JEREMIAH OLMSTEAD

By Doreen Dolleman

 

Jeremiah Olmstead of Washington County, New York is another puzzle among the many in our Capt. Jabez line. He was of the right age and lived his entire life in the right area to have been a son of Jabez and Miriam Olmstead. However, just like the rest of their family, there are no known vital records or Bible records to confirm his relationship to them. Most of the following records were gathered on our trips to Washington County

 

1.        In the “Abbe-Abbey Genealogy” Jeremiah is listed as the husband of Sally Ferguson. Sally was born in 1797 and was the daughter of Samuel Ferguson and Jemima Abbe. They lived in Granville, Washington County, NY. The book states that they had 3 children: William, Mary Ann, and Hannah.

2.        According to the federal and state census records for Washington Co. (1820, 1825, 1830, 1835, and 1840), Jeremiah was born between 1775-1780. His wife Sally was 17 to 22 years younger.

3.        In 1820 they lived in Granville and had one male and one female child under 10.

4.        In 1825 they lived in Granville with one male child and 2 female children. One female died in 1824.

5.        In 1826 Jeremiah Olmstead was charged with blasphemy in the Washington County General Sessions Court. It is a lengthy document, difficult to transcribe, and hard to understand exactly what he did. I have the microfilm of the court records and cannot find the verdict from his trial. I did some research on blasphemy charges in early America and found that it was considered a serious crime, punishable by whipping, stocks, prison and even death. There were two other people involved in Jeremiah’s crime, mentioned by name – Isaac Monroe and David/Daniel Hammond. They were all said to be “evil, wicked, profane men”. I contacted a descendant of the Hammond family and asked if they had any knowledge of the case. In fact, their family legend was that David or Daniel Hammond had been convicted of performing a baptism by dunking someone’s head in a horse trough and shouting, “I baptize you in the name of the …”. Although the trough is not mentioned in Jeremiah’s court document, the baptism and the shouting were, and Jeremiah Olmstead was charged with the offense. There may be separate documents for the other men involved.

6.        In 1829 Jeremiah Umstead’s 3 children (5-15 years) were on the Argyle, School District 16 (Washington Co.) list.

7.        In 1830 they lived in Fort Ann (Washington Co.) with a male 10-15 and 2 females 10-15.

8.        In 1835 they lived in Fort Ann and the household consisted of 2 males and 2 females. One of the females was under 16 and unmarried.

9.        In 1840 they were in Granville: “Jerry” and wife, one male 20-30, one female 15-20, and one female under 5. It appears a new daughter was added to the household since the previous census (Jemima).

10.     Jeremiah and Sally Olmstead are not on the 1850 census for Washington County. On a recent trip to Fort Ann we viewed the cemetery recordings (tombstones only) at the township office and found no Olmstead’s.

 

I have no further information or even clues as to what became of Jeremiah and Sally’s daughters, Mary Ann and Hannah.  Their son William Olmstead (40) was enumerated in the 1850 Fort Ann census with his wife Jane (50) and daughter Eliza (2). He was a laborer. In the 1855 Fort Ann census William Umpsted was 38 and farmer. Jane was 41 and daughter Ester E. was 6. All were born in Washington Co. In 1860 Fort Ann, William Umsted was 50 and a laborer. Jane was 50 and Eliza was 8. 1865 was the last census year they were recorded in Fort Ann. William Umstead was 49 and a farmer. Jane was 46 and Esther Eliza was 16.

 

The youngest daughter of Jeremiah and Sally was Jemima Olmstead, not mentioned in the Abbe genealogy. She was born 1 June 1838 in Fort Ann. In the 1850 Fort Ann census she was 13 years old and living with the Edward and Mahala Gosham family. In 1855 their surname was spelled Gorran and Jemima (17) was a servant in their household. By 1858 she was married to Emmett Livingston Ormsby, son of Lucius and Sarah Hyde Ormsby. He was born 26 May 1836 in Vermont. In the 1860 census Emmett (24), Jemima (22) and son Frederick (8 months) were residing in Kingsbury, Washington Co. Emmett was a laborer. By 1870 they were back in Fort Ann. Death records from the Fort Ann town clerk provide the following information about Jemima:

      “She died from pulmonary tuberculosis on 16 Nov. 1886 in Fort Ann at 48 years of age. Her father was J. Olmstead and her mother was Sarah. She was buried in the West Fort Ann Cemetery.” The town clerk verified that there is no burial record for Jemima in that cemetery.

 

Her obituary in the “Morning Star” on 17 Nov. reads:

“Mrs. E. L. Ormsby, mother of E. E. Ormsby, the South Glens Falls marketman, died at her home in Griswold Mills, yesterday morning, after a lingering illness, aged 48 years.”

 

Jemima and Emmett had six children:

 

1. Frederick – 1859

2. Emmett Elmer – March 1861-1939, m. Elizabeth Enos. Children: Maud F. 1886-1887, Mabel F. 1888-1894, Dr. Elmer Harrison Jan. 1890-17 July 1941, Seward Nov. 1892, Warren A. 29 March 1896-May 1975, Hayman Burton Sep. 1899, Frederick P. 1901-1903. The family lived in S. Glens Falls.

3. Ella Eva - 1863 .

4. Alfred L. – 26 July 1866–17 Feb. 1883.

5. Iola Jane - 27 Nov. 1868–25 Aug. 1885. The death record states that Iola Jane Ormsby was single, 16 years and 9 months when she died in Fort Ann. She was born in Griswold Mills and was the daughter of Emmet L. Ormsby who was born in Poultny, VT and Jemima Ormsby who was born in Fort Ann. Her burial was in West Fort Ann Cemetery, but the town clerk verified that there is no burial record for Iola in that cemetery.

6. Sarah E. – 2 Aug. 1870–18 May 1889. She married J. W. Perry (probably Johnson Perry, son of her stepmother, Joanna Perry Ormsby).

 

        The 1850 Fort Ann census lists a Jane Olmstead 23, living with the Elijah and Louisa Stevens family. She may have been a daughter of Jeremiah and Sally. However, she was the right age to have been the daughter of Aaron and Betsey Wilson Olmstead (this family was covered in 3 of my past articles) who was still a single woman in 1850.

 

        This concludes my current information on Jeremiah Olmstead, but I consider it still a work in progress.