Frederick C Olney (abt. 1810 - 1869)

Born about 1810 in Brooklyn, Windham, Connecticut, United States

Husband of Olive Smith (Harris) Olney — married 16 Jun 1844 in Connecticut, United States

Descendants

Died 14 Mar 1869 at about age 59 in Canterbury, Windham, Connecticut, United States

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Biography

Frederick Olney is Notable.

This profile is part of the Olney Name Study.

Frederick Olney was a sailor on a whaling ship out of Connecticut. His logbook is accorded pride of place at the New London Custom House Museum for two reasons: First, it chronicles an African-American sailor's experiences aboard a whaling ship during the peak of the whaling industry in New London. Second, Frederick's life intersects with the Prudence Crandall Female Boarding School of Canterbury, Connecticut, an institution involved in the first civil rights case in United States history.^[1]

Frederick Olney was born about 1810 in Brooklyn, Windham, Connecticut.^[2] He married Olive Smith Harris, sister of Sarah Harris Fayerweather, on 16 June 1844 in New London, Connecticut.

Frederick had been married one month when he sailed out of New London, Connecticut aboard the whaler "Merrimac". He served as third mate aboard that ship, under the command of George Destin. During the voyage, Frederick authored a logbook known as, "Voyage of the Whaler Merrimac" now housed at the Custom House Museum in New London, Connecticut.^[3][4]

Frederick Olney's logbook is accorded pride of place at the Custom House Museum for two reasons: First, it chronicles an African-American sailor's experiences aboard a whaling ship during the peak of the whaling industry in New London. Second, Frederick's life intersects with the Prudence Crandall Female Boarding School of Canterbury, Connecticut, an institution involved in the first civil rights case in United States history.^[5]

The webpage of the Prudence Crandall Museum describes the historical significance of the school:

"The story of the Canterbury Female Boarding School features prominently in the history of Civil Rights for African Americans. In 1833 Prudence Crandall, Connecticut's Official State Heroine, opened a higher education academy for "young ladies of color" at her Canterbury Female Boarding School, in Canterbury, Connecticut, after local response prevented her from integrating the school she established in 1831 by allowing Sarah Harris, a local African American young woman, to attend. Crandall and her students faced increased harassment and legal prosecution, yet classes continued until mob violence forced the school to close. Crandall's trial impacted two U.S. Supreme Court cases, including Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka, demonstrating that the school's legacy for equal education continues to be relevant today."^[6]

The following account written by the New London Maritime Society describes Frederick's participation in the events that unfolded at the school.

"Olney lived in Norwich, and was a friend of Sarah’s brother, Charles Harris, and Charles’ fiancée, Ann Maria Davis, who was a household employee of Prudence Crandall. He was contacted by the mother of Gloriana Catherine Marshall, one of the students at the school, who asked him to deliver a package to her daughter in Canterbury. A previous package that she had sent by normal post had failed to arrive. Frederick agreed to deliver the package, and promised to send a letter to the mother as soon as it was delivered to confirm the delivery. He did deliver the package, and wrote a note to the mother, while still at the school, as promised. During his visit that day, he happened to notice that a clock was not working properly. So he took down the clock and started to fix it. It was at that moment that smoke was detected by one of the girls in the house. Olney traced the source of the smoke to a fire in the walls and floor, and immediately took steps to extinguish the fire. This was shortly after the townspeople of Canterbury had made physical threats against the school. The fire was put out and, luckily, no one was seriously injured.

A few days later, Olney was back in Norwich at a barber shop, and was approached by two men from Canterbury. They questioned him about the fire, and then they arrested him, charging him with arson. At his trial, the young students bravely testified in his defense in front of a hostile courtroom, and the mother came from New York to also testify in his behalf. Their testimony gave a complete accounting of all of his activities that day, as well as establishing the high regard in which he was held. The evidence of his innocence was so overwhelming that it took the all-white jury less than 15 minutes to acquit him. Although it was determined that the fire was set by an arsonist from outside the building, no one else was ever prosecuted for the crime."^[7]

When Frederick returned to New London from whaling aboard the Merrimac in 1847, he rejoined his wife and the couple started their family. They ultimately had six children: Oliver B Olney (1848), Jesse Olney (1852), [[Olney-1568|Fredericka A Olney] ](1853), Giles Herbert Olney (1855) who died young, Ernest Philip Olney (1860), and Giles Wilberforce Olney (1863).^{[8][9][10][11]}

Frederick spent his later years farming for a living. The 1860 United States Census lists him, his wife and four children living on a piece of land worth $1,000. He had personal property worth $500.^[12]

Frederick Olney passed away on 14 March 1869.^[13] He was laid to rest in the family plot at Carey Cemetery in Canterbury, Windham, Connecticut.^[14]<

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canterbury_Female_Boarding_School
2. ↑ https://mcguirelibrary1998.omeka.net/exhibits/show/voyage-of-the-whaler-merrimac/about-the-author-of-the-journa
3. ↑ 1844- 1847 Log Book of the whaling ship "Merrimack", Port: New London, CT. https://whalinghistory.org/?s=AC096471
4. ↑ "Whaler's Journal Transcription Complete Author's Identity Revealed", view online
5. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canterbury_Female_Boarding_School
6. ↑ https://portal.ct.gov/ECD-PrudenceCrandallMuseum
7. ↑ https://www.nlmaritimesociety.org/Frederick_Olney_New_London_Maritime_Society_revised_May_19_2021-2.pdf
8. ↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7QR-S4Z : 7 January 2020), Frederick Olney in entry for Olney, 1850.
9. ↑ "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24SG-YQ2 : 10 February 2018), Fred C. Olney in entry for Ernest Olney and Julia Earstein, 26 Dec 1901; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,570,689.
10. ↑ "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24Q4-16V : 10 February 2018), Frederick Olney in entry for Giles Wilberforce Olney and Ethel Dorothea Reed, 29 May 1915; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,614,007.
11. ↑ "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPHQ-7BL3 : 21 September 2019), Frederick Olney, ; citing Marriage, , Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 008272242.
12. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHRM-CXQ : 18 February 2021), Fredrick Olney, 1860.
13. ↑ "Connecticut, Charles R. Hale Collection, Vital Records, 1640-1955", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F726-W2R : 16 September 2020), Frederick Olney, 1869.
14. ↑ Burial site of Frederick Olney, Find A Grave: Memorial #31759887, in Carey Cemetery, Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut, USA

• https://mcguirelibrary1998.omeka.net/exhibits/show/voyage-of-the-whaler-merrimac/introduction-and-history
• https://news.yahoo.com/whalers-journal-transcription-complete-authors-003400352.html

"New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24SG-YQ2 : 10 February 2018), Fred C. Olney in entry for Ernest Olney and Julia Earstein, 26 Dec 1901; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,570,689.