The American Descendants
of Thomas Maxfield
of Longbridge Deverill, Wiltshire, England
English Origins

1. John Maxfield, immigrant to New York City in 1836, reported at Pequannock Township, Morris County, New Jersey, in the 1850 and 1860 censuses, in Boonton, Morris County, in the 1870, 1880, and 1895 censuses.

2. Joseph Maxfield, who appeared in the 1860 census in Pequannock Township with his England born wife Elizabeth and daughters Ann and Sarah, ages 6 and 3, and his New Jersey born son John, age six months. Joseph appeared in Boonton in the 1870 census, in Livingstown Township, Essex County, in 1880, 1890 and 1895, and back in Boonton in 1900.

3. Charles Maxfield, who appeared in the 1860 census in Hanover Township, Morris County, with his England born wife Sarah and daughter Sarah age 5, and New Jersey born children ages 3 and 1. According to Biographical and Genealogical History of Morris County, New Jersey, he came to America in 1856 and was a nephew of John Maxfield of Boonton. This source also indicated that Charles was born at Longbridge, Deverill, Somersetshire, England, in 1829. Longbridge Deverill is a small community in Wiltshire, not far from the border with Somersetshire. This source also identified his wife as Sarah Smith. The 1880 census reported Charles in Pompton, Passaic County; the 1895 and 1900 censuses reported him with son George in Pequannock Township.

4. William Maxfield enlisted in a New Jersey unit of the Union Army in 1864, and was reported by the 1870 census living at Boonton. Later censuses placed him in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania (1880) and Bradford County, Pennsylvania (1890, 1900).

Census and other records report the ages of these persons, which make it possible to estimate their birth years in England as follows:

• John born between 1809 and 1811
• Joseph born between 1813 and 1816
• Charles born between 1829 and 1832
• William born between 1843 and 1845

Baptismal records from Longbridge Deverill report the births of the following children, among others, to Thomas and Anne Maxfield:

• John, baptized 5 Jun 1808
• Joseph baptized 25 September 1815.

Charles Maxfield, the son of Thomas and Anne, therefore brother of John and Joseph, was baptized at Longbridge Deverill on 1 May 1814 and married there on 31 March 1834. His son Charles was baptized there on 14 September 1834.

This all appears to fit except that Charles claimed a greater age in America than the British baptismal and census records would indicate. His is the only baptismal record of a Charles Maxfield at Longbridge Deverell between the years 1823 and 1857, and the only baptismal record of a Charles Maxfield the son of a Charles Maxfield in the baptismal records of Wiltshire before 1857. As everything else fits so well, I will assume that Charles had some reason for claiming in America an age greater than he had.

The parish and census records of Wiltshire indicate that Joseph Maxfield married twice. By his second wife, Elizabeth, he had Ann and Sarah, whose baptismal dates in England correspond to their ages in the 1860 United States Census. Joseph by his first wife had six children baptized and Longbridge Deverill. Three died in infancy; two were married in England after Joseph had emmigrated. The remaining child, William was baptized at Longbridge Deverill on 22 September 1844. This corresponds to the age of the William Maxfield who resided in Boonton in the 1870 census. While this is not conclusive proof, it suggests that William the immigrant is probably William son of Joseph by his first wife.

To summarize, it appears most likely that:

1. John Maxfield the immigrant is a son of Thomas and Anne Maxfield of Longbridge Deverill;
2. Joseph Maxfield the immigrant is a son of Thomas and Anne Maxfield of Longbridge Deverill;
3. Charles Maxfield the immigrant is a grandson of Thomas and Anne Maxfield of Longbridge Deverill through their son Charles;
4. William Maxfield the immigrant is probably a grandson of Thomas and Anne Maxfield of Longbridge Deverill, and a son of Joseph Maxfield by his first wife.

THOMAS MAXFIELD was baptized at Longbridge Deverill, Wiltshire, England, on 10 August 1777, a child of Stephen Maxfield and his wife Elizabeth Moger (Eng Bp). His family of origin can be summarized as follows:

STEPHEN MAXFIELD and ELIZABETH MOGER were married at Longbridge Deverill on 10 January 1769 (Eng M). They had the following children (Eng B):

1. ESTHER MAXFIELD
   • bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 28 April 1769
2. CAELIA MAXFIELD
   • bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 31 March 1771
3. ANNE MAXFIELD
   • bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 16 May 1773
4. HARRIOT MAXFIELD
   • bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 6 August 1775
5. THOMAS MAXFIELD (the subject of this article)
   • bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 10 August 1777
6. JAMES MAXFIELD
   • bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 7 September 1779
7. MARTIN MAXFIELD
   • bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 15 October 1781
8. CHARLES MAXFIELD
   • bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 1 December 1783
9. WILLIAM MAXFIELD
   • bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 5 February 1786
   • d. at Warminster district, Wiltshire, bet. April and June 1843 (Eng D)
   • m. bef. 1816 CHARLOTTE BUTCHER
     • b. at Wiltshire abt 1790 (1841, 1851 censuses)
     • d. at Warminster district, Wiltshire bet. October and December 1858 (Eng D)
10. HARRIOT MAXFIELD
    • bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 26 September 1778
11. ELIZABETH MOGER MAXFIELD
    • bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 10 July 1781
    • m. at Warminster on 19 May 1811 SAMUEL BARNETT (Eng M)

Thomas Maxfield married as his second wife REBEKAH PAYNE at Longbridge Deverill on 28 March 1820 (Eng M). She was born at Longbridge Deverill about 1785/6 (1851 census).

The 1841 census (7:6:13) reported Thomas and Rebecca Maxfield, ages 63 and 57 respectively, living on Sand Street in Longbridge Deverill, with their son George, 19. Thomas was a farmer; George was a carpenter's apprentice.

The 1851 census (316:12) found Thomas and Rebecca, ages 73 and 65 respectively, still on Sand Street. Thomas was described as a farmer of 40 acres employing 5 men and 3 boys. Both Thomas and Rebecca were born at Longbridge Deverill.

Rebekah Maxfield died at the Warminster district of Wiltshire in the third quarter of 1855. Thomas died there in the third quarter of 1857 (Eng D).

Thomas Maxfield and his first wife Anne Compton had the following children (Eng Bp):

1. JOHN¹ MAXFIELD bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 5 June 1808
2. ELIZABETH¹ MAXFIELD
   • bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 5 June 1808
   • m. at Monkton Deverill on 26 November 1827 SAMUEL MEAD (Eng M)
3. STEPHEN¹ MAXFIELD
   • bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 10 February 1811
   • d. at Warminster district bet April and June 1894 (Eng D)
   • m. bef 1840 HARRIET ________
     • b. at Cucklington, co. Dorset abt 1812/3 (1861 census)
     • d. at Warminster district bet October and December 1898 (Eng D)
4. WILLIAM¹ MAXFIELD
   • bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 10 February 1811
   • m. at Longbridge Deverill on 12 June 1838 JANE ELLIOTT (Eng M)
     • b. at Longbridge Deverill abt 1816 (1851 census)
5. JAMES¹ MAXFIELD
   • bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 25 October 1812
   • d. at Warminster district bet January and March 1899 (Eng D)
   • m(1). at Monkton Deverill on 30 January 1833 LYDIA PRESLY (Eng M)
     • b. at Monkton Deverill abt 1813 (1851 census)
     • d. at Mere district, Wiltshire, bet October and December 1859 (Eng D)
   • m(2). at Kingston Deverill on 18 May 1861 ELIZA HOLE (Eng M)
     • b. abt 1814/5 (from age at death)
     • d. at Warminster district bet January and March 1893 (Eng D)
6. CHARLES¹ MAXFIELD bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 1 May 1814
7. JOSEPH¹ MAXFIELD bp. at Longbridge Deverill on 25 September 1815
8. SARAH¹ MAXFIELD
   • b. at Longbridge Deverill abt 1816/7 (1861 census)
   • m. at Warminster on 19 May 1846 JOSEPH BALL
     • b. at Corsley, Wiltshire, abt 1815/6 (1861 census)

Information on this family is found in:

• Census Returns of England and Wales. Kew, Surrey, England: Natrional Archives of U.K., Public Records Office. Ancestry.com.

Eng Bp

England & Wales Christening Records, 1530-1906. Ancestry.com.

Eng D

England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915. Ancestry.com.

Eng D-FS

England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991. familysearch.org

Eng M

England & Wales Marriages, 1538-1940. Ancestry.com.