Early European settlers in the American colonies were mostly farmers and craftsmen. They had to work hard to provide daily neccesities for themselves.
Lush forests in Colonial America allowed settlers to build wooden homes.
Aaron Powers was born in June, 1738 in Greenwich, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. His parents were Jeremiah Powers and Hannah Fiske.
He married Olive Osborn. Olive was born in 1742 in Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut. Her parents were Benjamin Osborn and Priscilla Hulse (or Hull).
Their children included:
Aaron Powers (1760),
Olive Powers Crossett (1762, married Stephen Crossett),
Stephen Powers (1762, married Elizabeth Hinds daughter of Timothy Hinds),
Susanna Powers Smith (1765, married Jonathan Smith),
John Powers (1767, married Polly Smith),
Jeremiah or Jeremy Powers (1739, married Lucy Vaugh),
Polly Powers Moulton (1770, married Nathan Moulton),
Hannah Powers (1772),
Reverend Reuben Powers (1740),
Benjamin Powers (1776, married Rhoda Cannon),
Rufus Powers, (1778) and
Dr. Isaac Powers (1780, married Anna Mellen).
Olive died on May 25, 1790 in East Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut.
His second wife was the widow, Martha Tilson. They had at least one daughter,
Patty Powers Sanderson (1792, married Josiah Sanderson).
They appeared in the 1800, 1810 and 1820 censuses in Greenwich, Hampshire County, Massachusetts.
Aaron died October 9, 1826 in Greenwich and was laid to rest in Quabbin Park Cemetery.
Greenwich, Hampshire County, Massachusetts was incorporated in 1749 and dissolved in 1938. It was renamed from Quabbin in 1754 .
Estate inventories give us a glance into the home life of Colonial Americans.
Connecticut's first European settlers were Dutch.
In 1662 Hampshire County, Massachusetts was formed from the western section of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Parts of the original county became Hampden, Franklin, Berkshire and Worcester Counties.
From The Powers Family compiled by Amos Powers
The children of Aaron (Jeremiah, Thomas; Walter) and Olive (Osborn) Powers of Greenwich, were:
i. Aaron b. Feb. 8, 1760; d. Nov. 2, 1831; lived in Penn., where he m. and left children.
ii. Olive b. April 9, 1762; m. Jan. 3, 1785, Stephen Crossett.
iii. Stephen b. Oct. 10, 1763; d. Jan. 16, 1843; m. June 8, 1788, Elizabeth, dau. of Capt. Timothy Hinds, d. June 4, 1844. 315.
iv. Susanna, b. April 9, 1765; m. Dec. 15, 1788, Jonathan Smith of Caznovia, N.Y.
v. John, b. ; m. Polly Smith of New Salem, Mass.
vi. Jeremiah, b. ; m. Lucy Vaughn.
vii. Polly b. Nov. 30, 1770; d. Jan. 3, 1832; m. Nathan Moulton.
viii. Hannah b. July 1, 1772; d. unm.
ix. Rev. Reuben b. June 5, 1774; d. Dec. 17, 1806;. m. Rathburn. Methodist minister at Canaan, Conn.
x. Benjamin b. Oct.7, 1776; d. June 2, 1819; m, April 30, 1804, Rhoda, dau. of Cornelius and Molly (Weeks) Cannon, d. May 28, 1814
xi. Rufus 5 b. Oct. 10, 1778; d. Dec. 2, 1848; m. 1st, April 24, 1803, Dolly Harwood, b. Jan. 2, 1777; d. July 7, 1835. 2d, Oct. 14, 1835, Elizabeth Manley, b. Jan. 1, 1795; d. Aug. 28, 1854. 323.
xii. Dr. Isaac b. Aug. 9, 1780; d. July 26, 1823; m. July 7, 1807, Anna, dau. of Jona. and Sally P. Millin of Pelham. To Fabius, N.Y.
The child by his 2d wife, Wid. Martha (Tilson), was:
xiii. Patty 5 b. Dec. 8, 1792; d. 1854; m. March 18 1 5, Josiah Sanderson.
It was common for bequests to include wearing apparel.
