RICHARD OLMSTEAD AND ELIZABETH DURKEE PART 2

By

Bill Samland

 

Bill’s article on his gr-gr-gr-grandfather is continued.

 

11.  MINER OLMSTEAD was born about 1814 in Marlborough Twp., Johnstown District, Upper Canada and died between 1850 - 1860.

    At the age of 10, Miner was baptized by Rev. Robert Blakey of the Parish of Augusta on March 12, 1825.

    On May 7, 1834 Miner married Nancy Umphrey, daughter of William Umphrey and Mary Cross, in Wolford Twp., Grenville Co., Upper Canada.  Nancy was born about 1816/1817 in Wolford Township and died sometime after 1880, in the United States (probably North Dakota).

    Hiram K. Olmstead, who was Miner's cousin and brother-in-law, was one of the witnesses to his marriage.

    Nancy was listed as being one year old when her father was enumerated on 1817 census of Wolford Township (dated 28 May 1817).

    Miner and Nancy moved around a lot during their marriage.  They lived in Oxford Township from 1834 to 1840, in Wolford Township in 1842, and in Kitley Twp., Leeds Co., Canada West (the immediate township west of Wolford) in 1848.

    In 1850 Miner and Nancy resided in Harrisburg Twp., Lewis Co., NY.  Miner's brother-in-law, Hiram K. Olmstead, and several cousins also moved from Marlborough Township to Lewis County within a few years of that time.

    Miner died sometime between 1850 and 1860 either in New York State or Canada West.  He was a laborer and a farmer.  In 1842 Minor's religion was listed as Episcopal Methodist and as Universalist in 1848.

    On 31 December 1860 Nancy (then a widow) married Stewart Irwin in Lanark Co., Canada West.  At the time of their marriage Nancy and Stewart both lived in Kitley Twp., Leeds Co., Canada West.

    Stewart may have been related to Mary Anne Irwin, who married Miner's brother, Rufus Olmstead, and also to Elizabeth Irwin, who married Miner's cousin, Edwin Luther Olmstead.

    In 1861 Nancy and Stewart resided in a 1-story log house in Kitley Township.  None of Nancy's children were listed on the census with them at that time.  However, Stewart's two children by a previous marriage, James Irwin (born about 1856 in Canada West) and Annie Irwin (born about 1859 in Canada West), lived with them.  It’s possible that Annie could have been the daughter of Stewart and Nancy.

    In 1861 Miner and Nancy's daughters, Polly and Charlotte Olmstead, lived with two different families when the census for Wolford Twp., Grenville Co., Canada West was taken.

    The 1861 census stated that Stewart was a farmer, and he belonged to the Church of Scotland.

    In 1871 Nancy was widowed and resided with her two stepchildren, James and Annie Irwin, on lot 7, concession 5 of Kitley Township (she owned 1/2 acre).

    By June 1880 Nancy had moved to the United States where she lived with her stepson, James Irwin, in Turtle River Twp., Grand Forks Co., Dakota Territory (North Dakota).  Also living next to them in the same township was Nancy's son, Lester Olmstead.  That area had been completely settled by Canadians.

    Miner and Nancy's son-in-law and daughter, Alfred and Charlotte (Olmstead) Leeson, had moved from that same area of Ontario, Canada to Grand Forks Co., Dakota Territory sometime between 1872 and 1876.

    On 3 November 1881 Alfred Leeson became a naturalized citizen of the United States.  On 21 December 1881 Lester Olmstead and James Irwin both became naturalized citizens.  All three men lived in Grand Forks County at that time.

    The 1861 census listed Nancy as Episcopal Methodist.  She was Wesleyan Methodist in 1871.

       

The children of MINER OLMSTEAD and NANCY UMPHREY:

-    GIDEON OLMSTEAD, born 1835.

-    VAN RENSELAER OLMSTEAD, born August 28, 1837; died 1888.

-    POLLY OLMSTEAD, born about 1840.

     -    JOHN OLMSTEAD, born August 10, 1843; died May 15, 1909.

-    LESTER OLMSTEAD, born about 1845; died January 1891.

-          CHARLOTTE OLMSTEAD, born February 1849; died June 13, 1916.

 

 

To be concluded in the next issue.