Farnham Families from Walpole As It Was and As It Is (1880)

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Surname: FARNHAM
Source: Walpole As It Was and As It Is by George Aldrich, 
        The Claremont Manufacturing Co., Claremont, N.H., 1880, pages 246-248

FARNHAM. The name of Farnham first occurs in the church records as early as 1769, when one 
Benoni Farnham was admitted to Parson Fessenden’s church as a member. The descendants of Roger 
Farnham know nothing of their ancestors beyond their grandfather. There was one Ebenezer Farnham 
who married Lydia Graves, in 1775. He lived contemporaneously with Roger, and the old church 
record discloses the fact that they had children alternately every other year for seventeen years, who 
were presented, one yearly, at the baptismal font of parson Fessenden. In the absence of any 
knowledge to the contrary, there is a strong belief that :Ebenezer and Roger were brothers, and that 
Benoni was their father. Nothing is known of the Farnhams before their advent into this town. Roger 
Farnham, the progenitor of the Farnham blood now remaining, was born in 1746, and his wife, Priscilla 
Hall; was born in 1752. They were married April 23, 1788. To what Hall family his wife belonged is not 
known, but it is quite certain that she did not belong to Jonathan Hall’s family. It is asserted that she 
belonged to one of the numerous Hall families in Vermont. The only cue that has been obtained is the 
following: Caleb Farnham, the son of Roger, was full of practical jokes and witticisms, and one of the 
old citizens says that when Caleb was playing his jokes, his father would say, "There is a good deal of 
old Roll Hall in Kale;" but she could not have been his (Roll’s) daughter, for he was married about the 
same time as Roger Farnham. Priscilla probably was a sister of Roland Hall. Ebenezer Farnham and his 
family left town, and their whereabouts is unknown. Roger Farnham lived on the place now owned by 
Henry P. Hall, his grandson. He was for many years deacon of the old church, and lived an exemplary 
life. He died Oct. 1, 1830; she died May 2, 1837. Ch.
I. William, (Billy) b. July 21, 1779; m. Eliza, dau. of Samuel Salter, Feb. 24, 1803. Ch. 1st, Eliza, 
m. Josiah Williston, of Saxton’s River. 2d, Calista, m. Oscar Butterfield of Townshend, Vt. 3d, 
Lucinda, m. Ira Ranney of Westminster, Vt. 4th, Catherine, m. Bradford Hall, of Westminster, 
Vt. 5th, William, b. Feb. 7, 1816, m. Martha, dau. of Oren and Nancy Closson, of 
Westminster, Vt., June 6,1839; d. April 8,1869; issue, one dau., Mary, who married Oscar 
W. Rogers. 6th, George Salter, m. Caroline VanMater; issue, four children. 7th, John Allen, 
m. Fanny W. Closson, a sister of William’s wife, and lives in Hornellsville, N.Y.
II. Lucinda, b. April 30,1781, and d. Nov. 22, 1792.
III. Caleb, b. July 9,1783; m Hannah Capron of Chesterfield, N.H., b. March 29, 1786. He was a 
carpenter by trade, and is remembered as a man full of fun and good nature. Ch. 1st, Priscilla, 
b. Feb. 22, 1807; m. Lewis Davis, of Bradford, Me. 2d, Ebenezer Hall, b. May 22,1809, and 
went to Maine. 3d, Caleb, b. May 5, 1812; m. a woman in Worcester, Mass., who still 
survives him. 4th, John Capron, b. May 29, 1814; m. Emeline Wilbur, of Westmoreland, where 
he now resides. 5th, Emeline Gale, b. Nov. 11, 1816; m. Dexter Knight, of Sullivan, N.H. 6th, 
7th, and 8th, triplets: Harriet, Maria, and Louisa, b. Feb. 25, 1820; Harriet m. Charles Chaffin 
as his second wife; Maria m. Emerson K. Rice, Sept. 6, 1841; and Louisa d. Dec. 8, 1828.
IV. Mary Davenport, b. Aug. 26, 1785; m. Moses Sherman, Aug. 15,1803.
V. Lucretia, b. Sept. 29, 1789; m. Recompense Hall, March 31, 1806. (See Hall)
VI. Priscilla, b. Oct. 26, 1787; m. Ambrose Arnold, of Westminster, Vt., and had two sons, 
Ambrose and Fenelon; he died, and she m. again, a Ranney, of Westminster, by whom she had 
other children.
VII. Lydia, b. Feb. 14, 1792; d. Mar. 25, 1793.
VIII. Charlotte, b. April 28, 1795; m. John Griggs, Sept. 2,1816.

FARNHAM, EBENEZER. Following is the record of the family of Ebenezer Farnham, who is 
supposed to have been the brother of Dea. Roger Farnham. There is no record of the birth of his 
children to be found; but each child received the ordinance of baptism from the font of parson 
Fessenden, it is presumed; about the time the children were born, as was then the custom. Ch.
I. Phebe, bap. 1780; m. Daniel Calkins, in 1800.
II. Hannah, bap. 1780.
III. Ebenezer, jr., bap. 1781.
IV. Jesse, bap. 1783.
V. Becca, bap. 1786.
VI. Rhoda, bap. 1788.
VII. Asher, bap. 1791.
VIII. Edward, bap. 1795.
IX. Lydia, bap. 1797.
This family suddenly disappeared from the town records; but where they went is unknown.