Genealogy and Reminiscences OF OUR Baldwin Family BY JAMES BALDWIN Author of A Four Months Trip Across The Sea ILLUSTRATED ERIE, PENNA. Universal Printing Co. 1916 COPYRIGHT by JAMES BALDWIN Genealogy and Reminiscences of our Baldwin Family CONTENTS Chapt.er Page I The English Baldwins . • . • • • . • . 5 Il Prominent Baldwins of the United St.at.es..... 15 Ill Prominent Baldwins of the U. S.-Continued. 33 IV Richard Baldwin and. His Descendants. • . • • . • • 54 V Manners and Customs of Early Days. 65 VI M,µmers and Customs of Early Days ( Con­ tinued)-Flax Culture and Spinning. • . 95 VII The Joseph Baldwins and Their Descendants .• 118 VIlI Ebenezer Baldwin, Second, and Family. • . • . • • 125 IX Ebenezer Baldwin, Second and Family (Cont'd) 142 X Stories of the Baldwins - District Schools- ; Dayid . Baldwin Goes to Wattsburg-The , j Meeting House. • • • • . • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • 183 XI Stories of the Baldwins (Cont'd)-Alexander Donaldson and Washington Go Along the i. C'reek •••••• ~ •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 208 XII Stories of the Baldwins (Cont'd)-Something About Reuben and Hibbard Baldwin. • . • • . 237 XIIl Ambrose Baldwin's Descendants. • • • • • • • • • • • 273 XIV Reuben Baldwin's Descendants. • • • • . • • • • . 27 4 XV Washington Baldwin's Descendants. • . • . • . 279 XVI Hiram Baldwin's Descendants. • . • . • . • 288 XVII Calvin Baldwin's Descendants. • • . 298 XVIII Hezekiah Baldwin's Descendants. • . • . 302 XIX Betsy Lawrence's Descendants. • . • . • . • . 306 XX David Baldwin's Descendants. • • . 308 XXI Hibbard Baldwin's Descendants ....•......... 310 XXII Copies of Preserved Manuscripts. • . 312 ILLUSTRATIONS Page ARCHIE BALDWIN . • . • • • • • • . • • • . • • • • • • • . • . • • • • 310 CANAL BOAT PACKET •••••.•••••••••••••••••••• 156 CARL BALDWIN • . • . • • • • . • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . 300 DAVID M. BALDWIN •••••. • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • . • • • • 310 DAVID BALDWIN ••.•••••.••.•.•••••..••.••..•.. 294 EDWARD L. BALDWIN. • • • • . • • • • • . • • • . • . • • • • • • • • 310 EARLY SETTLERS' HOME....................... 66 FRANK BALDWIN •.•••••..•••..•••.•••••...•••• 300 FLAX SPINNING • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • . • • . • • . • . • . • 98 GEORGE DANIEL BALDWIN. • • • • • . • • • • • . • . • • . 284 GEORGE WASHINGTON BALDWIN. • • . • . • • . 284 GURTH BALDWIN • • • • . • • . • • . • • . • • . • . • . • • • • • . 286 HIRAM W. BALDWIN. • • • . • • . • • • . • . • • • • • • . • • • • 2:!J-4 HIBBARD BALDWIN • • • • . • • • • • . • • • • • • • • . • • . • 310 HEZEKIAH BALDWIN .••..•....••••..••••••...• 304 IS.AAC W. BALDWIN • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • . • . 284 JAMES BALDWIN ....••.•.••.•••••....•••.• ·..••. 284. MATTHIAS BALDWIN'S FIRST LOCOMOTIVE.... 28 PHIL BALDWIN • . • . • . • • . • • • . • • • • . • • . • • . • . 294 REUBEN BALDWIN • • • • • . • • • • . • . • • . • . • • . • • 276 REUBEN BALDWIN . • . • • . • . • . • • . • • • . • • • • • . • 294 THOMAS BALDWIN . • • . • • . • . • • . • • . • • • • • . • . • . • 276 THERON BALDWIN .......•••••••••.•...•....... 304 WOOL SPINNING • • . • • • • • • . • . • • . • • . • • • . • . • • • • 102 WILLIAM, P. BALDWIN. • • • • . • • . • • • . • • • . • .286 INTRODUCTION mHERE is at the present time a growing inter- est in genealogy, and information on the sub~ j ect is extensive, but, for the most part, only to be found in the public libraries, while the gen­ eral public is not aware of its existence. The perusal of this dull subject is not a pleasant or · interesting study, for it is hard to get the people much interested in names the remembrance of which has long since passed away in the dim dis­ tance of relentless time. The preservation of pedigree, however, is not a mere pastime of the idle and curious-it is the pr.oper employment of the historian, for it has always found a place in true history and is usually the thread upon which is strung the events of centuries. The Jewish historian Jo­ sephus regarded genealogical study as of the greatest importance and it was established as a positive duty upon every Levite in the Temple, 2 GENEALOGY OF OUR BALDWIN FAMILY. and the whole structure of Christianity is based on the well established ancestry of its f ounda­ tion. America's greatest citizens have not failed to declare their pride .of birth. Garfield delighted to dwell on this. Samuel Tilden found leisure for such investigations, while Daniel Webster regarded the study of ancestry as a bounden duty. However indifferent some may affect to be regarding this vital question, experience of hu­ man nature serves to substantially prove that those who really have a pedigree will boast of it, while only those who cannot perhaps trace their grandfather will condemn such as frivolous and foolish. When it is understood that there was only a small population in the whole of the United States in the year 1776, exclusive of slaves and Indians, it will be seen that but a small portion of the present population can claim the h.onor which we enjoy of being descended from the original stock of New England settlers, which, it has been claimed, contained some of the very choicest and best blood of the Old World. INTRODUCTION. 3 The voices of the past may sound all too in­ distinct as they come to us in names and dates alone of men and events in which they have taken a part ; but even then silence is eloquent when refreshed by imagination and here we may see these ancestors of ours step out of the pages .of history having actual flesh and blood, with color in their cheeks, thoughts in their minds and power in their hands to battle for the glorious principles of the right. Our destinies appear today within us to under­ stand with intelligence accompanied with power and, while we reverence all that was great and good in our ancestors in the dim past, we should not linger there forgetful of our future, but, as voyagers in a new land of promise, know our future as a duty and meet our favored condition of existence with earnest action. I humbly confess to my much indebtedness in numerous ways to help thankfully received from various sources, among which are certain papers handed down apparently from generation to generation, giving much positive information that at this late date could not have been sup­ plied from any other source; also to information 4 GENEALOGY OF OUR BALDWIN FAMILY. fr.om private individuals, prominent among which is Mr. C. C. Baldwin, of Worcester, Mas­ sachusetts, Histories and Genealogical books, and very particularly the extensive works of Chas. Candee Baldwin, of Cleveland, on the Baldwins of the United States, from which relia­ ble source I have by permission given many quotations. I hope to be excused if I admit the fact that some imagination has probably been used in the department of the book styled "The Stories of the Baldwins," in order to bring out in a more interesting manner anecdotes that have been many times rehearsed by the older members of the family and for the purpose of describing in an entertaining manner customs that prevailed .. in pioneer days. Trusting this rather hastily gotten up little b.ook will be kindly received as furnishing a family reference and also as giving history per­ taining to the manners and customs of the peo­ ple by which our forefathers were surrounded in the early days, and with best wishes for all the Baldwins, I am justly proud of my ancestors and the Baldwin name. CHAPTER I. THE ENGLISH BALDWINS. IALDWIN is an old name and quite common as early as the Conquest of England. It appears in the roll of Battle Abbey there was in England a Baldwin as early as 672, and every one knows of the Baldwin Earls of Flanders, from the one con­ temporary of Alfred the Great-whose son, Bald­ win second, manied Elsruth, daughter of Alfred­ to the Baldwin 5th, who manied the daughter of Robert of France, and whose daughter Matilda married William the Conqueror; Baldwin, Em-·· peror of the East, in 1237, and of the Baldwins, · Earls of Devonshire, called in Normandy Baudoin des Riviers, and, in England, Baldwin de Lisle. Baldwin of Redvers, the Earl, was the first to rebel against Stephen. Rev. E. C. Baldwin, of Branford, Conn., tells us that a couple of Danes informed him that the name was a Danish one and common in that coun- 6 GENEALOGY OF OUR BALDWIN FAMILY. try. It exists as "Balduin" in Germany and even in my own city is a German, August Baldwin. Near Coblenz, on a stream flowing into the Rhine, is Baldwinstein (Baldwinstone) , a castle and a town. I was told at Florence that the name was Italian and common in that vicinity. Miss Strickland says it is a fine old name of Saxon origin and signifies "Bold Winner. Arthur on Family Names says "Baldwin (German) from 'Bald/ quick or speedy7 and 'win,' an old word signifying victor or con­ queror, as: 'Bertwin,' famous victor, 'Alwin,' all victorious, etc." Andersen also makes it the Ger­ man "Balde," from which "Baldwin," bold in battle. The ancestors of a very large share of the Bald­ wins in the United States lived in County Bucks, England, and the name seems to have been com­ mon there from a very early time. Baldwin de Hampden, whom Lord Nugent, and Maccauley after him, says was one of the Norman favorites of the Saxon King, Edward the Confessor, HamP­ den was and is in the same locality where in after years Baldwins were plenty. The history of the English Baldwins, who were THE ENGLISH BALDWINS. 7 ancestors of by very far the larger share of the Baldwins of America, occupied the largest portion of their genealogical records.