St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-10-29
GOLDEN WEDDING.

NHDDlNN.
rlr. and Mrs. John Bailey Of Wells River cele
brate.-HistoricaI Sketch Of Mr.. BaiIev,,
Ancestors.-Hls Capture Of the Barre Bant
Robbers.
Mr. and Mrs. John Bailey of Well.
River celebrated their golden wedding or
Thursday, Oct. 21, and a large numbe,
of their friends called during the after.
noon and brought them presents OF gold
In the afternoon Edward Miller read q
history OF the Nelson family, ancestors Of
Mrs. Bailey, and F. P. Wells of Newburv
read a history of the ancestors of Mr.
Bailey.
The following sketch of Mr.. Bailey's
ancestors is condensed from Mr.. Wells
paper:
The first Bailey that came to New Eng.
land was John Bayley who came in 1885
from Wiltshire, England. Five thousand
Puritans came that year and the two
Johns father and son, and the daughter
Joanna set sail and were shipwrecked on
Pemaquid Island, Me. They suffered so
much on that island that John Bayley
never dared cross the ocean again nor
did his wife dare come to him. They
never met again, although both lived to
an old age, he dying in November, 1861,
and his wife surviving him by a few
years. John Bayley came to Newbury
(the town in which Wells River is a vii
lage), lived here two years and then
moved across the Merrimac and built the
first house in the town of Salisbury, N.
H. The cellar of this house is still stand.
ing on "Bayley's hill"
John Bayley, the son, was % years old
when he came to New England with his
father. Both he and his sister marriedin
1910 and became the first settlers of
Amesbury where Isaac, fourth son of
John and Eleanor Bayley was born.
Their second child, Joshua, was born in
1855. Joshua was a farmer in Newburv,
where all his children were born. The
family OF six sons and three daughters all
reared families of their own, and all but
one of whom either resided in this town
or were represented by their children or
grandchildren here at one time or an
other. One OF the sons was Jacob Bayley
who was born on July 10, 1926, and
died March l, 1915. He was one of the
first settlers OF Hampstead, N. H., and
served three campaigns in the old French
war. He was one of those who escaped
from the massacre at Fort William
Henry. After the surrender of Montreal
he with three Others started down the
Connecticut valley to their home. But
all were so much pleased with the Coos
country that they settled in the town of
Newbury. From that time on the life of
Gen. Bayley is a part of the history of
this town. He procured the charter of
the town from Gov. NEWFOUNDLAND also
a charter from the governor of New
York. He had a great influence over the
Indians and at the opening of the revo.
%lutionary war issued an address to them.
He also protected the frontier from inva-
sion, providing scouts to patrol the will
derness at his own expense. A%llinforma-
ton they brought him was promptly
transmitted to Washington. The Brit
ish authorities in Canada offered a re.
ward of 500 guineas for him dead or
alive, and one of the many attempts to
take him prisoner took place on the pres
ent site of this village just above where
the Wells river joins the Connecticut.
When he came to this town he brought
slaves with him, but these he set free on
his arrival. One of them, Abraham
Webb, half Indian and half Negro. drove
cattle in Newbury in 1861. Gen. Bayley
was drowned in the river and was the
first mar buried in the cemetery on the
"Oxbow." Gen. Bayley had ten children,
of whom six reared families. and descend
ants OF all of them are residents of this
town. Col. Joshua, the third son, served
with distinction in the revolutionary war
and built in 1885 the house which is still
standing. He married Anna Fowler in
1775 and they lived together 90 years.
John Bailey was one Of the II children
and on Jan. %, 1919, he married Martha
Powers. Their married life was 60 years,
six months and sixteen days. To them
was born on Jan. 80, 1922, their only
son and second child, John, whose golden
wedding was celebrated Thursday.
John Bailey lived on a farm most all
his life until 1871, when he moved into
this village. Besides holding the office of
deputy sheriff % years and tax collector
Fl years he has been the town represen.
tative four times and state senator and
selectman. He has been vice president
and trustee Of the savings bank since it
started, and for 20 years a director of
the national bank of Newbury.
On Oct. 81, 1S47, he married Isabel
Nelson, daughter OF George Nelson of
Ryegate. Their six children are all living.
They are: Ellen, wife Of H. Field of New
bury; Albert Nelson of Newbury; Mag
gle, wife of E. d. Carpenter of Newbury;
Lizzie, wife of Oscar Warden of Hanover;