William Rounds

William — Rosalini Danford. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

A probate document (found online by Dulcie Stewart) for Joseph Rounds has confirmed my assumption that Andrew C. is truly Charles A. in this family, and that he is the individual who sailed from New Bedford and settled in Fiji 1850-1851. See explanation and details below.

An Andrew Rounds went on a whaling voyage in 1847. In the 1850 census at Dartmouth, MA, Andrew is age 19 and a sailor, living with his parents Joseph and Mary.

Charles A. Rounds age 14, greenhand, hometown Dartmouth, sailed from New Bedford on the ship Canton on 28 June 1845, headed for the Indian Ocean and due to return in 1847. Charles A. is the same individual as Andrew who was born 1831, son of Joseph and Mary. Andrew is back in the 1850 census as mentioned above but disappears from all records after that. Occupation is given as sailor.

By his own sworn testimony Charles Rounds settled in Fiji sometime around 1851; he married there in 1856. DNA shows a match between me and Charles's descendants, and this is the only family I know of that could be the link. Apparently at some point he went by his middle name, Andrew, but for some reason was simply known as Charles in Fiji.

It appears that Charles visited Fiji in June 1846 on an early voyage; he was back home in time for a voyage in 1847 and returned home again to be in the 1850 census. It must have been shortly after this that he went on another voyage, returning to Fiji in 1851 to settle there.

A note concerning his death on 6 Aug 1883 at Suva says he was Charles Rounds of Taunton, MA. I have checked the censuses for Rounds families in Taunton. In 1840 there were two families who had young boys: Marcus T. Round and Andrew Round. In 1850 these two families were still in Taunton; Marcus's son Charles A. Rounds was born c1833 and he is still in the 1855 MA State census and is listed in the Civil War at age 30, so he cannot be the one who went to Fiji. Andrew Round is Andre Rounds in 1850 and his son is a junior born c1838; he marries in New Bedford in 1859; so those families were eliminated as possibilities.

Why did he never use a middle initial in Fiji? Another thought is that he went to live with relatives and that's why he is not in the 1840 census with his siblings. There were several households of their relatives living in both Dartmouth and New Bedford. I did receive his death certificate from Dulcie which lists his children, including a Joseph and Josephine, which is interesting to me as so often family names were used for the children. William, Thomas, and John are also family names, but these can be fairly common.

I found a brief reference to Charles in a book at Google Books online; the title is "Native American Whalemen and the World . . ." by Nancy Shoemaker, p 135. It mentions that Charles Rounds of New Bedford was reimbursed the $155 due him from the people of Kadavu.

For more information on Charles in Fiji: https://roundsfiji.tribalpages.com/

All of the following notes are from Dulcie Stewart's blog: https://fragmentedidentities.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/a-new-day/

"I then emailed the US National Archives-Northeast Region, Waltham, MA and they were able to provide me with the following information from Crew List complied 1820-1939:"

Name: Charles A. Rounds
Ship: CANTON
Place of birth: Dartmouth, MASS.
Place of residence: New Bedford, MASS.
Citizen of the US
age 14, height 5' 1
Departure date was July 28, 1845

"The Canton arrived in Fiji June 29, 1846 (Robert Langdon, 1984) and in Australia July 20, 1846 (NSW Archives)."

"According to John Young (1984) Charles Rounds arrived in Fiji in 1851, his source was the Land Claims Commission 1875-1887."

"Charles Rounds was the first Rounds in Fiji. He arrived April 1851 on a whaling vessel from New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States. He married Fanny Pickering, daughter of Charles Pickering and Burekovia Tabuakovei of Burebasaga Village, Rewa."

From Dulcie's email:
Charles Rounds arrived in Fiji in April 1851 (Fiji Land Claims Rehearing: No. 23 Toga Island, 4th January 1878). He died 6 August 1883 in Suva and was reported by William Henry Bruce to the US Secretary of State that Charles was from Taunton (Consular Despatches, No. 11).

However on Charles death certificate (attached), his place of birth given is New Bedford, and on his son's birth certificate (John Round born 2 July 1878) he was listed as being 46 (so born about 1832) and from New Bedford.

Charles married Fanny Vani Pickering 1856, Rewa, Fiji. Fanny was born Abt. 1842, Fiji; died 26 Apr 1881, Tovutovu, Fiji. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Joseph's death record says he was born in Tiverton, occupation mariner, and names his parents as Alfred and Sarah Rounds, also born in Tiverton. He died of paralysis at age 77y 5m 2d. This agrees with his birth date.

Although his birth record is listed in the New Bedford transcriptions, all other records agree that Joseph was born in RI.

In the 1820 census, the family is at Tiverton, RI:
FWM 3<10, 1 26-44; FWF 2<10, 1 26-44.

In the 1830 census, there is only one Rounds family listed at Dartmouth, MA. This is the family of Joseph Rounds:
FWM 2 15-19, 1 40-49; FWF 1<5, 1 5-9, 1 10-14, 1 30-39.

In the 1840 census, the family of Joseph Rounds at Dartmouth, MA, is as follows (there are 2 Joseph Rounds families in in that census): FWM 1<5, 1 5-9, 1 20-29, 1 50-59; FWF 1 10-14, 1 15-19, 1 20-29, 1 40-49. One person is employed in the navigation of the ocean.

In the 1850 federal census, the family is still at Dartmouth: Joseph 65 RI farmer, Mary 56 RI, Mary 29 RI, Abby E. 20 MA, Andrew 19 MA sailor, David C. 13.

In the 1855 MA state census, the family is still at Dartmouth: Joseph 70 farmer, Mary 61, David 19 farmer.

In the 1860 federal census, the family is at Dartmouth as follows: Joseph 75 RI laborer, Mary 66 RI, David 23 MA. The post office for them was North Dartmouth. I have found the likely location where they lived, based on an 1852 map which shows them living on Slocum Rd. near the corner of what is now Sharp St., in North Dartmouth.

The daughter in the 1820 census has been found to be Sarah, listed as one of Joseph's children in his probate records.

A probate document dated 15 Oct 1868 (found online and shared by Dulcie Stewart) is for Joseph Rounds "who last dwelt in Dartmouth" and died on 6 Aug 1862, "leaving a widow, whose name is Mary Rounds (since deceased)"; lists next of kin, all surname Rounds except one: John of Dartmouth, Mary A. of Dartmouth, Abby E. also of Dartmouth, Sarah A. Tripp widow of Godfrey R. Tripp (deceased) of New Bedford, Charles A. "last known of the Feegee Islands now supposed to be dead," David C. of Wheelen Michigan, Joseph Jr. "supposed to be dead as he has not been heard from in twenty years, all the above are children of said deceased." The executor of the estate was Isaac H. Coe. The document was signed by John Rounds, Sarah A. Tripp, and Mary A. Rounds. (Thanks to Cousin Dulcie for finding the image of this document; accessible at americanancestors.org)

Joseph — Mary Polly Remington. Mary (daughter of Thomas REMINGTON and Alice "Elce" GRINNELL) was born 18 May 1794, Tiverton, Newport Co., RI; died 23 Sep 1866, Dartmouth, MA; was buried , Rural Cemetery, New Bedford, MA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Polly and Molly were common nicknames for Mary in earlier centuries. The death record of Joseph Jr. names his parents as Joseph and Polly Rounds.

The death record of Mary Rounds says she was born in Tiverton, and names her parents as Thomas and Alice Remington (both born RI). She died at age 72y 4 m 5 d, of Erysipelas.

Notes:

His gravestone has his given name as Alford. In other records it is Alfred or Alpra or some other variation. A grandson has the name Alford, so I think that may be his correct name. However, the birth record says Alfred.

He died at age 83y 8 m 4 d.

Details on all or most of Alfred's children can be seen at findagrave.com. The birth records of Alfred & Rachel's children are all at Tiverton.

Alford married Sarah Fisher Abt Dec 1784, Dartmouth, Bristol Co., MA. Sarah was born Abt 1767, Dartmouth, Bristol Co., MA; died Between 1785 and 1790, RI or MA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

I have not been able to determine who Sarah's parents are. In the 1790 census, there are two Fisher families listed for Dartmouth: James and William.

There is a birth record in Norton, MA, for a Sarah Fisher, born 20 Feb 1766 to Abijah and Mary, but she may or may not be the one who married Alfred/Alford Rounds. The marriage record of 1784 says she is of Dartmouth.

Notes:

The marriage intention was entered Dec 1784, but does not give the exact date of the marriage.

"The intentions of Marriage between Alpra Rounds of Tiverton and Sarah Fisher of Dartmouth was Entered Dec 30th day 1784 Witness Benj Akin Town Clerk"

Notes:

Thomas Remington of Tiverton was appointed to serve on the grand jury, along with Isaac Negus, for the November term 1797, to attend the Court of Common Pleas. (Tiverton Probate Records No 5 p 56)

Thomas served in the military during the Revolutionary War. He first enlisted at Tiverton in January 1777, and when he was discharged in March 1778, re-enlisted right away, and was subsequently discharged about a year later. During much of that time his company was encamped at Bristol and at Ft. Barton in Tiverton. He was in the action during the Battle of RI under General Sullivan.

In his deposition as part of the pension application in 1832, he said he had been born in South Kingstown, but that his family had moved to Tiverton when he was very young. After the war he returned to Tiverton, where he is most likely the other adult male in his father's household in 1790, which includes 2 free white males 16+, and one free white female -- probably his mother or a sister.

In 1832 he mentions that he is a neighbor of Job and Charles Durfee, Esquires. Thomas Remington is in the 1830 RI Census, residing in Tiverton (Newport County, p. 071). He is also there in 1840, and is listed as a Revolutionary War Pensioner, at age 79 1/2. However, he seems to be living alone at that time. Perhaps Alice is in ill health, and has gone to live with one of her children? She will pass away in 1848 at Dartmouth; their son Joseph and family are probably there in 1840, but appear in New Bedford by 1850. I have not yet found a date of death for Thomas, but apparently he died before Alice because she is described as his widow; also, since his last pension payment was in March 1842, he probably died in Feb or March of that year. "Thomas Remington residing in Tiverton collected a pension until March 2, 1842." (source for quote: George Sermuksnis, Archives Technician at Waltham National Archives).

On 7 September 1832, two friends/neighbors and fellow-Revolutionary-soldiers testified on his behalf; they were William Cook, and John Manchester, our ancestor.

Thomas Remington is on the list of persons who united with the Amicable Congregational Society, associated with the Amicable Congregational Church, Tiverton, RI. (ref: "The History of Amicable Congregational Church 1746 - 1946" p.83) He probably was buried from this church, but there were no death records kept for the church at this time. The location of his grave is unknown. I suspect he may be buried with his parents and their Brayton relatives, in one of the unknown gravesites in the family plot at Pleasant View Cemetery, Stone Church Rd., Tiverton, RI (formerly buried on a family farm and relocated to this cemetery).

Revolutionary War Pension file # S21938

He is listed on the Pension Roll of 1835: Remington, Thomas, private of Artillery, Newport county, all $90, rec $270, R.I. Cont. Line, pl July 9, 1833, com March 4, 1831, age 74

In the 1840 Federal Census, Thomas is listed in Tiverton, RI, as a Revolutionary War Veteran/Pensioner age 79 and 1/2.

The list of Thomas and Alice's children came to me from a distant cousin in Michigan. This agreed with names I already had found in the New Bedford whaling crew lists and in marriage, census, and death records in RI and MA.

On 2 March 1791 Thomas Remington mariner of Tiverton received 250 in Spanish milled dollars from Thomas Barker of Tiverton, for the 13th 50-acre lot in the Pocasset Purchase, bounded easterly and westerly on highway, north by the 12th lot and south by the 14th lot. Witnessed by Joseph Barker and Abraham Barker. (Tiverton Deed Book 4)

See this note from cousin Russ Shaw (I am not sure if it pertains to this particular Thomas Remington, our ancestor, but it probably does):
"Last time I was at the RIHS archives I came across an interesting document that I think you may want to check on. It involves Thomas Remington and his son John. I found them both as crew members on the brig Eliza out of Bristol, bound for Trinidad de Cuba, 5 Jan 1818. Reference: MS 28,sg 2, Box 7 (1819-1820), Bristol Custom House records, RIHS."

Thomas married Alice "Elce" GRINNELL Abt 1793. Alice (daughter of Daniel GRINNELL and Sarah Unknown) was born Abt Mar 1777, Tiverton, Newport Co., RI; died 1 Jan 1848, Dartmouth, MA; was buried , Rural Cemetery, New Bedford, MA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Her death announcement was in The Daily Mercury, New Bedford, on Monday 3 Jan 1848:
"Died, in Dartmouth, the 1st, Mrs. Alice Remington, the widow of the late Thomas Remington, formerly of Tiverton, RI, aged 72. Funeral this afternoon at 2 o'clock from No. 59 Grinnell Street. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend."

A similar announcement was in the New Bedford Mercury (not the daily), Friday, 7 Jan 1848:
"In Dartmouth, the 1st, Mrs. Alice, widow of the late Thomas Remington, formerly of Tiverton, RI, aged 72."

According to the New Bedford death record, Alice died of consumption at age 70 y 10 m.

She may have died at the home of her daughter Mary Rounds.