Jennie Ellison: broke through the brickwall

Well, I came across a huge finding today, using the information I found earlier this week about my Jennie Ellison having a brother named Jay who died in 1909.  I was able to (I believe) sort through the three Jennie Ellisons of Upstate New York.

Jennie V. Ellison

• born Nov 1866 in Greece, Monroe, New York
• died 15 Jul 1901 in South Greece, Monroe, New York

This Jennie Ellison is almost certainly unrelated.  She was apparently very bright and was often in the newspaper while she was in school for her academics.  She was still involved in the school in 1894.

Jennie Ellison was the daughter of Gon Ellison, who was born in Ireland around 1835.  He settled in Greece, NY and married an Eleanore (Langdon?) before 1863.  Gon enlisted in the military and fought in the Civil War for the Union.  Gon and Eleanore Ellison had at least the following children:

• Matilda (1863-)
• Jennie V (1866-1901)
• Mary (1868-)
• Buell W (1871-)
• Nellie (1873-)
• Eliza (1877-)
• William (1879-)

This is according to census records I found.  There seems to have been a good deal of research done by Matilda’s descendants that can be found around the web.

Jennie Ellison married Francis A Spear, also of Greece, NY in 1890.  In the 1900 census, they had no children.  Jennie died 15 Jul 1901 at the age of 35.  Her death notice can be found in the Rochester (NY) Democrat Chronicle of July 16, 1901.  Photos of Jennie and her husband can be found here.

Jennie M Ellison

• born May 1855
• died after 1920

This Jennie Ellison was frequently in the newspapers of Utica with her sister, Ella.  In my earlier post, when I said that Jennie Ellison of Utica had a sister Ella Ellison Cresson, that was an error.  Though this Jennie did have a sister named Ella, it was not the sister who married Clinton Cresson.  This Jennie and Ella Ellison were spinsters who lived together in Utica into their old age.

Jennie was born probably in Herkimer County, NY to George Ellison (b abt 1816, d abt 1870) and Jane E Hildreth (b abt 1823, d 22 Apr 1899 in Utica). In Jane Hildreth Ellison’s obituary, it mentions the following children:

• Gertrude E Ellison (1843 – ), m. Daniel W. Green
• Henry Hildreth Ellison (1847 – ), m. Ella Matilda Averill
• Ella Ellison (1850 – )
• Jennie M Ellison (1855 – )
• George P Ellison (1859 – bef 1899)

And finally…

Jennie Ellison

• born Feb 1864
• died after 1910

Using the fact that Jennie Ellison had a brother named Jay who died in Pennsylvania in 1909, I conducted a search, and lo and behold, I found her mother’s obituary in the Wellsboro (PA) Agitator of Nov 7, 1906.

Jennie Ellison was one of thirteen children.  She was born in Steuben County, NY, probably in Greenwood, to Joseph H Ellison (b abt 1820 in New York, d aft 1880 prob in PA) and Mary Conrad (b Jun 1827 in NY, d 27 Oct 1906 in Knoxville, Tioga, PA). Their thirteen children were:

• Frank (Franklin, Francis) A Ellison (1848 – bef 1906), m Minnie bef 1894
• George Ellison (1850 – ), m Amelia abt 1880
• Adalaide Adeline Ellison (1854 – )
• Josephine Ellison (1856 – )
• Fred Ellison (1859 – ), married and widowed between 1880 & 1900
• Ward Ellison (1860 – )
• William D. Ellison (1862 – ), m abt 1896
• Douglas Ellison (1862 – bef 1906)
• Jennie Ellison (1864 – ), m Isaac R Moore abt 1886
• Elizabeth Ellison (1868 – ), m Joel H Chase abt 1898
• Jay Ellison (1869 – ), single in 1900
• Ella Ellison (1870 – ), m Clinton Cresson abt 1890
• Bertie Ellison (1875 – ), m Jacob E Costley abt 1899

For Josephine or Adalaide/Adeline, one of them had died by 1906 and the other had married a Waldo Wade and lived (in 1906) in Dixon, Illinois.

The Ellison family moved from Greenwood, NY to Knoxville, PA between 1870 & 1880. In the 1880 census, William and Jennie show up living with Daniel G. Ellison and his wife Roxy Palmer. William is listed again in the 1900 census as living with Daniel, Roxy, Jennie, and Jennie’s son. It seems that when Joseph & family moved to Knoxville, PA, they left William and Jennie to live with Daniel and Roxy in Genoa, Cayuga County, NY. Daniel and Roxy never had children of their own.  Because William and Jennie are always listed as nephew and niece, I’m assuming that Daniel G and Joseph Ellison are brothers, but I’m not too sure about that–they could be cousins and it was just easiest to refer to the children as their niece and nephew.

Something that needs more investigating is the following:

Blacksmiths.–Peter Roberts engaged in blacksmithing at Knoxville in 1824. He was succeeded by John E. White, who came to Knoxville from Windham county, Conn., in 1833, and labored at his trade most of the time until 1853. Joseph Weaver ran a shop from 1836 to 1844. Josiah Welsh succeeded him. John Hogencamp came from Ludley, N. Y., and opened a shop September 9th 1855, and still follows the trade. Joseph Ellison and E. F. Mott, who located in the town in 1866, are practical blacksmiths, still in business. J. G. Plaisted, who makes and repairs wagons, located in town in 1867.

from History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, (W. W. Munsell & Co., New York : 1883) PP 313-326

The dates are early for the family having moved to Knoxville, so it could be that a) Joseph Ellison partnered with EF Mott’s existing business, b) a family member also named Joseph set up shop in Knoxville before my Joseph moved, or c) it’s pure coincidence and the blacksmith is unrelated.

And that’s where I stand at the moment. There could be a relation between Joseph H, Daniel G, and George Ellison: a Jabez Ellison was living in Urbana, Steuben County, NY from 1840-1860. In 1850, a Daniel Ellison is living with Jabez and his wife Cinderella Ellison (yes, that was really her name). The would explain both George and Joseph H having daughters named Ella–their daughters would be named after their mother, (Cinder)Ella.

The elusive Benjamin Nichols Dyer

I am trying to look into the Dyer family who lived in what was Stephentown, but I don’t believe any of them lived within the current Stephentown limits.  I’ve done pretty much all the research I can do remotely, and I’m not sure what sort of records exist for early Stephentown/Petersburg/Rensselaer County.  Ideally, I would like to see some land or court records, wills, births, any documents, really.  I’m looking for proof of the relationship between who I believe are son, father, and grandfather.

I’m looking for information regarding George Dyer (if he ever resided in Stephentown) and any sons who lived in Stephentown (Benjamin Nichols Dyer and any others).  I’m looking for the name of Benjamin Nichols Dyer’ wife (and any other information about her), and for proof that Benjamin Nichols Dyer was the father of Benjamin Wood Dyer and Burton Hammond Dyer.  There was a lot of moving around, so I want to outline all of it so hopefully it helps with where to start.

George Dyer married Anne Nichols on 25 Dec 1760 in West Greenwich, RI.  They had at least 7 sons and 3 daughters in RI.  One of the sons was named Benjamin Nichols Dyer, who was born 3 Sept 1762, according to FHL film 925978 (record has “Benjamin Nichols Dyre” as name, so middle name is confirmed).  Another son was George (jr), born 4 Mar 1769.  After 1790, after the death of his wife, George Dyer Sr left RI and settled in Rutland County, VT.  George was still in West Greenwich with 2 females at 1790 US Census.

In regards to North Petersburg, this might be him: (http://history.rays-place.com/ny/ren-petersburgh-ny.htm)

David Russell of Salem built the old grist mill which originally was conducted by Nathan Hakes, and which was abandoned about 1825. Among the first tavern-keepers of the village were men named Lewis and Dyer.

There was a Benj N Dyer was living in Stephentown in 1790, near Nathan Hakes.
There was a Benjn N Dyer was living in Stephentown in 1800 census
There was a Benjamin Dyer living in Windham, Windham, CT in 1810 census
There was a Benjn Dyer living in Onondaga, NY in 1810 census

In 1798, a Benjamin N Dyer was a member of the military from Rensselaer County:

A Benjamin Dyer is buried in the Old Congregational Cemetery in Pittsford, VT.  His gravestone inscription says he died July 11, 1819, in his 57th year, which would match up to the RI birth record.
There are also Benjamin Dyers from the time period buried in Wiswell Cemetery, West Townshend, Windham, VT (no data on inscription) and a Capt Benjamin Dyer who died 19 Jan 1856 a 77y, buried in the Shaftsbury Center cemetery, near Baptist church, Shaftsbury, Bennington, VT.

Benjamin Nichols Dyer is rumored to have married his wife in Hancock, Berkshire, MA before their first child was born in 1790.

A George Dyer (probably George Jr) married a Wait Gardner in Hancock, Berkshire, MA on 7 Apr 1796.  Waity Dyer died in 1843 in Rutland, VT.  In 1810 census, both George Sr & Jr lived in Rutland.  In 1817, George Sr died in Clarendon, Rutland, VT.  On 20 Jul 1843, George Jr died in Rutland, VT.  George Jr had a son Alanson, b 1800.  Alanson is listed in an 1861 Vermont Supreme Court case as the father of a Benjamin N Dyer.

Benjamin Nichols Dyer’s sons I believe include Benjamin Wood Dyer and Burton Hammond Dyer.  I believe Benjamin Wood to be born in Petersburg on 1 Sep 1797, but I’m not sure if Burton Hammond Dyer was born in New York or Vermont.  Benjamin Wood and Burton Hammond Dyer moved to Madison County, NY.

I looked in the publication “Records of Stephentown Baptist Church, 1795-1816” but it did not have any Dyers.  On April 9, 1820, the Wampsville Presbyterian Church society was formed, and Burton and Benjamin Dyer were supporters at that time.

Benjamin Wood Dyer married Mahala Barnard maybe in 1833.  She was the daughter of Pardon & Mahala/Polly/Dolly (Cadwell) Barnard, who resided in Madison County, NY from 1807-1840.  Benjamin Wood died 17 Feb 1888 and buried in Lenox, Madison, NY.  Benjamin Wood has a son, Benjamin Nicholas Dyer (born about 1836).  Benjamin Nicholas Dyer has a son Benjamin N Dyer (b about 1877)

Burton Hammond Dyer married Rebecca Walker Johnson of Sangerfield, NY on 15 May 1835.  He lived in Oneida at that time.  He died 23 Apr 1892 in Oneida.