What Happened with Alexander's Family after the 1803 Tragedy in Vermont

There is considerable confusion about what may have happened to Alexander Jameson and the break up of his family after the death of his wife Janet (Brown) Jameson on March 23, 1803, in Barnet, Vermont, where they were living at the time. Unfortunately, our understanding of this is made all that more difficult because of a serious conflict on the subject in "The Jamsons in America"[1]

Although we know independently from the book that Jenny Jameson died on this date[2] and that shortly thereafter the family was broken up and found in various parts of Vermont and New Hampshire, we do not know why or what exactly happened to the all the rest of the family (that's the confusing part), especially Alexander Jameson himself (that's the conflicted part).

Specifically, the conflict is that E.O.Jameson states on Alexander's main listing on page 319, that Alexander "later went to Canandaigua, New York. He married Mrs. Parks. Mr. Jameson died November 17 1819. Mrs. Jameson died later." However in a separate section of the book, under the narrative in the Memoranda section of his youngest son Alexander on page 333, that “Mr. Jameson’s father, Alexander Jameson, died under peculiarly sad circumstances, when he (younger Alexander) was a small boy of five years. His father was one of several persons in the town seized with small pox, and was removed, according to old-time custom, to an isolated cabin. His wife, left at home with the young infant, was taken dangerously ill. Hearing of this, and desiring to see her once more, the convalescing husband and father escaped from the ‘pest house’ and literally dragged himself across the fields to his home, and there, through a window, held his last conversation with her. Both died soon after, and the children found homes among friends and relatives." This story, at least the death of Alexander, is not supported in any way by E. O. Jameson, other than it's inclusion in his book and then only in the narrative part of the Memoranda section of his son Alexander. Furthermore, the death of Jenny Jameson, and many others, is reported in the local newspaper of that time. However, no record about anything concerning Alexander Jameson can be found.

It is clear that after the death of Jenny Jameson the trauma was sufficient to cause the family to break up. If not immediately, soon thereafter. This could be because both parents had died, orphaning all the children by default, or it could have been that Alexander, weakened by his own illness and perhaps not expected to live, necessitated a break up. It's also possible Alexander was simply overwhelmed by the task of single parenthood (there were nine children) and he himself forced a break up. What ever the reasons we know this is true by both the narrative in E.O. Jamson's book and independant verification through various other records.[3]

What we don't really know definitively, is where and when the children ended up, or exactly what happened to Alexander. Did he in fact survive and at some point end up in Canandaigua, New York, as E.O. Jameson himself says in the narrative of the Memoranda section of Alexander listing, married to a Mrs. Parks, where he died as supported by the independent death notice in that local newspaper?[4] Or, did he die at approximately the same time as his wife Jenny, or soon after as is written by E.O. Jameson in the narrative section of Alexander son Alexander on page 333.

What little we do know from "The Jamesons in America" and from independant research, when pieced together and carefully analysed, seems to produce a clearer understanding of what may have actually happened to this family and to Alexander himself.

Hugh Jameson [JiA#1667], the eldest child, would have been a little older than 17 when the tragedy occurred in the fall of 1803. Although we don't know what happened to Hugh immediately after the death of his mother, we do know that Hugh married less than two years later in 1805, several months before his nineteenth birthday. He marries Janet Brock, a girl from a family that was prominent and prolific in that area at that time. Hugh, his wife Janet and their three kids can be found in Peacham, Vermont, at the time of the 1810 census.[5] Because the census' in those days was all hand written and therefore sometimes difficult to read, his name is sometimes transcribed as "Jenison" rather than "Jameson."

What became of Joseph Brown Jameson [JiA#1668], the second child, immediately after the Vermont catastrophe in 1803, isn't entirely clear either. E.O. Jameson includes an obituary that says he (JBJ) "returned to his native town after three years life in Vermont, remaining there until he became of age, when he removed to Lebanon, NH." If true, it would be likely his stay in Dunbarton was with the rest of the family from Vermont and that they probably lived with relatives, perhaps even back on the old homestead, while there. We know for certain that he was indeed in Lebanon, New Hampshire, a town in far western part of the state, on the Connecticut River, directly across from Vermont, south from Barnet, Vermont where they had been living a few years before, because he was part of the 1810 federal census.[6] The interesting thing is he was named as head of household of six people. We also know from "The Jamesons in America" that at least his younger brother Alexander, was living nearby at a cousins house in Lebanon, New Hampshire, apparently haven been taken in by the Eldridge's who were living there.

Most interesting however, is that an analysis of the cryptic 1810 census suggests that those living in the same household in Lebanon could very well have been the rest of Alexander Jameson family, not otherwise accounted for, including what might be Alexander Sr., himself. Looking at the 1810 census in Lenanon, New Hampshire, (see the census analysis graphic below) there is a listing for a male person 45 years or older. This listing would work, as do all the other listings of this census, for most of the known Jamesons of this family, including Alexander. Given that no other male of this age would likely be counted in the Joseph Brown Jameson household this is most plausibly Alexander Jameson, the father.

1810 US Federal Census - Lebanon, Grafton Co., NH

Assumed Household & entire family

Age

Free White Males

Free White Females

All other persons

Slaves

under 10 years

10 thru 15 years

16 thru 25 years

26 thru 44 years

45 and over

under 10 years

10 thru 15 years

16 thru 25 years

26 thru 44 years

45 and over

Actual Census =

1

2

1

2

Alexander Jameson

49

X

Hugh Jameson

23

Living in Peachm, Vermont - included in separate census taken there

Joseph Brown Jameson

22

X

Daniel Jameson

21

X

Anna Jameson

19

X

Sarah Jameson

17

X

Mary Jameson

15

Unknown

Thomas Jameson

13

Living with uncle Thomas Jameson in Goffstown, Hillsborough Co., NH - included in separate census taken there

Alexander Jameson

11

Living with Zuar Eldridge in Lebanon, Grafton Co., NH - included in separate census taken there

William Scott Jameson

7

X

Sometime after 1810, - perhaps as early as 1811, both Hugh and Daniel Jameson [JiA#1669] migrated to the Riga area of western upstate New York. They were joined there soon after, about 1814, by brother Joseph Brown Jameson and eventually by their youngest brother William Scott Jameson [JiA#1675]. E.O Jameson says[7] that Hugh Jameson "...removed with his family and two younger brothers, about 1812, to Riga, N.Y., where he remained until...." But the dates don't seem to add up. We know Daniel was there by then, as he had enlisted in the War of 1812 from Riga in the summer of 1812. Joseph Brown Jameson on the other hand, married Thankful Clement in New Hampshire in 1813, placing him still in New Hampshire at least until then. Their daughter however was born in Riga in the fall of 1814, placing them there by then. Nothing is known about father Alexander Jameson, during this time, leaving some doubt about whether he actually had survived in 1803, although E.O.Jameson shows him dying in Canandaigua, New York, in 1819, a fact which seems to be supported by the 1820 newspaper notice of a death of Alexander Jameson[4] of whom this notice can be no other.

According to E.O. Jameson, Thomas Jameson [JiA#1673], fourth son of Alexander and Jenny Jameson, was raised by his father's younger brother and namesake, Thomas Jameson. The 1810 federal census[8] for that family in Goffstown, New Hampshire, includes this possibility, but is somewhat complicated in other ways to be held absolutely conclusive. We do not know exactly when Thomas began living with his uncle in Goffstown, but it could have been as soon as just after the death of his mother in 1803, when most of the family returned to Dunbarton. Or, it could have started when many from the family moved to Lebanon, New Hampshire, sometime before 1810. After marrying, Thomas lived in Goshen, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, and about 1824 moved to Irasburgh, Vermont, where he became a successful and prominent merchant. Details of this are in "The Jamesons in America."[9]

Alexander Jameson [JiA#1674], fifth son of Alexander and Jenny Jameson was according to E.O. Jameson, taken in by Zuar and Mary (Brown) Eldridge, who were living in Lebanon, Grafton County, New Hampshire. Mary Eldridge is thought to have been Jenny Jameson's sister[10] and therefore young Alexander's aunt. Because E.O. Jameson's account of his whereabouts in "The Jamesons in America"[11] is so specific and because the 1810 census[12] for that Eldridge household is unusually large (16 people) and almost impossible to decipher, we can only accept E.O. Jameson's version of this as true. However, it should be noted that as difficult as the 1810 census is, it does not preclude that Alexander was not part of this household. It is not known exactly when Alexander was taken in by Zuar and Mary Eldrige, but it is reasonable to believe it may have been immediately after the death of his mother in 1803, when he was just a little more than three years old. This Alexander eventually moved to Irasburgh, Vermont, probably about 1820. E.O. Jameson's narrative on this is particularly colorful; “When he was twenty-one Mr. Eldridge gave him his “freedom suit” and one hundred dollars.  With this money he purchased a horse and saddle, and not long after went to Irasbugh, Vermont, a “wilderness town,” where his next older brother, Thomas, was living.”

Given all that we know, we cannot say exactly what happened to the family or definitively where the family was for all or parts of the time between 1803 and 1820. We know that Jenny (Brown) Jameson died in Barnet, Vermont, in 1803 and that the family apparently splintered somewhat after that. By 1810, we know, for the most part, where each of the family was and have a very good idea of each, thereafter. As to Alexander, it is reasonable to believe he survived any personal illness and the aftermath of the family catastrophe and trama of 1803. The 1810 census in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and the 1820 newspaper death notice in Canandaigua, New York, both of whom cannot be anyone else, would seem to confirm this.