Biography of Bildad Norcutt & Hiram Norcott, 
Mexico & West Monroe, NY

Many thanks to Esther Rancier for sharing her information on the Norcott family. Esther is researching in Richland and Mexico the Soul/Soule, Brace and Daniel P. Smith families, and would appreciate hearing from anyone researching these surnames.   Esther Rancier at: erase@pacbell.net

For more information on the Norcott Family, please contact the 
Historians and Historical Societies.

 Daniel Norcutt arrived in American during 1632.  He returned to England on the ship Pied Coe in August 1635.  The ship was lost at sea.  His wife Anne and son William followed Daniel’s dream of America, arriving in 1636 as part of the entourage of Edward Johnson.  William married Sarah Chapman raising a family that remained for several generations in Plymouth County, MA.  Living as they did among the Mayflower passengers and their children some of the Norcutt descendants married Mayflower descendants.
 Several of these lines remained in Plymouth County.  They usually called themselves Norcutt.  But William III moved his siblings to Connecticut.  Their descendants typically used Norcott.  However, once the family reached into New York State the records, carelessly made or transcribed, show most persons with their names spelled both ways in various documents. 
 No one had been able to establish a definitive genealogy for the Daniel Norcott/Norcutt family beyond the first few generations.  However, some things can be learned.  For New York researchers the key persons’ names are identifiable. John Norcott settled in Benton, Ontario Co., NY.  Winslow Norcutt resided in Greenbush, Rensselaer Co., NY.  Robert Norcutt lived at Brookhaven, Suffolk Co., NY. Tristan Norcott by 1830 was established at Dryden, Tompkins Co., NY.   Also in 1830 Zebina Norcutt lived in Warren Co., NY.  William Norcott stayed in remote Chautauqua Co., NY by 1830.  Reuben Norcutt lived in Cortland Co., NY by 1820.  In 1830 Oswego County had three Norcott/Norcutt pioneers, Bildad, Hiram and the family of Ebenezer.  In the 1820 census at Cobleskill, Schoharie Co., NY showed Ephraim Norcott a resident. 
 Could Ephraim Norcott in Cobleskill play a role in the Oswego County families?  So far the names of his sons are not known.  Could he be a father of Bildad, Hiram or Ebenezer?  Hiram was born at Richmondville, Schoharie County on 22 February 1800.  But the 1820 census indicated that Ephraim was under 26-years old without sons of sufficient age. No help there. 
Hiram’s father was likely the first Justice of Peace for the Richmondville area.  Appointed in 1805, he died in 1809.  This notation was provided by William E. Roscoe in his History of Schoharie County in chapter 28.  Richmondville was not carved out of Cobleskill until 1845 which technically made Hiram born in Cobleskill, the same place as Ephraim.
Who exactly arrived first in Oswego County probably cannot be established either.  By 1830 Ebenezer Norcott/Norcutt was deceased.  His widow Irena was head of household in the 1830 Mexico census.  All that is known for certain of them is the existence of their daughter Phoebe who married a Sherman.  Phoebe’s grave was placed in the Colosse Cemetery, Mexico, NY.  She died at age 90 in 1891.  She was born ca. 1801 suggesting that Ebenezer could have been born ca. 1780, making him old enough to be the father not only of Phoebe but both Hiram, born 1800, and Bildad, born ca. 1806.  Tombstones are lacking for Ebenezer and Irena, but they may well be buried at Colosse in unmarked graves. 
Hiram Norcott/Norcutt arrived with his wife Sophronia Smith in Oswego County at Mexico before 1830, but an exact date is lacking.  Sophronia, born 1806 in Cobleskill, NY, was the daughter of William Smith, born 8 July 1777 in Columbia Co., NY and Axceny(?) Butler from Brooker Hollow, Richmondville,  Schoharie Co., NY.  Several of Sophronia’s relatives spent time in Oswego County during the 1820’s. They were Henry Smith, Harvey Smith, plus Rosebell Schermerhorn who later lived in Ogle Co., IL.  Casson Smith removed from Oswego County to ultimately Sparta, Monroe Co., WI by 1855.  All of the above was reported by Smith family researchers.  A nephew Cassius Payne, moved from Schoharie County to Mexico also.
Hiram and Sophronia seemed to have had five children with only two surviving.  The 1830 Mexico census showed two children, a boy and a girl born before 1830 who received no further mention.  In the 1830’s family researchers report the birth of Curtis D., born ca. 1837/38 and Sophronia who died young. 
In 1835 Hiram and Sophronia sold land in Mexico to Russell Burlingame and his wife.  After the land sale they settled in Parish, NY.  The 1850 Parish census revealed the following:

  Norcott, Hiram  49 farmer $1,000 NY
 Sophronia         45 wife               “
 Hiram C.           12 son                “
 Harriet H.           8 daughter         “ 

Hiram C. became the man later cited as Curtis Norcott, age 27, in the 1865 Parish census.
In the Dutch Hill Road Cemetery at Parish there are several Norcott graves.  The young Sophronia died 7 October 1845, age 11.  Hiram died 21 June 1858, age 58.  The mother Sophronia then lived with her son Curtis until her death on 24 November 1880, age 73.  She was buried at Dutch Hill also.  Pictures of these three graves were placed online at www.rootsweb.com/~nyoswego/towns/parish/dutchcemphotos.html.  The name can be clearly read from the tombstones as Norcott.
By 1865 the New York State census showed the Norcott family had changed.  Curtis married Margaret/Mary Ann Reed.  They had a child.  With Hiram deceased, Curtis was head of household.

Norcott, Curtiss [sic] 27 farmer
 Margaret                22 wife 
 Adria                      4 daughter
 Sophonia                59 mother    b. Schoharie Co.
 Helen                     23 sister

Sometime before 1880 Curtis left Parish and began to farm in Cicero, Onondaga Co., NY.  The 1880 census there enumerated the family thusly:

Norcott, Curtis             41 farmer          NY
 Mary Ann                    35 wife             “
 Adria                          15 daughter      “
 Roda [sic]                   11     “             “
 Sephrona [sic]             74 mother         “

Graves for Curtis and Mary Ann (Reed) Norcott were found at Cicero Cemetery on Route 11.  Mary Ann died on 28 April 1899.  Curtis H. died in 1917.  His stone said: 1837-1917.
The other Norcott/Norcutt line which appeared in the Oswego County records in 1840 was headed by Bildad Norcutt [sic] who was between 30 and 40 years old with a wife between 20 and 30, plus one boy 10 to 15 years old.  This family were more fully revealed in the 1850 Mexico census:

Norcott, Beldad [sic] 44 none listed NY
 Sophia                   40 wife          “
 Alpheus                   7 son           “
 Huldah I.                 3 daughter    “
 Newell                    1  son           “
 Harriet Wilson         15 other         “

The name of the boy cited in the 1840 census remains unknown.
Before 1860 Bildad moved to West Monroe, NY.  The 1860 West Monroe census showed Bildad and Hiram Norcott’s widow living side by side which certainly suggests a relationship with Bildad taking on some sort of guardianship for Hiram’s family left fatherless. 

Norcott, Bildad      54           farmer $1100  NY
 Sophia                49            wife             “
 Irena                  15            daughter       “
 Newell                12              son             “

Norcott, Sophrona[sic]  55    widow $3500   “
 Curtis         22     son      “

 The daughter then called Irena also cements the idea that Ebenezer and Irena were also close relatives. 
 Son Alpheus, at age 21, enlisted on 3 September 1864 into the Union Army as a private.  He served in Co. K, 184th Infantry Regiment NY.  He was mustered out on 29 June 1865 at City Point, VA.  Later in life on 9 July 1890 Alpheus received a Civil War pensions certificate #S60353.
 After the war Alpheus married Harriet D. Merrett, daughter of Stephen and Matilda Merrett.  They had two daughters. They settled at West Monroe also.
The 1870 West Monroe census stated:

 Norcott, Alpheus 27 farmer $1700  NY
  Harriet             27  wife              “
  Cora                 2 daughter         “
  Nora               5 mo.   “              “

 Norcott, Bildad 64 farmer $3093  NY
  Sophia           59 wife               “
  Newell           21 son                “

 Sometime after 1870 Bildad died.  His widow Sophia then lived with son Newell who took over the family farm. Alpheus moved to Mexico.  The 1880 census indicated the following:
 MEXICO
 Norcott, Alphus [sic] 37 farmer NY

  Harriet     37 wife             “
  Cora       12 daughter       “
  Nora       10      “             “

 WEST MONROE

Norcutt, Newell     32 farmer   NY
  Sophia               69 mother   “

  Alpheus’s wife Harriet died in 1905.  Her tombstone in the Primitive Cemetery at Mexico said: 1843-1905.  Daughter Cora died in 1912.  Her tombstone read: 1867-1912.  Alpheus lived much longer.  By 1920 he was in frail health and resided in the New York State Soldiers and Sailors Home at Bath, NY.  He was 76.  He died in 1921.  He too was interred at the Primitive Cemetery with a tombstone which stated: 1843-1921.  His grave was marked with a GAR symbol.
In the 1920 Oswego County census not a single surname of Norcott/Norcutt was enumerated.  In genealogy terms this line had “daughtered out.” 
 
 

SOURCES:
American Civil War Soldiers.  Available [online] http://ancestry.com [29 December 2003].
Cemetery Census of the Town of Mexico, Oswego, New York.  Mexico: Mexico Historical Society, 1984.
Cicero Cemetery. Available [online] http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyononda/CEMETERY/CICERO.htm [31 December 2003].
Civil War Pensions.  Available [online] http://ancestry.com [29 December 2003].
Dutch Hill Road Cemetery Photographs, Parish, NY.  Available [online] http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyoswego.towns/parish/dutchcemphotos.html [30 December 2003].
N.Y. State Census, Parish, Oswego Co., 1855. (LDS microfilm #0857436).
N.Y. State Census, Parish, Oswego Co., 1865. (LDS microfilm #0857430). 
 Norcott Family Genealogy Forum.  Available [online] http://genforum.genealogy.com [29 December 2003].
 Roscoe, William E. History of Schoharie County.  Syracuse: Mason, 1882.
 U.S. Census, Cicero, Onondaga Co., NY 1880.
 U.S. Census, Mexico, Oswego Co., NY 1830, 1840, 1850 & 1880. 
 U.S. Census, Parish, Oswego Co., NY 1850.
 U.S. Census, West Monroe, Oswego Co., NY 1860 & 1870.
 U.S. Census, Cobleskill, Schoharie Co., NY 1820.
 U.S. Census, Bath, Steuben Co., NY 1920.
 WorldConnect Project.  Available [online] http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com [30 December 2003].