Question

James Sears 1747 Vt-wed Abigail sherwood 1747 or Elizabeth Olmstead 1748?

Comments

From DAR records, he was born in CT as were his (?)2 wives, although the marriage location is not noted.  He was stationed in Quebec and apparently died there.   From DAR.org and births from familysearch.org

SEARS, JAMES JR Ancestor #: A101064
Service: MASSACHUSETTS Rank: PRIVATE
Birth: 1747 MILL PLAINS FAIRFIELD CO CONNECTICUT
Death: (POST) 8-13-1804 SUTTON -PROB QUEBEC CANADA
Service Description: 1) CAPT OLIVER BELDING,MAJ CALEB HYDE

SPOUSE ) ELIZABETH OLMSTEAD

Jared Sears born on 12 - Aug - 1779 at _______________ died at _______________ on 6 - Feb - 1828 and his ( 1st ) wife Betsey Robinson born on 18 - Apr - 1780/81 at _______ died at ______on - - 1843 married on 11 - Feb - 1802 The Said Jared Sears was the child of  James Sears Jr born on - - 1747 at __
died at _________ on (p) - - 1784 and his ( 1st ) wife Abigail Sherwood born on - - 1747 at _________ died at __________ on - - married on (c) - - 1768-1770

Hezekiah Sears born on (c) - - 1770 at MA died at Caldwell Manor Quebec on (a) - - 1819 and his ( 1st ) wife Roxana born on (c) - - 1776 at USA
died at Bedford Quebec Canada on (p) - - 1851 married on (a) - - 1800
married at Canada .   The Said Hezekiah Sears was the child of James Sears Jr born on 13 - Aug - 1747 at Ridgefield CT died at Sutton Quebec Canada on (p) - - 1804 and his ( 1st ) wife Elizabeth Olmstead born on 26 - Jul - 1746 at Ridgefield CT
died at Sutton P Q on - - married on (c) - - 1766  married at Ridgefield CT .

Lyman Sears born on - - 1771-1777 at ____  died at Sutton Brome Co, P Q on (p) 22 - Oct - 1836 and his ( 1st ) wife Theresa Sager born on - - 1780-1786 at ____
died at _______________ on (a) - - 1842 married on (a) - - 1804
 The Said Lyman Sears was the child of James Sears Jr born on - - 1747 at Mill Plains Fairfield Co CT died at Sutton P Q Canada on (p) 13 - Aug - 1804 and his ( 1st ) wife Elizabeth Olmstead born on 26 - Jul - 1746 at Ridgefield Fairfield Co CT died at Sutton P Q Canada on - - married on (c) - - 1766.

Connecticut, Births

Elizabeth Olmstead (?Spouse)
Birth 26 Jul 1746 Birth  RIDGEFIELD TWP,FAIRFIELD,CT
Father  Nathan Olmstead  Mother  Millecent  (?Goodrich)

Abigal Sherwood  (? Spouse)
Birth 17 Mar 1745  NEWTOWN TWP,FAIRFIELD,CT
Father John Sherwood  Mother Hannah

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I searched the Olmstead in America Genealogy and didn't find anything.

 

Sorry

Answer 1

Thank you for the reply.   I have to take some time and untangle my tree.  Is hezekiah Sears 1770 Masss. and Catherine Hobbs 1773 Maryland the father of Jacob G Sears 1810  Va. ( wedNaomi  Vantreese 1823  Ohio) ?   M\ry

Answer 2

James Sears never married Abigail Sherwood. It was another James Sears in the family that did. The marriage to Elizabeth Olmsted likely took place in Ridgefield, Connecticut, as that is where both of them lived at the time. A marriage record has never been found. James and Elizabeth lived in Ridgefield, CT., Lenox, MA, Sunderland, VT, and then moved up to the Caldwell Manor area in Quebec. From there they moved (late 1790s) over to Sutton, Brome Co., Quebec - where James received a land grant in 1802. James Sears himself was born either at Putnam/Dutchess Co., NY or Ridgefield, CT - his family having moved from one place to the other about the time of his birth.Whether James Sears was truly a Loyalist, (he did sign an oath of loyalty to the crown) or else he went up into Quebec to get land - is not really known. But his service with Hyde/Belding was over by the time he moved up there.

Comments

Further clarification of exactly who the James Sears who married Abigail Sherwood is would be helpful.  We know the DNA from at least one descendent alive today tests as African American which raises the question of whether various Sears families in the north had slaves as did some in the south.....as some slaves took on the surnames of their masters.

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First - I made an error on my Nov. 7, 2012 comment. James Sears, son of Thomas Sears and Deborah Baldwin, married Mehitable (Mabel) Sherwood - daughter of Jehiel Sherwood and Sarah Squire on 19 November 1797. Abigail was her older sister. This Abigail Sherwood married Nathanial Hibbard.

Samuel P. May's Sears genealogy said James (b)1747 married Abigail Sherwood, daughter of Jehiel S. This appears not to be right. It was the nephew of James (b)1747 who married the Sherwood.

James Sears and Elizabeth Olmsted were married about 1766 - most likely at Ridgefield, CT. Their first child, Huldah, was born 9 October 1767 in CT. Their youngest child may have been born about 1788 - either in Vermont or Quebec

I've never seen anything indicating that James Sears (b)1747 had 2 wives, though I certainly open to any proof to the contrary.

The Olmsted genealogy by George Kemp Ward does mention Elizabeth Olmsted marrying _____ Sears. That is as far as it goes.

Regarding DNA - I have had 2 different DNA tests, and my brother has had one. No African American results - if this helps.

If you would like further or more detailed info, let me know.

Diane Sears Bigode