Rev. Ira Dudley, Hannibal, Oswego Co., NY

REV. IRA DUDLEY,
HANNIBAL, NY

Mexico Four Corners became the first settlement to have a post office in Mexico. This name was in use as late as 1823, but by 1825 the spot became Colosse. Colosse flourished and hoped to be named the county seat of Oswego County. A doctor settled there by 1806. In 1817 the first tavern opened.

In 1849 Rev. Ira Dudley was named pastor of the Colosse Baptist Church. He had been born in Vermont 22 February 1799, son of Stephen and Rebecca (Minard) Dudley of Grafton, VT. On 18 December 1821 at Cato, Cayuga Co., NY he married Margaret Ferris, born 19 February 1803 at Galway, Cayuga Co., NY Margaret was a descendant of Jeffery Ferris, a founding settler of Stamford, CT.

The Baptist Church of Ira, NY was organized March 1836 by 43 members who left the church at Cato. Their first pastor was Rev. Ira Dudley. In one year he doubled the membership. He led the construction of a church building. By 1837 the sanctuary was finished, ready for use. Rev. Ira left in 1838.

Around 1844 he preached for 3 years at Edwardburg, MI. Next he spent 2 years in the pulpit at St. Charles, Kane co., IL. Then he answered the call to Colosse where he settled his family at Hannibal. He probably was interested in Hannibal because various other members of his family had lived there.
Ira’s brother, Lyman, born 22 November 1793 married 31 December 1815 Susan Burnham in Hannibal. Later this couple removed to Mansfield, Ontario. Their oldest son, Lorenzo Dudley drowned in the Mississippi River. Ira’s sister, Rebecca, born 22 April 1801 married Abner Loomis 1 April 1824 in Hannibal. Their son, Abner Loomis later lived in Chicago, IL. Stephen Merritt Dudley, Ira’s brother, born 22 March 1803, on 11 October 1827 in Hannibal wed Lucy Dudley. By 1840 they lived in Orland, IN. Another brother, Isaac T. Dudley, born 16 January 1805, married in May 1828 at Hannibal Irena Lockwood. By 1835 they resided in Branch Co., MI. A sister, Mary (Polly) married Abel Prouty and came to Hannibal were she died 7 September 1829. Yet another sister, Eleota, born 6 April 1808 lived in Oswego County as the wife of Isaiah Andrus. She died 9 August 1839 in Oswego. Her son, John Andrus died 1876 in Oswego County also.

Rev. Ira and Margaret had six children:
1. Mary Ann Dudley b. 2 June 1823; m. 7 October 1841 James B. Curtis.
2. Angeline A. Dudley b. 25 February 1825; m.15 August 1844 Robert Fullerton of Fulton, NY.
3. Herbert Stephen Dudley b. 14 October 1827; d. 30 August 1849 of cholera at Albany, NY. Buried at Hannibal Village Cemetery.
4. Emily Z. Dudley b. 23 March 1830; m. 18 September 1850 L.M. Webb of Fulton.
5. Judson H. Dudley b.8 April 1832; m. 6 January 1857 C.C. Bates.
6. George P. Dudley b. 16 April 1838; m. 21 March 1861 Emma J. Lawrence.

By 1856 Ira was sent to Sterling, Cayuga Co., NY as pastor of the Baptist Church of Sterling. He led the congregation until July 1858. Margaret died 4 September 1865 at the age of 62. She was buried in the Hannibal Village Cemetery in block 5.

In 1871 Rev. Ira was called to lead the Baptist Church at Ira, NY again. He stayed for four years. In 1875 he lived in Cato, NY with his brother Sardia Dudley. Before 1880 Ira took the pulpit of the First Baptist Church in Port Byron, NY which had a membership of 130. The Sunday School averaged about 75 per week. He also married again to Rhoda Hervey. They lived in Cato. On 6 October 1883 the reverend died. He was buried near his beloved Margaret at Hannibal Village Cemetery.

Mary Ann Dudley and James B. Curtis lived on a farm at Hannibal. They had 6 children.

1. Francis R. Curtis b. 13 February 1848; d.y. at Hannibal. Buried in Hannibal Village Cemetery.
2. Angie E. Curtis b. 24 June 1849; m. 7 December 1871 Fred Parker; d. 19 February 1874. l son: Arthur Parker b. ca. 1872.
3. Herbert A. Curtis. Buried Hannibal Village Cemetery.
4. James B. Curtis b. ca. 1858. A farm laborer in 1880 at Hannibal.
5. Carrie Curtis b. ca. 1861
6. Willie L. Curtis b. ca. 1865. A farm laborer in 1880 at Hannibal.

Angeline A. Dudley married Robert Fullerton of Fulton. By 1880 they resided in Meridan, Cayuga Co., NY. Angeline called herself a milliner. Robert, age 61, gave his occupation as a fire insurance agent. They had one son: Walter Byron Fullerton born 11 August 1857. Robert and Angie were both buried in Hannibal Village Cemetery. Robert died 9 March 1890. Her date of death is now unreadable on her tombstone, but she was alive and listed in the 1892 New York State Census for Cato, NY.

Emily Z. Dudley married L.M. Webb of Fulton. They had 3 children.
1. Luella J. Webb
2. Herbert J. Webb
3. George A. Webb

Judson H. Dudley married C.C. Bates. They lived at St. Charles, IL. They had 2 children.

1. Lena S. Dudley
2. Bates Dudley who died in Oswego, NY 1866.

George P. Dudley married 21 March 1861 Emma J. Lawrence. They resided in Garo, Park Co., Colorado. They had 5 children. In 1880 Emma’s sister lived with the family. She was Mary L. Lawrence, age 29. Also in the household was George’s nephew James Curtis, age 24.

1.    Harold Chalmers Dudley b. 7 November 1858 in Liverpool, Eng. He was born        before George married Emma.
2.    Corine Louise Dudley b. 18 September 1862; m. 15 July 1880 Louis Guiraud of Denver, Co.
3. Georgia Bella Dudley b. 6 January 1864; m. 26 March 1885 Harold Chalmers; d. 20 June 1886. 1 daughter: Belle Ellen Chalmers b. 21 May 1886.
4. Son d.y.
5. Margaret Elizabeth Dudley b. 1 May 1871.

SOURCES:
--The Cayuga County NY GenWeb Project. Available [online] https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nycayuga/ [18 November 2002]
--A Ferris Family Tree. Available [online] http://www.ferristree.com [17 November 2002]
--“Grip’s” Historical Souvenir of Mexico. Syracuse: 1903.
--Hannibal Historical Society. Hannibal Village Cemetery. Available [0nline] https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nyoswego [18 November 2002]
--Johnson, Crisfield. History of Oswego County. Philadelphia: Everts, 1877.
--NY. State Census, 1892, Cayuga Co.
--Oswego Co., NY. Available [online] https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nyoswego
[17 November 2002]
--Simpson, Elizabeth. Mexico; Mother of Towns. Buffalo: Clement, 1948.
--Storke, Elliott and James H. Smith. History of Cayuga County, 1789-1879. Syracuse: Mason, 1879.
-U.S. Census, Cayuga Co., NY 1880.
-U.S. Census, Oswego Co., NY 1880.
-U.S. Census, Park Co., CO 1880.
--WorldConnect Project. Available [online] https://sites.rootsweb.com [17 November 2002]

Contributed by a researcher who wishes to remain anonymous. Many thanks for this wonderful information.

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