USA > New York > Genealogical and family history of western 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 50
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(I) John Moss [whose name sometimes ap- pears as Mosse] was of New Haven. The first four generations of his race spelled the name Moss, and many of his descendants have retained this spelling to the present day. although the majority of them have adopted Morse. The exact date of his birth is un- known, some authorities giving it as near 1619, while others claim he was one hundred and three years old at the time of his death. in 1707. He was one of the noble band who founded New Haven, Connecticut, and was much esteemed for his high quality of cour- age, his excellent judgment in matters relat- ing to the common welfare, his firmness of character, his piety and perseverance. His advice and counsel were sought by the wisest and holiest men of his day, and he was in the highest sense a godly Puritan, ready to perform his full duty at all times. His fel- low citizens honored him in many ways, and he was one of the most prominent men of
New Haven at the time of its settlement. He was one of the members of the first gen- eral court in 1639-40, and was often called upon to advocate a case in the civil courts : on the union of New Haven with Connecti- cut he was repeatedly sent to the general court at Hartford, and was appointed a mag- istrate. When part of New Haven was set apart as Wallingford, March 1I, 1669, he became one of the committee to manage all the plantation affairs of the latter place, the other members being Samuel Street, John Brockett, Abraham Doolittle. They were to dispose and distribute the allotments in such equal manner as was best suited to the con- dition of the place and the inhabitants there- of, and to use the best means in their power to secure a fit man to dispense the word of God. The name of John Moss was promin- ently identified with all the leading measures of the village of Wallingford, and he was assigned the second home lot, near the south end of Main street, on the east side. He was prominent in both state and church affairs, and was well fitted by natural ability and experience to take his place among the rulers of the new town. Children born to John Moss: John, baptized January II, 1639, died young ; Samuel, born April 4, 1641 ; Abigail, April 10, 1642; Rev. Joseph, November 6, 1643: Ephraim, November 6, 1645, probably died young ; Mary, April 11, 1647; Mercy, baptized April 1, 1649, lived in New Haven ; John; October 12, 1650; Elizabeth, October 12, 1652: Hester, June 16, 1654; Isaac, July I, 1655, died in 1659.
(II) John (2), sixth son of John ( 1) Moss, was born October 12, 1650, in New Haven, and was one of the first settlers of Walling- ford, where he was active in civil affairs, and died March 31, 1717. He owned a farm on Ten-mile Hill, one on Honeypot Brook, and another on Busby Hill, amounting to over 500 acres. He married, December 12, 1676, Martha, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Scudder) Lothrop, born in 1657, died Sep- tember 21, 1719. She was administratrix of her husband's estate, with her eldest son. Children : Mary, Esther, Samuel, John, Mar- tha, Solomon, Isaac, Mary, Israel, Benja- min.
(III) Sergeant Isaac Moss, fifth son of John (2) and Martha (Lothrop) Moss, was born July 6, 1693, in Wallingford, and resided in the adjoining town of Cheshire, where he
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died October 1, 1750. His will, dated New Cheshire, June 6. 1747, disposed of extensive landed property. He married ( first) May 2, 1717, Hannah Royce, born November 6, 1696, daughter of Joseph and Mary ( Porter) Royce, and died March 31, 1737. He married (sec- ond) October 14, 1738, Keziah, daughter of Samuel and Lydia ( French) Bowers, born March 2, 1699, in Wallingford, who died Oc- tober 1, 1750. Children of first marriage : Ezel (probably Ezekial, not mentioned in his father's will) : Heman, died young ; Hannah ; Ebenezer, died young ; Isaac; Heman ; Jesse ; Mehitable ; Elihu. Of the second marriage : Ebenezer, Jabez and Keziah.
(IV) Captain Jesse Moss, sixth son of Ser- geant Isaac and Hannah ( Royce) Moss, was born March 10, 1729, in Cheshire, and resided on the paternal homestead on Ten-mile River, where he was a farmer, and died March 20, 1793. He was a soldier of the revolution, serving first as a corporal in Captain Street Hall's company from July 12 to December 19, 1775, and was present at the evacuation of Boston by the British in 1776. In 1777 he was a captain under Lieutenant-Colonel J. Baldwin, of the Tenth Militia Regiment, which recruited the American army on the North river and served at Fishkill. He married, Jan- uary 25, 1753. Mary, daughter of Benjamin (son of John (2), son of John (I) and Abi- gail (Cole) Moss ). She was born October 23, 1731, in Cheshire, died August 19, 1819. Children : Hannah, Joel, Jesse, Reuben. Job. Mary, Isaac Bowers, Lothrop, Clarinda, died young, Rufus, Emanuel, Mary Clarinda.
(V) Rev. Reuben Moss, third son of Cap- tain Jesse and Mary (Moss) Moss, was born June 11, 1759, in Cheshire. He entered the revolutionary army at the age of sixteen years, serving as waiter to his father, but subse- quently enlisted as a soldier of the line, and was discharged in 1783. On leaving the army he began his studies in preparation for the ministry, and made very rapid progress at Yale, where he outstripped many of his class- mates, and graduated with honors in 1787. In 1792 he was ordained as pastor of the Con- gregational church at Ware, Massachusetts, where he continued sixteen years, and died February 17, 1809. He married, at Stoning- ton, Connecticut, October 15, 1795, Esther. daughter of William and Esther (Williams) Cheesebrough, born there August 26. 1776. Children : Lazarus (named later, Ephraim
Cheesebrough), Mary Esther, George Wash- ington, Tirzah, William Cheesebrough, Jesse Lothrop, Reuben E.
(VI) Reuben E., youngest child of Rev. Reuben and Esther (Cheesebrough) Moss, was born September 1, 1807, in Ware, and was but two years of age when his father died. The widowed mother returned with her children to her girlhood home in Ston- ington, and the son was reared in that town and North Stonington. Being forced early to maintain himself, he was employed in a cotton factory and was later a bookkeeper and clerk in a country store. He assisted in the defense of Stonington, in 1814. by making cartridges for the regiment which was com- manded by Colonel William Randall, whose daughter, then unborn, ultimately became his wife. During his twentieth year he was pro- prietor of a store at Portersville in the town of Groton, New London county. In the mean- time he had not neglected the improvement of his mind, and by private study and the instruc- tion of private tutors had made great advance- ment in human knowledge. At the age of four years he was able to read and write, and at eighteen years had passed far beyond the ordinary knowledge of his times, including the mastery of surveying. He was also a member of one of the first Sunday schools es- tablished in America. In 1829 he went to New York City and became a partner with his elder brother, under the title of E. C. & R. E. Moss, manufacturing and retail drug- gists. The elder partner died in 1842, and the junior continued the business on the same site. at Grand and Cannon streets, until he removed to Chemung county in 1860. He was widely known in New York City, and was often called "Dr. Moss." He was active in Sunday school work, and was a trustee of Dr. MacLane's church on Madison avenue. He resided at No. 4 Cannon street, then a desirable residence locality. until after 1850. and then built a house on Gates avenue. Brooklyn, between Bedford and Franklin ave- nues, where he owned twelve city lots. While residing there he was active in work of the Clinton Avenue Congregational Church. He served as inspector of elections and commis- sioner of deeds, and was a private and sub- sequently captain in the One Hundred and Forty-second Regiment. New York militia, being subsequently major of the Two Hun- dred and Sixty-fourth Regiment. He was
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elected lieutenant-colonel of the latter body, but was prevented from acceptance by the illness and subsequent death of his broth- er. He was a member of the volunteer fire department, and saw hard service in the great fire of 1835. and a member and treasurer of the Independent Corps Veteran Artillery, which was limited to seventy-six members. Ile was active in suppressing the Astor Place riots, caused by the rivalry between two prom- inent actors of the day. This military organi- zation possessed several field pieces, and the loading and pointing of one of these in sight of the rioters caused them to disperse.
Having acquired a competence, Mr. Moss sought a quiet home in the rural regions, and in 1860 purchased a farm on Maple avenue. near Wellsburg, New York, then in the town of Southport. now Ashland, Chemung county. He immediately became prominent in the af- fairs of the town, and while a school trustee planted the beautiful trees which now give valuable shade to one of the schoolhouses. He organized a Sunday school, of which he was long superintendent, and in which mem- bers of his family were teachers. For twenty- five years he was a justice of the peace, which made him a member of the board of town au- ditors. and also served as excise commis- sioner. In 1885 he was elected a justice of sessions, and in that capacity acted as an asso- ciate of the presiding judge upon the bench. In 1895 he sold his farm and removed to the city of Elmira, establishing a home on Hoff- man street, where he died October 26, 1896. He was the possessor of a large and well- selected library, and was always a student, keeping abreast of modern progress. He took a wide mental view, was a thinker and fine conversationalist. well versed in English clas- ics, and fond of the works of leading poets. In early life he was a Whig, and naturally became a member of the Republican party upon its organization. Among the first sub- scribers of the New York Tribune, he kept files of that paper and also the Independent for reference.
He married. September 23, 1841, Harriet Newell, daughter of Hon. William and Martha ( Cheesebrough ) Randall, born January 25, 1815. died March 3. 1908. Children : I. Marion Rosamond, died April 3. 1892. 2. Nora Eurydice. 3. Roswell Randall, men- tioned below. 4. Algernon Ruthven, a resi- dent of Kansas City, Missouri. 5. Reuben
Llewellyn, of Elmira. 6. Arthur Herbert, of Chicago. 7. Edgar Albert. a resident of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, engaged in dry goods business in New York City.
(VII) Roswell Randall, eldest son of Reu- ben E. and Harriet Newell (Randall) Moss. was born October 16, 1845, in New York City, where his education was begun. In his fifteenth year he went with his parents to Chemung county, and pursued his studies in the Elmira Free Academy. In the mean time he assisted in the operation of the homestead farm. and subsequently taught school. In January, 1871, he began the study of law in the office of Smith, Robertson & Fassett, con- tinuing this for three winters. and worked on the farm in summer. He was admitted to the bar before the supreme court at Albany, January 9. 1874, and immediately became chief clerk in the office of his preceptors, thus gaining an extensive experience and often acting in the trial of cases. He began in- dependent practice. October 1. 1879, and in the fall of the following year became asso- ciated with Edward B. Youmans, under the title of Youmans & Moss. In 1884 Charles H. Knipp, a student of the firm, became a partner, and it was continued as Youmans, Moss & Knipp. During the first administra- tion of President Cleveland the senior part- ner retired temporarily to take a position in Washington. In 1891 Mr. Knipp retired, and the firm continued as Youmans & Moss until 1898, when the former died. Since that time Mr. Moss has continued practice alone, and has been employed in many important cases. In 1894 he compiled a manual of the election laws, which has since been used as a guide to inspectors and clerks of election. In July, 1898, he was appointed referee in bankruptcy for the counties of Chemung and Tioga, then a part of the northern, now western, district, of New York. As a pioneer of this work he was obliged to establish forms of procedure, and thus acquired considerable prominence, and was among the organizers of the Na- tional Association of Referees in Bankruptcy, serving as chairman of one of its important committees. While few of his decisions have ever been questioned, they have been invari- ably sustained by the higher courts. In 1865 he became a member of the Park Church of Elmira ( Congregational) and in February of that year became associated with the United States Christian Commission, under whose
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auspices he acted as a teacher of colored troops north of the James river, and was in charge of a small issue office at City Point. During this time he engaged in hospital work and was among those who entered Petersburg, Virginia, upon its capture by Federal troops. He is a vice-president of the Chemung Coun- ty Bar Association : and a member of the New York State, and of the American Bar Associa- tions. He is a fellow of the Elmira Academy of Sciences, in which he served long as vice- president, and is noted as a friend and sup- porter of educational movements. A member of the Country and Century clubs of Elmira, he gives some time to botany, and for recrea- tion engages in golf, whist, billiards, cycling and angling. Deeply interested in historical studies, he has contributed much to the pres- ervation of local history, and is a writer of articles upon social problems published in the press.
He married, June 7. 1876. Anna D., daugh- ter of George W. and Elizabeth Mason, of El- mira, the father being founder of the Elmira Gasette, and long a prominent citizen of his home city. They are the parents of two daughters.
This name was brought to SKINNER New England by two emi- grants from England, both of whom left a numerous progeny. Thomas Skinner was an early settler at Malden, Mas- sachusetts, coming from Chichester, England, before 1652. Another immigrant was prom- inent in the settlement of Connecticut, and de- scendants of both have spread throughout the United States, where they have been dis- tinguished for the Yankee qualities of en- terprise and thrift, and were usually found to be industrious, prosperous and useful citizens. Several sections of the Empire State are in- debted to this family for pioneers who were active in promoting material and moral growth of the settlement.
(I) John Skinner was one of the Hooker company and probably came from Braintree, county Essex. England. He was a kinsman of John Talcott, of Hartford, mentioned in his will in 1649. was one of the founders of Hartford, and died there in 1650-51. His will was proved October 23, 1651. The estate was partitioned January 18, 1655, and at that time the ages of the children were given in the records. and it is from this record that
the birth years of the children are computed, viz .: Mary, 1638; Ann, 1639; John, 1641; Joseph, 1643; Richard, 1646. His wife Mary was a daughter of Joseph Loomis, an early resident of Windsor, Connecticut, where many descendants of both names resided. She married (second) Owen Tudor. of Windsor.
(II) Joseph, second son of John and Mary (Loomis) Skinner, was born in 1643, in Hart- ford, and resided in East Windsor, where he bought land in 1666. This was on the west side of Broad street, was in his possession in 1684 and he probably resided there until his death. The Windsor church records con- tain the following entry : "February 16, 1678- 79, Joseph Skinner having never been bap- tized, desired that he might be baptized, and ye church granted it. He would be tried ( ex- amined) concerning his knowledge and blame- less life and own Ch. Cov't and came under disciplin to be owned as a member, and so any others might come in in like manner. man or womankind. On ye 2 of March there was none that lay any blame on him in point of his conversation so he owned ve Ch. Cov't and was baptized." He married, April 5. 1666. Mary, daughter of William and Margaret Filley. She died April 13, 1711. Children : Mary, John, Elizabeth, Joseph, Isaac, Thomas.
(III) Joseph (2), second son of Joseph ( I) and Mary (Filley) Skinner, was born 1673. in Windsor, and resided in Hartford. He married (first) January 1, 1696, Dorothy Hos- mer, born January 10, 1667, in Concord, Mas- sachusetts, daughter of James and Sarah (White) Hosmer. She died March, 1702. and he married (second), January 28, 1708. Eliza- beth Olmsted, of Hartford. probably a daughi- ter of James Olmsted and granddaughter of Nicholas and Sarah (Loomis) Olmsted. There were two sons born of the first marriage. Jo- seph and Stephen. The latter died young. Children of second marriage : Jonathan, Eliza- beth, Stephen, Dorothy, Anna, Rebecca.
(IV) Stephen, fourth son of Joseph ( 2) Skinner, and third child of his second wife. Elizabeth Olmsted, was baptized March II. 1755, died in Hartford, July II. 1758. Ile had children : Elizabeth, died young : Eliza- beth, baptized March 11. 1753 : Stephen. about 1755-56; Jonathan, January 29, 1758.
(V) Stephen (2), eldest son of Stephen ( I) Skinner, resided in Hartford and is supposed to have been father of Alexander, and Charles King, mentioned below. There were prac-
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tically no vital statistics recorded in Hartford in his time, and the church records make no mention of him or of his wife or children.
(VI) Charles King Skinner was born Jan- uary 13, 1792, in Hartford, in the house on Lafayette street, where his father, grand- father and great-grandfather had lived before him. In 1812. at the age of twenty years, Charles K. Skinner went to Ohio and was one of the four men who founded the town of Massillon, in that state. He was very ac- tive in promoting the growth and progress of that section, building canals and railroads, and owned and operated woolen mills. In 1854 a bank was established in Massillon, being the second in the county, and Mr. Skinner was made its president in 1857, holding this posi- tion for a long term of years. He was instru- mental in bringing the first line of railroad through Massillon from Pittsburgh, Pennsyl- vania, in 1850, and died there November 4. 1875. His wife, Eliza (Reed) Skinner, was born November 6, 1797, in Lynn. Massachu- setts, died January 17, 1866. Children : Au- gustus, Elizabeth, Charles Phillips.
(VII) Charles Phillips, son of Charles King and Eliza (Reed) Skinner, was born August I, 1827, in Massillon, died in Owego. New York, June 10, 1882. He was educated at Kenyon College and Western Reserve College at Hudson, Ohio, and was many years en- gaged in transportation on the Great Lakes, being associated with his brother-in-law. James P. Gay. About 1853 he removed to Owego, where he was for some time engaged in bank- ing, being cashier of the National Union Bank until its liquidation. Subsequently he was a contractor, under the government, in the con- struction of canals, and also engaged in rail-
road construction, with which he was identi- fied to the time of his death. Taking an ac- tive interest in public progress, he was fre- quently a delegate to the conventions, acting politically with the Republican party from its organization. He was an attendant of the Presbyterian church.
He married. October 14, 1852, Emily Eliza- beth Platt, born April 28. 1829, daughter of William and Lesbia (Hinchman) Platt, of Owego (see Platt VII). Mr. and Mrs. Skin- ner had one son. Frederick Platt Skinner, born October 31. 1858. in Owego. He received his preparatory education at Owego Academy and in Yale College, from which he graduated in 1880. He took up the study of medicine, but
owing to ill health was obliged to abandon it, and now resides with his widowed mother in Owego.
(The Platt Line).
The surname Platt has been early found in many countries, the word meaning an open, level piece of land. In Norman French the name was spelled Pradt, then Pratt; in Ger- man, Platz. Coats-of-arms were granted to half a dozen different branches of the family in England as early as the reign of Elizabeth. and some as early as 1326. Senator Orville Hitchcock Platt was descended. through both father and mother, from lines of New Eng- land farmers, who for many generations fiad held prominent stations in the communities in which they lived. They held offices in church and town affairs; were land owners, deacons, tithingmen, and captains of militia. One ancestor was imprisoned by Governor Andros in 1681 for daring to attend a meet- ing of delegates "to devise means to obtain a redress of grievances under his arbitrary rule." Another was among those who marched to Fishkill in the Burgoyne campaign of October. 1777. to reinforce General Put- nam. It was a sturdy, loyal, patriotic, effi- cient New England stock.
(I) Deacon Richard Platt is believed to be the Richard who was baptized September 28. 1603. son of Joseph Platt. in the parish of Bovington, Hertfordshire. England. He settled as early as 1638 at New Haven, Con- necticut, and was one of a party of sixty-one who formed a church settlement at Milford, in the same colony. being the first settler in that place. November 20, 1639. and at the time having four in his family. He was chosen deacon at Milford in 1669 and bequeathed a Bible to each of his nineteen grandsons. His will is dated January 24. 1683-84. In Au- gust, 1889, a memorial stone. suitably in- scribed to the pioneers. was placed in the new bridge over the Mapawang at Milford. Chil- dren : I. Mary, married (first ). May 1, 1651, Luke Atkinson : ( second) January 3. 1667, Thomas Wetherell. 2. John. settled in Nor- folk: married Hannah Clark. 3. Isaac, see forward. 4. Sarah. 5. Epenetus, baptized July 12, 1640, was an associate of his brother Isaac in his varied experience. 6. Hannah. born October 1. 1643. 7. Josiah. 1645. 8. Joseph, 1649, married, 1680, Mary Kellogg.
(II) Isaac, second son and third child of Deacon Richard Platt, was with his brother
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Epenetus enrolled among the fifty-seven land owners of Huntington, Long Island, in 1666. They were doubtless residents there for some years earlier. Both were admitted freeman, May 12. 1664, by the general assembly of Con- necticut, then having jurisdiction over Long Island, under the old charter, and their names appear among the proprietors in the patent of 1666, and again in the patent of 1668. Both were imprisoned in New York by Governor Andros in 1681 for attending a meeting of delegates of the several towns to obtain "a redress of grievances under his arbitrary rule." After their release, at a town meeting, a vote was passed to pay their expenses. He and his brother were among the sterling pa- triots of the time, fully recognizing and claim- ing their civil and religious rights. He bought land at Huntington in 1678 of John Greene, and of Jonathan Hammet, May 15, 1683. He was recorder of Huntington in 1687, was cap- tain of militia. and it is said of him that "he held every office of consequence in the gift of his townsmen." His death occurred at Hunt- ington, July 31, 1691. He married (first) at Milford, Connecticut, March 12. 1640, Phebe Smith ; (second) at Huntington about twenty years later, Elizabeth, daughter of Jonas Wood. Children, all by second marriage: Elizabeth, born September 15, 1665: Jonas. August 16, 1667: John, born June 29. 1669; Mary, October 26, 1674: Joseph, September 8, 1677 ; Jacob, September 29, 1682.
(III) Little is known about John. Joseph and Jacob, sons of Isaac Platt. It is presum- able that one of them was the father of the next mentioned.
(IV) Benoni Platt appears as early as 1730 in North Castle, Westchester county, New York, where the records show he was a town officer. His will was made May 20, 1761, and proved May 14. 1763, indicating that he died in the latter year. His widow. Hannah, made her will March 8. 1764, and this was proved February 25, 1767. Children: Jonathan, Be- noni, Abigail.
(V) Colonel Jonathan Platt, son of Benoni Platt, with his son Jonathan removed from Bedford to Tioga county, New York, in 1793. and died there in 1795. It is supposed he and his son Jonathan served in General Sullivan's army, which in 1779 crossed from Trenton to Susquehanna and drove the Indians out of Wyoming Valley, and this would explain their returning and settling near the Susquehanna.
Colonel Jonathan Platt was an enthuiastic patriot during the revolution. was a member from New York of the provisional congress in 1775, and also a member of the committee of safety at White Plains the following year.
(VI) Jonathan (2), son of Jonathan (1) Platt, was born April 20, 1764, died December 1824. He married Anna Brush, a native of Greenwich, Connecticut, born October 8, 1766, and their children were: Jonathan, born in 1783; Mary, May 20, 1785; Benjamin, June 5, 1787; Edward, August 19, 1789; William, October 29, 1791 ; Brush. August 6, 1795 ; Ne- hemiah, July 25. 1797 ; Charlotte, January 25, 1800: Benjamin, April 2, 183; Deborah. - gust 6, 1805; Charles, May 11, 1808; Sarah, May 9, 1811. The family resided many years in Bedford and removed thence to Tioga county, where several of the sons became prominent in public life.
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