Notes for: Gilbert Bodine, Sr.
The info for this couple and Jacob Miller originally came from the LDS site at www.FamilySearch.com. I later got more information from a family group sheet sent to me from Laurel Auchampaugh. The LDS info said this Gilbert was born in 1836. That must be a mistake. The info from Laural Auchampaugh said he was born April 21, 1821 in Chester and that his wife, Sarah Miller, was born in June 1826 in Fredon, New Jersey.
This family is listed in the 1870 Census of Chester Twp., Morris Co., NJ:
Gilbert Bodine, 45, farm laborer
Ann Bodine, 42
Benj., 11
Harry, 9
Anna, 7
Margret, 5
Gilbert, 3
Carrie, 1.
There may be some miners living with them.
This is the Gilbert listed in the 1900 Census of Chester Township, Morris County, New Jersey. His birth year there is April 1821. His wife Sarah's is June 1828. The other people in his household are daughter Margaret M. Bodine (Dec 1864 in NJ) and grandson George M./W. Bodine (April 1883).
Here is some online cemetery information at the USGenWeb Morris Co., NJ site that I found:
BODINE, Benjamin D., 1859-1929;
wife Frances A. Cox, 1862-1885;
another wife, A. Amelia Cregar, 1867-1927.
BODINE, Gilbert, b. Apr. 21,1821, d. Dec. 7, 1906;
wife Sarah A., b. June 25, 1828, d. Dec, 24, 1916;
son Gilbert. b. Sept 15, 1866, d. blank.
BODINE, Gilbert, d. Aug.21, 1838, in 77th yr.;
wife Catharine, d. Feb. 9, 1851, aged 83.4.21.
Here is some info on a diary that belonged to this Gilbert Bodine:
From: james greenwood [jgreenw277 at comcast.net]
Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003
Subject: Gilbert Bodine diary
Good morning,
I'm a genealogy hobbyist (82 years old today!) I bought a small diary at an auction in Buckingham, Bucks Co., PA with the following on first page:
"If lost and found the finder will be eventually rewarded by sending it by mail directed to G. Bodine at Chester,Morris County,New Jersey."
The diary is dated 1855 and the writer was Gilbert Bodine. The trail led me to your cemetary records and then to your Email.
I had done a lot of Ancestry.com census pages which I printed out back to 1830 but,of course your data enlarged that search. The LDS records also helped.
I have no familial connection but I am a Genie freak and the thrill is the chase so forgive me.
I don't know if your connection to this diary writer is of interest but if you have any interest or comments I'd enjoy your response.
Jim Greenwood
From: james greenwood [jgreenw277 at comcast.net]
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2003
Subject: Gilbert Bodine diary
Hi,
I have waded thru that diary written by Gilbert Bodine (1855-56). The writing is faded in some parts but readable with a glass. It seems that his father William and mother Rachel had moved to MI. at some prior time from NJ. It seems likely that MI may have offered some land deal sufficient to lure a few of the NJ farmers to Macomb Co. Mt Clemens Twsp area. A G Bodine also was visited by Gilbert. He was a farm laborer and never mentions his own wife or any children so he possibly left them in NJ for whatever reason.
The diary is heavy on weather reporting (I guess farmers have a real interest in the weather). It also recounts his and all those in the area having severe "ague" epidemic and mentions funerals of his friends and their children. His father apparently lived on the shore of Lake Huron. As a farm laborer he recounts various farming activities he did for named farmers in that area.
The genealogical data is limited but possibly to a direct descendant it may be of some interest. I paid $17.00 for the diary and would willingly sell it to anyone for that same amount and would also mail to that person a load of my printed Bodine census and other "junk" accumulated in my search, for the cost of postage.
...
Jim
Note from Dave Bodine: I now have these two diaries in my possession. If anyone from this family is interested in them, please let me know and we'll work out something. One of the diaries has entires from about July 1854 until around April 1856. The other diary was printed in 1855 and may have been used a little by a William Budd. He seems to have made a few entries in pen. The great majority of entries are in pencil and were recorded in 1877 all through the year. I think Gilbert Bodine, Sr. did make these entries.
From Ronny Bodine:
From New Jersey Marriage Records:
24 Nov 1861, Chester, Morris County: Gilbert Bodine, 40, single, son of William A. Bodine to Sarah A. Miller, 32, single, dau of Jacob Miller.
Three children born between 1854 and 1860 are attributed to Gilbert Bodine before his marriage to Sarah Miller. Benjamin, in 1880, is named as the son of Gilbert. How these children were actually related to him remains unclear.
Gilbert and Sarah Bodine were buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Chester, Morris County. (See Find A Grave Memorial # 12822716 for a photograph of their marker.)
From New Jersey Federal Census Records:
1860 (18 July) Chester Twp., Morris County: Gilbert BODINE 40 NJ farm laborer, living in the household of William and Mary Budd.
1870 (21 July) Chester Twp., Morris County: Gilbert BODINE 45 NJ farm laborer; Ann 42 NJ; Benj. 11 NJ; Henry 9 NJ; Anna 7 NJ; Margret 5 NJ; Gilbert 3 NJ; Carrie 1 NJ.
1880 (19 June) Chester Twp., Morris County: Gilbert BODINE 59 NJ farmer; Sarah A. 51 NJ wife; Benjamin D. 21 NJ son miner; Henry N. 18 NJ son; Margaret M. 15 NJ dau; Caroline N. 11 NJ dau; Bertus B. 13 NJ son.
1900 (6 June) Chester Twp., Morris County: Gilbert BODINE Apr. 1821 NJ married 50 years; Sarah A. June 1828 NY wife married 50 years 9 children born/5 living; Margaret M. Dec 1864 NJ dau; Geo. M. April 1883 NJ gson machine operator
1910 (29 April) Chester Village, Morris County: Sarah A. BODINE 81 NJ wid. 9 children born/5 living; Maggie M. 39 NJ dau.
Newspaper Obituary, Easton Free Press (Easton, Pa.) of Tuesday, 18 Dec 1906.
Phillipsburg. Gilbert Bodine, aged 85 years, died at his home, No. 140 Chambers street at 6 o'clock on Monday evening. The body was sent to his former home at Chester, this State, for interment today.