Peter Compton was born in Tompkins County, New York (17 June 1813), son of Stephen and Anna (Van Sickle) Compton. He married Amy Norris on 30 April 1835. She had been born in Sullivan County, New York in 1819, daughter of Matthew and Julia (Van Duzer) Norris. They had only one child, Norris Matthew Compton, born 26 April 1836 in Sullivanville, NY, a small hamlet in the "town" of Veteran, which is situated on the road northeast of Elmira on the way to Ithaca.
Peter became a circuit preacher for the Methodist-Episcopal Church. He and Amy were early members of the church at Sullivanville, NY. There are a number of references to his ministry:
History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins, and Schuyler Counties, New York, 1879: The Methodist Episcopal Church of Tyrone Village - The society or class was formed at the schoolhouse in Tyrone Village, Oct 11, 1828, by Elder Nathan B. Dodson, a presiding elder of the Jersey circuit. Among the original members were…..Peter Compton.
History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins, and Schuyler Counties New York, 1879 - The Methodist Church - Veteran, New York: In 1832 a class and church was organized at Sullivanville, and were composed of Dietrich Shaffer, leader, Sarah Shaffer, as are Mallory and wife, and soon after Peter and Amy Compton. A meeting house was erected in 1855, thoroughly repaired in 1877, and on June 27, 1878, was rededicated. There are about 25 members.
Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York by John H. Selkreg, 1894; D. Mason & Co., Publisher, Chapter XVI - Town of Danby: The South Danby Methodist Church was organized as early as 1830, and was formerly a part of the North Danby charge. The church was built in 1836. The charge was separated from the parent church in 1843. In 1871 the church was extensively repaired. The first pastor was Rev. Peter COMPTON.
A History of South Danby and of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1873: 1839 - Peter Compton preached one year.
Minutes of the Annual Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church - Oneida, NY Conference, August 21, 1844 - Peter Compton listed in the Owego District preaching at Flemingville, NY.
Minutes of the Annual Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church - Oneida, NY Conference - July 22, 1846 - Peter Compton is listed as Deacon. Also listed as preacher in the Susquehanna District in Pike, NY
Minutes of the Annual Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church - Oneida, NY Conference July 21, 1847 - Peter Compton listed as Deacon. Also listed as preacher in the Susquehanna District in Pike, NY.
Minutes of the Annual Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church - Oneida, NY Conference - July 26, 1848 - Peter Compton listed as Deacon. Also listed as preacher in the Susquehanna District in Greene, NY.
Minutes and Official Journal of the Thirteenth Session of the Central New York Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church held at Syracuse, New York October 6 - 13, 1880: Local Preacher's Directory - Sullivanville: Peter Compton.
In 1850, the family is listed in the US Census of Barton, Tioga, NY, consisting of Peter ("Methodist preacher"), Amy, son Norris Compton, and Peter's father, Stephen Compton. Peter is also listed in the 1860 (homeopathy physician), 1870 (minister) and 1880 (farmer) censuses for Veteran, NY, living in Sullivanville,
Events:
On May 5, 1834 he purchased property from Langstaff and Sarah Compton in Veteran, NY. It is suspected that Langstaff was his uncle, being a brother of his father, Stephen.
On March 18, 1855 Peter had a dry goods store in Waverly, NY that went up in flames:
From the Owego Gazette: Great Fire in Waverly: A fire broke out in Waverly, on Sunday morning, March 18th, about half past two o'clock, in the rear of P. Compton's dry goods store, destroying 14 buildings. Loss and insurance reported as follows: ....One block of six stores owned by Mr. Spaulding, loss $5000, insured $3000 in Farmers Union Co. and Livingston Co. [Thomas J. Brooks store occupied this block], ...building owned and occupied by P. Compton as a dry good store, loss $5000, building insured in Dividend Company, Glenn Falls, NY for $1000, contents insured in Phoenix Company $3000....
From "The History of Waverly, New York and Vicinity (1943): On the 18th of March, 1855 the necessity for an organized body of firefighters was made painfully manifest by Waverly's first great fire. It began in Peter Compton's store on the south side of Broad Street and burned eastward to and including Mrs. Gibbon's store and westward almost to the Davis Block destroying in all seventeen stores and dealing a severe blow to the business interests of the village. There was no longer any doubt that a fire company was needed...On May 4 the taxable inhabitants voted to allocate $900 to procure a fire engine, hose, etc., which was subsequently purchased in New York City.
On May 18, 1868, Peter was awarded a U.S. patent for a new beehive design:
In 1869 his home is shown on a map of Sullivanville, NY from Atlas of Chemung Co., New York : from actual surveys / by and under the direction of F. W. Beers ; assisted by Geo. P. Sanford & others, 1869. (Notice a neighbor farmer named W. Randall [William], who may have been close friends with father Peter's son, Norris who took over running Peter's farm in Sullivanville, and may have been the reason Norris named his son William Randall Compton.)
Peter is listed in the 1868-69 Gazetteer and Business Directory for Chemung and Schuyler Counties as a patentee and manufacturer of bee hives, and farmer of 7 acres.
Death 17 November 1886.
Death Certificate:
Headstone in the Van Duzer Cemetery in the Compton plot in Veteran, NY
From the "Northern Christian Advocate" on December 9, 1886: Minutes of the Ithaca district conference convened for its seventh annual session in the Aurora Street Church Ithaca New York Monday evening November 29. M. Shaw reported the death of Peter Compton, a local preacher at Horseheads. An appropriate memoir was prepared and ordered spread on the conference minutes.
Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate this memoir, any obituary in the local newspapers or any photograph of Peter Compton.
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