Olney

Epenetus Olney b. 1675

/ Kirstin Miller

Epenetus Olney, 8th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Epenetus Olney was born on January 18, 1675, the first generation of his family born in America. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island, an English colony founded by his grandpa and others. “Epenetus Olney Sonn Vnto Epenetus Olney and Mary his Wife Was Borne at Prouidence Januarey the Eightenth day on Thousawd Six hundred Seauenty and ffower or Seauenty ffiue it being the Second day of the weeke”.

Epenetus married Mary Williams, her grandpa Roger Williams was another founder of Rhode Island. Epenetus and Mary had 9 children including a daughter named Freeborn. The Olney family farmed, they grew “beans, turnops, wheate, Indian corn, rye, flex, while in the orchard, through which passed the road leading to the Providence settlement, there were Apple and peach tree, fruited deep.”  The current address for their farm is 370 Woonasquatucket Avenue, Centerdale, Providence County, Rhode Island, on the banks of the Woonasquatucket River about 6 miles northeast of Providence 

Early Rhode Island houses

Epenetus built a Stone Ender home, a style famous in colonial Rhode Island. A description of Epenetus Olney’s Stone Ender from one of many articles, books, studies. “The solid wall of masonry extending almost its whole width into the second story.” Changes were made through the years, “Little rooms and big rooms , fireplaces and cupboards were added here and there. In the front hall there was a great trap door which led down into the deep , cavernous cellar.”

State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

The Stone Ender home stayed in the Olney family from the time it was built till it was demolished in 1898 -to “make way for modern improvements”. As the Olney house decayed, it was a boon for archaeologists and architects who could study the ‘insides’ and learn about colonial craftsmanship.

Epenetus died on September 17, 1740 in Providence. His burial place is unknown but could be where his house used to be. Epenetus’s 3rd great granddaughter Delia Angell was in Iowa by 1856 where she married William Flood. Their great granddaughter was Elizabeth Speedy born in 1917.

Sources

Hope Angell and Lydia Olney b. 1685

/ Kirstin Miller

Hope Angell and Lydia Olney 8th great grandparents on RootsMagic tree.
Hope Angell was born December 22, 1685 in Providence, Rhode Island. Thomas Angell, his grandpa, was one of 5 men who, with Roger Williams, founded Providence.
Lydia Olney was born April 30, 1688 in Providence. Her grandpa, Thomas Olney, came to America from England in 1635, he was 2 years old.
Hope and Lydia both had at least 8 siblings, they all grew up in Providence and most stayed there in Providence or very nearby.  Hope and Lydia married on May 22, 1712. They had 5 sons and 2 daughters. Hope was a farmer, a carpenter, a weaver and a cooper (cask and barrel maker). On February 12, 1749 Lydia died of consumption (tuberculosis) she was 60. Hope died 10 years, minus a day later, on February 11, 1759, he was 73 years old.
Hope was in charge (an executor) of his dad’s estate in 1724 and his brother’s estates in 1742 and 1744. Hope wrote his will on April 12, 1755. Abiah, the oldest son received all Hope’s ‘waering apparell’, 2nd and 3rd sons Oliver and Elisha were to oversee the estate. Hope’s carpenter, cooper and weaving tools are listed and given to his sons. The estate settled on May 15 1759 with only son Oliver in charge of the estate, Elisha had died.
Hope’s son Oliver Angell leads all the way to Delia Angell of Shell Rock, Iowa the great grandma of Elizabeth Speedy. Oliver is buried in the Oliver Angell Lot, also know  as the Hope Angell Lot and the Rhode Island Hist. Cemetery North Providence #8. This tiny cemetery has 19 burials, was originally on Angell farmland and is now in a residential area between two houses. Hope Angell and Lydia Olney Angell’s burial place is unknown but may be here in an unmarked grave with 19 other Angells. 

Rhode Island, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1582-1932 at Ancestry


Sources

Martha Olney b. 1707

/ Kirstin Miller

Martha Olney 7th great grandma on RootsMagic tree

Martha was born in Providence, Rhode island on May 16, 1707. She was a great granddaughter of Thomas Olney, John Whipple and Roger Williams, all migrated from England and all original settlers in 1635, Rhode Island. Martha married Stephen Angell a great grandson of Thomas Angell, John Smith and Thomas Clemence, who also migrated from England and were original Rhode Island settlers. Martha and Stephen had 9 sons and 2 daughters. They were Quakers or Friends (Religious Society of Friends).

Angell Bible

Angell family bible at FamilySearch.org

Martha’s generation lived through the colonies turning into independent states. She was 53 when tax issues began, 68 when the Revolutionary War started, 76 when the war ended and 82 when General Washington was President. Martha’s son John and son in law Israel were both Colonels of Rhode Island regiments in the revolution.

Martha was a widow in 1772 and when her husband’s will was read she objected to it. In the Angell genealogy book, “she was dependent upon Daniel and William for her comfortable support … left to their discretion”. A part of the will “Item. I Give to my True and Loveing wife Martha Angell, one cow and one mare … Together with other household furniture sufficiant to keep house with at the Discretion of my Executors hereafter named, and also one good feather bed and furniture, all which to be at ther Disposal as She Thinks Proper”. The Court upheld the will and with no additional issues recorded.

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