USA > New York > Ulster County > History of Ulster County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers. Vol. II > Part 18
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Charles Isham died at Melden, Nov. 15, 1856, in his seveuty-second year.
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JOHN C. WELCH.
John C. Welch, chlest son of a family of seven children of Isaiah and Mary (Crumpton) Welch, was born in Milford, Kent Co., Del., Oct. 15, 1810.
His parents were natives of Delaware, and both died at the age of fifty-six, and within one year of each other. Mr. Welch received only a common- "hool education, and learned the wheelwright and wagon-making trade with his father. At the age of ighteen he left home, went to Philadelphia, and there learned the tinsmith's trade, and for fourteen years after reaching his majority he worked as a journeyman in that city and also in New York.
In 1844 he came to Ulster County and opened business for himself in the tin trade at Palenville. The following year he went to West Camp, and in 1547 came to Saugerties, where he continued in the
same business. In 1850 he enlarged his stock of hardware, and did a quite extensive and successful business until his retirement from trade in 1867.
Mr. Welch received no pecuniary assistance in beginning a business life, but by industry and judi- cions management he has placed himself beyond the apprehension of want, and has ever been known as a man of stri t integrity in all his relations in life.
He was formerly a member of the Whig party, but about 1850 became a Democrat. IIe has never sought or held political office.
He married, Nov. 1, 1835, Julia, daughter of John and Agnes (Brown) Adams, a native of Ulster County. Their only child is Julia, wife of S. G. Searing, who succeeded Mr. Welch in the hardware business in Sangerties.
MARLBOROUGH.
I .- GEOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE.
This town forms the southeast corner of the county of l'Ister, and is one of the ancient divisions of the county. Its present boundaries are as follows: On the north by the town of Lloyd; on the south by the town of New- burgh, Orange Co .; on the cast by the Hudson River; and on the west by the town of Plattekill. The superficial area of the town is 11,621 acres, and the population, as given in the census of 1875, is 2985.
The following is the legal description. of the town as de- fined by the Revised Statutes of the State :
"The town of Marlborough shall contain all that part of said county bounded easterly and southerly by the bounds of the county ; westerly by a line beginning on the line of the county, two chains and seventy . five links east of the north corner of a tract called the Five Patentees, and running thence on a straight line northerly to the most easterly bounds of the lain i heretofore of Rubert Till, where it joins the town of New Paltz: and northerly by a tract granled to Lewis Du Bois and partners, called the New Paltz patent."-Revised Statutes, vol. i. page 219.
II .- NATURAL FEATURES.
The surface of the town is broken and hilly, and the soil a slaty loam. It is productive, and generally under a good state of cultivation. Marlborough Mountain is a rocky ridge along the west border, about one thousand feet above the river. The streams are principally small brooks flow- ing into the Hudson. At Marlborough village two small streams enter the river, the south one being known as "Jew's Creek," after a man by the name of Gomez, who formerly owned a portion of Harrison patent. The north stream has been long a landmark iu the county, and is known as " Old Man's Kill or Creek."
III .- LAND-TITLES AND SETTLEMENT.
The territory of the town was formerly comprehended in the Evans tract. Col. Benjamin Fletcher, Governor of the Province of New York, granted, soon after 1690, to Capt. John Evans a large tract of land, including what are now the towns composing the southern tier of Ulster County, two-thirds of Orange County, and a part of the town of Haverstraw, in Rockland County. The grant was made void during the administration of the Earl of Bella- luont ; but King William III. refused to confirm the revo- cation, and it was subsequently modified. Later this traet became cut up into smaller grants. The territory of the town of Marlborough principally comprised the Harrison, Bond, Barberie, Wentworth, Millend, Freer, Du Bois, and L. Morris grants. The grant to Graham & Griggs, 1. Kennedy, and Col. Morrison & Co. now covers the south- eru portion of the town.
The first settlement in the town was made at a period
considerably antedating the Revolution. At this late day it is impossible to learn with any certainty who was the actual first settler of the town. It is altogether probable that many of the earliest families came in very near to- gether, as a number of them came from the same locality, or nearly the same locality, in Westchester County. It will be our purpose to notice in detail a few of the oldest and most prominent of the first settlers, aud to give the names of still others derived from church and town records. from the oldl tombstones of the town, and from other sources. All trace of many of these old families has long since been lost, and a large number of them probably lived within the territory of the present town of Plattekill.
Wolvert Ecker (or Acker) was the great-grandson of Jan Ecker, one of the early Dutch settlers of Greenburg, Westchester Co., and was born there Jan. 17, 1732. He purchased in 1772 the extreme northern part of .: Ilarri- sou's patent," and soon after removed to Newburgh, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred on Jan. 17, 1799, at the age of sixty-seven years. Ile entered warmly into the struggle for independence, and was one of the most valuable u en in the precinet. He was chairman of the committee of safety for the precinct in 1775, and took especial cognizance of the northern part of the town, where a strong feeling existed in favor of the crown. His house soon became a favorite resort for the Whigs, and us. pecially would they gather there on the Sabbath to learn the progress of the events. On such occasions lie would wait until a fair audience had assembled, and, after reading a chapter from his old Dutch Bible, would detail all the in- telligence he had received; the New York Packet, the Whig paper of the day, was also read, and the affairs of the country discussed.
After the war he engaged in milling and in the manu- facture of brick. He established the landing on the Hud- son now known as Ilampton, and also a ferry between that place and Wappinger's Falls. He was twice married. llis first wife died without issue. His second was Sarah, daughter of William Pugsley, of Westchester County, by whom he had children : Isaac, Susan, Deborah, William, Phebe, and Sarah. William held several military commis- sions, served in the war of 1812, and died while a member of the Legislature, in 1827, in his forty-eighth year.
Bolton, in his history of Westchester County, has the following reference to the Ecker family, and to the home- stead originally hell by them, but subsequently by Wash- ington Irving, aud known as Sunnyside, viz. : " Van Tas- sel's house occupies the site of ' Wolfert's Roost,' which was built by Wolfort Ecker, an ancient Dutch burgher of this town (Greenburg) In 1697 we find recorded the name of Jan Ecker, first accepted deaeon of the Dutch Church,
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HISTORY OF ULSTER COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Sleepy Hollow, which office he appears to have hell for several years. By his wife Magdalentje he left issue, -Wol- fert; Cornelis, and others. The will of Wolfert Ecker bears date 1753, wherein he beqneaths to his son Stephen a cow, or the worth thereof, more than the others for his birthright, and to his grandson, Wolfert Ecker, twenty shillings, besides other bequests." Irving, in his " Wolfert's Roost," I as immortalized both the homestead and the name of its ancient proprictor.
Major Louis Du Bois was a descendant of the Huguenot pioneer of the same name who located at Esopus in 1660, and who subsequently, in connection with others, became the owners of 36,000 acres of land lying immediately south of Pedoute Creek, as the Warranawonkony came to be called (New Paltz).
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He lived at what is now the village of Marlborough, and was one of the first settlers of the town. Ile owned a large tract of land north of and around Oll Man's Creek. He early engaged largely in milling, and the old Du Bois mill is one of the ancient landmarks still to be seen at the village. Ife also owned the mills now operated by Mr. Wright and George Fowler, and crected a mill where Whitney's cup- factory now is.
He had a large family, among whom were Lonis, Nathan- iel, Lockwood, and Marcus, and a number of daughters. Nathaniel resides in town.
Previous to the Revolutionary war, Major Louis Du Bois held the commission of colonel in the Colonial anny, but when the separation took place be adhered to his country and became a major. His dwelling-house was not far from the Hudson River, and during Vaughan's expedition, when Kingston was burned, it was pointed out by the " Cow Boys," and hot shot thrown at it, but without doing any injury. The house is standing in 1880, and is occupied by Samuel Harris.
Wilhelmus Du Bois was a half-brother of Louis, and owned a large tract of land near Marlborough village, run- ning from that place to the road then knowu as the " West ยท Street," and along the latter. Ward Wygant and Asa Du Bois now reside on a portion of the tract, and are both grandsons of Wilhelmus Du Bois. Two of the sons of the latter were Cornelius and John Du Bois. The foriner set- tled in tewe, but. John located at Middle Hope, Orange Co., where his desceudauts still reside. Nathaniel, another son, passed his life wear Marlborough village, and owued a handsome residence there.
Joseph Carpenter was also one of the pioneer settlers of the town .* In an old burying-ground at Lattingtown, in what is now known as W. W. Mackey's orchard, is a tomb- stone bearing this inscription :
"In memory of Joseph Carpenter, First settler of this place and planter of this orchard, departel this life July 11, 1566, aged 61 years, 3 months, and six days."
The family came from England at an early day. and located at Glen Cove, 1 .. I. One of the sons of Joseph Carpenter was Wright. Besides him there were several other children. He was born at Lattingtown, spent a portion of his life in town, and removing to New York City, died there. Ile
had a member of children, viz., Mobury, Lattiu, Luff, Joseph, Sarah, Ruth, and Hannah. Mobury lived where Alexander Young now resides, and married a daughter of Josiah Mer- ritt. He was captain of one of the first sailing-vessels that went from the town. His children were Josiah, Leonard, Charles, James, Alathea, and Anna Delia. Alathea married Michael Wygant, and has descendants in town. Josiah left three daughters, of whom two reside in town. Leonard had two children, Dennis M. and Hester E. Carpenter. The former resides on the old homestead at Marlborough village, and is a practicing lawer in New York City. Hester E. married Daniel D. Barnes, of Middle Hope, Orange Co. ; Charles Carpenter resides in New York City ; James is in trade at Middle Hope. Lattin Carpenter settled about one and a half miles north of Newburgh, at Bandville. Joseph first located in town, and subsequently removed to New Windsor.
Brujamin Carpenter came to this country from England about 1678, at an early age, and settled at Oyster Bay, L. 1., whence he removed to Lattingtown (in this town), where he resided until his death. Ile married Jane. daughter of Rev. Mr. Leonard, of Goshen, N. Y., and had six chil- dren. Some of the family subsequently removed to New- burgh, where they became prominent and influential citizens.
The Purdy family originated in Wales ( Great Britain), and Francis Purdy came to this country from England in 1658. Nathaniel Purdy was born in this country, and lo- cated in the town of White Plains, Westchester Co., N. Y., where he owned a farmi on Bronx's River, about two miles from Tarrytown. He died there over seventy years of age. He had three sous and two daughters. The names of the former were Joseph. Elisha, and Nathaniel. During the Revolutionary war, Joseph and Nathaniel went to Nova Scotia, leaving their property in charge of their brother Elisha. After the war they returned and received their property again
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Elisha Purdy married Mehitable Smith, daughter (f Rev. John Smith, and had children, John S., Themas, Jaincs, Hettie, Challie, Elizabeth, Winfield, Nancy, and Aiuer. After the close of the Revolutionary war he re- moved to Middle Hope, Orange Co., and afterwards to the town of Marlborough. locating about two miles west of the village of that name, where he died.
John S. Purdy settled in the town of Mount Pleasant, Westchester Co. He married Elizabeth Jennings, and had a family of thirteen children, of whom eleven reached mature years, viz., Peter, Elisha, Hackaliah, Hettie, Dennis, William, Sarah, Lydia, Martha, Eliza, and Maria. Of these children four are now living. Sarah is the widow of John Millard, of New Hamburg. Martha is the wife of Rich- ard R. Fowler, of Orleans Co., N. Y. Hester is the widow of Deonis HI. Doyle, and resides in town at the advanced age of ninety-two. Dennis D. Purdy resides in town, and his son, Willimo J. Purdy, is a justice of the peace and an influential man at Marlborough village. George W. Purdy, sou of Elisha, also resides in town, and Charles M. Pardy, son of Hackaliah. John S. Purdy, another son, resides in Newburgh.
The Wygant family was one of the earliest in the town. Michael Wygant was the prominent founder of the family.
$ He settled at Marlborough about 1733.
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TOWN OF MARLBOROUGH. .
II's sons were Teefus, John, Thomas, Anthony, George, and Michael. Among his daughters were Jane, Rebecca, Nellie, and Margaret. Michael Wygant settled about a male west of Marlborough village. His sons settled in turn, and the family is largely represented in the town and vicinity.
Capt. Anning Smith was one of the first settlers of the svan, and came from Long Island before the Revolutionary war. He located near the village of Milton, where his soins, Clark and L. Harrison Smith, still reside. The house which he occupied is situated less than a mile north of the village. It was built in 1770, and was a target for the British during Vanghan's expedition in 1777. The father of Capt. Auning Smith was Leonard, and had four sons,- Amuing, Luff, Nehemiah L., and John. Capt. Anving Smith was an infinential and prominent man. He pur- chased a tract of land, comprising about 1500 aeres, a por- ton of which he sold to his brothers, who came and settled on adjoining farms. He performed active service in the Revolutionary war, and was present at the Fort Montgomery miray. Hle held important civil offices, was one of the fr-t justices of the peare appointed by Governor George Clinton, and served in the State Legislature. His children were Nathan, Clark, Anning, Lewis, Eliphalet, Sarah, Phobe, lydia, Ruth, Ellen. and Catharine. A. J. M. Smith, sou of Lewis, resides in town. Eliphalet has a son, Lewis, who resides near the old place. Clark and L. Harrison Smith, wns of Anning, reside on the old homestead. Ellen mar- ried Dr. Wm. Gedney, and his son of the same name has !era a practicing physician of the town for a great many years. A Janghter of Dr. Gedney, the widow of James Southard, also resides in town.
The Woolsey family was also one of the earliest and most influential in the town. William Woolsey and Nonh Woolsey were among its earliest representatives. A Rich- arl Woolsey, also a resident of the town, carried the mail Fireen Albany and New York during the Revolutionary war. Ile went down on one side of the river and up on the other, and frequently encountered many dangers and hardships, fording angry streams, and working a passage 'ne almost im passable roads. Richard 1. Woolsey set- I in the town about the year 1790. William Woolsey Oh removed to Jersey City. He married Chlorine Wool- "vy, a cousin, and had children, -- David, Themas. John, Art Cheta. David married Lucy T. Meech, of Westfield, Hugou Co., Mass., and had George C. Woolsey, a prac- 1:10z lawyer, at Rondout ; William H. Woolsey, a present a -Dent of the town ; Richard I. and C. Meech Woolsey ; the latter practicing law in Milton. Besides these chil- Jren there were two daughters, Mary and Ellen. John Woolsey has a son, Charles, living in town. Electa married J. '.n S. Wood, and has a daughter, Elizabeth Coutant, sing in town
Neath Woolsey was a brother of the first William (2d). Hi died without children, Richard 1. inheriting the most vi lis property. On July 4, 1778, he was conanissioned Ey Hovernor George Clinton as ensign in Capt. James Tal- La lze's company, and in the regiment commanded by Col. 1. - will Hopkins. On the records of the town, where the Hirth of slave children is registered by the owners, appears
the name of a slave child born to Noah Woolsey, as owner, at an early date. After the usual entry of birth, etc., Mr. Woolsey adds: " and the said child is hereby abandoned to the State."
Edward Hallock was born April 8, 1717, came from Chautauqua, Long Island, in the year 1760, and located where Isane Hallock's widow now resides, on Bond's patent. He brought with him his wife, Phebe Clapp, and nine daughters and two sons. Another daughter was born after- wards. Hle sailed up in a vessel of his own between Christ- mas and New Year. The names of his children were Hannah, Doreas, Clementine, Mary, Catharine, Phebe, Anna, Martha, Sarah, and Philena; Edward and James were the sons. Mr. Hallock erected a small grist-mill on a stream in the Hallock neighborhood, and operated it a good many years. It has been in the family ever since. It is owned by Nathaniel Hallock, and operated by Thomas Burling Hallock. Mr. Hallock died in the winter of 1809, in his ninety-third year. All of Mr. Hallock's daughters married and lived to old age.
Edward Hallock, sou of Edward, at first located in town and then removed to Albany, where he engaged in building, but subsequently returned to Newburgh, where he attained to the age of nearly ninety-seven. None of his children reside in the town. One granddaughter, Susan Coffin, resides here.
James Hallock was an infant when his father located in town. He finally located on the old home property, tore down the old structure and erected a new house near by, which is now occupied by Phebe Hallock. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Nicholas Townsend, and had ten children, viz., Nicholas, John T., Nehemiah, Hansali, Philadelphia, William, Edward, Phebe, Martha. Nathaniel. Martha and Nathaniel are still ohl residents of the town. The former is in her eightieth year, and the latter in his seventy-ciglith. Of the other children of Jantes Hallock. Philadelphia married James Sherman, and has four children living in town, viz., Hannah, Jsaae, Townsend H., and John. Edward Hallock had four children. Valentine, Isaac, and Nicholas were his sons. Phebe Hallock, widow of Isaac, is still living in town. Henry and William reside in town. The htter is pursuing post-graduate studies in Germany. Martha lost her only two sons in the war of the Rebellion. Phebe Hallock, daughter of James, married. John Mann, and has a son, Townsend, living in Highland, this county, and another a dentist in Poughkeepsie. Sarab, the widow of Edward, resides in town.
Samuel Hallock, brother of the first Edward Hallock, came from Long Island some time after his brother, and owned 1000 acres of land in that scetion. Ife located just above the village of Milton, and that place occupies a portion of his land. The old house is still standing, and is occupied by the widow Couklin. Among his children were Elijah, Clementine, Deborah, Amy, Foster, and James S. Hallock. Amy married Benjamin Sands, and was the mother of David Sands, several of whose children reside in town and the surrounding towns. One of the daughters of David Sands, Rachel, married James O. Clark, near Mil- ton, and has a number of children in town. Fester Ha !- lock married Martha Young, and had a number of children, and some of his great-grandchildren live in town.
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HISTORY OF ULSTER COUNTY, NEW YORK.
John Young came from Long Island prior to 1760. IIe married Dorcas, a daughter of Edward Hallock, and it was into his house that the latter moved when he first came to the town. He had a number of children, among them Alexander, Edward, and Phebe. Edward's children were John, David, Alexander, Edward, and William. Of these David resides in Datehess County ; Alesander and William both reside near Marlborough village. John H. Smith and Martha, children of John, reside in town.
Josiah Merritt was one of the oldest settlers of the town, and owned a traet of land extending from Buckley's Creek to " African Lane." This tract included about 400 acres. The Merritt family has always been active and influential in the town. John C. Merritt is in trade at Marlborough village, and has been postmas'er several years.
James Quimby came from Westchester County before the Revolutionary war. He first located near the grist-mill of William Clark, and engaged in the milling business. His father, Levi, came with him, and owued a good deal of land. Isaac was a brother of James. To each of these sons Levi Quimby presented a farin, and both raised large families, as well as large erogs. James Quimby, son of James, was born in 1803, and still resides in town.
Jacob Wood lived near the present residence of Na- thaniel Hallock at an early day. He was a ship-carpenter by trade, and his house was built on ship-building princi- ples, being what is known as " ship-lipped." Nathaniel Harcourt, another early settler, married one of his dough- ters, and Mrs. Nathaniel Hallock is a great-granddaughter.
Among the inhabitants of the town in 1779, as the records disclose, were Davil Me.ritt, Caleb Merritt, Heury Terboos, William Place, Jesial Merritt, John Lester, Allen Lester, Territ Lester, William Wilson, Henry Decker, io the south part of the precinct.
Annanias Valentine, Lewis Du Bois, John Smith, Isaac Rowell, Tsane Cropsey, Adam Cropsey, John Polhems, Jacob Degront. Andrew Youngs, James Van Blascom, John Quick, Nathaniel Becke, Perer Quick, Lewis Quick, Thomas Quick, Sr., in the south part of the town.
Nathaniel Harcourt, John Lewis, Mr. Stocker, James Quimby, Nathaniel Quimby, John Woolsey, John Young, Wright Carpenter, Williams Lyons, Anning Smith, Capt. Theob Wood, Nathaniel Plun, tead, Edward Hallock, Jr., Thiah Coffin, Thomas Brown, Jacob Dayton, Samuel Ilal- lock, Luff Smith, Timothy Wood, Solomon Wright, Na- thaniel Kelsey, William Mosher, William Hollister, from the south side of Bond's patent to the north line of Bar- berie's patent.
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William Woolsey, Benoni Lattimore, William Thorne, Elijah Lewis, Zadoc Lowie, Micajah Lewis, Edward Hal- lock, Sr., Nehemiah Smith, Daniel Kuowlton, Richard Woolsey, Noah Woolsey, Jonathan Woolsey. James Hunter, Charles MeKey, Jr., from Lattimore's Ferry, at the river south to Jeremiah Beagle's, in Lattingtown.
Juhu Shuat, Gabriel P'ranis, Henry Deyo, Hugo Seret, James Dean, James Jackson, Adam Baker, John Freer, Heater Freer, Benjamin Stid, James Owen, Peter Leroy, Peter Outrim, Robert Porr, from the Plattekill road as far as the bridge west of Absalon: Case's.
Uriah Drake, Benjamin Dusenberry, William Dusen-
berry, Joseph Baker, Stephen Odell, Henry Lockwood. Jacob Terwilliger, Jolm Cole, Jonathan Ostrander, Davn Ostrander, Stoffe Ostrander, Wilhelmus Ostrander, Alex. ander Campbell, Durnie Relyeu, William Sentt, Mr. Boyd, Jacob Sparkes, from Paltz, south line, near Charles Broad- head's, to the south live of Delewater's land.
Peter Berrian, Benjamin J. Freer, Joshua Sutton, John Seott, David Linch, Joseph Presler, John B. Wygant, Joseph Bloomer, Sr., Heury Jones.
Samuel Lewis, John Duffield, John McKey, Josiah Rhodes, Peter Tillon, Andrew Milbourn, Josiah St. John, Nathaniel Hull, Matthew St. John, Noah St. John, Rich- ard Lewis, Samuel St. John, Job St. John, John Smith, Leonard Smith, beginning at the road at John Duffield's, and south to Mr. Hull's south line.
Elmiand Turner, Samuel Wyatt, Joseph Simpson, Daniel Cooke, John Turner, Job Wood, Cornelius Turner, beginning at the ach swamp on the top of the mountain south, running west to the cross-roads leading from Latting- town road to Newburgh road.
Elisha Pordy, Sammel Merritt, Jacob Canniff, Isaac Lockwood, Henry Scott, Timoas Sithworth, beginning at the road at Alexander Cropsey's, southwest to Jacob Rus- sell's house.
Jonathan Wright. Joseph Bloomer, Jr., David MeKey, William Walker, Robert Herford, Mr. Smith, beginning at Jacob Russell's house, west to Wallkill road, near Isthe Barton's.
Marcus Ostrander, Elias Tearpenney, Peter Ostrander. John Tearpenney, Reuben Drake, Joseph Devine, Thomas Dann, James Patterson, William Relyen, Matthew Phenin, Lawrence OlJorph.
Richard Carpenter, John Caverly, Philip Caver'y, Peter Caverly, Jeremiah Beagle, Joseph Carpenter, Benjamin Carpenter, Mary Carpenter, Obadiah Palmer, Benjamin Worth, Stephen Douglas, R. Low.
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