I found a couple of reference to this family in an early American newspapers collection I access through my membership to NEHGS. Two death notices, one for Mrs. Lydia Rublee and one for son William. So, thought I would send an update on this family. Cindy Walcott 22 May 2005 Family Group Sheet ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Husband: William Rubblee died at age: 42 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Born: 24 Sep 1765 in Dutchess Co., NY (prob) 1 Baptized: 6 Aug 1780 in Congr.Church, Lanesborough, MA 2 Died: 18 Feb 1808 in Lanesborough, Berkshire, MA 3 Father: William Robblee Mother: Keturah (Catherine) Baker William Rubblee probably lived most of the time in Lanesborough, MA. He was admitted to the Congregational Church there on 18 July 1779 (Lanesborough Congregational Church Records, Cooke Collection, Volume 19, Berkshire Athenaeum). The births of his children are recorded in the Lanesborough Town Records, although all on one page, so it is not certain that they were all born there. His son Rolli Rublee's gravestone indicates that he (Rolli) was born in 1793 in New Haven, Vermont. This is possible, as a William Rubblee owned property in New Haven. William and Hiram Rubblee, both of New Haven, bought land there on 12 Oct 1789. William, of New Haven, sold land on 21 Feb 1795. However, when Andrew Robblee bought land from William Robblee on 16 Feb 1797, both were residents of Lanesborough. Beginning in 1797, William paid his brothers to sign quitclaims, giving up the right left jointly to them by their father in 1792. He paid Andrew on 15 Feb 1797, Francis on 12 April 1798, John Brush and Erastus on 25 October 1800. All of these deeds refer to William and each of his brothers as "of Lanesborough". A William Rubelee was living in Lanesborough in 1790, but this was almost certainly William Sr., who died in 1792. William Jr. was perhaps living with his father, or a brother in New Haven, VT. By 1800, William Rublee appears in the census in Lanesborough. The family configuration was 1 male 26-45 (William, age 35); 1 male 16-25 (Erastus??, age 21); 3 males under 10 (Rolli, William and Homer); 1 female 26-45 (Lydia); 1 female (16-26 (??); and 1 female under 10 (Polly). William Rubblee's will was probated in Pittsfield Co., MA on 5 May 1808. His widow Lydia was administrator. At the time of his death, he owned one divided half of sixteen acres in Lanesborough (part of Lot #29 of the 2nd division). His home farm was 64 acres, and included a house, barn and cider mill. In addition, he owned another small home on the "highway". Lydia Rubblee was appointed guardian of their children William, Homer Phelps, Lucy and Sally. Asahel Smith, of Lanesborough, was appointed guardian of Rolli Rubblee. When the estate was settled, land was distributed to Lydia, their children, and to Francis Rublee (presumably the Francis who was Willam's brother). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Wife: Lydia P. _____ died at age: 68 Married: est 1792 in his age: 26 her age: 17 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Born: abt 1775 in 3 Died: 4 Jan 1843 in Lanesborough, Berkshire, MA 3,4 Father: Mother: Perhaps Lydia's surname was Phelps? Paper: The Pittsfield Sun.; Date: 1843-01-12; Vol: XLIII; Iss: 2208; Page: [3]; "Died, at Lanesborough, on the 4th inst, Mrs. Lydia P. Rublee, aged 68. The deceased was possessed in an eminent degree of those kindly virtues which are so desirable in social life. She was a woman of faith and prayer, and had long been watching the approach of the messenger which was to separate her from the friends and duties of earth, only to unite her with those of heaven." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- M Child 1: Rollin "Rolli" Rublee died at age: 79 Born: 15 Jul 1793 in New Haven, Addison, VT? 5 Died: 12 Nov 1872 in Ellington, Chautauqua, NY 6 Buried: in Pioneer Cem., N. Harmony, NY 7 Ref number HL, DM Spouse: Betsy Green b. 28 Jul 1796 d. 16 Mar 1881 Married: 1 Jan 1817 in Pittsfield, Berkshire, MA Rolli Rublee bought land in Ellington, NY in October 1821, at or about the same time as Samuel McConnell, Harwood Botden. Ebenezer Green Jr., and Hiram Putnam. Ebenezer Green was likely his father-in-law. The Ellington Sesquicentenniel 1824-1974: History of Ellington, NY (Ellington, no imprint, 1974) includes a story about Rolli and his wife's travel to Ellington from Pittsfield, MA in 1822. He is said to have turned a four-legged table into a temporary pen for his pig, by nailing slots around it and making a temporary bottom for it. He tied his cow to the back of his wagon; it provided milk for his family and the pig, during the journey. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- F Child 2: Polly Rubblee died at age: 12 Born: 6 Jun 1795 in New Haven, Addison, VT? 1 Died: 12 Jun 1807 in Lanesborough, Berkshire, MA 3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- M Child 3: William Rubblee died at age: 42 Born: 30 Sep 1797 in Lanesborough, Berkshire, MA? 1 Died: 10 May 1840 in Lanesborough, Berkshire, MA 3 Headline: [William Rublee; Lanesborough; Tuesday; Saturday; Coroner's Inquest]; Paper: The Pittsfield Sun.; Date: 1840-05-14; Vol: XL; Iss: 2069; Page: [3]; "A man named William Rublee, of Lanesborough, was found dead in the woods, on Tuesday morning, with an empty bottle near him, and one cent in his pocket. He is supposed to have died on Saturday night. Verdict of the coroner's inquest -- Death from Intemperence and Exposure." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- M Child 4: Homer Phelps Rubblee died at age: 88 Born: 26 Sep 1799 in Lanesborough, Berkshire, MA? 1 Died: 8 Apr 1888 in Ellington, Chautauqua, NY 8 Buried: in Pioneer Cem., N. Harmony, NY 7 Spouse: Chloe White b. abt 1813 d. 8 Mar 1885 Married: bef 1840 in Lanesborough, Berkshire, MA? Homer P. Rubblee was baptized in 1830 in the Congregational Church in Lanesborough, MA . He was baptized in the church on 7 Nov 1830 and became a deacon on 3 Feb 1837. His wife Chloe was received into the church on 26 Dec 1840, from Plainfield, MA. On 9 Mar 1856, the couple requested a letter of recommendation to any sister church, as they were about to find a new home somewhere in the west. 1865 census Town of Ellington family number 36 RUBBLEE Homer P 65 m born Mass 1st marriage farmer owns Chloe 52 f wife born Mass 1st Marriage has had 2 children Lydia H 21 f child born Mass Single Martha 18 f child born Mass Single ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- F Child 5: Lucy Rubblee Born: 28 Nov 1803 in Lanesborough, Berkshire, MA? 1 Died: Lucy Rubblee became the ward of her mother Lydia Rubblee after her father's death in 1808, along with her siblings, William, Homer and Sally. (Estate of William Rubblee, Lanesborough, MA, 1808. Berkshire County, MA Probate Records, Pittsfield, MA). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- F Child 6: Sarah "Sally" Rubblee died at age: 42 Born: 8 Mar 1806 in Lanesborough, Berkshire, MA? 1 Died: 21 Nov 1848 in N. Harmony, Chautauqua, NY? 7 Buried: in Pioneer Cem., N. Harmony, NY 7 Spouse: Cullen Dyer Churchill b. 11 Mar 1811 d. 7 Feb 1893 Married: 22 Jul 1845 in Ellington, Chautauqua, NY? Was this the Sarah Rublee who married Cullen Dyer Churchill, probably Ellington, NY, on 22 Jul 1845 as his second wife? (Churchill and Churchill, 1904, p. 406) It seems possible that she went to Ellington to be with her brother Rolli after the death of her mother in 1843. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- (1) Lanesborough, Berkshire County, Massachusetts Town Records. (2) Records of the Congregational Church of Lanesborough, Massachusetts (Cooke Collection, Berkshire Atheneaum, Pittsfield, Massachusetts). (3) Tombstone. (4) Lanesborough Vital Records, Vol 2, p. 31. (5) Palmer, Charles, History of Lanesborough. Massachusetts. 1741-1905 (The Author, 1905), page 101. (6) Markey, Donna. Personal correspondence. (7) Pioneer Cemetery Listings, N. Harmony, NY. (8) Edson, Obed, History of Chautauqua County, New York (Boston, Mass.: W.A. Fergusson, 1894), page 853.