Second Husband to Martha Allen
First wife Mary Stitt? or Amy Stitt?
Book with family history https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE198879
p 8-9
David Henry Orser is descended from 1640 immigrants ro Rensselaewyck, near Pittstown. The family genealogy is "Orser, A Genealogy of hte Descendants of Aert Williamszen" complied by Daneil Turner, c. 1975, p37ff (SLC). David and Mary (Stitt) Orser moved to Erie County PA i nthe early 18230's. By 1832, not long
before their nephew, Israel T STITT and his wife, Sally
(SHERMAN), moved to Erie County, Mary ORSER died and
David remarried at Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co, MI. Thus,
when James STITT found the farm in Tecumseh, he
undoubtedly journeyed to Ypsilanti to visit his
brother-in-law and family. There is a story told by
town historians for Stittville, NY of a baby, Jackson
STITT before 1835 which lends credence to a conjecture
that James' wife Mary was visiting Robert A STITT in
the spring of 1833 when son Andrew Jackson STITT was
born and while her husband was scouting Michigan and
visiting his brother-in-law David ORSER.
p. 12-13
Name Birth Death Marriage Spouse's Name Birth Death
Mary Stitt 1788 1832 David Henry Orser 1784 1843
Pittstown NY
Hyrum Orser ca1815
Pittstown NY
Amy A Orser 1817
Pittstown NY
p. 15-16
Joseph C WELLING (who inherited the WELLING farm),
refers to some of the WELLING family spending a few
years in Tecumseh during the 1830's. The story of the
ORSER family tells of James STITT's brother-in-law,
David Henry ORSER, removing first to Erie Co, PA from
Pittstown NY, and then after his wife died he moved to
Ypsilanti MI (30 miles north of Tecumseh) about 1832.
These stories and other evidence indicate that James
and Mary (WELLING) STITT moved with their family and
his mother, Amy (HEAD) STITT to Tecumseh as part of a
substantial number of the STITT relatives that moved to
the area between 1825 and 1835. The gravestones at
Tecumseh of early settlers have the surnames of many
Pittstown residents of the period .
The following record is copied from the biography of
William James STITT in the book, "Portrait and
Biographical Album of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Publ:
Biographica l Publishing Co, 1891:
William J . STITT.-- .. . He was born in Pittstown,
Rensselaer County, NY, August 5, 1818. He is a son of James
STITT, whose home and native place was the same as that of our
subject and like him he was reared upon a farm, carrying on
the business there until 1834, when he came to Michigan and
settled in Lenawee County, making the journey hither alone in
the first place and with a team, and after prospecting and
entering a section of land he returned and brought his family
by boat to Monroe. From there he proceeded to Lenawee County
with team. The farm which he had secured was somewhat
improved.
In 1860 our subject's father was killed . He had gone to
Detroit to see Stephen A. DOUGLAS and in some way got under
the cars and was mangled so badly that he died 2 days later.
Compiled by LL STITT STITT 15
He was a Democrat in his political likings and was a man of
greatest loyalt y to his State. He was a Colonel of Artillery
in the War of 1812 and held himself in readiness to go to
battle for his country at any time. He was 68 years of age at
the time of his decease. Our subject's mother was, in her
maiden days a Miss Mary WDLLING. She was a native of Nova
Scotia but moved with her parents to New York when a small
girl. She died in Lenawee County, this State, at the age of
about 72 years. Her father, William WELLING was a native of
Nova Scotia and lived to be 70 years of age, devoting himself
during the whole of his career to the calling of farming. Our
subject's parents were married in New York State. They had 7
children, 3 daughters and 4 sons, al l of whom grew to manhood
and womanhood. Of these 2 daughters and one brother of our
subject is now living. Amy is the wife of Benjamin Akin and
resides in Rensselaer County NY as does her sister, Caroline.
Joseph W. lives on a farm in Franklin Township, Lenawee
County, thi s State; the deceased children are Byron, Andrew
J., and Hannah Ketcham. Our subject is the second child and
eldest son in order of birth . He remained in his native place
(Pittstown, NY) unti l 17 years of age when he came to Michigan
with his parents, making his home with them unti l 27 years
old, unti l that time assisting his father with the work of the
farm.
From th e obituar y of Joseph W. STITT, James and Mary
STITT came t o Michigan in 1833. This and othe r
recorded storie s lead th e compiler t o conclude tha t
James STITT came t o Michigan in 1833, purchased or took
an option on th e farm in Tecumseh, and then returne d t o
New York and brought th e family in th e sprin g of 1834.
The sal e of thei r NY propert y t o James NORTON for
$5,307.93 was recorded 5Marl834. An 1833 squabble with
h is neighbors is recorded in th e publi c records.
The 1870-71 Rensselae r County Directory list s
Patric k CARROLL, farmer 81 , Tomhannock, who then owned
t h e old STITT farm.
Records for th e Brookside Cemetery in Tecumseh MI
verif y th e years of birt h for James and Mary. The
record s lis t "Colonel James STITT, d 10/17/1860, ae 68,
b 1793 (Bible), m. Mary, d 4/8/1870, ae 77. Lot J47. "
The 1850 census list s James as 56 and Mary as 57 years
old . The 1860 census list s them as 68 and 67
respectively . The news articl e below has James 69
years old in October 1860; if born in 1792 he would
have been in his 69th year. All of thes e ages refe r t o
t h e yea r of age, not th e number of anniversarie s sinc e
birt h a s is now th e custom. Ray HENRY has thes e date s
interchanged and he claims th e date s come from his
Great Aunt Caroline .
