Updated 3/25/01
The following is a list of Surnames that are listed in the book "History of Little Nine Partners of Northeast Precinct and Pine Plains, New York, Duchess County 1897" by Isaac Huntting. These are some of the families that were in Pine Plains and involved in it's history in one way or another. These names may or may not be in alphabetic order. I will be adding information on these names over time. Keep checking back for new additions. Please be advised that there may be errors in Mr. Huntting's facts.
Allerton, Baldwin, Barton, Bostwick, Bowman, Bryan, Burnap, Barlow, Barringer, Bockee, Carman, Case, Chamberlin, Cole, Colver, Corbin, Culver, Couch, Conklin, Davis, Downing, Dibblee, Denton, Deuel, Dibble, Elmendorph, Engleekee, Eno, Finch, Frazier, Gamble, Gray, Graham, Ham, Harris, Hartwell, Holbrook, Hammond, Hoad, Hicks, Hoffman, Hedges, Huestead, Husted, Hedding, Huntting, Hiserodt-Hoysradt, Jordan, Johnston, Kenyon, Ketchum-Ketcham, Knickerbocker, Lillie, Lewis, Landon, MacDonald, Massey, Mead, Myers, Northrup, Orr, Phillips, Pinney, Pugsley, Patterson, Pulver, Peck, Righter, Reynolds, Rudd, Rowe, Stewart, Stevenson, Smith, Spencer, Sayre, Sheldon, Strever, Turk, Turner, Tripp, Tallmadge, Thompson, Van Alstyne, Van Ranst, Winans, Wilber-Wilbur, Wooden, Young.
ALLERTON, Dr. Cornelius was a son of Dr. Reuben Allerton, and Lois Atherton of Amenia. Her Brother, Cornelius Atherton, was practically the founder of the "Steel Works," which has passed into history as the work of Richard Sackett, the patentee. It was from this uncle that Dr. Allerton received his Christian name. In 1775 Dr. Reuben Allerton presented a bill to the town of Amenia for "doctoring Elkanah Holmes, 6 pounds., 20s. 10p., and one year's interest, 8s. 7p." Probably this was near the commencement of his practice. He deceased in Amenia in 1806 in his 56th year. His widow, Lois, deceased at Pine Plains (buried there) August 25, 1828, aged 71. Isaac Allerton, a Baptist minister at one time in "Old North East," was a nephew of Dr. Reuben. March 30, 1813, he was allowed by the overseers of the poor $42 for keeping Althea Bull. She was a worthy and christian woman, and fell to the trust of a kind and generous keeper.
Dr. Cornelius first studied with his father, later a short term at New Haven, and came to Pine Plains (then North East) in 1810. He first appears on record "Cash allowed Doct. Allerton for attendance on Jack Hubbard $2.25." Allowed March 27, 1811. Later he married Clarissa Husted, daughter of Peter Husted, and had children Mary, Sarah and Cornelius. He practiced medicine until his decease April 26, 1855, aged 76. His widow deceased October 28, 1858, aged 63. His perceptive faculties were of high order, was quick and quick and correct in diagnosis, and a bold yet careful practitioner. His quick repartee and ever ready wit made him in his day the most conspicuous man in the town. A genealogy of the Allertons has been published, Walter Scott Allerton it is said being the author.
BALDWIN, Ebenezer, first appears in what is now Pine Plains as a hotel keeper in 1797 as successor to Cornelius C. Elmendorph, on the Stissing House corner. he was there two years, had daughters Charlotte, Aminta and Clarissa, and sons Frederick and Henry, then school children. Aminta married Gilbert Ketchum, an old North East family, who at one time was sheriff of Duchess County. After his decease his widow lived in Pokeepsie. Clarissa married William Kirby, brother of Uriah, Clark and Gideon of Pawling. William Kirby deceased not long after his marriage, leaving a comparatively young widow and one daughter, Ann Eliza. Mrs. Kirby never married again, and lived with her sister, Mrs. Ketchum, in Pokeepsie, where each deceased. Ann Eliza married a Dr. Hillis, of Pokeepsie, and has left descendants.
BARTON, Artemas S. and Anthony H., now residents of this town, are sons of George Barton, son of Dr. Leonard Barton and Rachel Gale, of Stanford. The Barton and Gale families were early settlers in the northeast part of Stanford and the borders of Amenia. Reed's History of Amenia says one Roger Gale lived in that locality in 1776, and a descendant of his emigrated to Illinois, and was the founder of Galesburgh. Josiah Gale and Rachel Mead resided in Stanford and had ten children, eight daughters and two sons. The daughters married, and their descendants are many, some far away. George Barton, a son of Dr. Leonard Barton and Rachel Gale, is the near ancestor of the families in Pine Plains and adjoining. He married a daughter of Henry Hoffman, Esquire, and settled on a farm near Ancram Lead Mine,s in Columbia County. He was an enterprising and successful farmer, and widely and honorably known for over half a century.
BOSTWICK, Benjamin R., is the Pine Plains ancestor of the families now living in the village. He came here in 1803, bringing sons Reuben W., Henry, Charles B. and Horatio Nelson, generally known as Nelson, and a daughter Eliza, who married Charles Johnson a lawyer of Pine Plains, and later settled in Pokeepsie. Reuben W. and Charles B. later became partners with Fyler Dibblee in merchandising, Reuben W. being a partner in 1816. They had a store at Red Hook which was conducted by Charles B., and one at Pine Plains conducted by Reuben W. A notice of May 31, 1817, reads: "The subscribers have commenced the mercantile business at Upper Red Hook Landing, under the firm of Dibblee, Bostwick & Co. Bostwick & Co., May 31, 1817. Fyler Dibblee, Reuben W. Bostwick, Charles B. Bostwick Their advertisement for both stores reads: "A general supply of Groceries, Hardware, Dry Goods, &c. Also iron, steel, oil, paints, glass, nails, salt, fish, &c." These two stores and respective firms continued in business five years when the following notice appears: "North East, April 1822. The copartnership heretofore existing between the subscribers under the firm of Fyler Dibblee & Company at North East in Dutchess County, and of Dibblee, Bostwick & Bostwick & Company at Red Hook Landing, was dissolved on the 13th of this instant by mutual consent. The mercantile business will in future be conducted at Red Hook by C.B. & R.W. Bostwick, under the firm of C.B. Bostwick & Co., and at North East by R.W. Bostwick, by whom the business of the late firms will be closed." Fyler Dibble R.W. Bostwick.
The Red Hook store was soon after closed and C.B. Bostwick went to Pine Plains in business with Reuben W. and his brother Henry, and continued the business in the now Chase store building. Chas. B. was there four years, then went to New York. Later Reuben W. continued alone, Henry having removed to the "City", on the corners east of Smithfield church. Nelson went to the central part of the state. Later Reuben, son of Reuben W., was a partner with his father, and a few years later both retired from the business. Reuben W. was president of the old Pine Plains Bank during its existence. Reuben, his son, was chosen cashier of this bank in 1852, and later was cashier of Stissing Bank and Stissing National Bank until his decease. His widow, two daughters and three sons now live in the village, two of his sons William and John H. being respectively president and cashier of Stissing National Bank.
BOSTWICK, David, and Margaret his wife, another of the name, settled on the now Egbert Smith farm about two miles west of the village as early as 1775, when he signed the "Association" of the Revolutionary war. He deceased about 1784, and his widow was living there in 1790. In February, 1782, his wife Margaret, and Nancy Bostwick supposed to be her daughter, were witnesses in a law suit before Jonathan Landon, Esquire.
BOWMAN, modern spelling. In old documents it is Boerman and Bowerman, the latter being considered the true form. The Bowermans-from Falmouth, Mass., 1767-came from New Bedford, Conn., to the town 1790. There were three brothers, Maltiah, Silas and Macy, and their father and sisters in this first emigration. Maltiah settled at Lafayette and built a dwelling on the corner where now is the hotel; Macy settled on the Rowland Story farm, and Silas emigrated to Duanesburgh, near Albany, where he deceased. Maltiah is the ancestor of the Milan families of that name. He had sons Joseph, Otis Eseck, and Sands. Otis El, a surveyor and for twenty years a lawyer, was the father of Jacob S. Bowman, and for many years past a resident of Pine Plains. He built the Bowman Opera House, and is connected with other business enterprises in the village. Contemporaneous with the immigrations of the Bowermans in Milan were the Wings in northern Stanford. The two families intermarried. Matthew Wing was one of the early settlers in New England, and his son Benjamin married Rhoda Rogers, a descendant of John Rogers the martyr, who was burned at Smithfield, England, Feb. 4, 1555. Their son Jonathan married Anna Wood, daughter of Daniel Wood, in 1774. Her mother was Mary Wady, daughter of John Wady, who in 1689 married Joanna Legg, (Spanish,) a descendant of Charles the Fifth, Emperor of Austria, and lived in Trenton, New Jersey. Jonathan Wing came to Northern Stanford about 1790 with the Bowermans, and was the first of that name in the town. He had children Rhoda, John, Daniel and Mahlon. Daniel married Phebe Wing, daughter of Captain James Wing and Hannah Bowerman, of New Bedford, daughter of Silas Bowerman and Lydia Gifford. He succeeded to the Wing homestead in Stanford, where his children Anna, Rhoda, Martha and Daniel were born. The daughters were celebrated for their vivacity and wit and good hearts. The Wings and Bowermans had Quaker tendencies.
BOWMAN, Albert, for several years manager of the Stissing House, is a descendant of Maltiah Bowman. Horace Bowman, now a resident of the town, is a son of his.
BRYAN famililes prominent in this vicinity forty years ago, trace their lineage to Alexander Bryan, born about 1716. His children were Elijah, Ezra, Sarah. Ezra, born 1840, was married to Sarah Peck in 1761, by rev. David Judson, of Newtown, Conn. She was 91 at her decease. Ezra was the first settler in the Bryan neighborhood, near Shacameco. he built a saw mill about one half mile north of the station to accommodate the settlers, and about 1794 inaugurated the "Bryan fanning mill," which attained celebrity in later years by his descendants. The land then owned by him is now (1897) owned by his descendants. His children were Alexander, Elijah, David, Isaac, Amos. All bearing the name in this locality are descendants of Amos. Ezra Bryan was a leading Quaker, and did the carpenter work of the Quaker meeting house at Bethel.
BURNAP, Cyrus, came to Pine Plains about 1812, and worked in the Harris Scythe works. He was a superior workman. About 1820 he left the shops, married that year Eunice, daughter of John Harris, and settled on the farm where Burnap Jordan now lives, and deceased there in 1876, aged 84.
BARLOW, Moses, as first known here, lived in the Young-Stewart old hotel, about a mile and a half northwest of the village, and later on Church Street, east of the corners. Later still in 1805 the family moved to the Ten Eyck farm, south of now C. C. More, succeeding Friend Sheldon in the Ten Eyck dwelling. Mr. Barlow was a "pettifogger" in a justice court. His wife was a sister to Thomas Braman, who lived about a mile east of the Sackett corners, south of Attlebury station. Their children were Braman, Smith, Moses, Morris, Jaccob, James, Stephen, Cynthia, Amy, Betsey. Cynthia married Dr. Asahel Haskins, a physician at Pine Plains, and at one time owner of about three acres including the Ketterer Hotel corner. Not long after her marriage Doctor Haskins deceased, and she soon after married Daniel Smith, a son of Peter Smith. Smith deceased leaving a daughter who later married Morris Thompson, son of Caleb Thompson at the Square. He kept the "Brick Tavern," now Tripp farm house, at the Square. Not long after, Morris Thompson, his wife and her mother deceased of fever nearly at the same time. Smith Barlow, one of the brothers Barlow was killed by the accidental discharge of a cannon on a fourth of July. Reed's History of Amenia, p. 79, mentions the Barlow families, probably relatives of the Pine Plains families.
BARRINGER, Jacob, was from a Palatine family among the early settlers of Rhinebeck and Red Hook, and the name frequently appears on the records of the church of these respective churches. Jacob, above, a blacksmith, came to Pine Plains in 1820 and took the "Stocking" shop adjoining the P. & E. Railroad. He worked here-Daniel Pulver working with him who later took the shop-until 1824, when he went to the Hoffman Mills one mile north of the village, his shop standing on the rock opposite the grist mill. He worked here until 1828, when he started a shop at now Bethel, the shop being near the now Palmer dwelling. He worked here until 1837, when he moved to "Slab City," now Stissing, where he worked until his decease. He has descendants living. Peter Hidorn succeeded to the shop at Bethel until about 1865, when Michael McNamara came and was there three years.
BOCKEE, Abraham, was the near ancestor of the name in this vicinity. He was a deacon in the "Vedder Church" in 1766. Ten years later he and his wife deceased, were buried in the cemetery of the old German Reformed church about two miles east of Pine Plains, and later removed to the cemetery at the Federal Store. Captain Jacob Bockee, his son, in the early years of this century owned and lived on the Samuel Deuel farm in the Bethel neighborhood, where he deceased in 1819. He manumitted his slave "Clara," and her son "Charles aged about two years," November 25, 1815. He married Catharine, sister to Judge Isaac Smith, of Lithgow, and their children were Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Phenix; Margaret, Maria and Catharine. Abraham, known in comparatively recent years as "Judge Bockee," married Martha Oakley. Maria married Morgan Carpenter, and Catharine married Samuel Deuel. Descendants of each are now living in this vicinity bearing the name of their respective husbands.
COLVER- Culver,-The name is in the early annals of North East Precinect, Elisha Colver being one of the first. He left descendants, sons and daughters. John, one of his sons, was a pioneer school teacher and later a celebrated Methodist preacher.
CULVER, Joshua, of this town, son of Joshua, is said to have been born in Amenia, March 7, 1775. He married Lavinia Backus, born September 20, 1774, in 1797 came to Pine Plains, and on their way from Amenia stopped at "Federal Store" at the "Square," and purchased a portion of their housekeeping outfit. He was first a tanner at Hammertown, and later a farmer and accumulated a property. Deceased at Pine Plains in 1848. His wife died in 1845. They had children Almira, Phebe, Backus, Eliza, Roxana. All, except Phebe, married and settled in this town and adjoining, and have descendants now living in this vicinity. Backus and his family were for many years well known residents in this community. Walter B., a farmer of Amenia, and Dudley G., a cattle broker in New York, are sons of Backus.
COLE, Dr. Charles E., son of Dr. Peter S. Cole, born 1850, studied first with his father, attended lectures at Geneva, and graduated at Bellevue medical college in New York in 1872. Commenced practice at Jackson Corners and Mount Ross, married Clara, daughter of Sylvester Strever, and settled in Pine Plains in 1876. His health failing, he retired from active practice in 1881. In the fall of 1883 he was put on the Republican ticket for coroner, and elected by about twelve hundred majority, when the Democratic majority on the County ticket was about eight hundred. He deceased July 23, 1884. Before his decease he started a drug store which his widow has continued, and which is known as "Cole's drug store." She has an assistant in "Harry," her only child.
COLE, Ulysses, lawyer, born in 1796, in Hillsdale, in Green River Hollow, now Austerlitz, Columbia County, admitted in 1823 and settled at Copake. He came to Pine Plains in 1828 at the solicitation of Charles Johnston, a lawyer then located there, and the two formed a copartnership "Johnston & Cole." This continued until 1832, when Johnston moved to Pokeepsie, and two years later (1834) Mr. Cole moved to the same place, and did business up to 1882, when he was eighty-five years old, and well preserved, physically and mentally. He deceased in Pokeepsie, a bachelor.
COUCH, John, was the first of the name here; he came from New Milford. His wife was Rhoda Bennett. He was a tailor. Their children were Harriet, Clara, Joanna, Sally, Charles, John, Morse. Harriet married Justus Boothe; Clara married James Lillie, Esq.; Joanna married Elijah B. Northrop; Sally married Leonard Husted, son of Peter; Charles married Polly Husted, daughter of Peter and Polly Husted. John was a physician, practiced in Amenia, and later at Great Barrington, Mass., where he deceased. Nearly all the above had children, who later married, and thus continued the lineage of John Couch the tailor and his wife Rhoda Bennett.
COUCH, Charles, son of John, married Polly Husted, daughter of Peter, had children Harriet, Morse, Sally, Smith and Fred. Descendants of some of these are now residents of the town.
CHAMBERLIN, Electus B., a cabinet maker, came to Pine Plains in 1821 from Connecticut and worked for Walter Mead. He succeeded Mr. Mead in the business in 1827, and in 1830 moved the Mead shop, which stood on the present Elizabeth Bostwick dwelling lot, to South Street, next north of the Cole drug store where it can be seen now. He continued the business here until his sudden decease by the kick of a horse in 1850.
CONKLIN, Jeremiah, Jun., from Easthampton in 1781 or '2, was the first settler of the northern Amenia and North East Conklins. His wife was Elizabeth Miller, and they settled on the farm on Winchell Mountain one and a half mile west of North East Center. The old house was next north of the now pitcher Corners. His parents were Jeremiah, Sen., and Abigail Herriman. She deceased on Long Island in 1780 and her husband emigrated to "Nine Partners" and lived with his son above until his decease in 1784. His headstone in Smithfield cemetery says he deceased in 1785, an error. Their seven children were born on Long Island and married there. Jeremiah, Jun., above, one of them the first settler here, and Elizabeth Miller, had children Jeremiah, Miller, John, (these born on Long Island,) Elizabeth, David, Abigail, Jane, Wm. Herriman, Matthias Barret,(copy notes: unknown if this was one name or two), Lucretia, Phebe, these born on the Conklin homestead. Some of these sons and daughters intermarried with the contemporaneous Wheeler and Clark families of North East and Amenia and have descendants.
CONKLIN, Nathan, brother to Jeremiah, Jun., above, emigrated from Long Island in 1781, soon after his marriage to Amy Mulford, and purchased the now Slee farm two miles west of North East Center where their eight children were born. One of these, John H., succeeded to the farm, and is the father of John N., now a resident of North East, and J. Mulford Conklin, now of Stanford, and Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson, of Amenia. The late Nathan Conklin of Amenia village, and Isaac H., were sons of his.
CONKLIN, Eleazer, cousin to Jeremiah, Jun., came from Long Island at the same time, 1781, and settled about a mile northeasterly from Jeremiah, Jun., on the farm owned later by Nathan E. Conklin, and recently the "Barret farm." They had eight children-two sons and six daughters. The daughters married and the descendants of some of them are living now in the town. Nathan E., the youngest son, succeeded to the farm and was for many years a prominent man in that part of the town. He had several children, and his son John was the last bearing the name of this Conklin branch in this town.
DAVIS, Dr. Jacob Isaac Hermance, was one of eleven children born to Henry Davis, a native of Hesse Cassel, Germany, 1758, and Hannah Smith. Charles Philip, several years a freighter on the Harlem Railroad at Amenia, and Frederick William, cashier of Pine Plains Bank and later cashier of Farmers and Manufacturers' Bank in Pokeepsie, were brothers to Dr. Davis, above. All the children were born in Red Hook. Dr. Davis read preparatory to practice contemporaneous with Peter Guernsey, father of Dr. Guernsey, of Amenia, and Benj. S. Wilber, father of Dr. H. C. Wilber, of Pine Plains, under the guidance of Dr. Bartlett, then of Red Hook or Milan. He commenced practice at Mount Ross in 1821. In 1826 he married Miss Eliza Culver, daughter of Joshua Culver, of Pine Plains, and in 1834 moved to Pine Plains, built the dwelling on Church Street, now owned by his daughter, where he lived until his decease in 1857 in his 58th year. he adopted the homeopathic practice then new and much ridiculed by the "old practice," but he continued it during his life and with success. He deceased from blood poisoning, receiving the virus in a slight wound on the left hand while making an autopsy on a deceased from tuberculosis. The infection proved fatal at the end of three years of alternate dormancy and activity. His urbanity, integrity and sympathy made many friends. His widow deceased 1881, aged 73. Their youngest daughter, Ann Eliza, owns and occupies the homestead.
DAVIS, Dr. Joshua C., son of the above, studied medicine, took his diploma from the medical college of Castleton, Vermont, in 1847, practiced a short time in Pine Plains, emigrated to Galveston, Texas, practiced there a short time, from thence to other parts of the state, and later to Mexico where he practiced fifteen years. He became eminent in his profession, and had an extensive and lucrative practice. He returned to New York city to practice, but the climate being too severe for his wife he went to Denver, Colorado. He became prominent in his profession. Overwork brought on a complication of maladies, and he went to the heart of Europe for rest and restoration. he deceased soon after in Zurich, Switzerland.
DOWNING, Jacob, came from the west end of Long Island to northern Stanford and purchased what has since been known as the "Ezra Hoag farm" of Daniel Lewis. His wife was a Smith. Their children were Polly, Ann, Eliza, Amy, George, William, Rosetta, and Deborah. Some of these married into adjoining or near by families, but no near descendants are known now among us.
DIBBLEE, Ebenezer, son of Rev. Ebenezer Dibblee, the minister of St. John's Church, Stamford, Conn., fifty-one years, came to Pine Plains 1784. he had been from 1776 to 1781 in business in Sharon, Conn., moved from thence to Salisbury in 1782, to Pine Plains in 1784, then North East Precinct, opened a store in the log house then standing west of Pine Plains corners, on the site of the now Albert Bowman residence, and lived in part of the same house. Augustus Bates, a relative, was for several years a clerk. In 1788 North East Precinct became North East Town, and Mr. Dibblee was elected town clerk, and re-elected four years. In 1793 was Supervisor, in 1795 and 1796 town clerk, and supervisor in 1797 and 1798. Meantime he continued merchandising, and in 1801 his second son Fyler, then twenty-one, became a partner under the firm name Ebenezer Dibblee & Son. July 1, 1803, they purchased the present Ketterer Hotel property of Dr. Asahel Haskins. The bounds of this purchase is south from the corner to Mr. Frank Eno's law office, then easterly about fifteen rods, then northerly on the west line of now Peter Wolven dwelling to Church Street, containing "three acres, one rood and eighteen purchases." This land was a portion of six acres which Haskins that day had bought of Wm. Cromwell. The remainder of the six acres joined this to the east on Church Street. In the spring of 1804, E. Dibblee & Son. Fyler Dibblee being the active man, commenced building the hotel Ketterer on the corner, Ezra L. Barrett, the boss carpenter, taking the contract. The building was completed that year, the painting, not being included in the contract, being done in December 1804 and January 1805 for which Mr. Barrett makes this entry: "To 36 days work at painting $34.31. to 6 weeks boarding while painting, $9.00." Nathaniel Ruggles was its first keeper, but the sign post, and indispensable addendum to tavers, Fyler Dibblee and his father had failed to furnish. So, from necessity, landlord Ruggles had to supply this deficiency which he did in a wise and becoming manner by permitting "Boss" Barrett to give the final stroke. For this nerited honor he records this nodest charge against landlord Ruggles, "Hewing sign post 6s," and if the chroniclers of that time have recorded the height of this sign post, when set, and what sort of a board and name landlord Ruggles placed upon its top, the record nor tradition has not come under our eyes nor into our ears. The next year, 1805, Ebenezer Dibblee and Fyler his son built the "Sostwick store," now Chase store, under the supervision of Mr. Barrett the carpenter. He worked upon it all the year and finished it after E. Dibblee & Son had moved into it in the fall of that year. It was completed January 1806, and Mr. Barrett's bill was $599.28 1/2.
In February, 1808, Fyler Dibblee purchased the now Walter T. Myers house and store lot of Peter Husted for $319.50, and in that year built the brick dwelling thereon, the only brick house in the village. Mr. Barrett did the carpenter work which is still in good condition. In this year, 1808, Ebenezer Dibblee retired from the business firm, and Fyler continued the business alone until 1816, when Reuben W. Bostwick, who had been in his employ as clerk since about 1812-except the year 1815 in Albany-became a partner under the firm "Flyer Dibblee & Co." The next year, 1817, the Red Hook store was started. Fyler Dibblee retired from the mercantil business in 1822 and moved to the Thompson farm "consisting of 810 acres," now C. C. More, about two miles southwest of the village. In January 1825 a notice appears in a Pokeepsie paper that the greater part of the farm will be sold at auction on the 17th of February next at the court house in Pokeepsie. Financial embarrassment was the cause. The farm was sold, and Mr. Dibblee moved to New York and opened an office No. 50 Wall Street for commission business. Two years later, June 11, 1827, he announced that David Z. Wickes was his partner, their office being "at the Railway of the New York Dry Dock Company on the eastern side of the city." he deceased July 13, 1841. He married a daughter of Dr. Wilson, of Clermont, and some of his children were born in the brick dwelling, now W. T. Myers, one of whom William W., of New Jersey, was living two years since at the age of 86. During his residence in Pine Plains he was a prominent citizen in every regard, and favorably and honorably known through out this county and Southern Columbia. he served the town as its clerk first in 1803 and '4, again in 1811 and as Supervisor in 1818 and '19, and in July 1818 was appointed judge of the court of common pleas in this county, having for his associates Daniel C. Ver Pland, Albro Akin and Maturin Liningston. Upon his retirement from the mercantile business in 1822 R. W. Bostwick and Brothers purchased the stock and assumed the liabilities of the firm. It was a heavy indebtedness, but the prudence and wisdom of R. W. Bostwick, principally, the others retiring, disposed of all liabilites in a few years. Ebenezer Dibblee, after his retirement from merchandising, devoted his energies to farming on the lands of George Clark, on which the log house stood, until his decease Feb. 13, 1826, aged 81. His wife, Esther Harvey, deceased July 17, 1843. They were married by his father, Rev. Ebenezer Dibblee, at the residence of Joel Harvey his wife's father, in Sharon, Conn., Nov. 14, 1776, who lived in the brick house (More-house) on the flat between Sharon and Amenia. March 17, 1827, Sally, his only surviving sister, deceased at Catskill, in her 71st year. Sally, a daughter, deceased at Pine Plains Sept. 10, 1821, aged 37. His children were Henry, Fyler, Rhuama Smith, born in Sharon, Conn.; Frederick, born in Salisbury, Conn; Sally, Caty, Richard Harvery, Harriet, Eliza, Maria Ester, Edward Ebenezer, Cornelia Henrietta, Julia Amelia Ann, born in Pine Plains. Harriet married jacob Van Ness of Red Hook. She deceased 1813, and he married 2d Rhuama Smith, (widow Stevenson,) who deceased 1852. Cornelia married Aaron C. Hall, of Catskill, and have descendants in New Haven. Caty, or Catharine, married Egbert Thompson, son of Ezra Thompson, of Federal Square, who with his brother-in-law Edward Ebenezer Dibblee continuing the business there until 1821, and perhaps later. Henry married a Miss Reed of Coxsackie. Fyler and Richard married sister, daughters of Dr. Wilson, of Clermont. Ebenezer Dibblee was an Episcopal churchman, and retained his commection with the church in Sharon, Conn., which had received its first ministrations from his father, and of which his father-in-law, Mr. Joel Harvey, was a leading churchman. But during the Revolutionary war the church there was used as a barrack, and never used afterward for worship. In 1809 the present Episcopal society there was organized, and in 1812 Ebenezer Dibblee, then a resident of Pine Plains (as now orgainized), in conjunction with Reuben Warner of New Milford and Moses Seymour of Litchfield, was chosen to select a site for the church building in Sharon, and the Episcopal church stands upon the site. A little later, 1815, the "Union Meeting House" of Pine Plains was built, in which through the influence of the Debblee family the Episcopalians had a recognized right. He may very properly be called the founder of the Episcopal church in Pine Plains. mr. Ebenezer Dibblee deceased February 13, 1826, as hereinbefore noticed, and March 14th following his real and personal effects were sold at public vendue. These included the lease of the farm west of the village where he lived, then containing one hundred and thirty acres, the site of the now Albert Bowman residence, four wood lots of fifteen acres each, thirty-eight acres of land, "principally grass land," and the "equal undivided half of the hotel, store house, shops, outbuildings and building lots," which comprised the hotel corner property which he and his son Fyler bought as partners in 1803. [Note-Reuben W. Bostwick had become the owner of Fyler Dibblee's half interest of Ebenezer Dibblee to the store property, now Chase store.] At the same time was sold "all the furniture, household utensils, milch cows, young cattle, working horses and colts, hogs, grain on the ground, stacks of hay, farming utensils, &c., of the late Ebenezer Dibblee, deceased. The sale will commence at 9 o'clock in the morninng, and a liberal credit given for good security." A few of the household articles sold at this time are to be found in some dwellings in the town now. This sale was the end of all things animate or inanimate pertaining to the family of Ebenezer Dibblee in Pine Plains.
DENTON-This name is not identified with the town as early settlers, but comes in by marriage the name being changed. They first appear in the vicinity of now Smithfield. Benjamin Denton 1st, who married Rachel Wheeler of a family from Holland, is said to have been one of three brother whose lineage runs to Richard Denton the first, a minister who came to America about 1640, and settled in Wethersfield, Conn. One of these brothers settled in Boston, one on Long Island, and Benjamin above at Horse Neck, now Greenwich, where he met the Reynolds and Peck families. The children of Benjamin 1st and Rachel Wheeler were John, Benjamin 2d, Sarah, Ann, Rachel. John married, 1st _____? had a son named Joel, who was an early settler on Morse Hill, east of Smithfield. John married, 2d, widow Purdy, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Peck, had children Fanny and Rachel. Fanny married Beriah Thomas, a resident of Pine Plains, had two daughters. One Zayde married Egbert Smith, has descendants, and the other, Margaret, married 1st, Andreas Pulver, 2d, Henry Myers, both of Pine Plains, and has descendants. Rachel, sister to Fanny above, married Jonathan Deuel, of Pine Plains, had children Samuel, Silas, newton, Jay, Rachel. Samuel is the father of Phenix N. Deuel, of Pine Plains.
Benjamin Denton, 2d, married Joanna Peck (of the Greenwich Pecks), had children Daniel, Mary. mary married Stephen Eno, grandfather of W. S. Eno and Frank Eno, of Pine Plains. Benjamin Denton 2d deceased in 1785, aged 49. Of the other children of Benjamin Denton 1st, Sarah married Benjamin Herrick (she deceased 1778 aged 47, he in 1779 aged 46), Rachel married Stephen Reynolds, Ann married Stephen Buck. Betsey Denton, the wife of Charles Hoag, a prominent man a hundred years ago in this town, was the daughter of James and Deborah Denton, of another branch.
DEUEL, Jonathan, was an early resident and lived on a farm in the west part of the town. his wife was Rachel Denton. They had children Samuel, Silas, Newton, Jay, Rachel. Samuel married a daughter of Jacob Bockee, and has left descendants. Phenix N. Deuel, now living in the town, being one of his sons. Rachel, the daughter above, married Nicholas Holbrook, for many years a prominent man and popular merchant at now North East Center. Newton Holbrook, a merchant in recent years at Lithgow, was his son. Rachel Deuel, wife of Jonathan, deceased, in 1826, aged 53, and he deceased in 1846, aged 82. They were buried in the family cemetery, near the line of Milan and Pine Plains. Another Jonathan Deuel and wife Sarah is from another branch of the name. They were residents of the town many years. he deceased in 1831, aged 66, and she in 1841, aged 75, and were buried in the Knickerbocker cemetery about three miles east of the village.
DIBBLE, Christopher, was the first immigrant of this name to this locality, and is the near ancestor of those bearing the name now. He came from East Hampton, Long Island, in 1782, and settled on the now Samuel Titus farm in northern Stanford, bringing his wife and six children with him. They were Isaiah, Lewis, Abraham, Mary, Elizabeth, Isaac. Isaiah is the line of all the name now. His wife was Jerusha Hedges, and their children Gustavus, Harriet, Phebe, Jerusha, Abraham. Gustavus married Gertrude Winans, and were the parents of the popular merchants Isaiah and Edward Dibble, now and for several years past doing business in Pine Plains. Harriet married Reuben W. Bostwick, whose son Reuben was the father of Fred, William, and J. Hunting Bostwick, now doing business in the village. Phebe married John Ferris and were the parents of the wife of the late Oliver Booth, of Pokeepsie. Jerusha was the wife of Samuel Huntting, the parents of the late Dr. Isaac M. Huntting, and his brother Lewis D. Huntting, now deceased and well known in this community. Their youngest brother Richard, and only survivor of this family-the three brothers were all the children-is living in London, England. Abraham retained the farm of his father Isaiah, in the south part of the town, now owned by Samuel Tanner. He married Miss Jane Dakin and had two sons and two daughters. Mr. Fred Dibble of Amenia Union and Mr. Frank Dibble of Stanford are his sons. Isaiah Dibble, Sen., above, had a daughter Emily by a second wife, who married Henry Bostwick, a popular man and merchant over fifty years since at the City Corners, east of Smithfield church. Their daughter married Mr. John N. Conklin, now living near there, and their son-only two children-Charles Edward, is now living in Duluth, Minn. These children of Isaiah Dibble settled not far from the paternal homestead. The Dibble family cemetery is on the Christopher, now Samuel Titus farm, and contains more family genealogy than any family yard in this vicinity. It is surrounded by an iron fence, and the headstones are well preserved and in good condition. The interests of the descendants, however, have been transferred to the public cemeteries.
ELMENDORPH, Cornelius Coonrad, was the first hotel keeper on the Stissing House corner. His grandparents, Cornelius Elmendorph and wife Angletie, were from Holland, and settled on the Hudson at Kingston. He deceased in 1790, she in 1788, and they were buried at "Esopus." Coonrad C., a son of his was born August 6, 1726, deceased at Kingston, 1816, on his anniversary birthday, aged 90. His wife Garritje deceased at Kingston 1805, aged 77. Cornelius C., his son, the hotel keeper above, and Rachel Cryspell were married at Hurley in 1778, by Dominy Duel, of Kingston. Their children were Leah, born at Hurley June 8, 1779, baptised 22d, Peter Cryspell and Leah Cryspell sponsors. Garritje, "2d daughter," was born at "North East" September 20, 1781, baptised October 15, in the Manor of Livingston by Rev. Dominy Livingston, Coonradt C. Elmendorph and Garritje Elmendorph, sponsors. Anthony, born at "North East" December 17, 1783, baptised January 25th, by Dominy Duel, Anthony Cryspell and Widow Mary Newkirk sponsors. [Note-This Anthony, eldest, deceased at Pine Plains April 3, 1793, "half after two o'clock in the morning, and was buried on Thursday 4th inst. in the burying ground at the church near now Tise Smith's, aged nine years and three months and sixteen days." This is the "Round Top" cemetery at Bethel. This was the only burial there of this family, and the head stone is there now.] Thomas born at "North East" July 23, 1786, baptised at "Esopus" September 10, 1786, by Dominy Duel. Thomas Van Gasbeck and his wife Arrantie Elmendorph, sponsors. James born September 26, 1788, at "North East," baptised October 26, 1788, by Dominy Cock, East Camp, Peter Dumond and his wife Rebecca Elmendorph, living at Esopus, sponsors. Maria, born at "North East" April 7, 1791, baptised July 3, 1791, by Dominy Cock, Abraham Cryspell and his wife Maria Van Wagner, sponsors. Anthony "4th son," born January 25, 1794, baptised by Dominy Duel at "Esopus" April 13th. Peter Newkirk and Leah Elmendorph, sponsors. [Note.-This Peter Newkirk and Leah Elmendorph his wife, in 1802 kept the Elmendorph hotel on the Stissing corner.] Jane Ann, "our fourth daughter," was born at "Rhynebeck" January 10, 1797, baptised March 12, 1797, by Dominy Romine at Red Hook, Samuel Elmendorph and wife Jane Ann VanBenthousen, sponsors.
"Capt." Cornelius C. Elmendorph kept the hotel fifteen years. He held many offices of trust, and in all respects was an honorable and worthy citizen. He and family had moved to Rhinebeck in 1796, Ebenezer Baldwin succeeding to the hotel, and later moved to Kingston where his wife deceased April 13, 1825, aged 71, and he February 20, 1826, at the same age.
ENGLEKEE, Henry, born in Germany 1812, emigrated from thence to America in 1836 and to Pine Plains in 1838. He was an accomplished cabinet maker, having served the full time of apprenticeship in Germany, and commenced work here for Electus B. Chamberlin then in that business, which later he continued on his own account, adding to it furniture. About 1854 he introduced the hearse and the "undertaking," when the casket took the place of the coffin. He at one time had charge of the cemetery, and besides set out many trees which now adorn the streets in the village. Mr. Englekee was a German of pronounced type, affectionate in the family, in the shop business. He watched himself, he watched others. "Er behalt seimen kopf zusammen." He keeps his head together. He deceased at his home 1894, aged 82. His wife, Christine Von Eckel deceased 1882. They left eight children.
ENO, Stephen, the ancestor of the families of that name in Pine Plains, was born in Simsbury, Conn., october 4, 1764. His great grandfather, James Eno, or Enos as it was probably written, emigrated from England about 1675, and settled in Windsor, Conn. His wife's name was Abigail Bissell, and to them were born nine children, five sons and four daughters. William, the second son in the line of descent, deceased at Simsbury, Conn., about 1764, possessed of a valuable farm which at his death came into possession of his two sons, William and Samuel. There were also in this family six sisters to these brothers, and by some cause, division or otherwise, this estate passed from them, and they were left as thousands are to fight the battle of life without pecuniary aid. Here, under such circumstances, Stephen Eno was born. William his father subsequently moved to Salisbury, where he died and was buried in the Moravian burying yard at the Wecquadnoc mission near Sharon. His wife was Lillie Hix.
[Note.-This William Enos-it is written with a terminal s -was one of the thirty-four signers to a petition to the Moravian board of Bethlehem, Pa., in may 1752, to have them send back Rev. Abraham Reinke, who had preached in Salisbury and Sharon the year before, or some one else "to settle amoung us .......we being destitute of a minister and school." Another signer to this petition, thirty years later a prominent resident of Pine Plains, was John Harris.]
Stephen was the second son-there were four sons and one daughter in this family-and his early life is best told in his own language written about 1805: "I spent my infant years (until ten years of age) at home in my father's house in Simsbury. Until that age I never went abroad out of the neighborhood, and was taught to read by my father at home, having no advantage of a school. I think I did not attend any kind of a school, so much as a week till after this age, and I will here mention that in the whole course of my life I have never been to school two months. At ten years of age I went to live with my aunt Abigail Westover and her son Josiah Westover, of Egremont, in Massachusetts. Here I continued until between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and fared very hard most of the time. My greatest grief was that I had now no opportunity to improve in learning, and my father when at home had taught me to read so well that I had formed very elevated ideas of a good education. I did most ardently wish for the privileage of attending school with boys of my age whom I saw daily going. This turn of thought has I think had a considerable influence upon my future life, for all the learning I possess I have acquired altogether myself from books without the assistance of any teacher."
He left his aunt, visited his mother, who was then living in Salisbury, worked a year for an old man by the name of Chipman, spent six months in the army then in camp at New Haven, and at eighteen engaged with one Sanders, a tanner, at Cornwall, Conn., with whom he remained until he was twenty-one. "When I first began to cypher," he writes, "I was eighteen or nineteen years of age, and the first book I took up was an old work called Corker's arithmetic. With this book I got on as far as division. This rule I could not master, and I laid by the book almost in despair. Soon after this I got Fenning's arithmetic, in which the rules are illustrated by an operation at large of several examples in each rule, and never shall I forget the pleasure I enjoyed in being able to perform all that was there laid down. No man ever went to a feast with more eagerness, or left it with so much satisfaction as I in pursuing this study. I now began to be conscious of powers unknown to me before."
At this age-twenty-one-he commenced teaching school, which business he continued barring short intervals for seven years, principally in Amenia. he was also commissioner of schools there.
At the age of twenty-seven he entered the law office of Philip Spencer, Jr., of North East, as a clerk, who had now been licensed as an attorney for about two years. "He offered to give me instruction gratis," writes Mr. Eno, "and his father (Philip Spencer, Esq.) who was anxious to have me come, promised to board me and wait for his payment until after I was licensed. I accordingly upon these terms began the study of law, and boarded with the old man. But I had not been with him more than two months when the old man began to dun me for pay, which vexed me so that I contrived to pay him and never boarded with him again."
In his preparatory studies to admittance to practice in the Supreme Court, Mr. Eno writes: "My preceptor (Philip Spencer, Jr.) was very ill qualified for a teacher, and had but a scanty library, and did very little business. I verily believe he never spent two hours in giving me any kind of instructions in his life, and after the first two months I was scarce ever in his office. I kept school part of the time and pleaded causes before justices of the peace for a livelihood. Was about three weeks with Mr. Reeves at Litchfield, and as long a time afterwards in Ambrose Spencer's office, and at the end of four years obtained a license to practice in the Supreme Court. To obtain this license it was necessary for me to produce a certificate from some attorney that I had studied in his office three years at least. To obtain this I was compelled to give Philip Spencer, Jr., my note for one hundred and fifty dollars, in direct violation of his former agreement, the payment of which afterward greatly embarassed me, and prevented me for several years from getting into business, for I was so poor that I could get no books."
December 17, 1795, he was married, by Rev. John Cornwall, to Mary Denton, daughter of Benjamin Denton and Joanna Peck, of the town of Amenia. "She was prudent and industrious," he writes, "and after some time my business in the law began to increase. I always lived and practiced in the county, in the towns of Amenia, Stanford and North East."
In 1803 he purchased a house and lot in Pine Plains, and made that place his residence. Sept. 5, 1807, his wife deceased, was buried at Smithfield, and he makes this touching allusion to her memory: "She was a lovely and excellent woman, and the twelve years which I lived with her were by far the happiest period of my life." As a lawyer he exalted his profession in that he magnified the law. It was no claptrap, or technicality in practice. That to him was odious. he looked to highter standard based on the immutable foundation of justice. For this he fought against precedent and legal enactment. In his make up of mind and habit he was of the Jeffersonian school, where reason sits supreme. At seventy-three he writes: "I think I do not dread death more than common men. It is a necessary end, and I hope for another and better existence. I like old Milton's advice: 'nor love thy life, nor hate, but whilst thou liv'st live well; how long or short permit to heaven.' I feel grateful to God for the measure of health and strength which is lent me, and for the many comforts the rough ashlar, born over a hundred years ago, and could the opportunities of a hundred years later have been thrown around him, who can doubt that he would have been the perfect ashlar, a polished stone in the temple of jurisprudence. He deceased in 1854 in his 90th year.
In the early days of his law practice in Pine Plains he was engaged in a suit before Henry I. Traver, a justice of the peace, wherein one Isaac Hutchins, a miller, was defendant. Mr. Eno was annoyed and disgusted with the rulings of Esquire Traver, and indulged in some sharp talk of a personal nature, for which Traver fined him twelve shillings. Mr. Eno promptly paid the fine at once saying, "There, take that, and buy you a pair of shoes," the 'Squire then being without these pedal coverings. Hutchins was at that time miller at the Phineas Carman Mills near Shacameco. Later he leased the mills at Bangall for five years of Mr. Duncan. Stephen Eno came to Pine Plains from "Old Attlebury" Corners, Stanford, about one mile west of Stissing (whither he had moved from "The City" now Smithfield, in 1799) in 1803, having purchased the dwelling property next south of now Frank Eno law office, of Isaac Basset. In 1806 he built the barn. In 1814 he built his office building at a cost of $300, which is part of the now Frank Eno law office. it was used by William Eno during his life. Rufus Bostwick was the carpenter builder. The old sign "S.Eno's office" which was on this law office for a half century was made in 1810, and is now in possession of Frank Eno, his grandson.
Stephen Eno's children were, Phebe and Eliza, twins deceased in infancy; Henry, William, Edward, and a son Rufus by his second wife, who was at one time a harness maker at Pine Plains. Henry, "Harry," was born at Old Attlebury Corners, Stanford, in 1798, studied law in his father's office in Pine Plains, later with Philip Parker, Albany, went to Penn Yan, N.Y., in 1825, formed a partnership with David Prosser which continued until 1836, then sold out and went to Madison, Wisconsin. Here he married Miss Elisabeth Knapp, formerly from Orange County, N.Y., moved to Iowa, and in 1849 was in command of an overland train to California. Here he became prominent, was elected Judge of Circuit Court in Calaveras County, was nominated for lieutenant governor of the state and was defeated by a very few votes. He lived in California twenty-two years, meantime buried his wife and only child Carrie, aged about seven years. He returned to Pine Plains in 1871, and deceased at his nephew's, Walter Eno, on the now "Broad Valley Farm" in 1882, aged 84.
ENO, William, son of Stephen, was born at "Old Attlebury" Corners, Stanford, in 1800, studied law with his father at Pine Plains, and was a prominent and successful lawyer at the Pokeepsie courts for many years. The Pokeepsie Journal of March 22, 1826, has this notice:
"WILLIAM ENO, Attorney and counselor at law in the Supreme Court will attend to applications in the business of his profession at his residence in the village of Pine Plains. Maarch 14th, 1826.
This was about the commencement of his practice, and the counsel and advice of his father no doubt contributed greatly to his success. By his aid he was the victor in many long contested suits involving nice legal distinctions. After careful examination in such cases his father would say, "Stick, William, it must be right," and his advice in the end was proven to be correct. He was attorney for Duchess County two terms by appointment of the Supreme Judges, was elected to the legislature in 1836, and Supervisor several terms. He deceased in 1874. His wife was Mary, daughter of William Stewart, and they had four children.
ENO, Edward, son of Stephen, was an infant of about eight months at his mother's decease. When a young man he moved to Kinderhook, N.Y. where later he married ---- Best, moved to Illinois, was a merchant, and later moved to St. Louis. Had four children, three sons and one daughter. Three of the sons were in the war of the rebellion, two being majors.
ENO, William S., son of William, was born in Pine Plains, studied law, was admitted in 1850, and was an able and highly esteemed counselor by the Duchess County Bar fraternity. he was president of the Stissing Bank several years. A few years since he inaugurated the "Bunnell & Eno Investment Company," with headquarters at Pine Plains, he being its president. it remained here about two years, then moved to and established an office in Philadelphia, where it is now (April 1897) doing business. Mr. Eno moved there and is its president and principal manager.
ENO, Walter, son of William, was a farmer and lived on the farm where his "Uncle Harry" deceased, as heretofore mentioned. he was universally much esteemed. he married Phebe Case, daughter of John Case, and has a son and daughter now living. James, the son, is a furniture dealer in Wichita, Kansas. Walter Eno deceased a few years since and his widow and daughter are living in the village.
ENO, Frank, youngest son of William Eno, was born in Pine Plains, studied law and was admitted in 1868. From that time to now he has continued the practice, occupying and owning the Wm. Eno homestead property, and the old law office. In addition to his professional duties he has a large farm one and a half miles south of the village, devoted principally to dairy purposes. He a few years since gave considerable attention to the jersey breed of cattle and took several premiums. His wife was Rachel Rudd, and they have several children. Parents and children are now living in the William Eno village homestead.
FINCH, James, was an early settler on the now Smith Sackett home on the north line of Stanford, three and a half miles south of Pine Plains. he came from Horse Neck, (Greenwich, Conn.) he had children Joseph, Lizzie, Nathan, Marry, Charlotte.
FRAZIER family-colored people-so numerous and well known in this part of "North East Town" in the first half of this century, descended from a white man, a Scotchman by that name. Andrew, the first of the name, is said to have been born in Amenia June 14, 1743. He was in the revolutionary war from its commencement to its end in 1783, and received a pension through the influence of Judge Stephen Thorne, of Milian. Andrew settled in Milan about two miles south of Jackson Corners, and it was his home until his decease, June 2, 1846, he lacking twelve days of completing his one hundred and three years. This farm which he cleared (it was woods) for a home is now owned by his grandson, Alfred Frazier, son of Robert. The house was built about 1809. Andrew Frazier had sons Adam, John, Andrew and Robert. His daughters who married were Catharine married George Lewis, Tempe married Thomas Rowe, (lived in Amenia,) Lena married Robert Tyler. Four other daughters never married. The sons of Adam, son of Andrew 1st, were Edward, James. Sons of John, son of Andrew 1st, were Filo, Andrew, William. Sons of Andrew, son of Andrew 1st, Edward, Milton, Walter, Charles A., Jacob, John. Sons of Robert, son of Andrew 1st, Egbert, Robert, Jacob, Alfred, Lewis. Of these Alfred and Lewis were the only ones living in 1889. The three other brothers were buried in the family burial ground on the farm not far from the ancestral dwelling in Milan, and head-stones neatly inscribed stand at their respective graves. The head-stone to Andrew the ancestor stands at the head of his grave and reads "In memory of Andrew Frazier who died June 2d, 1846, aged 102 years, 11 mos. and 18 days."
Some members of these Frazier families intermarried with a family called May, of pure Indian lineage of the Mohican Shacomeco clan, and proprietors of the lands in this vicinity. Mannessah, Indian name, was a "medicine man," had a son and daughter, and they claimed to be the last of this tribe of pure blood Indian. Joanna, so called, the daughter, married a man named May, they had two daughters, half blood, who respectively worked for Mrs. Reuben W. Bostwick and Mrs. William Eno. Isaac Smith, Esq, who lived about a mile north of Hoffman's Mills, had a house near his dwelling in which Joanna lived until her decease. She is authority that three chiefs of her tribe or clan were buried on the east side of now Pine Street in the village near the old pine tree now standing there. The mounds of these graves were plainly to be seen years ago, and to that extent corroborate her tradition.
Her brother called "Prince"-Mannessah, Indian name-lived about a half mile north of Hoffman's Mills to the right of the road near the boundary line between Duchess and Columbia Counties. He acquired knowledge of the Indian medical practice by herbs and roots, from his Indian ancestry, and applied it whenever called upon. In derision the reqular medical profession called him a "quack," and his medicines "quack medicine." patrons of the regular profession and others used the epithet freely and so he was universally known as "Prince Quack." He had a son Andreas, "Dris," named for a good white friend, (Andreas Pulver,) who married and had children, sons and daughters. One or more of these sons emigrated to Michigan and settled near Grand Rapids. The old man Prince Quack went with them-they retained the name Quack-and in the '60s he was living, his hair white, his teeth gone, and his yellow face marked with deep wrinkles when I last saw him there. He did not know the year of his birth, but he must have been in or near the '90s, perhaps had turned for the hundred point. Some descendants of this Manessah family now live in the town of Washington, near Millbrook.
GAMBLE, Isaac, was the first of the name in North East Precinct according to the records having emigrated, so it is said, from Westchester County about 1772. Feb. 3, 1774, he gave a bill of sale to David Bostwick. he is thought to be the father of Elizabeth, John, Mary, Isabella and Hugh, but this may not be correct. Isabella married Seth Harris and Mary married John Harris.
GAMBLE, Hugh-written Gambey and Gamby, a corruption-was in North East precinct in 1786 and then commenced an apprenticeship at scythe making under John Harris, the maker of the Harris scythes. Harris was his brother-in-law, having married his sister Mary about 1772. Later on he was partner. He married Anna Van Louven, a family of early settlers (1770-1780) in North East Precinct, and they had children Isaac, Betsey, Sally, Harriet, laura, James H., Seth. Hugh, the father, was killed on new year's day by accident near the farm of now Henry Knickerbocker, being thrown from a load of cord wood, falling in front of the wood, the horses kicking him. Three years later (1817) the widow and children emigrated to Yates County, N.Y., and settled near Penn Yan. (Note-This year and near it a considerable number from Pine Plains emigrated to Yates County, "went to the west" as it was said then.) Isaac the eldest son had worked at scythe making in the Harris shops at Pine Plains and Salisbury and was an expert workman, not only at scythes but other things. He married Mary Sears, of Connecticut. John Durfee, a brother workman of his, emigrated with him to yates County, and they started a scythe factory near Penn Yan where they worked from 1818 to 1822, then sold and moved to Sodus on Lake Ontario where Isaac Gamby deceased, leaving a widow and two daughters, Emily and Mary. His widow married, 2d, John Weed, of Benton township, Yates County. Isaac Gamble and Durfee were celebrated ax makers also. It is said each made sixteen axes in one day with the ordinary fire and tools of a blacksmity, each having a man to help.
Of the other children of Hugh Gamble above, Betsey married Solomon D. Weaver, Sally married William D. Lucas, harriet married William A. Weed, Laura married Daniel S. Lee and moved to Michigan; James H. married Elisabeth French, and was at one time engaged with John H. lapham in the drug business in Penn Yan, and later went to Branchport. Seth moved to Steuben County and settled there. Hugh Gamble the first was town clerk of old North East Town in 1799, and his name on the record as he wrote it was "Gamble," which his descendants in Yates County have corrupted into Gamby. Daniel S. Lee, the husband of laura Gamble above, was the son of james Lee, born in 1780, and in 1803 married Sarah, the only daughter of Richard Smith, of Groton, Conn., and Elisabeth Allen, a descendent of a family on the mayflower. Richard Smith was a Quaker, and became early identified with the Friends Society of which Jemima Wilkinson, the "Universal Friend," was the leader. This society made a "New Jerusalem" township in Yates County and hither went Richard Smith and others with their families from Connecticut of like faith about 1789. He built the first grist mill in the new settlement of which he made a record in his family bible in this manner: "4th of July 1790, I have this day completed my frist mill and have ground ten bushels of rye. July 5th, I have this day ground ten bushels of wheat, the same having been raised in the immediate neighborhood last year." (1789.) He left his wife and children in Connecticut when he went to Yates County, the friendly women keeping house for him in the early years of his settlement. His children in Connecticut were Russell, David and Jonathan, twins; Avery and Sarah. Russell deceased in Connecticut, Jonathan drowned in a tan vat. Avery when about fourteen left the Connecticut homestead, found his way to his father, applied for work and his father hired him not knowing who he was. By his influence the family was later reunited in Yates County, the father and mother spending their last days with their son Avery, where the father deceased in 1836 aged 90, and his wife in 1838, aged 84. David the other son, born in 1778, went with the family to Yates County, where he deceased in 1805. Avery, the youngest son, was a very prominent man, had the rank of Colonel in 1812, and was elected to the Assembly from Yates County 1826. He married a daughter of David Wagener and they had twelve children, through whom he has many descendents.
Betsey Gamble, above, married Solomon D. Weaver in 1820. She was born in 1800. He was born near Saratoga Springs in 1797, and emigrated when a young man to Penn Yan, and worked at cloth dressing in the "Factory Mill," then owned by a company syndicate. Later he moved to the outlet of Keuka Lake, built a saw mill and grist mill in company with George Shearman and manufactured lumber and flour. The grist mill had three run of stone. Later this firm added two distilleries, and soon after was nearly bankrupt. Later in 1832 he, Weaver, bought a lot of timber land near by, and engaged largely in the timber and lumber business, and accumulated a competency for his old age after a life of hard laabor and anxious care. His wife Betsey deceased in 1862, leaving four sons and one daughter. He married, 2d, Mrs. Julia L. Righter, of Lakeville, Conn, who deceased in 1870.
GRAY, Ambrose T., son of Richard, a well-known resident, lived on the west side of Winchell Mountain, about two miles south of Pulver's Corners. He was of English lineage, born January 24, 1788, deceased May 23, 1859. Married Almira, daughter of Caleb and Deborah Finch, Oct. 28, 1818. She deceased oct. 18, 1864. They had five girls and three boys, who have descendents.
GRAHAM- Marquis of Montrose. It is not among the common incidents in the divinity which shapes the end of the world's civilization and government, that the small inland town of Pine Plains, in Duchess County, N.Y., had among its earliest settlers the descendents of Montrose*(Mr. George Coventry, of Utica, N.Y., a descendant of the Grahams formerly living in this town, has a family tree of the Grahams which traces the Pine Plains branch from the present living members, in a direct line to the eleventh century. He has also many family relics and papers, among which is the seal of "The Great Marquis"-Montrose-now nearly two hundred and fifty years old. To him I am indebted for the perusal of many papers in manuscript, pertaining to the family during their settlement in this town, and to his "tree" for many facts in regard to the genealogy of the family) of Scotland, "The Great Marquis." The Grahams were the founders of our beautiful village, and this it is that gives a peculiar and special historic interest to the name and family as part of our town history.
According to historians and antiquaries, the Grahams are lineally descended from the ancient kings of the Britons, who in the third century attempted to free themselves from the Romans, then the rulers of England. Fulgentius, the leader against the Romans, and his followers were imprisoned and fled to Donald, King of the Scots, and subsequently, after the battle of Dun in 404, to Denmark. Among these refugees was a descendant of Fulgentius, named Graeme, whose daughter, born in Denmark, in course of time married King Fergus second, of Scotland. After the death of the King, Graeme was regent of the kingdom during the minority of his grandson, and greatly harrassed the Britons, and it is said, broke over the walls of Abercorn, which was thereafter called "Graham's Dyke." many notable events followed in the history of the name until 1030, when Constantine Graeme-modern Graham-married Avila, daughter to Kenneth, one of the ancestors of the house of Stewarts.
In 1125 William DeGraham is witness to the foundation charter of Holy-Rood-House, in the reign of David first, and David his son got charters of land in Forgarshire, in the reign of King William of Scotland, and the family subsequently got further charters of lands in the reigns of Kings Alexander Second and Third. In all these charters the surname of Graham is inserted. The lands of Abercorn descended to Margaret Graham, who married James, brother to the Earl of Douglass in the reign of James the First.
For several centuries there were two distinguished branches of the family, respectively in John De Graham and David De Graham, which finally became united, and Sir Patrick De Graham, of Kincardine, in the reign of King Robert Third, married the only daughter and heiress of David, Earl of Strathearn, by which marriage he obtained to that earldom. Of this his son Malise was deposed by King James the First, who, in 1328, gave him in lieu the earldom of Monteith. This the family held for nine generations, when William Graham, the ninth Earl of Monteith, having no issue, the earldom descended to the Marquis of Montrose, another branch of the family, whose ancestor was created Baron Graham in 1445, and Earl of Montrose in 1505, and Marquis of Montrose in 1644.
James Graham-known and called the "Great Marquis"-was the first Marquis of Montrose, and occupies the most conspicuous place in the history of the Grahams. he was born in 1612, in the town of Montrose, married at seventeen, Magdalene, daughter of Lord Carnegie of Kinnaird, on which occasion he had his portrait painted by Jameson, the pupil of Van Dyck. (A fine photograph, enlarged from a small copy, said to have been taken from this portrait, I now have. It was taken from a copy of the one in Warwick Castle, said to be a copy of the original Van Dyck portrait, or perhaps the original. He had curly, reddish auburn hair.) In 1638, at the age of twenty-four, he espoused the cause of the Scotch Covenanters, and was one of the four noblemen who drew up the "National covenant" in the spring of that year, and took arms against the royalists or high church party.
The struggle in the north terminating, he with other Scottish Covenantry noblemen, by invitation, met King Charles at Berwick, where and when, it is said, the Great Marquis became disaffected toward the Covenanters, and became the object of obloquy. Upon his door was posted a paper with the words. "Invictus armis, verbis vincitur." (Invincible with arms, conquered with words.) This was in 1639. In the wars following he was charged with being at times with loyalists and covenanters, and in 1641 abandoned the covenanters and joined the King. In 1644, Charles having conferred upon him the title of Marquis, he left Oxford, where he had been living with the King, and went to Scotland to raise the royalists of the north. Argyle in behalf of the covenanters endeavored in vain to capture him, Montrose meantime greatly harrassing the covenanters, and even driving Argyle from his castle at Inverary. Success attended the arms of Montrose against the covenanters, and Charles was triumphant. But it was for a moment. Desertion-probably the result of religious belief or opinion-reduced the army of Montrose, and disaster and defeat followed. Montrose fled to Paris, then to Germany, then to Holland, and meanwhile Charles I was beheaded. Montrose then made favor with Charles II, and in his behalf began a fresh invasion. He was defeated by Col. Strachan at the pass of Invercaron, and wandered-up the river Kyle, the whole ensuing night, and the following second and third days without food. The Earl of Kinnoul was with him, and not able to travel further was left in the mountain, and it is supposed perished. Montrose came to the country of Assynt and gave himself up to one McLeod, a former adherent, from whom he expected assistance. But "the Argyle faction had sold the King, so this Highlander rendered his own name infamous by selling the hero to the Covenanters, for which 'duty to the public' he was rewarded with four hundred bolls of meal."
"A traitor sold him to his foes."
McLeod delivered him to General Leslie, who brought him to Edinburgh, where he was condemned as a traitor to the Covenanters.
THE EXECUTION
Montrose in Edinburgh, "a traitor" in the hands of the stern and exasperated Covenanters, had little chance for defence, and less hope of escape. His execution was the inevitable consequence of his capture. It was the character of the times. Neither party was disposed to lenity. On Friday, May 17, 1650, the Scotch Parliament passed the "Act ordaining James Grahame to be brought from the Watergate on a cart bareheaded, the hangman in his livery, covered, riding on the horse that draws the cart-the prisoner to be bound to the cart with a rope-to the Tolbooth of Edinburgh, and from thence to be brought to the Parliament House, and there in the Place of delinquents on his knees to receive his sentence, viz.: to be hanged on a gibbett at the cross of Edinburgh, with his book and declaration tied about his neck, and there to hang for the space of three hours until he be dead, and thereafter to be cut down by the hangman, his head, hands, and legs to be cut off and distributed as follows, viz.: his head to be affixed on an iron pin, and set on the pinnacle of the west gavel of the new prison of Edinburgh, one hand to be set on the port of perth, the other on the port of Stirling, one leg and foot on the port of Aberdeen, the other on the port of Glasgow. If at his death penitent and relaxed from excommunication, then the trunk of his body to be interred by pioneers in the Greyfriars, otherwise to be intered in the Boroughmuir by the hangmans's men under the gallows. (Note-this sentence was executed to the letter.)
Montrose was in prison, and when informed of his sentence said "that he was prouder to have his head placed upon the top of the prison, than if they had decreed a golden statue to be erected to him in the market place, or that his picture should be hung in the King's bedchamber. He thanked them for their care to preserve the remembrance of his loyalty by transmitting such monuments to the different parts of the kingdom; and only wished that he had flesh enough to have sent a piece to every city in Christendom as a token of his unshaken love and fidelity to his king and country."
On the window of his prison, the night before his execution, he inscribed these lines with a diamond:
"Let them bestow on every airth a limb,
Then open all my veins, that I may swim
To Thee, my maker, in that crimson lake;
Then place my parboiled head upon a stake-
Scatter my ashes-strew them in the air:
Lord, since thou knowest where all these atoms are,
I am hopeful Thou'lt recover once my dust,
And confident Thou'lt raise me with the just."*
*After the restoration the 'dust' of Montrose was recovered, the scattered remains collected, and the bones of the hero conveyed to their final resting place by a numerous assemblage of gentlemen of his family and name.-Aytoun
May 21, 1650 came, the fourth day after the passage of the act for his execution, and thousands lined the street of Edinburgh through which he was to pass. In the center of the cart was a high chair, having holes behind, through which the ropes that fastened him were drawn.
He was "pale and wan," and seemed to have a courage and modesty more than natural. "He was very richly clad in fine scarlet, laid over with rich silver lace, his hat in his hand, his hands and cuffs exceedingly rich, his delicate white gloves on his hands, his stockings of incarnate silk, and his shoes with their ribbons on his feet, and sarks provided for him with pearling about, above ten pounds the elne. All these were provided for him by his friends, and a pretty cassock put on him upon the scaffold."
His mien and bearing on his way to the scaffold, it is said, changed the curses of many to tears. The "infamous" Lady Jean Gordon, Countess of Haddington and niece of Argyle, laughed at, and insulted him, and the cart was stopped in front of the balcony where were Lord Lorn (Argyle) and his "new lady," and Archibold Johnston (Warristoun), all the inveterate enemies of Montrose. This was done to give them opportunity to jeer and insult him. Montrose, divining the object, turned towards them, and "bareheaded" according to his sentence-fixed his eye of fire and courage square upon them, "whereupon they crept in at the windows."
Arriving at the scaffold he asked to keep on his hat, which request was denied; he then asked the privilege to keep on his cloak; this also was not granted. "Then with a most undaunted courage, in his red scarlet cassock, in a very stately manner he went up the ladder to the top (thirty feet) of that prodigious gibbet. The whole people gave a general groan, and those who, at his first appearance, had bitterly inveighed against him, could not abstain from tears."
Such is a brief synopsis of the life and death of James Graham, "the Great marquis." His life as a whole-only thirty-eight years-is filled with fact and incident, in reality as picturesque as a bright vision of the imagination. In character there is none nobler in Scottish history.
It is hazardous always to take arms against the powers that be, and was never more so than in the exciting times of Cromwell and the two Charles. His action as Covenanter and Loyalist has been criticised and defended by the historians of each. The late rebellion in the United States is fruitful in parallel cases. Montrose, a Covenanter, was as firm and decisive as afterward a Loyalist. In the change he lost none of his valor, courage or conscience, judged by the facts and events given by the chroniclers of his time. Surely the Covenanters were as obstinate and severe in the punishment of their enemies as the Loyalists, and therefore he gained nothing by the change in this regard. Indeed as a matter of Goverment the Loyalists had the right of it by a long established precedent. But whatever his motives, Montrose joined them, and perished "in the cause of the King, his master," writes Cardinal De Retz, "with a greatness of soul that has not found its equal in our age."
Macauley, in his history of England, gives us the English side, and sees no good in the Grahams, James Graham, of Montrose, and John Graham, of Claverhouse, Lord Viscount Dundee, and relative of Montrose. He erroneously calls the latter "James Graham, of Claverhouse," which leads to confusion with James Graham, of Montrose. John Graham, of Claverhouse, was killed at the battle of Killecrankie, July 27, 1689, nearly forty years after the death of Montrose. Professor Aytoun, of the University of Edinburgh, in his latest edition of "Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers"-from which a few of the facts in this paper are taken-criticises many statements of Macauley, in regard to Claverhouse, proving them fallacious.
But we leave these disputants. Divinity or fate swings the hinges of revolution, and shame, or glory, crowns its failure or success. Who knoweth the which in the struggle? The proverbial "prejudices" of the historians in their recitals are counted for naught by an impartial and enlightened jury, who believe in a just and charitable philosophy in history. Towards such a verdict the intelligence of the age is moving.
In 1887, by permission of Queen Victoria, a statue of the Marquis was place over his grave in St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh, made by the celebrated sculptor, Rhind, his son, J. Massey Rhind, doing most of the designing and work. It is said to be a fine work of art. Soon after, Rhind, the son, immigrated to America, and besides other work designed the King Memorial Fountain at Albany. The Graham Coat of Arms is thus described:
"Quarterly, first and fourth gold, on a chief black, three escollops of the field for Graham. Second and third quarters silver, three roses, red, barbed and seeded proper for the title of Graham of Montrose.
CREST.
"An eagle wings hovering gold, perched upon a heron lying upon its back proper, beaked and membered, red
SUPPORTERS.
"Two storks proper, beaked and membered, red.
"MOTTO-N'oubliez.'
"The whole meaning-Graham of Montrose, a noble family."
The seal of the "Great Marquis" is in the possession of George Coventry referred to in the footnote on page first of this lineage. he describes it in a letter in this wise: "It has descended to me from my great grandfather, Augustine Graham, and was once the property of The Great Marquis himself. It was brought to America by James Graham, Attorney General, the first of his decendants who emigrated hither. The seal is of brass, the handle about four inches in length. The device upon it is a shield bearing the three roses of his title same as on the family arms, and that is surmounted by the coronet of a Marquis. The whole is surmounted by the emblem of some order to which he belonged. After the restoration of the Stuarts the title was raised to a dukedom, April 24, 1707, and all who bore that rank, it being higher, used a ducal coronet upon their seals, in lieu of that belonging to a Marquis. Thus in addition to family tradition, the testimony of the seal itself attests its genuineness."
James Graham, marquis of Montrose, left two sons, James and John. James succeeded to his father's estate, and John, it is said, married Isabella Affick, and their son James Graham was Attorney General of the province of New York. (Mrs. Martha J. Lamb, in her history of New York City, I think puts him down as son of the Great Marquis. According to the family tree this is an error which she and other historians have fallen into.) he was a merchant in New York in 1678, and later was proprietor of lands in Ulster County, Staten Island and New Jersey. December 10, 1685, he was appointed Attorney General of New York under Governor Thomas Dongan, who in the fall of 1686 writes in his report "that Mr. Graham is Attorney General and Supervisor of all patents and soe made upon Mr. Rudyard's going from this place to Barbadoes, and is a person, understanding in the law, it being his whole business." October 8, 1687, he became a member of the Council, and when the Governments of New England and New York were consolidated, he removed to Boston as Attorney General to Governor Andros, on whose downfall he was committed to prison. In 1691 he returned to New York, was chosen member of the Assembly and elected speaker. Sloughter was then Governor, and Thomas Newton, his Attorney General, having left the province in April of that year, George Farwell was appointed to fill his place. he was Governor Andros' Attorney in the revolution under Andros in Boston, and was imprisoned for some alleged illegal prosecutions. He later went to England, and returned to America, and was appointed Attorney General, successor to Newton, to prosecute Leisler and his associates. his appointment not being satisfactory, James Graham was again appointed Attorney General in May, 1691, and is said to have been "the mortal enemy of Leisler and Milborne," during the exciting events of that time. he was speaker of the Assembly from 1691 to 1694 and from 1695 to 1698, and part of 1699-nearly nine years-when the leisler faction being in the majority, the house voted a bill of indictment against their opponents. To avoid his signing the bill, being speaker, he was called to the Council in May 1698. This principally closed his public life, he attending the council for the last time July 29, 1700. he was deprived of his office of Attorney General on the 21st of january, 1701, but a few days before his death, which occurred at his residence in Morrisania, Westchester county, N.Y. His will is dated January 12, 1701, and is on record in the surrogate's office in New York. He bequeathed all his property share and share alike to his children Augustine, Isabella, Mary, Sarah, Margaret and John. Sarah married a Mr. Chappel, emigrated to England, and was the mother of Rev. Graham Chappel, a clergyman in Nottinghamshire. Isabella married Hon. Lewis Morris, first Provincial Governor of New Jersey. Their children were Elizabeth, Margaret, Arabella, Annie, Robert Hunter, lewis (father of Governeur and Lewis Morris, signer of Declaration of Independence) Mary, Euphemia, another daughter who married-Kearney, ancestor of Genl. Phil. Kearney, and still another daughter who married-Ashfield. Many are the descendants of Lewis Morris and Isabella Graham. In an obituary at her decease in 1752 this language was used: "Liberal without prodigality, frugal without parsimony, cheerful without levity, exalted without pride, in person amiable, in conversation affable, in friendship faithful, of envoy void.."
In Augustine Graham, son of James Graham the Attorney General, is the lineage we are tracing. He was surveyor general for many years, commissioned Major in regular militia of Westchester county by Bellomont in 1700, and a patentee in the Great and Little Nine Partner grants in Duchess county. He died in October, 1718.
James Graham, his son, who became proprietor of his father's interest in the Little Nine Partners, married his cousin Arabella Morris, daughter of lewis Morris and Isabella Graham, and they are the parents of the Pine Plains Grahams. Their marriage license bears date November 30, 1738. He has erroneously been considered the patentee in the Little Nine Partners, instead of his fater, probably as the lands to his interest in this patent were not disposed of to any great extent until after his death, which occured at Morrisania, June 24, 1767. His will made March 13, in that year, is recorded in the office of the surrogate at Morrisania, and this a copy:
"In the name of God, amen. I, James Graham, of Morrisania, in the county of Westchester, and province of New York, being of sound and perfect mind and memory, do make and publish this, my last will and testament, in manner following, viz.: First, I will that my just debts and funeral charges be paid out of my real and personal estate, and that my executors hereafter named, have power and authority to dispose of, and sell so much land as shall be sufficient for that purpose; my will further is, that all my estate, both real and personal, (except what is hereafter excepted) that shall remain after my just debts and funeral charges are paid, be equally divided between all my children, share and share alike to them, their heirs and assigns forever. Further it is my intent and will, that the messuage and tract of land, with the appurtenances at Morrisania, on which I now live, together with three negro men, three negro wenches, ten cows, one pair of oxen, four horses, with the farming utensils and household furniture, be, and remain to my wife Arabella Graham, to have and to hold for and during her natural life, and after the decease of my said wife, I will, and direct my executors to sell the same, and the monies arising from the sale thereof to be equally divided among my children. I will, and order, that if any of my children should happen to die unmarried before they arrive to full and lawful age, that then, and in such case, the share belonging to such child be equally divided between the surviving children. Item-I give and bequeath to my sister, Isabella Graham, the sum of one hundred pounds, new York currency, to be paid her by my executors, out of the monies arising from the sale of land devised for the payment of my debtrs and funeral charges. Lastly, I make and ordain my wife, Arabella Graham, executrix, my sons Augustine Graham, lewis Graham, Morris Graham, and Charles Graham, Executors of this, my last will and testament, to see the same performed according to my true intent and meaning. In witness whereof, I, the said james Graham, have to this my last will and testament, set my hand and seal, this thirteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty seven."
His children were James, Augustine, Lewis, Charles, Morris, John, Isabella and Arabella.
James died unmarried November, 1764, from being thrown from a horse, aged 24.
Augustine married widow Mary Elizabeth Willett Van Ranst, and their children were James, (generally called "Jimmie") who married Elizabeth, daughter of "Judge Jesse Thompson" of Pine Plains, Governeur Morris, Elizabeth, and Amelia Maria, all born in Pine Plains, at the site of the Benjamin Strever residence, probably in that old house now gone. In this connection it may be stated that Miss Mary Elizabeth Willett, daughter of Cornelius and Elizabeth Willett, married first-Graham being her second husband-Cornelius Van Ranst, and the Cornelius Willett Van Ranst, of Pine Plains, was their son and only child. Augustine Graham was his father-in-law. Mr. Graham moved to Deerfield, Oneida county, N.Y., and died there, Dec. 25, 1815.
James Graham, more generally known in Pine Plains years ago as "Jimmie," born 1774, was the eldest son of Augustine Graham of Pine Plains, and the only male descendant of the Graham brothers that settled in this town. He married Elizabeth Thompson, daughter of Judge Jesse Thompson in 1798. She was born 1779. It is said he built "the stone house" under the mountain, now owned and occupied by Charles Thomas, which is on the Graham lands on Lot 27, the house and farm being in the south part of the town east of Stissing Mountain. James emigrated to Deerfield, Oneida County, N.Y., where he deceased August 29, 1855. His wife deceased in 1846. He was the last resident of the name in this town. Their children were Jane, Thompson, Julia, Abigail, Eliza and Catharine. All have deceased. Julia has left descendants in George Coventry, of Utica, N.Y. and Mrs. Wilbur McKee, of Sackett's Harbor, N.Y., each now living (1896).
Elizabeth sister to James above married John Weaver, has descendants. Amelia Maria married George L. Tisdale.
GRAHAM, Lewis, was supervisor of North East precinct in 1779, '80, '81, and '84. Was married and had a daughter Margaret who married Abraham W. Walton, who was a resident of the town for some years. Lewis Graham was one of the Judges in Westchester County, to which county he moved upon leaving Pine Plains, and deceased there.
GRAHAM, Charles, was a captain in the revolution and signally distinguished in the battle at White Plains. He was Town Clerk of North East Precinct in 1774 and '75, was unmarried, and it is said died at Pine Plains.
GRAHAM, Morris, brother to the above, all sons of James Graham and Arabella Morris, was town clerk of North East Precinct in 1772 and '3, and supervisor in 1774. He was a member of the first Provincial Congress of New York in 1775, and of all the subsequent conventions of that body, including the formation of the state constitution in 1777. In 1778 he was a member of the Assembly from this district. He never married, and died at Deerfield, Oneida County, N.Y., in 1805 or '6, at the home of his sister, Arabella Graham.
GRAHAM, John, another brother, married Julia Ogden, lived in Morrisania until 1821, then moved to New York City where he lived until his decease in 1832. They had children Lewis, Thomas, Arabella, James, Charles and Euphemia. Charles was a lawyer, married Sarah Hunter in 1809. In a letter to his Aunt Arabella in 1821 he speaks of his children Julia Matilda, John Hunter, Charles Colden, William Irving, James Lawrence and an infant not yet named. Julia Matilda, his daughter, married in 1833.
GRAHAM, Isabella, sister to the above brothers, married Jonathan Landon, their marriage license bearing date December 11, 1771. He came to Pine Plains in 1773, and was prominent as a civil officer of the town, until his death in 1815. From that branch are the present families of Thomas, the only descendants of the Grahams in this town. Their children were Richard M., Arabella who married Amos Ketcham, Ann who married Edward Thomas, (desendants now living in the town,) Mary who married John Church, and Rebecca.
GRAHAM, Arabella, sister to Isabella, above, and to the brothers, never married. Deceased in Deerfield, Oneida County, N.Y., in 1840, aged ninety. While she lived she was the encyclopedia genealogical of this Graham race. She preserved the records and remembered the traditions of the family, and it is to be doubted whether any other family in this vicinity and perhaps in the county, had as many heirlooms of ancestry and lineage in a direct and connected line so remote as was in her keeping of both fact and tradition. The most of these have passed into the possession of Mr. George Coventry, formerly of Utica, and his sister, now Mrs. Wilbur S. McKee, of Sackett's Harbor, N.Y., who are respectively Graham descendants.
In the Partition Deed of the Little Nine Partners, James Graham, son of Augustine, had among other numbered losts, number 48 and 29. Lot 48 commenced (the southwest corner) where now Myrtle Street, Pine Plains, intersects the "South Street" road, and thence north to the Columbia County line, thence east about a mile and a quarter and the same distance on the south side of the lot. Lot 47 joined it on the west, the north and south road being very nearly the boundary, and was the George Clarke lot. Lot 29 adjoined these two lots on the south nearly half on each. It was these two Graham lots, (Nos. 48 and 29,) of the seven lots that fell to James Graham in the division, that his (James') heirs selected for their respective future homes. At the decease of James Graham June 24, 1767, these lots and another one in the southeast part of the town, Lot 14, were occupied, the parties paying yearly rentals. Morris Graham, the acting executor of the will makes this accounting of moneys received in 1767 and 1768. "June 24, 1767, cash in the house at James Graham's, 42 pounds, 12s, 3p. Cash of Yonkhounce for rent, 6 pounds. (He and the following men were living on the above mentioned Graham lots in Pine Plains, and the amounts are for rent.) Cash of Melius, 4 pounds, 5s. Cash of Row, (Michael,) 6 pounds, 15. 6. Cash of Weaver, 4 pounds. Cash of Hoffman, 4 pounds. (These were for 1767.) In 1768, cash of Yonkhonce 6 pounds. Cash of Melius 6 pounds. Cash of Melius 1 pound, 15s. Cash of Hoffman 8 pounds. Cash of Row 6 pounds, 10s. Total cash received by executors 96 pounds, 17s, 9p. June 13, 1768, cash received of Mrs. Morris on interest at different times for which the executors fave bond, 300 pounds."
Morris Graham came to Pine Plains at once after his father's decease, (1767,) and had charge of all the matters pertaining to the estate until about 1772. He selected the south part of Lot No. 29 for himself, and meanwhile built the "stone house" thereon near Halcyon Lake, now used by Mr. Frank Eno as a tenantry. It was of the old colonial style, was the first and only stone house built in the town, much talked about, and now well preserved. The stone was quarried and picked from the surface of the land near by, and lime for laying them, and plastering was made in a kiln within a stone's throw by the side of the road south of the house. Its size on the ground main part is twenty-four by thirty-four.
During these years, 1767-1771, as executor for the estate, his business was principally farming and building, the latter principally being done on his "Stone House" farm. he had cattle, hogs and horses. In 1770 he drove a lot of cattle to Morrisania and for his expenses, including his own back, he charged 5 pounds, 6s, 6p. The names of parties with whom he had account from 1768 to 1771 is a bit of interesting history. They are Hanscrist Wagoner, Joseph Rodman, Joseph Jesup, Elisha Phelps, Hendrick Weaver, Alexander McIntosh, Phineas Rice, Adam Weaver, Hendrick Yonkhonce, Doctor Lewis (for corn), James Atwater (rye), Joseph Harris (blacksmith), John Woolsey (smith), Peter Van Louvan, Clement Overbaugh, Jacob Melius, Timothy Downs, John Lowe, Doctor Newberry (physician), Alexander Bryan, John Stewart (merchant), Duncan Stewart, Henry Sherburn (smith), William West, Hon. George Herrick, William Melius. This list is interesting as showing contemporaneous settlers in and near Pine Plains whose names could not be obtained from any other records.
The general settlement however, of the Graham family took place in 1773. October 18th and 19th of that year Jonathan Landon, from Westchester County-who had married Isabella Graham-made a survery, assisted by the Graham Brothers, of lot 48, one of the lots in the Little Nines allotted to James Graham, and in the November following he surveyed Lot 29, allotted also to James Graham, and subdivided each lot into farms for the respective members of the family. Morris, as already noticed, had the south part of lot 29 on which he had built his "stone house," Augustine, his brother, took the west half of the north part of the same lot which included the later known Strever Corners, where Augustine built his first house. his land extended north to the George Clarke Lot No. 47, and included the now Duchess Depot and Knickerbocker store. In addition to this Augustine had sixty acres from the south part of lot 48, commencing near the now Pokeepsie & Eastern track, from thence to near now Myrtle Street. This was known in later times as belonging to Adam and Benjamin Strever. John Graham, another brother, had the east half of the north part of Lot 29, which included the now Burnap Jordan dwelling and that part of now Daniel Pool farm east of the road passing his house, if continued on the same direction southerly. John did not live here many years, if at all. he lived in Morrisania and later in New York. The remainder of Lot 48, after taking out the sixty acres to Augustine, was divided to Lewis, Charles, Arabella and Isabella (Mrs. Landon.) Lewis had that part of Lot 48 commencing at the north line of Augustine, his brother, near the Pokeepsie & Eastern Railroad and thence north to or near the Hoffman Mill. it included all the now village of Pine Plains, including the cemetery as now. The eastern bounds were not far from the now Pokeepsie Railroad Depot, the east lilne running north parallel with the west line on the street. Pine Plains village is indebted to the Grahams for its site, and to Lewis Graham in person. he built the log block house in 1773 or '4, known later as the "Brush House," now owned by Mr. Isaiah Dibble who in 1881 put on siding and other repairs as it now appears. The frame and main partition were made from oak logs hewn square, and the house had a large entry and hall way in the center and a large room on each side of the hall. Mr. Isaac Huntting has an arm chair made by Henry Englekee from an oak log taken from the house when the repairs were made in 11881. Arabella Graham had the northwest part of Lot No. 48, commencing at the north line of Lewis Graham, thence north to the north line of the lot at the Columbia County line. She owned the Hoffman Mill property and the farm adjoining. Isabella Graham (Mrs. Landon) had the east half of Lot 48, or nearly all of it, and built a barn and house near where Robert Thomas now lives. The house is gone but the barn is there now.
Robert Thomas now owns a portion of the original Graham-Landon acres and is a discendent of Isabella Graham. This Thomas family are the only Graham descendents in the town. This Isabella Graham portion, included the first Peter Husted and Culver Tannery at Hammertown. In 1787 Jonathan Landon and Isabella sold fifty-six acres including the tannery site to Cornelius C. Elmendorph, who ten years later, 1796, sold the same to Peter husted, who soon after started a tannery.
[NOTE.-On page 104 (in this book) is mention of the bridge built at Hoffman's Mills in 1818. This was to replace one built there in 1794 according to the following account:
"May 1794, Israel Curtis, road master, Dr. . . .
"To Lewis Graham farm 68 feet timber 1 pound, 14s.
"To Isabella Graham farm 44 feet timber 1 pound, 2s.
"To 1/2 gallon and one pint rum for the raisin the bridge 5s." James Stewart and Christopher Shultz were the commissioners of highways.]
Soon after the settlement of the Grahams here as above, in 1773, came the war of the Revolution, which unsettled the settled throughout the country, and in the cause for freedom the grahams were foremost and to the front. Morris, Charles and Lewis were in the American army. During the seven years of the war or soon after, some of the family sold out. Lewis and John went to Westchester county and Morris it is said devoted a large portion of his estate, if not quite all, to the support and maintenance of the regiment of which he was Colonel. Augustine who married Mrs. Van Ranst as above, held to the ancestral acres with great tenacity, and became the principal manager of all the unsold and undivided Graham lands in the patent, concerning which he had a deal of trouble by suits of ejectment, title and possession which financially embarrassed him greatly.
April 1, 1784 the next year after the close of the revolutionary war he gave this bill of sale to his brother Morris.
"A bill of sale given by Augustine Graham to Morris Graham for the whole of his movable estate, viz.: his negro man Philip, and negro wench Salina, and her four children Joe, Robin, Jonathan and Moses, with three old cows and three heifers, two four years and one three years old, two yearlings, one a heifer and the other a steer, one two year old steer, and three old mares, wagon, plows, sleighs, harrows and all other his farming utensils. To have and to hold to the said Morris Graham, his heirs and assigns forever the above bargained premises, the full possession of which was given by delivery to the said Morris Graham, his brown mare Cate in the name of the whole. Entered and recorded the 1st day of April, 1784, in presence of Andrew White and Arabella Graham."
He remained in this town however twenty years or more afterward, living at the Strever forks of the road south of the village, where in July 1799 he built the barn 25-44, the frame being there now, having been recently sided, and October first the same year (1799) commenced building the present house there 30x35 under a contract to have it enclosed for fifty dollars he finding every thing. Down to this time he had lived in the old house a little south of the present one, which stood there until a few years since.
Five years before, he wrote this brief letter to his son "Jimmie."
"Dear James-I have just arrived last evening. I can't get a wagon to come up with me. I have brought little Jane up with me and a box with some things. I wish you would make it convenient to come down to Homes' with a wagon for me and you will much oblige your father and friend. AUGUSTINE GRAHAM. Mr. James Graham. July ye 14, 1795" "Little Jane" was a daughter of Cornelius Van Ranst.
HAM, Martin, is said to have been the first settler of the name in this town. He and John Houghtaling as partners purchased about 1,200 acres on Lot 46, Little Nine Partners, in 1769. This tract is west of the village about a mile and a half, some of which is now owned by Roabert Ham, a descendant, and another portion is the Levi Best farm now in that family. A short distance northwesterly from the now Best residence is the old "Ham House," 22x32 with lean-to, said to have been built about 1780, and was the residence of Frederick Ham, Sen., a son of Martin. Martin Ham and Margaret had sons 1st, John, 2d, Frederick, 3d, Jacob, 4th, Peter.
John had sons, 1st, Frederick, and 2d, Martin, who emigrated to Greene County, near Cairo.
Frederick had sons 1st, John the father of Richard and Wandell, 2d, Jacob, father of Frederick and Henry, 3d, Peter, father of Frederick T., 4th, Frederick (Captain), who emigrated to Claverack, Columbia County, and left many descendants in that county. Frederick, the father of the above, was many years a prominent farmer, and the most prominent of the name in the town. His business life was from 1780 to about 1824. In addition to the sons above he had daughters Mary, Elizabeth, Margaret, Hannah, Phebe, Caty and Rebecca. To rear and care for so many children to honorable manhood and womanhood, who later brought thrift and happiness to many hearth stones and good to society, in his humble special occupation (farming) and not lack meanwhile for competence, is a consummation honorable and praiseworthy, and one not all can reach. He was many years an elder in the Greenbush Vedder church, and filled all the duties pertaining to his family, his neighbor and his God.
Jacob, third son of Martin above, settled on the Levi Best farm above mentioned. Had no children.
Peter, fourth son of Martin, born February 12, 1763, deceased November 5, 1844, had sons John, Jacob, Jeremiah, Derrick, Frederick, Robert and Benjamin. Robert his son is now (1897) living in the paternal homestead house built in 1792 and since repaired. He is now, 1897, ninetythree. The ancestor was one of the German Palatines.
HARRIS, John, the first of the name in the town, was the son of John harris and Rachel Moss, of Wallingford or Derby, Conn., later of Cornwall, and later of "Oblong," son of Daniel Harris and Abigail Barnes of Middletown, Conn., son of Daniel Harris and Mary Weld, of Boston, Mass., son of Thomas Harris and Elizabeth, who came from England previous to 1630. John Harris, above, was the founder of the "Harris Scythe" industry in Pine Plains, although not the first maker of the Harris scythe. The church relations of this branch were Congregational, John the father being a deacon in the church in Cornwall previous to his immigration to the Oblong about 1750. In 1753 he signed a petition to have Rev. Abraham Reinke, a Moravian preacher, returned to the mission near Sharon. John Harris was born in Derby in April, 1744. His father deceased when he was about fourteen, and his mother soon after married David Owen, of Salisbury. John then went to his Uncle, Joseph Harris, then a blacksmith at the Andrus Rowe Corners, about a mile north of the now Shacameco Station on the N.D. & C. Railroad. He married Mary Gamble about 1770. She was born February 25, 1752. Their children were Mary, born January 10, 1774, John, Jr., born November 2, 1776, Rachel, born February 23, 1778, Hannah, born February 27, 1780, Israel, born march 23, 1782, Lois, born March 2, 1784, Elizabeth, born July 25, 1788, Eunice born 1790, Ann born ---?, James born 1794. Mary married Judah Thompson and settled in Washington County, N.Y. John, Jr., married Elisabeth ----? of Salisbury, Conn., in 1794, where his eldest son, James Harvey, was born November 3, 1795, and a second son John, September 7, 1798. John the father deceased at Lambsgreen, England, February 6, 1798, in his 23d year. Rachel married Eliakim Lapham, son of Parzi Lapham, of Stanford, Duchess County. They were married at the Harris Mill homestead in Pine Plains by Judge Jesse Thompson, January 5, 1800, ssettled first in Columbia County on a farm adjoining Martin Van Buren, later moved to Stuyvesant, and later to Penn Yan, N.Y., where they have descendants. Hannah, born at Andrus Rowe Corners, married John W. Righter, of Pine Plains. They have descendants now living in the town in Mr. John Righter and children. Israel married Phebe Barker, October 28, 1808, daughter of Col. William Barker, of Amenia and Chloe Bronson, a daughter of John Bronson. Lois married Periam Thompson, of Washington County, N. Y., nephew of Judah Thompson, the husband of mary. Elisabeth married James G. Husted, April 18, 1821. She deceased March 10, 1869. They have descendants now lining on the borders of Stanford and Pine Plains in the wife and children of Mulford Conklin. Eunice married Cyrus Burnap of Pine Plains in November 1820. She deceased October 22, 1821. Ann married Henry Knapp, of Broome County, N.Y. James never married, deceased at Penn Yan 1871. John Harries, the father of these, deceased November 27, 1814. His widow, Mary, deceased in Pine Plains December 20, 1834. Israel Harris, of the above family, was the only brother that lived in the town. He was commendably prominent in the town officially and as a citizen. He held many town offices when North East included now Pine Plains and Milan, was the last supervisor of North East and Pine Plains united-Milan having been set off-and was the first supervisor of now Pine Plains. He was a member of the legislature in 1820-21. July 1, 1818, he was appointed Colonel of the 20th Regiment of the New York State Militia. He deceased in Pine Plains at the old house (now repaired) near the Harris saw mill, March 4, 1831, in his 49th year. He married as above and had children John J., William Barker, Israel Victor, Silas Gamble, Myron, Eunice and Mary. In 1836 or '7 John J. and William B. emigrated to Liverpool, near Syracuse, N.Y., wher they jointly had purchased a farm. They lived together on this farm until the decease of John in 1864. Each was highly esteemed. Politically they were decided republicans, William taking an active part in the "Jerry Rescue" scheme, as it was called. He was decided in his opinions, and made many political speeches. The two brothers were members of the Presbyterian church, William being a deacon thirty years. John deceased at Liverpool, December 13, 1864, and William deceased there November 11, 1866. William left two children, a daughter and son. Adell the daughter married Philip Coons, and liver (1897) at Pontiac, Ill. William, the son, lives at Bathgate, North Dacotah, and is the only descendant (1897) of this Israel Harris family bearing the name. Israel Victor, Silas Gamble and Myron, the other sons of Israel Harris, emigrated to Western Michigan from 1837 to 1839. Silas and Israel Victor settled in Grand Rapids. Silas, on a return visit to Pine Plains in 1851, had an attack of typhoid fever and deceased at the home of Col. Silas Harris August 4th, that year. Israel Victor deceased in Grand Rapids, Michigan, october 17, 1886, aged 71. he and Silas were bachelors. Myron settled on a farm near Grand Rapids where he deceased 1880. He married and has descendants, a daughter Myra, the wife of Mr. Burnap Jordan, who lives on one of the Israel Harris homesteads, being one of them. Eunice, one of the daughters of Israel Harris married Henry Akin, December 28, 1841, emigrated to lockport, Ill., and in 1843 settled on a farm, where she and her husband lived until 1875, then moved to Vermillion County, Ill., and from thence in 1881 to Fort Collins, Colorado, where she deceased February 16, 1896, aged 72. She was an estimable woman and has left many descendants. mary, the other and youngest daughter of Israel Harris, married William Herrick, of Salt Point, Duchess County. She is the only one living (1897) of the sons and daughters of Israel Harris. Her husband is living, each are infirm, and they have one daughter.
HARRIS, Seth, son of Joseph, of another branch of this family tree was cousin to John Harris the scythe maker. He married Isabella Gamble, sister to the wife of John, emigrated to Burlington, Vermont, where his wife deceased. He emigrated from thence to Kingsbury, N.Y., and from thence to Pine Plains about 1810, and took an interest in the Harris Scythe manufacture. He had sons, Silas and John, and a daughter Elisabeth, who was said to have been a beautiful and accomplished woman. Seth Harris married 2d Susan Husted, a daughter of Peter and Polly Husted, and had two daughters Susan and Mary. Susan married a Mr. Ayres of Elmira, N.Y., has descendants, and Mary married Ambrose Smith son of Isaac Smith, Esq., of a Pine Plains family. Seth Harris deceased at Hammertown, Pine Plains, February 2, 1842, in his 80th year.
HARRIS, Silas, son of Seth, married Maria, daughter of Edward Puggsley, had two daughters Margaret and Mary. Margaret married Mr. John Luqueer and deceased without descendants. Mary married Mr. Theodore Pomeroy of Pittsfield and deceased leaving three daughters, Fanny, Margaret and May; and one son, Silas H.. They have descendants, none of whom live in Pine Plains.
HARRIS, John, brother to Silas, married Hannah Righter, had children Walter, Stickle, Hiram and possibly others. He deceased in Albany.
HARTWELL, Niles, son of Abraham Hartwell and Mary Lawrence of Spencers Corners neighborhood, North East, came to Pine Plains in 1810 or '11, as clerk for Hoffman & Winchell in the old red store on the now Charles Morgan Corner. He was born July 29, 1782, and married Mary Winchell, a daughter of Philo Winchell, and had daughters Mary, Julia and Chloe. Chloe married John F. Hull, for many years a cashier of the Fallkill Bank, Pokeepsie. He has descendants now, 1897, living there. Mr. Hartwell was in the Hoffman and Winchell store until their dissolution in 1821 or '2, Mr. Hoffman retiring, when he became a partner with Mr. Winchell, under the firm "Winchell & Hartwell." They continued until 1832, when Mr. Hartwell retired from the firm and commenced merchandising on his own account in the store on the now Bowman Opera House corner. [This store was the old school house building, which stood nearly opposite the now Philip Piester residence, and was moved to the corner and converted into a store by Henry Hoffman, Esq., about 1826, he having purchased the lease of Ebenener Dibblee at public sale of his estate on Tuesday, March 14, 1826. It was on the George Clarke land, and on the "Dibblee farm," which he, Ebenezer Dibblee, had secured by lease from Clarke during two lives, dated October 2, 1797, cantaining one hundred and thirty-three acres and three quarters of land. Mr. Hoffman sold this lease to Justus Boothe, May 1, 1829, for eighteen hundred dollars. John Peter Keeler was the first merchant in the store, was there in 1826, '7, '8 and '9, and was succeeded by a man named Westover, who failed in 1830 or '31.]
Mr. Hartwell remained in this store until about 1842, when Mr. Winchell retired from merchandising in the old red store on the Morgan corner, and Mr. Hartwell moved into the store building Mr. Winchell had vacated. At this time David Dykeman became partner, the firm being Hartwell & Dykeman. The next year, December 20, 1843, Niles Hartwell deceased and about a year later Mr. Dykeman deceased. Mr. Hartwell and family were members of the Baptist church, and their breaking up was a great loss to the church and community.
HOLBROOK, Nicholas, came to Pine Plains as clerk for Hoffman & Winchell in 1810 or '11, and remained one year. June 2, 1819, he entered a store for himself on the southeast corner at Pulvers Corners, under a lease from Peter W. Pulver, at an annual rental of one hundred and twentyfive dollars. Mr. Holbrook had advanced forty dollars on this year's rent March 16, previous. This store building had been a store and tavern at the now Mulford Wheeler corners, and kept by Jonas Myers. He was succeeded by his sons, by his first marriage, James and Jonas. They were succeeded by Peter Johns who had married Elizabeth Conklin, daughter of Eleazer Conklin. Johns later emigrated to West Stockbridge, where he deceased. Richard Messenger succeeded, and then Mr. Holbrook for a short time, when, in the early spring of 1819, Peter W. Pulver purchased the building and moved it to Pulvers Corners for Mr. Holbrook, and had it ready for occupancy June first, accordiing to a written contract between Pulver and Holbrook. According to the contract Mr. Holbrook had the annual option of the store for five years. He remained there to and inclucing 1826. In 1827 he moved to North East Center where he continued merchandising until his decease. A door handle was on his store there stamped "N.H. 1827," made by Austin Stocking, a blacksmith at Pulvers Corners. His wife was Rachel Deuell, daughter of Jonathan Deuell, and sister to Samuel Deuell of Pine Plains. They had two children, Newton and Rachel. Newton for many recent years was a merchant at Lithgow, where he deceased and has descendants. Rachel, the duaghter, highly esteemed, is still living (1897). Eliakim Lapham and his son John Harris Lapham succeeded Holbrook in the store at Pulvers Corners.
HAMMOND, Henry R., Was supervisor in 1841 and 1842.
HOAG, Charles, son of John and Mercy Hoad, of the town of Washington, Duchess County, came to Pine Plains in 1798. His wife was Betsey Denton, daughter of James and Deborah Denton. Their children were Anna, John, James, Henry, Phebe, Ezra, Benjamin, Deborah and Mary. Ezra married Roxana, daughter of Joshua Culver, of Pine Plains, and is the only one of the family having descendants in this vicinity. John has descendants bearing the name living in Clinton, in this county, and Anna, who married Harris Smith, has descendants living in Pokeepsie.
HOAG, Robert, was a son of Isaiah Hoag and Dorothy Green, who were early residents of the town of Dover in the neighborhood of "Titus' Store." Isaiah was born in 1757, deceased 1819. His wife was born in 1760, deceased in 1827. They had thirteen children of whom Robert was one, born October 10, 1790, and Tripp was another, born October 10, 1794. Tripp Hoag was well known in this town sixty years ago as an accomplished carpenter workman, and as a landlord at the now Ketterer Hotel.
About 1812 Robert married Phebe Pugsley, daughter of William Pugsley, and moved to a farm in Ghent, Columbia county, where his eldest daughter, mary Annette was born, who subsequently was the wife of Elias Titus, a manufacturer of woolen goods at his factory, eight or nine miles from Pokeepsie. In 1816 Mr. Hoag came to now Pine Plains town and settled on the now John Righter farm on the Clarke land northwest of the Hoffman Mills, where he lived until the spring of 1833, his brother Harvery succeeding him. Here his children Frances Eliza, William Pugsley, Jane, Catharine and Edward were born. Dr. Hoag, of Millerton, is a son of William P., above, and Frances E. is the wife of Edmund P. Carpenter, of Amenia. In 1820, on this farm, Mr. Hoag received a certificate for growing the largest amount of corn on one acre in the county, of which this is a copy:
"This is a certify that Robt. Hoag of the Town of North East, has this day exhibited to the DUCHESS COUNTY SOCIETY for promoting AGRICULTURE and DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES, the best acre of Indian Corn being one hundred and twenty-eight bushels and twenty-five quarts, for which he has received the Society's Premium, being a piece of Plate worth Twenty Dollars. May this evidence of merit stimulate him and his neighbors to excel at the ensuing anniversary. November 3, 1820 ISAAC SMITH, President, WILLIAM BROOM, Secretary.
The bottom of the certificate has an engraving of an agricultural display of cattle, sheep, a small foot spinning wheel, and harvesting with sickles. In the middle stands George Washington leaning on his plow handles, surrounded by a wreath, from the top of which floats the motto, Venerate The Plough.
Mr. Hoag moved from this farm and settled on the farm north of Smithfield church about 1834, now owned by Mr. Isaac S. Carpenter. There his wife deceased in 1859. Some years later, his family being broken and scattered, he made his home with his daughter, Mrs. E. P. Carpenter, south of The City corners, Amenia, where he deceased August 7, 1881, in his 91st year.
HICKS, families of Pine Plains are descendants of Robert, who came to America from England in the ship Fortune, which landed at Plymouth, Mass., in 1621. He was a leather dresser in Bermondesey Street, South work, London. His father, James Hicks, was lineally descended from Elias Hicks, who was kinghted by Edward the Black Prince, son of Edward III, at the great battle of Poitiers, September 19, 1356, for capturing a set of colors from the French. Margaret, wife of Robert Hicks, came to America a year later, on the ship Ann, and with her husband settled in Duxbury, Mass. John, one of their sons, settled on Long Island about 1642, and was prominent later as a leading man in the early settlement of Flushing. He was the lineral ancestor of the families in this town, down to Benjamin, the sixth generation, each having a large family. Commencing with Robert, 1st, the line is Robert, John, Thomas, Jacob, Joseph, Benjamin. The mother of Benjamin was Catharine Filkins, the second wife of Joseph. Benjamin married Deborah Doty, and with other brothers bought a large tract of land about the middle of the last century on the west side of Stissing Mountain (then in Little Nine Partners) and the settlement was called "Hicks Hill." The children of Benjamin and Deborah Doty and their marriages were, Elias married Charlotte (Lotty) Rowe; Amy married Nathan Case; Sarah married Frederick Couse, Elisabeth married Samuel Wilbur; Joseph married Lucy Germond; Benjamin married Hannah Couse; David married Mary Gildersleeve; Deborah married Lewis Torry; Anna married Peter Moore. Of these Benjamin succeeded to the paternal homestead on Hicks Hill, (his father built the old house) where his children were born. They were Samuel I., Uri, George, Anna, Edward, Zayde Ann, Asa, Catharine, Elisabeth, Perry and Benjamin. Descendants from some of these are now living in the town and elsewhere. Samuel I., above, in January, 1841, married Eliza Ann Link and succeeded to the homestead, where in 1878 he built a commodious dwelling on an eminence near the old house his grandfather had built over a century before. Here his wife deceased March 4, 1894, aged 73, and he March 8, 1894, aged 79. They had a life of industry, competence and good cheer, and a friendly welcome for all. He held many offices of trust in Pine Plains in which town he lived. He had six children, four sons and two daughters. Willard, one of the sons, lives near the old homestead and is owner of a portion of the ancestral acres. Uri Hicks, brother to Samuel I., has always been a resident of the town, and is now living about three miles west of the village.
HOFFMAN, Hanrick, son of a Palatine, is the town ancestor of the name, and settled in North East Precinct, in the now town of Pine Plains, previous to 1768. His wife was Sybil Magdalena Yonkhonce, written also Yonghaus, born in 1722. He was born in 1719. They were communicants at the Round Top church at Bethel from is first recorded communion, June 4, 1763, continuously to its last recorded communion, May 20, 1787, with scarcely an absence, and were sponsors to many baptisms in this church. He had three sons, Henry, Matthias and Anthony, and a daughter who married a Tallmage, who lived in Scatacook, had children, and later emigrated to Ohio where the family became prominent. About two years after his last communion he deceased, February 4, 1789, in his 70th year and she July 26, 1805, aged 83. They were buried in Round Top Cemetery west of the road opposite the old church, and a marble head-stone, in good preservation, now stands at the head of their respective graves. It was fitting they should be buried near the altar, where they had so long been wont to offer sacrifice.
HOFFMAN, Henry, Esquire, son of Hanrick, above, was born January 6, 1761, and from his manhood to the close of his business life, no man in Pine Plains, contemporaneous, had so many business connections with different enterprises all at the same time. In 1784 he was possessed of the George Barton farm near Ancram lead Mines, where, about 1803, he commenced merchandising, Aaron E. Winchell being the store manager. he had previously started a blacksmith shop there, under the management of Luther Stebbins, which in June, 1803, hammer and tongs and all was moved to the Hoffman Mill property, about a mile north of Pine Plains village, which he and his brother Matthias had jointly purchased in 1801. Matthias was owner of a portion of the George Barton farm, and May 2, 1807, Henry purchased his interest in the Hoffman Mill property, and also his interest in the Barton farm, and moved to the Hoffman Mills, in 1807 or '8, where in 1812 he built the large farm dwelling and barn there, the barn having been repaired. In 1817, he purchased the woolen factory at "Separate," and his son-in-law, Walter Dorchester, was a partner. In 1820 he purchased the Mount Ross Mill property, and his son Henry, Jr., and son-in-law, Jeremiah Conklin, were managers and lived there. In 1826 he purchased the lease of Ebenezer Dibblee, deceased, of the George Clarke farm, and put a store on the now opera house corner, which was later occupied by Niles Hartwell, but Mr. Hoffman was not a partner. He was a partner with Aaron E. Winchell in the store on the Charles Morgan corner from the time of his coming there, in 1810, or '11, to their dissoulution, August 1, 1819.
In these manifold business enterprises his fidelity to his church (Lutheran) meanwhile was unclouded. He was a member of Round Top Society, where his father was, his first communion being on Pinkster fast Sunday, May 19, 1782, and when in 1815 the "Union Meeting House" of Pine Plains as a union of four denominations was built, he stood to the front and almost alone to preserve the Lutheran interest which he principally maintained until near his decease. he deceased at his home, at Hoffman Mills, 1840 aged 80. He married Catharine Vetterlee (erroneous Featherly) and their children were: Margaret, married Rowland Sweet of Copake; Caty, Alanor married Walter Dorchester, Henry married Almira Culver, daughter of Joshua Culver; Polly married Jeremiah Conklin; Betsey married George Barton; Laura married Artumus Sackett; Anthony married a daughter of Dr. Leonard Barton. There are many descendants by these marriages near by and far away.
HOFFMAN, Anthony, son of the above, succeeded to the Hoffman Mill preoperty and was for many years a prominent man in the town. He deceased on the homestead. Has no descendants bearing the name.
HOFFMAN, Henry, Jun., son of Henry above, married as above. Settled first at the Mount Ross Mills, later on the farm near Bethel, known as the Isaac Halleck farm, where he deceased. Has descendants living in this vicinity, mrs. mary Bryan and family near Shacameco Station, being of this branch.
HOFFMAN, Matthias-"Tice"-brother to henry Hoffman, Esquire, above, first settlled on the "Barton farm" near Ancram Lead Mines, with or near his brother Henry. He came from thence to the Hoffman Mills, in 1801, and from thence in 1807, or near that to the Ten Eyck farm, two miles south-west of Pine Plains, where he deceased. His wife was Anna Maria Strever. Had children Henry, Maria, Magdalena, possibly others.
HEDGES, Josiah, son of Daniel Hedges and Jerusha Huntting, of East Hampton, L.I., was the first of the name in the town. His sister, Jerusha, was the first wife of Isaiah Dibble, who lived on the now Samuel Tanner farm near Betel. Josiah Hedges in 1803 married Elisabeth (Betsey) Dibble, sisster to Isaiah. In 1810 he settled on the "Hedges farm," near Mount Ross, where he deceased in 1843. His widow deceased there in 1851. They had two children, Mary Elisabeth and Lewis D. Mary married Isaac Smith, of Pine Plains. he deceased on the Hedges farm in 1844, and she lived there until 1890, Then moved to near Silvernail's Station, Columbia County, where she deceased in 1890. She has many descendants.
HEDGES, Lewis D., son of Josiah above, was a popular and successful merchant and highly esteemed citizen at Pine Plains for many years, and deceased there in 1859. He married Miss Mary Pulver, daughter of Andreas Pulver. She is living, 1897, in the village, and they have descendants.
HEDGES, William, a prominent man and farmer in the town, wife, Phebe Gifford, is son of Daniel Hedges, another branch of the name. He liver near Mount Ross and has descendants. John Hedges, now a merchant in the village, is a son of his.
HUESTEAD, Ebenezer, (modern orthography Husted) of Huguenot ancestry, was the first of the name in this locality. The Husteds settled in now Stanford which town was taken from Washington in 1793, and in 1798 and '99, Joseph, Asher, Ananias, Ebenezer, Jethro, Reuben, Caleb, Nicholas and Matthew, each a Husted, lived in Stanford. Of these Ebenezer is the only one to my knowing of the lineage I am tracing. Ebenezer Huestead, above, came from Horseneck, Fairfield County, Conn. There were many settlers there by that name, Angell Heusted being one of the "27 Proprietors of 1672." Ebenezer purchased a farm of Isaac Thorne in 1750 on Lot 26, Great Nine Partners, then in the Precinct of "Crom Elbow