Canfield, Fletcher Moses, Sherwood, Clark Co., Wisconsin

Fletcher Moses & Marsha Melissa (Fisher) Canfield

Sherwood, Clark Co., Wisconsin

Contributed by Crystal Wendt and the Clark Co., WI History Buffs.

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Fletcher Moses Canfield was born June 11, 1832 (1830?) in Ticonderoga, Essex Co., New York. He was the son of a Vermont shoemaker, Jonathon Dann (b. Dec. 11, 1799, d. 1859 in WI) and Eunice (Little) Canfield. February 21, 1854, he married Marsha Melissa Fisher in New York. When the Civil War broke out they were living in Newport, Columbia Co., Wisconsin. Fletcher enlisted as a Private on 18 October 1861, in Company D of the 12th Wisconsin Regiment. He was mustered out of Co. E, 12th Infantry Regiment Wisconsin on 16 Jul 1865.

Fletcher was one of the first two officers of the Disciple Church organized in 1870 in Clayton, Crawford County, Wisconsin. His occupation was carpenter. His brothers and sisters were Alzina Elizabeth (born 11 Mar. 1822), James Fordyce (born 21 Aug. 1823), Jonathan Harvey (born 9 Aug. 1825), Edward Franklin (born 21 July 1827), Mary Amelia (born 23 Dec. 1829), and Eva Eunice (born 22 Feb. 1835).

His grandparents were William A. Canfield and Mary Dann from Connecticut.

His fourth great-grandfather, Matthew Canfield, came to America from Harlestone, Northamptonshire, England at least by the year 1644. He was one of the first settlers of Newark, New Jersey:

Matthew was made a freeman in 1654, deputy in 1654-1666, and assistant 1658-1663. His name appears on the Charter of 1662 and he was one of the first settlers of Newark, New Jersey.
(Source: The McCutcheon (Cutcheon) Records, pages 215-216.)

Matthew Canfield resided in New Haven as early as 1644. From Norwalk, Connecticut, he was sent as a member to the General Colonial Assembly in 1645, to represent Norwalk until the union of the ten colonies of Connecticut and New Hampshire were consummated. Matthew was one of the nineteen signers of the petition to King Charles the Second, for the Charter of the Colony and his name is mentioned in that invaluable grant to Connecticut in 1662. This is proof of Matthew Canfield's standing in the Colony, as only those were asked to sign this petition who had sustained high social position in England before coming to make their home in New England. In 1665, Matthew was appointed by the Crown to be a judge in the Jersey Colony. He died in office in 1673.

(Source: A Genealogical Story, Dayton and Tomlinson, pages 35-36).

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Fletcher's wife, Marsha Melissa Fisher, had ten siblings; her parents were Truman Fisher and Jane Allen.

His daughter, Mary E. Canfield married ? Newman. They had one son, Jay Lynn (born 31 July 1894 in Missouri).

Jane Alvira Canfield, another daughter, married Thomas Jerome Rinehart, son of Jacob Rinehart and Mary Baker. They had eight children: Mary Melissa (born 20 Oct. 1874), George Harrison (born 25 Oct. 1876), Charles Arthur (born 7 Nov. 1878), Elizabeth Ellen (born 8 July 1883), William Jerome (born 8 July 1886), Jacob (born 25 Dec. 1888), Rosy Bell (born 9 Feb. 1896), Jimy Warren (born 9 Feb. 1903) Jimy is spelled with one "m". The Rineharts are another "early settler in America" family, William Rinehart's father Jacob was born in 1815 in Pennsylvania.

Ella Rowena Canfield, a daughter, married James Nelson Waer, and they had seven children: James Sherman (born 24 Feb. 1882), Lucrecia Melissa (born 18 Oct. 1884), Robert Fletcher (born 19 May 1889), Charles Arthur (born 9 Aug. 1892), William Henry (born 25 July 1894), Edith (born 26 Dec. 1898) and Albert (born 11 July 1901). They settled in California.

Sherman Fletcher, a son, married Ida Mae Hopping and they had six children: Roy Frederick (born 10 July 1889), Walter Henry (born 7 May 1892), Jennie Edith (born 3 Oct. 1895), Amy Martin (born 3 Oct. 1897), Ralph Gerald (born 12 JUne 1903), and Lila L. (born 19 Feb. 1905).

Adeline Rosabel (daughter) married William Elmer Dotts and they had five children: Mary Melissa (born 15 Feb. 1890), James Andrew (born 1 Aug 1891), Alida Eviline (born 24 Aug. 1899), Tressa Leona (born 7 Oct. 1903), and William Clyde (born 31 Oct. 1908). This family settled in Kansas.

The son of Fletcher and Marsha, Fred Washington Canfield, was born October 23, 1867 in Viroqua, Wisconsin and died November 17, 1954 in Fresno, California. His spouse was Josephine Hill, who was born in Richland Co., Wisconsin and died June 21, 1951. April 1, 1879, their Daughter, Melissa M. married Harvey James Pittsley of Hickory Grove, Grant County, Wisconsin. Hattie Elizabeth married Harvey Pitsley who was born in 1853 in New York. Adeline R. (Addie) Canfield was born May 24, 1870 in Crawford Co., Wisconsin and died February 5, 1945 in Hutchinson, Kansas. She became the wife of William Elmer Dotts February 23, 1889 in Hutchinson, Kansas. William was born February 7, 1862 in Liberal, Kansas and died May 14, 1947 in Buhler, Kansas.

Fletcher died June 17 (16?), 1908 in Pittsville, Wisconsin and was buried in the Sherwood Cemetery of Clark County, Wisconsin.

Family Records

Canfield Family History (PDF file)

Census Records

1860 Federal Census - Newport, Columbia Co., Wisconsin
Name	Age	Sex	Occupation	Value of Real Estate	Value of Personal Estate	Birth place
Canfield, Fletcher	28	m	Carpenter & joiner		50	Vermont
Canfield, Marsha	23	f				New York
Canfield, Mary	4	f				Wisconsin
Canfield, Jane	3	f				Wisconsin
Canfield, Elizabeth	1 month	f				Wisconsin

1870 Federal Census - Clatyon, Crawford Co., Wisconsin
Name	Age	Sex	Race	Occupation	Value of Real Estate	Value of Personal Estate	Birth Place
Canfield, Fletcher	38	m	w	Carpenter		100	New York
Canfield, Marsh(a) M.	33	f	w	housekeeping			New York
Canfield, Mary E.	18	f	w	attending school			Wisconsin
Canfield, Jane A.	12	f	w	attending school			Wisconsin
Canfield, Hattie E.	10	f	w	attending school			Wisconsin
Canfield, Ella R.	8	f	w				Wisconsin
Canfield, Therman F.	6	m	w				Wisconsin
Canfield, Fred W.	3	m	w				Wisconsin
Canfield, Adelene B	2 months	f	w				Wisconsin

Military Records

DeathIndexes1873_1908

Clark County CW Vet Index A through L

Civil War Index C of Veteran Soldier Burials in Clark County

Sherwood Township, Clark Co., Wis. Maps