USA > New York > Greene County > The "old times" corner : first series, 1929-1930 > Part 10
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Holdridge, and Magilton
are two other families nearly compiled, and running a close second. Let's hear from all of these as soon as possible .- (. Feb. 13, 1930.
Dominie Petrus Vas
(or De Vas) van Gent (?) was the ninth minister of the old Dnich Church at Esopus now Kingston, succeeding Beys (Bois) in 1710. Vas was al- ready 48 years old when he arrived in Kingston from Amsterdam on Decem-
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ber 19 of that year with his wife and a large family, but it was 46 years later (1756) when this energetic man laid down his earthly ministry. "Scholarly, profound, eloquent," says Dr. Demarest, "able, tactful, God- fearing, full of real missionary zeal," he not only served Esopus, but went across the Hudson and organized the Dutch churches in the frontier villages of Rhinebeck, Poughkeepsie ( Pagepsen) and Fishkill besides extending his ministrations to other neighboring settlements. It is not without some pride, and doubtless some affection, that Jacobus* records the baptism of his first son and namesake by the Dienaar (servant, minister) Peter Vas.
As we have noted in a previous issue, Dominie Vas married later in life Elsie. Rutgers, widow of Mayor David Schuyler and grand-daughter of Anthonij de Ilooges .-- C. Dec. 26, 1929.
[*Van Etten. See next article. ]
An Old Dutch Bible
that has just come to light in the attic of the Misses Jelen and Frances Jones in Jefferson Heights is of unusual interest. It was a handsome and indeed a very expensive book in its day, with wonderful plates of engrav- ings all the way from the Garden of Eden to Revelations, and three mar- vellous folded maps, the whole bound in elegant tooled vellum with orna- mental bronze corners and clasps. The size is fourteen inches by nine. and over four inches thick including the heavy board covers (nearly a half inch each.) The text is printed in large type of a form resembling both Old English and the recently abandoned German letter, thus appearing both ornate and legible. The engraved title page carries at bottom the imprint of the publishers: "te Dordrecht by Jacob en Hendrick Keur. Anno 1738" but the date on the New Testament is 1741.
It was therefore fresh and new, bnt lately come from Holland (Dord- recht), when Jacobus and Lea Van Etten set up housekeeping with it somewhere in the vicinity of present Kingston, then Esopus. This Jacobns was third of his line, baptized in Kingston 1720/6/12, the fifth child of Jacobus Van Etten and Rebecca Roosa, and his father had been baptized 1686/5/2. fifth son of Jacob Jansen van Etten and Annetje Ariens van Amsterdam, married in Kingston 1665/1/11. Jacob the grandfather, "son of Jan," came across from Old Netherlands, 1658 or earlier.
In spite of its grandeur, its authorization announcement signed in person by Mynheer the Commissioner Richard Paulus Eelbo, there were 10 blank pages for family records, so the fly-leaves have been used, beginning with the third and working backwards to the first. Thus proudly did Jacobus then inscribe his marriage and offspring in the old Van Etten Bible record as follows, in the quaint original Dutch:
"In den Haaren Onses Heren
1747 October de 6 Ben ik Jacobus Van Ette In den Houwelyke Staet getrout Met Leeya Van Vredenburgh
1749 December 15 is gebooren Onse Ouste Soon lacobns Van Ette In de doop Ontfangen in Esopes Van de Dienaer petrus Vas
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THE VAN ETTEN BIBLE
1753 December de 10 is Onse ontste Dochter Rebecka geboren
1760 Maart de 30 is onse loutste dochter Clara geboren
1771 Aprel de 26 is onse longste doghter Lea geboren ,. Another hand has added:
"Jacobus Van Etten Dyed March th 23d 1794."
The second page continues in still another hand (which is possibly that of the entry for Lea, since both show the old-fashioned s that looks like an f) :
1776 iuni 9 de is onse erste dochder catrina [name inserted] geboren.
1778 de 19 [novem deleted] october is onsse twete fragel inserted ] dochter gebren.
1782 november de 18 is on se derte dochter ge boren [No name given] 1785 den 1 Abrel is on se vir de tochter ra gel ge borin
1787 den 6 octo ber is onse vifte dochter miri a ge boren
The last three entries are in a fourth handwriting and more scrawled, disconnected and faded-poorer ink and poorer penmanship. In this they are identical with the two entries that close the following record occurring on the third ( first ) fly-leaf page:
1788 en de jaaren onses heren den 30 septem ber bin ik Peter Wen nor Coeckin den huwellucke stat ge traut met Lea Van etten
1789 den 24 januari is mey ne ers ste doch der jalle ian ge geboren
1790 den 5 octo ber is onse twete dochter maria ge boren
1793 den 21 Aprel is on se eerste soen iacobus ge boren
Of this last record, the first two items are in good black ink. though so badly written that one can not be sure of the writer's surname. The last two are exactly the same hand as the last three of the previous record. as already remarked, and in the same faint or faded ink. In the name of the first daughter, which we take to be meant for Juliaen, the first letter has been partially erased and may have been originally & or y. or even the old form of s. The ge that follows may be an error for the diminutive ending je. or it may more likely, as Mr. Van Ess kindly suggests, be a false start on the next word.
Now the question arises, who were the parents of the second list of children? The dates are consecutive with those of the first list, but the numbering starts anew, though in a different dialect. A space has been left above, as though for the marriage record. Are they the children of Jacobus Van Etten by a second marriage? Or those of some of his first three children?
Jacobus wrote a beautiful, clear hand, and his ink is still black. He had a fashion for capitals, while his successor scribes favored small letters. His dialect and Peter's show striking differences: Jacobns counted "ouste (or ontste. i.e. oldest ), iontste." while Peter said "erste, twete, derte. virde, vitte," as did the writer with the poor ink who may have been Peter's wife Lea. The reader can easily find the other differences. Spellings vary with the momentary fancy of the speller. The word for daughter, usually dochter, appears also as doghter, dochder and once in the German form tochter. Huwelijk (marriage), staat (estate). zoon (son). heer (lord). geboren (born), and other words differ. It appears that in the second list the birth date was put down before the name of the child was decided or
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else awaiting the vagaries of baptism that sometimes resulted in a name not intended by the parents if the dominie was dictatorial, absent minded or groggy. And in one case it was forgotten to insert the name later. The presence of two Rachels ("ragel') in this list means that the first one had died.
Now to the translation: In the year of our Lord 1747, Oct. 6, was I, James Van Etten. in the state of matrimony vowed ( betrothed) with Lea Van Vredenburgh. 1749, Dec. 15, is born our first son, James Van Etten, In baptism received at Esopus (Kingston) by the minister Peter Vas. 1753, Dec. 10, is our oldest daughter Rebecca born. 1760. Mar 30, is our second oldest? daughter Clara born. 1771, Apr. 26. is our youngest daughter Lea born.
1776, Jun. 9, is our first daughter Catherine born. 1778. Oct. 19, is our second Rachel daughter born. 1782, Nov. 18, is our third daughter born. 1785, Apr. 1, is our fourth daughter Rachel born. 1787, Oct. 6, is our fifth daughter Mary born.
1788 in the year of our Lord. Sept. 30, was I. Peter Wennor Coeck ( ? ) in the matrimonial estate pledged with Leah Van Etten. 1789, Jan. 24, is my first daughter Juliet born. 1790, Oct. 5, is our second daughter Mary born. 1793, Apr. 21, is our first son James born.
As the year in those days began with March (making December ac- tually the "tenth month") we would now write Jan. 24, 1790 instead of 1789 .- C. Dec. 26, 1929.
A Sense of Personal Loss
comes to us in the death of Mr. Ambrose Jones, a man to whom we are indebted for many a kindness. It is an appropriate time to recall some- thing of the history of his family-people who have held a prominent place in the annals of Greene county.
HENRY JONES came across from Hudson, Columbia county, and farmed in the town of Greenville, where he raised a sturdy family, though himself died all too early, perhaps from the privations of his soldier life in the War of 1812. He was related (a second cousin. it is thought) to Gov. Samuel Jones Tilden, whose mother was a Jones. Mrs. Henry Jones was born Lavina Seriber, daughter of Peter E. Scriber of Clinton Corners, Dutchess county, and his wife who was a Van Etten, possibly the Clara Van Etten of the old Bible record we published a few weeks ago. This Peter Seriber was a blacksmith, a soldier of the Revolution, and doubtless shod the horses of General Washington's army. Ilis father came from Germany bringing a handsome big German Bible, printed in Nurnberg in . 1717, still treasured by his descendants in South Cairo.
The five children of Henry and Lavina (Scriber) JONES were:
1. Peter Ambrose Jones 1820, who married in Athens, but who was caught in the small-pox epidemic of 1852, while returning from a visit to Ellenville, and died in Kingston. His business was that of a tinmaker. in Catskill. His widow removed to Detroit, and we would like to hear further about her and her family, if any are left.
2. Clarissa, who died in Athens at the age of 17, soon after her marriage.
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THE JONES FAMILY
3. The Hon. Addison Porter Jones, named for Col. Addison Porter by whose side his father fought in the War of 1812, was born at Gayhead, Greene county, Sept. 15, 1822. and died at his residence in Jefferson Heights on May 5, 1910. Apprenticed at first to be a gunsmith, be later became the leading grocer of Catskill; the firm of Jones & Bagley (John H. Bagley, Jr.) long occupying the site that has passed down to Howard C. Smith. Mr. Jones was very prominent in the political activities of our county and twice served as State Senator ( 1878-9 and 1882-3). His first wife was Rachel Jane Sole, a descendant of the DuBois and other early families, who bore him three children: (1) Charles Porter, drowned at age of three or four years; (2) George Howard Jones, who is still an active member of our community and whose wife was lone Elizabeth Lusk of beloved memory, a descendant of the Stoutenburghs and Hoffinans; and (3) Irwin, who died young. Between the surviving son, George, and his cousin Ambrose there was a close intimacy throughout their boyhood days. After Mrs. Jones died (May 12, 1865), Mr. Jones married Frances E. Bab- cock, a member of another old and honored family, and their two daugh- ters, the Misses Helen and Frances Jones, reside today in the familiar homestead at Jefferson Heights, with its extensive orchards of superior fruit. The grandchildren of this family are (a) Addison P. Jones of the Catskill Savings Bank who married Alice Annette Whittaker, also a descendant of the DuBoises and of Madam Dies; and (b) Gilbert Lusk Jones of Limestreet, whose wife was born Mary Mower.
4. Egbert Jones 1824, a farmer in Greenville and South Cairo, whose widow (born Erexcena Holdridge in 1835) is living in South Cairo at the age of nearly 96 years in marvellous health and with a delightful memory of the events of so near a century .* Mrs. Jones was the daughter of Mel- anchthon and Catherine (Sherman) Holdridge of what was later Cairo Junction, and granddaughter of Isaac and Hannah (Pettit) Holdridge. being thus an own cousin of Mr. George W. Holdridge of Catskill who also knows the secret of keeping young far beyond the allotted span. There were four children of this union, until just now an unbroken family. namely: (1) Ambrose, whom we mourn. (2) Lavina J., (3) Ella, and (4) Charles Porter Jones, a merchant of South Cairo, who has held positions of trust in that village and whose wife was born Emma Holcomb Sherman of ancient family and a great-great-granddaughter I believe of our early physician Dr. Thomas Benham, the Good Samaritan of our mountain towns.
5. Ann Eliza, who died young.
[*Mrs. Jones died from the effects of a fall, not long after this was printed.]
Other branches of this family, about whom we need more information, include that of Sabra Jones, a sister of Henry Jones, who likewise came to Greene County and who married a Mr. STEPHENS of Greenville, One of her daughters married a LAKE and one a BRUNDAGE. Who will tell us about this line?
A half sister of Mr. Henry Jones was also married in Greenville to a Mr. FANCHER and among her descendants was the late Andrew C. Fancher of Jefferson and Catskill, whose widow was born Margaret Jackson, a
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OLD TIMES CORNER
descendant through her mother (Sarah Wetmore Van Loan) of Madam Jane Dies .- C. Mar. 20, 1930.
Help Wanted
by a correspondent of the St. Johnsville News. a paper devoted largely to matters of local and family history, may bring information from some of our readers about the Saxton family in Greene county. Who can tell us more about these people?
ALANSON SAXTON or Sexton 1753/1/2-1809/4/22 mar. Susanna 1754/4/2-1832/5/30. Who were his ancestors? Where were he and his wife born? Where did they die, and where are they buried ? What was her maiden name? She probably died in Jewett; are their graves there? But in 1790 they seem to have been living in Rensselaerville. Albany county, and in 1787 he owned lot 224 in that county.
Their children were Gilbert 1775. Sarah 1778-79, Molly 1780, William 1782, Deidana (Diadema) 1784, Agnes 1786. Rebecca 1787. James 1789. Silas 1791. Alanson Jr. 1793 and Susan 1795/11/3-1854/2/5 who mar. 1819/6/17 in Jewett, Greene county, Calvin FORD 1797/8/7-1882/1/9. Susan and Calvin Ford both died in Newstead. Erie county.
Alanson Saxton Jr. in 1820 (Ang. 22) was sworn in as a lieutenant in Greene county (Beers Hist. p. 37). But what was his father's Revolu- tionary record? This is particularly desired.
One item links this Alanson Saxton family to the family next to be mentioned. In 1793 he and two others organized a Presbyterian church in a log house on Mount Pisgah. The Saxton-Casper Bible record given me by the Historian covers the children and part of the later generations of Ann ( Bell) Saxton, daughter of the Jonathan Bell whose house, still stand- ing south of Mitchell Hollow on the road from Windham to Mount Pisgah, is the original stone portion of the now greatly enlarged ( franie ) Hayden house. The account of his coming to America (from England ) about 1800, when his daughter Ann was 7 years old, is in Mrs. Vedder's history, under Windham.
The Bible mentioned shows the following history: Jacob SAXTON 1793/3/26-1842/1/3 mar. 1816/1/9 Aun Bell 1794/4/24-1843/5/16. Children: Joseph V. 1817/5/3-1844/6/23; John T. 1819/1/16-1841/3/ 28; Jane Ann (no date) -- 1821/3/11: Mary Ann 1827/9/5-1915/6/9 ("86" yrs) mar. 1845/10/16 John F. CASPER who died 1874/3/19 (ch. Lavina Ann 1846/7/28-1874/3/18. 27 years. Rosella Adell 1854/7/20 mar. 1894/5/17 Charles S. VAN VECHTEN, brother of Mrs. J. V. V. Vedder ) : Kuphas A. 1829/5/7-1850/8/7: William L. M. 1831/12/18.
Who will tell us more about these people? Who has other Saxton family records? Who will copy for us Saxton gravestone inscriptions? All this will be carrying forward important work of our societies. Let's hear from all living members of the clan Saxton.
Three other mentions in the old county history ( Beers) may help. In the 1810 census (p. 39) there were listed in Windham (then undivided ) Gilbert Saxton with S in family and Susan Saxton with 4. On page 395 Philetus REYNOLDS, born in Old Stockbridge, Mass .. 1776/4/25, is said to have mar. 1803 Dremania Saxton and moved to Windham, there having
SS
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THE SAXTON FAMILY
children Calvin and Luther (twins) and Annis; but they moved away in 1816. Finally (page 397 ) an early settler by the name of Saxton is stated to have been a grandfather of GOV. WASHINGTON HUNT who was elected in 1851, a native of Windham .-- C. Dec. 19, 1929.
The Eckler Family
is an old and honorable one, sprung from Christian Aigler who came from Hesse-Cassel, Germany, over two centuries ago. From letters received, and other sources, our records of this family are growing to the point where we should like to complete them without delay. All persons of the name are asked to write in at once, and also all derived from the following, who married into the family:
Lewis ADSIT, Jesse ALLEN. William BENTER, Joseph BOWEN, Isaiah BRANDOW. George BURKE (Borch), James CATER, Samuel COM- FORT, William EDGERLY, George HOPKINS, Abran LANE, John LAY- MAN, -LOZIER (married Sally Ann Eckler), Jacob OSBORN, Ornan PECK, Francis PERSON. Isaac RAYMOND, Jonathan ROWE, Michael SAXE, Edward SMITH, John UNDERHILL, Abram VAN GORDEN .- C. Jan. 2, 1930.
The Puzzle Box
this week includes a request for the name of the father of Bartlett HOW'- ARD ( who married Harzilla Hamlin), living on Main street, Cairo, in 1840, and supposed to be either Job or Jonathan Howard of the 1810 Census. * Who will answer? We are asked also to find the grave in Catskill of Ju- seph GREGORY, died 1800, and where his home stood. And to inquire as to the ancestry ( with Revolutionary service, if any) of Mary VAN VLIET (married William Henry Day ) daughter of John Van Vliet ( married Van Loan) of Athens township. Help out these people if you can .- C. Jan. 2, 1930.
[*See last part of this book. ]
The Breasted Family*
is an interesting one. both in our annals and in those of the state at large. While I have not tinie to assemble all the facts at this time. a few may not be amiss. The family ancestor was Jan Jansen van Breestede, who married Engeltje Janse Van Brestede, but while these names show each was a child of Jan they do not necessarily mean blood relationship but only that botlı came from the same village of Broestede, Holland. Among their chil- dren were three daughters and a son. Jan Jansen (we would say "Junior"> who married Mairitje Lucas. Of the daughters, Tryntje Janse married Rut- ger Jacobsen ( van Schoenderwoert ) of Beverwyck (Albany) and became ancestor of the RUTGERS family; Dorothe Janse married Volekert Janse DOUW, ancestor of the Dow family (their son Hendrick married Neeltje Van Vechten widow of Marte Gerritse van Bergen ) ; and Elsie Janse mar- ried Lieut. Hendrick Jochemse SCHOONMAKER, ancestor of that family. [*See the story of the iron dog, page 61.]
In our own village of Catskill. John BREASTED owned most of the land along the present Prospect Avenue, formerly Orange Street, and
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planted the lots, which he sold off, with encircling hedges of young Norway spruce trees, now nearly all cut down. He built for himself the large house commanding a view of the Hudson that later belonged to Mr. Hay- den and now to the Sisters of St. Francis. A gentleman who remembers him says he was distinguished by the largest and most ungainly feet in Catskill-"a good understanding" that upheld a man of integrity and great business acumen. The house of Mr. William L. DuBois, just purchased by Mr. John L. Fray, was erected by Breasted for Mr. Charles L. Cornish of New York (an unele of Miss Elizabeth Congdon) and the builder did such a good job that he was retained by Breasted and other parties to build the Prospect Park Hotel, which stood on the present site of the St. Anthony monastery. His reputation made here, the same man went ou to Florida and constructed the Ponce de Leon Hotel in St. Augustine, and other large hostelries there, where in later years onr Mr. Van Hoesen came across him and learned his story,
John Breasted married Rachel Van Loan, daughter of William Wer- more Van Loan and his wife Sally DuBois. Rachel's unmarried sister, Miss Jane Van Loan, the ouly other child. lived with them. an austere but kind- hearted, black-garbed spinster of our childhood recollections who later gave us stacks of gay music treasured up from her own carefree girlhood.
She was a descendant of Madam Jane Dies. The lines are as follows: (I.) Francis GOELET, the ancestor, had a son ( II.) Jacobus married Jan- netje Coesar; their son (111.) James married Catherine Boele and had a daughter (IV.) Jane ( Jannetje, who married Major( ?) John DIES. The son (V.) Matthew Dies married Eve Van Loan daughter of Hannes Van Loan and Jannetje Van Valkenberg, and had a daughter ( VI.) Jane Goelet Dies who married Captain Isaac VAN LOAN of Catskill. These were the parents of (VII. ) William Wetmore Van Loan, a prominent merchant of Catskill, whose home was in the house on Broad Street, corner of Greene, then next to Mr. J. B. Hall's. Ilis wife's line is as follows: (1.) Christian DuBois, (II.) Lonis DuBois married Catherine Blanchan, (111.) Solomon DuBois married Tryntje Gerritsen. (V.) Benjamin DuBois married Cath- arine Suylandt. ( V. ) Cornelius DuBois married Catharine Vanderpoel, ( VI. ) Capt. Barent DuBois married Rachel DuBois of Kingston, (VIl. ) Sally married W. W. Van Loan, as above.
There were but the two daughters, Rachel ( Mrs. John Breasted) and
? Jane-both childless.
A familiar figure to our boyhood was that of Mr. George Breasted, brother to lohn, whose monument in the village cemetery crowned by a . great boulder is a well-known sight to all. Peter Breasted. the father. wanted to make a house-painter out of George, while the latter wanted an education and to be a scientist. The compound was a thwarted soul. living like a hermit in the heart of a village, stalking among our hills in frock coat and stove-pipe hat (inside which he pinned the butterflies he caught, for safe transport homeward), with a hidden geology hammer and many precious fossils in the roomy skirts of the coat, an awesomely attractive figure to our childish imagination about whom I hope some day to obtain a close-up from his most intimate youthful associate.
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THE SALISBURY FAMILY
But who will tell us more about the Breasteds? Are there any of the family left in Greene County, or gone out from Greene County. And who has anything to add about the paint-house founded by Peter Breasted, 01 any more wags to the tail of the iron dog? I have a suspicion that the dog's running mate also came to Catskill and is still with us. Let's have a bark from him .- C. Apr. 3, 1930.
Wessell Salisbury*
was born in 1748, the son of Abraham Salisbury (1699-1757) and Rachel daughter of Wessel Ten Broeck and Jacomyntje van Gaasbeck, grand- daughter of Jaecquemijntgen Laurens de Warmont of noble Dutch blood and the equally noble Govert Corneliszoon van Gaesbeecq of Leyden, Hol- land. Abraham and his wife Rachel were cousins, for Abraham's mother was Maria van Gaasbeck, his father being Francis Salisbury ( 1679-1756) who built in 1705 the old stone house just beyond Leeds that has so re- cently and so regrettably burned. Francis was son of the original Silvester Salisbury (1629 ?- 1680) and Elizabeth Beek-the Captain Salisbury of the Albany fort mentioned in our issue of February 27, who later appears in the court records as deputy governor.
[*See his letter on page 45.]
This Salisbury Family,
sprung from Captain Silvester SALISBURY of English "blue blood," has figured largely in the settlement and prosperity of Greene County. We should like to hear from all of the descendants. far or near. Intermarriage with other of the best old families gives every member a lineage worthy to be placed in our records. Let us hear from them all. Wessel married Annatje Witbeck and planted his homestead toward Cairo- can anyone now point out the exact site? His brothers and sisters and cousins were all 'round about on the wide acres of the Salisbury Patent and its vicinity.
Among these consins was Lieutenant Barent Staats Salisbury (1743- 1797), baptized in Albany April 3, 1749[ ?] and died April 11, 1797, aged 54 years, in Jefferson, where he is buried in their Rural Cemetery. In 1776, when he was 33 years old. he was made a first lieutenant in the first regiment of the New York Line, and remained in the service during the war, a service which entitles his descendants to membership in the so- cieties of the American Revolution. Lient. Salisbury was a grandson of Francis and Maria (van Gaasbeck ) by their son William Salisbury ( 1714- 1801) and his wife Teuntje ( Eunice in English) daughter of Barent and Neeltje Gerritse ( Vandenberg) Staats. His own wife was Sara daughter of Solomon DuBois and Margaret Sammons, thus adding the best of French blood to the Dutch and English .- C. Apr. 17. 1930.
The Saxe-Sax-Sachs Family
or families, for there seem to be several distinct lines, interest me much at this moment. All members of these, please send in your family records. Among the older ones now living is Mr. W. J. SAKE of Palenville, who lived all his active life in Kiskatom at the Mountain View Farm House,
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a farm owned by the family for a century and a quarter. Referring to the Catskill census of 1810, which listed under the name of Sax Ispe our page 120, beyond) one John. two Fredericks and four Peters, Mr. Saxe makes the following comments:
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