John Milton Caswell

John Milton Caswell[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]

Male 1777 - 1857  (80 years)

Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name John Milton Caswell 
    Born 2 Sep 1777  Connecticut Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 9
    Gender Male 
    Residence 1798  Belchertown, Hampshire, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Residence 1800  Walpole, Cheshire, New Hampshire Find all individuals with events at this location  [10
    Residence 1800  Walpole, Cheshire, New Hampshire Find all individuals with events at this location  [10
    Residence 1810  Springfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    Residence 1820  Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Residence 1820  Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Residence 1830  Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [7
    Residence 1830  Lansingburgh, Rennselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [7
    Civil 1832  Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location 
    served as president from 1832 to 1834 and again from 1836-1837 
    Civil 1835  Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location 
    seved as Justice of the Peace 
    Civil Between 1840 and 1843  Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location 
    served as supervisor 
    Occupation Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location 
    black smith and gun smith 
    Occupation Lansingburgh, Renssalaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location 
    black smith and gun smith 
    Residence 1840  Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [8
    Residence 1840  Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [8
    Residence 1850  Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [9
    Residence 1850  Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [9
    Residence 1855  Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Residence 1855  Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    _FSFTID K4TY-VX3 
    _UID 70574BEACA2946C393C7E1BBB82143828C28 
    Buried 1857  Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [4, 12
    • Old Lansingburgh Cemetery
    Died 4 Sep 1857  Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [4, 12
    Person ID I1034  Strong History
    Last Modified 2 Jan 2018 

    Father Solomon Caswell,   b. Abt 1734, Norton, Bristol, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 13 Aug 1812, Belchertown, Hampshire, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 78 years) 
    Mother Abigail Clark,   b. 28 Mar 1747, Norton, Bristol, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 16 Jul 1830, Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 83 years) 
    Married 9 Aug 1764  Norton, Bristol, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location  [13
    Family ID F198  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Eunice Webber,   b. 13 Feb 1779, Longmeadow, Hampden, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 4 Jul 1862, Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 83 years) 
    Married 29 Nov 1798  Longmeadow, Hampden, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location  [3, 6, 11, 14
    Children 
     1. Sophia Caswell,   b. 17 Oct 1799, Walpole, Cheshire, New Hampshire Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 14 Oct 1892, Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 92 years)
     2. John Milton Caswell,   b. 19 Apr 1803, Springfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 25 Jun 1880, Pontiac, Oakland, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 77 years)
     3. Caroline Caswell,   b. 2 Aug 1808, Springfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 30 Mar 1849, Troy, Renssalaer, New York Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 40 years)
    Last Modified 14 Jan 2020 
    Family ID F244  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • John Milton Caswell was born 2 Sep 1777 in prob. Woodstock, Connecticut. By 1790 the family had moved to Belchertown, Hampshire, Mass. where his father Solomon shows up on the 1790 U.S. Census. The marriage intention from Longmeadow was recorded 10 Oct. 1798 between "John Milton Caswell of Belcher and Eunice Webber of this town". John probably learned the gunsmith trade in Belchertown possibly from his father Solomon. Shortly after marriage John and Eunice moved to Wapole, New Hampshire where daughter Sophia's birth record is found. John is listed in the census there in 1800. By 1810 John had moved his family to Springfield Mass. where his father were now living and was engaged in business with a Mr. Dodge as Caswell & Dodge gunsmiths. They were contracted to produce Charleville (Model 1795) pattern muskets from 1806-1807. Solomon died in 1812 and about this time or before the family moved to Lansingburgh, NY where John opened up 3 gunsmith shops in the town. There he produced rifles employing 25 men or more until 1836 when he retired and his son John Milton Caswell (Jr.) took over the business. Many of the guns were produced under contract to the local militias as well as private sales. The collectible antique guns are still bought and sold today. John and Eunice died in Lansingburgh and were buried in Old Lansingburgh Cemetery though no gravestones have been located.
      John's father was erroneously reported as Thomas Caswell, also a gunsmith, by Arcadi Gluckman and L. D. Saterlee in their second edition of "American Gun Maker" in 1953. The error has been carried on by more recent authors and compilers of gun makers who have copied this previous work. No record of a Thomas Caswell has been found in Lansingburgh or the surrounding area or in Springfield, Mass.

  • Sources 
    1. [S56] 1820 United States Federal Census, Year: 1820; Census Place: , Rensselaer, New York; Roll: M33_68; Page: ; Image: .
      Residence date: 1820
      Residence place: Rensselaer, New York, United States
      1820 United States Federal Census
      1820 United States Federal Census


    2. [S132] New York, State Census, 1855.
      New York, State Census, 1855
      New York, State Census, 1855


    3. [S95] Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988.
      Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
      Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988


    4. [S96] Web: New York, Find A Grave Index, 1660-2012.

    5. [S79] 1810 United States Federal Census, Year: 1810; Census Place: Springfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts; Roll: 19; Page: 41; Family History Number: 0205627; Image: 00049.
      Residence date: 1810
      Residence place: Springfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts, United States
      1810 United States Federal Census
      1810 United States Federal Census


    6. [S89] Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910, Date and Place of Marriage, Maiden Name of Spouse.

    7. [S25] 1830 United States Federal Census, Year: 1830; Census Place: , Rensselaer, New York; Roll: ; Page: .
      Residence date: 1830
      Residence place: Rensselaer, New York, United States
      1830 United States Federal Census
      1830 United States Federal Census


    8. [S43] 1840 United States Federal Census, Year: 1840; Census Place: Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York; Roll: 333; Page: 337; Image: 689; Family History Library Film: 0017204.
      1840 United States Federal Census
      1840 United States Federal Census


    9. [S6] 1850 United States Federal Census, Year: 1850; Census Place: Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York; Roll: M432_586; Page: 148B; Image: .
      Birth date:
      Birth place: Connecticut
      Residence date: 1850
      Residence place: Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York
      1850 United States Federal Census
      1850 United States Federal Census


    10. [S24] 1800 United States Federal Census, Year: 1800; Census Place: Walpole, Cheshire, New Hampshire; Roll: 20; Page: 1038; Image: 170; Family History Library Film: 218679.
      1800 United States Federal Census
      1800 United States Federal Census


    11. [S95] Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988.
      Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
      Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988


    12. [S66] Old Lansingburgh Cemetery Burials, Birth-Death.

    13. [S117] Massachusetts, Marriages, 1633-1850.

    14. [S89] Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910, Date and Place of Marriage, Maiden Name.