AMES FAMILY GENEALOGY IN PETERBOROUGH NH ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- Information located at http://www.nh.searchroots.com/HillsboroughCo/Peterborough/ On a web site about GENEALOGY AND HISTORY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE and its counties TRANSCRIBED BY JANICE BROWN Please see the web site for my email contact. ---------------------------------- The original source of this information is in the public domain, however use of this text file, other than for personal use, is restricted without written permission from the transcriber (who has edited, compiled and added new copyrighted text to same). ======================================================== SOURCE: History of the town of Peterborough, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire : with the report of the proceedings at the centennial celebration in 1839, an appendix containing the records of the original proprietors, and a genealogical and historical register, by Albert Smith; Boston: Press of G.H. Ellis, 1876, 753 pgs. THE AMES FAMILY Page 9-13 TIMOTHY AMES was b. in Andover, Mass., Sept. 26, 1765; m. Sarah Kneeland, March 22, 1787. Removed to Peterborough in 1793, first living in the north part of the town, and subsequently in various places, until late in life, when he built a house near the North Village, where he lived until his death. He d. suddenly, May 14, 1835, ae 69. His w. survived him many years and d. Nov 13, 1861, ae 92. He was a cheerful, industrious and honest man. He was not successful in life, and had a hard struggle to rear up his large family, which, nevertheless, he did faithfully. Mr. Ames played the violin excellently well for those days, and for many years he supplied all the music demanded for the dancing parties for a large extent of territory around Peterborough. He derived a good deal of income from this source, which he followed through life, though his pay was small. During the season of dancing he was employed a good deal of the time, and often played night after night, with little rest, and with great acceptance to the young people. He entered with great glee into the enjoyment of the young, and was never weary, nor ever relaxed his efforts, as long as it was a pleasure to them. Children: 1. SALLY, b. in Andover, Feb 21, 1788; m. Aug 16, 1812, George Henry. He d. May 12, 1825, ae 37. Had two sons: George, who d. at Peterborough, Feb 18, 1871, ae 57; and John, who r. in Stoneham, Mass. 2. +TIMOTHY KNEELAND, b. Aug 16, 1789; m. Dorothy evans, dau Asa and Dorothy Buss Evans. 3. SAMUEL, b. Oct 6, 1791; m. Sally Scott; five ch. He r. in Constantia, NY; d. in Peterborough Jan 31, 1872, ae 81. 4. JOHN, b. Aug 3, 1793; unm.; died July 16, 1816 ae 23. 5. BENJAMIN, b. July 30, 1795; d. July 6, 1797 ae 2. 6. BENJAMIN, b. June 25, 1797; d. March 24, 1812, ae 14 yrs 9 mos. 7. MARY K., b. June 1, 1799; m. May 23, 1818, Stephen Felt. 8. RUTHY S., b. March 12, 1802; m. May 1, 1821, John Hadley. 9. HEPSIBETH C., b. Dec 25, 1803; m. March 10, 1831, Jacob Longley. 10. +ALVAH, b. April 5, 1806; m. May 21, 1828 Betsey Little; 2d w., Rachel A. Watts. 11. +JOSEPH H., b. April 9, 1808; m. Aug 28, 1832, Mary Melvin TIMOTHY KNEELAND AMES, m. Jan 16, 1813, Dorothy Evans, dau of Asa and Dorothy Buss Evans. She d. March 28, 1873, ae 82 yrs 11 mos. He died Aug 25, 1874, ae 85. Mr. Ames was born in Andover, Mass., and was four years of age when his father removed to Peterborough, in 1793. His youth was spent in town. He was in the employ of Judge Theophilus Parsons, of Boston, as his personal attendant and coachman for a number of years previous to 1812, a circumstance that modified all his after life. Being of a quick and observing turn of mind, he acquired much information by such an observance and an address and manner that was of great service to him through his life. He faithfully improved all these advantages. He returned to Peterborough in 1812, and soon commenced the business of auctioneer, in which he was very popular and successful, not only in town, but in all the adjoining towns for a circuit of twenty-five miles. His first sale was the property of James Ferguson. He sold a large amount of property for Hon. Samuel Smith, and a larger number of acres for Gen. James Wilson. In the autumn of 1821, he sold at auction for sixty-five days before the first of January. In 1861, finding his labor too severe, and his business increasing rapidly, he associated with him in his business Col. S.I. Vose, under the firm of "Ames & Vose," which partnership continued to his death. The last sale to which he gave his personal attention, was in January 1871, at East Jaffrey. In 1819 he received his first appointment as deputy sheriff, from Gen. Benjamin Pierce, and held this office until his death, under all the successive administrations of the various high sheriffs of either political party. He was commissioned as justice of the peace in 1820, of the quorum in 1857, of the State in 1862. He was moderator for fourteen annual meetings of the town; viz 1833, 1834, 1838, 1839, 1840, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1857, 1851, 1855, 1861. He was selectman nine years, and represented the town in the Legislature in 1840 and 1841. He was always interested in the affairs of the town, earnestly aiding and supporting, all good measures for its peace and welfare. He was always public spirited, always liberal in donations to all charitable purposes. It was easy to know where he would be found when any new enterprise needed aid. He was always ready and foremost in any good work in town or in his own religious society. Of this he was one of the main pillars. He was deeply interested in a railroad to Peterborough, and sustained serious losses by his zeal and enterprise. He enlisted with much interest in the Monadnock Railroad, and was delighted to sit at his window and hear the shrill whistle of the locomotive, and see the train of cars come into the village. Children: 1. +THEOPHILUS PARSONS, b. Aug 22, 1813; m. Almira P. Farnum; 2d w., Julia Ann Peaslee. 2. ALPHA E., b. Oct 9, 1815; d. Oct 4, 1826, ae 11. 3. SARAH, b. April 8, 1816; d. Aug 11, 1822, ae 6 yrs 4 mos. 4. CHARLOTTE, b. April 8, 1818, m. Nathaniel Whittemore Jr., res. Rome NY 5. MARY E., b. Feb 8, 1820; m. William Wallace of New Boston [NH], q.v. 6. ELIZA G., b. Aug 5, 1821; d. Oct 8, 1822 ae 1 yr 7. JOHN A. (twin) b March 18, 1823, died in infancy 8. BENJAMIN F. (twin) b. March 18, 1823, died in infancy 9. +GEORGE W., b. April 25, 1824, m1st w. Julia J. Greene; and 2d w., Eliza Brown 10. LOUISA E., b. Nov 6, 1825; m. Feb 5, 1863, John E. Needham, who d. Aug 29, 1870 ae 49 yrs 10 mos; ch., Walter B., b. Nov 12, 1863, d. Sept 28, 1870 ae 6 yrs 10 mos; Clara Ednah Ames, b. July 3, 1850, m. Charles B. Davis of Jaffrey, June 11, 1871; ch., Willie Burt b June 7 1872. Mrs. Needham m. 2d h. William Burt 11. JOSEPH KNEELAND, b. Jan 3, 1828, d. Oct 24, 1844 ae 16 yrs 9 mos 12. ABBIE E., b. June 5, 1829; m. March 22, 1854, Henry M. Breed. ch: (1) Harry A b. May 18, 1856; (2) Arthur G., b. Oct 16, 1864; (3) Marshall E., b. July 28, 1866, d. Aug 26 1866. ALVAH AMES, m. Betsey Little May 21, 1828. She d. March 27, 1872, ae 68; 2d w., Nov 26, 1872, Rachel A. Watts. He has always lived in the village and for many years carried on the beef and provision business. Children: 1. ELIZABETH L., born May 2, 1829 2. SARAH MARIA, b. April 15, 1831; d. Feb 25, 1833, ae 1 yr 10 mos 3. ALVAH A., b. April 15, 1834,; d. Sept 4, 1835. 4. SARAH M., b. Sept. 27, 1835; m. June 7, 1854, Charles A. Miller. Ch: (1) Lizzie M., b. June 2, 1856; (2) Fred M., b. Oct 8, 1860; (3) Frank E., b. West Meriden CT, May 5, 1866, d. Sept 6, 1866 ae 4 mos. 5. ALBERT A., b. Feb 24, 1845; m. Alice M. Kimball 1871 of chicopee Falls, Mass. JOSEPH H. AMES, m. Aug 21, 1832, Mary Melvin. He erected the buildings where he now lives, on what is called the "Bailey place," directly north of the Congregational Church. He was a cabinet-maker by trade. He was many years undertaker for the town. A deacon in the Congregational Unitarian Church. Children: 1. J. MELVIN, b. Sept 8, 1835, d. April 9, 1850 ae 15. 2. AUGUSTA F., b. Dec 2, 1836; m. Oct 9, 1865, William A. Smith. He d. Feb 24, 1870, ae 34. Ch. (1) Margaret E., b. Oct 3, 1866; (2) Frederick W., b. Feb 23, 1869. 2. CHARLES A., b. Jan 1, 1839; m. Oct 13, 1865, Annie Marden; ch (1) Willis, b. Dec 29, 1867; (2) Arthur M., b. July 13, 1871, d. July 12, 1872, ae 1 yr; (3) Leslie W., b. March 29, 1873, r. in Bay City, Michigan. 3. MARSHALL, b. July 14, 1841; m. 1869, Jennet Butman of Bay City, Michigan. Ch: (1) Henry M., b. July 1870; (2) Howard B., b. Peterborough Aug 2, 1874, resided Bloomington, IL. 4. AGNES, b. Sept 23, 1843; m. Chester C. Wheeler; resided Leavenworth, Kansas. One ch., b. Peterborough, Oct 15, 1875 [child not named] 5. WILLIS L., b Sept 29, 1845; m. 1868, Ella Butman. She d. Dec 13, 1872; ch (1) Charles B., b. April 27, 1869. THEOPHILUS PARSONS AMES m. Nov 17, 1835, Almira P. Farnum. She d. Dec 18, 1835, ae 27; 2d w., Julia Ann Peaslee, Nov 27, 1836. Children: 1. TIMOTHY K., b. Sept 25, 1837; m. April 1, 1858, Louisa W., dau of Thomas and Lucretia Munson Little. Ch., Freddie, b. June 20, 1860; d. Aug 29, 1860. He was educated to the law, but at the breaking out of the Rebellion [Civil War] he promptly enlisted, and was appointed a Lieutenant, and killed in the 2d Bull Run battle, Aug 29, 1862. He was an educated and promising young man. 2. ALMIRA, b. Aug 11, 1839; m. Frank Wheeler; resided in Boston MA 3. ALPHA E., b. April 21, 1841; resided New York City GEORGE W. AMES, m. March 27, 1845, Julia J. Greene. She d. Feb 4, 1859, ae 33, two ch; m. 2d w. Eliza Brown, Jan 4, 1860, six ch. CHILDREN: 1. FREDERICK F., b. Dec 25, 1851. 2. CHARLES G., b. Sept 22, 1853; d. April 19, 1854 ae 6 mos 3. JULIA A., b. April 13, 1861 4. TIMOTHY K., b Sept 21, 1862 5. DORA L., b. Dec 21, 1865 6. GEORGE W., b July 11, 1866 7. EMMA B., b. July 2, 1867 8. MARY E., b. Aug 6, 1871; d. Jan 14, 1872 ae 5 mos. (end)