Bathsheba ROUSE

   General Notes:

Buried Mound Cemetery L2 R91 near Rufus Putnam, Marietta Ohio.

INTERVIEW
"Rouse Family of Belpre Ohio"
by Lucy COLE Fleming (notes), Seldon COLE, Mrs Clarence SLOAN, Laura Curtis PRESTON- 30 Mar 1939.
"The information listed here is from Mr Alonzo Rouse of Belpre, last living member of the five children of John and Elizabeth (Pennock) Rouse, of Belpre Ohio. Mr Rouse has various old family Deeds, Wills, and the Family Bible (with records) of his family, and has a remarkable memory for dates, names, and family history. He was born at Belpre 23 Feb 1869.
"Date of our call on Mr Rouse was 30 Mar 1939.
"Information given in 'typed sheeets' no name signed but probably written by Alonzo Rouse. Parts copied.
"John Rouse came from England, joined the whaling industry, was stopped by the Revlolutionary War. Rouse had a hard time digging to make a living for wife and eight children on their farm near Rochester MA.
"John rouse and his neighbor, Capt Jonanthan Haskell, hitched teams to covered wagons early in October 1788, were two months on way to Summerls Ferry where they took a flat boat and floated to Marietta. They arrived in Marietta in December (date not given) four days after leaving S Ferry. the next morning after reaching Marietta the rive was closed by ice...
"Alonzo Rouse papers- an old chart (with notes from LCP- Laura Curtis Preston)
John Rouse married Rebecca Barker and had 8 children
1. Michael Rouse (born Abt 1766, never married, lived & died Belpre OH)
2. Bathsheba m Richard Greene (son of Griffen Greene, of Belpre OH, lived & died Marietta OH - LCP), Bathsheba ROUSE Greene was born 28 Sep 1769 New Bedford MA, died 24 Feb 1843, buried Mound Cemetery Marietta OH near Rufus Putnam R91-L2 (GR stone pg2).
3. Elizabeth m Levi Barber (Marietta 15 Feb 1803)
4. Cynthia m Paul Fearing (Marietta 28 Nov 1795)
5. Robert twin
6. Barker twin
7. Ruth
8. Stephen (see Amer Pioneer v2 p113 Marietta)...
"...Mound Cemetery, Marietta OH, R 91, Lot 2 Richard Greene born in East Warwick RI died Dec 1805 aged 36, Barsheba (sic) Greene b New Bedford MA 28 Sep (? or 27 Aug) 1769, died 27 Sep 1842 (NB other records her name spelled Bathsheba LCP). Also pg7 Evanstein Mound Cemetery, Marietta Intelligencer 6 Oct 1842. Same Lot: Sarah Greene, died 18 Jan 1870, in the 70th year of her life. Hildreth states 'Greenes had three sons and two daughters'. One daughter lived in Marietta, other children removed to Pittsfield IL, ref Seldon Cole 1939, Another child Nevada states 1806- LCP)"

BOOKS
The American Pioneer Vol 2 pg 112-34 Cincinnati OH 1843, Stimson Collection Class 051 Book A51P 55838
"Shortly after our call on Alonzo Frouse, Belpre, Mrs TD Phillips, Marietta, said there is a book in Marietta College Lobrary, in which the journey of the Rouse family and others to Ohio, is given in detail, as related to Dr S P Hildreth by Mrs Bathsheba ROUSE Greene, Marietta...
"Parts relating to the Rouse family are here copied. It corrects come of Alonzo Rouse's records-LCP
"EARLY EMIGRATION
"Or the journey of some New England families 'across the mountains' from New England to Muskingum in 1788
"By Dr S P Hildreth
(Omitted: conditions at close and after the Revolution- the Ohio Company purchase- long journey over rivers and mountains etc. Mrs John Rouse was Rebecca Barker, daughter of Capt Isaac Barker- lost at sea 1761. Mrs Jonathan Devol, a sister)
"Among other families who ventured on this long and perilous journey...In the year 1788...were those of John Rouse and Capt Jonathan Devol. Before the period of the revolution, Mr Rouse had followed vocation of whaleman and seaman, from New Bedford, but that event put stop to all pursuits of this kind. He was now living on a small farm in the town of Rochester, Massachusetts...He was now near fifty yers of age...His family consisted of wife and eight children, viz: Michael, a stout young man of twenty-two; Bathsheba, nineteen; Elizabeth, seventeen; Cynthia, fifteen; Ruth, eleven; Stephen, six; and Robert and Barker, twins four years. Capt Johnathan Haskell, who also lived in Rochester, joined in fitting out the expedition, and furnished a large covered wagon and two horses, and Mr Rouse the other two. An active young man named Cushing, who wished to settle in the west, was employed to drive the wagon...
"A party of young ladies, on horseback, accompanied the females as far as "The Long Plain", which was a portion of the north end of the town of New Bedford, distance six miles from Matteposett Harbor. Here they tarried about a week amongst kinfolk and former neighbors; for at theis place Mr Rouse had lived many years and here a large portion of the children had been born. The week flew rapidly away...and the parting morning came...Capt Haskel joined them that morning from Rochester, and early in October 1788...They commenced the long journey to Muskingum, as the new settlement was then called...
"Captain Joseph Cook, who had married a sister of Mrs Rouse, and Edward Bennett, an old neighbor, accompanied them as far as Providence...which reached second day at evening. Here they were joined by the family of Capt Jonathan Devol, composed of Mrs Devol and five children, viz: Sally- 12 years; Henry- 10, Charles- 8, Barker- 5, and Francis- 1 year. Mrs Nancy Devol was the sister of Mrs Rebecca Rouse. Her husband had been absent nearly a year, and was attached to the party of pioneers sent by the Ohio company, in the autumn previous...Their (Devol) covered wagon, with four horses...was driven by Isaac Barker, an only brother of the married femailes. He was about thirty years of age, in the vigor of manhood, and had left a wife and family in Rochester, until he could return and bring them on the following year...
"Chapter II
"The following morning they left Providence, bidding adieu to their friends, who had accompanied them from 'The Long Plain' and to another sister, Mrs Fish. From here by easy stages, they traveled to Hartford, Connecticut...from Farmington, Litchfield, and Ballsbridge, to the North River...crossed at Fishkill landed at Newburgh...went on to Blooming-grove.
"pg 120 After leaving Carlisle Pennsylvania, at a place called the 'Bigspring' they were overtaken by an old neighbor, who was on his way to Muskingum with his family- driving ox team three yokes. He was a tout upright man with a tremendous Roman nose- portly front, about fifty years of age, 'Uncle Daniel Cogswell'. He had been out to the west the autumn before, returned in summer to move out his family...pg 123 'Uncle Daniel' had been both a sailor and a soldier in the late war...
"pg 127 Reached Simrel's Ferry late November, after many hardships. Here they found Benjamin Slocomb and family, going to Muskingum. Uncle Daniel took passage with him... Rouse party secured a boat, forty feet long, twelve feet wide, without roof- in the stern of the boat was a rude fire-place for cooking- beds were spread on the floor...Reached Pittsburgh Sunday evening, at junction of the Alleghany and Monongahela Rivers and saw the waters of the charming Ohio, the object of their toils...Tied up to shore- river fell- land side of boat on shore- outer side filled with water.
"pg 129 Left Pittsburgh Monday afternoon. That evening a violent storm. Had to tie up to the 'Indian shore'. At Buffalo they were joined by the men who had taken the horses overland.
"pg 131 They reached mouth of Muskingum at dark, Thursday, fourth day after leaving Pitsburgh. Ice had made in the Ohio last twenty-four hours...Next morning Muskingum frozen from shore to shore...
"pg 131-132 It was the fore part of December and the emigrants had been more than eight weeks on the road...
"In summer 1790, Bathsheba Rouse taught a school of young boys and girls at Belpre, which is believed to be the first school of white children assembled within the bounds of the present state of Ohio...She also taught for several successive summers, withing the walls of 'Farmer's Castle'...Mr Rouse and family remained in Belpre...Bathsheba married soon after the close of the war, Richard, the son of Griffen Greene, Esq, one of the Ohio Company agents became a leading man in public affairs..."
NOTES
"Ohio's First School Teacher- Bathsheba Rouse"
by Lucy COLE Fleming
"Bathsheba Rouse was the first and only teacher in Ohio when she called her class of children together at Belpre Washington County Ohio in the summer of 1789. Her pupils met at a little settlement that was surrounded for hundreds of miles with an unbroken primeval forest ingested with wolves and Indians.
"Her school room was a log cabin on the banks of the Ohio River, 14 miles below Marietta.
"Nineteen year old Bathsheba Rouse gathered together the small children of parents who were fighting against wild animals and Indians to establish a home in the wilderness.
"Under the most primitive conditions whe taught the school which marked the beginning of education in Ohio and ranked her as the first school mistress in the state and the first teacher under the provisions of the ordinance of 1787.
"It does not detract for Bathsheba's record to read in history that there were men teachers in the present state of Ohio before her. For many centuries the Indian warriors of this section had taught their sons to hunt, fish and make arrows and tomahawks, and to take scalps in warfare. Likewise, Indian squaws had taught their daughters to cook and weave.
"Before the pioneer school at Belpre, there had been a mission school for Indians conducted by white men in the Moravian mission at Schoenbrunn in Tuscarawas County. To Rev David Zeisberger, the founder of Schoenbrunn, belongs the honor of being the first school teacher within the bounds of the present state of Ohio, but his pupils were Indian children.
"So far as is known, Bathsheba Rouse was the first woman teacher in the state of Ohio. Her services in the Belpre community in the summer of 1789 gave her the honor of being the first teacher of white children in Ohio under the supervision of the Ordinance of 1787. In this sense, she was the first teacher in the state.
"In a conspicuous place in the new school building in Belpre the citizens have very appropriately placed a bronze plaque to commemorate the name and fame of Bathsheba Rouse as the first teacher in Ohio.
"John Rouse, the father of Bathsheba migrated with his family to Marietta. Before the Revolutionary War he had made his living on a whaling fleet out of New Bedford, Massachusetts. His great grandfather had come from England. Through his mother John Rouse was descended from that hero of history and romance- Miles Standish. Alexander Standish, son of the famous Miles, married Sarah Alden, daughter of John and Priscilla Alden. Their daughter Lorah Standish, became the great grandmother of Bathsheba Rouse. Thus the pioneer school mistress of Ohio was descended from two of the first families of America.
"Fate could not have been more kind in selecting a person to start education in Ohio. Descended from families that arrived on the Mayflower, she represented the ideals of the pioneer settlers of Plymouth in the first colony founded by the new American nation at Marietta. Longfellow immortalized her pilgrim ancestors in 'The Courtship of Miles Standish.'
"Endowed with distinguished inheritance and destined to a noble service, Bathsheba started westward with her family at the age of 19. She was born on 29 Sep 1769 at New Bedford MA. With eager anticipation she watched her father and his neighbor, Capt Jonathan Haskell, hitch their teams to covered wagons early in Oct 1788.
"The moment for the start to Ohio arrived. The romantic destiny that was transmitted to Bathsheba from Miles Standish and John Alden sent a young farmer to implore her to remain as his wife. For an instant the beginning of education in Ohio trembled in the balance. Bathsheba answered 'No.' More persistent than romantic the young farmer sent his father with the offer of a deed of a good farm as an added inducement. Bathsheba reflected a moment. A good farm, no bears, no Indians. Good...And a husband; but he evidently lacked 'skill in the turning of phrases among other things, for Bathsheba preferred the land of bears and Indians.
"For two months the little caravan crawled along the muddy roads of New England...Perched on the front seat of one of the wagons, Bathsheba and the other girls sang gay songs when there was no danger in sight...
"..Early in April 1789, the Belpre pioneers moved to their allotment. As soon as these New Englanders had a roof over their heads, they began to think of providing education for their children. Influenced by the desire for mental and spiritual development that led their forefathers to found Harvard University, the Belpre settlers asked Bathsheba Rouse to teach their children.
"No description of the historic school taught at Belpre by Bathsheba Rouse has been recorded. It is possible, however, to imagine a fairly accurate picture of the school. Only the youngest children came to Bathsheba for instructions, because all who were old enough to work were employed at clearing the land and planting seed. Her schoolroom was undoubtedly one of the larger and more centrally located log cabins of the community.
"There were no book stores within hundreds of miles, but we know that these descendants of the Pilgrims always found room in their covered wagons for the Bible, the New England Primer and a few volumes of sermons. Such books probably were the texts of this pioneer school.
"Instruction was limited to the three R's. Physical training was not needed by children who spent their time after school in carrying wood and chasing squirrels from the corn fields. Bathsheba knew that no home work could be done in the cabins where candles were scarce...
"...While Indian warriors lurked in the surrounding forest, Bathsheba Rouse taught school for several summers within the walls of Farmers' Castle.
"In the cabin nearest to the home of John Rouse in Farmers' Castle lived the family of Griffin Greene. Soon after the end of the Indian war Richard Greene, son of Griffin Greene, married Bathsheba Rouse. The couple made their home near Marietta.
"Bathsheba died on 27 Feb 1843 and was buried in Mound Cemetery in Marietta Ohio.
"The first teacher in Ohio rests in an unmarked grave. To the nearby grave of Rufus Putnam, leader of the Marietta settlers, come thousands of people to commemorate the political beginning of Ohio.
"The grave of Bathsheba Rouse deserves to become the shrine of educational beginnings in the state."

OBITUARY
Marietta Intelligencer 6 Oct 1842
"Died in this town Tuesday the 27th Ultimo (Sep 27), after a painful and lingering illness, Mrs Bathsheba Greene, relict of Richard Greene, aged 72 yrs. The deceased was among the early settlers of the north west territory, having arrived at Marietta in Dec 1788, through her long life she was respected and honored by all who knew her."

ANCESTRY.COM
http://pedigree.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/pedview.dll?ti=0&Ind=11326&File=82123
Sarah SAMPSON dau Abraham SAMPSON and Lorah STANDISH grandau Alexander STANDISH and Sarah ALDEN greatgrandau Myles STANDISH and John ALDEN mar John ROUSE.

   Marriage Information:

Bathsheba married Richard GREENE in Belpre, Washington, Ohio, USA. (Richard GREENE was born on 1 Dec 1769 in East Warwick, , Rhode Island, USA, died in Dec 1805 in Marietta, Washington, Ohio, USA and was buried in Cemetery, Mound, L2, R91, Marietta, Washington, Ohio, USA.)