Below is a list of the executions in the State of Vermont. Three of the people executed by hanging were from Franklin County and two of those had some connections with Fairfax. Luthor Virginia, a black man, was listed as being from Highgate at the time of his hanging for murder, however when I was going through the records here in Fairfax, I ran across the marriage of Luthor Virginia.
Luther married Gainor TRUMAN Virginia 5 FEB 1818 in Fairfax, Vt.. Source for marriage was Fx Twn Records, Book 2, Page 238. The bride & groom both lived in Fairfax.
This past week I received a request from someone asking me about Sylvester Henry Bell, a Fairfax man who shot his 26 year old wife.
"I am so impressed with your website and all it has to offer. That certainly has been a labor of love and very successful at that. I had the priviledge of visiting Fairfax many years ago and was just amazed with its beauty. Thank you so much for all your hard work in making this beautiful site available to all of us.
Perhaps you could suggest somewhere that I could get records of my gr grandfather's, Sylvester Henry BELL, death. He was from Fairfax but was executed 1892 and I can't find any death information or burial info except for newspaper articles. Wouldn't there be some death record in Fairfax if he was from there? Would his body have been sent back there from the prison?
I also have no record of their marriage either Nov 6, 1860 Fairfax VT
Can you possible suggest anyone or forward this to someone who might know something if its not available to you.
Thank you in advance for any help that you may be able to give me.
Rachel Bell"
I wasn't able to help the lady out as far as to where her great grandfather might be buried, but I was able to refresh my memory a little bit when I checked what I had. The 26 year old woman he shot had originally been married to Henry Lock, a man who lived where Mike & Margie Cain live now. I don't know where he was living when he shot his wife, but do know he was executed on January 1, 1892 - What a way to spend New Years, or at least a part of it. Someday when I have time, will have to go down and check out the Archives of The St. Albans Messenger and see what they had for a write-up on it.
http://users.bestweb.net/~rg/execution/VERMONT.htm (http://users.bestweb.net/~rg/execution/VERMONT.htm)