Our earliest definitely known ancestor of this branch of the Sawyer's is Major James Sawyer (1738-1782) who fought in the American Revolution. After inquiring about any military records related to Major James to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), they have informed me they couldn't find anything. I still need to generate similar requests for pension and land warrant records. Also, I need to check for any state militia records. Several clues suggest that James is related to the CT Sawyers documented on both Dean and Paul Sawyer's sites linked below, but I'm still investigating this. I've shown the likely connection in the descent chart below. If true, this would make the earliest known Sawyer ancestor Edmund Sawyer, born around 1540 in England (at Norfolk or Suffolk). Also Hugh Sawyer b. c1370s who accompanied Richard 'the Lionheart' on Crusade and was given a coat of arms for distinguished service there, leading back to the original (1st name unknown) Sawyer who came with William the Conqueror in 1066 to England.
The 1st SAWYER of this line came with William the Conqueror to England in 1066 (presumably from Normandy and of Norman i.e. Danish and French descent). A later member of the line named Hugh SAWYER was awarded a coat of arms in 1310 (by K Edw II r1307-27) for 'services rendered [by an ancestor?] to his king on the field of battle' while crusading with K Richard I 'the Lionheart' r1189-99.
Benjamin (1730-1???) m1. Mehitable MOORE m2. ? YOUNGS
Benjamin (1761-1778)
Benjamin (1769-1838)
Benjamin (1800-1864)
Benjamin Carpenter (1819-1909)
Benjamin Franklin (1807-1861)
Benjamin Franklin (1845-?)
Benjamin Franklin (1852-1930)
Bertha (?) (1885?-?)
Caleb (1659-1???)
Calvin Gardner (1796-18??)
Calvin Jr (1834?-?)
Calvin C. (1849?-?)
Caroline (1830?-?)
Carrie (RACE) (1858-1926)
Carrie (1865?-?)
Catherine (Nearpass) (1792-1859)
Cepha (FLETCHER) (1858-1???)
Charles Francis (1878-1953)
Charles Halstead (1827-1892)
Clifford Benjamin (1900-1978)
Deborah (1666-16??) (DY)
Edgar J. (1849-1912)
Edmund b1540 (or 1530-64 34yo) m1 c1554 Jane (Agnes) FISKE of Halesworth, England b1541 m2 1564 Sarah POWELL b1546
Sir Knight Edmund of Heywood Lodge b1579 (or 1586/7) Auditor of the Exchequer of the City of London, worked for K Chas I r1625-49, d. 14 Jun 1676 m1 Eliz PARKHURST m2 Anne WHITMORE d1627 (gson of above and son of George of Cawston, Norfolk)
Egbert (1834-?)
Eleanor (HOLLY) (1773-1826)
Elizabeth (1654-16??) (DY)
Elizabeth (1663-1???)
Elizabeth (BRADNER) (1740?-1802)
Elizabeth (1764-18??)
Elizabeth (1790-1791)
Elizabeth (JOHNSTON) (1802-1858)
Elizabeth (Betsy) (1803-1841)
Elizabeth (VALENTINE) (182?-1???)
Elizabeth Valentine (1840-1???)
Elizabeth (1840-1???) m. Amasa FINCH
Elizabeth (Libbie) (1847-1933)
Elva Julia (1885-?)
Emma (1871?-?)
Ephraim (1650-1676)
Florence (1850?-?)
Frances (ARNOTT) (18??-?)
Frances Louise (1842-?)
Frank G. (1857-19??)
Franklin (1861?-1943)
Fred Andrew (1860-19??)
Gabriel (1828?-?)
Gabriel (1859?-?)
George of Cawston, Norfolk b. c1600 (son of Sir Knight Edmund b1579) m. Anne HILL, dau of Elizeus HILL of Blofield, Norfolk
George (1864-19??)
George (1867?-?)
George (1882-?)
Gertrude (1853?-?)
Hannah (1668-1???)
Hannah (VALENTINE) (?-?)
Hannah V. (1824?-?)
Hannah (WOOD) (1772-1830)
Hannah (Davis) (?-?)
Hannah (1805-1813)
Hannah (1813-1???)
Harriet (1811-1???)
Harriet (1826?-?)
Harriet (1851?-?)
Helen (1853-?)
Henrietta (1848-1943)
Henry (1869?-?)
Herbert Allen (1884-1967)
Howard (1869-1???)
Hugh 12xx-13xx, awarded a family coat of arms in 1310 [apparently by K Edw II r1307-27] for 'services rendered [by an ancestor?] to his king on the field of battle' while crusading with K Richard I 'the Lionheart' r1189-99. Hugh was a decendant of the 1st SAWYER who came to England with William the Conqueror and an ancestor of Sir Edmund b1540.
James Cornet (1657-1753)
James (1694-1772)
James (1738-1782)
James (1760-1775)
James B. (1792-18??)
James (1794-1852)
James (b1815) m. Maria FITHIAN
James Madison (1822-1859)
James M (1837-1877)
James C (1929-2015)
Jemima (COLEMAN) (18??-?)
John (1582-1660)
John (1661-1750)
John (1792-18??)
John Decker (1851-1918)
John L. (1811-1871)
John Nearpass (1817-1904)
John Valentine (1820?-?)
John (Johnnie) Albert (1856-1942)
Joshua (1655-1???)
Joshua (1762-1778)
Julia Ann (1847?-?)
Julie Ann (1798-1810)
Kate E. (1858-1890)
Lena (1859-?)
Libbie (1847-1933)
Lizzie (1860-?)
Louisa (VALENTINE) (1810-1861)
Lucille Elizabeth (1916-1959)
Lucy (Shepherd VOORHEES) (1888-?)
Mabel (GRUNNET) (1902-1995)
Mable (BURNHAM) (1887-1934)
Margaret b. c1660 'only dau of Sir Robert SAWYER' of Highclere the AG, m1684 Thomas HERBERT 8th Earl of Pembroke, ancestors of Earls of Carnarvon (e.g. #5 who w/Howard Carter famously found King Tut's tomb c1927)
Marie (Mary) (PRESCOTT) (1630-1716)
Marie (Mary) (1652-1???)
Martha (?) (1710-1???)
Martha (CRANE) (1829-1899)
Martha Ann (1845-1926)
Martha W. (HANNA) (1831-1906)
Mary (MARBLE) (165?-1708)
Mary (PRESCOTT) (165?-17??)
Mary (1774-1???)
Mary (VALENTINE) (1819-1900)
Mary (1822?-?)
Mary Jane (1846-?)
Mary Alice (1854-1938)
Mary Alice (1855?-?)
Mary Elizabeth (1806-1889)
Mary Ellen (1843?-?)
Mary F. (BUCK) (1841-1913)
Mary Olive (1883-1956)
Matthew (1777-1???)
Mattie (1880-1926)
Mehitable (MOORE) (1730-1778)
Mehitable (HORTON) (1732-1751)
Mehitable A. (1794-1874) m. Abraham CROOK
Michael N. (1834-1904)
Mildred Lucinda (1890-1944)
Moses (1732-1???) m. Mehitable HORTON
Moses (1771-1821) m. Eleanor HOLLY
Moses (1800-1858) m1. Elizabeth VALENTINE m2. Marie GALE
Moses (172?-177?) m. Phebe HAVENS
Moses (174?-1???) m. Mehitable HORTON
Moses E. (1829-1901)
Nathaniel (1670-1???)
Nellie (1866-?)
Rachel Ann (1834-18??) (DY)
Ray (1883-?)
Richard (1734-17??)
Richard (1755-1???)
Sir Robert 1633-92 Attorney General of London, built Highclere Castle (structure before current one), son of Sir Knight Edmund of Heywood, m. Margaret SUCKELEY (or Mary SUCKLES, dau of Ralph), 5 daughters
Robert (1813-1843)
Robert Wood (1836-1854)
Ruth (1890-?)
Sally Ann (1828-1879)
Samuel H. (1798-1885)
Samuel (1863?-?)
Sarah (1766-1???)
Sarah (1833-1835)
Sarah Catherine (1838-1854)
Sarah Frances (1857-1931)
Stephen Valentine (1844-?)
Susan (WOOD) (18??-1???)
Temperance (1761-1???)
Thomas (1556-1???)
Thomas (1616-1706)
Thomas (1649-1???)
Uzell (1862-?)
William (1824-1908)
William A. (1831-1904)
William Valentine (1848-1873)
William (1856-1937)
William (1857?-?)
William Elbert (1880-1962)
? (Calvin's 7th child) (1832?-?)
Dean Sawyer's Geneology Home Page
George Sawyer's site
SAWYER
(S600) at ROOTSWEB
This is the link to the SAWYER Cluster at rootsweb. it has links to all the SAWYER GenConnect Boards, search engines for all material on rootsweb pertaining to SAWYER & variations in spelling. Search engine for all registered SAWYER pages on the web.
emails for Sawyer researchers:
• Connecticut 16 • New Hampshire 66 • Rhode Island 7
• Maine 72 • New York 6 • South Carolina 5
• Maryland 2 • North Carolina 67 • Vermont 26
• Massachusetts 108 • Pennsylvania 6
The actual census images can now be seen for each entry on Ancestry.com.
Enumerators of the 1790 census were asked to include the following categories in the census: name of head of household, number of free white males of sixteen years and older, number of free white males under sixteen years, number of free white females, number of all other free persons, number of slaves, and sometimes town or district of residence. The categories allowed Congress to determine persons residing in the United States for collection of taxes and the appropriation of seats in the House of Representatives. This first United States census schedules differs in format from later census material, as each enumerator was expected to make his own copies on whatever paper he could find. Unlike later census schedules an enumerator could arrange the records as he pleased. This database is certain to prove useful for those seeking early American ancestors.
The jurisdiction of the original thirteen states canvassed an area of seventeen present states. Schedules survive for eleven of the thirteen original states: Connecticut, Maine (part of Massachusetts at the time), Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Vermont. (Vermont became the fourteenth state early in 1791 and was included in the census schedules). Some of the actual Vermont citizens are listed under other states.
Enumerators were only required to make one copy of the census schedules to be held by the clerk of the district court in their respective area. In 1830, Congress passed a law requiring the return of all decennial censuses from 1790-1830. At this point it was discovered that many of the 1790 schedules had been lost or destroyed. Thus, we have about two-thirds of the original census from the time period. The 1790 census suffered district losses of Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, and Virginia. However, some of the schedules for these states have been re-created using tax lists and other records. Virginia was eventually reconstructed from tax lists as well as some counties from North Carolina and Maryland.
