Simeon OLCOTT & wife Tryphena TERRY - CT to Charlestown, NH From: Farns10th@aol.com - Janice Farnsworth Subject: OLCOTT FAMILY Source: History of Charlestown, N.H., Fort No. 4, by Rev. Henry H. Saunderson 1876 p.485 Hon. Simeon Olcott was the first member of the legal profession who settled in Charlestown, and the first who opened an office in New Hamp- shire, west of the Merrimac River. He was the son of Timothy Olcott, Jr. of Bolton, CT and Eunice White, of Hatfield, MA. He was born Oct 1, 1735. He was educated at Yale College, at which institution he graduated in 1761, and as it is supposed, commenced immediately the study of law. The exact date of his establishing himself in Charlestown has not been ascertained but it could not have been later than 1764, made certain by an old letter in possession of the writer. The earliest date at which his name appears in the Proprietors' Records is December 9th 1768, at which time he was chosen Chairman of a committee, with John Hastings, Jr and William Hey- wood, to proportion the amount of quit rent due from each proprietor, to his Majesty's government, agreeable to their charter; and also to receive and pay the same to the Receiver General at Portsmouth. In 1769-70 and 71 he was one of the selectmen. In the latter year he was also elected delegate to the Assembly at Portsmouth, which office he held for three years. In 1770 and 72 he was unanimously chosen to direct the deliberations of the town as their Moderator. In 1773 he received the appointment of Judge of Probate, with a salary of twenty four pounds sterling. He took as a partner in July of 1773, Benjamin West who became subsequently one of the most distinguished lawyers in New Hampshire. But even then murmurings of the storm that was gathering began to be heard which was soon to burst abroad in the Revolution, when the mere fact that a man belonged to the legal profession would be enough to bring his character into suspicion. It has been asserted that at the commencement of the Revolution there were only three lawyers west of the Merrimac river; two of whom were tories, and the third though a Whig was a timid man and did not dare to accept office under the new government, apprehending that the whole affair would be put down as a rebellion. But if any allusion was intended either to Mr. Olcott or to Mr. West, it is without foundation; for the evidence that Mr. Olcott was a volunteer in the army in a company of horse is sufficient to substantiate his claim, one would think, to the character of a patriot. At that time it was almost impossible for the people of New Hampshire to believe that a lawyer could be a true citizen. It was this which led to the arrest and keeping under surveillance the Hon. Josuah Atherton and it was from this also that Thomas Cummings a young lawyer of Litchfield, who left home for the purpose of joining the continental army, was proscribed and forbidden to return. It was thus at the opening of the Revolution that every man who had anything to do with the practice of law was looked upon with distrust. During the time of the discontinuance of the New Hampshire Courts and the conflict of authority between Vermont and New Hampshire, Mr. Olcott erected himself a house on what is now the Sherman Paris place, which was so goodly a building and so superior to the common structures of the time that the main portion of it, though it has passed through many mutations, is still retained. After it was finished Mr. Olcott not wishing immediatly to occupy it, rented it for a time to Dr. William Page, in whose interesting family he found a home very agreeable to his tastes. In this family he continued to remain until 1783 when believing that the time had come for forming a connection which he had long contemplated, he married in October of 1783 Miss Tryphena Terry of Enfield, CT and thus laid a foundation for those domestic relations which no one enjoyed more than himself. He described her as being very fine looking (a blooming beauty is the original expression) and as a lively, agreeable and accomplished lady. They arrived in Charlestown on the 24th of October 1783 having performed the journey from Connecticut on horseback with no other guides than marked trees for a considerable portion of the way. They were accompanied by the bride's brother and sister, Mr. Benjamin and Miss Ruth Terry and also by their friends, Mr. Kibber and Miss Hannah Olmstead. Mr and Mrs Olcott on their arrival arranged a home for the fall and winter with Dr. Page where they remained till about the middle of the following March, when conceiving that boarding was not the most agreeable mode of life for a man in his circumstances, Mr. Olcott took his house and they entered upon the varied employments and cares of housekeeping by themselves. On the 25th of December 1784, he was apponted Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas. He served a little over six years when, on the 25th of January 1790 he was elevated to the position of Associate Justice of the Superior Court. This office he held until the 28th of March 1795 when he was given the Chief Justiceship which he held until June 1801, when he was elected to represent the state as a Senator in Congress, elected to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Hon. Samuel Livermore of Holderness. This office expired in March 1805 after which he retired to private life in which he continued till the 22nd of February, 1815 when he died at the age of 79 years, greatly lamented by the public at large and a very extensive circle of personal friends, leaving a shadow on the home whose enjoyments were always greatly heightened by his presence. Judge Olcott had three children, the first of whom, who was named George, died in infancy. The 2nd child was George Olcott 2nd, long known in Charlestown as one of her most trustworthy as well as most public spirited citizens. The 3rd child was Henry Olcott who was born in 1787. He was carefully educated and became a midshipman in the U. S. Navy, and afterwards second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, which last office he held till his death which occurred at the navy yard in Gosport, Virginia on Sept 17th 1821. He never married. George Olcott 2nd son of the Hon Simeon and Mrs. Tryphena (Terry) Olcott was born Nov 22, 1785. He was fitted for entering Yale College a little before his 16th birthday and graduated from Yale the autumn he was twenty. He immediately began the study of law in which practice he sucessfully continued till 1824 when on the charter of the Connecticut River Bank, he was elected its first cashier, which office he continued to hold until his death Feb 4th 1864. George Olcott was twice married, first in 1831 to Mrs. Charity West the widow of Deacon Benjamin West son of Rev. Samuel West, D. D. of Boston. She died May 24, 1836 leaving no children. He married (2) Emily Ann, dau of Isaac Silsby Esq. of Charlestown, NH who still (in 1876) was living in Charlestown. Their children by this 2nd marriage were: 1. George Olcott Jr. b.July 11, 1838 2. Henry Olcott b. Dec 21, 1840; m. June 9th 1869 Jeannie S. Work, dau of John C. Work of NYC where they resided with one child, Elizabeth Work Olcott b. Nov 10, 1870. 3. Edward Olcott b. May 20, 1844 m. Oct 15, 1873, Margaret Elizabeth Putnam dau of Frederick E. Putnam of Muncie, Indiana and then resided in Chicago. *************************** * * * * NOTICE: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. * * * * The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. It is always best to consult the original material for verification.