Peleg Barrows (1822 - 1890)
Peleg Barrows (1822 - 1890)
BIRTH 08 MAR 1822 • Carver, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States
DEATH 28 APR 1890 • Brattleboro, Windham, Vermont, United States - age 68, cancer of the pancreas which spread to the stomach - Burial in Prospect Hill Cemetery, Brattleboro, Vermont, USA.
3rd great-grandfather to Jordan S. Saalfrank
Parents: Thomas Barrows (1776-1839) and Mary Polly Washburn (1778-1832)
Siblings: Sarah Barrows (1801-1877); Clarissa Barrows (1804- ); Thomas Barrows (1804-1860); John Jay Barrows (1810-1880); James Lloyd Barrows (1816-1883); Peleg.
Education: unknown
Residences: Carver, Plymouth, Massachusetts; Holmes Hole/Vineyard Haven, (Martha’s Vineyard) Tisbury, Massachusetts; Walnut Street, Brattleboro, VT (Listed in 1875/76 Brattleboro Directory - where he died)
Businesses:
Holmes Hole / Vineyard Haven (Martha’s Vineyard), Massachusetts: “Peleg’s older brother, Thomas Barrows Jr. (1804-1860) first came to Martha’s Vineyard (from Carver, Massachusetts) on a business trip in 1829. He moved to the village of Holmes Hole (now Vineyard Haven), in the town of Tisbury, permanently in 1830. The move was evidently in the second half of the year, since he is not listed in the 1830 Tisbury census. He married Tamson Luce (1810-1859) of Tisbury in 1831 and had two children: Mary Washburn (1832-1894) and Sarah Drew (1838-1908).
Thomas opened “Barrows Brothers’ Store” on Main Street in Holmes Hole no later than 1832, since the Barrows Brothers account book [2012.001.089] starts in that year.
John Jay Barrows (1810-1880) of Carver, MA, was almost certainly the other brother involved at the time. John married Lydia Clifford Smith (1818-1911) of Tisbury in 1838 and had three children: Ann Eliza (1839-1891), Emily Bradley (1842-1919), and Tamson Lavinia (1845-1944).”
Peleg Barrows (1822-1890) was definitely involved in the store by 1847 (age 25), when Thomas Knowles and Co. of New Bedford sent him a bill [RU 423, B1, F5], presumably on behalf of Barrows Brothers Store. Peleg married Sybil Lavinia Fletcher (1826-1872) in Tisbury in 18478
The 1850 Tisbury census lists Thomas, John, and Peleg with the occupation “trader,” suggesting that they were probably co-partners in the store. Thomas and John’s estates are valued at $3,000 each, and Peleg’s at $1,000.
Peleg stayed in Tisbury until at least March 1,1862, when he sold his pew at the Congregational meeting house to Benjamin Nye [RU 350, OS Gen 5, Folder 5]. He formed a partnership with Zenas Dillingham III (1841-1869), the son of Tisbury master mariner Capt. Zenas Dillingham II (1809-1852), in March 1865 [Vermont Record, March 18, 1865, p. 15; copy in VREF 0183.001] and moved to Brattleboro, VT. It is unclear why Peleg chose the town of Brattleboro.
Brattleboro, Vermont: First Coal business “Peleg opened a dry goods and crockery store as well as buying the coal business from Mr. Temple, renaming it Barrows Coal Co. The partnership ended with Zenas Dillingham III’s death in 1869 (he died in Tisbury; it’s not clear whether his presence there was coincidental or whether he knew he was dying and returned home).”9
First Coal business office started with Wm. S. Newton in his grocery store near the Main Street bridge; opened dry goods and crockery business in 1865 with Zenas Dillingham and moved to well-known stand at the upper end of Fisk’s block while continuing coal business. After selling business to his son Fletcher, a year later Peleg had a grocery business in the Brooks House and then moved to Gleason & Robbins. Assistant Treasurer to Universalist parish church, Assistant Treasurer at Brattleboro Savings Bank during his retirement from his other businesses.
Spouses:
First, and mother of children, Sybil Lavinia Fletcher; second, marries at age 52: Sarah Elizabeth Richardson (Gray) Baldwin 22 FEB 1835 -19 OCT 1920 (m. March 26,1874). Sarah E. Gray was previously married to Reuben B. Baldwin (1829-1870) and had one child: Frank Lewis Baldwin (1860-1883). Sarah died in the home for the aged in Brattleboro at the age of 86.
When Peleg G. Barrows was born on March 8, 1822, in Carver, Massachusetts, his father, Thomas, was 45 and his mother, Mary, was 43. The youngest of six children, “Mr. (Peleg G.) Barrows was a native of Carver, Mass., born there…coming of English ancestry and of the old Puritan stock. He went to Tisbury, Dukes County Massachusetts — AKA Holmes Hole, Vineyard Haven (present day Martha’s Vineyard) when about 10 years old, growing up there with his two older brothers, who were engaged in general mercantile trade.”1. Peleg Barrows (1822-1890) was definitely involved in the store by 1847 (age 25), when Thomas Knowles and Co. of New Bedford sent him a bill [RU 423, B1, F5], presumably on behalf of Barrows Brothers Store. Peleg married Sybil Lavinia Fletcher (1826-1872) in Tisbury in 1847
The Boston Evening Transcript reported in Peleg’s death notice that “he carried on a general store business for a number of years” in Vineyard Haven.5 Peleg “remained there until he removed to Brattleboro in 1863, his removal being on account of the unfavorable effect of the sea air on his health.”
Peleg bought out a Mr. Temple (the first man to engage in that trade in Brattleboro) of his coal business 1 “and having an office with William S. Newton in his grocery store near the Main Street bridge.”1 “One of the earliest merchants here (Brattleboro), “the second man to engage in the coal business which for so many years has borne the Barrows name.” “Not long after he went into the dry goods and grocery business at his well-remembered stand at the upper end of Fisk’s block (likely corner of Main & Elliot St - which in 1871 became the home of the Vermont Savings Bank), continuing, also, the coal business, and dropping the crockery trade after a few years.” In abt MARCH 1873, Peleg sold his business to his son Fletcher K. Barrows. Peleg was out of business for one year until he “established a dry goods business in the small store in Brooks House bock which is now a part of Mr. Hawley’s store. From there he removed to the store now occupied by Gleason & Robbins, but closed out his business soon after.” (1)
1874 Peleg was a trustee of the Brattleboro Saving’s Bank, and had acted at various times as a member of the board of auditors and the board of investment. He also served for several years as clerk and treasurer of the village, and as clerk and treasurer of the Universalist society, of which he was an active and devoted member.(1)”
“Mr. Peleg Barrows died Monday morning at his home on Walnut St after an illness (cancer of the stomach)4 which has extended over almost a year and a half, although his energy and activity were such that he had not yielded to the encroachments of the disease until the last few weeks.” Mr. Barrows was a man of spotless integrity, and a useful citizen, universally trusted and respected, while his remarkably kindly and genial temperament won him the personal friendship of all who knew him.1” “He was held in high-esteem by all who came to know him and his upright character and kindliness were appreciated by every neighbor.”. (Peleg) “was well known in Boston and southern Massachusetts
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