USA > New York > Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and family history of New York, Volume II > Part 14
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Mr. Horton married, October 17, 1883, Florence Cromwell, born March 19, 1864, daughter of Jolm and Hannah ( Weeks) Cromwell, and the issue of this union was: Fannie C., born Au- gust 27, 1886; Florence Ethel, born February 23, 1888; Dudley Remington, born August 23, 1891; Cromwell Skidmore, born January 27, 1896. Mr. Horton and his family attend Holy Trinity Church of Harlem, with which section of New York City he has been a resident for over twenty-five years.
CAPT. STEPHEN DECATUR HORTON.
Stephen Decatur Horton, fifth child and third son of George W. and Elizabeth (Horton) Horton, was born at City Island, Westchester county, New York, January 18, 1821. He was ed- ucated in the schools of City Island, and upon attaining to man- hood engaged in boating and shipping. After pursuing this line of work for several years, he gained sufficient experience to become a licensed pilot on the East River and Long Island Sound, technically known as a "Hell Gate Pilot," and con- tinued the same for a period of nearly fifty years, during which time he became well known as a successful and careful navigator. Captain Horton was held in esteem for his many excellent personal qualities.
Hle married, September, 1842, Caroline Lucilia Skidmore, born April 16, 1824, daughter of Hubbard and Caroline (Avery;
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Skidmore, and their children were as follows: Gertrude, born October 17, 1844, married Nicholas William Abbott, December 21, 1899; her husband was born December 5, 1832. Dudley R., born December 17, 1854. Estelle Mary, born May 2, 1857, mar- ried Edward Woodin, August 9, 1877, and has children: Ed- ward Bruce, born May 29, 1878, died January 8, 1879, and Es- telle Lucilia, born June 4, 1880. Howard L., born October 10, 1861, married Louise Van Zandt. Captain Horton died at City Island, October 23, 1900, and his wife survived him until August 18, 1903. She was known as a most estimable woman, pos- sessed of many excellencies of character, and was beloved by all who knew her. She was a consistent member of the Dutch Reformed church at City Island throughout her life, but during the latter years of her life became associated with the Episcopal and Methodist Episcopal churches of the community in which she resided in the absence of a church of her own denomination.
The following shows the line of descent from Avery and Skidmore families:
(I) Christopher Avery, the emigrant ancestor of the Av- ery family in America (see Horton sketches preceding this nar- rative), was born in Dorsetshire, England, in 1590. He was a weaver by trade. He came to this country and located at Glou- cester, Massachusetts, where he was a selectman in 1646, 1652 and 1654. At Salem he took the freeman's oath, June 29, 1662, and was chosen clerk of the board, constable and clerk of the market. He removed to Boston in 1658, and after selling his property in the latter town followed his son James to Connec- ticut, where he purchased a house, orchard and lot from Robert Burrows, in New London, August 8, 1665. There he claimed exemption from watching and training on account of age, in June, 1667, and was made freeman of the colony in October, 1669. According to the diary of Thomas Miner he died March 12,
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1670. He married in England, Margery Stephens, and they had one child: James. Mrs. Christopher Avery did not come to this country.
(II) Captain James Avery, only child of Christopher and Margery (Stephens) Avery, was born in England in 1620, and came to America with his father, residing at Gloucester, Mas- sachusetts, for some years. Rev. Mr. Blinman, who had been the minister of Gloucester for eight years, was chosen the min- ister of the Pequot plantation, and went there with a party of friends, among them James Avery, October 19, 1650. It ap- pears that James Avery returned to Gloucester, there sold his possessions to his father, and returned to New London in 1651. He acquired large tracts of land at what is now Poquonoc Bridge, Groton, east of New London, and about 1656 built the "Hive of the Averys," at the head of Poquonoc Plain, a mile and a half from the Thames river. He was ensign, lieutenant and captain of New London companies, and served throughout King Philip's War, being in command of forty Indians from Stonington, New London and Lyme. He was captain of one of the four companies which protected the frontier in 1676, and was an officer of the town for twenty-three years, twelve times deputy to the General Court, 1656 to 1680, assisting the judge in the Prerogative Capital Court, and took prominent action in all matters pertaining to church affairs. He died April 18, 1700. He married (first), November 10, 1643, Johanna Greenslade, born about 1622, she died 1694. They had children: 1. Han- nah, born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, October 11, 1644. 2. James, born December 15, 1646. 3. Mary, born February 19. 1648. 4. Thomas, born May 6, 1651. 5. John, born February 10, 1654 (see forward). 6. Rebecca, born 1656. 7. Jonathan, born 1658, buried 1681. 8. Christopher, born 1661, died 1683. 9. Samuel, born 1664. 10. Johanna, born 1669. Captain
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James Avery married (second) July 4, 1698, Abigail Ingra- ham (Cheesebrough, her first husband), (Holmes, her second husband), she was still living in 1714. This was her third mar- riage. She married (first) in Boston, Massachusetts, Novem- ber 30, 1655, Samuel Cheesebrough, born in Boston, England, April 1, 1627, died at Stonington, Connecticut, July 31, 1673. They had a number of children, among them a daughter Abi- gail, who married her step-brother, John Avery, the son of her mother's third husband, Captain James Avery.
CHEESEBROUGH.
(I) William Cheesebrough was born in Boston, Lincoln- shire, England, in 1594, and died in Stonington, Connecticut, June 9, 1667. He was the first white man who made what is now Stonington, Connecticut, his permanent place of abode. He was a gunsmith, and worked at his trade in England and this country until he went to Stonington in 1649, when he changed his occupation to farming and stock raising and re- sided upon and improved the large tracts of land granted him by the town of Pequot (now New London), Connecticut. He was a man of importance in the colony and his influence was widely felt. He married in Boston, England, December 6, 1620, Anna Stevenson, born in England in 1598, and they had twelve children, of whom eight were born in England, and four in Massachusetts. Of these children only three lived to marry and have families, viz .: Samuel, Nathaniel, and Elisha; and at their deaths their widows married again. The Cheesebrough home- stead stood on the north side of Wequetequock Cove, near the head of tidewater.
(II) Samuel Cheesebrough, born in Boston, England, April 1, 1627, was the fifth child of William and Anna (Steven- son) Cheesebrough. He was the first husband of Abigail In-
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graham, whom he married in Boston, Massachusetts, Novem- ber 30, 1655. Samuel was buried July 31, 1673, leaving widow and seven children. Widow Abigail married, second, Joshua Holmes, by whom she had two more children. He died and Abi- gail married, third, on July 4, 1698, Captain James Avery (no issne by their marriage). Among the seven children of Abigail Ingraham by her first husband, Samuel Cheesebrough, was a danghter.
(III) Abigail, born September 30, 1656, probably in Ston- ington, Connecticut; she married (as stated under Avery), John Avery, born February 10, 1654, son of Captain James Avery and his first wife, Johanna Greenslade. As Captain James Avery had married as second wife, widow Abigail Ingraham Cheesebrough Holmes (as her third husband) and she was mother of Abigail Cheesebrough, born 1656, who married No- vember 29, 1675, John Avery, born 1654; they, Abigail and John. were step-brother and sister when they married. (See Avery Notes.)
(III) John Avery, third son and fifth child of Captain James and Johanna (Greenslade) Avery, was born February 10, 1654. He owned large tracts of land in Stonington, Groton and Preston, Connecticut, and was in active service throughout King Philip's War. He married, November 29, 1675, Abigail Cheesebrough, born September 30, 1656, daughter of Samuel and Abigail (Ingraham) Cheesebrough, and they had thirteen chil- dren, among them Daniel.
(IV) Daniel Avery, eleventh child of John and Abigail (Cheesebrough) Avery, was born November 5, 1699. He also was a large land owner in Connectient, and took part in King Philip's War.
(V) Joseph Avery, son of Daniel Avery, married Mary Honeywell.
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(VI) Thaddeus Avery, son of Joseph and Mary (Honey- well) Avery, was born October 30, 1760, and died November 16, 1836. Will proved May 17, 1837. He was a farmer, his farm being located at Mount Pleasant, between White Plains and Tarrytown, in Westchester county, New York. During the War of the Revolution he raised a company, of which he was made Captain. At one time he had a very large sum of money in the house with which to pay off his men. A company of British soldiers surprised them and demanded the money. They tied a negro boy, "Sam," one of the thirteen which had been brought up on the farm, their parents having been freed by Mr. Avery, but the negro screamed loudly and was heard by some American soldiers who happened to be riding past, and who came to the rescue. The British had already commenced to torture Mr. and Mrs. Avery for not revealing the hiding place of the money, but, though burned by redhot irons, Mrs. Avery declared she would not reveal what her husband did not wish disclosed, al- though she was standing on a stone hearth in the kitchen under which the money was hidden. A tablet has been placed on a Dutch oven in this kitchen by the Daughters of the American Revolution, commemorating this event, and a flag was raised upon the lawn and presented to Mr. and Mrs. Cochran, the present owners of the Avery farm. Mr. Avery, with very little help from others, built the homestead dwelling, and this is still standing in good condition at the present time. Both he and his wife were highly esteemed for their consistent, Christian chiar- acters. He married (first) , and had one child; married (second), July 19, 1779, Elizabeth Underhill, born Au- gust 8, 1762, died May 22, 1841, and among their children were: Caroline (see forward), and Charles, a distinguished philanthro- pist and abolitionist of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
(VII) Caroline Avery, daughter of Thaddeus and Elizabeth
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Hubbard Skidmore lizabeth (Horton) Horton
Thaddeus Avery
Caroline Avery Skidmore George W. Horton
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(Underhill) Avery, was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Jan- uary 22, 1796, and died December 11, 1837. She married Cap- tain Hubbard Skidmore, eldest child, who was born at Ne- saquague, Suffolk county, Long Island, November 1, 1767, and died May 28, 1841.
Hubbard Skidmore was a descendant of one of the Norman captains who came with William the Conqueror, and fought in the battle of Senlac (known as Hastings), whose names are celebrated on the Roll of Battle Abbey and is there inscribed, "Sent Scudemore," (Saint). The name was variously written D'Escudamore, Escudamore, Scudamore, and finally Skidmore. Sir Godfrey de Eskidmore, in the time of William the Conquer- or, was undoubtedly "Sent Sendemore," as Domesday Book says "Godefridus Escudor (Eskidmore) was taxed three shill- ings a hide on his four hides, or 640 acres of land, in the time of William the Conqueror."
"Thomas Scudamore" (Skidmore), the first of his family to come to America, was of Cambridge, in New England, and was from Westenter, County Gloucester. He embarked on board the ship Planter, Nicholas Trarice, Master, April 2nd, 1635, with John Winthrop, Jr., Governor of Connecticut (son of John Winthrop, Governor of Massachusetts), and landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts. He was with John Winthrop, JJr., at the settlement of Laybrook, at the mouth of the Connectient, as one of the founders of the Colony of Connectient, and bore in- timate relations towards the Governor. His son John Skidmore was born at Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 11, 1643, descended from whom was Zophar Skidmore, a soldier in the Revolutionary army. Zophar Skidmore, born 1731. father of Captain Hub- bard Skidmore, married, December 8, 1766, Mary Titus, born in 1747. died Jannary 30, 1799, and they had children: Hubbard, mentioned above; Elizabeth, born October 16, 1769; Susannah,
Vol. HI-14
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born March 14, 1772; Mary, born May 26, 1774; John, born November 11, 1776; Samuel, born October 3, 1778; Zophar, born April 6, 1781; Jonas, born July 19, 1783; Solomon, born May 10, 1785; Hannah, born October 17, 1788; and Richard, born August 24, 1791. Captain Hubbard Skidmore owned and com- manded several ships. The last ship which he commanded and of which he was the sole owner was the Mississippi, sailing usually between Havre and New York, and on her homeward trip she was wrecked on the New Jersey coast ; all the passengers and crew were rescued, including Mrs. Mary Natt, who later became an intimate friend of his family and for whom he named one of his daughters. Captain Skidmore was a strict disci- plinarian, and while he insisted upon prompt obedience to his slightest command, he was greatly beloved by his crew for the invariable justice he displayed. Only a few years before the loss of his ship, the "Mississippi," Captain Skidmore brought over from France in that vessel, Chancellor Robert R. Living- ston and his family, who was returning home from his mission as American minister to France, having concluded with Napoleon the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory, twice as great in extent as the original thirteen states. He had retired from a sea- faring life some years prior to his death. He married (first) Hannah McCoun (sister of William T. MeCoun, vice-chancellor of the state of New York) and had six children, of whom the following attained maturity: 1. Sarah Maria, married James L. Ridgway. 2. William Townsend. 3. Margaret Sexton, mar- ried Thomas M. Moliere, a Frenchman, and resided in Phil- adelphia until her death, September 24, 1837. 4. Elizabethı Hannah MeCoun, died January 24, 1841. Captain Hubbard Skid- more married (second) Caroline Avery, as above stated, and they had children: 1. Caroline Lucia, born at Throgg's Neck, Long Island, near the village of Westchester, New York, April
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16, 1824. She married, September 8, 1842, Stephen Decatur Hor- ton, a sketch of whom precedes this. 2. Mary Natt, married Ed- win Wilson. 3. Estelle Emma, born May 6, 1830, died in New York City May 21, 1905. She married, October 1, 1850, Robert Ogden Doremus, born January 11, 1824, died March 22, 1906, son of Thomas Cornelius and Sarah Platt (Haines) Doremus, and they had seven sons and one daughter, their eldest son, Charles Avery, born September 6, 1851; married Angust 4, 1880, Eliz- abeth Johnson Ward, born May 24, 1853, in Newport, Kentucky, and their only surviving child, Katharine Ward, born March 25, 1889.
The Underhill family, which has been identified with the history of Long Island from the earliest colonial times, had for its ancestor Captain Jolm Underhill, who was born in War- wickshire, England, in 1597. He was the son of Sir John Edward Underhill, and a grandson of John Underhill, Bishop of Oxford. After the example of his father he took up a mili- tary career and spent a number of years in the Low Countries serving under the Prince of Orange. In 1630 he came to Amer- ica with John Winthrop's company of nine hundred, which founded the Massachusetts colony and was prominent in gov- ernmental affairs, there and in Connecticut. By his military genius he rendered the colonies the most signal service, and sev- eral times saved them from annihilation by the Indians, his most notable achievement being the defeat of the Pequots in Con- nectient. In 1638 he published in England a small pamphlet which is still extant, called "Newes from America," in which he quaintly set forth the colonial conditions of that time. In 1643 when the affairs of the Dutch colony in New Amsterdam, through dissension and unskilled management, were in a critical condition, and the colony was in imminent danger of destruction by a confederation of the Indian tribes, Captain John Under-
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hill extended the Dutch service and after a vigorous campaign defeated the Indians decisively. John Fiske, the historian, has well called him the "Savior of New Netherlands." After his military service, in 1667 he purchased land at Matinecock from the Indians, and on this property, which he called "Kenil- worth" after the English home of his family, he lived for the remainder of his days. He died in 1672 and was buried on his estate.
Before coming to America he married Helena Kruger, doubtless from the Netherlands, and had by her two children : Benoni, who afterwards moved to New Hampshire, and John, the founder of the Underhill family of Long Island. After the death of his wife Helena, John married, second, Elizabeth Feke and they had five children : Deborah, Nathaniel (founder of the Underhill family of Westchester), Hannah, Elizabeth, and David.
Notes in Vol. II, page 148, by W. S. Pelletrean, A. M., 1903. By Lewis Publishing Company of New York and Chi- cago, in extract of deed of lands at Martinecock (Hempstead, Long Island) May 26, 1663, to Captain John Underhill and others. Described as "from Oyster Bay to Mosquito Cove," etc.
Vol. I, page 21: "And we United Colonies of New Eng- land commissioned their officers to proceed to Long Island, etc., etc., the chief command was committed to Captain John Under- hill of Massachusetts notoriety, etc., etc. They entrenched then- selves at Oyster Bay, Long Island," etc.
Note I, page 529: "Rev. Francis Doughty does not seem to have become popular in Flushing, Long Island. His religious views were not pleasant to many and that singular compound Captain John Underhill, when elected Schout in 1648, at once ordered the meeting-house closed as the preacher spoke against his betters."
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HOWARD LISPENARD HORTON.
Howard Lispenard Horton, second son and youngest child of Stephen Decatur and Caroline Lucilia (Skidmore) Horton, was born at City Island, October 10th, 1861. His elementary training was acquired in the public schools of his native place, and his preparatory education he received under private tuition at Fox's Chase, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the age of eighteen he entered Cornell University, where he was a student for about one year, when he relinquished his studies. He next travelled throughout the southwest, where he was for some time engaged in cattle raising and other lines of pursuit. Upon his return home to City Island he took up clerical work and has followed in that line up to the present period.
Howard Lispenard Horton was married, at Plainfield, New Jersey, to Mary Louise Powers Van Zandt, who is a daughter of Thaddeus Avery Van Zandt.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HORTON.
The line of descent of this branch of the family of which Ben- jamin Franklin Horton was a member, is as follows: 1. Bar- nabas. 2. Joseph, who married Jane Budd. 3. David, who mar- ried Esther King. 4. Daniel, born April 23, 1692, married Esther Lane. 5. Daniel, born September 13, 1744, died December 9. 1807 ; his wife was Anna French, who died March 28, 1827, aged seventy-eight years three months. The children of Daniel and Anna (French) Horton were: Stephen, who married Hannah Underhill, left a large family; Anna; Samuel Pell; George W .; Margaret, and Elijah.
George W. Horton was born February 21, 1786, died Sep- tember 22d, 1860. Hle married Elizabeth Horton, April 24, 1813. She was born April 6, 1794, died June, 1861. The children of this marriage were: Joshua, born September 29, 1814, died
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January 10, 1815. Benjamin Franklin, born December 25, 1815, died March 20, 1867. Sarah Ann Glover, born October, 1817, died June 30, 1897. Andrew Jackson, born July 16, 1819, died May 3, 1899. Stephen Decatur, born January 18, 1821, died October 23, 1900. Phebe Jane, who married Mattison Arnow, born May 10, 1824, died March 5, 1905. George W., born June 27,1827.
George W. Horton, father of Benjamin Franklin Horton, resided in New York City until 1833, and was there engaged in the transportation and shipping business. He was the first of the Horton family to settle on City Island, where in 1818 he purchased a tract of land comprising about one-third of the entire island, and thereon erected the old Horton mansion, which is still standing on Main street, at the lower end of the Island. He was an energetic and progressive citizen, and during his ac- tive career contributed materially towards the growth, develop- ment and building up of City Island, a most delightfully located and beautiful tract of land. He served in the war of 1812.
Benjamin Franklin Horton, second son of George W. and Elizabeth (Horton) Horton, was born in New York City, De- cember 25, 1815. He came with his parents to City Island during his early childhood years, and received his educational training at New Rochelle and Prospect Hill. Upon attaining to manhood years he learned the trade of a wheelwright at West- chester. He did not, however, pursue this line of trade very long, but took up the occupation of pilot on the waters on Long Island Sound. He had not been in this line of employment for any great length of time when he entered into the mercantile business on City Island, where he conducted one of the leading stores and where for a number of years he served as postmaster, having received his first appointment under President. James K. Polk. He later again took up the occupation as pilot in the East
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River and Hell Gate, continuing in that line of pursuit until his death, which occurred March 20, 1867, resultant upon being cap- sized in his boat off Sands Point, near City Island. Captain Horton was a good and useful citizen, and during the many years of his residence on City Island had won the esteem and respect of his fellow citizens. He was a consistent member of the Baptist Church of City Island. He married, January +, 1846, Delia A. Abbott, who was born February 23, 1825, daugh- ter of Samuel K. and Mary Ann (Petit) Abbott; both the latter were natives of New York City.
Samuel K. Abbott was for many years a shipping mer- chant in New York City, and was an extensive vessel owner, having been engaged in the West Indies trade for a number of years. In 1801 he lost much of his property, comprising vessels in the West Indies waters, through the French "spoliation claim." Many of his valuable papers and documents were de- stroved in the fire which razed the custom house in New York City in 1835. These claims have since been in litigation by his descendants. The remains of Samuel K. Abbott are interred in the churchyard of St. Mark's Church, at Second avenue and Eleventh street, New York City. He was a merchant in Broad street, New York City. He and wife attended the inauguration of President Washington.
Marion Petit, who was the mother of Mary Ann (Petit) Abbott, was a daughter of Stephen Craft, who was a native of Long Island, and served in the Continental army during the Revolution under General Putnam. He was instrumental in saving the Episcopal Church at Norwalk, Connecticut, on three different occasions during the final hostilities in that locality.
Benjamin Franklin and Delia A. (Abbott) Horton had born of their marriage the following children: 1. James F., born April 20, 1848. 2. Stephen Deeatur, born October 17, 1849. 3.
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Rochell, born October 8, 1851. 4. Sadie, born August 23, 1853; she married Samson W. Freestone, February 23, 1876, born in Yarmouth, England, died October 8, 1888. 5. Marion, born January 27, 1856; she married Robert J. Vickery; of this mar- riage were born William and Marion. 6. Nicholas A., born De- cember 25, 1857. 7. Benjamin Franklin, born October 30, 1867.
Delia A. (Abbott) Horton, mother of the aforementioned children, survives her worthy husband, and until recent years was active in church and charitable affairs of City Island. She is one of the oldest members of the Methodist Episcopal church, having been connected with that organization since 1861. She was also, with her mother, Mary Petit Abbott, one of the organizers of the Ladies' Aid Society of that church.
James F. Horton, eldest son of Benjamin Franklin and Delia A. (Abbott) Horton, received his educational training in the public schools of New York City and at the Claverack Acad- emy, near Hudson, Columbia county, New York. Upon attain- ing to manhood years he learned the profession of pilot under the tutelage of the state appraiser's office at New York City, and after five years' service he was confirmed and appointed by the state officer at New York City a licensed pilot on Long Is- land Sound, and has since been constantly engaged in this pur- suit.
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