Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Pratt Stories - The Bartram Family XI

I don't know much about my great-great grandfather Ebenezer Bartram (III) but we have a family heirloom that ties us directly to him. More on that below. We know he was baptized on August 15, 1762 in Fairfield and died sometime after 1827 in Paris Township of Onieda County, New York. On January 9, 1803 he married Abigail Jennings, daughter of Isaac Jennings and Abigail Gould. Her grandfather and  great-grandfather were also named Isaac. Her mother was the daughter of Col. Abraham Gould who was killed at the Battle of Ridgefield.
 
Ebenezer and Abigail had two children that I know of, Henry, my great-grandfather, and Ebenezer who died as a baby. There is this notation in the records of the First Cogregational Church of Fairfield: "Ebenezer, son of Ebenezer and Abigail Bartram, bapt.13 Aug 1803 in private being near death."  This was only a little over eight months after their wedding. Was this a premature baby? Henry, born nearly eight years later, was apparently their only other child.
 
They occupied the family homestead in Fairfield until 1818 when they moved to Westmoreland, New York, a township south of Rome and west of Utica. It was said to be a journey of 260 miles by water. I am going to try and figure out their migration route.
 
He was a sea-faring man like his father, brothers, uncles and his wife's family. I don't know why he left the sea, but maybe because so many of them had died at sea or in the West Indies?
 
The only evidence I have of  his nautical career is a ship's "Pass" dated 1801 with the signature of President John Adams (now in the posession of Patricia Geisler):
 
                                  By the President of the United
                                        States of America
 
Suffer the Ship Ann of New York Ebenezer Bartram master or commander of the burthen of 299 tons or thereabouts, mounted with no guns, navigated with 16 men, TO PASS with her Company, Passengers, Goods and Merchandise, without any hinderance, siezure, or molestation: the said ship appearing by good testimony, to belong to one or more of the Citizens of the Unoted States, and to him or them only.
 
                                                    Given under my hand and the
                                                    seal of the United States 
                                                    of America, the twenty
                                                    fourth day of February
                                                    in the year of our Lord
                                                    one thousand eight hundred and one
 
                                                                      John Adams
                                                                   by the president
                                                             JMarshall  Secrretary of State

Emailed Oct. 4

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