The Fisher Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania

The name of Fisher being that of one of the employments of men is found in all nations. This family descends from Anthony Fisher who lived in the latter part of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, in the parish of Syleham, county of Suffolk, England. He had four sons and two daughters. His will was admitted to probate in England in December, 1641.

(II) Anthony (2) Fisher

Anthony (2), son of Anthony (1) Fisher, of Syleham, Suffolk, England was baptized there April 2, 1591. He came to New England with his first wife Mary, and children, in 1637, settling in Dedham, Massachusetts, where he had land allotted to him. His wife Mary joined the Dedham church in 1642, but he was not “Comfortably received into ye Church,” “On account of his proud and haughty spirit,” until March 14, 1645. He was made freeman in May, 1645; selectman, 1646-1647; county commissioner, September 3, 1660, and deputy to the general court, May 2, 1649. He owned a good deal of property, nearly all of which he gave to his sons, they binding themselves to support their mother if she were left dependent. After the death of his first wife Mary, he married, November 11, 1663, Isabella, widow of Edward Breck, of Dorchester, Anthony being then seventy-two years of age. He died April 18, 1671.

Children by first wife, all born in England

1. Anthony (3). Of whom further.
2. Cornelius.
3. Nathaniel.
4. Daniel.
5. Lydia.
6. John.

(III) Anthony (3) Fisher

Anthony (3), son of Anthony (2) Fisher, was born in England and came with his parents to New England. He was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery, 1644; freeman, 1646; joined the Dedham church, July 20, 1645; surveyor, 1652-1654; removed to Dorchester, where he died, February 13, 1670. He married, in Dedham, September 7, 1647, Joanna, only daughter of Thomas and Joanna Faxon. She died October 16, 1694.

Children

1. Mehitable. Died young.
2. Experience. Died young.
3. Josiah. Twice married.
4. —. Married Benjamin Coburn.
5. Sarah. Married John Guild.
6. Deborah. Married James Fales.
7. Judith.
8. John Bullen.
9. Eleazer. Of whom further.

(IV) Eleazer Fisher

Eleazer, youngest son of Anthony (3) Fisher, was born in Dedham, Massachusetts, September 18, 1669, died there February 6, 1722. He married, October 13, 1698, Mary Avery, born August 21, 1674, died March 25, 1749, a daughter of William Avery.

Children

1. Eleazer (2). Married Mary Penniman.
2. William. Married Elizabeth Daniels.
3. Jemima. Married Ezekial Gay.
4. David. Of whom further.
5. Ezra. Married Mary Fenton.
6. Nathaniel. Died unmarried.
7. Mary. Married William Alexander.
8. Ezekial. Married (first) Susan Wadsworth, (second) Experience Blackman.
9. Timothy. Married Thankful Daniels.
10. Stephen. Died young.
11. Benjamin. Married Sarah Everett.

(V) David Fisher

David, third son of Eleazer Fisher, was born in Dedham, Massachusetts, June 21, 1705, died July 30, 1779. He married (first) at Walpole, February 16, 1732, Deborah Boyden, (second) November 7, 1770, Elizabeth Talbot. His descendants, many of them, settled in New Hampshire.

Children

1. David (2). Of whom further.
2. Thomas. Married Mary Pettee.
3. Jacob. Married (first) Elizabeth Holmes, (second) Sarah Hodges, (third) Elizabeth Brooks.
4. Deborah. Married John Lewis.
5. Hannah. Married Nathaniel Kingsbury.
6. Nathan. Married Esther French.
7. Oliver. Married Sarah Morse.
8. Abigail. Married William Starrett.
9. Mary. Died aged sixteen years.
10. Abner. Married Sophia Hibbard.

(VI) David (2) Fisher

David (2), eldest son of David (1) Fisher, was born in Dedham, January 22, 1733. His will was probated September 1, 1812. He was a lieutenant in Captain Savil’s company, Colonel Lemuel Robinson’s regiment, that marched from Stoughton on the Lexington alarm, April 19, 1775, and also saw other service. He married, September 21, 1758, Abigail, daughter of Isaac and Mary Lewis.

Children

1. David. Married Mehitable Hewins.
2. Moses. Unmarried.
3. Aaron. Of whom further.
4. Ebenezer. Married Nancy Morse.
5. Catherine. Married (first) Elihu Onion, (second) John Smith.
6. Rebecca. Married Nathaniel Morse.
7. Mary. Died in infancy.
8. Mary. Married Oliver Gay.

(VII) Aaron Fisher

Aaron, son of David (2) Fisher, was born at Sharon, December 16, 1762. His will was probated June 6, 1809. He married Elizabeth Estey.

Children

1. Aaron.
2. William. Of whom further.
3. Daniel.
4. Betsey.
5. Abigail.

(VIII) William Fisher

William, son of Aaron Fisher, was born in 1782, in New Hampshire, where he grew to manhood and learned the cooper’s trade. He came to western Pennsylvania, being the third white settler to locate in McKean county, where he died in 1860. He was a Whig in politics, and both he and his wife were members of the Presbyterian church. He married —, born 1785, died in Bradford in 1860.

Children

1. William Rowell. Of whom further.
2. Zera. Married a Miss Beardsley.
3. Horace.
4. Sallie. Settled in Nebraska, where she was three times driven from her home by the Indians, narrowly escaping capture and death.
5. Betsey.
6. Cynthia. Married a Mr. Beardsley.
7. Bolina. Married Seth Scott, and died in Wisconsin in 1911, the last survivor of the family.

(IX) William Rowell Fisher

William Rowell, son of William Fisher, was born in Connecticut, February 13, 1810, died in May, 1889. When he was nine years of age his parents moved to State Line, Franklin county, Pennsylvania, where the lad was educated in the public schools. He became interested in lumbering and always was engaged in some form of that business. After his removal to Bradford he built and operated a grist mill, which is now owned by C. L. Douglass. He was a Republican and served for many years as justice of the peace. In religious faith he was a Methodist. He married, at Tuna, Pennsylvania, Briceus Pantha Farr, born in New Hampshire, January 8, 1818, died in April, 1885, daughter of Isaac Farr, born in 1781, a farmer of New Hampshire, came to Bradford and took up land, which he cultivated until his death in 1852; married Pantha Clark, who possessed considerable medical skill and practiced locally.

Their children

1. Asaal. Died at East Bradford, Pennsylvania.
2. George. Died at East Bradford.
3. Lydia. Married John Hutchinson, both deceased.
4. Lucretia. Born October 11, 1810, married John F. Melvin (see Melvin).
5. Olive Livonia. Married Sidney Wheaton.
6. Briceus Pantha. Of previous mention.
7. Daphana Dorleski. Married Joseph Steven Seaward (see Seaward).

(For extended notice of these children see sketch of Herbert E. Allen in this work).

Children of William Rowell and Briceus Pantha (Farr) Fisher, all born in Bradford, five dying in infancy

1. Orpha. Born October 10, 1838, died February, 1896; married James R. Dart, of Lansing, now of Mason, Michigan; children:
   1. Nellie. Died young.
   2. Gertrude. Born January 24, 1866, married Doctor Campbell.
   3. Roland. Married and has Clizbee, Doctor, William Fisher.
   4. Orpha Dorothy.
   5. James.
   6. Alfred. Born May, 1879, married Harriet Lee.
2. Mary C. Born March 17, 1840, died September 18, 1901; married Moses P. Woolley, who survives her living near Buffalo, New York.
3. Olive M. Of whom further.
4. Ida. Died December 3, 1874, unmarried.
5. Alice. Born October 7, 1852; married Charles L. Ackley and resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan; children:
   1. Clara. Born 1875, deceased.
   2. Maud. Born 1877, married Emil B. Ganser.
6. Nellie. Born 1857, died unmarried in June, 1873.

(X) Olive M. Fisher

Olive M., daughter of William Rowell Fisher, was born at Bradford, McKean county, Pennsylvania, October 20, 1843. She was educated in Bradford, where she was married and yet resides. She is vice-president of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Union Veteran Legion, also served two terms as president; director of the Benevolent Committee of the Woman’s Literary Club; member of the Country Club, and attends the Universalist church. She married, January 26, 1865, Robert Thompson Lain, born in Mount Hope, Orange county, New York, November 3, 1837, died in Bradford, December 13, 1909 (see Lain).

(XI) William Fisher Lain

William Fisher, only child of Robert Thompson and Olive M. (Fisher) Lain, was born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, September 28, 1866. He was educated in the public schools, and graduated from Nazareth Hall Military School in 1882. He is now foreman of the Emory Alkali Acid Company. He is a member of the Universalist church and a Republican in politics. He married, November 12, 1902, Myrtle Stevenson, born at Mill Hall, Clinton county, Pennsylvania, January 31, 1880.

Children

1. Clara. Born March 17, 1904.
2. Olive. April 4, 1905.
3. Roberta. July 10, 1906.

The Lain Line

Doctor Joseph Lain was a practicing physician at Mount Hope, Orange county, New York, where he died about the year 1840 comparatively a young man. He married and was the father of five children, three sons and two daughters, all deceased.

(II) Robert Thompson Lain

Robert Thompson, son of Doctor Joseph Lain, was born at Mount Hope, Orange county, New York, November 3, 1837, died in Bradford, Pennsylvania, December 13, 1909. He was educated in the public schools of Otisville, Orange county, New York, and fitted himself for the profession of civil engineer; later he came to western Pennsylvania and was one of the engineers employed in the construction of the branch of the Erie railroad, between Bradford and Alton. He enlisted, August 13, 1861, in the Pennsylvania Bucktail Regiment, and went to the front in the civil war; was wounded in his first battle and after partially recovering was assigned to duty in the office of the hospital steward. His duties consisted in accompanying the surgeons with the ambulance, medicines, etc., to the battlefields and administering to the wounded. After receiving an honorable discharge from the army when the war closed, he came to Bradford in 1865. He next removed to Alton, Pennsylvania, where he was postmaster and engaged in mercantile business in partnership with Charles Melvin, continuing until their store was burned in 1867. He then removed to Wilcox, Pennsylvania, where he was manager of a general store until 1869. In that year he went to Dunkirk, New York, returning to Bradford in 1873 and engaging in the production of oil and the real estate business, continuing until his death. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic; the Union Veteran Legion; the Heptasophs; the Country Club, and was the second oldest member of Bradford Lodge, No. 334, Free and Accepted Masons, at the time of his death. He married, June 26, 1865, Olive M. Fisher, who survives him with one son, William Fisher Lain (see Fisher X).

Source

Jordan, J. W. 1840-1921. (1913). Genealogical and personal history of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co.

This genealogy is based upon the source cited above. Only the structure and formatting have been changed for clearer presentation; the genealogical and biographical content has been preserved.