USA > New York > Staten Island > History of Richmond County (Staten Island), New York : from its discovery to the present time > Part 49
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Horaham Cole
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HISTORY OF RICHIMOND COUNTY.
W., married to Mary C. (deceased), daughter of George H. Pendexter ; Susan A., wife of Paul M. Van Name ; James T., married to Elmira De Hart, and Abram, married to Blanche, daughter of Captain Abei Martin. Mr. Cole, in his political sentiments, was an old line whig, and later joined the ranks of the republican party. Politics were little to liis taste, and as a consequence lie rarely gave an active support to his party, and never aspired to the offices within its gift. His energies found a more congenial field of labor in the Bethel Methodist Epis- copal church, of which he was treasurer, trustee and steward. The following tribute to his memory, from a leading periodical, may with propriety be quoted.
" His religious life was uniform, and was not, as is too often the case, marred with frequent relapses. He professed no extra- ordinary attainments in piety, but all who knew him took knowledge of him that he had been with Jesus. He was faith- ful and systematic in his home duties, and regularin his attend- ance at the church and the means of grace when able to go. He was ready with his means to contribute his share toward the support of the church. As a husband and father he was considerate and kind. He was even in temper, a lover of peace, and a promoter of harmony. His confidence in the promises of God never failed."
The death of Mr. Cole occurred September 14, 1876.
WILLIAM A. COLE .- The direct ancestor of William A. Cole was Col. William Cole, colonial secretary of Virginia, who em- igrated from London about the year 1650, and whose descend- ants settled early in 1700 in Maryland, from whence they later removed to Staten Island. In the direct line from this progen- itor of the family was Abraham Cole, born in 1736, grandfather of the subject of this sketch. Among his children was John B. Cole, born in 1770, who was twice married. His two sons by the first marriage, Henry and George Cole, each represented their district for two terms in the state legislature and were act- ive in promoting the interests of Richmond county.
His second wife was Mary A. Cole, a descendant of the Cool family, who emigrated from England to Holland, and about the year 1680 came to America. Her father, Rev. William Cole, was well known as the pioneer of Methodism on Staten Island. His memory is still fresh, his influence still apparent, and his name cherished by the church to which his life-work was ded-
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
icated. William A., the only son of John B. and Mary A. Cole, was born October 15, 1836, at New Dorp, Staten Island, and re- ceived an academic education at Pennington Seminary, New Jersey. Deciding upon a business career, he came to New York in 1855 and accepted a position as cashier with a mercan- tile house. This thorough experience was of inestimable value in the busy commercial life which subsequently opened to him.
In 1862 he organized, and has since been the active member of, the house of W. J. Wilcox & Company, extensively engaged in foreign exports. The firmi have been since their organization large exporters of manufactured products, and early gave their attention to the production of a superior quality of lard, uni- form in color and sweetness and capable of withstanding cli- matic influences. To the well directed and untiring energy of Mr. Cole must be attributed the gratifying success which has attended their efforts. For his zeal in furthering the interests of Franco-American commerce the French government, in 1879, conferred upon him the decoration of the Legion of Honor. In 1875 the firm of W. J. Wilcox & Company became a corpora- tion, with Mr. Cole as president, which office he still fills. He has for some years been a leading factor in commercial circles, having during the years 1877-78 filled the office of president of the New York Produce Exchange. He is at present one of the trustees of the Bowery Savings Bank and the Corn Exchange Bank of New York. His interest in the cause of education prompted his acceptance of the position of commissioner of the board of education of New York. He is chairman of its build- ing committee, as also of that of the New York College. Mr. Cole was married June 12, 1860, to Mary E. Hiscox, and has three children living: Mary A., Frederick A. and Helen.
COLON .- James Colon, George Colon and John (elsewhere written Jonas) Colon, were naturalized in May, 1770. These were probably the progenitors of the family of that name, which once were numerous, but now nearly extinct. There was also a Peter Colon in the county in 1774.
CONNER .- Richard Conner came to Staten Island from Ire- land about 1760, as he purchased his landed estate at that time. He was a man of respectable acquirements, and superior business qualifications. His worth appears to have been soon discovered, for he was almost immediately placed in responsible offices, and continued to serve the public in various capacities
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
until the time of his death. He was born in 1723, and died Feb- ruary 1, 1792. His wife Catherine died June 24, 1787, at the age of 62. He made his will February 4, 1790, proved February 6, 1792, in which he speaks of his daughter Ann, deceased, and of Catharine and Elizabeth, and his son Richard. One of his daughters married into the Garrison family, and was the mother of Mr. John C. Garrison, of Garrison's Station, S. I. R. R. His only son Richard, universally known as Colonel Conner, was for many years a prominent surveyor in the connty, and held various offices of trust. He was born in 1763, and died April 5, 1853, leaving several sons, of whom Mr. A. V. Conner, once clerk of the connty, is one. The family were always attached to the Moravian church. There was another family of the same name in the connty in 1761, as appears by a record of a baptism of Adam, son of Jeremiah and Ann, in October of that year, but they were of a distinct family.
CORSEN .- This is one of the oldest and at one time among the most influential families on the island. In this instance, as in most of the other old families, we have been able to obtain only shreds of its history, none of those now bearing the name being in possession of a genealogical descent, From 1650 to 1690 we find the names of Hendrick, Peter, Jan, Philip, etc., as residents of New York, or some parts of Long Island. The first mention of the name in connection with Staten Island occurs December 30, 1680, in a patent bearing that date, con- veying to Cornelius Corsen, Andries Juriansen, Derrick Cor- nelison and John Peterson 180 acres of land, 60 acres of which belonged to Corsen, and 40 acres to each of the others. This land is referred to in the patent of Governor Dongan to Palmer, and mentioned as land belonging to Cornelius Corsen and com- pany. Another patent to the same parties, of the same date, conveyed 320 acres of land lying westward of and bounded by the Mill creek, besides 32 acres of salt meadow "where most convenient." This Cornelius is designated as captain in a record in Albany, dated December 21, 1680. We find him men- tioned again in the county records as being plaintiff in a suit in January, 1681. He died December 7, 1693, as his will was proved on that day. He had at least three sons; Christian, second judge and lientenant-colonel in 1738, Cornelins, a justice, and Jacob, who made his will October 8, 1742, by which he makes the following bequests : his homestead to his son Jacob, £70
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
($175) to his daughter Suster, wife of Johannes Simonson; £70 to his daughter Mary, wife of Joshua Mersereau; £70 to his son Douwe: £70 to his son Benjamin; £70 to his daughter Rebecca, wife of John Blom; to his sons Douwe and Benjamin all his lands in Hunterdon county, N. J .; to his daughter Suster all his lands on the west side of Staten Island; to his son Jacob his silver-hilted sword and silk sash, and all his other goods to his children equally. Daniel Corsen, who was county clerk in 1739, was probably another son of Captain Cornelius.
In the church yard of the Reformed church at Port Richmond there are still to be seen two headstones with the following in- scriptions in the Dutch (Holland) language :
Hier onder rust het lyk. van CORNELIUS CORSEN, ESq., overleden den 26 Maart- A. D. MDCCLV on- -ynde LIII.
Here under rests the body of CORNELIUS CORSEN, Esq., who died the 26 March, 1755, iu his 53d-
Hier legt het Lighaam van JANNETIA VAN BOSKERK, Huys vrouw van Cornelius Corsen- Overleeden den- -
MDCCXLIX- Zyude L Jaar-
Here lies the body of JANE VAN BUSKIRK, wife of Cornelius Corsen- -
died the -, 1749, in her 50th year.
This good old lady was probably a native of Bergen, N. J., where there were several families of the Van Buskirks, there being none of that name on the island at that date.
Cornelius and Jannetje Van Buskirk had the following child- ren : a daughter, baptized November 24, 1723; Peter, baptized August 13, 1725; Christian, baptized February 26, 1727 ; Cor- nelis, baptized February 23, 1729, died an infant; Cornelis, baptized February 21, 1731 ; Jacobus (Jacob), baptized Oc- tober 22, 1732 ; Daniel, baptized March 9, 1735, died May 22, 1801; a daughter, baptized September 19, 1736; and a daughter, baptized September 23, 1738.
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
We append the following, collected chiefly from church records : Cornelius, son of Benjamin, baptized May 4, 1714 ; Daniel, born 1714, died JJanuary 26, 1761; Captain Jacob, born 1707, died 1772; Benjamin and Blandina Vile (Viele) had a son Benjamin, baptized August 3, 1718; Jacob and Cornelia Cruser had the following children : Jacob, baptized October 13, 1747, and three daughters, between 1739 and 1754; Donwe (son of Jacob) and Jannetje Cosin, had a child baptized October 5, 1755; Daniel and Maria Stilwell had sons Richard and Daniel, both baptized November 7, 1753 ; Cornelius, Jr., had son Cor- nelius, baptized September 2, 1787, and a daughter Jannetje (Jane), baptized October 17, 1790; Richard had a daughter Catharine, baptized Angust 30, 1789; Daniel and Elizabeth Bo- gart had a son Cornelius, baptized September 17, 1758, and a son William Howe, born November 24, 1776.
Daniel and Elizabeth Bogart his wife, had also three other sons, John, Daniel and Richard ; Richard married Elizabeth Egbert, and they were the parents of Mr. Abraham E. Corsen, of Mariners' Harbor. Daniel built the stone house still stand- ing near the Richmond turnpike, and since the property of A. C. Bradley, Esq .; subsequently he owned a farmi on the Clove road, now or recently the property of Haynes Lord, Esq., where he died, and the place came into the possession of his son Richard. William Howe Corsen lived to have a family of his own ; a short time previous to the war of 1812, he was mur- dered, and his body concealed under a bridge on the public road. Evidently he had been robbed. The perpetrators of the crime were never detected.
Jacob had a daughter, baptized March 25, 1701, a son Jacob, baptized October 21, 1707 (see Captain Jacob, above) and a son Benjamin, baptized April 1, 1710. -Corsen and Elsey Ayro were married November, 1801; Hiram J., of New Springville, is the son of Cornelius V. B. ; he was the son of Richard ; and he was the son of Cornelius.
CORTELYOU .- This name, in some of the old records, is writ- ten Corteleau ; it is of French origin, but was changed through a long residence in Holland, previous to emigration to America. The family was in this country at an early date ; Jacques Cor- telliau (so written by himself) was the surveyor, who, in 1657, laid out the town of New Utrecht, on Long Island, into twenty lots, of fifty acres each, one of which was assigned to him for
520
HISTORY OF RICIIMOND COUNTY.
his residence. He came to America in 1652. for in 1687, when the inhabitants of Kings county took the oath of allegiance to James II., the name of Jaques Corteljou is found among them, with a note attached, that he had then been in the country thirty-five years. He had four sons, all of whom had been born on Long Island; their names were Jacques, Jr., Cornelis, Pieter, Willem; still, in the assessment roll of New Utrecht for the year 1676, neither of their names appear. The family on Staten Island is undoubtedly descended from that of Long Island, though when the removal took place is uncertain ; a part of them remained on Long Island, as in 1738 we find the names of " pijeter kartelijou," and "ailte kartelijon," still at New Utrecht. The first mention of the name in the church records on Staten Island is that of Jaques, and his wife Jacomyntie, (Jemima) Van Pelt, who had a daughter Debora, baptized De- cember 26, 1720. Aaron, who was born 1726, and died August 22, 1789, was undoubtedly the son of Jaques and Jacomyntie. as they appear to have been the only family of the name on Staten Island. Aaron had a son Peter, born December 27, 1768, and died February 3, 1857, and he was the father of Judge Lawrence H. Cortelyou. Aaron was one of the original mem- bers of the Moravian church. There was a Jacob, probably a brother of Peter, born August 26, 1760, and died February 7, 1817. There is a record of a Peter, who married Sarah Van Pelt, December 31, 1801.
CRIPS .- This family can scarcely be numbered among the old families of the county, thongh at one time they were tolerably numerous; they are now almost extinct. The earliest notice we have found is the marriage of John Crips and Margaret Bety (Beatty) January 5, 1761. They had a son William, born April 28, 1764. William and Sarah had a daughter Elizabeth, baptized June 23, 1771; Thomas and Mary Perine were married in November, 1791; James and Elizabeth Blake were married October 1, 1801; there was a Richard, mentioned in the county records in 1766.
CROCHERON .-- The first representative of this family of whom we have any definite knowledge was John, a planter, whose will was dated December 13, 1695; and he appears to have died within a year from that time, for the will is recorded September 3, 1696. His wife's name was Mary, and they had two sons,
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
Nicholas and Anthony, the former being the elder. Further data respecting them is wanting.
Henry Crocheron and Nannie his wife had the following sons: John, born April 13, 1770; Henry, born December 26, 1772; Jacob, born August 23, 1774 (he married Mary Oakley, Febru- ary 22, 1797; he was sheriff of the county, etc.), and Reuben, baptized September 24, 1789. Abraham Crocheron and Eliza- beth his wife had a son Nicholas, born August 9, 1761, and died December 30, 1817 (he was familiarly known as "Squire Nick "), and Henry, born March 22, 1766.
There was another Abraham, and Margaret his wife, who had a son Daniel, born January 15, 1770. Daniel and Sarah his wife had a daughter Mary, born April 8, 1775. John Crocheron and Jenny his wife, had a daughter Mary, born March 4, 1773. Abraham and Mary Prall his wife had a son Abraham, born September 4, 1787, and a son Benjamin, baptized June 28, 1789. (Benjamin died a few years ago on the Old Place road ; his wife was Susannah Prall, his consin. Abraham, the father, formerly owned the farm now a part of New Brighton). Another Daniel had a son Daniel born June 9, 1788. John and Hannah Housman were married February 10, 1792. Daniel and Jane Jones were married November 29, 1798. Nicholas and Winant were married May 28, 1801.
The Crocheron family have been prominent in the county; Henry was member of congress 1815-17. Jacob was member of congress 1829-31; presidential elector in 1836; sheriff 1802, 1811 and 1821. Nicholas was member of assembly 1854. Richard was county treasurer and surrogate in 1836, and for several years thereafter. The family is of French descent.
CRUSER, CRUISE, CROES, KROESEN, ETC .- The family is of Dutch descent. It is impossible now to ascertain when Garret, who was probably the first of the name in America, emigrated. In 1676 we find him rated in Breucklyn, but after that date his name does not appear among the freeholders of that place. It is probable that he removed to Staten Island the following year, for then Sir Edmund Andros granted him a patent for one hun- dred and sixty acres of land on Staten Island. He had, prob- ably, the following sons: Hendrick, Cornelius, Dirk or Derick, Garret and Jan. Hendrick, who was perhaps the eldest, had several children baptized on Staten Island between 1698 and 1716. Cornelius married Helena Van Tuyl, probably a daughter
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
of Otto Van Tuyl, and had the following 'children baptized here: Hendrick, October 10, 1731; Abraham, July 29, 1733, died March 11, 1770; and Cornelius, August 8, 1736. Derick had the following children baptized here: Nicklas, May 6, 1696; Derick, October 22. 1701; Hendrick, July 3, 1707. Garret had the fol- lowing children baptized here : Cornelius, October 23, 1711; Derick, October 18, 1713; Garret, April 1, 1717. Jan had a danghter Elizabeth baptized July 14, 1713. Cornelius, son of Cornelins and grandson of Garret, married Beeltje de Groot, and had a son Cornelins, baptized August 26, 1759.
Abraham, son of Cornelius and grandson of Garret, married Antye Simonson, and had a son Johannes, or John, baptized June 4, 1760. (This John had a daughter Elizabeth baptized May 10, 1789.)
Garret, son of Garret and grandson of the original Garret, married Claartje (Clara, Clare, Clarissa) Blencroft, and had a danghter Cornelia baptized August 27, 1740; a daughter Clarissa baptized October 11, 1748; and a son Hendrick June 24, 1752, and others.
Garret, son of Hendrick and grandson of the original Garret, married Gertrude Van Tuyl, and had the following children: Hendrick, baptized December 8, 1723; Femitje (Euphemia ?) September 13, 1728; Abraham, August 6, 1732. The late Morris H. Cruser and brothers are the direct descendants of John, mentioned above. The family was once numerous and promi- nent, but like many other of the old families, is disappearing.
CUBBERLY .- This family is of English descent, but came to Staten Island from New Jersey. The name originally was writ- ten Coverle. The first of the name on Staten Island was Isaac, who resided here in 1769. Probably he came here a young man, for he married here, in the Jonrneay family. His sons were Stephen, Joseph, James, Thomas and Isaac. Isaac mar- ried an English woman named Broughton, and had two sons- William, now living in New Jersey, and James, once clerk of the county; Mrs. Charles E. Racy, of West New Brighton, is also his daughter. Isaac resided at the noted locality known as "The Elm Tree," where, though a large part of his property is now submerged by the waters of the ocean, his dwelling house still stands.
There is another branch of the family which we are unable to trace, viz .: Joseph and Auder (sic) his wife had a son James,
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
born October 18, 1776; this James married Eleanor Ralph, Jan- uary 20, 1799. The late William Cubberly, of Port Richmond, is descended from this branch.
GEORGE WILLIAM DALEY, for many years prominent in the politics of Richmond county, was born in Whitehall, New York, October 7, 1814. He was the eldest son of Erastus and Hannah (Stone) Daley.
His father's family came to America in the seventeenth century. During the war of independence, his great-grandfather, Solo- mon Daley, was a soldier in the continental army, and one of the body of men known as the "Commander-in-Chief's Life Guard." . His mother was the daughter of Elijalı Stone, also a revolutionary soldier, and was a descendant on her mother's side of Andrew Ward, of Watertown, Mass., and George Hub- bard of Guilford, Conn., both of whom came to America about 1630. Mr. Daley early manifested the courage that character- ized him in later life, when, at only twelve years of age, he car- ried the mail on horseback between Whitehall and Vergennes, Vermont, a work of responsibility and often of danger.
He received his education in the district schools of his native place, where he remained till a short time after his marriage, in 1840, to Miss Helen S. Blanchard, of Rutland, Vermont, when he went to reside in Albany and was employed there as agent for the Merchants' Transportation Company.
In 1851 he removed to New York, and in May, 1853, to Staten Island. After this he was for several years general passenger agent for the New York Central Railroad Company.
In 1862 he enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty-third regi- ment of New York volunteers and took an active part in the civil war. He rose from the rank of private to be a lieutenant of his company and served for two years in Virginia and Louisiana until prostrated by sickness from exposure.
On his return from the army he was employed first by the commissioners of emigration and afterward in the custom house department, which position he occupied at the time of his deathi. He died Sunday morning, November 2, 1873, at his home in Edgewater, Staten Island.
He had five children: Helen A. Daley, Amelia E., widow of Rev. Joseph Alden, D. D .; Charlotte F. Daley, George Henry and William Seymour Daley, all of whom, with his widow, survive.
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
Mrs. Daley resides in New York city with her daughters, two of whom are professional artists, and a third, Mrs. Alden, is an author. One son, William S., married Miss Margaret Nixon, of Albany, N. Y., and resides in his native city, while George Henry, of the firm of Devlin & Co., New York, is a prominent man of the present day in the history of Staten Island.
From early life Mr. Daley was warmly interested in politics, exerting, first as a whig and then as a republican, a wide in- finence in the politics of his county, and even of his state.
He was a manly, straightforward and generous man, a warm hearted and faithful friend, whose promises were always to be relied upon.
GEORGE HENRY DALEY, oldest son of the preceding, was born in Albany, N. Y., November 1, 1844. After his father's removal to Staten Island he attended first the public school and afterward the private school conducted by the Rev. J. H. Sinclair at Tompkinsville. In June, 1862, he entered, as a clerk, the office of Devlin & Co., clothing merchants, New York city, and has maintained ever since an unbroken connection with this large house, rising by untiring energy, devotion and industry to be a partner in the firm.
In 1867 he married Miss Elizabeth A. Wood, a daughter of Mr. William Wood, of London, England. One of their chil- dren, Helen S., died in infancy. Their surviving children are Elizabeth, George Herbert, Edwin Wood, Charles Stanley, Alice Wood, Mary Wood and Marjorie Carew.
Mr. Daley's rare executive genius and sound business quali- ties have become widely known and brought him into many positions of trust, where confidence and sterling integrity were needed. In 1883 he succeeded Messrs. John A. Stewart and David H. Decker as trustee of the large estate of the late Hon. Albert Ward. a trust of great responsibilities and judgment, to which he devotes much of his time. He is also a director of the Staten Island Savings Bank, a stockholder in the First Na- tional Bank of Staten Island, and in the Staten Island academy and Latin school, while he was one of the founders of the Brigliton Heights seminary. For several years he was a promi- nent stockholder in the Staten Island Publishing Company and president of the corporation issuing the "Gazette and Sentinel."
He was active in procuring the "Five Ward Amendment "
Un . St. Dalny
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
to the charter of the village of Edgewater, and at the ensuing election in the spring of 1884 he was chosen to represent the First ward as trustee of the village. He held the office for two years, and for a short time in the latter part of his term he was the president of the village.
Mr. Daley resides in the old "Vanderbilt Mansion," which he bought in 1881, the spacious and imposing old structure form- ing a striking example of a later type of colonial architecture.
As an energetic and careful business man, from the beginning of his mercantile career he has believed in the principle of hard, persistent work and honesty of purpose as the only sure ground of success. His stern application of this principle, and his unswerving devotion to duty all through his business life have brought to him and to the firm with which he is connected a lasting success.
A republican in politics, he took an active part, from the fall of 1881 to the spring of 1886, in all the local affairs of govern- ment, and for his prudence, integrity and manly course won tlie respect of even those who had opposed him.
DECKER .- This family is by far the most numerous, as well as one of the oldest, on the island. Its progenitor was Johannes De Decker, who arrived here in April, 1655. He was a promi- nent man in the colony, filling various offices of responsibility, and after a public service of many years finally settled down for the remainder of his life on his farm of one hundred and twenty acres on Staten Island. His numerous descendants have so frequently intermarried that at this day it would be difficult to trace their genealogy. Some of the elder members retained the prefix De, but it has long ago fallen into disuse. Mattheus De Decker, probably a son of Johannes, had John, baptized September 7, 169 -; Abraham, October 21, 1707; Elizabeth, April 17, 1711; and Mattheus, -, 1715; to this baptism Pieter De Decker was sponsor, who was also probably a son of Jo- hannes. This Pieter, and Susanna Hetfeel (Hatfield), his wife, had the following children baptized : Maria, September 21, 1718; Johannes, July 24, 1720; Susanna, May 24, 1724; Sara, October 23, 1726; Mattheus, June 10, 1728; Eva, March 26, 1732; and Abraham, April 7, 1735.
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