The AIKENS family of Brookfield and Hardwick in Worcester county, Massachusetts; Barnard in Windsor county, Vermont and Milwaukee
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INDEX TO AIKENS FILES
First Generation
JAMES AIKENS (abt 1692 – 1775) of Brookfield and Hardwick
Parents: Unknown
James Aikens was born about 1692. He died on 10 Aug 1775 in Hardwick, age 83.
[Ref] He married Mercy
Gibbs on 15 Oct 1718 in Brookfield. [Ref,
p. 7]
James came to New England about 1716 and settled first at Salem. [Ref,
p. 7] In 1731 or 1732 he moved to Hardwick and began building a house on the
east side of Great Meadow Brook. [Ref, p.
8]
He was superintendant of the Hardwick Fair from 1762 to 1771. [Ref]
Children of James Aikens and Mercy Gibbs:
- Mercy Aikens was born on 3 Jan 1720/1 in
Hardwick. [Ref] She died on 19 Feb 1823 in Hardwick,
age 102 years, one month and four days. [Ref]
She married Dea. William Paige on 12 Jan 1743/4 in Hardwick. [Ref]
William may be the William Page, son of Christopher and Elizabeth, who was
born on 2 May 1723 in Billerica. [Ref]
He died on 14 Feb 1790, age 66 years, eight months and two days, in Hardwick.
[Ref] William is referred to as both Deacon
and Captain in the Hardwick records.
some descendants of
Mercy Aikens
- Ens. John Aikens was born in 1723. He
died on 5 Jul 1768, age 45 years and one month. [Ref]
He married Jerusha
Atwood on 19 Oct 1749 in Hardwick. [Ref][Ref,
p. 3.7]
some descendants of John
Aikens
- Solomon Aikens was born in 1726
in Brookfield. He died on 19 Dec 1805 in Barnard. He married Dorcas
Whitcomb.
- Abigail Aikens married James
Bacon on 5 Jun 1755 in Hardwick. [Ref]
- Margaret Aikens married Nathaniel
Whitcomb after 19 Jun 1755, when they published their intention in Hardwick.
[Ref] She died before 17 Oct 1779, when her
husband remarried. [Ref] Margaret and
Nathaniel lived in Hardwick and had five daughters. [Ref]
A David Aikens, "nephew of James", was baptised on 9 Oct 1737 in
Hardwick. [Ref] He died on 27 Feb 1805, age 69
or 70 in Hardwick. [Ref] He married Hannah Simons
on 15 Jul 1765 in Hardwick and had two sons and five daughters there between
16 Apr 1766 and 9 Jun 1782. [Ref] Hannah died
on 28 Jul 1837, age 96 years and six months, in Hardwick. [Ref]
Second Generation
SOLOMON AIKENS (1726 – 1805) of Hardwick and Barnard
Parents: James Aikens and Mercy
Gibbs [Ref, p. 13][Ref,
p. 11]
Solomon Aikens was born in 1726 in Brookfield. [Ref,
p. 13][Ref, p. 11] He died on 19 Dec 1805,
age 79, [Ref, p. 12] in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 13, says 10 Dec][Ref] He married Dorcas
Whitcomb on 8 Feb 1749/50 in Hardwick. [Ref][Ref,
p. 11][Ref, p. 13] He is buried along with
his wife in the Center cemetery in Barnard. [Ref]
Sgt. Solomon Aikens, his brothers-in-law James Bacon and Nathaniel Whitcomb,
Jr. and Nathaniel's brother Asa went on the Crown
Point Expedition from Hardwick from 20 Sep to 5 Dec 1756. [Ref]
Solomon was a farmer. [Ref][Ref,
p. 12]
Sometime between the winter of 1776, when Solomon's son James said that he
visited his father in Hardwick [Ref,
pp. 12-3], and the spring of 1778, when Barnard held its first town meeting,
Solomon and his family, other than his daughter Jerusha, followed Solomon's
brother-in-law Asa Whitcomb to the location of Barnard. [Ref]
James bought 550 acres of land in Barnard on 2 Sep 1775 and added 25 more acres
four years later. [Ref] On 25 May 1781 he
bought a further 10-1/2 acres. [Ref] Solomon
sold his farm to his son James on 21 Apr 1780. [Ref]
On 12 Jun 1784 he sold 153 acres to his son Solomon and 161 acres to his son
Nathaniel. [Ref]
Solomon was active in town affairs, particularly in the decade-long struggle
to build a meeting house. At the first town meeting of Barnard on 9 Apr 1778,
Solomon Aikens, Asa Whitcomb and Thomas Freeman where chosen Selectman. [Ref,
p. 12] Solomon and Asa Whitcomb were chosen to see about building a meetinghouse
on 19 Mar 1781. [Ref, p. 314] On the same
date Solomon was appointed to a committee to see about inviting ministers to
preach in Barnard and to a committee to make an estimate of what each man had
done in the War. [Ref, p. 314] He and Joshua
Whitcomb were chosen to speak to Mr. Hutchinson about preaching in Barnard on
18 Mar 1872. [Ref, p. 314] On 4 Apr 1782
Solomon was appointed to a committee to discuss payment for preaching and lodgings
with Mr. Hutchinson. [Ref, p. 315] On the
same date he was appointed to a committee to see about building the meetinghouse.
[Ref, p. 314] On 18 Apr 1782 he was appointed
to a committee to put a price on a day's work on the meetinghouse and to a committee
to see that the work was done as soon as possible. [Ref,
p. 315] He was appointed to a committee to have a discussion with Mr. Bowman
on 21 Nov 1783. [Ref, p. 315] It was voted
to allow Solomon's account for the entertainment of the Counsel at Mr. Bowman's
ordination on 14 Mar 1785. [Ref, p. 315]
He was on a committee to see to the working on the meeting house on 1 Mar 1786.
[Ref, p. 318] He was appointed to a committee
to approve accounts for building the meetinghouse or bridges on 12 Mar 1789.
[Ref, p. 319]
Solomon built the "Aikens Stand" in the late 1700's in Barnard. This
well known "hostery" was a place to rest, refresh and change one's
horse team on the journey between Woodstock and Royalton. The building still
exists and was recently offered for sale.
Solomon appears in Barnard in the 1790 US census [Ref]
and the 1800 US Census [Ref].
While Solomon appears to have been a useful and cooperative resident of Barnard,
his sons and sons-in-law were more fractious, both in religious and poltical
matters. In his History of Barnard, Vermont, Newton says "The Universalist
church was a militant protest against the established order. Not only did they
refuse to pay the rate ... but it is evident that they did not make it easy
for the town to build its meeting house or otherwise carry on worship."
Indeed, the Universalists insisted on sharing the meetinghouse once it was finally
constructed. Their church was organised in Barnard on 19 Nov 1802 and Solomon's
sons Solomon, Nathaniel and Elijah and his son-in-law Shiverick Crowell were
members. [Ref, pp. 148,324] Solomon's son
Solomon and his son-in-law Benjamin Stebbins took part in the uprising know
as Shay's Rebellion.
Children of Solomon Aikens and Dorcas Whitcomb:
- Mercy Aikens was born on 16 Nov 1750 [Ref,
p. 11] in Hardwick. [Ref][Ref,
p. 13] She died in 1814 in Bakersfield, Vermont, probably while visiting her
daughter. [Ref] It is said that she is
buried with her husband in Westford, Vermont. [Ref]
She married Benjamin Stebbins [Ref, p.
13][Ref, p. 11] on 24 Sep 1772 in Hardwick.
[Ref] Benjamin, the son of John and Mary (Hinds)
Stebbings, was born on 25 Jun 1744 in Leicester (later Spencer), Massachusetts.
[Ref][Ref]
He died ten days after his wife, also in Bakersfield. [Ref]
Benjamin was in Barnard as early as 1780. [Ref]
He represented the town in the legislature of 1782. [Ref]
He was instrumental in building the first sawmill and gristmill in town. [Ref]
He was a large landowner and probably in debt. [Ref]
He took part in Shay's Rebellion,
acting as a sort of lieutenant to the local leader of the unrest, Robert Morrison.
[Ref, p. 92][Ref,
pp. 375] They and about 30 others, including his brother-in-law Solomon and
John Whitcomb attempted to prevent the Court of Common Pleas from sitting
in Windsor on 31 Oct 1786. [Ref, pp. 375-6]
He was later indicted, but it is unknown what the outcome was. [Ref,
pp. 375-6] Perhaps he was pardoned in the general amnesty. Benjamin appears
in Barnard in the 1790 US Census [Ref],
the 1800 US Census [Ref] and the 1810
US Census [Ref], but he and Mercy eventually
left the town for Westford. [Ref, pp. 376]
In 1803 the General Assembly of Vermont passed an act granting 100 acres in
Barnard to be held in trust for Mercy to occupy during her life and to then
pass to her heirs. [Ref]
some descendants
of Mercy Aikens
- James Aikens was born on 8 Oct 1752
[Ref, p. 11] in Hardwick. [Ref][Ref,
p. 13] He married first Abigail [Ref, p.
11] Shed. [Ref] She died on 10 Jul 1789 in Barnard,
age 29. [Ref, p. 11] She is buried in the
Center cemetery in Barnard. [Ref] He married
second Gratis Graves on 25 Mar 1790. [Ref,
p. 11] Gratis was the daughter of Abner and Dorcas (Belding) Graves. [Ref]
James bought 150 acres in Barnard on 6 Apr 1778 and he bought his father's
farm on 21 Apr 1780. [Ref] He appears in
Barnard in the 1790 US census. [Ref]
James was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. On 17 Sep 1832, James Aikens
of Barnard, the brother of Nathaniel Aikens, then of Potsdam, New York and
formerly of Hardwick, testified that in the winter of 1776 he had left his
home in Vermont to visit his father and his brother Nathaniel in Hardwick.
Upon arriving, James said that he learned that his brother Nathaniel had enlisted
in military service in Roxbury. James went to Roxbury and served in Capt.
Dexter's company as a substitute for Nathaniel for two weeks. He further testified
that in the winter of 1782 Capt. Beriah Green's company was raised in and
about Bethel to guard residents of Vermont from the Indians for four months.
James said that he and his brother Nathaniel served with Capt. Green for these
four months. [Ref, pp. 12-3]
James Aikens and Nathaniel Aikens are on the payroll of Capt. Beriah Green's
company of Rangers raised for the defense of the frontiers of Vermont from
30 Nov 1781 to 15 Apr 1782. [Ref, p. 89]
On 21 Nov 1833 Peter Foster of Barnard testified that he was a soldier with
James in the Vermont troops under the command of Beriah Green. He said that
they served for four months beginning in Dec 1781. [Ref,
p. 20] On 15 Jul 1836 James testified that he served under Lieut. Beriah Green
in the Vermont troops for eight months, beginning in the spring of 1780. [Ref,
p. 80]
some descendants of James
Aikens
- Anne Aikens was born on 31 Mar 1754 [Ref,
p. 11] in Hardwick. [Ref][Ref,
p. 13] She married Capt. Beriah Green [Ref,
p. 13] on 26 Dec 1781 [Ref, p. 11] in Barnard.
[Ref] Beriah probably died in Pomfret,
Connecticut. [Ref] It is said that Beriah
and Anne had eight children, seven of whom are buried in the cemetery in Barnard
village. [Ref]
Beriah was in Capt. Cox's company in Fort Defiance in 1780. [Ref]
He was a delegate to the General Assembly in Vermont in 1786. [Ref,
p. 31]
Beriah bought 267 acres of land in Barnard on 5 May 1783, when it was sold
for taxes. [Ref] On 18 Sep 1790 he bought
land not far from his father-in-law's and this was his homestead. [Ref]
He appears in Barnard in the 1790 US Census. [Ref]
On 31 Dec 1792 he sold land to his sister-in-law Levina Aikens's husband Frederick
Green, who may have been his brother. [Ref]
He appears again in Barnard in the 1800 US Census. [Ref]
some descendants
of Anne Aikens
- Margaret Aikens was born on 27 Jun
1755 [Ref, p. 11] in Hardwick. [Ref][Ref,
p. 13] She married Capt. Thomas
Swift on 4 May 1799 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 390]
- Jerusha Aikens was born on 3 Oct 1757
[Ref, p. 11] in Hardwick. [Ref][Ref,
p. 13] She married Paul Crowell,
the brother of her sister Susanna's husband Shiverick Crowell, on 20 May 1751
in New Braintree. [Ref][Ref]
- Nathaniel Aikens was born on
9 Oct 1759 [Ref, p. 11] in Hardwick. [Ref][Ref,
p. 13] He is buried in the Barnard Village cemetery but has no gravestone.
[Ref, p. 121] He married Mary
Tupper on 27 Dec 1784 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 11]
Nathaniel was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He enlisted in 1776 and
served for four months in 1782. [Ref][See
his brother James's entry.] Nathaniel, his brother Solomon and his brothers-in-law
Nathaniel Parmenter and Thomas Swift were on the payroll of Capt. Benjamin
Cox's company of militia for scouting done in Barnard in Aug 1780. [Ref][Ref,
p. 59] Nathaniel, Solomon and Nathaniel Parmenter were on the payroll of Capt.
Cox's company for pursuing the enemy to Brookfield in Oct 1780. [Ref,
p. 74] Sgt. Nathaniel Aikens was on the payroll of Lieut. Beriah Green's company
of Rangers, raised for the defese of Vermont in 1781. [Ref,
p. 86]
Nathaniel was an original member of the Universalist church in Barnard on
19 Nov 1802. [Ref, p. 148] He bought 160
acres from his father on 12 Jun 1784. [Ref]
He appears in Barnard in the 1790 US census [Ref]
and the 1810 US Census [Ref]He latter
moved to Potsdam, New York. [Ref,
pp. 12-3]
some descendants
of Nathaniel Aikens
- Dorcas Aikens (twin) was born on 3 Mar
1763 in Hardwick. [Ref][Ref,
p. 13] She was baptised on 13 Mar 1763. [Ref,
p. 11] She married Capt. Nathaniel Parmenter [Ref,
p. 13] on 19 Jun 1781 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 11] Nathaniel, the son of Nathaniel and Mary (Hinds) (Stebbins) Parmenter,
was born on 1 Mar 1758 in Spencer, Massachusetts. [Ref]
He was the half brother of Dorcas's brother-in-law Benjamin Stebbins. Nathaniel
and Dorcas had seven children.
On 12 Mar 1781 Nathaniel bought 100 acres in Barnard. [Ref]
He appears in Barnard in the 1810 US Census. [Ref]
Nathaniel and his family left Barnard after 1811, perhaps going to Brandon,
Vermont, where their eldest daughter was living. [Ref]
Heywood [Ref] says that later in life
Nathaniel moved to Potsdam, New York and died there.
some descendants of Dorcas
Aikens
- Solomon Aikens (twin) was born on 3
Mar 1763 [Ref, p. 12] in Hardwick. [Ref][Ref,
p. 13] He was baptised on 13 Mar 1763. [Ref,
p. 12] He is buried in the Barnard Village cemetery. [Ref,
p. 31] He married Betsey Unknown. [Ref,
p. 13] [Ref, p. 12] He had two children
in Barnard. [Ref]
Solomon was a soldier in the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War.
[Ref, p. 121] He was on the pay roll of
Capt. Cox's company of militia for marching to Fort Fortitude at Bethel in
1781. [Ref, p. 87] He enlisted in Capt.
Nehemiah Noble's Co., 31st US Infantry on 9 Jun 1813. [Ref,
p. 74] [Or, is this a different, younger Solomon?]
Newton says that he was styled Captain. [Ref,
p. 13] This would probably have been a result of of his service in the War
of 1812. It is not completely obvious that Capt. Solomon Aikens and this Solomon
were the same person.
Along with his brother-in-law Benjamin Stebbins, Solomon was in the Windsor
riot to prevent the court from sitting. [Ref]
In 1795 he filed a certificate of dissent as a member of the Liberal Catholic
Society [a Universalist group] to obtain a remit for a tax to support the
Barnard Congregationalist church. [Ref,
p. 31] He was an original member of the Universalist church on 19 Nov 1802
in Barnard. [Ref, p. 148] Capt. Solomon
Aikens was on the prudential committee. [Ref,
p. 148]
Nathaniel bought 153 acres from his father on 12 Jun 1784. [Ref]
He appears in Barnard in the 1790 US census [Ref],
the 1800 US Census. [Ref] and the 1810
US Census [Ref].
some descendants of Solomon Aikens
- Susanna Aikens was born on 3 Feb 1765
[Ref, p. 12] in Hardwick. [Ref][Ref,
p. 13] She died on 18 Nov 1841 in Barnard. [Ref]
She married Shiverick
Crowell on 15 Sep 1785 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 147][Ref, p. 12]
Newton [Ref, p. 146] reports that, "In
the Joshua Crowell family in Hardwick there was a marked strain of insanity."
Shiverick and Paul's sister Hannah killed her aged mother before committing
suicide and Shiverick and Paul's brother Thomas set fire to their brother
Joseph's house and perished in the flames.
- Levina Aikens was born on 25 Aug 1769
[Ref, p. 12] in Hardwick. [Ref][Ref,
p. 13] She died on 1 May 1820. [Ref] She
married Frederick Green. [Ref, p. 13] Frederick
died on 29 Jan 1801, age 38, in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 232] Frederick and Levina had two sons. [Ref,
p. 232]
It is said that Frederick was the first man drowned in Silver Lake. He was
out in a canoe with two boys and a dog and he rocked the canoe to scare the
boys. The boys survived by clinging to the dog's tail but Frederick did not.
[Ref, p. 232] Newton [Ref,
p. 232] remarks that the boating on Silver Lake is not very good in January
as it is usually covered by two feet of ice. He suggests that a copyist accidentally
changed the month of Frederick's death from June to January.
Levina appears as the head of her household in Barnard in 1810. [Ref]
some descendants
of Levina Aikens
- Elijah Aikens was born on 11 Feb
1772 in Hardwick. He died on 21 Feb 1844 in Barnard. He married first Rebecca
Tupper. He married second Irene Case Thompson.
Third Generation
ELIJAH AIKINS (1772 – 1844) of Barnard
Parents: Solomon Aikens and Dorcas
Whitcomb [Ref, p. 13][Ref,
p. 12]
Elijah Aikens was born on 11 Feb 1772 in Hardwick. [Ref,
p. 13][Ref, p. 13] He died on 21 Feb 1844
in Barnard. [Ref, p. 14] He is buried in
the Barnard Village cemetery. [Ref, p. 121]
He married first Rebecca Tupper on 23 Apr 1795
[Ref, p. 12] in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 14] He married second Irene Case Thompson [Ref,
p. 13], who was probably a widow. [Ref, p.
14] She was born in Woodstock. [Ref, p. 14]
She died on 17 Oct 1866, age 90-93. [Ref,
p. 14]
Elijah was a farmer; he made cheese and butter and kept a country inn. [Ref]
My grandfather died when I was about ten or twelve years old. I remember
him very well, as I was often at the old homestead when a child. He was a marked
man; to have known him one would never forget him; he was a very large man,
about six feet two inches tall, and must have weighed two hunded and fifty pounds.
[Andrew Jackson Aikens, in a letter to the compiler
of Ref]
Prior to 1790 there were several believers in the doctrine of Universal Salvation
in Hardwick. When the General Convention of Universalists held its annual meeting
in Barnard in Sept 1798, Elijah and his brother Solomon, Jr. were among the
adherents. [Ref] Elijah was an original
member of the Universalist church in Barnard on 19 Nov 1802. [Ref,
p. 148]
Elijah was a soldier in the War of 1812 and he was later a captain. [Ref,
pp. 97,121]
Elijah appears in Barnard in the 1800 US Census [Ref],
the 1810 US Census [Ref], the 1820 US Census
[Ref] and the 1830 US Census [Ref].
Children of Elijah Aikens and Rebecca Tupper:
- Warren Aikens was born on 11 Feb
1796 in Barnard. He died on 8 Feb 1879 in Barnard. He married Lydia
Cobb Howland.
- Lovisa Aikens was born on 2
May 1799 in Barnard. [Ref, p. 14] She married
first Amos Gale. [Ref says John Gale][Ref,
p. 14] Amos, the son of Capt. John and Nancy (Sanborn) Gale, was born in 1787
in Marlow, New Hampshire. [Ref] Amos, a
labourer, died of typhus fever on 15 Oct 1846, age 49 years, 11 months and
16 days, in Lowell, Massachusetts. [Ref]
Lovisa married second James Jacobs on 17 Jan 1861 in Lawrence. [Ref]
James was the son of Ebenezer and Betsy Jacobs. [Ref]
He was 64 and living in West Minot, Maine at the time of his marriage to Lovisa.
[Ref]
Amos and Lovisa lived first in Barnard and then Lowell. [Ref,
p. 14] Amos was a blacksmith. [Ref]
In 1850 Lovisa was living with her brother Hiram and his family in Barnard.
[Ref] Lovisa A. Gale lived in Alexandria,
Grafton, New Hampshire in 1860. [Ref]
some descendants of
Lovisa Aikens
- Allen Aikens [Ref, p. 14] was born
on 9 Nov 1800 in Barnard. [Ref, p. 14]
"Allen, it is said, left the homestead before he was of age, not liking
the drudgery and monotony of the farm. He never but once returned to visit
the home of his boyhood. His father offered to him a money equivalent of his
portion of the estate, but he declined, saying: that he 'had an abundance.'
He lived in Texas." [Ref, p. 15]
- Capt. Daniel Aikens [Ref,
p. 14] was born on 24 Sep 1802 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 14] He died on 25 Aug 1882 in Boston. [Ref,
p. 15] He married first Mary Vanlora. [Ref,
p. 15] She was born about 1804 and died on 25 Jun 1832 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 15] Daniel married second Rhoda Briggs Richmond. [Ref][Ref,
p. 15] Rhoda, the daughter of Maj. Lemuel and Joanna (Briggs) Richmond, was
born on 8 Nov 1814 in Barnard. [Ref] She
died on 19 Dec 1876 in Barnard. [Ref]
Daniel owned the saw and grist mill in Barnard village. [Ref]
He was a captain in the militia. [Ref]
He was town clerk from 1845 to 1848. [Ref,
p. 31] He attended the Vermont constitutional convention in 1850. [Ref,
p. 34] In 1850 Daniel was a farmer living in Barnard with his wife Rhoda and
four children. [Ref] In 1860 Daniel was
a carpenter in Barnard. [Ref]
some descendants of Daniel Aikens
- Hiram Aikens [Ref,
p. 14] was born on 8 Jun 1804 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 14] He married first (?) Louisa Heath. [Ref,
p. 14][Ref, p. 15] He married second (?)
Mary P., the daughter of Zebulon and Rachel (Burke) Lee. [Ref,
p. 15]
Hiram was a delegate to the General Assembly from Barnard in 1841/2 and 1847.
[Ref, p. 31]
In 1850 Hiram and Louisa had a large household in Barnard and Hiram was a
farmer with real estate worth $9,500. [Ref]
Newton [Ref, p. 14] says that they went
to California in the 1850s, but the US Census says that in 1860 he was a 56-year-old
farmer living in Barnard. He had real estate worth $2,500 and a personal estate
of $1,200. Louisa had probably died by then as she was not part of his household.
[Ref]
some descendants of Hiram Aikens
- Lousane Aikens was born about
1810. She died after 1880. She married Gilman Gale. [Ref,
p. 14][Ref, p. 14] Gilman was the brother
of Lousane's brother-in-law Amos Gale. [Ref]
Gilman and Lousane moved to Lowell, Middlesex, Massachusetts. [Ref][Ref,
p. 14] Gilman was a butcher. [Ref] He represented
Lowell in the General Court. [Ref]
In 1850 Lousane, age 40, headed a household in Lowell. [Ref]
In 1860 Lousane headed a household in Wyandott, Butte, California. She was
a farmer. [Ref] In 1870 Lousane was living with
her daughter Frances and her husband in Grass Valley, Nevada, California.
[Ref] In 1880 Lousane was living with her daughter
Lydia Fisk in San Francisco. [Ref]
some descendants
of Lousane Aikens
Fourth Generation
WARREN AIKENS (1796 – 1879) of Barnard
Parents: Elijah Aikens and Rebecca
Tupper [Ref, p. 14][Ref,
p. 13]
Warren Aikens was born on 11 Feb 1796 [Ref,
p. 13] in Barnard. [Ref, p. 14, says
1798] He died on 8 Feb 1879 [Ref, p.
13, says 1877] in Barnard. [Ref, p.
14] He is buried in Barnard. He married Lydia
Cobb Howland on 15 Oct 1822. [marriage
certificate][Ref, p. 14][Ref,
p. 13]
In 1850 Warren, a 50-year-old carpenter, and Lydia C., age 47, were living
in Barre, Worcester, Massachusetts. With them lived their seven daughters,
Caroline, age 23, Irena C., age 22, Harriet, age 18, Laura, age 16, Mary
E., age 14, Louiza V., age 9, Mariah J., age 8, as well as Laura A., age
23 [Warren's brother Hyram's daughter?].
Children of Warren Aikens and Lydia Cobb Howland:
- Caroline H. Aikens [Ref,
p. 14] was born on 29 May 1823 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 14][Ref death certificate] She died on
18 Jun 1881. [Ref, p. 14] She married Hiram
Smith. [Ref][Ref,
p. 14] He died before 1881. [Ref, p. 14]
In 1870, Caroline was living with her parents and her daughter Lela in Barnard.
[Ref] In 1880 Caroline was living with
her sister Maria Josephine and her family; she is described as "insane".
[Ref]
some descendants
of Caroline H. Aikens
- Irene Case Aikens [Ref,
p. 14] was born on 19 Aug 1825 in Barnard. [Ref
death certificate][Ref, p. 14, says 1824]
She died on 12 Jul 1910 in Springfield. [Ref
death certificate] She was buried on 14 Jul 1910 in the Springfield cemetery.
[Ref death certificate] She married William
F. Sibley. [Ref, p. 14][Ref][Ref
death certificate]
In 1860 William and Irene lived in Springfield with their son William, Jr.
and Lawson Sibley (presumably William's younger brother). Willam was a bookkeeper
with a worth of $300; Lawson was also a bookkeeper. [Ref]
In 1880 Irene was a widow, living in Springfield with her daughter Nellie
and four boarders. [Ref] In 1900, Irene
was living with her son Frederick W. in Brooklyn, New York. [Ref]
In 1910 Nellie was living with her daughter Nellie in Springfield. [Ref]
some descendants
of Irene Case Aikens
- Origen Aikens was born on 4 Aug 1826 in
Barnard. [Ref, p. 14] He died on 27 Mar
1827 in Barnard. [Ref, p. 14]
- William Wallace Aikens was born on 7
May 1827 in Barnard. [Ref, p. 14] William
Wallace, the son of Warren and Lydia Aikens died on 4 Feb 1832, age four years,
in Pomfret, Vermont. [Ref]
- Andrew Jackson Aikens was born on
31 Oct 1828 in Barnard. He died on 22 Jan 1909. He married first Amanda Lovina Barnes. He married second Katherine Vine Crehore.
- Solon Howland Aikens [Ref,
p. 14] was born on 8 Feb 1830 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 15] He died of "capillary bronchitis" on 2 Dec 1893 in Warren,
Worcestor, Massachusetts. [Ref] He married
Frances Fay. [Ref, p. 18]
In 1880 Solon and Fannie were living with their children William T. and Annie
in Warren. Solon was a labourer. [Ref][Ref]
some descendants of Solon
Howland Aikens
- Harriet Emmons Aikens [Ref,
p. 14] was born on 10 Jul 1831 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 15] She died on 29 May 1906 in Springfield, Massachusetts. [Ref
death certificate] She was buried on 6 Jun 1906 in the Springfield cemetery.
[Ref death certificate] She married Lawson
Sibley on 14 Jan 1863 in Springfield. [Ref]
Lawson was the son of Benjamin and Mary Sibley. [Ref]
He was the brother of Harriet's sister Irene's husband. [Ref,
p. 17] Lawson died in 1898. [Ref, p. 17]
In 1880 Lawson was a flour and grain dealer. He and Harriet were living with
their daughters Mary C. and Virginia in Springfield. [Ref]
In 1900 Harriet was a widow, living in Springfield with her son-in-law William
G. Baker, his wife Mary and her daughter Virginia. [Ref]
some descendants
of Harriet Emmons Aikens
- Adelaide Lovisa Aikens [Ref,
p. 14] was born on 3 Jan 1833 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 15] She died in 1879. [Ref, p. 15][Ref,
p. 18] She married Frederick Underwood [Ref,
p. 18] on 24 Nov 1855 in Framingham, Massachusetts. [Ref]
Frederick, the son of Joshua Underwood, was born about 1834 in Framingham.
[Ref]
At the time of their marriage, Frederick was a boot maker. [Ref]
Adelaide and Frederick lived in Milwaukee. [Ref]
some descendants
of Adelaide Lovisa Aikens
- Mary Elizabeth Aikens [Ref,
p. 14] was born on 21 Jun 1836 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 15] She died on 10 Sep 1891 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 112] She married Joseph Elisha Chamberlain. [Ref,
p. 15][Ref, p. 18] Joseph was the son of
Joseph Parker Chamberlain and Mary Jane Lyman. [Ref][Ref,
p. 112] He was born on 7 Apr 1839 [Ref]
in Barnard. [Ref, p. 112] He died in Nov
1906 in Barnard. [Ref, p. 112] He married
second as her second husband Ellen Francelia Townsend. [Ref,
p. 112] Ellen, the daughter of Lyman and Pamelia (Gray) Townsend, was born
on 10 Jul 1840 in Barnard and died on 9 Nov 1906 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 112] Ellen married first Henry Ellis of Barnard. [Ref,
p. 112]
In 1880 Mary and J. E. were living in Barnard and J. E. was working as a farm
labourer. [Ref]
some descendants of Mary
Elizabeth Aikens
- Thomas Benton Aikens [Ref,
p. 14] was born in 1840 in Barnard [Ref,
p. 15]. [Ref] He died of pulmonary consumption
on 26 Feb 1885, age 44 years and nine months, in Springfield. [Ref]
He married Frances Jenks. [Ref, p. 18] Frances,
the daughter of Francis and Almira Jenks, was born in 1841 in Brookfield,
Massachusetts. [Ref] She died of apoplexy
on 1 Nov 1879, age 38 years and four months, in Springfield. [Ref]
At the time of his wife's death, Thomas was a mattress manufacturer. [Ref]
In 1880 T. B. Aiken was a widower living in Springfield. He was a manufacturer
of bedding. [Ref]
some descendants of Thomas
Benton Aikens
- Louisa Victoria Aikens [Ref,
p. 14] was born in Aug 1841. [Ref] She
married Charles
Tupper of Barnard [Ref, p. 17] on 1
Jan 1865. [Ref, p. 402][Ref]
Charles was a soldier in the Civil War. [Ref,
p. 17] He and Louisa moved to Wisconsin. [Ref,
p. 402][Ref] In 1870 Charles and Lousa were
living with their three-year-old son in Galesburg, Knox, Illinois. Charles
was an express driver [?] [Ref] In 1880
Charles and Louisa were living with their 13-year-old son Royal and their
three-year-old son Claude in St. Louis. Charles was a purchasing agent. [Ref]
In 1900 Louisa was a widow, living with her son Claude, in Wauwatosa City,
Milwaukee. [Ref] In 1910 Louisa was a
widow living with her son Claude and his wife in Milwaukee. [Ref]
some descendants
of Louisa Victoria Aikens
- Maria Josephine Aikens [Ref,
p. 14] was born on 22 Jul 1844 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 15] She married Henry
Alvin Wood [Ref, p. 441] on 20 Nov
1866. [Ref, p. 441]
In 1880 Maria Josephine and Henry were living in Barnard with their son Ernest
H. Smith, age 5, and Maria Josephine's sister Caroline. Henry was a farmer.
[Ref] In 1900 and 1910 Maria Josephine and
Henry were living in Barnard and Henry was a farmer. [Ref][Ref]
They lived in Barnard village until a few weeks before Henry's death. [Ref,
p. 441]
some descendants
of Maria Josephine Aikens
Fifth Generation
ANDREW JACKSON AIKENS (1828
– 1909) of Milwaukee
Parents: Warren Aikens and Lydia
Cobb Howland [Ref, p. 14] [Ref,
p. 18]
Andrew Jackson Aikens was born on 31 Oct 1828 in Barnard. [Ref,
p. 18][Ref][Ref][Ref,
p. 14] He died on 22 Jan 1909. [Ref][Ref][Ref says 27 Jan] He married first Amanda Lovina Barnes on 4 Jan 1854. [Ref, pp.
22][Ref, p. 14] He married second Katherine
Vine Crehore of Minneapolis on 22 Apr 1894. [Ref,
pp. 23][Ref, p. 14]
Andrew J. Aikens of Milwaukee signed his will on 5 February 1908. Saying that he had heretofore made provision for his children, he left his entire estate to his wife Katherine. [Ref]
Gates [Ref, pp. 18-22] provides the
details of Andrew's carreer. Andrew graduated from high school at age
15. Soon after he went to work in the printing office of Charles G. Eastman
in Woodstock, Windsor, Vermont, where he stayed for four years. He became
editor of the Woodstock paper and then published a paper at Bennington,
Bennington, Vermont. When he was about 20, he left Vermont for Massachusetts.
He published a paper in North Adams for about two years. After that he
accepted a position in Boston as a reporter in the legislature and a proof-reader
in the state printing office. He was a delegate from Massachusetts to
the Free Soil National Convention at Pittsburg in 1852. In 1853/4 he was
editor of the New Bedford Daily Standard for a few months. In the
autumn of 1854 he became the western correspondent of the New York Evening
Post. In August 1854 he joined William E. Cramer at the Evening
Wisconsin. On 1 Jan 1857 he became business manager of the printing
and newspaper departments. He originated the practice of printing country
newspapers partly upon one side at the central office and partly on the
other side at home offices.
He was a long-time editor and manager of the Milwaukee Evening Standard.
[E]
In 1880 Andrew Jackson ("Andy J.") was living in Milwaukee
with his wife Minnie, daughters Alice, Stella and Minnie, his mother-in-law
Mary W. Barnes and three servants. [Ref]
More photos
Children of Andrew Jackson Aikens and Amanda Lovina Barnes:
- Jessie Fremont Aikens died in infancy. [Ref]
- Alice Marian Aikens was born on 3 Oct 1858 in
Milwaukee. [Ref][Refsays 1857] She died in San Diego, San Diego, California on 25 Aug 1898. [Ref]
She married Hugo Bremer of Milwaukee on 25 Jun 1884. [Ref
gives only the year][Ref][Ref
does not give her name] Hugo, the son of George and Emilie Bremer, was born
about 1858 in Wisconsin. [Ref]
Alice A. Bremer was the executrix of her mother's 13 May 1892 will. [Ref]
In 1880
Hugo was single, living with his parents and engaged as a cigar maker. [Ref]
Hugo and Alice had one child, who died in infancy. [Ref]
"A notable society event took place Wednesday in Milwaukee, in the marriage
of Miss Alice Aikens and Hugo Bremer. The bride is daughter of Mr. A. J. Aikens,
an old and well known citizen. The ceremony was performed by gaslight, at
high noon, at the residence of the bride's parents on Cass Street." [RefThur., 26 Jun 1884]
When 18, Alice studied at the Academy of Design in Paris. [Ref]
After returning to the United States she studied water color painting. [Ref]
She later studied algae in Woods Hole. [Ref]
In Jan 1898 she went to California for her health and to study the algae there.
[Ref]
- Stella Cramer Aikens was born on
7 May 1860 in Miwaukee. She died on 19 Nov 1907 in Seattle, King County, Washington.
She married first Leopold Eidlitz, Jr. She married second Arthur
Walker Johnson.
- Mary Lydia ("Minnie") Aikens was born
on 2 Apr 1875 in Milwaukee. [Ref says
2 Apr 1871][Ref] She graduated from
Smith College. [Ref] In her 2 Jul 1902 passport
application, she describes herself as a 27-year-old journalist. She was 5'5"
tall with blue eyes and dark brown hair. [Ref]
It is said that she moved to South Africa and married.
Mary (Minnie) L. Aikens of Milwaukee was an heir in her mother's 13 May 1892 will.
[Ref]
Children of Andrew Jackson Aikens and Katherine Vine Crehore:
- Andrew Jackson Aikens was born on 22 Mar 1896
[Ref, pp. 22] in Milwaukee. [Ref][Ref says 21 Mar] He died on 23 Jul 1966. [Ref does not give the day][Ref] He is buried
in the Bay Pines National Cemetery in Bay Pines, Florida. [Ref]
He married first Bessie Louise Newman on 15 Jun 1924. [Ref]
She was born about 1901 in Oregon. [Ref] He married
second Elizabeth Jayne Lewis in 1938 in Duval county, Florida. [Ref]
She was born on 30 Nov 1916. [Ref] She
died on 26 Aug 1987 in Dade county, Florida. [Ref]
They had a daughter Gail Lee and an adopted son Steve. [Private correspondence
with his grandson.] Gail Aikens married first Henry George Ayo in Apr 1964
in Dade county, Florida. [Ref] They
divorced on 12 Dec 1975 in Dade county. [Ref]
She married second Ralph Victor Gonzalez on 9 Jan 1988 in Dade county. [Ref]
According to his 26 May 1917 World War I draft registration card, Andrew was
tall and slender with blue eyes and brown hair; he lived in Churchill county,
Nevada. [Ref] He enlisted on 14 Aug 1917.
[Ref] He was commissioned second lieutenant
on 13 Sep 1917. [Ref] He was later
promoted to first lieutenant. [Ref] He
graduated from the University of Nevada. [Ref] He worked for the Telephone and Telegraph company in San Francisco, before
being transferred to the New York in 1928. [Ref]
In 1930, Andrew Aikens, age 34, born in Wisconsin, and his wife Bessie Aikens,
age 29, born in Oregon, were living in Rutherford, Bergen, NJ. Andrew was
an electrical engineer. [Ref] At the time of
his death, he was living in Miami, Dade, Florida. [Ref]
Sixth Generation
STELLA CRAMER AIKENS (1860 – 1907)
Parents: Andrew Jackson Aikens and Amanda Lovina Barnes [Ref, p. 14]
Stella Cramer Aikens was born on 7 May 1860 in Miwaukee. [Ref]
She died on 10 Nov 1907 in Seattle, King, Washington. [Ref] She is interred in the Wright Crematorium and Columbarium in Seattle. [Ref] She married
first Leopold Eidlitz, Jr. on 30 Jul 1885 at the American Embassy in Berne,
Switzerland. [Ref, 4 Aug 1885, p.
5] She married second Arthur Walker Johnson
on 22 Oct 1889 in Milwaukee. [Ref
gives her name as Stella A. Eidlitz]
Stella died intestate. On 24 Feb 1908 Arthur W. testified that her heirs were Arthur W., age 45, Alice Marian, age 17, John Howland, age 16, Donald , age 14, and Ruth, age 12. They all lived at 1846 Weller Street in Seattle (See photo below). [Ref]
Stella was an heir in her mother Amanda L. Aiken's 13 May 1892 will. [Ref] In the decree of settlement and distribution for Stella's estate, dated 26 Sep 1910, her heirs are her daughters Alice Marion, age 17, and Ruth Walker, age 12; her sons John Howland, age 16, and Donald S., age 14; her husband Arthur W. Johnson. [Ref, filed with her mother's papers]
MARRIED ... July 30, 1885, at the American Embassy, Berne, Switzerland
... Mr. Leopold Eidlitz, Jr. of New York to Miss Stella Cramer Aikens
of Milwaukee, second daughter of Mr. Andrew J. Aikens, proprietor of the
Evening Wisconsin. ... Mr. and Mrs. Leopold Eidlitz sailed for
New York on the steamer Gal[l]ia the 1st of August. The young man who
has secured one of our brightest, most talented and accomplished young
ladies, is the son of Mr. Leopold Eidlitz, one of the first architects
of New York and the architect of the State House at Albany. [Ref,
4 Aug 1885, p. 5]
Leopold Eidlitz, Jr., shipbuilder, age 24 arrived in the US on the Gallia on 16 Dec 1879. [Ref]
Louis Eidlitz, age 30, and Mary Eidlitz, age 28, arrived in New York
on the Gallia on 10 Aug 1885. [Ref] Louis
is referred to as an engineer and Mary is referred to as his wife. [RefIt is difficult to see how "Mary" could be an error for "Stella".
From the census, it appears that Leopold had a sister Mary who was 20
in 1880. Also according to the census, Leopold Eidlitz was single in 1910.
Stella Eidlitz, her father and her sister Minnie returned from St. Kitts
to New York on the Pennland on 17 Sep 1886. [Ref]
How Stella learned French
Stella's letter from her
mother
Her obituary
IT IS A SOCIAL SEASON
AND SOCIETY PEOPLE SEEM TO FULLY APPRECIATE THIS FACT
THE NEW YEARS RECEPTION BY THE MISSES AIKEN, AT THEIR HOME ON CASS
STREET THE GUESTS PRESENT A DISPLAY OF ELEGANT TOILETS
A BRILLIANT RECEPTION
For some time past the fashionables of Milwaukee have talked of, and looked
forward to the grand reception given last evening at the residence of A. J.
Aikens, Esq., on the corner of Cass and Martin streets, in honor of the introduction
of his two daughters, Miss Alice and Stella to society. The young ladies have
finished their education, Miss Alice having graduated at Mrs. Wheelocks,
and Miss Stella at Madame Anneckes.
The large and elegant house was fairly crowded with guests, in answer to the
400 invitations sent. There were about 250 present, and formed one of the
most stylish parties of the season. The music was by the Milwaukee Sextette
Club, with Mr. Hutchins cornet.
The rooms were very nicely adapted for dancing purposes, four of them being
in line so that every set was plainly visible to the other, and just off the
hall, at the end of which was the music room, opening into all of the others.
The programme include all the choicest dances in the twenty numbers. The rooms
were elaborately decorated with the most valuable works of art, gathered by
Mr. and Mrs. Aikens while abroad with the thorough knowledge they have of
those things. The supper was by Conroy.
THE TOILETTES:
Among the most notable toilets were:
Mrs. B.K. Miller, handsome blue silk; diamonds
There follows a long list (newspaper clipping)
Right-hand image from Ancestry.com. Wisconsin, Wills and Probate Records, 1800-1987 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2015.
Left-hand image of 1846 Weller Street, built 1905
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