I have tried to use my page to highlight my historical and genealogical research and my hope was a visitor to my page would learn something new to help them with their research. I never thought that my postings would lead ME to new information. Such is the case with my genealogical posting “The Abel Prior Story.” I have had two messages from other Prior researchers, one who helped fill in a few blanks in Abel’s life.
As I mentioned in that earlier posting I have been trying to find the parents for Marina (Prior) Bassett-Rich-Hall-Parker (yes, she married a lot!). Focusing on the theory that Abel Prior may potentially be Marina’s father, I began tracing his life. I managed to find a lot on him, including proving through documentation who his parents were. All this research on Abel has yet to lead me to discover if he is the father of Marina.
But I am drawing closer to the answer.
In May of 2024, a gentleman who discovered my page and article on Abel Prior reached out to me. He had been researching the Shipman family and had found that the Shipmans intersected with Abel Prior’s family. We spent the next several months communicating via email, working together and bouncing research ideas off each other.
Through his research he was able to add details to Abel Prior’s life timeline, and his research cleared up the confusing census records….ages of wife/wives changed from decade to decade, as did the ages of children in the home. These inconsistencies made it difficult for me to develop a solid picture of the family. In 1800, Abel is living in Augusta (NY). In the home is Abel (m 26-44), a wife (f 26-44) and two teenagers (m 10-15) and (f 10-15), possibly siblings is my thought. Adding to this picture, my research buddy found that in 1801 Abel and his wife “Patty” signed a land deed in Augusta. Now I had a name for Abel’s first wife…Patty, which is a nickname for Martha. Adding to the story, the gentleman forwarded me an article that was published in the Fredonia Censor, January 13, 1869. The story was about Elijah Shipman who in 1813 had managed to kill a bobcat (but he thought it was a raccoon). It tells that Elijah was fostered/adopted by a childless couple — Abel Prior and his wife. It further notes that Abel Prior at one time owned a tavern in Sheridan (NY), which was a welcome stop for folks from Connecticut on their way to Northern Ohio. The history of Chautauqua notes that the “Prior’s Inn” tavern burned down around 1815.
This new piece of information clarifies who was living in Abel’s house in 1810, when the family was living in Pomfret (NY). He has himself (m 26-44); no wife; Elijah Shipman (m 0-10) and the two teenagers, now young adults (m 16-25) and (f 16-25) are still in the home. (I would love to discover who these two people are, although there is a notion that the woman could be another one of Abel’s wives). However, this census most certainly indicates Patty had died. Also during this decade, I surmise Abel’s father, Jedediah had died, and his mother appears to have moved from Augusta as she had asked to be dismissed from the Augusta (NY) Congregational Church in 1804.
In 1820 Abel was living in Kirtland, OH. In the census he shows himself (m 26-44); a new wife (26-44); 2 males (m 0-10) & (m 10-15); and a teenage/young female (16-25). From my email correspondence, I learned that Elijah Shipman had remained in New York State, and that in 1817 Abel signed another land deed with his new wife “Marina.” In my records, I had referred to her as “the Widow Strong,” because Abel signed off on a 1829 marriage certificate for John Strong, as he was under age, and I believed Able was his guardian (no official guardian papers have been found). What I did find online was a transcribed document of records of the Fredonia Presbyterian Church. In those records, Theodore/Thomas (transcription uses both those names….would love to see originals myself!) and his wife, Marina had their two young sons, Stephen Barnes and John baptized on July 24, 1814. T Strong is enumerated in the 1810 census in Pomfret (NY) with himself, his wife and one little boy. It appears Theodore/Thomas had one son before 1810 and one son after 1810. Looking at Abel in the 1820 census, we can now identify the male 0-10 as Stephen Barnes Strong and the male 10-15 as John Strong. Who the young woman in the census (f 16-25) is not known. She is too young to be the teen/young women in the earlier two censuses.
In 1830, the family is still in Kirtland and in their home the census reflects Abel (m 50-59); Marina (f 30-39); Stephen B Strong (m 15-19) and a little girl (f 5-10). The presence of this little girl may indicate Abel and Marina had a daughter. ….perhaps MY Marina? It is at this point my earlier research in “The Abel Prior Story” dove tails up with this new information.
Getting this information, lead me to finally reaching out to the Weathersfield (VT) Historical Society and to the Weathersfield Congregational Church, unfortunately the only information they had on the Prior family was a 1793 tax record listing Jedediah and Abel Prior. I reached out to the Augusta (NY) historian, who was unable to find any information on the Prior family. An online search for Augusta (NY) history, I found the records of the Augusta Congregational Church on familysearch, and from going through that, page by page, I found Desire (Hatch) Prior’s request for a dismissal hiding in the pages, but sadly no other Priors. I also reached out to the Probate Court of Lake County (OH), who forwarded me a copy of Marina (Prior) Bassett-Rich-Hall-Parker’s will, which had the names of her three children Oliver, Mary and Sarah, and her death certificate, which did not name parents. (Rats!)
Every little piece of information helps to flesh out the lives of Abel Prior and his family, drawing me closer to finding something that will document who the parents of Marina (Prior) Bassett-Rich-Hall-Parker. I remain firm with the notion of never giving up on your search….and maybe start a blog!
Laurie L. Kearney 