Crosborough Legends Revisited

Legend has it that Thomas Crosborough of Magna Doddington in Northamptonshire saved the life of the King and that the king proclaimed “Truly, thou art my veritable henchman.”  Thomas changed his name to Henchman and a line was started. By most accounts, the man was Thomas Crosborough who lived during the reign of Henry VII (1485-1509). However, some accounts state the man was John Crosborough during the reign of Edward IV (1461-1483). Nice story. Is there any truth to it?

In his book “English Ancestral Names: The Evolution of the Surname from Medieval Occupations,” J.R. Dolan indicates that the word hensman was derived from the Germanic words “hengst” and “mann” – meaning a horseman or groomer.  The meaning of the word “hensman” changed many times in medieval England. The name later was “applied to a young squire in training to be a knight.” Dolan indicates that at least one Hensman was a page of honor.

A problem arises when one finds that the Henchman spelling did not exist in Northamptonshire parish records until 1584, 75 years after the death of Henry VII (1485-1509).

This calls into question the statement made in historical books and monographs that place the Henchman family in that county “at a very distant period.”  Additionally, only the Hensman surname has been found linked to Crosborough. This combination was most concentrated in the town of Ecton, but was also found in some Great Doddington and Wellingborough records.  Crosborough (and Crosborowe, a variant spelling), was still being used in later generations in several locations, including Ireland and Australia. 

Because a Thomas Henchman is identified as a “Skynner” in the Bishops Visitation of London 1633-1634, a microfilm of Skinners Guild apprenticeship records was obtained.

Upon examination, the following presentment was found in 1574. 

“Thomas Crosborowe als Hensman the sonne of Thomas Crosborowe…of Wellingborowe in the county of Northampton has put himself in apr… for tenne years.”

This record shows that Thomas was a member of the Crosborough Hensman clan. Since boys typically completed apprenticeships at age 21 and Thomas was apprenticed for 10 years, it can be estimated that Thomas was born around 1663. It is the skinner Thomas Crosborough Hensman whose first three children were baptized with the surname Henchman in Burton Latimer between the years 1584-1588.

Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic of the Reign of Henry VIII show that the Crosborowe surname continued with Hensman as an alias into the reign of Henry VIII :

“2218. GRANTS in MAY 1526. 2. John Crosborowe of London, ironmonger, alias of Wellyngborowe..., alias John Hensman, mercer. Special protection for one year, granted by the King in right of his royal prerogative. Del. Westm., 2 May 18 Hen. VIII.—S.B. “

The following example took place during the reign of Queen Elizabeth the First, 79 years after the death of Henry VII.

The “Northamptonshire Lieutanancy Papers and Other Documents 1580-1614” lists a Tho. Crosborowe as a soldier “vnder the leading of Captaine Niccolles. (30 July 1588]

There is an additional Crosborough Henchman legend - that all people with the Henchman, Hincksman, Hensman, Hinchman surname are descended from this ancestral Crosborough.  Family researchers have gone to great lengths to make those connections.

One story is that the Hincksmans and the Fiskes were old friends in Sussex County, England and came to Massachusetts together in 1637. Evidence shows that Rev. John Fiske and his family did indeed emigrate to Massachusetts in that year. They settled in the Massachusetts Bay colony, living first at Salem, then at Wenham, and lastly in Chelmsford.  

However, no people with a surname approaching Hensman were found in Sussex. An Edmund Hincksman died in Chelmsford in 1668. His widow married John Fiske in 1672. Since Edmund Hincksman’s name does not appear in Rev. Fiske’s Diary, he was not a member of Fiske’s church in Salem, Wenham or Chelmsford. An Edmund Hincksman appears in records at the town of Marshfield in Plymouth colony from 1652 to 1658.  Many family researchers believe him to be the same Edmund who died in Chelmsford. However, it is more likely that Edmund was from Martley, Worcestershire, not London. Most of his progeny settled in the neighboring town of Scituate.

Edmund’s widow joined the Chelmsford church in 1672, just before marrying Rev. Fiske.This legend is often stretched by stating that the Edmund Hincksman of Chelmsford was the Edward Henchman baptized in London in 1627 and was in the line of the Crosborough Henchmans. Some refer to him as Edward Edmund because they wanted him to be the ancestor they were looking for.

A few years ago, 8 purported male descendants of this storied line decided to have their DNA tested to verify their connection to Crosborough. Five different lines were identified.  Only one man had a Crosborough match. He was David Crosborough Henchman, living in Australia. The Australian branch has impeccable documentation back to the Crosborough Henchman line.

So, the Crosborough name has persisted over 500 years since that the surname change was supposedly made.

By the way, the two men who were most closely related to me were shown to be from the same line as Daniel Henchman of Boston. At least one of those men is confirmed as being in my line of descent through the John Hinchman of Flushing, brother of Daniel Henchman of Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts, not Crosborough descendants.

"History of a House" revisited

During my formative years, I lived in an old house located at the corner of Conklin Avenue and Mary Street on the South Side of Binghamton, New York. The property consisted of two lots totaling about an acre of land. A house and a two story barn stood on that land. A search of Broome County deed records revealed an interesting history.

The area that became Binghamton was a part of a land patent deeded to William Bingham of Philadelphia in 1792. Bingham had extensive land holdings in northern Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier of New York. This land was first visited by troops of the Sullivan Expedition in 1779. The first settlers arrived in 1802 and they called the community Chenango Point, since it was situated around the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango rivers. The last will and testament of William Bingham was probated on 17 September 1805 in Philadelphia. A William Stuart bought the property from the estate of William Bingham on 12 July 1826 (Liber 9, p. 464).

In 1834, this area was a village in the Town of Binghamton. There were several transactions in the deed book between 1836 and 1846. 

The first platting of the land took place in 1850. The property had been purchased by an Englishman named Sackville Cox in 1849. He called the development Cox Place. According to the 1850 Census, Sackville Cox had been born in England and his wife, Mary in Ireland. Cox sold lots 6 and 8 to Henry Eldredge on 26 December 1849 who then tendered them to Hugh Hart on 30 September 1850. A subsequent land transfer took place in 1853, with the land going to William S. Beard.

According to an old Binghamton map, there was no house on lots 6 or 8 in 1855. The earliest town directory, published in 1857, shows a Darwin Felter, a millwright, living there at the corner of South Water Street and Mary Street. Therefore, a house was built on the property sometime between 1855 and 1857. The land that my home stood on was identified as lot 6 of that plat. A two-story 3 stall barn was situated at the west edge of lot 8, facing Mary Street.

In the 1860 Census, Darwin Felter and his wife Sarah and children Nellie, Willie and Mary were enumerated at the corner of South Water Street and Mary Street.  In 1861, deed records indicate that Sarah Ann Felter bought the property from William S. Beard (Liber 58, p. 105). Apparently, the Felters were renting the property prior to that date. 

Binghamton became a city in 1867. The Felters were enumerated at the site in the 1870 and 1880 censuses. Darwin Felter was identified as Superintendent of the City Water Works. In 1890, according to the city directory, the address had changed from South Water Street to Conklin Avenue. Darwin Felter was still living in the house in 1900, as shown in the 1900 census. In that census, his wife of 10 years was listed as Margaret, indicating that Sarah Ann had died or that there had been a divorce before 1890. The house stayed in the family after Darwin's death. In 1910 and 1920, Nellie and her husband David Munro and her brother William were living at 30 Conklin Avenue. The Felter descendants owned the property until Nellie and William sold the property to Alexander S. Williamson on 28 November 1928. In 1936, according to the Binghamton City Directory, Charles Baker (non-owner) was living there. On 26 October 1936, Dr. Charles F. and Mary E. Hawley purchased the property (Liber 468, p. 298) from the Williamsons. Doctor Hawley establish his office on the first floor in the rear of the large house, with the rest of the structure devoted to living space for the family, which consisted of Dr. and Mrs. Hawley and their infant daughter. This was the Hawley residence and Dr. Hawley's office for nineteen years. In 1955, the State of New York confiscated the house and land to build the State Street Bridge across the Susquehanna River, a sad end to the life of a beloved old house. 

Family legend has it that the house was a stop on the Underground Railway during the Civil War. However, no records have been found to verify that claim.

World War I veteran, Louis Frank Reiss

Louis Frank Reiss (usually known as Frank), was born in October 19, 1894. He lived in the Williamsburgh section of Brooklyn. Frank registered for the draft on June 5, 1917. He was examined and adjudged qualified for military service on February 13, 1918. Frank was called into service that year as a member of  the  4th Infantry Division, 39th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Brigade.

As evidenced by the Victory Ribbon he received after the Armistice, Frank was present at the battles of Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. He also spent some time in the Defensive Sector. Reportedly, he was a messenger.

ObverseReverse

His unit was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with gilt star for the Aisne-Marne campaign.

From the early 20th century coinage found in Frank's private box after he died,  he was apparently in Belgium, Holland, France and Germany during his time in Europe. There was also a matchbox cover with a picture of the Cathedral in Cologne, Germany and the words Kolner Dom under the picture.

Here are some photos from his album. Unfortunately, he did not indicate the names of his fellow soldiers, except for one labeled as "Allie W." I hope that someone reading this posting might have information about the men who served with Frank.

"This is our happy home we are sitting on."

Frank Reiss

"Allie W"

Unknown person, reading unit newsletter

Photo dated 1919

?

Mystery # 19: Why did Francis and Flora, residents of Cleveland, Ohio go to Michigan to get married?

One of the many mysteries related to Francis A. Reed, MD is that, soon after graduating from medical school in 1890, he married a woman named Flora M. Pierce. Francis and Flora were identified in the marriage document as residents of Cleveland, Ohio (where Francis had attended medical school). The marriage took place in Detroit, Michigan. The witnesses to the marriage were Charles E. and Cora B. Fuller, also living in Cleveland. I initially surmised that Cora might be Flora's sister, but found no possible matches in census records. A marriage record indicates that Cora's maiden name was Garrett. The 1900 Census shows that Charles and Cora took in boarders - perhaps that's how Francis and Flora met.  But, why did Francis and Flora go to Detroit to get married? Were there no relatives of the bride and/or groom in or around Cleveland?

In the marriage record, Flora's father is listed as Albert Pierce but the box for mother's name says "unknown." Methinks - how can a mother be unknown? She gave birth to the child. Isn't it more likely that there would be an unknown father? Why no official birth record?

I searched available records for an Albert Pierce in Ohio. I found a Civil War veteran named Albert Pearce (aka Pierce) as a resident in the disabled volunteers' home in Dayton, Ohio. He was admitted to that facility in October of 1871 and died in December of that year. His birth location is listed as Henry County, Ohio.

The 1850 census records show an Albert Pearce, age 3, as the youngest of six children of Maria Pearce (widow) in Napoleon, Henry County, Ohio. The family group, reduced by the absence of the older children, was still living at that location in 1860.

I found several girls named Flora born in the same time frame, but none could be linked to the Flora I was looking for. There is a Flora M. with a John and Mary Pierce of Concord, Miami, Ohio in the 1870 census. The name of the head of household was different but it was possible that the girl could be living with relatives of her father. She was the right age, being 2 at the time. However, Ohio death records indicate that Flora M. died on 16 August 1876. There were no other girls named Flora listed in the Ohio Births and Christenings who were of the right age with the right father.There is a Flora, age 3, living with Albert's oldest brother, Josiah,  in Indiana in the 1870 census. However, her birth record indicates that she is the natural daughter of that couple. Another Flora Pierce with a similar birthdate was found with a Francis and Eliza Pierce in Millgrove, Indiana, identified as a niece - an interesting possibililty. In the 1880 census, she is living with a different family. Later records indicate that she married a James Graves and lived until 1956, dying in Florida.

Next, I concentrated on Albert's closest siblings. Brother Edward, who was 7 years older than Albert, married and moved to Breckenridge, Missouri. His other brother, Lewis,  age 6, two years older than Albert, was in La Salle Township, Michigan in the 1880 census. I looked up LaSalle on google maps and found that there is now a direct route from Cleveland through LaSalle to Detroit. Could that be the reason the couple went to Michigan to get married? Maybe Flora's uncle Lewis had no way of getting to Cleveland to attend a ceremony. That would have been a 256 mile round-trip journey for him. Although Lewis is not listed as an official witnesses at the marriage, the wedding party could have reasonably stopped there to pick him up. I wonder what type of transportation they used in 1890? Horse and wagon? Train? It's 175 miles from Cleveland to Detroit - quite a distance in those days.

Since I was unable to find any birth record for Flora M.and never found her anywhere in the 1870 or 1880 census, this mystery may never be solved. We do know that Flora M. Pierce Reed gave birth to one child, Calvin Albert, who lived only one year, and that Flora also died before 1900. Dr. Reed was enumerated as a widower in the 1900 census.

Do I have the right Albert Pierce (Pearce)? Only time will tell.

Sources:
"Michigan, Marriages, 1868-1925," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N36L-6X1 : accessed 28 Jul 2014), Francis A. Reed and Flora M. Pierce, 26 Aug 1890; citing Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, v 4 p 522 rn 6708, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 2342489.
"Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1958," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XDC2-DMG : accessed 28 Jul 2014), Charles E. Fuller and Cora B. Garrett, 23 Dec 1876; citing Lorain, Ohio, reference 2:3JNRVFL; FHL microfilm 0378293.
Ancestry.com. U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
Original data: Historical Register of National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1749, 282 rolls); Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
The National Cemetery Administration;  Dayton National Cemetery, Burial Ledger, c. 1800-1993.
Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

Year: 1850; Census Place: Napoleon, Henry, Ohio; Roll: M432_693; Page: 6B; Image: 539.
Year: 1860; Census Place: Napoleon, Henry,Ohio; Roll: M653_985; Page: 342; Image: 204; Family History Library Film: 803985.
Year: 1870; Census Place: Concord, Miami,Ohio; Roll: M593_1244; Page: 323B; Image: 202; Family History Library Film: 552743.
Year: 1870; Census Place: Washington, Hendricks, Indiana; Roll: M593_322; Page: 518B; Image: 514; Family History Library Film: 545821.
Year: 1870; Census Place: Millgrove, Steuben, Indiana; Roll: M593_359; Page: 108B; Image: 222; Family History Library Film: 545858.
Year: 1880; Census Place: Columbia, Martin, Indiana; Roll: 298; Family History Film: 1254298; Page: 304D; Enumeration District: 151; Image: 0211.
Ancestry.com. Florida Death Index, 1877-1998 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
Year: 1900; Census Place: Cleveland Ward 21, Cuyahoga, Ohio; Roll: 1255; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0097; FHL microfilm: 1241255.
Ancestry.com. Web: North Dakota, Find A Grave Index, 1850-2012 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

Original data: Find A Grave. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi: accessed 18 January 2013.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Cleveland,+OH/La+Salle,+MI/Detroit,+MI/@41.8284951,-83.1501634,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m20!4m19!1m5!1m1!1s0x8830ef2ee3686b2d:0xed04cb55f7621842!2m2!1d-81.6943605!2d41.49932!1m5!1m1!1s0x883b7b0281daec3d:0xfcd450f278fbdff2!2m2!1d-83.4750241!2d41.863368!1m5!1m1!1s0x8824ca0110cb1d75:0x5776864e35b9c4d2!2m2!1d-83.0457538!2d42.331427!3e0

Mystery #18: Will the real Phillip Babb please stand up!

Phillip Babb is one of my early ancestors in the New World. He emigrated from England before 1652. In that year, he was made a freeman in Massachusetts. (Massachusetts Applications of Freemen, 1630-91) 

It is reported that he later moved to York, Maine. (Maine Pioneers, 1623-60)

He then settled on the island Appledore, Isles of Shoals, located at the border between Maine and New Hampshire. My ancestor Sampson was apparently born there in 1668.

A problem arises when most of the researchers of this family decided that the Phillip Babb, son of Phillip and Mary, baptized in Stepney on 6 April 1634 was the Phillip that emigrated to the Colonies.
(London Metropolitan Archives, Saint Dunstan and All Saints, Register of baptisms, Sep 1608 - Jan 1637/8, P93/DUN, Item 256.) 

This in itself should have raised some concern. That Phillip would have been 18 years old in 1652. Freedom was not granted until a man was at least 21 years old.

The other, more serious problem with choosing this individual is that Phillip, the son of Phillip and Mary, died and was buried on 15 November 1640. (London Metropolitan Archives, Saint Dunstan and All Saints, Register of burials, Jun 1622 - Nov 1644, P93/DUN, Item 277.)

So, where did our Phillip Babb come from? Who were his parents? Hopefully, further research will locate a baptismal record for this "mystery man.".

Mystery # 17: Three fathers, two mothers and two birth years?

During the past year, I have been researching a person of interest named Dr. Francis Albert Reed. According to two marriage records and a biography, Francis was born in Hartford, Connecticut on March 28,1863 (or 1867), son of Calvin Reed and Mary (or Katherine) Ward. A third marriage record indicated birth in New York State with his father being Joseph Reed (mother Mary Ward).

Francis does not appear in any census record until 1900, when he was living and practicing medicine in Burton, Geauga, Ohio, near Cleveland. That census shows March 1863 as his birthdate and Connecticut as his birthplace (ancestry.com).

In the book, "History of Lake County" Dr. Reed is identified as born March 28, 1867, son of Albert E. and Mary A. Reed. His father is identified as a prominent physician in Hartford, Connecticut who bought property on the St. John's River, about 20 miles south of Jacksonville, Florida and built a "show place" winter estate there. Nothing has been found about such an estate. And, no such Dr. Reed could be found in census records in Connecticut or in Florida. The closest option was a John Reade, physician/clairvoyant in Hartford in the 1860 census (ancestry.com). According to the biography, Dr. Reed attended Leavenworth Institute and Hahnemann College. (Leavenworth Institute is located about 220 miles from Hartford, in Wolcott, New York near Lake Ontario.) His name was not found at two websites about that school. As for Hahnemann College, he is not listed as a graduate. Dr. Reed did indeed graduate from Cleveland Medical College in 1890 and was admitted to the Ohio Medical Society in that year.

So, where was Francis between 1863 and 1890? He is not enumerated in Connecticut or in New York State in 1870 or 1880 census records. One family story is that his father died and his mother remarried and that he left the home because he did not get along with his stepfather. But, who was his father? Was it Joseph, Calvin or Albert? It is likely that his mother's name was Mary, since three of the four documents agree there.

To be continued.

Louis Thomser of Goetzenbruck and Brooklyn

Louis Thumser was born in Goetzenbruck, Moselle on January 3, 1842, son of Jean and Marguerite Burgun Thumser. Jean was a miller in this glassmaking part of France. Jean's grandfather, Jean-Thomas, was a miller in Bohemia. Jean-Thomas and wife Anne-Marie Schneider, migrated to Werenfels, Bavaria, where Jean-Thomas became the town miller. Two sons were born there, Antoine and Willibald. In adulthood, both of the sons continued on to Moselle. Antoine settled in Siersthal and Willibald in Soucht.

In the glassmaking regions, you had to be a member of the family of a glassmaker enployed by that same company, to go into the business. Louis wanted very much to follow his godfather, Louis Reitz, into that profession. In order to do that, Louis had to leave Goetzenbruck and travel to New York. He traveled with an aunt and cousins. He arrived in New York in 1854 and moved in with his godfather who was already here and employed in a glass factory in Brooklyn. The family lived in the company tenement at 98 Meserole Street. Louis became an apprentice at the factory and, by 1860, he was a glass blower.

The Civil War cut short that career. He enlisted in the 68th New York Volunteers on 16 August 1861. The unit was also called the Cameron Rifles and the 2nd German Rifle Regiment. He rose through the ranks from private to lieutenant. He was injured in 1865 and later received a pension. By 1870, he was again working at the glass factory but now as a packer. He married a young woman named Appolonia Koferl, whose family also lived 1t 98 Meserole Street. The couple had two daughters and one son. The son died in infancy. Appolonia died in 1879, leaving Louis with two small daughters. He subsequently married Magdalena Zimmer and they had two children, a boy and a girl. He was still employed at the glass factory in 1880.

By the 1890s Louis Thomser was the president of the Ellsworth Social Circle. He and his family were then living on Scholes Street in Brooklyn. In a city directory, his occupation was listed as porter.

Louis died 4 September 1911.

The Reiss Story

Johann Everhard Reis was born around 1771 at an unknown location. Sometime before 1798, he arrived in Kreis Olpe, Westfalen, Prussia and became the tailor to the Duke of Ahausen. He met and married Anna Elisabeth Freithoff and settled into a converted bakery located behind the local church in Heggen bei Attendorn. During their time there, ten children were born, eight of whom survived into adulthood.

Johann Joseph Freithoff, the brother of Anna Elisabeth, was a noted copper engraver. He died around 1819 without issue and willed all his assets to his sister. With that money, Johann Everhard and Anna Elisabeth bought the Listernohl estate, which encompassed 36 acres. The main house on the property was u-shaped. One wing contained the living quarters. The opposite wing housed the local church. The middle section was for the livestock. The last two Reis children were born in Listernohl.

In 1836, one of the Reis siblings, Johann Bernhard Reis, emigrated to the United States. He is described as half-disabled (and therefore ineligible for military service). He was a druggist by trade. No American records have been found for him and it is believed that he may have returned to his homeland.

Franz Xaver Reis was born 17 December 1814 in Heggen. In his youth, he went to Koblenz to apprentice as a jeweler/watchmaker. During his time there, he met Elisabeth Ducro, daughter of Wendel and Elisabeth Glaad Ducro. Franz and Elisabeth were married 27 September 1838 in Heggen and settled in the neighboring town of Olpe where he started his jewelry business. Their son, Emmerich Josef was born in 1841. On 18 March 1846, Franz Xaver submitted a petition to emigrate to the United States with his wife and son.

During March 1846, Elisabeth Reis, a widow for about 20 years, sold most of the Listernohl estate, reserving a small lot for herself. It is believed that she used those funds to finance the transatlantic voyage. For an extended period of time, shipping records were not found. However, Franz (now known as Francis) was in Doggett's New York City Directory for 1849-50. Since Francis Reiss does not appear in earlier directories, it is not known where he was from 1846-1849. In 2005, an inquiry to a church in downtown Manhattan provided information about the baptism of a Reiss child named Adolphus in 1849.

A few years ago, a fellow researcher solved the mystery of the Reiss family entry into America. What a surprise! It was not just Franz, Elisabeth and Emmerich who entered the US. On that same ship, the Diadem, we find 13 people in the family unit, including Franz' mother, two younger brothers and their families, and a sister - all with anglicized names. They sailed from London in cabin class and arrived in New York City in August 1846. It can be surmised that the family group left Prussia by boat, going down the Rhine River to Rotterdam and then by ferry to England. They apparently stayed in London for a while before sailing. A story can be visualized: Anna Elisabeth telling the customs officials that the family was going to London for a vacation before Franz and his wife and son sailed to America.

Francis was a Lieutenant in the Cavalry during the Civil War, as a member of the troop protecting the Capitol and White House in Washington, DC. After the war, Captain Reiss commanded a National Guard unit.

There is still much to be learned about the early years of the Reiss family in the US and the history of the rest of the family.

Mystery #16: Winche's Children

On May 17, 1842 Winche Beagle, wife of John Beagle, submitted pension papers based on her late husband's service in the Revolutionary War. In that document Winche stated that she had given birth to ten children of which seven were still alive.

Eight of her children have been definitively identified through records: William, Moses, Mary, Catherina, Phebe, Sarah, Jemima and Samuel. It is probable that the two others, unnamed, died in infancy. Records have produced specific birth dates for all eight children. Marriage dates are known for all except Mary, Phebe and Sarah. However, death dates are known for only three of the children: Moses, Jemima and Samuel - and all of those deaths took place after 1842. Therefore, it is not yet known which of the eight surviving children had died before Winche. It is also unknown whether Mary, Phebe or Sarah every married and had families.

I hope that further research will provide the necessary data.

Mystery #15: Samuel Beagle

I have noticed many times that Samuel Beagle is left off the list of children of John and Winche Beagle. There are some good reasons for people to doubt that link: Samuel was born in 1807, 5 years after the birth of Jemima, the next older child. He has been identified as being born in Dutchess County, NY, not Schoharie County where four of his sisters were born between 1792 and 1802. The treatise “Section 1 - Early Begeal Family History,” author unknown, names Samuel as one of John and Winche Beagle’s children. The author sets Samuel’s birth as 30 November 1807 in Dutchess County, NY.

It is very difficult to make judgments about where people were living in those days since pre-1850 census only listed the name of the head of household and approximate ages of the residents - with no indication of the relationship of those residents to one another. For example, there are several John Beagles enumerated in New York State in the early years of our republic.

Revolutionary War Pension documents indicate that, because of John's advanced age and frailties, by 1820, Winche was living in Fishkill with her brother James (next to their father Derrick); and John was living with son Moses in Schoharie. It seems quite possible that both John and Winche and their family might have been in Dutchess County for some time between the years 1803-1820, enlisting the aid of Winche's close relatives.

Samuel's parentage had been something of a mystery. However, there is at least one document that firmly cements his place in the family. The Will of his mother, Winche Beagle, obtained from the Schoharie County Courthouse in August 2008, includes the following sentence:
"I give and bequeath all my clothing and wearing apparel to my beloved daughter in law Charlotte wife of Samuel Beagle which will be left at the day of my death."
Samuel is later found in the 1840 US census in Worcester, Otsego County, NY, enumerated next to Moses Beagle, his (much older) brother.

Therefore, Samuel Beagle is undoubtedly the son of John and Winche Beagle.

History of a House

During my formative years, I lived in an old house located at the corner of Conklin Avenue and Mary Street on the South Side of Binghamton, New York. The property consisted of two lots totaling about an acre of land. A house and a two story barn stood on that land. A search of Broome County deed records revealed an interesting history.

The area that became Binghamton was a part of a land patent deeded to William Bingham of Philadelphia in 1792. Bingham had extensive land holdings in northern Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier of New York. This land was first visited by troops of the Sullivan Expedition in 1779. The first settlers arrived in 1802 and the community was called Chenango Point, since it was situated around the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango rivers. The last will and testament of William Bingham was probated on 17 September 1805 in Philadelphia. A William Stuart bought the property from the estate of William Bingham on 12 July 1826 (Liber 9, p. 464).

In 1834, this area was a village in the Town of Binghamton. There were several transactions in the deed book between 1836 and 1846. 

The first platting of the land took place in 1850. The property had been purchased by a man named Sackville Cox in 1849. He called the development Cox Place. According to the 1850 Census, Sackville Cox had been born in England and his wife, Mary in Ireland.

 Cox sold lots 6 and 8 to Henry Eldredge on 26 December 1849 who then tendered them to Hugh Hart on 30 September 1850. A subsequent land transfer took place in 1853, with the land going to William S. Beard. 

According to an old Binghamton map, there was no house on lots 6 or 8 in 1855. The earliest town directory, published in 1857, shows a Darwin Felter, a millwright, living there at the corner of South Water Street and Mary Street. Therefore, a house was built on the property sometime between 1855 and 1857. The land that my home stood on was identified as lot 6 of that plat. A two-story 3 stall barn was situated at the west edge of lot 8, facing Mary Street.

In the 1860 Census, Darwin Felter and his wife Sarah and children Nellie, Willie and Mary were enumerated at the corner of South Water Street and Mary Street.  In 1861, deed records indicate that Sarah Ann Felter bought the property from William S. Beard (Liber 58, p. 105).

Binghamton became a city in 1867. The Felters were enumerated at the site in the 1870 and 1880 censuses. Darwin Felter was identified as Superintendent of the City Water Works. In 1890, according to the city directory, the address had changed from South Water Street to Conklin Avenue. Darwin Felter was still living in the house in 1900, as shown in the 1900 census. In that census, his wife of 10 years was listed as Margaret. The house stayed in the family after Darwin's death. In 1910 and 1920, Nellie and her husband David Munro and her brother William were living at 30 Conklin Avenue. The Felter descendants owned the property until Nellie and William sold the property to Alexander S. Williamson on 28 November 1928. In 1936, according to the Binghamton City Directory, Charles Baker (non-owner) was living there. On 26 October 1936, Dr. Charles F. and Mary E. Hawley purchased the property (Liber 468, p. 298) from the Williamsons. Doctor Hawley establish his office on the first floor in the rear of the large house, with therest of the structure devoted to living space for the family, which consisted of Dr. and Mrs. Hawley and their infant daughter. This was the Hawley residence and Dr. Hawley's office for nineteen years. In 1955, the State of New York confiscated the house and land to build the State Street Bridge across the Susquehanna River, a sad end to the life of a beloved old house. 

Family legend has it that the house was a stop on the Underground Railway during the Civil War. However, no records have been found to verify that claim.

Mystery #14: Richard Hincksman

The Hincksman/Henchman/Hinchman clan has been very difficult to nail down. As with John Hincksman, outlined previously, Richard Hincksman was a mariner. "The Register of Salomon Lachaire, Notary Public of New Amsterdam, 1661-1662" identifies Richard as an English mariner of Boston. On pages 212-213 of the document, Richard Hincksman bought the "Barcke Black Bird, from another mariner, Mathew Bunne, 5 October 1662. On page 215 of the book, 9 October 1662, Richard is again before Salomon Lachaire concerning payment for a large quantity of "Virginy" leaf tobacco from Cornelius Stenewyck, merchant. It is not currently known if this is the Richard Hinckesman of London, who was married to Hannah Newberry and the father of Daniel, John and Ann.
The name Richard Hincksman appears in other publications from this colonial period both in records from England and in New England (which, by the way, includes Long Island). No evidence has been found yet to indicate if this is two Richards or one.

Since Richard and John are both mariners from Boston and have ties to New York and Virginia, it is possible that they were related, perhaps Richard the father and John the son. It is also possible that they may have been the  John and Richard born to Edmund and Elizabeth Hinksman in Martley, Worcestershire in 1636 and 1638. Since Martley is land-locked, it is less likely that they would become mariners. It is of course possible that Richard is from a different family that has not been researched yet. The mystery continues.

Mystery #13 (Solved): Daniel Beagle's Father

Among the printed ancestral stories given to me by my mom, one states "Daniel Beagle (blacksmith)...born in Liberty (Cayuga County) New York probably between 1846-50....I don't remember his father's name, but do remember he was married 5-times and had extensive knowledge of Indian lore. He traded throughout the wilderness area of Northeastern New York." A variation of this story is that one of the five women was an Indian and that we are her descendants.

This is one of those family stories which could be true but is placed in the wrong time frame. Daniel Beagle's father was named John. John was born in 1815 in Schenectady County, New York, the first child of Moses and Sally Ann (Bice) Beagle. Moses was born in Albany County and Sally Ann in Dutchess County, both in New York State. The Moses Beagle family lived in Schoharie County from at least 1818 until the early to mid-1830s, when they moved to Worcester, Otsego County, NY.

On May 27, 1836, their eldest son John married Margaret Rifenburg of Worcester. The couple settled near Davenport, Delaware County, NY. According to Delaware County deed records, John purchased land in Davenport in 1841 from Gideon Wilbur. That was around the time that Harvey, their third child (second son), was born. Third son Daniel was also born there in 1843. Later in the 1840s the family lived in Jefferson, Schoharie County, while John plied his trade as a mason. They are enumerated in Jefferson in the 1850 census. Daughter Martha and son George were born during their stay in that county.

Around 1852, John and Margaret and their family moved to a farm located just outside the town of Walton (a section known as Ox Bow) in Delaware County. They lived there for the rest of their lives and are buried in the Walton Cemetery.

There is no evidence that John had any more than one wife or that he traded with the Indians. Both John and son Daniel served in the Civil War. Daniel became a carpenter and settled in Hancock, Delaware County, NY.

Stories such as this may give us clues to more distant history since there is sometimes a grain of truth hidden in there. The challenge is to find that "grain."

Mystery #12: Lazier (Lasure) Legends

Many years ago, Mom gave me her views on our ancestral lineages via paper and conversation. One page was labeled "the Leisur/LaSure Family." She stated that her mother said her father (Barney) "came to this country without shoes. His father James had nothing, wanted nothing, except escape from the wars and economic chaos of France. Mom stated that James, a widower, migrated from Normandy into Canada, possibly settling in Nova Scotia first before migrating to New Jersey around 1811 and that James was married twice." Further written family history claims that he was a Huguenot. Another family report stated that James, a brother Henry and sons Baronett and Catherine, all born in France, migrated between 1851 and 1853.

With extensive, still continuing research, the truth is emerging. The Huguenot migration from France took place much earlier, starting during the late 16th century and continuing into the early 18th century as French Calvinists fled persecution. They migrated to places throughout the western world that were friendly to emigrating Protestants.

"The Commemorative Biographical Record of Northeastern Pennsylvania," a 'mug' book published in the late 1890s, includes a biographical sketch of Baronett (Barney) Lasure. "Baronett J. Lasure was born September 27, 1840 in Sussex County, New Jersey, a son of Henry and Rachel (Shurt) Lasure, who were born, reared and married in that State. The paternal grandfather, James Lasure, was a native of France, and on his emigration to America located in New Jersey, where his death occurred. Besides the father of our subject, his children were Joseph, a resident of Owego, N.Y. and Jacob and Mrs. Eliza Talmage, both of New Jersey." The above statement appears to be mostly true.

In the 1830 US Census, James "Lasher" was between 50 and 60 years old, therefore born sometime between 1770 and 1780 (long after the Huguenot migration). In 1830 he was living in Vernon, Sussex County, New Jersey. He could not have been the immigrant. Some documentation has been found and is being examined that place James' birth in Bergen County, New Jersey. This proved to be a different James, who moved to Canada. Later evidence points to James being born in Hamburg, Sussex County, NJ.

James lived in Vernon until his death sometime before the 1850 census enumeration date. In that census record, his offspring were Joseph, Eliza, Henry and Jacob all born between 1807 and 1818 in New Jersey.

Unfortunately, James' tenure in Sussex County is difficult to verify since the 1790-1820 census records for New Jersey were destroyed. Later census records for his children show their births in New Jersey.

As one can see, there is usually some grain of truth in family stories. The challenge is to verify what is fact and what is legend.

Mystery #11: William and Mary

William Hincksman resided in Marshfield, Massachusetts during the 1650's. He appears in Town Minutes in 1658, around the same time that an Edmund Hincksman disappears from those minutes. Most Hincksman family researchers have identified this William as the son of Edmund and as the husband of a Mary Philberd.

According to Boston records, a William Hinckesman and a Mary Philberd were married on 20 November 1652. That couple had two known children, born January 1653 and December 1665 in Boston.
[Records relating to the early history of Boston; Boston Registry Department, pp. 39, 41, 51.]

The names and dates of birth of the children of the Marshfield couple were: Hannah (Sept. 1658), Joseph(Feb. 1660), Fortunatus (July 1663), Elizabeth (Oct. 1665), Elnathan (Jan. 1670), and Edmund (Apr. 1670). (Obviously the dates for Elnathan and Edmund are incorrect.)
[Source: Mayflower Descendant: a quarterly magazine of pilgrim genealogy and history, vol. 2; pp. 4, 7, 111, 112, 182. Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants.]

Could this be the same William and Mary? It is quite logical to assume that this is the same couple for at least three reasons: 1) colonial people seemed to move around quite a bit, 2) there were a number of Hincksman individuals living in Boston at the time, and 3) no such marriage is found in old Marshfield records. However, when one notes that the the Marshfield William and Mary had a child born October 1665 and the Boston couple had a child born in December 1665, it certainly would appear that this was two different couples. Unfortunately, the old Marshfield records are of very poor quality and many, including (apparently) the marriage of William and Mary have been lost.

Maybe a Clue about John Beagle?

From the Revolutionary War Widow's Pension Papers she signed in 1838, Lavintyea (Winche) Van Nosdall Beagle, wife of Revolutionary patriot, John Beagle, stated that her (maternal) grandparents, John and Fanny Vermilyea, were present at the wedding in 1785. (There was no mention of her parents being there.)

Using an online depository of old newspapers, I checked for articles about the surname Vermilyea. Two advertisements concerning sales of land were found in 18th century New York newspapers.

An ad, posted by Isaac Vermilyea on March 20 and 27, 1769 in the New York Gazette and Weekly Mercury, described a farm "situate near King's Bridge..." Among the articles included in the purchase was a "Quantity of Weavers Utensils."

Another ad, written by a Philip Vermilyea, Cortlandt Town, March 14, 1794 and posted in Greenleaf's New York Journal on March 26 and 29, 1794 described "A very Convenient place and good stand for a mechanic, whether Weaver, Black-Smith, Tanner, or Currier, being situated on the banks of the Hudson...about two acres of land...There is on the premises, a new framed house...and a log building, which has been improved as a weaver's shop."

It appears that at least a part of the Vermilyea clan was engaged in the craft of weaving. Did a member of that family teach John Beagle the weaver's craft? Is that the Dutchess County connection I have been searching for?

Mystery #10: Where was John Beagle born and who were his parents?

According to DAR applications submitted in the 1920s and 1930s, John Beagle, Revolutionary patriot, was born in Holland in 1745. This is highly unlikely since Dutch immigration into the North American continent ended at least 35 years before his birth. Researcher Hiram Bise wrote a brief history of the family in the late 19th century, stating that the family emigrated from Holland in the mid 1600's. Another researcher stated that the original Beagles were early settlers on Long Island and then went to Bergen Co., NJ before moving up the Hudson to Dutchess. This scenario has not yet been corroborated.

So, if John Beagle was not born in Holland, then where?

John may have been born in Long Island since variations of the family name appear in Hempstead during the 17th and 18th centuries. However, absence of the birth of such a person in the published records appears to contradict this possibility.

Since John married a young woman in Fishkill Plains, Dutchess County in 1785 (he was 40 years old and she was 17), it seems likely that his family had some roots in that county. Did John know her family before the war? Perhaps John had served with one of her relatives or maybe those Beagles in Dutchess County were his cousins? There was a John Beagle born in the same time frame in Dutchess County, probably the John Beagle who served in Brinkerhoff's Dutchess County Regiment during the Revolutionary War. Was that John related to my Beagles?

John’s second and third enlistments during the Revolutionary War took place in Schenectady. In December 1778, the Company Muster Roll states that John was "Sick in Schenectady Smallpox." Some researchers place John and his family in Schenectady between 1790 and 1792. Could he have been born there - or did he have relatives there?

There is a family story that our early Beagle ancestors lived in the "wilds" of New York, traded with the Indians, and that one of those ancestors married an Indian woman. True? Family legend? Or, maybe a bit of both? A possible clue to John's birthplace might be that he served most of the Revolutionary War under Captain Leonard Bleecker whose ancestor had been a translator among the Indians. Did they know each other before the War or did they meet for the first time during the expedition to Canada (1775) in which both participated?

An article "Migration Pathways to and from Dutchess County, New York, 1683-1820" by Frank J. Doherty, Sr., pp. 55-57, appearing in the Spring 2010 issue of "American Ancestors" Magazine, states that "Settlers came to Dutchess mostly from the south and east, some from the north, and a few from the west. Since primogeniture (meaning that the oldest son got the family farm) was in effect at that time, many younger sons set out to find their own lands. The author continues, "As late as 1758-60, approximately 70% of the men (serving in the French and Indian War) had been born outside Dutchess County, some from as far away as Europe. Sizable migration out of Dutchess County began about 1764...with many soldiers having seen the good land above Albany and, they decided to start anew in the north."

Is it possible that my Beagle line did indeed first settle in Long Island and that John's ancestor could have migrated north (perhaps with a stop in New Jersey), settling in the wilds of northern New York because of the lucrative fur trade, and then the family moved south into Dutchess County. It is also possible that they might have been among those New Englanders who came to New York.

Since John Beagle enlisted in the Revolutionary army in 1775 at New City (later called Lansingburgh, now a part of Troy, New York), it is most likely that John lived in that area at the time, plying his trade as a weaver. Did he come to that area from the north or west or from the south? Or...was he born there?

After returning from Canada, John was assigned to patrol duty along the North River (now known as the Hudson River) and Lake Champlain, Apparently, he knew that territory well enough to be entrusted to scout it with confidence. I believe that we can definitely consider that his "home turf" within that time frame.

A Moses Beagle was a prisoner of the British during the war and died in captivity. Was that Moses related to John? Did John name his second son after that Moses?

So many questions, so few answers. Hopefully, future research will shed some light on these mysteries.

Mystery #9: How many Johns?

It has been assumed by Hinchman family researchers that John Hincksman of Oyster Bay was the John Hinchman who received a land patent in Flushing, Long Island in 1664 and settled there. Let's look at what we know.

According to printed materials, Flushing (Vlissingen) was settled by English who came there from Holland and received land patents from the Dutch governor in the mid-17th century.

A History of Long Island" by William S. Pelletreau states that the first real settlement in Oyster Bay was begun in 1653 on land purchased by Peter Wright, Samuel Mayo and William Leverich. (p. 129) A vessel owned by Samuel Mayo of Barnstable (Massachusetts), under the command of John Dickinson, was employed in conveying the adventurers and goods to Oyster Bay. An early map of Oyster Bay shows a J. Hincksman owning property next to John Dickinson on land along Oyster Bay Harbor.

From old Oyster Bay records we find this transaction:
"...I John hincksman Late of oyster Baye on Longisland have and by these presants doe Alynate Bargine and sell and have sould unto John dickinson of ye Aforesayd oyster Baye all and singular all yt parsell of land which I Exchanged and had of petter wright..." (Oyster Bay Town Records. Volume 1-1653-1690, p. 162 from page 145 Old A) That transaction was probably the earliest record found on Long Island of a contract for the sale of land, It was reported in "The Wright Family of Oyster Bay, Long Island...1423-1923". The brokerage fee was was "broad-cloath" and liquor to Dickenson, and "a quart of sack" and liquor to Peter Wright for making the bargain. The actual deed was signed the next day of February 1659, and was the second deed in Oyster Bay records.

John Hinchman of Flushing was magistrate and large landowner. His wife was named Sarah. He received land patents in 1664 and 1684 (along with Francis Doughty and John Marston). According to the 1675 Valuation of Estates for Flushing, Hinchman was one of the elite residents of the town. His land was near Flushing Bay.

A Jan Hinchman received a patent on Staten Island in 1676.

One of John Hinchman's daughters married a son of Rev. Francis Doughty, minister at Flushing.

John Hincksman of Boston, was a widely traveled mariner. He is found in records of Massachusetts, Long Island, and Virginia. He, along with a Kenneline Winslow of Boston, Massachusetts, owned a ship, the Barque "Return."

The name John Hincksman (aka Jan Hingsman) appears several times in Long Island legal records in reference to goods being shipped and the payment for same between himself and Francis "Douty." (1663) It appeared that John (Jan) was having trouble coming up with payment for his crew.

In Virginia, several Hincksman land transactions took place between 1662 and 1664. The name Francis Doughty is found in some of those records. (He had moved from Flushing to Maryland and then Virginia by 1664.)

A John Hincksman of Boston married Elizabeth Emmons in 1660. No issue was found for that couple in Boston records. Elizabeth remarried in 1675 (as related in my first posting on this blog). Was her husband John the mariner? The codicil attached to the will of Elizabeth's mother indicates that John Hincksman had borrowed money from her. Apparently, he was not forthcoming in settling the debt. Additionally, his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Mrs. Emmons, was left out of the will. Some have assumed that happened because Elizabeth had died. However, Elizabeth remarried in 1675 and had issue.

Are these different individuals with similar names? Or are they the same, very busy, man? Since there were so few people living in the colonies in the mid-1600s, it would be quite surprising to find many sharing name similarities. What do you think?