Stephen Wells, Jr. was the oldest of four children for Stephen Wells, Sr. and wife Love Ford. The family lived in Lenox, Massachusetts. His mother died shortly after childbirth when Stephen was nine years old. When he was eleven years old his father married again, which produced half-brother Lucius.
Stephen married Lois Hubbard January 4, 1801 in Lenox. They had eight known children: Hubbard Ford, Eliza, George, Mary, George M., Luke, Luke, and Henry. Three of the children died at an early age.
About ten years ago some letters written by daughter Mary were discovered and portions of them have been posted online. They shed quite a bit of light on family life, her father's personality, etc. Here is a portion of what the letters contain:
"Stephen Wells, Jr. my father, built a house in Lenox village and married Lois Hubbard. He worked at the same trade as his father (cabinet and chair maker). When I was perhaps three years old, father moved to Albany and went into business with his brother Lucius. We spent our summers in Lenox, but Uncle Lucius stayed on the farm all year.
After the business failure, father moved to Berkshire, N.Y. in 1820. No railroads, no canals. He built a house on the turnpike road from Hudson to Ithaca. All the merchants' goods were carried past our house by horses. The nearest church was seven miles off. In 1823 he built a house near him for his father.
The next year his stepmother died. That same year grandfather went to Rhode Island to visit, and mother went with him as far as Lenox. While she was gone, little Henry was drowned.
Grandfather brought a new wife back from Rhode Island, who died of cancer fourteen years later. Mother took care of her during her long illness, and grandfather died of bilious fever only a few days after his wife.
In 1840 father and mother, with my brother Hubbard and his wife, and brother George and his wife, and their families, moved to Portland, Chautauqua County, N.Y., where they bought a farm. After a time, father gave his property to Hubbard on condition that he support him and mother.
In 1846 father stuck a pitchfork into his leg. Typhoid fever ensued, causing his death. He was buried in Portland, N.Y.
Lois Hubbard Wells, my mother, was the daughter of Zadoc Hubbard, Sr. Her mother died in her infancy, and grandfather married Sallie Lobdell Sprague, a widow. Mother was a woman of limited education, but excellent sense and a very sweet disposition, rendering her greatly beloved by all who knew her. She was industrious, and bore many burdens with the greatest patience. Few women would have rendered the most disagreeable services with such rare, uncomplaining fortitude as she exhibited in caring for her husband's aged father and stepmother. Mother was always a cheerful, active Christian.
After father's death, she came to live with me, then returned to brother George's at Portland. She finally came to make her home with me. In 1858 she fractured her hip and never stood or walked again, dying in 1861."
Another letter states: "Though not a college bred man, he (her father) was a careful reader and deep thinker and an unusually well-informed man. In those days of few books, he owned his set of cyclopedia, his "Scott's Notes" and other works, making a rare library for a man of his limited means. He was fine looking, with a light complexion, grey eyes and a high forehead, gentlemanly in his address, and quite a "lady's man". His activities were greatest in religious matters, caring little for politics, by which I mean only that he was not an active politician."
Stephen married Lois Hubbard January 4, 1801 in Lenox. They had eight known children: Hubbard Ford, Eliza, George, Mary, George M., Luke, Luke, and Henry. Three of the children died at an early age.
About ten years ago some letters written by daughter Mary were discovered and portions of them have been posted online. They shed quite a bit of light on family life, her father's personality, etc. Here is a portion of what the letters contain:
"Stephen Wells, Jr. my father, built a house in Lenox village and married Lois Hubbard. He worked at the same trade as his father (cabinet and chair maker). When I was perhaps three years old, father moved to Albany and went into business with his brother Lucius. We spent our summers in Lenox, but Uncle Lucius stayed on the farm all year.
After the business failure, father moved to Berkshire, N.Y. in 1820. No railroads, no canals. He built a house on the turnpike road from Hudson to Ithaca. All the merchants' goods were carried past our house by horses. The nearest church was seven miles off. In 1823 he built a house near him for his father.
The next year his stepmother died. That same year grandfather went to Rhode Island to visit, and mother went with him as far as Lenox. While she was gone, little Henry was drowned.
Grandfather brought a new wife back from Rhode Island, who died of cancer fourteen years later. Mother took care of her during her long illness, and grandfather died of bilious fever only a few days after his wife.
In 1840 father and mother, with my brother Hubbard and his wife, and brother George and his wife, and their families, moved to Portland, Chautauqua County, N.Y., where they bought a farm. After a time, father gave his property to Hubbard on condition that he support him and mother.
In 1846 father stuck a pitchfork into his leg. Typhoid fever ensued, causing his death. He was buried in Portland, N.Y.
Lois Hubbard Wells, my mother, was the daughter of Zadoc Hubbard, Sr. Her mother died in her infancy, and grandfather married Sallie Lobdell Sprague, a widow. Mother was a woman of limited education, but excellent sense and a very sweet disposition, rendering her greatly beloved by all who knew her. She was industrious, and bore many burdens with the greatest patience. Few women would have rendered the most disagreeable services with such rare, uncomplaining fortitude as she exhibited in caring for her husband's aged father and stepmother. Mother was always a cheerful, active Christian.
After father's death, she came to live with me, then returned to brother George's at Portland. She finally came to make her home with me. In 1858 she fractured her hip and never stood or walked again, dying in 1861."
Another letter states: "Though not a college bred man, he (her father) was a careful reader and deep thinker and an unusually well-informed man. In those days of few books, he owned his set of cyclopedia, his "Scott's Notes" and other works, making a rare library for a man of his limited means. He was fine looking, with a light complexion, grey eyes and a high forehead, gentlemanly in his address, and quite a "lady's man". His activities were greatest in religious matters, caring little for politics, by which I mean only that he was not an active politician."
Stephen Wells, Jr. was the oldest of four children for Stephen Wells, Sr. and wife Love Ford. The family lived in Lenox, Massachusetts. His mother died shortly after childbirth when Stephen was nine years old. When he was eleven years old his father married again, which produced half-brother Lucius.
Stephen married Lois Hubbard January 4, 1801 in Lenox. They had eight known children: Hubbard Ford, Eliza, George, Mary, George M., Luke, Luke, and Henry. Three of the children died at an early age.
About ten years ago some letters written by daughter Mary were discovered and portions of them have been posted online. They shed quite a bit of light on family life, her father's personality, etc. Here is a portion of what the letters contain:
"Stephen Wells, Jr. my father, built a house in Lenox village and married Lois Hubbard. He worked at the same trade as his father (cabinet and chair maker). When I was perhaps three years old, father moved to Albany and went into business with his brother Lucius. We spent our summers in Lenox, but Uncle Lucius stayed on the farm all year.
After the business failure, father moved to Berkshire, N.Y. in 1820. No railroads, no canals. He built a house on the turnpike road from Hudson to Ithaca. All the merchants' goods were carried past our house by horses. The nearest church was seven miles off. In 1823 he built a house near him for his father.
The next year his stepmother died. That same year grandfather went to Rhode Island to visit, and mother went with him as far as Lenox. While she was gone, little Henry was drowned.
Grandfather brought a new wife back from Rhode Island, who died of cancer fourteen years later. Mother took care of her during her long illness, and grandfather died of bilious fever only a few days after his wife.
In 1840 father and mother, with my brother Hubbard and his wife, and brother George and his wife, and their families, moved to Portland, Chautauqua County, N.Y., where they bought a farm. After a time, father gave his property to Hubbard on condition that he support him and mother.
In 1846 father stuck a pitchfork into his leg. Typhoid fever ensued, causing his death. He was buried in Portland, N.Y.
Lois Hubbard Wells, my mother, was the daughter of Zadoc Hubbard, Sr. Her mother died in her infancy, and grandfather married Sallie Lobdell Sprague, a widow. Mother was a woman of limited education, but excellent sense and a very sweet disposition, rendering her greatly beloved by all who knew her. She was industrious, and bore many burdens with the greatest patience. Few women would have rendered the most disagreeable services with such rare, uncomplaining fortitude as she exhibited in caring for her husband's aged father and stepmother. Mother was always a cheerful, active Christian.
After father's death, she came to live with me, then returned to brother George's at Portland. She finally came to make her home with me. In 1858 she fractured her hip and never stood or walked again, dying in 1861."
Another letter states: "Though not a college bred man, he (her father) was a careful reader and deep thinker and an unusually well-informed man. In those days of few books, he owned his set of cyclopedia, his "Scott's Notes" and other works, making a rare library for a man of his limited means. He was fine looking, with a light complexion, grey eyes and a high forehead, gentlemanly in his address, and quite a "lady's man". His activities were greatest in religious matters, caring little for politics, by which I mean only that he was not an active politician."
Stephen married Lois Hubbard January 4, 1801 in Lenox. They had eight known children: Hubbard Ford, Eliza, George, Mary, George M., Luke, Luke, and Henry. Three of the children died at an early age.
About ten years ago some letters written by daughter Mary were discovered and portions of them have been posted online. They shed quite a bit of light on family life, her father's personality, etc. Here is a portion of what the letters contain:
"Stephen Wells, Jr. my father, built a house in Lenox village and married Lois Hubbard. He worked at the same trade as his father (cabinet and chair maker). When I was perhaps three years old, father moved to Albany and went into business with his brother Lucius. We spent our summers in Lenox, but Uncle Lucius stayed on the farm all year.
After the business failure, father moved to Berkshire, N.Y. in 1820. No railroads, no canals. He built a house on the turnpike road from Hudson to Ithaca. All the merchants' goods were carried past our house by horses. The nearest church was seven miles off. In 1823 he built a house near him for his father.
The next year his stepmother died. That same year grandfather went to Rhode Island to visit, and mother went with him as far as Lenox. While she was gone, little Henry was drowned.
Grandfather brought a new wife back from Rhode Island, who died of cancer fourteen years later. Mother took care of her during her long illness, and grandfather died of bilious fever only a few days after his wife.
In 1840 father and mother, with my brother Hubbard and his wife, and brother George and his wife, and their families, moved to Portland, Chautauqua County, N.Y., where they bought a farm. After a time, father gave his property to Hubbard on condition that he support him and mother.
In 1846 father stuck a pitchfork into his leg. Typhoid fever ensued, causing his death. He was buried in Portland, N.Y.
Lois Hubbard Wells, my mother, was the daughter of Zadoc Hubbard, Sr. Her mother died in her infancy, and grandfather married Sallie Lobdell Sprague, a widow. Mother was a woman of limited education, but excellent sense and a very sweet disposition, rendering her greatly beloved by all who knew her. She was industrious, and bore many burdens with the greatest patience. Few women would have rendered the most disagreeable services with such rare, uncomplaining fortitude as she exhibited in caring for her husband's aged father and stepmother. Mother was always a cheerful, active Christian.
After father's death, she came to live with me, then returned to brother George's at Portland. She finally came to make her home with me. In 1858 she fractured her hip and never stood or walked again, dying in 1861."
Another letter states: "Though not a college bred man, he (her father) was a careful reader and deep thinker and an unusually well-informed man. In those days of few books, he owned his set of cyclopedia, his "Scott's Notes" and other works, making a rare library for a man of his limited means. He was fine looking, with a light complexion, grey eyes and a high forehead, gentlemanly in his address, and quite a "lady's man". His activities were greatest in religious matters, caring little for politics, by which I mean only that he was not an active politician."
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