Explanation

 My husband comes from Sarah Grace Sweet, who is believed to be the daughter of Amos Sweet and Dorcas.  However, we have NO primary sources, and the best we have is a history written by her granddaughter Nora Carter that is wonderful, but we can't prove anything about Grace's heritage from it.

This blog is more a research work than a beautiful blog.  I put all of my research here, so that I can find it wherever I am and whether or not I have my files/computer.  

At first we believed that we descended from the Amos that married Mercy Carpenter, but our Amos married Dorcas and the two families were having children at the same time.  I believe that both of these families were living in Stephentown, NY in 1790 but we have one more girl living with him than we should so this leaves doubt.  Mercy and Amos, his parents Elizabeth and Amos are both in Stephentown in 1790 as well.  Sr. built a mill, the first in the area.  

Mercy's Amos was a Loyalist - or so I believe - and they removed to Canada.  They took most of their family with them and remained there for the rest of their lives.  They are buried there. Amos Sr. is buried in Stephentown as he died before they left.

I have no idea where Dorcas and Amos went.  

Grace spent some time in upper New York.

My last few options for finding records are:

    ****The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, has a Special Collections where Grace will be listed in the temple records.  My hope is that she left a note or a hint of relationships there.

    ****The only other thought I have is to get in contact with Stephentown Historical Society.  I have looked at all of the family genealogies that they have online and we are not even hinted at, finding less than five Sweets in the whole of the pages.

I have decided to table my efforts on the Sweets.  I can prove that Hannah's Amos is not ours; Mercy's Amos is not ours; Elizabeth Straights Amos is not his father; David's son Amos is not our ancestor.  All of them I can prove are not ours, but I have not the slightest idea who is.  So when Amos, Dorcas, Grace or even Blaine D bring me the records, I'll try again.

I hope you find information found her helpful.  I have included it in FamilySearch as well under the correct Amos but that is subject to someone's whims.  It has been changed more times than I can count, but it has remained about the same now for a year, with the exception of a sibling of Grace that we don't believe belongs.

May you have a wonderful and happy HUNTing experience.  I hope it is SWEET.

Allyson Wood

Research Report

Allyson H. Wood

1221. West Ashby Road

Delta, UT 84624

www.hunt4sweet.blogspot.com for research notes.

 

January 2022

 

Where we started:

 

Sarah Grace Sweet

 

Sarah Grace Sweet was born 13 Jan 1799 in Hoosick, Rensselaer, New York to Amos Sweet and Mary Dorcas.  (source:  Nora Carter (Nora M Wood 1878 – 14 July 1960 • KWCN-X4Y on FamilySearch.org) history of Sarah Grace, her grandmother; also available at: Sarah Sweet Warren Wood.pdf (bobcatsworld.com))

Commentary:  I have always called her Sarah Grace, and will continue to do so, but her grave stone shows her as S. Grace.  This makes me believe she went by Grace in this life.

I have not discovered when this history was written, but it had to be in the 1950’s or earlier.

·        Sarah Grace is called Sarah in the title.  Grace died 15 years before Nora was born so her information is either all second hand from family or information she has researched.  Norah’s father, Wellington Wood 1841–1920 could have easily been a source for Nora and given her his best knowledge, but this is unknown to me. 

·        Nora does not state her parents by name, so linking to Amos Sr and Elizabeth Straight was done after this history was written (leaving me to believe this is the oldest information, at least that I have found to date.

·        “Mohawk Valley” in 2021 includes the counties of  Otsego, Oneida, Schoharie, Montgomery, Fulton and Herkimer.  Sarah Grace is said to have been born in Hoosick, (no original source has been located) but Hoosick is in the Hudson Valley which includes:  Putnam, Rockland, Westchester, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, Ulster, Albany, Columbia, Greene, 

and Rensselaer Counties.  Our blue, green and purple Amos Sweet’s are all in the Hudson Valley at the time Sarah Grace would have been growing up.  None were in the Mohawk Valley.

·        Sarah Grace was born 13 January 1799 in Hoosick, Rensselaer County (it was actually still Albany), New York.  When researching records, we will need to look in Albany county first.

 

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My Research Shows:

Amos Sweet:  Amos Sweet Jr:  Amos Sweet:  Amos Sweet Jr:

At some point more research was done which linked Amos Sweet to Amos Sweet Sr and Elizabeth Straight.  This is an easy link to make and is very reasonable.  It only falls apart with closer scrutiny.

 

Amos Sweet Jr: born 5 March 1766 in Kingston, Washington, Rhode Island

 

Amos Sweet Jr, son of Amos Sweet Sr. and Elizabeth Straight was born 5 March 1766 in Kingston, Rhode Island (source) and died 10 May 1838 in Dunham, Missisquoi, Quebec, Canada (source).  He is buried in Chapel Corner’s Dunham, Canada near his family (source).  He married Mercy Carpenter (b. (headstone shows ca. 1768);  d.  14 Nov 1828 buried in Chapel Corner, Dunham, Quebec, Canada).  Mercy is the daughter of the daughter of Joseph Carpenter b. 1736 and Phebe Ladd b. 1733.

 

Amos was born in Rhode Island, but moved with his family to Albany County, New York in the area later known as Stephentown, Rensselaer, New York.  He and many of his family moved up to Dunham, Quebec, Canada.  He is buried in the Chapel Corner's Cemetery there in Dunham.

It was believed that this was our Amos for some time.  However, this is not possible.  This man is most definitely the son of Amos Sweet and Elizabeth Straight, with his birth recorded in Rhode Island and on his headstone.   He is having children with Mercy at the same time our Sarah Grace Sweet is born from Dorcas, thus leaving us to reason that there is another Amos who is Sarah Grace's father.

 

·        Amos Sweet and Mercy Carpenter’s family consisted of:         

o   Benjamin Sweet abt 1788 d. bef 1863

o   Stephen Van Rensselaer Sweet - b. 1792

o   Phoebe Sweet - b. abt 1793; d. 30 Jul 1858

o   Amos Sweet (III) - b. 19 Aug 1797; d. 29 Oct 1872. 

§  This Amos is well documented and lives in Canada.  He is a contemporary of Sarah Grace.

o   Elizabeth (Betsy) Sweet - b. 1799

o   Temperance Sweet - b. 1 Jan 1800 d. 8 Sep 1858

o   Joseph Carpenter Sweet - b. Apr 1805; d. 29 Dec 1887

o   Mercy Sweet - b. Oct 1808; d. 3 Sep 1890

o   Hannah Sweet- b. 1810

o   Kylar Sweet – b. 1812; d. 29 Oct 1862

                           Source:  Allyson Hunt Wood research

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Amos Sweet:  no birth or death information found yet

·        Amos Sweet and Mary Dorcas ______ ’s family consisted of:

o   Elias Sweet b. 1784; d. 1832

o   Amos Sweet b. 1791 

o   Sarah Grace Sweet b.  13 Jan 1799; d. 4 Jul 1863

o   Lydia Sweet b. 30 July 1802; d. 23 Oct 1885

Source:  Betty Wood research Family Group Records pre PAF

Note:  Check further for birth dates as none has been found to date.

 

Summary:  It would be highly unlikely that one man is having children with two women in two different countries.

o   Dorcas’ Elias is born much earlier than the rest of the children (? Problem?)

o   Mercy has had Benjamin before and Stephen Van Rensselaer after Dorcas’ Amos.

o   Mercy had Elizabeth (Betsy) the same year Sarah Grace was born.

o   Dorcas’ Lydia was born between Mercy’s Temperance and Joseph Carpenter.

 

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Amos Sweet: b. 26 Dec 1755 East Greenwich, Rhode Island

·        Amos Sweet, son of David Sweet and Mary _____.  He is very easy to follow as he and David travel together.  They can be found in in 1790 in Beekman, Dutchess, New York.  David takes over the family property in his father’s will and more information may be found if more research is done in land records.

o   Ruffis Sweet,  b. about 1775-1789 of Beekman, Dutchess, New York

o   Mary Sweet, b. about 1775-1789 of Beekman, Dutchess, New York

o   David Sweet, b. about 1775-1789 of Beekman, Dutchess, New York

o   Amos Sweet Jr. b. about 1775-1789 of Beekman, Dutchess, New York. 

§  (This Amos, depending on his birthdate, may possibly be Sarah Grace’s father but highly unlikely if her brothers information is correct.  He would also need to be the oldest in the family, and children are listed in this order.)

o   George Sweet.  b. about 1775-1789 of Beekman, Dutchess, New York

§  These are the ones that went to school in 1795 and were named by the school  Children listed are a great match with 1790 census. 

 

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Amos Sweet: b. 30 Jun 1766 Attleborough, Bristol Massachusetts. 

 

·        Amos Sweet Jr. of Attleboro was born 30 Jun 1766, the son of  Amos (Elias) Sweet  (1734-1801)  and Hannah Richardson (1744-1804).   He married Sally Sweet, and they remained in Attleborough where their children were born.  There is a chance that they moved away for a few years but returned to have their children and grow old in Attleborough.

·        There children include:

o   Sally Sweet - daughter, b. 3 Oct 1796

o   Clarrissa Sweet - daughter, b. 9 Jun 1798

o   Summer Sweet - daughter, b. 27, May 1800

o   Margareet Sweet - daughter, b. 14 Feb 1802

o   Amos Sweet III - son, b.  3 Dec 1804

o   Hannah Sweet - daughter, b. 19 Feb 1810

o   Hannah Sweet - daughter b. 25 Aug 1814

o   Joabert Sweet - son, b. 3 Jan 1812

o   Joabert Sweet - son, b. 1 Oct 1818

 

The son Amos Sweet III, born 3 Dec 1804 is too young to be the father of Sarah Grace Sweet b. 1799.

 

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Mary Dorcas _____:

Sarah Grace’s mother is Mary Dorcas, unknown parentage.  However, in 1790, there is only one person in the USA Census, Alexander Dorcas in southern New York.  I doubt her last name is Dorcas, but rather her second given name.

 

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Summary:

 

The fact that Sarah Grace Sweets parents are named Amos Sweet and Mary Dorcas _____ must even come into question.  Nora Carter did not include their names in her history, which is the most closely connected document to Sarah Grace’s life.  Research of early LDS records may include their names in Sarah Grace’s records. 

 

There is, however, an Amos Sweet in the 1790 Census that is unaccounted for and may be our ancestor:

 

   Amos Sweet - NY   1.1.2.0.0.  Maybe ours
New York, Albany, Stephentown

           Page #284:

           Amos, age ??,  Elias age 6, Dorcas age ??,  Dorcas ??    

1790 Federal Census:
There are 6 Amos Sweets in the United States in 1790 they are:
(1)  Amos of Stephentown, NY  1.0.2  (suspected to be our Amos) pg 283
(2)  Amos of Stephentown, NY   1.0.2 (father of Amos Jr., wife of Elizabeth Straight) pg 286
(3)  Amos Jr. of Stephentown, NY  1.1.2  (Mercy's Amos, son of Amos and Elizabeth Straight) pg 287
(4)  Amos of Beekman, Dutchess, NY  1.4.3  (David's son)
(5)  Amos of Bristol, Attleboro, MA   3.4.2 (Hannah's son, 
(6)  Amos of Rutland, Pittsford, VA  1.1.2

1800 Federal Census:
There are __ Amos Sweets in the United States in 1790 they are:
(1)  Amos of Stephentown, NY     (suspected to be our Amos)
(2)  Amos of Stephentown, NY    (father of Amos Jr., wife of Elizabeth Straight)
(3)  Amos Jr. of Stephentown, NY    (Mercy's Amos, son of Amos and Elizabeth Straight)
(4)  Amos of Beekman, Dutchess, NY  4.1.1.1.0   1.1.1.1.0   0.0  (David's son)
(5)  Amos of Bristol, Attleboro, MA   well documented descendants  (Hannah's son, 
(6)  Amos of Rutland, Pittsford, VA 
(7)  Amos of Cayuga, Ulysses, NY  4.2.0.0.1   1.1.0.1.0  0.0
(8)  Amos of Otsego, Burlington, NY  1.0.0.1.0   2.0.0.1.0.   0.0
(9)  Amos of Nicholson, Luzerne, PA   0.0.4.0.1   1.1.0.0.1   0.0.
(10) Amos of Milford, Otsego, NY   CONTEMPORARY OF MY AMOS
      FindaGrave:  birth 15 Mar 1784 Rhode Island, death 13 Jan 1863 (78) Milford, Otsego, NY
         son f Jonathan Sweet 1755-1836 and MaryAnn Brimmer 1768-1835
         wife of Patience Eldred 1783-1857
         Children:  Amos Sweet    ?  - 1871
                          Mary Ann Sweet (Knapp) 1813-1896
                          John Sweet (1820-1890)
                          Jane Sweet (1826-1837)