USA > New York > Ulster County > New Paltz > History of New Paltz, New York and its old families (from 1678 to 1820) : including the Huguenot pioneers and others who settled in New Paltz previous to the revolution, 2nd ed > Part 45
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for $3.12. In another case when the parties appeared for trial the situation is thus stated: " The plaintiff says it is not the man he intended and has no account against him." Ac- cordingly the case was dismissed and the plaintiff paid the costs. In another case the plaintiff sued the defendant for $2.50 damages " for beating of his nuts from the trees ; stand- ing in his enclosure and taking them away." At the hearing the parties agreed on eighty-one cents damages, without hav- ing the case tried. Doctors, school teachers and merchants are recorded as sueing to get their pay. In one of the cases, tried in 1800, Dr. Geo. Wurts sued Adam Crans for attend- ance and medicine and the defendant not putting in an appear- ance judgment was rendered for $24. But there is no memo- randum showing that the judgment ever was paid. In an- other case, tried in the same year Stephen Roe sued Jesias Hasbrouck for an "account of schooling " claiming $14.25. This was a jury trial and the verdict was for $6.95. In an- other case tried in 1800 before " Peter LeFevre junior, Jo- hannes LeFevre and Jonathan Hardenbergh, esquires," Lewis Berrian was tried on a charge of stealing Indian corn of Jonathan Tompkins and found " not guilty." In another case the plaintiff claimed that the defendant's son who was an "infant " had broken a fiddle valued at $9. There was no appearance on the part of the defendant and judgment was entered and paid with costs. Jacob Bedford was the attorney most frequently mentioned.
The case recorded at greatest length is that of Jonas Has- brouck and wife of the town of Rochester against Frederick Westbrook and Jonathan Westbrook, tried in 1795. John Addison, who was a noted lawyer in those days, was attorney for the plaintiffs. He claimed that the defendants by raising the dam of their mill on the Mombakkus creek in the town of
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Rochester had caused the water to overflow plaintiff's land. There were twelve witnesses examined on the side of the plaintiffs and five on the side of the defendants. It appeared from the testimony that the mill was built in 1753 or 1754 and that it had been customary to place boards on top of the dam. Among the witnesses examined were Abraham Vernooy and John Cantine, both of whom had surveyed the land. The verdict in the case was for defendant.
After looking over the book we are led to the conclusion that there was much more litigation over trifling matters a century ago than there is now. It seldom happens in our day that one man sues another on account, or for trespass. Very few cases are tried in justice's court, nowadays. Perhaps the main reason is that in our day a lawyer must be employed to try a case and his charge amounts to a considerable sum, besides the other costs. Besides this we think that people are more inclined to live peaceably with their neighbors than in the olden days.
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CHAPTER IX
VALUABLE OLD PAPERS OF THE HASBROUCK FAMILY.
The following papers, including a letter of dismissal from the church at Manheim, a letter evidently written by the father of Jean and Abraham Hasbrouck the Patentees and denization papers making Jean Hasbrouck an English citizen, have come down in the family and are now in the possession of Mrs. Laura T. H. Varick of Poughkeepsie.
$:
LETTER OF DISMISSAL FROM THE CHURCH AT MANHEIM.
Jean Hasebruck et sa femme sont membres de '1 Eglise de Christ et vecuparmi nous durant le sejour qu' ils yont fait honettement et Chretiennement, frequentants les Saintes as- sembles et participants au Saint Sacrement de la Cene de notre S. I. C. sans scandale qui nous soit connu : C'est pour- quoy nous les Recommandons comme tels aux freres, de L'Eglise, ou Dieu les adressera
Fait a Manheim au bas Palatinat ce 27 mars 1672.
Les Conducteurs de L'Eglise Francoyse du dit lieu et au Wesenfels Pasteur. nom de tous
TRANSLATION.
Jean Hasbrouck and his wife are members of the Church of Christ and have lived virtuously and Christianlike among us during the sojourn which they have made here, frequenting the sacred assemblies and participating in the Holy Sacra- ment of the Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ without scandal known to us.
Therefore we recommend them as such to the brothers of the Church where God may guide them.
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membre de l'Eglife de Chrift , et vécu parmi nous durant le fejour qu'y fait honettement 5 Chrétiennement, frequentant les Saintes afemble'cs Es participant: au Saint Sacrement de la Cene de notre S.I. C. fans Scandale qui nous foit connu : C'eft pourquoy nous l'. Recommandons comme tel. aux freres de L'Eglife
Fait a Manheim au bas Falatinas
'Les Conducteurs de L'Eglife Franceyfe dn dự lien, ở an nem de sons.
e
3
CERTIFICATE OF CHURCH MEMBERSHIP OF JEAN HASBROUCK AND WIFE
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Done at Manheim in the lower Palatinate this 27 March ' 1672.
The Directors of the French Church of the said place and in the name of all.
Wesenfels, Pastor.
COPY OF OLD FRENCH LETTER TO JEAN AND ABRAHAM HASBROUCK.
Laus Deo
Spire
ce 3 decembre 1676
My dear children
Having had the opportunity through Monsieur Boidiy of giving you news of us I have not wished to lose the occasion to tell you that we are all well, God be thanked, namely: I, my wife, your brother Andrien and your sister Elizabette, hoping the same for you all.
Meanwhile we are greatly surprised that since your de- parture from London, about twenty months ago, we have had no news of your welfare and more especially because the gazettes are always haunting us here with bad news of your country on account of the war which you have had against the savages, but as they tell us at present that the savages are entirely defeated and even their King Philippe captured and beheaded and quartered, we hope you will do better for the future.
As for us we have always great wars since your departure and we are still staying in this town waiting for better things. We have constantly lost our cattle and our harvest these two years past and this last summer were always with weapons in hand for the Imperials laid siege to the city of Philippbourg at the beginning of May and staid there before it until the
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beginning of September when the French came out of it. By the capture of this city we hoped things would go a little better. However if peace is not made we have nothing to expect in this quarter but all sorts of misery and poverty.
Write us as quickly as possible how it goes in your country and what there is of it, for if it is good I am always of the same intention as when you left here, to come and find you ; but if it does not suit you at all well, I hope that you would return here near us.
If you cannot make enough to return as far as here, try to get as far as London and let us know it, and then I and your mother Esther will send you the money to the said London for returning here.
Above all do not fail to describe truthfully how every- thing is.
There is no change in the house of your mother since your departure and they live [The rest of the letter and signature are torn off.]
The reference " your departure from London about twenty months ago" naturally refers to Abraham who did not leave for this country until two years after Jean's departure. The town of Spire, called Speyer in German, from which the above letter was written, was one of the great Protestant strongholds in Germany and is near Manheim.
DENIZATION PAPERS OF JEAN HASBROUCK.
I, Thomas Lawrence, Notary and Tabellion Publick, by Royal Authority admitted and Sworn, dwelling in London, Do hereby Certifie and Attest unto all whom it may concern, That I have Seen and Perused certain Letters Patents of Denization, granted by our Sovereign Lord King William the Third, under the Broad Seal of England Dated the 3rd day
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of July in the Thirteenth Year of His Majesty's Reign, wherein among others is inserted the name of John Hasbrouck who though Born beyond Seas, is made His Majesty's Liege Subject and is to be held reputed and taken, as Subject Born in this Kingdom of England; and may as such Purchase, Buy, Sell and Dispose of Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments in this Kingdom, or in any other of His Majesty's Dominions, as freely, peaceably and entirely, as any Subject Born in this Kingdom; and that the said John Hasbrouck by Virtue of the said Letters Patents, is to enjoy all Liberties, Privileges and Franchises of Subject Born in this Kingdom, without any Disturbance, Impediment or Molestation : As also permitting the Persons in the said Patent mentioned, to be mariners or Masters of Ships during the time they and their Families shall reside and inhabit within the Dominions of the Crown of England and no longer, as by the said Patent, rela- tion being thereunto had, may more at large appear.
Of all which, Act being Required of me said Notary, I have Granted these Presents to serve and avail the said John Hasbrouck in Time and Place Convenient.
London the 15th day of July, 1701. And in the Thirteenth Year of His Majesty's Reign.
In Testimonium Veritatis Signo meo Manuali Solito Sig- navi Tabellionatus mei Sigillum apposui rogatus
THO: LAWRENCE D M Nots Pub.
1701
[SEAL]
It was, we think, not necessary for Jean Hasbrouck to leave the province of New York in order to secure denization papers, since it appears from the Ecclesiastical Records of New York that in 1687 Gov. Dongan requested .. the names
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of all French Protestants who desired to settle or remain in' the province, in order that they might receive letters of Deni- zation.
SOME MATTER RELATING TO THE HASBROUCK FAMILY.
We have this additional information concerning the de- scendants of Benjamin, son of Abraham Hasbrouck, the Pat- entee, who located in Dutchess County: Besides the children mentioned on page 394 Benjamin had a son Abraham, who had sons Abraham, John and James. Abraham and James lived at Louisville, Kentucky.
Mr. Abm. M. Hasbrouck relates some very interesting history of the family of his grandfather Jacob J. Hasbrouck, Jr., and his great-grandfather Jacob J. Hasbrouck. The latter was a major in the time of the Revolutionary war. When the British, under Vaughn, burned Kingston, Major Hasbrouck was away from home, presumably with the army, although the tradition does not state where he was. It was thought that the British, after burning Kingston, would march down along this side of the river and we may judge that there was great excitement at New Paltz. One of the LeFevre families at Bontecoe hid their valuables in a hollow tree. Major Hasbrouck's family lived in the old steep roofed stone house in this village, now the Memorial House. In the absence of the head of the household his wife, with her son Jacob J., Jr., who was about ten years of age, and a trusty slave, took all the valuable papers and silverware, spoons, etc., and placed them in a pot, then hid the pot in a barrel and carried it to a point about half-way between the old Normal School site and the present location of the Maurice P. Hasbrouck house. The spot is marked by a large white stone, a part of which still remains. Here they
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buried the barrel with its contents, Mrs. Hasbrouck remark- ing that if she were killed the son might survive, and if they both were killed the negro man might live to tell the absent members of the family what had been done with the valu- ables. It was midnight as they finished their task. The British did not come to New Paltz, however, but hurried off down the river.
Towards the close of the war, Jacob J. Hasbrouck, Jr., when a lad of about twelve years of age, was sent to school at Newburgh and boarded with the family of Col. Jonathan Hasbrouck, whose wife was his mother's sister, both being daughters of Cornelius DuBois, Sen., of Poughwaughtenonk. Washington was at that time an inmate of Col. Jonathan's house. Once Washington sent young Jacob Hasbrouck out into the orchard for a hat full of peaches and when he came in asked him to eat one of them, which the lad thought strange. But it is said that it was the custom of Washington to have his food tasted by the one who prepared or brought it as a safe-guard against poison.
THE LOST HEIR.
There is no story of more thrilling interest concerning New Paltz people than that of the fate of Louis Hasbrouck, who left his New Paltz home about 1816 and was never again heard of. Mr. Abm. M. Hasbrouck who, is a nephew, relates the story as follows: Jacob J. Hasbrouck, Jr., was married to his first wife, Margaret Hardenburgh, at Rosen- dale in the old family mansion of her father Gerardus Har- denburgh. One of her wedding slippers and a beautiful dress which was hers are among the relics in the Memorial House. Her tombstone which stands alone in the old grave- yard at New Paltz says that she was born April 12th, 1776,
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and died July 7th, 1796. She left an infant son who was named Louis. Her husband married again and by his sec- ond wife had a large family of children. Louis heired from his mother some 15,000 or 16,000 acres of land in Sullivan county which was a part of the great Hardenburgh patent. His father sent him to college at Schenectady, paid the taxes on the Sullivan county land and when he was twenty-one years of age told him that he must now take care of the property himself. Young Louis had no taste for work, but was a great reader, had purchased Lewis & Clark's books relating their experiences in the far west and he had trained his horse so that he would dash into the Wallkill and swim to the opposite shore with a rider on his back and then turn around and swim back again. He had been clerk in Cornelius Bruyn's store just north of the old graveyard. He boarded at Budd's hotel at the time of the famous poison- ing cases but he escaped that danger. Early one morning the young man started off on his well trained horse, armed with rifle and pistols, to visit his Sullivan county possessions. He never returned and no tidings of him ever reached his New Paltz home. It is supposed that he was murdered. Once when a man was to be hung in Sullivan county for a murder some time afterwards, Louis' father sent another son all the way to Monticello on the day of the execution, to inquire of the condemned man if he could not tell where Louis Has- brouck's bones were buried. But the man replied that he knew nothing of the matter.
It is by no means certain that he was murdered in Sul- livan county, for the story of Lewis & Clark's adventures may have lured him to the far west, and the training of his horse to swim streams indicates that he had a life of adven-
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ture in view. This theory seems the more probable from his reported saying that he would never come back until he could walk over his father's farm with a gold cane.
He never returned nor was any news of him ever received. As his second wife Jacob J. Hasbrouck, Jr., married Anna DuBois. Their descendants still reside in New Paltz and vicinity to a great extent. Jacob J. Hasbrouck had a great deal of property and could walk from the Wallkill to the Hudson on his own land. About 1830 he moved from the stone house in the northern portion of the village, built about 1790 and now owned and occupied by his grandson Abram M., to Bontecoe, where he made purchase of land and built the brick house now owned by his grandson Luther. This farm consisting mainly of lowland is one of the best in the county.
Jacob J. Hasbrouck, Jr., by his second wife Anna DuBois, had a large family of children as follows: Catharine (wife of Mathusalem DuBois), Asenath (wife of Derrick DuBois), Albina (wife of Dr. David Wurts), Maurice, Jacob, DuBois and Huram. Maurice Hasbrouck married Jane DuBois. Their sons were Jacob M., Josiah J., Abram M., and Simon, all of whom resided in this town. Jacob Hasbrouck (usually known as colonel), son of Jacob J. Jr., located at what is now Highland, on land of his father. Colonel Jacob built a fine stone house in which he always resided, living to a great age. His sons were Levi J., Jacob, Alex C., and Theodore. The youngest son of Jacob J. Jr., Huram, long occupied the farm at Bontecoe, after his father's death and until about 1855. His first wife was Maria Hasbrouck and his second wife was her sister Rozilla. He was County Treasurer in 1857.
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AAAA
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THE HOME OF ABRAM M. HASBROOK
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CHAPTER X
THE FAMILY OF GERRIT FREER, JR.
Gerrit Freer, Jr., who was probably the first resident at what is now Butterville, has had a numerous line of descend- ants in this vicinity. He was the son of Hugo Freer, Jr. and his wife Bridgen Terpening of Bontecoe. Hugo Jr. was the son of Hugo, senior, of this village, who was the son of Hugo the Patentee.
Gerrit was born in 1727 and was married by Dominie Mancius at Kingston in 1748 to Maria Freer, the record stat- ing that the groom had been born at Bontecoe and the bride at New Paltz and both then resided at Bentecoe.
The house in which Gerrit, Jr. lived is no longer standing. It was located a short distance north of what was the David LeFevre house in modern days.
Gerrit wrote Jr. after his name to distinguish him from Gerrit Freer of Kingston, who was about a dozen years older. The name of Gerrit Freer, Jr. appears as a resident of the Butterville neighborhood in the tax list of 1765. He was one of the building committee of the second stone church in this village in 1771, a deacon in 1764; an elder in 1771, 1778, 1791, 1802 and 1804. He was one of the signers of the Articles of Association in 1775.
The children of Gerrit Freer, Jr. and his wife Maria Freer were Jonas, born in 1752; Catharine, born in 1754 (married Jonathan LeFevre) ; Ezekiel, born in 1756; Maria; Brechie; Ellsje; Martinas, born in 1767 ; Gerrit, born in 1777 ; Margaret.
Jonas, eldest son of Gerrit Freer, Jr. continued to reside in what is now the Butterville neighborhood, as did also his
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brother Martinas. He married Lavinia (Wyntje) Hasbrouck, (daughter of Jehosaphat). Jonas wrote his name Jonas, Jr. His name appears among the signers of the Articles of Asso- ciation. His sons were Gerrit, who resided at Butterville, Benjamin I. who resided southwest of Tuthill, Jophat, who lived on South street in the town of Lloyd, and Daniel Has- brouck.
Ezekiel Freer, son of Gerrit Freer, Jr., the first of the name at Butterville, was born in 1756, as we have stated. He married Elizabeth Slater. They had five sons: Ezekiel, Gerrit, John E., Jonas E. and Samuel D. All of these mar- ried and had children. Ezekiel lived in Springtown; married Esther Van Wagenen, and was the father of Ezekiel, Gerrit, Daniel and Maurice W., the last named of whom married Sarah Acker, and long resided in the Middletown neighbor- hood. Gerritt, son of Ezekiel, son of Gerritt of Butter- ville, lived in the town of Esopus, not far from the Bontecoe school house, where John Walsh afterward lived. He was the father of Abraham H., Chester and Dennis. Abra- ham H. was the father of Rev. Harris A. Freer. Jonas E., son of Ezekiel, son of Gerrit of Butterville, married Anna Wood and had four sons : Hiram, John R., David and Dewain. John R. was a stone mason and large contractor and builder in Kingston. John E., son of Ezekiel, son of Gerrit Jr. of Butterville, married Eve Smith and lived a half mile this side of the Bontecoe school house in the town of Esopus.
Samuel D., youngest of the sons of Ezekiel, son of Gerrit Freer, Jr. of Butterville, married Gertrude Schoonmaker. He spent a long life on his farm in what was then called the Gerhow, afterwards Cold Spring Corner and now the Plutarch neighborhood. From his son Ezekiel, who is still living in that neighborhood at the age of nearly eighty we have some
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portion of the information contained in this sketch, but are mainly indebted to Cyrus D. Freer.
Now going back once more to Butterville we find that Mar- tinas Freer, son of Gerrit, Jr., who with his brother Jonas continued to reside in that neighborhood, married but we do not find the names of any children recorded on the church book.
THE BONTECOE FREERS
Two of the sons of Hugo Freer, the Patentee, Jacob and Abraham located at Bontecoe, as did also their nephew Hugo, Jr., son of Hugo senior.
Abraham built his house before 1705 on the east side of the Wallkill, a short distance south of the Bontecoe school-house. Jacob lived on the west side of the Wallkill. His house which was torn down some years ago stood near the location of the Charles Bodley house of modern times. The house of Hugo Freer, Jr., still standing on the west side of the Wallkill came down in the family from one Hugo to another until recent years. It is now owned by J. W. Dimmick. The last owners of the Freer name were the sons of Jeremiah Freer.
Abraham Freer after a residence of about fifteen years or perhaps longer at Bontecoe moved to what is now Rhinebeck about 1720. His brother Jacob and nephew, Hugo, Jr., and many of their descendants resided in the extreme north-west- ern part of the patent. A portion of the Patent lying north and west of the Wallkill was included in the town of Hurley in Revolutionary days and since 1844 has been a part of the town of Rosendale.
We find Abraham Freer, who afterwards moved to Rhine- beck, located at Bontecoe in 1705 and he may have been there some time earlier. We can not fix the date when his brother Jacob, and his nephew, Hugo, Jr., located at Bontecoe. The 8
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oldest paper we have in reference to the matter is in 1730. It refers to the line between Jacob Freer's land and the tract in the bend of the Wallkill, then as now called the Half Moon, which was then owned by the Ean family and remained in their possession until quite recently. There are two very old burying grounds near the house of Hugo Freer, Jr., at Bonte- coe. Tradition in the LeFevre family says that Isaac LeFevre, the first of the name at Bontecoe, was buried in the graveyard near the residence of Hugo Freer, Jr., who was his wife's brother. The first Clearwater in Ulster county who resided in this neighborhood was also buried here and a stone bearing his initials has been found in this graveyard.
Jacob Freer of Bontecoe, son of Hugo, the Patentee, had several children, of none of whom have we much account except the son, Jacob, Jr., who married Sarah Freer, daughter of Hugo, Jr. They had sons: Jacob, Hugo and Jonathan. One daughter Bregge, married Abraham B. Deyo. Jacob, the oldest son of Jacob, Jr., married Margaret Ean in 1768.
Among the signers of the Articles of Association in the town of Hurley appear the names of Jacob, Jr., Hugo, J., and Jonathan Freer, all sons of Jacob, Jr. Among the soldiers of the First Ulster Militia in the Revolutionary War, which in- cluded the Hurley contingent, appear the names of Hugo and Jonathan Freer, sons of Jacob, Jr. Jonathan, son of Jacob, Jr., married Margaret Deyo. Their sons were Hendrick, Levi and Roelif.
The sons of Hugo (3) usually called Hugo, Jr., all lived at Bontecoe except Garrit, who located in what is now Butter- ville.
Hugo (4) occupied the house of his father Hugo (3) and married, Hester Deyo. Their sons were Daniel, Paulus, Hugo, Benjamin and Jeremiah. The names of Benjamin and Jere-
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miah appear in the list of citizens of Hurley signing the Articles of Association and the name of Paulus among the New Paltz signers of the Articles of Association. Among the soldiers of the First Ulster County Regiment, in which citi- zens of Hurley were included, appear the names of Benjamin and Jeremiah Freer, and in the Third Ulster County Regiment, which was to quite an extent from the town of New Paltz, as it then was, appears the name of Paulus Freer.
Daniel son of Hugo (4) married Maria Helm and had sev- eral children. Moses, son of Hugo (4) married Judith Van Aake and had a son David.
Paulus, son of Hugo (4), built the house now the residence of Silas Freer. He married Elizabeth Van Wagenen. Their children were Moses, Rachel (who married John Hood), Elizabeth (who married Abraham Steen), Esther (who mar- ried Job Tillson), Maria (who married Peter Ean), and Jo- hannes. Benjamin, son of Hugo (4), lived on the east side. of the Wallkill in a house, part stone and part frame. He left no children and the property passed to his nephew Hugo B. Freer. Jeremiah, youngest son of Hugo (4), was born in 1754. He was a very large land owner. At this time most of the land on the west side of the Wallkill, from Springtown to the north bounds of the Patent, belonged to the Freers, except what was owned by the Deyos, where James E. and Matthew Deyo now live and what was owned by Benjamin DuBois or his son Daniel, who lived in the old stone house still standing, a short distance north of James E. Deyo's.
THE LEFEVRES AT GREENFIELD.
On page 442 of the "History of New Paltz and its Old Families " it is said that Andries and Peter LeFevre went from Bontecoe where their father Isaac, their grandfather
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