The Face of Oriseville Sarah (Fisher) Frost of Peterborough NH (1848-1929)

Mrs. Oriseville Sarah (Fisher) Frost of Peterborough NH, from a gem sized tintype photograph

At first I thought the handwriting on the back of a lovely gem-sized tintype photo read Drusilla.  The other side with the actual photograph was entitled “Mrs. Frost,” in pencil.  The face that looked out at me was lovely, and strangely I had not remembered purchasing it.  It had arrived in an envelope with several others that I did order.  I dutifully researched and connected the relationships between those other photographs.  But this one of Mrs. Frost seemed to be unrelated.

After several hours of pouring through records, I had a genealogist’s “Aha!” moment.  It became clear that the wording on the back of the photograph read Oriseville.

The back of Mrs. Frost’s photograph

The label of “Mrs. Frost,” makes it seem that the owner did not have an intimate relationship with her. Perhaps instead of a relative, she was a friend of the original photo owner.

Oriseville Sarah Fisher was born in 1848 at Royalston, Massachusetts to Orvis & Sarah (Wilson) Fisher. She grew up in a time of great national anxiety.  Both her father and future husband enlisted in what was called “The War of the Rebellion” (Civil War).  Her father never returned home, dying in 1856 from complications of meningitis at the Union hospital at Fort Monroe, Virginia.  Her mother never remarried, caring for her children and receiving a small stipend as a pension from the Federal Government.

Oriseville married in 1868 in Wilton New Hampshire to George Albert Frost, and lived her married life, up until her death in 1929, in Peterborough, New Hampshire.  They raised one child, a son: Albert Orvis Frost.  Her genealogy is an interesting one, and is directly below.

–GENEALOGY of ORISEVILLE (FISHER) FROST of PETERBOROUGH NH–

John & Mary (Balcom) Fisher of Norton MA
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Children of John & Mary (Balcom) Fisher:
1. ? possibly +Deacon David Fisher b 10 March 1736 Norton MA
2. Elijah Fisher,  b 18 June 1758 Norton MA; m Jerusha Keen
3. [Several other children see parent’s link above]

[the ancestry prior to this generation is uncertain]

Deacon David Fisher, son of ?, b 1736, d 31 March 1807 in Attleboro MA; m. 5 May 1753 at Rehoboth MA to Ruth Bliss. She b. 23 Oct 1736 in Rehoboth, Bristol Co. MA and died 25 Sep 1821 in Attleboro, Bristol Co. MA, age 85. They are buried in the Old Kirk Yard, Attleboro MA
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Children of David & Ruth (Bliss) Fisher:
1. +David Fisher, b. 3 Feb 1764 Attleboro MA
2. Ruth Rifhser b 12 July 1766 Attleboro MA
3. Darius Fisher b 30 July 1771 Attleboro MA
4. Nathan Fisher b 20 Jan 1774 Attleboro MA
5. Nathaniel Fisher, b. 29 March 1776, d. 9 Jan 1810 Attleboro MA; m. Lois Fisher. She b 1781, d. 1856

Capt. David Fisher, son of David & Ruth (Bliss) Fisher b 3 Feb 1764 Attleboro MA, d 3 October 1850 Royalston MA; m. 9 Aug 1790 to Sophia Thayer of Mansfield MA, dau of Christopher & Bathsheba (Skinner) Thayer. She b. 20 Nov 1764 in Mansfield MA and d 17 May 1851 in Royalston MA. According to the History of Royalston, “He removed to Royalston MA about 1790 from Attleboro MA….He bought a farm of one hundred acres in West Royalston, where he died in 1850. He was a Quaker and very eccentric, being an earnest opponent of the old law, requiring every one to pay for the support of religious worship, and became a leader of the “Free Donation Society”; after the repeal of that law he became a regular contributor in sustaining the institution of the Gospel. He was selectman of Royalston two years, assessor seven years, and was a well known school-master for several years.”
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Children of David & Sophia (Thayer) Fisher:
1. Sophia Fisher, b. 23 Aug 1791; m. Moses Walker 2nd 29 Jan 1816
2. +Jason Fisher b 25 April 1793
3. Achsa Fisher b 8 Feb 1795, died 21 Feb 1795
4. Seth Fisher b 13 Ja 1796; d. 29 Jan 1863 in Shewsbury MA; single
5. Clarissa Fisher b 27 Feb 1798; m. Hori Westcoat of Warwick 21 March 1820
6. Ruth Blise Fisher b 22 Aug 1799; m. 9 May 1820 to Stephen J. Kendall of Warwick
7. David Fisher b 8 march 1801
8. Israel Labin Fisher b 13 May 1803, d. 9 Oct 1805
9. Achsa Fisher (II), b abt 1805 Attleboro MA, d. 6 Oct 1894 Orange MA; m. 6 Oct 1894 to Alden Pratt.

Jason Fisher, son of Capt. David & Sophia (Thayer) Fisher was b. 25 Apr 1793 in Royalston MA. He m. 19 Feb 1818 to Ruth Walker. “He bought his father’s farm and lived on it until his death in 1878. He was a farmer and pump maker, making the old-fashioned wooden pump.”
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Children of Jason & Ruth (Walker) Fisher:
1. Horace Fisher, b. 19 Sep 1820 Royalston MA; m. Lucy J. Kendall.
2. Ruth Morse Fisher b 24 March 1823; m. Charles Mosman of Westminster 20 Nov 1845
3. Lisander Watson Fisher, b. 22 Jan 1825
4. +Orvis Fisher b 23 March 1827
5. Feronda Walker Fisher b 23 Apr 1829 in Royalston MA. He enlisted in the 4th VT Regiment in the Civil War and died in Orange MA in 1909.
6. Fyonda Aurilla Fisher b 6 March 1831
7. Cynthia Dexter Fisher b 3 March 1834, died young
8. Augustus J. Fisher b. 14 Apr 1836 Royalston MA; m1) Hattie A. Jennison; m2) Emma C. Richardson. No children

First page of letter dated April 20th, 1865 from U.S. General Hospital, Fortress Monroe, Va., Chaplain Billingsly to Mrs. Orvis Fisher concerning her husband’s death and burial in Virginia

Orvis Fisher, son of Jason Fisher, b. 3 March 1827 in Royalston MA, d. 18 April 1865 at Fort Monroe VA from complications of meningitis; he married 15 October 1846 at Brattleboro, Windham Co. VT to Sarah Wilson, daughter of Clark & Mary Ann (Graves) Wilson. She b 10 August 1829 in Swanzey NH and d. 9 Feb 1889 in Winchendon MA. He was a Private of Co. K, 1st NH Cavalry in the Civil War and died at the U.S. General Hospital at Fort Monroe. He was originally buried in the cemetery at Fort Monroe, then at some point the graves were all moved to Hampton National Cemetery in Hampton City Virginia where he now rests. She received a pension and funds for her two children under the age of 17. She is buried in Templeton MA.
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1855 Census of MA > Worcester > Royalston
Orvis Fisher 28 MA mechanic [b abt 1827]
Sarah Fisher 26 NH
Oriseville S. Fisher 7 MA
George O. Fisher 6 MA
Emma J. Fisher 4 MA
Jason L. Fisher 9/12 MA
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Partial transcription of letter from Military Chaplain to Mrs. Orvis Fisher at her husband’s death. Dated April 20th, 1865 from U.S. General Hospital, Fortress Monroe, Va. “Your husband Orvis Fisher Co. K 1st N.H. Cav died very recently in this hospital of disease of the brain. He was well cared for, neatly laid out and interred in the burying ground here with Christian ceremony and military honors. A head-board, containing his name, date of death, company regiment marks the spot where his mortal remains now lie. These remains may be procured in the following manner. You have only to leave an order with the nearest Express office whose Agent will cause the body to be forwarded from here to any address you may furnish him. The expense of this may be learned at the office as the Co. assumes the charge of the entire business. The same person who has the charge of the burials, sees to the disinterment of bodies for transportation. By writing to Dr. E. McClellan you may obtain receipts to sign and return, after which you will receive the effects of deceased, if any there be. The exact date of death we are not at liberty to give, but it may be had by addressing the Adjt Genl at his office, Washington. A lock of his hair was preserved which you will please find enclosed. I saw him often on his death-bed, but he was unconscious, so Much so that I could not get an expression of his religious feelings. He was so for a week ere he died, says the Ward Master who wrote you several days since his death. Though your loss is great, yet since he died for his country, I die we hope in Christ…. May God comfort you in this sad trial. Your Sympathizing Friend, Chap. A.S. Billingsley.”
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Children of Orvis & Sarah (Wilson) Fisher:
1. + Orisevill/Oriseville Sarah Fisher, b.15 Jan 1848 Royalston MA; d. 6 Jan 1929 at the Peterborough Home for the Aged, in Peterborough NH; she is buried in Pine Hill Cemtery in Peterborough NH
2. George O. Fisher, b abt 1851; m. 24 Dec 1874 in Lowell MA to Emma Wyman, dau of Newell & Rebecca Wyman
3. Emma Jane Cynthia Fisher, b. 28 April 1851 Royalston MA, died 5 Dec 1906 in Orange, MA. She m. Charles Henry Starkey of Troy NH. They had several children including (1) Harry E. Starkey b abt 1873, m. 30 June 1906 in Brockton MA to Annie B. Spring Hunt, dau of William W. & Lucy A. (Smith) Hunt; (2) Pearl David Starkey b abt 1878 m. 12 March 1901 in Keene NH to Florence Nellie Dresser, dau of James English & Nellie (Wentworth) Dresser; (3) Charles Dick Starkey b abt 1883; m. 17 Oct 1906 in Gardner MA to Daisie Eleanor Miles, dau of Edgar Breckinridge & Luella (Taft) Miles; (4) Carl F. Starkey b abt 1889, died 27 Dec 1892, age 3 in Orange MA.
4. Jason L. Fisher, b 9 December 1854 in Royalston MA; he m. 4 Jan 1881 in Richmond NH to Mary E. Goddard, dau of William & Betsy Goddard.

Oriseville Sarah “Oriser” Fisher, [this story is about her], dau of Orvis & Sarah (Wilson) Fisher, b. 15 Jan 1848 at Royalston MA, d. 6 Jan 1929 in Peterborough NH; m. 21 January 1868 in Wilton NH to George Albert Frost, son of Albert & Mary (Bautelle) Frost. He b. 23 March 1844 in Salem MA, and died 23 Aug 1884 in Peterborough NH. They were living in Peterborough NH at the time of their marriage. [Albert Frost capenter b. Dublin NH, his mother b Antrim NH]. He served during the civil war in the 3rd NH Infantry, Co. I, using alias of George French. As his widow, Oriseville filed for a pension on 26 July 1890.
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Child of George A. & Oriseville S. (Fisher) Frost:
1. +Albert Orvis Frost, b. 10 Dec 1869 in Peterborough NH;

Albert Orvis Frost, son of George Albert & Oriseville Sarah (Fisher) Frost, was b. 10 Dec 1869 in Peterborough NH; d. 14 July 1932 in Keene NH; He m. 30 Sep 1891 in Dublin NH to Winnie Della Perry, dau of Charles H.F. & Mary E. (Moore) Perry. She b. 2 Dec 1872 in Dublin NH and d. Nov. 1864.
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Child of Albert O. & Winnie D. (Perry) Frost:
1. Forest Appleton Frost b. 28 Oct 1892 in Manchester NH, and d. July 1964. He m. 9 Oct 1926 in Winchester NH to Madalene Handy, dau of Bertie Walter “Bert” & Minnie Mabel (Wood) Handy. She was born in 1893 and died in 1983.  In 1930 census they were living in Winchester NH with daughters Mary E. Frost and Ruth E. Frost. In 1953 he was town moderator of Winchester NH.  Both are buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Winchester NH.