Almira Dillenback was a lineal descendant of Martin Dillenback, who was born in the Palatinate, now a part of the German Empire. In 1710 he landed in New York, and went with a large number of his countrymen to Livingston Manor, New York. In 1711 he volunteered for the expedition into Canada (known as Nicholson's). He was a member of Captain John Conrad Weiser's company. In 1723 he was one of the twenty-seven who were granted a tract of twelve thousand seven hundred acres of land, known as the "Stone Arabia Patent."
(II) Baltrus, son of Martin Dillenback, was born at Stone Arabia, Montgomery county, New York. He served in the revolutionary war with Tryon's company of militia from 1779 to 1783. He is buried at Stone Arabia. He married, August 5, 1763, Mary Metzger.
(III) John Dederick, son of Baltrus and Mary (Metzger) Dillenback, was born in Stone Arabia, Montgomery county. He married Ann Elizabeth Maynard, and had six children.
(IV) Daniel, son of John Dederick and Ann Elizabeth (Maynard) Dillenback, was born March 3, 1781, died September 18, 1853. He married, in 1806, Catharine Spraker, born March 18, 1786, died February 20, 1852. They had nine children.
(V) Almira, daughter of Daniel and Catharine (Spraker) Dillenback, was born September 9, 1826, died January 18, 1874. She married Garret E. Briggs, February 29, 1848. Children:
- Thomas Delevan, born December 24, 1848, died March 4, 1850.
- Daniel Spraker, born April 21, 1852, died July 5, 1884. He married Catherine Hollenback; children:
- Almira, born June 12, 1875; married, February 26, 1896, William F. Miller, and have a son, Russell Briggs;
- David Henry, born December 15, 1876; married, October 28, 1897, Jennie Hogaboom; children: Florence A., Harold and R. Garret.
- Helen Elizabeth, born July 6, 1855; educated in the public schools, Hamilton Ladies Seminary, and at Bordentown Female College at Bordentown, New Jersey, from which she graduated; she was for many years the capable manager of the homestead farm. She is a woman of strong character and unusual business ability. She is a member of the Baptist church, and interested in the various societies of Christian Endeavor. She married, August 18, 1897, W. Scott Terry, born January 10, 1843.
- Nancy Young, born May 5, 1859; married, November 17, 1887, Frederick William Mister, of Kingston, New Mexico.
- Garrett W., born August 25, 1862, died January 31, 1904. He was a harness maker and conducted a store in Johnstown. He was a veteran of the Spanish-American war, serving as corporal of Company D, Three hundred and third Regiment, New York Volunteers.
- Almira, born August 25, 1862, died March 23, 1875.
(The Briggs Line)
The progenitor of the Briggs family of Fulton county, New York, was Elisha Briggs, who was born in Nova Scotia. He came to the United States in early life, and settled first in Washington county, New York, and in 1816 settled in Fulton county on a farm near Johnstown. He married (first) Deborah Weir, who bore him four children:
- John W., married Mary Howland.
- Eliza, married (first) ———— Lamb; (second) ———— Barber; (third) David Hoag. By her second husband she had three children: Deborah, Cicero and Tucker.
- Almy, married John Putman.
- Nancy, married Luther Young. He married (second) May 3, 1821, Sarah Babcock, of Columbia county, New York, who bore him seven children.
- Garret Eliakim.
- Thomas R., born December 24, 1824, died November 18, 1889; married Rachel Sammons.
- William A., born October 24, 1826, died December 27, 1852; married Eleanor Dorn.
- Delevan, born October 14, 1828; married, in Fonda, New York, December 18, 1851, Almira, daughter of John and Phebe (Dillinbeck) Doxstader; children: William A., Phoebe B., Henry F., John R., Edward T., Carrie E.
- Charles E., born April 24, 1831; a farmer of Fulton county; married (first) Julia Failing; (second) Sabra Burton.
- Mary E., born November 12, 1833; married Charles M. Knox.
- Daniel Cady, born January 14, 1836; settled at Malta, New York, and was a member of the state legislature.
(The Babcock Line)
Sarah Babcock, wife of Elisha Briggs, was a daughter of Captain Gersham and Chloe (Davis) Babcock. She was of noted colonial and revolutionary ancestry, dating from James Babcock, born 1612 in England, died June 12, 1679. He was admitted an inhabitant of the town of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, February 25, 1640. For the first forty years in America, the surname of James and his sons was usually written Badcock. In the probate records of John Badcock's estate, the name is spelled Babcock, and at that time the spelling seems to have been adopted. James was a man of importance in the colony, the records showing him to have been a man of sterling integrity and strong convictions. In his fifty-ninth year he was baptized and united with the Seventh Day Baptist Church of Newport, Rhode Island. He married (first) Sarah ————, who died 1665. He married (second) Elizabeth ————, who survived him, and married (second) William Johnson. Children by first wife:
- James, born 1641; married Jane, daughter of Nicholas Brown.
- John, see forward.
- Job, married Jane, daughter of Rev. John Crandall.
- Mary, married Captain William Champlin.
Children by second wife:
- Joseph, married (first) Dorothy Key; (second) Mrs. Hannah Coates.
- Nathaniel, died January 2, 1719. 7. Elizabeth, baptized September 14, 1692.
(II) John, son of James and Sarah Badcock, was born in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, 1644. He settled in Westerly, Rhode Island, where he had a grant of land and represented the town as deputy 1682-84. He died there in 1685. He married Mary, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Hazard) Lawton, of Portsmouth. Children, all born in Westerly:
- James, see forward.
- Ann, born 1665.
- Mary, married John Macomber.
- John, married Mary Champlin.
- Job, married Deborah ————.
- George, married Elizabeth Hall.
- Elihu, tradition says he was born on the day of the "Great swamp fight."
- Robert, married Lydia Crandall.
- Joseph, married Rebecca Stanton.
- Oliver, married (first) Susanna Clark; (second) Deborah Knowles.
(III) Captain James, eldest son and child of John and Mary (Lawton) Babcock, was born in Westerly, Rhode Island, 1663, died there January 17, 1736-37. Tradition says he was the first white male child born in Westerly. He was a wealthy and influential man, was captain of militia; town treasurer; town councilman; moderator, and for six terms represented Westerly in the Rhode Island colonial assembly. His tombstone says, "Having been in his life of extensive charity and beneficience and not wholly silent at his death." He married (first) Elizabeth Saunders, or Babbitt. Her tombstone says, "Elizabeth wife of Captain James Babcock died March ye 3rd, 1730-1 in the 69th year of her age." He married (second) in Westerly, July 7, 1731, Content, daughter of Jonathan and Content (Rogers) Maxson. Children of Captain James and Elizabeth (Saunders) Babcock:
- James, see forward.
- Elizabeth, married Elder Thomas Clark.
- Samuel, married Ann Pendleton.
- Daniel, married Abigail Thompson.
- Anna, married Elder Joseph Clark.
- Sarah, died in infancy.
- Joshua, married (first) Hannah Stanton; (second) Ann Maxson.
Children of Captain James and Content (Rogers) Babcock:
- Anna, married Simon Rhodes.
- Colonel James, married (first) Sarah Stanton; (second) Joanna McDowell.
- Jonathan, married Esther Hazard.
(IV) James (2), eldest son of Captain James (1) and Elizabeth (Saunders) Babcock, was born at Westerly, Rhode Island, December 23, 1688, died in Stonington, Connecticut, April 9, 1731. He settled upon a farm in that part of Stonington now called Pendleton Hill. Part of this tract was owned in the family for one hundred and fifty years. James and wife joined the Stonington Congregational church. He married, in Milton, Massachusetts, June 12, 1706, Sarah, daughter of Edward and Abigail Vose, and granddaughter of Robert Vose, born in Lancaster, England, 1599, and who came to America and bought land in Milton in 1655. Children of James and Sarah (Vose) Babcock:
- James, married Phebe Swan.
- Captain Nathaniel, married Sarah Billings.
- Elias, married Anna Plumb.
- Sarah, baptized January 11, 1714.
- Elizabeth, married John Davidson.
- Martha, died in infancy.
- Isaiah, married Elizabeth Plumb.
- Oliver, see forward.
- Grace, married Samuel Plumb.
- Timothy, occupied the old homestead; was a farmer and a merchant. He married (first) Lois Billings; (second) Thankful Read.
(V) Oliver, son of James (2) and Sarah (Vose) Babcock, was born at Pendleton Hill (Stonington), July 27, 1720, died there September 25, 1771. He inherited land from his grandfather, to which he added by purchase. He was a farmer, and both he and his wife were members of the Congregational church. He married, March 6, 1740, Anna, third child of Lieutenant William and his first wife, Anna (Richardson) Avery. Lieutenant William was a son of John, born 1654, and grandson of Captain James Avery, born in England in 1620, came to America with his father. Christopher Avery settled in the town of Groton, Connecticut, where he owned a large tract of land. He was very celebrated both in civil and military life. During King Phillip's war he commanded a company of friendly Indians. A monument erected to his memory by the Avery family stands upon the site of his former dwelling house. The children of Oliver and Anna (Avery) Babcock were twelve, three of whom, Rufus, Charles and Elias, died young.
- Oliver (2), married Mercy Kinney.
- Joshua, was for thirty years deacon of the Baptist church at Pendleton Hill, and for twenty-seven years justice of the peace. He married Elizabeth Palmer.
- Anne, married (first) Sanford Longworth; (second) Anthony Rhodes, a soldier of the revolution.
- Captain William Avery, removed to Chatham, New York, where he is buried. He was a soldier of the revolution, ensign and captain of militia. He was a farmer and a carpenter, a man of wealth and influence. He married Lucretia Davis.
- Captain Gersham, see forward.
- Altana, married John Longworthy.
- Dr. Christopher, surgeon in the continental army under General Schuyler. He died in the service. He married Polly Benedict.
- Elizabeth, married John Foot. For the last eight years of her life she was blind.
- Daniel, served the Seventh Day Baptist Church at Hopkinton, Rhode Island, as deacon for fifty-eight years, and was chorister for fifty years; for forty-six years justice of the peace; for nine years state senator; for ten years county judge of Washington county, and several times represented his town in the lower house of assembly. He married Content Potter.
(VI) Captain Gersham, son of Oliver and Anna (Avery) Babcock, was born in North Stonington, Connecticut, November 9, 1752, died in Columbia county, New York, February 17, 1815. He, his wife and son David are buried in the cemetery at New Concord, New York, where engraved marble stones mark their graves. From war department records at Washington, it is found that he served in Captain Hezekiah Baldwin's company, Second New York Regiment, Colonel Goosen Van Schaick, in the revolution. He had land bounty rights, and the family record says he was a sergeant in the revolution and at the taking of Burgoyne. His nephew, Joshua Babcock, says he was captain of a uniformed company and celebrated for his knowledge of military tactics. He was a member of the Masonic order, belonging to Unity Lodge, No. 9, at Canaan Corners, New York, which he joined in 1788. He married Chloe Davis, born 1761, also of patriotic stock. She was a daughter of Captain John and Sarah (Beebe) Davis, and sister of Lucretia Davis, wife of Captain William Babcock, brother of Captain Gersham. Captain John Davis held commission as second lieutenant from Sir Harry Moore Bart, governor of New York, dated September 25, 1768. He held a second commission from Sir William Tryon, governor of New York, as second lieutenant in the British militia, dated September 12, 1768. His third commission was as captain from the state of New York, "By the grace of God free and independent," dated June 18, 1778, "in the second year of Independence." Captain Gersham and Chloe Davis Babcock settled in Austerlitz, New York. Children, all born in Columbia county:
- Daniel, died without issue.
- Avery, married Lydia Darrow; ten children.
- Lucretia, married Deacon Edward Palmer, and removed to Penfield, Ohio, in 1830; five children.
- Chloe, married Ezekiel Burgess; four children.
- Sarah, see forward.
- John, married Mary B. Burg; five children.
- Roswell, married Christiana Groat; nine children.
(VII) Sarah, fifth child and third daughter of Captain Gersham and Chloe (Davis) Babcock, was born in Columbia county, New York, February 1, 1792, died in Johnstown, New York, April 13, 1874. She married, May 3, 1821, Elisha Briggs, and had seven children, among them a son Garret E.
(VIII) Garret Eliakim, eldest son of Elisha and Sarah (Babcock) Briggs, was born in Johnstown, New York, May 17, 1823, died January 18, 1866. He was educated in the public schools, and became one of Johnstown's progressive farmers, owning and operating one of the noted farms of the county. He was a member of the Baptist church, and a Republican in politics. He was one of the founders of the Fulton County Fair Association, in which he took a deep interest. He married, February 29, 1848, Almira Dillenback, of Canajoharie, born September 9, 1826, died January 18, 1874 (see Dillenback V).