A genealogy of the descendants of Alexander Alvord

This volume presents an extensive genealogy of the descendants of Alexander Alvord, an early settler of Windsor, Connecticut, and Northampton, Massachusetts. Its preparation rests upon more than forty years of intermittent research, revision, and expansion, drawing together the efforts of several generations of family historians.

This book is offered as a permanent reference for descendants of the Alvord family and for others interested in early New England settlement and family history.

By the system of numbering on the margin one may easily trace his line back to the progenitor of the family. Every child, born Alvord, is given a number. If he married, his name will appear in the succeeding generation as the head of a family with the same number prefixed.

The usual common abbreviations are used for states, months, etc. also b. for born, bapt. for baptised, d. for died, mar. for married, unm. for unmarried, res. for residence, prob. for probably, int. for intention, i.e., marriage intention.

A genealogy of the descendants of Alexander Alvord, an early settler of Windsor, Conn. and Northampton, Mass.

Introduction

The earliest substantial attempt to record the Alvord family history was made in the early 1860s, when William Alvord Burke of Lowell, Massachusetts, published the Burke and Alvord Memorial. That work, prepared by John A. Boutelle of Woburn, Massachusetts, was limited in scope and made no claim to completeness. It focused largely on Alvord families in Northampton and its vicinity, and its treatment of English origins was slight and of limited value.

A more ambitious undertaking soon followed. Coridon A. Alvord of New York City engaged Mr. Boutelle to assemble a complete genealogy of the family. Between 1866 and 1868 a large body of material was collected at considerable personal expense. Before publication could be completed, however, Mr. Alvord’s financial difficulties and Mr. Boutelle’s declining health brought the project to a halt. Both men died within a few years, and the manuscript was set aside, remaining unused for nearly twenty-five years. Despite its gaps, this earlier work preserved valuable testimony from members of an earlier generation and formed an essential foundation for the present volume.

In the late 1890s the manuscript was located through the efforts of the Rev. Frederick Alvord, who later entrusted it to the author with the request that it be completed and published. What began as a deferred obligation became an active project when renewed interest from members of the family made clear the need for a definitive work. The earlier manuscript was carefully revised and greatly expanded. Families that had migrated, particularly to New York State after the Revolutionary War, were traced through federal, state, and local records, including military, census, probate, and county sources, supplemented by personal recollections.

Considerable attention has also been given to the English origins of the family. Earlier research by John W. Alvord of Chicago provided a starting point, which was strengthened through systematic investigation of English records by a professional researcher. These efforts aimed to examine all available sources in the region associated with the family’s ancestral home.

The result is a work substantially larger and more complete than any earlier compilation, extending through ten generations and including supplemental data and comprehensive indexes. While no genealogy can claim absolute freedom from error, every reasonable effort has been made to ensure accuracy and completeness. Readers are encouraged to report corrections so that the record may be preserved and improved for future study.

Table of Contents

• Preface, 5
• English Alfords, 9
• Description of County of Somerset, England, 21
• Other Settlers of the Alford Name in America, 26
• The Alvord Family in America, 29
• First Generation, 29
• Second Generation, 34
• Third Generation, 43
• Fourth Generation, 56
• Fifth Generation, 86
• Sixth Generation, 143
• Seventh Generation, 256
• Eighth Generation, 463
• Ninth Generation, 622
• Tenth Generation, 675
• Supplemental Data, 681
• Index, Part I, Alvord Name, 699
• Index, Part II, Names other than Alvord, 723

Source

Alvord, Samuel Morgan; A genealogy of the descendants of Alexander Alvord, an early settler of Windsor, Conn. and Northampton, Mass., Webster, N.Y. : A.D. Andrews, Printer, 1908.

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