William Oldrin (1773-1858)



Captain William Oldrin (1772-1858) of England was a sea captain. (b. 1772; England, most likely Suffolk - d. April 24, 1858; Rye, New York)

Name variations

 * William Oldren
 * William Olderon
 * William Olderen
 * William Oldrin
 * Captain William Oldrin
 * Capt. William Oldrin

Parents

 * possibly William Oldrin (1746-?) who was christened on May 23, 1746 in Ubbeston, Suffolk, England. In the will of John Oldrin (1751-1840), William is identified as his late brother and described as 'of Gedgrave'. John leaves £19 and 19s to each of William's children when they reach the age of 21 years. Few records have been found for this William.

Birth
He was born in England in 1772. He may be from Suffolk where there appears to be an Oldrin family that stayed in England.

Emigration
He emigrated to the United States in 1794. During the War of 1812 he registered as a British alien living in the United States.

Freemason
He appears to have been a founding member of the Suffolk County, New York lodge which was devoted to seamen. This appeared in The Evening World of New York City on August 15, 1888: "... Samuel V. Norton and Capt. William Oldrin. The latter gentleman is the subject of an anecdote which illustrates his patriotism. He lived in Crane Neck during the troublesome times in 1812 on an eminence overlooking the pleasant spot where Hon. Frank Spinola (1825-?) now makes his home. One day a British sloop-of-war anchored off the Neck and flaunted her flag before the eyes of the Captain. He dragged a clumsy old cannon from his home to the bluff, and, after loading it with solid shot, turned it carefully on the menacing craft and fired. When the smoke cleared away the sailors were harrying to get up anchor and away. The shot hail disturbed their fancied security, and had severed the shrouds and brought the mainsail down about the heads ot those on deck."

Marriage

 * Amy X (1780-1853). Amy died on September 3, 1853 in New York City. They were married around 1799. Her surname may have been Seabury since her daughter was given Seabury as a middle name.

Children

 * William Oldrin (1800-1805) who was baptized at Trinity Church in Manhattan and died on October 3, 1805. His tombstone reads: "In Memory of William, son of William and Amy Oldrin, who died Oct. 3d, 1805, aged 5 Years, 1 Mo. and 22 Days. No age nor sex can death defy."
 * Mary Oldrin (1813-1850) who married Albert Salter (1811-1882). This line is extant.
 * Sarah Oldrin (1816-1894) who married Abraham Kershaw (1815-?).
 * Elizabeth Oldrin (1818-1901) who married Augustus Lancaster Bogart (1817-1901) on March 14, 1838. She died on February 18, 1901 in Bronx, New York.
 * Ann Seabury Oldrin (1818-1894) who married Albert Salter (1811-1882) on July 29, 1851. She died on April 26, 1894 and was buried in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York with her husband.

Death
He died on April 24, 1858 possibly in Rye, New York or in Manhattan. He last appears on the 1850 United States Census. The city and township of Rye, New York do not have a record of his death. Their records go back to about 1848. They suggested trying the Westchester County, New York archive. If he died in New York City there would be no death certificate, just a ledger entry with his name, cause of death, and death date. Death certificates were not issued until 1866.

Relationships
William Oldrin (1772-1858) was the 4th great grandfather of Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ).

Research

 * Researched and written by Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) starting on February 17, 2012.
 * Valerie Eagle wrote in 2012: "Dear Mr Norton. I am sorry to say that I cannot find a baptism for a William Oldrin in Wissett in or around 1772."
 * Patrick Raftery, Librarian for the Westchester County Historical Society wrote in 2012: "Hello Mr. Norton, Unfortunately, I couldn't find any references to William Oldrin in our collection. He does not appear in our cemetery index, biography index, scrapbook index, or periodical index.  We also do not have a genealogy file on the Oldrin or Oldring families.  I would suggest contacting the Rye Historical Society. Patrick Raftery, Librarian."
 * Richard Arthur Norton wrote in 2012: "His death certificate has not been found in either Rye, New York or in the New York City death index. He doesn't appear in Union Cemetery in Rye, New York or in Green-Wood Cemetery in New York City. He may be buried under a variation of his name. If he died in New York City there would be no death certificate, just a ledger entry with his name, cause of death, and death date. Death certificates were not issued until 1866."
 * For searches on New York State Masons from 1920 and earlier, the following information is needed and a check for $35: full name; name or number of the specific New York State Masonic lodge where the man was a member; and year of death. Searches are not performed for members from this era when the specific lodge is not known. Membership information on men who were Freemasons in other states or countries is not maintained by this institution. Requests may be sent by standard mail to: Livingston Masonic Library, 71 West 23rd Street, 14th floor, New York, NY 10010.

Timeline

 * 1772 birth in England, most likely in Suffolk, England
 * 1794 emigration to the the United States
 * 1799 (circa) marriage to Amy
 * 1800 baptism of William Oldren II (1800-?) at Trinity Church in Manhattan
 * 1810 United States Census living in Brookhaven, New York
 * 1812 registered as an alien during the War of 1812
 * 1813 birth of Mary Oldrin (1813-1850)
 * 1816 birth of Sarah Olderen (1816-1894)
 * 1818 birth of Elizabeth Oldrin (1818-1901)
 * 1818 birth of Ann Seabury Oldrin (1818-1894)
 * 1820 United States Census living in Brookhaven, New York
 * 1830 United States Census (not found)
 * 1840 United States Census living in Brookhaven, New York
 * 1850 United States Census living in Manhattan with children. This is the first census to list the names of all family members.
 * 1853 death of his wife
 * 1858 death in Manhattan or Rye, New York, although his death is not recorded in either place
 * 1866 New York City switches to death certificates from ledger entries