USA > New York > Genealogical and Family History of Western New York, Volume I > Part 26
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(V) Charles DeKalb, son of Colonel Dau- phin and Sarah (Seymour) Murray, was born in Guilford, New York, May 4, 1831, died in Dunkirk, New York, September 11, 1902. He was educated in the public schools, and at the age of nineteen years caught the gold fever, joined the westward tide of emigration, and finally reached San Francisco. He did not, however, engage in mining, but finding no other opening obtained employment as a dray- man. He saved his wages, which were high, and in a short time invested in a team and dray of his own. A year later he had accumu- lated sufficient capital to enter the produce commission business as senior member of the firm Murray & Foster. The firm carried on an extensive business, shipping lumber to distant points, Mr. Murray making two voyages to Australia with cargoes of lumber. Such an experience was full of interest in those early days before the steam vessel and the submarine cable had dispelled the romance connected with that faraway land. He prospered. but in 1855 was called home by the tragic death of his father. He did not return to California, but engaged for several years in the lumber busi- ness at Hinsdale, New York. The panic of 1857 and a serious strike on the Erie railroad. which prevented his lumber shipments, brought financial reverses which forced him out of the lumber business and to begin life over again. He obtained a position as railway mail clerk on the Erie road, running between Hornells-
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ville and Dunkirk, New York. He employed all his spare time in studying law, and in 1860 had so perfected himself that he was admitted to the New York bar. He at once opened an office in Hinsdale, and practiced there for four years. He then removed to Dunkirk, New York, where he won an honorable position at the bar and became a conspicuous figure in the public life of Western New York. He served one term as mayor of Dunkirk, and was re- peatedly the standard bearer of the Democratic party for high offices. The district was strong- ly Republican, but on one occasion (1870), when a candidate for congress, he reduced a normal majority of six thousand to three hun- dred. This fact attested his great popularity. He was frequently a delegate to state and na- tional conventions, and in 1884 was a delegate to the national convention that nominated Gro- ver Cleveland for President. He also gave much time and valuable service to the munici- pal welfare of Dunkirk. He served seven years as president of the board of education ; was president of the board of water commis- sioners, and as mayor gave the city a clean business administration. He became deeply engaged in financial and manufacturing con- cerns; was president of the Merchants' Na- tional Bank, president of the Hartford Axle Company, and vice-president of the United States Radiator Company. He was a member and senior warden of St. John's Episcopal Church, and an earnest, upright citizen. Con- servative in business, public-spirited and loyal to his city, he enjoyed the friendship of a large circle of friends and the entire confidence of his fellows.
He married, May 20, 1860, Orpha A. Band- field, of Hinsdale, New York, daughter of George D. and Orpha S. (Marsh) Bandfield, of Vermont. Children : 1. Maude, born in Hins- dale; married Henry M. Gerrans, of Buffalo, proprietor of the Iroquois Hotel; children: Gertrude, Dorothy A., and Grace Orpha. 2. Henry Thomas, born in Hinsdale, died July 30, 1910, unmarried. 3. Lewis Newton, born in Dunkirk ; married, 1897, Agnes, daughter of William T. Colman, of Dunkirk; child, Will- iam Colman, born 1899.
LANG The Langs of Dunkirk, New York, descend from a long line of Ger- man ancestors. The first of this branch to settle in the United States was John G. Lang, born in Germany, died in Dunkirk,
1892. He came to the United States in 1850, with his wife and only son, John A. After a brief sojourn in Buffalo he removed to Olean, New York, where he was engaged in farming until 1873, when he removed to Chautauqua county, New York. He and his wife Eva are buried in Fredonia, New York.
(II) John A., only child of John G .. and Eva Lang, was born in Germany, November 21, 1837, died in Dunkirk, New York, Novem- ber II, 1888. He came to the United States with his parents in 1853, and grew to man- hood on the Olean farm. He was well educat- ed in the German schools and was a man of great intelligence. He purchased the old Cole farm on the west side of Dunkirk, now known as "Hemlock Grange," where he resided for several years. He married Theresa Fisher, born in Germany, died in Dunkirk, New York. March 17, 1910, aged seventy-two years, daugh- ter of Aloesis and Theresa (Rowe) Fisher, who came to the United States when she was a child. Children, born in Dunkirk: Louis J., of further mention; Rose, died aged eighteen years; George C., married Emma Stocker; Elizabeth, married George H. Graf; Mary, married John Klink.
(III) Louis J., eldest son and child of John A. and Theresa (Fisher) Lang, was born in Dunkirk, New York, March 23, 1867. He was educated in the Dunkirk schools and remained on the home farm until he reached the age of twenty-four years. In 1891 he located in Berea, Ohio, where he successfully engaged in the retail furniture business until 1900, when he removed to Dunkirk, where he engaged in furniture and household goods trade. He has been very successful in business, and is rated one of the substantial men of his city. He is a Republican in politics, and a member of the Evangelical church, and other organizations of Dunkirk. He married, August 30, 1894, in South Newstead, New York, Barbara C. Graf, born in Tonawanda, New York, November 17, 1869, daughter of Louis Graf, born in Bavaria. Germany, January 25, 1822, died October 10, 1908. He came to the United States in 1839, and for several years travelled about the coun- try with his brother, working at his trade of shoemaker. He finally settled down and began business in a settled location between Tona- wanda and Lockport, New York. When he was twenty-seven years of age he began the manufacture of shoes in Tonawanda. He married (first) Clarissa Pletcher. Children,
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born in Erie county, New York : Sarah, Louis, of his real estate by deed dated August 3, 1683. He was at Reading, according to Savage, May 7, 1685, but records prove he left Wenham. He married (first) Mary , died September 9, 1672, (second), November 25, 1674, Mary Goldsmith. He died at Wenham, about 1690, John, settled in Windham, Connecticut; was admitted an inhabitant there December 9, 1696; dismissed from Wenham to Windham church ; died December 11, 1700. 2. Samuel, of fur- ther mention. 3. Sarah. 4. Marah, married Killam. 5. Rebecca, married, May 13, 1667, Richard Kimball. 6. Obadiah, settled at Enfield; married Sarah Warriner, widow of Joseph. 4. Thomas, ancestor of the Enfield family. Daniel, Margaret, John Edwin and John Ed- ward (twins). He married (second) Cath- erine .Herzog, born in Darmstadt, Germany, February 28, 1844, died March 26, 1906. She came to the United States with her parents in 1855 ; children : i. Mary, married G. Ott, of . aged about seventy-four years. Children: I. Geneva, New York; ii. Kate, died young; iii. Barbara C., married Louis J. Lang ; iv. George H., married, June 23, 1898, Elizabeth, sister of Louis J. Lang, child, Lester Arlington, born in Dunkirk, November 22, 1904; v. Elizabeth H., unmarried; vi. Herman B .; vii. William G., married Nellie Lohrenz. Children of Louis J. and Barbara C. Lang; Louise K., born June 3, 1895; Esther R., September 16, 1896; Her- bert W., April 8, 1899.
ABBEY This surname is variously spelled Abba, Abbee, Abbey, Abet, Abbie, Abie, Abbeye and Abby. The En- field branch of the family has used the forms Abby and Abbey, while the Windham,. Con- necticut, branch has preferred Abbe as a rule. The origin of the name is doubtless from some location at or near an abbey, from which some progenitor took a nickname that became a family name in accordance with a common pro- cess. The Abbe coat-of-arms : Gules five fusils in fesse between three scallop shells. Crest on a wreath of three colors of the shield (gules and argent) an eagle's head erased or .:
(I) The first settler doubtless came from England, and tradition fixes his home in the old country at Norwich, county Norfolk. There is a tradition that the Enfield family came from John Abbe, a native of Maryland, of Huguenot stock, but the records seem clearly to show that the Enfield and Windham fam- ilies are descended from John Abbe, of Wen- ham, Massachusetts. Some remote ancestor may have been Norman French, but John was undoubtedly English. He was received as an inhabitant of Salem, January 2, 1636-7, and allotted an acre of land "for an house next be- yond ye gunsmiths and three acres of planting ground where ye town hath appoynted beyond Castle Hill." He had ten acres more granted in 1642 in Salem, probably in the part that was later Wenham. He was mentioned first in Wenham records in 1643, was a prominent citi- zen, and constable in 1669. He and his wife Mary conveyed land at Wenham to their sons John and Samuel, and completed the disposal
(II) Samuel, son of John Abbey, was born about 1650, in Salem, or Wenham, Massachu- setts. His father deeded to him ten acres of land in Wenham, March 29, 1675, and he was a surveyor there in 1676. He bought land of Lot Kilham, in Salem Village, in 1682, and he and his wife were dismissed to form the Salem Village church November 15, 1689. He had other land transactions in Essex county. He sold his property April 3, 1697, to Zachariah White, of Lynn, and bought November 4, 1697, of Benjamin Howard, of Windham, Connecti- cut, for twenty-two pounds ten shillings, half an allotment of land (five hundred acres), being No. 2 at the Center, then at or near Bricktop, with half the house, etc. He was admitted an inhabitant of Windham, December 21, 1697. He died in Windham, in March, 1697-98, before he was fairly settled in the new home. He married, at Wenham, October 12, 1672, Mary Knowlton, and she married, after his death, April 27, 1699, Abraham Mitchell, an early Windham settler, by whom she had a son Daniel Mitchell, born and died December 10, 1700. Children, born at Wen- ham and Salem Village: Mary, about 1674; Samuel, about 1676, married Hannah Silsby, and died January 15, 1736-37; Thomas, about 1679, died at Windham, April 1, 1700; Eliza- beth, about 1681, married William Slate ; Eben- ezer, of further mention ; Mercy, March 1, 1684- 85, married Jonathan Ormsby, of Windham; Sarah, July 4 or 6, 1686, married John Fowler ; Hepsibah, February 14, 1688-89, married Sam- uel Palmer ; Abigail, November 19, 1690, mar- ried probably Joseph Ormsby, of Rehoboth; John, June 4, 1692, settled in Hartford, died
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1790; Benjamin, June 4, 1694, settled in Glas- ty. He was a farmer all his life, and owned tonbury, married Mary Tryon ; Jonathan, born about 1697, settled in Willington.
(III) Ebenezer, son of Samuel Abbey, was born at Salem Village, July 31, 1683; was of Norwich, Connecticut, November, 1705, when
he purchased of his brother Samuel fifty-five . Sudbury, Massachusetts, married Mary Par-
acres of land at Newfound Meadow in Wind- ham. He sold to Samuel at the same time, land in Bushnell Plain and Willimantic. He settled at what is now North Windham, and may have lived in later life at Mansfield ; was a member of the Hampton church in 1725. He married Mary Allen, daughter of Joshua, one of the early settlers of Mansfield, October 28, 1707, and he died December 5, 1758. She died in 1766. He mentions ten of his thirteen children in his will, the others having died be- fore. Children: 1. Ebenezer, born July 27, 1708, of further mention. 2. Elizabeth, Sep- tember 11, 1709; married Daniel Cross, of Mansfield. 3. Joshua, January 20, 1710-1I. 4. Mary, September 21, 1712; married Jona- than Bingham Jr. 5. Nathan, May 6, 1714: settled in Mansfield; married (first) Silence Ames, (second) Lucy Hovey. 6. Gideon, Feb- ruary 13, 1715-16. 7. Samuel, October 30. 1717, died March 1, 1718. 8. Samuel, April 24, 1719. 9. Zerviah, March 17, 1720-21 ; mar- ried Elihu Marsh. 10. Jerusha, October 22, 1722; married Samuel Wood. II. Abigail, August 1, 1724. 12. Miriam, August 31, 1726: married William Cross. 13. Solomon, May 29, 1730.
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(IV) Ebenezer (2), son of Ebenezer (1) Abbey, was born in Windham, July 27, 1708. He married Abigail -- , February 22, 1729- 30. Children: Mary, born March 26, 1731 ; Isaac, July 25, 1733; Abner, August 26, 1737; Ebenezer, June 10, 1739; Jacob, August 23, 1741 ; John, of further mention; Samuel, June 21, 1747.
(V) John, sixth child of Ebenezer and Abi- gail Abbey, was born in Windham, Connecti- cut, August 23, 1743. He settled at Bellows Falls, Connecticut, where he died. He served in the revolutionary war as a private of the Continental army. He married, April 27, 1768, Dorothy Bugbee, and had issue.
(VI) David, son of John and Dorothy ( Bugbee) Abbey, was born at Bellows Falls, Connecticut, in 1789, died in 1876. After his marriage he came to New York state, where he finally. in 1823, settled in the town of Villenova ( now Arkwright), Chautauqua coun-
land in various places. He married Hannah Woods, of Bennington, Vermont, daughter of Nathan Woods, a revolutionary soldier and descendant of John Woods, born in England, about 1610, was one of the first settlers of menter. Children of David and Hannah Ab- bey : James Parker ; Chauncey, of further men- tion; Abbial; Hannah; John; David J., and one who died young.
(VII) Chauncey, son of David and .Han- nah (Woods) Abbey, was born in the town of Virgil, Cortland county, New York, April I, 1815, died in Fredonia, New York, September II, 1894. He grew to manhood on the home farm, and received his education in the public schools, becoming especially proficient in mathe- matics. After arriving at manhood he became the owner of a farm at Arkwright, containing one hundred and ninety-four acres, and there for sixty years he devoted himself to its man- agement and cultivation. In a community noted for fine farms and abundant crops, his was easily one of the leaders. He brought his acreage to a wonderful condition of produc- tiveness and became prosperous. Besides till- ing his fertile fields, he engaged extensively for many years in stock raising and dealing. In 1856 Mr. Abbey, in association with Stephen M. Clements and others, organized the Fre- donia Bank at Fredonia, New York, which in 1865 was reorganized and incorporated as the Fredonia National Bank. In 1882 Mr. Abbey was elected president, and served in that im- portant position twelve years until his death in 1894. He was a large stockholder and di- rector in both the old and new banks, and in their management his good judgment and sane, conservative business methods added much to their uniform success and prosperity. He be- lieved in Chautauqua county farm property as an investment, and owned several valuable tracts in the county, besides his farm at Ark- wright, also a well improved farm in Ohio. The career of this farmer boy who came from lowly life to be a leader in his county is an in- structive one. Naturally slow and cautious in business dealings, he broadened and expanded in every way, becoming prominent in every de- partment of county life. He acquired a knowl- edge of business forms, drew wills, settled estates, acted as guardian, and cared for the investments of minors and others. He was the general banker for the community, no other
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security being required than his word. In matters of advice and counsel he was much sought after, and he freely and willingly gave to the many who asked from his wise judg- ment and wide experience. His life was suc- cessful and useful, and not given up to selfish, ignoble purpose. While he prospered, it was not at the expense of others, but by persistent effort wisely directed, and his wealth was right- ly used. He served his town as supervisor for eight years, which office was the only public one he ever accepted. He supported the Re- publican party, and was an attendant and lib- eral supporter of the Presbyterian church.
He married (first) Elizabeth, daughter of Stephen Chase, of Charlotte, New York. She died March 28, 1855, aged thirty-eight years. Children : 1. Hannah, died young. 2. Rubie Lovina, a resident of Fredonia, New York. 3. Rosa E., married (first) Manly M. Sessions ; children, born in Hamlet, New York: Chaun- cey David, married Clara Britton, and has Manly Morris and Elizabeth Heath; Sarah Mabel, married Charles A. Hopkins ; she mar- ried (second) Albertus Pierce. 4. Etta Eliza- beth, married Warren B. Hooker ( see Hooker ).
SMITH The query of Verstigan's, quot- ed below, has been replied to by Lowen, who says: "The antiquary should have been aware that the radix of this term is the Saxon 'Smithan,' to Smite: and therefore it was originally applied to artificers in wood, as well as to those in metal, and to smithers in general." Hence the frequency of the name is easily accounted for. The term was applied to everything which required ham- mering.
From whence comes Smith, all be he knight or squire, But from the Smith that forgeth at the fire.
For many years the Smiths of primitive England were regarded as sorcerers and wiz- ards. Vestiges of this have lingered long. In papers of apprenticeships to the trade of a smith in modern times the expression some- times occurs "the art and the mystery" of the trade to be taught by the master. Among primitive people, even to-day, the belief pre- vails that the smith is a wizard. Among the Yakuts of northeastern Siberia smiths are be- lieved to have healing and prophetic powers. Spirits, these people claim, are more afraid of the clink of the smith's hammer and the roar of his bellows than of any other earthly mani-
festations of force. Sir Walter Scott's novel, "Kenilworth," introduces a smith as the wizard of the plot-the alchemist, the prophet, the magician, who mysteriously does and makes unexpected things in a remarkable way. In broad generic terms a smith meant a "maker of something." The name originated on Eng- lish soil, as a surname, though the word from which it is derived was Saxon, and hence "Smitan" was a Saxon word long before the days of surnames, and before the Saxons left the north of Europe for the British Isles. Smith, a strictly Anglo-Saxon word, became a surname in England first, and not earlier than the year 1065, and was so applied after the vocation of the first man to assume such a surname, and many other men so engaged fol- lowed the idea. Hence, few, if any, of them were related. So the Smith families of to-day are divided by blood into families that never had any relationship to each other in their origin, except as to race. Still, true it may have been, that any European going to Eng- land in the days of the adoption of surnames, and there taking up the business of a smith, may have become a Smith in name also; thus, in the name of Smith, there well may be the blood of Saxon, Angle, Teuton, Gaul, or other. So, true it is, that no man can now say what was the blood or prior nationality of any one of the various Smiths of England, who, hap- pening to be a smith in that country in the twelfth century, became known by the Saxon name of Smith. In the majority of cases it is merely safe to assume that being on English soil the most of such men were of native stock, Saxon, Angle, or Dane. (From "The Making of Smith," prepared for and under the sug- gestions of T. Guilford Smith, LL. D., of Buf- lafo, New York).
The line, as traced to T. Guilford Smith, begins with Ralph Smyth, of Hingham, Massa- chusetts. He is said by Cushing to have come to America from old Hingham, England, in 1633, and indicates that he came alone. His name first appears upon Hingham records in 1637, when he drew a house lot on Bachelor street. The colony records call him "Ralph Smyth"; as late as September 22, 1652, the Suffolk county probate records say "Ralph Smyth, of Hingham." His name figures often on Plymouth colony records ; he seems to have been rather a headstrong character, and, sev- eral times, was haled to court, although, in 1660, he was chosen "constable at Eastham."
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Letters of administration were granted, Octo- ber 27, 1685, to "Grace Smith, relict of Ralph Smith."
(II) Thomas Smith, (Savage says) "prob- ably son of Ralph," was on a list of voters of the town of Eastham, Massachusetts, in 1675, who had been admitted since 1655. June 24, 1690, he took the freeman's oath, at Barnstable. His wife was named Mary, and they had: Ralph, of whom further; Rebeccah, Thomas, David, Jonathan, Isaac and Jesse. Widow Mary Smith died March 22, 1736-37.
(III) Ralph (2), son of Thomas and Mary Smith, was born October 3, 1772. There is every reason to believe that he is the Ralph Smith, of Burlington, New Jersey, who first appears on the records there in 1725: "Ralph Smith, juryman, March term, Burlington coun- ty court." There is little record or trace of Ralph Smith in the Quaker records of Bur- lington, and, with the exception of the petition of his eldest son for a guardian after Ralph's death, and the gravestone of Olive Smith, his wife, and the well-founded tradition that he is buried by her side, there appears no existing record of his life. This may be accounted for by the fact that he was a "mariner," and spent a great part of his life on the sea. It is not likely he possessed any considerable wealth, hence would have little interest ashore, beyond his own family circle. That he was buried in St. Mary's churchyard, Burlington, is proven by the word of residents of Burlington, who remembered having seen a headstone (now missing) by the side of Olive Smith, and who recognized it as marking the grave of Ralph Smith. He died shortly prior to February 28, 1734, his wife having died in 1731. Children, as far as known : Catherine, Hugh and Ralph. Olive, wife of Ralph Smith, was a daughter of Thomas and Margaret (Duehurst) Clarke. Thomas was a carpenter and joiner of Bur- lington, a landowner, and of service in the church. Olive was born 1698. It appears that her mother rendered practical service to St. Mary's Church, and, before marriage, she was her mother's assistant. Various sums are noted as having been paid her in 1717-18. Her grave- stone, still standing, says she died July 17, 1731, aged thirty-three years. Also that a daughter Catherine died on the same day. Hugh, the eldest son, became a mariner, which presup- poses a life similar to that led by his father. He was a builder of river craft and ran river boats for transporting freight and passengers
between Philadelphia and Burlington. He mar- ried, but there is no record of issue.
(IV) Ralph (3), second son of Ralph (2) and Olive Smith, was born February 29, 1724, at Burlington, New Jersey. Of his career little is known. He appears to have taken charge of his own fortunes at an early age. He was frequently im and perhaps a resident of Philadelphia. He became a member of the Society of Friends, most likely influenced by his, wife, Margery Allen, a woman of strong character, daughter of a distinguished New Jersey family. They were married in Christ's Church, Philadelphia, April 22, 1749.
(V) Thomas, son of Ralph (3) and Mar- gery (Allen) Smith, was born August 23, 1761, died June 21, 1810. He served in the revo- lution, from Pennsylvania. "Thomas Smith, Bombardier, mentioned in muster roll of Sep- tember 12, 1777, of Captain Andrew Sum- mer's fifth company, fifth class, Philadelphia militia, regiment of foot, commanded by Colo- nel John Eyre." (Pennsylvania Archives, vol. 13, page 849). A Thomas Smith received a commission, in 1782, as a privateer, schooner "Bloom," twenty-five men, six guns. (This may have been the same Thomas Smith). He was a member of the Society of Friends. He married, at the First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, September 26, 1782, Grizzel East- wick, born July 5, 1763, died May 9, 1851, daughter of Captain Thomas Eastwick. Chil- dren : I. Charles Eastwick, of whom further. 2. Margaret, died aged fifty-four years seven months. 3. Margery, married Joseph Price. 4. Thomas, became a rich man, and left an estate of $113,000, over which a bitter lawsuit was waged, he having left a large amount to the Friends' boarding school, of Westtown; the heirs sought justice and finally won their case; he was a lumber dealer of Philadelphia ; unmarried. 5. Mary W., died, unmarried, aged twenty-six. 6. Hugh, married Ellen Chamber- lain, of Flemington, New Jersey. 7. New- berry, died, unmarried, in his fifty-fifth year ; a druggist of Philadelphia. 8. Edward, died in infancy. 9. Ann, twin of Edward, died, unmarried, in her fifty-fifth year. 10. Sus- anna, died, unmarried, aged seventy-six years ; she was the last survivor of the family. 11. William Allen, died aged thirty-six years ; mar- ried Ann E. Rush.
(VI) Charles Eastwick, eldest child of Thomas and Grizzel (Eastwick) Smith, was born August 17, 1783, died April 17, 1828.
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