Sunday, March 21, 2010

Ozam Merryfield

Faithful readers may recall just a few posts back, I mentioned where the little hamlet of Merifield got its name. Ozam Merifield's father Thomas Merryfield was married to a Eunice Watkins in Massachusetts. Ozam lived and prospered in Scipio; the 1850 and 1851 assessments show that he owned 270 acres in Lots 21, 22 and 29. The same record shows Thomas Merryfield owning 100 acres but fails to show in what Lot.
Jane Merrifield, daughter of Ozam, married the second time to Samuel Russell. Samuel shows up in the 1853 assessments owning a small piece of property in Lot 38. Samuel's mother was Ann or Anna Russell and her name is also found in the assessment book as a property owner in Lot 38 in 1850 and 1851. Her name is missing in 1852, but we find a Dolly Russell, her daughter, owning property in Lot 38 so perhaps this is an indication that Anna deceased that year and ownership passed to Dolly. In 1853, the small and presumably same piece of property is in Samuel's name, no Dolly and no Ann.
Ozam started spelling the name with an I; previously it was spelled Merryfield. I also see this spelled as Maryfield. As many of you know, surnames are spelled as they sounded to whoever was doing the writing!
Little is known about Ozam, such as his wife, or what year his family arrived in Scipio. I have checked the Balloting Book, and this name was not granted land in Scipio or any other town in exchange for military service. They may still have arrived here that early. I also checked the Balloting Book for Russell, as it is believed that a Jonathan Russell was a Revolutionary War veteran and he is shown in the assessment book owning property in Lot 22 and he was indeed granted that land.

1 comment:

Barbara Woods said...

I have information on Ozem Merrifield, but it would take some time to put it together for you. He came to Cayuga County from Middlefield, Massachusetts around 1803. I belive he purchased his land from Henry Watkins. Ozem's father, Thomas Merrifield, moved on to Portage County, Ohio from Becket, Massachusetts. Ozem and Jane (Jenny Thompson Graham)and later, 2nd wife, Adelia Warren, lived at Merrifeild Corner between Scipioville and Scipio Center. Ozem and Jane's son, Thomas William Merrifield, lived nearby (across from Boltz Corner, I think) with wife, Jane Watkins Merrifield, as did Thomas' son, Samuel and his wife, Phoebe Goodman Merrifield. I hope this information is correct, as I am going from memory right now. Ozem built the beautiful cobblestone house called the Merrifield Homestead possibly for his second wife, Adelia. It is also possible that it was built a bit earlier while Jane was still alive.

William and Hannah Graham were the parents of Ozem's first wife, Jane (Jennie), and lived within the same family lots, either with Ozem and Jane, or separetly. William and Hannah Graham are buried in Evergreen (town of Ledyard) cemetery near Scipioville. They also came from Middlefield, Massachusetts where they operated a mill on Factory Brook. It is possible that Ozem is buried in Evergreen Cemetery too, but there is no marker. It is also possible that gravestones were moved there from a cemetery that no longer exists.