Historian's Report Fall 1997
By Patricia Thayer Muno
With the winding down of the Thayer genealogy compiling project, I wish to thank the hundreds of Thayer families and each of my wonderful Family Representatives who have been so helpful over the years in sharing the genealogical data on their respective lines. At present, my two combined computer files contain the data of near 53,000 Thayer-related individuals. The formatting of information which will be presented in the first volume of A Comprehensive Genealogy of the Thayer Family of America series will take place about the first of the year. This book will contain the descendants of the Immigrant, Nathaniel Thayer, who settled in Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts in 1660. Some of the preliminary proof-reading is taking place now.
It is not too late to send your pre-1920 Thayer photos for inclusion in this series.
If you have photos you would like to share that are a few years after that date, I would be happy to consider them for inclusion in the final work.
We have just one Family Representative to announce this term. Roger Eugene Thayer will be serving in the line of his 3rdGreat Grandparents, Richard THAYER and Elizabeth SINCEBAUGH of Orange, Tompkins and Sullivan counties in the state of New York. Many of the descendants settled in the city of Ithaca. Following, is Roger's "Biography" of Richard:
Richard THAYER was born in 1786 in Mass or 1785 in NY; Patricia Muno found parents fitting the former date and place: Elias THAYER and Rachael French in Westhampton, MA, near Braintree. [Patriciaís NOTE: Is Richard possibly the son of Elias6, Zebulon5, Benjamin4, Richard3-2-1?]
They had 11 children, including a Richard, b. 1786. I found Richard THAYER in the New York Census of 1810 stating he was born in New York State in 1785. This matches the Mormon Genealogical Library data and all we have in our family records. This Richard was married to Elizabeth Sincebaugh on 13 December 1808 in The old Red Brick Dutch Reformed Church still standing and in use today in Montgomery, Orange County, New York not far from the U.S. Military Academy of Thayer fame. General Sylvanus Thayer was commandant there and called "The Father of West Point."
First row: Roger Eugene Thayer, David II age 8, David age 1, David age 25, Second row: William H., Roger Eugene age 8, David age 4 mo., David age 20. Third row: John B., Paul E., Roger holding David.
Richard and Elizabeth had 13 children in Montgomery, NY over the years 1810-1830. The spelling of their last names varied in the several records available: Thire, Thayr, Sinsepaugh and Sensabaugh are some. . . They probably were farmers; most of their sons were according to census reports. They and their sons "migrated" westward, John MacBride Thayer, the oldest, then 30, was listed in the 1840 census with his first wife and son William Henry Thayer and daughter; Richard and Elizabeth were listed with their six other sons ages 10-23 all in a place called Mamakating in Sullivan County, New York. Their three daughters born in Orange County had all died, two in infancy.
In 1850 Richard and Elizabeth had moved farther west to Tompkins County, New York with their four youngest sons then ages 20-39 on a farm valued at $3,000 in the town of Danby. John MacBride Thayer stayed in Sullivan County and by 1850 had a second wife and two more children. His first son, William Henry, 16, was listed in Tompkins County as a laborer at a nearby Danby farm, having apparently "migrated" with his grandparents.
The 1860 census records Richard, 75, living with son Isaac on another Danby farm; Richard died there in 1862. Elizabeth lived with son William on still another Danby place and died there in 1869.
The graves of Richard and Elizabethís Sons William, Isaac, Malachi and George Thayer are all well cared for today in the King Cemetery in Danby, New York. I have not found Richard and Elizabethís graves; maybe they were buried in a family plot in Danby.
--By Roger Eugene Thayer, great great great grandson of Richard and Elizabeth Thayer.
If you have information to share on this line, please contact Roger at the following:
Roger Eugene Thayer
RR #1 Box 476-H
Edgartown, MA 02539
e-mail: rlthayer@tiac.net
Randy James Thayer, Family Representative for the line of Willard Thayer and Amelia Near has a new change of address:
1560 Highview Pines Pass
Alpharetta, GA 30022
E-mail: RJThay@aol.com
Dan W. Perry of Inverness, FL has donated the family Bible of Mary E. Thayer, of Mill Creek, (Otsego county?) New York and husband, Francis E. Weatherly, of West Laurens, Otsego, NY. Mary was born 13 June 1862 and Francis was born 1 Sep 1858. They were married at the Thayer home in Mill Creek, NY on 22 Oct 1879. The Bible gives an account of the births and marriages of their three sons, Eugene, George and Hiram Weatherly. Dan tried unsuccessful to find living heirs of this couple so that he could present them with this family treasure. One of my alert Family Representatives spotted Danís petition for the rightful owners on the internet and forward his message to me.
Says Dan:
"I came upon this old book in a second hand furniture shop in the tiny Florida town of Macintosh near Gainesville. As I recall, it must have been about 1975 and we paid $2.00 for the old Bible. It was in its present condition then. I originally bought the book with the intention of framing some of the engravings. As it were, I never got around to it and the book followed me from place to place. This year I became seriously involved in researching my family history. I happened to recall having once seen family records in the old Bible and it just began to seem wrong for me to have it. I have made this effort to insure that someday the Bible will find itís rightful home with a member of the original families whose records are contained in this Bible."
Our thanks to Dan for his efforts to share this heirloom. The book is here in my home in Beaverton, OR and I will gladly send it along (complete with its pressed four leaf clovers!) to the closest living family member. So far, I have found no record of Mary E. Thayer. The name of one of the witnesses to her marriage appears to read "Eli J. Thayer." But this could have been Eliza, Ellis, Elijah, etc. (P. Muno 14 Mar 1997)
To all our cousins around the world, have a wonderful holiday season! Patricia
Patricia Thayer Muno
6885 SW 161 Place
Beaverton, OR 97007-6336
E-mail: TriciaMuno@aol.com