NEWSLETTER JABEZ OLMSTED OF WARE Volume 7, Issue 2 April 2004 PURPOSE The purpose of this newsletter is to facilitate the exchange of research information among Jabez descendants Published and and to encourage and assist with ongoing research. Edited by : Carlton O. Hommel JOE BARBER’S COLUMN As I sit down to write this message, I lines in North America are all related. Summer Address am hoping for spring. Even though we 68 Leisure Lane Frye Island, ME 04071 spent January in Apache Junction, AZ In Volume 6, Issue 2 (May 2003) Doreen Dol- 207-655-7175 it seems like the winter of 2003/4 has leman wrote about using the Google search en- been pretty long. gine for online searching. As well as searching Winter Address by name and place you can also search by 5903 Princess Diana Ct. My research continues at a steady newspaper, as many newspapers have archived Leesburg, FL 34748 pace. Highlights in the past few and indexed their obituary notices. The period 352-315-4324 months have been making contact with of time such archiving and indexing covers var- three new kin and the exchange of in- ies from newspaper to newspaper and can vary [email protected] formation that has taken place. from a number of months to several years. I (Note Change) have found obituaries to be a good source of A descendant of Israel (son of Capt. genealogical information. Newspapers that AND Jabez) has recently undergone Y- carry birth announcements may also archive chromosome DNA testing. His results and index these announcements. The Ottawa matched the other two mentioned in Citizen is one newspaper where I have found Mr. Joseph L. Barber our last newsletter and this is good both obituaries and birth announcements ar- 4444 Arcadia Drive Regina, Saskatchewan news for our readers who descend from chived and indexed. Canada S4S-4T4 Ephraim of Renfrew County, Ross 306-586-3985 Township of Ontario. It’s a pleasure to welcome Helen Herman as a [email protected] new contributor to our newsletter. I’m sure Carl Now if we could only encourage some would like to hear from other contributors as (Note Change) Olmste(a)d males from the Richard of well. Norwalk line and the James of Hart- ford line to undergo testing we could May you all have a great spring and summer. Contributing Editor: have some proof to support the idea Mrs. William Dolleman that the three major Olmste(a)d family Joe Barber 5570 S. Langston Rd. Seattle, WA 98178 OFFICERS OF OFA [email protected] The officers of the Olmste(a)d Family Vice President, Joe Barber, 444 Acadia Dr, Regina, SK Association, elected at the New Brunswick Canada S4S 4T4; Phone 306-586-3985; E-Mail: Subscription.: reunion, are: [email protected] $5.00 / year US to COH President, Barbara Taylor, 144 W. Mountain Secretary, Marty Lamb, P. O. Box 40192, St. Paul, MN or Road, Sparta, NJ 07871; Phone: 973-729-1565; 55104; Phone: 651-487-3672. E-Mail: [email protected] $7.50 / year Can. to JLB Treasurer, Audrey Miller, 104 Buffalo Trail, Asheville, NC 28805; Phone: 828-298-1704. 1 Doreen Dolleman’s Research ELIZABETH OLMSTEAD 2. Daniel’s property on the Cooper patent of 1794 in Hebron, Washington County, NY adjoins that of Jabez Olmstead BULLIS SR and Jabez Olmstead JR. William Bullis also had prop- erty in the Cooper Patent, but not adjoining the I have written several detailed articles about the sons of Jabez and Olmstead’s. Miriam Husse Olmstead, namely Aaron, Jabez Jr. and Job. Bill Sam- 3. There are early Ontario land records for Daniel, but not land has written about another son, Richard. Gideon and Jeremiah William. remain to be tackled. There are only two known daughters of Jabez and Miriam – Elizabeth Bullis and Abigail Case. 4. An 1820’s (exact year undecipherable) document for the transfer of Lot 1, Con. 1 in Oxford Twp. names John In this article I will share the information I have gathered on Eliza- Bullis (oldest son of Elizabeth) as heir of Daniel. Since beth. It is far from complete, but I have learned that no family line is Elizabeth was still alive at the time it is not likely that John ever finished. I can almost guarantee that after writing a life history would have been heir unless his father was Daniel Bullis. on any one ancestor, a flood of new information will shortly follow. This is not a complaint, as I always am excited to learn any new de- When Elizabeth’s brother Richard arrived in Burritt’s Rapids, tails. Ontario in 1796, it appears that the Bullis family came at or near the same time. The ―Historical Sketch of the County of I am not convinced of the accuracy of information from other sources Carleton‖ by C. Bond states that William Bullis and Richard on the background of Elizabeth Olmstead’s husband, Daniel Bullis, Olmstead arrived in Marlborough Twp. in 1796, and that they so will not even attempt to share it. However, Elizabeth, after settling were brothers-in-law, from the Mohawk valley of NY, settling with her family in Burritt’s Rapids, Ontario was well documented, on lots 19 and 20 in the first concession. It is possible that this especially in the very early census records (1802-45). Her age was statement might have been the source of Howard Bullis reach- surprisingly consistent, suggesting that she was born around 1764. ing the conclusion that Elizabeth’s first husband was William. Her parents were still living in the Alford/ West Stockbridge area of However, I have only found land records for Daniel Bullis, and Berkshire County, MA at the time of her birth. I found records of the none for William. The first actual record that I have of this Bullis family living in West Stockbridge as well, so it is likely that family was the 1802 Marlborough Twp. (Burritt’s Rapids) cen- Elizabeth married before her parents moved to Hebron, Washington sus listing Daniel 38, Elizabeth 38, John 20, Jeremiah 18, Jabez County, NY in the 1780’s. There is some controversy as to whether 17, Polly 15, Richard H. 15, Julia 14, Hannah 12, William 8, or not she was married just once or twice. A recently published six- Daniel 6, Gideon 4, Elizabeth 3, and Miriam 1. I also have a volume Bullis book written by Howard Bullis claims she was first the copy of the lease that Daniel signed on August 27, 1802 for Lot wife of William Bullis. After his death around 1800, she then married 1, Con. 1 in Oxford Twp. (Burritt’s Rapids is divided between his brother Daniel. I have not yet managed to get my hands on that Marlborough Twp. and Oxford Twp.). In 1803 they were living book so do not know the source of this frustrating detail. On my own, in Marlborough, 1804-1807 in Oxford, 1813, 1815, 1817 and I have not found any credible evidence whatsoever that she was mar- 1819 in Marlborough. Daniel died before April 1807, as Eliza- ried to anyone other than Daniel. Here are the records that I do have beth is alone with her children in that year. Elizabeth last ap- on Daniel and William and some will shed light on my conclusion pears in 1845 in Oxford and I have not found her in the 1851 about Elizabeth’s marriage: census so assume she had died by then. Surprisingly, she must have had some measure of education as in 1838 she wrote and In the Revolutionary War a William Bullis, Pittsfield, MA was signed two letters in regards to the Bullis property in Oxford drafted from the Berkshire County Militia, Capt. Belding’s Co., to Twp. in which she identifies herself as the widow of Daniel. march under Col. Benjamin Simonds, but he failed to join the regi- Her children were: ment. A William Bullis and a Daniel Bullis served in the Albany Co. Militia, 9th Reg. There is no proof that these are the Bullis men in 1. John – b. 1782 US, m. 1805 Keziah Seelye, a widow with question, but it seems likely that the William in Berkshire County 3 children. An interesting 1802 Marlborough Twp. grant was probably the right one. states that Keziah (of Elizabethtown, Ont.) was the widow of Shubel Seelye and the daughter of Joseph Seelye, UEL. Daniel Bullis was enumerated in the 1790 Hebron, Washington st She was granted lot 19 in the front (1 Con). This is the County, NY census immediately next to Jabez Olmstead (father of same lot that Daniel Bullis settled on in 1796! Her father Elizabeth). Daniel appeared to have a probable wife and daughter, was a lawyer. In 1815 John Bullis sold the front of lot 19 and 4 sons under 16. This is a fairly accurate description of the Bullis Marlborough to his Uncle Richard Olmstead and in 1838 family listed on the 1802 Burritt’s Rapids census. No William Bullis to cousin Rufus Olmstead. His wife Keziah is named in is enumerated in the 1790 census in Washington County, NY. In fact, both and identified as the widow of Shubel. The Howard there was only one William Bullis in the entire US that year, living in Bullis books give further information that John was mar- Canaan, Columbia County, NY. Two people were enumerated in this ried to a Rebecca Dinmore in 1818 and also to a Mary. household (one male and one female); not a likely possibility as there The Rebecca marriage isn’t likely as he was married to should have been about 6 children if he was the husband of Eliza- Keziah at the time, and I have no record of Mary.