The Sidway family of Buffalo,
NY
The text on this page is excerpted from Genealogical
and Family History of Western New York, ed. by William Richard Cutter, 1912,
pp. 944-946 Online
First Sidway in the US and in Buffalo: James Sidway 1759-1836 married in 1781 Rebecca Milks 1759-1843.
Children of James and Rebecca Milks:
- William
- Jonathan Sidway 1784-1847 married in 1826 Parnell St. John 1801-1879
Children of Jonathan and Parnell St. John:
- Katherine
- Jonathan
- Franklin 1834-1920 married in 1866 Charlotte Spaulding
Children of Franklin and Charlotte Spaulding:
- Harold Spaulding 1868-? married in 1897 Mary Chase
- Frank St. John 1869-1938 married in 1903 Amelia Roberts 1881-1972
- Edith 1872-58 married in 1892 William Allan Gardner 1869-1942 (Both buried at Harbour Island, Bahamas, their winter home)
- Clarence Spaulding 1877-1953 married in 1901 Genevieve C. Hingston 1880-1939
- Ralph Huntington 1884-1936 married in 1908 Stephana O. Barnum 1882-1962
TEXT Beneath Illustrations
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The Sidway lot, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, NY |
The Sidway lot, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, NY |
James Sidway 1759-1836 |
Jonathan Sidway Sr. 1784-1847 |
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Jonathan Sidway 1784-1847 |
Parnell (previous illustration) was the daughter of Gamaliel and Margaret St. John who are buried in the Sidway lot |
Franklin Sidway 1834-1920 |
Franklin & Charlotte Spaulding Sidway |
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Franklin Sidway 1834-1920 |
Frank St. John Sidway 1869-1938 |
Frank St. John Sidway 1869-1938 |
Clarence Spaulding 1877-1953 m. Genevieve C. Hingston 1880-1939 |
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Ralph H(untington) 1884-1936 m. Stephana O. Barnum 1882-1962 |
James Sidway 1759-1836
James Sidway was born May 8, 1759 in Dudley, Woodside, England and came to America as a drummer boy in the British army. According to records at the Saratoga National Historical Park, he served in the 62nd Regiment of Foot and joined the regiment prior to 1772. He served under James Reynell (company lieutenant) and Major Henry Harnage, company commander. The 62nd Regiment of Foot was part of Gen. John Burgoyne’s army which moved south from Canada in 1777 to attempt capture of Albany, NY. They were defeated by the American army under Gen. Horatio Gates at two battles, which became known as the Battle of Saratoga.
Following the surrender, James Sidway and many other British soldiers were offered enlistment in the American army which they accepted. They saw the prospect of a new life in America and the opportunities it offered (land ownership, voting rights, etc). James served in Henry Godwin’s company in Lt. Colonel (commandant) Frederick Weissenfel’s Regiment of Levies until the regiment was mustered out of service.
In 1781, he married Rebecca Milk and settled in Goshen, NY. They had two sons, William and Jonathan. The fact that their first son was named William probably means that James’ father was William. Their second son, Jonathan, was named after Rebecca’s father, Jonathan Milk.
In their later years, they moved to Buffalo, NY to be near their son Jonathan and his family.
James died in 1836 and Rebecca died in 1843. Both are buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo.
- David Carson
(1) Jonathan, son of James and Rebecca (Milks) Sidway, was born in the town of Goshen, Orange county, New York, April 1, 1784, and died in Buffalo, January 21, 1847.
He was educated in the district schools of Goshen, and followed a farmer's life until about 1812, when he removed to Buffalo. Here he engaged in the shipping business and became a conspicuous figure among the early pioneers in lake navigation and commerce.
He married, January 1, 1826, Parnell St. John, born at Aurelius, Cayuga county, New York, June 12, 1801, died in Buffalo, April 29, 1879.
When she was a child her parents [Gamaliel and Margaret Kinsman Marsh St. John] removed to Buffalo, where her mother was living in 1813, when the town was burned by the British and Indians. Gamaliel St. John and his oldest son, Elijah Northrup, were drowned in the Niagara river, June 6, 1813, while they were bearing dispatches from army headquarters in Buffalo to a division in Canada, their boat being capsized by coming in contact with the cable of the war vessel John Adams, which was anchored in the river. It is an interesting fact that the St. John home on the west side of Main street, between Court and Mohawk streets, was the only house left standing.
See also:
- Margaret St. John- LINKS
- "Burning of Buffalo and Events in the History of the Family of Gamaliel and Margaret St. John" by Parnell St. John
- "A Family Legend" (page 4, ff.) in Historic Plymouth Avenue in the Kleinhans Neighborhood by Christopher N. Brown
Of the nine children of Jonathan Sidway, four only reached years of maturity:
1. Katherine, married Asaph S. Bemis of Buffalo.
2. Jonathan married Caroline B. Taunt, of Buffalo.
3. Franklin, of further mention below.
4. James Henry, who met a hero's death at the early age of twenty-five years, as assistant foreman of Taylor Hose No. 1, while battling with the flames that consumed the American Hotel, January 25, 1865. See Christophr N. Brown, "A Tale of two Sons," (p. 13) in in Historic Plymouth Avenue in the Kleinhans Neighborhood
Franklin Sidway 1834-1920
(III) Franklin, son of Jonathan and Parnell (St. John) Sidway, was born in Buffalo, New York, July 23, 1834. He was educated in private schools, Canandaigua Academy, the George W. Francis School at Yonkers, New York, and other institutions of learning.After completing his studies, in 1853 he toured Europe,.and on his return began his active and useful business career.
He organized and was one of the firm of Sidway, Skinner & Moore, general ship chandlers and grocers, Buffalo, a firm that did a large and successful business until the date of the civil war, when it was dissolved. After the war he became cashier of the Farmers and Mechanics National Bank, continuing as such until his election to the vice-presidency, which office he held until the bank wound up its affairs in 1898. He also served as trustee of the Buffalo Savings Bank. His long association with the financial interests of Buffalo developed the fact that he was peculiarly adapted to the banking business, being prudent, conservative, quick of decision, and not afraid of large undertakings.
He was a strong Union man,and during the civil war was commissioned colonel of volunteers, with authority to raise a regiment. He recruited several companies, but owing to the fact that the payment of bounties was discontinued, the organization was not completed, and the men already enlisted were transferred to another regiment.
He has always taken a deep interest in many Buffalo, institutions, both educational and charitable. He is a life member of the Buffalo Library, member of the Historical Society, and former treasurer and a member of theBuffalo General Hospital Board. He was also a trustee of the Buffalo City Cemetery (Forest Lawn).
All his life Mr. Sidway has taken a keen interest in athletics and outdoor sports.He was a member of the old Forester Gun Club; was a member of one of the first four-oared rowing crews organized in Buffalo, and president of the Archery Club of Buffalo, the Toxophilites, and was one of the organizers of the Niagara Base Ball Club, one of the first amateur base ball clubs organized.
His clubs are the Buffalo, of which he is an ex-president, and the Country. For many years hewas president of the Falconwood Club.
He married, February 27, 1866, Charlotte, daughter of Elbridge Gerry Spaulding, of Buffalo.
See also:
Their surviving children are as follows:
1. Harold Spaulding Sidway, born in Buffalo, New York, April 26, 1868; educated at Professor Shortlidge's Academy, Media, Pennsylvania, whence he was graduated in class of 1888.He was with the Farmers and Mechanics National Bank one year, and from September 7, I888, to October, 1897, with the Buffalo Gas Light Company; he is now a resident of New York City.
He married, December 20, 1897, in London, England, Mary Chase, of Buffalo.
Frank St. John Sidway 1869-1938
2. Frank St. John Sidway, born December 5, 1869, in Buffalo. He prepared for college at Phillips Exeter Academy, and entered Harvard University, class of '93. He afterward worked in the American Exchange Bank and the Farmers and Mechanics Bank of Buffalo.
Choosing the profession of law, he entered the Buffalo Law School, graduating and receiving his degree in 1894. He also studied with the law firm of Lewis, Moot & Lewis, Buffalo, until his admission to the bar in 1894, when he practiced in the office of Sprague, Moot, Sprague & Brownell until 1897, when he began practice alone and has so continued, having a well established office business to which and in the care of estates he devotes himself chiefly.
In March, 1894, he was elected second lieutenant of Company B, 74th Regiment New York National Guard.
He is a member of the Buffalo, Saturn and Ellicott clubs; the United Spanish War Veterans Association; the Naval and Military Order of the Spanish- American War; life member of the Buffalo Library; the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy; and the Buffalo Historical Society.
He married, April 16, 1903, Amelia, born December 4, 1881, daughter of James A. Roberts, former comptroller of the state of New York. They lived at 37 Oakland Place.
3. Edith, daughter of Franklin and Charlotte (Spaulding) Sidway, was born January 12, 1872; educated at Buffalo Seminary and Lasell Seminary, Auburndale, Massachusetts.
4. Clarence Spaulding Lived at 40 Oakland Place.
5. Ralph Huntington 1884-1936 m. Stephana O. Barnum 1882-1962 -- Ralph Huntington Sidway House
See also: Charlotte Sidway 1906?-1997, by Patrick Kavanagh
