chafee

Notes:

In the January 1920 Federal Census, Jairus & Emma Chafee, ages 25 & 22, are living on Berlin St., Middletown, CT. They have two young daughters: Marjorie & Dorothy.

In 1930 Jairus M. & Emma C. Chafee, ages 36 & 33, are living on Cottage St., Middletown, CT.

Jairus — Emma Johnson. Emma was born 9 Aug 1897, CT; died Abt 16 Dec 1990; was buried , Pine Grove Cemetery, Middletown, CT. [Group Sheet]

1. Marjorie E. Chafee was born 25 Jun 1915, CT; died 17 Jan 2003, CT.
2. Dorothy R. Chafee was born 23 Nov 1917, Middletown, CT; died 5 Feb 2007, Middletown, CT; was buried , Pine Grove Cemetery, Middletown, CT.
3. Howard L. Chafee was born 2 Mar 1920, CT; died 11 Jun 1989.
4. Jairus E. Chafee was born 22 Oct 1923, CT; died 10 Jan 1990.
5. Stephen George Chafee was born 27 May 1925, CT; died 4 Oct 1992.
6. Marion Chafee was born Abt 1930.

Notes:

In the June 1900 Federal Census, Stephen B. & Lillian "Chaffe" are living on Main St., Middletown, Middlesex Co., CT. They have three children: Lillian 8, Jairus 5, and Elizabeth 2. Stephen is a bar tender.

In 1910 the family is living on Hotchkiss St., Middletown, CT. In the household with Stephen & Lillian Chafee (ages 39 & 38) are: daughter Lillian Roe 18, son-in-law Fred Roe 19, daughter Elizabeth 12, and son Jairus 15.

Stephen married Lillian May Evans Abt 1890. Lillian was born Aug 1872, Chatham, CT; died Aft Apr 1930. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

In the Federal Census of 1 Apr 1930, Lillian M. Chafee is a widow age 57, living on Main Street in Middletown, Middlesex Co., CT. With her are her daughter, Elizabeth M. Smith age 31; and her grandson Charles T. Smith, age 15.

Notes:

Chafee, Stephen B. (Co. I. 7th Rhode Island Vols. Inf.), died Sept. 15, 1910, age 70 yrs. (Civil War Flag).
(source: http://dunhamwilcox.net/ct/indian_hill_1.htm)

Stephen married Elizabeth Dane Shaw 1 Jan 1868, RI. Elizabeth was born 11 Apr 1835, England or Ireland; died 22 Oct 1894; was buried , Indian Hill Cemetery, Middletown, Middlesex Co., CT. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

I believe Elizabeth was married to a Mr. Shaw before she married Stephen Chafee. There are Shaw children living with the Chafee family in some of the censuses.

Chafee, Elizabeth Dane, wife of Stephen B., born Apr. 11, 1835, died Oct. 22, 1894.
(source: http://dunhamwilcox.net/ct/indian_hill_1.htm)

Notes:

The name George T. B. Chafee first came to my attention in a copy of an old letter of Great Uncle Frank's which he sent to his mother, Mary Elizabeth Chafee (nee Andrews), my great-grandmother. In this letter he lists our Chafee ancestors, but without any documentation or details, save that he says this person's son invented a propeller boat which used to sail from Connecticut to New York City. This ties in somewhat with the information I found in the Bristol town records, which identify his occupation as sea captain, and his place of death as Middletown, CT. (Bristol Vol. #5, p. 139)

According to Frank's letter, the son George Austin (brother of my great-great-grandfather, Samuel Russel Chafee) was a restaurant and hotel man in Middletown, CT. He had a son Charles Austin and a daughter Grace. Around 1870 he built a propeller ship that ran between Portland, CT (across the river from Middletown, CT) and New York City. The ship was named after him: The George Austin Chafee. (Need to check out all these details!)

George T. B.'s name came to me also from an Austin family genealogist (Bonnie Austin Bigolin of Green River, WY), in an e-mail replying to my query through their web site. They have his name in their database as having been married to Harriet N. Austin, and she listed his children for me, one of whom is my gr-great-grandfather, Samuel Russel Chafee. The name Austin has since been passed down in our family in the form of the middle name of his son George and of my grandma's brother Charles, and the first name of one of Charles's sons, among others.

Also, it appears that the name Harriet has also been passed down, being the name of one of George and Harriet's daughters, the name of a granddaughter ("Hattie" who married DeWitt Bolster), and the name of a great-granddaughter -- my grandma's sister Hattie, a name which I presume was also Harriet in this generation. She died very young. My parents have her old rocking chair.

Since acquiring the above information, I have viewed and copied George and Harriet's marriage record at Bristol Town Hall, as well as other family records of birth, marriage, and death. I also have photographed their gravestone(s) at Bristol's North Burial Ground.

In addition to the above sources of information, I have transcripts from the following census records which show the various Chafee families: 1850, 1860, and 1870 for Bristol, RI; 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 for Middletown, CT.

"The Chaffee Genealogy" by William H. Chaffee, published in 1909, says that Mr. George T. B. Chafee "served as a sutler in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was a mechanic and restaurant keeper. He had a light complexion, blue eyes, a jovial disposition, and was five feet, four inches in height. In 1883 he lived in Middletown [CT], where he died of pneumonia at the age of seventy-five in the home of his son, Stephen B. Chafee. He was buried in the family lot in Bristol."

In the front of my grandmother's old Bible there is this notation, written in her handwriting: "Lest I forget, I must write down the Chafee family motto -- 'As we journey through life, let us live by the way.' It is above the large fireplace in the Chafee Hotel in Middletown Conn. made in the masonry."

George married Harriet Newell AUSTIN 18 Mar 1839, Bristol, Bristol Co., RI. Harriet (daughter of Samuel Ward AUSTIN and Mary MITCHELL) was born 1822, North Kingstown, Washington Co., RI; died 29 Jul 1856, Bristol, Bristol Co., RI; was buried Jul 1856, North Burial Ground, Bristol, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

From burials at St. Michael's, Bristol, RI: Mrs. Harriet N. Chafee, 29 July 1856.

Her death record at Bristol names her as Harriet N. Austin, and identifies her father as Samuel Austin. Neither her married name nor her mother are mentioned. This is probably a clerk's oversight or due to the confusion of the informant.

Harriet Newell Austin was named after a young American missionary who died in her first year of service, at age 19. She died of consumption at Isle of France, after giving birth prematurely, in 1812. Many girls were named after her.

Notes:

This information was found in the Bristol town records, p. 43 of the old marriage listings. I have a photocopy.
It is also listed in James N. Arnold's Index of Vital Records for Bristol (a tan library-bound book).