Stephen Olmstead Jr. (1768 - 1831)

Born 1768 in Williamstown, Berkshire County, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 9 Sep 1831 at about age 63 in Byron, Monroe County, New York, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Walt Steesy [send private message]

Biography

Private Stephen Olmstead Jr. served with 2nd Regiment, Berkshire County, Massachusetts Militia during the American Revolution.

Stephen Olmstead Jr. is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A086320.

Stephen Olmstead, Jr. is the fourth child and second son of Stephen Olmstead and Fear White.

There is confusion over his birthplace. 1760 in West Hoosock, Hampshire Co., Mass. or 1768 in Williamstown, Berkshire Co., Mass.

Served with Colonel Benj Simonds Simonds-21, 2nd Berkshire County Regt

He married Jerusha Meacham about 1780 and they have eight children

The family is recorded in the 1790 and 1810 census in Benson, Rutland Co. Vermont.

He died in Byron, Monroe Co. NY in 1831 and is buried in the North Byron Cemetery,^[1]

Discussions

[From 1912 Olmsted genealogy] As Surveyor, Mr. Stephen Olmsted obtained a grant of land in Williamstown, Mass., where Williams College now stands. He also lived in Benson, Vt. In 1776, he was in Capt. Simons' Regt., which marched to White Plains, N.Y., and is stated to have been in the battle of Bennington, and present at the surrender of Gen. Burgoyne. He is said to have served three terms of six months each, in the Revolutionary War. (From Pension Office Record, furnished by Major Webster, of Washington, D.C., to Dr. H.K. Olmsted.) The name of Stephen Olmsted, Jr., is on the official muster roll of Col. Benj. Simons' Regt., which marched to Pawlet, by order of Gen. Lincoln. twenty-four days in service, 60 miles from home, Sept. 30, 1777. The Company consisted of 51 men. Roll written and made out by Isaac Stratton, Justice of the Peace, S. Williamstown, Mass. Sworn to be Charles Goodrich, Justice of the Peace, Pittsfield, Mass. Roll recorded in Mass. Military Records, Vol. 18, p. 77.^[2]

[DAR Patriot Index] Stephen Olmsted, Jr. turned out at the alarm in Capt. Samuel Clark's company, Col. Benjamin Simond's regiment and served in the Burgoyne campaign. He was a pensioner when he died at Byron, NY in 1831.

Email from Jim Olmsted of Plattsburgh, NY (CR-O-88), 3 Aug 2004
There is a problem regarding William (4754*) Olmsted's father. Stephen was reportedly born in Williamstown, MA and went to Byron, NY where he died in 1831. We have found his grave in the North Byron cemetery. His father is also Stephen (4041*) so they are Sr. & Jr. As far as I can tell, Stephen Jr., was the first Olmsted in our linage to go to western New York.
According to the 1912 genealogy, Stephen Sr., went to Williamstown ~1773 and moved to Benson, VT before 19 Mar 1786. Stephen Jr. was reportedly born (no date found) in Williamstown, MA. According to the genealogy, Stephen Jr. was just a young boy during the Revolution but it looks as though they are describing his activity in the war. Either his birth date is much earlier than the time his father resided in Williamstown or all that military activity is Stephen Sr's. William's age is also a bit strange as he is reportedly also born in Williamstown. I have two birth dates for William--one in the genealogy and one from his headstone about ten years later.
If there are ways to shed some light on these discrepancies, I would look into it.

Sources

• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed July 18, 2016), "Record of Stephen Olmstead", Ancestor # A086320.
• Olmste(a)d files of Walt Steesy
• 1912 genealogy "Olmsted Family in America"; p. 202, 219-20, #4253.

1. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #69074083
2. ↑ Olmsted Family in America; p. 219, #4253