Ezra Castle7 #16/17 was born 14 Aug 1808 in Hartland, Niagara Co., NY. His parents were Oliver(6)Castle and Charity Barnum. He grew up and lived on the farm where his father, Oliver, first settled in 1805. His father, Oliver, died in 1812 and his mother remarried to a man named Sprague, who had a son, Nelson N., who appears to have been close to Ezra. The Sprague's apparently lived in the original house Oliver built. Ezra appears on the 1820 and 1830 census with them. His only sister died in 1821.Around 1835 Ezra married Harriet OLDS #17, daughter of Joseph OLDS Jr. and Olive PIERCE. Their first child, Amos, was born in 1836. In 1837, Ezra went to Michigan, where families of Spragues, Barnums and Olds were already beginning to settle. He purchased land in Barry Co.in 1838 from his step-brother, Nelson Sprague, however, it is believed he did not stay there long, but went back to Hartland where his family was, and a second son was born. Ezra and Harriet sold the land in Barry Co., Michigan back to Nelson Sprague in 1841. He and his family appear on the Niagara Co. NY census 1840, 1850, 1855, 1860 and 1875. He appears on the tax rolls for those years also. Ezra purchased land at Johnson's Creek nearby.
In 1850 his mother, Charity, came to live with them, as her husband, Dexter Sprague had died in 1842. She appears on the 1850 census with Ezra's family.
In 1855 Ezra had a broom factory(raw material-broom corn), the annual product value $900. In 1869 he appears in the Hartland City Directory as a farmer, 72 acres at Johnson's Creek. He died there, 4 Sept 1875, aged 67 yrs., and is buried in the Hartland Central Cemetery. Petition for his estate was filed in probate 11 Aug 1876. His obituary is on file in Hartland at the Niagara Co. Historian's office. Harriet OLDS was b abt 1814 in Gorham, Ontario Co., NY and died 11 June 1890 at age 76. She is, also, buried in Hartland Central Cemetery.
Children (all born Hartland, NY):
1. Amos A. b abt 1836
2. Oliver V. b abt 1838
3. Susan E. b 1840/41
4. George H. b 4 July 1843
5. Charles L. b 11 June 1846, d 2 Mar 1874
6. Alfaretta b 25 July 1848
7. Frank Marion8 b 2 Aug 1851
8. Joseph Burt b 1854
9. Martha W. b 1856, d 26 Dec 1872
References:Family Bible;son,Frank's DC;Census'1810-70;Niagara Co. Directory;1875 NY State Census;
Hartland Historians Office;Lewis Ms and OLDS Notes(Historian's Office);Cemetery Listing;Cemetery Pics;Niagara Co.,NY History;
Ezra,estate petition;wife,Harriet's DC;Land Deeds,Barry Co.,MI and Niagara Co.,NY.
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