Susan Thatcher West and Capt. Thomas Sherman Susan Thatcher West was born on 26 Mar 1819 in Tisbury. She married Capt. Thomas Sherman, son of William Sherman and Hepsa (--?--), on 9 Mar 1848 in New Bedford. She died after 1883, perhaps in Rock Island Co. or Mercer Co. IL. She appeared on the Tisbury census of 1820 with her father, and on the Tisbury census of 1830 with her widowed mother. On 28 Aug 1830 "Susan West", her grandmother, and twelve other heirs of her grandfather Jeruel West, sold the Frog Alley homestead to James West. On 12 Aug 1834 she petitioned Judge Athearn to give her mother guardianship of her. On 19 Jul 1838 Susan T. West of Tisbury and her mother and siblings sold their home along the road to the wharf at the head of Holmes Hole Harbor for $1400 to Charles G. Smith. Susan appeared on the New Bedford census of 1840 with her mother. The 1841 New Bedford directory lists her as "tailoress, works 27 North Water, boards 89 Kempton." On 18 Mar 1842 Susan appears on the mortgage deed of their Union Street, Tisbury property with Charles Smith. Susan's 1848 marriage record lists her as a resident of New Bedford. She appeared on the New Bedford census of 2 Sep 1850, aged 31, with her husband, son, and mother. I could not find Susan or her family in the 1860 New Bedford census, as they probably moved west to Illinois by this time. She resided between 1880 and 1883 in Rock Island Co., IL. I have no further record of her. Capt. Thomas Sherman (or Shearman) was born on 20 Sep 1809 in South Dartmouth, Bristol Co., MA, and was called a Dartmouth resident in the record of his first marriage to Sarah Blankenship Delano, daughter of Capt. Benjamin Delano and Sarah Blankinship, whom he married on 12 May 1834 in Rochester, Bristol Co., MA. In a 1846 crew list Thomas was described as 5' 9" tall with a dark complexion, brown hair, and blue eyes. Thomas was called a widower, a mariner, and a resident of Dartmouth in his 1848 marriage records to Susan West. He appeared on the New Bedford census of 2 Sep 1850, aged 40, "sailor," with his wife, son, and mother-in-law. His real estate was valued at $1500 in this census. Although there are two Thomas Shermans in the 1852 New Bedford directory, neither seem appropriate for this Thomas, suggesting that the family may have moved west between about 1850 and 1852. He died on 12 Apr 1891 in Preemption, Mercer Co., IL, at age 81. Children of Susan Thatcher West and Capt. Thomas Sherman were as follows: * Allen D. Sherman was born on 16 Nov 1848 in Dartmouth, Bristol Co., MA. He appeared on the New Bedford census of 2 Sep 1850, aged one, with his parents. He moved west to Illinois with his family after 1850, and married Columbia Shafer on 25 Dec 1881. I have no further record of him. * Catherine Cleveland Sherman was born 3 Dec 1850. She married John C. Farwell. * Silas West Sherman was born on 3 Dec 1856. He died on 27 Feb 1865 in Illinois, aged eight. Full source information available from Chris Baer ------------------------------------------------------------- UGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organiza- tions or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contri- butor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------- File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Chris Baer