The Family Archaeologist

BIRTH MARRIAGE DEATH 02 April 1827 or 1829, Binghamton, Broome, New York, USA 11 June 1844, Sharon, Mercer, Pennsylvania, USA 18 January 1897, North Ridgeville, Lorain, Ohio, USA The origins and lives of Rufus and Sarah Dodge probably make them one of the most mysterious, confusing, and intriguing couples in my family tree. They have definitely caused me the most grief in my digging, but in Sarah's case, the most rewarding when I found answers. Sarah C. Bryant was born on 02 Apr 1827 or 1829 3 in the area of Binghamton, Broome, New York 4 to parents William Bryant and Harriet Harris . 5 , A , B Between the summers of 1832 and 1834, Sarah and her family moved to Warren, Trumbull, Ohio. 6 , 7 Her father William died in 1834 in the area of Chardon after the family's relocation. C By the 1840 Census, Sarah is living under her mother Harri...

BIRTH MARRIAGE MARRIAGE DEATH abt 1787, Unknown, USA abt 1805, Broome County, New York, USA 1821, Chenango, Broome, New York, USA 22 August 1834, Chardon, Geauga, Ohio, USA Currently, the specifics of William Bryant's early life are unknown. This includes his parents, his age, and his place of birth. Even though we have recently come into a relative windfall of information surrounding William (considering all we had was a name on a headstone), he is still shrouded in mystery and there are many unanswered questions. What we can assume is that, based on our knowledge of his first wife, William was likely born around 1779. He made his residence in Chenango, Broome County area of New York, but it was not uncommon for locals of these western "frontier" regions to be born in other colonial states farther east (like M...

BIRTH MARRIAGE MARRIAGE DEATH 06 February 1802, New York, USA abt 1819, Broome County, New York, USA 04 February 1843, Rome, Ashtabula, Ohio, USA 13 March 1876, Elyria, Lorain, Ohio, USA UPDATED 04/28/2020: See Ancestry DNA updates below this story. Harriet was born, to parents unknown, in what was likely in the area of Chenango, Broome County, New York on the 06 Feb 1802. 1 This is where she eventually marries a widowed William Bryant around 1821 in Broome county. 2 William was a veteran of the New York Militia and had been severely wounded in the first major battle of the War of 1812 at Queenston Heights. His injuries left him permanently disabled in some regard and prevented him from earning a living through his only means of income, which was manual labor. We can verify all of this through William's pension recor...

At this point you might be saying, You just weaved this lovely story of the daughters of Harriet Bryant in your last post, but you haven't made any mention of son Benjamin Franklin Bryant and you said he is related to the family! Well... you're right. I haven't made any direct mention of Benjamin, because there is no direct evidence (that I have found). Benjamin left home early and never left a census record or any obvious clues of his relation, not even in an obituary or death record... but his daughter did, and so did his niece! Helen Lorina Bryant was born 14 April 1847 in what conflicting records believed to be Madison, Lake, Ohio (1850 census says OH, death record says NY) to parents Benjamin Franklin Bryant and Elizabeth Gilbreath. Helen Lorina married William Henry Harrison Bryner in Lake county 25 Dec 1869. On the 1870 census we find Harrison and Helen living with Harrison's mother and siblings 3 doors down from Helen's grandmother Harriet Platt in North...

UPDATED 21 Sep 2013: Harriet was born, to parents unknown, in New York state 06 Feb 1802. This is where she eventually marries William Bryant around 1820. Their only known son Benjamin Franklin Bryant was born 15 Jul 1822, followed by four daughters Harriet M. Bryant born about 1823-4, Sarah C. Bryant born 2 Apr 1827, Frances Amelia Bryant born 23 May 1832, and Helen Augusta Bryant born Oct 1834. It is believed that after Frances Amelia's birth in 1832, the Bryant family picked up and moved to Ohio, most likely along the border of Pennsylvania in Trumbull county (I believe this because future censuses report that Helen was born in Ohio & her son Charles notes she was born in Petersberg, Mahoning, Ohio. It should be noted that Mahoning County did not exist until 1846 when it was formed from Trumbull & Columbiana Counties.) William Bryant dies sometime between 1832-1840, when and where is unknown, but the 1840 census places the Bryant family in Warren, Trumbull, Ohio, s...

In 2012 my mother discovered a date book tucked away in a desk my parents had received from my paternal grandmother. Knowing I had become the family historian of sorts, she passed it along to me, certain I'd be interested. The first page of that little book explained it was a gift from Helen Christian to her grandmother Frances Jane Dodge-Christian, who was the daughter of Sarah Bryant-Dodge. Frances (or Frankie as she was known) used the book to catalog a vast majority of the birth dates and death dates of her existing family, and it seems a close friend or two as well. Her daughter Mona kept up this practice for a few years after Frankie's death, adding entries of her own to the book. I spent weeks confirming names written in the book and matching them against my database. When I came to a name I didn't recognize I jotted the information down and started my own research into that person, finding what I could about their family, spouse and parents to see if any names...

Rufus Dodge (abt 1903) The origins and lives of Rufus and Sarah Dodge probably make them the one of the most mysterious, confusing, and intriguing couples in my family tree. They have definitely caused me the most grief in my digging. Rufus Dodge was born on 16 Dec 1825 in what is believed to be Harpersfield, Ashtabula, Ohio (a few Dodge families were living there in the early 1800's). His parents are unknown and Harpersfield is based off a mysterious entry in a long passed relative's family tree. (Death record lists Parkersfield, Ohio as his birthplace, but no such town seems to have ever existed and daughter's death record further lists Pennsylvania. I believe Ohio is accurate based on multiple census records and a civil war draft registration claiming such. Parkersfield seems to be a mis-understanding or mis-hearing or mis-transcribing of Harpersfield.) Dodge Family 1860 Census Sarah C. Bryant was born on 2 Apr 1827 in New York. Her parents and specifics...