Chemung County NY History of Tompkins, Schuyler, Chemung, Tioga 1879

Home Page 1879 Four County History - Table of Contents Town of Ashland - Chapter 48 Town of Ashland Page Typed for by Ina Sutfin Formatted by Joyce M. Tice

Oliver Comfort	Myrtilla Coleman

was born in the town of Deer Park, Orange Co., N.Y., Feb. 13, 1803. He was the third child of Jacob Comfort, who was born June 8, 1775; died Sept. 21, 1812; his wife was Lydia Owens, who was born Sept. 26, 1774; died Nov. 3, 1811. The father of Jacob was Richard Comfort, who was born Aug. 15, 1745; his wife was Charity Perkins, born Nov. 17, 1747. The Comfort family is of English extraction, the original members of which , in America, came over prior to the war between England and France. Jacob Comfort, and his family removed from Orange County in the month of January, 1805, when Oliver was but two years old, and settled in Chemung (then Tioga) County, and the following spring moved to that part of the town of Elmira now included within the limits of Ashland, and settled on the farm now in the possession of the principal subject of this brief memoir. Jacob Comfort purchased 83 acres, for which he paid twenty shillings per acre. The farm was one of the first settled in the town, taxes having been paid thereon as early as 1794.

On the 31^st of May, 1826, Oliver Comfort united in wedlock with Myrtilla, daughter of Jeremiah Coleman, she having been born in the same place as her husband, Aug. 27, 1805. This union was blessed with nine children, namely William R., Robert E., Lydia, Mercy, Jacob, Myrtilla, Harriet, Oliver Tyler, and Hannah, six of whom are living. Oliver Tyler being the only one remaining at home, and he attends tot he business of the farm, on the old home stead. Mr. And Mrs. Oliver comfort are both living in the house into which they moved three weeks following their wedding, and where they have continued to reside for fifty two years. In politics Mr. Comfort is a Republican, he having an abiding faith in the integrity of the successor of the old-time Whig party. He never sought political preferment of any sort, and never held any office except that of road commissioner. He lays no claim to any particular distinction, only assuming the attributes which his life and character have so fully earned, - those of an honest and upright citizen and a Christian gentleman.