Stilwell Family Bible

Continuing my postings about the family of Lonson and Mary K. Stilwell.  The following are scans of the family Bible pages.  The Bible was found in the home of Mary Elva (Stilwell) Jones, but focuses solely on her parents' family.  Note: Based on a letter in my possession written by Lonson Stilwell, I believe that the first set of handwriting is Lonson's.  I have not yet identified the handwriting recording the deaths of Lonson, Mary K., Edith, and Annette.

One thing I would like to note:  the 1850 federal census for Metomen, Fond du Lac Co., Wisconsin (see below) shows the family of "Alexander" Stilwell and his wife, Mary.  Children are Lucien, "Lanch," Ann E., and Hiram.  Hiram is shown as 1 year old, so born about 1849 in Wisconsin.  While it is probable that this is Lonson and his family, this is the only time I've seen him listed as "Alexander," and this is the only place I've ever seen a son, Hiram.  It is odd that if this is the correct family, that Hiram is not listed in the Bible records and that the name "Alexander" is not included in any of the listings for Lonson.  So IF Hiram is a son of Lonson and Mary, then they did not include him in the births, marriages, or deaths in their family bible. 

Lonson did have a brother, Hiram Emmett Stilwell, born in 1831 in New York (so 19 in 1850).  Hiram also moved to Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin for a time and he married Mary E. Balsey, who is listed as a 14-year-old neighbor on this same census page.  So maybe the Hiram on the census is Lonson's brother and the census taker got his age wrong.  There is no Hiram with Lonson's family on the 1860 census, but Lonson's brother, Hiram, is still in Fond du Lac County and has married.


Like so many other things in family history research, this may be an unanswerable question.  But I have not added a son, Hiram Stilwell, to my data for this family.

Thoughts?