Three towns in the United States have been named after descendants of Simon Lobdell, viz: Lobdell, Louisiana, near New Orleans, where, in close proximity, reside descendants of Abraham James and John Little Lobdell, the pioneer Lobdell settlers of Louisiana and Mississippi; Lobdell, Clinton county, New York, named from descendants of Jared Lobdell; Lobdell, Kane county, Kansas, named after Charles E. Lobdell, formerly speaker of the Kansas House of Assembly, also a descendant of Jared Lobdell.
(I) The name of Simon Lobdell appears among the "Afterplanters" names of Milford, Connecticut, about forty — a framed list of names which hangs in the town clerk's office at Milford. The best supposition is that he came as a young lad with a party from Hereford, England, near the Wales boundary, in 1645, and that his sisters, Ann and Elizabeth, came at the same time, but remained in Boston. From public records it appears that Simon Lobdell, in 1646, was given by the "first planters" a home lot containing a half acre of ground. In 1657 he took the freeman's oath at Hartford, Connecticut, and was a taxpayer of that place in 1667. He removed to Springfield, Massachusetts, where his sisters were living, both having married and settled there. From 1666 to 1674 he was keeper of the prison in Springfield, and accumulated considerable property. In 1681 he purchased land (but did not settle) at Stony River, and in 1682 at Hull, Massachusetts. He returned to Milford, where his wife, Persis, was admitted to the church January 7, 1677, and on April 9, 1710, Simon united with the same church. He died at Milford prior to October 4, 1717, as on that date letters of administration were granted on his estate. In his will he styles himself Lieutenant. He married Persis ————, date unknown. Children:
- Mary, married David Wooster, born 1666, eldest son of Edward Wooster, of Milford; children: Jerusha, Persis and Tamar.
- Elizabeth, married William Roberts.
- Joshua, of whom further.
- Anna, born December 1, 1674, unmarried at time of her father's death.
- Rebecca, born at Springfield, Massachusetts, 1677; married Deliverance Downs, born 1669, son of John and Mary Downs, of New Haven, Connecticut: children: Rebecca, John, Mary and Elizabeth.
(II) Joshua, only son of Simon and Persis Lobdell, was born at Springfield, Massachusetts, December 23, 1671, died previous to October 31, 1743, as on that date Caleb Lobdell agrees to assume the support of his mother, "Eunice, widow of Joshua Lobdell, deceased, late of Ridgefield." He married and lived in Milford, until after the death of his first wife, Mary, then in 1712, with his children, removed to Ridgefield, Connecticut. He purchased, March 3, 1712, of James Brown, of Norwalk, one-twenty-ninth part of the town of Ridgefield. During the succeeding twenty or thirty years Joshua was continually adding to his estate by purchase from the proprietors or their grantors. He married (first), August 11, 1695, Governor Robert Treat performing the ceremony, Mary, daughter of John and Alice Burwell, early settlers of Milford. He married (second), in 1713, Eunice, born 1689, daughter of Lieutenant John and Mary (Benedict) Olmstead, of Norwalk, Connecticut. Children of first wife, all born in Milford, Connecticut:
- Samuel, born February 2, 1699, married Rebecca St. John; children: Rebecca, Mary, Abigail and Samuel.
- Sarah, born February 1, 1702, died young.
- Joshua, born March 15, 1703; was captain of Westchester county militia, and fought with his five sons in the French and Indian wars of 1755-60; married Mary Reynolds, and had Mary, Joshua, Ebenezer, Jacob, Rachel, Daniel, and John. This family removed over the state line and settled in Cortland Manor, Westchester county, New York.
- Mary, born October 30, 1704, married Samuel Plum.
- Ebenezer, born February 24, 1707, married Rebecca Benedict.
- Susannah, born February 27, 1709, married Seaborn Burt.
Children of Joshua Lobdell and his second wife, Eunice, all born in Ridgefield, Connecticut:
- Sarah, born September 27, 1714; married, March 6, 1734, Jabez Northrup.
- Caleb, born February 1, 1716; married (first), June 27, 1749, Elizabeth ————, who died 1752; (second) Bertha Paddock, who died after 1761; (third) Ruth ————, who survived him; children: Caleb (2), Paddock, and Philip.
- John, of whom further.
- Darius, born October 18, 1729; settled in Danby, Vermont; was a revolutionary soldier and fought at Bennington; he married Mary Balwin; children: Mary, Eunice, Darius (2), Rev. Jacob, and John.
- Elizabeth, born November 13, 1732; married (first) Harrie Gunn, (second) Isaac Northrup (his second wife).
- Simon.
- David.
(III) John, son of Joshua and Eunice (Olmstead) Lobdell, was born in Ridgefield, Connecticut, August 21, 1721, died in Brookfield, Connecticut, 1778. In 1742 he received from Daniel Sherwood, his father-in-law, various sums of money and tracts of land on his wife's, Ruth's, account. In 1746 John, being very sick and thinking himself near death, made his will giving all his possessions to his wife, Ruth, and an unborn child, and of this will he says, "I appoint my duly trusty brother, Samuel Lobdell, executor." John however, recovered and lived until 1778, having nine children. He married, June 25, 1744, Ruth Sherwood, born in Ridgefield, March 29, 1723, died May 4, 1787, daughter of Daniel and Ruth (Bradley) Sherwood. Ruth Bradley was a daughter of John and Hannah (Sherwood) Bradley, of Ridgefield. Children, all born in Brookfield, Connecticut:
- Ruth, March 26, 1745; married Nathan Bradley.
- John, September 21, 1746; married Abigail Barlow; children: Orpha, Dennis Barlow, Huldah, and Phoebe Ruthina.
- Caleb, July 4, 1748; married in Westchester county, New York, Patience Boughton; lived in Brookfield, but after the British raid of 1777 he moved to New York state with his brother, Daniel. They stopped at Rensselaerwyck, where one or more children were born, then continued to Northville, Fulton county, New York, where Caleb and Patience died. Children: Jerusha, Lucy, Daniel, Caleb, Noble, John Boughton, Ruth, Lanie, Jacob, Elias, Melinda, Samuel, Abigail, George, Rodney and Pliny.
- Sarah, baptized April 14, 1749, married ———— Peck.
- Abigail, born May 4, 1753; married ———— Dunning.
- Hannah, born June 4, 1755; married ———— Hepburn.
- Daniel, of whom further.
- Lewis, born March 7, 1760; married, September 22, 1780, Elizabeth Osborn.
- Chloe, born 1765; married, July 10, 1782, Elijah Baldwin.
(IV) Daniel, son of John and_ Ruth (Sherwood) Lobdell, was born at North Brookfield, Connecticut, September 22, 1757, died at Northville, Fulton county, New York, June 13, 1843. In 1777, in company with his brother Caleb he left Brookfield, and journeyed north, and after a residence of several years at Rensselaerwyck (now Hudson, Columbia county), located, in 1790, in Northville (then called Old Ford, Fulton county, New York), where his relatives, Samuel Olmstead and Zadock Sherwood, had preceded him. Daniel and Caleb Lobdell were the third and fourth families to locate there. Daniel served six years as a revolutionary soldier. Northville then was in Montgomery county, Fulton county being erected later. Daniel purchased a farm of ninety-four acres and spent his after-life in its development and cultivation. He was a man of influence and possessed sterling qualities of character that he transmitted to his posterity along with his material wealth. He was a Whig in politics and public-spirited in all things. He married (first) Rachel Osborn, born December 13, 1757, at Brookfield, Connecticut, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Mead) Osborn. She died at Northville, July 13, 1821. He married (second) Betsey Bryant, who died without issue. Children of first wife:
- James, born October 25, 1784, at Hudson, New York, died in West Troy, May 19, 1860; married, October 18, 1807, Sally Van Arman, of Pittstown, New York. He was a merchant of Johnstown and Troy; one of the first members of Trinity Episcopal Church, of which he was warden in 1834. Children: Rachel, Alexander St. John, Maria, Harriet, Helen Maxwell, James Dow, Richard Saddler, and William Henry.
- Daniel Granby, born March 1, 1788, in Fulton county, New York, died unmarried, March 28, 1808.
- Nathan Bradley, of whom further.
(V) Nathan Bradley, son of Daniel and Rachel (Osborn) Lobdell, was born at Broadalbin, Montgomery county, New York, July 15, 1791, being the first white child born in that section. He grew up in the town, where he became a man of wealth and influence, highly respected, and enjoying, to the utmost, the confidence of his townsmen. He was the lawyer of his day, and did a great deal of the legal business of the town. He was justice of the peace, captain of militia, and for ten years postmaster at Northville. When Fulton and Hamilton counties were formed from Montgomery in 1888, he had charge of the work of transcribing the records belonging to the new county of Fulton. He was a Democrat in politics. When his wife died he did not again marry, but kept all of his large family together, none leaving until they went to homes of their own. He married, December 27, 1812, at Providence, Saratoga county, New York, Nancy Richardson, born October 2, 1788, at Providence, died February 4, 1834, at Northville, daughter of William and ———— (Montgomery) Richardson, a descendant of General Montgomery, of revolutionary fame. Children:
- Daniel Granbee, born December 7, 1813, died unmarried, at Washington, D. C., July 9, 1875. He became a lawyer of prominence, and was a partner of Judge Yost, of Fort Plain, to whom he bequeathed his library. He entered government employ during President Pierce's administration; was supervising special agent of the Treasury. After visiting the principal custom houses in the United States he went to Europe and investigated the customs methods of different countries. In politics he was a Democrat. He is buried in Albany, New York.
- Mary Ann, born January 12, 1816; married Gilbert Le Fevre; child:
- Arthur Le Fevre, of Albany, New York.
- James H., born February 14, 1818; married (first) Maria M. Greenfield, in 1845 (second) Mary Stone. Child of first wife:
- Helen, born April 6, 1846, married October 22, 1864, John Obias Van Hoesen, and removed to Wisconsin, where her husband died, January 1, 1901.
Children of second wife:
- Emma, born March 15, 1856;
- James Edward, March 15, 1859;
- Mary Elizabeth, October 11, 1861;
- Charles E., March 15, 1864.
- William Richardson, died in childhood.
- Maria Rachel, born December 10, 1821; married Truman Gilbert; children: Truman James, William Nathan, Virginia and Elizabeth.
- Emily Nancy, born March 25, 1824, died unmarried, May 17, 1849.
- Hiram W., born April 20, 1826; married Phoebe Eliza Hood, born July 24, 1837. He studied for a physician, located at Flat Rock, Michigan, where he died January 10, 1884. Children: Dr. John H., Daniel Granbee, and Mary E.
- Charles Nathan, born January 3, 1829, died in infancy.
- Bradley Nathan, of whom further.
(VI) Bradley Nathan, son of Nathan Bradley and Nancy (Richardson) Lobdell, was born in old Montgomery county, now Benson, Hamilton county, New York, June 20, 1832. He was educated in the public schools, and until twenty-one years of age was engaged in farming. He then went West, and for five years was in the lumber and real estate business. He went to Northville in 1859, and after a few years in the grain trade, began, in 1865, the manufacture of gloves and mittens, a business he conducted for twenty-three years with great success. He was one of the board of charter members of the Fonda, Johnstown & Gloversville railroad, and mainly instrumental in having the road built to Northville. Mr. Lobdell may claim to be one of the fathers of forest preservation; certainly he has not only talked and fought for their preservation, but has probably restored a larger area than any other single individual. In 1870 he first conceived a plan of replanting the former forest, "and since that time has bought large tracts of despoiled land, and now has growing on lands of his own a quarter of a million white pine trees, all scientifically cared for. His experiment was with thirty-two acres of shade maple and a few pines that had sprung up. He trimmed and cared for them and was so, well pleased with their growth and development that he has since made pines a specialty. Since 1899 he has planted chestnut, white oak and black walnut on old meadow and pasture land. In 1902 he planted a large quantity of black walnut, besides other kind of timber. He is enthusiastic over his favorite, tree culture, and cheerfully gives of his vast fund of information and experience to those desiring to follow his example and restore the waste places. He also owns large and valuable tracts of lands in Michigan. He is a Democrat in politics, and has served as town clerk and assessor. He is connected with the Masonic order in Northville, and is a member of the Episcopal church.
Mr. Lobdell married Sabrina E. Miller, born November 6, 1836, died June 5, 1890, daughter of David N. and Mardula E. (Olmstead) Miller, of Northville. Children:
- Emilie Maria, born May 26, 1856; married Leander McLean.
- Ida, born August 26, 1863, died March 5, 1864.
- Josephine, born June 24, 1866; married William Hollearn; children:
- Clara, born October 13, 1892;
- Margaret, April 25, 1894;
- Grace, January 25, 1896;
- Blanche, November 19, 1897.