B. 18 Mar 1770 in Charlotte, Vermont
M. (1) before 1797 in (probably) Charlotte, Vermont
Wife: Anne Clapp
M. (2) 5 Dec 1805 in (probably) Charlotte, Vermont
Wife: Olive Mead
D. 5 Feb 1813 in (probably) Charlotte, Vermont
Medad Lyman was stricken down in the prime of his life, probably due to a typhoid epidemic. He was born on March 18, 1770 in Charlotte, Vermont, to Oliver Lyman and Eleanor Lyman, the eighth child in a family of ten. Medad's parents were first cousins, and his father served as a captain in the American Revolution when he was a boy.
Sometime before 1797, Medad married Anne Clapp, probably in Charlotte. They had three daughters; the older two were Minerva and Sophia, but the youngest died as an infant, and Anne died about a week after to giving birth to her. Medad married a second wife, Olive Mead, a widow, on December 5, 1805, and they had one daughter, Anne, born in 1806.
In 1801, the men of Charlotte petitioned to establish a Masonic lodge, and Medad became its first master. Freemasonry had become popular in America during the 18th century, and a chapter was started in nearby Burlington in 1795. The 1801 petition named him as "Brother Medad Lyman," so he had likely been involved with the Burlington lodge as well.
Medad died on February 5, 1813 at the age of 42, and was buried in Barber Hill Cemetery in Charlotte. While it wasn't stated in any records, the cause Medad's death was probably typhoid fever, which swept through upper New England during the winter of 1812/1813. Medad's brothers Gad and Jared also died around the same time he did, and Gad's death was known to be typhoid fever. The town of Charlotte was said to have lost 70 people in the epidemic.
Since Medad died suddenly in the prime of life, he didn't leave a will, and his probate file was thick (the file is mistakenly mixed in with another man named Medad Lyman who died in 1802). His widow Olive was appointed administrator along with two other men. The inventory of his property taken on April 2, 1813 showed the value of his real and personal estate at $1,879.80, but after paying off his debts, the amount shrank to just $366.75. This was divided among Olive and the three surviving daughters of Medad; the process took over five years to settle.
Meanwhile, oldest daughters Minerva and Sophia were sent to live with other relatives. Olive remarried to a man named Jeremiah Barton; she died in 1836 in Charlotte.
Chidren by Anne Clapp:
1. Minerva Lyman – B. 3 Mar 1797, (probably) Charlotte, Vermont; D. after 1865
2. Sophia Lyman – B. 21 Sep 1800, Charlotte, Vermont; D. 2 May 1838, Nelson, New Hampshire; M. Abel Kittredge (1798-1882), 28 Jan 1824, Nelson, New Hampshire
3. Anne Lyman – B. 5 Dec 1802, Charlotte, Vermont; D. 18 May 1803, (probably) Charlotte, Vermont
Children by Olive Mead:
1. Anne Marie Lyman – B. 25 Oct 1806, Charlotte, Vermont; D. 1879, Nelson, New Hampshire; M. Abel Kittredge (1798-1882), 29 Nov 1838, Nelson, New Hampshire
Sources:
Genealogy of the Lyman Family in Great Britain and America, Lyman Coleman, 1872
Tombstone inscriptions in Barber Hill Cemetery, Charlotte, Vermont
History of Chittenden County, William S. Rann, 1886
The Kittredge Family in America, Mabel T. Kittredge, 1936
Death certificate of Abel Kittredge, 13 Sep 1882, Boston, Massachusetts
Probate file of Medad Lyman, 1802, Chittenden County, Vermont
