William is one of many children of Zaccheus Fairbanks and Martha Gates of Antrim, NH. He is listed in Lorenzo Sayles Fairbanks book as being married to Hannah Colburn and "removing" to Cranston, RI. This is corroborated by the 1850 Census record for Cranston.

According to this same record, William and Hannah had four children -- William A., Newton P., Oliver and Lucy. William E. died sometime between 1850 and 1860 -- probably closer to 1850 since Hannah was remarried to Richard Fairclough and living in Paterson, NJ for the 1860 census.

Lucy Fairbanks Milnes was my great great grandmother. I have discovered that Newton died in the Battle of Wilson's Creek in Missouri in 1861 at the start of the Civil War. He does not appear to have any descendants. Oliver became a photographer in Paterson and it looks like he never married or had children either.

I am looking for anyone who might know what happened to the oldest son, William A. Fairbanks. He has born about 1833 in (Antrim?) New Hampshire according to the 1850 census but he did not go to Paterson, NJ with his mother and I can't find him on any other census after 1850.

I would also like to know if anyone from the Cranston, RI area has seen a headstone in a cemetery for William E. Fairbanks. His birth date is April 17, 1806 and he died after 1850 but before 1860. I would like to know the name (or number) of the cemetery.

I would also like to hear from anyone else who is descended from William and Lucy Fairbanks Milnes. William and Lucy lived in Paterson, NJ during the height of the silk industry there. Paterson was known as "Silk City" at that time. They raised seven children there. William, Lucy, Lucy's mother Hannah Colburn Fairbanks Fairclough, and William's brother Henry and his family are buried in Cedar Lawn Cemetery in Paterson.