Columbus Township Landowners 1859

Notes on some early landowners shown on the 1859 Plat Map of Columbus Township, St. Clair County, Michigan

Section 8 Julius Lovejoy

Julius Lovejoy recorded a deed for this property in 1844. He came to Michigan (probably from Pomfret, Chautauqua County, New York) before 1839. He married Elizabeth Parker (of Porter, Niagara County, New York) on March 30, 1839 in Bloomfield, Oakland County, MI. Children Caroline (see Section 5), (another girl died young), William, and John were born in Oakland County. Born in Columbus were Almeron (September 10, 1846), Gilbert R. (August 7, 1948), Ira J. (June 30, 1851) and Henry (1857).

Julius died October 29,1859 leaving his property to his wife and children, excepting daughter, Caroline. As his children came of age they were to be given equitable shares in the property. Both son John and Elizabeth Ann (Parker) Lovejoy transferred property in 1864. John transferred his part to brother William.

Most of the family moved to Lenox, Macomb County where sons Ira J. Lovejoy and Gilbert R. Lovejoy ran businesses, such as Lovejoy Brothers, and Perkins and Lovejoy. (see Section 31)

William LOVEJOY and his wife, Charlotte, are listed in the 1880 Federal Census as living in Memphis, Macomb County. William's occupation is shown as wagonmaker. Their children were John D, Ella W, Elizabeth A, Alice, and William.

John and Almeron LOVEJOY served in Company G of the 19th U.S (regular army) during the Civil War. They both died after the Civil War reportedly from illnesses contracted during the war. John, from typhoid fever, on October 26,1867 and Almeron, from consumption, on August 15,1871. Both died unmarried and childless.

Ira J. LOVEJOY married twice. His first wife, Hattie L. Quick died in 1883 and his son Floyd died at 10. His married his second wife, Caroline Ward on December 25, 1888 in Richmond, MI. They raised her neice, Marguerite Ward who married Ralph Furstenau of Richmond, MI.

Henry LOVEJOY and his wife, Amanda Curtis, are listed in the 1880 Federal Census as living in Fort Gratiot, St. Clair County. He is shown as a conductor for the Grand Truck Railroad. Their children included Clarence (died young), Clair and Pearl. Pearl married Frank Beatty.

Elizabeth Parker Lovejoy died at 79 on February 20, 1898.

Mention is made of the Lovejoy family in The History of Macomb County, Michigan and Past and Present of Macomb County. Gilbert R. LOVEJOY has a portrait in the publication Men of Michigan.

Section 5 W. Stoddard
For some reason (maybe due to the prejudice against the Irish at that time), Caroline Lovejoy did not receive an inheritance from her father. She married William Stoddard on February 24, 1857 in Columbus. The Stoddard property adjoins the Lovejoy property. Caroline Stoddard died December 20, 1874 in Richmond. The Gendis record (as Stodart) may inaccurately disclose parentage.

The Lovejoy family is probably descended from the Puritan family - John Lovejoy - of Andover, MA.

Section 30 Samuel G. and George C. Stephenson
The Stephenson family moved to Columbus, Michigan before 1849. According to Samuel Stephenson's (Sr.) will, he owned one undivided 1/3 part of the SE 1/4 of section number 30 and 20 rods . . .on the south part of the S 1/2 of the NE 1/4 of section number 30. He bequeathed the property to his wife, while living, and to his sons Samuel G. and George C.

Samuel Stephenson had a son, John Wright Stephenson (1810 England) by his first wife, Mary Wright. It is possible that John Stevens, an early landowner in Columbus, is this son.

The children of Samuel Stephenson's second marriage to Elizabeth Keal are James K. born 1812 England, Leah (see below), Samuel G. born 1815 England, Martha born 1815 England, Francis born 1817 England, George C. (April 10 1825 New Jersey - September 1, 1905 Richmond MI.) Elizabeth born about 1830 New York

Samuel Stephenson died in 1849 and Elizabeth died 1857; both are buried in the Richmond Cemetary. The 1850 census for Columbus lists an Elizabeth Stevens, a 64 year old widow from England. It may be that this entry should be Elizabeth Stephenson.

Samuel G. and George C. STEPHENSON actively bought and sold land in Columbus. Their first deed record for Section 30 appears in 1851. George C. married Nancy M. Meabon (March 28, 1837 - December 3, 1906). George and Nancy are buried in the Richmond Cemetery.

Samuel G. may have married Elvira S. Wright. Elvira is buried in the Union Cemetery.

James K. Stephenson did not settle in Michigan with his family. However, several of his children moved to the area. Orlando M. Stephenson of Romeo and Clementine Stephenson who married Alexander Hunt of Columbus (probably neighbor, section 31). Clementine STEPHENSON and Alexander HUNT were witnesses for the marriage of Leah STEPHENSON and Andre SIMMONS.

Section 31 Charles and Leah Simmons
Charles Simmons first appears in the land records in 1839. He recorded the deed for property in Section 33 on May 4, 1839. He transferred that land in 1840 to John S. Parker. Leah Simmons recorded the deed for property in Section 31 in 1860.

Charles Simmons conveyed property in Section 31 to the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1863.

Charles Simmons was born November 28, 1809 in New York. He married Leah Stephenson around 1830, probably in Middlebury, Genesee Country, New York.

Leah Simmons was the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Stephenson. (see Section 30)

Leah was born June 8, 1813 in Burgh on Bain, Lincolnshire, England. An immigrant family, a Samuel Stephenson is on the 1820 tax list for Livingston, Essex Co. New Jersey. The Livingston township records has a Samuel Stephenson giving $5.00 for the building of a Methodist Meeting house on December 4th 1822. A Samuel Stephenson, appears on the 1830 Federal Census in Middlebury, Genesee Country, New York. This census denotes the family as 6 aliens, not naturalized. There are several Simmons families also living in Middlebury in 1830.

Charles and Leah Simmons children included Charles W. , Mary A. (March 8, 1836 - February 3,1900), who married George N. Carter of Armada, MI., buried in Procter cemetery), Andre (see below), and James.

Charles Simmons died November 27, 1887; Leah Simmons died October 18, 1893. Both are buried in the Richmond Cemetery

Andre Simmons was the son of Charles and Leah Simmons. Andre was born in Columbus on July 31, 1841. He married Sarah Van Norstrand (see Section 31) January 1, 1862.Sarah died December 24, 1864 and is buried next to her brother John in the Richmond Cemetery.John died in a Civil War battle at Spottsville, VA.

Following the Sarah's death, Andre Simmons married two more times - Mary Ann East (of Richmond) on December 10, 1865, and Ida W. Rother (of Richmond) on December 27, 1880. Mary East was the mother of James L and Merle A (both died young), Lottie (1869-1889), Harry A.(1873-1931) who married May A. Heath, and Bessie E. (1876-1955) who married Frank HirT.

Andre Simmons is an ancestor of the Hirt, Tice, and Weeks families of St. Clair and Macomb county. Andre died August 9, 1909 and is buried in the Richmond Cemetery.

Andre and Sarah Van Norstrand Simmons had one daughter, Ella, born December 1, 1863. She married Gilbert Lovejoy (see Section 8) on March 19, 1884. Ella and Gilbert Lovejoy had three children - A. Merle (1885-1990), Sarah (known as Sadie) born March 8, 1887 in Lenox, and Marguarite born September 9, 1890. Sadie married Roy Moxley in Kirwin, KS on October 13, 1917, Marguarite married Frank Priestap of Washington, Macomb County on September 18, 1912.

Gilbert Lovejoy died August 18, 1908. After Gilbert y's death, Ella remarried Seaman Perkins, son of George A and Lucy Beebee, on June 10, 1916. Ella Simmons died in Emporia, Kansas on January 18, 1929.

Section 31 Jacob Van Norstrand and Henry Quick
The Van Nordstrand and the Quick families moved to Columbus from Middlesex/Somerset County, New Jersey.

Henry Quick was married to Jacob Van Norstrand's sister Catherine. Henry Quick and Catherine's children are James Henry Quick (1836-1919 ), and Sarah Ann (1838 - 1903). James Henry married Adelia Weeks on November 4, 1857. The witnesses were Andrew Graham and Maria Van Norstrand. Sarah Ann married Henry P. Hunt (a neighboring part of Section 31).

Jacob Van Norstrand married Cornelia Cock, daughter of Henry Cock and Mariah Ten Eyck on February 18, 1829 in New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey. The Van Norstrand's had 8 children - Henry (1835-1843), John (1843-1865) who died in the civil war and is buried in the Richmond Cemetery, Lylian Catherine (1832-1911) married George W. Larkin, Maria Ten Eyck (1837-1895) married Andrew B. Graham, Sarah A. (1840-1864) married Andre Simmons (see above Section 31), William (1846-1916) married Hester Powers.

Jacob VAN NORSTRAND was born in 1802 and died April 9, 1862 leaving his wife and family his property. Following Jacob Van Norstrand's death in 1860, his wife Cornelia (Cock) Van Norstrand sold part of the land to Andre Simmons and part of the land to Henry Quick.

Cornelia COCK VAN NORSTRAND was born October 30, 1808 in North Brunswick New Jersey and died June 14, 1867. She is buried in the Richmond cemetary.

Both the Van Norstrand's and Quick's are old Dutch families.

Jacob Van Norstrand is a descendent of Hans Van Noorstrandt who arrived in New Netherland about 1639.

On her father's side, Cornelia is descended from John Cock who first appears in the Ulster County, New York records in 1676 . Cornelia's mother, Mariah Ten Eyck, descended from Conraedt Ten Eyck who arrived in New Netherland about 1640. Cornelia is also a descendent of early New Netherland immigrants, Rappelya and Van Nest, and their families who settled New Jersey.

Both Jacob and William are discussed in the biographical sketch of William Van Norstrand from the book entitled, "Biographical Memoirs of Saint Clair County, Michigan," published in 1903 by B. F. Bowen Publishers in Logansport, Indiana. Pages 402-403. The Van Norstrand children are the ancestors of numerous families in the Columbus and Richmond area.

Submitted by Becky Janik