In regard to the 1857 claims of Samuel C. Albro, that he was the only surviving child of Job and Eunice Albro, Job having fought in the Revolutionary War, we received documentation to the effect that "Sam C. Albro", of Branchport, NY, filed a claim of sole survivorship relative to another Job Albro (Job M. Albro), who fought in the War of 1812. He then received $40 from the government. This was in spite of the fact that Job's widow had also filed, receiving the sum of $125. If that is not sufficiently suspicious, a "Saml. C. Albro", of Scribe, Oswego County, NY, filed a similar claim and received $55. Finally, a "Samuel C. Albro", of Jerusalem, Yates Co., NY, also filed the matching claim and received $56. This last application was observed to be a duplication. This information1 appears in the publication "INDEX OF AWARDS ON CLAIMS OF THE SOLDIERS OF THE WAR OF 1812".
We find Samuel C. Albro missing from the 1860 census of Yates Co., NY. Instead, he appears in the 1860 census for Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, specifically2 Auburn State Prison!
These discoveries cast doubt upon the entire testimony of Samuel C. Albro regarding dates, children's names, etc. of Job Albro. Unfortunately, that was the sole source for most of those claims. We also received a transcription3 of Job's will, written 3 April 1813 in the county of Saratoga, State of New York, proved November 1831, in which he names his wife Eunice and his children Andrew, Spencer, Sarah (Green), Elizabeth (Allen) and Mary (Baker). These are not necessarily all of his children, only those who had children of their own.
This will tends to rule out the 1832 and 1833 dates of death in the controversy article. Note that there is no mention of a son Samuel.
References
1 Information and reference submitted by Gloria Albro Silverman.
2 Information and photocopy submitted by David Seeger.
3 Edinburgh, Saratoga, NY. Saratoga Co. Record of Wills Book 8, p. 394-395, transcribed from photocopy by Holly Bowne.
The New-York Times, Monday, September 27, 1858
More Developments of the Land-Warrant Forgeries in Rochester
From the Rochester Union, 27th
"The investigation of Albro’s stupendous scheme of bounty land-warrant forgeries continues to-day at the Supreme Court-room, before the United States Commissioner. Further developments have been made showing the magnitude of the fraud, the guilt of the principal, the looseness of magistrates, stupidity of witnesses, and, we might add, the slowness of the Department at Washington in discovering the frauds which were being perpetuated upon the Treasury.
The old man Albro is immersed in crime so deep that he can never be extricated. The forgeries and perjuries that he has committed in connection with these bounty land-warrant frauds would consign him to prison for a century if tried singly-to say nothing of his subordination of perjury, fraud and lesser offenses. The question of his guilt need not occupy a moment’s time of the courts. He is an old man, and must spend his few remaining days in prison without answering for a [fraction] of his crimes. But to what extent others are involved in his guilt is the question which engages the attention of the prosecution. As yet, however, there is no evidence to show that any of the attorneys, justices of the peace, or subscribing witnesses shared in the plunder of Albro, although all may be technically guilty of some offense against law.
Albro obtained three distinct pensions and a like number of land-warrants from the department by impersonating individuals who were dead at the time he obtained the pensions and warrants. Through Mr. Mudge, of this city, he obtained one pension and warrant as Samuel C. Albro, to which he was entitled by law, and this was his only honest act. He obtained another through Mr. Bostwick of Auburn, as David Thurston, and a third through Mr. Van Mater of Lyons, as Calvin Coates.
Mr. Mudge executed for Albro the papers for some fifteen or twenty warrants, all of which were fraudulent except one-that first obtained. And we believe some of these warrants were purchased by Mr. Mudge, he supposing them to be genuine. Albro also procured many more through Mr. Bostwick, of Auburn-he too becoming a purchaser. All the requisite papers for these warrants were forged, except the names of subscribing witnesses and the justices before whom the depositions were taken. How much Albro has realized by his frauds is not positively known. He suffered a loss of $500 by the failure of the Yates County Bank, and he had $800[or $600?] on him when arrested; so that he was flush enough to deposit and have money left when the bank broke.
Mr. Bostwick was brought up to answer for having sent papers to the Department at Washington, knowing them to have been forged, which is an offense liable to indictment and punishment in the State Prison. That he had sent forged papers to the Department was clear, but that he knew they were such could not be shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioner, and he was discharged. It did appear that Albro had used and signed the name of Thurston to papers prepared by Mr. Bostwick, and that he had often corresponded with him over his real name. That a man of the shrewdness of Mr. Bostwick should not have suspected something wrong when one individual was using two names, and signing two names in the same handwriting, and that, too, under oath, is, indeed, very strange.
The following is a copy of a certificate, taken from one of the forged applications now in the hands of the prosecution:
“Sworn to and subscribed before me on the day and year above mentioned, and I hearby certify that I know the said deponent, Samuel Barager, to be the identical person he represents himself to be; and further, that I have no interest in the claim. CHARLES H. VAIL, J.P.”
Now Albro obtained the bounty land on the paper thus certified to by Mr. Vail, and yet the latter never knew Mr. Barager, and never saw him until he met him in court yesterday as a witness. Judge Barager lives in Tioga County, a man well-known there, and highly respectable. Albro made ‘his
Mark’ to Judge B’s name, as if he could not write, and Mr. Vail certified that it was Judge B’s mark. Judge Barager came in yesterday to testify that he had no knowledge of the transactions of Albro or of Justice Vail, who certified that he knew him personally.
The certificates given by Justice Wilcox, of Whites town, appear to be as informal as the ones given by Mr. Vail. That men of the intelligence which these gentlemen certainly possess, should be so guild and used by the old villain Albro, is strange enough. Yet they were thus used, and no one believes that they intended to do anything wrong or received anything for what they did, more than the usual fee for taking an acknowledgment.
The Justices of the Peace whom Albro used are in an awkward position, to say the least. Mr. Wilcox, of Whites town, and Mr. Vail of Jerusalem, are both here for examination, and both, though under arrest, have been sworn before the Commissioner as to the part they have performed. It appears that Albro represented to them, when he came with an application for a land warrant, filled up with the particulars, that he had a power of attorney to act for the applicant and that he, in their person, made oath “to being the man he represented himself to be acting for,” and signed that man’s name. These Magistrates accepted and certified to an oath “made by proxy” as we may say. It further appeared that these Magistrates advised the witnesses that they could affix their names to a statement, setting forth that they knew the man whose name was attached to the application, “because they knew his attorney-Albro”-although they never had seen the principal named and under such advice these young men signed the papers, and verified their signatures by their oaths.
The young men under arrest for subscribing as witnesses will get off with less censure, as they acted under the advice of those who might be supposed competent to instruct in law. They received no fee whatsoever.
The arrest of the party in Yates County was made by Deputy Marshals Dryer and Olmstead; those in Oneida County by Mr. Keyser; those at Auburn by Messrs. Williams and Hawes.
Among the witnesses called in today was our townsman Captain Benjamin Miner, who informs us that 46 years ago yesterday he marched his company into Sacckett’s Harbor, preparatory to meeting the British, who were expected to attack that place. A number of the names used by Albro were of those who served under Captain Miner-in fact, a majority of them, we understand."
Auburn Prison Notes: NYS Archives. B0068 Vol 1 77 R163 1 P 5: "Registers of Male Inmates Discharged 1860": "Samuel C. Albro, Born in MA in 1788, age 72, light complexion, height 5' 11", Painter, Ontario County WS, via Circuit Court Judge Hall, The crime: transmitting false, forged, and counterfeit papers. Convicted June 30th, 1860. 3-6 months term. Fine: $400. Discharged 12/29/1860." (record provided by Martha Eberle in 2007).
So it would appear we can safely disregard everything claimed by Samuel C. Albro about Job Albro. He (Samuel) even pretended to be a clergyman, David Thurston, to provide a character witness for himself!.
One of the most attention attracting of the controversies in early Albro genealogy has been that of Job Albro, Revolutionary War soldier and patriot. The confusion resulting from the clearly false testimony of Samuel C. Albro (cf.) has helped ensure that many researchers have conflicting data assigned to Job. In this article I will try to make the case that there is a second, significant reason for so much confusion and apparent contradiction in Job's biography.
The information about Job Albro, especially his Revolutionary War record, may be the result of assigning a mixture of facts to Job who died in Saratoga, NY, that actually apply to two different Job Albros who both fought in the war. The better known of the two I will refer to as Job of Saratoga, while the other may be designated Job of Foster (for Foster, Providence, RI.)
Job of Saratoga has been said to be the son of John Albro and Lydia Spencer of West Greenwich, Kent, RI. He was supposedly born (or christened) 24 July 17431, and is claimed to have married Deborah Andrews 18 Nov 1764 in East Greenwich, Kent, RI2, Huldah Tallman of Tiverton, Newport, RI about 17743, and Eunice Potter of Dartmouth, MA May 9, 17794. He served in the Old French & Indian War, and enlisted twice for the Revolutionary War, Spring of 1775 and again Spring of 17765. He fought under Capt. Archibald Crary and Capt. Elijah Lewis, in Col. James M. Varnum's regiment5. He was wounded at the Battle of Harlem Heights5. He drew a pension that was to start June 10, 1818, but he had to apply again the 28th of August 1822 because he still had not received any pension money5. He is listed as qualifying ancestor in the D.A.R. application of Mrs. Gertrude Lawrence Shearer6, where he is identified as the husband of Eunice Potter. For various reasons, Job's date of death has been reported as 1824, 1830, 1831, 1832, and 1833. Dec 15, 1830 was the date given in his military pension record. 1831 was when his will, written in 1813, was submitted for probate7. It was 1833 before his estate was finally settled. The will does not contain reference to Huldah or any of her children8.
Rhode Island census records place this Job Albro in East Greenwich, RI in 1774 (name misspelled as Job Alsbane.)9 Federal census records confirm that Job was living in Washington County, NY in 1790 and 1800. In 1810 he was in Saratoga County, NY and in 1820 and 1830 we find him listed specifically in Edinburgh, Saratoga, NY. His will is recorded as Co.46, vol..8, p. 394 in Edinburgh, Saratoga, NY7,8.
At the same time we find this Job Albro living in New York State, we find another Job Albro living in Foster, Providence, Rhode Island. Job of Foster appears in the Rhode Island census for 1782, then in the Federal census records for 1790, 1800, 1810 and 1820 in Foster, RI. Clearly there were two Job Albros who were approximate contemporaries. Job of Foster seems to be the one who married Huldah Tallman10. Their children, Huldah and Caleb, were supposedly born in Newport Co., so she and Job apparently didn't move to Foster until after 1775, but before 1782. Again, this is from Arnold's Vital Records11, and Martha Benns' notes10. However, whenever we find the children listed in census records, they are in Foster, Providence, RI, and were buried in Providence County cemetaries12.
Miss Florence Emily Potter13 claims in a DAR application to be a descendant of the Job Albro who was married to Huldah Tallman. She gives his dates as 1743-1832, possibly confused with those of the Job Albro who was married to Eunice Potter. She states that her ancestor served as a private in Capt. Benjamin West's company, Col. Joseph Stanton's regiment, in 1777, and that he was born in West Greenwich, RI, died in Foster. Note that this differs significantly from the military record for the Job Albro who married Eunice Potter.
Since no primary evidence can be found for the claim2 that Job of Saratoga died in 1824, specifically 26 April 1824, that is perhaps the date of death for Job of Foster. He is absent from the 1830 census. Census records are not sufficiently precise to identify his date of birth beyond the fact that it was before 1755, but since Huldah Tallman was born in 1749, Job should have been born some time in that vicinity. He apparently did not apply for a pension or leave a will, which is why there is so much less information available on him than on Job of Saratoga.
REFERENCES
1 That Job Albro's parents were John & Lydia Albro and that he was christened 24 July 1743 in West Greenwich, Kent, RI is from Arnold's Vital Records of Rhode Island, IT 1, cited in the LDS IGI as C502001 source 0908269.
2,3 LDS Ancestral file in which Job Albro = AFN: HZPH-XK; Deborah Andrews = AFN: KSHN-B8; Eunice Potter = AFN: LDQH-PD, Submitted by: Christopher Gleason Clark, Santa Barbara, CA,AF91-104643; AF96-110523; Keith Ellis, Midvale, UT, AF91-100427; Kenward H McKinney, Price, UT, AF96-114752; and D. Jason Hatch, Bountiful, UT, AF94-101016.
4 “Vital Records of Dartmouth Masachusetts to the Year 1850” Published by the New England Historic Genealogy Society at the Robert Henry Eddy Memorial Rooms at the Charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund, Boston, Mass. 1929.
5 Job Albro Revolutionary War Pension, Saratoga Co., NY, File S-46019, submitted to the USGenWeb Archives Copyright (c) 1999 by Paula Naujalis (naujalis@wmis.net).
6 Mrs. Gertrude Lawrence Shearer, DAR ID Number: 104258, The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Volume 105 page 86.
7 Personal communication from Martha Eberle, based on personal research done at the Edinburgh, Saratoga, NY courthouse in 2007.
8 A transcription of the will of Job Albro (Saratoga, NY) was provided by Holly Bowne, 20 Feb 2002, from a personally made photocopy.
9 Special census of those able to bear arms relative to the anticipated war, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, 1774.
10 "Notes on the Albro Family of Rhode Island" by Martha A. Benns, made at the Rhode Island Historical Society, 1942, filmed at Providence, RI 17 July 1950 by the Genealogical Society of Salt Lake City Utah, roll # 22322.
11 "Vital Records of Rhode Island, 1636-1850: a family register for the people" by James Newell Arnold (1844-1927).
12 Rhode Island Historical Cemeteries Transcription Project, SC079 and PV003 respectively.