Essex County, Massachusetts was created on May 10, 1643 by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, when it ordered "that the whole plantation within this jurisdiction be divided into four sheires."
He married Abigail Harris of Ipswich on October 26, 1732. Abigail was born August 31, 1718 in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts. Her parents were Samuel Harris and Elizabeth Nicholson.
Their children included:
Susannah Dwinnell West (married Ichabod West),
Mary Dwinnell Harrington (1733, married James Harrington),
Abigail Dwinnell Matteson (married Scuyler Matteson),
Stephen Dwinnell (1745, married Susanna Olin),
Sarah Dwinnell Olin (married Justin Olin),
Mercey Dwinnell Straight (married Samuel Straight),
Patience Dwinnell Olin (married Gideon Olin),
Nancy Dwinnell Slyke (married James Slyke),
Penelope Dwinnell, and
Ebenezer Dwinnel (1754, married Hannah Allen (1765-1823).
In 1761 Stephen's father left him five shillings.
They moved from Topsfield to Coventry, Rhode Island and after that to Hoosac, Rensselaer County, New York. At one time they resided in Marblehead.
They died in Hoosac. Stephen died on July 17, 1753 and Abigail in 1790.
Old Style Calendar
Before 1752 the year began on Lady Day, March 25th,. Dates between January 1st and March 24th were at the end of the year. Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are used to indicate whether the year has been adjusted. Often both dates are used.
The settlement of New Meadows was incorporated as the Town of Topsfield in 1650. The church "gathered" on November 4, 1663. The third Meeting House was built in 1703 with Rev. Joseph Capen as pastor.
The True Genealogy of the Dunnel and Dwinnell Family of New England by Henry Gale Dunnel
Stephen Dwaniel. s. of Dr. M., b. 1707; m. Abigail Harris of Ipswich. They at one time resided in Marblehead. They removed from Topsfield to Coventry, R. I., and afterwards to Hoosac, Rensselaer co., N. Y., where he d.
Children;
1. Susannah, b. in Coventry; m. Ichabod West.
2. Mary Dweinil, b. in Coventry, 1733; bap. in Marblehead, Mass., by Rev. Mr. Cheever, Sept. 9, 1733; m. James Harrington.
3. Abigail, b. in Coventry; m. Scuyler Matteson.
4. Stephen, b. in Coventry, 1745; m. Susanna Olin.
5. Sarah, b. in Hoosac; m. Justin Olin.
6. Mercey, b. in Hoosac; m. Samuel Straight.
7. Patience, b. in Hoosac; m. Olin (Gideon).
8. Nancy, b. in Hoosac; m. James Slyke.
9. Penelope, b. in Hoosac.
10. Ebenezer, b, in Hoosac, 1754; d. Jan. 14,1834, at White Creek, N. Y.
from A Complete Record of the John Olin Family by Chauncey C. Olin
Henry Olin married four wives and raised four sons—Henry, Peleg, Justin and Caleb; and three daughters—Mary, Susanna and Rebekah.
Justin Olin married Sarah Dwinell, whose ancestors fled from France during the persecution of the Huguenots
Estate inventories give us a glance into the home life of Colonial Americans.
from A Complete Record of the John Olin Family by Chauncey C. Olin
John Olin, second, was married in East Greenwich, R. I., December 8, 1734, to Susannah Pierce, daughter of Jeremiah Pierce. They lived in Rhode Island, where they reared their family, but later in life they removed to Shaftsbury, Vermont, where their four sons were living. The following is the family record of this couple:
1. Phoebe Olin, born November 9, 1735.
2. Jonathan Olin, Esq., born June 28, 1737; died January 9, 1826. Anna Olin, wife of Jonathan Olin, died November 28. 1811, aged 75 years, 7 months.
3. John Olin, first, born July 1, 1739; died April 7, 1740, aged 9 months.
4. John Olin, second, born September 17, 1741.
5. Gideon Olin, born October 22, 1743; died January 21, 1823. Patience Dwinnell, first wife of Gideon Olin, died January 30, 1801, aged 58 years. Lydia Pope, second wife of Gideon Olin, was the mother of five children, viz.: Benjamin, Esther, Nathaniel, Abram and Job S.
6. Giles Olin, born March 23, 1745; died September 1, 1835.
Anna Reynolds, wife of Giles Olin, died February 23, 1838, aged 88 years.
7. Barbara Olin, born September 4, 1748.
First printed in Boston 1745
Lush forests in Colonial America allowed settlers to build wooden homes.
Merchant sailors were vital to the economy of the American Colonies. They could become wealthy, but suffered very high mortality rates.
Gideon Olin was born in 1743 in Rhode Island, and removing to Shaftsbury (Bennington County, VT)
in 1776, became one of the founders of the State of Vermont,
was appointed Major of a militia regiment under Col. Herrick and Lt. Col. Ebenezer Walbridge 6 Jun 1778, and was afterwards in actual service as such on the frontiers on several occassions, during the war.
Was on of the Councilors of State in 1793, 1794, 1795, and 1796, being chosen and serving four years in succession;
represented Shaftsbury in the General Assembly in 1778, and onward for fifteen years with but two or three intermissions;
was Speaker of the House through seven sessions of the Legislature;
Assistant Judge of the Bennington County Court in 1781, and onward for twenty years in succession, with the exception of 1798 and 1799;
in 1807, 1808, 1809, and 1810, was Chief Justice of the County Court; was representative in Congress two terms, from 1803 to 1807.
Gideon Olin was one of the firmest supporters of the State of Vermont; possessed great natural talents, and intuitive knowledge of mankind, was bobly free in his opinions, and decided in his conduct. He died in January 1823 at Shaftsbury.
A militia is a military unit composed of citizens who are called up in time of need.
Marblehead, Essex County, Massachusetts was first settled in 1629 and incorporated in 1649. It was originally a fishing village. Before the Revolution it was home base for privateers who plundered European ships.
Essex Institute Historical Collections, Volume 46 by Essex Institute, Peabody Essex Museum.
Estate of Thomas Nicholson Home. This lot was sold by the town of Marblehead to Thomas Nicholson of Marblehead, a mariner, March 13, 1682-3. Upon this land he built a house, in which he lived. He died before Jan. 2, 1693/4, when administration upon his estate was granted to his widow Elizabeth Nicholson, who married Richard Crofts thirteen days later. The house and lot were then appraised at sixty pounds.
Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Nicholson, married, first, John Westlake May 24, 1705; and, second, Samuel Harris of Marblehead, joiner, Oct. 20, 1715. Mr. and Mrs. Harris conveyed the house and land to Richard Dana of Marblehead, gentleman, Sept. 24, 1731 and ten days later Mr. Dana reconveyed the estate to Mr. Harris.
The house was originally twenty-four feet long and thirty-three feet wide, and fronted on what is now Lee street. The chimney was wholly on the outside of the western end, near the front. Mr. Harris added to the northwestern end of the house twenty feet, and of the width of the house. This addition caused the chimney to be near the middle of the house, which was afterwards known as a double house.
Mr. Harris died in the spring of 1739, his will, dated Feb. 23, 1738, being proved April 19, 1739. His "mansion house," one part of which was then in the possession of Nicholas Girdler, was appraised at five hundred pounds. In his will he devised "my late mansion house," shop, barn and land to his three daughters, Tabitha, Elizabeth and Ann.
A division of the estate was made May 10, 1751, and the old part of the house was assigned to Tabitha, wife of Increase Gatchell of Marblehead, yeoman, and the new part to Anna, wife of Samuel Gatchell of Marblehead, shoreman. A plan was made showing the division of the estate at the time of the partition, and was recorded with the record of the partition in the registry of deeds.It is reproduced on the opposite page, having been reduced one-half in size. How much longer the old house stood is unknown.
A gentleman had no title, but descended from an aristocratic family, was of the landed gentry, and had a coat of arms.
A joiner is a carpenter skilled in finished woodwork.
