Ed Galvin's
McAllister Genealogy Page
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Ed Galvin's McAllister Genealogy Page |
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Children of Siblings of |
Nearly forty years ago I became interested in a friend's Vermont family history. I have worked on a number of families for friends and relatives over the years, and in most cases my interest wanes after time, but not in the case of the McAllisters of Vermont. I have kept working on these McAllister, Jones, and Brink families off and on since that time. I feel somewhat like an adopted McAllister grandson, and probably know more about these people collectively than does anyone else - even those who have McAllister blood in their veins. I suppose my original fascination with
the descendants of John Wentworth McAllister stemmed from the fact that
of his thirteen children all survived to adulthood - only one dying
before the age of thirty! And, though John himself was only an
obscure farmer in the Green Mountains of Vermont, one of his grandsons
founded Brink's Armored Car Service, and a great great grandson was
elected president of International Harvester. If the web page you want is not available yet, you can download the book now: Download the John Wentworth McAllister Family This web site concerns the family of John W. McAllister and as many of his descendants as I can locate. Over the last forty years, some of which were spent living near Boston, I made a number of trips to Vermont, and visited New Hampshire, New York, and Illinois doing research on family members who lived there. I have met McAllister descendants in Vermont and corresponded with members from Florida, Minnesota, Kansas and throughout New England. People have been very interested and helpful, and I thank them for their support. I encourage readers to inform me of additions or corrections to this work. My contact information is listed at the bottom of the column at the left. If you wish to quote from this genealogy
I would appreciate your giving me the proper credit.
******************************* 1. John
Wentworth3 McAllister
(John2 , Richard1 ),
son of John McAllister and Anna Steele, was born in 1784 in Amherst,
Hillsborough Co., NH (Source: Gravestone, Community Cemetery, Whiting,
Addison Co., Vermont), and died 1 May 1849 in Rochester, Windsor
Co., VT (Source: Gravestone, Community Cemetery, Whiting, Addison
Co., Vermont). He married Lovina M. Jones
20 Jun 1805 in Hillsborough, Hillsborough Co., NH (Source: New Hampshire
Bureau of Vital Statistics, Concord, New Hampshire), daughter of
Benjamin Jones and Jemima Boynton. She was born in 1785 in Hillsborough,
Hillsborough Co., NH, and died 17 Sep 1858 in Rochester, Windsor Co.,
VT (Source: Gravestone, Community Cemetery, Whiting, Addison Co.,
Vermont). On 23 April 1808 he sold his property in Antrim (Hillsborough Co. Deeds 79-110) and moved his family to Hancock, VT. His parents and most of his brothers and sisters eventually did likewise. Hancock town records (Book 1, page 357) show that on 18 Dec. 1809 "John W., Levina, Ira, Julenna and Nianna McAlister" were ordered to depart the town of Hancock, a formality dictated by the selectmen to all newcomers so as not to incur any financial responsibility for them. Records show no land transactions for John W. in Hancock. In 1790, when the first US census was taken. there were only three McAllisters in Vermont (listed as McCollester): John in Springfield, and David and Peter in Chester, each in Windsor County. By 1800 the named had branched out to Orange, Franklin, Rutland, Windham and Essex Counties - ten listings in all. In the 1810 census there were nine listed - the closest to the Rochester area was Jesse McCallaster in Bethel. In 1820 we see the migration from New Hampshire. There were eighteen McAllisters. In Rochester were John and William McAllaster, and Jessee McAllasters - all on the same page. This appears to be John and two of his sons. A third son, John W. McAllaster shows as a farmer in Hancock. A second Jesse McAlaster is listed in Warren, Addison County, and may be the one who was in Bethel in 1810. Prior to 1830 John W. settled in neighboring
Goshen, VT., later West Rochester, and presumably resided there until
his death. In 1830 there were 23 listings. John McAllister
[John W.] is in Goshen, and his son William McColister is in Whiting.
No others of the name show in the area at all. In 1840 25 McAllisters were listed in Vermont. John W. McCollister is in Goshen, and sons Hiram and Ira W. McAllister are in Whiting. In 1840 John W. was still living in Goshen, on a farm of 240 acres, 210 of which were in the Town of Chittenden, which he sold to his son William Ira McAllister of Whiting on 24 Sept. 1842 for $400. That same day he agreed to pay all current and future taxes for which William agreed to lease the farm back to his father for "one dollar...together with the good will I have to him and his wife" for the remainder of their natural lives (Goshen Deeds 3-464). This area became part of Rochester in 1847 and is now a part of the Green Mountain National Forest. Most traces of farmland have long since disappeared. It was probably on this farm where John W. died in 1849. No probate record exists for him. If one did exist it was destroyed in the fire at the Addison County Court House in 1852. His widow and unmarried daughter Lovica removed to Whiting where they were listed living together in the 1850 census. By 1850 the number of the McAllister surname in Vermont has risen to 46. "Lavina McCallister", widow of John W. was in Whiting along with sons William and Milo. Son Hiram was listed as Hiram McAllister in Whiting. The only other family member identified in John W.'s brother William McAllister in Waitsfield, Washington County. Lovina Jones McAllister "while walking out, dropped dead in the road," at Whiting 17 Sept. 1858. W. R. Cochrane's History of the Town of Antrim, New Hampshire (1880) lists the family of John W. McAllister, identifying his 13 children. John Wentworth McAllister was listed as a stonemason in a biography of his grandson Eli. N. McAllister and is said to have been "highly esteemed by the community." He and Lovina are buried together in the Community Church cemetery in Whiting, VT along with their daughter Adaline, son Milo and children of their son Hiram. The cemetery is on a hill sloping down away from the church. The graves face away from the church and look over the fields toward New York State. Children of John Wentworth McAllister and Lovina M. Jones:
© Edward L. Galvin, 2008 |
