Nancy Reed

Notes:

Mary Ring, born 1794 in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts, died 1871 in Brigham City, Box Elder, Utah, was the wife of William Sisson Champlin, born 1792 in "West Green River", Vermont, died 1861 in Lehi, Utah. Her father was Reuben French Ring, born 1772 in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts. The identity and origin of her mother, called variously Nancy and Anna (the latter names being often interchangeable at the time) can, we believe, be teased out of various sources.

A History of Brooklyn, Susquehanna Co., Penn'a (citation details below) says (p. 273) that the mother of the younger Reuben French Ring (b. 1801), son of Reuben French Ring (b. 1772), was named Nancy Reed, and (p. 54) that "The family [of the aforementioned Reuben French Ring's grandfather, David Ring] removed to Vermont before the sons French and David and their sisters, Anna (Mrs. Walter Adams) and Mary (Mrs. Wm. Champlin) came here. Mr. R's mother was a sister of Mrs. Jacob Tewkesbury. She died here and is buried in the Old Cemetery."

Also according to A History of Brooklyn, Susquehanna Co. (p. 26), Jacob Tewkesbury, who "came from Vermont", married as his second wife "Mary Reed of Brattleboro, Vt."; presumably this is the Mary Reed called in the above "Mrs. Jacob Tewkesbury", sister of the mother of Reuben French Ring (b. 1801), identified as Nancy Reed. Mary Reed being called "of Brattlesboro, Vt." fits with the statement, also in the above, that the family of David Ring, whose origins were in Essex County, Massachusetts, was in Vermont for a time, before sons French Ring and David Ring and daughters Anna Ring and Mary Ring came to Pennsylvania. "Jacob Tuxbury," who is recorded as born to Isaac and Judith Tuxbury in Amesbury, Essex county, Massachusetts on 17 Aug 1767, is said to have married Mary Reed in Brattleboro in 1792, and (according to his Find a Grave page) to have died 19 Feb 1842 in Gibson, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. The 1820 census of Waterford, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania shows a Jacob Tewkesbury living there. The 1830 census of Brooklyn, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania shows a Jacob Tewkesbury living there, on the same page as three other Tewkesburys and a Jefferson Ring. The 1840 census of Bridgewater, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania shows a Jacob Tewkesbury living there.

The aforementioned Find a Grave page includes a photograph of the gravestone, at the Old Brooklyn Cemetery in Brooklyn, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, of Jacob Tewksbury who "died in 1842, aged 74 yrs", the latter being, if he did indeed die in Feb 1842, consonant with a birthdate of 17 Aug 1767. The Find a Grave page also says that he was married to Mary Reed Tewksbury, and links to her Find a Grave page, which says she was born 1 Aug 1773 in Lincoln, Middlesex, Massachusetts and died 18 Aug 1863 in Brooklyn, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, was buried in the Old Brooklyn Cemetery in Brooklyn, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania (the same place that A History of Brooklyn, Susquehanna Co. says Nancy Reed, wife of Reuben French Ring (b. 1772) was buried), and that her father was named Artemis.

The above establishes to a reasonable degree of probability that Nancy, wife of Reuben French Ring (b. 1772) was, as asserted in A History of Brooklyn, Susquehanna Co., a sister of Mary, wife of Jacob Tewksbury (b. 1767).

The town records of Lincoln, Middlesex, Massachusetts show a Molly Reed and an Anna Reed, both daughters of "Artemus Reed and w.", baptized 1 Aug 1773, corresponding to Find a Grave's birth information for Mary Reed Tewksbury. (Mary and Molly being often names as interchangeable as Anna and Nancy.) The town records of Lexington, next door to Lincoln, show the baptism of an "Artemus Reed" on 1 Mar 1747, no parents given.

An "Artemus Rud" is listed in the 1800 census as living in Hartland, Windsor, Vermont, the same place where William Sisson Champlin married Artemus Reed's granddaughter Mary Ring sixteen years later. The ideas that Mary Ring's father Artemus Reed was a "Green Mountain Boy", and that he was the Artemis Reed of the "Massachusetts Line" who died a pensioner in Brooke County, Virginia in 1826 -- ideas promulgated in various online sources and DAR pedigrees -- can probably be dismissed. (Of course, our Artemus Reed was certainly of the right age to have fought in the Revolution.) Our Artemus was also not a child of William Reed (b. 1720) and Abigail Stone (b. 1719), whose children are fully documented.

William Sisson Champlin, born in Vermont of emigrés from Rhode Island and Connecticut, married Mary Ring of Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts, daughter of Reuben French Ring (b. 1772) of Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts and Nancy (also Anna) Reed of Lincoln, Middlesex, Massachusetts, on 28 Mar 1816 in Hartland, Windsor, Vermont, following which, according to the Deseret News obituary of Mary (Ring) Champlin, they removed to Brooklyn, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania sometime before 1832, at which time and place they "embraced the gospel" and emigrated westward with other early converts to Mormonism.

Taken together these facts form a good circumstantial case that the wife of Reuben French Ring (b. 1772) was Nancy (also called Anna) Reed, daughter of Artemas Reed of Lincoln, Middlesex, Massachusetts, and that her family, along with the Rings and the Tewksburys, were part of a kinship network that moved from eastern Massachusetts to Vermont in the late 1700s, and then on to Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania in the early 1800s.

Family/Spouse: Reuben French Ring. Reuben (son of David Ring and Molle Hadlock) was born on 8 Oct 1772 in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: 3 Apr 1871, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Notes:

Sometimes recorded as Mary Polly Ring, or Mary "Polly" Ring.

Deseret News, 12 April 1871:

DIED. — At Brigham City, at the residence of Bro. J. T. Packer, from the effects of canker, Mary Champlin, aged 77 years, on the 3rd instant.

Deceased was born at Old Salisbury, Essex county, Mass.; embraced the gospel with her husband at Brooklin, Susquehanna County, Penn., in 1832, while Martin Harris and his brother were preaching there. On their journey to the Far West they were stopped by a mob and survived the memorable scenes at "Haun's Mill." Of those who remained at the blacksmith shop, Bro. Champlin was the only one who escaped death, and was saved by the brethren falling on him. One of the mob, however, discovered him, and said "by h__l there is yet one man who is not killed, let us finish him;" while another said, "It is time we were off," which created a panic, and all fled. He guarded off the guns of the mob which, through the shop walls, were aimed at the little boy of Bro. Warren Smith, who was at last so brutally murdered by them. He subsequently lived in Nauvoo, Ill., was with the Saints in the general exodus from there and, with his family, reached Salt Lake Valley in 1849, and died ten years ago. Sister Champlin, the deceased, was without the sight of her eyes for the last five years of her life. The interment has just taken place to-day, at 3 p.m., and has been largely attended.

Mary married William Sisson Champlin on 28 Mar 1816 in Hartland, Windsor, Vermont. William (son of Joseph Champlin and Mercy Sisson) was born on 17 Aug 1792 in West Green River, Vermont; died on 29 Jan 1861 in Lehi, Utah, Utah; was buried in Lehi, Utah, Utah. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

He was a tanner. "[Reuben French Ring], having become infirm, was accidentally killed by the R. R. cars near Hopbottom, a few years ago." [A History of Brooklyn, Susquehanna Co., Penn'a, citation details below.]

Family/Spouse: Anna Sterling. Anna (daughter of Nathaniel Sterling) was born on 6 May 1803; died on 21 Feb 1866 in Brooklyn, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: 1818, Vermont

Angelina married Jonathan Taylor Packer on 4 Jan 1840 in Adams County, Illinois. Jonathan (son of Moses Packer and Eve Williams) was born on 26 Jul 1817 in Perry Township, Richland, Ohio; died on 29 Jan 1889 in Safford, Graham, Arizona; was buried in Safford Cemetery, Graham, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Helen Nickerson. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Posted to findagrave.com by "Sunflower Lady", 7/11/2011:

"[The] Pioneer Band from Safford, Graham, Arizona played at many community events. It was organized in the early 1880's. Alonzo Packer, the bass drum player, who died Friday, March 23, 1917, was the first member of the band to die and his friend, James Fall Freestone, the second. Alonzo's daughter, Charlotte, married James's son, Leonard.

"Alonzo and James lived close to each other. As Alonzo's life drew to a close it was hard to make him stay in bed. When he was urged to lie down and rest he would say, 'No, if I go to bed, I will never get up. When I give up to the bed, that is the end for me'.

"Shortly before he died his old friend, James Freestone, came to see him. He had walked with the aid of his cane the distance of the 20 acre field that separated the two of them, to pay his respects to Alonzo. As he entered the room, he stood for a time looking down upon his friend in bed, then he said 'Well, Lonzo.' Alonzo replied, 'Well, James.' Two short words! That was the only exchange. That was all that needed to be said. A lifetime of meaning and emotion were packed within these few words. Ten days after Alonzo died James also died."

Alonzo married Lydia Ann Parker on 6 Jul 1869 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. Lydia (daughter of Solomon Parker and Nancy Jane Welch) was born on 19 Nov 1847 in Ekfrid, Middlesex, Ontario; died on 8 Oct 1918 in Safford, Graham, Arizona; was buried on 10 Oct 1918 in Safford Cemetery, Graham, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: Abt 1849, Utah
• Alternate birth: Abt 1850, Utah

Family/Spouse: Mary Ann Aldred. Mary was born on 3 Nov 1853 in England; died on 20 Feb 1907 in Safford, Graham, Arizona; was buried in Safford Cemetery, Graham, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]