Orange Spoor
The Orange Spoors of the Past
by Claudette M. Comeau Snow-Schell
July 15, 2020
In doing genealogy research on the Spoor line of my family, I keep bumping into multiple Orange Spoors. My 3rd great-grandfather was Orange Spoor (1803-1868) who was born in Vermont, US and lived much of his life in Missisquoi County, Quebec, Canada. From what I can tell, five Orange Spoors lived in North America during the time period of 1797-1935. The following is my attempt to clarify just who the various Orange Spoors were in order to have a reference as I continue my research into my 3rd great-grandfather.
Orange Spoor was born 1797/1798 in the US and died in 1852. He, like my 3rd great-grandfather, lived much of his life in Missisquoi County, Canada not too far from Farnham, Quebec where my 3rd great-grandfather spent much of his life. On September 3, 1818, Orange married Jane Friot (?) in the Episcopal church of Iberville, Quebec. Jane was a “spinster of minor age” from Christie Manor and was given permission to marry by her parents. Orange was the Christie Manor innkeeper of major age. Jane was baptized in the Episcopal Church in 1825 in Iberville, Quebec. In the 1830 census of Quebec and Lower Canada, Orange and Jane are living in the seigniory of Noyan. In the 1831 census of the subdistrict of Noyan, county of Rouville, Quebec, Lower Canada, Orange is a farmer (“cultivateur”) living with 9 inhabitants in the household. Also on this census are Allen and William Spoor. In 1838, during the Canadian Rebellion, he served in the Rouville militia with his brothers, William, and his brother or son, Joseph. In the 1842 census of St. George de Henryville, Rouville, Quebec, Orange is a farmer with 10 people in his household. He was aged 55 in the 1851 census of St. Georges de Clarenceville, Rouville County, Canada east, Quebec where he is listed as a labourer that was Methodist and born in the US. Also listed on this census are Andrew Spoor (20) and Mary Spoor (12) both born in Canada and Episcopalian. Orange died March 20, 1852 (aaprx. aged 55) and according to the records of the Clarenceville Anglican church of St. George he was buried on March 22, 1852. He was interred in the presence of his brother, William Spoor, and his son, Joseph Spoor.
Orange Spoor, my 3rd great-grandfather, was born September 23, 1803 in Franklin County, Vermont, US and died in 1868 in Farnham, Canada. Orange’s parents were Abraham and Rebecca. Orange was the youngest of their eight children (David, Ephraim, Asahel, Mary, John, Almond, Loisa, and Orange). Orange was the grandson of Captain John Spoor who served in the Revolutionary War in the Sheffield, Massachusetts militia. He lived with his parents in Franklin County, VT until he was at least 27 years old. Before marrying his wife, Charlotte, in 1843, Orange had three other children. At the age of 29, Orange had Edwin (b. 1832) and then Luiza (b. 1833), both born in Vermont to Mathilde Morris. Orange likely moved with Luiza and Edwin to Farnham, Quebec around 1837. Orange married Charlotte Cook on July 26, 1843 in Farnham in the Church of England, Iberville, Quebec. His daughter, Luiza, died in 1847 in Farnham, Quebec at the age of 14 years old. In the record, Charlotte is listed as her mother but she was likely adopted by Charlotte as perhaps Edwin was as well. Edwin went on to live his whole life in Farnham. Orange was listed as a saw mill owner in the 1851 and 1852 directories of Farnham West (a village situated in the Township of Farnham, County of Shefford, District of Montreal). He was listed as a saw mill owner in an 1857 directory as living in West Farnham (Parish of St. Romuald, Township of Farnham, County of Missisquoi). The lumber from the saw mill was manufactured and exported to the US. In the 1861 Missisquoi, Canada East census, Orange (58) was listed with his wife “Sharlot” (actually Charlotte) (45), their five children (William Orange (16), Lucy A. (15), Joseph (12), and Elisabeth (6)). Also living with them were two spinsters, Lucy A. Cook (21), the likely daughter of Charlotte from another father, and Sally Danoley (56), likely a boarder or servant. As indicated on the census, Charlotte and her children were all born in Lower Canada while Orange was born in the US. Orange and his children are listed as Methodist while Charlotte is listed as a member of the Church of England. Notarial records exist for Orange from 1837-1862 from various points in Quebec. Orange and Charlotte’s son, William Orange Spoor, died April 1864 during the US Civil War at the prisoner of war camp in Andersonville, Georgia. Orange died on January 11, 1868 and was buried in West Farnham on January 14 in the St. James Anglican Cemetery of the Methodist Church. Buried with Orange are his wife Charlotte and their grandson from their son Joseph, Frederick, and his wife, Alice. On December 29, 1868, after the death of Orange, both Charlotte and Lucy Ann Spoor legally renounced him in order to not be obligated to his debts.
Rev. Orange Herbert Spoor was born July 4, 1831 in Georgia, Vermont on a farm. In the 1850 census of Franklin, Georgia, Vermont, Orange is a laborer, aged 19. He began teaching and studying at the New Hampton Institute in VT. Orange married Laura F. Dewy, also of Georgia, VT on May 23, 1855 in Burlington, VT. Orange served for three years as the principal of Mattapoisett Academy in Massachusetts where his wife was the preceptress and an instructor at the school. In the 1855 census of Massachusetts, Orange lived in Marion, Plymouth, Massachusetts and was a teacher. He attended the Theological Seminary in Oberlin, Ohio, graduating in 1861. On his July 1, 1863 US Civil War draft registration, Orange indicates that he was from Vermontville, Michigan. He was a congregational minister in Michigan for 25 years, 11 years in Vermontville, four years in Traverse City, five years in Dowagiac, and five years in Charlotte. He was for several years the Inspector of Public Schools and Director of Sunday School Normal. In the 1870 census of Michigan, Orange is listed with his children Eddy, William, and Laura. In the 1880 census in Michigan, Orange (48) was living with his wife Laura (48) and children Eddy (20), William (18), and Laura (14). He moved to Redlands, CA in the spring of 1887 due to failing health due to overwork. In November of 1890, he became the pastor of Terrace Congregational Church. According to his California voter registry, in October of 1894, Orange (63) lived in Redlands, CA and was a minister. He died in mid-July 1905.
Orange Spoor was born circa 1860 in Pennsylvania. According to the 1880 census of PA, he was single and was a servant that worked on a farm. His father was born in PA and his mother in Rhode Island.
Orange Mansel Spoor was born October 25, 1877 in Missouri to William and Lydia. In the 1880 census, he had two brothers (Warren and George) and two sisters (Julia and Sarah). Orange married his wife Amy on January 14, 1904 in Missouri. According to his 1918 WWI draft card, Orange, aged 41, lived in Hickory, Missouri with his wife, Amy, and was a farmer. Orange died November 1, 1935.