Volume IV, Descendants of Richard Thayer, Immigrant to America 16141, Through his Grandsons, Nathaniel ³ (Richard ^2-1), and Cornelius (Richard ^2-1), and his son Nathaniel.

Please note the following necessary revision on pages 30-33. This volume was erroneously published with Henry S. Thayer (and successive descendants) appearing as the third son of Charles⁸(Josiah^7-6-5, Nathaniel^4-3, Richard^2-1) THAYER and Ellen B. SOUTHWORTH. Henry S. Thayer's corrected lineage is Henry S.⁸, Spencer_^7-6, Christopher⁵, Philip⁴, Ephraim³, Shadrach², Thomas¹) THAYER. This corrected information will appear in the future Volume IX of the Comprehensive series.

The corrected information for the 3rd son of Charles THAYER and Ellen B. SOUTHWICK follows:
2784. Henry W. THAYER was born on 10 May 1858 of Hudson, Saint Croix, WI. He was the son of Charles THAYER and Ellen B. SOUTHWORTH. He married Elsie D. ___________ about 1888 in PA. She was born in Jul 1866 in NY.

They had 2 known children:
2785. i. Harry C. THAYER, born Apr 1890 in PA.
2786. ii. Helen THAYER, born Aug 1893 in PA. She married ________ FRAZIER before 1920 of Bloomfield, Essex, NJ.
NOTES for Henry:
CENSUS: 1880 Jordan, Scott, MN census, "H.W., age 21." Henry and brother, Marcus are living in the household of 67-year-old Persilly BEER. CENSUS: 1900 Neptune Twp., Monmouth, NJ, "Doctor, born May 1862." CENSUS: 1910 Netcong, Morris, NJ, "age 50."CENSUS: 1920 Bloomfield, Essex, New Jersey census Soundex, "Henry N., age 60." In that record, daughter Helen Frazier lives with the couple. CENSUS: 1930 Bloomfield, Essex, New Jersey census, "Henry W.; age 70."
A recent query received by me led me to the information in my files on Sceva Thayer (1772-1826) of Petersburg, Dinwiddie, Virginia. In doing so it became apparent that new information had come to light which was not published in Volume IV of A Comprehensive Genealogy of the Thayer Family of America (page 14). The following is published here for all to see the additions and corrections as appears in my genealogy files:

Sceva Thayer was born 13 Apr 1772 in Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusetts, the oldest of 14 children born to Revolutionary War soldier Josiah Thayer (1752-1814) and his wife Avis Hayward (1752-1795). His family had lived in the town of Braintree six generations before him. With the continued growth of the population there, I am assuming that Sceva left the area for more land or better opportunities in Virginia and he was in Petersburg by 1795.

There he met and married Miss Christianna Ashbrurthnot E. Fawcett on 12 December 1798. Sceva and Christianna were the parents of one child:

i. James Howard Thayer, born 2 Mar 1801.

Christianna died 8 days later on 10 Mar 1801, and her baby probably died with her as there is no further mention of him to my knowledge. Her headstone inscription in the Blanford Cemetery in Petersburg reads:

Sacred to the memory of Mrs. Christyanna A. E. Thayer The beloved wife of Sceva Thayer She died 10 March 1801
Aged 20 years

Sceva remarried in Petersburg on 4 August 1803 to Mary Ursula Follett, who was born in 1787 in France. They were the parents of the following children, all born in Petersburg:

1. Henry Howard Thayer b. 2 Sep 1804, d. 27 Dec 1844.

2. Richard Faxon Thayer, b. 22 Aug 1806, (probably died young).

  iii. Charles Martin Thayer b. 10 Feb 1809, d. 1894 Volusia County, FL.
  iv. Catherine Avis Thayer b. 20 Dec 1810, (probably died young).

  v. Stephen Dodge Thayer b. 22 Jun 1812, (probably died young). vi. Christianna Thayer b. 28 Jan 1818 (probably died young).
  vii. Sceva Thayer b. 14 Mar 1821, d. 20 Mar 1884 Petersburg, Dinwiddie, VA.

  viii.Abel Wales Thayer b. 2 August 1823 (probably died young). ix. Mary A.Thayer b. 24 October 1825 (married Peter Moran).

Mary (Follett) Thayer is listed on the 1830 Petersburg census as between 30 & 40, with one male (1015), two females (1520). In 1860 she is listed with a net worth of $2,500. She is listed in that enumeration with one female slave, 14 year old Julia A. Patterson.

Sceva Thayer was a blacksmith and had his home and shop in Old St. Petersburg (this is located on Grove Ave. in Petersburg today). He became a founding member of the Petersburg Benevolent Mechanic Association (PBMA) in 1825. He was elected as a director (3rd) at their first meeting, along with eight other directors.

The following article is from the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, telling of his murder and the meeting of the Petersburg Benevolent Mechanics Association in the cemetery following the funeral.

“Last Tuesday night, between 8 And 9 O'clock, Mr. Sceve Thayer, one of our most respectable, peaceable citizens, being on his return from service at the Presbyterian Church, received from some unknown hand a blow on the head, doubtless inflicted with a sharp but weighty instrument; which through his hand and several folds of paper, laid open the fore part of his skull, and penetrated considerably into his brain. They found him within twenty yards of his house where he was taken and lived two more days. He died 1 December 1826 and was buried in Blandford Cemetery 2 December 1826."

He had been a founding member of the Petersburg Benevolent Mechanics Association and the records are on microfilm at the Petersburg Library. The association and the Mayor of Petersburg put up $750.00 to find the assassin as he (or she ) was called. A lot of money in 1826!

A manuscript called the Manual of the Presbyterian Church of Petersburg, shows Sceva's brother, Joseph, a Deacon there, and another brother, Martin, a member, and also Sceva's wife Mary. (Also in the church records is listed a Francis Follett, who was perhaps Mary's father?)

Sceva Thayer was murdered November 28, 1826, on his way home from the Presbyterian church just a few doors from his house on Old Street a reward of $750 was posted, but no one was ever apprehended. “The PBMA met in special session on December 1st and ordered secretary Davidson prepare an inscription with the age etc., etc., of our deceased member to be put in a sealed vile (?) to be deposited in his grave.” The PBMA also pledged $250 towards a reward for his killer and various PBMA members acted as marshals at the funeral held on December 2nd at Blandford Cemetery. His wife took over the operation of his blacksmith shop. Sceva Thayer is buried in Blandford Cemetery along the south side of its entrance lane.

His son, Henry Thayer, was taken into custody and accused of murdering him. There are court depositions taken from members of his family giving their account of what happened that night. It seems that he was very jealous of William Peterson, an orphan that Sceva was appointed guardian of in 1815. As Sceva’s blacksmith apprentice, perhaps Henry was afraid that Peterson would get the blacksmith business instead of him. According to the depositions, Henry had been in a fight with Peterson earlier, and it was thought that because it was dark out, he could have mistaken Sceva for Peterson! It is not known if Henry was ever convicted, but he inherited from Sceva's estate several years later. Henry married two years after the death of his father and had four known children that suggest he was not convicted.

Patricia Thayer Muno, Thayer Family Historian 22 Mar 2011

Addendum to Volume IV of A Comprehensive Genealogy of the Thayer Family of America
This PDF file contains new genealogical information on the family of John Holbrook Thayer found on page 79 and is available for download. --Patricia Thayer Muno, author

 

The following corrections should appear in Volume IV for family 5212 (page 299):

1. John Davis Thayer (b.8 Aug 1809-Boston, Suffolk, MA; d.1858-, Brunswick, NC)
sp: Zelpha Julia Thomas (b.7 Mar 1828-,, NC;d.4 Sep 1916-Wilmington, New Hanover, NC)
2. Thomas B. Thayer (b.Dec 1853-,, NC;d.4 Mar 1904-Wilmington, New Hanover, NC) sp: Catherine Ann Barr (b.10 Dec 1862-Wilmington, New Hanover, NC;m.28 Feb 1884;d. 30 Dec 1930-Harnett, New Hanover, NC)

3. Catherine Ethel Thayer (b.2 Dec 1884-Wilmington, New Hanover, NC; d.6 Sep 1934- Wilmington, New Hanover, NC) sp: John S. Hill (b.1869-Faison, Dublin, NC;m.7 Jan 1917;d.17 Dec 1929-Wilmington, New Hanover, NC)
Lineage: John Davis (Benjamin7, Zachariah6-5-4, Nathaniel3, Richard2-1) THAYER. The following corrections should appear in Volume IV for Family 3308 (pages 89/89): 1. John Perry Thayer (b.8 Jan 1824-Boston, Suffolk, MA; d.19 Jun 1861- Sherborn, Middlesex, MA)

sp: Ellen B. Wilson (b.Abt 1832-Hillsborough,Hillsborough,NH;m.23 Nov 1851; d.1904- Somerville,Middlesex,MA) 2. Charles Humphrey Thayer (b.27 Jan 1853- Boston, Suffolk, MA; d.31 Jul 1897-Revere, Suffolk, MA)
2. Samuel Wheeler Thayer (b.7 Dec 1855-Boston, Suffolk, MA; d.22 Feb 1859- Boston, Suffolk, MA)

Lineage: John Perry (Isaac8, Luther7, Isaac6, Abraham5, Nathaniel4-3, Richard2-1) THAYER.

Page 444, #6607: Rufus THAYER, son of Ephriam THAYER and Hannah TAFT. This Rufus did NOT marry Adeline Y. RHODES as he likely died young. The Rufus THAYER who DID marry Adeline Y. RHODES on 7 August 1848 in Killingly, Windham, CT was the son of Baruch (Ebenezer5, Uriah4, Ebenezer3, Ferdinando2, Thomas1)THAYER and Mary BINGHAM. This family will be published in Vol VIII of A Comprehensive Genealogy of the Thayer Family of America.