A lot of family trees exist today with John Farmer as the father of Stephen Farmer. Focusing on published works, we examine the evidence that the information contained in those trees is incorrect.
When branching my family tree, I’ve been led down wrong paths with misdirection or misinformation, particularly when it becomes too easy to simply copy and paste another researcher’s family tree, only to dig deeper and find that the hours to build a branch were all for naught. Today’s blog hopes to point other Farmer family researchers in the correct direction when branching their family tree.
There are several publicly available family trees on several genealogical, historical society, and self-published internet sites that have John Farmer as the father of Stephen Farmer (born circa 1765). Focusing on published works, we examine the evidence that the information contained in those trees is incorrect. You are invited to conduct a search and determine that there are a large number of family trees that may need to be revised; below is just a small sample:
Most of the information is relatively the same: that Stephen Farmer is the son of Lt. John N. Farmer (born 17 DEC 1737, Billerica, MA) and Hannah Davis (sometimes Rebecca Bryan). Further, Stephen’s siblings are listed as Hannah (Farmer) Hopkins, Rebecca Farmer, Abigail (Farmer) French, Polly (Farmer) Rogers, John Farmer and Lucy (Farmer) Tewksbury.
With regards to published works, the earliest known book with this data is Genealogy of the Farmer Family (1966) by Mattie Shepherd, Opal Muncy, David Farmer, and W.G. Farmer:
Shepherd, Mattie, Opal Muncy, David, Farmer, and W.G. Farmer. Genealogy of the Farmer Family (1966), p.1-2.
“Edward Farmer lived near Atherstone, Warwickshire England, until he and his mother immigrated to America in 1671 settling in Billerica, Mass…
Edward Farmer died May 27, 1727 at the age of 87 years. Mary, his wife, died March 26, 1719 age 78.
Edward and Mary Farmer’s children were:
(1) Sarah Farmer married Thomas Polland Nov. 1692, died May 1725.
(2) John Farmer born Aug. 19, 1671 died Sept. 9, 1736.
(3) Edward Farmer born March 22, 1674, married a Richardson, died Dec. 17, 1752.
(4) Mary Farmer born Nov. 3, 1675 married John Dean.
(5) Barbara Farmer died 1681.
(6) Elizabeth Farmer born May 17, 1680 married William Green of Malden, Mass., May 29, 1907, died Dec. 26, 1761.
(7) Thomas Farmer, born June 8, 168l He was the great grandfather of William Farmer who graduated from Harvard College 1819.
(8) Oliver Farmer, born Feb. 2, 1686, his wife’s name was Abigail. She was a granddaughter of the honorable William Johnson. Oliver died Feb. 23, 1761.
Children of Oliver Farmer were:
(1) Oliver Farmer born July 31, 1728, died at Billerica Feb. 24, 1814, leaving sons Oliver, Job, and Jeremiah.
(2) Edward Farmer born March 24, 1734, a magistrate and representative of Billerica for 14 years, died Aug. 4, 1804 age 70. His sons were Jona and Jesse.
(3) John Farmer born Dec. 17, 1737 died at Billerica on Jan. 9, 1806 leaving one son, John Farmer, who was a colonel and a representative of a town in New Hampshire.
Note: The above was taken from the Historical and Biographical Sketch of The Farmer Family compiled by The American Research Bureau of Washington, D. C. and The Genealogical Registers of the First Settlers of New England by John Farmer corresponding secretary of the New Hampshire Historical Society published by Carter Andrews & Co., Lancaster, Mass 1829.
The following were given to me by my people who lived during my lifetime (Mattie Shepherd) according to information given me, I believe that this John Farmer is the father of the Stephen Farmer who married Nancy Russell and lived in Harlan County as late as 1812…”
There are numerous other books that can definitively prove that Stephen Farmer’s ancestors are NOT from Billerica, Massachusetts. The following is a guide to find the information within the source documents.
The first source is A Genealogical Memoir of the Family By The Name Of Farmer, Who Settled At Billerica, first published in 1828 by a direct descendant to the Farmer’s in Billerica, John Farmer (1789-1838), famed author, historian, and “founder of systematic genealogy in America.” It provides a lot of information regarding the sons, fathers, wives, and children of almost every Farmer in Billerica. It has been published in the source below:
Waters, Henry F. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (1847), p.25, 27, 29, & 30.
“Edward, (ca1640 – 27MAY1727, Billerica, MA) m. Mary ___ (ca1641 – 26MAR1716)
Oliver (02FEB1686-23FEB1761) m. Abigail Johnson (13JUN1697-25FEB1773). Widow Abigail m.2nd Capt. James Lane of Bedford, Ms.
Lieut. John (07DEC1737-09JAN1806 Billerica) m.1st 05JUN1764 Hannah Davis (07SEP1711-12FEB1787) m.2nd widow Sarah (Russell) Adams (18JAN1751-?)
With his wife Hannah,
Hannah (26SSEP1764-?)
Rebecca (02DEC1766-29MAY1788)
Abigail (22DEC1768-?)
Polly (14JAN1775-?
John (04DEC1776-01SEP1778)
Lucy (04OCT1780-?)
John (11DEC1791-?) m. Susan Gerrish. Lt. Col. of the 21st regiment of NH militia…”
As shown above, there are no Stephen’s born to John and Hannah Davis, and any of other John’s born into the other related families were either in 1776 (and died under the age of two years old), or born in 1791. Mathematically, those John’s cannot be the father of Stephen. Therefore, the other trees having Stephen’s siblings as Hannah Farmer Hopkins, Rebecca Farmer, Abigail Farmer French, Polly Farmer Rogers, John Farmer, and Lucy Farmer Tewksbury is incorrect; they are the names of the children of John and Hannah Davis as shown in the source above.
The next source is the Billerica Vital Records that not only verify the Farmer Genealogical Memoir, but also shows the marriage between “John Farmer and Sarah Adams of Dracut marrying on 18 March 1789, in Dracut.” It was also used to answer a few hypothetical questions:
Foster, F. Apthorp. Vital Records of Billerica, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (1908), p. 72-75 (births), 252-253 (marriages), & 358-359 (deaths).
Hypothesis #1: John has a son named Stephen or William that isn’t mentioned in the first record?
Answer: There is no record of a Stephen (or William) born to a John in Billerica around 1765.
(Note: Walker-Burton, Jackie T. Turner’s Creek, Ky., ‘A Place In Our Hearts’ (1997), p.204-205, mentions “The family and oral traditions say that Stephen Farmer was son of John Farmer, Sr…” and “Very old family members believed his name was Wm. Stephen Farmer…”)
Hypothesis #2: Stephen was the son of Sarah Russell Adams and later changed his name to Farmer?
Answer: There is no record of a Stephen, William, or any male born around 1765 with the last name of Adams nor Russell.
Hypothesis #3: Hannah Davis had a son prior to her marriage to John who changes his name?
Answer: There is a William Daves, son of Joshua and Hannah, born 28 March 1761 in Billerica. There is no death or marriage record for Joshua Daves (or Davis, or Davise) that matches our search. There is a Joshua and Hannah, but their ages do not coincide and there is a birth record for their daughter Hannah Davis, born 07 September 1641. Does William Daves, son of our Hannah Davis, change his name to Farmer, and move away? There is no marriage or death record in Billerica for a William Daves, which may support this.
The next source then refuted Hypothesis #3 above, not contained in the first two documents:
Razen, Rev. Henry A. History of Billerica, Massachusetts with A Genealogical Register (1883), p.40.
“6. William [DAVIS], son of Joshua, 2, b. 1761, March 28: m. Rebecca ___ Ch. William. B. 1790, Sept. 9. Lydia Merriam, b. 1793, April 23…”
The next source is the 1790 Census in Billerica for a “John Farmer”:
Quantity 1 for “free white male of 16 years old and upwards.”
This would be head of household John.Quantity 2 for “free white males under 16 years.”
Unknown. As John was born in 1791, this rules him out. Possibly one of Sarah’s sons from her prior marriage.Quantity 3 for “free white females.”
Presumably his wife Sarah, Polly, and Lucy as Hannah died three years earlier in 1787, and Rebecca two years earlier in 1788.
Another hypothesis is that John mentions Stephen in his will? John died intestate and only letters of administration were sent to his wife Sarah.
In addition to the reputable published evidence, DNA testing refutes any connection to the Farmer’s from Billerica. In an email with Chuck Farmer on 02 March 2018,
“The Billerica link is definitively OUT. My grandfather was involved in writing “The Genealogy of the Farmer Family” that posed that possibility. I have disproved it with DNA. My 12 marker test showed major differences between our branch and the Billerica folks…”
There was one item of interest that may warrant some further investigation. John Farmer’s wife was born Sarah Russell. Stephen Farmer’s wife was Nancy Russell. More research may be needed to determine if family lore of Stephen’s relation to John has been confused with Nancy Russell’s distant relation to Sarah Russell. This may be further supported by the David Russell who serves for the Continental Line in New Hampshire during the Revolutionary War under Lieutenant John Farmer.
So who is Stephen Farmer’s father? The answer is William Farmer, the son of Samuel Farmer and the grandson of Edward Farmar of Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania.
Philip Farmer is currently assisting families break down their genealogical brick walls and find information on their ancestors. He is also the author and publisher of “Edward Farmar and the Sons of Whitemarsh,” a 500-page, 155-year biographical history of the Farmer family immigration from Ireland into Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Harlan County, Kentucky. The continuation of Stephen Farmer’s story from 1800 into the mid-1900’s is currently in work.
