By Muriel Bristol | October 3, 2024
The Third (1810) Federal Census was the first time in which Milton was enumerated as its own entity, as opposed to being a part of its parent town, Rochester, NH. (See Northeast Parish in the Second (1800) Federal Census).
Milton had 1,005 residents on Monday, August 6, 1810: 477 males (47.5%) and 528 females (52.5%).
Milton had 163 households with an average 6.5 inhabitants per household. Only 6 households (3.7%) were headed by a female, 5 of them identified as a widow.
326 (32.4%) of the Milton’s 1,005 inhabitants were aged under-10 years of age (161 males and 165 females), 153 (15.2%) were aged 10-15 years (66 males and 87 females), 206 (20.5%) were aged 16-25 years (97 males and 109 females), 166 (16.5%) were aged 26-44 years (76 males and 90 females), and 153 (15.2%) were aged 45-and-over years (76 males and 77 females). All of these were “free white” inhabitants. There was also 1 “all other free persons” (1 male).
The separate columns of the enumeration are represented here as digits. The first five digits are the number of free white males aged under-10 years, aged 10-15 years, aged 16-25 years, aged 26-44 years, and 45-and-over years. The second five digits are the number of free white females aged under-10 years, aged 10-15 years, aged 16-25 years, aged 26-44 years, and 45-and-over years. The final two digits are the numbers of “all other free persons,” and the number of slaves.
This begins the town of Milton.
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- John Remick Jun, 01110-12020-00
- Moses Paul, 00100-00100-00
- Joseph Libby, 10201-11111-00
- Saml Chapman, 01001-01001-00
- Nathl Dearborn, 01010-21021-00
- Joseph Dearborn, 21010-01011-00
- Francis Berry, 11002-02001-00
- James Berry, 11001-40010-00
- Joseph Berry, 20110-11011-00
- Wm Berry, 10001-01010-00
- Isaac Bracket, 30101-33010-00
- Thos Remick, 10010-41010-00
- Reuben Jones, 10001-00011-00
- Nathan Jones, 00100-20100-00
- Peter Copp, 31001-11101-00
- Daniel Whittum, 10100-00100-00
- Jere. Goodwin, 01201-10101-00
- James Merry, 22201-20010-00
- John Whitham, 01101-22010-00
- Stephen Watson, 10201-32210-00
- Amos Witham, 00101-00001-00
- Josiah Whitham, 10010-13100-00
- Nathl Jewett, 00210-01110-00
- Timo Wentworth, 10010-30010-00
- Obadiah Wentworth, 40010-10110-00
- Paul Jewett, 00201-00001-00
- Jona Young, 00101-00101-00
- Wm Courson, 10010-30110-00
- Daniel Grant, 31010-11010-00
- Peter Gant [Grant], 00001-00001-00
- Josiah Moulton, 00100-00000-00
- Benaiah Dore, 10110-11100-00
- Henry Miller, 20010-21010-00
- John Rines, 00100-00100-00
- John Smith, 12001-20011-00
- Edmund Witham, 20001-11001-00
- James Garland, 00100-10010-00
- Mark Miller, 40011-20110-00
- Hatteville Nutter, 00111-10401-00
- Henry Rines, 20101-10101-00
- Wm Applebe [Applebee], 11010-20010-00
- Thos Applebee, 41101-02210-00
- Wd. Lois Hierd, 00100-00011-00
- Paul Wentworth, 00010-11010-00
- Ephraim Twambley [Twombly], 01101-10101-00
- David Corston, 00101-10201-00
- Jno McDuffee, 00001-00001-00
- Abigail Hanson, 00000-01001-00
- Richard Horne, 01010-10010-00
- Saml Cate, 00101-00001-00
- John Remick, 10011-00011-00
- Caleb Wingate, 20011-30200-00
- Nathl Hartshorne, 20000-10010-00
- John Phifield, 00001-00001-00
- John Stevens, 10010-10010-00
- Garshum Wentworth, 30011-00011-00
- Stephen Jenings [Jennings], 30010-01011-00
- Wm Adams, 00101-02001-00
- John Mills, 10010-11010-00
- Moses Chamberlain, 00101-00101-00
- Wd. Betsy Hayes, 01200-01101-00
- Joseph Plumer, 13111-01121-00
- Beard Plumer, 01211-01201-00
- Peter Gerrish, 00000-00000-10
- Wm Palmer, 11101-31110-00
- Benair Colby, 10100-00100-00
- Thos Nutter, 00101-02401-00
- Elijah Horne, 30101-02210-00
- Gilbert Perkin [Perkins], 00001-00001-00
- Barnabas Palmer, 00001-00000-00
- John Palmer, 01001-00010-00
- Daniel Palmer, 00100-10100-00
- Jno Scates, 11010-30110-00
- Edward Ellis, 10010-20010-00
- David Wallingford, 10201-01111-00
- Benj. Scates, 00101-10110-00
- James Twambly [Twombly], 30010-20110-00
- James Robers [Roberts], 20010-20100-00
- Jonathan Dore, 21211-10310-00
- Josiah Willey, 02010-30010-00
- Daniel Dore, 01001-00201-00
- Wentworth Cook, 20010-30100-00
- Nathl Pinkam [Pinkham], 11110-12101-00
- Wm W. Lord, 10011-10101-00
- Garshum Downs, 00001-00000-00
- Aaron Downs, 10010-10100-00
- Stephen Henden [Henderson], 00100-10100-00
- Saml S. Wentworth, 01111-10101-00
- Timo Roberts, 02101-01101-00
- John Wentworth, 11001-20010-00
- David Wentworth, 10010-00011-00
- Benj. Foss, 10011-10011-00
- Saml Ricker, 10021-00201-00
- Jno Downs, 30001-31210-00
- Sephen Wentw [Stephen Wentworth], 12010-20210-00
- Saml Twamb [Twombly], 00101-01201-00
- Saml Twambley [Twombly] Jun, 00010-00100-00
- Wentworth Dore, 00010-10001-00
- Moses Downs, 10210-31210-00
- Saml Nute Jun, 23010-40001-00
- Francis Nute, 12010-21010-00
- Daniel Wentworth, 41311-10101-00
- Jere. Cook, 21010-11010-00
- John Drew, 01101-01101-00
- Dudley Burnham, 11001-41110-00
- Joseph Cook, 30010-10020-00
- Otis Pinkum [Pinkham], 20110-21110-00
- Oliver Peavey, 21010-21010-00
- Jno Twambly [Twombly] Jun, 21010-21010-00
- Wm Tuttle, 00101-00101-00
- James Goodwin, 20100-02101-00
- Jonathan How, 10110-10100-00
- Shubil Roberts, 20010-20100-00
- Enoch Bunker, 20010-10010-00
- Wd. Anna Wentworth, 01000-10001-00
- Edward Tibbets, 00100-00000-00
- Nathl Whitehouse, 01010-00010-00
- Ephraim Wentw [Wentworth], 30010-22110-00
- Ichabod Wentw [Wentworth], 03001-01101-00
- John Merservy, 20100-00100-00
- James Varna [Varney], 10100-00301-00
- James Varna [Varney] Jr, 00100-11101-00
- Ichabod Hayes, 10010-20100-00
- Wm Matthews, 00010-10100-00
- Caleb Wakeham, 12101-10202-00
- Benj. Wakeham, 10100-10100-00
- Ephraim Prumer [Plumer], 21210-12110-00
- Hopley Meservy, 00100-01101-00
- Daniel Hayes, 00301-01201-00
- Ezekiel Hayes, 12110-20110-00
- James Varney, 10101-02001-00
- Wd. Mary Varney, 00000-10001-00
- Jonathan Nute, 32301-11101-00
- Samuel Nute, 00201-00021-00
- Stephen Jenkins, 00011-01111-00
- Stephen Jenkins Jr, 10110-00111-00
- Jacob Varna [Varney], 30100-10100-00
- Benj. Varna [Varney], 00111-21011-00
- Aaron Varna [Varney], 11010-11110-00
- Ebenr Gate [Gates], 11000-10010-00
- [T.]C. Lyman, 21010-21021-00
- Jno Twambly [Twombly], 00101-00101-00
- Aaron Wentworth, 00001-00100-00
- Joshua Jones, 10100-10021-00
- Isaac Worcester, 30110-12010-00
- Jonathan Pinkum [Pinkham], 10201-01301-00
- Wd. Elizebeth Gerrish, 00000-01001-00
- Saml Palmer, 00001-01010-00
- Jno Fisk, 20110-03010-00
- Simon Chase, 00100-00000-00
- Nicholas Harford [Hartford], 00101-10011-00
- Gilman Jewett, 10010-20010-00
- Thos Wentworth, 00010-20010-00
- Palatiah Hanson, 20010-10011-00
- Wm Jones, 11010-21010-00
- Ebenr Ricker, 11001-21001-00
- James Wentworth, 10001-00101-00
- Clement Hayes, 20201-01101-00
- Timothy Ricker, 30001-10001-00
- John Ricker, 00010-31110-00
- Saml Bragdon, 20010-20110-00
- Richard Waker [Walker], 11011-31031-00
- Isaac Wentworth, 00100-00000-00
End of the town of Milton.
That Other Column
A Peter Gerrish was baptized in Portsmouth, NH, March 8, 1801, son of Mrs. Sylvia Gerrish. He would seem to be the same as the Peter Gerrish shown as a household of one, which was enumerated between the Plummer’s Ridge households of Beard Plummer and William Palmer, and he was the only one in Milton counted in the column of “all other free persons.” This column contained more specifically the “Number of all other free persons, except Indians, not taxed.”
This “all other free persons” column had no age ranges but, if he was indeed the same Peter Gerrish baptized previously in Portsmouth, NH, then he would have been just over nine years of age. One might reasonably suppose that he was actually residing in the household of either of his neighbors, Beard Plummer or William Palmer
There was another Gerrish household in Milton in 1810, headed by Elizabeth [(Spencer)] Gerrish (1761-1850), widow of Timothy Gerrish (d. 1799). It would seem to consist of Widow Elizabeth [(Spencer)] Gerrish herself, as well as one of her two daughters, either Susan Gerrish (1793-1848) or Elizabeth Gerrish (1794-1872). Her son, Amos Gerrish (1791-1844) would seem to be residing in another household. (He served in Capt. Courson’s Milton militia company in 1814 (See Milton in the War of 1812)). Apart from having the same surname, the connection between the two Gerrish households, if any there was, is not readily apparent.
The Milton Peter Gerrish of 1810 may have been also the Peter Gerrish who would be injured fifteen years later in a harvesting accident in nearby North Parsonsfield, ME, August 1, 1825, and who, as a result, developed a dangerous tetanus infection:
Report of cases of Tetanus cured by the division of the injured Nerve. By MOSES SWEAT, M.D., of North Parsonsfield, Maine.
CASE 1st. Peter Gerrish, a stout athletic mulatto man, aged 24 years, wounded the ball of his right thumb with the point of a scythe, on the 1st day of August, 1825. The wound healed kindly by the first intention; but on the ninth day unequivocal tetanic symptoms developed themselves, in trismus, pain in the jaws, opisthotonos, rigidity of the upper extremities, & c. The paroxysms so increased in violence and in rapidity of recurrence that in 24 hours he became insensible to every thing around him; and it constantly required from four to six men to keep him on a mattress on the floor, so violent were the spasms. It was evident to all who saw him at this time, that he could not survive but a few hours longer. I proposed to the family in which he resided, to cut down and divide the injured nerve in the wrist, to which they gave their consent. An incision of three inches was made accordingly, over the course of the median nerve, which by a careful dissection, was soon found and divided. The spasms ceased instantly, not a muscle was seen to move (except those of respiration); he was perfectly still about an hour; he then aroused, and looking wildly around, inquired how he came there – what had happened, & c. He had no recurrence of tetanic symptoms afterwards (Dugas, L.A., M.D., 1851).
Meanwhile, a Sylvia Gerrish headed a Boston, MA, household at the time of the Fifth (1830) Federal Census. Her household included one female aged 55-99 years [herself], one female aged 36-54 years, one male aged 10-23 years, and one female aged 10-23 years. (All four were “free colored persons”).
A Sylvia Gerrish (cold), i.e., “colored,” died of palsy in Boston, MA, July 24, 1833, aged sixty-three years. She was classed among the “City Poor,” and was buried in the South Burying Ground in Boston, MA
References:
Dugas, L.A., M.D. Southern Medical and Surgical Journal. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=G3IdAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA293
Find a Grave. (2020, August 26). Amos Gerrish. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/214847942/amos-gerrish
Find a Grave. (2020, August 26). Elizabeth Spencer Gerrish. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/214848187/elizabeth-gerrish
Find a Grave. (2020, August 26). Susan Gerrish [Sister of Amos Gerrish]. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/214848684/susan-gerrish
Find a Grave. (2022, November 5). Sylvia Gerrish. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/245394287/sylvia-gerrish
Milton Observer 