early greers in oakland county, michigan

8/9/2019 Early Greers in Oakland County, Michigan

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Discovering Greers

Mary Ann Schaefer, March 29, 2010

It was barely a year ago that I started going through The Gillespie Family Record, page by pageentering all Aunt Edith's hard work into an online database. Of course in that process, I would run

across some entries that made me curious, one such being James Gillespie, youngest child of Robertand Elizabeth Gillespie who were the first (we thought) Gillespies in Michigan, married to Belle Greer.The only note about this couple was that they moved to Denver, Colorado and had no descendants.

Well, that summary has changed a lot in the last year. James served in the same unit as his olderbrother Alexander in the Civil War. James and Belle had a son named John who did apparently diewithout descendants but until then John was a successful lawyer in Denver. The family is buriedtogether in Denver. And Belle had other family who lived in Leadville, specifically her sister Emmawho was a school teacher there, and for awhile her brother Charles.

All of this seemed interesting but not curious until I received the Colorado death certificates for thisfamily. The mother of Isabelle Greer was listed as I. Gillespie. It was a moment. Just when I thought Iwas wrapping up an understanding of this family in my own back yard, there was suddenly a mysterythat I couldn't get my head around. How could Belle Greer's mother be a Gillespie? No matter how, itmust certainly be some OTHER line because certainly WE have no females whose name starts withI. Frankly I filed the certificate away and thought it was just too strange to even deal with.

But that little thing started it, the curiosity. I started looking for other Gillespies in the Michigan areawhere James and Belle had lived. What I found was hoard of Greers, and it took such a long time tofigure out who they all were, how they related to each other, and most importantly how they mightrelate to any Gillespie.

This document is a summary of my research. The first part is study of existing records before goingFHL. I have grouped them by household meaning groups of people who appear to be living togetherover some amount of time. You will probably find notes and questions and incomplete thoughts these

were the questions that came up as I was working. The second part of the document shows documentsI found at FHL along with some of my own analysis.

Of course all of this is a work in progress. I welcome feedback and send appreciation to my Gillespiecousins who share the curiosity bug.


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Part 1 Identifying Greer Family Groups

First Generation

The two 'elder' Greers that I can find in Michigan appear to be James and Joseph. James was marriedto a Gillespie, so he is potentially one of the Greer brothers who married a Gillespie daughter from ourfamily lore. (Although I sometimes think John Greer and Isabelle Gillespie, from the secondgeneration of Greers, might also fit this category? ) It does not appear to me that Joseph Greer evermarried a Gillespie.

In any case, I suppose it's possible that this James and Joseph Greer are brothers, although I really havenothing to corroborate that suggestion.

Household A

***JAMES Greer b Ireland abt 1785, d 1857 Oakland, Michigan

m JANE Gillespie 1784-1868 (parents unk)children:

JOHN Greer b 1806 Ireland, d 1894, Southfield MI

m Isabelle Gillespie (parents unk speculate James Gillespie; see EarlyGillespies document)

MARY Greer b 1812 NY, d 1859 Bloomfield, MI (her parents not confirmed)

m John McClung

m John McLagan

ROBERT M Greer b 1822 NY, d 1859 Bloomfield, MI

m Mary M Loomis

Land purchases in Oakland, MI - of Oakland County, MI

GREER JAMES 7 2 N 10 E 38.8800 02 12696 1837/04/01

Note James Greer also purchased in Genesee County in 1838 (don't know if it's the same James Greer)

1820 census of Fishkill, Dutchess, NY James Grier

Males: 4 26-45, 1 16-26, 2 10-16, 2 under 10

Females: 1 45-up, 2 26-45, 1 16-26, 1 10-16, 2 under 10

4 not naturalized, 0 in agriculture, 0 in commerce, 5 in manufacturing hmmmm - no idea ifthis is them!


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1820 in Walkill, Orange, NY - James Greer:

Males: 1 26-45, 1 10-16, 2 under 10

Females, 1 26-45, 3 under 10

2 in manufacturing

1840 census Michigan

Males: 1 50-60, 1 15-20, 1 under 5; Females: 1 60-70, 1 50-60, 1 20-30 *** note one older womanhere

1850 census Bloomfield, MI

James, 65, Jane 66, J G, 11 (male)

1860 census Bloomfield, MI

Jane, 75 living with Mary J McLagan, age 10 (granddaughter)

The following is from a message board from a person who is descended from Mary J McLagan and isalso interested in this research!

James Greer, b abt 1785 Ireland, d 7 Feb 1857, age 72, h/o Jane, burial Franklin Cemetery, Michigan

m Jane , b abt 1784 Ireland, d , w/o James, burial Franklin Cemetery,Michigan

children:

i. Mary, born in NY

m McLagan

ii. Robert M, born 30 Mar 1822 in Matteawan, Dutchess Co, NY

christened 1 May 1822 Presbyterian Church, Pleasant Valley, Dutchess, NY

m Mary M Loomis b 1824 New Jersey, d 1906 Michigan [I have her death cert]

d 4 Apr 1859 - burial Pine Lake Cemetery, Bloomfieldd, Michigan

children (or at least heirs in his will):

John M Greer

Margaret J Greer

Jacob L Greer

iii. Margaret Jane [need to add to my tree]

m abt 1879 George Cummings

children

Warren W (died)

Homer b 1 Feb 1885, d 16 Jan 1919 (death cert)


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iv. James [need to add to my tree]

v. John (listed as brother of Robert M, witness to his will).

Household B

***JOSEPH Greer b Ireland abt 1791

m MARY Sloan (Slon) b NY (per son William's death cert; but 1850 suggests wife isElizabeth?)

m Elizabeth Beattie b Ireland (per Henry T. death cert)

[note: There are LOTS of Beattie's in 1870 Bloomfield census]

children:

WILLIAM J Greer b 1821 NY, d 1899, Southfield, MI [not sure, mother doesn'tmatch...]

m Eliza (1827-1858)

m ANNA J. (signature on Williams death cert) (b 1842-xxx)

(parents of 8 children, 2 are living in 1899)

1870 census in Southfield, m to Elizabeth, one child: Mary Greer

Land purchases in Oakland, MI - of Orange County, NY

GREER JOSEPH 31 2 N 10 E 80.0000 02 3365 1831/01/05

GREER JOSEPH 17 2 N 10 E 40.0000 02 26261 1837/08/21

1840 census Southfield, MI

Males: 1 40-50, 1 15-20, 2 10-15, 2 5-10, 1 under 5

Females: 1 30-40, 2 5-10, 2 under 5

Note: total here is 10 children and 2 adults

1850 census

Don't find Joseph. Do find Elizabeth Greer, age 45 with 9 children: 6 males and 3 females.

Children appear to be: Robert, James, Joseph (death cert; d 1898 age 68), Samuel, Sarah, M P (F),Martha, Henry (death cert, 1840-1912), Matthew (William must have been the oldest - he has movedout of the house by now)

On findagrave, found Joseph Greer:

Birth: Jan. 18, 1791

Death: Jan. 21, 1841


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Burial: Pine Lake Cemetery, Bloomfield, Oakland County, Michigan, USA

Note: findagrave has an Elizabeth Greer in same cemetery, but wife of Robert Greer....

findagrave has graves for Martha d 1834 and Henry b 1840 d 1912 (children above?)

Second Generation

Household C

NOTE: The ages of this group are all over the map!

*** Rebecca Greer, b Ireland abt 1805, maybe died 1871 (Pine Lake Cemetery) [age 45 in 1850]

Olivia Greer, b Ireland abt 1808 [age 42 in 1850]

W J Greer, b Ireland abt 1812 [age 38 in 1850]

these from 1850 census of Bloomfield; Whitfield family living with them; $4000 real estate

1840 census

William Greer, 1 male 30-40 and 1 female 30-40

living next door to James Whitfield

***WILLIAM Greer this may or not be the W J Greer above

Land purchases in Oakland, MI - of Orange County, NY (earliest purchase)

GREER WILLIAM 28 1 N 11 E 40.0000 02 11615 1835/10/15

GREER WILLIAM 7 2 N 10 E 155.3200 02 5847 1833/04/04

GREER WILLIAM 7 2 N 10 E 40.0000 02 12041 1835/10/15

GREER WILLIAM 7 2 N 10 E 40.0000 02 22421 1837/08/10

In 1860 census of Bloomfield,

William P, age 40

Rebecca, age 50

Olivia, age 48

In 1870 census of Bloomfield,


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William P Greer, age 50, born Ireland (very rich - combined assets are $18,000 + $5000)

Rebecca, age 51, keeping house, born Ireland

Love (Olivia), age 30, born Ireland, at home

James, age 13, born in New York

Note: burial in Pine Lake Cemetery: William P Greer, d 1874 age 69 (b 1805)

Rebecca d 1871, age 83! (b 1788) [*IF* this is the same one!!]

no trace of Olivia....

Curiously all these people are not found in 1880 census.

Household D

***ROBERT M Greer b NY 1822, died 1859 [son of James and Jane]m Mary M Loomis, b 1824, d 1906

children:

JOHN M Greer b 1845

MARGARET JANE Greer b 1848, d 1936

JACOB, b 1854

1840 census [really have no idea if this is census is for this Robert]

Males: 1 30-40, 1 20-30

Females: 1 50-60, 2 20-30

1850 census - check ok

********************************

***ROBERT Greer b Ireland, died 1861, age 58 (b 1803) [son of ???? - this Robert isOLDER!]

m Elizabeth (Betty) Brelsford b England (see last note just above!), died 1877, age 66 (b 1811)

children:

WILLIAM P Greer, b Oct 1852, d Sep 1911 in Pontiac, Oakland, MI, married

(possibly Janet Simpson b 1857 in Bloomfield, married 21 Nov 1877 Pontiac, MI- record was unavailable to view on familysearch - no parents listed - Michigan Marriages)

FANNIE ELIZABETH Greer b 1854 MI, d 1909, Bloomfield, MI

single


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ROBERT - died 1856, 7 months old

burial Pine Lake Cemetery, Bloomfield (Robert, Elizabeth and son Robert all on one stone)

--- careful, there seems to be more than one Robert at his point! ----


Males: 1 30-40, 1 20-30

Females: 1 50-60, 2 20-30 *** take note of older female in this house

(I don't think this can be Robert M Greer since he would only be 18 in 1840)

ANOTHER ROBERT Greer, b abt 1828, m Sophronia Kane, d 1897two children - Carrie who died before him, and Bert J.

Who is this Robert??

Household E

***THOMAS Greer b Ireland abt 1805 [not sure how this person fits in the picture]

m Catherine b NY abt 1805

children:

Joseph, b 1826 OH - d 1893, Newark, Gratiot, MI (per familysearch, MI Deaths)

R. A. Greer, b 1832 MI (M)

Courtland, b 1835 MI (M)

William, b 1838 MI

E.M. b 1839 MI (F)

George, b 1843 MI

Land purchases in Oakland, MI - of Orange County, NY (earliest purchase)

GREER THOMAS 18 2 N 10 E 80.0000 02 4941 1833/04/04


Males: 1 30-40, 1 5-10, 1 under 5

Females: 1 30-40, 1 5-10, 1 under 5 total of 4 children here

Note listed next to James Greer (older, probably father) and Robert Greer (probably brother?) in census


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All in 1850 census along with additional child

Household F

*** JOHN Greer, b abt 1807 Ireland, d 1894 MI

m Isabella E Gillespie 1813-1891

c

LOTS AND LOTS (2 sets of twins)

James, Mary, John, Charles, Belle, Robert, Eliza Jane, Nancy, Emma, Thomas, Joseph,George, Adaline, Flora, Frances Elizabeth, Edwin

1840 census - 2 Johns!

White Lake, Oakland, Michigan

Males: 2 5-10, 1 30-40

Females: 1 under 5, 1 10-15, 1 30-40 total here is 4 children

Southfield, Oakland, Michigan

Males: 2 under 5, 1 5-10, 1 20-30

Females: 1 under 5, 1 15-20 no adult female in this household?

[I'm hoping that the female marked 15-20 is a mistake and should have been 20-30 - Isabella wouldhave been 27 in 1840. If it's not a mistake, I'm stumped!]

1850 census - Bloomfield - check

Land purchases (of Oakland County, Michigan):

GREER JOHN 17 2 N 10 E 80.0000 02 6381 1833/06/08

GREER JOHN 7 2 N 10 E 40.0000 02 8370 1835/10/09

GREER JOHN 20 2 N 10 E 40.0000 02 10518 1839/08/03GREER JOHN 20 2 N 10 E 80.0000 02 11508 1835/10/15

GREER JOHN 34 3 N 8 E 80.0000 02 12129 1835/10/15

GREER JOHN 33 3 N 8 E 40.0000 02 12130 1835/10/15

GREER ISABELLA 7 2 N 10 E 38.8700 02 11507 1835/10/15



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Related Names

William Cummings from Orange County, NY

buried Franklin Cemetery, d 1853 (b 1776)

2nd wife Catherine McClure, d

son, Robert W Cummings - Oakland County bio says he was b in MONTGOMERY, Orange,NY

Jane Moore (?)

*3* of their children married Greers


10/16

Part 2 Greer Records from FHL

James Greer, Probate Records, 1857

Lists heirs-at-law as widow Jane, John Greer, James Greer, and Robert Greer. There are several scanshere, many not entirely clear and I haven't made it all out yet. His will is included though, and it seemsthat he leaves everything to his wife, Jane.

I also want to apologize in advance for the funny quality of the scans. This was the first day I wastrying to learn how to use the scanning equipment and program at the library. I broke the image up so Icould zoom them (wanted to be sure they were readable), and you will see obvious areas in the imagewhere I was trying to lighten (some areas of page would be too light, others too dark one could (and Idid) spend hours trying to get it 'just right'. By the end of the week, I was making much quickerdecisions about what would be 'good enough' for our research purposes.


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early greers in oakland county, michigan

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