The earliest Stroud record is of Jacob Stroud, of Amwell, New Jersey, 1735. He with three brothers entered the provincial army and were at the battles of Fort William Henry and Quebec, where Jacob Stroud, John Fish and Matthias Hutchinson, being the three soldiers nearest General Wolfe when he fell, carried him to a sheltered spot where he died. One of the Stroud brothers was killed on the "Plains of Abraham" during the battle. Jacob Stroud returned to New Jersey and later settled in Pennsylvania, where he founded the town of Stroudsburg. He afterward fought in the war of the revolution, became a colonel in rank, commanded at Fort Penn, and was a member of the constitutional convention that framed the first constitution of the state of Pennsylvania. He died 1806 and was then the owner of four thousand acres of land in and around Stroudsburg. Nothing definite seems to be known of the other two surviving brothers. They evidently settled in Massachusetts, as four of that name served in the revolutionary war from that state, George, Prince, William of Sherburne, and another William. The family in Baliston Spa, New York, descends from one of the two brothers before mentioned.
(I) The first of the family of whom we have direct record is John Stroud, a descendant of George Stroud, the revolutionary soldier. He lived in or near Sherburne, Massachusetts, where he married and reared a family. He had several daughters and sons, John, Dolman, Charles, Ira and Sylvanus.
(II) Ira, son of John Stroud, was for many years engaged in milling, farming and merchandising. His mills and store were located near North Adams, Massachusetts. He had previous to settling there resided in Stamford, Vermont. In 1866 he disposed of his North Adams properties and removed to the town of Cambridge, Washington county, New York, where he died. He married Dolly, daughter of Colonel William McElwain, of Massachusetts. Children:
- Corridon, deceased.
- Elizabeth, married A. J. Houghton, of Boston, Massachusetts.
- Harriet, married Edmund B. Penniman.
- Charles, lawyer of Hoosick Falls, New York.
- Sylvanus I., of further mention.
(III) Sylvanus I., youngest son of Ira and Dolly (McElwain) Stroud, was born in Stamford, Vermont, September 22, 1843. Later he removed with his parents to North Adams, Massachusetts, and he was educated in the public schools of these towns. He was engaged with his father in business for several years, but abandoned the farm to follow another line of activity. He first became proprietor of the Union House at Cambridge, New York, and in 1876 removed to St. Albans, Vermont, where he conducted the American House, continuing a most successful business there until 1893, when he sold out and bought the Medberry House at Ballston Spa, New York. After several years spent there he purchased a farm on the outskirts of the village which he operated as a stock and breeding farm, specializing in high-grade horses. He served during the civil war, first with the Army of the Potomac during the Peninsular campaign, under General Hunt, being in charge of an ambulance train. His second enlistment was in Company B, Eighth Regiment, Massachusetts, Volunteer Infantry (its third organization). He was mustered in July 16, 1864, enlisting for one hundred days. The regiment was organized at Reading, Massachusetts, for one hundred days, July, 1864, and attached to the Third Brigade, Eighth Army Corps, Middle Department; mustered out November 10, 1864. Mr. Stroud was with his regiment during this entire period, ranking as sergeant; was mustered out with the regiment at expiration of term of service. He enlisted from the town of Adams, Massachusetts, at the age of twenty. He has had a busy, successful business career and now is happily situated to pass his declining years. He married, January 24, 1872, Adeline C. Russell, born in Cambridge, New York, October 13, 1851. Child,
- Lamont Russell, born November 13, 1872; graduate of St. Albans, Vermont, high school, class of 1892; spent one year at Boston Polytechnic Institute, entered Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, graduating as civil engineer; he has followed his profession since graduation in different parts of the United States, now (1910) traveling in Europe.
Adeline C. (Russell) Stroud is a granddaughter of David Russell, born at Malone, New York, married and had Mortimer, William, Alvin, John, Sydney, David, Eliza Ann and Emmeline. John Russell, son of David Russell, was born December 28, 1816, at Hebron, New York; was a farmer of the town of Hartford and Jackson, New York. During the civil war he sold his farm and removed to Washington county, New York, where he was first a resident of Cambridge, later of Salem, where he died and is buried. He married, March 5, 1839, Louise Ann Townsend, of Hartford, New York, born December 26, 1817, died December 15, 1891. Children:
- Marion E., born March 28, 1840, died April 8, 1842.
- Marvin, born January 18, 1842, died July 11, 1842.
- Anna May, born July 16, 1857, died March 5, 1901, at Luxor, Egypt, where she is buried; she was an accomplished linguist, an extensive traveler and a writer of high reputation.
- Adeline C., married Sylvanus I. Stroud.