I need to review what I have already learned before I can decide on a plan of action for further research.
At the beginning of this project I found 3 published works that addressed the Marden family, as well as census records, and later I uncovered some Grafton County deeds. I will review what I learned from the published genealogies about Edward Jr. in this post. Part two will discuss the specific sources within the Annis Genealogy with an analysis of the reliability of those sources.
I am abbreviating the titles of the published sources here. If you click on the short version of the title it will take you to a full and proper description of the source. In that same post you will also find my original analysis of the quality of these published sources.
The Published Sources
- Annis Genealogy published in 1909
- Marden Genealogy published in 1974
- Freeman Genealogy published in 1996
What did I learn from the Annis Genealogy?
He was born in 1779at Lyman, NH [disproved]- He married 17-Nov-1808 to Elizabeth Annis
- Elizabeth was born 19-Nov-1784 to David Annis & Elizabeth Hunt
- Elizabeth died in Craftsbury, VT about 1846
- He had 7 children by Elizabeth Annis
- Nathaniel b. 11-Sep-1809 Lyman
- Joseph b. 19-Feb-1811 Lyman
- Rebecca b. 25-Feb-1813 Lyman
- Hannah b. 14-Feb-1815 Lyman
- David b. Jan-1817, d. Apr-1818 Lyman
- Elizabeth Jane b.11-Nov-1820 Lyman
- Chapin b.Apr-18?? at Lunenburgh, VT
- He was a basket maker
- He lived in Lyman, Bath, & Benton, NH and Craftsbury, Albany, & Coventry VT
- A son was born in Lunenburg, VT exact year unknown
- He died in Lloyd, Wisconsin about 1874
- There is no mention of an “Indian” wife or “Indian” heritage
- No mention of a prior or later wife!
Most of the data in the Annis Genealogy can be sourced to Joseph Annis Marden and his son, Riley Hull Marden.
What did I learn from the Marden Genealogy?
He was born in 1779[disproved]- He was born 13-Jul-1784 according to “Rix” [no location stated!]
- Ms. Fitts (or perhaps only “Rix”) thinks he was also called “Edwin”
- His was probably married to Rebecca Belding
- He probably had 2 sons, Hamilton & Jesse by Rebecca Belding
- He married Elizabeth Annis 17-Nov-1808 at Bath, NH, daughter of David Annis & Elizabeth Hunt
- He had 7 children with Elizabeth;
- Nathaniel b.11-Sep-1809 Lyman, NH
- Joseph Annis b. 19-Feb-1811 Lyman
- Rebecca b.25-Feb-1813 Lyman (named after Rebecca Jamison?)
- Hannah b. 14-Feb-1815 Lyman
- David b.15-Jan-1817 Lyman d.Apr-1818
- Chapin Kidder b. 9-Apr-1818 Lunenburgh, VT
- Elizabeth Jane b.11-Nov-1820 Lyman
- Elizabeth died about 1846 in Albany, VT
- He married 24-Apr-1851 in Craftsbury, VT to Lydia Edson
- Lydia died in 8-Mar-1866 in Lowell, VT
- He may have lived in Canada according to “Rix”
- “Edwin” died in Benton, NH 19-Nov-1871 according to “Rix”
- Edward died about 1874 in Lloyd, Wisconsin – but Fitts does not believe this date
- There is no mention of an “Indian” wife for Junior
- No probate records were found for Edward in Bradford Co., VT or Grafton Co., NH. by Ms. Fitts
In her Marden Genealogy, Sylvia Fitts relied heavily on the work of others such as the Annis Genealogy, The Manuscript History of Lyman by Rix, and The History of Maidstone. She also mentions correspondence with descendants and some probate and census research she did. Her sources are mixed and not all her data is sourced. I need to be very cautious about what I use here and why.
What did I learn from the Freeman Genealogy?
- There is no mention of an “Indian” ancestor
- Edward is named as the father of Nathaniel Marden (1809-Civil War)
- No father is named for Chapin Kidder Marden (1836-?)
- No other children of Edward are mentioned
This work appears to rely almost entirely on local records from Maine’s Sandy River settlements and census. Its compiler ignored or was unfamiliar with either of the first two sources. Most of the Marden families covered in this work are later generations.
My next post will discuss the Annis Genealogy in more detail.
The Ne-Do-Ba Research Journal 