Stephen Pearl Lathrop

Narrative:

     Stephen Pearl Lathrop was born on 14 Oct 1782 in Pawlet, Vermont.^6,7 He was probably one of the nine males under age 16 listed in the household of his father, Thomas Lathrop, in the 1790 Federal Census of Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont.⁸ He was probably one of the two males age 16 to 25 listed in the household of his father, Thomas Lathrop, in the 1800 Federal Census of Shelburne, Chittenden Co., Vermont.⁹
     Stephen was one of the original subscribers to the First Congregational Society, Unitarian of Burlington, Vermont, when it was formed in 1810.¹⁰
     Stephen married Sarah Smith on 9 Sep 1810.⁴
     Stephen and his twin brother Gideon became involved in nasty dispute with their uncle, Col. Stephen Pearl, that became very public in Aug 1811. It appears that on 9 Jun 1809 the uncle gave a parcel of land in Burlington to the younger Stephen, in exchange for a bond that he would live with his uncle and manage his business affairs for the life of the uncle and his wife. According to the brothers' account, in Jul 1810 (two months before Stephen's marriage), Stephen asked Gideon to take his place in the arrangement. Gideon agreed, and by his account the aunt and uncle did as well, and he then moved in with them while Stephen moved to the property Gideon had agreed to convey to him. Further, he said, the uncle gave him Stephen's bond to take to one George Robinson, Esq., to have a new bond drawn up for Gideon to execute as a replacement. But the new bond did not appear, and the old one was returned to the uncle.¹¹
     Evidently the uncle had a change of heart, after Gideon refused to join the Washington Benevolent Society, Gideon later said. On 14 Aug 1811 the uncle circulated a statement to members of the community contending that he had never authorized Gideon to take the bond and replace it with one of his own. Rather, he said, Gideon asked to see the bond and read it, and was supposed to return it. In response to his uncle's "injury to my reputation" Gideon had affidavits by him and his brother, telling their version of the story, along with his uncle's statement, published in the local newspaper on 22 Aug 1811.¹²
     The matter was evidently not peacefully resolved. After the uncle's death, Gideon won a judgment before the Vermont Supreme Court directing the executrix of the estate to pay him $560 plus interest for the return of the land the elder Stephen had deeded, "subject to certain agreements," to the younger Stephen, who had deeded them to Gideon. The parcel was said to be worth more than that, and other land was sold to raise the money.¹³
     Apparently a second transaction was also involved in the dispute. On the same date as the above transaction, the elder Stephen sold the younger Stephen two parcels for $2,000. They were one-fourth of lot no. 28 in Burlington, where the Pearl's house and barn were located, and one-fourth of lot no. 22, a 100-acre lot. On 2 Mar 1811, just before the exchange of published accounts, young Stephen deeded these lands to his brother Gideon. But apparently the actual boundaries of the two parcels had not been defined, and the parties were unable to agree on them. Gideon petitioned the Court to set of his portion of the two lots at its Jan 1812 term, and commissioners were appointed to divide the two lots at the Jan 1813 term. But the case was continued several times, until after Col. Stephen's death, when his widow and administrix became involved, and the commissioners' report was finally approved in the Dec 1819 term.¹⁴
     Stephen and Sarah moved their family some 20 miles south to Addison Co. by 1820.¹⁵ (See map.)
     Stephen appeared on the 1820 Federal Census of Monkton, Addison Co., Vermont, with a household consisting of two white males under age 10 (son Charles and Stephen), one age 26 to 45 (himself), one white female under age 10 (daughter Florella), and one age 26 to 45 (wife Sarah Smith.)¹⁵
     Stephen appeared on the 1830 Federal Census of New Haven, Addison Co., Vermont, with a household consisting of one males under age 5 (probably son Ezra, though he was 8), one age 10 to 15 (Stephen), one age 15 to 20 (son Charles, though he was 12), one age 40 to 50 (himself), two females age 15 to 20 (Florella and another), and one age 30 to 40 (wife Sarah.)¹⁶
     He was a farmer.¹⁷
     Stephen died on 16 Mar 1837 in Middlebury, Vermont, at age 54.⁴