28 WILLIAM COWDERY, JR. (William, Nathaniel, Samuel, Nathaniel, William) , b. Sept. 5, 1765, in East Haddam, Conn.; m. 1st Rebecca Fuller, b. Jan. 2, 1768, d. Sept. 3, 1809 ; m. 2nd Mrs. Keziah (Pearce) Austin of Poultney, Vt. , b. July 1, 1773, d. July 10, 1860, at Ellery, N. Y. William Cowdery d. Feb. 26, 1847, at Kirtland , Ohio.

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Children of William and Keziah:

70 ix Rebecca Maria, b. Oct. 18 (Dec. 10, also given 18), 1810, at Williamson, Ontario Co., N. Y.

71 X Lucy Pearce, b. June 3, 1814.

72 xi Phoebe, b. Jan. 17, 1817.

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82 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Cowdery (Jonathan, Jabez, Nathaniel, Samuel, Nathaniel, William), b. May 26, 1790, at New Marlborough, Mass; m. 1st Nov. 24, 1819, at Moscow, Livingston Co., N. Y., to Amanda Muuger, b. July 29, 1799, at Fair Haven, Vt.; d. Apr. 2. 1842, of consumption, at Oberlin, Ohio; dau. of Deacon Asahiel and Lydia (Warren) Munger; m. 2nd at Rochester, N. Y., to Sarah B. Wolcott. Mr. Cowdery d. May 26, 1867, at Rochester, N. Y., of pneumonia. He was a printer and editor.

Children of Benjamin Franklin and Amanda:

i Mary b. Apr. 2, 1821, at Angelica, N. Y.; d. July 1, 1823, of scarlet fever at Lockport, N. Y.

188 ii Sarah, b. Dec. 9. 1822, at Angelica, N. Y.

iii Lucy, b. Apr. 8, 1825, at Albion, Orleans Co., N. Y.; m. James A. Noyes; she d. Dec. 24, 1854. of consumption, at Rochester. N. Y. No children. She was a remarkably beautiful woman. Years after her death, a friend told her niece, Mary B. Alverson, that he first saw Mrs. Noyes as she was coming out of church in Rochester. N. Y. and she was so beautiful it seemed to him as if he had seen an angel.

189 iv Martha, b. Mch. 29, 1829, at Geneva. N. Y.

190 v Samuel Franklin, b. Nov. 13, 1831, at Rochester, N. Y.

191 vi Jabez Franklin, b. Aug. 11, 1834, at Rochester, N. Y.

Benjamin Franklin Cowdery was the eldest son of Dr. Jonathan Cowdery, a surgeon in the United States Navy when this nation first had what they called a Navy. When quite young he incurred his father's displeasure, when urged to be trained for his profession, by not only refusing to look for an M. D. to his name, but by leaving home rather promptly and going to a good, sober, solid man in Stockbridge, Mass., to whom he apprenticed himself to learn the art, trade and mystery of printing; that "art, preservative of all arts." Emerging from his minority with this trade, he launched out into life, taking with him, as his capital, his trade, and a fair young companion who was one of those "helpmeets" which we read about now-a-days. The first trial in this profession was in Angelica, Alleghany Co., N. Y., where, about 1819, he started the first newspaper; amid a population that, if his patronage had included every man, woman and child, with the added native population of bears, deer and other animals in that wildest of all wild regions of Western New York at that day, would not have afforded him a living, even if all had been "paying subscribers" in the pay of that day, which was everything but money, when it was anything at all. His stay here was short, for we find in Follet's "History of the Press of Western New York," that Mr. Cowdery printed the first paper in Cattaraugus County about the year 1823, a change of base which shows that "he jumped out of the frying pan into the fire." Later he started the Ontario Chronicle at Geneva, N. Y., where he was mainly obliged to be his own editor, type-setter, pressman, "devil" and all, none of his profession looking to such a wilderness for a "job." Here occurred an incident which showed his need, and the value of his "help-meet." Going at one time to his wife, a day or two before the stated publication of the Chronicle, he said to her that his apprentice had gone and he saw no way of getting up the type for the next issue in time. His wife replied that but for the little one (Sarah), who could not be left behind, she could hold out the "form," for she had learned to set type. This difficulty was overcome, for the next day at the "office" the father was seen working at his "case," standing on one foot and rocking the cradle with the other, his good wife plying her nimble fingers at the case adjoining. That day and all night brought the Chronicle out in time, and the "carrier-boy" was the editor and publisher. The same history before referred to says, "B. F. Cowdery published in 1823 the 'Newport Patriot' at Newport (now Albion), Orleans County, continuing it nearly two years; and in 1847 he printed a semi-monthly literary paper in Rochester called the 'Genesee Olio.' At the time of the early revivals in Rochester, under Charles Finney, Mr. Cowdery and his excellent wife did great service in the Brick Church. Shortly after this period, they left for Constantine, Michigan, where Mr. Cowdery was an elder in the Presbyterian Church. Ague and fever, that scourge of all new countries, drove this family to Oberlin, Ohio, where Mr. Cowdery was publisher of the Oberlin Evangelist for a number of years, during which time he lost the wife of his youth, his great help, comfort and solace in his early struggles. In 1842 he returned to Rochester, working on the 'American,' and later in the 'Democrat' office, until he died May 26, 1867, aged seventy-seven years. He was a cheerful, unassuming, honest Christian man and left to his sons, one of whom is a prominent lawyer in San Francisco, California, and to his two daughters—excellent women who settled in Ontario county,—a precious legacy,—a good name; which, though not highly valued by 'money changers' is yet 'rather to be chosen than great riches.' As the father of Mr. Cowdery, at his death, years ago, was the oldest officer as well as surgeon in the United States Navy, so his son, B. F. Cowdery, was the oldest practical printer in the United States at the time of his death. Mr. and Mrs. Cowdery were ardent workers in the Anti-Slavery and Temperance Causes. During a protracted illness of eighteen months, Mrs. Cowdery several times gave the church in writing, her joyful testimony to the faithfulness and loving kindness of her God and Saviour. Her last message, dictated a short time before her death, besought the church to abide in Christ, and assured them that there is such a thing as living above the world while we live in it. Of this she was, both living and dying, a bright example.