| Condensed from the book "A Journey Back in Time" by Mary Olson Almond | ||
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THE TWITCHELLS Joshua Sr. was living in Westborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts when the alarm sounded on April 19, 1775, the beginning of the Revolutionary War. He was 24 years old at that time. He immediately enlisted as a private in Captain Seth Morse's militia in Colonel Ward's Regiment. He served in Captain Mose Wheelock's Regiment. He was with Colonel Cushing's Regiment at Fishhill in June 7, 1778. He served there for the rest of the war, and some time after the war--all together it was almost seven years--thus showing the true pioneer spirit of the love of freedom. Following our family line from Benjamin, came Joseph born in1640; his son Ephraim, born in 1695; Ephraim's son Thomas born in 1722; son of Thomas was Joshua Sr., our great, great, great-grandfather born in 1750. After the war Joshua Twitchell Sr. returned to Westborough and married Sarah Miller on January 13, 1781. She was born at Upton, Worcester, Massachusetts, May 25, 1760, the daughter of Solomon and Mary Townsend Miller. Soon after their marriage they purchased land in Fitzwilliam, Cheshire, New Hampshire on January 7, 1882. Their first four children were born in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire. They were Mary (Polly), born 1783, a little boy, Joshua, born in 1785, who died very young, and another baby boy born in 1787, and a baby girl born in 1789. The last two both died so young they evidently didn't get names; at least none were found. Joshua Twitchell Sr. and Sarah, his wife, then sold their place in New Hamshire on August 5, 1790. They bought new acreage just across the Connecticut River in Dummerston, Windham, Vermont on November 5, 1790. It was here in Vermont they became the parents of Louisa (Lois), born in 1791; Joshua Jr. born September 12, 1794; William, born October 18, 1797; Meroi, born in 1799; Maruah, born April 20, 1801, and Ephraim born May 18, 1803. When the work was done for this family in the Manti Temple in the year 1894 by James Ephriam Twitchell, Margaret Moore Twitchell, Frances Manhard Twitchell, Anciel Twitchell and others, sealing all these children to their parents, the records were written in handwriting. I believe the name Meroi was read years later, the last "i" curling around too far made it look like a "c" thus they read it Meroc, and wrote it Meroc. On the record of this work done, from the Manti Temple, it is on page 37, and number 5, it is easy to see it is Meroi. Taking her place to be sealed was Frances M. Twitchell. Those who did this work in 1894 had record that she was born in 1799. Ephraim, our great great great-grandfather, was their last child. Try to remember that Ephraim was born in Dummerston, Windham, Vermont. (Ephraim who married Melissa Knight.) WEST IN OHIO In about 1787 General Putnam of Massachusetts Militia petitioned George Washington to grant a tract of land to officers and other men who had served in the Revolution. This plan was to attract settlers to help develop newly acquired Federal lands. It was done in the form of grants. The Ohio Land Company was formed and the development of Ohio began. Joshua Twitchell Sr. then decided to move his family to these richer farm lands in the Ohio Valley. They settled in what became Meigs County. New settlers always located on land near rivers, for there were no roads at that time, and the rivers provided transportation and communication. These new settlers farmed for their living in the spring and summer, and cut trees and rafted the logs down the river to a saw mill in the fall and winter. The men who ran the saw mill would cut the logs into lumber on shares, to be paid to them out of the final sale of the lumber. This was hard and hazardous work because of flash floods and rapids--sometimes destroying their whole investment. Joshua Sr.'s son, Joshua Jr. (Ephraim's brother) served in the War of 1812. He would have been only about 18 years old at that time. By the time of the Civil War there were many Twitchells who served from the North. Many Twitchells died in World War I and World War II. The Twitchells came from Holliston, Middlesex, Massachusetts, moved to Fitzwilliam, Cheshire, New Hampshire, then to Dummerston, Windham County, Vermont, and then to Salisbury, Gallia County, Ohio. They lived in Ohio for many years. It was in Gallia County, Ohio that Joshua Twitchell Sr. died October 13, 1816, leaving Joshua Jr. age 22 to take on much more responsibility. Young Ephraim was only 13 years old. |