Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 156

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1354

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD

Levina. Platt, Albert, Chester; and Mary J. George Vincent, the son of Gideon and Opheha Lodre Vincent, married Miss Ella Matteson, by whom he has a daughter, Edna, born in 1883. (6) Gideon was born December 13,

17) Lydia was born November 12, 1800.

1 802. 8 Mary, born May 25, 1805, wedded Cyrus Perkins, and had six children Charles, Delila, Jane, Elizabeth, and Hoxie and Edwin. both of whom died in infancy. (9 Margaret, born May 3, 1807, married Seth Barmore, and had three children-Deborah, Elizabeth and Abigail. (10) Platt was born February 8, 1809. (11) Phebe A. was born February 28, 1811. (12) Thomas, born January 11, 1817, died at the age of two years.

S MITH D. HARRIS. Like many other residents within the bounds of Dutchess county, who started out in life with naught save an abundance of determination and an inde- fatigable industry, combined with a strong and healthy constitution, and who have succeeded through their own deligence, energy and econ- omy, is to be classified the gentleman whose name here appears.

Smith Harris, father of our subject, was born in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., where for many years he conducted a grocery business, the lat- ter part of his life, however, being devoted to shoemaking. As an unswerving Democrat, he was very active in political matters, while in social life he was a member of the Masonic fraternity. In New York City he married Miss Eliza Mealy, and they both departed this life in 1879.

Smith D. Harris, our subject, was born August 8, 1841, on Pine street, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., the schools of which city he attended until he was sixteen years of age. Being now prepared for life work, he set out for the town of Stanford, Dutchess county, where he se- cured employment on the farm of Paul Upton, and continued thereon some sixteen years, having the entire management of the place after his employer's death. In 1873, at Schultzville, in the town of Clinton, Mr. Har- ris wedded Mary 11. Doughty, a daughter of Oliver Doughty, and three children bless their union: Mrs. Leonora Murch, Paul D. and Lanra. The mother of these died July 28, 1 806.

After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Harris located upon their present farm in the town of

Clinton, known as "The Maples ", and have since made that place their home. After rent- ing the land for one year, Mr. Harris purchased the same for $7,000, giving his personal note for it, and went steadily to work to clear it from all encumbrance. Ile has not only paid off the amount, but has another fine farm in the town of Stanford, known as " Lake Side." The improvements upon the places are of a neat and substantial character, and bear wit- ness to the fact that the owner thoroughly understands his business, and that he is indus- trious and enterprising. He is an earnest, Christian gentleman, a faithful member of the Friends Church, and an active worker in the Endeavor Society. lle uses his right of fran- chise in support of the men and measures of the Prohibition party; is an earnest advocate of moral reform and the utter overthrow of the liquor traffic, which he considers the chief bar- rier to the advancement of Church work.

W ILLIAM W. HAXTUN. The subject of this sketch is one of the leading citizens of the town of Beekman, Dutchess county, where he is successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits, and where his birth occurred on March 19, 1829. His great-grandfather, who was a resident of Greene county, N. Y., was killed by the Indians, being attacked while repairing the roof of his mill. The rest of the family, with the exception of one son, then removed to the town of Beekman, Dutchess county, where they were numbered among the carly settlers. They located in the eastern part of the town, where they at first leased land of the Beekmans, but later purchased property. The great-grandmother was buried there.

Jeremiah Haxtun, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Greene county, and after the death of his father became the main- stay of the family. In the town of Pawling, Dutchess county, was celebrated his marriage with Rhoda Akin, a native of that town, and they began their domestic life upon a farm a mile east of Gardner Hollow in the town of Beekman, where they were living at the time of the Revolutionary war. Their family in- clnded the following children: Benjamin, William, Louisa, Emily and Rhoda.

The birth of Benjamin Haxtun, the father of our subject, occurred in the town of Beek- man, where his father always carried on farm- ing, and there his boyhood days were passed in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

assisting in the work of the farm, and in at- tending the district schools. He was married in that town to Almira Vanderburg, daughter of Colonel Vanderburg, and after her death he was united in marriage with Sarah Wooley, daughter of William and granddaughter of Joseph Wooley. Two children graced the sec- ond union-William W., of this review; and Almira, who died in infancy. The father al- ways continued to reside upon the old home farm at Gardner Hollow, there dying in Octo- ber, 1857, at the age of eighty years, while his wife passed away in 1870. An influential and popular man, he represented his district for two terms in the General Assembly.

After the usual manner of farmer boys, William W. Haxtun spent his early life at Gardner Hollow, in the town of Beekman, and received his primary education in the district schools. Later, for four years and one term, he attended the old Amenia Seminary, after which he was a student in the Dutchess Coun- ty Academy on South Hamilton street, Pough- keepsie, but on account of ill health was obliged to give up his studies and return home. In the town of Beekman he wedded Miss Maria De Long, whose birth occurred there, and they have become the parents of two chil- dren-Benjamin, now of Stormville, Dutchess county, who married Dorothea Storm, by whom he has a daughter, Maria; and Will- iam, Jr.

In 1873 Mr. Haxtun left the old home- stead, and for the past fifteen years has re- sided near Green Haven, in Beekman town, where he is engaged in farming. He is very fond of travel, and has visited many points of interest in the West. In politics he is a stanch Republican, and has taken a prominent part in public affairs, representing Beekman on the board of supervisors for two terms. For three years he was president of the Dutchess County Agricultural Society, treasurer for seven years, and had charge of the ladies hall for four years.

B ENJAMIN HOWELL 'deceased). Among the representatives of the Pine Tree State, who traveling westward have estab- lished homes in Dutchess county, N. Y., none are more worthy of mention in a work of this character, devoted to the biographies of the best citizens, than the gentleman whose name in- troduces this review. He was born in Portland,

Maine, May 29, 1818, and was a son of Ben- jamin Howell, whose birth occurred in 1784. on Cape Elizabeth, which now forms a part of the city of Portland. The grandfather Isaac Howell, was a native of the same place, and was descended from English ancestors, who, on crossing the Atlantic to America, took up their residence in Portland. There he was reared, and for many years was identified with the business interests of the city as a clothing mer- chant. When the colonists, no longer able to bear the tyrannical oppression of the mother country, fought for independence, he was numbered among the valiant troops that fol- lowed the leadership of George Washington. All his life was passed in Portland, and both he and his wife were connected with the Baptist Church of that city. They became the par- ents of four children: John, who was a grocer of Portland, Maine; George, who followed the sea; Benjamin; and a daughter of whom no specific record can be found.

Benjamin Howell was reared in Portland, learned the carpenter's trade, and was the ar- chitect and builder of his own home. He married Rebecca Dyer, a native of that city, and a daughter of Nathaniel Dyer, and after his marriage established a home in Portland, while as a means of livelihood he followed the sea. He died of yellow fever in the West Indies in 1828, and his wife passed away in February, 1835. They had six children: Emily, who died unmarried; Harriet, who be- came the wife of Joseph Russell. a carriage maker; Rebecca, who married Samuel Chester, a clothier; Mary, who died unmarried; John, who became a minister of Christ Church; and Benjamin.

The subject of this review spent his early boyhood in the city of his birth, and at the age of fifteen started out in life for himself, going to New York City, where he engaged in the milk business, which he followed for ten years. In 1845 he wedded Mary Lamoree, who was born in Dutchess county, and is a sister of George Lamoree. In the spring of 1845 they removed to the farm on which Mr. Howell ever afterward made his home. They had five children: Harrison, who died at the age of three years; Walter, who died at the age of nine years; George W., a farmer of Pleas- ant Valley town; Augustus C., an agricultur- ist; and Emily C., wife of James T. Budd, who is a farmer of Pleasant Valley town. The mother of this family was called to the home

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

beyond in April, 1888, and many friends mourned the loss of her whom they had so deeply respected. The father has died during the preparation of this book.

Mr. Howell gave his attention to agricult- ural pursuits after coming to Dutchess county. and was at the time of his death the owner of IO1 acres of valuable land, which is highly cul- tivated and improved. He never held office, but faithfully performed his duties of citizen- ship, and was one of the supporters of the Bap- tist Church. He was a self-made man, starting out in life empty-handed, and steadily worked his way upward, overcoming all obstacles and difficulties that barred his progress to success.

C APTAIN JOHN H. BRINCKERHOFF, one of the best-known men along the Hud- son river, was born in the town of Fishkill, Dutchess county, November 24, 1827, a son of Henry I. and Freelove (Serene) Brincker- hoff, who were both also born in the town of Fishkill. The father, who followed agricult- ural pursuits, died July 4, 1852, the mother passing away December 26, 1891, at the ad- vanced age of ninety-five years. They were the parents of eight children, three of whom are yet living: Abram, John H. and Eliza.

When our subject was eleven years old his parents moved to Esopus, Ulster county, where he spent the rest of his boyhood days, attending the common schools. At the age of twenty years, on account of the failing health of his father, the management of the farm de- volved upon our subject, and he remained there until he was twenty-four years old, at which time he was married at Esopus to Miss Angeline Terpenning, who was born there in 1831, and died in 1880, leaving no issue. After marriage he moved to Highland, Ulster county, and bought some property, including a mill at Esopus, which he operated for some time, at the same time carrying on factories at Highland and Pine Bush, Orange county. After continuing in the milling business some twenty years he bought the "J. C. Doughty," a ferry boat plying between Highland and Poughkeepsie, of which he was captain for four years. In 1883 he bought, from Thomas Cornell, the " Mary Powell," the fastest pas- senger steamer on the river in those days, and later he sold an interest in this vessel to Capt. Anderson and Capt. Wicks. In 1878 Capt. Brinckerhoff purchased the interests of Thomas

Doughty, Augustus Doughty and Capt. I. E. Wicks in the Poughkeepsie Transportation Co., in 1888 buying the interest of Homer Ramsdell, in same company, and becoming president of the company, which at that time owned the steamers "John L. Hasbrouck " and . Andrew Harda," which latter our sub- ject rebuilt, renaming her the "P. D. Le- fever." By 1888 the Captain had also built the river boats: "Gracie," "Gypsy" and "Queen City," and also the ferry "J. H. Brinckerhoff." He has accomplished a great deal for the transportation facilities of Pough- keepsie, doing all his freighting business there. By purchase he has become the owner of the entire dockage on the west side of the river, between Lewisburg and Highland, also much dockage on the east side of the river, and altogether he is a large owner of property at various places.

From its earliest inception the Captain has taken a lively interest in the Poughkeepsie Electric Light & Power Co., and is the heaviest stockholder in same; is also a stockholder in, and treasurer of, the Delamater Carriage Co., at Poughkeepsie. His comfortable home on Hamilton street, Poughkeepsie, he has rebuilt and much improved and beautified. Capt. Brinckerhoff is a member of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church.

TRA E. WILBUR, a well-known and hon- ored citizen of Amenia, Dutchess county, has here spent almost his entire life. His grandfather, David Wilbur, who was born in Rhode Island in 1770, was brought to Amenia the following year, and throughout life he there followed the trade of a tanner, dying in 1852.

Rutledge Wilbur, the father of our subject, is a native of Dutchess county, born at South Dover, on August 29, 1809, and there acquired his education in the district schools. For a time he made his home in Sharon, Conn., but about 1834 came to Amenia, and six years later was appointed superintendent of contract work in Capt. Weed's, Palmer's and Gridley's mines, with which he was connected for about fifty years. Politically he is a pronounced Republican. In 1833 he was united in mar- riage with Miss Betsey A. White, whose death occurred November 2, 1879, and to them were born six children: Albert B., born in 1834, ex-superintendent of the schools of Middletown, N. Y .; Electa C., deceased; Sarah B., born in

John Fi Brinckerhoff,

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1840; Charles R., deceased; and Ira E. and Ida E., twins, the latter being now deceased.

The educational advantages afforded our subject were those of the public schools and the Amenia Seminary. Later, for the long period of twenty-two years and three months he was secretary of the Barnum-Richardson Mining Company or the Amenia Mining Com- pany, since which time he has been variously employed, being in the carpet business at Brooklyn and the publishing business at Chi- cago. Subsequently he purchased land in Florida, 230 miles south of Jacksonville, where he engaged in raising oranges and lemons, and also pineapples. He holds a patent on the Berkshire cough syrup, which he manu- factured at Amenia.

In that village Mr. Wilbur led to the mar- riage altar Mrs. Anna ( Wickes) Wakeman, widow of James M. Wakeman, by whom she has one son-Raymond; and by her marriage with our subject she is the mother of a daughter -- Bessie. The family is greatly esteemed in the community, as representing the - best type of its moral and social element. Mr. Wilbur is prominently identified with the Masonic fra- ternity, has been a member of Amenia Lodge No. 672, F. & A. M., since 1869, in which for six years he served as master, and is also con- nected with the chapter and commandery at Poughkeepsie, New York.

S TOUTENBURGH. - The ancestor of this family, the first of the name in this coun- try, was Pieter Stoutenburgh, who settled in New Amsterdam. * The date of his arrival does not appear, but it was probably before 1649. He was a schoolmaster, and therefore a man of education; and his family was of good standing, as indicated by their marriage connections and the offices they held in the city and colony. He had a house and a large garden on the east side of Broadway, just north of Wall street, as mentioned on old rec- ords and shown on the early maps. He mar- ried 25 July, 1649, Aefje (Eve) Van Tienhoven (a near relative, perhaps sister, of Cornelis Van Tienhoven, the secretary and treasurer of the Colony), by whom he had nine children. By a note on the list of members of the Dutch Church it appears that Pieter Stoutenburgh

"Obyt den 9 Mart. 1698- 9." aged eighty-six years.

Tobias Stoutenburgh, the sixth child of Peter, was baptized 18th January, 1660, his sponsor being Judith Stuyvesant. He lived all his life in New York, where he married 2 July, 1684, Anneke (or Anna) Van Rollegom, who was baptized 15 July, 1665, daughter of Jan Joosten Van Rollegom, from Haerlem, Holland. She was one of a large family; but when her brother, Jacobus, died intestate, his three sisters, Mary, Anna and Gertrude, were his only heirs, to be referred to later, as he left estates in Dutchess county. Tobias and Anna had twelve children, all baptized in the Dutch Church, New York, and several left descend- ants; but only the line of Jacobus, the sixth child, will be followed in this account. The codicil to the will of Tobias Stoutenburgh is dated 29 December, 1715, and it was proved 15 January, 1716. His widow survived him many years.

Jacobus Stoutenburgh, the sixth child of Tobias and Anna, was baptized 7 June, 1696, his sponsors being Jacobus Van Rollegom and Jannetje Van Feurden, wife of Evert Byvanck. He married in New York 25 May, 1717, Mar- garet, daughter of William Teller, of Teller's Point, Westchester county, and Rachel Kier- stede; the latter being a daughter of Dr. Hans Kierstede by Sarah, daughter of Rollof Jansen and the celebrated Anneke Jans. The por- traits of Jacobus and Margaret were painted by a good artist, about the time of their marriage. They are on "panel," and are now treasured by their descendant, Mrs. Eugene Wells (Mary Teller), of Rhinebeck. Jacobus and Margaret had nine children: Tobias, baptized, New York, 12 February, 1718, married Catharine Van Vleck; Rachel, baptized, New York, 16 March, 1720, died young; William, baptized, New York, 3 June, 1722, married Maria Van- Vleck; Anna, baptized, New York 11 Novem- ber. 1724, married James Van Vleck; Jacobus married Josina Teller; John, baptized, Philips- burg, 29 March, 1729, married Catharine Teller; Peter married Rachel Van Steenburgh; Margaret, baptized, Philipsburg, 14 April, 1734, married John Teller; Luke, baptized, Phillipsburg, 5 June, 1736, married (first) Ra- chel Teller, and (second) Mary (Van Vleck) Minthorne.

From the above it will be seen that Jaco- bus removed, sometime after his marriage, to the Manor of Philipsburg, Westchester county,

*It has been sometimes stated that the first Jacobus Stouten- burgh, of Dutchess county, was a native of Holland, whereas records, tasily accessible, show that he was of the third generation.

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near his wife's relatives. In a deed, as late as 1741, he is called of that place " shopkeeper," and he must have been successful in that call- ing. In a deed of 1742, he is called "of the county of Dutchess," and that is doubtless thie date of his removal. What led to this change of residence may now be briefly stated: The

celebrated " Nine Partners Patent," in Dutch- ess county, was granted 27 May, 1697, to Col. Caleb Heathcote, Angustine Graham, James Emmot, Col. Henry Filkin, David Jamison, Hendrick Ten Eyck, John Aertson, William Creed and Jarvis Marshall. Nearly all these men held some office, high or low, in the col- ony. By the Civil List of the Province of New York, it appears that in 1693 Jarvis Marshall was " Doorkeeper and Messenger of ye Coun- cil," at a salary of £30 a year. This grant was an extensive one, now including the greater part of seven townships. In 1699 sur- veys were made, and the lands divided among the partners, or then owners. That part of the patent bounded on the west by the Hudson river was divided into " the Nine Water Lots." These lots varied from thirty to thirty-two chains in width, and ran back about four and a half miles " into the woods." Lot No. 9, at . the north end, fell to Jarvis Marshall, who also had "Great Lots" Nos. 1, 15. 24, and 35. in the interior. He had already sold one-half his interest in the patent to Jacobus Van Roll- egon, and, in 1700, he sold the other half to John Crooke, of New York, merchant. Van- Rollegom died before 1722, intestate, as before stated, and his estate fell to his three sisters: Mary, wife of Henry Kermer (or Carmer), Anne Stoutenburgh, widow, and Gertrude, widow of Bartholomew Le Roux. The latter was mother of Charles Le Roux, goldsmith, in New York, whose name so often appears as one of the attorneys for the proprietors of the Nine Partners Patent.

By a deed, 25 August, 1722, Anne Stouten- burgh sold her interest to her son Jacobus, for £65. Subsequently, by a number of convey- ances, Jacobus Stoutenburgh seems, by 1743, to have become the owner of all, or nearly all, the share that fell to Jarvis Marshall. It was twenty years from the date of his first pur- chase before Jacobus Stoutenburgh removed to what is now the town of Hyde Park; as in 1741 he was still " of Philipsburgh." His first house, probably the one named in old abstracts of title as " built in 1723," was of stone and logs, and stood a short distance south of the

present village, near a spring, where some re- mains of it are still to be seen. It is probably that it was built for the use of the men who cleared the land, and for his occasional stop- ping place. The wood cut doubtless found a ready market in New York, when coal was yet unknown; and some years would naturally be spent in thus clearing the land. Very likely he did not remove his family until he built the stone mansion which stood until 1864, west of the post road, near the " Lower Corners." It was a fine house for that day, the rooms being spacious, and the paneling and wood- work handsomely finished.

During the remainder of his lifetime he was engaged in disposing of a part of his lands, and in settling his children on homestead farms; and he also deeded to them other lands. He was called upon to take some part in pub- lic affairs, and was for some time County Judge. In the deed to his son, Luke, he re- serves the well-known " Stoutenburgh Bury- ing-ground " as a burial place for his family. forever. The will of Jacobus Stoutenburgh is dated 24 January, 1770, and it was proved 19 December, 1772. He gives his eldest son Tobias, "besides what I have given him," £ 25, and a silver teapot. As he has given his daugh- ter Annatje a silver teapot of the value of £ 14, he gives " one now in my family " to Margaret, and orders one for each of the five younger sons; desiring if any of his children should die leaving a daughter Margaret, such teapot should descend to her. His wife, Margaret, is to enjoy all his estate, rents, etc., for life, with remainder to the seven younger children. This will is recorded in New York.

The account which follows, of his descend- ants, is founded on a "Family Tree," and papers now in the possession of Dr. James L. Prichard, with the assistance of Church records where available. It is believed to be correct. as far as it goes; but the order of births in some families, where dates are wanting, is un- certain; and there may be omissions, for which the " tree " must be held responsible.

Tobias Stoutenburgh, son of Jacobus, mar- ried in New York, 6 July, 1745, Catharine, daughter of Abraham Van Vleck, and Maria Kip, baptized in New York, 30 November, 1718. To him his father gave a farm lying on the river front of the Ninth Water Lot. It is probable that the large house that stood until about 1860, opposite the present railway sta- tion, was his residence. This house was oc-

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

cupied at the beginning of this century by his son-in-law, Richard De Cantillon, who carried on here a mercantile and shipping business; sending cargoes as far as the West Indies, to be exchanged for sugar, molasses and rum. Few particulars of this eldest son seem to have come down to this day. Children: Margaret, baptized, New York, 30 March, 1746; married Jacob Schryver, and had Jane, and Sarah, who married her cousin, Tobias S. De Cantillon. Abraham, who left two children, Tobias and Mary. Mary married in 1770 Richard De- Cantillon, and had Tobias. S. (married Sarah Schryver), Richard, Catherine (married Patrick B. Collins), and Maria (married Capt. Hum- phrey Wood). Jacobus T., who died after 1807. Tobias Stoutenburgh was commissioned colonel of the 4th Regiment, Dutchess county, 17 October, 1775.

William Stoutenburgh, a son of Jacobus, received from his father a homestead farm of large extent, lying on both sides of the Creek road, and taking in the whole breadth of the Ninth Water Lot. On this he built a large stone house, which isstill standing, and in a good state of preservation, a short distance south of Union Corners, with the date, 1765, cut in a stone in the front. He married in New York, 5 July, 1753, Maria, daughter of Abraham Van- Vleck and Maria Kip: baptized in New York, 25 July, 1725. Children: James, who died in 1807, married three times; Abraham W., married Margaret Van Vleck; William W., died 1829, married Elizabeth Conklin; Tobias WV., married Mary Hill; Mary W., married Harmon Van Benschoten, and had Mary, born 25 October, 1789, and Catharine, bap- tized 3 December, 1797; John W., baptized, Poughkeepsie, 22 September, 1765; Isaac, born 17 December, 1767, married Elsie Schry- ver; Henry, born 22 June, 1770, died early.

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Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 156

Author: J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1354

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1354