White Creek: John James

 History of Washington County, New York (1878)  No Responses »
Aug 202006
 

This is a transcription of the biography of John James of White Creek from History of Washington County, New York with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some if its Prominent Men and Pioneers, Philadelphia: Everts & Ensign, 1878.

Mr. James is a native of Hoosick, Rensselaer Co., N. Y., in which town he was born Aug. 23, 1827. His grandfather, Randall James, came from Rhode Island, and settled in Hoosick about 1788. His marriage-certificate, which has been preserved by his grandson, bears witness to the fact that he was married at Kingston, R. I., to Elizabeth Kenyon, June 5, 1785, three years before he settled in Hoosick. The wedding-coat worn on the occasion has also been preserved with the certificate by Mr. James as a souvenir of his grandfather, who gave a month’s work in winter for each yard of cloth contained in the garment. This ancestor died in Hoosick in 1831. His son, whose name was also Randall James, the father of John James, was born in Hoosick, and was by occupation a farmer. He held a colonel’s commission in the militia, and was known as Colonel Randall James, and also held several civil offices in his town. He married Sally Eddy in April, 1826, and had nine children,—four sons and five daughters,—of whom the subject of this sketch is the eldest. Receiving his early education at the common schools, and being reared a farmer, he resided at the old homestead in Hoosick till the spring of 1875, when he purchased the place where he now resides. It has been known as the Perry and also the Starbuck place. It is one of the most beautiful locations in this section of the State, and, with the improvements contemplated and partly carried out by Mr. James, will be as desirable a country residence as can be found in Washington county.

Mr. James was married on the 12th of February, 1851, to Catharine J. Bowen, daughter of Sylvester Bowen, of Cambridge. Mr. Bowen (her father) was born in Shaftsbury, Vt., and came with his father to the town of White Creek when three years of age. Catharine J., now Mrs. James, was born in White Creek in June, 1828. Her mother was Julia Cross, daughter of General Samuel Cross, of Shaftsbury, Vt., and sister of Nathan L. Cross. She was born Oct. 29, 1799, and died March 5, 1874.

Mr. and Mrs. James have had children, as follows: Sylvester Bowen James, born May 17, 1842. Julia Cross James, born Nov. 6, 1856; married Hiram C. Houghton, of North Bennington, Vt., June 11, 1874; died May 22, 1875, leaving one daughter, little Julia J., aged three years.

Mr. James is a Republican in politics. He is a man of decided opinions, but averse to taking any office, although frequently proposed and solicited to do so. Few men have attained in a higher degree the confidence and esteem of their fellow-citizens, and few have been more prosperous by steady application to the pursuit of farming.

Elders

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Aug 202006
 

This is a transcription of the elders section from The Men Who Called Dr. Bullions 104 Years Ago, written by Rev. John C. Scott, D. D., The Washington County Post, Cambridge, NY, 1911.

Alexander Skelly—aged seventy-two; was made an elder at the organization of the congregation in 1785; stands at the head of all lists of this date; was an early settler, a Revolutionary soldier, a town officer as early as 1776; was the great-grandfather of Alexander of this village, and ancestor of all the Skellies of this region; lived on a part of the Abbie Green farm, but owned the farm now held by Henry and Robert; died in 1816.

James Small—aged fifty-eight; came to this place in 1774, and was a Revolutionary soldier; became an elder at the organization of the church; his wife was Ann Beveridge, and he was the great grandfather of the late James Small of Jackson, and the ancestor of a numerous and widely scattered family group, some of them being noted men; lived on the farm now owned by Horace Becker; died in 1827.

James Hoy—aged sixty-two; his family were early settlers in Salem, and he became a member here in 1787 and an elder in 1794; David F. Hoy, now registrar of Cornell University, is a great-grandson, as is also the late Alexander Green of this village through his daughter Jannet; the late John Lourie Beveridge, ex-governor of Illinois, was a grandson through his daughter Ann; lived on the farm now owned by George Cowan in Jackson; died in 1832.

William Graham—aged fifty-seven; came to this country in 1774; lived in the village of Sodom, now Shushan; became an elder in 1800; moved to Franklin county, Ohio, in 1817, where many descendants still live; was the ancestor of a great and widely scattered group, distinguished educators being among them, as Dr. Russell Graham of Monmouth collage, Prof. L. D. Graham of Muskingum college, and the late Robert Graham, state superintendent of instruction of Wisconsin; died in 1822.

Robert Oliver—aged sixty-three; came to this region about 1770; became a member of this church in 1788 and an elder in 1794; was clerk of the congregation many years; our early records are in his clear, readable hand; Rev. J. P. Miller says that he was clerk of the Associate Presbytery of Pennsylvania for a time; no descendants known; lived on a now abandoned road on the hill east of the Thomas B. Lourie place, and later in the house in Coila lately occupied by William Johnson, colored; died in 1813.

John Ashton—aged forty-four; son of Major James; came to America in 1772 when a child; was chosen an elder in 1794; many descendants in the county and west, the late Dr. John Ashton of Center Cambridge and James White Ashton of Ash Grove were grandsons; lived on the William Lawton farm in Ash Grove; died in 1837.

John McClellan—aged forty-three; a son of Robert, a pioneer in the town of Hebron; wife was Sarah Thompson, a daughter of William, a pioneer of Salem, of the James M. Thompson connection there; Isabella McClellan is a granddaughter; his daughter, Sarah, became the wife of Rev. David French, whose family, with five clergymen in it, was widely known in the church; lived on the farm now owned by Samuel Wallace; died in 1857.

John Maxwell—aged fifty-two; came to America with three brothers in 1787; chosen elder in 1800; his wife was Jennet McFarland, a cousin of John (below); lived on the farm on Scotch Hill, now owned by his great-grandson, Robert J. Maxwell; ancestor of the Jackson Maxwells and of a large and widely scattered family group; killed by an accident in 1819.

Introduction

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Aug 202006
 

This is a transcription of the inroduction section from The Men Who Called Dr. Bullions 104 Years Ago, written by Rev. John C. Scott, D. D., The Washington County Post, Cambridge, NY, 1911.

Two years ago a box, 16X11X6 inches, containing papers dating from 1792 to 1852, which had accumulated in the hands of the clerks of the old Associate Presbytery of Cambridge, came into my hands for examination. Among these papers was the original copy of the call made to Mr. Alexander Bullions, Minister of the Gospel,” from the Associate congregation of Cambridge (now the Coila church) bearing the date of June 18, 1807, and with it several petitions relative to the call or to other church matters of that day. There are ninety-eight signatures to this call, men only being permitted to sign such instruments at that time, and ten more sign the petition for the call; in addition there are fourteen signatures to contemporary petitions, and the signatures to the call are attested by Rev. Arch. Whyte, a home missionary minister, long a resident in the town of Argyle (born 1755, died 1849), who presided on that occasion. Many of these men were pioneers in this region, for it was then scarcely more than forty years since the first settlements had been made. One reads these signatures almost with reverence when he remembers that the hands that cleared up and made habitable “the forest primeval” which once stood where we now live.

They were a closely related group of men, for church associations were much closed than now. Family relationships and acquaintance had largely influenced settlement here, and their children generally married within the church. They were men of faith and lovers of civil and religious liberty, for which they had suffered much. The older men had lied through the Revolutionary war, and some of them had served in the ranks. They were patriots almost to a man, though but recent emigrants from the mother country. Some of these men are still remembered by our older people, and many characteristic and illuminative incidents of their time yet linger in memory — incidents grave and gay, amusing, pathetic, and even tragic. The material is here for a book no less interesting that “Old Mortality” or “The Scarlet Letter,” if only the chronicler were here to write it. The age in which they lived, with its homespun and log cabins, is strangely remote. We can scarcely understand the conditions of life then, and yet many of the houses they builded are still standing and occupied.

The family history, or genealogy, of these men is an interesting study. Families were then generally large, and some of them have expended into great and widely scattered family groups; others have shrunk up and faded away altogether, or are known only through female descendants. A surprisingly large number of them have descendants living among us, some of the fifth and sixth generations; the descendants of others are scattered from ocean to ocean. Three of them have daughters yet living; George Lourie, father of Miss Ann Maria Lourie, late of Coila, now of Greenwich; David Edie, father of Mrs. Ellen Christie Edie; and Benjamin French, father of Mrs. Charlotte Shear of Putnam. The time of emigration west was then already rising, and within a dozen years a considerable colony from this community had been established at what is Reynoldsburgh, Franklin county, Ohio, a few miles east of the state capital, where the names Coller, Cowden, Crawford, French, Frazier, Graham, Livingston, Maxwell, Strang and others once familiar here are still well known. Other colonies were later located in the western part of our state and in other states farther west.

No detailed history of these men can be undertaken here, though the temptation to do so in many cases is great. A few facts only are set down, and I have indicated their relationship to some living descendants wherever these are known. I have also usually given their ages when this call was signed, that the reader may the better be able to picture himself this company of men gathered, dressed in short breeches, top boots and shoe-buckles, with cocked hats and broad brims, and perhaps in powder and queues, in “the old yellow meeting house” on that June day 104 years ago to start Dr. Bullions on what proved to be his life work.

The call itself is in the form still in use in the United Presbyterian church, and the names appended to it are as follows, spelled as they usually spelled them, and in the order in which they were signed:

Members

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Aug 202006
 

This is a transcription of the members section from The Men Who Called Dr. Bullions 104 Years Ago, written by Rev. John C. Scott, D. D., The Washington County Post, Cambridge, NY, 1911.

Robert Law—aged seventy-four; brother of John, a pioneer; came to America in 1789 and lived near Shushan; many descendants; was the grandfather of the late George Law of New York, and the great-grandfather of R. R. Law of this village; died in 1808.

James Irvine—aged sixty; known as “Square Irvine;” came to this country in 1770 and was a Revolutionary soldier; was the first supervisor of Jackson; his wife at this time was Mary McAuley, widow of the late Thomas Galloway; his son, James, became a minister; Mrs. John McGeoch of East Greenwich, and Mrs. John Simpson of Putnam, are great-granddaughters by his daughter, Margaret, and Miss Mary Matoon of Pennsylvania, by his daughter, Mary; lived on the Robert Davis farm and kept store with his brother-in-law, William McAuley, in a house then standing just west of the residence of Chas. P. Hill; died in 1820.

John McMillan—aged fifty-three; son of John, of Salem, where the family were early settlers; was the grandfather of the late William and Morrison McMillan of Jackson, and of Dr. W. H. McMillan of Allegheny, Pa.; many descendants; lived on the farm now owned by Mrs. Mary Volentine, on the Turnpike; moved to Monroeville, Huron County, Ohio, about 1817; died in 1824.

John Shiland—aged forty-seven; son of John, sr.; wife was Margaret Edie, a daughter of James (below); was the grandfather of the late John, E. G., and William J., of this village, and ancestor of all the Shilands in this community; lived on the old Shiland place on the Center Cambridge road; died in 1844.

John Armitage—aged sixty-eight; came to America about 1770 with the Ashtons, to whom he was related; was a Revolutionary soldier; a grandson of the same name is still remembered in Argyle village, where he kept a store, as are other descendants who lived in Coila on a plot of land now a part of the E. G. Shiland farm; died in 1825.

John Shiland Sr.—aged sixty-nine; father of John, with whom he lived at this time; came to America in 1774 and to Cambridge about 1780 with two other children, William and Ann, who later returned to Montreal, Canada, whither they had been carried by the Indians during the Revolutionary war; two sons, James and Thomas, by a second wife, Jennet Somers, then living, sign this call; died in 1822.

William Edie—aged forty-three; son of James, a pioneer; his wife was Elizabeth Cowan, sister of John and Peter; many descendants; the late Robertson Edie, father of Horace L., was a grandson; he was the precentor of the congregation; lived on a farm near Vly Summit; died in 1834.

James McDoual—aged seventy-eight; two sons, John and Samuel, sign below; lived with his son, John, on the farm lately owned by Freeman Kenyon; many descendants; died in 1822.

John McDoual—aged thirty-seven; his wife was Sarah Thomas, widow of John Hay; he was the father of Col. Samuel McDoual, soldier, legislator, and gold prospector; father of the late Mrs. Mary Robertson of Coila, and grandfather of Mrs. Chauncey Reed of this village; died in 1840.

George Miller—probably about forty-eight; supposed to be a son of George, a pioneer, and brother of James (below); a soldier in the American army during the Burgoyne campaign.

John Mushet—aged fifty-nine; brother of William (below); was a Revolutionary soldier; his son, John, was for a time an Associate Presbyterian minister in North Carolina; no descendants known; lived on the old James Shiland farm now occupied by Isaac Decker; died in 1823.

Alex. Lourie—aged fifty-seven; came to America in 1770 and settled in Orange County; came to this county in 1792; lived on a part of what is known as the Thomas B. Lourie farm; sons were George and James, and Miss Ann Maria Lourie is a granddaughter; died in 1833.

John Skellie—aged forty-three; son of Alexander (above); his wife was Hannah Edgar, daughter of William, a pioneer; many descendants; he reared a family of fifteen sons and daughters and two grandsons; was the grandfather of the late Thomas Edward Skellie and of Alex. and James E., and the great-grandfather of John L. Hunt, all of this village; lived on the farm now owned by Henry G. and Robert A., and built the dwelling house still in use about ten years after this date; died in 1844.

James Fleming—aged seventy; was the grandfather of Mrs. Robertson Edie and great-grandfather of Mrs. Morrison McMillan; lived in Jackson near the turnpike; died in 1823.

Ephraim Edie—aged thirty-two; son of James (below); his wife was Jennet Lang, daughter of Thomas (below); grandfather of George Henry Edie and Miss Jennet Agnes Maxwell of Jackson; lived near Shushan, and passed to that church at its organization in 1821; died in 1838.

Patrick Robertson—aged fifty-two, probably; brother of William, 2nd, and James (below); many descendants in this community and West; grandfather of W. P., of this village and Rev. W. H. McMillan, D. D. D., of Allegheny, Pa., and great-grandfather of Geo. R. King; went West about 1825 and died soon after; was a weaver by trade and lived north of the village and later on Academy street.

Thomas Lang—aged eighty-four; came to America about 1768 and settled in Saratoga County; his wife was Agnes Miller; many descendants in this county, Vermont and the West; Philip A. Lang, an attorney of Buffalo, is a great-grandson, as is also W. F. Lang, late of Granville, but now of Rochester; died in 1825, aged 102 years.

Robert Weir—aged sixty-eight; brother of John; came to America about 1770; his wife was Elizabeth Green, a sister of James, Thomas and John; was the great-grandfather of Clark Weir of this village; died in 1824.

James Crawford—a son of James, who moved to Franklin County, Ohio, in 1805, and a pioneer in that colony; his wife was Mary Graham, a daughter of John, a pioneer and brother of William (above); moved to Western New York about 1820.

William Mushet—aged forty-six; brother of John (above); was a Revolutionary soldier; no descendants known; lived on the farm now owned by James A. Arnott; died in 1828.

James Telford—aged forty; brother of John; his wife was Elizabeth McAuley, a sister of Robert; lived near East Greenwich on the farm now owned by George I. Maxwell, whose wife is a great-granddaughter; Ephraim Shiland of Coila, is also a great-grandson; died in 1808.

James Edie—aged seventy; came from Scotland in 1775; was a revolutionary soldier; was chosen an elder in 1785 but now retired; was the father of William, Ephraim and David, and of Mrs. Shiland and Taylor; his wife was Jane Miller; died in 1819.

Benjamin French—aged thirty; a son of David (below); many descendants; Benjamin French of South Argyle is a grandson; moved to Putnam in 1821 where his daughter, Mrs. Jonathan Shear, still resides; was a blacksmith by trade; died in 1857.

William Stevenson—aged thirty-five; the merchant at Stevenon’s Corners, now Coila; came from Scotland in 1795; grandfather of John M. Stevenson of Pittsfield, Mass., and of Rev. John G. Smart of this village; built and lived in the house now owned by Mrs. Edmund Waite; died in 1844.

Walter Maxwell—aged forty-six; brother of John (above); came from Scotland in 1787; former wife was Jennet Livingston, sister of Alex. (below); at this time his wife was Elizabeth Skellie, a daughter of Alexander; the late James Maxwell of this village was a grandson by the former wife, and Robert Maxwell, ex-asssistant postmaster general, by the latter; two other brothers, James and Colin, whose wife was a sister of John McClellan, had moved west before this date; lived on the farm now owned by Henry Coulter in Jackson; died in 1847.

James Rollo—aged fifty-eight; came to America about 1770; chosen an elder in 1785 but now retired; his wife dying shortly after this date, he married Jane Doig, a sister of Robert (below); no descendants; died in 1823.

John Law, Jun—aged thirty-nine; son of Robert (above); known as “John R.” or “Butter John”; his wife was Mary Archer, a sister of John (below); grandfather of Mrs. Granville Wright; lived on the turnpike in Jackson; died in 1853.

John Robison—aged fifty-eight; the name was “Robertson” but he always signed it as given; a pioneer, and settled on the farm now owned by his great-grandson, Frederick Robertson, of this village; many descendants; died in 1831.

John Graham—a son of John, a pioneer then dead, who was a brother of William (above); his wife was Betty Clark, a cousin of John Law, Jun., moved to Putnam a few years after this date, where J. Elwin Graham, a grandson, is still living.

William Taylor—his wife was Elizabeth Edie, a daughter of James (above); David Taylor Morgan of Southport, Conn., is a great-grandson.

Edward Lauderdale—was chosen an elder in 1814; moved to western New York in 1828; a grandson is a retired army surgeon living in Brooklyn; the lake north of the village bears his name.

Samuel Graham—aged fifty; came from Ireland before 1800; his wife was Nancy Galloway; lived in this village; Mrs. Louise Law of this village is a granddaughter, and Prof. James C. Graham of Andover, Mass., is a great-grandson; died in 1842.

Francis McLean—aged forty-three; represented the county in the legislature two terms and was a justice of the peace; his wife was Mary Ketcham, a sister of John (below); Mrs. Alanson McLean of Shushan is a granddaughter; lived near the ponds; died in 1831.

Robert Thompson—son of James, a pioneer, who with his wife and family were charter members of this church and then lived in New Perth (Salem); Robert and wife, John and wife, and Janet, who became the wife of William McClellan, a brother of John (above) and was the grandmother of James R. McClellan of Hebron; only Robert remains at this date and he soon after disappears from our records. This family probably were not directly related to that of William Thompson, father of Mrs. John McClellan.

John Wright, Jun.—aged forty-five; son of John (below); his last days were spent in the home of Grey George Maxwell, and his father’s family bible, which he seems to have brought from Scotland, is in the possession of the Joseph Rouse family; died in 1850 and is buried in the cemetery near the residence of the late Alex. Coulter in Jackson.

John Green—aged fifty-five; a brother of James and Thomas; came to this community before 1770, and was a Revolutionary soldier; his wife was Agnes Switzer; many descendants; Miss Abby Green is a granddaughter and George L. Cowan is a grandson; lived on the farm now owned by his great-grandson, Ambrose Green; died in 1830.

James Hill—aged thirty-seven; a son of Alexander, a pioneer then still living; was a justice of the peace many years, a member of the State Legislature for several terms, and a presidential elector in 1812, when James Madison was elected the second time; his wife was Nancy Thomas, a sister of Mrs. Small and McDoual; was the grandfather of the late Capt. James Hill; lived on the Albert English farm, where his father first settled; died in 1825.

Edward Small—aged thirty; son of James (above); was a captain in the war of 1812; wife was Phoebe Thomas; many descendants; the late James E. Robertson of Coila and Dr. Chas. B. Small of Saratoga, were grandsons; he succeeded his father on the farm now owned by Horace Becker; died in 1855.

John French—a son of David and brother of Benjamin; moved to Franklin County, Ohio, about 1817, where descendants still live.

George Small—aged twenty-five; a son of James (above); his wife was Jannet Lourie, a daughter of Alex. (above); Rev. Edward Small was a son, and Rev. Gilbert Small a grandson, both well known in their day; the late Dr. Archibald R. Small of Chicago, was a grandson; lived on the farm owned by the late James Small, his grandson, near East Greenwich; died in 1855.

James Miller—aged fifty-two; a son of George, a pioneer; served in the American army against Burgoyne; lived on the farm in Jackson now owned by his grandson William Miller; raised a large family and descendants are widely scattered; died in 1834.

James Woods—aged twenty-five; many descendants; Ex-Sheriff James Woods Robertson and Fredrick Green of Jackson, are grandsons, and Andrew Woods Coulter is a great-grandson; lived on the farm now owned by Moses Hill; died in 1856.

William Coulter—aged twenty-six; a son of James and Elinor (Green) Coulter and brother of George and James (below); a lieutenant in the war of 1812; was the Coila blacksmith; his wife was Sarah Weir, his cousin, a daughter of John; after her death he married Margaret Ferguson, a daughter of John; Waldo S. Coulter of Albany, a civil engineer, is a great-grandson; died in 1841.

George Graham, 2nd—aged thirty; a son of William (above), and brother of John W. (below); his wife was Ann Cowden; moved to Franklin County, Ohio, in 1817, where he has many descendants; Prof. L. J. Graham of Muskingum College is a great-grandson; died in 1855.

George Graham—probably about sixty years; a brother of William (above) and John; was a shoe maker by trade; came to this country about 1781; his second wife was Jannet Stevenson, widow, mother of William; when an old man he followed his family to Franklin County, Ohio, where he died a very old man; Congressman Taylor of Columbus, Ohio, is a descendant.

William Robertson—aged fifty-seven; came to this county about 1770, and was a Revolutionary soldier; probably a brother or cousin of Archibald, the grandfather of Alvin Robertson; no descendants known; died in 1823.

James Coulter—aged 32; brother of William and George; his wife was Agnes (Nancy) Ferguson, daughter of John, and after her death Jane Cooper, daughter of William of West Cambridge; was the father of the late Mrs. Dr. Henry Gordon and grandfather of Henry Coulter of this village; lived on a farm now part of the Woodlands cemetery; died in 1864.

James McMorris—aged forty; came to this country about 1783 and lived near Shushan; his wife was Isabella Law, a daughter of John, the pioneer; he was the grandfather of James McMorris of Jackson; died in 1858.

Hugh Thompson—aged fifty-one; came to this country in 1774; was known as “Captain Hugh”; was a brother of Andrew, the grandfather of Tommy Thompson; lived on the Arlington road; was never married; died in 1819.

Patrick McGill—aged forty-three; a son of Patrick, a pioneer and Revolutionary soldier; lived on the place now owned by Edward G. Shiland; Mrs. Dr. Niver is a great-granddaughter; died in 1848.

Samuel Green—aged thirty-seven; a son of James (below); a soldier in the war of 1812; his first wife was Jennet Hoy, a daughter of James (above), and his last was Margaret McGill, daughter of Patrick (above); grandfather of the late Alex. Green of this village and Mrs. Ruth Green of Coila; died in 1831.

George Coulter—aged thirty-nine; brother of James and William; his wife was Catherine Switzer, making his a brother-in-law of his uncle John Green; the late Alex. and Louis Coulter were grandsons; lived on the farm now owned by Mrs. Laurence Williams; died in 1843.

John Frazer—his wife was Mary Graham, a daughter of George (above) moved to Franklin Co., Ohio, about 1817, where descendants still live.

Alex. Livingston—aged 51; son of William (below); his wife was Nancy Archer, sister of John (below); the late William of this village was a grandson, as was also Alexander Livingston, the well known seedsman of Ohio and Iowa; died in 1823.

Michael Kerr—aged forty-nine; came to this county in 1792; Michael Kerr who lives on the turnpike is a grandson; was a carpenter and builder; died in 1834.

Thomas Green—aged sixty-six; brother of James and John; was a Revolutionary soldier; his wife was Elizabeth McGill, daughter of Patrick, the pioneer; Frederick Green of Jackson, is his great-grandson; lived on the farm now owned by John Henry Davis; died in 1821.

James Green—aged sixty-eight; brother of Thomas (above); eldest son of Thomas Green, who died in 1771, and was one of the first burials in the old Cemetery south of the village; was the great-grandfather of the late James Green of Coila, and Alex. Green of this village; lived beside his brother Thomas, on the farm now owned by Henry G. Maxwell; died in 1812. In addition to the brothers and sisters named in, or in connection with this list, there was Sarah, wife of Robert Blake, whose family were connected with this church, and Deborah, wife of John Weir, brother of Robert, and ancestor of the Jackson Weirs.

John Wright—an old man; the father of John, Jun. (above), and seems to have lived in the Maxwell neighborhood; no descendants known.

John McFarland—aged forty-three; eldest son of Daniel, who came from Scotland in 1785; lived in Jackson near East Greenwich, and was a cousin of John Maxwell’s wife (above); his son Daniel, lived near Battenville, and great-grandsons Charles, Robert and William live in Albany; died in 1847.

William Miller—supposed to be a brother of James; was a soldier in the American army during the Burgoyne campaign; was a carpenter by trade.

Edward Cook—aged thirty-three; his wife was Margaret Skellie, a daughter of Alexander (above); no descendants; lived in this village; died in 1843.

William Graham—known as “Little Billy”; his wife was Nancy Graham, a daughter of William the elder; came to this country in 1795; lived near Deacon McGeoch’s where George E. McGeoch now lives; moved to Franklin county, Ohio, in 1817.

William Livingston—aged eighty-one, came to America in 1790, was the father of Alex. (above) and great-grandfather of the late William of this village; was a weaver by trade and was employed at it over eighty years; died in 1822.

Alex. Skellie—aged thirty-nine; a son of Alexander, the elder, and great-grandfather of A. G. Skellie of North Argyle; died in 1831.

John Archer—aged forty-six; a son of Joseph, a pioneer, then still living, who came to this country with his family about 1790, was the grandfather of James Archer and the late Mrs. Elizabeth Hover of this village; lived on the Clark Wright farm now owned by Richard McHugh; died in 1815.

John W. Graham—aged thirty-two; a son of William the elder. His wife was Margaret Irvine, daughter of James. Dr. Russell Graham of Monmouth, Ill., is a grandson and Mrs. John McGeoch of East Greenwich is a granddaughter; moved to Putnam in 1822 and later to Franklin county, Ohio, where he died in 1848.

John Law—aged sixty-four; came to this country in 1771 and was a Revolutionary soldier, a justice of the peace, brother of Robert (above); many descendants; great-grandfather of the late James and Ellen Law of Shushan; lived on a farm near Shushan; died in 1811 and was buried in the old Salem cemetery.

Thomas Law—aged thirty-nine; eldest son of John (above). His wife was Mary Law, his cousin, daughter of Robert; was the grandfather of the late James Law of Shushan; lived near Shushan and passed into that church at its organization in 1821; died in 1830.

Alexander Wright—aged seventy-five. His brother Samuel and he were very early settlers in Salem near Shushan; has descendants in the county but none of the name; passed to the Shushan church in 1821; died in 1830.

Hugh Moore—aged fifty-nine; son of James, a pioneer. It is said that he was a Tory and saw service under Burgoyne at Saratoga, while his father and brother James were in the American army. He afterwards became a justice of the peace and kept a popular hostelry on the place now owned by George M. Foster near Shushan, the through travel north to Montreal going that way until about this date. He was the great-grandfather of the late William Moore who lived just north of this village; died in 1831.

James McDougall, Junior—aged forty. Supposed to be the one of that name well-known later in the town of Argyle; was never married; died in 1831.

Robert McArthur—about thirty-five years, a brother of John who was the grandfather of William of Jackson. Myron McArthur, now of Jackson, is a great-grandson by his mother’s line of descent.

Cambridge, NY

 Gazetteer of the State of New York (1860)  No Responses »
Aug 202006
 

This is a transcription of the Cambridge, NY section from Gazetteer of the State of New York: Embracing a Comphrehensive View of the Geography, Geoloy and General History of the State and a Complete History and Description of Every County, City, Town, Village and Locality, with Full Tables of Statistics by J. H. French, Syracuse, N.Y: R. Pearsall Smith, 1860.

CAMBRIDGE–was incorp. by patent,1 July 21, 1761. It was formed as a town2 in Albany co. March 7, 1788, and annexed to Washington co. Feb. 7, 1791.  White Creek and Jackson were taken off in 1815. The surface of the town is hilly in the N. and rolling in the S. The summits of the hills are 200 to 300 ft. above the valleys. The E. part embraces a portion of the valley of Owl Kil, which is celebrated for the beauty of its scenery. Upon the w. of this alley are high undulating hills, the broad sweeps of which show alternate patches of green woodland and cultivated farms; and upon the E. rise the Taghkanick Mts., rough and broken, while the valley itself is very smooth and level. The other streams are Wampecack Creek, Whiteside Brook, and several other small brooks. The soil is generally a gravelly and sandy loam. Flax is extensively cultivated. Cambridge (p. v.) contains 100 houses and the Cambridge Washington Academy; Center Cambridge (p. v.) 13 houses; North Cambridge (p. o.) 10; and Buskirks Bridge3 (p.v.) 15. The first settlers consisted of 30 families, who located in 1761, ’62, and ’63 and who each received 100 acres of land as a gift from the proprietors.4 Phineas Whiteside,5from Penn., settled 8 mi. w. of the Colerain Colony, in 1766. The expedition against Bennington, under Baum, passed through the town Aug. 13, 1777; and the remnant of the fugitives returned on the night of the 16th. The first church (Asso. Presb.) was organized in 1789; Rev. Thos. Beverly was the first pastor.6

Footnotes

1 This patent embraced 31,500 acres, and was nominally conveyed to 60 persons, most of whom resided in Hebron, Conn. The real owners were but 6 in number, and of these 3 only were mentioned inthe charter, viz.: Isaac Sawyer and Edward Wells, of Conn., and Jacob Lansing, founder of Lansingburgh. The other three owners–Alex. Colden, Wm. Smith and Geo. Banyar–were connected with the Colonial Government.

2 The town included a portion of the Hoosick Patent.

3 Named from Martin Van Buskirk, who built the first bridge.

4 The patent was conditional to the settlement of 30 families within 3 years; and to meet this requirement the most inviting portion was surveyed, and 100 acres offered as a gift to each family that would remove thither. These lots lay in a double row, on both sides of Owl Kil, from below the “Checkered House” into the present town of Jackson. They embrace several village precincts from Davis Corners to near Stephensons Corners. Among the settlers were Jas. and Robt., sons of Ephraim Cowan, Jas. and John Cowden, John McClung, Samuel Bell, Col. Blair, Geo. Gilmore, Geo. Duncan, David Harrow, Wm. Clark, John Scott, and Thos. Morrison. A son of the last was the first child born of civilized parents in town. Hugh Kelso, a son of Col. Blair, was the first person who died in town. It is recorded that of these 30 families (who were for a time the most thrifty in town) all but two lost their property and died in poverty, mainly from intemperance. They were mostly from Colerain, Conn.

5 William Whiteside acquired the title to 3 lots, of 400 acres each, of the finest land, and settled his sons (John, Peter, Thomas, William, and James) upon large farms near him. These estates are all owned by his descendants at the present day. The remaining lands were mostly leased by the six proprietors at an annual rent of one shilling per acre; but, they being generally willing to sell at a sum equal to the present worth of the perpetual rent, most of the settlers have gradually acquired the fee simple of their farms. The first inn was of logs, on the site of the “Checkered House,” and kept by Jas. Cowden. Philip Van Ness built the first sawmill and gristmill on Gordons Brook, near Buskirks Bridge. This neighborhood was called by the Indians “Ty-o-shoke,” and by them a field of 12 acres had been cleared there for corn. Other early settlers on the Hoosick Petent were Col. Lewis Van Wort and John Quackenbush.

6 The census reports 4 churches; 3 M. E., 1 Asso. Presb.

 

Adherents

 The Men Who Called Dr. Bullions 104 Years Ago  No Responses »
Aug 202006
 

This is a transcription of the adherents section from The Men Who Called Dr. Bullions 104 Years Ago, written by Rev. John C. Scott, D. D., The Washington County Post, Cambridge, NY, 1911.

John Woods—supposed to be a brother of James. Nothing is known of his history.

James Ashton—probably about twenty-two years, the oldest son of John.

Robert Irvine—aged thirty-five, a son of James (above). His wife was Mary Lang, a daughter of Thomas, became a full member the following year and passed to the Shushan church in 1821; He died in 1837.

Thomas Green—aged thirty-five, a son of James and brother of Samuel. His wife was his cousin, Sarah Coulter, a sister of George and James. The late James Green of Coila, was his grandson. He became a full member the following year, and lived on the Henry G. Maxwell farm. Died in 1852.

Peter Irvine—aged sixty-three. Supposed to be a brother of James. He became a fill member in 1808. No living descendants known. Died in 1813.

George Lourie—aged twenty-one, a son of Alex. His first wife was Mary Whiteside Irving, a daughter of James. The second wife was Jannet Beveridge, a daughter of Rev. Thomas. He was the father of the late Judge James I. and Thomas B., and lived on the Thos. B. Lourie farm. He became a full member in 1811. Died in 1868.

Samuel McDoual—aged twenty-four, a son of James and a brother of John. His wife was Georgiana Irvine, a daughter of Peter. He became a full member in 1810, and moved to Albany County, where descendants yet alive. Died in 1823.

James Shiland—probably about twenty-three years, a son of John, Sen., and half-brother of John. He became a full member in 1811 and some time after moved to the northern part of the county.

Hugh Larmonth, Junior—aged twenty-six, a son of Hugh and uncle of the late John Larmon of this village. Died in 1835.

David Edie—aged twenty-six, a son of James and brother of William and Ephraim, became a full member in 1809. His wife was Margaret Fleming, a daughter of James (above). He was the father of Mrs. Robertson Edie and grandfather of Mrs. E. G. Shiland, Albert Hunt and H. L. Edie, and lived on the George Green farm lately occupied by James A. Foster. Died in 1856.

Robert Coulter—aged twenty-three, a brother of George and James. Died unmarried in 1808.William Green—aged twenty-five, a son of Thomas. His wife was Jennet Archer, a sister of John (above). John W., known as “Asa Green,” was his son. He lived on the farm now owned by John H. Davis. He became a full member in 1809. Died in 1852.

William Frazer—supposed to be a brother of John (above). His name disappears from our records after the year 1818, when he probably joined his brother at Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Esther and Elizabeth, sisters of John and William, lived in a house which stood near the brook north of Rev. John R. Fisher’s place within the memory of people now living.

James Robertson—a young man, a son of John (above) and the eldest brother of David, who is still remembered. His wife was Isabel Edie, a daughter of William. He became a full member in 1808. Moved west where descendants still live.

William Livingston—aged twenty-two, a son of Alex. and father of the late William of this village and grandfather of Edward and Agnes. His wife was Agnes Robertson, a daughter of John. He lived in this village and was a weaver by trade. Became a full member in 1811. Died in 1849.

Thomas Shiland—probably about twenty-one, a son of John Sen., and brother of James and half-brother of John, and also of John and Robert McArthur. Became a full member in 1811. Married Elizabeth Larmonth, a daughter of Hugh, in 1814, and a few years later moved to Delaware Co., where descendants still reside.

Witnesses

 The Men Who Called Dr. Bullions 104 Years Ago  No Responses »
Aug 202006
 

This is a transcription of the Witness section from The Men Who Called Dr. Bullions 104 Years Ago, written by Rev. John C. Scott, D. D., The Washington County Post, Cambridge, NY, 1911.

John Moodie—Wife was a sister of John McClellan. Was chosen an elder here in 1800, but moved to West Hebron about 1805, and he was an elder there at this time.

George Dunn—aged forty-seven, was an elder in the (South) Argyle church, died in 1837.

The following persons signed the petition for the call, but not the call itself:

James Armitage—believed to be a son of John (above), soon afterward disappears from our records, and probably moved west.

Thomas Livingston—aged fifty-one, came from Ireland to Cambridge in 1795, removed to Washington county, Pa., in 1818. His daughter Elizabeth became the wife of Dr. James Rodgers, well-known sixty years ago as the pastor of the First Associate church of Allegheny, Pa., and W. B. and Thomas Livingston Rodgers, her sons, are still living in Pittsburg. It is not known that he was related to the Livingstons here, died in 1818.

William McAuley—aged forty-nine, a son of William and Mary Whiteside McAuley, pioneers. He and his brother John were Revolutionary soldiers. He was a justice of the peace and represented the county in the state legislature in 1800-1, was chosen an elder in 1785, but had ceased to hold this office some ten or twelve years before this date. His wife was Margaret Green, a sister of James, Thomas and John; lived on the farm now owned by his great-grandson, Charles P. Hill, died in 1842.

John Ketcham—aged thirty-two, was the grandfather of John Ketcham who was well-known about Troy twenty-five years ago, and also of George and Leroy of Center Cambridge; was a wagon maker by trade; lived latterly with his son Peter on the farm now owned by Henry Dugan, died in 1868.

Patrick Cowan—probably about forty-five years, a son of James, a pioneer, and brother of John (below), one of the first families to settle in this region, being her in 1766.

Thomas R. Weir—a son of Robert (above) and Elizabeth Green, a sister of James and grandfather of Clark Weir of this village.

James McMurray—aged twenty-five, probably son of Robert of Salem and uncle of the late Robert McMurray of West Cambridge, died in 1814.

John Dobbin—was chosen an elder in 1830, grandfather of William Dobbin of Jackson, near Shushan, passed to the Shushan church.

John Robertson, Junior—a son of John (above) and brother of James and David.

Robert Wallace—was a cousin of John McFarland’s wife, and supposed to be related to the Wallaces at Little Britain, Orange county; disappears from our records shortly after this date.

The following names of members appear on contemporary petitions: 

William Robertson, 2nd (above), was the grandfather of Mrs. Morrison McMillan, occupied the farm in Jackson now owned by the Baker brothers, died in 1824.

James Robertson—aged fifty-four, a brother of the above and grandfather of James W. Robertson, ex-sheriff, died in 1829.

John McArthur—aged thirty-six, brother of Robert, and half-brother of James and Thomas Shiland. His wife was Mary McDoual, a daughter of James; was the grandfather of William of Jackson and occupied the farm owned by the late Samuel McArthur, his grandson. He died in 1851.

Hugh Skellie—a son of Alexander, the elder, and grandfather of Alexander Skellie of East Greenwich. There was another brother, William, who was also grandfather of the same through his mother, but he had moved from this community before this date.

John Cowan—aged forty-three, a brother of Patrick (above). He was the grandfather of George L. Cowan of Jackson. Died in 1810.

Robert I. Law—aged thirty-one, a son of John, the pioneer. His wife was Anna Rector Small, a daughter of James (above). Many descendants. He was the grandfather of Mrs. George Marshall of Shushan, and great-grandfather of Mrs. Henry G. Skellie. Was a merchant but lived latterly on the farm just west of the Vermont line on the Arlington road. Passed to the Shushan church at its organization in 1821. Died in 1842.

John Law, 2nd—aged thirty-three, a son of John and brother of the above. His wife was Elizabeth Law, his cousin, and daughter of Robert. The late William Law of Shushan was a son, and Miss Anna Campbell of this village is a granddaughter. Kept a store on the Arlington road, and later lived on a farm in the Camden valley. Passed to the Shushan church in 1821. Died in 1836.

Robert R. Law—aged twenty-eight, a son of Robert and brother of John R. His wife was Elizabeth Gilmore, and he was the grandfather of R. R. Law of this village. He was a merchant and farmer, and lived in and near Shushan, and passed to that church in 1821. Died in 1844.

Jonathan French—aged fifty-six, came to the county from New Hampshire before 1775 and was a Revolutionary soldier, lived in Coila and donated the land the church stands on, but at this time was living near South Argyle. Moved to Ohio in 1819 and died there in 1838. He was the great-great-grandfather of Rev. C. C. French, late pastor of East Greenwich. Rev. R. W. French, once well-known in the church was a grandson.

David French—aged fifty-four, a brother of the above, and a Revolutionary soldier. He and his brother were charter members of the church. Lived near South Argyle for a few years about this time, but returned about 1816, and passed to the Shushan church at its organization. Many descendants in this county and west. His sons, John, Benjamin and David are spoken of above, and another son, Solomon, who was blind and unmarried, sleeps beside him in the old cemetery south of this village.

Robert Doig—aged thirty-four, lived in Hebron at this time. Robert, his son, was an attorney at Whitehall thirty-five years ago. Mrs. John Barkley of Argyle village, is a granddaughter. Many descendants in the west. Died in 1852.

Hugh Larmonth—aged sixty-six, and grandfather of the late John Larmon of this village, lived on the farm now owned by his great-grandson, David English, near Center Cambridge. Died in 1830.

Thomas Armitage—Lived at this time in Hebron, and supposed to be a son of John (above).

John Ferguson—spoken of still as “Helon John Ferguson,” i. e. Highland John, aged forty-nine. His wife was Agnes (Nancy) Maxwell, a sister of John and Walter. Was the grandfather of Miss Kate Ferguson of Coila. He occupied the James C. Ferguson farm in Jackson, near East Greenwich. Died in 1848.

The first list of pew-holders on record was made shortly after this date and contains some additional names of persons then connected with the congregation, as follows:

John Galloway—a son of Thomas and grandfather of John H. Galloway of Cambridge, and of Mrs. Legus Hunt; lived on the Margaret Wright farm on the Center Cambridge road and was accidently killed in 1813. His brother William, the grandfather of Miss Abby Green and the Anthony family, lived on the Buckley farm next west.

Thomas Archer—a brother of John, whose wife was Margaret Coulter, a sister of George and James.

Joseph Archer—aged twenty-seven, a brother of John. His wife was Sarah Green, a daughter of Thomas and sister of William. Second wife was Esther Mushet, a daughter of John; was the father of John, Elizabeth and Eben and lived on the Archer farm now owned by the widow O’Donnell, died in 1841. Joseph, his father, died in 1821, aged eighty-seven.

Anthony Santos—lived in Coila.  His wife was a sister of the Archer brothers, and he was the father of the late Mary and Jannet Santos of Coila. Other descendants live in Shushan.

William McGeoch—aged thirty-two. His wife was Jannet Small, a daughter of James (above), lived on the farm now owned by his grandson, George E. McGeoch, died in 1846.

Robert Armstrong—wife was Margaret Lourie, a daughter of Alex., later moved to Ogdensburg.

Others were Thomas Clark, who had recently found a second wife in the congregation; William Reid, probably of the Argyle family; the Wendell brothers, Hermanus and Cornelius; Herman Van Veighten, Ebenezer Goodridge, Jabez Mosier, and still other names appear later.

William Robertson, the father of Gilbert of Coila, and John, his brother, the tanner, did not come into the congregation until 1819. George Arnott, the great-grandfather of George of Coila, who then lived on the Ray farm on Scotch Hill, became a member about the same time.

Conclusion

 The Men Who Called Dr. Bullions 104 Years Ago  No Responses »
Aug 202006
 

This is a transcription of the conclusion section from The Men Who Called Dr. Bullions 104 Years Ago, written by Rev. John C. Scott, D. D., The Washington County Post, Cambridge, NY, 1911.

This call was approved by the Presbytery at Barnet, Vermont, on July 13, 1807, and was formally presented at Cambridge (now Coila) September 16, and was declined. The presbytery still pressed the call at Florida on October 12, Mr. Bullions in the meantime supplying the Cambridge pulpit. It was renewed by the congregation on February 1, 1808, and accepted on the 15th of the same month, when the Presbytery assigned the following subjects for trials for ordination:

“For Exercise and Addition, Ephesians, 1:3; for lecture, Psalm 8; for popular sermon, Acts 16:31; for exegesis, An Benejicia Salutaria Federis Gratia Acquisita sint per Christun?; Hebrew, Psalm 1; church history, the “First Century.”

Part of these trials were given at Cambridge a month later, and there were satisfactorily completed on April 13, when Mr. Bullions was ordained and installed at a meeting which was held in the open field just back of the old Coila blacksmith shop. The relationship thus established continued until it was broken by the death of Dr. Bullions on the morning of June 26, 1857.

Now that my task is finished I drop it with regret, for closer acquaintance with these men has given me an affection for them. With all their faults, they were a noble company of men, Puritans all, through a century and a half later than those who laid the foundations of New England at Plymouth Rock, and none the less worthy of honor.

I can hardly hope to have escaped making some errors in the handling of so many details, and will gladly receive any corrections or additional information.

JOHN C. SCOTT

Isaac W. Oviatt (1809-1888)

 Genealogy Blog  No Responses »
Aug 122006
 

Isaac W. Oviatt
1809-1888

Isaac W. Oviatt (Isaac7, Isaac6, Thomas5, Thomas4, Thomas3, John2, Alfrodosie1) was born November 27, 1809 in Cambridge, Washington County, New York and died December 05, 1888 in Wyocena, Columbia County, Wisconsin. He married Elizabeth McNish September 22, 1836 in Newbury, Geauga County, Ohio, daughter of James McNish and Sally Spence. She was born November 04, 1810 in Schenectady County, New York, and died March 29, 1885 in Wyocena, Columbia County, Wisconsin. Isaac was buried in Wyocena Cemetery, Wyocena, Columbia County, Wisconsin.

According to “Columbia County [Wisconsin] History 1880″ page 1077 in the Town of Wyocena:

ISAAC OVIATT, farmer, Sec. 30; P. O. Wyocena; born Nov. 27, 1809, in Cambridge, Washington Co., N. Y.; came to Wisconsin in 1855, and settled on the farm he now owns. Was married in Ohio, Sept. 22, 1836, to Elizabeth McNish, who was born Nov. 4, 1810, in Schenectady Co., N. Y.; daughter of James McNish, who went to Ohio in 1832 and settled in Geauga Co. Mr. and Mrs. Oviatt have had eight children, six of whom are living–Mary Ann, is now the wife of Henry O. Thrall, of Waseca Co., Minn; Henry M., lives in Wyocena; James C., lives in Berlin, Wis.; Sarah and Isaac, are living at home, and Agnes is the wife of Charles Ellis, of the town of Wyocena; Elizabeth married Theodore Crow, removed to Minnesota and died April 20, 1875; Adaline married Bruce White, and died in Dekorra Sept. 9, 1876. Mr. Oviatt is Republican to the backbone, and has 80 acres of land.

Census:
  • 1830 Federal Census: 1830, Jackson, Washington County, New York (M19-111, page 179, line 17)
  • 1840 Federal Census: 1840, Jackson, Washington County, New York (M704-348, page 43, line 16)
  • 1850 Federal Census: June 12, 1850, Salem, Washington County, New York (M432-611, page 2 (248B), line 16)
  • 1860 Federal Census: July 27, 1860, Wyoncena, Columbia County, Wisconsin (M653-1401, page 156 (622B), line 4)
  • 1870 Federal Census: June 20, 1870, Wyoncena, Columbia County, Wisconsin (M593-1706, page 29 (396), line 26)
  • 1880 Federal Census: June 22, 1880, Wyocena, Columbia County, Wisconsin (T9-1420, page 20 (309B), line 9)

Children of Isaac Oviatt and Elizabeth McNish are:

  1. Mary Ann Oviatt, born October 27, 1839 in Washington County, New York; died April 23, 1920 in Janesville, Waseca County, Minnesota. She married Henry O Thrall March 27, 1861 in Wyocena, Columbia County, Wisconsin.
  2. Henry M Oviatt, born December 13, 1841 in Washington County, New York; died April 14, 1925. He married Julia M Kellogg July 27, 1867.
  3. James C Oviatt, born February 19, 1843 in Jackson, Washington County, New York; died August 01, 1921 in Lakewood, Cuyahoge County, Ohio. He married Mary Electa Smith January 09, 1884.
  4. Sarah Oviatt, born March 30, 1845 in New York; died September 02, 1912.
  5. Elizabeth Oviatt, born March 27, 1847 in New York; died April 20, 1875 in Minnesota. She married Theodore Crow.
  6. Isaac Wilson Oviatt, born July 29, 1849 in Salem, Washington County, New York; died March 01, 1937.
  7. Agnes Oviatt, born 1852 in New York; died November 15, 1899 in Columbia County, Wisconsin. She married Charles R Ellis September 27, 1877; died May 16, 1905 in Columbia County, Wisconsin.
  8. Adeline Oviatt, born 1855 in New York; died September 09, 1876 in DeKorra Township, Columbia County, Wisconsin. She married Bruce White.
Sources:
  • Marion Westfall Dewitt Harris Ancestry
  • Violet Eva (Dare) Abbott Correspondence.
  • Death Certificates
  • Marriage Records
  • Columbia County [Wisconsin] History, (1880), page 1077.
  • 1830 Federal Census, M19-111, Jackson, Washington County, New York, page 179
  • 1840 Federal Census, M704-348, Jackson, Washington County, New York, page 43
  • 1850 Federal Census, M432-611, Salem, Washington County, New York, page 2 (248B)
  • 1860 Federal Census, M653-1401, Wyoncena, Columbia County, Wisconsin, page 156 (622B)
  • 1870 Federal Census, M593-1706, Wyocena, Columbia County, Wisconsin, page 29 (396)
  • 1880 Federal Census, T9-1420, Wyocena, Columbia County, Wisconsin, page 20 (309B)
  • Hulslander, Laura Penny, Washington County, New York Vital Records: 1847-1849, (The Sleeper Company, 1993), 121.

Revolutionary War Soldier Ancestors

 Our Ancestors  No Responses »
Aug 102006
 

Part of the joy of researching is being able to connect your ancestors to historic events.  Michelle’s Revolutionary War ancestors include the following from New York State: Stephen Clapp, James Edie, John McMillan, John Morrison, John Morrison 2, John Morrison 3, Isaac Oviatt and James Small.

Stephen Clapp – Born August 10, 1752 in Connecticut, died May 3, 1829 in Salem, Washington County, New York, son of Samuel and Lucy (Dwelley) Clapp. He married in Shewsbury to Catharine, daughter of Paul Wheeler.

He was of English descent and served in the War of the Revolution, during which he rose to the rank of Major. Major Clapp settled three miles southwest of the village of Salem, in the hamlet now known as Rexleigh, where he bought a large tract of land and built his home and a number of mills, and the place was called Clapp’s Mills in his honor. At the close, drew a pension of $20 a month during the remainder of his life. Major Clapp was also a Mayflower descendant.

James Edie – Born 1737 at Kinross, Scotland; died November 9, 1819 at Cambridge, Washington County, New York. Married 1764 at Scotland to Jane Miller.

James Edie was a Private in the 16th Regiment Albany County Militia, New York.

John McMillan – Born 1736 at Scotland; died July 17, 1812 at Salem, Washington County, New York. Married 1754 at Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland to Mary Arnott.

John McMillan enrolled himself in Col. Webster’s regiment of militia, county of Charlotte (Washington) New York land bounty rights men. To quote a letter from the adjutant general of the army at Washington, D.C., touching upon the military record of our ancestor: “The name of John McMillan appears (without remarks relative to his service) on an undated abstract of certificates delivered to Colonel Webster’s regiment of militia county of Charlotte (Washington) New York, which abstract shows that certificate number 9080 was delivered to him.” The name of John McMillan is on page 168 in the “Salem Book” in the list of those doing service during the Revolution. His name also appears in “New York in the Revolution,” page 239, and he was given a grant of land in Washington Co., N.Y., by the general government in consideration of his services; lot 297 of Turner’s patent being credited to him in the records on file in the capital in Albany, N.Y.

John Morrison – Born March 8, 1699/00 near Belfast, Ireland; died March 15, 1783 at Montgomery, Orange County, New York. Married 1722 at Belfast, Ireland to Prudence Gwyn.

When John Morrison was 73 years old, he signed “The Pledge of Association,” pledging support to the Continental Congress and the Provincial Convention, and resistance to British oppression. See “Manuscripts and Relics, Washington’s Headquarters, Newburgh, New York, Catalogue No. 46,” and Ruttenber’s History of Orange County, p.62. He is listed in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Patriot Index (1966) for Patriotic Service in New York.

John Morrison 2- Son of above. Born May 10, 1730 at Belfast, Ireland; died July 15, 1790 at Montgomery, Orange County, New York. Married 1750 at Belfast, Ireland to Elizabeth Scott.

John Morrison signed “The Pledge of Association,” pledging his support to the Continental Congress and the Provincial Convention, and resistance to British oppression. The original manuscript is in a frame in Room F, Washington’s Headquarters, Newburgh, New York, Catalogue No. 46.

He served as a private in the Second Regiment Ulster County Militia. See “New York in the Revolution,” page 193. He also served as a private in the Sixteenth Regiment Albany County Militia (Land Bounty Rights). See New York in the Revolution,” page 237. He is listed in the DAR Patriot Index (1966) for serving as a private in the Revolutionary War and for Patriotic Service in New York.

John Morrison 3 – Son of John Morrison 2. Born about January 1753 at North Ireland; died July 22, 1815 at Goshen, Orange County, New York. Married February 14, 1768 at Newburgh, Orange County, New York to Jane Storey.

John Morrison signed “The Pledge of Association.” See Ruttenber’s History of Orange County, page 67. He also served as a private in the Sixteenth Regiment, Albany County Militia (Land Bounty Rights). See “New York in the Revolution,” page 237. He is also listed in the DAR Patriot Index for serving as a private in New York.

Isaac Oviatt - Born September 29, 1734 at New Milford, Connecticut; died May 10, 1814 at Cambridge, Washington County, New York. Married 1768 at Dummerston, Vermont to Ester Willson.

Isaac Oviatt was captured by Indians and held prisoner nearly a year. He was a Private in the 16th Regiment of the Albany County Militia in N.Y. State during the Revolutionary War. He is listed in the DAR Patriots Index as well as New York in the Revolution.

James Small – Born 1749 at Scotland; died August 13, 1827 at Cambridge, Washington County, New York. Married about 1776 at Cambridge, Washington County, New York to Ann Beveridge.

James Small came to America in 1774 from Glasgow, Scotland. He served as a private in the Sixteenth Regiment, Albany County Militia. He’s listed in “New York in the Revolution.” and is also listed in the DAR Patriot Index (1966) for serving as a private in New York.

From Genealogy of the Robertson, Small and Related Families by Archibald Robertson Small, M.D., (Albert Garrett Small, Indianapolis, 1907), page 166: “I remember my father telling me that his grandmother [Ann Beveridge Small] at one time had to retreat to the cellar because she feared being attacked by a party of Indians that demanded food. When General Burgoyne and his troops went from Saratoga to Bennington, they captured my great-grandfather [James Small] and took him with them for the purpose of having him show them the way. He escaped from them at a place called Oak Hill, and returned home.

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