USA > New York > Ulster County > Marlborough > The history of the town of Marlborough, Ulster County, New York: from the first settlement in 1712, by Capt. Wm. Bond, to 1887 > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16
He resigned his commission December 29, 1779, accepting half pay for life instead of the pay due him. During his absence in 1777 his residence in Marlborough was fired at by a British war vessel belonging to Vaughan's expedition, then on the way to the burning of Kingston. Three cannon balls have been found on the premises, which were fired at that time. One of them was picked up only thirty years ago, by Samuel Harris, lying near the surface, a few hundred yards west of Mrs. Pritchard's residence, more than half a mile from the river. Morey Wygant has preserved a tradition of what caused the British to fire at the house. The story, as given him when a boy, is that a lame man, familiarly known as " crooked-legged Jackson," saw a British vessel · lying in the river opposite Major DuBois' house, and crawl- ing down through the bushes, with his flint lock, sent a bullet into a card party in the cabin of the sloop. The red coats came out swearing, and not seeing anything but a house, adjusted their cannon and shot at that. But they didn't hit it, so " crooked-legged Jackson" was the hero of the blood- less battle.
Col. DuBois was president of a court-martial, held near Wall Kill, October 14, 1777, on a spy, Daniel Taylor, who figured prominently in colonial history, having been captured with a letter from Clinton to Burgoyne, done up in a small silver ball or bullet, which he swallowed. They sentenced Taylor to death, and he was hanged on an apple tree near the village of Hurley.
Marlborough narrowly missed becoming a port of entry
12
The History of Marlborough.
in Major DuBois' time. An eastern company visited the place and tried to buy land at the dock, for the purpose of establishing a depot for whale oil. The Major did not see any money for him in the transaction, and the company went to Hudson, made that a port of entry, and did a large busi- ness for years.
The names of more early settlers are found in the sub- scription list which was circulated to raise money to found the Presbyterian church. This list was started August 8, 1763, and there were then living in the place representatives of the following old families : Carpenter, Cosman, DuBois, Fowler, Jackson, Kniffin, Mackey, Merritt, Purdy, Quick, Quimby, Tooker, Woolsey and Wygant.
DESCENDANTS OF MAJOR DUBOIS.
Lewis DuBois died in 1802. His second wife, Rachel, sur- vived him five years. He had a son Nathaniel, who died at the age of 29 years, and his remains lie in the cemetery on Main street. Nathaniel was married and left a daughter Hannah. The Major's other children were Lewis, Wilhelmus, Marga- ret, Mary and Rachel. The latter died before her father, but was married and left a daughter Cornelia.
Lewis DuBois (2d) inherited his father's business qualitie's and activity. He owned about 900 acres of land to the north and west of Old Man's kill, and was in the milling and farm- ing business. He rebuilt the mill where Theodore Kniffin's large building now stands, on Landing street. His land was sold in 1842, when Samuel Harris purchased the old homestead, and 800 acres of ground, half of which was then virgin forest. Lewis DuBois married Anna Hull, of Marlborough, who died in 1865, at the age of 78. He was father of twelve children, two of whom died in infancy. The others were Margaret R., who married Lewis W. Young, a merchant of Newburgh, and lives in Newburgh. Lewis, died in 1854, and left a son Charles, who now holds a posi- tion on a railroad in Kentucky. Amanda Harris, married Samuel Harris, and lived in Marlborough, dying in 1875.
THE FIGHT AT FORT MONTGOMERY, OCT. 1777. (Page 10.)
13
The History of Marlborough.
Melissa, married William C. Goddard, and now living in Brooklyn. Nathaniel H., now living in Marlborough. Clem- entine W., married Reuben H. Rohrer, and lived and died in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Daniel L., did business in New- burgh and Marlborough, afterwards went to St. Paul, Minn., where he died in 1862, but his remains are buried in Marl- borough. Cornelia B., married the late Dr. Nath. Deyo, and lived and died in Newburgh. Anna, married Henry E. Leh- man, of Lancaster, Pa., now dead. Marcus D., now living in New Windsor, Orange county, and carrying on a nursery and farming business.
Nathaniel H. DuBois, the only one of this large family of children who remained in Marlborough, was born in 1815, served as a clerk in New York and Newburgh in 1832 to 1834, after which he was called on to look alter his father's affairs for several years. He then followed farming for many years. June 1, 1876, he bought the old paper mill property of Isaac Staples, , and established the Whitney Basket Company, managed by his son-in-law, Oliver B. Whitney, being the largest factory in the town, and fully described elsewhere.
Wilhelmus DuBois, a son of the Major by his second wife. owned a very large tract of land, and was among the first to settle in that portion of the town known as Greaves' avenue. Asa DuBois, Joseph Greaves, Frank Carpenter, A. G. Clark and J. Ward Wygant now own farms that formed a part of the tract originally owned by him. The late Cor- nelius DuBois, who lived a number of years in the house situate on Orange street, in the village of Marlborough, now owned by Mrs. Sarah Bailey, was a son of Wilhelmus, and did much for the advancement of the interests of the town. Cornelius Wygant, of the west neighborhood, is a grandson of Wilhelmus.
THE CARPENTER FAMILY.
In an old burying-ground in Lattingtown (now written Lattintown) on the Odell farm, is a tombstone upon which
14
The History of Marlborough.
is the following inscription : " In memory of Joseph Carpen- ter, first settler of this place and planter of this orchard. Departed this life July 11, 1766, aged 61 years, 3 mos. and 6 days." Although the stone is begrimed by age and the lettering almost obliterated, enough is shown to establish the fact that Joseph Carpenter was among the first to select Marlborough as his abode. The family records say that he first settled in Marlborough in 1753, and that his wife's name was Sarah. They came from Glen Cove, L. I., and settled in Lattintown, where they spent the greater portion of their lives. In 1778 Benjamin Carpenter came from England and settled near his brother in Lattintown.
Wright Carpenter was born March 2, 1749, and was the son of Joseph and Sarah Carpenter. He married Anne Smith, sister of Capt. Anning Smith, of this town, July 5, 1772, she being then only seventeen years of age. Little is known of Wright Carpenter, except that he left a good name to a large posterity. He had thirteen children : Luff, born May 4, 1773, died 1813; Asa, born May 16, 1774; Mobury, born April 25, 1775, died Jan. 1, 1851 ; Mary, born March 27, 1777; Leonard, born March 8, 1779; Anne, born May 15, 1780 ; Joseph, Aug. 22, 1781 ; Sarah, born May 2, 1783; Ruth, born Sept. 14, 1788, died Mar. 30, 1840 ; Latting, born Sept. 11, 1789, died Nov. 15, 1848 ; Hannah, born July 31, 1792, died Aug. 4, 1834; Julia, born Jan. 3, 1794 : Leonard, born Dec. 25, 1798.
Mobury Carpenter, the third son of Wright Carpenter. left a greater impress on Marlborough than any of the elder members of the family. He was a busy man, and erected the house at Hampton, where Alexander Young now lives. There he lived while he was in partnership with his brother Joseph, in a store at the dock. He also sailed sloops to New York. In 1843 he built the store now occupied by James Carpenter & Son, and kept a general country store. He was a man of genial temperament, being universally liked- Joseph Carpenter left the store at the dock after some years, and settled in Cornwall, where he died.
15
The History of Marlborough.
Latting Carpenter married Rebecca Cahill July 10, 1816, and was father to the Leonard Carpenter, who died in 1869, and was father of Frank Carpenter, now residing west ot Marlborough. He was also father of Mrs. Margaret A., wife of Gershom Thorn, now living on Bingham street, Marlborough. He died Nov. 14, 1848. The record of his family bible gives his children as follows: Hannah Jane, born April 19, 1819, died in 1853 ; Charlotte Eliza, born Aug. 9, 1820 ; Margaret Ann, born March 23, 1822; and Leonard Wright, born Oct. 22, 1826.
Leonard Wright Carpenter married Ann Matilda Fate April 5, 1849. He ran on a sloop in his younger days, after- wards went to New York city and died there.
Mobury Carpenter married Ann Merritt in 1800. His children were Leonard C., born Sept. 18, 1801, and died next year ; Josiah W., born Sept. 17, 1802, died in 1843. He mar- ried Ist, Maria D. Purdy, by whom he had two daughters, Mrs. Wm. Barnes, of Middle Hope, and Mrs. Chas. M. Pur -. dy, of Marlborough ; 2d, Cecelia Caverly, by whom he left one daughter, Mrs John Oddy, of Marlborough.
Leonard S., born Oct. 28, 1804, married Eliza D. Purdy in 1832, died 1874; leaving two children, Dennis, since dead, and Mrs. Hester D. Barnes, of Middle Hope.
Alathea, born April 13, 1806, died about 1881 ; she married Michael Wygant in 1826, and had five children: Mrs. Har- riet Lawrence, Mrs. Asbury Wygant, Mary C. Wygant, Ed- ward J. Wygant and Dennis M. Wygant, all living in Marl- borough at this writing.
Chas. L., born June 8, 1808, married Elizabeth Hicks in 1833, died March 15, 1869, leaving four daughters and one son, living in New York; Ann Adilia, born Jan. 30, 1811, never married and living in New York; James, born Dec. 14, 1814, keeping store in Marlborough, with his son. He married Charlotte Fowler Sept. 15, 1851, and has two chil- dren, Mary A. and James S. Carpenter.
William Carpenter, of Milton, is not closely connected with the Carpenters of Marlborough. He traces direct de-
16
The History of Marlborough.
scent to Ezra Carpenter, of Wales, England, born in 1550. His son Richard, born in 1593, had a son Ephraim, born June 17, 1627, in Wales. He came to America in 1678, and had a son Ephraim, who had a son Ashmead, born Aug. 1I, 1689. AAshmead's second son was Benedict, born Jan. 1I, 1715, and lived in Westchester. Benedict was father to Elijah Car- penter, who had a son Haydock Carpenter, of Plattekill, and he was father to William Carpenter, who came from Platte- kill to Milton 34 years ago. Here he became possessor of a fruit farm, and practiced surveying. William married a · Flagler, and his children are Caroline, who married Her- bert Sabin, and settled at Amherst ; Mary E., who married Chas. S. Pope, and settled in Manchester, Me .; Annie M. married George L. Cary, of Gansevoort, Saratoga county ; Charles M., who married Julia Wilkelow, and lives in Lloyd ; Enoch F., who resides with his father in Milton, and carries on fruit farming and surveying.
THE HALLOCK FAMILY.
Edward Hallock, the first of the name to settle within the precinct of Marlborough, was a descendant of Peter Hallock, one of the flock of pilgrims who located with Rev. John Young in Connecticut in 1640. Edward Hallock was a sea- faring man and owned several vessels, all but one of which were destroyed by French cruisers in the troubles between that nation and the English. He then brought his family from Long Island, and December 31, 1760, came to Milton -- then New Marlborough. The party landed on a rock, which to-day is known as "Forefather's Rock," and bears the in- scription " E. Hallock, 1760." The old landmark stands on land now owned by Christopher Champlin, on the line of the West Shore R. R.
Edward Hallock engaged in farming and built a grist mill and saw mill, parts of which are in existence to-day, and the property of Nathaniel Hallock. He had a brother Samuel, who afterwards located in New Marlborough. Samuel came to Milton a short time after his brother Edward. He pur-
17
The History of Marlborough.
chased 1,000 acres and located above Milton, the house he built and lived in being still standing and occupied by Mrs. Conklin. His children were Elijah, Clementine, Deborah, Amy, Foster and James S. Amy married Benjamin Sands, and was the mother of David Sands, Sr. Foster married Martha Young, and their children and grandchildren are now living in town. George, son of Foster, had a son, the present George W. Hallock, living in Milton.
Edward Hallock's family was large, he having two sons and ten daughters. They first located in a little house at the head of a lane running to the river, at a point afterwards occupied by Jacob Wood's ship yard, but shortly purchased land of Sukie Bond, and erected a substantial homestead on the ground where Mrs. Phebe H., widow of Isaac S. Hallock, now resides. Edward Hallock was a Friends' preacher, and a man of more than ordinary gifts. He came of a family of preachers, and had descendants who were preachers. He died in November, 1809, aged 92 years, 5 months. His sons were Edward, jr., and James, and ten daughters, viz: Han- nah, who married a Smith ; Dorcas, married John Young, (coming to Milton, and locating on what is now the Lyons place, about a year before her father came); Clementine married David Sands, (a Friends' preacher of note, and an- cestor to David Sands, now living on North Main street, Marlborough) ; Phebe, Catharine, Philena. Amy died young ; Martha married John Thorn, and was mother to Mrs. John Buckley, sr .; Sarah married Henry Hull, and both were preachers in Society of Friends ; Mary married Richard Carpenter. Nine of these ladies lived to a great age.
Edward, jr., lived may years in Albany, being a ship builder and a man of rare mechanical abilities. He died in 1850, near Newburgh, at the age of 96, having four sons : Edward and Jonas, who had no children ; Silas and Epenetus, of Constantia, N. Y., father of David, Victor and Edward. Miss Susan Coffin, now living in Milton, is a granddaughter of Edward, jr.
James was a preacher in the Society of Friends, and mar-
18
The History of Marlborough.
ried Elizabeth Townsend, of Cornwall. He lived on the old homestead, which he built anew in 1806. His business was farming and running the grist mill and saw mill. He died in 1820 aged58,and had six sons, Nicholas, Townsend, Nehemiah, William, Edward and Nathaniel ; and four daughters, Han- nah, Philadelphia, Phebe and Martha. Nicholas was father of 14 children, among them Dr. Robt. T., of New York, James and Nehemiah, of Utica, and Samuel T., of Riceville, of Pa. He lived in Milton, opposite Nathaniel Hallock's, in his early and afterwards in his latter days, and his re- mains are buried in the Friend's cemetery in this town. William's sons, all of whom are deceased, James, John and William, settled in Mendon, N. Y. Of these James only is now living. Edward was father of Valentine H. and Nich- olas, of Queens, L. 1., and Isaac S., of Milton. Nathaniel was father to Thomas B., of Milton, and is now living at the advanced age of 84 years, at his home, close to the old homestead of his grandfather. He has been a busy man, following farming the greater part of his life. In religion he is a Friend, being a great admirer of Elias Hicks, the celebrated preacher, whom he heard in his younger days. He first attended meeting at the Friends' meeting house on Main street, the first time the building was used, having been built in 1806, when he was four years old. He was also of Quaker origin on his mother's side, his grandmother's great-grandmother having came over with William Penn, and his great-great-grandmother being Philidelphia Masters, the first white female child born in the City of Philadelphia. The name of Philadelphia has been borne by many of the Hallocks and is still in the family. Portions of the wedding dress of the first Philadelphia are preserved among the relics of the Hallocks. Philadelphia Hallock, daughter of James, married James Sherman, and has four children living : Hannah, Isaac, Townsend H. and John.
Nathaniel Hallock is father of Thomas B., of Milton ; Eliz- abeth H., wife of John Sherman, and Mary A., wife of Ar-
The History of Marlborough. 19
thur D. Foote. The latter is the Mary Hallock Foote, known to magazine readers as the authoress of " Led Horse Claim" and other mining stories.
Phebe Hallock, daughter of James Hallock, married John Mann, of New York, but afterwards settled in Marlborough. Her children were : the late James H., of Po'keepsie ; Sarah F., wife of Isaac T. Ketcham, Jericho, L. I .; John T., of High- land ; Anna, wife of Jacob Smith ; Capt. Nehemiah H., who was killed at Fort Royal, Va., and Martha, wife of John Hicks, Jericho, L. I.
The daughters of James Hallock all married and moved away from Milton, but the youngest, Martha, wife of David Ketcham, of Long Island, afterwards returned to this town, and still lives here, being at this writing 87 years old. She was mother to Edward H. and John T. Ketcham. Both of them lost their lives in the struggle against slavery, but have a living monument in Ketcham Post, No. 495, G. A. R., named after them, and whose survivors annually decorate the graves of the fallen heroes.
LEONARD SMITH'S DESCENDANTS.
The Smith family were among the early settlers in the northern part of the town. About the year 1762 Leonard Smith and his five sons. Anning, Luff, Nehemiah Ludlam, John and Leonard, and two daughters, came here from Long Island and purchased land north of what is now the village of Milton. Leonard Smith was at this time quite aged, and dependent on his sons. In 1763 he was chosen collector of quit rents in the patent where he lived. He was also path- master. The family tradition is that their progenitors in Long Island were called the "Bull Smith's," because the original settler had purchased all the land that he could ride around, on a bull's back, in one day.
All the Smith brothers were men of capacity and enter- prise, though the eldest, Anning Smith, was certainly the busiest and most pushing of the family. He built Smith
-
20
The History of Marlborough.
pond, where there is a fall of water over 120 feet in height. Here he started a woolen factory, a saw mill and grist mill, and kept a store, carried on farming and boating. He was also the first justice of the peace in Marlborough, being appointed by Gov. George Clinton. In this position he served many years. Several times he served on the Board of Supervisors. He married Eleanor Clark, of Cornwall, and had one child, when the War of the Revolution called him to serve his country. He organized a company of vol- unteers, was chosen captain, and saw good service. It was he who laid out the back road, running for two and a half miles through his own land, which was 1,500 acres in extent. Captain Smith was also one of the original trustees of the Marlborough Presbyterian church. He died of yellow fever in 1802.
The second brother, Luff Smith, was also a prominent man, and lived in the south part of the town. He was an enthusiastic Methodist, being a leader of the Marlborough class in the Newburgh circuit in 1798. He resided in New York city several years, and went to the state legislature from there. He died without children.
The third brother, Nehemiah Ludlam Smith, was also called upon to serve in the legislature several terms from Ulster Co., and died childless.
The youngest brother, Leonard, became a militia officer. after the Revolution. In 1798 he was a lieut. colonel, and from 1808 to 1812 he was colonel, and in 1813 brigadier gen- eral. He lived and died in Orange county. John Smith died on the Milton property, leaving a large family of child- ren. Anne Smith married Wright Carpenter July 5, 1772. She was a daughter to Leonard and Ruth Smith, and was born Ang. 25, 1755. She was grandmother to James Carpen- ter, of Marlborough. The other sister married a Wood, and was mother to John and Jacob Wood. John Wood was great-grandfather to Alonzo Wood, now commissioner of roads of Marlborough. Jacob Wood was a ship carpenter.
Captain Auning Smith had five sons : Eliphalet (father of
.
British Gun Boats firing at Capt. Anning Smith's residence, Milton, in 1777. (Page 21.)
21
The History of Marlborough.
Lewis), Nathan, Elnathan, Clark, Lewis and Anning, (father of L. Harrison) ; and six daughters, Lydia, who married Solomon Ferris; Sarah, who married Griffin Ransome; Phebe, who married Joseph Ransome; Ruth, who married Jacob Deyo; Catharine, who married Nathaniel W. Chitten- den, and Eleanor, who married Dr. Wm. H. Gedney, sr.
When Captain Smith died his will was written by a doctor, who omitted the words " heirs and assigns" after the names of the legatees. This was discovered about twenty years after his death, and a law suit resulted, by which the younger children did not fare as well as the older. Nevertheless, Anning Smith, jr., the youngest son, acquired the old home- stead, built in 1770, which had been fired on by a British war vessel of Vaughan's expedition on its trip to the burn- ing of Kingston in 1777. Several of the cannon balls then fired are now in the possession of descendants of the family.
Anning Smith, jr., lived on the old homestead, farmed and milled, and built several sloops. He died in his 35th year.
The family is now much scattered. The Ransomes and Deyos went to Western New York, and the only one of them known in Marlborough, is the Rev. Perry Deyo, of New Jersey, who owns the old homes.cad in Lloyd. He is a son of Jacob and Ruth Deyo.
Lewis Smith, son of Eliphalet, lives in Marlborough, on the west end of the old Smith homestead. He married Clarissa Quick, and their children were L. Nathan, Adaline, Laura Amanda, A. J. Madison and Hannah Ellen. Adaline married Amos Dresser, and had one son, Amos. Laura Amanda married Isaac Bloomer, and her children were Mel- vin D., Spencer and Orrin. A. J. Madison Smith married Phebe Jane Elting, and has a son Elting. Hannah Ellen married William Woodward Cary, their children being Helen M., Adaline S., Iona and Maria. A. J. Madison is the only one of the family of Lewis Smith living at this writing, He was for many years engaged in the mercan- tile business in Milton.
The Smith family have always been Democrats, and al- ways will be, as long as Democracy exists.
22
The History of Marlborough.
Dr. William H. Gedney, jr., son of Eleanor (Smith) Ged- ney, is a retired physician, occupying a beautiful residence in the extreme northeast corner of the town, (part of old Smith homestead.)
L. HARRISON SMITH,
grandson of Capt. Anning Smith, was born seventy-five years ago on almost the very same spot on which he now resides. When Smith was yet but a boy he was employed as clerk in the store of Jesse I. Conklin, at Milton village, and here for two years he devoted his attention to the sale of general merchandise to the villagers and farmers of the vicinity. But with increase of years came an ambition to launch out in the larger world, and we next find him a clerk in the large dry goods house of L. S. Chittenden & Co., of New York city. After three years' service with them he had so commended himself to the mercantile world that he was employed by the firm of M. E. Judson & Co., to go to Florida to establish and manage a branch concern of that house. In a few years, however, we find him back in the Metropolis of the New World, still pursuing his favorite calling of merchandising. For a time he was engaged in the manufacture of gold leaf, on his own account. Some time in or about 1840 he returned to his native town, and with his cousin, A. J. M. Smith, opened a store on the dock, where for many years they did a thriving trade as dealers in general merchandise. The Milton of that day was far more active and busy than the village as we find it now. There were three if not four stores in the village and two on the dock. Sands & Lockwood maintained a regular freighting line to New York, and the steamboat "Splendid," of Mil- lard & Mills' line, sailed daily from the place.
In the fall of 1852 L. H. Smith was the Democratic candi- date for member of Assembly in the Second Assembly Dis- trict, of Ulster County. He was elected and took his seat in the Legislature of 1853. In those days, a generation
23
The History of Marlborough.
agone, it was considered an honor sought by the first ability in either party to become a member of that branch of the Legislature. In the session (which will long be remember- ed as a turbulent one) in which the party to which our sub- ject belonged seemed disposed to make shipwreck of its future and to drop out of existence, it is but simple truth to say that Smith was the leader on his side, and that to his political sagacity, his sterling common sense, his fearless- ness and aggressive integrity, more than to that of any other member of that body, the Democratic party owes its exist- ence in this state to-day. And this fact was and ever since has been freely acknowledged by his party. He has been respeatedly besought to take nominations for offices and has persistently refused-sheriff, county clerk, senator, all have been within his reach, and all have been put aside by him gently but firmly.
This may be owing in a large measure to the fact that in 1855 he formed a life partnership with Maria L. Roe, and he has found his domestic relations so pleasant that he has been unwilling to interrupt their gentle course by mixing in the turmoil, and (alas we must add in these later days) the filth and mire of active politics.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.