Alice MIEUS

Alice married Jonathan GRINNELL, Jr. 30 Apr 1735, Little Compton, RI. Jonathan (son of Jonathan GRINNELL, Sr. and Abigail FORD) was born 7 Feb 1710/11; died 1778. [Group Sheet]

Remington — Desire Unknown. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

In October 1768 Daniel was "a mariner, of Tiverton."

Daniel's will mentions his wife Sarah, sons Anson & David, and daughters Hope Robertson, Alice Remington, Elizabeth Tripp, & Mary Hart; also grandchildren Abel Grinnell, George Grinnell, Rhoda Grinnell Lake, & Sarah Grinnell.

Daniel married Sarah Unknown Abt 1762. [Group Sheet]

Anson married Rhoda Lake 25 Nov 1784. Rhoda was born Abt 1765; died Abt 28 Jan 1792. [Group Sheet]

Anson married Anna Nancy Snell 3 Apr 1793, Tiverton, RI. (daughter of Pardon Snell and Alice Unknown) [Group Sheet]

Hope — Richard Robinson. [Group Sheet]

Stephen — Hannah Bennett. Hannah (daughter of Philip Bennett and Mary Lake) was born Abt 1774. [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.

Alice married Thomas REMINGTON Abt 1793. Thomas (son of Joseph REMINGTON and Innocent LAKE) was born 10 Sep 1760, South Kingstown, Washington County, RI; died Abt 4 Mar 1842, Tiverton, Newport Co, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

One genealogy has her dob as 25 Feb 1779.

Elizabeth married James Tripp Abt Sep 1797, Tiverton, RI. James (son of Rufus Tripp and Elizabeth "Betsey" Carr) was born 7 Oct 1776, Tiverton, RI; died 10 Oct 1860, Tiverton, RI. [Group Sheet]

Mary — Mr. Hart. [Group Sheet]

David — Bathsheba Manchester. [Group Sheet]

Celia — John Taber. John was born Abt 1784. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

LAKE Sarah, (Grinnell, of Anson), wife of James, ------, 1805, member at Tiverton

TABOR Paul, aged 71 years, farmer, his 2d marriage, of Warren, born Tiverton, son of John and Nancy, and Sarah Lake, aged 69 years, her 2d marriage, born Tiverton, daughter of Anson and Rhoda Grinnell, Oct. 7, 1860.

Sarah — James Lake. [Group Sheet]

Sarah married Paul Tabor 7 Oct 1860, Tiverton, Newport Co., RI. Paul (son of John Tabor and Nancy Lake) was born Abt 1789, Tiverton, RI. [Group Sheet]

Isaiah — Sarah Snell. Sarah died 21 Jul 1824, Tiverton, Newport Co., RI. [Group Sheet]

Gideon — Sarah Sally Hart. Sarah was born 13 Apr 1801, Tiverton, Newport Co., RI; died 6 Apr 1879, Tiverton, Newport Co., RI. [Group Sheet]

Philip — Deborah A. Palmer. [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.

Mary — Joseph Rounds. Joseph (son of Alford Alfred Rounds and Sarah Fisher) was born 4 Mar 1785, Tiverton, Newport Co., RI; died 6 Aug 1862, Dartmouth, MA; was buried , Rural Cemetery, New Bedford, MA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

I am making an assumption that she is the Abigail Remington who married Richard Swift on 2 December 1835 at New Bedford, MA.

An infant, William A. Swift, is buried in the Remington-Peirce family plot at Rural Cemetry in New Bedford, MA. I am entering him as a son of Richard & Abigail, subject to further research. I haven't found any other Swift connection to the family, other than the above marriage record.

Abigail married Richard Swift 2 Dec 1835, New Bedford, MA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

(If you use any portion of these notes, please give credit to me -- Lois Sorensen, Remington researcher -- and/or to other sources as noted herein.)

John Remington is the head of a household in the 1840 Federal Census at Tiverton. The family consists of 1 white male under 5, 1 white male 40-50, and 1 white female 30-40. They are listed next to Eseck Manchester's family and Benjamin Hambly, Jr.'s family. This Benjamin Hambly would be either the father or the brother of John's sister-in-law, Mary Anne (Hambly) Remington, who by this time was probably Benjamin's widow.

In the 1850 Federal Census at Tiverton, John Remington is age 50, and his wife Hannah is 40. They have four children: Albert 17, Lydia A. 9, Stephen 6, & Nathan 2. Hannah may be related to the Durfees, as there is a Hannah Remington age 51 living with a Durfee family in the 1860 census. If her daughter Lydia A. is the Alice Remington who married Amenezer James Durfee, that might explain the connection.

I haven't found a death record for John. Did he die at sea, as did his brother Benjamin?

John married Hannah Manchester Abt 1831. Hannah (daughter of William Manchester) was born Between 1807 and 1808, Tiverton, Newport Co., RI; died 22 Mar 1877, Tiverton, RI; was buried , Pleasant View Cemetery, Stone Church Rd., Tiverton, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Joseph is not listed with Remingtons in the 1830 Federal Census at MA, so probably the family moved from RI to MA between 1830 and 1833.

In the 1840 Federal Census for Dartmouth, Bristol County, MA, there is a Joseph Remington as head of a household with 2 white males under age 5, 1 white male 5-10, 1 white male 40-50, 1 white female 5-10, 2 white females 10-15, and one white female 30-40. This is very likely our Joseph, but one of the older girls is missing in 1850 -- has either died or moved out.

In the 1850 Federal Census, New Bedford, MA, the family is on p. 345. The household includes: Joseph 50, Mary 43, Alice 23, Caroline 17, Edmund 15, Wm. S. 13, Jane C. 10 (should be James), Lucy J. 8, Emma 4, & Eleanor H. 2 mos.

In 1860 they are on p. 681, without Joseph.

The death record for Joseph identifies his parents as Thomas & Alice, and gives his birthplace as Tiverton, RI. He died at age 43 of a tumor. The place of death was 10 Bedford St.

Joseph married Mary Wood Coggeshall Abt 1826. Mary (daughter of Ichabod Coggeshall and Bathsheba Wood) was born Between 1807 and 1808, Tiverton, Newport Co., RI; died 24 Mar 1888, New Bedford, MA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Sarah, of Thomas, received as a member of the Tiverton Baptist Church, 13 Aug 1820. (see Arnold's "Vital Record of RI" -- Church Records) Apparently her Aunt Mary had been baptized there also, in 1781.

I have made an assumption that the marriage entry for Sally & Henry is for this Sarah/Sallie. And, the death record for Sally R. Dedrick names her parents as Thomas and Alice Remington (see familysearch.org).

See notes for Henry. Complicating this is one additional difference: the records in New Bedford say that Henry married Sally Remington. The newspaper Columbian Centinal reported that Henry married Eliza Remington. I tend to believe the official record.

Sarah married Henry Y. Dedrick 14 Apr 1824, New Bedford, MA. Henry was born 1799, RI; died 4 Dec 1884, MA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Hope and her sister Phebe married two brothers.

Hope married David C. Peirce 26 Aug 1824, New Bedford, Bristol Co., MA. David (son of David Peirce and Lydia G. Gibbs) was born 3 Oct 1799, MA; died 24 Feb 1867; was buried , Rural Cemetery, New Bedford, MA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Benjamin was a seaman whose name appears on the whaling crew lists at New Bedford Public Library. The information that he was lost at sea came from a descendant, Mrs. Vira Dodge of West Greenwich, and was transcribed in James N. Arnold's "Family Notes" Volume R, an unpublished manuscript located at the Knight Library in Providence, RI (now at Providence Public Library, main branch)

Whaling crew records at New Bedford provide information on some of the whaling voyages he went on. For instance, on 6 May 1820 he departed from New Bedford on the brig Juno, bound for the coast of Africa. The crew's master was Simeon Long, Jr. The roster says Benjamin was age 17, 5'7" tall, fair-skinned, had brown hair, and resided in Tiverton, RI.

On 21 April 1827 he left on the brig Parthian for a whaling voyage, "bound for the the Western Islands and elsewhere in the Atlantic Ocean." They returned on 7 June 1828. The crew's master was John J. (or T.) Parker. Benjamin was age 23, had a fair complexion and brown hair, and was 5' 8 1/2" in height. His residence was still Tiverton. Also on the crew list was Eseck Manchester, age 22, also from Tiverton.

A brig was a large seagoing vessel with two masts and square sails. They usually carried three boats, and were smaller than a ship or bark, which carried four or five whaleboats. The brig Juno was originally registered at New Bedford on 9 May 1818, and was re-registered a number of times after that, such as on 6 May 1820. The owners were: John A, Parker, merchant; Joseph Spooner, New Bedford; and Nathan Church, Fairhaven. As already noted above, the master for this voyage was Simeon Long, Jr.

The brig Parthian was built at Dartmouth, MA, in 1820, and was first registered on 19 April 1821. The vessel measured 119 35/95 tons, length 66 ft. 10 in., breadth 20 ft. 8 in., depth 10 ft. 1 in. When it was re-registered on 21 April 1827, the master was John J. Parker and the owners were Abraham Barker and James Russell of New Bedford.

From the records I have found, it looks as if the Parthinan went on ten voyages, beginning in 1821, then in 1834 the register was lost in a mutiny.

Although the family has passed down the information that Benjamin died at sea, we don't know the circumstances of his death -- whether from sickness, from the many dangers of whaling, or whatever.

Benjamin was not the only one of our family members on the Remington side to be a whaler. His brothers David and Abner also made voyages, possibly his brother John, and possibly his son John. There are numerous other Remingtons listed in New Bedford records as whalers, who may have been among his close or extended family.

(The information in the following two paragraphs is from "The Bounty of the Beast: Why Whales Were Hunted" on the web site of the New Bedford Free Library)

"Although many men died chasing whales, very few profited handsomely. Why, then, did they pursue these great creatures of the sea to the brink of extinction? The answer lies in the whale's enormous economic value. In 'Men and Whales,' Richard Ellis writes that, until the beginning of the twentieth century, whaling was considered an admirable occupation. '. . . it is only through the lens of hindsight that the whaleman's job becomes malicious or cruel . . . Oil was needed for light and lubrication; baleen was needed for skirt hoops and corset stays. That whales had to die to provide these things is a fact of seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century life . . . ' "

Whale oil provided fuel for lighting, slow-burning and with no offensive odor. The oil was also used for clock making; lubricating many types of machinery; manufacturing of soaps, varnish, and paint; and producing special smokeless, odorless candles. The wax from sperm whales was also used in making face and hand creams and skin lotions. The baleen from whales was used in buggy whips, carriage springs, corset stays, fishing poles, hoops for women's skirts, umbrella ribs, and other such applications for which plastic or steel would now be used. A dark waxy substance called ambergris was used in cosmetics, wines, and as a headache remedy.

Many beautifully carved objects of both a practical and decorative use were made from whale bone. Examples of these works of art are on display at the Whaling Museum in New Bedford, a location maintained by the National Park Service.

When whaling ships returned to port, the profits were divided up among the ship's owners and the crew. Ordinary seamen were paid last and received the smallest percentage of the profits. Depending on the success of their voyage, their take-home pay could range from several hundred dollars to about ten dollars. Of course, they might also be taking home some beautiful objects they had carved from whalebone during the long hours, days, and months on the sea.

Benjamin married Mary Anne HAMBLY Abt 1831. Mary (daughter of Benjamin HAMBLY, III and Peace SHERMAN) was born 15 Feb 1811, Tiverton, Newport Co., RI; died 1 Apr 1868, Tiverton, Newport Co., RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Thomas Remington, Jr., was baptized and became a member of the Amicable Church in Tiverton, RI, on 10 September 1820. (ref: see "The History of Amicable Congregational Church 1746 - 1946" p. 9s)

Thomas Remington, b. Tiverton, RI, went on at least one whaling voyage, according to seamen's insurance records at New Bedford Public Library. He may have been the ship's carpenter. On 7 Feb 1849 he was said to be age 42, with dark skin, light hair, and blue eyes, at a height of 5'6".

The birth years of Thomas & Rosetta's children have been estimated from their ages in the 1850 Federal Census, New Bedford, MA, p. 222. Three of the children -- Sarah, Thomas, & Rosetta -- were born in New York State, so apparently the family moved westward around 1832 but later came back to Massachusetts, around 1838/39.

Perhaps they were living near brother William in New York State, at Kingston, Ulster County or Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County. These counties are next to each other in the southeastern part of the state.

In the 1860 census, Rosetta, recently widowed, is living at New Bedford with some of the children. Sadly, Thomas died in April of that year, by drowning. His death record identifies his parents as Thomas & Alice, and his birthplace as Tiverton, RI.

Thomas & Rosetta are buried in Rural Cemetery, New Bedford; their gravestones have been photographed.
1805 REMINGTON Thomas, May 28, 1805, [on stone beside that of Rosetta] G.R.1. more Birth New Bedford

The following excerpt may well pertain to this particular Thomas, who was indeed a carpenter: "That the construction industry, which has led apprenticeship activities in this country in recent years, used the formalized indenture more than a century ago is shown by the indenture of a 'house carpenter' in 1832. This indenture bound a 16-year-old apprentice in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to his master until 1837 -- exactly 100 years before the enactment of the National Apprenticeship Law (Public Law 308, 75th Congress). The indenture states that John Slocum 'doth by these Presents bind Lyman Slocum, his son, a minor . . . to Thomas Remington . . . to learn the art, trade, or mystery of a House-Carpenter.' The master promised 'to teach and instruct, or cause the said Apprentice to be instructed, in the art, trade or calling of a House-Carpenter . . . (if said Apprentice be capable to learn.).' "
(Source: http://www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/Apprenticeship/About/History/default .asp)

Thomas married Rosetta Slocum 1 Jun 1830, New Bedford, MA. Rosetta (daughter of John Slocum and Amy Sherman) was born 5 Sep 1811, Dartmouth, MA; died 27 Feb 1883; was buried , Rural Cemetery, Dartmouth Rd., New Bedford, MA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

William came from a family of 14 siblings. Born in Rhode Island, he moved to New Bedford, MA, then to Dutchess County and Ulster County, NY. He came to Michigan from Kingston, NY, in 1835 with his wife Jane. His trip from New York State was by canal to Buffalo, then by boat to Detroit and by foot to Fenton. (Information from Thomas Lavery, a descendant)

In the 1860 Federal Census, William & Jane Remington are living at Fenton, Genesee Co., MI. They have three children: Edwin (Eben) 23, John 19, & Jane (Jennie) 16. Also with them is brother Abner Remington, 37, a sailor.

The 1870 census shows William at age 61 & his wife Jane living in the Village of Fenton, Genesee County, MI, with his extended family. In the household are Edward H. White & Eliza J. with their three children: Jessie A., Mabel P., & Edward H. Jr.; along with two domestic servants, a farm hand, and another man -- possibly a boarder or relative. Next door are John Remington (his son) with wife Emily and son Jay C. (see Roll 671 p. 1000 R Wm Remington; online census images)

In 1880 William is 71 and Jane is 72. They are still at Fenton, MI, living near and with family members.

The obituary in The Fenton Independent, 29 Apr 1897:
"William Remington, probably the oldest pioneer of this township, at his home in the northern part of the village. He was born in Tiverton, Rhode Island, in 1809, one of a family of 14 children, all of whom are dead but one brother, Abner, of Mundy. He with his wife, Jane Broadhead, came from Kingston, New York, in 1835, taking up land in a then unbroken wilderness on the banks of the Shiawassee. At one time he owned 500 acres of land, on which a good portion of Fenton now stands. Three children survive: Ebin and John of Fenton and Mrs. John Traver of Ft. Wayne, Indiana."

William married Jane Broadhead 16 Aug 1835, Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, NY. Jane (daughter of John Brodhead) was born 20 Mar 1807, Ulster County, NY; died 20 May 1893, Fenton, Genesee County, MI; was buried 28 May 1893, Oakwood Cemetery, Fenton, MI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Ellery & Lydia are in the 1850 Federal Census at New Bedford, p. 273, with two sons. In 1860, p. 832, their household includes son Charles, 15, and Hannah S. Hathaway, 31, a dressmaker. She may be Lydia's sister.

In the 1870 Federal Census, Ellery, Lydia, Charles, & Clara are living in Ward 5, Providence, RI. Perhaps Clara is Charles's wife (?).

Ellery's official death entry at Providence City Hall says he was born in Tiverton; died at 37 Claverick St., age 65y 5m 17d; gives the cause of death as disease of the spine; and identifies his parents as Thomas & Alice.

Ellery married Lydia Howland Hathaway 1 Apr 1844, New Bedford, MA. Lydia (daughter of Isaac Tobey Hathaway and Hannah S. Maxfield) was born 7 Apr 1822, Dartmouth, MA; died Aft 1 Jun 1870. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Online whaling crew lists show David Remington, able seaman, going on a voyage 20 June 1842, ship Hibernia. Also listed twice is David G. Remington, on ship Persia 19 July 1843, a seaman; and on ship Golconda 23 Oct 1844, a cooper. In addition, microfilm lists show David, b. Tiverton, going out three times between 1829 and 1836. Is David G. "our" David? Most likely - and it looks as if he took a break to get married and conceive at least one child (marriage July 1839, child born Dec 1842).

The death record says he died at age 35, and gives his birthplace as Tiverton. The original death record (image online at newenglandancestors.org) does not name his parents. However, a microfilm record at New Bedford Public Library names his parents as David G. & Angeline Remington. That must be incorrect because clearly those are the names of him and his wife, as far as can be determined. It was probably a clerk's error, or informant's error. They were married in 1839, had one child, and then he died of consumption in 1849.

Other supporting evidence -- David Remington is listed for New Bedford in the 1840 census, with one male 20-30 and one female 20-30. He is not there in the 1850 census, but his wife and child are there -- Angeline & Mary C. Remington -- ages 29 and 7, living with H.(?) & Harriet Butler, along with an infant named John Sonchoe (?).

Further evidence is that David is buried in the same family plot in New Bedford as Alice (Grinnell) Remington and other family members.

There is a remote chance that there were two David Remingtons the same age who were New Bedford whalers at the same time -- but I will check further to eliminate that as a possibility. (So far no evidence of that.)

David married Angeline Slocum 11 Jul 1839, New Bedford, MA. Angeline (daughter of Waldo Slocum and Rhoby Smith) was born 15 Aug 1820, Dartmouth, MA; died Aft 1 Jun 1880. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Phebe and her sister Hope married two brothers.

In the 1860 census, Phebe Pearce is age 45 RI, "widow" living in New Bedford. Also in the household are: Phebe J. 19 MA, Frank 16 MA, and Ella M. 14 MA; also Abner Remington 41 RI.

In the MA 1865 census, Seabury and Phebe are listed as together in New Bedford with daughter Ella in the household.

Phebe married Seabury Peirce 10 Dec 1834, New Bedford, MA. Seabury (son of David Peirce and Lydia G. Gibbs) was born 30 May 1812, New Bedford, MA; died 30 Mar 1873, Orange, VT; was buried , Rural Cemetery, New Bedford, MA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

New Bedford files (seamen's insurance records) show that Abner Remington b. Tiverton, RI, applied for insurance three times: on 16 Dec 1840 he was age 21, 5'4", and said to have a light complexion, brown hair, and blue eyes; on 22 Nov 1848 he was age 28, 5' 4 3/4" and was described as having a light complexion, brown hair, and grey eyes. Another record dated 2 Dec 1848 again shows him to be age 28, but is described as having dark skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. One can only speculate why there are two applications so close together, and why he is described differently, even though the age and birthplace are the same. Two of the descriptions more or less agree.

Abner's last voyage on record ended in 1860, so he must have headed out to Michigan right after that. In the 1860 Federal Census, he is age 37, a sailor, and living at Fenton, MI, with brother William and his family. He was married in Michigan in 1863, and he is in the 1870 census for Fenton, Genesee County, MI, with his wife Eliza and two youngest daughters, Minnie 6 & Alice 2, apparently living next door to his nephew Eben and family.

In the 1860 census, Abner is also listed at New Bedford, MA, living with sister Phebe Pearce and three of her children. The census gives his age as 41, b RI.

In the 1880 Federal Census, Abner, Eliza, and daughter Alice (the second Alice), 8, are living at Mundy, Genesee Co., MI. Also in the household are Thomas Steel, age 4, stepson; and John Hunt, 20.

His obituary in The Fenton Independent:
"Abner Remington, age 80, a resident of Fenton about 50 years, died 6 March 1900 at the home of his nephew, Ebin Remington. Born in New Bedford, MA, during young manhood he was a sailor, making several trips to the whaling grounds. After retiring from the sea, he came to Fenton and purchased a farm in Mundy."

One genealogy at Rootsweb has his date of birth as 13 March 1820 (re: Kim Hawkins).

Abner married Eliza A. Bennett 18 Feb 1863, Flint, Genessee County, MI. Eliza (daughter of Charles Bennett and Caroline Thurston) was born 4 Oct 1845, Ohio; died 5 Sep 1896, Mundy Township, Genesee County, MI; was buried , Oakwood Cemetery, Fenton, MI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

I have made an assumption that this is the Rufus Tripp who married Adeline Manchester. (Needs more research to confirm)

Rufus married Adeline Manchester Abt 1826. Adeline (daughter of Perry Manchester and Anna Bennett) was born 1798, Tiverton, RI; died 23 Mar 1861, Tiverton, RI. [Group Sheet]