10 WILLIAM OATMAN
10 WILLIAM3 (John2,
Johannes1), son of John
and Elizabeth (Janes) Oatman, was baptized at Stratford, Connecticut, in
1736. The exact date of his birth is not
known. On 26 May 1756 he married Phebe
Elmore, who married twice afterward and in 1784 is said to have been living
with a brother in Stratford. This
information appears in the Elmore Genealogy but is sadly lacking in dates and
other pertinent detail.
The question as to
whether William was the father of a family by this marriage is unsettled. In this connectin, we must consider
persons and families of the name who are otherwise traced as descendants of
Johannes Outman.
In the 1790 census
we find at Newburg, New York, one Stephen Oatman who had one son over 16 years
of age and three other children. We may
estimate, therefore, that this Stephen was born 20 plus 16 or approximately 36
years prior to 1790 or in 1754. It would
have been possible for William, born ca 1736, to be the father of Stephen but
very doubtful.
There also is
shown in the 1790 census one John Outman located at Sadsbury,
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, having one son over 16 and seven other
children. As in the case of Stephen
above, this John may have been a son of William but very doubtful.
We have
information of one George Oatman who is said to have been born in 1776
somewhere near New York City who could have been a son of William.
In New Jersey
records, we find that John Outman and William Outman witnessed the will of
Samuel Johnson in Salem County on 19 July 1772.
If these men were required to be 21 years of age at the time of
witnessing the will, the date of their birth would not be later than 1751,
therefore very doubtful if they were sons of William.
In the
"History of the Nance Family", published by G. W. Nance, it is stated
that one Joseph Oatman, a ferryman on the Ohio River, had a son John, born 14
July 1787, who was the ancestor of the numerous Oatman families listed in that
publication and who are located principally in the Middle and Western
states. We have had correspondence with
many persons in these families and some of them believe themselves descended
from Johannes Outman. The proof of this
is lacking, although Joseph, mentioned above, may have been a son of William
and Phebe (Elmore) Oatman. It is hoped
by our continued investigation the point will be cleared up. The weight of evidence so far obtained seems
to indicate that this William died in early middle life and without leaving
issue.
(v2008)