SAXBY, William L. (1827-1876) and Euphemia H. (1826-1902)

William and Euphemia Saxby, from Vermont and New York, respectively, became Adventists in the late 1840s and accepted the seventh-day Sabbath through the preaching of Joseph Bates in 1852 while living in Springfield, Massachusetts. William Saxby, a tinsmith and farmer, was an active layman through whom his brother-in-law Augustin C. Bourdeau and Stephen N. Haskell, later church leaders, became Sabbatarians in the 1850s. Around 1859 the Saxbys moved to Vermont, and in 1862-1863 William fought with the 1st Vermont Cavalry in the Civil War. It is possible that his war engagement coincided with a decline of faith. His obituary speaks of “a marked change in his course, … a desire to draw near to God” as he neared his death. The Saxbys received incidental mention in Ellen White's 1859 diary. The Whites were entertained at their home in Salem, Massachusetts, while holding meetings there.1EGWLM 887.2

See: Obituary: “W. L. Saxby,” Review, Apr. 6, 1876, p. 111; Willard H. Saxby, “Father's Experience,” Review, Mar. 8, 1917, p. 17; obituary: “Euphemie [sic] H. Saxby,” Review, Oct. 7, 1902, p. 23; 1860 U.S. Federal Census, “William L. Saxby,” Vermont, Franklin County, Enosburgh, p. 43; Stephen N. Haskell, Mary E. Haskell, “From Bro. and Sr. Haskell,” Review, Feb. 6, 1855, p. 175; S. B. Horton, “Another Pioneer Laid to Rest,” Review, Aug. 17, 1916, p. 16; Civil War Research Database. 2006, www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/military/cwrd/main.aspx (Dec. 11, 2006); Report of the Adjutant & Inspector General of the State of Vermont From October 1, 1863 to October 1, 1864 (Montpelier: Walton's Steam Press, 1864), p. 211.1EGWLM 887.3