History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 77

Author: Cole, David, 1822-1903, ed. cn; Beers, J. B., & co., New York, pub
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 993

USA > New York > Rockland County > History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 77

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Mr. Tomkins was a type of the thorough business man, active and prompt in all his affairs; his dealings were characterized by the strictest integrity, the confi- dence of his friends and neighbors was not misplaced, and no one looked to him for help in vain.

WATSON TOMKINS.

Watson Tomkins, son of Daniel Tomkins, was born in Newark, N. J., May 5th 1829, and with his parents moved to Orange, where he attended the common schools and the Academy. The family afterward returned to New- ark, and he attended the Orange street school for a short time. In 1838, his father came to Tomkins Cove with a company of sixteen, for the purpose of establishing lime kilns, and procuring limestone for their kilns at Newark, and Watson Tomkins came three or four days later, in a sloop called Young Hickory. Of this company, Watson Tomkins is the sole survivor. The story of their coming is told more fully in the biographical sketch of Daniel Tomkins. The events of that trip, his first journey from home, made a deep impression upon the mind of the youthful traveler; and the same vessel that brought them hither (a small sloop named Contrivance) is now in the possession of Mr. Tomkins and his brother, and is highly treasured as a relic of their early days. The party hav- ing landed with their effects, the sloop was loaded with limestone, and sent back to Newark. The first shelter of the company was a rude shanty, but a house was soon built, and as soon as it was completed, his mother came, and the family began to realize that it was their new home. The limestone quarry was soon opened, a wharf was built, and a business was begun, which has since proved a source of wealth. When the business of brick making began to assume large proportions, Mr. Tomkins engaged in it, in partnership with his brother-in-law, Brewster J. Allison, and they had extensive brick yards at Grassy Point. This partnership was terminated at the end of three years. His father having purchased the farm of Samuel Brewster, south of Stony Point, they commenced making brick on their own account, and at the present time Mr. Tomkins and his brother are ex- tensively engaged in the business.

Mr. Tomkins is one of the representative business men of Rockland county. A man of advanced ideas, of sound practical knowledge, and well acquainted with the ways of the world; he is the foe of everything that is based upon sham, and is not supported by strict common sense. In politics, a Republican; in religion, a Presbyterian; a firm friend and advocate of the temperance cause, and an active promoter of any project that tends to increase the welfare and advance the best interests of the com-

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munity. The labors of an active life have been crowned with well merited success, and those who know him best are the most prompt to recognize the purity of his pur- pose, and the excellence of his character.

FREDERICK TOMKINS.

Frederick Tomkins was born in Orange, New Jersey, April 24th 1837, and was one year old when, with his father, he removed to Tomkins Cove. He was educated at the well known school of D. A. Frame, West Bloom- field, New Jersey, and at Princeton College. He thien returned to the town of Stony Point, where he has since resided, and, with his father and brother, carried on the business of manufacturing brick, in which he is still ex- tensively engaged. When the Nation called her sons to arms to preserve the Union, lie and his younger brother were among the first to respond to the call. He joined the army as quartermaster of the 135th New York regi- ment of infantry, and was promoted, and served as bri- gade and division quartermaster in the 3d and 6th corps of the Army of the Potomac. While in this capacity, he was enabled by his firmness and energy to correct many abuses in the commissary department, and men in high official station found in him an able advocate of the rights of the private soldier against the greed and ava.

I. Joseph was born August 4th 1722, and died Jan- uary 2d 1796. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Mat- thew Benson, March 10th 1743. The children by this marriage were: Matthew, born July 13th 1743 (died be- rice that too often made gain at his expense. At the fore 1795, leaving children: Joseph, Peter, Cornelius, close of the war, he returned with honor to his native place. Hendrick, Matthew, and Elizabeth); Elizabeth, born October 2d 1745, married David T'en Eyck; Mary, born October 17th 1747, married Amos Hutchings; Hannah,

He has taken an active part in the public affairs of the town and county, and for the last five years has served born February 14th 1750, married Adrian Waldron; Jo- as Supervisor of Stony Point, having been elected by the · unanimous vote of his fellow townsmen, although his po- litical views, which are strongly Republican, are in oppo- sition to those of a majority of the citizens.

Mr. Tonikins married Kittie, second daughter of John H. Neilly, of New York, September 30th 1868. They have six children: Kittie N., Phebe B., Wilhemina B., Elizabeth M., Julia M., and Lucy N., all of whom are now residing with their parents at Stony Point.

THEODORE F. TOMKINS.

and devotion found only an early grave, his fate was not unlamented, nor did he leave a dishonored name.

THE ALLISON FAMILV.

The ancestor of this family was John Allison, a native of Hempstead, Queens county, Long Island, and was one of the company who purchased the north moiety of Kakiat Patent, in 1719, and, coming to this county, founded the village of New Hempstead. He seems to have been a man of active enterprise and great business capacity, and in addition to his first purchase he also became the owner of the larger part of De Harte's Pat- tent, which now includes the flourishing villages of Haverstraw and Grassy Point, as will be seen in the his- tory of Haverstraw.

John Allison died in 1754, leaving children: 1, Joseph; 2, John; 3, Benjamin; 4, William; 5, Deborah, wife of John Johnson; 6, Elizabeth, wife of - Cooper; 7, Mary, wife of - De Grough; and 8, Hannalı, wife of John Taylor. He also had a son, Richard, a physician, who died before his father, in 1749

seph, born May 29th 1752; John, born May 12th 1754; William, born March 11th 1756; Thomas, born February 11th 1760; Deborah, born June 29th 1;62, married Wil- liam Willis: and Benjamin, born July 3d 1764.

Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Allison, died December 12th 1767, and he married Elsie Parcells, May 4th 1769. The children by this second marriage were: Peter, born No- vember 19th 1769; Amos, born May 29th 1771; Michael, born June 3d 1773, died unmarried; Parcells, born April 25th 1777; Richard, born October 23d 1780; Elsie and Abraham, twins, born November 9th 1783. Elsie married Jacob Archer, in 1801; Abraham died in infancy.

Theodore Frelinghuysen, the youngest son of Daniel Tomkins, was born at Tomkins Cove, New York, Octo- Peter Allison (son of Joseph), married Margaret, daughter of John Suffern, and their children were: George S., born January 15th 1792; John; Caroline (wife of Epenetus Wheeler); Antoinette (wife of Henry J. Hopper); Peter; and Joseph. The last two named left no descendants. ber 1839, and received his education at Montclair, New Jersey. In his youth he gave promise of future excel lence, and was distinguished for his integrity and consci- entious regard for duty. His ardent patriotism led him to join the army of the Union at the outbreak of the war, and he enlisted, as second lieutenant, in Company George S. Allison, the subject of this sketch, passed his early life in the city of New York. In 1812 he was an officer in Colonel Washburn's regiment and was sta- tioned at Sandy Hook where he had an opportunity of taking an active part in the second war with Great Brit- ain. At the close of the war he came to Haverstraw at the invitation of his grandmother, who was living upon the old homestead, which had been left to her by her husband. In October 1818, he married Hannah, daugh- ter of Jonas Brewster, whose wife, Mary, was the daugh- B., 6th New York heavy artillery. He had but just ar rived at manhood, and being, by his constitution, unfitted to bear the exposures incident to a soldier's life, he con- tracted disease, while on picket duty, which carried him to an untimely grave. He died at Harper's Ferry, Vir- ginia, March 16th 1863, sincerely lamented by his com- rades and friends, and with him were buried many hopes of future usefulness and distinction. The comforts and enjoyments of home were willingly exchanged for the privations of a soldier's life, and, though his patriotism ter of Rev. Robert Burns. Soon after this he purchased

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HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

in North Haverstraw (now Stony Point) a small piece of ground where his residence now stands. It was then owned by Wandell Mace, who was anxious to sell and move to what was then the " West," now the central part of this State, " where 100 acres of good land could be bought for fifty dollars." His first business was keep- ing a small store and furnishing articles needed in a country neighborhood. By marriage and by purchase he became the owner of a large tract of timber land, and he connect- ed with his mercantile business that of wood and lum- ber. He afterwards purchased a tract of farm land ad- joining his homestead and carried on quite an extensive farm in connection with his other enterprises. The brick making business soon gave him a wider field for the exercise of his powers, and this, with the rapid ad- vance in the value of real estate, increased his wealth to such an extent that he is now considered one of the richest men of the county. In 1829 he was elected member of Assembly and was reelected in 1830. He was for some years active as a military man, first as colonel and afterwards as brigadier general of militia in Rockland county. He was also judge of the Court of Common Pleas. Mr. Allison's children are: Eugenia (who married, first William McArdle, second, William Knight); Brewster Jonas; Mary Margaret; George S., who died young; and Amanda, wife of Watson Tom- kins.

Brewster Jonas Allison was born July 5th 1821, and after attending the district school of his neighborhood, was sent to an institution at Peekskill where he obtained a more extended education. The first part of his busi- ness life was spent in a store with his father, and he after- ward engaged with him in brickmaking which he con- tinued two years. The yards were then leased to other parties and he engaged in land surveying. He held the office of town superintendent of schools from 1848 until 1853, when the office was abolished. He was a member of the Legislature in 1850, and served on the committees

candidate for the position was Edward Pye. Mr. Alli- son was elected on a " Free Soil" ticket and naturally drifted into the Republican party to which he is still at- tached. In 1853 he again entered into the manufacture of brick, in which he is still engaged.

Mr. Allison is connected with the First Presbyterian Church of Haverstraw, with which he united in 1854,

Benjamin was the oldest son of John Allison, but the date of his birth is unknown. His father left him the farm which originally belonged to Dirck Crom, and which included all the land between the Minisceongo Creek and the " Benson Farm." He also left him 200 acres of and is one of the elders of that society. He married land on the other side of the creek, west of the road to Anna Elizabeth, daughter of William C. Houseman, No- vember 19th 1856. Their children were: Cornelia H., wife of Daniel M. Coffin; George S. (who married Sarah, daughter of Denton Fowler); and William Brewster, who died in infancy.

Mr. Allison was married a second time to Anna G., daughter of Nelson Andrus, May 27th 1868. Their chil- dren are: Brewster J., Samuel S. (died young), Amanda Tomkins, Sarah Andrus, Calvin Tomkins, Anna Mary, Hannah Brewster, Eugenia Knight, and Fanny Gertrude.

father, the venerable Judge George S. Allison, whose health and activity are wonderful considering his advanced age, and the evening of whose life is rendered pleasant by the care and attention of a devoted family.

Descendants of Richard Allison (son of Joseph, son of John).

Richard Allison, born October 23d 1780, died Novem- ber 26th 1825. married Eliza Ruckel (born October 1Sth 1785, died May 1870). Their children were: 1, Mary C., born February 5th 1808, died March 14th 1882; 2, Mi- chael, born June 22d 1809, died April 5th 1877; 3, Susan E., born March 29th 1811, died October 18th 1883 unmarried; 4, Richard, born August 7th 1813, died No- vember 22d 1837, unmarried; 5, Jasper H., born July 12th 1815, died February 7th 1883; 6, Edgar, born No- vember 22d 1817, died August 21st 1818; 7, Amelia S., born May 13th :820, died May 2d 1877; 8, Abram S., and 9, Sarah J., twins, born February 17th 1823; Abram S. died November 26th 1873; Sarah J., unmarried.

1. Mary C. married John Hegeman. Their children were George (who married Jane E. Allison, and had chil- dren, Elizabeth, Georgia, and Jeannette); and Mary, wife of John Frederick Allen (their children are Emma, Fer- dinand W., Sidney W., and Louise).

2. Michael married Ist, Susan Gentil. Their children were: Jane A .; William G. (who married Hester J. Man- waring, and has children, Ida and William); Richard (who married Mary J. Love; their children are Theodore T., Edith, Adele, and Helen); Thomas (who married Mary E. Millett, and has children, Mary, Florence, Olive, andThomas).

3. Jasper H. had wife Ellen. Their children are Ed- gar, and Anna, wife of John Robb, who has daughter Anna.

7. Amelia S., who married Rev. David Pise. Their children are: Frederick D., William T., Josephine A., Francis A., Charles T., and Elizabeth R.

8. Abram S., who married Henrietta Allison, and has on Roads and Bridges and Towns and Cities. The rival | children, Harry W. (who married Ada, daughter of Wat- son Tomkins) and Mary M.

Descendants of Benjamin Allison (son of John).

the cemetery. He lived in the old stone house at the corner of the roads, northeast of the First Presbyterian Church. He had four sons.

I. Peter, who inherited the old homestead, died 1815. He had wife, Catharine, and children: Margaret, Leah, Hannah (wife of Baxter June), Peter, and John.

2. Joseph B., born December 13th 1761, married Marv Storms (born June 20th 1760, died 1828). Their chil- dren were: Benjamin, born September :3th 1782, died 1842, unmarried; Rebecca, born February 17th 1784, married Christopher Cosgrove; Margaret, born February

Mr. Allison lives at the village of Stony Point with his | 21st 1788, married Joseph Demarest; Samuel, born Jan-

STONY POINT-BIOGRAPHIES.

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uary 29th 1790; Joseph, born January 15th 1792 (drowned when a boy); Thomas, born March 10th 1794; Hannah, born April 13th 1796, married Matthias Coe; Catharine, born May 18th 1798, married Benjamin Coe jr .; Jonas, born October 2d 1800, died 1861; Christopher, born Au- gust 29th 1802, died 1861; Abraham, born April 6th 1786, married Jane De Pew (left son Edwin and other chil- dren), died 1859.

Of the sons of Joseph B. Allison, Samuel married Ann Pray, and has many descendants in various places. 2. Thomas married Theodosia Secor, and has a son Benja- min, of Peekskill.

3. Samuel, who moved to Orange county, and from there to the West. He had a son David, and it is said that the first Quaker meeting in Rockland county was held at his house.

4. John, who had wife, Mary, and sons, Garrett, born 1783, died 1848 (who had children, Garrett G. of Hav- erstraw, Michael of Jersey City, and several daughters). and James (who had sons, Garrett J., who died in 1882. and William, who is now living in Haverstraw.)

5. Thomas, who died before his father, and left two daughters, Rebecca and Hannah.

Joseph B. Allison died December 20th 1848, and his tombstone inay be seen in the old burying ground on " Calico Hill." Joseph Allison, son of John, died Janu- ary 2d 1796, and was buried in the old family burying ground by the bank of the river, but his remains now rest in Mount Repose Cemetery.

REV. EBENEZER GAY JR.

The year 1630 was distinguished by the arrival at Mas- sachusetts of Winthrop's fleet, which brought a colony, well fitted by the variety of their occupations and their | his father insisted on some lessons in history or in Latin

spirit of perseverance and self denial, to form new settle- ments in the wilderness. These men were from the west of England, and the vessel in which they came, the Mary and John, arrived on the 30th of May, earlier than the other vessels. The immigrants took with them an old planter who could speak the Indian language, and sailed up Charles River to where the stream became narrow. This was, doubtless, near where the United States arsenal is now located, in Watertown.

John Gay, the American ancestor of the subject of this sketch, was one of these settlers of Watertown. Five years later he, with eighteen others, removed to what is now Dedham, and took an active part in forming the town, called in its first public records "Contentment." Here, about 1639, he was married, and to him and his wife, Joanna, were born nine children. His second son, Nathaniel, was born November 11th 1642, and his son, Nathaniel, February 2d 1682. His son, of the same name, was born July 26th 1711. Calvin, the fifth child of the third Nathaniel, was born April 4th 1755; his son, Ebenezer, October 11th 1792, and his son, Ebenezer jr., November :2th 1832. All these ancestors of Mr. Gay were long lived, several living beyond the age of nine ..

that, when he embarked in a merchant ship to seek his fortune in the New World. his father placed in the hands of the captain a sum of money for the purpose of trading from port to port, and his mother sewed gold into his clothing for use in case of special necessity. The cap- tain proved to be a rascal. He sold the young inan to an apprenticeship in the West Indies and sailed away. Nicholas made his escape, boarded the next vessel that landed, bought his passage to Massachusetts, and settled in the old Plymouth colony about 1640.

Ebenezer Gay sen. was a native of Walpole, Mass. He was graduated at Harvard College in 1814, and was or- dained as a Congregational minister in 1818. He was settled as pastor of a church in Stoughton, Mass., and afterward in Bridgewater. He now resides with his son at Stony Point.

Ebenezer Gay jr., was reared in the sturdy habits of independence acquired by many of the sons of New Eng- land ministers and from early childhood was accustomed ``to self reliance. Impatient of the slow methods of would- be helpers, foreseeing results and often treating them as facts accomplished before others appreciated his ideas, his course has often led to the remark "that few men would have undertaken or have accomplished the work which Mr. Gay has done."

Mr. Gay's early education was acquired under the im- mediate tuition of his father. He was obliged to appear before his paternal tutor in the early morning, again in the afternoon, and still again in the evening with full sets of lessons for recitation. Thus he acquired the ele- ments of a common English education, Latin, and alge- bra. A few terms were spent in the public school, and in the Bridgewater Academy; but even during these,

being learned at home, and recited daily to himself.

Besides his school and extra lessons the various duties of home life devolved on him, for his older brothers had left home at early ages. in accordance with the custom which prevails in New England, and which makes Ameri- can boys so self reliant.

When he was eight years of age the State Normal school of Massachusetts was established at Bridgewater, under Nicholas Tillinghast, whose excellent methods of teaching and mental culture did much to develop and mould the character of Mr. Gay, and to fit him for his subsequent active and successful career.

At the age of nineteen he first engaged in teaching, in a public school in the town of Berkeley, Mass. This school consisted of about sixty pupils, of both sexes, of all ages, from four to twenty-five, and of various degrees of attainment. It had been the custom in this school for the larger niale scholars to subject their teachers to snow drift baths. No such attempt was made with Mr. Gay, however, and the term passed without disturbance.

After the close of this school he entered Dummer Academy, with a view of preparing for college, and de- voted several months to the study of Latin and Greek. In the summer of 1853, he decided to fit himself for

Mr. Gay's maternal ancestor was Nicholas Byram, al son of a gentleman in Kent, England. Of him it is said | the profession of teaching by a course of study in the

HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

338

State Normal School at Bridgewater, which he entered | Mr. Gay was a strong Union man. Descended from a at the same time when Marshall Conant became princi- pal. This teacher was distinguished for his optimism, his enthusiastic confidence in the success of his under- takings, and the industry and perseverance with which he pursued his purposes.

After graduating from the normal school, Mr. Gay taught in the High school at Weston, in the public school in Blackstone, and was, during some years, principal of the grammar school in Danvers Plains, Massachusetts.

Although his father was a Trinitarian Congregational- ist of the old school, he allowed his children full liberty in church attendance, and, in his early boyhood, Ebene- zer often attended the Episcopal services in Trinity Church, in his native placc, and, while teaching in Blackstone, Massachusetts, he was confirmed in the Episcopal church at Millville. In Danvers he gathered the few menibers of that denomination whom he found there, and himself frequently read the church service, sometimes in a public hall, and several Sundays in the store room of a shoe factory. As a result, Calvary par- ish, of Danvers, was organized, and Mr. Gay was select- ed one of its vestry and its treasurer.

From Danvers he came, in 1859, to Haverstraw, to study theology with Rev. J. B. Gibson S. T. D., rector of Trinity parish, and at the same time to teach in Dr. Gibson's school. From Haverstraw he went to Burling- ton College, New Jersey, as a tutor, and at the same time he was reading for holy orders. He possessed a sturdy American independence of feeling, always refused any pecuniary assistance in obtaining his education, and sup- ported himself and studied at the same time till fitted for the holy ministry. When offered a scholarship in one of the first colleges in the land, the same spirit of independ- ence prompted him to decline it. He would work his own way, and be beholden to no one for his support and education, and when he was ordained to the Diaconate. in March 1862, he had never received a dollar to aid him, but had saved a sufficient sum to meet necessary living expenses during the first year of his ministry.

The people of Trinity parish, Haverstraw, had become well acquainted with Mr. Gay while he was principal at Trinity school. Many of the present citizens of Rock- land county were among his pupils there, and all speak in terms of earnest affection, not only of his labors as an instructor, but of his influence in the formation of honor- able character among his pupils.

The rectorship of Trinity parish had become vacant by the resignation of Rev. George G Hepburn, who had succeeded Dr. Gibson, and the vestry called Mr. Gay to the charge. He entered on his duties at Easter, 1862, and continued till 1869, during which time (June 4th 1864) he was advanced to the priesthood.

loyal race, from a grandfather who had borne arms in the Revolution, his labors and prayers were for the Gov. ernment. Many soldiers' families in his parish were not only cared for spiritually, but had their material wants supplied when, as sometimes occurred, the fathers or brothers were not heard from for months, or were not paid.

One young man, on his departure for the war, received from Mr. Gay the parting gift of a little prayer book. When home on a furlough, he showed his rector that it had saved his life. It was carried in his vest pocket, and it had arrested a bullet that would otherwise have reached his heart.

The labors of a country clergyman are always arduous, and those of Mr. Gay, in Rockland county, have been more than usually so. Trinity parish had two churches: one at Garnerville, and one since erected into the parish of St. Luke's, in Haverstraw village. In each of these churches, regular services on Sundays, with week day lectures, were maintained. Prosperity followed. From being a feeble church, in constant need of outside help, the parish became self sustaining.

While rector of Trinity Church, Mr. Gay held occa- sional services in Clarkstown, and in the summer of 1866 conducted worship in the Court House. These services were so largely attended, and so much interest was mani- fested, that Mr. Gay employed Rev. Thomas Marsden as an assistant, and a new parish-St. John's of Clarkstown -was organized, and a church was erected.

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History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 77

Author: Cole, David, 1822-1903, ed. cn; Beers, J. B., & co., New York, pub Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 993

Author: Cole, David, 1822-1903, ed. cn; Beers, J. B., & co., New York, pub
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 993