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 42
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8. 8. Sampelly
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improvements, and was a true successor of his father in furthering the interests of the community. He was a man of charming per- sonality and scholarly attainments, generously hospitable, and a promoter of music and art. as well as a faithful patron of the agricultural interests of his county and state, and had many devoted friends. He was the first to introduce Southdown sheep and Jersey and Alderney cattle in Tioga county. To his hos pitable home came such men as General Wads- worth, of Genesee, Horatio Seymour, Millard Fillmore, Hon. Theodore Frelinghuysen, who had married Mr. l'umpelly's wife's sister. Horace Greeley, Goldwin Smith, and many other prominent men of his time. He was a fellow trustee with Horace Greeley of the People's College at Havana. New York, and a trustee of the Inebriate Asylum at Bing- hamton. Ile married. April 24, 1832, Susan Isabella Pumpelly, his cousin, born April 24. 1800, at Owego, daughter of Charles and Frances (Avery ) Pumpelly. She died July 30. 1864, at Owego. Children: James K., Charles F .. Josiah Collins, George B., and Mary. The daughter became the wife of Wordsworth Thomson, who attained some celebrity as a painter, devoting his art chiefly to revolutionary and colonial subjects.
(Vl) Josiah Collins, third son of George James and Susan 1. ( Pumpelly ) Pumpelly. was born August 16. 1830, in Owego, and now resides in the city of New York, where he is conspicuous in historical and literary circles. Through his descent through many notable ancestors, he is allied with conspicuous fami- lies of Europe and America, and in his life and character does not belie the virtue of good blood. In common with Edward VII. of Eng- land, his ancestors include such famous men as John of Gaunt, Edward HI1., Warwick, the King Maker : the great Christian warrior, \1- fred the Great : and Sir Richard Pole, whose son. Reginald, was a cardinal of the Romish church. Through the Plantagenet line, he is remotely related to many of the founders of the kingdoms and principalities of Europe. Through his paternal line, he traces to Pietro Orseolo, who founded the Cathedral of Saint Mark, and was a doge of Venice, and Pietro Orseolo 11 .. also doge of Venice, who over- came the pirates of the Adriatic and origi- nated the famous ceremony of the "Betrothal of the Sea." On another line, his descent runs from Rurik, from whom Russia takes
its name, including in this line several em- perors at Constantinople.
Amid happy surroundings in Owego, Mr. Pumupelly grew up in a cultured atmosphere and was carly prepared for college. At the age of twenty-one years, he was graduated from Rutgers College in 1800, and received the degrees of A. B. and A. M. from that in stitution. Entering Columbia University Law School, he was graduated in 1863 with the degree of LL.B., and was immediately admit ted to the bar of the state of New York. Vi- ter practicing a few years in his native town, he spent some years in travel, visiting all the interesting regions of the old world. Return- ing to his native country, he resided for a time at Poughkeepsie, New York, and later at Morristown. New Jersey. In 1890 he re- moved to New York City and has since been active in social betterment and philanthropic work and has contributed much by addresses and letters to the press toward the education of the people along these lines. He aided in founding the Huguenot Society of America, the Patriotic League, the National Society Sons of the American Revolution and its New Jersey branch, the New Jersey State Charities and Prison Reform Association, the New York Peace Society and "Society for the Ad- vancement of India." At the celebration of the Ter-Centenary of the Signing of the Edict of Nantes in 1808, he read a paper entitled, "The Huguenot Settlers in New Jersey." He has delivered many addresses on historical topics, many of which have been published. including the following : "Washington": "Fort Stanwix and the Battle of Oriskany"; "The Birthplace of Washington and Grave of his Illustrious Mother": "Our French .Al- lies in the Revolution": "The Battle of Red Bank, New Jersey"; "Joseph Warren": "Bat- tle of Springfield, New Jersey": "Battle of Princeton, New Jersey": Battle of Mon- mouth, New Jersey": "Mahlon Dickerson. of New Jersey Industrial Pioneer and Old Time Patriot": "The Trenton Battle Monument and What it Commemorates": "Reminiscences. Social and Humorous of Colonial and Revo- lutionary Days in New York": "Character and Life of John Paul Jones": "What the Cause of Human Freedom Owes to the Hu- guenot": "The Huguenot Builders of New Jersey": "Incidents in the Early History of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and of the Pixlev, Pumpelly and Avery Families": "Cu-
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rious and Amusing Old Time Epitaphs and Epigrams"; "Phillip Freneau, the Huguenot Soldier and Poet of the American Revolu- tion": "Historic Claremont and the Story of the Pollock Monument near Grant's Tomb"; "The Jumel (Roger Morris) Mansion; Its History and Traditions"; "Two Hundred Years of New York City History"; "Wash- ington at Morristown, New Jersey, Winter of 1779-80."
Mr. Pumpelly has given much time and lit- erary effort to the discussion in the public press of philanthropic and social economic questions. He is an ardent supporter of Re- publican principles in matters of governmental policy ; is a member of the Episcopal church : a member of the Alumni Association of Co- lumbia College Law School; and of the Rut- gers College Alumni Association. He is a member of the executive boards of the Church Association for the Advancement of the Interests of Labor and the State Chari- ties Aid and Prison Reform Association of New Jersey. He was a member of the ad- visory board of the Manhattan Trade School for Girls, until it was taken into the public school system : of the West End Association ; New York Peace Society and the Empire State Society Sons of the American Revolu- tion, of which society he is historian. He was for some years necrologist of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society ; was one of the founders of the Cedar Park Club, Incorporated ; and is a veteran member of the Union League Club. In character and per- sonality, Mr. Pumpelly partakes largely of qualities inherited from his ancestors : is most democratic in his habits ; of genial and friendly nature and attracts to himself and retains many strong friends. His activities are along those lines calculated to uplift humanity and benefit the world at large.
He married. (first), October 19, 1876, in Frankfort, Germany, Margaret Downing ( La- nier) Winslow, widow of James Winslow. who died in 1890. He married (second), May 20, 1896. in New York City, Mary Amelia Harmer, who like her husband is of Hugue- not descent, and of the best of patriotic stock, as General Josiah Harmer was one of Wash- ington's most trusted generals.
(VI) George Brinkerhoff, fourth son of George J. and Susan I. ( Pumpelly ) Pumpelly. was born July 27. 1842. in Owego, where he grew up, receiving his principal education in
the Owego Academy. In 1866 he graduated in chemistry from the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale College, and soon after went to California, where he was placed in charge of the Silver Peak Mining Company, in which his father was interested. He had pre- viously served as a soldier of the civil war, having enlisted in 1864 in Company H., Ber- dan's Sharpshooters, and served eight months. In 1874 he returned from California, and lo- cated in Swartwood, Chemung county, New York. where he engaged in the lumber busi- ness until 1886. In the latter year he re- moved to Candor, Tioga county, New York, where he has since made his home, and con- tinued in the lumber business until 1900: since then has been living retired. For the past twelve years they have conducted a boarding house. While residing in Swartwood he served as postmaster four years. He is a ves- tryman of the Episcopal Church at Candor. He married, April 15, 1874, Adelaide Wood- ford, born February 11, 1852, in West Can- dor, daughter of John R. and Armenia (Fort- ner) Woodford. Children: I. William Col- lins, born June 16, 1877 ; graduated from the College of Pharmacy, New York, 1899, and from College of Physicians and Surgeons of Baltimore, Maryland, in 1905. He served as surgeon on Admiral Schley's ship in the Span- ish American war, and was located two years in the State Sanitarium at Milledgeville, Geor- gia. For one year he was a member of the faculty of Mercer University, Macon. Georgia. and has been engaged in the practice of medi- cine at that place since 1907. He married, October 14. 1905. Ann Singleton, of Fort Val- ley, Georgia, and has children: Mary Ade- laide, born November 3, 1906. and William Brinkerhoff, December 22, 1910. 2. George James, December 20, 1880, resides in Candor. He married Eva Willard, of that place, and has a son, James Willard, born December 3. 1907. 3. Frederick Gurdon. January 27, 1882 : resides in Winnipeg, Canada, and is agent for the Smith Premier Typewriter Company. He married Margaret Willett, of Moncton, Can- ada, and has a son, Jolin Willard, born June 12, 1906.
Benjamin Crane was in Wethers- CRAIN field, Connecticut, as early as 1655, possibly earlier than that (late. In March, 1655. according to the rec- ords at Hartford, he was defendant in a civil
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suit with John Sadler, and in June. 1656, he was again defendant in a suit with Richard Montague. He was born about 1630, and died May 31. 1091. He was made freeman at Wethersfield, May 12. 1658. He received a grant of two and a half acres of land from the town, February 24, 1056, and he bought land in West Field of John Dixon or Dickon- son, September 14, 1604. On this land which he bought he built his home and tanneries, and by the vote of the town in 1704, his house was one of the six which was fortified. In 1660 he received a grant of three acres of land on Beaver Brook, now called Tandoss Brook, and in 1670 he drew land in the allot- ment. In 1664 he served as juror. On De- cember 8. 1671, he bought land of Daniel Rose. He bought more land south of Job Whitcomb's land on February 22, 1680, March 25, 1680, and July 13. 1680 he received land on the Connecticut river. In May, 1682, he was among those who petitioned the general court for the right to start a plantation in the "Wabaynassit country," now Windham county. He had a tannery about a mile be- low the village on the Middletown road, on the, spot known as "Old Crane's Tannery Place." His son John succeeded to his busi- ness. His will was dated August 22, 1689, and the inventory of his estate was dated February 13. 1692. He married, April 23, 1655, Mary, who died July 8, 1717, daughter of William and Sarah (Charles) Backus. Children : Ben- jamin, born March 1, 1656, drowned June 20, 1693; Jonathan, December 1, 1658: Joseph, April 1, 1661 : John, mentioned below : Elijah, 1665: Abraham, 1668; Jacob, 1670; Israel, November 1, 1671 : Mary. 1673.
(II) John Crane, son of Benjamin Crane, was born April 30, 1663, died October 21, 1694, aged thirty-one years. In 1691-92 he went to Windham with his brother Jonathan, and built a house there. but later returned to Wethersfield, where he inherited his father's tannery. By trade he was a blacksmith. In 1694 he drew land in Wethersfield. He mar- ried. October 27, 1692, Abigail, daughter of Nathaniel Butler. She married (second ), Feb- ruary 23. 1697, Samuel Walker, and in May, 1697, she and her husband were given power to sell enough of the estate of her former husband to pay off debts. She had Abigail, Elizabeth, Sarah, by her second marriage. On November 2, 1694. she was appointed ad- ministratrix of Jolin Crane's estate, and the
inventory was dated April 8, 1695. On April 4, 1715, his son Josiah, being of age, received his share of the estate, and his guardian, Isaac Ryley, was discharged. Child: Josiah, born March 22, 1694.
(III) John (2) Crane, probably son of John (1) Crane, doubtless grandson of Ben- jamin Crane, was born in 1689 or 1690. There is doubt as to his father, but it is not unlikely that he was son by a first marriage. Hle was among the early settlers of Coventry, Connecticut. In October, 1743, John Crane, of Mansfield, and William Williams, asked, with others, that the assembly fix a site for the Second Society Meeting House. He mar- ried, October 29, 1712, Abigail, born in Wind- ham, June 23. 1694, died September 1, 1765, in Mansfield, daughter of Peter and Mary Cross, of Mansfield. He died in Mansfield, March 1, 1765. His will was dated May 31, 1764, proved March 16, 1765. and in it he mentioned his wife, children, and grandchil- dren. His wife's will was dated July 6, 1765. and proved September 25. 1765. They were buried in the Gurley burial ground in North Mansfield. Children: John, born September 8, 1713, died September 20, 1713; Abigail, October 20. 1714; John, October 25. 1716; Ebenezer, mentioned below ; Mary, May 22, 1722; Samuel, April 23, 1724: Hezekiah, Oc- tober 10, 1725 ; Deborah, August 1, 1727, prob- ably died young : Daniel, January 29, 1728-29. died January 4, 1739: Ruth, December 22, 1730.
(IV) Ebenezer Crane, son of John (2) Crane, was born July 4, 1720. Ile lived in Mansfield, and in 1765 in Lebanon. In 1762 and 1770 he was again of Mansfield. In April. 1765, he declined to serve with his brother Hezekiah as executor of his father's will. No record of his descendants can be found at Mansfield, so it is probable that the family moved away from there. He married, June 21, 1744. Sarah, daughter of Jonathan Curtis. He doubtless married twice, for his grandson, Edmund Franklin Craine, gives his wife's name as Mary Neff, of Welsh paren- tage. Children, born at Mansfield: Abigail. October 1. 1745: Ebenezer, July 26, 1747: Elizabeth. October 14, 1749: Deborah, August II, 1751 : Rebeckah, September 7. 1753, died October 7, 1753: Rebeckah, September 11, 1755: Jonathan, August 20. 1757: Amariah, October 16, 1759: Roger, mentioned below ; Sarah, September 4, 1770.
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(\') Roger Craine, (as he spelled the name), son of Ebenezer Crane, was born at Mansfield, May 4. 1762. He served in the revolution for six years. He enlisted for three years for Medway, in Captain Fuller's company, Colonel William Shepard's regi- ment. He was at West Point in February, 1782, and served along the Hudson river. His granddaughter says that he served with Wash- ington at Valley Forge during the winter, and that he was one of the forty men under Col- onel Barton who surprised and captured Gen- eral l'rescott in his own quarters at night, and who was exchanged with General Lee. On May 30. 1781. he receipted for the bounty paid him by the town committee. He lived in Groton, New York, for many years, and was a farmer. He died in Painesville, Ohio, June 3. 1841, and his wife died in Groton, Janu- ary 21. 1854. He married, in Ashford, Con- necticut. May 20. 1784. Sarah Whiting, born there. October 26, 1764. Children: Abigail, born in 1786: Samuel, July 28, 1788: Cyrus, mentioned below : Ahira, September 12, 1794; Eleazer Whiting, May 22, 1796: Tower Whit- ing. June 4. 1799: Horace; Alvin, July 23, 1803: Alexis.
(VI) Cyrus Craine, son of Roger Craine, was born June 23. 1790, died in Groton, May 25. 1867. He was a farmer. He married Sarah Snow, born November 24, 1787, died in Groton, January 1. 1864. Children: Ed- gar, born August 15, 1813, went to Tennes- see : Sarah Ann, March 25, 1815: Mary, March 27. 1817. died February 14, 1844; Ca- milla, December 27, 1818 : Sybil Marilla, May 29, 1821 ; Ruth Marilla, August 22, 1823; Cyrus S., mentioned below : Rosanna, March 26. 1827: Henry Martyn. April 13. 1829.
(VII) Cyrus Snow Crain (as he spelled the name ), son of Cyrus Craine, was born May 23. 1825, either in Ohio or in Groton, Tomp- kins county, New York, died in Harpersville. Broome county, New York, July 10, 1895. He received his education in the academy at Gro- ton, and then studied medicine. Later he studied for the ministry, and became a Bap- tist elergyman. He fought in the civil war. enlisting in the Forty-fourth New York. called "Ellsworth Avengers," as a private, but was appointed chaplain. He preached in the towns of Georgetown, Plymouth. Fabius, Del- phi, MeDonough and Harpersville. He mar- ried (first). May 20, 1849, Merab Evaline. daughter of Stephen and Sally ( Ives) Yale:
she died in 1862. He married ( second ). April 24. 1864. Mary Augusta, born in Guilford, New York, in 1841. died in 1897, daughter of Joseph and Susan R. (Myers Lee. Chil- dren by first wife: Herman Leslie, born May 15. 1850, at Groton, lives in Upton, New York : Stephen B., April 7. 1854, lives in New Britain, New York. Children by second wife : Jessie A., born June 29. 1865. married M. F. Marsh, of Nineveh. New York: Joseph llenry, mentioned below.
(VIII ) Joseph Henry Crain, son of Cy- rus Snow Crain, was born in Georgetown, New York, January 22, 1870. He attended the public schools of Delphi and Plymouth. New York, and the high school in Oxford. He took the classical course in the State Nor- mal School at Oneonta, New York, and was graduated in the class of 1902 with one of the best records ever made in the school. He taught in the graded schools before attending the Normal school and afterward he became principal of the schools at Sharon Springs, New York, continuing from 1902 to 1906. In the latter year he came to Afton, New York, and became the owner and publisher of the Afton Enterprise, a weekly newspaper, which he successfully conducted until No- vember 1, 1911, when he sold it and purchased the Chronicle-Journal, at Franklinville. Cat- taraugus county. New York, and has since that time devoted his energies and talents to the management and editing of that journal. In politics he is a Republican. He is a mem- ber of Franklinville Lodge, No. 626. Free and Accepted Masons, Franklinville: Lodge No. 453, Independent Order of Odd Fellows: Henry Van Aernam Camp, No. 54. Sons of Veterans, and of the Baptist church.
He married, July 19, 1899. Nellie M. Skill- man, of Greene, New York, daughter of John C. and Mary (Philley) Skillman. Their chil- dren: Leonard Austin, born November 12, 1906: Margaret Lee, March 25. 1910: both were born at Afton.
Joshua Pratt. of an old New
PRATT England family. was born in Connecticut, and lived at Pom- fret, Windham county, Connecticut, whence he removed to Truxton, Cortland county. New York, a pioneer of that town. He cleared a farm on which he resided the remainder of his life. Among his children was David, men- tioned below.
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( II ) David, son of Joshua Pratt, was born in Pomfret, Connecticut, in 1795, and died at Homer, New York. September 26, 1864. He came to Homer with Samuel Gregg, for whom he worked until the time of his mar- riage. Then he bought a tract of land, com- prising a hundred acres, a mile and a half north of the Gregg farm. Subsequently he sold this farm and bought another in Homer township. in the little valley lying between East and West River valleys. In 1839 he ex- changed his farm in Homer for a hundred and sixty acres of land in the forests of Mich- igan. For about fourteen years afterward lie followed his trade as mason in Homer, and afterward removed to a small farm in the eastern part of Scott, New York. Soon after- ward, however, he removed to a farm of fifty acres near Little York. in Homer, and there spent his last years. In politics he was origi- nally a Whig, but when the Republican party was formed he joined it and continued to sup- port its principles and candidates as long as he lived. In religion he was a Presbyterian, a member of the church.
He married Electa Alexander, born 1801. died . April 5. 1866, daughter of Leonard Alex- ander, a native of Vermont, who came to East Homer, New York, in 1816, and engaged in farming: Children of Mr. and Mrs. Pratt : 1. Caroline E., married John Davenport, of Cayuga county, afterward of DuPage county, Illinois, and had one son, Homer A. 2. De- Witt Clinton ; was a photographer, at Aurora, Illinois : married Mary Burdick, of Scott, Cortland county, New York ; children : Flora, Eva, Fannie and Edmund. 3. Francis Nelson, a real estate dealer of Lake Forest, Lake county, Illinois : married Emma U. Cowles, of Otisco, New York ; children: Dora, Fannie and Charles. 4. Washington B., died in Napa county, California. 1879; was a farmer in Illi- nois and Missouri ; was a gold-seeker in Cali- fornia and Australia; married Alzina M. Page, a native of DuPage county, Illinois ; children : Eugene and Ella. 5. Sarah A., born 1830: died November 16, 1849. 6. Augusta M .. married Collins S. White, of Homer : children : Emma A., Lottie S., G. Frank and Burdette H. 7. Franklin Fayette, mentioned below. 8. Celina J., born 1839, died October 23, 1849. 9. Amelia ( an adopted child), mar- ried John Doubleday, of Scott, a farmer.
(III ) Franklin Fayette, son of David Pratt. was born at Homer. New York. July 17, 1835 :
died there March 13, 1911. He received his early education in the public schools of his native town, and then attended Homer Acad- emy. At the age of eighteen he became a teacher in the public schools, working in the summer on the farm. At the beginning of the civil war lie enlisted in Company A, Sev- enty-sixth Regiment, New York Volunteer In- fantry, which was recruited at Cortland, and was mustered into service October 4, 1801. This regiment became one of the best in drill and service. At first it was with the First Army Corps, and afterward with the Fifth. Mr. Pratt took part with his regiment in the battles of Gainesville, Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chan- cellorsville, Spottsylvania, North Anna River, Cold Harbor, and in the assault on Peters- burg. He was recovering from malarial fever, contracted in the camp near Fredericksburg, Virginia, at the time of the battle of Gettys- burg, and was unable to go into that fight with his regiment, but after it was detailed to care for the wounded and was on hospital duty until November, when he was again as- signed to duty with his regiment in the field. Hle became corporal of his company, Decem- ber 20, 1863, and reënlisted in 1864. During a furlough of thirty days he visited his friends and relatives in New York state. Upon his return, he joined his regiment at Spottsyl- vania Court House, Virginia. After taking part in the battle at that point, the regiment marched towards Richmond and Petersburg and was skirmishing or fighting every day during the following month. In August, 1864, while in camp near Petersburg, he and a com- rade were transferred from the army to the Marine Corps, at their own request, by an order from the Secretary of War, and he re- ported to the commandant of the Brooklyn navy yard. Soon after arriving at Brooklyn navy yard, and becoming familiar with the marine drill, he was appointed a corporal of marines, and, with a sergeant in command, went aboard the United States gunboat "Pa- tuxet," and soon joined the blockading squad- ron along the Atlantic coast. On the voyage southward the vessel put into port at Nor- folk, Virginia, to make some repairs. Just at this time he received notice of the death of his father. His presence was necessary at home to care for his widowed mother. The other sons had settled in the west. A peti- tion was signed by many of the leading citi-
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zens and presented to President Lincoln, ask- ing for his discharge from the navy, and was favorably acted upon. and Mr. Pratt received the order December 1, 1864, while in port at Beaufort, North Carolina, and took passage homeward on the prize steamer loaded with five hundred bales of cotton captured while trying to run the blockade. On the same boat were many Confederate prisoners. At the headquarters of the United States Marine Corps, Washington, he received his discharge papers, and arrived home December 21, 1864. He followed farming on the homestead until his mother died in April. 1866.
Soon after his marriage, he bought the homestead, a farm of fifty acres, and after nine years of thrift and hard labor he paid off the indebtedness he incurred in buying it. In 1875 he exchanged his hill farm for a place of 125 acres in the valley, on the main road from Homer to Little York. During the next twelve years he was saving to pay off a debt of $6,000 incurred in this transaction. He continued in the dairy business as well as general farming, improving his property all the time. He built a new stable for his horses, and a large dairy barn with basement having cement floors and driveway. After 1892 he gave up the making of butter and shipped the milk from his dairy to New York City. In religion, he was non-sectarian, but an optimist. charitable, religious, and full of good deeds. In politics he was always a Republican, cast- ing his first vote for John C. Fremont for president. He was a typical farmer. of the self-made kind, energetic, ambitious, industri- ous, winning success by his own hard work, and commanding the utmost respect of his fellowmen.
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