James Oliver (1789-1850), Mary Hockaday and children

In a previous post I mentioned that my great-grandfather, Richard Paynter, married Ellen Oliver in 1867.  Ellen's parents were William Oliver (1822-1907) and Elizabeth Histead (1819-1895).  William's parents were James Oliver and Mary Hockaday.  Today I'd like to write about them, since they were the first of this line to come to the USA.  James was born on April 12, 1789 to John Olever and Mary Piper, in Pancrasweek, Devonshire, England.  He married Mary Hockaday on Feb 17, 1814.  Records were found by another researcher for 6 of their children who were baptised in Pancrasweek: John (Oct 13, 1816); James (Nov 6, 1818); William (July 25, 1822); Samuel (Nov 7, 1824); Lewis (Jan 21, 1827) and Elizabeth Anne (Mar 27 1831).

According to the Wayne County Pennsylvania Book:
"James Oliver came from Devonshire in 1831, and located just over the Berlin line.   His wife was Mary Hockady, and their children were:   John, James, drowned in 1832, William, Samuel, Lewis, Gideon, Elizabeth (Mrs. Thoamas Legg), Mary C, wife of Stephen Histed, Prudence, wife of John Oliver, Catherine (Mrs. Joseph May)."

From subsequent Wayne County PA census records, I believe Gideon was also born in England, between Lewis and Elizabeth, but that baptismal record was not located by the researcher mentioned above.  Mary, Prudence and Catherine were all born in Pennsylvania. So it appears that James and Mary came to Pennsylvania with 7 children.  From other notes I have found, it appears they followed the success of a Mr Piper.  Since James' mother's maiden name was Piper, I suspect this Mr. Piper was related.  Census records show the family settles in Oregon Township, north of Honesdale. 

The US Federal Census Mortality Schedules Index show that James died of "Bils Fever" in December, 1850.  It must have taken a while to settle his estate.  I found a deed in the Wayne Couty Courthouse dated March 6, 1868, in which Gideon and William Oliver obtained title to their father's farm by buying out their brothers' and sisters' shares of the estate.  The deed lists the residences of each of the children as follows:
John & Anna Oliver, Oregon Township, Pa
Thomas & Elizabeth Legg, Oregon Township, Pa
Joseph & Catherine May, Oregon Township, Pa
Samuel & Mary Oliver, Omaha City, Nebraska
John & Prudence Oliver, Dexter, Maine
Steven & (Mary) Charlotte Heisted, Waymart, Pa
Gideon Oliver, Oregon Township, Pa
William Oliver, Oregon Township, Pa
Lewis and James are missing from the list.   We know that James drowned around 1832 and I am assuming that Lewis died before the deed was conferred, possibly before the family left England.  I have not found Lewis in any US census records.

Gideon and William appear to have continued farming together for the remainder of their lives. I have located the graves of William and his wife Elizabeth (Histead) in the Indian Orchard cemetery along Rt 6 and place a flower there each Spring and at Thanksgiving.   I have not located James or Mary's headstones yet.

Jonas Seeley 1831-1920

Years ago, my Dad told me about his grandfather who lived with them when Dad was a little boy.  He didn't remember much other that his name and the fact that an old trunk he had once belonged to this grandfather.  My research has confirmed that this was Dad's great-grandfather, Jonas Seeley, and I still have the trunk that belonged to him.

Jonas was born on March 30, 1831 in Pennsylvania, probably in Wayne County.  he appears to have been the oldest of 13 children born to Isaac Seeley and Polly "Mary" Swingle.  Jonas married Eliza Jane Swingle around 1847.  I have located them in South Canaan in the 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 census records.  They had 10 children, Emarantha, Joseph, Adelia, Aldruda, Levin, Seldon, Jennette (Nettie), Annie, Janet, and Mary Grace. Adelia was the daughter I know of as Della, wife of Ashfield Gray and Dad's maternal grandmother.  Aldruda was Dad's stepmother, Joe Paynter's 3rd wife, after her niece and my grandmother died.

From the following record, I believe Jonas may have fought in the Civil War,
Seely Johns ,  
Enlistment Date:    19 November 1861 
Distinguished Service:    DISTINGUISHED SERVICE 
Side Served:    Union 
State Served:    Pennsylvania 
Unit Numbers:    2076 2076 
Service Record:    Enlisted as a Musician on 19 November 1861
Enlisted in Company B, 101st Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania on 19 November 1861.
Received a disability discharge Company B, 101st Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania on 15 April 1862


This other record could also refer to Jonas, although the age in this reference is off by 10 years:
 American Civil War Soldiers Record about Jonas S Seely:
Name: Jonas S Seely ,  
Enlistment Date: 05 March 1862 
Distinguished Service: DISTINGUISHED SERVICE 
Side Served: Union 
State Served: New York 
Unit Numbers: 1349 1349 
Service Record: Enlisted as a Private on 05 March 1862 at the age of 19
Enlisted in Company C, 5th Heavy Artillery Regiment New York on 07 March 1862.
Discharged to enlist in RA Company C, 5th Heavy Artillery Regiment New York on 23 January 1863
Enlisted in Company Batty L, 5th Light Artillery Regiment RA on 23 January 1863.

The photo here is of Carrie and Jonas sitting on the porch of their house.  Eliza died in 1888.  His grand-daughter Carrie probably came to live with him at that time.  The 1900 and 1910 census records show Jonas as the owner of a home at 234 Carbondale Road, Waymart, PA.  It also shows his grand-daughter Carrie Gray living with him.    When Carrie married Joe Paynter, Joe came to live in Jonas' house.  Jonas died on November 22, 1920, of broncial pheumonia.  He is buried with Eliza in the South Canaan Bible Protestant Cemetery, on Rt 296.  His obituary, from page 6 of the Carbondale Leader, November 26, 1920:

"Jonas Seeley Dies at Ripe Old Age

The death of Jonas Seeley of Waymart, Wayne County, which occurred Monday evening at Parsons following a sudden attach of pneumonia has been the source of a genuine regret among his circle of friends. Deceased was 89 years old and a lifelong resident of Wayne County, where he was well known and highly respected. Surviving are four children, Mrs Della Gray, Parsons, Seldon Seeley of this city, Mrs Aldrude Shager and Mrs Levin Shager of Kerrick Center, also four brothers, eight grandchildren and seventeen great grandchildren. Burial was made in South Canaan cemetery yesterday after services at 1:30 o'clock."

When Jonas died, he left the house to his granddaughter Carrie.  At her death, her two sons, Russell and Clayton inherited the house.  They keep the house until Joe Paynter died in 1952.

Looking for Input

Well, after about 30 posts, I've exhausted stories about deceased relatives who I have first or second hand knowledge about.  I hoped to get some input from other family members who might be able to fill in some more family lore, but other than some responses from my sister, that hasn't happened.  As a result, this blog will now move away from memories and more towards what I find in research.  That also means I may be posting less frequently.   Since I can't just write from memory on the other members of my tree, each future post will take a little more time to prepare.  If you have been reading this, please be patient with me.   If you really have an interest, please subscribe to this blog so you will be notified when I post new entries.  Thank you in advance for your patience.

Richard Paynter circa 1840-1877

This great grandfather is my biggest mystery and challenge.  The first fact I have that I am confident in is his marriage to Ellen Oliver on Nov 16, 1867, in Oregon, Wayne County, Pennsylvania, by the Rev. S. T. Cramp. This information is from a notice in the Honesdale Republic, Nov 27, 1867.  The couple appears in the 1870 living in Berlin Township with 2 children, Andrew and Richard.   The last record I found was a transaction dated June 12, 1874, in which Richard sold tree bark to Coe F. Young.  By the 1880 census, Ellen is listed as a widow with 5 children: Andrew, Richard, Mary Elizabeth, Amelia Anna and Joseph E.

Based on the information in the 1870 census, I believe he was born around 1842 in England.   There are a number of R. Paynters who can be found in the ship records of the era.  My best guess is with the record for a Richard Painter who arrived June 17, 1863 from Liverpool, England and Queenstown, Ireland on the ship Olympus.  He is listed as age 23, born about 1840. Going back into the English census records, I found a boy of the right age in 1851 and 1861, with parents Richard C. and Mary Paynter in Bermondsey, St. Mary Magdalen Parish, Surrey, England.  He is no longer with the family in the 1871 or 1881 census records.  If this is my great-grandfather, he may have had 6 siblings - Mary, Elizabeth, Thomasin, Henry William, John, and Maud.

I have found two other Richard Paynter's of the same approximate age.  The other two were born in 1838, one in Buckland Momachorum, Devonshire, England and the other in Calstock, Cornwall, England. Since the birth year for the Richard in Bermondsey is closer, I am leaning toward him being the right one.


I don't know exactly how or when Richard died, but the family story is that he was bitten by a rabid dog and died 41 days later.  I have been searching through old newspapers for evidence of this, but have not yet found it.  I have found stories of rabies in the area around that time.  I have not found his grave either.

Sometime between1880 and 1900 Ellen remarried John Gummoe.  Her older children were married by then and my grandfather, her youngest son Joseph, is shown living with and working for his sister Mary and her husband in 1900.  John appears to have had a son John from an earlier marriage living with him.  John was also born in England and the records I have found indicate that he had 7 children with his first wife Jane, John being the youngest.  A daughter, Verna also appears, born September 1887.  I am not sure whether she was a child of John and Ellen or the younger John's wife.  Ellen is buried with john Gummoe in the Aldenville Baptist Cemetery, Aldenville, Wayne County, Pa.