THE AMIDON FAMILY
As read by Fanny Amidon on March 9, 1898 at the
centennial.
This family is of French origin of that class known as Protestants,
commonly called Huguenots. The name as found in the records of different
places is spelled in various ways; as Amidown, Amidowne, Ammeydowne, Amadon,
Ammidown and Amidon. The latter is the correct French name. The name in
the French language means "starch," and as there is nothing starchy
in the family makeup, some of our ancestors must have been engaged in manufacturing
or selling starch. Whatever, the autography may be, it has been ascertained
to have descended from one common ancestor, Roger Amidon, who during the
long siege of Rochelle, escaped to England and in 1628 when John Endicot
was sent out with the first embarkation of colonists to this country, came
to Salem, Massachusetts, in that colony. The name is found in the records
of Salem, then at Weymouth, Boston, Rehaboth, Mendon, Oxford, Charlton
and South-bridge, Massachusetts. This pioneer of the family removed from
Salem to Weymouth in 1637. Afterwards to Boston and from there he removed
with a colony of people from Weymouth to Rehaboth, then a town in Plymouth
colony. The tract of land upon which this colony from Weymouth settled
was first contracted for by some people from Hingham, but was transferred
to Reverend Samuel Newman and his associates, among whom is found the name
of Roger Amidon. The deed of conveyance of this land from Governor William
Bradford, dated in 1642. Roger Amidon married Sarah Hutchings. They had
five children: Sarah, Lydia, Roger Jr., Ebenezer and Joanna. Roger Jr.,
our ancestor Married Joanna Harwood. Their children were Philip, Henry
and Mahetable. Philip, our ancestor, and his wife, Mahetable had two children,
Henry and Roger. Henry, our ancestor, married Melatiah Cheney in 1718.
Their children were Jacob, mahetable, Melatiah, Henry and Joseph. Our ancestor,
Joseph Amidon removed to Ashford, Wyndham County, Connecticut and thence
to Onondaga where he died in 1810 and is buried in Chestnut Ridge cemetery
near Navarino. His wife was Patience Chaffee. Their children were Eunice,
Chloe, Abel, Rhoda, Abner, Asahel, Hannah, Caleb, Cheney and Melatiah.
My great-grandfather Cheney Amidon married Mary Reynolds, the daughter
of Benoni Reynolds, a Revolutionary soldier. Their children were Chloe,
Rhoda, Philip VanCortland, Helen Mar, Charles Barber, Outerbridge, Harvey,
Fanny and Mary.
Added by Clara (Nichols) Lord.
My grandmother, Helen Mar Amidon, married George Nichols, my grandfather. Their children were Cheney, Charles, Mary, Florence, Emerson Earl and George Oliver. My father, Emerson Earl Nichols, married my mother, Emma Olney. Their children were Dora, Clara, Cheney Amidon and Daniel Olney. Therefore, I, Clara Nichols am the ninth generation from Roger Amidon who came with the John Endicot colony to Salem, Massachusetts in 1628.
Added by Maurice M. Alexander
Chloe Ann Amidon married my great grandfather Leonard Penuel Field and
had twelve children; Silas Cheney, Hannah Cordelia, Charles Henry, Robert
Emmet, Mary Metella, Chloe Alice, Albert Horton, Leonard Penuel Jr., Nellie
Elizabeth, Philip Earle, Annette and Abner. By a second wife he had Flora
E. and William h. By his third wife he had none.
Hannah Cordelia, my grandmother, married Truman C. Fenner and they had nine children; Mary Alice, Flora Emma, Leonard Field, Chloe Ann, Nancy F., Freddie, Augusta Auralia, Jay and Etta May.
Etta May, my mother, married Myron Lucius Alexander and they had three
children; Helen Ernestine, Charles Truman and Maurice Myron.
I married Annette Reina Blain and we have three children; Ralph John,
Richard Maurice and Robert Alan. We now have four grandchildren which makes
them the eleventh generation descending from Roger Amidon.
Submitted by Maurice Alexander, May 2, 1997
AMIDON FAMILY CHART - coming soon