Rachel Zerniah (Smith) Bemis

Family

Sources

1. Draper, The Bemis History and Genealogy (1900), pp. 1-5: "1. Joseph Bemis, the founder, and original immigrant of the Family ... was born in England in 1619. He came to Watertown Mass. as early as 1640 ... He died in Watertown on August 7th, 1684 ... his wife Sarah came with him ... His widow, who died about 1712, administered on her husband's estate, which was divided after her decease on Nov. 18, 1712 ... to the following children, viz: Ephraim, Mary, Rebecca and John ..." Children list "Descendants of Joseph and Sarah Bemis of Watertown, Mass.": "10 — IX. John b. Aug. 1659. d. Oct. 24, 1732." Matches john-bemis-bsb: birth Aug 1659 and death 1732-10-24 already on graph; his own entry heading "10. John Bemis. (1. Joseph.)"; named heir in the 1712 estate division.

   Draper, The Bemis History and Genealogy (1900), pp. 180-181, family #2022 Robert Wheatland Bemis: "m. Albany, N. Y. Nov. 26, 1852, Rachel Zerniah (b. S. Wilbraham, Mass., Aug. 21, 1827) dau. of Johleel Smith (b. Sandersfield, Mass. Oct. 3, 1794, d. Chicopee, Mar. 10, 1839). CHILDREN. b. Chicopee, Mass. ... 2033 - III. Mary Catherine, b. Feb. 5, 1861. m. Chicopee, June 15, 1892, Wilber Martindale Swan." Matches mary-bemis-swan: same name Mary C(atherine) Bemis; husband Wilbur/Wilber Martindale Swan (named as spouse Mary C Bemis in his 1918 Springfield obit); Chicopee home before marriage; b. 1861 fits.

2. The Chaffee Genealogy (1909), Appendix B, p. 565: "Joseph Hills was born in Billerica [Billericay], Essex County, England, in 1602, and married Rose Clark. He emigrated to New England in 1638. He had: Gershom Hills, born in Charlestown, Mass., July 7, 1639, and married Elizabeth Chadwick. He lived in Malden, Mass., and had: Sarah Hills, married John Chaffe (16). Abigail Hills, married Joseph Chaffe (18)." Same book #16: heirs of Gershom Hills quitclaimed land in Malden (1721) "given to Gershom Hills by his father, Joseph Hills of Newbury, Mass., September 10, 1677." Matches gershom-hills-bsb: of Malden; m. Elizabeth Chadwick; daughters Sarah (Chaffee) and Abigail (Chaffee).

   William H. Chaffee, The Chaffee Genealogy (1909), #1615 (p. ~331): "Mary Bliss Chaffee (Comfort, Comfort, Joseph, John, Joseph, Thomas) was born in South Wilbraham, Mass., January 9, 1797, and died in Chicopee, Mass., April 15, 1874. She married in South Wilbraham, April 22, 1819, Ishled [Jahleel] Smith of that place, their intention of marriage being entered there, March 26, 1819. He was born in Sandisfield, Mass., October 3, 1794, and died in Springfield, Mass. ... March 10, 1841. He was a hotel-keeper and also a clothier. Children: Mary Ann Smith, born in 1820 ...; Ellen Amanda Smith, born in 1822; married Fuller ...; Persis Maria Smith, born in 1825; Rachel Zuriah Smith, born in 1827." Matches: husband's exact birth date/place = johleel-smith (Sandisfield 1794-10-03, Draper); daughter Rachel Zuriah b. 1827 = rachel-zerniah-smith-bemis; same sister set (Mary Ann, Ellen Amanda, Persis Maria) as Cutter. NB: husband death given 1841 Springfield here vs 1839 Chicopee (Draper).

3. Draper, The Bemis History and Genealogy (1900), pp. 1-5: "1. Joseph Bemis, the founder, and original immigrant of the Family ... was born in England in 1619. He came to Watertown Mass. as early as 1640 ... He died in Watertown on August 7th, 1684 ... his wife Sarah came with him ... His widow, who died about 1712, administered on her husband's estate, which was divided after her decease on Nov. 18, 1712 ... to the following children, viz: Ephraim, Mary, Rebecca and John ..." Children list "Descendants of Joseph and Sarah Bemis of Watertown, Mass.": "10 — IX. John b. Aug. 1659. d. Oct. 24, 1732." Matches john-bemis-bsb: birth Aug 1659 and death 1732-10-24 already on graph; his own entry heading "10. John Bemis. (1. Joseph.)"; named heir in the 1712 estate division.

   Draper, The Bemis History and Genealogy (1900), pp. 180-181, family #2022 Robert Wheatland Bemis: "m. Albany, N. Y. Nov. 26, 1852, Rachel Zerniah (b. S. Wilbraham, Mass., Aug. 21, 1827) dau. of Johleel Smith (b. Sandersfield, Mass. Oct. 3, 1794, d. Chicopee, Mar. 10, 1839). CHILDREN. b. Chicopee, Mass. ... 2033 - III. Mary Catherine, b. Feb. 5, 1861. m. Chicopee, June 15, 1892, Wilber Martindale Swan." Matches mary-bemis-swan: same name Mary C(atherine) Bemis; husband Wilbur/Wilber Martindale Swan (named as spouse Mary C Bemis in his 1918 Springfield obit); Chicopee home before marriage; b. 1861 fits.

4. Draper, The Bemis History and Genealogy (1900), pp. 1-5: "1. Joseph Bemis, the founder, and original immigrant of the Family ... was born in England in 1619. He came to Watertown Mass. as early as 1640 ... He died in Watertown on August 7th, 1684 ... his wife Sarah came with him ... His widow, who died about 1712, administered on her husband's estate, which was divided after her decease on Nov. 18, 1712 ... to the following children, viz: Ephraim, Mary, Rebecca and John ..." Children list "Descendants of Joseph and Sarah Bemis of Watertown, Mass.": "10 — IX. John b. Aug. 1659. d. Oct. 24, 1732." Matches john-bemis-bsb: birth Aug 1659 and death 1732-10-24 already on graph; his own entry heading "10. John Bemis. (1. Joseph.)"; named heir in the 1712 estate division.

   Draper, The Bemis History and Genealogy (1900), pp. 180-181, family #2022 Robert Wheatland Bemis: "m. Albany, N. Y. Nov. 26, 1852, Rachel Zerniah (b. S. Wilbraham, Mass., Aug. 21, 1827) dau. of Johleel Smith (b. Sandersfield, Mass. Oct. 3, 1794, d. Chicopee, Mar. 10, 1839). CHILDREN. b. Chicopee, Mass. ... 2033 - III. Mary Catherine, b. Feb. 5, 1861. m. Chicopee, June 15, 1892, Wilber Martindale Swan." Matches mary-bemis-swan: same name Mary C(atherine) Bemis; husband Wilbur/Wilber Martindale Swan (named as spouse Mary C Bemis in his 1918 Springfield obit); Chicopee home before marriage; b. 1861 fits.

5. Cutter, Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts, vol. II (1910), pp. 878-879, Bemis family: "(VII) Robert Wheatland, son of Robert Eddy and Martha G. (Wheatland) Bemis ... He married Rachel, daughter of Jahleel and Mary (Chaffee) Smith. She was born August 21, 1827 ... Children: ... Mary Catherine, married Wilber Swan" ; "Jahleel (2), son of Jahleel (1) Smith, married Mary Bliss, daughter of Captain Comfort Chaffee. Children: Mary Ann, born June 20, 1820, married Thomas Richards, of Holyoke; Ellen Amanda, November 5, 1822, married Josiah Fuller, of Chicopee ...; Persis Maria, August 1, 1825, married Adna Bates ...; Rachel, who married Robert W. Bemis". Matches rachel-zerniah-smith-bemis: (1) exact birth 1827-08-21; (2) husband Robert W(heatland) Bemis; (3) daughter Mary Catherine m. Wilber Swan; father Jahleel = johleel-smith (b. Sandisfield 1794-10-03 per same page's Jahleel (1) family list).

   Cutter, Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts, vol. II (1910), pp. 878-879, Bemis family: "(VII) Robert Wheatland, son of Robert Eddy and Martha G. (Wheatland) Bemis ... He married Rachel, daughter of Jahleel and Mary (Chaffee) Smith. She was born August 21, 1827 ... Children: ... Mary Catherine, married Wilber Swan" ; "Jahleel (2), son of Jahleel (1) Smith, married Mary Bliss, daughter of Captain Comfort Chaffee. Children: Mary Ann, born June 20, 1820, married Thomas Richards, of Holyoke; Ellen Amanda, November 5, 1822, married Josiah Fuller, of Chicopee ...; Persis Maria, August 1, 1825, married Adna Bates ...; Rachel, who married Robert W. Bemis". Matches rachel-zerniah-smith-bemis: (1) exact birth 1827-08-21; (2) husband Robert W(heatland) Bemis; (3) daughter Mary Catherine m. Wilber Swan; father Jahleel = johleel-smith (b. Sandisfield 1794-10-03 per same page's Jahleel (1) family list).

6. The Chaffee Genealogy (1909), Appendix B, p. 565: "Joseph Hills was born in Billerica [Billericay], Essex County, England, in 1602, and married Rose Clark. He emigrated to New England in 1638. He had: Gershom Hills, born in Charlestown, Mass., July 7, 1639, and married Elizabeth Chadwick. He lived in Malden, Mass., and had: Sarah Hills, married John Chaffe (16). Abigail Hills, married Joseph Chaffe (18)." Same book #16: heirs of Gershom Hills quitclaimed land in Malden (1721) "given to Gershom Hills by his father, Joseph Hills of Newbury, Mass., September 10, 1677." Matches gershom-hills-bsb: of Malden; m. Elizabeth Chadwick; daughters Sarah (Chaffee) and Abigail (Chaffee).

   William H. Chaffee, The Chaffee Genealogy (1909), #1615 (p. ~331): "Mary Bliss Chaffee (Comfort, Comfort, Joseph, John, Joseph, Thomas) was born in South Wilbraham, Mass., January 9, 1797, and died in Chicopee, Mass., April 15, 1874. She married in South Wilbraham, April 22, 1819, Ishled [Jahleel] Smith of that place, their intention of marriage being entered there, March 26, 1819. He was born in Sandisfield, Mass., October 3, 1794, and died in Springfield, Mass. ... March 10, 1841. He was a hotel-keeper and also a clothier. Children: Mary Ann Smith, born in 1820 ...; Ellen Amanda Smith, born in 1822; married Fuller ...; Persis Maria Smith, born in 1825; Rachel Zuriah Smith, born in 1827." Matches: husband's exact birth date/place = johleel-smith (Sandisfield 1794-10-03, Draper); daughter Rachel Zuriah b. 1827 = rachel-zerniah-smith-bemis; same sister set (Mary Ann, Ellen Amanda, Persis Maria) as Cutter. NB: husband death given 1841 Springfield here vs 1839 Chicopee (Draper).