Vermont

Paul, James, was one of the first settlers in the eastern
part of the town. He was accustomed to spell his name
Paull, as did Stephen, his youngest child who always lived
with him, (and the other children for aught we know,) and
it will soon appear that in very early records the name was
spelt with one l, and again with two. He located among the
hills, as did many of the first settlers here, because the hills
then yielded a better return for their labor than the wet and
marshy intervale land.

 He came from Dighton, Mass., in
1786, of which tract of land, one of the original proprietors,
nearly 200 years ago, was one William Paul.
We give here an extract from a letter addressed to Hiland
Paul, which will give some further particulars :
DIGHTON, August 22, 1868. • *•****•
Dighton was originally purchased of King Phillip in 1672,
by a company in Taunton, and was called ” Taunton South
Purchase,” and among the proprietors was one William
Paul, (spelt with one 1 in the proprietors’ records). Still
later I find in said records one James Paul, probably his
eon ; but after that the records were not well kept ; but the
conclusion I have arrived at is that all the Pauls in the
country are descendants of the above named William Paul.
The records of Taunton were all burnt in the great fire in
said town about thirty years ago, and thus the best source of tracing the genealogy of our family is lost — Dighton
having been for many years a part of Taunton.
My great grandfather, in my opinion, was the great grandson
of William Paul, one of the proprietors of Taunton
South Purchase. He went to Vermont, I think, earlier than
1780, but the exact date I do not know. He came back to
Dighton and stayed some time with his son Peter White
Paul, (my grandfather), then returned to Vermont where
he died. All of his children I ever knew of were Peter
White, and John, who were both large men. I have beard
father say that his uncle John weighed at one time 350
pounds. John Paul was one of the twelve men who, under
Col. Barton, entered the British lines in Rhode Island during
the Revolutionary war and took the English commander
Prescott, prisoner, from his own bed, in the night. So far
as I know, only one of our historians, Quackenboss, mentions
this expedition. It was while hurrying Prescott through
the stubble, barefoot, that he complained that the stubs hurt
his feet. Uncle John, who was leading Prescott on one side,
took off’ his shoes, handed them to Prescott, and said, ” see
if they are large enough for you.” Prescott was a very
small man. * * *
ALFRED W. PAUL.
Paul James, the subject of this sketch, married Abigail
Kiles, by whom he had a large family of children. Mr.
Paul died May 10th, 1805, in the 80th year of his age.
Abigail his wife died in 1813, aged 85. We give the names
of their children that we have been able to ascertain : Paul
Edward, was born April 10th, 1749, went to Greenwich,
Conn. ; Paul, James, went to Williamstown, Mass. ; Paul
David, is supposed to have settled at or near Dighton, Mass. ;

Paul, Kiles, settled in Royalton, Vt. ; Paul, Daniel, settled
in Newport, N. H. He raised a family of seven sons and
three daughters, of whom Luke, Ira, and Daniel, Jr.,
remained in Newport. Daniel, Jr., died a fev years since,
leaving two sons, Epaphras and Doddridge. Paul, Abigail
married Daniel Hulett, one of the early settlers of Pawlet ,
where many of their descendants still live ; she died in 1838,
aged 83. Paul, Ruth, married Jesse Johnson and removed to
the West. Paul Jonathan located southwest of, but adjoining,
his fathers farm, and was twice married ; first to Betsey
Bellomy, by whom he had four sons and one daughter ;
Betsey, David, Lemuel, Adams, who settled in Aurora, N. Y. ;
and Ebenezer, who studied medicine, settled in Royalton,
Vt., and died a few years after of consumption. His second
wife was Hannah Thompson, by whom he had two sons,
Jonathan and Jesse, and three daughters, Hannah, Sally and
Lucy, who married Orsemus Morrison of Aurora, N. Y., by •
whom she had one son and two daughters ; Hannah, who
married Spafford, and Lucy who lives with her mother.
They removed to Chicago, 1ll., about 1832, when Chicago
was in its infancy, and have acquired a largo property. Mrs.
Morrison still resides in the city.

Paul, Jonathan, died in Aurora, N. Y., in 1828, aged 63.
His wife died at the same place in 1836, aged 71.
Paul, Joshua, settled in Tinmouih, about one-half mile
from his father. He married Anna Rood, by whom he had five
sons and four daughters, the moat of whom removed to
Western New York. Abijah, Jeremiah, David, Pliny,
Adams, Sophia, Luna. Eliza, and Harriet, who married Wm.
Grover, of Wells. They finally removed to her father’s
homestead in Tinmouth, where she lived at the time of her decease in 1861, aged 68. They raised up one daughter,
Luna, (now deceased) and two sons, Lyman P. and Joshua
P. Grover, who live in Tinmouth. Paul, Joshua, died in
1840, aged 73 years. His wife died in 1850, aged 77
years.
Paul, Stephen, the youngest child, succeeded to his
father’s homestead ; was born Dec. 31st, 1773, and we are
told was thirteen years of age when his father settled in
Wells. He was thrice married. First to Clarissa Perry, of
Tinmouth, by whom he had four sons and six daughters, viz :
Stephen Paul, Jr., Eliakim, James, Clarissa, Sabrey, Emily,
Sophronia, Asenath, Lydia and Nelson. His second wife
was Lovisa Cavanaugh. His third wife was Ruby Griswold,
of Middletown, who still lives on the homestead, aged about 81.
Paul, Stephen, died in 1843, aged 70. His first wife died
in 1814, aged 38 ; his second wife died in 1834, aged 51.
Paul, Stephen, Jr., the oldest child, was born in 1796 ;
married Desiah Rider, of Wells. He died in 1849, aged 53.

Paul, Eliakim, became a physician, went into practice in
Middletown in 1822, and has followed his chosen profession
nearly one-half a century ; has represented his adopted town
in the State Legislature eight years, and filled many other
offices of trust and usefulness. He married Juna Coleman,
of Tinmouth, by whom he had two sons and one daughter ;
Emmet, who died in 1846, aged 18; Daniel W., who was
graduated at Harvard College in 1860, and is now practicing
law in St. Louis, Mo. ; and Sabra, who married Edwin
Copeland, of Middletown, and died in 1867, aged 42, leaving
two sons, Frank and Charlie. She was universally respected
by all her acquaintances.

Paul, James, removed to Michigan. We learn he is held in high esteem where he is known. He married Fanny
Church, by •whom he had one son, George, (now deceased),
and one daughter Emily, who is married and lives with her
father in Coloma, Berrien County, Mich.
By the following extract from a letter addressed to the
Writer, it appears that this name (James) has been connected
with the Paul family for many generations.
DIGHTON, Nov. 23d, 1868. * * * “
I here give the oldest records,
except proprietors division, which was in 1683, with names
as there spelt.
James Paull, the son of James Paul by Mary his wife,
was born in May, 1725.
Benjamin Paull, the son of James Paull by Sarah his wife,
Was born July 2d, 1750.
Edward Paul the son of James Paul by Abigail his wife,
Was born April 10th, 1749.
James Paul, the son of James Paul by Abigail his wife,
was born Feb. 10th, 1750.” * ” • , «

ALFRED W. PAUL.
Paul, Clarissa, the oldest daughter of Stephen Paul,
removed to Western New York. She married Michael
Hutchinson, and has lived for many years in Eden, Erie
County, N. Y.
Paul, Sabrey, married Hczekiah Coleman, of Tinmouth,
by whom she had one son, Marshall, who now resides in
Rupert. She died when about 19 years of age. He married
Sarah Austin, by whom he has six children, viz : Charles,
Sabra, Col. Fremont, George, Frederick and Helen M. .
Paul, Emily, married David Griswold, of Middletown, and raised up a family of four daughters, viz: Clarissa, who
married Albert Porter and lives in Wisconsin ; Electa, who
married Henry Youngs, of Middletown ; Asenath ; Juliaette ;
and one son, Stephen A., who enlisted in the 7th Vt.
Regiment, and died of fever at Fensacola, Florida, Nov. 3d,
1862, aged about 26.
Paul, Sophronia, removed to Western New York, married
Ilufus Tuttle, of Fredonia, lived there several years, but now
resides in Michigan. She has one daughter Ella, who
married Jesse Brown, of Fredonia.
Paul, Asenath, married George Eastman, of Newport, N. H.,
and lived there until his death, in 1865. She now
resides with her brother Nelson.
Paul, Lydia, died when three years of age.
Paul, Nelson, the youngest child, was born in 1813, and
succeeded to his father’s homestead, which has been in the
hands of the Paul family since James Paul first settled here.
He has represented this town three years in the State
Legislature, has been a selectman eight years, and held other
positions of usefulness and honor in town. He married
Maryette Haskins, daughter of Aaron Haskins, of Middle-
town, by whom he had four sons and one daughter. Hiland
E, who was born Dec. 31st, 1836, was elected in 1859 town
Superintendent of Schools, and held the office for four years ;
represented this town in the State Legislature in 1862-63 ;
married Mary J., daughter of Howell Clark, of Wells, by
whom he has had one daughter, Mary Eva, who died in
1864, about two years of age, and one son Charlie. Phinehas
C., who first married Frances, daughter of Winslow Good-
speed, of Wells, who died in 1862, leaving one son Elmer.
Next he married Ellen Weller, and lives in Tinmouth on the Phinehas Coleman farm. Miletus, who married Ellen,
daughter of Nathan Francis, of Wells, and now lives in
Middletown ; George who intends to become a physician,
and Eugenia the youngest child, both now live with their
father.
Mrs. Maryette Paul died Jan. 31st, 1868, aged 53 years,
lamented by a large circle of friends. “
Things we prize are first to vanish ;
Hearts we love to pass away.”

 

 

 

FROM:

History of Wells, Vermont, for the First Century After Its Settlement –

by Hiland Paul, Robert Parks – Wells (Vt.) – 1869 – 154 pages