Can I please have input from others from a brick-wall line of mine?

Question

I am looking for the parentage of my great great great great Grandmother Elizabeth Babcock. She was born circa 1762 in either New London County, CT or Washington County, RI and died 23 November 1828 in North Stonington. She married Libeus Coon on 14 Sep 1786 in North Stonington.

I've done some research on this but the problem I'm running into is that there were a lot of Elizabeth Babcocks born around the same time period in the general area of New London County, Connecticut and Washington County, Rhode Island.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

General comments ok? I haven't worked many North East US lines, but the general thinking (that I know of) is that those lines often have more available than Southern US. More mandated records at town/county levels. I have heard of some "old" published genealogies being erroneous.
When I think of Colonial records, the focus (to me) is pre 1790, since that is first census. Not that the early census records are the best, but just a cut off of thinking. You have a specific marriage date, which seems to be from some kind of original source and puts the couple in a particular place.
What I am getting at, is the type of records to be most reliable would probably be court items. The ideal, just as example would be Daddy Babcock died, names daughter Elizabeth Coon in his will, and Libeus Coon as maybe witness or shown in another record as an heir. Husbands were in charge of wife's property.
Your downside as you already mention is no imagination as to names.. many Elizabeth Babcocks. If you find three of them, you might be required to find documents on all of them, to rule out 2 of them (shows a different last name in Daddy's or mommy's will, for instance). Another question being if Libeus died before her, if there are court items on her own behalf, and maybe others named in those items? A brother for example might show up. You might find indexes for some of these records... an index will not show the names within a document. Important to obtain the whole item. This could involve going to a LDS family history center, and ordering microfilm, rather than what may be online.
I just ran the phrase babcock family stonington (NO quotes) in google, and it comes up with a number of entries. Those might be of help to you.
edit-
http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=wescovey&id=I050249
one of several rootsweb files... this person shows someone for her parents.. and mentions their source. AT LEAST the source being mentioned, gives you the opportunity to verify it as being good/bad.

Answer 2

My first question would be have you run her through NEHGS or the DAR?

I snooped through the available records and it appears that unless one of those two sources can tell you who her parents were, your only other option will be to eliminate those Elizabeths who clearly are NOT your Elizabeth, then research the few you can't readily eliminate until you are able to clearly identify the correct parents of your Elizabeth. I would personally start by contacting New London Co and getting an original copy of the marriage record. There are several online trees that list her parents as Oliver Babcock and Anna Avery, but their sources are shaky. Since online trees are notoriously bad research, don't take them at face value. You need to find the records that confirm or disprove it. Definitely work with NEHGS on that.

Answer 3

Sometimes land records have a hint of the wife's parentage, especially if it was gifted to the couple, sometimes as her future share of the inheritance.

DAR is a great source for family bible records, so checking for the surnames in question in their library's catalog would be a avenue of research if you are able to go to DC or if there is a regional library near you.

Also there is always contacting current descendents - I've discovered that when I ask now if they know anyone else into family history I have been getting names that I thought they'd would have told me when I first started calling and asking for info and sharing and the like. lol

Answer 4

www.rootsweb.com--Parents of ELIZABETH BABCOCK:
Name: Oliver BABCOCK , Sr
Birth: 16 SEP 1720 in North Stonington, New London County,
CT
Death: 25 SEP 1771
Marriage 1 Anne AVERY b: APR 1721 in North Stonington, New London County, CT, 6 MAR 1739/40 in North Stonington, New London County, CT .
Elizabeth's siblings:
1. Oliver BABCOCK , Jr b: 22 JAN 1740/41 in North Stonington, New London County, CT (Death: UNKNOWN ; Note: Oliver was a Revolutionary War soldier, and was taken prisoner, exchanged, but died soon after)

2. Joshua BABCOCK , Sr: b: 5 JUN 1743 in North Stonington, New London County, CT; d: 1 OCT 1810 in or near Westerly, Washington County, RI (Note: ELECTED to: 1776 Rhode Island House of Representatives )

3. Anna BABCOCK b: 15 JUL 1745 in North Stonington, New London County, CT; d. 1839 in New York

4. William BABCOCK b: 19 MAR 1746/47 in North Stonington, New London County, CT

5. Rufus BABCOCK b: 10 SEP 1748 in North Stonington, New London County, CT
6. Charles BABCOCK , Sr b: 1749 in North Stonington, New London County, CT; d 1816 in New York probably
7. Gershom BABCOCK b: 19 NOV 1752 in North Stonington, New London County, CT; Marriage : Chloe DAVIS (birth and marriage dates unknown)

8.Christopher BABCOCK b: 26 JAN 1757 in North Stonington, New London County, CT; d. 2 NOV 1780 in Tiverton, Newport County, RI (NOTE: Christopher was a surgeon during the Revolutionary War)

9. Elizabeth BABCOCK...

10 Elias BABCOCK b: ABT 1764 in North Stonington, New London County, CT

www.familysearch.org
ELIZABETH BABCOCK
Birth: abt 1762
Death: 23 Nov 1828
North Stonington,,New London,Connecticut,USA
Marriage:
Spouse: LIBEUS COON (also spelled as LIBUNS COON, and last name as either CAHOON or MACCOONE)
Born: 15 FEB 1764 Stonington,Ct Or, Westerly, Washington, Rhode Island
HIS PARENTS: Father: Thomas MacCoone
Mother: Anne Crandall
His Marriage date: 14 SEP 1786 North Stonington, New London, Connecticut

www.ancestry.com--Family Data Collection

Name: Elizabeth Babcock
Father: Christopher Babcock
Mother: Martha Perry
Birth Date: 1765
City: So Kingston
County: Washington
State: RI
Country: USA

From "Runde Family Tree"--(NOTE: dates are different, but spouse is the same):

Elizabeth Babcock
Born: 1759-01-15
North Stonington,New London,Connecticut,USA
Died: 1832-04-10
North Stonington,New London,Connecticut,USA

Spouse: Libeus Coon
Born: 1764-02-15
Hopkinton,Washington,Rhode Island,USA
Died: 1828-11-25

Children: ELIZABETH & LIBEUS:
1.Libeus COON b: 28 May 1789
2.Betsey COON b: 16 Jan 1791; d. 29 Dec 1829 ; Marriage: John W EGGLESTON b: 15 Sep 1794
3. Elisha Crandall COON b: 27 Jan 1793
4. Polly COON b: 2 Apr 1795; Marriage: Ephraim CLARK
5. Sally COON b: 3 May 1797
6. Clark Burdick COON b: 20 Sep 1802; d: 25 Jan 1868 ;
Marriage: Sarah EDWARDS b: 22 Aug 1805
7.Desire COON b: 8 Jun 1805; Marriage : Clarke EGGLESTON b: 14 Feb 1807
8.Asa Spaulding Coon
Born: 1800-04-06
North Stonington,New London,Connecticut,USA
Died: 1879-02-04
Hopkinton,Washington,Rhode Island,USA
Asa's wife: Katura Eggleston : b. 1800;Connecticut,USA
Died: 1823,age: 23
Marriage to Asa Spaulding Coon
Voluntown,New London,Connecticut,USA
Their son: Name Daniel W Cahoon
Birth 1834-05-07 in N Stonington,New London,Connecticut,USA ; Death 1896-05-21
in Hopkinton,Washington,Rhode Island,USA
His Wife: RUTH ANN BURDICK (Born: 1834)
His Children : Louisa Coon (Born: 1855)

www.familysearch.org:
Katura Eggleston
Marriages:
Spouse: ASA S. (CAHOON )COON
Marriage: 09 FEB 1823 Voluntown, New London, CT

SON:Daniel W. (CAHOON) COON
Birth: Abt 1835
N. Stonington, New London, CT
Death: 21 May 1896
Hopkinton, Washington, RI
His Spouse: Ruth Ann BURDICK
Her Birth: Abt 1833
Hopkinton, Washington, Rhode Island
Children of DANIEL & RUTH:
1. Luther J. (CAHOON) COON --M--b.:abt 1850 Place:RI

2. John W. (CAHOON) COON --M--b. abt 1855; Hopkinton, Washington, RI

3. Daniel F. (CAHOON) COON --M--b. abt. 1857; CT;
(Marriage to Clemenza Albertina Carpenter b: abt 1862 in W. Greenwich, Kent, Rhode Island, on 19 Jun 1887 in Exeter, Washington, Rhode Island)

4. Calvin B. (CAHOON) COON--M--b. abt. 1866 Place: Richmond, Washington, RI (Marriage to Emma Austin b: abt 1867 in Exeter, Washington, Rhode Island, on 15 Aug 1888 in Exeter, Washington, Rhode Island)
Children:
Louis Burnside (Cahoon) or Coon b: 7 Apr 1889 in Hopkinton, Washington, Rhode Island)

5. Theresa M. (CAHOON) COON--F--b. 1870 Place: Richmond, Washington, RI (Marriage to George H. Barber b: abt 1867 in Richmond, Washington, Rhode Island, on 29 Apr 1888 in Exeter, Washington, Rhode Island)

6. Mary Ida (CAHOON) COON--F--
Born: 1869 Place: Hopkinton, Washington, RI
Died: 6 Apr 1870 Place: Hopkinton, Washington, RI

7. Sherry Mabel CAHOON COON --F--
Born: 15 Jan 1871 Place: Hopkinton, Washington,RI

8. Clara E. CAHOON COON --F-- Born: 24 Mar 1865 Place: N. Stonington, New London, CT ; Marriage: to John Elvin Sunderland b: abt 1852 in Exeter, Washington, Rhode Island, on 6 Dec 1884 in Exeter, Washington, Rhode Island)

9. Reusaleu Eugene (CAHOON) COON--M-- Born: 28 Mar 1867 Place: Hopkinton, Washington, RI

10. Ruth Adalaide (CAHOON) COON --F--Born: 17 Apr 1878 Place: Hopkinton, Washington, RI (Marriage to John Albert Shermen, b: abt 1874 in Of Hopkinton, Washington, Rhode Island, on 1 May 1893 in Hopkinton, Washington, Rhode Island)

11. Dora D. (CAHOON) COON--F-- Born: 8 May 1861 Place: N. Stonington, New London, CT
Died: 15 Oct 1869 Place: Hopkinton, Washington, RI

12. CAHOON COON--F--Born: 5 Aug 1872 Place: Hopkinton, Washington, RI (No first name given)

13. Hannah Alice (CAHOON) COON --F--Born: 20 Aug 1859 Place: N. Stonington, New London, CT
Died: 1931 Place: Hopkinton, Washington, RI
Buried: Place: Wood River, Washington, RI (Marriage to 1st Henry Thomas Woodmansee b: 21 Mar 1860 in Exeter, Washington, Rhode Island, on 15 Nov 1879 in Hopkinton, Washington, Rhode Island--3 children: Mary Ruth Woodmansee (b: 3 Sep 1880), Ella Eliza Woodmansee (b: 26 Oct 1882 ), and Henrietta Woodmansee (b: 17 Dec 1887), all born in Exeter, Washington, Rhode Island; and
Marriage to 2nd: William Frances Dyer --b: ABT 1854 in S.Kingstown, Washington Co., Rhode Island)

14. Edna F. (CAHOON) COON--F-- Born: 6 Nov 1873 Place: Hopkinton, Washington, RI

15. CAHOON COON--M--Born: 19 Nov 1868 Place: Hopkinton, Washington, RI (No first name given)

16. Tempe (Cahoon) Coon--b. 1855 in Rhode Island.


www.rootsweb.com--various notes:

Elizabeth Babcock: HEADSTONE INSCRIPTIONS, by Hale, page 95.
CLARK CEMETERY, North east of Laurel Glen
Coon, Elizabeth, wife of Levvenf, d. Nov. 23, 1828, age 66 yers

VITAL RECORDS OF NO. STONINGTON, NEW LONDON CO., CONN. Book 1, page 44
Libeus m. Elizabeth Babcock 14 Sept 1789.

Libeus Coon--Died 25 Nov 1828, buried Coon burying ground, North Stonington, CT. Eight children recorded in North Stonington.

Father of Libeus: Thomas COON :
Birth: 24 DEC 1737 in Westerly,Kings Co.,Rhode Island
Death: Bef 3 APR 1820 in Hopkinton,Washington Co.,Rhode Island ; His parents:
Father: Joseph MACCOON b: Abt 1706 in Westerly,Kings Co.,Rhode Island
Mother: Jemima ROSS b: 14 MAR 1712 in Westerly,Kings Co.,Rhode Island

Mother of Libeus: Anne CRANDALL
Her parents: Father: Joseph CRANDALL
Mother: Elizabeth CRANDALL