Farnham Family Line

Farnham/Farnum/Varnum

Robert Farnham

b.abt. 1515 Leicester, England
m.1536 Margareta Kingston
b.1517 Leicester, England

CHILD:

  1. Robert Farnham b.abt.1537 Leicester, England
  2. Thomas Farnham b.abt.1539 Leicester, England

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Robert Farnham

b.abt.1537 Leicester, England
m.1569 Maria Laughton
b.1541 Leicester, England

CHILDREN included:

  1. Thomas Farnham b.abt.1575 Leicester, England
  2. Robert Farnham b.1577 Leicester, England

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Robert Farnham

b.1577 Leicester, England
m.abt.1600 Leicester, England, Elizabeth ______
b.1581 Leicester, England

CHILD:

  1. Ralph Farnham b.Aug. 25, 1601 d.Jan. 8, 1692
  2. Sarah Farnum b.bef.1603

Ralph Farnum--merchant tailor in London.

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Ralph Farnham

b.Aug. 25, 1601 Leicester, England
bapt.Aug. 30, 1601 at St. Peter's Church in Cornhill, London, England
d.Andover or Ipswich, MA
m.Alice __________; Alice m.(2)June 18, 1648 Soloman Martin
b.c1610 Andover, MA
d.Feb. 9, 1652 Andover, MA

CHILDREN included:

  1. Mary Farnum b.July 13, 1628 Southampton, Hampshire, England d.Feb. 3, 1714 m.Oct. 20, 1650 at Boston, MA Daniel Poor, had 12 children
  2. Sarah Farnum b.1630 England
  3. Thomas Farnum b.April 10, 1631 England d.Jan. 11, 1685/86 Andover, MA
  4. Ralph Farnham b.Aug. 4, 1633 St. Nicholas, Rochester, Kent County, England d.Jan. 8, 1692 Andover, MA
  5. [Ephraim Farnum b.aft. 1635 Andover, MA--email from Russell Farnham, author of The New England Decendants of the Immigrant Ralph Farnum of Rochester, Kent County, England and Ipswich, Massachusetts 1999 "...You show an Ephraim as son of Ralph 1, but that is a fantasy as far as I am concerned, never having been proven, etc. Most people copy that out of IGI (I [he] may have been the submitter), but it also appears in the Stepanek book, but it really has no basis in fact."]
  6. Sarah Farnum b.1635-8 d.May 12, 1728 Andover, MA m.(1)April 26, 1658 Andover, MA George Abbot m.(2)April 22, 1685 Andover,MA Benjamin Abbott
  7. Alice Farnum b.1638 Ipswich, MA d.1728
  8. John Farnum b.1640 Rowley, MA d.June 17, 1723 Andover, MA

NOTE: From email from edith.bartley@worldnet.att.net 11/27/97: "There has been a lot of confusion as the date that Ralph and family left England. There was more than one ship in 1635 named the James. Ralph was not on the April ship, he was the ship of the same name which sailed in the summer. Hotten has it right. The passengers were certified as eligible to leave England on July 13, 1635, and the ship would have left soon after, depending on the winds and whatever. I think they arrived in Boston in September, but I don't have that documented. Planters of the Commonwealth by Charles Edward Banks states that the James sailed for New England the latter part of July and arrived in Boston the last week in September. Included in the passenger lists are Ralph Farnham, age 32, barber, destination Ipswich; Mrs. Alice Farnham, 28; Mary Farnham, 7; Thomas Farnham, 4; and Ralph Farnham, 2.

Also on the same ship was Solomon Martin, age 16, shipwright, destination Gloucester. I have assumed this is the same Solomon Martin who later married Alice Farnham after they both were widowed. She would have been about twelve years older than he. Is this a correct assumption?"

They settled in Ipswich where Ralph became the first town crier.

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Ralph Farnham

b.Aug. 4, 1633 St.Nicholas, Rochester, Kent, England, son of Ralph Farnham
d.Jan. 8,1692 Andover, MA
m.Oct. 26, 1658 at Andover, MA Elizabeth Holt dau. of Nicholas Holt
b.March 30, 1632 Newbury, MA
d.Oct. 14, 1710 Andover, MA

CHILDREN included:

  1. Sarah Farnum b.abt.Feb. 1660/1 m.Benjamin Abbott
  2. Ralph Farnham b.June 1, 1662
  3. John Farnum b.Apr. 1, 1664 Andover, MA d.Mar. 1728/29 Andover, MA m.April 10, 1684 Andover, MA Elizabeth Parker
  4. Henry Farnum b.Dec. 7, 1666 d.May 7, 1683
  5. Hannah Farnum b.Dec. 7, 1668 d.Jan. 30, 1758 m.March 28, 1693 Samuel Holt
  6. Thomas Farnum b.Jan. 15, 1672 Andover, MA
  7. Ephraim Farnum b.Oct. 1, 1675

NOTE: Ralph II died just before the witch trials commended and his sons Ralph III and John were summoned as witnesses.-- per Russell C. Farnham

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Ralph Farnham

b.June 1, 1662 Andover, MA son of Ralph Farnham and Elizabeth Holt
d.Jan. 3, 1737 Andover, MA
m.Oct. 9, 1685 Sarah Stickney Sterling
b.May 4, 1669 Haverhill, MA
d.April 12/3, 1732 Andover, MA

CHILDREN:

  1. Sarah Farnum b.May 5, 1686 Andover, MA d.1766 Andover, MA m.Henry Lovejoy
  2. Henery Farnham b.Sept. 15, 1687 Andover, MA d.July 25, 1732 Windham, MA m.June 12, 1712 Phoebe Russell
  3. Ralph b.May 25, 1689 Andover, MA d.abt.1759 York, ME m.Elizabeth Austin
  4. Daniel Farnum b.Jan. 21, 1691 Andover, MA d.bef.1713 York, ME m.Hannah Bragdon
  5. Abigail Farnham b.May 16, 1692 Andover, MA d.Dec. 27, 1787 Andover, MA m.Jan. 1712/14 John Abbot s/o William and Elizabeth (Gray) Abbot
  6. William Farnham b.Aug. 5, 1693 Andover, MA d.Nov. 1743 m.Anna B.
  7. Nathaniel Farnum b.July 25, 1695 Andover, MA d.July 19, 1760
  8. Barachiah (Barachias) Farnum b.March 16, 1697 Andover, MA d.Aug. 22, 1767 Haverhill, MA
  9. Benjamin Farnum b.March 14, 1699 Andover, MA
  10. Joseph (Josiah) Farnum b.Feb. 4, 1701 Andover, MA
  11. Stephen Farnum b.March 16, 1702/03 Andover, MA d.Sept. 1, 1756 Ft. Edward, Lake George, NY
  12. Zebediah Farnum b.1705 Andover, MA d.Feb. 5, 1706 Andover, MA

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Ralph Farnham

b.May 25, 1689 Andover, MA, s/o Ralph Farnham and Sarah Sterling
d.abt.1759 York, ME
m.Dec. 25, 1712 Elizabeth Austin, d/o Capt. Matthew Austin of York, ME
b.abt.1689 Wells, ME

CHILDREN:

  1. Joseph Farnham b.June 20, 1713 York, ME
  2. Ralph Farnham b.May 21, 1715 York, ME d.abt.1746
  3. Mary Farnham b.May 14, 1717 York, ME
  4. Matthew Farnham b.Aug. 4, 1719 d.Nov. 11, 1757
  5. Elizabeth Farnham b.Feb. 27, 1721 York, ME d.Oct. 18, 1723 York, ME
  6. David Farnham b.Jan. 4, 1724 York, ME d.Oct. 16, 1728 York, ME
  7. Jonathan Farnham b.Apr. 11, 1726 York, ME d.Dec. 18, 1800 York, ME
  8. Nathaniel Farnham b.May 1, 1728 York, ME d.Jan. 15, 1757 York, ME
  9. Paul Farnham b.Apr. 20, 1730 York, ME d.Apr. 12, 1820 Acton, ME
  10. Betty Farnham b.bef.1732
  11. Elizabeth Farnham b.Aug. 14, 1732 York, ME d.Oct. 4, 1753
  12. John Farnham b.May 26, 1735 York, ME d.Nov. 24, Bowdoin, ME

NOTES: Moved from Andover, MA to York, ME.

York County Court lists David Farnham PLT for Ejectment 1731, 1 Boston MA index #602234 Vol 9 p.3, box 41 file 3. Jonathan Farnham DEF Debt 1751, 4 York index #601659 vol14, p.331, box 124 file 67.

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Matthew Farnham

b.Aug. 4, 1719 York, ME; s/o Ralph Farnham and Elizabeth Austin
d.Nov. 11, 1757 in Service
m.Mar. 31, 1739 York, ME Dorothy Webber; d/o Benjamin Webber and Mehitable Allen
b.Feb. 11, 1719/20 York, ME
d.1794 Brooksville, ME as wife of John Grindle

CHILDREN included:

  1. Benjamin Farnham b.abt.1742 York, ME d.Nov. 24, 1823 Lebanon, ME m.Oct. 17, 1766
  2. Dorothy Farnham b.abt.1743/45 d.aft.1799
  3. Alice Farnham b.bef.1745
  4. David Farnham b.1749 d.Sept. 6, 1814 Lebanon, ME
  5. Matthew Varnum b.March 1, 1755 d.July 20, 1821 Brooksville, ME
  6. Abigail Farnham b.bef.1757
  7. Gershom Varnum b.1757 York, ME d.Sept. 22 [27?], 1827 Belgrade, ME; m.Dolly Moor [Moore]. Gersham served in the Revolutionary War as a Private in Capt. Reed's Co., Col. Jonathan Buck's Regt. Aug. 19, 1777 - Sept. 28, 1777; service at Machias.

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Matthew Varnum

b.Mar. 1, 1755 York, ME, son of Matthew Farnham and Dorothy Webber
d.July 20, 1821 Brooksville, ME
m.Martha Basteen
b.Aug. 17, 1758 Wells, ME d.June 2, 1835 Brooksville, ME

CHILDREN included:

  1. Anna b.July 25, 1780
  2. David b.Aug. 28, 1785 [or b.Aug. 5, 1780 d.Apr. 26, 1861 m.Cynthia Rea--different sources conflict]
  3. Dorothy "Dolly" b.Feb. 15, 1776
  4. Matthew b.Apr. 7, 1788
  5. Gersham Farnham b.Aug. 13, 1790
  6. Ebenezer b.May 17, 1796
  7. Simeon b.Jan. 1798 d.Aug. 1, 1867
  8. John b.July 4, 1800 [or July 14, 1800]

NOTE: Grace Limeburner in "Stories of Brooksville" lists Joseph b.Oct. 23, 1792, but omits Simeon as children of Matthew and Martha.

Matthew served in the Revolutionary War as a Private in Capt. Nathaniel Fales's Co., Col. Samuel McCobb's Regt., Aug. 1, 1779-Aug. 15, 1779 as part of the Penobscot Expedition.

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Gersham Farnham

b.Aug. 13, 1790, son of Matthew Varnum and Martha Basteen
d.Oct. 15, 1869 Brooksville, ME
m.(1)Eleanor Varnum d/o Gershom and Dolley (Moore) Varnum
m.(2)int.Dec. 10, 1830 Elsie (Tapley) Lymburner, dau. of Peletiah Tapley and Sally Stover, and widow of John Lymburner
b.Aug. 25, 1799 d.Nov. 5, 1878

CHILDREN of Gersham and Eleanor included (all born in Booksville):

  1. Dorothy Farnham b.Oct. 9, 1816 m.March 9, 1835 George Mills
  2. Elinor Farnham b.Oct. 19, 1817 m.(1)Sewall Gray m.(2)John Condon Roberts
  3. Benjamin Farnham b.Sept. 27, 1819 m.Aug. 24, 1847 Elvira Goss
  4. Jane Farnham b.Dec. 2, 1822 (possibly the Jane P. Farnham who m.Thomas Thomas Jr. buried Castine ME)
  5. James Farnham b.March 27, 1825
  6. Haskel Farnham b.April 20, 1827
  7. child b.May 14, 1829 d.following year

CHILDREN of Gersham and Elsie:

  1. Mary A. Farnham b.Sept. 3, 1831 d.Nov. 12, 1856 Brooksville, ME m.Mark Hatch Grindle
  2. Hannah Farnham b.Oct. 14, 1834
  3. John Fred Farnham b.Sept. 14, 1836
  4. George M. Farnham b.Dec. 20, 1838 d.1916 Brooksville, ME m.Mary J. Bolton; George was in the Civil War from sept. 10, 1862 to Aug. 17, 1863
  5. Emeline Farnham b.Oct. 12, 1842
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NOTE:from a 2002 email from Lloyd E. Shelleman, his g-grandson, quoted section from his grandfather Alton Townsend.--"When shipbuilding went down my grandfather Farnham [Benjamin] went up to Aroostook and took up a lot of wildland for a farm. I have understood that he walked up and back a couple of times, it was about 150 miles from Castine, and a good part of the way through the woods. His first lot of land was near Presque Isle and is now (1955) known as the Hayden Farm. He hadn't cleared away land but built a log cabin on it and was working away hewing timber, as he was an expert axman, and when he came home he found his cabin burned down. Then he went back to Castine to work in the shipyard again. The later he went back again and took up another lot in the town of Easton, and lived there until he died at the age of 86." List of Gersham children and dates from Bevery Farnham Henry, sent in same email from Lloyd.

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This page last updated on February 22, 2007

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