When my 4th great-grandfather David Freeland and his family immigrated from Scotland in 1821, they originally settled in Lanark, Ontario, Canada. Within ten years, he was in New Hartford, Oneida County, New York. Widowed by 1840, he likely lived with various of his children until his death in 1862 in Buffalo, New York.
In previous centuries, travel by waterway was often easier and more efficient than traveling over land. Three of David Freeland's daughters married ship captains who spent much of their lives on Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes.
Barbara (Freeland) Goulder
Barbara was born December 27, 1809, in Govan, Lanarkshire, Scotland. She first married John H. Brown in Steubenville, Ohio, on October 15, 1836, and had one son by him. After his death, he married Christopher Brooks Goulder on April 20, 1847, in Cleveland, Ohio. She had three sons by her second husband.
Christopher Goulder was a "Seaman" in the 1850 census, a "Sailor" in the 1860 census, and a "Lake Captain" in the 1880 census. His February 10, 1894, obituary in The Plain Dealer tells his story, although without his wife's name.
Anna (Freeland) Curtis
Anna was born January 26, 1812, in Govan, Lanarkshire, Scotland. She married Edward Curtis on December 11, 1835, in Cleveland, Ohio. They had four children.
Edward Curtis was born in Sweden around 1810 and immigrated to America about 1827 (though his obituary suggests earlier than that). He was "Captain on lake" in the 1850 census (living in Buffalo, New York) and "Capt. of Vessel retired" (living in Toledo, Ohio) in 1870. He died January 19, 1879, in Toledo, Ohio and the January 21, 1879, Toledo Blade has a wonderfully descriptive obituary for him, despite not naming his wife.
Mary (Freeland) Wolfe
Mary (whom I have written about previously) was born May 28, 1818, in Govan, Lanarkshire, Scotland. She married Frederick Wolfe by 1845, probably in Buffalo, New York, because their oldest child was born in November 1846 in Buffalo. They had at least three children and possibly more.
Frederick Wolfe, born about 1810 in Stockholm, Sweden, was "Lake Captain" in the 1860 census, "Captain, Lake" in the 1865 New York State Census, and "Lake Sailor" in the 1870 census.
The March 7, 1879, Buffalo Commercial reported that he died in Chicago, after having lived in Buffalo and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Although a relatively short obituary, we do learn that he was a "veteran Lake Captain."
The brother of Barbara (of Cleveland), Anna (of Toledo), and Mary (of Buffalo), was my third great-grandfather, James Freeland, of Pittsburgh. He did not become a sailor of any kind, but worked as a plumber.
These women are 4th great aunts of mine; sisters of my 3rd great-grandfather, James Freeland.
This week's theme is Boats.
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