Baxter Family of Norwich Vermont

The Baxters of this town came here from Norwich, Connecticut, a town which their ancestors with others from Norwich, England, assisted in founding about the year 1632.

Elihu Baxter, with his young wife, Tryphena Taylor, to whom he was married October 24, 1777, arrived in Norwich the same year, and here fifteen children (six daughters and nine sons) were born to them, twelve of whom lived to grow up and have families of their own. Mr. Baxter settled on the farm that subsequently became the home of Hon. Paul Brigham. He later removed to the farm where Orson Sargent lives, and there built himself a frame house, a part of which is now in use by the present owner of the property.

Of his children:

1. William Baxter, the eldest, born August 3, 1778, studied law with Hon. Daniel A. Buck of Norwich, and removed to Bennington, Vt., where he soon became the leading lawyer in that part of the state, and received many honors from his town and county. He married Lydia Ashley of Norwich, August 17, 1779, and died at Bennington October 1, 1826, aged forty nine years.
2. Hiram Baxter settled in Bennington a little after 1800.
3. Elihu Baxter, Jr., the third child, born in 1781, died at Portland, Me., in 1863, where he had been in the practice of medicine for many years.
4. Chester Baxter, born in 1785, died at Sharon, Vt., in 1863. He married Hannah Root and they had one daughter who married, Deane.
5. James Baxter, the sixth son, born in 1788, established himself at Stanstead, L. C., in 1817, where he became very prominent in public affairs; was a member of the Provincial Parliament in 1829, first member from Stanstead County, and held other offices of honor.
6. Erastus Baxter, born in 1787, married Lucy Freeman, and of their nine children eight were born in Norwich. He removed late in life to the state of New York and died at Gorham, that state.
   1. Ira Baxter, the second son and child, married Arsena Sprague of Hartford, Vt., in 1802, and to them were born nine children, of whom:
   2. Laura Baxter, the eldest daughter, born in 1803, married Henry S. Burton. She died in 1862, followed by her husband in 1883, in the ninety-first year of his age. Marshall D., born in 1813, died at Lyme, N. H., 1876, to which place he removed after having passed many years of his life in his native town. He married Esther, a daughter of Rev. Samuel Goddard of Norwich, Nov. 1, 1838. Arabella Baxter, the second daughter, born in 1807, married Samuel Little in 1825. She died in 1849, and Mr. Little in 1870 (both in Norwich), the latter aged seventy years.
   3. Harriet Baxter, born in 1823, was their youngest child. She died in Norwich, August 25, 1854, the wife of Lewis S. Partridge, to whom she was married June 16, 1846. Ira Baxter settled on the farm where his son-in-law Burton lived at a later date (now owned by Messenger and Hazen) and there built his tannery, already mentioned.