Susan Secord, daughter of William and Ruth (Hunt) Secord
I have a copy of a transcription of William's will. It lists his daughters, including one named Susan:
"To my Daughter Susan the Sum of Three Pounds."
I have some information on the Secord family that came to me from my husband's aunt. According to this, William and Ruth's daughter Susan married Samuel Frederick Ferris on September 28, 1824. I would very much like to find this marriage record. A family that fits this information appears in the 1850 US census for Sheffield Township, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, on page 249. Samuel F. Ferris, age 54, was born in Connecticut. His wife "Susanah" was 53 and was born in New Brunswick. Their son Miles, 22, and their daughter Mary J., 20, were living with their parents and were also born in New Brunswick. The LDS website has marriage records for two sons and a daughter belonging to this couple:
| Groom's Name: | George M. Ferris |
| Groom's Birth Date: | 1827 |
| Groom's Birthplace: | New Brunswick |
| Groom's Age: | 23 |
| Bride's Name: | Adaline Blodget |
| Bride's Birth Date: | 1830 |
| Bride's Birthplace: | Salisbury |
| Bride's Age: | 20 |
| Marriage Date: | 25 Sep 1850 |
| Marriage Place: | Sheffield, Berkshire, Massachusetts |
| Groom's Father's Name: | Samuel Ferris |
| Groom's Mother's Name: | Susan Ferris |
| Bride's Father's Name: | James Blodget |
| Bride's Mother's Name: | |
| Groom's Marital Status: | Single |
| Bride's Marital Status: | Single |
| Source Film Number: | 250248 |
| Reference Number: | p 6 cn 15 |
| Groom's Name: | James Blodget Jr. |
| Groom's Birth Date: | 1832 |
| Groom's Birthplace: | |
| Groom's Age: | 20 |
| Bride's Name: | Mary Jane Ferris |
| Bride's Birth Date: | 1830 |
| Bride's Birthplace: | St. John N.B. |
| Bride's Age: | 22 |
| Marriage Date: | 08 Jan 1852 |
| Marriage Place: | Sheffield, Berkshire, Massachusetts |
| Groom's Father's Name: | James Blodget |
| Groom's Mother's Name: | Emily Blodget |
| Bride's Father's Name: | Sam Ferris |
| Bride's Mother's Name: | Susan Ferris |
| Groom's Marital Status: | Single |
| Bride's Marital Status: | Single |
| Source Film Number: | 250248 |
| Reference Number: | p 8 cn 1 |
| Groom's Name: | Wm. S. Ferris |
| Groom's Birth Date: | 1833 |
| Groom's Birthplace: | St. John, N. Brunswick |
| Groom's Age: | 23 |
| Bride's Name: | Frances W. Ruper |
| Bride's Birth Date: | 1838 |
| Bride's Birthplace: | Salisbury, Ct. |
| Bride's Age: | 18 |
| Marriage Date: | 04 Jul 1856 |
| Marriage Place: | Sheffield, Berkshire, Massachusetts |
| Groom's Father's Name: | Samuel Ferris |
| Groom's Mother's Name: | Susan Ferris |
| Bride's Father's Name: | John Ruper |
| Bride's Mother's Name: | Maria L. Ruper |
| Groom's Marital Status: | |
| Bride's Marital Status: | |
| Source Film Number: | 250248 |
| Reference Number: | p1 cn6 |
My guess is that the son William S. Ferris had the middle name Secord, and that he was named for Susan's father.
Samuel and Susan appear in the 1860 census for Sheffield Town, Berkshire County, MA, on page 179. William Ferris and family were enumerated on the same page. Samuel was 64 in this one and Susan was 65. There are death records for both Samuel and Sarah in 1861 on the LDS website:
| Name: | Saml Ferris |
| Event: | Death |
| Event Date: | 11 Feb 1861 |
| Event Place: | Sheffield, Massachusetts |
| Residence: | Sheffield, Mass |
| Gender: | Male |
| Age: | 66 |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Occupation: | carpenter |
| Birthplace: | New Milford, Ct |
| Estimated Birth Year: | 1796 |
| Father: | |
| Mother: | |
| Spouse: | |
| Volume/Page/Certificate Number: | v 156 p 66 |
| Film Number: | 960180 |
| Name: | Susan Ferris |
| Event: | Death |
| Event Date: | 21 Mar 1861 |
| Event Place: | Sheffield, Massachusetts |
| Residence: | Sheffield, Massachusetts |
| Gender: | Female |
| Age: | 61 |
| Marital Status: | Widowed |
| Birthplace: | St. Johns, N. B. |
| Estimated Birth Year: | 1800 |
| Father: | |
| Mother: | |
| Spouse: | |
| Volume/Page/Certificate Number: | P 64 |
| Film Number: | 960178 |
Both Samuel and Sarah were buried, with other family members, in Ashley Falls Cemetery in North Canaan, CT. The records are online at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ctlitch2/cemeteries/615-11.htm. Here is the information:
Ferris, Samuel F., died Feb. 11, 1861, age 66 yrs.
Ferris, Susan, wife of S. F., died Mar. 21, 1861, age 69 yrs.
The various records indicate that Susan was born in 1792, 1795, 1797, or 1800. The age of 61 given in her death record does not fit with the earlier records and seems unlikely. Samuel's records are pretty consistent with a year of birth for him of about 1795 or 1796. Given that Susan was listed as a year older than her husband in the 1860 census, I suspect that she was in fact a little older than he was, and so I think she was probably born between about 1792 and 1795. The records are unanimous in stating that she was born in New Brunswick.