GIDEON OLMSTE(A)D, PART 1

 

As Joe mentioned above, he has written an article about Gideon Olmste(a)d  and Ester Andrews, his g.g.g grandparents. The article will be concluded in the next issue.

 

Gideon was born at West Stockbridge in 1768, one of the sons of Jabez (9088) and his wife Miriam Husse. He died May 14, 1837 at Hull, PQ and he is buried in Bellevue Cemetery, which is just outside the city of Hull, PQ. Bellevue cemetery was originally known as the Olmstead burial ground and Gideon donated land for this first cemetery in the area.

 

Gideon married Esther Andrew on February 4, 1788 according to the West Stockbridge, MA Vital Records. Esther was born in 1771 and she died January 27, 1840 at Hull, PQ. Esther was buried with Gideon, and a large box like structure now marks their resting place in Bellevue Cemetery.

 

Gideon, Esther and some young children came to the Burritts Rapids area of ON about 1796 along with some of Gideon’s siblings. It is known that some of these Olmsteads were in trouble with the law in Washington County, NY state at about this time and it is questionable whether it was the lure of free land in Canada or escaping the law in NY state that prompted them coming to Canada. An account of the journey from the Mohawk Valley of NY state to Burritts Rapids, ON was printed in the October 1999 newsletter. Gideon and family settled on lot 19, concession 1, along the Rideau front, just east of the present village of Burritts Rapids. It is not know how long he owned this property, for by 1804 he was able to purchase 300 acres of good land in Hull Twp., PQ where he remained the rest of his life.

 

No doubt Gideon used the “ed” spelling for his last name and this is the way it was spelled in the Genealogy of the Olmsted family in America. Many male descendants today use the “ead” spelling and it is not uncommon to see either spelling used.

Children of Gideon and Esther

 

1.     Sarah (Sally) b. 1790; d. 1871

 

Sarah was married in 1808 to Philemon WRIGHT who died in 1821. Philemon Wright was the oldest son of Philemon Wright Sr., generally considered to be the founder of Hull, PQ.

 

Children of Sarah & Philemon:

 

      Pamella m. Thomas McGoey

      Philemon m.  ? Smallwell

      Horatio m. Margaret Welsh

      Hull m (1) Susan Morehead, m. (2) Mary Sully

      Cezarina m. James P. Pierce

      Wellington m. Abigail Swallwell

            Erexina m. Andrew Leamy

      Sarah m (1) William Coulter, m (2) John Boucher

 

On November 2, 1826 the widow Sarah married Nicholas SPARKS. Sparks as a young man worked for the Wrights although on the marriage certificate he described himself as a timber merchant. Eventually he bought 200 acres of land on the south side of the Ottawa river. Part of this land was eventually used for the Rideau Canal but much of it was divided into lots and sold in the early development of Ottawa. This made Sparks a very rich man. Nicholas Sparks died in 1862.

Children of Sarah & Nicholas:

Mary m. Alonzo Wright (nephew of Philemon, Sarah’s first husband)

      Esther m. James D. Slater

      Nicholas m. Caroline Blaisdell.

 

2. Zenas b. 1791, d. ?

 

Zenas married Lavina Allen who died in 1857 in Hull Twp. PQ.

Children of Zenas and Lavina Esther

 

      Emily

      Esther Mahalah m. Edward Taber

      Harriat m (1) James Conroy, m (2) Pasachette Sheldon

      Lavina m. David Thomas Hughes

      Sarah m. Joseph Wyman

      Richard m (1) Sarah Alice Wright, m (2) Jessie McRae

      Mariah m (1) William Charles Thomas, m (2) Peter Hamilton

      Wyman m. Almira Halstead

      William

 

      While Zenas inherited part of his father’s Aylmer road farm and other properties he was not a good manager and has been described as a drunkard in several sources. Considerable detail was written about the family of the son Richard in our November 2003 newsletter where I wrote about “The Olmsteds of South Hull” by Keith MacLellan.

 

3. Gideon b. 1793, Feb 27,1869

Gideon  married Ann Taber, daughter of John Taber.

 

Children of Gideon & Ann:

 

      Mary Ann m. James Coombs

      Charles m. Delanah Campbell

      Esther

      Hanna Louisa 

      Eleanor Gertrude

      Jane

      Augusta.

 

      The obituary for August Delanah Gertrude McCracken (a daughter of Charles) says that years ago her family farmed much of the land which now comprises the Eastview district of Ottawa.

Hannah Louisa, Eleanor Gertrude, Jane and Augusta were all spinsters in the 1881 census.

 

4. Abram Andrew b. Dec 3, 1796, d. June 14, 1880 and is buried in Merivale cemetery in Ottawa, ON.

 

Abram married Ann Foster Feb 5, 1821 at Hull, PQ. Ann died in 1892.

Children of Abram and Ann:

Nancy Ann m. George Birtch

Gideon

Foster m. Esther Nelson

Mary m. William Cowan

Abram m. Amelia McNight

Esther Margaret m. Gilbert M. Nelson

Solomon Scott m. Mary A. Hawkins

George A. m. Annie B. Henderson

Richard m. Sarah Jane Taylor

Sarah  m. Thomas White

 

Abram and Ann were living on conc. 1, lot 32 in the 1871 census of Carlton County, Nepean Twp. Abram was my g.g.grandfather (Olmstead) and I have a great deal of detail on his descendants.

 

5. Jabez b. 1798, d. Dec 1, 1864.

Jabez married Hilda Cross. Hilda died April 19, 1869. Jabez and Hilda are buried in Wolford Twp. rural cemetery.

Children of Jabez and Hilda:

Gideon m. Chloe Livingston

Ambrose m. Maria Helena Ralph

Delorma m. Herietta Brundage

Sarah m. (1) Nelson Cummings, m. (2) Richard McKim Emeline

      Almira

 

Jabez & Hilda lived in Leeds & Grenville County, Wolford Twp.

 

6.     Daniel b. 1801.

           

    The only information on Daniel is that he received a share of his father’s estate according to an agreement among the beneficiaries dated Nov 14,1839. At that time he was residing in Hull Twp.

 

7.  Henry b. Sept 8,1808 in Wolford Twp, d May 5, 1873.    

    Henry married Charlotte Wright a granddaughter of Philemon Wright Sr. Henry was a widower by 1851.

 

Children of Henry and Charlotte:

    Abigail m. (1) Samuel Lynch (Lince),  m. (2) John Roach, m (3) Eugene Reindeau

    Polly (Mary) m. Samuel Charles Cross

    William m. Annie Hayes

    Amos m. Elizabeth Jane Wells

    Hulda m. Alexander Wells (brother of Elizabeth) 

    Sarah Charlotte m. ( 1) Stewart Leitch, m. (2) William Steele

            Abigail was born in Wolford Twp., Polly, William, Amos & Hulda reportedly were born in Hull Twp. and Sarah Charlotte was born at Bristol, PQ. Henry, Charlotte and Amos are buried at Otter Lake, PQ.

 

To be concluded in the next issue.