Abijah was a Revolutionary War soldier. His pension can be read over Heritage Quest; this, however, is not the whole pension. Thanks to Laurel Smith for sending the complete one. Abijah said in his pension that he had lived at Framingham, and later at East Sudbury, Mass.

It is not known what took Abijah to Clarendon, Rutland, Vermont, but that was the next place named in his pension, and it was there he married Rebeckah Warner, his first wife, 4 June 1789. She was the daughter of David Warner and Rebeckah Smith. There was some type of legal trouble between Abijah and his father-in-law. It seems that David Warner owed Abijah money, and Abijah sued to get it. It is possible that Abijah had sold David some land, and David never paid him for it. Dawn Hance knows of the exact piece of land in question. David later sold some land to Abijah that was probably given at a low price, and in this way, Abijah got his money and his wife's inheritance also. This was when both families were living in Clarendon. Rosanna Warner, Rebeckah's sister, witnessed the transaction. The Winch deeds from Clarendon are in Bk.4, p. 185,186,187 or 9, and 228. The first three pages describe the legal trouble.

Abijah and Rebeckah were found in the 1790 census for Clarendon, which was actually done in Vermont in 1791. They had one little girl at that time. In 1792, they had another daughter whom they named Electa (year of birth and her father's name was on her death record). Abijah said in his pension that at some point, he and Rebeckah went to Massachusetts. It is not known whether their son, Abijah Jr., was born in Vermont or Massachusetts. It is possible that they left the Clarendon area shortly after Rebeckah's family left for St. Alban's, Franklin, Vermont in 1792. None of their children's births were recorded in Vermont or in Massachusetts, but Abijah was found on the tax list for Framingham in 1796. Some of the records of David, Abijah's son, records he was born in Vermont. It is possible, but perhaps he did not know. Joseph's census records say he was born in Massachusetts, as does Roxana's records. Samuel's census records say he was born in Vermont, as does Eliza's, so the family probably returned to Vermont between 1802 and 1805.

Thanks to a descendant of Eunice Winch Beal for sending the birthdates for the Winch children from Eunice's own bible : Eunice Winch born 24 Dec 1789 in Clarendon, Rutland, Vermont. She married her cousin, William Beal. Electa Winch was born 25 Mar 1792 in Vermont. Electa married Cheever Richardson. Abijah Winch Jr. was born 1 Apr 1794, and he married Minerva Bannister. David W. Winch was born 27 Sep 1797, and he married Laura Shepherd. Joseph Winch (a Rev.) was born 28 Jan 1799 in Massachusetts. He married Betsy Marks in Ashtabula, Ohio. She died in Galena, LaPorte, Indiana, and he married (2) Sarah Teeter. Roxanna Winch was born 8 Aug 1802 in Massachusetts. She married Samuel Childs. Samuel Winch was born 9 Jan 1805 in Vermont. Eliza Winch was born 24 May 1808 in Vermont.

It is interesting that Abijah and Rebeckah's sons were named for family. Abijah Jr. was named for his father. Joseph Winch was named for his paternal grandfather. David W. Winch was named for Rebeckah's father (the W. for Warner), and Samuel was named for his father's brother. Eunice was named for her father's sister. Roxanna was named for her mother's sister.

Rebeckah was named in her father's will in 1800 in St. Alban's, Franklin, Vermont as Rebeckah Winch. (See notes for David Warner.) There was no land given to her or her sister, Rosanna, and it appears that both had already received their inheritance.

Abijah's pension said that when the family returned from Massachusetts, they first went to "St. Albany", which was St. Alban's where Rebeckah's sister, Rosanna Marsh, was living. It is quite probable that Rebeckah's mother was still there also. It is likely at that time that Rebeckah received the ten shillings given her in her father's will. But on the 19th of October,1808, the family was "warned out" of Franklin, Franklin, Vermont, which means they were new to that town (Vol. 1 1802-1832). Sometimes towns "warned out" anyone new that came in; usually it was done if the family's poverty would make it probable they would become town wards. Franklin town was very near Sheldon where Abijah's pension said that he went after St. Alban's. Rebeckah was listed, as well as Abijah, David, Josiah (Joseph), Rosy (Roxy), and Elizabeth. The children would have been listed in order. There was a Winch family in Sheldon in the 1810 census, but the first name was unreadable (p.487). If this is the Abijah Winch family, there were 2 males under 10, 1 male 26-45, 2 females under 10, 1 female 10-16, and 1 female 26-45. Eunice and Electa were probably living with someone else at this time, but not married. Their ages may point to their being married, but their husband's ages do not. They could have been living with and working for another family. Another note is that Franklin, Vermont was called Huntsberg until 1817.

There was an epidemic in Vermont from January 1813 - March 1813 called peripneumony, or lung fever, that was often fatal in adults. It started with the soldiers up on Lake Champlain, and it swept down through Vermont from there. It is possible that Rebeckah died in that epidemic as Abijah (no other family listed) was "warned out" of Pittsford on the 5th of April,1813. Abijah's pension said he went next to Pittsford, so this coincides with what he said. It is not known whether Abijah returned to the Pittsford area (near to Clarendon) because his sister, Molly Winch Beal, was there, or if it was because his daughters were there. But Abijah was also a fifer in the War of 1812 (Capt. Wright's CO, Col. Martindale's Regt detached militia in US service 2 mos and 8 days in 1812), and whether or not that had anything to do with the move is not known. Abijah's commander may have been Simeon Wright out of Pittsford, and that may show that the family was in Pittsford by 1812, and a town had a year to warn out a family. Abijah Jr. also served in the war for five months. Whatever happened with Abijah Sr., Rebeckah was dead by 1820.

It seems that Abijah apprenticed his son, David, when he got to Pittsford. There was an entry in the Rutland Herald from July 1814 that said, "David Wench, an apprentice aged in his 17th year, ran away from Simeon Bowen in Pittsford." Also, Eunice and Electa married about this time, and may have done so in Pittsford. Abijah was later found in the 1820 census for Crown Point, Essex, New York. He only had a boy with him aged 10-16; he was likely a farmhand. Abijah said in his pension that this was his last location.

An Eliza Winch (42) was found in the 1850 census in the home of William Beal in Pittsford. In 1860 she was living at the poor farm, age illegible, but she was the same lady that was living in the Beal's home. She was also the Elizabeth Winch from the 1808 warning out in Franklin. When Dawn looked at the William Beal family in the 1820 census and in the histories, she realized that William and Eunice had not been married long enough to have all the children that were living with them. She also saw that Eunice, the wife, was born in 1790 in Vermont, and she recognized who was most likely Abijah's oldest daughter. At first there was no proof that Eunice was his baby daughter from the 1790 census in Clarendon, but it seemed most probable. She was (1) named for her father's sister (2) she married her cousin (3) she was caring for her siblings (4) she was born the right year in the right place to be the oldest daughter (5) she and her husband and children traveled to Waukesha, Wisconsin where Samuel Winch, her brother, was later living. The proof that Eunice was whom Dawn thought her to be came in Samuel Winch's probate when he named Eunice's sons as his nephews. Also, it was later found that William Beal vouched for Abijah's identity on the latter's pension application. Only recently was Eunice's bible located that gave the names of her siblings as well as her children.

The William Beal family had in 1820, 3 males under 10 (Horace Beal, Dexter Beal, and William Beal), one male 10 -16 that was likely Samuel Winch, 1 male 26 - 45 that was William Beal. Then there was one female 10 -16 which was Eliza Winch, one female 16 - 26 that was Roxanna Winch, 1 female 26 - 45 that was Eunice Winch Beal, and one female over 45 that Dawn knew to be William's mother because his father had died in 1818. William Beal Sr. went to Cornish, New Hampshire with his bride, Molly Winch. It was there that William Jr. was born. William Sr. went to Pittsford in 1806 and built a house, but he died in 1818 as was mentioned before.

The Vermont vitals say that Abijah Winch of Crown Point married Catherine Rows or Rose on the 24 Sep 1820 in Panton, Vermont. It seems that at least from the point of his second marriage, and perhaps before, Abijah's children were left in the care of their oldest sister, Eunice.

It is known that Electa and her husband, Cheever Richardson, David Winch, Abijah Winch Jr., and Joseph Winch, the Rev., went to Ashtabula County, Ohio by 1822. There were also two cousins with them at the time, Walter Marsh and Lemuel Lucius Marsh, sons of Rebeckah's sister, Rosanna. Cheever Richardson also met his brother, Asa, there, and his brother, Elisha, and his sister, Lois, joined them in 1823.

Abijah's daughter, Roxanna (named for her mother's sister), married Samuel Child in Pittsford in 1829, and by 1834, she and her husband had traveled to Cherry Valley, Ashtabula, Ohio where her brother, David, was living. David gave Samuel Child a warrenty deed in December of 1834. In the 1850 census, Samuel and Roxanna were living right next door to David's married daughter, Lucinda Waffle.

Abijah's second wife, Catherine, was gone by 1832 when he applied for his pension. He was living with an Elisha Rhodes and Levi S. Rhodes. These two men vouched for his identity on the application. It was in 1833 that Abijah received the pension in Crown Point. There was an application to transfer the pension to Pittsford in September of 1837, as Abijah said that his children had "sent word for him to come over". At least five of his children, maybe six, were in the west, so there had to be some left in Pittsford, certainly Eunice and Eliza, possibly Samuel if he did not go with his brother, Joseph, or with his sister, Roxanna. This was when William Beal vouched for Abijah's identity. Abijah said he intended to stay in Pittsford, but by September 5, 1840, the pension was transferred again to Crown Point where it was reported that he "has not a dollar of property except what he can draw from the government". In the 1840 Pensioner's Census, he was still living with Elisha Rhodes. ( Elisha died in 1848, aged 68. This man was born in 1779 in Connecticut, the son of Obadiah Rhodes.) Abijah must have worked for Elisha as the pension application said that Abijah returned to Crown Point because he had something "due him" from Elisha Rhodes, and he stayed because he "took some land" of Elisha. Abijah was also enumerated with Elisha Rhodes in the 1840 Federal Census. Elisha may have been appointed to be Abijah's guardian as right after Abijah's name is the word, "insane". He likely had Alzheimer's, but of course, that is not known. There are also parts from the complete pension dated in 1840 that speak of "bodily infirmity", and "loss of memory" having to do with Abijah not beng able to return to Vermont. These things also may explain the next record we have of him.

There is a tombstone inscription out over the internet for Crown Point that says, "In memory of Franklin Gale, age 17 years, who was murdered Aug. 6,1841 by Abijah Winch." Dawn looked up the date in her own records and found a newpaper article reporting the event. The Vermont State Library, State St., Montpelier, Vermont sent the actual article that was printed 24 Aug 1841, p.3, under MURDER, in the Rutland Herald. Instead of printing Abijah Winch as the murderer, it seems the printer may have mistakenly copied the name of Joseph Winch from the Joseph West above. With the tombtone inscription, Abijah's age and Revolutionary War service, and his census records, there is no question that Abijah was the Winch man named (not Joseph Winch), but the article was left as printed.

"By a correspondent at Crown Point, N.Y. who signs himself an eye-witness, it would seem that a murder was commited on the 3rd inst., upon a boy of the name of Benjamin Franklin Gale, of about 17 years of age, whose family live in Colchester, Vt. The circumstances were stated as follows: The boy was living with a man by the name of Joseph West, and went out about 5 o'clock in the morning to milk his cows. While milking, the murderer came up and knocked him down with a lever, fractured his skull, which occasioned his death 67 hours after. The deceased was much respected by all who knew him. A man by the name of Joseph Winch, a revolutionary soldier aged 83 years, it is said is charged with the dreadful deed, and was committed to jail on the Wednesday following. He discovers no symtoms of penitence. The reason he assigns for the deed is, that some boys had, the day previous, provoked him by throwing stones and chips, and he had resolved to be revenged, and in the blindness of his rage had mistaken the deceased for one of the offenders."

A special thanks to Rebecca Sloan for obtaining a picture of the tombstone.

Thanks to Nancy McNabb for sending the Abijah Winch trial pages she obtained from Essex County. Abijah was found to be "non compos mentis", and was sentenced to be confined in the County Poor House with his pension to pay the bill. When one witness asked Abijah about what he had done and told him that the boy was in a bad condition, Abijah said that he would need to make restitution to the boy by giving him his land, (which was Abijah's only earthly possession). This shows that Abijah did not really understand what he had done, and he did feel remorse.

More about the children of Abijah and Rebeckah Winch:

1. Eunice Winch born 24 Dec 1789. She married her cousin, William Beal, about 1813. They lived in Vermont for many years before moving to Franklin, Bremer, Iowa after selling their Pittsford property in 1854. Thanks to a descendant of Eunice and William for sending the birthdate info from the bible of Eunice Winch Beal. The Beal children were all born in Pittsford:
1. Horace V. Beal c. 1814. A death notice in the Rutland Herald, 1 October 1839, said that Horace, age 25, had died at Prarie Du Chien, Wisconsin Territory, and that his father was William Beal of Pittsford.
2. Dexter Beal, born 26 Nov 1813. He married 11 November 1855 Celia Scott in Geauga County, Ohio. He died 20 April 1902 in Readlyn, Bremer, Iowa, and he was buried in Grovehill Cemetery in Franklin, Bremer, Iowa.
3. William Beal, born 25 Sep1818 died 31 August 1821 age 2 yrs. 11 months. He was buried next to his Beal grandparents in the Congregational Cemetery in Pittsford.
4. Edwin Beal born 15 Mar 1824. (died 1 yr)
5. Albert Beal, born 5 Apr 1827. He married Caroline Lucy Perkins. He died 14 March 1890 in Green Valley, Miner, South Dakota, and he was buried in the Vilas Cemetery there.
6. Willard Washington Beal, 29 Nov 1829. He married 23 February 1862 Fannie Hill in Bremer County, Iowa. He died 18 February 1907 in Waterloo, Black Hawk, Iowa, and he was buried in the Fairview Cemetery there.

A special thanks goes to LaVern Velau for the information she sent on William, Dexter, Albert, and Willard Beal, and their descendants in Iowa. William Beal died 11 October 1874, and his stone in the Lester Cemetery in Lester, Black Hawk, Iowa, says that he was born the 5 April 1791. The same stone says that Eunice Beal was born in 1789 and died in 1855. It is not known, however, if Eunice survived the trip to Iowa, and if she was actually buried at that location, or if the stone was only a memorial to her. LaVern Velau found another indicator that Eunice was a Winch on the death certificate of Dexter Beal where the name was written, transcribed, or interpreted as "Wirrch".



Beal Cousins	Dexter Beal Family	Eunice Beal Wilson


Photos courtesy of LaVern Velau

In the Beal cousin photo is l-r Albert Beal, Onie Beal, and Frank Beal. In the Dexter Beal family photo is back l-r Edson Beal, Eunice Beal (Wilson), Frank Beal; front l-r Dexter Beal, Celia (Scott) Beal. In the Eunice Beal family photo is l-r Estella Wilson, Eunice (Beal) Wilson, Cecelia Wilson.

William Beal's obituary: "Another Old Settler Gone. We have just heard of the sudden death of Mr. Beal of Franklin towship. Last Sunday a week, he went from his son Dexter's to Willard's, after arriving there he complained of being cold. He retired to his bedroom to rest, where he remained until supper time, when some of the family went to call him and found him dead. Mr. Beal was in his 84th year and for several years has been quite feeble. He was one of the oldest settlers in Franklin township and of the county. We are not able at this time to give any particulars of his long and eventful life. - He was a man of more than ordinary intelligence when in his prime. His death was a peaceful one. Like a shock of corn ready for the harvest, so was he, as he drew near 84th mile post of human life. He was buried on election day, followed to the tomb by a very large number of people."



Headstone photos of William and Eunice Beal courtesy of LaVern Velau.













2. Electa Winch born 25 Mar 1792. She married Cheever Richardson. They married in Vermont, went west to LeRoy, Genessee, New York in the 1820 census, then to Ashtabula, Ohio, then to western Pennsylvania, and on to Lenawee, Michigan, where they lived in the home of their daughter, Rebecca Wheeler, and her husband, Truman Wheeler. Thanks to Alice M. Sias for sharing cherished family letters. Lois Richardson wrote a letter to her brother, Asa, and his wife in 1828, and I quote,"Electy's health is very poor yet. I think it is a chance if she ever enjoys good health again. I think it is likely she will go into the consumption. She bloats and has times of raising blood." Thanks also to Laurel Smith for all the she sent on Cheever and Electa. Cheever and Electa's known children are Eliza, who married a Daniel Hatfield, William R. B. Richardson, Rebecca Richardson who married Truman Wheeler, and John W. Richardson who married Sophia Etheridge. Cheever was living next door to a Chester Richardson in the 1850 census; he is likely the Richardson's son. An Elisha Richardson was buried in the same burial lot in Lenawee as Rebecca Wheeler; he may also be a son. Amos Richardson of Hartland, Livingston, Michigan may also be a son as John W. was living in the same neighborhood in the 1850 census. Cheever and Electa had at least eight children. Electa died in the home of her son, John, in Napolean, Jackson, Michigan. Her death record says whe was the daughter of Abijah "Wench", and she was 75 yrs., two months, at her death. She died of cancer of the stomach. Ledger 196 p. 161. There is more information on this same website about the Richardson family.

Old Winch homestead by Martha Winch Burlingham. Copy courtesy of Rebecca Sloan.
3. Abijah Winch Jr. born 1 Apr 1794. He served in Capt Willson's (prob Roswell) Regt detached milita in US service 5 months in 1812. An internet history says, "Mrs. Abijah Winch was Minerva Bannister, and returned from a Disciple meeting, where husband and been leading, to find their home in ashes, and their little boy Philo, only two years and ten days old, burned with it. Two daughters, Miriam and Mariette, were born here, on the Pulsipher farm." -genweb for Ashtabula Co. Abijah must have gone first to Denmark, Ashtabula as he in shown in a census for that town in 1823 along with Asa and Cheever Richardson. Abijah was in the 1830 census of Cherry Valley, Ashtabula, Ohio with 1 male under 10, 2 males 10-15, 1 male 30-40, 2 females 5-10, 1 female 30-40. I do not know if Abijah had more than five children. Besides the three children named above, it is known that Ezra Winch of Cherry Valley, Ashtabula, Ohio, was Abijah's son, and I think that the Ira Winch that is in the census for ,Crawford, Pennsylvania, is also Abijah's boy. Miriam married Amos McLaughln, and Mariette married Samuel Hogg. A history by a grandaughter says that Abijah Jr. also had a son, Allen (Almon?) and a daughter, Clara. Abijah purchased 80 acres in Wooster, (Wayne) Ohio Mar 1, 1832. He was not found in the census there for 1840. A call to the county office there told me they had no information for him over their collective data base. An Abijah was found in Blissfield, Lenawee, Michigan, in a town census for 1845. A call to the Lenawee Probate Office did not turn up a probate for him. It appears that Abijah worked his way through two states around the edge of the lake there.


On the left is Ezra Winch, Abijah Jr.'s son and Ezra's wife, Lovinia Brown. The tall stone is David and Laura Winch's, Pandanarum Cemetery. Photos courtesy of Rebecca Sloan.














4. David Winch born 27 Sep 1797. "July 1814 Rutland Herald: David Winch, an apprentice aged in his 17th year, ran away from Simeon Bowen in Pittsford." from Dawn Hance, Rutland Historian. David was in LeRoy, Genesee County, New York living or traveling very near his cousin, Walter Marsh, in the 1820 census where it shows David with his wife and daughter. By 1822, they were in Ashtabula County, first in Millsford. David's first son and second child was born in Ashtabula. David went on to Cherry Valley and then to Richmond in 1839. He served as a township clerk, justice of the peace, and township treasurer. It seems he was named David W. for his grandfather, David Warner. A Winch researcher sent me this small history, "David Winch Sr. moved from Cherry Valley to Richmond, Ohio, in the spring of 1841 and bought 60 acres of wild land from S. M. Warren in the north part of the lot 58. Having two or three large boys and being a great worker himself, in a few years they had the farm all cleared up." David married Laura Shepherd, and they had a large family. Thanks to Rebecca Sloan and Earl Henry for the information on these children. Emeline Winch, born 21 Nov 1820, Ethelbert Winch, 8 May 1822, Lucinda Winch, 7 Sep 1824, Eliza Ann Winch, 2 Nov 1825, Lucy Ann Winch, 2 Dec 1826, Charlotte Winch, 30 May 1828, Samuel Winch, 27 Jul 1829, Emma Jane Winch, 27 Mar 1831, Philo Winch, 28 May 1833, David Winch, 4 Aug 1835, Albert Winch, 5 Nov 1837, Laurette Winch, 3 Jul 1840, Jeanett Winch, 1 Dec 1842, Elbert Winch, 29 Apr 1844. Please e-mail me if you have any information on Freeland Winch, a David Winch descendant. More photos of tombstones for David Winch's children and related families can be seen at Ashtabula Genweb.
Photos courtesy of Rebecca Sloan



??Emeline Winch and her	-Eliza Ann Winch	-Samuel Winch	-David Winch Jr.
husband Robert Henry??




Thanks to Kevin Sakuta for sending a copy of a newpaper article about Civil War letters from David Winch Jr. to family members. 1 January, 1980 "Civil War Letters Depict Emotions of the Time" by Barbara Solder. "Recently, we had the opportunity to share some letters written during the Civil War by a relative of Hazel Sakuta of Middle Road in Girard. The young soldier, David Winch Jr., lived near Springboro, and the letters were written to William and Lucinda Graham, his sister and brother. (We believe they were his wife's, Sarah's, sister and her husband.)

David Winch Jr. left Cleveland with his regiment on October 6, 1864, and arrived in Taillahoma, Tenn., a distance of 700 miles, on October 11. Their trip was without incident, 'But we were lucky, for the train just before us from Nashville here was fired into by guerrillas, captured and burnt and six soldiers wounded. The train burnt and was still burning when we came past,' David's letter of November 2, 1864, recounted. He continued, "We are here surrounded by the enemy - perhaps not many in number but of the most desperate characters imaginable - tearing up the railroad track and murdering Union citizens, but our ? ? ? ? bringing them history books should include some of it. I don't remember that McClellan ran for President during that era, but I doubt that I will ever forget it again, by virtue of the following paragraph which David Winch wrote: "Presidential election is now almost upon us, and it stands us in hand to be careful who we vote for. If I had ever so much as a notion of voting for McClellan it would sicken me. To hear the rebels that we have got in the stockade cheer for him and express their hopes that he will be elected, I volunteered to fight for my country and (if need be) lay my life down in its defense - rather than take up with a disgraceful compromise out of the McClellan Stamp that would sink America in disgrace while life shall last, and this is the sentiment of all the soldiers in this part of the field.'

Winch explained that he had not received any money from the government yet, but he asks his relative to whom this letter was written, to take care of his wife, Sarah, and he promised to repay them."


5. Joseph Winch born 28 Jan 1799. A history of Ashtabula county over the interent says, "June, 1822, brought the Rev. Joseph Winch and family, and two brothers, and they soon organized a Disciple Church." The Rev. actually went first to Kingsville, Ashtabula, as shown in an 1823 census. He married Betsy Marks there. In the 1830 census of Monroe, Ashtabula, Ohio, only two of the four boys living in Joseph's home appear to have been his own sons. In a small history of Joseph in Galena, LaPorte, Michigan, it says, "A man named Purcell put up a lathe for turning wooden bowls, on Mud creek, near the school-house known as "Mud Creek School-house." The enterprise proved unsuccessful, and Joseph Winch afterward bought the establishment and made splint - bottom chairs and spinning-wheels." History of LaPorte county, Chapman 1880, p. 693 and 694: Reference Galena Twp, year 1835. In another history over the LaPorte Genweb, "Joseph Winch bought the concern, his product being spinning wheels and splitbottom chairs. Mr. Winch was a Free Will Baptist preacher who came to the county in 1838 and died February 10, 1854. In 1840 he moved the shop to a better waterpower on Barnes Creek nearby and built a new and larger house for it, adding to his output, hubs, bedposts, and other kinds of woodwork requiring turning." After Betsy's death, Joseph married Sarah Teeter in 1844. Death record says that he was 57 years 13 days at his death, but the website invites questions as the stones are hard to read. It probably says 54 at his death as the 1850 census says he was 50. -Genweb A woman in LaPorte County sent a picture of the stone, and she also looked up a transciption that was made from thirty years ago, and at that time, the transciber said the stone read 54 years. That would be perfect. There is a history for Joseph over the LaPorte Genweb. This can be found over the cemetery section in the biographies. Joseph had Ira B., born Dec 1828, Miriam, born abt 1831, William C. Winch, born about 1833, Arvilla Winch, born Apr 1837, Marquis Rollin Winch, born in 1840. Joseph had two children with Sarah Teeter, Flavius J. Winch in 1845/46, and Joseph F. Winch, born in 1853. Thanks to Steve Austin for the information that Marquis Winch kept a manuscript of his experiences in the Civil War. Please write if you know the whereabouts of a copy of that. Also, Steve shared that after Flavius died in the Civil War, "family lore says that Sarah drove a wagon from Rolling to Evansville to recover his body".




Gravestone of the Reverend Joseph Winch and his wife, Betsy Marks. Photo courtesy of LaPorte GenWeb.	Gravestones of Sarah Winch and Flavius Winch. Photos courtesy of Steve Austin.



6. Roxanna Winch born 8 Aug 1802. It appears that Roxanna Winch and her husband, Samuel Childs, headed to Cherry Valley soon after their marriage, and lived in the same town as David Winch, Roxanna's brother. Samuel and Roxanna Child (1850) lived right next door to David's daughter, Lucinda, that married John Waffle. Roxanna was living with her daughter, Emily Petrie, and her husband in the 1880 census of Cherry Valley. The known children were: Roxana Rebecca Childs born 1 Feb 1830, Emily Childs, 9 Feb 1833, Eunice Melvina Childs, 10 Oct 1836, and Melissa Childs, 20 Dec 1841.
7. Samuel Winch born 9 Jan 1805. He was a farmer in the 1860 and 1870 census up in Wisconsin. He was living with Joseph or Josiah Robinson in 1850 in Wisconsin. Joseph Robinson (26) had a wife, Rhoda (21), and a S.E. (2).. He purchased his property there in 1840, 1843, and 1844. This comes from an internet record over genweb, as well as the info from his tombstone (age 72). It appears that Samuel died unmarried. Samuel's probate from Waukesha was a very important document in proving the relationship of his siblings, particularly that of his oldest sister, Eunice, and others. This is the will. "I, Samuel Winch, of the town of Mukwanago, in the county of Waukesha and State of Wisconsin, being of sound mind do make and declare this to be my last will and testament. First, after all my lawful debts are paid and discharged, I give and bequeath to my neice's daughter whose maiden name was Ella McLaughlin now married and living in Waukesha, Wisconsin the sum of two hundred dollars. I will that all my real estate wherever situated shall be sold and converted into money as soon as may be without material loss the proceeds of which sale together with all my remaining personal property shall be equally divided among the following named persons to wit: my nephews Ira B. Winch of Coloma Michigan and M.R. Winch of Kansas City, Missouri and each full brother or sister of theirs, also my nephews Dexter Beale, Albert Beale and Willard Beale of Iowa also my neice Eliza A. Winch of Richmond Center Ohio, also my neice Mariette Hogg of Waukesha Wisconsin and each of her living children to wit: Willie, Sarah, Clara, and Eddie: to be divided among them share and share alike. Likewise I constitute and appoint William Frazier of this town to be executor of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills made by me. In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name, and affixed my seal, the 16th day of May eighteen hundred and seventy-six." Witnessed by William P. Collins, L. Collins, and Fred Collins .
8. Eliza Winch was born 24 May 1808. She was living in her sister's home in the 1850 census of Pittsford, with William and Eunice Beal, and she was age 42 at that time. William and Eunice sold their property in 1854 to go west. It is not known why Eliza did not go west at this time. Her age in the Poor House in Pittsford in the 1860 census does not match up, but it is illegible, and they probably did not know how old she was anyway. She was in the deaths for 1866 in Pittsford, but I could not read anything beyond her name in the entry. Dawn Hance later looked it up there and said that there were no parents listed on her death entry. It said she died of dropsy, which is doubtful. It is probable that no one cared enough about her to know. The death informant also said that she was 45, they must have thought she never aged. Thanks to Earl Henry for the information that Eliza was buried in the Potter's Field of Evergreen Cemetery in Pittsford.

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