USA > New York > Genealogical and family history of central New York : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the building of a nation, Volume III > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85
(VIII) Aaron F., eldest son of Bradford A. and Sally A. (Foster) Potter, was born November 24, 1813. in Dryden. New York, died August 3. 1883, in Elmira. He gradu- ated at Cortland Academy, Homer, New York,
and was engaged in the lumber business throughout his active life, being many years established at Elmira, as a manufacturer as well as dealer. He was of a modest retiring nature, a warm friend of education and served as trustee of schools in Elmira. He was reared in the faith of the Presbyterian church, but because of the attitude of that body toward abolition of slavery he left it and joined the Congregational church of El- mira. He was a bitter opponent of slavery, and was one of the most active supporters of the Republican party from its organiza- tion. He married, at Homer, in 1836, Maria L., born there in 1813, died 1887, daughter of Dr. Lewis and Mary ( Bell) Owen, both of New York City. They had two children : Sarah M. and George Frederick. The for- mer is now the widow of Coryden G. Cone. residing at McMinnville, Oregon.
(IX) George Frederick, only son of Aaron F. and Maria L. (Owen) Potter, was born May 31, 1839, in Elmira, where he grew to manhood. For six years he was a student of the Elmira Academy, conducted by E. N. Barber, a well known educator of his day, and graduated from Cortland Academy at Homer, in 1853, at the age of fourteen years. For some time he was an assistant of his father in conducting the lumber business. He en- tered the army at the outbreak of the civil war, and served in the armies of the Poto- mac and the James. He participated in the battle of Bull Run and battles of the Penin- sula campaign, the battle of Cold Harbor, Bermuda Hundred and other engagements. He was discharged in September, 1865, and immediately engaged in the life insurance business in New York City. Colonel Potter has always been much interested in literary matters, and has delivered many lectures on religious and other topics throughout the United States. From 1894 to 1899 he was president of the Commercial Transportation Company and traveled much in South Amer- ica, promoting business relations between this country and those of the Southern Continent. He subsequently delivered many lectures o11 the "Commercial Possibilities of South Amer- ica" before chambers of commerce, boards of trade, manufacturers' associations and other bodies in this country. He is now connected with the Preferred Account Insurance Com- pany. of New York, of which his son Wilfrid is secretary. He has been actively identified
1229
NEW YORK.
as a Mason with the York and Scottish Rites, also with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, Knights of Pythias and Grand Army of the Republic. In religious faith he is a Bap tist, and has always sustained Republican principles with voice and vote.
He married, May 10, 1800, Cecilia De Latruite Carne, born at Alexandria, Vir- ginia, daughter of Richard L. and Cecilia ( Shakes) Carne, natives of the same place. Mr. Carne was a hardware merchant there. Colonel and Mrs. Potter have one son, Wil- frid, born February 10, 1861, in Alexandria.
THOMAS John Thomas Sr., of New Haven, Connecticut, the foun- der of this family, died there December 15, 1671. He married Tabitha Children : Sarah, born about 1640, died December 28, 1711, married, October 14. 1658. William Wilmot; John (2), died be- tween May 9 and July 25, 1712, married, January 12, 1671, Lydia Parker; Daniel, re- ferred to below; Elizabeth, born May 15, 1648, married, January, 1673, John Holt : Samuel, born September 5, 1651, died before November 30, 1711, married Elizabeth, prob- ably Osborne; Tabitha, born December 18, 1653, died August 18, 1725, married, Novem- ber 5, 1674. Eleazar Holt; Joseph, baptized November 9, 1660, died April 10, 1739, mar- ried, March 21, 1688, Abigail Preston.
(II) Daniel, son of John and Tabitha Thomas, died in West Haven, Connecticut, in February, 1694. He married, February 3. 1669, Rebecca, daughter of John Thompson, of East Haven, who survived him and mar- ried ( second) as his second wife, about 1703-4, John Perkins. Children : A son, died in 1670; Jolin, referred to below : Dorothy. born about 1674, married, April 13. 1693. henry Tolles : Daniel (2), born February 14, 1676, died before 1760, married. December IO, 1702, Eunice Brown ; Dinah, born Decem- ber 26, 1678, died 1769, married (first ) John Sherman, ( second) June 2, 1733, Zachariah Blackman; Samuel, born January 30, 1680, died young ; Recompence, born May 27, 1683. died August 31, 1703, unmarried.
(III) John, son of Daniel and Rebecca ( Thompson) Thomas, was born in West Ha- ven, Connecticut, about 1672, and died there January 25. 1712. He married Mary - who survived him and married ( second) be- fore October 5. 1719, Richard Porter. Chil-
dren : Enoch, born May 1, 1698, married, ; Abraham, referred to below ; Ephraim, born February 19, 1702, removed to No. I, Hampshire county, Massachusetts; Rebecca, born January 19, 1704, married Jo- seph Plumb Jr., of Milford, Connecticut ; Mary, born April 19, 1707, married Augus- tus Briant, of Canaan, Connecticut : Recom- pence, born November 2, 1709, removed to Ridgefield, Connecticut ; John (2), born July 22, 1712, inarried
(IV) Abraham, son of John and Mary Thomas of West Haven, Connecticut, was born there June 18, 1700, and died in Dur- ham, Connecticut, before January 31, 1707. He removed to Durham as a young man, and married there Hannah Sutlieff. Children : Hannah, born April 23, 1728, married Len- uel Hand, removed to Branford, Connecticut ; Jerusha, born March 10, 1730, married David Johnson, removed to Norfolk, Connecticut ; Abraham (2), referred to below; Sarah, bap- tized August 10, 1733: Mary, baptized June 26, 1737 ; Phebe, born April 17, 1743.
(\') Abraham (2), son of Abraham ( 1) and Hannah { Sutlieff ) Thomas, was born in Durham, Connecticut, January 9, 1732, and died in the town of North East, Dutchess county, New York. He removed to North East some time after 1755, and probably came with the Danbury, Durham and Fairfield men who formed the nucleus of the early settle- ment of the precinct. His farm was on Quaker Hill. Among his children was Mor- «lecai, referred to below.
(VI) Mordecai, son of Abraham ( 2) Thomas, was born in North East, July I, 1760, and died there December 26, 1818. He lived on the farm occupied by his father, and was a drover, bringing cattle and live stock to the castern markets. He married Amy, daughter of John and Hannah (Hopkins) Tripp, who was born February 15, 1763, and died November 16, 1825. She was a cousin of Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Her paternal grandparents were Anthony and Mary ( Bidwell) Tripp : her great-grandparents were James (2) and Anna Tripp; her great-great-grandparents, James (1) and Lydia Tripp of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and thence the line runs through John Tripp (2) to John Tripp ( 1), who immigrated to Rhode Island in 1638. The Tripps were Quakers. Children of Moredcai and Amy (Tripp) Thomas : John, born
1230
NEW YORK.
March 24, 1781. died June 17, 1807; James, born March 12, 1783, died March 13, 1793; Joseph, born August 15, 1785, died July 3. 1832; Ira, born February 10, 1788, died March 15, 1793; Abraham, referred to below ; .Albert B. G., born March 12, 1802, died Au- gust 10, 1881; Mary, born March 26, 1804. died August 17, 1880, married John Fuller.
(VII) .Abraham (3), son of Mordecai and .Amy (Tripp) Thomas, was born on Quaker Hill, town of North East. Dutchess county, New York, September 20, 1799, and died in Norwich, Chenango county, New York, Au- gust 6, 1888. He received his education in the public schools of North East, and be- came a contractor and builder. In 1837 he came to Norwich in connection with the build- ing of the court house and then settled there. After erecting the court house he built the academy at Norwich and the church at Ham- ilton, and constructed many of the private and public buildings in that section of the coun- try. He was a member of the Masonic fra- ternity. He married ( first ) Almira Hoys- radt (second ), August 14, 1836, Amarille, daughter of Ely and Mary ( Aldrich) Rus- sell, who was born in the town of North East, October 11. 1809. and died January 12, 1892. One child, by first marriage, died in infancy. By second marriage: Almira Hoysradt, born May 18. 1838, living in Norwich, New York, married Albert C. Latham, a banker of Nor- wich, now deceased; Caroline, born 1840, died 1845: Love E., born February 14, 1844, died 1910, married Thomas S. Miller, merchant, of Norwich; Caroline Louise, born 1845, died 1846: George Abraham, referred to below : James, twin with George Abraham, died in February, 1848.
(VIII) George Abraham, only surviving son of Abraham (3) and Amarille Thomas, was born September 10. 1847, in Norwich, where most of his life has been past. The public schools of that town supplied his early education, and in 1869 he was graduated from Colgate University. Following this he became principal of Norwich Academy, in which position he remained two years, and in the meantime began reading law in the office of Hon. H. G. Prindle, county judge and surrogate. Before completing his legal studies he was appointed clerk of the surro- gate's court, being the first to fill that posi- tion in Chenango county, and for six years he performed its duties with signal ability.
In 1877 he was admitted to the bar, but being desirous of further perfecting himself in his legal studies he entered Hamilton College Law School, from which he was graduated with the degree of LL.B., being a member of the same class with James S. Sherman, present vice-president of the United States. Beginning his practice in Norwich, Mr. Thomas soon after became publisher of The Norwich Post in company with John H. Blair, and subsequent to this was appointed editor of The Chenango Telegraph. For ten years he wrote the leaders for this newspaper, and during this period it was a power in the Re- publican party of this county. Mr. Thomas possesses a keen literary taste, and has sur- rounded himself through life with those best companions for mankind, good books. Ile has been active in promoting the preservation of local history, and is estimated by his con- temporaries as the best existing authority on that subject. He is still engaged in the prac- tice of law, and is one of the busiest men in the little city of Norwich. He has always been active in public affairs ; served as town clerk and supervisor, and for many years has been a justice of the peace. He assisted in the organization of the Savings and Loan Association, one of the pioneer institutions of his home town, and for the past twenty years las been a trustee of the First Baptist Church of Norwich.
He married, September 15. 1910. Fanny Cornelia Makepeace.
The Knapp families of colonial
KNAPP days were descended from Nich- olas, Roger and William Knapp. probably brothers. Nicholas was born in England and came about 1630 to Massachu- setts with Winthrop, and settled at Water- town, where he sold his land and privileges. May 6, 1646. His wife Eleanor died August 16, 1658, and he married ( second) March 9. 1659, Unity Brown, widow of Peter Brown. and formerly widow of Clement Buxton. He died in April, 1670, at Stamford, Connecti- cut. where he settled soon after selling out at Watertown. His widow died about 1670. His descendants are numerous in Stamford and vicinity. Roger Knapp, brother of Nich- olas, settled in New Haven and Fairfield, Connecticut.
William Knapp, ancestor of the family be- low described, was born in county Essex.
I231
NEW YORK.
England, in 1570. He came with Sir Richi- ard Saltonstall's company in 1630, and was one of the first settlers of Watertown, Massa- chusetts. He was a carpenter by trade. He was referred to as early as November 3. 1030, in the colonial records and was a proprietor as early as 1636. He made a gift deed to his son John in 1655. He died August 30, 1659, aged about eighty years. His will mentioned wife Priscilla, widow of Thomas Akers; chil- dren : William, John, James, Mary Smith, Judith Cady, Anne, wife of Thomas Phil- brick, and Elizabeth Buttery, widow, of Buers, St. Mary, county Suffolk, England, who sent over a power of attorney, Decem- ber 27, 1660, for collection of her legacy.
The English family has been traced to the fifteenth century in county Essex. In 1540 Roger Knapp distinguished himself at a tour- nament held at Norfolk, England, and was specially honored by Henry V. and granted a coat-of-arms. Knapp is derived from a Saxon place-name, meaning knob and ap- plied probably at first to a locality in which some progenitor lived and by common custom becoming a surname at the time that surnames came into use about the year 1200.
Descendants of William Knapp, of Water- town, settled at Taunton, Roxbury, Spencer, Newton and various other towns in Massa- chusetts. It is a peculiar coincidence that many generations later, descendants of the name located in towns in New York of the same names.
(I) William Knapp, a descendant of Will- iam Knapp, of Watertown, Massachusetts, was born probably at Taunton, Massachu- setts, now Raynham, about 1740. According to tradition he was one of the Boston Tea Party which threw the cargoes of tea into Boston Harbor in 1774. He lived for a time in Boston and later in life removed to Ver- mont. He married Patty Liscom. Children : William, mentioned below ; Paul, Robert, Francis, Liscom, Seth, Patty, Sabra, and one child who died young.
(II) William (2), son of William ( 1 ) Knapp, was born November 29, 1764, at Raynham, Massachusetts, died August 6, 1846, at Athens township, Pennsylvania, at the home of his son, and is buried at East Waverly, New York. According to the first federal census William Knapp, of Raynham, presumably his father, had in his family one son under sixteen and two females. William
Knapp was a soldier in the revolution, as shown by his pension certificate now in the hands of his great-grandson, Thomas P. Wa- ters, of Waverly, New York. He enlisted in December, 1780, giving his age as eighteen years, although actually but sixteen, and served in Captain Fish's company, Colonel Warner's regiment. At the time of his enlist- ment he resided at Poultney, Vermont. Ile applied for the pension, May 25, 1818, when he was living at Springfield, Otsego county, New York. Ilis claim was allowed and his certificate granted by John C. Calhoun, the famous statesman, who was then secretary of war.
He married, in January, 1788, Fanny Tem- ple, of a Connecticut family, a daughter of William Temple, whose property was confis- cated because of aid furnished by him to the colonists during the revolution. Children, all born at Springfield, New York: William, mentioned below: Dr. Sylvester, married Lucy Fitch; Isaac, married Isabelle Taylor ; David, married Sarah Sayre; Fannie, married Jeremiah Walling; Dr. Hiram, married Ha- ley Eastbrook; Martha, married Nathan Eld- bree ; Jemima, married - Beals; Eleanor, married Amos Canfield.
(III) Dr. William (3) Knapp, son of Will- iam (2) Knapp, was born October 28, 1788, in Otsego county, near Springfield, New York, died February 3, 1874. on his farm at Athens, Pennsylvania. He studied medicine when a young man, and practiced for many years at Factoryville, now East Waverly, New York, but late in life returned to his farm at Athens. He owned real estate at East Waverly. He married, June 14, 1812, Armenia Gates, born January 19, 1792, died November 29, 1850, daughter of Azel and Margaret ( Holbrook) Gates. She came of a family of soldiers. She was a niece of "Light-Horse Harry" Lee, a near relative of General Gates, and her father and his seven brothers all served in the continental ariny in the revolution. Children of Dr. William and Armenia Knapp: 1. William, mentioned be- low. 2. Augusta, born February 20, 1816, died June 26, 1848; married, April 2, 1838. B. F. Snyder. 3. Emily Margaret, born April 14, 1818; married, September 22, 1843, Thomas Yates. 4. Mary Gates, born April 22, 1820, died May 4, 1858. 5. Dr. Jerome B., born August 17, 1822, died January 22, 1853 : a physician ; married, January 12, 1851,
I232
NEW YORK.
Maria Armstrong, and has a son Frederick Jerome. 6. Lucia, born May 7, 1825; mar- ried, March 31, 1850, Rev. A. B. Stowell, a Baptist clergyman. 7. Armenia, born March 27. 1828, died February, 1908; married, Octo- ber 20, 1856, John Cheney. 8. Azel, born September 29, 1834; married, January 14, 1860, Hattie Babcock.
(IV) William (4), son of Dr. William (3) Knapp, was born in Bainbridge, Chen- ango county, New York, November 16, 1813. died at Waverly, New York, April 8, 1895. He was educated in the public schools. He married, February 18, 1843, Mary Ann Shackleton. Children: 1. Joseph Warren, mentioned below. 2. Emogene, born August 29, 1845; married, November 28, 1866, Chauncey Frisbie, of Orwell. Pennsylvania ; served in the civil war; children: Josephine, married Frank Loring Howard, and Blanche. 3. William, born January 21, 1848. 4. Jose- phine, born January 16, 1850; married Ar- thur L. Brinker, of Denver, Colorado.
(V) Joseph Warren, son of William (4) Knapp, was born in the town of Barton, Ti- oga county, New York, November 17, 1843. He was educated in the district schools, and attended Waverly Academy for about eight months.
He enlisted in the war of the rebel- lion, April 13, 1861, on the first call for troops, in Company E, Twenty-third Regi- ment, New York Volunteers. He was then about seventeen years of age, the smallest and the youngest member of the company. He served first in the drum corps, and later in the ranks. The first battle in which he par- ticipated was the Second Battle of Bull Run : he afterwards took part in several smaller en- gagements ; the next battle of importance was that of South Mountain, then Antietam and Fredericksburg. The time of his enlistment was two years, and he was honorably dis- charged in April, 1863. He then returned to Waverly. New York, and attended the Eastman Business College of Poughkeepsie, New York, from which he graduated. He then clerked in the general store of Manning & Finch, at Factoryville, now East Waverly, where he remained for two years. In 1866 he engaged in the grocery business on his own account in Waverly, at the corner of Broad and Clark streets, and about 1881 en- gaged in the dry goods business in the same place, and from time to time has added to
the scope of his business, developing a large department store in the modern sense of the word. From a humble beginning Mr. Knapp has attained a foremost place in the business world, taking first rank among the merchants of his town and county. He has always been prominently identified with the Presbyterian church, and for twenty-five years has been an elder, and has been a member of the board of trustees for the same length of time. He is a strong Prohibitionist, and has been a can- didate for member of assembly on that ticket. He is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, of Waverly, and of Walter C. Hull Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Wa- verly.
He married Frances E. Durkee, born on Talmadge Hill, Barton, New York, October, 18.44. Children: I. Harry William, men- tioned below. 2. Joseph Warren, born July 8, 1879; partner in the firm of Mixer & Knapp, hardware merchants of Waverly; married. January, 1901, Ella Grace Mixer ; children : Ellen Elizabeth, Edwin Mixer and Joseph Warren 3d. 3. Robert Shackleton, born 1883, died while a student in college. 4. Ralph Waldo, born 1885; was a student in Cornell University and Colgate College, from which he was graduated; now a construction engineer at Seattle, Washington; married, in 1911, Vera Taylor. 5. George Brinker, born 1887; living at Los Angeles, California.
(VI) Harry William, son of Joseph War- ren Knapp, was born at Waverly, New York, October 18, 1870. He attended the public schools of his native town. He began his business career as clerk in his father's store and learned the business thoroughly. In 1891 he was admitted to partnership under the name of J. W. Knapp & Son, and this has been the style of the firm to the present time. He has been in the active management of the business in recent years, and to his en- ergy, enterprise and sagacity are due much of the recent growth and prosperity of the firmi. He is a director of the National Bank of Waverly. In religion he is a Presbyterian, in politics a Republican.
He married, June 21, 1894, Maria L., born in Waverly, June 12, 1871. daughter of Thomas J. and Augusta M. ( Canfield) Phil- ips. Children, born in Waverly: 1. Thomas Philips, born July 28, 1895. 2. Frances Helen. June 24, 1899. 3. Romaine, May 12. 1903.
1233
NEW YORK.
MURRAY According to family tradition, the Murray family is de- scended from the Earl of Murray, natural son of James V., of Scot- land, and their crest was a silver star.
(1) Jonathan Murray, the immigrant an- cestor, was born near Edinburgh. Scotland, and came to America, settling in Guilford, Connecticut, about 1685. Ile and his brother John, according to the late W. H. H. Mur- ray, were farmers and shipbuilders. He mar- ried, July 17, 1688, Anna Bradley.
( II) Jehiel, son of Jonathan Murray, was born in Guilford. Connecticut. He moved to Kent, Litchfield county, Connecticut. ile married, November 12, 1733, Mary Way. They had nine sons.
(III) Noah, son of Jehiel Murray, was born at Guilford, April II, 1748. His de- scendants and those of his eight brothers are scattered all over the continent, but they are not closely related with the New York City family of that name, nor with the family in the South, though doubtless they are all of Scotch descent. His early life was spent in Kent, un- til the time of the revolution, when he en- listed at the first call for troops, in April. 1775, and again May 6. 1777. After the revo- lution he became a Baptist preacher, and some time later he became a Universalist preacher, about the time the creed was intro- duced into America by John Murray, with whom Noah has often been confounded, though there is no known relationship be- tween them. Records of Noah Murray are found in many of the Connecticut towns, es- pecially in Kent, Litchfield county. In 1787 he moved with his family of seven children to the Wyoming Valley, where they lived for a very short time at Shawnee. When Lu- zerne county, Pennsylvania, was divided into three districts for convenience in administra- ting justice, Noah Murray was commissioned justice in the first or upper district, Novem- ber 23, 1788, and moved at once to Tioga Point. He was also commissioned justice of the peace in 1789. When he first moved up the river he took possession of the Uriah Stephen's cabin on Queen Esther's Flats, as many others had before him, but soon bought lot No. 14. land west of Athens still owned by his descendants, and built a large log house, made according to the pioneer fash- ion. He continued to preach the new doc- trine in various places, and is called the foun-
der of Universalism in Bradford county. The monument on his grave was erected by his followers. Ile must have had a strong per- sonality. for even grandchildren of his first converts say of him that, after one heard him once, one never wanted to hear another. Ile even converted ministers of other creeds, he was so convincing in his reasoning. Ile at- tended many Universalist conventions in New England, and in 1807 accepted a call to the Lombard Street Church in Philadelphia, where he remained only a year, as he felt too aged to lead a city church. He then moved to Murraysfield, now Springfield, which was a Connecticut township, granted to him in 1795. Ile and his son Abner bought the Murray farm from the original proprietors. Abner receiving lot No. 15, and Noah receiv- ing lot No. 14, which he sold to Abner in 1807. It was soon found that two Pennsyl- vania claims were on the property, and the papers are still in existence showing that .\b- ner paid for the property three times. Noah Murray died at Murraysfield, now Spring- field, Pennsylvania, May 16, 1811, He mar- ried Mary Stowe, of Middletown; she was one of the well-known Stowe family of New England, though her direct ancestry has not been found.
(IV ) Abner, eldest son of Noah Murray. was one of the most active and energetic business men in the Luzerne Valley. He was a prosperous farmer, and an innkeeper. dis- tiller, merchant and lumberman as well. He was of a mechanical turn of mind, and there are still in existence many useful household implements which he made. Besides his own family he reared the son of his sister, Eliza- beth Murray, who married John McConnel ; she died soon, and her son, Murray McCon- nel, was brought up with Abner's children, and became one of the most prominent pio- neers of Illinois. Abner Murray's brother. Noah Jr., lived in Athens until 1881, where for many years he was justice of the peace : he moved to Ohio, where many of his de- scendants live; he married Mrs. Dutill, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.