1850 Census: MI Hillsdale Co, Wheatland, Hn 201, Fn 204, Westcott, Narcissa, age 47.193

Note:
Source: Fred Westcott
Email: [email protected]
Change date of birth: July 4, 1802
Tombstone in Pease Cem. reads
Died June 7, 1860 AGED 57 yr 11 Mo 3 d.
It is very clear in the photo of the tombstone.
On the 1850 Census Narcissa was 47 years old. This is consistent with her age at death.
Place of birth: In 1803 probate was entered into court in Trumbull Co., OH for Nathaniel Ferrin who died a resident of Hudson Twp.
No other Ferrin/Farrands are found in this part of OH in this time period.
Narcissa Farrand , Bloomfield, NY, was granted land in Hudson Twp., Trumbull Co., OH (later Portage Co., now Summit Co.,OH) in 1806. She began paying tax on same when she became 18 years old in 1820 as a non-resident. James Westcott and his wife, Narcissa M. Westcott were residents of Hudson Twp., Portage Co., OH on 15 January 1825 when they sold part of the same lot granted Narcissa in 1806.

It's very possible this Nathaniel is Narcissa's father and Hudson Twp., Trumbull Co., OH is her birth place. Narcissa named her first-born "Nathaniel Farrand".

A family belief is that James is the son of this Nathan of Rhode Island. In 1850 and again in 1864, he was living in Wheatland, Michigan. His widow drew a pension. He enlisted at Penn Yan, New York in 1814, in the War of 1812-1815, in Captain Sutherland's Company, New York Militia. With his wife and three children, he moved from Niagara County, New York to Michigan in 1835. Pension papers do not indicate a place of birth, but family tradition is to effect he was born in Rhode Island; that there he was "found out and ran away". (??) He was only 17 years old, when he enlisted at Penn Yan. Another tradition is that his father had died, leaving a widow and six children; that she was unable to support her children and "men came and took them away in a boat." Names of James' children are from Bible records. In 1850 census, children are recorded as: James W., age 22; Edward, age 20; William, age 18; Andrew, age 16; Rosetta, age 11. (Book of Appendices, Stukely Westcott, Vol. 2, Pg. 404, 1939)193

Settled: October 1835, From New York to Michigan

WorldConnect Post-em #1
Source: Fred Westcott
Email: [email protected]
Note:
The name is variously "James Wescott" or "James Westcott" on numerous documents. No documents have yet surfaced with his name containing a middle name or a middle initial. The middle initial "W", or middle name "Wellington", that has popularly been shown is as yet without supporting evidence.
The online reported birth year of 1797 is unsupported by evidence so far. James Westcott generated a number of documents. The birth year was 1795, and is calculated from his death date and age appearing on his tombstone, and from other documents. Consulted were censuses 1830 through 1870, land patent records, bounty land records, pension application.
His decent from Nathan Westcott and Lydia Arnold is in doubt. No known documentation supports this belief. The name of his firstborn was "Nathaniel Farrand Westcott". This son was known as "Nathaniel", and not "Nathan". The name "Nathaniel Farrand" likely comes from the name of Narcissa's father , which current investigation suggests.
A Westcott genealogy lists a female ,Lucinda O., b.11 March 1795, child of Nathan Westcott and Lydia Arnold. If this is a documented child then James cannot be a child of this couple.
It's in fact doubtful that James was a lineal Westcott. DNA markers of one descendant do not match the markers of other Wes(t)cott surname y-descendants.
There is however a close match with an Adams descendant, his ancestors living in Somerset, England in the early 1800's. An earlier male Adams ancestor probably came to America, likely New England, by the late 1700's, perhaps much earlier. It appears that James, or a y- parent, y-grandparent, or etc., assumed the name "Westcott".

WorldConnect Post-em #2, 26 Feb 2010
Source: Fred Westcott
Email: [email protected]
Note:
Change the name:
"James Westcott" or "James Wescott"
No documents have yet surfaced with his name containing a middle name or a middle initial. The middle initial "W", or middle name "Wellington", that has popularly been shown is as yet without supporting evidence. The error probably came about in confusing him with his son, James W. Westcott.

Change the birth year:
"1795"
The online reported birth year of 1797 is unsupported by evidence so far.
James Westcott generated a number of documents. The birth year, 1795, is calculated from his death date and age appearing on his tombstone and other documents.

Tombstone: DIED Aug. 19. 1878: AGED 83 yr 4 mo & 24 d. (all numbers are very clear on the tombstone, especially the age)

1850 Census: age 54
1850, 31 Oct: bounty land application: age 55
1855 28 March: bounty land application: age 60
1860 Census, August : age 57 (taken several months after Narcissa's death. James was living with his son and daughter-in-law, who was possibly the informant. In any event, the age is so far off that it cannot be taken seriously.)
1870 Census: age 74
1871 25 July: pension application: age 76

On the bounty land and pension applications, where we know that James was the informant, he gave ages that were consistent with a birth date of 26 March 1795. Two of the censuses support a birth year of 1795 or 1796. None of the seven sources are consistent with a birth year of 1797. The date and place of his birth are evidently as reported by James Westcott. There is no other known source.

Change the parents:
"doubtful that Nathan and Lydia Westcotts are the parents".
1) Nathan and Lydia (Arnold) Westcott had a daughter, Lucinda, who was born 11 March 1795. This precludes James being a son of this couple, unless the birth day is incorrect and they are twins. James' descendants however do not show any twin births.
2) There is no documentary evidence shown that James was a son of Nathan and Lydia.
3) There is no naming pattern consistent with Nathan and Lydia's family:
James first son was Nathaniel Farrand Westcott. He was not called "Nathan", and was probably named for Narcissa's father. Current investigation suggests he was "Nathaniel Farrand". James and Narcissa also did not name a child "Lydia", nor did they use any of the other names of Lucinda's siblings.
4) It's in fact doubtful that James was a Westcott, at least on father's side. DNA markers of one descendant do not match the markers of other Wes(t)cott surname y-descendants.
There is however a close match with an Adams descendant, his ancestors living in Somerset, England in the early 1800's. An earlier male Adams ancestor probably came to America, likely New England, by the late 1700's, perhaps much earlier. It appears that James, or a y- parent, y-grandparent, or etc., assumed the name "Westcott". Perhaps his mother's maiden name was "Westcott".