The Palmer family of New England settled at a very early date in both Massachusetts and Connecticut. The family now resident in Albany, herein recorded, do not descend from the early emigrants, their ancestor coming at a later date. The founder of this branch of the Palmer family in America is Rev. Solomon, born in England, where he was educated and given holy orders. He was a deacon and priest of the Church of England, receiving his authority from the hands of the Bishop of Bangor, England. He came to America as a missionary under the auspices of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and settled in Litchfield, Connecticut, where he labored until his death in 1771. He married and had issue.
(II) Ichabod, son of Rev. Solomon Palmer, was born in Connecticut, and settled in the town of Butternuts (now Morris) Otsego county, New York, where he purchased a tract of virgin forest, cleared a farm and erected a home. Ichabod was a hardy pioneer and noted for his rugged honesty and great industry. He married Mary Palmer. He had three sons and six daughters. A son Ammi died in Cleveland, Ohio, aged one hundred and four years.
(III) Captain Amos, second son of Ichabod and Mary (Palmer) Palmer, died in the town of Butternuts, November 1, 1861. He helped to clear the farm of its growth of fine timber and made it his home for a period of sixty years. He was a prosperous farmer and a man of regular, methodical habits. He was warden and lay reader of Zion church in Morris, and liberally supported that church with his means, wise counsel and constant attendance. He married, December 21, 1806, Clarissa, daughter of Joseph and Martha (Knapp) Lull, one of a family of sixteen, all of whom save one lived to marry and have families. Her parents were among the very earliest settlers of Otsego county, and built the first house at Butternuts. During the revolution they suffered great privation. Joseph Lull was in full sympathy with the colonies but was accused by some of his neighbors with being a Tory, and taken to Albany for trial. Rigid investigation showed that he had been unjustly accused and he was immediately released. While her husband was away, Martha, his wife, had to defend herself and little ones against the attacks of the lawless British soldiers and their redskin allies, who in fested that portion of the state. When the father returned from Albany after his acquittal, the family removed to Dutchess county, New York, where they remained until after the war closed, when they returned to the home in Butternuts, where Joseph Lull died at the age of eighty-five years, and Martha at the age of eighty-nine years. Captain Amos and Clarissa (Lull) Palmer celebrated their golden wedding, and five years later Captain Amos died. Clarissa survived him twelve and one-half years, and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Jonah Davis, of Morris. She had then attained her ninetieth year. She had been a Baptist in early life, but after her marriage she worshipped with her husband at Zion. They had eleven children, nine of whom married and reared families.
(IV) Amos Porteous, son of Captain Amos and Clarissa (Lull) Palmer, was born in the town of Morris (Butternuts), and died in Albany, New York. He was destined for the ministry by his parents, who as a first step named him after the Bishop of London, Right Rev. Dr. Porteous. But the lad's inclination was all for business. He attended the public school in winter and worked with his father on the farm the balance of the year. When he was twelve years old his parents sent him to a select school in Waterloo, Seneca county, where he remained two years. On leaving school he entered the employ of Hiram W. Bostwick as clerk in his general store at Lawrence. Bostwick was an associate of Erastus Corning and Thomas Worth-Olcott in founding the town of Corning, Steuben county. He quickly noticed the unusual aptitude the boy had for business. The lad worked at the store, where he made rapid progress, and was soon placed in charge of the books and later in complete charge of accounts and moneys. There was no bank at Lawrence and part of his duty was to convey the cash on horseback a distance of thirty miles to the Central Bank of Cherry Valley. He frequently made the round trip (sixty miles) in a single day. During his frequent visits to the bank he became well acquainted with the officials, who noticed his correct and businesslike methods, besides being impressed favorably with his personal characteristics. The position of teller becoming vacant, it was offered to the young man. He was then but sixteen years old, and when such a flattering position was offered him he accepted at once. This began his long continued banking and financial career. The cashier of the Cherry Valley bank was Horatio J. Olcott, then well advanced in years, while the president was State Senator Levi Beardsley. After being in the bank as teller for two years, Mr. Palmer was asked by his old employer to go to Corning to take charge of the bank he was starting there in association with Messrs. Corning and Olcott. When Mr. Olcott, the bank cashier, heard of the plan to deprive him of the services of the young teller, he protested and declared that if he left the Cherry Valley bank he should go to Albany to the Mechanics and Farmers Bank, of which his brother, Thomas W. Olcott, was president. Mr. Bostwick could not but see that this would be much better for his young friend, and he gave up his efforts to secure him for the Corning bank. Soon afterward President Olcott offered him the position of teller of the Mechanics and Traders Bank, which he accepted and moved to Albany. Six months later the Albany Exchange Bank was established under the general banking law of 1833, with Noah Lee, formerly of the Mechanics and Traders, as cashier. Mr. Lee desired Mr. Palmer as his associate in the new bank and offered him the position of teller, which he accepted, registering the first deposit in September, 1838. He was then eighteen years of age. He remained with the bank nine years, leaving it to engage in the manufacture of fire brick and stove linings under the firm name of Gott & Palmer, later Van Allen & Palmer, and Palmer, Newton & Company, of the Salamander and Albany Fire Brick Works. He had been a director of the Union Bank since its incorporation, and in 1861 accepted an offer of the board of directors to become cashier. He spent ten years with the Union Bank, leaving it in response to an offer of Mr. Corning to become cashier of the Albany City National Bank, of which Erastus (1) Corning, was the first president, succeeded by his son Erastus (2) Corning. Mr. Palmer began business with the Albany City National Bank, January 1, 1871, continuing in that position until his death. It is noticeable that these positions of trust and honor held by Mr. Palmer were all offered him without solicitation on his part. He worthily filled every place he was called to, and was a most capable and careful financier. He married (first) Hannah B., daughter of Albert Crafts of Cherry Valley. She bore him three children. He married (second), October 15, 1850, Eliza Martha, daughter of John M. Newton and granddaughter of John Newton, a soldier of the revolution. She bore him eight children.
(The Newton Line)
Eliza Martha (Newton) Palmer is a direct descendant of Thomas Newton, of Fairfield, Connecticut, (sometimes written Nuton). He was the earliest known ancestor of this branch of the family. The date and place of his residence is unknown. He was one of the four men who came with Deputy-Governor Ludlow to Fairfield, Connecticut, in 1639. In 1644 he was elected deputy for Fairfield and was chosen one of the magistrates of the general court. In 1650 he became involved with the authorities of Connecticut and was imprisoned, but escaped to Long Island through the assistance of friends and neighbors. Received and "entertained into office" by the Dutch on Long Island, his surrender was demanded and became the subject of negotiations between the commissioners of the United English Colonies and Governor Stuyvesant which extended over several years. In 1653 he was "schout-fiscal" (sheriff) of Middleburg, Long Island. In 1655 he was a land owner there. Beyond 1656 he is not traced. He died prior to May 28, 1683. He married, April 1648, at Flushing, Joan, daughter of Richard Smith who was "admitted at the towne of Niew Port since the twentieth of the third, 1638," and who settled at Wickford in Narragansett about 1639. He was a prominent man of his day according to the testimony of his friend and neighbor, Roger Williams. It is recorded of them that they were married by the sheriff, William Hark, against the consent of the bride's parents, "and without being legally authorized to do by the Supreme Authority, as this is an indecent and never heard of manner of marrying" the sheriff was dismissed from office, fined six hundred carolus guilders, and the marriage was declared null and void. The bride and bridegroom were fined three hundred guilders and ordered to have their marriage again solemnized after three previous proclamations of the banns, "which was accordingly done." The much married couple had one daughter, who married Ludovic Updyke, and three sons, Israel, James and Thomas.
(II) James, son of Thomas and Joan (Smith) Newton, appeared October 11, 1683, as attorney for his brother "Iserell Newton," who was plaintiff in a land case. "James Newton as constable is ordered" etc. He seems to have been a man of prominence in Fairfield, later of Kingstown, Rhode Island, and still later of Colchester, Connecticut. He was selectman and deputy to a general assembly and court of election at Hartford, May 14, 1713, for Colchester. He was captain of the first train band in the town. He married Mary, daughter of Captain Richard Hubbell, of Fairfield, and his first wife Elizabeth Meigs. Children:
- Dorothy, born March 22, 1681.
- Alice, married Robert Ransom.
- James, married Susannah Wyatt.
- Ann, married Jonathan Kellogg.
- Israel, married Hannah ————; held many offices of honor and trust in Colchester and in the colony, deputy, justice of the peace, captain, major: died in campaign against Cape Breton, 1745.
- Hannah, married Jonathan Wells.
- Abigail, married Azariah Loomis.
(III) James (2), son of James (1) and Mary (Hubbell) Newton, was born April 3, 1690, died August 4, 1756. He married, May 31, 1716, Susannah Wyatt, who died January 26, 1747. They had
- Dorath, married John Tozier;
- John, married Mary Holbrook;
- James, born June 27, 1721;
- Israel, February 17, 1725;
- Thomas, died in infancy;
- Dinah, born February 24, 1730;
- Leodemiah, May 7, 1732.
- Susannah, married Peter Bulkley.
(IV) John, son of James (2) and Susannah (Wyatt) Newton, was born September 30, 1719, died, 1807. He married, December 27, 1756, Mary Holbrook of Lebanon. Children: John (see forward); James, Abel, Amasa and Mary.
(V) John (2), son of John (1) and Mary (Holbrook) Newton, was born April 18, 1758, died 1854. He served as private in Captain Smith's company, Bradley's battalion, Wadworth's brigade, enlisted January 14, 1777. He married, February 3, 1785, Martha Whiting, of Colchester, Connecticut, died December 5, 1848. Children:
- Amasa, born April 8, 1788;
- Henry, married Harriet Wallbridge;
- John, died in infancy;
- John Milton, see forward;
- Lucy, died at age of thirteen years;
- Ambrose, married Sarah Meecham;
- Asa.
(VI) John Milton, son of John (2) and Martha (Whiting) Newton, was born June 21, 1796.
He settled at Newtonville, town of Watervliet, Albany county, about 1840; built a dwelling, and afterward a store where he did a successful business for more than thirty years. The post office was established there in 1850 and named in his honor. He was generous to all and gave liberally of his means for the upbuilding of the church. He married (first) Eliza Taylor, (second) Eliza Carman McIntosh, (third) Jane Allen.
(VII) Eliza Martha, daughter of John Milton, married, October 15, 1850, Amos Porteous Palmer. Eight children.