Orswell family of Tiverton

Orswell family of Tiverton, R.I.,
Fall River, Mass., and West

by Todd A. Farmerie

At the start of the 19th century, the Horswell family of Rhode Island began consistently appearing under alternative spellings of their surname, the variation adopted primarily by two (apparent) brothers from Tiverton, Benjamin and Israel, being that of Orswell.  While occasional members of other branches appear with this surname (specifically, the widow and daughter of their brother Ephraim; and a more distant cousin, George and his family in N.C.) it appears that all of the descendants of these brothers used the Orswell form, and thus this page deals with these descendants.

Benjamin HORSWELL/ORSWELL, (Luke Horswell , John , Peter ), b. 28 May 1768, he married 1788 Amey Durfee, daughter of Benjamin and Sarah (Cook) Durfee.  He appears in Tiverton in 1790 and 1800 next to his father, Luke, and continues to appear in Tiverton through 1840.  He died at Tiverton 20 May 1849.

Children of Benjamin and Amey (Durfee) ORSWELL:

  1. Peter, b. 20 Jan. 17(88?).
  2. Mary, b. 29 Jan. 1790, Tiverton, m.1 Uriel Coggeshall, m.2 Aaron Boomer.
  3. Rhoda, b. 11 Nov. 1793, Tiverton, m.1 _____ Morse, m.2 Hardin Fiske.
  4. Amey, b. 11 Jul. 1795, Tiverton, m. John Cory.
  5. John, b. 25 Jan. 1799, Tiverton.
  6. Delilah, b. 14 Feb. 1800, Tiverton, m. her cousin, Job Estes.
  7. Benjamin, b. 10 Aug. 1802, Tiverton.
  8. Sally, b. 5 May 1804, Tiverton, m. her cousin, Thomas Durfee.
  9. Betsey, b. 22 Apr. 1808, Tiverton, m. (as his second wife) George Cook.
  10. Joseph D., b. 27 Aug. 1810, Tiverton.

Israel HORSWELL/ORSWELL, (Luke , John , Peter ), b. say 1775, he first appears in Tiverton in the the 1800 census, near Benjamin and Luke.  He married Joanna Borden, daughter of Benjamin Borden, but died before 1820, when his widow appears alone with her family.  Joanna was still in Tiverton in 1830, and 27 Jul. 1831 remarried to Robert Westgate.

Children of Israel and Joanna (Borden) ORSWELL:
  1. Gardner G., b. 29 Feb. 1796.
  2. Salisbury, b. ca. 1798.
  3. Patience, b. ca. 1800, d. unm. 5 Feb. 1823.
  4. (son, app. d.y.)
  5. Benjamin, b. 28 Feb. 1803.
  6. (son, app. d.y.)
  7. Rebecca C., b. 9 Mar. 1806, Tiverton, living with sister Angeline in 1850, d. unm. 12 Apr. 1865.
  8. Angeline, b. ca. 1807, m. Warren E. Messenger, of Medway, Mass.
  9. (dau, app. d.y.)
  10. (son, app. d.y.)
  11. Israel H., b. ca. 1812.

John ORSWELL (Benjamin), b. 25 Jan. 1799, Tiverton, he married 16 Sep. 1821 at Fall River, Mass. to Caroline Matilda Borden, b. 28 Jan. 1801, Fall River, daughter of Abner and Meribah (Earl) Borden.  They lived at Tiverton, where he died 30 Oct. 1880.  She remarried to James Brown, but died a year after her first husband, 31 Oct. 1881.

Children of John and Caroline (Borden) ORSWELL:
  1. Elmira, b. 17 Mar. 1823.
  2. Amasa P., b. 5 Feb. 1826, Tiverton.
  3. Caroline M., b. 29 Feb. 1828, Tiverton, m. Joseph Dunning.
  4. George B., b. 22 Feb. 1830, Tiverton.
  5. Addie M., b. 1832, d. 3 May 1837.
  6. John W., b. 1837, d. 7 Jun. 1837.

Benjamin ORSWELL (Benjamin), b. 10 Aug. 1802, Tiverton, he lived in Tiverton through the time of his death, 11 Sep. 1844.  He had married 3 Mar. 1823, Abiah Cobb, b. 28 Oct. 1801, who died 28 Apr. 1883.

Children of Benjamin (Cobb) ORSWELL:
  1. James, b. ca. 1827, Tiverton.
  2. Hannah, b. 13 Feb. 1825, Tiverton, m. 1870, William A. Durfee.
  3. Mary Amey, b. 10 Apr. 1830, d. 28 Jun. 1840.
  4. Emeline, b. 22 Mar. 18??, d. 17 Jun. 1840.
  5. Clarinda B., b. ca. 1837, m. Ellery Van Dorn.

Joseph D. ORSWELL (Benjamin), b. 27 Aug. 1810, Tiverton, he married 1837, Emeline Brayton, b. 1811, daughter of Thomas and Marietta (Albert) Brayton.  They lived in Fall River.  He died 1854, while Emeline lived to 1870.

Children of Joseph D. and Emeline (Brayton) ORSWELL:
  1. Emeline B., b. 8 Feb. 1839, Tiverton, d. unm. 19 Jun. 1919. She was a school teacher, living in Tiverton with sister Sarah in 1900 and 1910.
  2. John, b. 26 Sep. 1840, Tiverton.
  3. Sarah D., b. Feb. 1842, Tiverton, with sister Emeline in Tiverton in 1900.
  4. Mary A., b. 1843, Fall River or Tiverton, m. Orin F. Meeson.
  5. Deborah B., b. ca. 1846, Tiverton.

Gardner G. ORSWELL (Israel), b. 28 Feb. 1796, called Capt. Orswell due to his command of the Providence 1st Light Infantry.  He relocated to Worcester Co., Mass., living at Sutton and Blackstone.  He married Mary/Polly _____, b. 14 Jul. 1798, Vt.  He was still living in 1850, but apparently dead by 1860.

Children of Gardner G. and Mary ORSWELL:
  1. (perhaps - he did have a son of this approximate age) James W., b. ca. 1826, Mass.
  2. Warren Messenger, b. 30 Jan. 1829, Graystone, R.I.
  3. Rufus G., b. ca. 1831, R.I.
  4. Mary E., b. ca. 1834, R.I.
  5. Caroline, b. ca. 1838.
  6. (probably) Edward A., b. ca. 1840, Mass., a farm laborer in Providence in 1860.
  7. Ophelia P., b. ca. Jan. 1841, d. 16 Jul. 1845.

Salisbury ORSWELL (Israel), b. ca. 1798, he was a farm laborer, marrying at Bellingham, Mass., 10 Dec. 1826, Eliza Ann Messenger. He returned to Rhode Island, living there through 1860.

Children of Salisbury and Eliza Ann (Messenger) ORSWELL:
  1. Martha B., b. say 1828, m. Daniel D. Coggeshall.
  2. Joanna B., b. Jul. 1829, Tiverton, d. unm. 6 Sep. 1856.
  3. Patience B., b. ca. 1831, m. Charles H. Garfield.
  4. Harriet, b. ca. 1835.
  5. Marion W., b. 1837, m. Jonathan S. Dwelley.
  6. Israel, b. ca. 1839.
  7. Albert S., b. 5 Aug. 1842.
  8. George M., b. 11 Mar. 1844.
  9. Ann E., b. ca. 1845, she was still unmarried in 1900.
  10. Ida J., b. ca. 1849, m. William Osgood.

Benjamin ORSWELL (Israel), b. 28 Feb. 1803, he married (having declared their intent at Rehoboth, Mass., 29 Jan. 1830), Louisa Wheeler, b. 1804, and he was a wheelwright in Providence, in business with his brother Israel.  He died 17 Nov. 1878, his widow Louisa surviving until 22 Nov. 1880.

Children of Benjamin and Louisa (Wheeler) ORSWELL:
  1. Mary L., b. ca. 1832, m. Albert L. Whipple.
  2. Ann Frances, d. 13 Aug. 1834.
  3. Phebe Ann, b. 1835, d. 21 Sep. 1836.
  4. Phebe Ann, d. 29 Jul. 1838.
  5. Caroline Amanda, b. ca. 1838, m. James Mason.
  6. Benjamin, b. 1842, d. 18 Aug. 1842.

Israel H. ORSWELL (Israel), b. ca. 1812, R.I., he married 22 Oct. 1838, Abby A. Headley, b. ca. 1810, daughter of Peleg Headley, and worked as a wheelwright in Providence, with his brother Benjamin.  In about 1869, he went to Storm Lake, Buena Vista Co., Iowa, and was farming there in 1870, dying there the next year, 19 Aug. 1871.  Abby would later live with her daughter Abby Ann, and a niece Ella Kent (she is listed with both in 1880).

Children of Israel and Abby A. (Headley) ORSWELL:
  1. George Byron, b. ca. 1840, R.I.
  2. Abby Ann, b. ca. 1841, R.I., m. Alden C. Pray.
  3. Israel Henry, b. 21 Nov. 1841, Tiverton, R.I.
  4. Thomas D., b. ca. 1844, R.I.
  5. Jemima C., b. 23 Oct. 1845, m. Samuel Hobbs.
  6. Myra Liza, b. 31 Mar. 1849, m. Rossman, and d. in Cal. 1943.

Amasa P. ORSWELL (John,Benjamin), b. 5 Feb. 1826, Tiverton, he was a ship captain on the Fall River Line, living in Fall River. He married Cornelia Fish, b. ca. 1824, R.I., daughter of William and Annie (Sherman) Fish.

Children of Amasa and Cornelia (Fish) ORSWELL:
  1. John F., b. ca. 1848, Mass.
  2. Annie M., b. ca. 1850, Mass., m. Clarence Niles.
  3. Isaac Henry, b. ca. 1852, Mass.
  4. James Brown, b. ca. 1854, Mass.

George B. ORSWELL (John,Benjamin), b. 22 Feb. 1830, Tiverton.  He married first, 20 Feb. 1856, Harriet Marchant of Edgartown, Dukes Co., Mass., daughter of Barnard Marchant, and lived on Nantucket and at Edgartown.  He was a steamboat engineer, serving as such in the U.S. Navy on the U.S.S. Cambridge durning the Civil War.  After Harriet's death, he remarried to Paulina (Coffin) Marchant, widow of Cornelius Marchant and daughter of Thomas and Velina (Pease) Coffin.  He was dead by 1900.

Children of George and Harriet (Marchant) ORSWELL (perhaps with others who died in childhood):
  1. Ada M., b. ca. 1857, Mass., m. Thomas Franklin Waters.
  2. William B./V., b. Oct. 1861, Mass.
  3. Annie Phebe, b. ca. 1864, Mass.
  4. Harriet Marchant, d. 24 Apr. 1874, Edgartown.

James ORSWELL (Benjamin,Benjamin) b. ca. 1827, Tiverton, he was a blacksmith in Fall River, and later a private watchman.  He married Lucy A., b. ca. 1830, Maine.  He was dead by 1880.

Children of James and Lucy A. ORSWELL:
  1. James H., b. ca. 1850, Tiverton.
  2. Ellen Eliza, b. ca. 1852, Tiverton, m. George E. King.
  3. Charles A., b. 6 Jan. 1855, Tiverton.
  4. Benjamin F., b. Dec. 1856, Fall River.
  5. Marcus A., b. ca. 1859, Fall River.
  6. Horace M., b. ca. 1864, Mass.
  7. Emma F. (Erynia ?), b. ca. 1866, Mass.

John ORSWELL (Joseph,Benjamin), b. 26 Sep. 1840, R.I., he was a machinist in Fall River, and later in Providence. He served as a private, then corporal in Co. G., 11th Rhode Island Vol. Inf. during the Civil War.  He married 28 Aug. 1866, Mary E. Carroll, b. ca. 1845, Ireland, daughter of Andrew and Mary Carroll of Cranston. He died 9 Jun. 1914, and Mary was living with son John in 1920.

Children of John and Mary E. (Carroll)  ORSWELL (probably with others that died as children):
  1. Joseph, b. ca. Dec. 1866, d. 16 Jan. 1868, aged 13 mo.
  2. Mary Alida, b. ca. 1878, Mass., m. Dr. John Adna Peterson.
  3. Emeline A., b. Aug. 1879, Mass.
  4. John, b. Mar. 1881, Mass, divorced and living with his mother in 1920.
  5. Sarah Edna (or Edna Sarah), b. ca. 1885, Mass.

James W. ORSWELL (? Gardner), b. ca. 1826, Mass. he was a machinist in Newark, N.J., in 1860, and in 1863, enlisted in the Civil War, serving in Co., B, 26th N.J. Infantry.  He married by 1870 to Caroline _____, b. ca. 1819, NJ.


Warren Messenger ORSWELL (Gardner,Israel), b. 30 Jan. 1829, Graystone, R.I., he married Eliza Ayer, b. Vt. or Can., and was involved in the cloth milling industry, as an overseer of spinning in Shirley Mass, and an agent for a cotton mill, in Ashburnham, Worcester Co.

Children of Warren Messenger and  Eliza Ayer ORSWELL:
  1. Edmund W., b. 11 Dec. 1849, Valley Falls, R.I.
  2. Elvira, b. ca. 1852, m. William A. Gaylord.
  3. William, b. ca. 1857.

Rufus G. ORSWELL (Gardner,Israel), b. ca. 1831, he married Susan _____, b. ca. 1831, N.Y.  He was a spinner in Shirley, Mass. in 1860, and later is termed a machinist in Southbridge and Fitchburg.

Child of Rufus G. and Susan ORSWELL:
  1. Charles G., b. ca. 1864, dead by 1900.

Albert S. ORSWELL (Salisbury,Israel), b. 5 Aug. 1842, he was a fisherman at Tiverton Vt., and later was a farmer there.  Following service int he Civil War, he married Dillie S. Simmons, daughter of Squire Simmons.  He died 23 May 1926.

Children of Albert S. and Dillie (Simmons) ORSWELL:
  1. Marion Alberta, b. 3 Dec. 1866, Tiverton, m. Arthur Manchester.
  2. Orene Eliza, b. 2 Aug. 1873, Tiverton

George M. Orswell (Salisbury,Israel), b. 11 Mar. 1844, he, like his brother, was first a fissherman, but then settled into farming at Tiverton.  He also served int he Civil War.  He married 19 Jan. 1867, Tiverton, to Diana E Macomber, b. ca. 1886, and died 5 Oct. 1921.

Child of George M. and Diana E. (Macomber) ORSWELL:
  1. Eunice E., b. ca. 1868, m. Timothy Tripp Brayton.

George Byron ORSWELL (Israel,Israel), b. ca. 1840, he was a apprentice carpenter in Providence in 1860, then accompanied his father to Iowa, continuing as a carpenter in Aurelia, Cherokee Co., Iowa.  He returned to Rhode Island followinghis father's death, and there married 15 Jan. 1880, Emma Estella Pray, b. ca. 1853, N.Y.  He followed his brother Thomas to Mitchell, S.D., where he farmed, and by 1910 had moved to Blanton, Lane Co., Ore.  He died 15 Mar. 1924, and she 19 Aug. 1940.

Children of George Byron and Emma Estella (Pray) ORSWELL:
  1. George E., b. Nov. 1881.
  2. Blanche E., b. Dec 1883, she was a school teacher in N. Athena, Umatilla Co., Ore. in 1910.
  3. _____Blanche, b. Sep 1885,
  4. Jessie M., b. May 1887
  5. Warren H., b. 21 Sep. 1893, S.D.

Israel Henry ORSWELL (Israel,Israel), b. 21 Nov. 1837, R.I., he accompanied his father to Iowa in about 1869, and there farmed, but after his father's death, returned east, where by 1900, he was a freight office clerk in Fall River, Mass.  He married 10 Jan. 1866, Laura Ann Dore, daughter of Daniel Cheney and Olive Jordan (Brown) Dore.

Children of Israel Henry and Laura Ann (Dore) ORSWELL:
  1. Louisa Miranda, b. 3 Dec. 1866, Providence, m. Stephen Pearce Durfee.
  2. Lillian Marion, b. 5 Oct. 1868, Providence, m. Atwell Fremont Hedley.
  3. Israel Cheney, b. 29 Jul. 1872, Aurelia, Cherokee Co., Iowa.
  4. Ellen Ethelind, b. 14 Feb. 1877, Providence, m. William Henry Thomas.
  5. Inez Huldah, b. 28 Mar. 1888, Providence.

Thomas D. ORSWELL (Israel,Israel), b. ca. 1844, he went west with his family, and married there Allie V. Kelso, b. ca. 1859, Iowa, daughter of Joseph C. and Augusta Kelso.  He moved on to Mitchell, S.D., where he was a carpenter and innkeeper.  He died by 1910, and the widowed Allie became a real estate agent in Mitchell.  They had no children.


Isaac Henry ORSWELL (Amasa,John,Benjamin), b. ca. 1852, R.I., he was a clerk in a freight office in Fall River. He married first Emma Sumner, and second, ca. 1892, Sarah G., b. ca. 1867.  he was dead by 1920, when Sarah was living with her daughter and son-in-law.

Child of Isaac H. and Sarah G. ORSWELL:
  1. Ethel C., b. ca. 1896, m. William B. McNeil.

James Brown ORSWELL (Amasa,John,Benjamin), b. ca. 1854, he married Malvina Wilbor, daughter of Darius Wilbor, and was a machinist in Providence.  He died 11 Mar. 1913.

Child of James Brown and Malvina (Wilbor) ORSWELL:
  1. Ella Pauline, b. ca. 1881, m.1 William Preble, m.2 George Frank Combs.

William B. ORSWELL (George,John,Benjamin), b. Oct. 1861, he was a steamboat engineer.  He married ca. 1887, Helen A. _____, b. Nov. 1866, and lived at Edgartown.

Children of William B. and Helen A. ORSWELL:
  1. Harriet B., b. Apr. 1889.
  2. Annie L., b. Oct. 1890.
  3. Norton W., b. 25 Jul. 1896.

Benjamin F. ORSWELL (James,Benjamin,Benjamin), b. Dec. 1856, Fall River, he married ca. 1879, Catharine ____, b. Dec. 1856, Mass., to Irish parents.  He was a laborer and teamster in Fall River.  He remarried ca. 1905, Caroline, b. ca. 1862, Ireland.

Children of Benjamin F. and Catharine ORSWELL:
  1. Addie, b. 1879, Mass.
  2. Charles A., b. Nov. 1882, Mass. (probably the husband of Mary)
  3. Katie M., b. Mar. 1890, Mass.
  4. Emma F., b. Feb. 1892, Mass.
  5. Elizabeth, b. Jan. 1893, Mass.
  6. five others (five of ten children living in 1900).

Horace M. ORSWELL (James,Benjamin,Benjamin), b. ca. 1864, Mass., he became a fisherman, living at Swansea in 1900.  He married ca. 1890, Charall (?) _____, b. Nov. 1865, N.H., and had no children.


John ORSWELL (John,Joseph,Benjamin), b. Mar. 1881, he married Ruth W. Briggs, daughter of Job Briggs, but was divorced from her and back with his mother by 1910 (she remarrying 21 Apr. 1911 to Chester Field).  On 27 Nov. 1920, he remarried to Helen C. Mulry, b. 8 Jan.1895, Conn., and was a textile designer in Providence.

Child of John and Ruth W. (Briggs) ORSWELL/BRIGGS:
  1. Perry B., b. 12 Nov. 1905, he took his mother's surname, and died 22 Dec. 1944.
Child of John and Helen C. (Mulry) ORSWELL:
  1. Dorothy, b. ca. 1904, Mass.

Edmund W. ORSWELL (Warren,Salisbury,Israel), b. 11 Dec. 1849, Valley Falls, R.I., he joind with William Blodget to form Blodget and & Orswell, manufacturers of fine glazed yarn and fine thread.  He married Mary A. Smith of Albon, R.I., b. ca. 1849, Eng., and lived in Pawtucket.

Children of Edmund W. and Mary A. (Smith) ORSWELL:
  1. Mary Elvira
  2. William W., b. ca. 1874
  3. Robert Andrew, b. 1875, d. 29 Jun. 1876.
  4. Edna Marion, b. 1878, d. 28 Oct. 1890.

George E. ORSWELL (George,Israel,Israel), b. Nov. 1881, Iowa, he went to Blandon, Ore. with his father, and there was a real estate agent.  He married 1913, Anna B. _____, b. ca. 1890, Mo., who was an orchestral musician.  They had no children.  He died 16 Nov. 1964, having outlived Anna, who died 18 Feb. 1938.


Warren H. ORSWELL (George,Israel,Israel), b. 21 Sep. 1893, S.D., he went to Seattle, Wash., where he worked as an electrician.  He there married, 1925, Gwen _____, b. 15 May 1895.


Israel Cheney ORSWELL (Israel,Israel,Israel), b. 29 Jul. 1872, Aurelia, Cherokee Co., Iowa.  He was an inventor, living at Hyde Park, Norfolk Co., Mass., and later at Los Angeles, Cal.  He died there 5 Aug. 1952.  He had married Anna Eva Barlow, b. 14 Sep. 1871, Fall River, Mass.

Children of Israel Cheney and Anna E. (Barlow) ORSWELL:
  1. Milton Hammond, b. ca. 1897, Amesbury, Mass.
  2. Merrill Cheney, b. 5 Jul. 1899
  3. Viola Eva, b. 18 Sep. 1901, Mass., m. Porter.
  4. Kenneth McGregor, b. 18 Nov. 1904, Mass.

William W. ORSWELL (Edmund,Warren,Gardner,Israel), b. ca. 1874, R.I.  He followed in his father's business, manufacturing threads.  He married Jessamine J. _____., and lived in Pawtucket.

Child of William W. and Jessamine J. ORSWELL:
  1. Lois, b. 25 Aug. 1904, d. 9 Dec. 1998.

Milton Hammond ORSWELL (Israel,Israel,Israel,Israel), b. ca. 1897, Mass., he married 1909, Ruth Lord Littlefield, b. ca. 1898, Mass, and was a commencial artist for a greeting card company in Boston.  He died 1932 of trichinosis, from bad pork.

Child of Milton Hammond and Ruth ORSWELL:
  1. David Milton, b. 30 Jun. 1921, Boston, Mass.

______ ORSWELL (perhaps Charles A. (Benjamin,James,Benjamin,Benjamin), who was of the right age and place, and had a sister named Addie), married Mary, b. ca. 1884, Ire., she remarried, by 1920, John Sheehan, b. ca. 1880, Ire., and was living in Fall River.

Children of _____ and Mary ORSWELL:
  1. Adelaide, b. ca. 1904.
  2. Edward, b. 7 Aug. 1906.