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 51

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: New York, Lewis Historical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 598

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 51

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(VII) William, fourth son of Jonathan (2) and Anna (Brush) Platt, was born in Bed- ford, October 19. 1791. He accompanied his parents to Tioga county in early childhood, and after reaching his majority became a . prominent lawyer of that region, making his home in Owego, where his death occurred January 12, 1855. He married Lesbia Hinch- man, of Long Island, whose ancestors were prominent in the old French war and the revo- lution, and became one of the leading families of Long Island. Of this union nine children were born: William H., Stella Avery, Fred- erick E., Edward, Susan C., Anna. Emily E., married Charles P. Skinner (see Skinner VII), Humphry. Thomas C.

(VII) Hon. Thomas C. Platt, son of Will- iam and Lesbia ( Hinchman ) Platt, was born at Owego, New York. July 15, 1833. He attended the schools of his native town and entered Yale College. He was oblige.1 to leave Yale in his sophomore year, on account of failing health, but in 1876 received the hon- orary degree of Master of Arts from that col- lege. He then entered commercial life, and in 1879 became secretary and a director of the United States Express Company, became ex- tensively interested in lumber business in the state of Michigan, and became president of the Tioga National Bank. He displayed the ability and sagacity in business which later assured his success in a political career. being able to grasp the essential details of any en- terprise with which he became connecte 1 and to discover and build up the weak parts of an

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organization. In 1872 he was elected to con- gress as a Republican and was reelected in 1874. January 18, 1881, he was chosen United States senator from New York to succeed Francis Kernan. However, May 16 of that year Mr. Platt and his colleague, Roscoe Con- kling, resigned from the senate on account of some New York appointments which had been made by the president, a bitter enemy of Mr. Conkling's having been appointed to a high post. It was at this time that Mr. Platt obtained his soubriquet of "Me Too," in con- sequence of his resignation following so close- ly that of Mr. Conkling, but by his own state- ments it is plain that this term was undeserved by him. as his plans had been made and his resignation written before this time. He had been elected as a candidate of the "Stalwarts." in opposition to the "Half Breeds," and was known as one of the original supporters of this faction in the state of New York. He returned to the practice of his profession and- at this time was interested in various enter- prises, being president of the United States · Express Company. He was at one time presi- dent of the Southern Central Railroad Com- pany, and also had interests in the middle west. In 1880 he was appointed commissioner of quarantine of New York City, serving un- til January 14, 1888. Mr. Platt was a mem- ber of the Republican conventions of 1876-80- 84-88-92-1900, and was for several years a member of the Republican national committee. He was elected to the United States senate in 1896 and again in 1903. retiring from pub- lic life in March. 1909, after spending fifty- two years in active political life. At that time his health was failing and he was grow- ing too weak physically to be able to continue in the service of his party, and his death oc- curred one year later, in March, 1910.

At the time of Senator Platt's retirement. he had become well known throughout the country through three great things in his pub- lic life. as follows: His alliance with Con- kling and their joint resignation: his fight for the gold-standard plank in the platform of the party at the St. Louis convention of 1896: his forcing the nomination of Theodore Roosevelt for the office of vice-president, which resulted in his later becoming the Na- tion's executive. Ulis political career had be- gun in 1856, when as a member of the Fre- mont Glee Club. with other young men of similar sentiments, he traveled through the

counties of Tioga and Tompkins, singing the "Pathfinder's" good qualities and telling the people in verse the reasons why Mr. Fremont should be elected to the presidency. During this time Mr. Platt held a tuning fork at their meetings and marked time with that instru- ment. He retained his love for music all his life and was especially fond of that of a mar- tial kind. Ile early won the confidence of the people of his native county, and in 1859 was elected county clerk.

Mr. Platt had served the interests of his party long and well and had been highly hon- ored by them. He had a remarkable power to influence men and draw them to him, com- bined with the ability to hold the friendship and devotion of his followers and associates. His life was always a busy one and success rewarded him as the result of intelligent ef- fort, well directed.

Mr. Platt married, in 1852, Ellen Lucy, daughter of Hon. Charles R. Barstow, of Owego. Children : Edward Truax, Frank Hinchman and Henry Barstow. Mrs. Platt died some years before her husband.

Captain John Underhill, UNDERHILL immigrant ancestor, was descended from the Un- derhills of Huningham, Warwickshire, Eng- land a town about four miles west of Kenil- worth, on the river Learne. The family was very ancient there, and during the reign of Elizabeth seems to have been at its height of prosperity. They owned much land, and a Sir Hercules Underhill was sheriff of the county and a John Underhill was chaplain to Queen Elizabeth, who made him Bishop of Oxford in 1589. The father of the immigrant. who was also named Captain John Underhill, was a soldier in the personal train of Robert Dudley. Earl of Leicester, and went with him to the Netherlands, where Leicester com- manded the combined forces against Spain. After Leicester's death in 1588. Underhill re- mained with the army under Robert Devoreux, Earl of Essex, in 1601.

The immigrant, Captain John Underhill, was born probably between 1595 and 1600, and doubtless spent much of his youth in Hol- land or in the service of Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange, the famous commander. In the Netherlands Captain John Underhill was a fellow soldier with Captain Myles Standish. Although it is said that he was urged to go

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with the Puritans in 1620, he did not sail un- til April 7, 1630, from Yarmouth, with John Winthrop and his nine hundred immigrants to Boston. Here he was made freeman, May 18, 1631, and was one of the first deputies to the general court. On July 26, 1630, the first Thursday of every month was set as the gen- eral training day of Captain Underhill's com- pany at Boston, and on September 28, 1630, the court ordered fifty pounds to be raised for Mr. Underhill and Mr. Patrick, who were training another company. On November 7. 1632, the court limited training days to once a month. Underhill and Patrick fought to- gether in several Indian fights. In 1634 he was one of the selectmen of Boston. In 1637 his friend. Sir Henry Vane, put him in com- mand of the troops of the colony and sent him to Saybrook, Connecticut, against the Indians. He destroyed the Indian forts on Mystic river and broke the power of the Pequots, return- ing the same year. On November 7. 1637. for some reason concerned with military matters, he was banished from Massachusetts, and in 1638 he returned to England, where he printed a book called "News of America," which gave a good account of the Pequot war. He said in it: "Myself received an arrow through my coat sleeve, and a second against my hel- met on the forehead, so, if God in his Provi- dence had not moved the heart of my wife to persuade me to carry it along with me, I had been slain."

He returned to America and petitioned the court for three hundred acres of land which he claimed, but the petition was refused, and he went to Dover, New Hampshire, where he was chosen governor in place of Barret, al- though Governor Winthrop tried to keep Bar- ret in office in vain. Through Underhill's in- fluence, Hansard Knollys was made minister at Dover, but neither of them seem to have got along well in that place, and they left after a time, Knollys returning to Boston, where he. after confessing his faults, was reinstated. Al- though Captain Underhill also made confes- sion, he was not admitted to communion again until there had been much controversy. After six months of good behavior the court took away the sentence of banishment. About 1640 he settled in Stamford, Connecticut, and in 1643 was representative from there to the general court at New Haven. In 1643 the Dutch, who were severely harassed by the In- dians, sent an appeal for hielp from Captain

Underhill and others. A company of men was sent against an Indian camp supposed to be at what is now Bedford, nominally under Counsellor La Montagne, but they did not find the Indians and returned to Stamford : during the halt there a Dutch soldier called on Captain Patrick and accused him of having misled them, and in the quarrel Captain Pat- rick was killed, the soldier escaping, January 2, 1644. Captain Underhill led the troops back to New Amsterdam, and went with another expedition. again nominally under La Mon- tagne, in a successful attack against the In- dians in Hempstead. He then was sent to Stamford to find the Indian camp there and in February was sent to attack it. A fierce fight terminated in victory for him, and almost entire destruction for the Indians, and soon the Indians asked for peace. In 1644 Cap- tain Underhill went to Flushing, and in 1645 was chosen one of the "Eight Men" of the governor's council at New Amsterdam, but gradually he had more interest in Long Island and began to side more with the English than with the Dutch. During the war between England and the Netherlands, Captain Un- derhill, May 20, 1653, hoisted the parliament colors in Flushing, giving an address in which he accused Governor Stuyvesant of many wrongs to the people. But the Dutch as well as the English heard this address, and he was warned to leave the province. On May 24. 1653, he was appointed by the authorities of Providence, Rhode Island, to capture Dutch property, and on June 27, of that year, he seized the Dutch fort of Good Hope, near Hartford, Connecticut, with all the surround- ing lands, which he sold, October 13, 1653. to William Gibbins and Richard Lord. of Hart- ford, in order to pay his soldiers. Later he obtained a tract of land in Oyster Bay from the Matinecock Indians, and settled there. calling the place Kenelworth, after the Kenel- worth in Warwickshire, where his ancestors had lived so long. However, the place in Long Island has more often been called Killing- worth. Captain Underhill lived in this place the remainder of his life. In February. 1663. an agreement was drawn up between the Eng- lish and Dutch for peaceable intercourse, and he was one of the English signers. In March. 1665. he was one of the representatives from Oyster Bay to the convention. He died at Killingworth, September 21, 1672, and was buried on his estate. His will was dated Sep-

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tember 18, 1671, and he left the whole estate to his widow, unless she married again.

He married (first) -, of the Nether- lands, whom he brought with him to Boston. In the records of the old South Church of Bos- ton, "Helena, wife of our brother John Un- derhill," was admitted to the church, Septem- ber 15, 1633. He married (second) about 1658, Elizabeth, daughter of Robert and Eliza- beth Feakes, and sister of John Bowne, of Flushing, one of the most prominent members of the Society of Friends. Captain John Un- derhill became a member of the society in his old age, while living at Killingworth. Chil- dren of Captain John Underhill and his first wife: I. Elizabeth, baptized February 14, 1636. 2. John, baptized April 24, 1642, aged thirteen. Children of Captain John and Eliza- beth Underhill, born at Killingworth: 3. Deborah, born November 29. 1659. 4. Na- thaniel, mentioned below. 5. Hannah, De- cember 2. 1666. 6. Elizabeth, July 2. 1669. 7. David, April. 1672.

( II) Nathaniel, son of Captain John Under- hill, was born February 22. 1663. He re- moved to Westchester county and bought land of John Turner at Westchester, where he was living in 1687. He married, December, 1685. Mary, daughter of John Ferris. He died about 1710. Children: Nathaniel, mentioned below ; Thomas, of New Castle. Westchester county : Abraham, of White Plains, married Hannah Cromwell : Benjamin, of New Castle ; John: "son (Bartow ), residing southeast" : Mary Horton.

(III) Nathaniel (2), son of Nathaniel (I) Underhill, was born August 11, 1690, died November 27. 1775. He married Mary Hony- well. His will was dated February 25, 1775, and proved May 19. 1776. bequeathing to wife Mary and children, Israel, Bartow, Elizabeth, married Purdy, Mary, married Dr. Nicholas Bayley, Nathaniel, Helena, Sarah and John. Children: Phebe, November 6, 1713; Sarah, March 9. 1715 : John, mentioned below ; Mary, January 2, 1720; Nathaniel, of West- chester, August 31, 1723 : Bartow, October 23. 1725: William, of Yonkers, February 16, 1727 : Helena, January 26, 1729: Israel, Sep- tember 21. 1731 : Elizabeth, February 17. 1735. (IV) John (2), son of Nathaniel (2) Un- derhill, was born August 8, 1718. He lived at Yonkers. He married Ann Bown, born De- cember 19. 1722, died August 16, 1786. Chil- dren, born at Yonkers: John. mentioned be-

low ; Benjamin, of Scarsdale, died 1818; Lan- caster, of Eastchester, born 1746; Nathaniel, of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia; Frederick, of Yonkers, born March 27. 1749; Nicholas, of Yonkers, died 1857; Peter, of Yonkers; Sarah, married Noah Bishop; Susan: Effie; Hannah; Elizabeth; Nancy.

(V) John (3), son of John (2) Underhill, was born about 1740. He settled at Newtown, Connecticut. He married (first), Anne Bar- ker, who died August 16, 1786. He married ( second ) Dulhorisa Outhouse. Children by first wife: John, mentioned below ; Barnas, born 1778; William, died without issue; Eli- nor ; Sarah : Fanny. Children by second wife : Susan, Sarah, Elizabeth, Simon, Isaac, David. (VI) John (4), son of John (3) Under- hill, was born about 1765. He removed from Newtown, Connecticut, to Greene county, New York. The record of his family is incomplete, but as he appears to be the only one of the family to locate in this section, it is concluded that William, mentioned below, was his son, named for his brother William.

(VIL) William, son of John (4) Under- hill, was born about 1790-95, probably in Greene county, New York. He was a farmer in Dutchess and Greene counties. He mar- ried , and among his children was Charles H., mentioned below.

(VIII) Rev. Charles H. Underhill, son of William Underhill, was born in 1810. His youth was spent on his father's farm. He re- ceived his early education in private schools and studied for the ministry. About 1835 he was ordained as a minister of the Baptist church at or near Catskill. New York. His first charge was at Bedford. Westchester county. He was afterward the first pastor of the Baptist church at Carmel, Putnam county. He was pastor of the Bedford Baptist church from August, 1838, to April. 1840, and was called to the First Baptist church of Tarry- town in 1843. This church was organized as the Beekman Baptist Church by a council of delegates from various Baptist churches of New York City and Westchester county late in November. 1843, with twelve members by letter. Services were held in the old building at the southeast corner of Cortlandt and Col- lege avenues. His salary was $200, fuel and a donation party with $200 from the Hudson River Baptist Association. In two years the church had sixty-three members, and largely through the efforts of Mr. Underhill land

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was bought at the corner of Main and Wash- ington streets and a church erected. In June, 1849, he accepted a call to the Baptist church at Peekskill. He also preached for a time at Attica, New York. He became one of the leading Baptist ministers of this section. He was a zealous and devout Christian, an able preacher and a conscientious and highly re- spected pastor, honored among men of all denominations. He was buried in the Bap- tist church plot in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Tarrytown, Greenburgh, New York. He died in 1856.

He married, about 1835, Caroline Wager, born at Ghent, Columbia county, New York, died in 1890, daughter of Rev. Daniel and Susannah ( Bogardus ) Wager. Children : Eu- gene B., resides at Pine Plains. New York : Charles W., mentioned below ; Susan, married Charles H. Fordham.

(IX) Captain Charles W. Underhill, son of Rev. Charles H. Underhill, was born at Bedford. Westchester county, New York. De- cember 27, 1839. He attended the public schools, Alexander high school, Claverack Academy and entered Colgate College. from which he was graduated in the class of 1862 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He en- listed in the federal army in the civil war and took an honorable part. He raised Company G. One Hundred and Fourteenth Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, was commis- sioned captain and left for the front on the afternoon of his college commencement day. He participated in many important battles. He was at the siege of Port Hudson and was with Sheridan at Winchester. He took part in the battles of Cedar Creek and Fisher Hill. He was wounded three times and was captured at Cedar Creek while carrying dispatches. During much of his service he was judge ad- vocate of the first division of the Nineteenth Army Corps. He was mustered out with his command at the close of the war. He came home and began to study law at Hamilton. New York. In 1867 he was admitted to the bar at Binghamton, New York, and since that time has been practicing continuously at Ham- ilton. He has served the town as justice of the peace. In politics he is a Republican. He was one of the founders of Brooks Post, Grand Army of the Republic. at Hamilton, and is a past commander. For a number of years he has been president of the One Hun- dred and Fourteenth Regimental Association.

While in college he was elected to the Delta Kappa Epsilon and the Phi Beta Kappa, and he received from his alma mater the degree of Master of Arts. In religion he is a mem- ber of the Baptist church.

He married, June, 1868, Marian Root, of East Hamilton, New York, daughter of Dr. Franklin and Emma (Sheldon) Root. Her father was a native of Vermont. Children of Captain and Mrs. Underhill : Caroline W .; Mary B., married Dr. S. D. Lucas, of New York: Frank R., resides in Chicago; Gene- vieve L.

This name is of Norse origin, and

ROE came into Normandy with the Norse- men, where the spelling became Roo, Rou, Rous, Roux and Le Roux. One of the chiefs of William the Conqueror bore the name Rou. The name became common in England as a surname after the custom of bearing surnames was adopted, and the spell- ing has generally been Roe. The English Roes trace their ancestry to Turchil Rufus, or Le Roux, who came with the Conqueror and held lands in county Norfolk. The Earls of Stanbroke are of this family. The Irish Roe family is a branch of the English stock. In 1260 Donnel Roe was a chief of the Irish house of McCarthy. In 1384 the last of the O'Conor kings of Connaught died, and the common inheritance was divided between the O'Conor Don and the O'Conor Roe. In 1489 the Earldoms of Ossory and Ormond were held by a Roe. The family arms is de- scribed as follows in old records: "Roe. Bart. Suffs. On a mount rest. a roebuck statant, gardant, attired and hoofed; between attires a quatre-foil gold. Motto: Tramite Recta. (Without coronet, quatre-foil. )" "Roe: Ire .- A roebuck springing." Both on Norman shield.

(I) John Roe (or Rowe as the name is also spelled) was the American immigrant. Al- though tradition says he came from Ireland, he was of the English religion and of Eng- lish ancestry, and settled in an English colony. Hle was born about 1628. He located in Drowned Meadow, now Port Jefferson, New York, in 1667. He came to America, how- ever, as early as 1655, and was for a time at Southampton, Long Island. He was a shoe- maker by trade, and agreed to follow his trade there. In his will, dated 1711, he calls himself cordwainer (shoemaker). To him was assigned a tract of land at the head of

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Brookhaven harbor. In 1797 there were but five houses in Brookhaven. and one of them was that built by Roe. He married Hannah Purrier, a native of England. Children : Na- thaniel, mentioned below; John; Elizabeth ; Hannah and Deborah.

(II) Nathaniel, son of Jolin Roe, was born in 1670, and died in 1752. He married Han- nah Reeve, born 1678, died August 16, 1759. Children : Nathaniel ; John, mentioned below ; Elizabeth : Hannah and Deborah.

(III) John (2), son of Nathaniel Roe, mar- ried Joanna ( Miller ) Helme, of Miller's Place, Brookhaven. He and Nathaniel appear to have settled together in Orange county, New York. Children: John, mentioned below ; Jonas, settled in Orange county as early as 1737, and had Nathaniel, William, Jonas, Ben- jamin, George and seven daughters. Perhaps other children.

(IV) John (3), son of John (2) Roe, was born about 1730, and was killed in the French and Indian war near Lake Champlain, under General Abercrombie, probably at the attack on Ticonderoga. Children: Dr. Stephen, re- sided at East Broadway, New York City, and died in 1845 : Benjamin, born September 25, 1759, married Mary Ware; John, mentioned below ; Charles, drowned while a young man.

(V) John (4), son of John (3) Roe, was born near Newburg, Orange county, New York, April 4, 1755, and died at Havana, New York, in 1831. He was a soldier in the revo- lution, in an Orange county regiment, paymas- ter and quartermaster. He owned the ground on which the battle of White Plains was fought. He lived at Plattskill, Dryden and Havana, New York. He married, in 1812, Sarah Harris, born 1761, died at Elmira, New York, March 10, 1837. He lost all his prop- erties on account of Tory raids during the revolution. He went to Plattskill, Ulster county, after the revolution, and about 1812 came to Dryden, Tompkins county. Late in life he was a pensioner on account of his service in the revolution. He died at the home of his son, Harris Roe, aged about sev- enty-seven. Children: 1. Benjamin, born April 3. 1779. died unmarried, at Plattskill, Ulster county. 2. Elizabeth, May 4, 1781 ; married (first) Don McDonald: (second) William Phillips, and died at Newburg. 3. Harris, born May 10, 1783; married (second) Katherine Rowlington ; (third ) Eunice Fox ; he died at Dryden. 4. William, August 22,

1785; died unmarried, in New York, aged about twenty-one. 5. Isaac, March 2, 1788, in Newburg ; married, October 10, 1807, Hannah Drake, and died June 19, 1858, in Elmira. 6. Sarah, January 27, 1791 ; married

Ainsworth, and died in New York. 7. Phobe, married John D. Terwilliger, and died at Dryden. 8. Martha Julia, July 5, 1799; married Joseph R. Miller, and died in Florida, in 1881. 9. John Charles, mentioned below. IO. James, died in infancy.

(VI) John Charles, son of John (4) Roe, was born October 27, 1801, in New York City. He was a tailor by trade. He settled at El- mira. He was a director of the Elmira Me- chanics Society. He married, December 23, 1830, at Somerstown, New York, Elizabeth Ann Reynolds, born September 29, 1811, died January 27, 1882, daughter of Isaac and Jane (Dean ) Reynolds, granddaughter of Solomon and Abby (Miller) Reynolds, great-grand- daughter of John and Rebecca ( Randall) Rey- nolds. John Reynolds was an active patriot during the revolution, serving frequently as scout and on call. His home was on the road from New York to West Point. Chil- dren, born at Elmira: 1. John Milton, Sep- tember 29, 1831, died October 6, 1866; mar- ried November 9, 1859, Laura B. Temple. 2. William Henry, February 28, 1834; died at Aurora, Illinois, August 26, 1865: married, May 15, 1859. Julia S. Buck. 3. Joseph Mil- ler, October 6, 1837: married, December 3, 1879. Matilda Nichols. 4. Charles Fletcher, mentioned below.

(VII ) Charles Fletcher, son of John Charles Roe, was born at Elmira, September 25, 1844. He was educated in the public schools of his native town. and learned the trade of machin- ist there. He became a manufacturer in El- mira. He also conducted a commission gro- cery business. He is now retired from active business. In politics he is a Republican. He is a member of Ivy Lodge, Free Masons ; El- mira Chapter. Royal Arch Masons: St. Omar Commandery, Knights Templar. He is a member of the Century Club of Elmira, New York. With his family he is a communicant of Grace Episcopal Church. Mr. Roe mar- ried. October 13. 1875, at Elmira, New York, Miriam Allen Lowman, born June 21, 1849, daughter of Lyman Levere and Prudence Al- len (Cassel) Lowman. Children, born at El- mira : I. Edward Lowman, January 29, 1878; with National Salesbook Company of Elmira ;

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married Anna Sophia Potter; child, Ruth Elizabeth, born March 1, 1895. 2. Elizabeth, April 8, 1880. 3. Lenna, September 24, 1881 : married Edgar Allen Thomas ; with the Los Angeles Gas & Electric Corporation, Los An- geles, California. 4. John Charles, July 17, 1887 ; engaged in the insurance business.

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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 51

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed Publication date: 1912 Publisher: New York, Lewis Historical Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 598

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: New York, Lewis Historical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 598