Wilcox article by Karen Cuccinello

Lyman and Eliza (Newell) Wilcox
By Karen Cuccinello

This article came about because of a post I saw on the Westholm Hotel, Stamford NY Facebook page. It was pictures of gravestones for Lyman and Eliza Wilcox that are all by themselves behind the Stamford Central School.
Lyman was born about 1802 in Durham, Greene County, NY and Eliza was born November 2, 1806, probably in Stamford. Eliza’s parents were Robert Newell, who died March 23, 1836 age 69, and Lydia (Barker) Newell, who died February 1, 1862; both are buried in the Old Stamford Cemetery off West Main St.
Eliza was one of the original members of the Stamford Presbyterian Church in 1834.
Lyman and Eliza were married October 10, 1834, probably in Stamford, then moved to Durham as their only child Anna Eliza was born there September 1839. Lyman and Eliza were in the 1850 and 1855 Durham census reports then moved to Stamford in 1856. In the 1860 Harpersfield census Eliza’s mom Lydia, age 95, is also living with them. Lyman always listed as a farmer in all of the census reports and always had one or two people living with the family as hired help.
In 1860 The Stamford Fire Insurance Company was formed by nine prominent citizens of Stamford and Harpersfield. Lyman was the first president. At their annual meeting in 1861 Lyman was appointed as treasurer and he continued as one of the directors at least into the late 1860’s. There is an L.Wilcox listed, I believe on Lake St., in the 1869 Stamford Village map.
At some point between the 1860 and 1865 Harpersfield census Anna married Epenetus Webb Churchill as he is living with the family as a son-in-law. Epenetus was one of Dr. Stephen E. Churchill’s older brothers. They are all still together in the 1870 census with an additional family member: Alice Louise, born June 19, 1868. She was christened in 1869 at the Stamford Presbyterian Church.
Lyman died at home in Stamford April 21, 1873 and his wife, Eliza, continued to live with her daughter and family until her death February 25, 1894, age 88. Her cause of death was epidemic influenza, duration of five days. Lyman and Eliza are also listed on a rather large granite gravestone, among the Churchill stones, in front of section A in the Stamford Cemetery along with their daughter and granddaughter.
Anna Eliza Churchill died December 10, 1902 in Stamford, age 63. A May 1902 article mentioned she had been ill with rheumatism for several weeks and fractured one of her legs.
Alice Louise Churchill, who graduated from Stamford Seminary in 1887, moved to Syracuse, NY in the mid 1920’s, never married, and died November 6, 1960 in Syracuse.
Photos from the Stamford Village Library history room.