Colwells of Genesee, Lapeer & Shiawasee Counties

A recently received e-mail from a researcher (Verna) who wanted to connect Kate Colwell in my Rootsweb WorldConnect database to her William Francis Colwell.

Catherine (Kate) Colwell married William James Carpenter of Atlas Twp., Genesee Co., Michigan. My (slight) connection is to the Carpenter family, not the Colwells (my grandmother's half-sister married a Carpenter). Featuring the Carpenter family in a blog had been something I'd considered, so rather than simply answering the e-mail, I started gathering information. After gathering the information, the Carpenter blog will be separate from this "Colwells" blog. In addition, I'm going to do an Elliott/Colwell blog.

Information from Verna's e-mail stated that:
William Francis Colwell's parents were James, who was born in England, and Catherine (Collins or Calkins) born in Ireland, per his (W.F.'s) death record. William Francis Colwell married* Marion (Harding) Maine as her second husband. Marion Harding's sister married a man named Campbell whose biography was included in a history of Genesee County, MI.

James Colwell possibly remarried (Ann Burch) and his second wife could have been the mother of Kate Colwell.

*IGI Individual Record FamilySearch™
Francis Colwell Male
Birth: 05 AUG 1835 Of, Elba, Lapeer, Mich
Spouse: Marion Harding Marriage: 30 OCT 1859

Did William Francis Colwell live in Lapeer County, too? The IGI file indicated that may have been the case. [Yes he did -- see the 1870 census]

The 1850 MI Census, Genesee County, Atlas Twp.:
Caldwell, James, 43, b. England
" , Ann, 42, b. NY
", Francis, 14, b. NY
", Jane, 9, b. MI
", Mary, 7, b. MI
", Catharine, 6, b. MI
", Sarah, 4, b. MI

It would appear that all of James Colwell's children, except for Francis, were from his second marriage, based upon the children's ages.

IGI also had James Colwell's (2nd) marriage:
JAMES COLWELL
Spouse: ANN BURCH
Marriage: 24 JUN 1837 , Genesee, Michigan

Both Colwell families (James & Francis) were living in Genesee Co. when the 1860 census was taken:

1860 MI Genesee, Atlas Twp.
Colwell, James, b. England
", Ann, 55, b. NY
", Mary, 17, b. MI
", Catherine, 16, b. MI
", Sarah, 14, b. MI
Lafonton, Benj, 23, b. MI
Noble, Lucy, 24, b. NY

1860 MI Genesee, Mundy Twp.
Colwell, Francis, 24, b. NY
", Marion, 20, b. MI

Twins Fred & Frank Colwell, died on the same date in Genesee Co., according to GENDIS:

CALDWELL, FRED & FRANK
Date of death: 18-Sep-1867
Ledger Page: 110
Record Number: 6
Place of death: Atlas
County of Death: Genesee
Sex: Male
Marital Status: Single
Age: 5 months 2 days
Cause of Death: CHOLERA INFANTUM
Birthplace: ATLAS
Father's Name: Caldwell, FRANK
Father's Residence: ATLAS
Mother's Name: CALDWELL, MARION
Date of record: 20-Jul-1868

The birth records for these twins indicated that the father (Francis) was born in Cayuga Co., NY and the mother (Marion) was born in Genesee Co.

Francis & Marion Colwell were in Lapeer Co., Michigan in 1870:

1870 MI Census, Lapeer Co., Elba Twp.
Colwell, William F., 34, b. NY
", Marion, 30
", Charles, 6, b. MI
", Willis, 1, b. MI
Worter?, Harvey, 24, b. NY

The James Colwell family remained in Genesee Co.:

1870 MI Genesee, Atlas Twp.
Caldwell, James, 67, b. England
", Anna, 64, NY
Birch, Allice, 12, MI
More, Edward, 25, NY
[Allice, b. 1858, may have been the daughter of George Birch, b. 1824, and Elizabeth, b. 1832, all living in Davison, Genesee Co., MI, in 1860 -- also enumerated was Ida, b. 1857]

James Colwell died in 1874. Was Ann (Burch) Colwell living with her daughter Sarah in 1880?

1880 MI Census Genesee, Atlas Twp.
James MONCURE Self M W 40 MI Farmer SCOT SCOT
Sarah MONCURE Wife M W 35 MI Keeping House ENG CT
Jane C. MONCURE DauS W 15 MI At School MI MI
Elisabeth A. MONCURE Dau S W 11 MI At School MI MI
Lucy MONCURE Dau S W 7 MI At School MI MI
Frank W. MONCURE Son S W 4 MI MI MI
Jerome MCSHERAR Other S W 22 PA Farm Laborer SCOT PA
Ann COLDWELL Other W W 75 NY Keeping House NY NY

In 1880, the Francis Colwells were in Shiawassee County:

1880 MI Census Shiawassee, Hazelton
Francis COLWELL Self M W 43 NY Farmer ENG NY
Marian N. COLWELL Wife M W 40 MI Keeping House CT NY
Charlie COLWELL Son S W 16 MI At Home NY MI
Willis COLWELL Son S W 11 MI At School NY MI
Burt COLWELL Son S W 9 MI At School NY MI
Lula G. COLWELL Dau S W 6 MI At School NY MI
Harvy J. COLWELL Son S W 2 MI NY MI

The Francis Colwell family was still in Shiawassee Co., in 1900:
1900 MI Census, Shiawassee, Hazelton Twp.
Colwell, Francis, Aug 1835, NY Eng NY
", Marion, Jany 1839, MI CT NY, 9 children/5 living
", Charles, Sept 1863, MI NY MI
", Harvey, May 1878, MI NY MI

In 1910, Francis & Marion were living with their son, Charles, in the census taken in Shiawassee County.

The following Colwells were buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Shiawassee Co., MI: Albert (Bert), Harvie, Hazel, Lettie, Lloyd, Wauneita C., Lura, Ray and Willis.

Michigan death records online here had the following records:

Harvey Colwell, d. 21 April 1908
Single
New Lothrup
Buried: Elmwood Cemetery
Informant: Bert Colwell of New Lothrop

Mary Libby
Parents: James Colwell & Ann Burch
Born: 8 Sept 1842, Michigan
Died: 2 Nov 1908
Informant: Mrs. James McCarty, New Lothrop
[Apparently Francis Colwell's half sister and Kate (Colwell) Carpenter's sister]

Lara Jane Colwell
b. 11 Apr 187_
d. 20 June 1905
Parents: L. C. Harding & Jane Burpee
Informant: Bert Colwell, New Lothrop (husband)
Buried: Elmwood Cemetery

Mary Colwell
Parents: Daniel Harding & Emorillus Smith
b. 19 January 1859
d. 8 Aug 1912
Shiawassee Co.
Buried: Elmwood Cemetery
Informant: Charles Colwell, New Lothrop
[Mother is AKA Amaryillis Swift]


A little bit more about the HARDING family:

1850 MI Genesee, Atlas Twp.
Hardin (sic), Daniel, 38, b. CT
", Emarilla, 32, b. NY
", Lewis, 15, b. NY
", Marion, 10, b. MI
", Deloss, 5, b. MI

1870 MI Genesee Atlas Twp.
Harding, Daniel, 59, b. NY
", Amarilla, 52, NY
", Inice, 18, b. MI

"Harding" marriages from the Dibean Marriage database included:
CAMPBELL GEORGE - CAMPBELL INES - HARDING 26 SEP 1871
HARDING MARION M HARDING STEPHEN R MAINE 15 APR 1857


Daniel Harding - GENDIS
Date of death: 9-Aug-1883
Place of death: ATLAS MICH
County of Death: Genesee
Marital Status: Married
Age: 72 years
Cause of Death: HEART DISEASE
Birthplace: NEW YORK
Occupation: FARMER
Father's Name: Harding, ELIJAH
Father's Residence: CONN
Mother's Name: HARDING, BETSEY


Miriam at AnceStories maintains an Atlas Township database and has included James Colwell, William and Kate Carpenter, and Harding.