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Biography For the family of Seaton Flint and Emily McLouth
SEATON FLINT was born on 11 Jan 1826 in England, son of William Flint and Mary Elizabeth Seaton. There is some discrepancy about his birth date. On family papers handed down, his birth date is listed as Jan 11, 1827. His tombstone indicates 1827. However, on the 1900 federal census, it is indicated at January 1826. Since that is the one most likely to have been first hand information, I used the date of 11 January 1826 as his birth date.
Seaton is a very unusual first name, obviously named for his mother. So when I find a Seaton Flint in various records or databases, it is usually a good bet that is is "my" Seaton Flint. One such case of this was finding him listed on the 1851 England census. He was living with his father William Flint, his mother Mary Flint and his brother John Flint. It was indicated on the 1900 census, that Seaton had immigrated to the US in 1851 and was naturalized in 1860. I did find a passenger list for a ship the "Wm Rathbone" going into the Port of New York or Castle Garden. The ship was from Liverpool England. Seaton Flint is listed as age 22 and occupation unknown.
There was a general migration that went from New York west, through the Erie Canal and to Buffalo. Then immigrants would take a ship to Detroit. From there they would take the Chicago Road and go further west. This road went right through the lower eastern counties of Michigan. This is how I think Seaton would have migrated. He ended up in Hillsdale County.
He met EMILY MCLOUTH here. She was born on 25 Feb 1827 in New York, the daughter of Oliver Cromwell McLouth and Elizabeth Dillon. They probably married around 1855, based on the birthdate of their first child. They probably also married in Somerset, Hillsdale County, Michigan, which is where Emily was living at the time and where Seaton and Emily made their home for many years. I have not yet found a marriage record for them. The first record we have for them after their marriage, is their listing on the 1860 federal census. Seaton and Emily are living in Somerset, with their oldest son John, age 4 and their daughter Mary E, age 1. Seaton is listed as a farmer, born in England. Value of their real estate is listed as $3000, and value of their personal property is listed as $300. They are next listed on the 1865 Federal US IRS tax assessment rolls. This was a special tax that was instituted for only a few years, to help the government pay for the Civil War. Seaton was taxed on income of #241 (# of what I do not know) with a value of $709. Tax was assessed at 5%, so he owed tax on that of $35.45. He was also taxed for owning 1 carriage at $2.00 He was also listed on the 1866 tax assessment rolls. This year he was taxed on 156 hogs killed, for a total of $.40 in tax.
In the Feb 9, 1869 issue of the newspaper "The Standard" of Hillsdale, Michigan, S. Flint of Somerset was named a delegate to the Republican Co. Convention.
In the 1870 census, Seaton and Emily are living with their family in Somerset. Seaton is listed as a farmer, born in England. Emily is listed as keeping house, born in New York. Also listed in the household are John Flint age 18, Elizabeth Flint, age 10, Minerva Flint age 7, William Flint age 4, James Flint age 2 and Charles Flint age 4/12 born in March. One interesting note about this census is that Seaton is listed as his value of real estate of $19,200 and value of personal property of $2500. These values are substantially higher than the neighbors and substantially higher than what was listed on their 1860 census. It could be that they received an inheritance distribution after Emily's mother had died in 1859.
On the 1880 census, Seaton and Emily are still living in Somerset. This is the first census where relationships to the head of the household are shown. So Seaton, head of household, is listed as age 54, farmer, born in England. Emily, wife, age 54, born in New York. Children still at home with them are Minerva age 17, William D age 15, James A age 13, and Charles C age 10. Minerva, James and Charles all attended school, but William did not. Also it is listed that William cannot read or write, but there is no mark in the columns for deaf, dumb, idiotic or insane.
By 1890, they decided to move to Liberty Township, Jackson County, Michigan. There, Emily died on 02 April 1890 at her home of pneumonia. The 1890 federal census was destroyed, but we have a record of Seaton living in Jackson County through the 1891, 1894 and 1896 Jackson County Directories (which would be similar to today's phone books). In these directories, his value of land is listed as about $4300. I wonder what happened between 1870, when their real estate was valued at $19,200 and the 1890's? Were they having a hard time making it as farmers? Is that why they moved from Hillsdale to Jackson County?
On the 1900 federal census, Seaton is living in Liberty Township in Jackson County. He is listed as born in January 1826, age 74 and widowed. His parents were born in England. He immigrated to the US in 1851 and was naturalized in 1860. He can read, write and speak English. He owns his farm, with a mortgage. With him in the household is is son Charles, Charles' wife Florence and another son William. William is listed as age 33, he cannot read or write, he can speak English, but he does not have an occupation. Again, I wonder what had happened to William. Seaton died 18 Aug 1908 at his home in Liberty Township. His cause of death is listed as arsenic poisoning. Farmers apparently used arsenic dusting as a means of pest control. Both Seaton and Emily and some of their children are buried in Dibble Cemetery in Wheatland Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan.
They had eight known children, all born in Somerset, Hillsdale County, Michigan. All children surnamed FLINT:
Copyright 2001
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