Paul Sturdevant (c. 1781-1846) of Wilkesport

Paul STURDEVANT (who in 1846 signed his name with just that spelling on his will) was reportedly married to Lydia EDDY (b. 1785 in Danby, Rutland County, Vermont, United States). Paul is a very elusive ancestor. Very little is known about him other than from Wilkesport historic articles of through family-related history. In a 1900 Kimball, St. Clair County, Michigan census, Paul’s son, Hamlet, declares that his father was born in Pennsylvania. Paul’s great-grandson, Dr. Donald Hugh McRAE (son of Jacob Sturdevant’s daughter Susannah and William McRae), in an interview with researcher Barbara BROWN ALLEN, explained that Paul STURDEVANT was born in New York State and was in the lumber business “before the war” (possibly the War of 1812). Paul procured a contract with the EDDY family of New York. According to researcher, Gerald GUEST, Paul's family was hired by the EDDY family (of Eddy Shipping) to build a ship. The Eddys were staunch Quakers. According to The Sprague Family Centennial Celebration, (p. 27), Jacob EDDY was town clerk of Danby Vermont in 1785. He was the leader in the movement of Quakers, including Ebenezer SPRAGUE and Asa SPRAGUE (his brothers-in-law) to East Hamburg, Erie County, New York (now Orchard Park). Jacob’s daughter, Lydia, and young Paul were attracted to one another and apparently ran away together. Another researcher, Harold DOAN, has searched the Meeting Minutes for the Pelham Quakers and discovered that Lydia STARDIPHANT/STURDIPHANT, formerly EDDY, of Danby, Vermont was disciplined for marrying outside the faith. Reference is made in minutes for November 5, 1807, July 6, 1808, and May 3, 1809, the last including the reference to “marrying out.” To date, this is the only reference to the marriage of Paul STURDEVANT and Lydia EDDY that has been located. (It should be noted that Dr. McRAE always referred to his great-grandmother as Julia, not Lydia.)

Although there are many people researching the STURDEVANT surname, by this and many other spellings, very few actually lay claim to Paul and Lydia as their ancestors. If you have information about this STURDEVANT line or can in any way link Paul to another line or another family name, please contact me through this blog or via my e-mail address which you can find in my profile at the right.