Jedediah Olmsted, Sr.

The Knurow Collection, Vol. 12, p. 238 has an article that says: “Jedediah OMSTED enlisted in Capt. Bur-bank‟s Co. of Major Robert Rogers‟ Rangers, in a list of deserters since July 13, 1759, dated camp at Crown Point, 31 Aug. 1759. His residence was given as Sheffield, Mass. (Boston Newsletter, Thur. Sept 20, 1759)". The Knurow Collection is a several volume collec-tion of articles, clippings, notes, in the Pittsfield, MA, Athe-naeum. It is computer indexed. Note that Sheffield, Mass was the town in which Doreen found the marriage record of Jedediah‟s brother, Jabez Sr. and Mariam Husse. See Volume 1, Issue 2, March, 1998. ____________________________________

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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

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Notes for Jeremiah Olmstead: Jeremiah was granted a hundred acre lot, later comprising the Hollingsworth Grant, adjoining land of his father in 1733. The old Hadley Path, an important route of the time, passed through his property. He, along with brother Israel, signed a petition to Gov. Shirley in 1742. He removed to the area of West Stockbridge and Alford (The Gore Territory - near NY border) soon after 1860. There he fulfulled various civic duties as late as 1785.

Children of Jeremiah Olmstead and Elizabeth Litten are:

 	88 	i. 	  	Jabez Olmstead, born July 29, 1735 in Ware, Hampshire Co., Mass.; died Bet. 1800 - 1810 in P. Hebron, Washington Co., NY; married Miriam Husse July 11, 1758 in Sheffield, MA.

 		ii. 	  	Aaron Olmstead, born February 11, 1736/37 in Ware, Hampshire Co., Mass.; died October 07, 1740 in Ware, Hampshire Co., Mass.

 		iii. 	  	Jedediah Olmstead, born February 13, 1738/39 in Ware, Hampshire Co., Mass.; died Bef. July 20, 1809 in Of Hampton, NY; married Mehitable Jenkins.

	Notes for Jedediah Olmstead: Jed was at Stockbridge in 1760, where he deeded land to John Jenkins. In 1783, as a resident of Shaftsbury, Conn., he bought land in Low Hampton, Washington Co., NY from Samuel Waterhouse of Pawlet, Vt. In 1790 census he was in Hampton, with 3 males over 16, 3 under, and 2 females. He bought more land there in 1794 & 1795. He disposed of some of this soon after, but in 1800 was still there, with 1 male & 1 female over 45, 1 male & 1 female 10-16.

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