Herma Armstrong    March 2001

My elusive Lydia BARLOW (b. abt. 1784) and husband Ransom ODELL (b. abt 1780) named a son "Nelson" and the name was carried down every generation as far as my generation either in the form "Nellie" or "Nelson."  It must have been a family name to have been so important.  I figure the name was a BARLOW name since I haven't found any "Nellies" or "Nelsons" among any other ODELL lines other than this one.

I don't know precisely where my Lydia and Ransom were born.  The census gives New Hampshire as Lydia's birthplace and New York for Ransom. I think Ransom was probably born either in the Oblong area that was disputed by Connecticut and New York (area east of the Hudson River) or else up around the Glens Falls - Lake George area near the Vermont border.  In the time period of Lydia's birth the area that became Ver- mont was being claimed by New York and New Hampshire so when she said she was born in New Hamp- shire,  it might not be the New Hampshire we think of today.

 I know I'm grasping at straws, but these folks have stumped researchers for many years. They  didn't leave a paper trail.  Lydia and Ransom had several children born in NY in the 1805-1814  time period before moving to Scioto Co Ohio where the first "Nelson" - my gg grandfather - was born in 1818.  The names of those New York- born children include some very common BARLOW given names - Thomas (the eldest child) and Moses (the 2nd son).  There was also Mary, Melinda, Chauncey, Benajah (an Odell name), and James.

Brenda Joiner   August 1999
Looking for Lydia Barlow born abt 1790 probably in New Hampshire or New York. Married Ransom Odle/Odell and moved to Scioto Co. Ohio in 1815. I have no other info on her. I believe they may have been in the Chenango Co area of New York or Renssalaer New York....

They had several children.   Males were Thomas, Moses, Benajah, Nelson.