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Ela name in Conway, NH and Fryeburg, ME

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Ela name in Conway, NH and Fryeburg, ME

Posted: 5 Aug 2006 8:23AM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Ela, Ordway, Hacket
I'm hoping that someone with access to local records in Maine and New Hampshire is researching this line and will add some information.

If you've been researching the 'Fryeburg Elas', then you know that everything comes to a halt once you find John Ela (1806-1886) who is buried in Fryeburg. Family tradition claims that his father was William Ela, but there are no 'official' records to confirm this.

The Town Records of Conway, NH, show a William Ealy living in Conway in the years 1801 through 1805. He owned land and paid taxes. His appearance in Conway in 1801 coincides with the appearance of Jonathan Ela, who is accounted for in the Ela Genealogy. Later, Johnathan's brother, Seth, appears in the records as a non-resident landowner. Jonathan Ela's family is documented in the Ela Genealogy, and it names his six children; viz., Betsy, Ruth, Seth, Abia, Jonathan, and Louisa. Family records from the "Fryeburg Ela family" indicate that William is, in fact, John's father, and that he also had six children: John, Ruth, Sarah, Mehitable, Eliza, and a 5th, unnamed daughter. Census records tend to disprove this 5th daughter, and there is strong evidence that the sixth child was a second son, William. That William and his wife are buried in Conway, and they appear in Census records in Conway. However, in the 1850 Census, they ALSO appear in the Census for Fryeburg. It appears they lived briefly in Fryeburg, and then returned to Conway, and were enumerated in both places.

Going back to the Town Records of Conway, one finds a record of the marriage of William to Lydia Ordway in November of 1795. Very odd, because in 1795, not only had William and Jonathan not yet appeared, but the name, 'Ordway' did not appear in Conway until 1799. Nonetheless, the record appears. It also appears that Lydia was married previously to a Charles Hacket in 1783. The marriage of John to Lucinda, and then Jane is also recorded in the town record. All information that can be corroborated by other sources seems correct. Then, one finds a very clear entry that states, "Record of Jonathan Eley's Family". It lists a total of seven children: Abigail, Polly, Ruth, Eliza, John, Sally, and Eunice. These names do not agree with either Jonathan's (as listed in the Ela Genealogy), or with William's (as listed in family papers). Nor have I found any record of any of the children listed for either man (except for Mehitable - she appears in a later Census).

Family tradition holds that William died in the War of 1812. That may well be, as no record of him has appeared, and he seems to simply disappear after 1805. However, if he did die in that war, then either the son, William, is from another family, was illegitmate, or was a miracle. I tend to believe that William (the elder) did not die in 1812, but lived at least long enough to sire William in about 1819.

To complicate matters, I have never been able to find any record of Lydia Ordway outside of those two entries in the Town of Conway records. Since the children obviously retained the surname, 'Ela', one would think that they would appear in subsequent Census records, but I've not found them, except as heads of their own households in Fryeburg.

And they wonder why genealogical researchers drink.....
SubjectAuthorDate Posted
vern_ela 5 Aug 2006 2:23PM GMT 
normancampbel... 19 Jun 2013 5:16PM GMT 
vern_ela 20 Jun 2013 7:18PM GMT 
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