Yet More Family

Written by: Leo Lawton

You may recall that when Benjamin Lawton, son of Oliver, moved north into the New York wilderness in the latter half of the first decade of the 1800s he was nearly 40 years of age, having been born in 1770. At this time, he had 3 children with 4 more to later arrive in the family.

That third boy child, born in 1807 in Fairfield, Herkimer County, was named after his father, and thus became Benjamin Junior. Ben Jr. lived nearly his entire life as a dairy farmer in Antwerp, Jefferson County, NY. He married Betsy Chase, and they had 8 children.

The second born, in 1833, was Joseph Pratt Lawton. Joseph was my grandfather’s father. Joseph led an interesting life. He was at times a farmer, an undertaker, a carpenter, and a teacher. As well, he was an astute businessman at one time owning an entire block on Main Street in the village of Philadelphia, Jefferson County, NY. How Joseph found the time I do not know, but in fact 11 children were born to him and his wife Jane Wilson.

The 5th and 6th born, in 1866, and I don’t know in which order, were twins named William and Wealtha. William was my grandfather who lived until he was 92, dying in 1958 when I was 20 years old. Thus, I knew him although I only met him a limited number of times.

Most of those in this document are interred in the Sandy Hollow Cemetery located near Philadelphia, Jefferson, New York.