Last updated: June 9, 2019
Contents
The author's Stafford Family page covers the descendants of David and Hannah (Grant) Stafford. This page discusses Hannah's parentage.
Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910 states David STAFFORD married Hannah GRANT 6 December 1789 in Lanesborough, Berkshire, MA, and he is found there in the 1790 census. The two had a son "Thomas G." Stafford born in 1807 in New York [Michigan Death Record][Page2]. A FamilySearch contributor suggested that Hannah was the Hannah Grant born 10 May 1768 in Lancaster, Worcester, MA, daughter of Thomas and Hannah Grant, in which case presumably the son "Thomas G." would be named after Hannah's father. We will now research this possibility, starting by researching the family in Lancaster.
The Lancaster Vital Records (and original image) contains an entry dated 7 Feb. 1760 for the marriage of "Thomas Grant & Hannah Churchill both of Lancaster", and some have incorrectly assumed that Hannah Churchill was the Hannah born 5 June 1740 daughter of Eliezer Churchill. As shown in The Churchill Family in America, p. 24, that Hannah married a Jeremiah, not Thomas Grant.
Instead, The Churchill Family in America, p.23 explains that Churchill was not Hannah's original maiden name, but was instead her name from her previous marriage to Samuel Churchill:
SAMUEL4 CHURCHILL (Joseph3, Joseph2, John1). Born in Boston, June 24, 1724. Died Sept. 28, 1759. Married, in Boston, Hannah Ellis, daughter of Samuel. After the death of Samuel she married Thomas Grant, of Lancaster, Feb. 7, 1760.
Thus, Hannah (Ellis) Churchill, daughter of Samuel Ellis, married as her 2nd husband, Thomas Grant. Hannah's children, from both marriages, appear in the [Lancaster Birth Records], including daughter Hannah born 10 May 1768, and her brother Melzer Grant, among others.
In the [1800 census], David and Hannah (Grant) Stafford were in Whitestown, Oneida Co., NY (near Augusta). On the same page, only two households later, is Melzer Grant, who was son of Thomas and Hannah (Ellis) (Churchill) Grant. This close proximity makes the connection between the two very probable.
Since the marriage of David Stafford and Hannah Grant was recorded 6 Dec. 1789 in Lanesborough, Berkshire, MA where David Stafford lived (see Stafford Family), we desire to establish that Hannah daughter of Thomas Grant had a connection to there by that time. <more research to be done>
| 7 FEB 1760 | married Hannah (ELLIS) CHURCHILL in Lancaster, Worcester Co., MA [Lancaster Vital Records] [original image] [Churchill Family in America, p.23] |
| daughter of Samuel ELLIS [Churchill Family in America, p.23] | |
| married Samuel CHURCHILL in Boston, MA [Churchill Family in America, p.23] | |
| 31 OCT 1749 | son Samuel CHURCHILL born in Lancaster [Lancaster Vital Records] [Lancaster Vital Record Transcripts] |
| 31 AUG 1759 | son Abiah CHURCHILL born in Lancaster [Lancaster Vital Records] [Lancaster Vital Record Transcripts] |
| 28 SEP 1759 | husband Samuel CHURCHILL died [Churchill Family in America, p.23] [Lancaster Vital Records] [Lancaster Vital Record Transcripts] |
| 7 FEB 1760 | married Thomas GRANT in Lancaster, Worcester Co., MA [Lancaster Vital Records] [original image] [Churchill Family in America, p.23] |
| 26 JUL 1763 | son Thomas born in Lancaster [Lancaster Vital Records] [Lancaster Vital Record Transcripts] |
| 16 JUN 1766 | daughter Katharin born in Lancaster [Lancaster Vital Records] [Lancaster Vital Record Transcripts] |
| 3 AUG 1766 | daughter Catherine christened in Lancaster [Lancaster Vital Records] |
| 10 MAY 1768 | daughter Hannah born in Lancaster [Lancaster Vital Records] [Lancaster Vital Record Transcripts] [MA Births and Christenings] |
| 15 MAY 1768 | daughter Hannah christened in Lancaster [Lancaster Vital Records] |
| 27 APR 1770 | son George born in Lancaster [Lancaster Vital Records] [Lancaster Vital Record Transcripts] |
| 24 JUN 1770 | son George christened in Lancaster [Lancaster Vital Records] |
| 6 FEB 1772 | son Melzer born in Lancaster [Lancaster Vital Records] [Lancaster Vital Record Transcripts] |
| 26 APR 1772 | son Melzar Turner Grant christened in Lancaster [Lancaster Vital Records] |
| 27 AUG 1774 | son William born in Lancaster [Lancaster Vital Records] [Lancaster Vital Record Transcripts] |
| 3 FEB 1792 | son Melzer of Leominster, Worcester Co., MA announced intent to marry Nancy RUNELS in Lunenburg, Worcester Co., MA [Lunenburg Marriages] |
| 19 MAR 1792 | son Melzer married Nancy RUNELS [Leominster Marriages] [Lunenburg Marriages] |
| 4 AUG 1800 | Children Hannah and Melzer both in census in Whitestown, Oneida Co., NY
(near Augusta)
[1800 census] David Stafford 1 male "26-45" (David, 45) 1 female 26-45 (Hannah, 32) 1 female 10-16 (Syntha) 1 male 10-16 (Ananias 11) 1 female 0-10 (Emma) 3 males 0-10 (David Jr. 7, Benager, William) Melzer Grant 1 male 0-10 1 male 26-45 (Melzer, 28) 2 females 0-10 1 female 10-16 1 female 26-45 (Nancy) |
| 12 MAY 1833 | son George, age 63, died in Lancaster of Consumption [Lancaster Deaths] |
Note that a Melzar Grant died 8 JUL 1859 in Winchendon, Worcester Co., MA in [MA Records] but that Melzar was only age 6 [Death Records] and so is not the Melzar from this family.
| 6 DEC 1789 | Married David STAFFORD in Lanesborough, Berkshire Co., MA [Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910] [Lanesborough Vital Records, 1781-1900] |
| 1790 | in census in Lanesborough, Berkshire Co., MA
[1790 census] David Stafford 1 male 16+ (David) 1 male 0-16 (Ananias 1) 2 females (Hannah; Syntha or Emma?) |
| 17 APR 1807 | Son Thomas G. born in NY [Michigan Death Record] |
| 8 MAR 1832 | Possibly died in Erie, Erie Co., PA [LTVS-1RM] |
| 13 MAR 1885 | Son Thomas G. died in Hart, Oceana Co., MI
[Michigan Death Record] Note: parents last residence listed as "Washington, Penn." which was where David and Sally Stafford lived in 1841 |