Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Celebrating the Life of Lois Wilcox Alden



Lois Wilcox Alden
my maternal 5th great-grandmother.




Lois was born to Sheffield Wilcox Sr. and Eunice Ross Wilcox on 5 February 1773 in Westerly, Rhode Island. Lois was, I believe the oldest of nine children born to Sheffield and Eunice. Westerly is a town on the southwestern shoreline of Washington County, Rhode Island. English colonists first settled this area in 1661.

The family moved from Westerly to Cooperstown, New York before settling in Monroe township, Pennsylvania in 1798.

On 11 November 1790 a 17 year old Lois Wilcox and a 20 year old Timothy Alden would marry in Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts before moving to Monroe Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania in 1801. I wonder what brought Lois to Tyringham?


When the couple came to the area 'Monroe Township' wasn’t even formed yet. The area was a wilderness and they were among the early settlers.

Lois and Timothy would have 7 children, that I know of, between 1792-1810: Adonijah, Sophronia, Louisa (my 4th great-grandmother), Permilla, Philinda, and twins Sylvester William and Sevellon Wells.
  
Lois would die on 10 January 1851 in Monroe, Bradford County, Pennsylvania at the age of 78. Lois was a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother. She would have traveled a distance of about 266 miles from her place of birth to her home in Monroe, Pennsylvania. Perhaps a day trip today but by horse and wagon a long way to travel by the time she was 28 years old.




Unfortunately, women of that era left very few records for us to discover and know about them. What I do know is that today is her birthday and I can remember her birth 247 years later! Happy birthday Great-Grandmother Lois!

If you have any corrections or additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby










2 comments:

  1. I'm a direct descendant of Rowland Wilcox > Benjamin S. Wilcox > George Emerson Wilcox > Draper Newton Wilcox > Kathryn Louise Wilcox Brown > Martha Louise Brown Lisor (me). Lois Wilcox is my great grandfather's great aunt. I was first enthralled with Lois when I learned that Timothy Alden was the founder of Allegheny College. Not knowing he was an ancestor, my sister and eventual brother-in-law, both are Allegheny College alumni! Thanks for publishing on The Pennsylvania Genealogy site!

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    1. Thank-you so much for reaching out Cousin! I am glad we were able to make the connection through the PA Genealogy webiste. Thank-you for the information about Allegheny College. Now I will also need to research that! I went to college in Williamsport and never knew we had ancestors in the area. Small world!

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