James Monroe Fairfield

b. 30 April 1826, d. 17 May 1895
James Monroe Fairfield|b. 30 Apr 1826\nd. 17 May 1895|p2964.htm|Asa Fairfield|b. 28 Jan 1797\nd. 4 Oct 1868|p5218.htm|Olive Stone|b. 18 Aug 1795\nd. 6 Sep 1864|p7524.htm|William Fairfield|b. 26 Dec 1754\nd. 16 Mar 1827|p7381.htm|Mary King|b. 14 Dec 1773\nd. 9 Apr 1851|p7373.htm|Jonathan Stone|b. 28 Feb 1765\nd. 23 Dec 1816|p8541.htm|Margaret McCulloch|b. 21 Mar 1771|p8542.htm|

Grandfather of Ruth Minerva Fairfield.
2nd great-grandfather of Laura Jane Munson.
Family Background:
Fairfield and Allied Families
Appears on charts:
Pedigree for Ruth Minerva Fairfield
Click to view thumbnails
James M. Fairfield
     James Monroe Fairfield was born on 30 April 1826 in Kennebunkport, York County, Maine.1,2,3 He was the son of Asa Fairfield and Olive Stone.1 He married Jane Elizabeth Thurber, daughter of Benjamin Wilson Hall Thurber and Mary Persis King, on 5 May 1847 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.1,2,4 He died on 17 May 1895 in Fort Wayne at age 69 years, 18 days.1,5 Services were at Grace Reformed Church. He was buried on 20 May 1895 in Lindenwood Cemetery, Fort Wayne.3,5
     
     In 1833, James' father traveled from Kennebunkport to Fort Wayne with the idea that he would like to leave his seafaring days behind and move inland. He returned to Maine for his family in 1835. James, oldest surviving child, was nine years old. He was educated in Fort Wayne schools and was a farmer in Lake township near Hadley most of his adult life.

     James and wife Jane were second cousins, having in common great-grandparents, David King and Elizabeth Gray. They had either eleven or twelve children (see explanation below), seven surviving, but only one son, Ed. It appears that the Fairfield name in our line from James' father Asa will soon be extinct, as Ed was Asa's only grandson. Ed had two sons, but only one grandson, Joe Ed, who has three sons, only one of whom has children, all girls.

     Regarding the question of whether James and Jane had eleven or twelve children, another child, Elizabeth (b. 1850) is found in the 1850 census. Because Susan Mary, born May 1850, doesn't appear in the census, and because "Elizabeth" isn't buried at Lindenwood in the same plot as other children who died young, the census name is surely a mistake and her name isn't included in the list of children. Another child, Charles, who, according to the 1860 census was the three month old twin of Oliver A., isn't buried at Lindenwood, but Oliver is buried there. If Charles was a child, and not a mistake on the census, he didn't survive childhood. The writer's conclusion is that his entry in the 1860 census is a mistake. However, since he and Oliver appear together on the census, he is included.

     James died at his home from complications of heart and kidney trouble. His obituary appeared in the Fort Wayne Sentinel, 18 May 1895.5

Additional Data
W. (sic) and Elizabeth Fairfield appeared on the 1 June 1850 Federal Census of Wayne township, Allen County, Indiana, enumerated 13 September 1850. Their children Mary and Elizabeth (sic) were listed as living with them.6 Click to view image

James and Jane Fairfield appeared on the 1 June 1860 Federal Census of Aboite township, Allen County, Indiana, enumerated 2 June 1860. Their children Susan, Clara, Charles and Oliver were listed as living with them, as was two year old India Thurber. She was probably Jane's niece.7 Click to view image

J.M. and Jane Fairfield appeared on the 1 June 1870 Federal Census of Lake township, Allen County, Indiana, enumerated 10 June 1870. Their children C.M., O.E., Ann, Sarah and Bertha E. were listed as living with them.8 Click to view image

James and Jane Fairfield appeared on the 1 June 1880 Federal Census of Lake township, Allen County, Indiana, enumerated 5 June 1880. Their children Edith, Anna, Sady, Bertha and Edward were listed as living with them.9 Click to view image

Children of James Monroe Fairfield and Jane Elizabeth Thurber

Citations

  1. [S723] Fairfield, Holy Bible, This bible was given to Ruth Anna (Horn) Munson by Anna Miriam (Fairfield) Pevoto. It was lost when the Munson home burned in 1972. However, the family information contained therein was carefully copied by Laura (Munson) Cooper some years prior to that time. The handwriting was imitated and the formatting preserved in the copy, and it is still in the possession of the writer. Unfortunately, the publication data was not understood at the time the copy was made to be important, so that is lost forever. Hereinafter cited as Fairfield Bible.
  2. [S496] Family data, Asa Fairfield Bible, unknown bible title (n.p.: n.pub., unknown publish date); original owned in 1996 by Joe Ed Fairfield (Rosharon, TX).
  3. [S770] James M. Fairfield tombstone, Fairfield plot, Lindenwood Cemetery, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana; photographed by the writer in September 1987.
  4. [S3] Allen County Marriage Book 1-C: 267, County Clerk's Office, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
  5. [S801] James M. Fairfield, Demise of One of Allen County's Early Pioneers, The Fort Wayne Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Saturday Evening, May 18, 1895, 1.
  6. [S769] W. (sic) Fairfield household, 1850 U.S. Census, Allen County, Indiana, population schedule, Wayne twp, page 139B, dwelling 867, family 879; National Archives micropublication M432, roll 135.
  7. [S771] James Fairfield household, 1860 U.S. Census, Allen County, Indiana, population schedule, Aboit twp, Fort Wayne Post Office, page 1, family 3; National Archives micropublication M653, roll 243.
  8. [S772] J.M. Fairfield household, 1870 U.S. Census, Allen County, Indiana, population schedule, Lake twp, Randall Post Office, page 15/510, dwelling 108, family 108; National Archives micropublication M593, roll 298.
  9. [S773] James Fairfield household, 1880 U.S. Census, Allen County, Indiana, population schedule, Aboit twp, enumeration district (ED) 105, sheet 10B, dwelling 100, family 100; National Archives micropublication T9, roll 264.
  10. [S770] Mary L. Fairfield tombstone, Lindenwood Cemetery, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.
  11. [S768] Florence Thurber Gargaro, online <http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/g/a/r/…>, Florence Thurber Gargaro (Cherry Hill, New Jersey), downloaded 2005.
  12. [S770] Cyrus J. Fairfield tombstone, Lindenwood Cemetery, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.
  13. [S770] Oliver A. Fairfield tombstone, Lindenwood Cemetery, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.
  14. [S770] Olive E. Fairfield tombstone, Lindenwood Cemetery, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.