Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Pratt Stories - The Bartram Family XIII

My geat-grandfather was Henry Bartram, the only son of Ebenezer Bartram (III) and Abigail  Jennings. I really don't know too much about him. Elaine and I visited East Aurora, New York, and found his grave. There is a photograph of him in my "Guidebook to the Pratt Family of North Berrien". That it exists is remarkable to me. Since he died in 1864, it would have to have been taken during the Civil War. He is a very stern looking man. The Guidebook also has photos of his grave. I have his diary for the year he died. It is an 1863 diary with the dates changed to 1864. We know he was killed in a bridge-building accident but I have never been able to find the details even though I spent considerable time in East Aurora searching old files. He had three wives and seven children.
 
Here is the genealogical data:
 
Henry Bartram b 24 May 1811 Fairfield Ct d 9 Sept 1864 East Aurora NY
m 1. Hannah M. Baird Clinton Oneida Co NY  Sept 23 1841
Children: Mary Elizabeth
              Hannah Marie
m 2. Keturah S, Hougland or Hogland Buffalo NY Apr 12 1849
Children: Burr b 6 Sept 1853 Erie Co NY
              Flora Adell b 1854
              Isaac b 1856
m 3. Freelove McIntyre b 26 Dec 1824 m 16 Apr 1857 Aurora NY d 10 Apr 1913
Daughter of George McIntyre & Betsy Williams
Children: Nellie Mynett b 10 Apr 1858 d 21 Jan 1898
              Abigail Jennings b 8 Dec 1861 d ? May 1942
 
Here is what I know about Henry's migration. He was born in Fairfield in 1811; was age 7 when his parents traveled to Westmoreland, NY, by water. At age 16 he was in Paris when his father sold some property, and married Hannah Baird in Clinton at age 30 (Westmoreland, Paris and Clinton are all in Onieda County). At age 38 he married Keturah Hogland in Buffalo and at age 46 he married Freelove McIntyre, the widow of Perry Davis, in East Aurora.. He died in East Aurora "Aged 53 yr 3 mo & 16 ds" (gravestone).
 
This tells me he migrated from Onieda County to Buffalo some time before 1849 when he married Keturah. He would have traveled on the Erie Canal. Keturah would have died after Isaac was born in 1856, maybe in childbirth. He married Freelove in 1857. I don't know when he settled in East Aurora. Just because he married Keturah in Buffalo doesn't mean he settled there.
 
Henry's funeral was held Sept 11 1864. Congregational Minister Rev E.M.Sanford officiated. The East Aurora Historical Society has the Reverend's journal which includes the following notation under "Funerals":
 
11-9-64 Mr. Bartrum
246 (funeral number) Ps. 61:2
 
The Psalm says:
 
"From thhe end of the earth will
I cry unto thee, when my heart
is overwhelmed: lead me to the 
rock that is higher than I"
 
NEXT: The finish  of the Bartram Family saga.
 
Emailed Oct. 7

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