Mystery #7: Why was Sarah E. Beagle living with Robert Coon and his family in 1875?

The eldest daughter of Robert and Sarah A. Fisher Coon was named Sarah Eliza. She married Daniel Beagle in 1866. In the 1875 New York State census record, she is enumerated with her parents and without her husband or children. Where was Daniel? Where were their four children born between 1867 and 1875?

Follow-up on Robert Coon's birthplace

A check of the 1875 New York State Census shows the following entry for Robert Coon in Hancock, Delaware County, New York. Robert, age 68, born in Columbia County, a farmer. This confirms my research that he was indeed born in that county in 1807. It appears that I have him in the correct family with his father being Henry S. Coon, who was his neighbor in Cochecton in the 1840 census.

John Beagle (aka Beedle): Revolutionary Patriot

Little is known about John Beagle (aka John Beedle) before 1775. Through Revolutionary War Company Muster Rolls, Pay Rolls and Pension documents, John Beagle’s service to his country can be traced from his enlistment at Lansingburgh (then called New City), New York, located about 10 miles north of Albany. He served in the colonial forces commanded by General Montgomery during the expedition against Quebec and participated in the battle, siege and capture of the fort at St. John. Among the officers on that mission were Leonard Bleecker, Peter Gansevoort and Goose Van Schaick. After returning from Canada, John Beagle was a member of a contingent of soldiers detached from the main force for service along Lake Champlain and the North River.

After completing his initial nine-month enlistment, John joined Captain John Bradt’s Schenectady Rangers for a term of up to 4 months. In early 1777, Colonel Henry Livingston gave Lieutenant Leonard Bleecker a stipend of 40 pounds for recruitment. Bleecker was promoted to Captain and formed a unit under the command of Colonel Peter Gansevoort in the Third New York Regiment. John Beagle enlisted in that unit for the duration of the War and was promoted to Corporal on March 12, 1777.

The Third Regiment was stationed at Fort Stanwix from April 1777 to November 1778. Life at the fort was very difficult. The fort was small, built to house about 300 men but there were 750 stationed there. The enlisted men slept four to a bunk in very cramped quarters.

During the siege of the fort, from August 3 to August 22, 1777, the British forces fired their cannons throughout the day and night, a very nerve-wracking experience. Four Colonial soldiers were killed and 18 wounded. Nine members of the troop deserted, not knowing that help was on the way. On the last day of the siege, the British cannons fired often during the morning and then there was silence. The British and their allies had disappeared. They left so fast that 150 of their men were left in the trenches.

After the siege, life mainly consisted of marching and cleaning boots and weapons. They dared not go out of the fort for fear of a return of the British or of being attacked by British sympathizers. Boredom led to fights and more desertions. In November 1778, relief forces arrived and the Third Regiment was finally allowed to join the fight.

In 1781, with the war winding down, the New York regiments were reorganized. Col. Gansevoort was relieved of command and returned home. Some of his men were discharged. John Beagle was retained in Capt. Bleecker’s unit under the command of Col. Goose Van Schaick in the First New York Regiment. This Regiment was at Yorktown, Virginia during the surrender of Cornwallis.

John Beagle was discharged at Snake Hill, Newburgh, Orange County, NY in November 1783, Two years later, on his 40th birthday, he married Lavintyea “Winche” Van Nosdall in Fishkill Plains, NY. She was 17 years old. John and Winche had ten children, born between 1786 and 1807. We know the names of 8 of them: William, Moses, Mary, Catherine, Phebe, Sarah, Jemima, and Samuel. For the first few years of their marriage, John and Winche lived in Rensselaerwyck on rented land. Three known children were born there between 1786 and 1790. (A John Beedle is enumerated in the 1790 census in Rensselaerwyck.) John Beagle received a Land Bounty Grant in that year. In 1792 the family moved to Schoharie. The next 5 known children were born there. The last, Samuel, was reportedly born in Dutchess County.

In 1818, at the age of 72 years, 7 months and 8 days¸ John Beagle made his application for a pension. It is in that detailed statement that we learn that John Beagle had been a weaver. By that time, he was too infirm to ply his trade and unable to support his wife. John Beagle died in Schoharie on the Friday after Election Day in November 1829.

Mystery #6: Robert Coon

Robert Coon was born in New York State early in the 19th century. Around 1835 he married Sarah Ann Fisher. They had 8 children born between 1836 and 1856. Robert was enumerated in Cochecton, Sullivan County in the 1840 census with his age given as 30-40, placing his birth sometime between 1810 and 1820, most likely by 1815. Robert's neighbors in Cochecton were Henry S. Coon (age 60-70) and Andrew Coon (age 40-50). Henry is enumerated between Robert and Andrew. This would appear to be a nice family grouping.

In the New York State Census, the county of birth is listed for persons born in the state. The 1865 census lists Robert's birthplace as Montgomery. Was that Montgomery County birthplace for Robert correct or was this an enumerator's error? Or, was Robert perhaps referring to the town of Montgomery in Orange County, a town located between Columbia and Sullivan counties? "The History of the Town of Cochecton" found on the Sullivan County Historical Society website states that, in early days, Cochecton was the western terminus of the Cochecton-Newburgh Turnpike, which would have made Cochecton (and other places along the route) likely places for settlement by people migrating from Dutchess and Columbia counties. According to published accounts of the area, which was a part of the Hardenburgh Patent, the land was leased to settlers until the "Anti-Rent War" in 1844. Deed records indicate that Robert purchased land in Cochecton in 1844.

Robert was still alive in 1880. The 1875 NYS census will be checked to see what county he declared at that time.

Thomas the Skinner

As mentioned in a previous post, Thomas Henchman, who resided in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England during the latter part of the 16th century, was a Skinner and a member of the Skinners Guild of London. The Bishops' Visitation of London 1633-34 declares him to have that occupation. Microfilmed records of apprentice bindings and freedoms for that guild were examined in the time frame 1496 to 1624. Thomas was accepted as an apprentice in February 1574 for a period of 10 years. He is identified as Thomas Crosborowe als Hensman, son of Thomas Crosborowe of Wellingboro, Northamptonshire.
There is a legend that a Thomas Crosborough saved the life of the king on a boar hunt and the king declared "Truly thou art my veritable Henchman," whereupon Thomas changed his name to Henchman. Some sources have identified the king as Henry VII (1485-1509) and others say Edward IV (1461-1483).
This entry in the Skinners' records appears to contradict that scenario. When Thomas Crosborowe als Hensman became an apprentice, at least 65 years had passed since the death of Henry VII, and almost 100 years since the death of Edward. Thomas' father was still using the Crosborowe variant of the Crosborough surname. Additionally, the surname adopted by the Northamptonshire Crosboroughs was Hensman, not Henchman. It appears that Thomas' generation was the first to adopt the Hensman surname. It is not until the baptism of Anne Henchman in Burton Latimer in 1584 that the Henchman spelling was found in records. Since spelling variations were very common until well into the 19th century, it is possible that the scribe at that parish spelled it that way because that was what he heard. The last child of Thomas Henchman baptized at that church has the spelling Henceman (different scribe?)
So, it appears that the legend is just that. The boar hunt certainly could have happened. The history of the county points to the presence of royal retreats in that county and there was an abundance of wildlife, which the kings hunted for sport. A Crosborough certainly could have been involved in at least one of those hunts and may have even saved the life of the king. That's where possible reality ends and probable fiction begins.

Mystery #5: Where was the bishop born?

Humphrey Henchman, Bishop of Salisbury, England in the 17th century, was the son of Thomas Henchman and Anne Griffith. Of this we are pretty certain since he mentions his brother Morris in his will and Morris was a son of Thomas and Anne, baptized in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England in February 1597. Three of Morris' siblings were also baptized there - in 1584, 1587 and 1588. But three others, born between 1589 and 1596 (including Humphrey), are not in the parish register.
There was a debate raging for many years as to the birthplace of the bishop. Author A. Wood says Humphrey Henchman was born at the home of his aunt and baptized in Barton Seagrave as per notes made in the parish register by kinsman William Henchman who was rector of that church in the mid-17th century. The notation reportedly stated that Humphrey was baptized December 22, 1592 in that parish. However, this cannot be verified because microfilms of Barton Seagrave parish records are not available before 1609. Rev. Henchman stated that the early registers were in very poor condition.
Another researcher vehemently disagrees with Mr. Wood's claim because Thomas and Anne Henchman were living in Burton Latimer during that time frame. Anne's sister, Jane, was the wife of the rector at Burton Latimer, Owen Owen. Jane died 7 months before Humphrey was born. Rev. Owen died 3 months after Humphrey's birth. It would seem likely that, since Jane and Owen had young children, Thomas and Anne would remain in that town to help out. But, since three of their children were not listed in the parish register, one might wonder If the family was somewhere else during that time frame. Occasionally a baptism or marriage was missed, but three in a row for one family seems a bit of a stretch.
Since Thomas was originally from Wellingborough in that same county, it would seem likely that they might have gone there. However, the missing children are not mentioned in Wellingborough records. Anne was born in Wales. Could they have been visiting her family for an extended period of time? Records for Carnarvon are very sparse during that time frame since it was a very poor part of the country and paper and ink were expensive. No records were found for that area. Thomas was a skinner, a member of the Skinners Guild of London, so it is possible that they could have gone to London for a time and that the three missing baptisms could have been done there. Research is being done in the microfilmed records of the Skinners Guild to see if Thomas is mentioned there during that time frame. Since there are so many churches in London, it would be very difficult to search all of them for those records.
More to follow. Keep tuned.

Mystery Solved!

With so many "brick walls," it is so satisfying to break down at least one. John Shoens of Camillus, Onondaga County, New York, had a wife named Rebecca. In the 1850 census, a Ruth Randall was living with the family. Unfortunately, in that census, relationships are not given. Oh, one might surmise, that must be Rebecca's mother and, therefore, Rebecca's surname must have been Randall. Many researchers have made that mistake and linked John to a Rebecca Randall who was born and married in Oneida County. She was born about the same time as the wife of John Shoens. Just one problem - she married someone else and died in Oneida County. A visit to the Shoens plot in Belle Isle Cemetery gives a valuable clue. The gravestone for John and his wife lists "John Shoens" and "Rebecca Fox his wife." Her birth year is 1800.

A search of Footnote.com indicated that a Ruth Randall applied for a widow's pension for Revolutionary War service by her first husband, Lemuel Fox. In order to prove her relationship to Lemuel, Ruth tore pages out of her bible and sent them with her application. Those pages are found among the digital images on Footnote. The bible pages showed the date of her marriage to Lemuel, the names and dates of birth of her children and the date of Lemuel's death. Rebecca Fox is listed as their first child, born 17 June 1800. Is that the Rebecca we have been looking for? The surname and date of birth match the information on the gravestone.

Ruth's application was denied because no record of Revolutionary War service was found for a Lemuel Fox in New York. Ruth subsequently remarried - to a John Clark, a proven Revolutionary War soldier. When John died, Ruth applied again under his name. That application was denied due to the previous application. Ruth remarried and her surname became Randall. Mr. Randall died, and, you guessed it, she tried once more. She was never successful in getting her pension. That might be one of the reasons she, as a widow, was residing in the home of her daughter and son-in-law in Camillus in 1850.

The 1855 New York State census states that John was born in Oneida County and Rebecca was born in Onondaga County, NY. Ruth Randall is living with them and is identified as "mother-in-law." The children of Ruth and Lemuel Fox were born in Onondaga County. Upon preponderance of the evidence, the wife of John Shoens was Rebecca Fox, not Rebecca Randall.