Fair Haven, Vermont

This page created 22 Mar 2011

Lyon & Galusha Deeds

The records below focus on deeds involving the following persons.

Matthew Lyon	Supposed "founder" of the town of Fair Haven, who lead party of Vermonters to the western Kentucky wilderness 1779-1801. See my article The Trek from Vermont to the Kentucky Wilderness for details.
James Lyon	Eldest son of Matthew, who later moved to Kentucky and other western points.
Elijah G. Galusha	Son of Matthew Lyon's second wife, by her first marriage. He was one of those who moved to Kentucky under Lyon's leadership.

My interest was in documenting exactly when the parties departed Fair Haven and moved west. Accordingly I have limited my search to deeds written from the late 1790s until the group's departure in 1800.

According to the deed index, there are other deeds which have not been examined: some 33 deeds prior to those shown below in which Mathew Lyon was the grantor; 34 prior deeds in which he was the grantee, including one in which Galusha was grantor; and one deed in which Mathew Lyon was grantor listed in deed book 4, which supposedly covers a period starting in 1826, but could be a late-recorded deed from an earlier time.

All parties were shown as "of" Fairhaven, Rutland Co. unless stated otherwise below.

Date	Grantor	Grantee	Consid.	Description	Recorded	Notes
1 May 1797	Mathew Lyon	Oliver Cleaveland	20s	100 ac in Fairhaven, 1st division on right of Nathan Allen	2:168 25 May 1799	witnesses: Aljah Warran, Philip Priest
7 Aug 1797	Mathew Lyon	James Lyon & Moses Scott of Waterfort, New York		lease for 9 years the saw mill now building on grantor's upper falls in Fairhaven, with use of water such that it in now way impede other works erected or to be erected, reserving the right to shut the the gates when necessary to carry water to the slitting mill & two forge fires or works which may be erected; grantees to finish the mill; at end of term to deliver it to grantor in good order, with one saw gate with 2 good saws in one and 1 good saw in the other, & gang of good saws & other apparatus in good repair	2:107-8 3 Sep 1798	witnesses: Nath^l Dickinson, Jacob Hamptman endorsement: 11 Apr 1798 by J Lyon, for payment of a note which he gave Moses Scott dated about 5 Mar last for about $2,000, transfers all his rights to the mill to Scott, with his rights to the lot of white pine timber lying adjacent that they bought of Col. Mathew Lyon about date of lease; witness George Cadwell
7 Aug 1797	M Lyon	Moses Scott & James Lyon	3 notes of $111 each	all the pine timber standing or lying on grantor's land on southeasterly side of Castleton river & N & E road leading from the new bridge over grantor's upper falls in this town towards Jeremiah Durands house & farm	2:108 no record date	witnesses: Nath^l Dickinson, Jacob Hamptman timber to be taken within 9 years, if notes paid, but that on the westerly half to be taken within 4 years
26 Aug 1797	Mathew Lyon	William Griswold of Bennington town & county	£26 13s	101½ ac in Fairhaven, 29 ac off the W end of 1st division on right of Hope Lothrop & half of 145 ac laid out on 2nd & 4th division on right of Sam^ll Kenton	2:154 9 Oct 1798	witness: Francis Matteson
18 Jan 1798	James Lyon	Stephen Hold	$200	grantor's half of new saw mill lately built on Col. Lyon's upper falls in Fairhaven	2:245 25 Aug 1798	witness: M Lyon mortgage deed to secure debts to Wm Baxtor of $40 & $50
2 Oct 1798	Mathew Lyon	Town of Fairhaven	see note	5 pieces of land: 1 ac for burying ground SW of meeting house where graves already exist; 4 6-rod squares at the 4 corners of the meeting house, to make the green 18 rods square	2:245 no record date	consideration: "the friendship I have for the town"
3 Aug 1799	Mathew Lyon	Elid Gilbert of Greenfield, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts	$2,516.63	264 ac in Fairhaven in several tracts, with the buildings thereon: all that lot grantor lives on, 2nd division on right of Nathan Allen, lying on E side of highway from Hampton towards Castleton, except 2 ac sold to Robert White & Charles Boyle & such part sold to William & Thomas Whitchouse; land between road going to Castleton & road to Westhaven from grantor's dwelling & road from meeting house to the Castleton Road, excepting 144 rods in SE corner sold to William Henry & 6 rods square deeded to town of Fair Haven for a green; land N end of 2nd division lot of Nathan Allen, W sid of highway form Fair Haven to Castleton; part of 1st & 2nd division on right of grantor which lies between S end of Nathan Allen lot & road that goes easterly from great road...	2:124 5 Aug 1799	witnesses: Jas Withenell, John Brown grantor appeared before Simeon Smith, justice of the peace, 5 Aug 1799 to acknowledge his signature
3 Aug 1799	Mathew Lyon	Elid Gilbert of Greenfield, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts	$500	4 ac in Fairhaven beginning at NE corner of house where Clement Blake lives, with buildings; half of sawmill below on falls below the bridge on the great road from Fairhaven to Hampton, land it stands on, & rights to water, but cannot draw the water away from the grist mill & paper mill now standing or later build	2:125 5 Aug 1799	witnesses: Jas Withenell, John Brown grantor appeared before Simeon Smith, justice of the peace, 5 Aug 1799 to acknowledge his signature
3 Aug 1799	Isaac Cutler, tax collector	Mathew Lyon	$1.12	93 ac in Fairhaven, 2nd division on right of Nathan Allen	2:173 3 Aug 1799	sold for delinquent taxes at public sale at house of Nathaniel Dickinson on 31 Jul 1798
25 Sep 1799	Mathew Lyon	Josiah Norton of Castleton	$1,500	35 ac in Fairhaven, beginning at NE corner of the highway that goes from the great road to general Erwin's near the paper mall; with the paper mill standing there and the all the rights on the falls remaining to grantor, having sold the grist mill and sawmill	2:152 26 Sep 1799	witness: Jonas Galusha, Minerva Lyon grantor appeared before Jonas Galusha, justice of the peace, 26 Sep 1799 to acknowledge his signature
25 Sep 1799	Mathew Lyon	Josiah Norton of Castleton	$330	10 ac in Fairhaven, beginning at 9 rods E of meeting house	2:152-3 26 Sep 1799	witness: Jonas Galusha, Minerva Lyon grantor appeared before Jonas Galusha, justice of the peace, 26 Sep 1799 to acknowledge his signature
25 Sep 1799	Samuel Hyde of Westhaven, Rutland Co.	Mathew Lyon	$10	11¼ ac in Fairhaven or Westhaven, part of 4th division on right of John House, which grantor purchased of grantee some year since	2:178 27 Sep 1799	witnesses: Simon Smith, Annie Martin
26 Sep 1799	Mathew Lyon	Josiah Norton of Castleton	$100	2 ac in Fairhaven, beginning SE corner of highway going from the great road to General Eriwn's	2:153 26 Sep 1799	witness: Jonas Galusha, Minerva Lyon grantor appeared before Jonas Galusha, justice of the peace, 26 Sep 1799 to acknowledge his signature
26 Sep 1799	Mathew Lyon	Nath^l Dickinson	$150	10 ac in Fairhaven, beginning at W side of highway S of the paper mill	2:181 3 Apr 1800	witness: Jonas Galusha grantor appeared before Jonas Galusha, justice of the peace, 26 Sep 1799 to acknowledge his signature
26 Sep 1799	Mathew Lyon	Nathaniel Dickinson	$330	the half of the grist mill in Fairhaven which grantor build and the land it stands on and privileges of water for same to be taken from the paper mill from noon to midnight, and right to keep up the dam	2:181 9 Apr 1800	witness: Jonas Galusha, Minerva Lyon grantor appeared before Jonas Galusha, justice of the peace, 26 Sep 1799 to acknowledge his signature
26 Sep 1799	Mathew Lyon	Simon McWithy	$20	1½ ac in Fairhaven, beginning at highway from the mills in Fairhaven to ___	2:195 23 Jun 1800	witness: Alexander Crookshank grantor appeared before Silas Safford, justice of the peace, 3 Oct 1799 to acknowledge his signature
2 Oct 1799	Mathew Lyon	Beriah Rogers	£13 18s	11 ac 20 poles in Fairhaven, beginning at stake & stones on NW corner of Old Bridge over ___, a part of 1st & 2nd divisions on grantor's right	2:179 7 Dec 1799	witnesses: Calvin Minger, Stephen Rogers grantor appeared before Silas Safford, justice of the peace, 3 Oct 1799 to acknowledge his signature
2 Oct 1799	Mathew Lyon	Beriah Rogers	£88 14s	78 ac in Fairhaven, from 111 ac on 1st & 2nd division on right of George Frost [?], excepting 28 ac previously sold on W end to David Erwin & 5 ac allowed for highways	2:179 7 Dec 1799	witnesses: Calvin Minger, Stephen Rogers grantor appeared before Silas Safford, justice of the peace, 3 Oct 1799 to acknowledge his signature
2 Oct 1799	Mathew Lyon	Jered Rogers	£24 10s	35½ ac in Fairhaven, beginning at stake & stones on N line of Beriah Rogers, about 18 ac off 1st & 2nd division on grantor's right & 17 ac off 1st division on right of Samuel Paine	2:180 10 Dec 1799	witnesses: Calvin Minger, Stephen Rogers grantor appeared before Silas Safford, justice of the peace, 3 Oct 1799 to acknowledge his signature
2 Oct 1799	Mathew Lyon	Stephen Rogers	£20	2¾ ac in Fairhaven, beginning 50 ft. N from NE corner of grantee's dwelling, a part of 3rd division on right of James Brookings	2:180 10 Dec 1799	witnesses: Calvin Minger, Bersiah Rogers grantor appeared before Silas Safford, justice of the peace, 3 Oct 1799 to acknowledge his signature
7 Oct 1799	Mathew Lyon	Cornelius D. & David B. Board of Crittendon [?]	$10	10 ac a part of 3rd division on right of grantor	2:193 18 Apr 1801	witnesses: Adam Miller, Samuel Vail, Cornelious Brownhous [?] grantor appeared before Silas Safford, justice of the peace, 15 Nov 1800 to acknowledge his signature
15 Mar 1800	Mathew Lyon	Edward Douse of Dedham, Massachusetts	$4,500	300 ac in Fairhaven, beginning at the great road leading from Poultney to Fairhaven meeting house and the highway leading from the great road to the [ink plot] mill; with the slitting mill & all the apparatus belonging to it, 2 frame houses & other houses, & coal houses; excepting the saw mill built by James Lyon by lease to him and Moses Scott, the land on which it stands, and the mill yard	2:140 31 Mar 1800	witnesses: Abram Trigg, Thos Mash signed by Lyon in Philadelphia, and acknowledged by him to justice of the peace Reynold Huler there same day grantor reserved the right to use the slitting mill until 1 Nov 1800
12 Nov 1800	Mathew Lyon	Josiah Norton	$1,590	220 ac in Fairhaven, the 6 ac grantor had purchased of S__ McWethy off the S part of lot they live on, 25½ ac remaining of purchase from Frederick Hill, all that purchased of Charles Hawkins; all the town plot lots that may remain to grantor in Westhaven: & all that remain to grantor if any after division in Fairhaven & Westhaven after the 4th division; the saw mill on the falls above the main road from Poultney to Fairhaven meeting house after the lease to Moses Scott & James Lyon expires and the water therefore & land it stands on	2:184 13 Nov 1800	witnesses James Withenell, John Brown grantor appeared before Silas Safford, justice of the peace, 13 Nov 1800 to acknowledge his signature
13 Nov 1800	M Lyon	Nathaniel Dickenson	see note	since previous deed reportedly "does not close with the line of the saw mill seat" previously sold to Col. Gilbert, now conveys all the land that remains to grantor "in that place which does not interfere with the Mill yard," and relinquish to the present owners to the mill below the road all his rights to the land improved for the Mill yard	2: 439 4 Nov 1813	consideration: "a valuable consideration" witnesses: James Withenell, Josiah Norton grantor appeared before Silas Safford, justice of the peace, 13 Nov 1800 to acknowledge his signature
18 Feb 1802	Elijah G Galusha of Williston, Chittenden Co.	Nathaniel Dickinson	$23	60 rods in Fairhaven, beginning at highway that leads from the house which grantee now occupies to Castleton	2:198 no record date	witnesses: David Erwin, Eben^r Walkin grantor appeared before Josiah Norton, justice of the peace, 18 Feb 1802 to acknowledge his signature
8 Aug 1803	Nathaniel Dickinson	Elijah G Galusha of Eddyville, Kentucky	$23	60 rods in Fairhaven, which grantor holds by deed from grantee dated 18 Feb 1802	2:226 8 Aug 1803	witnesses: Silas Saffort, Salman Norton quitclaim deed
8 Aug 1803	Elijah G Galusha of Eddyville, Kentucky	Alexander Dunchire of Castleton, Rutland Co.	$8	60 rods in Fairhaven, which grantor holds by deed from Nathaniel Dickinson dated with this deed	2:227 8 Aug 1803	witnesses: Silas Saffort, Salman Norton grantor appeared before Silas Safford, justice of the peace, 8 Aug 1803 to acknowledge his signature

Notes:

I have copies of each of the pages extracted above. Please contact me for clarification or copies, using the link below.

The original records are handwritten, in some cases faded, and some films of poor quality. Errors no doubt were made.

In the property descriptions, I have extracted the contents rather than attempting to transcribe it exactly. Full meets and bounds are included in the originals, but I have extracted only those naming adjoining owners or other landmarks.

Source: Abstracts were made from Family History Library films of Fair Haven Deed books, FHL Film No. 28239.

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by Terry Reigel