Person Page - 296

     Clinton L. Siltberg married Doris Viola Olds, daughter of George C. Olds and Drusilla J. Ramey.¹ Clinton L. Siltberg was born on 1 Aug 1906.¹ He died on 20 May 1986 at age 79¹ and was buried at Macville Cemetery, Aitkin County, Minnesota.¹

     Nancy Silver was born c 1842. She married Isaac N. Cox, son of William Cox and Elizabeth (?), on 5 Mar 1882 at McDowell County, North Carolina.
     Nancy Silver married an unknown person ; Nancy Silver, at age 40, m. Isaac N. Cox. This may not have been her
maiden name.

     James B. Sim married Mary Ann Olds, daughter of Alva Olds and Mary Crampton, in 1849.¹

     Sarah Almeda Sim married Hiram Johnson.¹ Sarah Almeda Sim was born in 1851.¹ She was the daughter of James B. Sim and Mary Ann Olds.¹

     Abel Simmons married Hannah Reed on 21 Dec 1747 at Ashford, Windham County, Connecticut.^1,2,3 Abel Simmons died b 21 Apr 1807 at Ashford, Windham County, Connecticut.⁴
      My notes on this family have now appeared in a somewhat more formal format in my article "Stephen Simmons (1765 - 1835), from Connecticut to Illinois: A Revolutionary Soldier and his Family", The Genealogist, Vol. 25 #2 (Fall 2011), pp. 169 - 199 and Vol. 26 #1, (Spring 2012), pp. 133 - 160. I hope that I will be able to make additions and corrections here.
     This Simmons family has been previously reported in print.⁵ Known attempts to identify the ancestry of Able Simmons are unsatisfactory. L. A. Simmons wrote: “Abel Simmons (5), Isaac 4, Isaac 3, John 2, Moses 1, b. about 1724, d. at Ashford, Conn. We place Abel Simmons as above the most likely line for him, as names and ages fully agree and we cannot find any record of the children of Isaac Simmons and Lydia Cushing who were married Oct. 24, 1722, until the birth of Consider, who was born Aug. 30, 1734, and there is every probability that there were other children. Abel Simmons moved from Little Compton, R. I., to Ashford, Conn., in 1747. Records at Little Compton, as far as examined only show the birth of an Abel Simmons, son of Aaron Simmons, in 1765. He was perhaps a nephew of Abel [of Ashford]”.⁶ However, the correct marriage date for Isaac Simmons, Jr., and Lydia Cushman is 24 Oct 1732 (not 1722) and this destroys the hope of having found the parents of Abel.⁷ The connection to Little Compton appears to have been based on an unpublished autobiographical statement of James Simmons (1821-1899) insofar as the Abel Simmons family is concerned. James wrote “In respect to my ancestry, I can go no further back than to my great grandfather Abel Simmons. The first time he comes within the range of my research is when he moves from Little Compton R. I. to Ashford, Connecticut which was probably in the early part of the 18^th century (1747). Whether he was the first of the name to settle in America, I know not; nor have I learned from what country he or his ancestors came, yet I think I cannot be mistaken in saying that he came from England”.⁸
     On 25 June 1752, Abel Simmons bought 65 acres in Stafford from Moses Davis. Both men were "of Stafford" which joins Ashford on the northwest.⁹ On 17 Nov 1758, he sold 65 acres of land in Stafford to Peleg Woodworth.¹⁰
In 1757, Abel was one of those who bought a portion of the Stoddard tract then being sold by the heirs. “The remaining part of the Stoddard tract fell to Martha, daughter of Anthony Stoddard, and wife of Captain John Stevens, of Boston, who, in 1757, laid it out and divided it into thirty-one lots or farms, which were sold to John Chapin, Abel Simmons, James Parker, Robert Snow and others.”¹¹

The deed at Ashford recording the sale of lots 16 and 21, 100 acres each, by John Stevens, Merchant, and Martha, his wife, of Boston, to Abel Simmons of Ashford, is dated 16 Jan. 1761.¹² On the same date, Abel Simmons mortgaged this land to John and Martha Stevens.¹³ On 22 July 1767, Abel Simmons, John and Martha Stevens sold 50 acres to John Chedel. This deed mentions the dwelling house of Abel Simmons, apparently on neighboring land.¹⁴
Hannah Reed Simmons died at Ashford on 1 Dec. 1765¹, less than a month after the birth of her son Stephen. Abel apparently did not remarry until 22 May 1777 when he married Marcy Haven at Ashford.¹⁵
The 1790 census of Ashford, Connecticut, lists both Abel Simmons (p. 285: 4,4,5,-,-) and Abel Simmons, Sr. (p. 290: 1,3,4,-,-).¹⁶ The latter, with three males under 16 and four females fits well with the six children that Abel Sr. had with his second wife. Abel and Abel Jr. are also listed in the 1800 census of Windham County, Connecticut. Both were then over 45 years old.¹⁷¹⁸
     Abel Simmons was dead by 21 April 1807 when his estate appraisal was made and his estate record provides a list of his heirs which includes his widow, Mary (not Marcy), and the children as named below. The estate included 150 acres of land valued at $2000. On 4 May 1807 Mary Simmons (signing by mark) stated that "by reason of Inability I wish not to Administer on the Estate of Abel Simmons Late of Ashford Dec^d and wish that Abel Simmons may be appointed". On 5 May 1807 Abel Simmons and Samuel Spring of Ashford signed the administrator's bond.⁴
     The following notice appeared in the Connecticut Courant for several weeks: "Six months from this date is allowed by the Hon. Court of Probate for the district of Pomfret, for the creditors of the estate of Abel Simmons, late of Ashford, deceased, to exhibit their claims to the subscriber properly attested or be debarred a recovery. Abel Simmons, Administrator."¹⁹
     The original vital record book of Stafford has four consecutive entries for births in this family but they are not fully legible. They are on page 16 and seem to be:
Abel Simons son of Abel and Hannah Simons was born Oct 24th 1752
..ah Simons daughter of Abel and Hannah Simmons was born Decr 1 175-
...n Simmons son of Abel and Hannah Simmons was born .... 1755
..ben Simmons son of Abel and Hannah Simmons was born .... 175-²⁰

The Town Clerk also has a typed copy of this book of which Volume A, p. 16 shows:
Abel Simons Son of Abel and Hannah Simons was born Octn[sic] 24th 1752
Sarah Simons daughter of Abel and Hannah Simons was born Decn[sic] 1st 1754
Ruben Simons Son of Abel Simons and Hannah Simons was born Novr 6th 1755
Ruben Simons son of Abel and Hannah Simons was born Feby 22d 1758
This typescript was a necessary aid in reading the manuscript version.²¹

Citing Vital Records Vol. 2, p. 16, a published version of the Barbour Collection shows (alphabetically):
Abel, s. Abel & Hannah, b. Oct. 24, 1753
Hannah, d. Abel & Hannah, b. Dec. 1, 1754
Joshua, s. Ezekiel & Easter, b. Jan. 25, 1764
Laban, s. Abel & Hannah, Feb. 22, 1758
Reuben, s. Abel & Hannah, Nov. 6, 1756; d. Dec. 9, 1756 (p. 172)
These records show that another couple, Ezekiel and Easter Simmons, were having children in Stafford at this same time. That may provide a lead to Abel's ancestry.²²

     Abel Simmons was born on 24 Oct 1752 at Stafford, Connecticut.¹ He was the son of Abel Simmons and Hannah Reed.¹ Abel Simmons married Hannah Holmes on 3 Nov 1774 at Ashford, Windham County, Connecticut.² Abel Simmons died on 3 Jan 1816 at Ashford, Windham County, Connecticut, at age 63.³ It is probably this Abel Simmons who is buried in the old Ashford Cemetery, where he has a small stone marked only Abel Simmons, Esq. The next stone is for Mrs. Hannah Simmons, Relict of Abel Simmons, Esq., died Dec. 16, 1832, aged 76 years.⁴

     Alice Florence Simmons was born on 11 May 1866.¹ She married Benjamin Franklin Duncan, son of Joseph Berry Duncan and Adaline Ayers, in 1882.² Alice Florence Simmons died on 11 May 1944 at 295 Bates Street, Greenville, Greenville County, South Carolina, at age 78.^1,3 She was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, Piedmont, Greenville County, South Carolina.⁴
     The obituary of Alice Florence Simmons appeared in the Greenville News on 12 May 1944.⁵

     Chloe Simmons was born on 13 Jul 1749 at Ashford, Windham County, Connecticut.¹ She was the daughter of Abel Simmons and Hannah Reed.¹
     The "heirs of Mrs. Cloe Hovey", deceased daughter, are mentioned in her father's estate.²

     Elizabeth Simmons was born on 3 Sep 1759 at Ashford, Connecticut.¹ She was the daughter of Abel Simmons and Hannah Reed.¹
     She is named as "Mrs. Betsy Cady a daughter" in her father's estate.²

     Hannah Simmons was born on 6 Sep 1761 at Ashford, Connecticut.¹ She was the daughter of Abel Simmons and Hannah Reed.¹ Hannah Simmons married Perez Steele on 7 Jun 1781 at Tolland, Connecticut,² and was buried at Pleasant Valley (aka Ashland) Cemetery, Town of Ashland, Greene County, New York.³ Hannah Simmons died on 4 Mar 1832 at age 70.³
     She is named as "Mrs. Hannah Steel a daughter" in her father's estate.¹

     Hannah Reed Simmons was born on 20 Jan 1793 at New York.^2,3 She was the daughter of Stephen Simmons and Mabel Hunt.¹ Hannah Reed Simmons married William Henry Ridgely, son of Henry Ridgely and Rachel Griffith, on 20 Nov 1810 at Scioto County, Ohio.^4,1 Hannah Reed Simmons died on 13 Jun 1853 at Wabash County, Illinois. This gives her calculated age as 60 years, 4 months and 24 days.^5,6 She was buried at the family cemetery, Wabash County, Illinois.³
     Mrs. Minnie (Harrison) Reid, who collected several items on our family history, left a note naming Mable Hunt as the wife of Col. Stephen Simmons. This has now been supported by the information located in the Simmons Bible. Hannah Ridgely was accepted into membership by the Wabash Presbyterian Church at Orio "about 2 Sept. 1837". This same transcription shows her death as 13 June 1855.⁷

     Infant Simmons died on 5 Aug 1787.¹ Infant Simmons was born on 5 Aug 1787.¹ Infant Simmons was the child of Stephen Simmons and Mabel Hunt.¹

     Leonard Simmons was born on 15 Sep 1787 at Ashford, Connecticut.¹ He was the son of Abel Simmons.¹ Leonard Simmons died c 1847.²
     Leonard Simmons was given a 14 acre lot in his father's estate distribution.³

     Lora Simmons was born on 23 Jul 1818.¹ She was the daughter of Stephen S. Simmons.¹

     Lora Martin Simmons was born on 24 Jan 1790 presumably in New York.¹ She was the daughter of Stephen Simmons and Mabel Hunt.¹ Lora Martin Simmons married Havillah Gunn, son of Rev. Samuel Gunn and Joanna Warner, on 14 Oct 1805 at Windham, New York.¹ Lora Martin Simmons died in Jun 1814 at age 24.¹

     Lyman Simmons married Marcia Fuller.² Lyman Simmons was born on 29 Aug 1783 at Ashford, Connecticut.¹ He was the son of Abel Simmons.¹ Lyman Simmons died in Jul 1861 at Madrid, New York, at age 77.³
     Lyman Simmons appeared on the census of 27 Aug 1850 at Madrid, St. Lawrence County, New York, as follows:
     454 Lyman Simmons, age 67, farmer, b. Conn.
      Sally G. ", 56, b. Vt.
and children.⁴
Lyman Simmons appeared on the census of 13 Sep 1860 at Madrid, St. Lawrence County, New York, as follows:
     265/265 Lyman Simmons, 77, shoemaker, b. Conn.
      Sally " , 64, House keeper, b. Vt.
and some children.⁵
     His presumed then was Sally, born in Vermont, and was probably the 74 year old Sally Simmons listed in 1870.⁶

     Medad Simmons was born on 21 Jul 1788.¹ He was the son of Stephen Simmons and Mabel Hunt.¹ Medad Simmons died on 20 Sep 1789. This gives his calculated age as 1 year, 1 month and 30 days.¹

     Medad Hunt Simmons died at Bonpas Township, Richland County, Illinois; He is listed in the 1870 mortality schedule for Bonpas Township as a 79 year old married farmer who had been born in N. Y. and died in May of Congestion of Lungs.² He was born on 20 Dec 1795.¹ He was the son of Stephen Simmons and Mabel Hunt.¹ Medad Hunt Simmons died on 17 May 1870 at age 74.³ He was buried at Simmons Cemetery, Section 28, T2N, R14W, Richland County, Illinois.
     Bryant Higgins wrote that in Oct., 1856, music for the first Richland County Fair "was furnished by Medad Simmons with a fife and my brother with his drum. It was not such fine music, but the people were satisfied. Those men have long since passed away."⁴

     Nancy Simmons was born on 17 Jul 1820.¹ She was the daughter of Stephen S. Simmons.¹

     Olive Simmons married George Babcock at Windham, Greene County, New York.^2,3 Olive Simmons was born on 9 Feb 1785 at Ashford, Connecticut.¹ She was the daughter of Abel Simmons.¹ Olive Simmons died on 20 Jan 1858 at age 72.⁴
     She is listed as Olive Babcock in her father's estate distribution.⁵
Olive Simmons appeared on the census of 13 Aug 1850 at Albany, Albany County, New York, as follows:
     852/1087 Abel S. Babcock, 42, sale manufacture, b. N. Y.
      Olive " , 64, b. Conn.
      May " , 25, b. N. Y.⁶

     Orenda Parker Simmons was born on 29 Apr 1794.¹ She was the daughter of Stephen Simmons and Mabel Hunt.¹

     Phebe Simmons was born on 29 Sep 1763 at Ashford, Connecticut.¹ She was the daughter of Abel Simmons and Hannah Reed.¹
     She is named as "Mrs. Phebe Baker" in her father's estate record.²

     Polly Simmons was born on 2 Apr 1780 at Ashford, Connecticut.¹ She was the daughter of Abel Simmons.¹
     She is named as "Miss Polly Simmons" in her father's estate and her share included land "her Dec^d Father purchased from Mr. Rich^d Smith".²

     Rebecca Simmons was born on 3 Jun 1751 at Ashford, Windham County, Connecticut.¹ She was the daughter of Abel Simmons and Hannah Reed.¹
     She is listed as "Mrs. Rebecca Hovey" in her father's estate.²
     The following entry from FindAGrave may apply to this Rebecca.
--------------------
Birth:      unknown
Death:      1829
Wife of Ebenezer Hovey.
Family links:
Children:
Polly Hovey Chamberlin (1776 - ____)*
Chester Hovey (1779 - ____)*
Roxanna Hovey Flanders (1779 - ____)*
Ebenezer Hovey (1784 - ____)*
Chauncey Hovey (1790 - ____)*
Sally Hovey Wadleigh (1792 - ____)*
Clarissa Hovey Rexford (1792 - ____)*
Laura Hovey Cox (1795 - ____)*
John Hovey (1796 - ____)*
Horace Hovey (1798 - ____)*
Piercy Hovey Kezar (1799 - ____)*
*Calculated relationship
Burial:
Old North Church Cemetery
Stanstead County
Quebec, Canada
Created by: Barb Destromp
Record added: May 10, 2012
Find A Grave Memorial# 89880266
--------------------------
There is not a tombstone photograph.
The following is from a similar entry for Ebenezer Hovey.
Birth:      1752
Death:      1835
Hovey, Capt. Ebenezer,
b. 1752,
d. 1835,
Pioneers of Hatley Township,
s/w & husband of Rebecca Simmons
Burial:
Old North Church Cemetery
Stanstead County
Quebec, Canada
Created by: Bev
Record added: Aug 24, 2011
Find A Grave Memorial# 75445429.³

     Reuben Simmons was born on 6 Nov 1755 at Stafford, Connecticut.¹ He was the son of Abel Simmons and Hannah Reed. Reuben Simmons died on 9 Dec 1756 at Stafford, Connecticut. This gives his calculated age as 1 year, 1 month and 3 days.¹

     Reubin Simmons was born on 22 Feb 1758 at Stafford, Connecticut.¹ He was the son of Abel Simmons and Hannah Reed.¹
     He was living in 1807 and is named as "Mr. Reuben Simmons" in his father's estate.²

     Roxy Simmons was born on 1 Jan 1782 at Ashford, Connecticut.¹ She was the daughter of Abel Simmons.¹
     She is named as Roxy Simmons in her father's estate distribution.²

     Sarah Simmons was born on 1 Dec 1754 at Stafford, Connecticut.^4,5 She was the daughter of Abel Simmons and Hannah Reed.³ Sarah Simmons married George Martin on 7 May 1778 at Windham, Connecticut.⁶ Sarah Simmons died on 10 Dec 1841 at Cortland County, New York, at age 87.⁷
     She is listed in her father's estate record as "Mrs. Sarah Martin".

     Silas C. Simmons married Charlotte Corde Olds, daughter of Asaph Olds and Anna Hale, on 7 May 1845 at Mansfield, Massachusetts.^3,2

     Stephen Simmons was born on 7 Nov 1765 at Ashford, Town of Windham, Connecticut.^1,2 He was the son of Abel Simmons and Hannah Reed. Stephen Simmons married Mabel Hunt, daughter of Medad Hunt and Sarah Parker, on 12 Nov 1786 at Tolland County, Connecticut.³ Stephen Simmons died on 24 Feb 1835 at Wabash County, Illinois. This gives his calculated age as 69 years, 3 months and 17 days.⁴
     STEPHEN SIMMONS, a pioneer resident of (what is now) Wabash Co., Illinois, applied for a pension in Sept. 1832 in these words:
"I am a native of Connectticut born in the County of Windham & town of Ashford in 1765. I have a record of my age at my place of residence. I substituted for John Baggor in the year 1781 some time in the summer and on my way to camp I went through Hartford and from there to Danbury which had been burned and I joined the army at Pitskills. I entered Col. Durgays Ridgement in Capt. Stilwels or Stillmans Company. I do not remember the names of many of my field nor Staff Officirs I remember Coln Swift Lieut Col Grosvenor and Capt Durgey One reason perhaps that I do not Remember more of my officers names is that I did not lie in Camp much but was the most part of my time on Scouts I requested my Orderly Seargeant to put me on Scouts which request was granted, the last scout I was on I was Commanded by Capt. Durgey between New York & Newark in east Jersey I returned to Camp the Army had moved to Winter quarters at Fishkill The snow was from two to three feet deep and when my time was out Lieutn Grosvenor gave me my Discharge But I do not know what has become of it After my return home my Father name was Able Simmons was Drafted I took his place and served two Months at Groton fort the Commanders name was McClannel I think and his son was Adjutant the officirs did not quarter in the garrison and it was seldom I saw them the adjutant to [sic] the charge of the garrison I got my discharge in the Spring of 1782 What has become of it I cannot tell I am the youngest of my father's family there is none of them alive to my Knowledge^5, I have wrote to Esqr Steel of N York and George Martin of Connectticut but have got no answer if they are dead there is none that I can prove my services by to my Knowledge My residence since has been 4 years in Con 21 in N York 10 in Ohio & Virginia and 15 in Illinois I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declare that my name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
[Signed] Stephen Simmons."⁶
     This pension file further shows that Simmons would be age 67 on 7 Nov. 1832 [thus born in 1765] and that he had known his neighbors John Higgins and George W. Higgins, who vouched for him, for thirty to forty years. On 14 Aug. 1833, Stephen Simmons of Wabash County, Ill., was granted a pension of $26.22/month for 7 months and 26 days of service in the Connecticut line.⁶ He appears in Vol. VIII of Collections of the Conn. Hist. Soc., p. 94, as serving in the 1st Regt. under Col. Durkee from 3 July 1781 to 12 Dec. 1781.
     

p. 677 FAMILY RECORD Marriages (Column 1)
     1786 October 12 Was married/Stephen Simmons and/Mable Hunt in Tolland/state Connecticut/ages 20/19
     1805 Oct. 14^th was Married/Havillah Gunn to Lora M./Simmons in Windham/State of New York
     1810 [Sep 6^th?] Was Married/George Knight to Orenda/Parker Simmons in the/State of Ohio
     1810 Oct. 20 was Married/William Ridgely to Hannah/Reed Simmons in the/State of Ohio
[the next two lines are much darker]
     1823 May 11^th Was Married Medad H./Simmons to Mary Cusick/his age 28 hers 17/State Illinois
     1832 May [2^nd (?)] Stephen Simm/ons Gunn & Sarah Ann Cusick was Maried aged/State of Illinois 23/22
[Fe?] 1834 December 18^th/James Buchan & Martha/Knight were Maried Age/State of Illinois/23/Wabash County/17

p. 677 FAMILY RECORD Marriages (Column 2)
[first two lines added later in a different hand – by way of explanation??]
M. H. Simmons/children by his 4^th wife
1860 Sept. 17 born Annie E. Simmons
1862 Dec 4 Born Mable Simmons
1864 Feb. 15 Evalean L Simmons

1787 August 5^th Born an infant
1788 July 21^st Born Medad
1790 January 24^th “ Lora Martin
1791 September 23th “ Stephen ------- [dashed line in place of middle name]
1793 January 20^th “ Hannah Reed
1794 April 29^th “ Orenda Parker
1795 December 20^th [second digit blurred or inked over] “ Medad Hunt
Loras Children [inserted in another hand]
1806 Aug 3 Born Hannah Gunn
1809 Feb. 21 Born Stephen Simmons/Gunn
1812 July 11^th Born Samuel Gunn
[a line separates these from the next set of children which have been traced over to restore fading letters]
John Smith & Hannah/ his wife their children
1825 Born Samuel Simmons/March the 2^th
1827 Born Lora June 17
1831 [not retraced and illegible, maybe January 23 L—or 2 L----] /Smith was born
[still another hand begins here]
Medad H. Simmons’s/Children by his 2 [“Second” written above the figure] wife
May 10^th 1843/born Charles
November 1^th [or 7^th?] 1844/born Lora Louisa
December 17^th 1846/born Lewis J.
January 16^th 1849 born Marthy Ann
[This entry was written across the page and Tucker has been added in parentheses after Ann]


[most of these entries have been traced over]
Hannah Reed Simmons Ridgley
1811 July 7^th Born William Simmons/Ridgley
1813 May 8^th Born Henry Davige
1816 August 5^th Born Loyd Griffith
1817 September 13 born Eric [i.e. Orrick]
1820 february 15 born Abel
1822 february [7?] Born Absalom [this line, after 1822, is very faint]
1824 April 17^th Born Eliza Lodema⁷
George Knight
Orenda P Simmons
1811 July 15 born Andrew Simmons/Knight
1813 February the /3 Mabel/Knight
1815 March 24 Lora Gunn/Knight
1817 April 4^th Martha Knight
1819 November 25 [or 26?] Charles Knight
1823 Jaurary 13^th Penelope Knight [name faint, but clear]
1826 Jaurary 7^th George B. Knight
1828 April 27 Stephen Simmons K.
1832 June 2 Hannah Knight
October 10^th 1850 was born/Hannah Simmons
September 23 was born/1853 [the name Delila has been added here and marked out]
[The handwriting of the last two entries indicates that they are not part of the above list. They are children of Medad by his 3^rd wife.]

Stephen S. Simmons^s/Children
Lora was born/July 23d 1818
Nancy July 17^th 1820
Susannah November/the 18^th 1822
[a line is drawn between this and the next entries]
Medad H. Simmons/children
Henry Cusick Simmons/was born 1824 [Sept.? marked out] 29
1826 Born Mary Jane Jan. 22
1827 Born Stephen Dec. 16 [appears to be three digits, perhaps 6 with 17 written over] ⁸
182[9?] Born Medad Hunt Feb. 7
1831 Born Robert George November 23
1833 Born Teressa November 10
1836 Born William C. April 11
[handwriting changes at this point]
1836 [changed to “8"] Born 1838 Born Samuel Gunn/Simmons March 14^th
1840 Born April 5^th Sarah Oren [the letters “da” were added to this line/ -da
1842 March 18^th was Born Harriet
1842[or 3] Born Charles Simmons /March [this entry lined out]
1844 was Born Lora Louisa Simmons/November the 1^st

1787 August 5^th Died an infant
1789 September 20^th Died Medad
[those two entries were entered in the same fine hand which entered the early births]
1814 June Died Lora Gunn
1831 January 18^th Died Mabel/ Simmons in her 64 year
Stephen Simmons Died February/24th 1835 aged 79[or 72?] years/in the State of Illinois Wabash/County
[about two lines here in which no entry is legible and probably none are intended]
1811 Nov. ??? [possibly “Nov. 14^th (or 12^th??)] Died Andrew Simmons Knight
[about two more vacant lines]
1829 Oct. 9^th died Maria Ridgely
1843 Born Charles/Simmons May 10 [entry is lined out]
M. H. Simmonses/Children by his third/wife
Oct 10^th 1850 was born/Hannah Simmons
Sep 23th 1853 was born/Delila Simmons [“Rice” added later – she married a Rice]
April [4?]th 1846 was born/Isabell Alice [day of month is smeared]

1834 died Sarah Ann Gunn Dec. 4/Wabash County Illinois
Died Infant Decr 1^st 1834
1839 Died Lora Gunn April 16^th/Illinois Wabash County Both Consorts of/Stephen S. Gunn [“Stephen Gunn” has been written over the original Stephen S. Gunn]
[There is some blank space here before the next entry]
1835 January 20^th Orenda/Parker Knight Died in/her 41^st year State of/Illinois Wabash County

1842 Mary Simmons Died/March 24^th Aged 36 years
1842 Harriet Simmons Died/June 10^th aged 2 month & 22 days
1846 Sarah Orenda Died/January 4^th Aged 5 years/Eight months and/One day
1860 Isabell A. Simmons/Died Feb 25 aged 3 years/10 mo & 25 days
1862 William C. Simmons/Died June the 17^th/aged 26 years 2 mo & 6 days
1863 Charls Simmons/Died Oct. 23^th age/20 years 5 mo. 13 day
Medad Hunt Simmons/died/May 17^th 1870/age 74 years 4 mo. 27 days

This record has been carefully transcribed from a photocopy sent by Mrs. Maxine (Simmons) Bell ) great granddaughter of Robert George Simmons), of Eugene, Oregon and compared with notes made earlier from the Bible by Mrs. Martha (White) Block of Cisne, Illinois, and also reviewed again by Mrs. Bell. It is evident that this Bible was put into use soon after its printing and records were made by a number of people until the death of Medad Simmons in 1870.⁹
     Stephen Simmons, in his pension application, states that he stayed in Connecticut for four years after his 1782 discharge. Perhaps he left about the the time of his marriage to Mabel at Tolland, 12 Oct 1786.
Stephen Simmons appeared on the census of Aug 1790 at Woodstock, Ulster County, New York, as follows: 1 male 16 and over, 3 females.¹⁰
     In 1790, he was one of the commissioners for construction of the Cairo-Windham turnpike. "Lacking a kettle large enough to cook for his workmen, he went to Catskill, bought one, and carried it home on his back".¹¹ During his residence in the present area of Greene Co., NY, Stephen Simmons was a land agent of the Robert Livingston Patentees. He built cabins and sold land, encouraging others to come to the area.¹²
     A 1798 list of persons under sixty years of age owning more than sixty pounds of real estate value in Windham, (then in Ulster County) NY, includes Stephen Simmons.¹³
Stephen Simmons appeared on the census of 1800 at Greene County, New York, as follows: 2 males under 10, 1 male 16-25, 1 male 26-44, 2 females under 10, 1 female 10-15, and 1 female 26-44.
The male who was age 16-25 is not identified in the family to be presented here.¹⁴
     In 1797, Stephen Simmons was one of the school commissioners in Woodstock.¹⁵ In 1801, Stephen Simmons (with others) was appointed to cause a "gaol" to be built. Legislative records show payments from 1801-1804. He was also a Justice of the Peace and elected to the Legislature (in 1804).¹⁶ Prout relates the following:
"Simmons... was present, it would appear, in the kitchen of the house built and occupied by Jedediah Hubbard, when a dance, then a very common way of spending an evening, was going on. It was probably before the organization of the Presbyterian Society in 1803-- indeed much earlier-- for there was present in the room adjoining the kitchen a gentlemen who in the early years occasionally preached here -- the Rev. Mr. Townsend. Very naturally, as music and dancing went on, the good man's excitement increased, till rising in his indignation, and opening the door, he thrust his head among the gay crowd, exclaiming, 'fire! fire! fire!' This was met by Simmons in mad-cap hilarity, shouting, 'water! water! water!' and the musical uproar ceased not.”¹⁷
Simmons "was Col. of the local Windham militia that met for practice purposes on the flats beyond the old Ormsbee homes, near the end of 'West Settlement' which became Ashland when separated from Windham Township in 1848".¹⁸ In 1793, “Stephen Seamans” was appointed by the Governor to serve as captain in one of the militia companies being formed for the town of Freehold, Albany County, New York. In January, 1803, he was made lieutenant colonel in the newly formed Greene County: “It appearing to the Commander-in-chief that the militia of the county of Greene in the town of Windham and those parts of the towns of Catskill and Freehold which are situated on the west side of the Catskill mountains have not hitherto been properly organized; and it being represented to him that they consist of nearly five hundred men subject to military duty and are rapidly increasing: the Commander-in-chief has, therefore, thought proper to form them into a distinct regiment – RESOLVED, that the following persons be and they are hereby appointed officers of said regiment, viz: Stephen Simmons, lieutenant colonel commandant ...” He continued to serve until, in 1808, George Stimson was appointed lieutenant colonel and commandant of the regiment lately commanded by “Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Simmons” who had resigned.¹⁹
     On 25 Sept 1807, Stephen Simmons of Windham, Greene County, New York, for $100, signed a quitclaim to his father’s estate in favor of Abel Simmons of Ashford, Windham County, Connecticut. Stephen’s signature was witnessed by Asa Gunn and Sanford Hunt. Also, Stephen appeared in person at the Windham County Court in Ashford on 3 Feb. 1815 and acknowledged this to be his free act before James Byles, Justice of the Peace, who as Town Clerk then recorded the document.²⁰
     
In agreement with the above, Simmons’ pension application indicates that he left New York about 1807. He appeared on a tax list in Scioto County, Ohio, in 1807 and 1810.²¹ Stephen Simmons and Samuel Gunn appear on an 1810 tax list of Scioto County, Ohio, although neither appears on an 1806 list.²² Although his son Medad is later reported as having been born in Virginia, I have no record of Stephen’s Virginia residence. Stephen’s daughter Hannah and son-in-law William H. Ridgely lived in Virginia before they moved to Illinois.²³ In any case, the Ohio area had previously been administered by Virginia and part of Scioto County was in the Virginia Military District in which Virginia retained the rights to grant lands to its Revolutionary War Veterans. This was true even after Ohio was made a state in 1803. Marriage records of two (perhaps three) of Stephen's children have been located in Scioto Co., Ohio, indicating his residence there about 1810. The Simmons family came to Illinois in 1817. William Ridgely "became a ship carpenter at Baltimore, but in March, 1817, came to Illinois and settled near Mt. Carmel, a pioneer of that locality. His wife was born in the Empire State, and was a daughter of Stephen Simmons, who when a small boy emigrated from his native England to America. At the age of fifteen, he entered the Colonial Army, and for meritorious conduct in the struggle for independence was promoted to the rank of Colonel.^24, William Ridgely assisted Stephen Simmons to build the first vessel ever constructed in Portsmouth, Ohio. The parents of our subject [Abel Ridgely, son of William] came to Illinois on a keel-boat, landing at old Palmyra, a place not now in existence.”^25,1. Stephen Simmons brought a family "of four children, Stephen, Medad and two daughters" and settled on the west half of the northwest quarter of section 1, town 1N, range 13W. About 1820, he laid out the town of Mt. Pleasant, Ill. He had a horse mill at a place now known as Clark's Corners.²⁶ [These notes exemplify both the strengths and the weakness of county histories of this type.]

There is another memory of this ship building on the Ohio River: “The first large water craft built in Scioto county, was a sailing vessel, built by Stephen Simmans, at a place known as “the ship yard”, some three miles below Portsmouth, on the bank of the Ohio. Simmans was related to the Gunns, and Havilla Gunn, who was once Mayor of the city of Portsmouth, named his oldest son after him, which boy called him grandfather. The hull of the vessel was taken to New Orleans to be rigged. My recollection is that it was a failure.”²⁷
Palmyra, Illinois, was located where Crawfish Creek empties into the Wabash River. Until Wabash County was formed in 1827, the area was part of Edwards County. Although Palmyra was the first county seat of Edwards County, it was soon abandoned due to swampy, unhealthy conditions. The 1818 state census record of Edwards County is no longer extant. The 1820 census of Edwards County lists a Stephen Simmons (1 male under 10, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 16-25, 2 males 45 or over, 1 female 10-15, and 1 female 45 or over)²⁸ and the listing in the 1830 census shows 1 male age 60- 69, 1 female age 10-15, and 1 female age 60-69.²⁹
On 21 Dec 1821, when Andrew Knight wrote to his father, Charles Knight of Mason County, Kentucky, he reported: “Col. Simmons and family are all well and they inform us that it has been more healthy throughout this country for the last season than it has been for several years, which is gratifying to me.”³⁰

Among the Edwards County residents signing a 2 December 1822 petition objecting to moving the county seat from Palmyra to Albion (too far away from some residents) were Stephen Simonds, John Harrison, George W. Higgens, Wm. Simonds, William H. Ridgley, Stephen Simmons, Andrew Knight, Medad H. Simmons, George Knight, George Higgins, and Havillah Gunn.³¹ During the period 1821-23, Stephen Simmons appears in the court records of Edwards County. On 1 Aug. 1821, Hezekiah Clark was summoned to answer unto Stephen P(?) Simmons in a plea of debt damage under $100. The decision was in favor of Simmons, but the case was appealed and more witnesses were called in October. Clark had died in Sept. 1821, and in 1822 Betsey Clark, his widow, sued Stephen Simmons and Medad Simmons for taking or burning her timber. One record refers to "Col. Simmons"³².
Further court records are found in Lawrence and Edwards Counties, Illinois, in 1831-32. The case of the People etc. vs. Stephen Simmons, filed in Edwards County, 10 Feb 1832, contains a transcript from Lawrence County, 19 Sept. 1831, saying “Stephen Simmons, late of the county of Wabash, laborer, being an evil disposed person and wickedly contriving to aggrieve injure and prejudice one William Clark and procure him without any just cause to be imprisoned for a long space of time ... “. Simmons had sworn that William Clark, a minister, had perjured himself to injure Stephen and Medad Simmons. Simmons bail bond was $100 which was made on 17 Nov. 1831 by Stephen Simmons and William Ridgely. On 6 Jan. 1832, a change of venue was requested: “There was a bill of indictment found in the last circuit court in the state aforesaid [Ill.] against Coln: Stephen Simmons, charge of perjury and it is the opinion of the said S. Simmons that the minds of the people are so prejudiced against him in Lawrence Co. ...”. The case was moved from Lawrence County to Edwards County. This case appears to have originated about 1829 in Wabash County circuit court in an earlier justice of the peace ruling. Simmons had apparently taken up a stray hog belonging to Clark and failed to advertise it. Simmons, the defendant, lost and appealed. The decision was reversed. In April, 1831, the parties entered Lawrence County Superior Court on Clark’s appeal of a $1 plus costs judgement made by Thomas Mason, J. P. On the summons to Stephen Simmons to answer this appeal, the sheriff wrote “An attempt made to serve the within summons and he ansearede it by riding out of hearing.” It is not clear that the continued appeals ever brought a final settlement. The 1832 change of venue is the last public record of Stephen Simmons I have found in this area. The early records of Wabash County were lost to fire in 1857.
     Stephen Simmons was runner-up in the 1820 election for senators to the second Illinois General Assembly from Edwards and Wayne Counties. He carried Edwards County. He trailed both Henry Utter and Seth Gard in the 1826 election for Wabash County Representative to the fifth General Assembly, and came in second in the 1828 election for senator from Wabash, Edwards, and Wayne Counties, in which he easily carried Wabash County. In 1830, he lost to Samuel Mundy in the race for Representative from Wabash County. In 1834, he received only two votes in the election for representative from Wabash County. It was not necessary to be an active candidate to receive votes in these elections.³³