WAYNE COUNTY NY DOCUMENTS DOCKET
Documents Docket is for original documents sent in by researchers. These are useful
to all researchers as they indicate activities and interests of signators. If you have an unusual
item you think other researchers would enjoy seeing, talk to the two site co-coordinators, our addresses on
the front page of this site. Examples of good items are ledgers with customers' names, letters that
talk about activities, invitations, certificates, programs, military pension papers, etc.
New - Oct 30, 2006 - an invitation to members of the Zenobia Commandery No. 41, K.T. (Knights Templar) of Palmyra, N.Y., a men's fraternal lodge,
regarding voting on applications of new members into their chapter. Some of the men were from the nearby community of Shortsville in the Town of Manchester, Ontario County. This invitation will be donated to the Office of
the County Historian in Lyons NY in November 2006.
Palmyra, N.Y., May 8, 1917
Dear Sir Knight:
The following candidates have petitioned Zenobia Commandery for the Orders of Knighthood:
George Wilson Powell - Canandaigua
Jay Carleton Tourtellot - Canandaigua
Paul DeVere Newton - Newark
Charles Harvey Perkins - Newark
George A. Ross - Newark
William Snyder Mills - Shortsville
Willialm Bird Krantz - Shortsville
Ralph W. Petty - Shortsville
Benjamin Wesley Slocum - Shortsville
Elwyn Gillette Stoddard - Shortsville
So goodly a number of candidates has prompted the Council officers to arrange a "Double-header" which will be held on
Wednesday, May 16, 1917
with the following schedule of plans:
Opening of Commandery - 4:00 P.M.
Ballotting upon petitions - 4:15 P.M.
Order of Red Cross - 4:30 P.M.
Commandery Dinner - 6:00 P.M.
Order of Malta - 7:30 P.M.
Order of the Temple - 8:00 P.M.
You all know what Zenobia's "Double-headers" mean particularly when a dinner is to be had. This may be the last conferring of the Orders before the summer vacation.
Cordially
S.D. VanAlstine, Recorder
Samuel T. Newman, Commander
New - 4 Oct 2006
A "hive" is a local chapter of the women's auxiliary of the K.O.T.M., or Knights of the Maccabees. This is early documentation
for any chapter as the Hives of the Ladies of the Maccabees (L.O.T.M.) were started in 1890, first proposed by
Mrs. A. G. Ward of Muskegon, Michigan. The original letter was donated to the Office of the County Historian in Lyons, NY. in September 2006.
Newark May 18 '92
To Busy Hive
No. 39 of Lyons N.Y.
Fern Hive No. 40 of Newark sends a special invitation to Busy Hive No. 39, with their
husbands to an ice cream social to be held at there regular place of meeting next
Wednesday eve May 25th 1892. G.A.R. Hall
Fern Hive No. 40
Newark N.Y.
Kittie Dillenbeck
Record Keeper
New - 4 Oct 2006
A small faded handwritten letter, year not given, that was found in Ontario County with the above LOTM letter. I spent quite a bit of time
on ancestry.com and couldn't figure out who writer J.E. Robinson was. There is no uncertainty that the signature is "J.E. Robinson." The
letter is written in fine 19th century penmanship and the ink turning brown. This letter will be donated to the Office of the County
Historian.
Newark May 2nd
Dear Brother & Sister
Father was taken quite sick at Ira's Monday night: they brought him home Wednesday. We called a Dr. he was home
yesterday & later today. & I asked him if he thought he would be up in a few days or if it would some little time
and he said that it would be some time he thought but said he did not consider his case serious as it now stands. he called it congestion of the Liver.
I thought I would write you for I know Father would like to see you so come when you can and in the mean time if he
should get worse will let you know.
Yours Truly
J.E. Robinson
An 1848 letter written by Seth Smith , contributed by Allyn Hess Perry.
A small crumbling scrap of paper in the possession of researcher Marilyn Madden may be the only material documentation of the marriage of Leander W. Knowlton and Maryette Vought. This is significant as it was a piece of paper, not a "fancy certificate", given to the couple by the officiating justice of the peace to keep as proof of marriage.
This may certify, to all whom it may appear or concern that, I have this day married Leander W Knowlton of the town of Victory, to Miss Maryette Vought of the town of Butler, according to the Laws of the State of New York. Dated it the 14th day of September 1844
Augustus F Ferris Justice
Contributed by researcher Gary Welch:
I realized that I have a couple of other Wayne Co. marriage certificates:
In Huron:
Groom: Jacob Sours of Huron
Bride: Mary Derby of Huron
Date: 2 January 1861
Witness: S. M. Waterman
Minister: M.D.L. Burton Wells [not sure of the first initial; there is a slight gap between "Burton" and "Wells"; Wells described himself as "Minister of the Gospel" on the certificate]
Jacob Sours is a mystery but he is almost certainly related to me. My Sours ancestors moved to Huron in the early 1830s but I haven't found any record of Jacob before his marriage. Jacob and Mary's only child, Jennie, was born August 1, 1862. A few days later, on August 9, 1862, Jacob enlisted in the 9th N.Y. Heavy Artillery. He was wounded September 19, 1864 in Winchester VA. He died of the wounds September 30, 1864 and is buried in Winchester National Cemetery. A pension application was submitted for his daughter Jennie, the marriage certificate is in the pension file. One of the affidavits in the pension file was signed by Philip Sours, my g-g-g-grandfather.
In Wolcott:
Groom: S. [Samuel] Eugene Coleman of Red Creek; b. Red Creek; son of Samuel H. [Handy] Coleman and Marian Crosman
Bride: Mabel E. Sours of Wolcott; b. Huron; daughter of Frank P. [Franklin Pierce] Sours and Alice Reynolds
Date: 26 July 1905
Witness: Ethel Sours of Wolcott [sister of the bride]
Minister: Charles J. Shaw, "Paster 1st Presby Ch", Wolcott, NY
These are my grandparents. The wedding took place in her parent's home in Wolcott according to a family bible. The first wedding that I sent you previously was her parents.
I looked a little further in my files and found the following marriage notice about one of them from the Clyde Times 1/5/1861:
Married, at the Methodist Parsonage in Rose, January 2d, 1861, by Rev. Burton Wells, Mr. Jacob Sours to Miss Mary Derby, all of Huron.
Two other marriages that happen to be on the same page:
Married, in Wolcott, on the 31st of December 1860, by Rev. Geo. H. Salsbury, Mr. Wm. G. Thomas to Miss Cynthia Elizabeth Tites, both of Wolcott.
Married, in Butler, January 1st, 1861, by the Rev. Geo. H. Salsbury, Mr. Jackson Termceil [?] of Wolcott, to Miss Lovina A. Rice [?], of Butler.
One other that appears on the same page as an obit for my g-g-grandfather, from the Clyde Times 7/10/1879:
MARRIED. Swift-Strickland. - In Clifton Springs, July 6th, 1879, by Rev. Dr. Hibbard, William H. Swift to Miss Della Strickland, both of Clyde.
Gary Welch
Contributed by researcher Gary Welch:
I saw your listing of Wayne Co. ministers. I have a copy of the wedding certificate for my great-grandparents in Butler. The certificate does not make clear whether the ceremony was performed by a minister or a civil official. The original of the certificate is in the possession of my mother's aunt.
Groom: Frank P. [Franklin Pierce] Sours of Huron
Bride: Alice M. Reynolds of Butler
Date: December 27, 1877
Performed by: W. L. Page
Witnesses: George W. DeLamater; Sabra A. DeLamater
The certificate is large (18" x 12") and has three cutouts for pictures of the bride, groom, and the minister (?).
W. L. Page appears to have been maybe thirty and had a Lincoln-style beard.
From other sources:
The groom was the son of Reuben Sours and Maria Huyck.
The bride was the daughter of John Reynolds and Susan Williams.
The witnesses were the bride's sister and brother-in-law, the ceremony was performed at their home.
I have no information on the religion of the bride. Her mother died in 1871. Her father was listed as insane in the 1870 census and died in 1884 at the Wayne Co. Insane Asylum. The groom's family may have been Presbyterians by that time.
Gary Welch
Contributed by researcher Jim Otten:
I am researching three families in Wayne Co. NY: BREARLEY, VAN ETTEN, and HEWLETT. This document was handed down to me by my mother. It is a certification of my ancestor Joseph Brearley (Brearly) to teach in Lyons dated Nov. 11th, 1830.
"We the undersigned inspectors of Common Schools for the town of Lyons in the county of Wayne do certify that at a meeting of the inspectors for that purpose we have examined Joseph Brearly and do believe he is well qualified in respect to moral character, learning and ability to instruct a common schools in this town for one year from the date hereof. Lyons Nov 11th 1830.
Signed:
Hugh Jameson, Harvy Geer, R.W. Ashley"
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Created: sometime in 1998
Last Updated: 10/30/06
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