1636 Richard Olmsted came to Hartford in the summer of 1636 [1], with the party from Newtown, Mass. He was one of the first settlers and proprietors of the new town. In two divisions of land, he had in the proportion of 10 and 8. His house lot was No. 49, and was on the west side of Main St., on part of which now stands the Center Church and the old burying ground (the second one in Hartford). The town bought the lot, as per record: "The 11 of January, 1640. It is further ordered that the Burying-place is appointed to be (a) parcel of Richard Olmsted's lot; and for satisfaction to Richard Olmsted for the said Burying-place, and the fencing about it, he is to have a parcel of land lying at the North Meadow gate; (the Cow-yard: containing about an acre and a half of ground.)" "The said Richard Olmsted is to have part of John Skinner's lot, on which the said John Skinner's house stands; and the said John Skinner is to remove his dwelling house." "Richard Olmsted is to trans-sill his house that stands upon the Burying-place and then the town is to remove it to the lot, the same, Richard Olmsted receives of John Skinner." This lot of John Skinner's was No. 48, next north of Richard Olmsted's lot No. 49. [2]
From his owning a house in Hartford, it is probable that he was married before 1640. [3]
1646 Richard Olmsted was constable in Hartford. [4]
1649 Richard Olmsted was fence-viewer in Hartford. [5]
1650 On June 19, articles of agreement were drawn up for the purchase of "Norwalke," from Roger Ludlow, of Fairfield, Conn., and at a session of the General Court of the Colony, the 26th of June, 1650, Nathaniel Ely and Richard Olmsted in behalf of themselves and other inhabitants of Hartford, desired the leave and approbation of the Court for (the) planting of Norwalk, to whom an affirmative answer was returned Sept. 11, 1651: "it was ordered that Norwalk should be a town." [6]
c 1650 Richard Olmsted moved to Norwalk in 1650 or 1651 [7], as his name appears in the deed of the Indian Chiefs dated Feb. 15, 1651. The land purchased from Roger Ludlow comprised only the eastern part of the town. The purchase price was fifteen pounds with some additional considerations. The central part of Norwalk had been originally purchased by Capt. Patrick of Greenwich, but the payment had never been completed to the satisfaction of the Indians. The amount still owing, viz.: "two Indian coates and fowre fathom of wampam" was made good to them and that part of the town also acquired. The additional land secured from the Indian chiefs, Feb. 15, 1651, "for the consideration of Thirtie Fathum of Wampum, Tenn Kettles, Fifteen Coates, Tenn payr of Stockings, Tenn Knifes, Tenn Hookes, Twenty Pipes, Tenn Muckes, and Tenn needles" comprised the western part of Norwalk. In a table of original grants of home lots to the first settlers of Norwalk, 1652, appears the name of Richard Olmsted and a description of his home lot: 4 acres and 1 rood, Lots 15 and half of 17, with 219 acres commonage. In the "estate of lands and accommodations" of Norwalk in 1655 he is credited with £219. [8]
1684 The will of Richard Olmsted was dated Sept. 5, 1684 and named son John, dwelling house; eldest son James; the clothes of my first wife and daughter, deceased, to my sons and their wives; cousin Nicholas Olmstead of Hartford, £1; cousin Bazie's two daughters, elizabeth Peck and Lydia Baker, £1 apiece; to Samuel Smith the bed that was my last wife's etc; friend Sergt. John Platt, overseer. Inv of Capt. Richard, 23 February 1686 (1686/7). [9]
Research Notes:
Evelyn Miles Krase states, "Family in Cambridge, England. Early in 6th? century supposed to come originally from Germany. Richard is supposed to be a nephew of James who came in Ship Lyon in 1632. Probably came from Fairstead, Essex Co. Cousin Nehemiah baptized there. Richard O. and Cristopther Comstock were witnesses to will of ? Marvin wife of Matthew, widow of John Bouton, mother of John Bouton and Rachel Smith, wife of Samuel Smith." [10]
Savage states, "Richard was an original proprietor of Hartford (1639) and had a son John there, baptized 30 Dec 1649. He removed to Norwalk in 1650 and was one of the first purchasers there. He was made sergeant in 1653 and was a representative at May session of that year and a dozen other sessions to 1679. Richard was a nephew of James Olmstead who came to Boston 16 Sept. 1632 in the Lion, from London, with two children and others, was received as freeman 6 Nov. following, was constable some years at Cambridge but removed with the earliest settlement to Hartford in 1636." [11]
Hinman states, "Richard Olmstead, Hartford, 1640--constable in '46--fence viewer in '49--deputy in '62-63. He moved to Norwalk, and was made a military officer. In 1661, he with John Banks and Joseph Judson were appointed by the General Court to run the town lines between Fairfield and Stratford. He and Nathaniel Ely were two of the first and principal settlers of Norwalk. And though Norwalk had been purchased some years previous and some few families had settled there; yet in 1650, Mr. Olmstead and Nathaniel Ely petitioned the General Court for a settlement of it--the Court so ordered, and called the town Norwalk, afterwards gave them town privileges. He was a leading man in that section of the colony." [12]
The Olmstead genealogy states, [13]
Mr. Selleck, in his History of Norwalk (p. 24), says: "It speaks well for the new company's enterprise and loyalty that it was able to send its maiden delegate, Richard Olmsted, to Hartford, even as early as May, 1653."
To make it personal, it is recorded that the day after the Court sat, Richard Olmsted was appointed Sergeant, and deputed to 'exercise' the Norwalk soldiers and 'to examine their arms.'
Richard Olmsted bore the test of power well, and his first year as Representative was supplemented by a 'dozen other sessions to 1679.'
Richard Olmsted must have been living as late as July 8, 1686, for his name appears in a patent bearing that date, by which patent the original purchase of lands from the Indians for the site of Norwalk is confirmed by the Governor and General Court of Connecticut.
His Civil Services
In 1646, Constable in Hartford.
In 1649, Fence viewer in Hartford.
In 1653, Deputy of Norwalk to the General Court at Hartford.
In 1656, appointed by the General Court, Leather seller, for Norwalk.
In 1657, chosen Townsman in Norwalk.
May 19, 1659, appointed with three others to settle a difficulty between the towns of Stratford and Fairfield, with the Indians, relative to lands.
May 17, 1660, he was appointed Grand Juror for Norwalk.
Oct. 4, 1660, Deputy to the General Court at Hartford. He was chosen Deputy of Norwalk to the General Court a dozen times between 1660 and 1679.
In 1664, "The Court appointed Mr. Campfield, Deacon More, Mr. Fayrechild, Mr. Hull and Lt. Olmsted a committee to ripen the business respecting the Calf in controversie between Mr. Lord and Danl. Cone who returned that they having viewed the Sayd beast, and the evidences of both sides, doe judge it to be Mr. Lord's steare. The Court confirms this determination that the stear doth belong to Mr. Lord."At a General Court, held at Hartford, called by the Governor, July 6, 1665, it was announced that the Court has been advised by his Majesty's order, that DeRuyter is likely to assault the Colonies, and that his Majesty had made known his pleasure that the Colonies should put themselves in a posture of defense. The Court ordered that each plantation in the Colony should consider some way to discover the approach of the enemy, and appointed Committees, to act generally in this matter from each town.
Lt. Olmsted appears on the Committee appointed to represent the Colony or that part between Stratford and Rye.
Oct. 12, 1665, he was appointed to view the lands appertaining to Hastings and Rye, for a new plantation.
In 1666, he was appointed to run line between Fairfield and Norwalk.
In 1667, he was sent to Rye to procure a minister, and hire him for £40 a year.
May 13, 1669, he was granted 60 acres of land, where he could find it.
1669 to 1675, Selectman in Norwalk.
In 1670, he was appointed to survey lands, at the charge of Norwalk, Stamford, Greenwich and Rye.
Nov. 26, 1673, he was appointed Muster Master for Fairfield County.
In 1675, at a meeting of the Council he was appointed one of two, to sign bills for the payment of the soldiers. (King Philip's War.)
He was Commissioner for Norwalk, with magisterial powers, from 1668 to 1677.His Military Services
He was a soldier in the Pequot War, May, 1637, and had a grant of land for his services in the "Soldiers' Field."
Appointed Sergeant, May 21, 1653, to a company of 65 men, and allowed to exercise the soldiers at Norwalk and to view the arms, and to make return to the Court of the defects. He was also appointed Sergeant to a company of 65 men to be raised in the several towns of the Colony.
Lieut., May 19, 1659.
He was a soldier in King Philip's War, from June, 1675 to 1676.
Capt. in 1680, commissioned for the next 6 years.
In 1681, Capt. Richard Olmsted was appointed one of the Committee to order and dispose of the affairs of the plantation upon the Hop Ground (now Bedford, in Westchester County, N. Y.).From all this it appears, that in conjunctions of special difficulty and danger, requiring great intrepidity, integrity and sound judgment, he had the confidence of the Colony and his townsmen to a high degree.
Richard Olmsted was in 1659 one of a Committee of four, appointed by the General Court, to lay out 80 acres on Golden Hill, in Bridgeport, Conn., as a permanent dwelling place for the Indians. His wife was in Hartford in July, 1672, being sick with fever and ague, as appears from a letter from John Winthrop, Jr., to Waite Winthrop, Esq.
Richard Olmsted's Will (The original is preserved in the probate records of Fairfield, Conn.)
To all Christian People to whome these prsents shall come greeting, etc. I Richard Olmsted of the towne of Norwalk, in the County of Fairfield, in the Colony of Connecticott, Aged seventy six yeers, or thereabout, being (by the hand of God upon mee) at prsent, infirme & weake of body, yet (through the mercy of the most high) of perfect understanding & memory, doe make appoint manifest & declare, this to bee my last Will and Testament.
Inprimis I doe comitt my soule into the hande of God, my Creator, that hath made it & of my Deare Redeemr, Jesus Christ that hath bought it, and my body I bequeath unto the dust from whence it was, to bee decently interred & buryed in hopes of a happy & glorious resurrection at the last day. And as for that temporall estate which God hath pleased to endow mee withall, I doe will & dispose as followeth, viz.:
I doe will & bequeath unto my son John, my prsent dwelling house, houseing barne, home lott, orchard to bee him & his hiers for eur, to haue hold & posesse after my decease; vnlesse my son James shall (according to a writting vnder hand) make exchange of his prsent house & homested, with the sayd John, within a yeere & one day, providing in this my will that my son James, haue a joint use of the barne two or three years, with free egresse & regresse, till hee can (if hee doe not before) provide himselfe of a barne.
Item I doe will & bequeath to my eldest son James Olmsted, my fruitfull spring lott of medow, to bee to him & his heirs to haue hold possesse for eur aftr my decease. I doe also bequeath to my son James my cowe lott of upland, also three acres of plowing land at Sacatuck Plaine, to bee added to the side of what hee is there already possessed of, moreovr one acre of my fruitfull spring lott of vpland; Item my pasture lott; All the affore sayd lands, I doe will to my son James to him & his hiers to haue hold posesse for eur aftr my decease.
Item, I doe will & bequeath to my son John Olmsted, one acre of land in my fruitfull spring lott, to bee added to that which is now his, And also the lott called the pine hill lott, as also the remainder of Sacatuk lott, aftr James hath resined his three acres before exprssed, Item my lott called the house lott, all the afforsayd parcells of land, I doe giue & bequeath to my son John, to haue hold posesse for euer aftr my decease.
I doe also bequeath unto my two sons; James & John, my medow lott on the othr side of Norwalk River, which shall bee equally divided crosswise, providing that hee whose part lyeth lowest, shall haue liberty granted by the other, of free egresse & regresse, the sayd parcells of medow so divided to bee to each of my sons & their hiers to haue hold & posesse for eur aftr my decease; Item I doe will & bequeath unto my sons, James & John all my medow lying in the great marsh, to each of them an equall share, (as neere as it can bee divided) to bee to them & their heirs for ever after my decease. Moreover I do will unto my sons, James & John, my lott of upland called a gratuity lott, lying upon the hill on the other side of the river, by the land of Thomas Benedick Senior; also my lott at Sticky Plaine; & my lott that lyeth aboue the Sawmill; Item sixty acres of land, granted mee by the Genrall Court; Also all my right of lands at Pequiog, all these afforesayd parcells of land, I doe will unto my two sons, unto each an equall share by a just distribution; the sayd lands to bee to them & their heirs for eur after my decease.
Item I doe will & bequeath to my son James; one fether bed that is in the chamber; also one flock bed that is now in his hand, to bee to him & his heirs for eur, aftr my decease: Also I do giue to my son John; one flock bed to bee his aftr my decease. It is also my will that the cloaths of my first wife & daughter deceased; bee to my sons & their wiues, by as equall a distribution as may bee.
Item I doe will & bequeath as a legacy of my loue, unto my cousin Nicholas Olmsted of Hartford, the summe of twenty shillings; I doe also will & bequeath to my cousin Bazies, his two daughters, viz: Elizabeth Peck; and Lidea Baker, to each of them the summe of twenty shillings, these afforesayd legacyes to bee payd unto them in current pay by my executors & administrators, within two yeers aftr my decease.
Item, I doe will & bequeath unto Samuell Smith, the bed that was my last wiues, also one pillow, & the blew rugge, and the great chest, that was my wiues: these all forementioned to bee to the sayd Samuell, to haue hold & posesse after my decease.
Finally it is my will that all other my goods not before distributed & mentioned as disposed in this my will; all my chattells, chattel; horse, neat, sheep, swine, comonage of lands, I say it is my will (all just debts, legacyes, funerall charges being first discharged) that all the forementioned goods, bee equally divided betweene my two sons James & John; by the help of my ouerseer: It is also my will & I do hereby constitute & appoint my two sons, James & John to bee sole & joint executors & administrators of this my last will & testament. And I do will & appoint, ordr & request, my trustee & beloved friend, Sergeant John Platt, to bee the ouerseer of this my will, to advise according to his wisdome, in the distributions specifyed. And it is my will that hee should recieue rationall satisfaction from the executors & administrators for his pains and helpfullnes therin. In confirmation of the prmises, & that this is my last will & testament; I have Interchangeably sett to my hand & seale, this fifth day of September in the yeare of or Lord, One Thousand, Six Hundred, Eighty and Foure.Signed & Sealed in the prsence of
Thomas Hanford.
Hannah Hanford.
Rich. Olmsted [Seal]
Jacobus states, [14]
Olmstead, Richard, s. of Richard. Served in the Pequot War, 1637, for which he received lot in Soldier's Field, Hartford, and in 1669 a colonial grant of 60 acres. Sergt., Norwalk Trainband, May 1653; Sergt., Conn. Col. Troop, same date; Lt., Norwalk Trainband, May 1659; Capt. of same, Oct. 1680; Muster Master, Fairfield County. Nov. 1673. Deputy (Norwalk) to Conn. Leg., May 1653, Sept. 1654, May 1658, Oct. 1660, May 1661. May 1662. May and Oct. 1663, May and Oct. 1664, Oct. 1665, May and Oct. 1666, May 1667, May and Oct. 1668, May 1669. May 1671, and May 1679; Commissioner for Norwalk, 1678-85.
Bapt. at Fairsted, co. Essex, Eng., 20 Feb. 1612, d. at Norwalk, early in 1687.
Brought to America by his uncle James, in 1632, he settled in Cambridge. Mass., and in 1636 removed to Hartford. In 1646 he was Constable, and fence-viewer in 1649. About 1650 he removed to Norwalk.
He m. (1) (???); (2) (???), prob. wid. of Thomas Smith.
Will 30 Sept. 1684; aged 76 yrs. or thereabout; son John, dwelling-house; eldest son James; the clothes of my first wife and dau. dec'd, to my sons and their wives; cousin Nicholas Olmstead of Hartford. £1; cousin Baizie's two daus., Elizabeth Peck and Lydia Baker, £1 apiece; to Samuel Smith the bed that was my last wife's etc.; friend Sergt. John Platt, overseer. Inv. of Capt. Richard, 23 Feb. 1686 [1686/7].Children [by first wife]:
James.
John, bapt. at Hartford, 30 Dec. 1649.
Daughter, d. unmarried.
The The Great Migration Begins, in the biosketch of James Olmstead, states, [15]
Three children of Richard Olmstead, elder brother of James, came to New England: Richard (bp. 1612), John (bp. 1617) and Rebecca (b. say 1620) [Olmsted Gen 5]. It has been claimed that they came to New England in 1632 with their uncle, but there is no evidence to prove this, and they may well have come later. Bibliographic Note: The standard genealogy for the Olmstead family is Henry King Olmsted and Geo. K. Ware, Genealogy of the Olmsted Family in America Embracing the Descendants of James and Richard Olmsted and Covering a Period of Nearly Three Centuries, 1632-1912 (New York 1912) [cited above as Olmsted Gen]. This presents the records obtained as a result of research in England (supervised by Frederick Law Olmsted!), including speculations on earlier generations [x-xv]. The parish register entries above are taken from this work, augmented by examination of a transcript of the register at the Essex Record Office in Chelmsford.
The baptism of Richard Olmsted, allegedly on 20 February 1612, does not appear in the parish register of Fairstead, Essex, England. The baptisms of four of his siblings (Mary, John, Sara, and Joseph) were recorded in the Fairstead parish register, but not the baptisms of Richard and Rebecca. Their uncle Thomas Slany, in his will dated August 4, 1634, made bequests to "Joseph my sister Holmsteds youngest sonne five pounds," to "my Neece Sara Holmsteed Thirty shillings" and to "nephew Richard Holmesteed Fower nobles." This suggests that Richard was still in England in 1634, while John and Rebecca may have accompanied their uncle James Olmstead on the Lyon in 1632.
[1] Donald Lines Jacobus, History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, Vol. 1, Reprinted with additions and corrections (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2007), 452, [GoogleBooks].
[2] Henry King Olmsted and George Kemp Ward, Genealogy of the Olmsted Family in America (New York: A.T. De La Mare Printing and Publishing Company, 1912), 187, [GoogleBooks].
[3] Henry King Olmsted and George Kemp Ward, Genealogy of the Olmsted Family in America (New York: A.T. De La Mare Printing and Publishing Company, 1912), 187, [GoogleBooks].
[4] Donald Lines Jacobus, History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, Vol. 1, Reprinted with additions and corrections (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2007), 452, [GoogleBooks].
[5] Donald Lines Jacobus, History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, Vol. 1, Reprinted with additions and corrections (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2007), 452, [GoogleBooks].
[6] Henry King Olmsted and George Kemp Ward, Genealogy of the Olmsted Family in America (New York: A.T. De La Mare Printing and Publishing Company, 1912), 187, [GoogleBooks].
[7] Donald Lines Jacobus, History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, Vol. 1, Reprinted with additions and corrections (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2007), 452, [GoogleBooks].
[8] Henry King Olmsted and George Kemp Ward, Genealogy of the Olmsted Family in America (New York: A.T. De La Mare Printing and Publishing Company, 1912), 187, [GoogleBooks].
[9] Donald Lines Jacobus, History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, Vol. 1, Reprinted with additions and corrections (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2007), 452, [GoogleBooks].
[10] Family Document, Evelyn Miles Krase Notes.
[11] James Savage, John Farmer, Orrando Perry, A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, Showing three generations, Vol. 3 (Boston: Little Brown & Co, 1861), 312, [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive].
[12] Royal Ralph Hinman, A Catalogue of the Names of the First Puritan Settlers of the Colony of Connecticut, collected from the state and town records, Vol. 1 (Hartford: E. Gleason, 1846), 59, [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].
[13] Henry King Olmsted and George Kemp Ward, Genealogy of the Olmsted Family in America (New York: A.T. De La Mare Printing and Publishing Company, 1912), 188-191, [GoogleBooks].
[14] Donald Lines Jacobus, History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, Vol. 1, Reprinted with additions and corrections (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2007), 452-453, [GoogleBooks].
[15] Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633 (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), 1359, [AmericanAncestors].