Staggs Family History

BIRTH: 9 May 1812, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH: 29 Jan 1892, Porter County, Indiana, USA
FATHER: Raymond Bosworth (1772-1835)
MOTHER: Rachel Hinkston (1774-1836)
SPOUSE: Massillon Crow (1810-1874)

When Betsey Bosworth was born on May 9, 1812, in Massachusetts, her father, Raymond, was 40, and her mother, Rachel, was 37. She married Massillon Crow on January 29, 1837, in Montgomery, Massachusetts. They had three children in 11 years. She died on January 29, 1892, in Porter, Indiana, having lived a long life of 79 years, and was buried in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Her story

Betsey Bosworth was a pioneer settler of Porter County, Indiana, remembered for her longevity, resilience, and role as matriarch of the Crow family. Her life spanned the early frontier period through the post–Civil War era, and she left behind a large family and a lasting legacy in northwest Indiana.

Obituary

Aunt Betsey Crow, one of the oldest settlers of this county, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Wm. Davidson, Friday, aged 81 years. The funeral was held Sunday, services being conducted at St. Clair’s school house and the remains interred in Kimball’s cemetery. [Obituary Source: The Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; February 5, 1892; Volume8, Number 43, Page 5, Column 4] 

Legacy of Betsey Bosworth

Parents

Father: Raymond Bosworth (1772-1835)

Mother: Rachel Hinkston (1774-1836)

Married

Married Massillon Crow (1810-1874), January 29, 1837, in Montgomery, Massachusetts

Children

• Harriet Crow (1835-1904) married William Lake Davidson (1826-1911)
• Jane Crow (1840-1911) married Jerome B. Wheeler (1824-1899)
• Wharton Massillon Crowe (1846-1886) married 1st Elnora Adelaide Keen (1846-1880), 2nd Emma Keene (1856-1940)

Documents

• Birth Records
  • Massachusetts, U.S., Town Birth Records, 1620-1850 Name: Betsey Bozworth; Birth Date: May 9, 1812; Birth Place: Montgomery; Father’s First Name: Raymond; Mother’s First Name: Rachel; Gender: Female; Source: Vital Records of Montgomery
  • Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vol. 1 and 2 > Howland > Betsey Bozworth, b. 9 May 1812
  • Find a Grave Birth Date: 9 May 1812
• Marriage Records
  • North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 > Name: Betsey Bosworth; Gender: Female; Spouse: Massilon Crowe
  • Massachusetts, U.S., Town Marriage Records, 1620-1850, Name: Betsey BOSWORTH; Spouse: Massillon Crow; Marriage Date: January 29, 1837; Marriage Place: Montgomery; Source: Vital Records of Montgomery: Full text: Betsey and Massillon Crow, Jan. 29, 1837. Intention also recorded.
  • Massachusetts, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1633-1850 > Name: Betsey Bosworth; Gender: Female; Marriage Date: 29 Jan 1837; Place: Montgomery, Hampden, Massachusetts; Spouse: Massillon Crow
• Death records
  • Died: 29 January 1892, at the home of her daughter Mary Crow Davidson in Porter County, Indiana. Burial: Kimball Cemetery, Valparaiso, Indiana
  • Find a Grave Death Date: 29 Jan 1892
  • Burial: Kimball Cemetery, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana, USA
• Census Records
  • 1850 United States Federal Census > Massachusetts > Hampden > Montgomery > Betsey Crow (39) with husband Marsalon Crow (farmer, 40) and children Henriette G Crow (12), Jane E Crow (10), and Warton M Crow (3)
  • 1860 United States Federal Census > Indiana > Porter > Center > Betsey Crow (49), with husband Marsalon Crow (farmer, 50) and Warton M Crow (13)
  • 1870 United States Federal Census > Indiana > Porter > Center > Betsey Crow (keeping house, 59) with husband Marsalon Crow (farmer, 60), son Whorton Crow (farmer, 22), Whorton’s wife Elnora (keeping house, 22) and children Alice (4) and Emma (1)

Relation of Betsey Bosworth to Steven Barry Staggs: 3rd great-grandmother

Page last updated November 21, 2025

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