Biography of Amy Wheeler(1793-1874)-W15

Amy Wheeler(1793-1874)-W15

Birth: September 18th, 1793 in Mason, NH

• Father: Timothy Wheeler(1752-1820)
• Mother: Sarah Hubbard(1556-1823)

Married: David Sanders(1791-1863) on October 14th, 1812 in Mason, NH

Children:

• William Sanders (1814-1819)
• Albert David Sanders(1816-1862)
• Lucy S. Sanders(1821-1910)
• Sarah Wheeler Sanders(1823-1919)

Death: March 13th, 1874 in Northampton, MA

Amy Wheeler was born on September 18th, 1793 in Mason, NH to Timothy Wheeler and Sarah Hubbard.  She married David Sanders on October 14th in Mason, NH.  Various document list the marriage year between 1811 and 1814. Given that their first child was born in April of 1814, I have chosen to set the date as October 14th, 1812. 

 

Their first child, William was born on April 15th, 1814.  The family moved to Whately, MA at some point between their marriage and the birth of their second son, Albert David on September 15th, 1816.  William passed away on January 18th, 1819 at age 4.

The 1820 Census has the family living in Whately, MA on August 7th, 1820.  The table below shows the information in the census and ties to individual members of the family.

1820 U.S. Census
Category	Number	Family Member
Free White Male Under 10	1	Albert David
Free White Male 26-44	1	David
Free White Female 10-15	1	Unknown
Free White Female 26-44	1	Amy
Number of People in Manufacturing	1	David
Free White Under 16	2
Free White Over 25	2
Total Free White People	4
Total People	4

Their first daughter, Lucy S. Sanders was born in Whately, MA on July 1st, 1821 and their last child, Sarah Wheeler Sanders was born on April 6th, 1823 in Whately, MA.  The 1830 and 1840 census shows the makeup of the family while they were living in Whately, MA.  Amy joined the 2nd Church in Whately on June 10th, 1836 and moved to the Edwards Church in Northampton on February 25, 1866.  

1830 U.S. Census
Category	Number	Family Member
Free White Male 10-14	1	Albert David
Free White Male 20-29	1	Unknown
Free White Male 30-39	1	David
Free White Female 5-9	2	Lucy and Sarah
Free White Female 30-39	2	Amy and Unknown
Free White People Under 20	3
Free White 20-49	4
Total Free White People	7
Total People	7

1840 U.S. Census
Category	Number	Family Member
Free White Male 10-15	1	Unknwon
Free White Male 40-50	1	David
Free White Female 15-19	2	Lucy and Sarah
Free White Female 40-50	2	Amy
Free White People Under 20	3
Number of People in Agriculture	1	David
Number of People in Manufacturing	1	David
Free White People 20-49	2
Total Free White People	5
Total People	5

The 1850 U.S. Census shows Amy, age 57, living in Whately with her husband David(59) and daughter Lucy(29).   The 1855 Massachusetts State Census shows Amy(62) living with David (64), her daughter Lucy(34), her daughter Sarah (32) and son-in-law Benjamin F. Reed (36) and their two children Jane C. Reed(9) and Albert D. Reed(2).   She is living with her husband David(69), daughter Lucy, daughter Sarah, son-in-law Benjamin Franklin Reed (40) and their 2 children Jane C. Reed (14) and Albert D. Reed (7).  There is also a 22 year old woman name Sarah Barrett living with them.  At first I suspected she was a servant, but she is shown as being from England and owning $200 in Real Estate and $200 in personal estate.  I now suspect she is a boarder or a missionary. 

Her son, Albert, died on October 15th, 1862 and her husband, David, died on June 1st, 1863 of consumption.  The 1865 Massachusetts Sate Census shows Amy(71) living, as a widow, in Whately with her daughters Lucy and Sarah and grandchildren Jane C. Reed and Albert D. Reed.  They have an Irish servant named Ellen Sullivan(20).  It should be noted that Lucy and Sarah are both listed as widows but we know Sarah's husband was still alive. The family soon moved to Northampton, MA and the 1870 U.S. Census shows them living there.  Amy is now 76 and is listed as having No Occupation, Lucy is 49 and Sarah is 47.  Both are listed as keeping house.  Jane and Albert are still living at home and the family has a Irish servant named Maggie Shannon (19).

Amy died on March 13th, 1874. I have not been able to find a grave listed on Find a grave, but I suspect David is buried in the Sanders family plot in the High Street Cemetery in Haydenville, MA.   I have transcribed his will, and will post that tomorrow.

Sources:

• 1820 United States Federal Census: 1820 U S Census; Census Place: Whately, Franklin, Massachusetts; Page: 31; NARA Roll: M33_50; Image: 42
• 1830 United States Federal Census: 1830; Census Place: Whately, Franklin, Massachusetts; Series: M19; Roll: 62; Page: 122; Family History Library Film: 0337920
• 1840 United States Federal Census: Year: 1840; Census Place: Whately, Franklin, Massachusetts; Roll: 183; Page: 156; Image: 322; Family History Library Film: 0014677
• 1850 United States Federal Census: Year: 1850; Census Place: Whately, Franklin, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_316; Page: 68A; Image: 138
• 1860 United States Federal Census: Year: 1860; Census Place: Whately, Franklin, Massachusetts; Roll: M653_501; Page: 225; Image: 229; Family History Library Film: 803501
• 1870 United States Federal Census: Year: 1870; Census Place: Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts; Roll: M593_621; Page: 398B; Family History Library Film: 552120
• Massachusetts, State Census, 1855: Name David Saunders, Gender Male, Birth Year 1791, Birth Place New Hampshire, Residence Whately, Franklin, Massachusetts, USA, Enumeration Year 1855, Age 64, Household Number 219, Reel Number 10, Volume Number 14
• New Hampshire, Birth Records, 1659-1900: Name Amy Wheeler, Gender Female, Birth Date 10 Sep 1793, Birth Place Mason, New Hampshire, USA, Father Timothy Wheeler, Mother Sarah
• Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988: Name Amy Wheeler, Event Type Death, Death Date 13 Mar 1874, Death Place Whately, Massachusetts