David Henry Orser

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 .