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ADDENDUM of
STILSON/STILLSON A FAMILY HISTORY

With in these pages you will find the ammendment to the 1st Generation, for JACOB STILSON/STILLSON, and his wife Miranda Taylor. Other names with in this page are: Obadiah Taylor; Olive Stillson; Frances Roland; Seymour Stillson and wife Cynthia Ann Palmer; Charles Addison Stillson and wife Rosanna ?; Seymour Jacob Stillson and wife Sarah Elvira Harding; Florence Stillson; Lenney Stillson; George A. Stillson; L ___; Andrew M. Stillson; Charles Stilson and wife Ann ?;Sylvia Stilson; Sarah Anise/Sara Ann; Edward C. Stillson and wife Ann Lloyd; John W. Stilson; Warren Stillson; Lyman Stillson; Leonard G. Stilson and Sara Surprise & Elizabeth Roland; Simon F. Stillson & wife Nancy Henson; Capt. Calvin Riley Stillson & wife Louisa/Loeza Wynerle; SOURCES. Thank you and enjoy. This section written by Christie Stilson, and brought on line by Margaret Lee  ©

   

The following family history is a lengthy one, although we are disappointed to not have connected it to the family tree. The following section is unplaced, but worthy of a chapter of its own. Hopefully the information within this text may help make the connections for Jacob and his descendants. Goldie and Olive believe that this Jacob is the son of James Brisco.

F1RST GENERATION --STILSON/STILLSON

(Jacob 1;)

I. JACOB STILSON/STILLSON b. 1782?, 1788 m. 1807 or 1808 in Onondaga Co., New York to Miranda Taylor, daughter of Obadiah Taylor. Jacob d. maybe after 1860, probably in Indiana. In Vol. II, The History of Indiana, it lists Miranda Taylor as wife of Jacob Stilson. It also gives the names of Obadiah Taylor's five sons (except for Obadiah, Jr.) and his six daughters. It lists the birth of Jacob as 1788 and the death of Jacob as 1835, which we now believe to be inco"ect. He m. in 1807 or 1808 to Miranda Taylor who was b. about 1790. Some material hinted that his birth was 1782 and the 1860 Indiana census would confirm that. However, the Obadiah Taylor Descendants and Historical Association holds the 1788 date as correct. This association also reports that Jacob died before 1835-1836, and that Miranda was a widow at that time. Source for their information on this is not known.

While we are unable to connect this family within the tree, there are many, many descendants of this line. Enough, in fact, to give this family a special chapter of their own. Since it is unknown who the ancestors of Jacob were, we will begin with his line and refer to it as Generation I.

It was believed at one point that this Jacob was the son of James Brisco. However it has been ascertained that the James Brisco's son, Jacob died in 1829. This Jacob was still living in 1860. The records for the 1860 census were not available when much of the Stilson research was done in the 1920's. The 1860 census shows Jacob Stilson living in the home of his son Charles A. Stilson. Nearby is his son Seymour Stilson. All are living in Lake County, Indiana. Jacob was not literate, and while his age in the 1860 census is shown as 78. It appears that the family guessed that his birth must have been about 1788 since first son, Seymour was born in 1808. Much of the information on this family was passed down to Iris Kirkley from Martha Stilson, the daughter of Seymour Stilson.

The Gary Indiana newspaper also carried an article announcing the wedding of Jacob "Stillson " to Miranda Taylor, daughter of Obadiah Taylor. Obadiah, it says, was the cousin of President Zachary Taylor. Obadiah's father, "Adonijah and his (Obadiah's) five older brothers served in the Revolutionary War as did Obadiah, according to the article. Information in the clipping wasfrom Lake Co., Indiana by Timothy Horton Ball (1884). Adonijah was a minute man who marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775. He was later a lieutenant at Fort Ticonderoga. The history by Timothy Ball also says that Jacob died in 1839 and is buried in Cedar Lake, Indiana and that his name appears on the rolls of the 5th troop of the 2nd Regt. of Light Dragoons. Descendent Olive Stillson has the lineage of Obadiah Taylor's wife, Abigail Williams back about 13 generations. Obadiah and his wife Abigail moved from Massachusetts to New York, where Miranda was born, and then to PA before going to Indiana, after the death of Abigail and of Jacob Stillson. It is unclear why the article was in the Gary, Indiana paper, since Jacob died before Miranda and their sons went to Indiana.

Olive Stillson writes that there are records of the date of death of Jacob prior to 1835/36. She has copies of letters written to Aleatha Lamphier, a descendant of Seymour Stillson. She lives in Plymouth, Indiana. Information shows that Miranda Stillson was buried in the Creston (Indiana) cemetery (mostly Taylors and Stillsons there) sometime after 1850. The stone was still there several years ago and Olive located it in the Creston Cemetery, but it was impossible to read completely, however the carving wasfaint enough to give the impression that it was Miranda's. The History of Lake Co., Indiana, 1884, says that Jacob was born in 1788 and died in Pennsylvania in 1835. Miranda's mother, Abigail (Williams) Taylor, died about the same time, also in Pennsylvania.

Frances Roland in May 1991 writes of the Roland-Stilsonfamilies. "After Jacob died and then Abigail died, their husbands moved west with their adult children after son-in-law, Dr. Calvin Lilley, and wife Dorothy Taylor, moved in 1832 to South Bend, Indiana, while it was still a wilderness. "
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1. Seymour Stillson b. March 24, 1808 in Onondaga Co., NY and d. January 25, 1873. He m. March 8, 1832 to Cynthia Ann Palmer in Cautagua Co., NY. Information on this individual follows below in Generation II.

2. Charles Addison Stillson b. June ]5, 1816 in Pennsylvania, d. January 2, 1887. Served in Civil War Co. A 73rd ]nd. ]nf Charles m. Rosanna -, b. ?1817, N.Y. d. February 12, ]865. Her death is recorded in Lake Co., Creston Cemetery Records as age 66 years and 14 days, which would place her birth as 1799. ]n the 1850 census Rosanna and Charles were living in Lake Co. , IN with Riley Stillson and Charles is listed as a blacksmith. Frances Roland reports that Charles was the most affluent of the brothers. He had a large farm/ranch that is still in operation on Morris Rd. , just east of Creston, Indiana, located just west of Dalecarlia. In 1860 the family appears in the Census recordfor Cedar Creek Township, Lake County, ]ndiana. Included in the census is Charles A., wife Rosanna and children Seymour age 32, Sarah Ann age 14, Andrew M. age 12, Charles age 10, Sensa (a female) age 7, Edward P. age 3, John W. age 2 and a five month old male not yet named. Also included is Jacob Stilson, age 78 years.

Seymour Jacob Stillson b. 1839/1840 in ?N.Y. (The 1860 census lists that Seymour was born in ]ndiana) d. October 19, 1917 ]N at age 78 years. Seymour m. Sarah Elvira (Harding) b. (1844 in New York?). Apparently the family moved to Kansas and later return to ]ndiana.

Florence was born January 13, 1884 in Richland, Shawnee, Kansas. She was the daughter of Seymour Jacob Stilson and Sarah Elvira (Harding) Stilson. Source: Family history library ]G]files.

Lenney, d. 1860 at age 8 months, buried in Creston, ]ndiana.

George A. Stillson, b. 1844 in ?New York. The 1860 census shows his birth as Indiana.

L_" child b. about 1893 d. November 15, 1895 at two years of age.

Maude whose death is noted in the ]ndex to Deaths, Lake Co., Indiana on May 11, 1906 at age 19 years. The DAR cemetery records show her as the daughter of George and wife "A " b. February 15, 1887.

Andrew M., b. 1848? IN. shown as age 2 in 1850 census, d. November 17, 1905.

Charles A. b. August 12, 1849 in Indiana, d. December 31, 1908 or 1909. m. Ann -b. February 3, 1857, d. August 11, 1939. His death is listed in the ]ndex to Deaths for ]ndiana.

Sylvia N. b. November 5, 1880. Her death is noted in the ]ndex to Deaths for Lake County, ]ndiana on May 3, 1905 at age 25 years. Her parentage is recorded in Creston Cemetery/DAR records.

Sarah Anise or Sara Ann b. 1846 in ]ndiana m. Burch. Maybe same as "Senesa" shown in the 1860 census records.

Edward C. b. February 12, 1855, d. May 3, 1909 in Creston, ]N. m. Ann Lloyd b. August 20, 1855, d. December 21, 1928(?). Edward is listed as age 3 years in the 1860 census.

John W. b. about 1858 ]N, per the 1860 ]ndiana census where he is listed as 2.

____Garrison, possibly the child b. in January or February of 1860 who is listed as a five month old maiechild and is not named. Or the child without a name might also be Warren listed below.

Warren

Viola, m. George Barber

3. Lyman Stillson, b. 1819 d. 1865 in the Civil War battle of Shiloh. In the History of Marshall County, Indiana we have 1840 in North Township, Marshall County, Indiana.

4. Leonard G. Stilson b. July 11, 1821 in Pennsylvania (per gravestone information from Frances Roland), he m. 1) Sara Surprise in Lake County, Indiana on June 7, 1842. Sara'sparents were Peter and Rosana Surprise and they lived with their largefamily in Cedar Creek Twp., Sara was b. in Canada in 1827. Leonard m. 2) Elizabeth Roland on July 10, 1875 and again m. Elizabeth to establish pension record on January 30, 1898. See Photo Album at end of text. See Generation II.

5. Simon F. Stillson, b. 1819?/1822?, d. December 11, 1903, m. Nancy Henson. See Generation II. See Photo Album.

6. Capt. Calvin Riley Stillson, went by "Riley, 00 b. 1829, d. 1890. He m. Louisa or Loeza Wynerle and had seven children. He served in the Civil War. See Generation II.

SOURCES: Information on Adonijah and Obadiah Taylor and his daughter Miranda who married Jacob Stillsonfrom History of Lake County Indiana, Volume 10, Lake County Historical Society, Calumet Press, Gary Indiana, 1929. Also History of Porter and Lake County Indiana, Historical Society of Indiana and Plymouth, Graves Registration Project WPA 1938, Clippings from South Bend Tribune 17zurs, May 1, 1890 on Death of Capt. Riley Stillson and Sioux Falls, S.D. Leader on Schuyler Colfax Stillson.

Chronological Biographies of Roland/Stilson Families by Francis Roland, May 1991. Also researched by Goldie Benser Stillson, Iris Kirkley, Olive Stillson, and Ralph Schaal.
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LAST UPDATED: Jan. 28, 2001  ©  by Margaret Lee