Samuel Newcomb 1st cousin 6 generations away or 6 times removed on RootsMagic tree. Samuel was also the adoptive dad of William Newcomb Gaines, great grandpa of Faber Miller.

Samuel was born January 8, 1794 in Bernardston, Massachusetts to William and Elizabeth Connable Newcomb. The Connable and Newcomb families were pioneers, long time residents of Berndardston. At age 18 Samuel fought in the War of 1812 and received a pension and 160 acres of land as payment. After the war he had a farm next to his brother Obadiah. Samuel married Jemima Hunting on Oct 13, 1822. Samuel and Jemima had a son William, who died before age one.

In 1826 Samuel adopted William N Gaines, son of Samuel’s cousin Leydia Connable Gaines. Samuel joined the Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), even though ‘he believed Brigham Young was an imposter’. In 1832 in Onondaga, NY Orson Pratt, an early LDS Church leader baptized Samuel and Jemima. Samuel, his wife and adopted son William moved to Kirtland, Ohio the early home of the Latter Day Saints and home of the first Mormon temple.

By 1850 Samuel and his family were in Great Salt Lake, Utah Territory. Samuel was a widow in 1851. He wrote his will in 1855 leaving all to “William Newcomb Gaines my adopted son”. Samuel lived to age 85, he died in Janesville, Iowa and was living with William and family in his later years. “He was treated kindly in his old age by Mr. and Mrs. Gaines, and he died at their home”. Samuel is buried in Oakland Cemetery near Janesville, Iowa with William Gaines and his family.

Sources

• “History of Orson Pratt,” Deseret News, 9 June 1858, 65. John Tanner or the Bolton Branch mentioned in December 20, 1832 and February 2, 1833 entries shared on FamilySearch
• Will in Iowa, Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry
• Early members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Volume 4 page 592 image 594 of 920
• At Wikipedia ‘Utah’ page, may be from Richard F. Burton’s City of the Saints, Public Domain
• Bernardston Births, Marriages and Death image 40 of 233 handwritten, right page Samuel and Jemima 2nd on list. “Samuel Newcomb Gaines and Jemima Hunting both of this town October 13, 1822”