Samuel was the fifth of eight children born to his mother who was his father's second wife. Samuel had at least one older half brother. Samuel became a carpenter and married when he was about 20 years old. The family lived for many years in Dryden, Tompkins County, New York where his father had received bounty land for his service in the Revolutionary War. Samuel and his wife had ten children over the next 20 plus years. Lucy died just 7 years after the birth of their youngest daughter, leaving Samuel to finish raising the younger children. Not long after her death he moved in with his married daughter Rosilla, taking his 10 year old son Marion and 7 year old daughter Clarissa with him. His 16 year old son Lyman worked that year as a farm hand for William & Clorinda Whitney. The following year Samuel married Sarah Gleason, who if the census records are correct, was a teenager at the time of their marriage. They had five more children, the youngest child born just three years before his death at age 68. The birth dates of his children are found in his family bible which in 1951 was in the possession of Frank Larkin of Whitesville, New York.

Census Records of New York:

1825 - Dryden, Tompkins - Samuel + 3 females (under 16) + 1 female (married)
1840 - Independence, Allegheny - Samuel + males: 1 (under 5) +2 under 10+ females 1 (under 5) + 1 (under 20) + 1(under 30) + 1(under 60)
1850 - Independence, Allegheny - Samuel + John Herrick + Rosilla + Marion (10) + Clarissa (7)

Census Records of Pennsylvania:

1860 - Hebron, Potter - Samuel + Sarah (22) + Daniel (7) + Fanny (5) + Harvey (2)

Buried at Ford(Hill) Cemetery, Potter County, PA: d. 15 Oct 1863, age 68.

Information from JoAnn Sherwood.