Susan Goss Johnston

     27. David¹ Palmer was born circa 1750;⁵¹ married Eunice (--?--) say 1772; he died before 1830 the date Unis Palmer, probably David's widow, appears as head of household, probably in Columbia Twp., Bradford Co., PA.

     David Palmer was the first of the Palmer families to appear in what would become Bradford Co., Pennsylvania. Heverly states that David first came to Burlington Twp., then removed to Columbia Twp. in 1804.²⁷ His name does not appear on the 1801 petition of Connecticut land claimants, but he does appear as head of household in Smithfield Twp., Lycoming Co., in 1810.⁵¹ This evidence supports the timing in Heverly. Land records held in Bradford Co. begin with the county's formation in 1812. I have found no grantor or grantee deeds enacted by David Palmer in those records; however, he was a landowner in Columbia Twp. A series of indentures appears in the Bradford County records, beginning with one dated 15 June 1841, that documents eight of the apparently nine children of David and Eunice Palmer. These six indentures all sell an "equal undivided one ninth part" of a small piece of land, just over two acres, in Columbia Township to Peleg Peck. The grantors in these deeds are Calvin Tinkham and Theodotia his wife; Stephen Palmer and Lydia his wife;⁵² Eunice Button of Columbia Township;⁵² David Palmer and Sophia his wife of Sullivan Township, Tioga County;⁵² Synthia Miller of Columbia Township;⁵² Samuel Hurlbut and Susan his wife of Harmony, Chautauqua Co., New York;⁵² Charles Keyes and Hannah his wife of Columbia Township; and Stillman Keyes and Eliza his wife of Elmira, Chemung Co., New York.⁵² A search of deeds involving Peleg Peck from 1812 to 1877 did not uncover the sale of the final ninth part of the lot. Fortunately, the deed between the Hurlbuts and Peck states a partial chain of title: "premises which were left by David Palmer & Eunice Palmer the Father and Mother of said Susan Hurlbut. . .", a phrase identifying David and Eunice Palmer as husband and wife, the parents of Susan Palmer, and by extension, the parents of Theodotia, Stephen, Eunice, David, Synthia, Hannah, and Eliza. Note that there is a problem placing Eliza in this family, however. (See below).

     David Palmer appears in the 1820 federal census of Columbia Twp. as a male over the age of 45 with a female, also over the age of 45, probably his wife Eunice. Also enumerated in the household is a male age 16 to 18 and a male age 16 to 26. The 1820 census has a peculiarity: males age 16-18 are counted twice, once in the 16 to 18 year-old category and once in the 16 to 26 year-old category. Therefore, these two marks represent only one young man.¹ It's likely that David Palmer's name will appear in the tax lists of Columbia Twp., but this author has not yet examined those records. David died before 1830, probably in Columbia Twp., as his widow, Eunice, appears as head of household in the 1830 federal census. Her age in that census, 70 to 80, shows that she was born between 1750 and 1760.¹⁹

     Much of the information on David Palmer's life has been pieced together from clues in records left by his children. This evidence is discussed in more detail in each child's narrative, but a summary is presented here. Hannah, wife of Charles Keyes, was apparently his oldest child, born circa 1774 in Connecticut, as was daughter Eunice, born circa 1778. Daughters Cynthia and Susan, born circa 1784 and 1785 respectively, were born in Vermont. Daughter Theodotia appears in the 1850 and 1860 federal censuses with husband Calvin Tinkham in Columbia Twp. In the former, she is listed as age 66, born in New York. In the latter, age 77, born in Vermont. Son Stephen was born in 1787 in New York; son David, born 1790, probably in New York, although his 1850 census entry places his birth in Connecticut. Therefore, it's probable that David Palmer was born about 1750 in Connecticut. He married Eunice say 1772, also in Connecticut. The family removed to Vermont about 1783 and from there to New York about 1787.

     Family records state that David's son Stephen was born in Unadilla, Otsego Co., New York. There is a David Palmer in Otsego Co. census records in 1800. He resides in Burlington with a family very similar to that of David of Columbia: two males under 10 [son born before 1794, David born 1790], one male age 10 to 16 [Stephen born 1787], one male over 45 [David born before 1755]; one female age 10 to 16 [Susan born 1785], two females age 16 to 26 [Cynthia born 1784, Theodotia born 1783], and one female over 45 [Eunice born before 1755].⁵³ (David Palmer family census table).

     The indenture from David Palmer's youngest son, who appears in the household from 1800 to 1820, to Peleg Peck, has not been found. It is likely, however, that he is the Nathan Palmer who bought land in Columbia Twp. in 1815.⁵² One question relative to the children of David and Stephen Palmer still remains. One undivided ninth part of the two-acre Columbia lot was sold to Peleg Peck by Eliza and Stillman Keyes of Elmira, New York. This couple was found in the 1850 federal census of Elmira.⁵⁴ Eliza was only 34, too young to be a daughter of David and Eunice Palmer. Her husband Stillman, age 37, was probably the son of Charles and Hannah (Palmer ) Keyes. How they obtained this ninth share of the Palmer lot is not yet known; and therefore, the ninth heir of David and Eunice is still unknown.

     Palmer family researchers should probably investigate the records of Otsego Co., New York, further. Some familiar names appear in the 1800 federal census of Burlington. A Nathan, Benjamin, and a Stephen Palmer, all enumerated together, live there. Nathan and Stephen Palmer still reside in Burlington in 1810. Nathan would have been born between 1755 and 1765; Stephen between 1765 and 1774. They could be David Palmer's younger brothers.

     Eunice (--?--) was born between 1750 and 1760.¹⁹ She died before 28 January 1841 the date of a deed between Reynolds and Peck conveying two acres of land in Columbia Twp. bordered on the east by "lands of the heirs of Mrs. Palmer deceased" in Columbia Twp., Bradford Co., PA.^52,52

     All census evidence supports the idea that Eunice, wife of David Palmer, was born between 1750 and 1760. Her children's birth information places that event closer to 1750, probably in Connecticut. Eunice appears as head of her own household in Columbia Twp. in 1830, but does not appear as such in 1840. It's likely that the woman, age 80 to 90, living in the Charles D. Miller household in 1840 is Eunice. Also in that household is a woman age 50 to 60, probably Charles's mother, Cynthia (Palmer) Miller. This household is enumerated immediately after those of Edmund and Charles Keyes, Jr., also grandsons of Eunice Palmer.

     Known children of David¹ Palmer and Eunice (--?--) were as follows:

• 28. i. Hannah² Palmer, born circa 1774 CT; married Charles Keyes.
• 29. ii. Eunice Palmer, born circa 1778 CT; married (--?--) Button.
• 30. iii. Theodotia Palmer, born circa 1784 NY; married Calvin Tinkham.
• 31. iv. Cynthia Palmer, born circa 1784 VT; married (--?--) Miller.
• 32. v. Susan Palmer, born circa 1785 VT; married Samuel Hurlbut.
• 33. vi. Stephen Palmer, born 11 October 1787 Unadilla, Otsego Co., NY; married Lydia Case; married Betsey Morgan.
• 34. vii. David Palmer, born 12 April 1790 NY; married Sophia (--?--).
• 35. viii. Nathan Palmer, born before 21 November 1794; married Phoebe Rexford.