The Ontario Pioneers and Available Genealogies

Settlers "O"

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Captain Jacob Ball (1773-1810) maintained his loyalty to the British cause during the American Revolution and was fined and imprisoned by the Patriots for that support. The Captain and his sons were among the early grantees in Niagara Township, Lincoln County and settled on an irregularly shaped unnumbered lot between Three and Four Mile Creeks to the southwest of the Town of Niagara along Niagara Stone Road in Niagara Township.  Above is the gravestone of Captain Jacob Ball in St. Marks Cemetery, Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The township lots numbered 70 and 115 and the west part of Lot 69 formed a line along the south boundary of the Ball property. The property ran west from Three Mile Creek to Four Mile Creek Road and north from The East and West Line. When it was surveyed the Ball property measured 862 acres and was given the name of “Locust Grove”. Jacob Ball and his four sons each held a one-fifth share in the property. Above is the Ball family plot in St. Marks Cemetery, Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Oakes, James (1766-1856) moved with his parents from Massachusetts to New Brunswick, then with his wife Rachel Holse in 1803 came to Charlotteville Township, Norfolk County settling near Port Ryerse. His brothers Benjamin Oakes (1769-) and Christopher Oakes (1773-1847) arrived at Charlotteville Township in 1804 and by 1805 respectively. Includes three generations of descendants in Norfolk and Elgin Counties, and in Michigan and elsewhere. Descendant surnames included: Hackett, Brownlee, Cruikshank, Ostrosser, Padden, McDonald, Olive, Lloyd, Stover, Crosier, Crosby, Shane, Simes, Jones

O’Bryan, Roger (c. 1763-) and his wife Ellen came from Ireland to Upper Canada by 1797 and settled in Woodhouse Township, Norfolk County near the town of Simcoe. Includes three generations of descendants in Norfolk and Oxford Counties and in Michigan. Descendant surnames included: Marston, Muma, Bouchier, Tower, Hart, Gammon, Winterborn, Mastin, Davis

O’Carr, Peter (1794-1856) married Susannah Beemer about 1820 and settled in Townsend Township, Norfolk County near the town of Simcoe. Includes three generations of descendants in Norfolk County and in Illinois. Descendant surnames included: Counter, Broughton, Collins, Henson

Oldfield, William (c. 1740-  ) lived in New Jersey then came to Upper Canada in 1787 and found a location in Stamford Township, Welland County. The next year, he brought in his wife Mary. William Oldfield settled on 200 acres of land in Lots 195 and 196 in Stamford Township, Welland County. 2 The lots were located along the north side of McLeod Road between Drummond Road and Dorchester Road. During William’s time this area was entirely rural. It has since been subdivided and developed for residential properties in the City of Niagara Falls.

The genealogy includes five generations in Ontario and coast to coast in the United States. Descendant surnames mentioned: Barker, McLeod, Elliott, Young, Warner, Root, Lynch, Spencer, Cook, Cassady, Wyatt, Flinn, Portolese, Zimmermacher

Olds, Archibald (1788-1858) came from Stillwater, Rensselaer County, New York to Upper Canada by 1820 and settled in Woodhouse Township, Norfolk County east of the town of Simcoe. Cortland Olds (1798-1880) came from the United States to Canada by 1812 and married Catharine Kniffen.  The couple settled in Woodhouse Township near the town of Port Dover. Includes three generations of descendants in Norfolk County. Descendant surnames included: Cline, McFell, Spencer, Watts

Omstead, Gideon (c. 1760-1797) came from the United States to Townsend Township, Norfolk County in 1793 and married Elizabeth Cooley. Includes four generations of descendants in Norfolk and Essex Counties, and in Iowa and Oklahoma and elsewhere. Descendant surnames included: Warden, Swanton, Evans, Chapin, Nailor, Flynn, Turner, Limage, Casey, Dunn, Watson. Stephen Olmstead (1787-1854) came from Canaan, Columbia County, New York to Norfolk County by 1817 and married widow Mary (Barber) Gilbert and settled in Middleton Township. Includes children and grandchildren in Norfolk County and in Michigan and elsewhere. Descendant surnames included: Snively, Thomson

O’Reilly/Reilly, John (1749-1812) married Cordelia Petrie (daughter of Johann Toft and Maria Eva Petrie). John invariably used the surname “Reilly”. His sons Patrick and William used the surname “O’Reilly”. Son John and his family used the surname “Reilly”. During the American Revolution, John Reilly went to Fort Niagara, the British post at the confluence of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario near present Youngstown, New York and enlisted in Butler’s Rangers a Loyalist unit. John Reily was listed as a Serjeant in John McDonell’s Company of Butler’s Rangers and paid £76 at the rate of 5 shillings per day for 304 days of service from 25 Dec 1777 to 24 Oct 1778.

John Reilly was among the earliest soldiers given permission to settle along the west side of the Niagara River. By 1782 he settled on 200 acres of land in Lots 77 and 90, Stamford Township, Welland County. 2 This was located between the south side of Thorold Stone Road, the north side of Morrison Street, the east side of Drummond Road and the west side of Stanley Avenue in the present city of Niagara Falls. Portage Road angles through the west part of the lot. In John Reilly’s time this area was entirely rural. It has since been subdivided and developed for residential and commercial properties. Fairview Cemetery is located in the southeast part of the property.

The genealogy includes seven generations in Ontario and coast to coast in the United States. Descendant surnames mentioned: Davidson, Scott, Near, Mercer, Smith, Shrigley, Current, Beckett, Grass, Gregory, Roszell, Miller, Black, Jarvis, Gregory, MacAdam, Atkinson, Paisley, Paisley, Heasman, Bruce, Hutchinson, Rudge and many more.

Osborn, David (1805-1878) came from Dutchess County, New York to Ontario before 1837 and settled in the village of Erie View, Walsingham Township, Norfolk County. Includes children and grandchildren in Norfolk County. Descendant surnames included: Brown, Dunn

Ostrander, Yzaak (c. 1725-1809) was born in Hurley, Ulster County, New York to Pieter Pietersen Ostander and Rachel (Dingman) Ostrander. He married in Albany, Albany County, New York on 30 Sep 1757, Elizabeth McKans/Meekans (1737-1792). During colonial times, Ysaac and Elizabeth Ostrander lived in Hellebergh, the former name of Guilderland, a village about eleven miles west of the City of Albany in Albany County, New York. Their children were baptized in the Dutch Reformed Church in Albany.

During the American Revolution, Ysaak supported the Loyalist cause and was labeled by the Patriots “a dangerous and disaffected person” for which he was arrested and appeared before the Patriot Commissioners then confined. He was fined a significant sum of £100 as recognizance for his future good behavior then released.

Isaac and Elizabeth Ostrander came to Canada by 1789, preceeded by their sons Andrew and John. Isaac was given a grant of 300 acres of land, 200 acres as a settler and and allowance of 100 acres for having a wife and child in his household in 1789. He located his grant in three adjoining lots—70, 93 and 116 in Thorold Township, Welland County. The block of land ran in a long north-south line on the east side of present Allanport and Davis Roads from Barron Road near the village of Allanport in the south to the town of Thorold South in the north. This parallels the Welland Canal built to the west in the 1830s.

Includes ancestry, biographies and six generations in Ontario, in western Canada, and coast to coast in the United States. Descendant surnames mentioned: Spencer, Nevills, Everingham, Warner, Hyatt, House, Misener, Bradfield, Leflar, Elliott, Conover, Ramsay, Ferguson, Hutchins, Clarridge, Randall, Oliver, Patch, Graham, Dell, Havens, Johnson, Ellafrits, Loree, Hunter, McMurchy, McIlwain, Hassard, Paisley, Farnsworth, Worthy, Fraser, Black, Caughell, Culver, Harwood, Mot, Chambers, Williamson, Metzger, Howell, Smith, Buchner, Haley, Stilwell, Gray, Scidmore, Gittins, Grimshaw, Chandler, Clark, Dillery, Alward and many more.

Outhouse, Nicholas (1726-) and his wife Elizabeth Flewelling in colonial times lived in Haverstraw Township, Orange County, New York. During the American Revolution Nicholas joined Colonel Robinson’s Corps of Loyalists and afterwards went in the exodus from New York to Nova Scotia. He returned to Haverstraw by 1790 and then came to Charlotteville Township, Norfolk County in 1796. Includes ancestry in New York, and children and grandchildren in Norfolk and Peel Counties. Descendant surnames included: Lowell, Mayne, Snider, Smith, Trotter

Overbaugh, Hezekiah (1784-1846) and his wife Martha Maria Wolven came from Cobleskill, New York by 1812 and settled in Walsingham Township, Norfolk County near the village of Port Royal. Includes ancestry in New York and three generations of descendants in Norfolk County. Descendant surnames included: White, Myers, Mahaffey, Moore, Beckerson, Dease

Overholt, Abraham (c. 1746-1840) and his wife Elizabeth Moyer (c. 1752-1836) lived in New Britain, Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania north of the city of Philadelphia. The borough of Chalfont is located in the south part of the township and Peace Valley Park is in the north part. During the American Revolution, Abraham Overholt was loyal to the British cause resulting in fines imposed by the Patriots.

In 1788, Abraham and Elizabeth Overholt came to Upper Canada with their family and settled on 400 acres of land in Lots 161, 162, 156 and 157 in Thorold Township, Welland County.  Lots 161 and 162 are located on the north side of Hurricane Road between Canborough Road and Station Street in the northeast part of the present Town of Thorold. Lots 156 and 157 were located on the east side of Pelham Road kitty corner to the northwest side of Lots 161 and 162. Hollow Road runs north through Lot 156 and Barron Road runs along the north side of the lots. Today the rugged St. Johns Conservation Area takes up much of Lot 156. The Overholt family cemetery is located on Angers Hill Road in the south part of Lot 157. This is not to be confused with Overholt Cemetery north of Port Colborne in Humberstone Township, Welland County.

Isaac Overholt (c. 1746-c. 1810), of unknown relationship to the above was listed in the tax rolls of Plumstead Township, Bucks County from 1775 to 1787. During the American Revolution he served in Captain McHenry’s Company in Bedminster. After 1787, he moved to Frederick County, Maryland. Isaac and Elizabeth Overholt came to Canada about 1800 and settled in Louth Township, Lincoln County.

The genealogy includes six generations in Ontario, in western Canada, and coast to coast in the United States. Descendant surnames mentioned: Philips, Rogers, Bellinger, Morgan, Hansler, Bouck, Karver, Patterson, Stringer, Gregory, Smith, Mills, McRae, Barbour, Russell, Randall, Hill, Furness, Aulph, Williams, Cowie, Bodish, Forrest, Perry, Hersee, Taylor, Thompson, Stephenson, Costlin, Ecker/Acker, Swayze, Lambert, Hiles, Goodwin and many more.

Overholt, Staats  (c. 1741-1820) was born to Marcus and Elizabeth (Staats) Overholtzer in Tinicum Township, Chester (later Delaware) County, Pennsylvania. In colonial times, Staats Overholt lived in Tinicum Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania bordered to the south by the Delaware River, to the northwest by Darby Creek, and the northeast by the city of Philadelphia. It borders the state of New Jersey in the centre of the Delaware River. When Delaware County was formed in 1789, Tinicum Township was included in the new jurisdiction. The unincorporated community of Essington is in the western part of the township. The western part of Philadelphia International Airport takes up nearly all of the centre and eastern parts of the township. 

Staats Overholt brought his wife and six children to Upper Canada later in 1786 travelling in a group of four families including Overholt, Jacob Culp, Tilman Culp and Frederick Haun. The party with their families numbered twenty-five individuals and arrived at the Twenty River on the shores of Lake Ontario near present Vineland. 

Staats Overholt received from the government a substantial grant of 476 acres of land in Lots 16, 17, and 18, Concession 1 and Lot 16, Concession 2, Clinton Township, Lincoln County.  This block of land was located along the south shore of Lake Ontario from the east side of present Ontario Street to the west side of Lincoln Avenue.

The genealogy includes ancestry and six generations in Ontario and coast to coast in the United States. Descendant surnames mentioned: Singer, Fisher, Rott/Roth, Moyer, Sherk, Stengel, Wismer, Culp, Capp, Fry, Zimmerman, Clouse, Fissette, Jordan, Rush, Rogers, Piper, Schram, Thompson, Meane, Vail, Bowman, Dunn, White, Wright, Edwards, Woodward, Rickerson, Nicholas and many more

Owen, Epenetus (1741- c. 1807) served as a Sergeant in the Patriot forces during the American Revolution and settled afterwards in Chemung, Chemung County, New York. He came to Upper Canada in 1795 and settled in Caistor Township, Lincoln County then in 1799 moved to Charlotteville Township, Norfolk County. Includes five generations of descendants in Norfolk County. and in Michigan and Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Descendant surnames included: Monroe, Lamoreaux, Culp, Dodson, Hann, Rittenhouse, Overacker, Bigelow, Orvis, Yockey, Dudley, Bingham, Griffin, Batty, Dental, Pingrey, Jones, Higgins