Doreen
Dolleman’s Research
By
the time your fall newsletter arrives Bill and I will be living for three
months in New Windsor, Maryland, away from our home in Seattle. We will be
doing volunteer work at a free trade organization called SERRV. They import
crafts from third world countries to be sold in the U.S. and Canada. I have
planned several strategic stops along our way and out of the way across country
to do some family history hunting.
I
am going to stray from my comfort zone to tackle a subject that is not my area
of expertise. The reason being that over the years I have come in contact with
a lot of folks who are descendants of the Jedediah Olmstead line, but did not
realize he was their ancestor. So in spite of my shortcomings in this area I will
attempt to share a brief history of this family.
I will begin with the recorded facts that I have on
Jedediah.
1.
He
was born 13 February 1739 in Brookfield, MA, the son of Jeremiah Olmsted and
Elizabeth Litten.
2.
The
next document bearing his name appears 21 years later in Berkshire County, MA,
”Omstead Town” west of Stockbridge. It is a quitclaim deed from Jedediah
Omstead to John D. Jenkins, dated 8 April 1760.
3.
Twenty-three
years later on 12 May 1783 Samuel Waterhouse of Pawlet, VT sold to Jedediah
Humstead, yeoman of Shaftsbury, VT, a parcel of land in the Skene’s Patent in
Low Hampton, Washington County, NY.
4.
In
the 1790 census Jedediah Olmsted was enumerated in Hampton Township, Washington
County. In his household were 3 males over 16, 3 males under 16, and 2 females.
5.
On
15 September 1794 Simeon Dewitt, surveyor general of NY, sold to Jedediah
Omstead a parcel of Skene’s Little Patent, Washington County, NY.
6.
On
1 January 1795 Solomon Carver of Whitehall, NY, Daniel Buell and Samuel
Waterhouse Jr. both of Hampton sold a parcel of land to Jedediah Omstead of
Hampton, NY.
7.
On
January 1st, 4th, and 5th of 1795 Jedediah
Omstead of Hampton sold land to Samuel Waterhouse Jr., Solomon Carver, and
Peter Christy.
8.
In
the 1800 census Jeddediah Olmsted was enumerated in Hampton, NY with 1 male
over 45, 1 male 10–16, 1 female over 45, and 1 female 10–16.
9.
On
20 July 1809 John Olmstead was executor of his deceased father, Jedediah
Olmstead’s estate and administrative papers in Boyle, which is now Pittsford,
Monroe County, NY.
10.
The
final recorded information on Jedediah was 35 years after his death. His son
Moses, who had become involved in the Mormon movement, entered in the temple
records on 5 August 1844 in Nauvoo, IL, baptism for the deceased members of his
family. He named his parents as Jedediah and Mehitable Olmstead and his
siblings as Israel, Polly, Betsey, and Jedediah Olmstead.
The rest of the details that I will briefly outline
are a mixture of records, stories and hearsay passed along by descendants of
the Jedediah line. The children of Jedediah and Mehitable were:
1.
John
was named as oldest son in father’s administrative papers. He died after 1844.
He married Elizabeth Allen and had 5 daughters and one son. One daughter was
named Mehitable. He was enumerated in the 1800 Hampton, NY census. There were
land transactions by him in Washington County, NY and in Boyle/Pittsford,
Monroe County, NY.
2.
Israel
married Elizabeth Haskins on 16 June 1791. His 1793 petition for land in
Ontario states that he was from Hampton, NY. He was granted land in Wolford
Twp. and was twice burned out by the Indians. He drowned in the River Rideau,
Ontario on 7 February 1802. His children were Abial, Ephraim, Lurana, Mehitable
and Thankful (twins). His widow Elizabeth married Solomon Edmunds 5 July 1803.
3.
Moses
was born 7 January 1774 and died 25 August 1852 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He
married 15 April 1818 Almira Seekins. They were in Cattaraugus County NY in the
1820 and 1830 census, Lapeer County MI by 1836, Nauvoo, IL in 1844 and Council
Bluffs, IA in 1850. Their children were Hannah, David, Hiram, Matilda, John,
Sarah Ann, Lucinda, Moses, Benjamin, Nelson Peter, Alma and Almira (twins).
Both his widow and his daughter Lucinda married Ira Sterns Hatch 7 December
1852. It was a temple marriage in name only.
4.
Jedediah
Jr. was born in 1777 and died after the 1830 census. He married Olive who was
probably the daughter of Samuel Waterhouse and lived in Wolford and Burritt’s
Rapids, Ontario from 1801-05. The children of his brother Israel lived in
Jedediah’s household for a time after their mother’s remarriage. Jedediah and
Olive’s children were Samuel, Henry, William and Barnwell. Jedediah returned to
the U.S. His first wife died and he then married Mary Bullard and settled in
Bartholomew County, IN. Their children
were John, Alonzo, George Washington, Permelia Ann, Justus, Malinda, Amanda,
and John Quincy Adams. Jedediah was a cooper.
5.
Polly
died before 1844.
6.
Betsey
died before 1844.
7.
Abiathar
witnessed the early land records of his brothers in Monroe County, NY
1805-1815. There are also land records of his own and he is named on a
Pittsford Village plat map with his brothers John and Benjamin in 1806. So far
no further records have been found, but I have the Bible records of the William
Olmstead/Mary Ann Round family in Vermillion County, IN that has a death entry
for an Abiatha Olmstead 14 February 1849. William and Mary Ann were the parents
of Jedediah Olmstead (wife Mariah Corman). I strongly suspect that this is the
family of the missing Abiathar.
8.
Benjamin
J. was born 10 July 1783 in Vermont. He died 22 July 1871 in Orleans, MI. He
married Elizabeth Rose who may have been his second wife. His children were
Israel H.; Julia; Franklin; Irvin (one
of twin sons born 14 July 1825 in Gates, Monroe County); and Benjamin J. He
settled in Gates in 1804 and had a falling out with his brothers when his
father died in 1809. He moved to Ypsilanti, MI in the 1820’s.
9.
Mehitable
was a possible daughter
This is a very brief sketch of the Jedediah Olmstead
family, but hopefully it will be of some help to those of you researching this
line. I have much more information and if I can be of any further help feel
free to contact me. I would appreciate anything that might add to what I
already have. A special thanks to Paul Wagner, Janet Egler, Kathy Shirley and
Mona Fairchild who helped make this article possible!