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THE OTIS FAMILY.
With the material now at hand, the genealogy of this family
can be traced back five generations. EDWARD
OTIS, third son of Stephen Otis, was born
April 6, 1766, in the village of Otis, Massachusetts, which
town was founded and named by some ancestor of the family.
When about fifteen years oaf age, Edward went
into the army in the Revolutionary war, for the avowed
purpose of avenging his father's' dastardly death. In
2805 he came to Ohio, and located in Tuscarawas County.
He was a clergyman of the Baptist denomination. He
died in Indiana in 1851, of injuries received by a
fall from a horse. His wife was Miss Mary Merrill,
whom he married in1787. She was born in Vermont in
1770. His children were: Louis, born in
1788; Ezekiel, born in 1790; Jesse, born in
1793; Phoebe, born in 1795; Polly, born in
1797; Merrill, born in 1800; Edward,
born in 1802; and Marrilla, born in 1805.
JESSE OTIS,
third son of Edward Otis just notice, was born in
Vermont, August 11, 1793. On April 17, 1817, he
married Charlotte Davy, a relation of Prof.
Davy, of Baltimore, Maryland. His children
were John D., Merrill, William, Ann, Edward H., Ezekiel
and Henry W.
Mr. Otis, emigrated from Vermont to Ohio in 1808.
He was a blacksmith by trade, and made the mill irons for
the first mill that was built at Massillon.
In April, 1818, Mr. Otis moved to Wayne County,
and settled in the woods among the wild beasts. He
here cleared a farm, which remains in the name of his widow
"till this day." He died mysteriously and very
suddenly while riding home one day in his wagon.
Dr. JOHN D. OTIS, oldest son
of Jesse Otis, was born in Stark County, Ohio,
January 24, 1818. This was in the times of primitive
furniture, and his infant majority was rocked in a
sugar-trough. At the age of seventeen he commenced
teaching school, having previously enjoyed but three months'
attendance himself. At the age of twenty-two he went for
three years to the Wadsworth (Medina County) Seminary, under
the tuition of John McGregor. In 1841 he began
the study of medicine with Dr. Smith Salton, with
whom he read for a short time, and subsequently by himself
for about three years. He then read for some eighteen
months with Dr. John R. Cline, of Front Royal,
Virginia; and about a year with Prof. Ackley, of
Cleveland. Graduated at the Western Reserve College in
1850. He began the practice of medicine, however, in
Stark County, in 1849. In 1862 the Doctor came to New
Philadelphia, where he has since been engaged in the
successful practice of profession.
On March 16, 1843, he married Miss Eliza Welty,
daughter of Philip Welty, and born in Stark County,
November 16, 1824. He has had five children:
Miriam, born July 25, 1844; Samantha Ann, born
April 28, 1846; Malcom, born August 20, 1851; Mary
Ellen, born April 27, 1856; Ida C., born November
22, 1860. Mariam died August 24, 1747;
Malcom, on January 24, 1856.
ROBERT OTIS, who came from Ireland
to America about the year 1705, and settled in
Massachusetts. His father, originally from England,
came to America some years previous, but returned to the old
country, and located in Dublin, Ireland, for the purpose of
educating his children.
When Robert was about fifteen years old, he was
playing upon the sea-shore, and a man came along in a little
boat and asked the lad if he would not take a ride.
Robert accepted the offer, but the man instead of taking
him where he said he would, rowed him to a vessel bound for
America. He was placed on board and brought over, and
was bound out to a butcher for the payment of his
transatlantic passage.
At sixteen years of age he commenced teaching school.
His wife was a Miss Stafford. His children were
Robert, Stephen, John, Edward, Louis, Mary, and
Phebe. Robert, the oldest child, was an
officer in the Revolutionary war, and was a special friend
of General Washington. At one time, to save
being taken prisoner by the British, he deserted to their
ranks. and soon deserted back again, bringing with him a
valuable white horse which he had stolen from John Bull,
and which he presented to General Washington.
He was advised by Washington to "go home as he had
done enough for his country; for if the British should catch
him, they would kill him." He went home, but of his
own accord returned in two weeks, and served through the war
as teamster. After the war he became a sailor.
Once during a terribly cold storm, being ordered by the
captain to go down into the hull, he refused, saying "that
it was his duty to assist in saving the ship." He held
on to the helm through the pitiless beatings of the tempest,
during which his fingers were so frozen that he lost them
all. For this act of gallant daring he was made
captain of the vessel in place of the former captain, who
was discharged for his cowardice.
Mr. Robert Otis, Sr., lived to the
remarkable age of one hundred and fifteen years. At
the age of one hundred he lost his sight, and was blind for
ten years. His sight then returned, and for the last
five years of his life he could read with the use of
spectacles.
STEPHEN OTIS
was a major on General Warren's staff at the battle of
Bunker Hill, and when General Warren fell the command fell
upon Major Otis. He was taken prisoner, and upon an
exchange of prisoners, the British commander treated those
Americans with whisky impregnated with small-pox, from which
disease Major Otis and all the family then at home died.
The wife of Major Otis was Sarah Lunt, of
Scotch descent. His children were John, Barnabas,
Edward, Louis Elizabeth, and Marrilla. |
