Chapter 186D Martin De Olmestede

6/31/2011

genealogy-boring , history- fascinating Olmsted 1912 Geneaology (searchable)

The first known Olmsted in my lineage is Great Grandpa Martin De Olmestede (21 generations back) born 1220. Although I find little specific information about him, I offer this tangential information. Perhaps the 250.000 books that Google just contracted with the British Library to digitize in a few years will reveal some stories.

 

 Martin was born in Olmstead Hall England which shows up on Google Maps, but ...

 

 They are showing Olmstead Green, whereas Olmstead Hall, the homestead is a quarter mile further down the road according to an 1881 ordinance map and the British Listed Buildings.

 

 The moat is shows at the bottom. He "gave lands to the fraternity of the Knights Templar at Little Maplestead (20 miles away)." The Knights Templar were Christian soldiers closely related to the Knights Hospitallers who built and currently run the Order of Knights of St John of Jerusalem temple church at Little Maplestead.

 

 It was also the Knights Hospitallers depicted in the top image at the Siege of Acre 1291. The Christians lost this Crusade battle for this Middle East fortress to the Muslim hoardes. A similar battle ( vs Saladin in 1187) is nicely portrayed in Liam Neeson's 2005 movie, Kingdom of Heaven .

 

 This old sketch is from The History of Antiquities of the round church at Little Maplestead, Essex, England.   The church is one of only five round churches still in use in England. Voluminous records relate to the original land ownership. Grandson John De Olmestede paid rent of 2 shillings per year to the church in 1290. Search at Essex Archives online by entering Search Criteria: Olmestede and search.

 

  This recent blogger was enthralled with the Little Maplestead church and linked this picture from flickr . The Transactions at the Essex Archeology Society also have extensive information regarding this church. The consensus seems to be that the Knights Templar used the rounded architecture for these 4 churches in England based on the architecture of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem where they say Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected.

 

  When we went to England in 1978, I was drawn for some unknown inexplicable reason to visit Cambridge University. Wandered around inside by ourselves and climbed a tower for this shot. This was before I knew anything about my roots. It turns after all, that our ancestor's manor home, Olmsted Hall had been given to Cambridge University Queens College after a little beheading incidence. Cambridge is also home to the first of 4 round churches in England, St. Sepulchre managed by the Christian Heritage.

 

 Kathy in the gardens of awesome Hampton Court Palace on another side trip. Just found out it was also originally also the property of the

Hospitallers . King William III's banquet house is in background. The Wiki link has an almost identical photo of the gardens, but without Kathy.

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I must also note that Olmsted Hall had been previously owned by the de Vere lordship and that later on in 1576 John Olmsted was a horse handler for Edward de Vere 17th Earl of Oxford who may have written many of Shakespeare's works. Now the movie: Anonymous . That same year the Earl's boat was attacked by the Dutch. The Queen demanded satisfaction from the Prince of Orange.

 

 Recent additions to my collectibles memorialize this chapter. The 1743 Order of Malta Grano coin (slow) displays the Maltese Cross of Hospitaller Grand Master Emmanuel Pinto. Discerning viewer will notice the USAir Jet heading north. Am still seeking  the John the Baptist "head on a platter coin" from the Malta Order. A web site is maintained by Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes, Greece and of Malta in the Mediterranean . Inscribed on both is  "In hoc signo vinces" meaning "in this sign you will conquer" and referring to I.H.S. , Jesus, Chi rho or the cross going back to the 4th century.

 

Family Lineage

England

Martin De Olmestede 1220-

Maurice De Olmestede 1242- 

John De Olmestede 1265-1312 

William Olmestede 1285-

William Olmstede 1325-

John Olmstead 1404-1474

Richard Olmstead 1430-1552

John Olmstead 1460-1533

James Olmstead 1st 1500-1520 

James Olmstead 2nd 1520-1595

James Olmsted 3rd 1550-1595

Richard Olmstead Sr 1579-1641

Family Lineage

America

 

1st Richard Olmsted 1612-1687    born England    Sep 16,1632 arrived Boston on Lyon  walked and settled in Hartford 1608-1641anc moved Norwalk CT

2nd (3955) Lt John Olmsted 1649-1704    Hartford CT 1655-1705anc

3rd (3965) Daniel Olmsted 1685-1749

4th (4002) Ambrose Olmsted 1719-1792 Ridgefield CT  Auburn NY

5th (4502) Asa Olmsted  1788-1871 Auburn NY  

6th (5413) Ambrose Olmsted 1824-1892 Sennett NY moved to Des Moines IA [first general store by brother (5417) Charles C.V. Olmsted in Adaza Iowa] 

7th (6981) Philo Burritt Olmsted 1858-1946 Adza IA  Cortland NY

8th (8406) William Hayden Olmsted 1893-1979 Adaza Iowa Cortland NY

9th William Dale Olmsted 1920-1999 Cortland NY

10th Terry L. Olmsted 1945-  Cortland NY Rexford Ny

11th Shawn M. Olmsted 1977- Schenectady NY Ballston Spa NY

 (Olmsted genealogy ref #)

reference links

Olmsted Hall:

Knights Hospitallers and Templars:

the Look Around view of Malta's St John is amazing

picture gallery of unearthed city of Acre

Israeli historical links to Acre (Akko)

June 2011 Underground city of Acre revealed

The Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, Order of St. John, Knights of Malta, and Chevaliers of Malta; French: Ordre des Hospitaliers, Maltese: Ordni ta San Gwann) is a Christian organization that began as an Amalfitan hospital founded in Jerusalem in approximately 1080 to provide care for poor, sick or injured pilgrims to the Holy Land. After the Western Christian reconquest of Jerusalem in 1099 during the First Crusade, it became a religious/military order under its own charter, and was charged with the care and defence of the Holy Land. Following the conquest of the Holy Land by Islamic forces, the Order operated from Rhodes, Greece over which it was sovereign, and later from Malta in the Mediterranean where it administered a vassal state under the Spanish viceroy of Sicily.

Most of the grand masters of the Knights of Hospitallers had the de in the middle of their name as did those signing the Magna Carta.

First of all Mounted Knights in history were the Hospitallers.

1023 Hospitallers at hospital in Jeruslem to care for people

1095 Pope Urban II : destroy that vile race from the lands of our friends. I say this to those who are present, it meant also for those who are absent. Moreover, Christ commands it. Deus Vult; God Wills It 

1099 after first crusade hospitallers became military order KH

1104 conquest of Acre by Crusaders

1118 KT founded then disbanded 1307

1129 KT officially endorsed by catholic church

1150s

1185 KT build temple in London

1185 Holy Roman Empire granted priveledges

1186 Dosnel bequest for church maplestead

1191 Templars and Hospitallers formed

1215 William Marshall  negotiated with King John regarding Magna Carta

1215 Magna Carta signed by King John, 1225 passed, 1297 limited the Kings powers gave power to the people Aubrey De Vere IV

1216 Jacques de Vitry Fr Bishop visits Acre, disgusted

1219 William Marshall 1st Earl of Pembroke, greatest jouster of all time      invested into KT on deathbed 1219 and buried at London temple a big deal

1220 Martin Olmsted coat of arms has Crusader Great helm or pot helm is flat topped . adorned with 3 arrows and a red and white cloth to symbolize bloody bandages?

1240 Olmsted gave lands to KTemplar

1248-1254 seventh crusade

1248 Pope Innocent

1291 Siege of Acre

1291 Guillaume de Beaujeu was the 21st Grand Master Knights Templar who died at Acre.

1307 KTemplar disbanded

1340 significant construction at maplestead church

1750 Ottoman Turks build over Acre

1799 Napoleon fails to take back Acre

? and that most of the original land was given by the Dosnel family although there were numerous other benefactors, apparently including de Olmestede.

??It might be reasonable to assume that Olmestede was of sufficient religious conviction that he did in fact give away land freely to the Knights Templar for building of the church at Little Maplestead. After the Knights Templar were phased out a transition to Knights Hospitaller occurred. Or the church did not get built at all until another hundred years by 1340?

rough tentative scratch notes for verification crosschecking timeline:

Anglo Saxon era

Norman (Vikings who settled in North Eastern France)

Anglo-Saxon holm, i. e., water island, low ground by water.

In Sweden and Denmark holm is a small island, as Stockholm, etc.—

From E. A. Charnock, Local Etymology.

Danish and German, holm, a small island;

Swedish, holme;

Icelandic, holmi., i. e., an island. Holm, a green plot of ground, environed by water, and just rising above it, hence, meadows, especially near rivers.

??guestimate: Olmstedius of the Roman Empire living in Roman Britan 43AD-410AD

??guestimate: Hortense Homestead from Germany or Holland or Sweden or Denmark part of  Anglo-Saxon invasion of England 410AD overtaking Roman-Britons, Recent hoard found youtube from Mercia culture in Staffordshire West Midlands

King Arthur 500s

410-600AD pagans

600AD converted to Christianity

1066 Norman Conquest at Battle of Hastings

Medieval Times:

 

On Geni you can follow these names down from England through several generations into the American generations. Family names are subject to much variation in spelling throughout the ages but many quotes come directly from the 1912 Olmsted Geneology.

Robert FitzWimarc 1015-1075

Aubrey De Vere I  ?-1112

Aubrey De Vere II 1080-1141

1086 Doomsday book, survey for  William I the Conquerer : under "The land of suen of Essex" and "The hundret of Tandrige" "Almesteda (Elmsted or Olmsted) was held by Robert Fitz Wimarc. Now Suen (holds it), and Siric' of him, as 1 manor and as 8 hides. Then 14 villeins. This Elmsted, Almesteda, Enmested parish was later named Bumpstead-Helion in Cambridgeshire.

Aubrey De Vere III 1115-1194 1st Earl of Oxford

Aubrey De Vere IV  1163-1214 2nd Earl of Oxford

Robert De Vere   ?-1221  3rd Earl of Oxford

prior 1220 Olmsted Hall previously named Bumpstead Hall by De Vere?

Martin De Olmestede 1220-    Great Waltham, Essex, England  holden Olmsted Hall under de vere of Bumpstead Hall "gave lands to the fraternity of the Knights Templar at Little Maplestead (a Feodar: Com: Oxon). "

Maurice De Olmestede 1242-   (held Olmsted Hall 1242)  1240 witness in deed      Knights Templar new temple in London in 1240  only 4 round templar churches wet blog born 1242 Olmsted Hall Great Waltham, Essex

John De Olmestede 1265-1312  Sep 29, 1290 rental agreement 2 shillings per year to St Johns of Little Maplestead (Wm, Ed, John held Olmsted Hall 1311)

William Olmestede 1285- (Wm, Ed, John held Olmsted Hall 1311)

William Olmstede 1325- (left to this son Wm Olmsted Hall )

John Olmstead 1404-1474    Olmsted Hall to Queens College early 15th C

1410 Olmsted Hall belonged afterward to William Skrene (of Writtle and Clifford's Inn) constituted Sergeant-at-law 10th Henry V. (1410). His descendant, Sir John Skrene, died in 1471. The heir of Sir John Skrene was John Clark who descended from Catherine, sister to William Skrene. In 1474 John Cornyshe, Wm. Dayton and Thomas Garthe released to William, Lord Hastings, all those manors which were lately the estate of Sir John Skrene. Lord Hastings was beheaded and his property confiscated in 1480, about which time Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of Edward IV., was endowing, as second Patroness, Queen's College, Cambridge.*

Richard Olmstead 1430-1552

John Olmstead 1460-1533

James Olmstead 1st 1500-1520 

James Olmstead 2nd 1520-1595

Pp. 278-9. Edward, Lord Windsor, had in right of his wife, Catherine (daughter of John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford by his 1st wife, Dorothy) a moiety of the manors of Horsdens, Caxton and Pentlow, which he sold 17 Nov.,1564, to Edward Felton, of Pentlow Hall, Esq., who, the next year, 1st June, 1565,

1565 sold it to John Holmested of Bumsted-Helion, Esq., who also purchased 28th Nov., or 10th Dec, 1571, the other moiety of John Scudamore, Esq. On the 4th April, 1575, John Holmested sold the manor of Dynes to Wm. Deane, Esq., and the manors of Horsdens and Caxton to William Alston. And Peter Palmer by deed dated 10th Dec, 1583, confirmed all knight's fee, etc., to Edward, son of William Alston, Esq. P.

256. John Holmested or Olmested, Esq., bought for £1120 the site and Mansion House of Stansted Hall, 12th Oct., 1576. This John Holmested was of an ancient family of Olmsted Hall. He was Master of the Horse to the Earl of Oxford at Castle Hedingham. His daughter Agnes brought this estate in marriage to Thomas French of Halsted, who lived at Stansted Hall. Another portion of the Manor of Stansted Hall, Halsted, County Essex, was in the hands of Sir William Waldegrave,t of Smallbridge, County Sussex, 28th Oct., 1566.

James Olmsted 3rd 1550-1595         Brother John Olmstead 1540-1575 master of the horse Spendthrift to 17th Earl of Oxford Edward de Veres (john 1518 master of horse Stansted Hall, Halsted, Essex)

Richard Olmstead Sr 1579-1641 native of Felsted, Essex after dissapear from Olmsted Hall

 

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