John 5 BIGELOW


 16163     John 5 BIGELOW, twin son of John 4 (Joshua 3, Joshua 2, John 1), and Grace (ALLEN) BIGELOW, was born 08 November 1743 at Weston, Middlesex, MA. He was married 11 September 1770 (same day as his twin brother Nathan's marriage) to Mary MELVIN, at Ashburnham, MA. No dates or parents for Mary, also known as Molly. They lived a number of years at Ashburnham, then moved to Conway, where they lived the remainder of their lives. John died there 14 February 1822, aged 78 years. Melvin Hills cemetery, Phelps, NY Inscription: "Mary wife of John Bigelow , died 23 Sept 1836, in 83rd year"; (see new notes below) 
1790 census: MA - Hampshire - Conway - John Bigelow: 2-4-4-0-0.
Mass Sold & Sail of Rev, vol 2:
         Biglow, John, Western. Private, Capt. Edmund Hodges's co, Col. Josiah Whitney's regt; enlisted May 5, 1777;
                      discharged Nov 29, 1777, service, 2 mos, 7 das at Rhode Island. (see below)

Children of John and Mary (MELVIN) BIGELOW:

16163.1       John, b 12 Dec 1771 Ashburnham; d 25 Dec 1771.

16163.2       Jonathan, b 25 Jan 1773 Ashburnham; d 12 Nov 1819 Conway, MA; m 1798 Susanna BROOKS; res Conway, MA. 12 children.

16163.3       Silas, b 7 May 1775 Ashburnham; d 4 Nov 1822 Phelps, Orleans co, NY; m, intention filed 2 Feb 1801, Anna BROOKS; res Phelps, NY. 9 children listed in probate records.Orleans cemetery, Phelps, NY Inscription: "Silas Bigelow died 1822; age 48.

16163.4       John, b 8 July 1777 Ashburnham; d 2 Aug 1777.

16163.5       Amos, twin, b 5 July 1778 Ashburnham; d 3 Aug 1782.

16163.6       Anne, twin, b 5 July 1778 Ashburnham; Orleans cemetery, Phelps, NY Inscription: "Anna Bigelow died 1832; age 54.

16163.7       Isaac, listed as "twin", but no other birth recorded that day, b 27 Oct 1780; d 1843 Phelps, Orleans, NY; m Betsy PECK; res Phelps, NY. 4 children.

16163.8      Abner, b 23 Oct 1783 Conway, MA; d about 1840 Phelps, NY; m Cynthia GUILFORD; res Phelps. 3 known sons.

16163.9      Samuel, b 22 Aug 1785 Conway, MA; d 29 May 1839 Conway, MA; m Electra WILDER; res Conway, MA. 11 children.

16163.A     Molly, b 09 July 1787 Conway, MA; d _____ ; m William MEDISTER. (see below)

16163.B     Rebeckah, b 21 Apr 1790 Conway, MA; m 1812 Cheney LOOK; res Peru, MA. 10 children.

16163.C     Esther, b 17 July 1792 Conway, MA; d 14 Oct 1811. unmarried.

16163.D     Clarissa, b 15 Oct 1794 Conway, MA; m (1) 1812 Orra SHERMAN, and (2) 28 Sep 1821 John NEWHALL. 

16163.E      Moses Foster, bapt 11 Nov 1798 Conway, MA; d 1860 Conway, MA; m 01 Feb (Mar?) 1822 Mary "Polly" BARDWELL; res Conway. 7 children. (see below)

16163.F     John 6 , possibly b after 1790 census - needs further documentation, but if true, will affect numbering of siblings.   -(1998 Addenda)

Sources:
The Bigelow Family Genealogy, Volume I, page 150-151&; pg 384 Addenda;
Howe, Bigelow Family of America; pg 126; #141-432;
vital records various towns in MA;
correspondence with descendants;
probate records Orleans co., NY.
cemetery records Phelps, NY.
Forge, The Bigelow Society Quarterly; Vol 27, no 1; Jan 1998, pg 16;
research by Mrs. Dwight Freeburn, Berea OH, 1978(submitted by Janis Pahnke, Chicago, IL)

New Note:
Subject: John (5) 
Date: 10/20/05
From: Janis Pahnke    Janis222@sbcglobal.net
One thing I'd like to correct, that is on John (5). 

I joined the DAR on the record I found in the Patriots List of the DAR.  In 1976 I went to Washington to a DAR Convention, and of course, went to the Library.  I Looked at the records they had on this John Bigelow, and found that the Revolutionary War Records that they used as his were NOT his, but another JOHN Bigelow.  (There were about 5 or 6 John Bigelows who fought in the Revolutionary War) This one, from where he died, was NOT my John!!!  I intended to do the research on the others listed in the Mass. Soldiers and Sailors who fought in the Revolutionary War, but somehow, haven't gotten around to it.  I DID check out another of my ancestors who fought in the RW, and filed his papers, so that I'm  still a legitimate DAR, but the record they have given to him is NOT his, so I think you should eliminate  the reference in the Bigelow Society records. 
I still think he served in the RW, and would like to prove his right record, if I can (I like the idea of a direct Bigelow line back to the RW service) and feel that he probably served.  He was the right age, living in the right place, and, as far as I know, able-bodied, so it would have been hard for him NOT to have fought, at least once.
I did check on the Conway, MA Library.  He died in Conway, but they had no records in the Cemetery, or in any books that I saw there, that he was a RW Soldier. 


Note:
Subject: John (5) and Mary Melvin
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 23:44:02 EDT
From: MzCortez@aol.com
CC: Janis222@sbcglobal.net ,    rpperkins@mediaone.net
Hi,
Just got referred to your website.  I am a descendant of Jonathan Melvin of Hollis, Conway, and Phelps, NY.  We (me,  Phoebe and Jan Pahnke are working on a theory that:

1.  Mary Melvin who married John Bigelow may have been the dau (so far no proof) of Jonathan Melvin and Mary Brooks and the sister of Jonathan Melvin III who went to Conway and then to Phelps, etc. (he too is buried in the Melvin Hill Cemetery where Mary (Melvin) Bigelow was .

2.  Mary (Brooks) Melvin was the dau of Benjamin Brooks of Townsend

3.  After death of Jonathan Melvin, his widow, Mary (Brooks) Melvin married Moses Foster, Jr. of Ashburnham.

4.  As I recall all three families went to Conway, later, Jonathan Melvin and some of the Bigelows to Phelps and Fosters to VT.

Regards, Phoebe Cortessis in CA

Note 10/20/05:
Subject: Moses Foster
Date: 10/20/05
From: Leslie Chapman < reedsportchapmans@verizon.net >

Just visited your site; and note cousin Phoebe has sent you a note on Mary Melvin and thought I
would add some comments;
Personalities of Melvin Hill Cemetery by David L. Burnisky seems to bear out
the Parentage of Mary "Molly" Melvin, and her marriage to John Bigelow, Jr.

As to Moses and Moses Jr. I have been hammering away at them for several
days and the only really interesting thing I have found are a couple of
things;
In;
Roe, Alfred S.,
Rose neighborhood sketches : Wayne County, New York, with glimpses of the
adjacent towns: Butler, Wolcott, Huron, Sodus, Lyons, and Savannah
Worcester, Mass.,: Published by the author, 1893, 474 pgs.

I found some info on the relationship of the Collins family to the Fosters
through Ester Foster dau of Mary Brooks and Moses Jr., unfortuantely it is
mostly anecdotal and I have had some trouble deciphering exactly how
Thadeaus fits in the Collins line.

In;
Stearns, Ezra S.
History of Ashburnham, Massachusetts : from the grant of Dorchester Canada
to the present time, 1734-1886 : with a genealogical register of Ashburnham
families
Ashburnham, Mass.: The town, 1887, 1040 pgs.
there are extensive references to Moses and Mosees Jr, and at first I
thought this was a different Moses etc, but with some persistance I finally
figured out that it is the same Moses. Further evidence to me was frequent
references to Nathan Melvin who is the wife of Moses Jr.'s sister according
to a number of folks i have contacted, and also Personalities of Melvin Hill
Cemetery.

Unfortunately here again it is almost all anecdotal stuff, specifically
membership in churches, jobs on councils and so forth and almost no family
information other than mentioning that Jr. had a wife.

I found another web site; http://www.eoni.com/~paf/pilling/pilg813.htm
before I found yours that has quite a bit of stuff on Moses Sr and his
origins, but offers no supporting evidence other than listing LDS ancestral
files.

If you are interested in more details on any of this let me know, I can send
you what I have. The Stearns and Roe info are in digital images downloaded
from Heritage quest so if you were interested in a little of that I could
email it, or if you wanted the works I could send you a CD.
Leslie Chapman

Janice Notes:
John BIGELOW, was born on 08 Nov 1743 in Weston, Middlesex Co., MA. Twin of Nathan He died on 14
Feb 1822 in Shelburne, MA. He was a Baptist. John BIGELOW and Mary (Molly) MELVIN were married on 11 Sep 1770 in Ashburnham, Worcester Co., MA. Married the same day as his twin brother, Nathan. Mary (Molly) MELVIN was buried Melvin Hill Cem. in Phelps, Ontario Co., NY. She was born in 1752. She died on 23 Sep 1836 in Phelps, Ontario Co., NY.
John BIGELOW and Mary (Molly) MELVIN had the following children:
18 i. John BIGELOW21 was born on 12 Dec 1771 in Ashburnham, Worcester Co., MA. He died on 27
Dec 1771 in Ashburnham, Worcester Co., MA. 15 days old.
+19 ii. Jonathan BIGELOW (born on 25 Jan 1773).
+20 iii. Silas BIGELOW (born on 7 May 1775).
21 iv. John BIGELOW22 was born on 3 Jul 1777 in Ashburnham, Worcester Co., MA. perhaps July 8th
He died on 2 Aug 1777 in Ashburnham, Worcester Co., MA.
22 v. Amos BIGELOW was born on 5 Jul 1778 in Ashburnham, Worcester Co., MA. He died on 3 Aug
1782. Twin
23 vi. Anne BIGELOW was born on 5 Jul 1778 in Ashburnham, Worcester Co., MA. She died on 3 Aug
1782. Twin
+24 vii. Isaac BIGELOW (born on 27 Oct 1780).
+25 viii. Abner BIGELOW (born on 23 Oct 1783).
+26 ix. Samuel Silas BIGELOW (born on 22 Aug 1785).
+27 x. Molly BIGELOW (born on 9 Jul 1787).
+28 xi. Rebeckah BIGELOW (born on 21 Apr 1790).
29 xii. Esther BIGELOW was buried in Howland Cemetery in Shelburne, MA. 19 years old, unmarried.
She was born on 17 Jul 1792 in Shelburne, MA. She died on 14 Oct 1811 in Shelburne, MA.
+30 xiii. Clarissa BIGELOW (born on 14 Oct 1794).
+31 xiv. Moses Foster BIGELOW.

Molly BIGELOW, was born on 09 July 1787 in Shelburne, MA.
Molly BIGELOW and William MEDISTER were married.

Modified - 09/12/2009
(c) Copyright 2009 Bigelow Society, Inc. All rights reserved.
Rod  Bigelow - Director
    < rodbigelow@netzero.net >

Rod Bigelow (Roger Jon12 BIGELOW)
Box 13  Chazy Lake
Dannemora, N.Y. 12929
< rodbigelow@netzero.net > 
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