age 55
Granville Vital Records, Stephen, Dec 8, 1800, a55 GR1 (Lt. "Baptist Preacher", dropsy, PR6)

Stephen Spelman
Born 1745 Dec 5 Durham, CT
Died 1800 Dec 8 Granville, MA
Burial Headstone Main Road Cemetery Granville, MA
American Revolution serial #5411, marker 6 marble headstone 14th row from North wall

Father Thomas Spelman
Mother Sarah Hickox

Married 1770 Jun 28 Granville, MA
Deborah Rose
Born 1752 Jun 5
Died 1822 Dec 5
Father Justus Rose
Mother Deborah Barlow

12 children were born in East Granville, MA

1. Naomi Spelman Tinker SEYMOUR
Born 1771 Apr 18
M1 Martin Tinker
M2 Asa Seymour

2. Stephen Spelman
Born 1773 Jul 19
Married
Charity Tinker
3. Jesse Spelman
Born 1775 May 16
Married
Anna Root

4. Festus Spelman
Born 1777 Apr 29
Married
Hannah Dickinson

5. Rufus Spelman
Born 1779 Mar 30
Married
Sarah Cooley

6. Deborah Spelman
Born 1781 Jul 15
Married
James Barlow

7. Miriam Spelman ROOT
Born 1783 Sep 12
Married
Silas Root

8. Samuel Buel Spelman
Born 1786 Jan 17
M1 Laura Seymour
M2 Mrs Emeline Streator
M3 Harriet Hopkins
M4 Mrs Fanny Dye

9. Mabel (Mehitable)
Born 1788 Apr 10
Married
Joseph Bradshaw

10. Ohel
Born 1791 Feb 18
Married Lavinia Clark

11. Jacob Spelman
Born 1793 Nov 4
Died 1811

12. Tirzah Spelman Gibbons Case
Born 1796 Apr 18
Died 1873 May 8 Greeey, CO
M1 1817 May 7 Alpheus Gibbons dn1833 Sep 25
M2 1836 Sep 15 Rootstown, OH Deacon Gad Case


Members of the Congregational Church at Granville, later took letters of dismissal to become members of the Baptist Church.

Rev. Timothy Mather Cooley, pastor of the Congregational Church wrote of Stephan & Deborah: "they were pillars of the church... your father was of a different denomination from mine, but no member of my own church was more beloved by myself than he was; his sincere and deep toned piety and unspotted example entwined around my youthful heart."

Stephen served in the Revolutionary Army in Capt. Wm. Cooley's Co., Col John Moseley's Regt., enlisted 23 Sep 1776; discharged 16 Nov 1776. On Sep 21 177 enlisted Capt. Aaron Coe's Co., served to 23 Oct 1777.

At the time of Stephen's death he owned 138 acres and 121 rod of land. One dwelling house & 2 barns. In addition East Hill Lot about 17 Acres.

SOURCES
American Biographical Library
The Biographical Cyclopædia of American Women
Volume I
Daughters of America; or Women of the Century
Rockefeller, Laura Celestia Spelman
Educational Work
page 131

ROCKEFELLER, LAURA CELESTIA SPELMAN (Mrs. John Davison Rockefeller), was born at Wadsworth, Medina County, Ohio, September 9, 1839. She was a daughter of Harvey Buell and Lucy (Henry) Spelman, and a descendant of Colonial founders of America. Through her father she was of the twenty-first generation from Sir William Espileman, Knight, of an ancient family of England, who lived at the time of the Crusades. His coat-armor, blazoned with plates, is thus described in the terms of Knight erranty: Sable, ten plates between two flanches, argent. Crest: a woodman. Motto: Homo Bulla. Sir William was lord of Brokenhurst in Hampshire, and of Cowsfield, Wiltshire, in the twelfth century. The ancient church at Brokenhurst still stands as when he was Lord of the Manor. Here many of the family in succeeding generations received baptism, and it is within the church that at least ten of the name were buried. Eventually the name was shortened to Spileman, and in America it takes the form Spelman. During the following centuries the family resided in several localities. From one seat at Sudbury they moved, before 1469, to Thaxted, Essex County. This is in the diocese of London, and Thomas Spelman, who is an ancestor in the direct line, bequeathed money for the restoration of the Church of St. John the Baptist. His son, John, removed to Great Baddow, Essex, near Chelmsford; records of the family, the direct ancestors of the American branch, are to be found in the churches of St. Mary, Great Baddow, and St. Mary, Chelmsford. Fifteenth in line from Sir William was Richard, third of that name. He moved to Danbury, Essex, and his burial record, April 16, 1718, is in the register of St. John's Church. His son, Richard Spelman 4th, was baptized in that church, March 7, 1674. He was born in his father's house, "Eve's Corner." He married in England, lost his wife and a child, and set sail for New England in 1700. On shipboard he met Alcey French to whom he was married soon after they arrived in America. They established their home in the newly settled town of Middletown, Connecticut. Their son, Thomas Spelman, moved to Durham, Connecticut, then to Bedford, afterwards named Granville, Massachusetts. Alcey Spelman, after the death of her husband, made her home with her son, she died and was buried at East Granville. Stephen, son of Thomas, was born at Durham, Connecticut, December 5, 1745, and died at Granville, Massachusetts, December 8, 1800. He married, June 28, 1770, Deborah, daughter of Justus and Deborah (Barlow) Rose, and they were the grandparents of Harvey Buell Spelman.