24th Generation

75. Colonel Russell WATROUS (*) was born on 14 February 1807 in Wallingford, New Haven County, CT.^{22,24,27,28,29,30,31} (This is a map of Byron Township, Genesee County, NY, where he and his family lived in 1840.)

One LDS Family Search website lists his birth place as "Of Byron, Genesee County, NY." The FamilySearch Person Tools website lists it as "Wallingford, New Haven County, CT." It is believed to have been the latter, but it must be confirmed.

The 1880 and 1910 Census' for his daughter Laura Estella listed it as Massachusetts. The 1900 and 1910 Census' for his daughter Martha Jane listed it as Connecticut. Because Genesee County was the location of his marriage and the birthplace of his children, it is possible that NY may have been his birth place, but it may also have been CT.

The 1800 Census of Derby, New Haven County, CT, contains the household of "Isaac Watrous" with the following: 2 males under 10 years; 1 male 10-15; 1 male 26-44; 2 females 16-25; and 1 female 26 thru 44.

The 1810 Census of Cheshire, New Haven, CT, contains the household of "Casander Watrous" with the following: 5 males under 10 (Russell was 7 at the time); 1 male 45 and over; 1 female under 10; 1 female 10 thru 15; and 1 female 26 thru 44.

The 1820 Census of Perry Township, Genesee County, NY, contains the household of "Lysander Waters" with the following: 2 males under 10 years; 2 males, 10-16 years (Russell was 13); 1 male, 16-18; 3 males, 16-26; 1 male, 45 and above; 1 female, under 10 years; 1 female 10-16; and 1 female, 45 and above. The same family--listed as "Casandir Watrous"--is contained in the 1830 Census of Perry Township with: 2 males, 15-20; 1 male, 50-60; 1 female, 10-15; and 1 female, age 50-60.

If he was born in CT, his parents may have been Russell Watrous and Lydia Webb, married 5/28/1808, Saybrook, Middlesex, CT. Must also determine whether this Russell Watrous relates to the Benjamin Waterhouse family tree (in the Gary Griggs RootsMagic database). He appeared in the census in 1810 in Colchester, New London County, CT.⁴ He appeared in the census in 1820 in New London, New London County, CT.⁴ Russell was after 1830 in Le Roy, Genesee County, NY.³² He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. After 1830 he was a carpenter, joiner and cabinet maker in Le Roy, Genesee County, NY.^29,33 He may have met his wife, Lovisa, through her brother, Abner, who was also a carpenter and joiner. He appeared in the census in 1840 in Byron Township, Genesee County, NY.³⁴ A household listed in the 1840 Census in Byron Township, Genessee County, NY, fits his family member's ages and is believed to have been his. The head of household was listed as "Russell Waters" and his household consisted on 1 male, age 20-30 (Russell, 33); 2 females, age under 5 (Isabel, 1, and Mary Jane, 3); 1 female, age 5-10 (Martha Jane, 6); and 1 female, age 20-30 (Louisa, 31).

They moved to Oakfield, WI in 1846. Russell lived in Oakfield Township, Fond du Lac County, WI after 1846.³² He owned 40 acres on 1 August 1849 in Fond du Lac County, WI.³⁵ His property was described as "the Northeast quarter of the Northwest quarter of Section twenty five, in Township fourteen, of Range sixteen, in the District of Lands subject to sale at Green Bay, Wisconsin." He died on 9 November 1849 at the age of 42 in Oakfield Township, Fond du Lac County, WI.^24,29,32,36 Russell has Ancestral File Number KZJS-8PT.

Colonel Russell WATROUS (*) and Louisa BEEBE (*) were married on 25 March 1833 in Le Roy, Genesee County, NY.^29,33,36,37 Ruth Johnson's research notes that, after Lovisa's husband died, "She was widowed with five daughters. She placed each of the girls except the baby in a different home as a housegirl in a well-to-do home. She worked as a cook and took the baby to work with her. Several of the girls married sons in the families where they were placed."

Louisa BEEBE (*)^37,38, daughter of Richard BEEBE and Martha THWING, was born on 13 January 1809 in Chesterfield, Hampshire County, MA.^{29,30,31,33,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49} (Alan Henry's research lists her birth date as 18 Jan 1808; her gravestone lists her birth year as 1810. The 1900 Census for her daughter Martha Jane listed her birth place as Connecticut, but the 1910 listed it as Massachusetts.)

Her given name was listed as "Louisa" in the 1859 record of her marriage to William Ferries, in the 1860 and 1880 Census' records, and in the Vital Records, Marriages for her marriage to George Peoples. However, in the Thwing genealogical history book, it is listed as "Lovisa," which is possible because a daughter of her sister Isabel had the middle name of Lovisa.

This is a picture of her daughters. They are believed to be: back row--Juliette and Mary Jane; front row--Laura Estella, Isabelle Maria and Martha Jane. She appeared in the census in 1810 in West Springfield Township, Hampshire County, MA.⁴² She appeared in the census in 1820 in Chesterfield Township, Hampshire County, MA.⁴⁰ Louisa appeared in the census in 1840 in Byron Township, Genesee County, NY.³⁴ She appeared in the census in 1850 in Oakfield Township, Fond du Lac County, WI.⁴⁵ Her name was listed as "Louisa Walters" and she was a widow. Her daughters Martha and Mary Jane were living with her brother Abner and his family, and it is not known where her daughter Laura was living. Juliette was living in Byron Township, Fond du Lac County, with the family of Elija D. Warner, and Isabelle was living with the Austin and Sophrina Graves in Byron Township.

Abner's household also included "Larys A. Walters," a male, age 4, that was listed with Louisa's children. That was probably Louisa's son, Lemuel. She appeared in the census in 1860 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.³⁹ She was listed in the household of her third husband, William J. "Ferris," as well as was William's son Francis and his family. Louisa appeared in the census in 1870 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁵⁰ She appeared in the census in 1880 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁴³ She died in 1894 at the age of 85.^6,48 She may have died in 1895 while living with her youngest daughter, Stella, in Fond du Lac County. She is reportedly buried there. Louisa was buried in 1894 in Byron Township, Fond du Lac County, WI.⁴⁸ in the Byron Cemetery (this must be confirmed because the Byron Cemetery records do not contain a record of her burial).

Colonel Russell WATROUS (*) and Louisa BEEBE (*) had the following children: