William Odell, Sr., of Fairfield

Disputed origins

Evidence needed to support William Odell, of Wharley End & Agnes Odell as parents of William Odell, Sr., of Fairfield. Also seen: Richard Odell, JR & Martha Odell.

Jacobus, who wrote several of cited articles, ends up concluding, "But the very frequent occurrence of the name in that region makes any such identification a mere guess and utterly unproved or even buttressed by collateral or circumstantial evidence." (TAG, p. 21:78)

William Odell came from England to Concord in 1639; probably a member of Peter Bulkeley's congregation. Bulkeley was born in the parish of Odell, Bedford, England. In 1644, William Odell moved to Fairfield, Connecticut, and his son William became one of the principal proprietors of Rye, New York. (NEHGR, 29:203; 137:37).

Biography

William Odell, christened at Wharley end, Bedford, England, 24 February 1603; died at Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, before 6 June 1676. He married in Fairfield, Rebecca Brown, born 1606; buried in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, 13 May 1654 [SIC: after this date]. But see dispute (below)

His parents may have been William Odell, a carpenter of Wharley (d 1615) and his wife Agnes Marks. The elder William named his sons William and Richard in his will. But see dispute (below).

William appears to have had a brother, Richard (1605- ), who married Ursula Franklyn, 12 Nov 1627 in Southampton.

Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700, has William married to Rebecca Franklin in Concord, Massachusetts, 4 May 1629.

Manning says he m (1) Agnes Franklin and (2) Rebecca Brown (1633).

Mais has Agnes Franklin, daughter of William and Ursula Franklin, the mother of five children by William: William (1630), Thomas (1632), John (1634), James (1640), and Rebecca (1642).

William Came from England to Concord in 1639; probably a member of Peter Bulkeley's congregation. Bulkeley was born in the parish of Odell, Bedford, England. In 1644, William Odell moved to Fairfield, Connecticut, and his son William became one of the principal proprietors of Rye, New York. (NEHGR, 29:203; 137:37).

William may have been a brother of Ursula Wodell (also written Odle), who married Christoper Wooley at Concord in 1646 (King, NEHGR, 60:91).

His will, proved 6 June 1676, mentions, among others, sons William and John and daughter Rebecca Moorehouse.

Cranfield, Bedford, England, is a small parish about eight miles from the village of Odell. The Cranfield church register records nearly seventy entries of Odell baptisms, marriages, and burials between 1602 and 1625, the name variously written Wodell, Odell, Odle, Woddell, Woddle, etc. Among these: Willliam, son of William Wodell of Warleyend, baptised 24 Feb 1602, and William Odle of Worley buried 22 Jul 1615. This may be the record of the baptism of the William Odell who came to New England and the burial of his father.

The name "Warleyend" is doubtless that of a hamlet about one mile from Cranfield, which appears on an old map of Bedfordshire as "Wallerd" or "Wall End." In Cranfield Parish there was in 1632 a district, or possibly an estate, known as "Virginia." At Concord, the original road cut through the woods by the first settlers had been called, since 1650, "the Virginia Road" and the district through which it runs, "Virginy." The plain at the end of Virginia Road was described as "Cranefield" as early as 1648. It would seem that these names, Virginia and Cranefield, were given by the early settlers of Concord in memory of their English home (See NEHGR, 45:7-8).

William Odell is purportedly memorialized as a "Concord Planter" on a plaque in the Fairfield Public Library together with Rev. John Jones, Thomas Bulkley, Thomas Jones, John Tompkins, Daniel Bulkley, Joseph Middlebrook, Ephraim Wheeler, Thomas Wheeler, Jr., James Bennett, Richard Lettiss, John Ebats, Peter Johnson, George Squire, and Benjamin Turney. Ridge, Bateman Connection, 173:

Children of William ODELL and Rebecca BROWN:

• William Odell, born about 1634; died in Rye, Westchester, New York, 1697. Manning has him born 1634, of Newport Pagnell, Buckingham, England. Married Sara Vowles.
• James Odell, born in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, 2 January 1640; buried in Concord, 4 April 1641. (Birth and death record NEHGR, 4:272)
• Rebecca Odell, born in Concord, 17 Jul 1642. Married Samuel Morehouse. Birth record, NEHGR, 4:272.
• John Odell, married Mary (Joanna) Walker.

"William was closely related, in all likelihood, to Mary Odell who m. at Salford, co. Bedford, Eng., 12 July 1630, Benjamin Turney. The Turneys were with William Odell in Concord and Fairfield. Mary had no brother William, but she had three uncles, Richard, Thomas, and William, all known to have had children and suitable in age for the paternity of William. Newport Pagnell, co. Bucks, where William had a fracas in 1637 (and in 1639 was reported in New England), is very close to Salford, and only about five miles from Cranfield, co. Bedford, home town of the Wheelers of Concord and Fairfield, where Odells were numerous. See The American Genealogist, 14:224-228, and 15:55-57. Until the parentage of William is established by record evidence, various claims of his exalted descent which have been put forward rest on no firmer foundation than the unsupported asseveration of their proponents." [6]

6. Donald Lines Jacobus, "Additions and Corrections to History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield",

Children:

• 2 i. JOHN2 ODELL, m. MARY _, d. in 1711/2[2].
• 3 ii. JAMES ODELL, b. on 2 Jan. 1639/40 in Concord, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, United States; bur. on 4 April 1641 in Concord.
• + 4 iii. REBECCA ODELL, b. on 17 July 1642 in Concord; m. (ABV-3) LT. SAMUEL MOREHOUSE, b. about 1637[3], d. in Fairfield, Fairfield Co., Connecticut, United States in 1687[3, 1], son of (ABV-1) Thomas and Isabel (_) MOREHOUSE.
• 5 iv. WILLIAM ODELL, b. about 1644.1943, p.24.

Notes

William came to Concord, Massachusetts with Rev. Peter Bulkeley's followers from Odell, Bedforshire, England. He left Concord after the births and deaths of two children and went to Southampton, Long Island, then to Fairfield in 1644 with the group led by Rev. John Jones of Concord.

Cranfield, Bedord, England, is a small parish about eight miles from the village of Odell. The Cranfield church register records nearly seventy entries of O'dell baptisms, marriage, and burials between 1602 and 1625, the name variously written Wodell, Odell Odle, Woddell, Woddle, etc.

William O'dell is purportedly memorialized as a "Concord Planter" on a plaque in the Fairfield Public Library together with Rev. John Jones, Thomas Bulkeley and others.

The O'Dell surname is identical with Odell. The family is of ancient English ancestry. The Odell family of Bedfordshire bears the arms: Argent, three crescents gules.

William Odell, the immigrant ancestor of American families, settled as early as 1639 at Concord, Massachusetts, and removed to Long Island in 1642, and then to Fairfield, Connecticut in 1644. He died at Fairfield and his will dated June 6, 1676, was proved June 12, 1676. He married in England and brought his wife and children with him to New England. In his will he bequeaths to his sons, William and John, and daughter Rebecca Morehouse, wife of Samuel Morehouse. A son James, born January 2, 1640 at Concord died in infancy. He also bequeaths to granchildren, Samuel and Thomas Morehouse, and to John Odell, son of John Odell. His son William settled in Rye, New York, and from him many of the Odells of Westchester County and lower New York State are descended.

Some of his descendants settled in Connecticut and some in New Hampshire.

The village of Odelltown, provice of Quebec, Canada, takes its name from a William Odell who located there.

Disputed origins and family

From https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:William_Odell_%281%29

William's parentage in England has led to much confusion and various on-line genealogies which are unproven. That he was likely a member of Peter Bulkeley's congregation hints that his own origins were near Bulkeley's -- the parish of Odell, Bedford, England. Therefore, the surrounding parishes have been the subject of much research. According to TAG, p. 14:228: Newport Pagnell (Buckinghamshire) is very close to Salford (Bedfordshire), and only about five miles from Cranfield (Bedfordshire), and ten miles south of Odell (Bedfordshire).

The search for William's origins is complicated by the large number of Odell families, and specifically, men named William, in this area. The one fact that seems to unambiguously belong to the immigrant William Odell is discussed in TAG, p. 15:55: In Newport Pagnall, Buckinghamshire, England on 17 Apr 1639 William Odell and Edward Hartley were in a fight in a churchyard. Odell ended up being stabbed in the arm. They both ended up being cited in the church records for the fight. The conclusion to the church record was entered on 17 Oct 1639 “Absunt Nova Anglia” meaning that both parties were absent in New England. As there was only one William Odell known to be in New England in this time period, we must conclude that the gentleman in this fight was our William Odell. This also tells us that William left England between 17 Apr 1637 and 17 Oct 1639.

Beyond that most of the various claims are speculation.

Some claim that he was the son of Richard ODELL and Martha NICHOLLS, such as an article in TAG, p. 14:228. However, this has been disproved, as their son William Odell was baptized in 1625 (TAG, p. 15:55) and was too young to be the immigrant.

Some claim he was "Wm son of Willm Wodell of Warleyend" at Cranfield (NEHGR, p. 60:91). While this is possible, it is "earlier than would be suggested by the prevailing age of men at marriage" (TAG, p. 21:78).

An article in TAG, p. 26:8, reports the marriage of a William Odell to Agnes Franklin on 4 May 1629 in the Bronham Parish Records. In the same records are the marriage of Agnes' sister, Ursula Franklin, 12 Nov 1627 to Richard Odell, and the baptism of their daughter Ursula in 1628, and death of Richard in 1636. Because an "Vrsilla Wodell" married in Concord 1647 Christopher Wooley, and the unusualness of the name Ursula, it is assumed that William and Richard were brothers marrying sisters, that William escorted his orphaned niece to New England, and so the immigrant William is the William Odell who was baptized in Cranfield 24 Feb 1602/03 (mentioned previously), and whose brother Richard was baptized 2 Jun 1605. However, a marriage as early as 1629 raises other questions in regards to the births of William's children (see the discussion on William's wives).

TAG, p. 21:75-6 suggests that William may be closely related to Mary (Odell) Turney of Fairfield, CT. Benjamin and Mary Turney were with William in both Concord and Fairfield. Benjamin Turney and Mary Odell were married 12 July 1630 in Salford, Bedfordshire. Therefore we conclude that William Odell and Mary Odell are somehow related and that William's family lived in or near Salford or Newport Pagnell (which two localities are about 6 miles apart). We know from Mary’s genealogy that she had no brother named William [see TAG, p. 14:224), but she did have 3 uncles Richard, Thomas and William any of whom could be William's father.

TAG, p. 15:56, analyzes the Newport Pagnall registers for evidence of a William Odell who "may have brought not only a wife but one child with him" to Concord. There are two families headed by men named William Odell, but "we are unable to disentangle the two families" and both were still there in 1640 when the immigrant was in New England.

Jacobus, who wrote several of these cited articles, ends up concluding, "But the very frequent occurrence of the name in that region makes any such identification a mere guess and utterly unproved or even buttressed by collateral or circumstantial evidence." (TAG, p. 21:78)

Marriage

[The statements with missing citations appear to have been copied from an unknown source, as it is found nearly verbatim on several websites (e. g., [1], [2], [3]). It is unfortunate that the original source references were not preserved.]

He was purported to have married Rebecca BROWN on 4 May 1629 in Braham, Bedfordshire, England.Citation needed

New England Marriages Prior to 1700 has William married to Rebecca FRANKLIN in Concord, Massachusetts, 4 May 1629 (which is prior to his supposed 1639 arrival).

Manning says he m (1) Agnes Franklin and (2) Rebecca Brown (1633).Citation needed

Mais has Agnes Franklin, daughter of William and Ursula Franklin, the mother of five children by William: William (1630), Thomas (1632), John (1634), James (1640), and Rebecca (1642).Citation needed

Per Pool[4], "The name of William Odell's wife is not known." The birth records of two children do not name a mother (NEHGR, p. 4:272) and no wife is mentioned or indicated in William's will[1].

Despite saying that his wife's name is unknown, Pool[4] goes on to say, somewhat short on specifics, that "genealogists are satisfied" that she was Rebecca Brown. Since no evidence is given, it is not known what the basis for this identification is.

Children

Births of only two of William's children are recorded, James b. 2 Jan 1639/40 d. 1641, and Rebecca b. 17 Jul 1641 (NEHGR, p. 4:272). Besides Rebecca, the will tells us of John and William. TAG, p. 26:8 suggests the son William is the baptism in Bronham in 1630, while Pool has William b. abt. 1634, and Jacobus not until around 1644. Estimates for John's birth are equally discrepant, with Pool saying 1643, and Jacobus listing him before James, i.e., before 1640, though with no specific date. It is hard to draw conclusions about a possible marriage date based on such varying dates.

The marriage of a William Odell to Agnes Franklin on 4 May 1629 is reported in the Bronham Parish Records (TAG, p. 26:8). Given that probably only one, but at most two, children were born by 1640, ten years later, this seems too early, and may be another William Odell. Or alternately, that the first wife died, and a second marriage occurred?

Citations

• "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NP1N-M5D : 11 February 2018, William Odell, 23 Feb 1603); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 845,460.
• "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N23Z-33D : 10 February 2018), Wm Odell and Agnes Francklyn, 04 May 1629; citing Bromham,Bedford,England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 599,350.
• "It was shown in the last report that William Odell of Wharley, father of William and Richard, was buried in Cranfield on 22 June 1615. We now searched for William's will, which was found in the Archdeaconry Court of Bedford. The will was executed on 8 June 1615, just days before his death. It was proved on the following 19 July. William mentioned the following heirs: son William, my long ladder, a bill, a hatchet, a "banking" iron handsaw, two augers, two chisels, and an iron wedge. ... Cliff Stott CG AG Fellow ASG and British Specialist"
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/discussions/M9WJ-5LN
• https://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mcsmed&id=I1082
• http://odellclan.homestead.com/geneology.html
• https://ourbrittonancestors.blogspot.com/2016/03/will-of-richard-od...

  ---

  
  

William emigrated to New England, being "of Concord," Massachusetts Bay Colony, by 1639. Two children were born there. William and family removed to Fairfield, New Haven Colony, by 1644, possibly traveling via Southampton, Long Island in 1642. [2]