Lemuel Wiard
Born 21 APR 1788 Berlin CT
Died 13 MAY 1869 Geneva OH
Buried Evergreen Cemetery, Geneva OH
Parents
Wife
Married 21 SEP 1809
Children with Anna H. Bunnell
Wife
Married 21 SEP 1809
Children with Anna H. Bunnell
Notes
Lemuel Wiard, born 1788, is the most distant Wiard ancestor about which any direct knowledge exists in the Chamberlin family. It was presumed that he was the son of Lemuel Wiard, born 1754, mentioned in various records, but this was not proven. Korleen Beardsley <korleen@zbzoom.net> has done some research that establishes this link, as well as identifying the younger Lemuel's brother, sister, and mother.
According to records she found in the Family History Center of Congregational Church of Berlin, Kensington, Connecticut, Lemuel Sr. died Nov 6, 1801.
"His sister, Martha, married a Solomon Cole of
Berlin, Nov 5, 1801. Olive the widow was admited to the church Sept. 1804.
Olive and Hannah, children of Widow Olive Wiard were baptized on Dec 9,
1804. There were 3 infants of Lemuel Wiard, (Wyard), that died, Dec 18,
1785, March 1, 1787, and April 20, 1791. Then there is "Lemuel of Berlin,
m. Anna Bunnel, of Harwington; Sept 21, 1809". It still is not proof
positive that Lemuel- 1788 is Lemuel -1754's son but it does indicate
another close tie. I think it may be good enough for me to know that Hannah
is actually his daughter. The Film # is 00003744."
Korleen also found the will of Elisha Wiard of Harpersville (later Geneva) Ohio, of which the younger Lemuel Wiard was the executor and his mother is identified as Olive Wiard. Hannah Wiard is also listed has being owed a debt by Elisha's estate.
While not iron-clad, these pieces of information when taken together are enough to lead me to conclude that these people were all part of the same family: Lemuel Sr. and his wife Olive, and their children Elisha, Lemuel Jr, Hannah, and Olive.
*****
Lemuel Wiard's Will
June 3, 1869 Produced in Court: Will of Lemuel Wiard
Lemuel Wiard of Twp of Geneva Co of Ash. State of Ohio. Last will and
testament. Revoking all previous will by me made post- I give unto my son
Alonzo H. Wiard the sum of $600 to be paid in yearly payments after my
death, $200/a year, 200/200/200 in 3 years by my executor.
Secondly all personal property on farm be converted into money and all my
liabilities be paid.
Thirdly- Res__ing(can't read) all H. H. goods and challets for use and
benefit of my beloved wife Anna H. Wiard to be used by____ (can't read) This
prop is the absolute______of said Anna H. to be used of and disposed of as
she may think proper.
I also give and convey to Anna H. following real prop: Beginning 2 rods west
of NE corner of Lot no. nine Geneva. Then ___running along public H___to
lands in possession of Almeron Wiard. They're running south to rail ffence
on top of bank being on lot no. 8 she paid Anna H. to have and hold
described premises. Make further provisions in favor of said Anna H. all
money now in possession of Issac C. Chamberlain due me by note or
M___reserved to be kept by Isaac C. (paid int. thereof) And I have and
convey to daughter Wiard and Beulah Carmer and piece and parcel supposed to
be about 20 acres f___s. on lean of G. W. Gant on east by land occupied by
Almeron Wiard.
Also to Beulah Corner 1 1/2 acre convey being prime land sourveyed by Truman
Walkins an wife to said Wiard.
And I said Lemuel Wiard do hereby give and convey unto daughter Laura
Chamberlin property des South side Ridge Road. Sold to Lemuel by John
Ketechunes ___.
At decease of said Anna H. her life estate be sold and divided equally to my
legal heirs as they may think advisable.
Almeron Wiard is herby excluded from sharing equally with other hiers for
reason I have heretofore advansed money and other to him. But he is to
receive $50 for final division of said Anna H. life estate.
I appoint Isaac C. Chamberlin of Geneva twp as my executor.
*****
1810 census shows him in Berlin CT. 1820 shows him in Geneva OH.
From Uncle Willis Chamberlin's book:
Mr. Wiard was an industrious, forward-looking man of excellent character, a pioneer of the Western Reserve, who had a large farm on the South Ridge one mile east of Geneva. He had come with his young wife, Anna Hart Bunnell Wiard, from Connecticut in 1811 to establish their home in the new state organized nine years previously from the Northwest Territory. He bought his homestead from the Connecticut Land Company. Lemuel Wiard belonged to a family which is well represented in New England annals since the earliest colonial times. The progenitor settled in Boston and bore the name Robert Wyer. His son John was born November 30th, 1646, as noted in Vital Statistics of Boston. He moved to Wethersfield, Connecticut, and was soon followed by his father and mother. There the name changed to Wyard and eventually to Wiard. In the genealogy of this family only one descendent named Lemuel is mentioned. He was of the fifth generation. He was the son of Elisha Wiard and was born February 14th, 1754, in Farmington. The record says of him: "He was a soldier of the Revolution."1 In the records of the Revolution he is listed as a private in Capt. Heart's company, Connecticut State Troops, 1776; also in Capt. Stanley's company, June 24, 1776; and finally in Capt. Bray's company. He arrived in camp April 3, 1777, and was discharged May 15. Although he is not again mentioned, it may be judged by the name and appropriate date, that he was the father of the Lemuel who was a pioneer of the Western Reserve.
The pioneer just mentioned was a native of Berlin, a little town in Hartford County, Connecticut, where he was born April 21, 1788. His wife, Anna Hart Bunnell, was born in West Britain, afterwards called Burlington, in the same county, on January 22, 1790. They were married September 21, 1809. They started for the Western Reserve, October 7, 1811, and arrived at their destination on November 2. Their farm was in the township which was then called Harpersfield, which was later divided and a part became Geneva.
They prospered evidently in their undertaking, for Lemuel acquired more and more land. His farm extended on both sides of the Ridge road and was suitable for dairying, sheep-raising and general purposes. It included also a large peach orchard and a maple sugar camp in later years. The upper course of Cowles Creek lay in a ravine on the south side of the farm. On the north it extended to the present line of the Nickel Plate Railroad. Mr. Wiard was a cooper by trade, an important business in pioneer days, when a man handy with tools was in demand to make furniture and farm utensils, as well as barrels. His shop was still standing until the 70's or 80's of the past century a few rods west of the homestead. It played an important role in the spiritual development of Geneva, for in it the First Baptist church of the town was organized in 1817. Lemuel and Anna, his wife, were baptized the next day and were consequently almost constituent members of the organization. In Lemuel's own hand it is written in quaint phrase:
"We made a profession of religion 1816 and were baptized and constituted into the church the 7th of February, 1817. This was the time the first Baptist church was formed in Geneva."
The new organization used his cooper shop for many services, until its meeting house was built.
To Lemuel and Anna seven children were born, whose names and date of birth are given in his writing on an old scrap of paper now yellow with age, as follows:
Albert H. born Jan. 12, 1811, died Jan. 31, 1812
Alonzo H. born Feb. 8, 1814
Almeron, born Sept. 25, 1815
A son, born July 24, 1818
Beulah, born March 7, 1820
Lycyann, born March 3, 1824
To this list should be added the youngest, a daughter, Laura, born November 28, 1829. As is seen by the above dates, the oldest son died in infancy, perhaps as a result of the rigors of the first winter in the new home.
*****
Note: Searching the internet for Lemuel Wiard turns up some confusing results. There was definitely a Lemuel Wiard b. 1754 in Connecticut, son of Elisha Wiard. Probably he was the father of this Lemuel Wiard who was born 1788 in CT. There's also a Lemuel Wiard b. "about 1770" in Ohio out there, and a Hannah Wiard b. 1796 in Ohio to Lemuel and Olivia Wiard. Probably 1770 is just a guess, working backwards from Hannah's birthdate, but it's really Lemuel 1754. However, Lemuel and Olivia were married "about 1795", 7 years after Lemuel 1788 was born. Also why was Hannah born in OH? Possible explanations:
1. Whoever's been researching Hannah just made up likely birthdates and marriage dates for her parents, which are wrong. He also guessed that the parents were originally from Ohio, but nobody lived there in 1770. But how did Hannah get born in Harpersfield OH in 1796. Again that seems impossible timewise.
2. There are so many Lemuel Wiards out there that somebody has combined them and reposted wrong information of a combined person, hopelessly confusing everything.
S13270 research performed by Korleen Beardsley <korleen@zbzoom.net>