You are here: Home > Edward Withington

Edward Withington

Edward Withington Married his first wife in Stoughton, Mass., and settled in Dorchester, and from there in 1813 he moved to Windsor, Berkshire county, and from there he came with his family to Springwater, in the spring of 1813, and settled on the farm now occupied by Samuel Wheaton. Mr. Withington married for his first wife Nancy Monk, (She was a relative of Bezi Monk late of this town,) by whom he had seven children. He buried three of his children and his first wife in Mass. He married for his second wife Susan Chilson, by whom he had two children, Albert M. Withington and Benjamin Franklin Withington. A sad accident occurred with Franklin. I think it was in 1834, when he was about 6 years old, on returning from school in company with his brother, Albert, they were riding on a buck-board on a two-horse wagon. When he arrived opposite his home he jumped from the wagon, but not clearing the wheel, he was run over and fatally injured, and died the same night. The children of Edward by his first wife who came to Springwater with him were, Nathaniel P., Hiram, Samuel H., and Nancy Monk Withington. Hiram went south to live in 1840, and settled in Memphis, Tenn., where in 1878 he died. Nancy married Hon. Wm. Webber in 1849, and settled in East Saginaw, Mich. He is a prominent lawyer and one of the leading men of the state. Nathaniel and Samuel are still living here with their families, having retired from the active business of life. Albert is also in this place, engaged in the warehouse business, buying and selling grain, and at present in company with George E. Withington, son of S. H. Withington.

Mr. Withington lost his second wife in 1832, some time after which he married her older sister, Lydia Chilson. Mr. Withington's farm consisted of about 200 acres. When he settled on it in 1831, it was quite new and unimproved, but under his judicious management it became one of the best farms in town. The fall before he moved here he brought from Windsor a flock of about 200 fine Saxony sheep. He in company with two of his sons, Hiram and Samuel, drove the sheep to Albany, and from there to Utica be took them by the Erie canal, and from there to Springwater drove them by land, averaging about 20 miles a day. The sheep were wintered by General S. U. Chamberlain, and Hiram assisted in the care of them through the winter. Samuel stayed through the winter with Jonathan Bassett in Canandaigua, and came on to Springwater in the spring with the family.

Mr. Withington died Sept. 25, 1855, and his wife died Oct. 17, of the same year. There were five heads of families buried the same day that Mr. Withington was buried. A great many of the people died by a terrible epidemic that prevailed extensively in town that season. Samuel and Nathaniel carried on the farm after their father's death until 1868, when they sold to Allen Becker, and by him it was sold to Samuel Wheaton the present occupant.

Source: Early History of the Town of Springwater, Livingston County, New York, by Orson Walbridge, 1887

Related Links:

Withington Surname

New York Genealogy

Access Genealogy
One of the largest websites online providing free genealogy. A must see for Native American research!

Find Your Ancestors at SurnameWeb
The oldest, most complete listings of surnames and related websites online.

Free Family Tree
Family Tree Guide is a quick, simple and free way for you to share your family history. Within minutes, you can have a dynamically driven website that creatively portrays your family tree.

Free Genealogy Charts
These free genealogy charts will enable you to begin development of a notebook in which you can track your ancestry as you research it.