USA > New York > Westchester County > Rye > Chronicle of a border town : history of Rye, Westchester county, New York, 1660-1870, including Harrison and the White Plains till 1788 > Part 52
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For the descendants of James and Timothy Wetmore and their sisters, see 'The Wetmore Family of America and its Collateral Branches,' by James Carnahan Wetmore : Albany, Munsell & Row- land, 1861 : pp. 220-281.
WEISSENFELS, Frederic de [Friedrich von ] ; see pp. 79, 223-224. He was captain of Company I, First Regiment New York Continental troops, August 4, 1775. (American Archives, fourth series, vol. iii. p. 23.) The New York Provincial Congress, February 1776, nominated ' Frederick Van Weisenfels for major' in one of the four regiments to be raised for the colony of New York. (Ibid. vol. v. p. 317.) In April, he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel in Colonel Nicholson's Regiment ; ' Headquarters before Quebec, April 15, 1776.' (Ibid. p. 949.) No- vember 26, 1776, he received three thousand pounds bounty money. July 9, 1790, the State of New York gave him three thousand acres, military bounty lands. (Balloting Book, p. 66.)
WILCOX. Isaac, mentioned 1741, 1742. Samuel, mentioned 1750.
WILLIS. Richard was here in 1747 ; on King Street, 1752-1753. James is mentioned 1766 ; John, 1774.
WILLETT, 'Mr. William Willett' is mentioned 1728-1738 ; called ' Col.' in 1739, and 1750-1761, when he filled the office of supervisor. In 1762, ' Wm. Willett gent. and Alice his wife' sell ' his farm which he bought in 1743 from Joseph Brundige,' one hundred and ten acres in Harrison. Cornelius was of the Purchase, 1755-1756. According to the pedigree given by Mr. Bolton, William and Cornelius were sons of William, who died in 1733, and brothers of Isaac, high sheriff of Westchester County, 1737-1766.
497
WILLSON.
WILLSON. I. Samuel was the first of the family who settled in this town or in Greenwich. He was probably a son of Jeremiah Willson and Mary his wife, of New Shoreham or Block Island, who died in 1740, a son of Samuel of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, one of the freemen of 1655, who died in 1682, aged sixty years. Samuel came from Rhode Island in or previous to the year 1710, and settled on the place now owned by John B. Haight on King Street. His wife was Susannah Og- den. He died early in the year 1751, and the inventory of his estate as returned by the appraisers May 14, 1751, amounted to £13,478 5s. 102d., of which £9,015 was real estate. His wife Susannah died in 1770. Children : Samuel, Joseph, William ; Susannah, married Kniffen of Rye; and Mary, married Roger Lyon of North Castle. William was under twenty-one in 1751, and died in 1763, unmarried.
II. 1. Samuel,2 son of Samuel, married Phobe Lyon, and lived on the place now owned by the Misses Willson on King Street, where he died July 2, 1756. Phœbe his wife died January 29, 1770. Children : Samuel, Benjamin, Justus, Jotham, Andrew, Roger, Thomas, and Susan- nah, who married Gabriel Many, and lived at Amsterdam, New York ; all under twenty-one years of age at the time of the death of their father in 1756.
2. Joseph,2 was born August 30, 1726, and lived on King Street. He married first, Eunice Brown, and second, Susannah Willson (here- after named), and died June 15, 1811. His children were, of the first marriage : Nehemiah, born June 26, 1751; Mary, born February 27, 1755 ; and Susannah, born January 8, 1762.
Susannah,3 married Nathan Merritt, and lived at New Castle, where she died March 22, 1838.
Mary,3 married first, Samuel Brown, and second, James Green, and died November 17, 1838. She lived at Rye and Greenwich.
III. 1. Samuel,3 son of Samuel,2 married a daughter of Daniel New- man, and moved to Somers before the war.
2. Benjamin,3 son of Samuel,2 married Polly Kniffen, and lived at Rye on the place now owned by William E. Ward till about the year 1794, then on the place now owned by George P. Weeks till about the year 1800, when he moved to Oxford, New York. Children : Gertrude, married Hobby Adee, of Rye ; Phoebe, married Charles Leggett, of Saratoga; Charity, married David Lyon, of Greenwich ; Susannah, born July 23, 1770, married first, Joseph Willson (before named), March 17, 1794, and second, Jesse Slawson, May 13, 1813, and died August 9, 1827, leaving one son, Willson D. Slawson ; Benjamin, mar- ried Phobe Merritt, of Rye, and removed to Chenango County ; Kniffen, married Ruth Morey, of Chenango County, where he lived ; and Daniel, married Abigail Miller, of Greenwich, and moved to Che- nango County.
32
498
1
FAMILIES OF RYE.
3. Justus,3 son of Samuel,2 moved to Amenia, Dutchess County, married Elizabeth -, and died in 1781, leaving no children.
4. Jotham,3 son of Samuel,2 married Mary Brundage, and lived on King Street, where he died November 18. 1811, in the sixty-fifth year of his age. His wife died October 21, 1800, aged forty-six years. There was one child of this marriage, Jotham, born February 2, 1774.
5. Andrew,3 son of Samuel,? was a Friend, and resided at Nine Partners, Dutchess County.
6. Roger,3 son of Samuel.3 His father in his will directs his sons Samuel and Benjamin, when they come of age to support ' Roger, being lame and unable to support himself.' And his mother in her will gives him the ' bed whereon he now lieth.'
7. Thomas,3 son of Samuel,2 married Ruth Merritt, and lived on King Street ; died May 3, 1812, aged fifty-six years. His wife died July 20, 1822, aged sixty-three years. Children: Elizabeth, born Sep- tember 2, 1776, married Knapp Park, and died December 18, 1856; Thomas M., and James.
8. Nehemiah,3 son of Joseph,2 married Sarah Pierce, of Block Isl- and, and lived on King Street, where he died January 24, 1814. Chil- dren : Eunice, born November 23, 1784, and Desire, born March 26, 1789. Nehemiah Willson was highly esteemed by his neighbors. He was prominent in town affairs, and often represented his town in the General Assembly. Eunice + married Elias Peck, and died April 26, 1865. Desire 4 married Daniel Haight, and lived on King Street, where she died April 19, 1856.
IV. 1. Jotham,4 son of Jotham,3 married Sarah Green, and died October 22, 1828. Children : Mary, married Lewis Haight, now liv- ing near Binghamton, N. Y .; James, now living on King Street ; Nancy, married Aaron Wakeman, of Lewisboro'; Thomas, deceased ; Ann, married Caleb Huestis, of Greenwich ; Samuel, deceased ; John B., now living at Greenwich ; and Sarah, married first, John Finley, and second, William H. Craft, now living on King Street.
2. Thomas M.,4 son of Thomas,3 born January 2, 1782, married Elizabeth Saekett, and died December 10, 1824. Children : Elizabeth and Mary, now living on the homestead ; and Sarah, married Elkanah Rundle, of Greenwich.
3. James,4 son of Thomas,3 was the late Dr. Willson, of Rye ; born November 13, 1785, married Elizabeth Willis, and died November 19, 1862. Sons : James, deceased ; Thomas, of New York; and Henry, late of Baltimore, deceased.
WILSON. 'John and Marie Wilson of Rye in the Province of New York' petitioned the General Court of Connecticut, in May, 1703, to have three hundred acres of land in Greenwich, formerly belonging to Thomas Lyon, deceased, returned to them. Samuel and Joseph, sons of Thomas Lyon, were ordered to satisfy their claim. (Public
499
WILLY. - YEOMANS.
Records of Conn., iv. 424.) In October, 1705, the Lyons not re- sponding, execution was issued by the Court. (Ibid. 530.)
John Wilson in 1722 sold land in 'Limpen Will's purchase, on the east side of the colony line.'
WILLY. Thomas, of White Plains, in 1741 bought forty-five acres in that purchase.
WOOLSEY, William, witness in 1724.
WORDEN. Valentine, was living on King Street 1742-1744. James, 1812. Amos, 1814.
Samuel, and Thankful his wife, had children : Mary, born June 10, 1735 ; Phobe, born February 11, 1737 ; Rebecca, born February 21, 1740; Amy, born December 23, 1747 ; Mercy, born January 31, 1755 ; Isaac, born November 4, 1759. Isaac, son of Samuel and Thankful, had children : James, born September 1, 1786; Charity, born April 22, 1789 ; Amos, born October 21, 1791; Henry, born August 17, 1794; Nathanael Cameron, born July 31, 179 -; Margaret B., born March 4, 1801. (Family Record.) Charity married Edward Hare, and had one son, James, now of Harrison ; she died February 10, 1871. Margaret B. is the wife of Jonathan H. Gedney.
YEOMANS, Christopher, was living at White Plains in 1721. Eleazar, witness in 1727, bought land on Brown's Point, in Harrison, 1739-1741, and in 1744 sold to John Horton his 'house, barn, and corn-mill in White Plains.'
CLARK. Ebenezer Clark (see pp. 351, 367) was born in Walling ford, Conn., January 15, 1769, and removed in early manhood to the city of New York. He married, July 1794, Ann Marselis, born in New York, March 5, 1769. Mr. Clark came to Rye May 10, 1821. He resided first for two years in the house afterwards Dr. Willson's, and next for two years on the ' Marquand Place,' after which he bought the property on the road to Milton now owned by Mr. Mathews ; and in 1836 built the house opposite the Presbyterian Church, where he spent his last days. He died September 15. 1847, aged seventy-eight years and eight months. Mrs. Clark died August 25, 1856, aged eighty- seven years and five months. They had two sons : Andrew, and Dan- iel, who died young ; and five daughters : Eliza, Maria, Matilda, Catha- rine A. (died young), and Catharine A.
Andrew Clark, son of Ebenezer, married Charity Shirly. Son : Eb- enezer; daughters : Anna, who married George A. Knower ; and Ma- tilda. Andrew died July 8, 1863.
Maria. second daughter of Ebenezer, married Rev. Williams II. Whit- temore (see pp. 348, 367). Sons : Williams, Edward, John Howard ; daughter : Emma.
500
FAMILIES OF RYE.
Matilda, third daughter, married Edward L. Parsons. Sons : John E., William H., Arthur W., jr .; daughters: Anna Matilda, Emma (died young), and Mary.
Catharine A., youngest daughter, married Arthur W. Parsons. Daughter : Emma.
Mention has been made (page 352) of Mr. Clark's exertions to pro- vide a suitable house of worship for the congregation of which he was an honored member and ruling elder. This church -the building soon to be vacated for the larger one now in process of construction - was erected on the site of that built in 1793. The corner-stone was laid on Tuesday, September 28, 1841, by the pastor, Rev. Edward D. Bryan, Rev. Drs. Krebs and Dickinson of New York participating in the service. The dedication of the new church took place on the twenty-eighth of June, 1842, Dr. Dickinson officiating. The entire cost of the edifice was six thousand dollars, of which amount more than five thousand dollars were given by Mr. Clark and his family.
WILLIAM H. PARSONS, President of the Westchester County Bible Society from 1891 to 1905.
APPENDIX.
I. RECORDS OF STREETS AND HIGHWAYS.
1672-1857.
W E have seen (Chapter XVI.) that, shortly after the settlement of the town, persons were appointed by the General Court of Con- necticut to lay out highways in Rye. One of these doubtless was the 'country road,' to which we have devoted some attention. There are three or four other roads which we hear of soon after this order of 1672, and which may have been opened as thoroughfares about the same time, though already used as paths through the forest.
The BEACH ROAD we suppose to be the very oldest of our highways. Originally, perhaps, an Indian trail like the ' old Westchester Path ' 1 leading from the wigwams on the coast to the opposite side of the Neck, it was the way for our planters to go from the . Old Town'- Hastings or Manussing Island - to Mr. Budd's new mill at the head of Blind Brook Creek. We have no record of the opening of the Beach Road ; but it is often mentioned as a boundary of early allotments of land. Several of the first town-lots were laid out here. This was un- doubtedly ' the path as we go to the old town plot,' spoken of in 1680 and afterward.
By the middle of the last century, this road appears to have become in a measure disused. Two proprietors had acquired all the lands on either side of it, and an attempt was made to close it as a public high- way. April 9, 1750, a survey was made of a certain road running from ' the road which goes down to ye Milston Landing, to ye Flatts,' between the land of Ezekiel Halsted and Major Hachaliah Brown. It is de- the Exterie scribed as ' beginning at a Crabb tree, and running two rods southward to Bumpos old house,' etc. Permission is granted to Hachalial Brown and Ezekiel Halsted ' to keep swing gates ' for said road .? It remained
1 An examination of the records of deeds relating to lands in the lower part of this county, would perhaps enable us to trace the course of the old Westchester Path with some precision. The tract afterwards known as the manor of FORDHAM was described in 1668 as beginning ' from Westchester old foot path by the Boggy swamp.' and thence running southerly two miles, 'bounded east by Brunxes River and west by Harlem river.' "( Elias Doughty to John Archer: Abstract of Title of the ministers, elders, and deacons of the R. P. D. Church to the Manor of Fordham.)
The petition of certain inhabitants of Rye in 1720, for a patent, confirms our surmise that the Westchester Path was the northern boundary of the First Purchase on l'eningo Neck. See page 515.
2 County Records, White Plains, vol. G. p. 407.
rws
502
APPENDIX.
thus closed for fifteen years, at the end of which time a return was made with reference to this road, which established it as a public high- way for all time to come.
' West Chester County. In Rye. A Return made this 27th September 1765 of a regulation of a highway, upon complaint made to us by a considerable number of inhabitants in Rye, for a road leading to Lyons Mill towards the Gut, we order the gate erected on said road to the Gut southerly of Ezekiel Halsted's house, to be taken down, and that no other gate on the road towards said place called the Gut shall at any time hereafter be there erected by any person whatsoever, but that said road to the Gut shall be an open road, and that from said gate to the bank along the north side of said Halsted's fence of two rods width, until it comes down to the bank against the Flatts, thence upon said bank four rods wide northerly until it comes to the Burying hill over the highest part of said bank thence four rods west from the north side of the road that now is, until it comes to said Gut to be an open highway from the road to Lyons mill down to said Gut as aforesaid. Rye.
Witness our hands in NATHAN BROWN GABRIEL LYNCH JOHN THOMAS JR.' 1
The MILTON ROAD, as we have seen elsewhere, was the main street of our village, as laid out about the year 1663. This we suppose to have been the Peningo Path, mentioned in one of the early Indian deeds of Rye,2 leading from the old Westchester Path, about where the present Ridge Road begins, down into Peningo Neck, and to the Indian villages below the Beach. It was doubtless one of the highways laid out under the order of 1672. No record of this original establish- ment of the road exists, but there are several records of surveys in later times, made probably for the purpose of settling disputes as to its exact course. In 1719 we have an account of a survey of the whole road, in the return made of
' A publick highway . . . . beginning at ye Country road near ye house of the Widow Strangs and runs as ye path now is four rods wide till it comes to a landing called and known by ye name of Milstone allowing Daniel Purdy liberty to hang a gate or make a drawbars at ye Hamack for the conveniency of fencing his meadow he ye said Purdy keeping said Gate in good repair at his own charge performed this 23rd day of December 1719 by us
JOHN HOIT JOSEPH DRAKE JOIN STEVENSON.' 3
1 Ye Entering of Highways from the Time of Wm. Forster being County Cl., - a vol- ume of records in the County Clerk's office, White Plains, p. 88.
2 The deed in question, omitted in our account of the Indian Purchases, Chapter II., is apparently explanatory of the deed of Shanorock and other Indians to John Budd, and of the same date, November 8, 1661. It reads as follows: -
'Know all men, english and Ingens, that whereas Sbanorock sold John Budd all the land from the sea to Westchester path, I Shenorock marked Trees by Penning path do hereby give and grant and acknowledge that I have received full satisfaction of him, and according to the true intent of these bounds [bonds], he the sayd John Budd is to have and enjoy all the land by the Blind brook to Westchester path, as witness my hand. Witness the The mark of SHANOROCK The mark of REMAQUAIE
mark of COKEO PETER DISBROW. Col. Rec. of Conn., vol. i. (MS.) p. 334.
3 The New Receipt Book, County Clerk's office, White Plains, p. 45.
503
STREETS AND HIGHWAYS.
A survey of Budd's Neck in 1720 represents the bridge across Blind Brook, where the present stone bridge stands, as ' nere Strange.' This was about four times as far, in the opposite direction.
The short road from the Milton Road to Lyon's mill was surveyed at the same time with the above. ' We do also,' say the commissioners, ' lay out a certain a road yt Lead out of ye above mentioned highway to Joseph Lyon's Mill. Performed ye Date above said.' This refers only to the eastern part of the present cross-road from the Milton Road to the post-road - as far as the west side of the brook, where the mill anciently stood. From the brook to the post-road, no thoroughfare existed until the year 1795.
The Milton Road has been altered from time to time since this sur- vey, but the changes appear to have been slight. The following returns relate to portions of this road : -
'July ye 9th, 1730. A highway laid out in Rye beginning by Jonathan Brown's Land where ye Rode goes to the Mill-stone Landing commonly so called - from thence running by ye west end of ye Lotts foure rods in wedth untill it comes to ye Land yt ve said Jonath : Brown lately bought of Peter Brown - by ns
SAMLL PURDY BENJAMIN BROWN.'1
In 1817, the commissioners of highways made a return of a change in the 'road leading to the landing on Peningo Neck,' which was altered and straightened, ' beginning at the north corner of the garden belonging to Philemon Halsted jr., and running on the lands of said Halsted about north and north-east with said road until it comes to a point at the bars that goes into the east meadow of the said ITalsted, varying south-east from the former road twelve feet in the extreme width.' 2 In 1820, the commissioners approved an 'alteration made by Hachaliah Brown in the public highway to the west of Thomas Brown's house, in straightening the road through his land until it comes to the land of Philemon Halsted.'3
There was a road anciently running across Peningo Neck, below the present village of Milton. It led to KNIFFEN's COVE, - an inlet on the east side of the Neck, above Pine Island. Here the inhabitants had a wharf or landing-place, which was still used some fifty or sixty years ago. The following entries relate to various changes in this road : -
' December 2, 1758. A road laid ont beginning at the road leading into the Town Neck so called opposite Caleb Hyat's salt meadow running easterly across said neck on the south side of Jonathan Brown's land to the Kniffen's Cove so called - thence along the south side of said Cove till it comes ten rod below southward of the old Warehouse so called. The road formerly laid ont by the Proprietors across said neck through Jonathan Brown's land to said Kniffen's Cove, to be blocked and shut up.'
' Return of a highway or road laid out this 18th day of May A. D. 1762 in the
1 Entering of Highways, etc., p. 29.
3 Town Records, vol. D. p. 385.
2 Town Records, vol. D. p. 375.
# Entering of Highways, etc., p. 71.
504
APPENDIX.
town of Rye. .... Beginning at Thomas Brown's barrs near and on the east side of the road that leads down the Town neck (so called) in said Rye on the west side of said neek, thence running from said Thomas Brown's barrs easterly across said town neek on the south side of Jonathan Brown's land two rods wide till it comes to Kniffen's Cove (so called) thence southerly along said cove eight rods below the old Warehouse place (so called) for conveniency of vessels four rods wide and we do allow Jonathan Brown to stop and block up the highway formerly laid out to said Kniffen's cove through his land.' 1
There was also, in early times, a road across the upper end of Peningo Neck, from Blind Brook to the shore opposite Manussing Island. The street south of the Presbyterian Church is probably a part of this old road, which formerly intersected the Milton Road above the house now owned by C. V. Anderson, Esq. The following is a description of the road, as it was entered in 1719 : -
' A publick highway . ... beginning at Jonathan Brown's corner of land near ye great Bridge so called and runs as ye path now leads four rods wide till it comes to a place ealled and known by ye name of ye Gutt and from thence as the way now is to Mannsen Island allowing liberty to ye inhabitants of said Town yt have any freehold in land or meadow near ye Gutt (above named) to have liberty to have a gate for them or either of their conveniencies, he or they keeping said Gate in good repair at his or their own cost and charge performed this 26th day of December 1719 By us
JOHN HOIT JOSEPH DRAKE JOHN STEVENSON.' 2
RECTORY STREET - the road south of the Episcopal Church - is described in 1723, as a ' path ' already existing : --
' A public highway laid out in ye town of Rye beginning at ye Corner of James Cues land by the Country Road and runs along by ye side of said Cues Land to the Church and from ye Church as ye path now leads into the Country Road against Mr. Jannis [Rev. Mr. Jenney's] Garden sd highway laid out six Rods wide this twenty- first day of November 1723
Entered by me Dee. 9, 1723 WM FORSTER Cl.
By us Jo : DRAKE - JNO. STEVENSON } Com'rs ' 3 SILV. PALMER
This road was surveyed and recorded in the year 1833. In 1853, a slight alteration of the northern line of the road near the church was made.4
On the west side of our village street there are three short roads which have been opened at different periods, leading down to the bank of Blind Brook. The first of these is still indicated by a road-bed, a few rods south of Mr. Daniel Strang's store. I find no record of this road, but it is referred to in a deed dated 1832, relating to the strip of land opposite the present rectory grounds, as the northern boundary of that tract, which the town then conveyed to the wardens and vestry of the Episcopal Church. The deed mentions it as 'the road leading across the brook to the parsonage land.' As the parsonage land across
1 Entering of Highways, etc., p. 65.
3 Town Records, 1815 to 1859, p. 59.
2 The New Receipt Book, p. 45.
4 Town Records, p. 320.
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STREETS AND HIGHWAYS.
the brook was laid out for a glebe in 1759, we presume this road may have been opened not long after that tine.
South of the house now belonging to the Misses Mead, there was formerly a road leading to the fulling mill which stood on the west side of Blind Brook. Some indications of it still remain near the bank of that stream. The following is the record of the opening of this road in 1742 : -
' We the subscribers Commissioners appointed by Act of Generall Assembly for laying ont Highways in Rye in the County of Westchester being requested to view & consider the necessity of a highway from the country road between the parsonage Lott so called and the Lott now belonging to Raphael Jacobs unto the bridge by wych there is a ffulling-mill erected by blind brook we judge the same very necessary & with the consent of the present Rector and Incumbent have and hereby Do lay out a high- way through the said parsonage Lott to be two rods in width from the Country road running by the Land of Raphael Jacobs unto the bank of the brook thence two rods wide from the top of the bank of said blind brook to go southerly Down the said bank unto the southermost part of the stone work Laid for Bntment of the present bridge by the ffulling-mill the owner of the said bridge and mill for the time being always 10 maintain sufficient Gates or draw bars at the bridge and at ye road. Given under our hands in Rye this tenth day of June in the 15th Year of his Majestie's Reign 1742.
SAMLL PURDY CALEB HYATT S Commissrs.' I
A short distance above this, north of the house of Mr. Josiah Purdy, there is a third short road leading down to the bank of Blind Brook. This road was laid out in 1728. It is described as -
' Beginning at ye Road leading to Harrison's purchase near Samuel Lane's house, thenee direct to Blind Brook four rods wide between said Lane's house and Barn, thenee crossing ye Brook, along said Brook two rods wide to John Haight's Deceased his Land ; thenee along ye line of said Haight's Land on Joseph Brundige's Land two rods wide till it comes to a Certain Cleft of Rocks near a brook, to go round ye Rocks two rods wide according to Agreement on ye North Side and so to continue two rods wide as said Brundige's Land goes till it comes to Benjamin Brown's Land, allowing said Brnndige Swing gates if he see cause, and so to continue through Ben- jamin Brown's Land two rods wide according to agreement till it comes to ye Land yt James Wetmore and Abraham Brundige purchased from Jonathan Haight.' '
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