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New England Families Genealogical and Memorial: Third Series, Volume III, by William Richard Cutter, 1915 The Searles Family Robert Searls, the immigrant ancestor, was born in Dorchester, England, about 1640. He married, in 1660, Deborah (???), and about the same time came to this country, settling in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Other Searles, Searls or Searle pioneers preceded him. Many of the Searles families are descended from John Searles, of Springfield, Massachusetts, who was there as early as 1637, and from Philip Searl, of Roxbury, Massachusetts. The name is variously spelled in the early records, but the descendants of Robert Searls, of Dorchester, have usually maintained the spelling Searls. Robert Searls was admitted an inhabitant of Dorchester, June 9, 1662. His wife died March 2, 1713-14, at Dorchester. The town record of his death notes that he was "town clerk for many years." Doubtless the completeness of the early records in Dorchester relating to the Searls family is due to the fact that for sixteen years he himself kept the records as town clerk. He died at Dorchester, February 7, 1717. He signed the Dorchester petition to the King in 1664. He owned twelve acres of the "Great Lots" in 1668. Children: Nathaniel, born in Dorchester, June 9, 1662, married, 1694, Sarah, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Peabody) Rogers, and great-granddaughter of Thomas Rogers, of the "Mayflower;" Salter, a family name, found in almost every family of Robert Searls' descendants, born June 26, 1664, died April 8, 1690; Esbon (Edna in some accounts), born February 24, 1669, died young; Robert, mentioned below; Esbon, born March 18, 1674; Deborah, born April 4, 1677; Jabez, born March 13, 1679, married Thankful Topliff. (II) Robert (2) Searls, son of Robert
(1) Searls, was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, July 2, 1671. He married
there, December 4, 1695, by Rev. Mr. Danforth, Rebecca Evans. He settled
in Dorchester and died there, July 13, 1752. His widow Rebecca died May
17, 1761, in her eighty-fifth year. Both were buried in Dorchester, and
their graves are marked with headstones. Children: Salter, baptized December (III) Robert (3) Searls, son of Robert (2) Searls, was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, July 3, 1705. He settled in Dorchester, and married Sarah Maudsley, who was of an old Dorchester family, January 6, 1731. He was known generally as Robert Searls Jr. Children, born in Dorchester: Elizabeth, December 17, 1732; Rebecca, May 26, 1734; Elijah, March 28, 1736; John, May 17, 1738; Salter, mentioned below. (IV) Salter Searls, son of Robert (3)
Searls, was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, June 15, 1741. When a young
man he moved to Brooklyn, the county seat of Windham county, Connecticut.
He died there May 25, 1808. He served on the school committee and in other
offices. He married Alice Cady, of Brooklyn, Connecticut, born February
23, 1747, died October 24, 1819. Their seven sons and one (V) John Searles, son of Salter Searls,
was born about 1750. According to the first federal census there were three
families of the surname Searles or Searls in the state of Connecticut in
1790. Salter Searls and two of the name of John, one in New London county,
probably brother of Salter and the other John lived in Stafford, Tolland
county, and had in his family two males under sixteen and three females.
John (VI) John (2) Searles, son of John (1) Searles, was born in Connecticut in the section now known as Windham, Tolland and New London counties, in the western part of the state, about 1782. He settled, about the time he came of age, on Lot No. 7, 14th Range in Stanstead, Province of Quebec, Canada. This town was settled from New England. He married about the same time Sibyl Rose, who died June 17, 1858 (see Rose I). Children, born at Stanstead: Edward, September 1, 1805; Cyrus, February 22, 1808, married Roxanna Cass; Sibyl, April 22, 1810, married Joel Abbott; Luthera, April 8, 1812, married Tristram Rollins; Almon, mentioned below; Horace, November 9, 1816, married Marcella Durgan; Harry, November, 1818, married Maria Smith; Praxo, 1820, married John Kinnison; Hiram, April 8, 1824; Mary Ann, November, 1826, married Orrin Sprague; Gilman, July 6, 1829. (VII) Almon Searles, son of John (2) Searles, was born in Stanstead, Canada, April 11, 1814, died there December 18, 1883. He was a farmer in his native town all his active life. He married, February 28, 1837, Roxanna M. Danforth, born in Stanstead, October 22, 1816, died May 21, 1884, daughter of Willis and (???) (Goodwin) Danforth. Children, born in Stanstead: Luthera L., August 7, 1838, married Orange Wheeler; Julia A., January 14, 1840. died in 1891, married Lewis Pelky; Lucretia, October 1, 1841, married (???) Goodwin; Cyrus Almon, August 20, 1843; Ellen, December 12, 1845, died June 29, 1846; John Elmer, mentioned below; Omar L., August 13, 1854; Clara M., September 14, 1857, married Truman Libby; George H., July 18, 1860, died March 12, 1861. (VIII) John Elmer Searles, son of Almon Searles, was born at Stanstead, Canada, January 22, 1850. He received a common school education in his native place. When a young man he went to Boston, Massachusetts, where he was for eight years in the ice business. Afterward he came to Vermont, and lived at Holland and Derby, where he was in the meat and provision business for a number of years. Since 1908 he has been a druggist in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, in partnership with his son, Charles A. Searles. While in Derby he was an overseer of the poor and selectman of the town. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Derby, Vermont. In politics he is a Republican. He married, September 25, 1878, Clara Elizabeth Bishop, born at Stanstead, Province of Quebec, July 21, 1855, daughter of Charles E. and Julia (Hall) Bishop, and granddaughter of Hiram Bishop, who lived in New Hampshire (see Rose II). Children of John E. and Clara E. Searles: Charles Almon, mentioned below; John Rolf, mentioned below. (IX) Charles Almon Searles, son of John Elmer Searles, was born at Stanstead, Quebec, November 21, 1879. He came with his parents to Derby, Vermont, when he was a young child, and received his education there in the public schools and academy. He went to Boston to learn the drug business and attended the Boston School of Pharmacy while working in a wholesale drug house for two years. Afterward he was for two years a clerk in a drug store at Brockton, Massachusetts. In 1908 he engaged in business as a druggist at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, in partnership with his father under the firm name of Charle, A. Searles & Company, and has continued with abundant success to the present time. He is a member of Apollo Lodge, No. 2, Knights of Pythias, of St. Johnsbury. In politics he is a Republican, in religion a Congregationalist. He married, November 10, 1907, Laura Fader, born September, 1879, daughter of Charles and Matilda (Ross) Fader, of Windsor, Nova Scotia. Children: Karl Fader, born March 30, 1909; Paul Reginald, December 18, 1910; Olga May, September 19, 1912. (IX) John Rolf Searles, son of John
Elmer Searles, was born at Holland, Vermont, March 22, 1881. He attended
the public schools and Derby Academy and studied law in the office of Porter
& Thompson at St. Johnsbury. While a law student he was deputy clerk
in the county clerk's office at St. Johnsbury. He was admitted to the bar
in 1904 and immediately afterward began practice at St. Johnsbury. After
three years he formed a partnership with R. W. Simonds, in November, 1907,
under the firm name of Simonds & Searles, and the partnership has continued
to the present time. In politics Mr. Searles is a Republican. He has been
president of the incorporated village of St. Johnsbury. By appointment of
the governor of Vermont. he was a representative of the state to the Interstate
Laws Commission in Boston. He is a member of Passumpsic Lodge, No. 27, Ancient
Free and Accepted Masons; of Hoswell Chapter, No. 11, Royal Arch Masons;
of Caledonia Council, No. 13, Royal and Select Masters; Palestine Commandery,
No. 5, Knights Templar, all of St. Johnsbury; of Mount Sinai Temple, Nobles
of the
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