"Robert Bissell came to Middlefield with Justus Bissell and lived with him until his marriage, in March 1796, to Thankful, dau. of Edward and Margaret (Dyer) Cheeseman, of Braintree. Bissell acquired lots 51, 58 and 60, 5th Div. Becket. His house was probably the original one on the old Gamwell and Wheeler place east of Mr. Willis Graves' farm. He moved to Aurora, Ohio, 1806." Source: A History of the Town of Middlefield, Massachusetts by Edward Church Smith. Copyright 1924 by Menasha, Wis. Priv. print. (Page 414)
"By the death of her father in Rev. War the family of nine children was scattered. Thanksful at age six found home in the family of Judge Niles of Braintree where occurred her marriage to Robert Bissell." Source: A History of the Town of Middlefield, Massachusetts by Edward Church Smith. Copyright 1924 by Menasha, Wis. Priv. print. (Page 430)
"In the home missionary field the story of Rev. Samuel Bissell is of interest. Among the Bissell families who emigrated to Ohio about 1806 was that of Robert Bissell, who had come to Middlefield with his brothers when quite young. There he married Thankful Cheeseman who had similarly come to town with her brothers after being left an orphan when six years old. Being thus early accustomed to frontier conditions they were well fitted to repeat the experiences in Ohio. After the forty day journey from Middlefield to Mantua, Ohio, Bissell, being a carpenter, left his family to roll up a log cabin one mile west of Aurora, covering the roof with bark. When the family moved in there was no chimney or fireplace, and a plank floor only in the corner where the beds stood. Here mother and children stayed while Mr. Bissell was away at his trade. One night they heard an animal brushing against the cabin and the next morning they found bear's hair on the log wall. Here amid wild beasts, without meat, vegetables, butter or milk, having only bread and a jug of molasses brought from Middlefield, they began their new life in the Western Reserve. It was in this environemnt that Samuel Bissell, son of Robert Bissell, grew up." Source: A History of the Town of Middlefield, Massachusetts by Edward Church Smith. Copyright 1924 by Menasha, Wis. Priv. print. (Page 331)
"Deacon Cary and his wife were among the 21 members who formed the Congregational Church at Williamsburg July 3, 1771." Source: A History of the Town of Middlefield, Massachusetts by Edward Church Smith. Copyright 1924 by Menasha, Wis. Priv. print. (Page 426)
"The descendents of Deacon Joseph and Phebe (Mack) Cary are thus descendents of the emigrant ancestor of John Mack of Lyme, CT, who was ancestor of many of the residents of Middlefield." Source: A History of the Town of Middlefield, Massachusetts by Edward Church Smith. Copyright 1924 by Menasha, Wis. Priv. print. (Page 426)
"Benjamin came to Middlefield, MA about 1781. PT. Inc. 1781. He lived somewhere on the south side of Walnut Hill in a spot known as "Cheeseman's Hollow." Moved to Nelson, NY, his letter of dismissal from the Church being dated 1811. Cen. 1790-1800." Source: A History of the Town of Middlefield, Massachusetts by Edward Church Smith. Copyright 1924 by Menasha, Wis. Priv. print. (Page 430)
"He lived for many years at Factory Village where he was watchman at S.U. Church and Brothers, Lower Mill." Source: A History of the Town of Middlefield, Massachusetts by Edward Church Smith. Copyright 1924 by Menasha, Wis. Priv. print. (Page 431)
"Moved to Colrain, Mass." Source: A History of the Town of Middlefield, Massachusetts by Edward Church Smith. Copyright 1924 by Menasha, Wis. Priv. print. (Page 431)
"One of the first to enlist (Civil War) and one of the few who served through most of the war was Uriah Frank Cheeseman, a son and grandson of soldiers of the War of 1812 and of the Revolutionary respectively. Twelve Middlefield boys enlisted in September, 1862, in the 46th Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, Company F and K, and were engaged mainly in North Carolina, cutting communications between Richmond and the South." Source: A History of the Town of Middlefield, Massachusetts by Edward Church Smith. Copyright 1924 by Menasha, Wis. Priv. print. (Page 181)
"Civil War: Enlisted June 21, 1861, 10th Infantry, Co. G. Discharged July 1, 1864 for disability." Source: A History of the Town of Middlefield, Massachusetts by Edward Church Smith. Copyright 1924 by Menasha, Wis. Priv. print. (Page 383)