Cheney Genealogy

As I wrap up my family visit in Arizona, I though I'd write up a little more of the research I've been doing. Today I made my final visit to the local Sierra Vista Family History Center, and got through the rows of books in the areas that I was interested. There were a lot of genealogy society newsletters/pamphlets that could use lots of time to look at, but I was satisfied with my four periods of browsing. Also I decided to look up what Stevens information they had on microfilm, just to remember what it was like to hook it all up. Well, the Stevens family was not about my Phineas Stevens family, and I remembered how much easier it is to find info if digitalized and on the internet (I imagine all of this will be on FamilySearch.com in the future.)

I had more luck with the Cheney family because they were involved in the US Revolution, and there are more things online and in the FHS than Stevens. That would be because although Phineas Stevens II was in the Revolutionary War, he was a Loyalist, and went up to Nova Scotia for a spell after the war. Oh, I did find one bit of info that I had before, but it is nice seeing the source: "Phenas Stevans obtained a marriage license in New York (City) to marry Mary Woodward on 3 April 1782. This was a reference to a marriage bond in Vol XXV, Page 112 as issued by Secretary of the Province of New York. The book "New York Marriages - Previous to 1784" published by Genealogical Publishing Co., 1984. My task is to try to find anything I can about this Mary Woodward's family. New York City is a big place.

My Joseph Cheney was born 9 Apr 1682 in Newbury, Essex Co., MA. he married Sarah Wiswall of the early Wiswall and Jackson families of Newton, Middlesex Co., MA. I've visited Newton in the past and really enjoyed knowing these families were founders of the town. Joseph and Sarah had a son, Elisha Cheney. I'm trying to determine if this Elisha, born about 1749, was the same one who was a private in the Revolution in the "Drums & Fifer" section of Capt. Jeremiah Wiswall's company, which marched on the Lexington Alarm from Newton on April 19, 1777. My Elisha later moved up to Royalston, Worcester Co., MA and had three wifes, Elizabeth Eddy, Sarah Stone, and Abigail (Nabby) Bowker. I found an Elisha Cheney in the 1800 Census at Royalston. This was an interesting guy who ran a tavern there and lived next to his Eddy in-laws before he moved down to Worcester city and died, in 1806. There are several Elisha and Ebenezer Cheneys in Worcester County, MA in the 1800's and I'd like to figure out how they connect. There is one Elisha Cheney in the 1850 census at Athol, near Royalston, who is listed as a pauper. Is this the grandson of the Revolutionary drum and fifer, Elisha Cheney b. abt 1849?

I revisited www.books.google.com and was amazed at the wealth of historic books that have been scanned there and available for download, including Pope's "Cheney Genealogy." I highly recomment this site for researching. Also, in www.ancestry.com I found references in "Massachusetts Marriages, 1633-1850" "U.S. Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, "American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI)," Record of Deaths In Worcester, From 1717 to 1825," and "Masssachusetts Town Birth Records."

And so it goes. So many questions and a trickle of answers. I'm glad to say that "Apple" read my last blog about the Akin family in Western New York and we've shared some distant family connection information (see her comment on last blog) --- more to follow, after I get back home tomorrow.