Elias Middaugh (1756- 1819)

The grave of Elias Middaugh in the Dutchtown Cemetery, Wellsburg, Chemung County, New York is marked with a new monument and flag to honor our Revolutionary Patriot.

His will was probated on the 20th of  November, 1819.  His wife was not named, but the names of his children were given as Phebe, James, Elizabeth, Catherine, Abraham, Urania, Cornelius, Anthony, Mary, Charity, John, and Henry.  The executors for the will were Henry Wells, Esq., and son in law, Isaac Beidleman.

His father was Cornelius Middaugh and his mother, Elizabeth Van Benschoten,  both of Holland Dutch ancestry whose roots were in the Dutch Colony in Ulster Co., New York.   William Henry Van Benschoten  in his book about the Van Benschoten family in 1907  sites that our Elias Middagh married Sarah Van Aken.  The baptisms of three of their children appear in the church record at Mahackemack, now Port Jervis, New York.  One being Elizabeth who was christened on  October 29, 1780.  Elias Middaugh's name appears in the 1772 and 1778 Tax & Exoneration lists in Smithfield Township, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania.  It was during this time that Elias Middaugh provided service in the American Revolution.  The DAR list him as Ancestor #: A202512 and show his record in 1778 as a private 4th class of the 1st Company under Captain Anthony Shymer in the 6th Battalion of the Northampton Co. Militia commanded by Col. Jacob Stroud.  Military records also are found for 1777 and 1781 with the Northampton Co. Militia.

He is still in  Upper Smithfield Twp when he is enumerated in  the 1790 Census, sometime after which he moved on to Newtown, now Elmira, N.Y.  With the end of the Revolutionary War, soldiers began to move westward into territory that was still pretty rugged and on the edge of the frontier.

Van Benschoten provides this very interesting account of Elias' half brother, John Van Auken.  "In 1796 John, following the lead two years earlier of his brother in-law, Ludowick Van Demark, emigrated to Phelps, N.Y., brave Margaret carrying in her arms a son three months old. The hardships of the journey were great, what with three small children, household goods and cattle and the wild state of the country traversed. They made the journey with a covered lumber wagon and two yoke of oxen.  Four cows and ten head of sheep journeyed with them driven by one Richard Quick.  As they neared the Susquehanna  and were passing over a ledge of rocks they broke an axle-tree and this had to be replaced. The fording of the streams added greatly to their difficulties, in particular the passing of the Chenango river.  After grievous trouble they made the crossing of that water and came to  Newtown (Elmira) where Gen. Sullivan had fought one of his battles with the Six Nations.   Here Elias Middagh, a half-brother of John, had settled.   With him they rested a few days and then took up the struggle through the wilds again; indeed, wilderness trials beset them until  the head of Seneca Lake was reached."
 
From this account we know that Elias was in the Elmira, New York area before 1796.  I can only imagine that Elias and his family had just as arduous a trip traveling from Upper Smithfield Township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania to Chemung Township in Tioga County, New York as did his brother John.   Elias Middaugh  appears on the 1799 Tax Assessment, Town of Chemung, Tioga County,  New York; House & Farm, 626.85, 154.00, 0.78.   The 1800 Census for Chemung Twp, Tioga County, New York shows us the growth of his family whereby there are listed 2 males 0-9, 3 males 10-15, 1 male 16-25, 1 male 45 or older  and  3 females 0-9, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 16-25 and 1 female 26-44 in his household.  The 1810 Census  Chemung Twp, Tioga County, New York shows 1 male 10-15, 3 males 16025, 1 male over 45, 1 female 10/15, 1 female 16-25, 1 female over 45.  

And now the family connection.   Remember Orrseltie Ursula Dircks Hendricksen Jacobs Westbrook?   She  was the  mother of Johannes Westbrook (1662-1725)  who married Maddelen Decker (1666-1727).  They were the parents of Sarah Westbrook (1694-1766) who married Cornelis Van Aken (1690-1743), who had a son Abraham (born 1720), who married Catrina Rosenkrans (born 1728).    Their daughter is the Sarah Van Aken (1757-1819)  who married Elias Middaugh (1756-1819).    And their daughter, Elizabeth Middaugh (1780-1848),  married Henry Van Wey (1776-1836) in Tioga Co. Pennsylvania.  Henry's daughter, Harriet Van Wey, my  great, great grandmother, married Frederick Hughes.

Sources:
Abstracts of Wills for residents who resided in that portion of Tioga County, New York that became Chemung County located at http://www.rootsweb.com/~srgp/document/tiogany.htm.
"Van Bunschoten or Van Benschoten Family in America"  by William Henry Van Benschoten published 1907,  located online, July 23, 2003 at http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/county/orange/vb/id51.htm.
Pennsylvania Archives, Series 5, Volume 8, pages  410, 426, 427, 428.  Available on line.
Daughters of the American Revolution, http://www.dar.org/
Find A Grave Memorial # 77803677, Elias Middaugh, online.
Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission; Records of the Office of the Comptroller General, RG-4; Tax & Exoneration Lists, 1762-1794; Microfilm Roll: 331.  Ancestry.com.
Family records of Cynthia Hughes Smith.

Please see this list of all My Revolutionary War Ancestors.   I welcome your comments. Please consider joining this BLOG as a follower or  a member.                                                                Copyright
                                       This page  © 2015, Cynthia H. Smith

This site may be linked, but not duplicated in any way without consent. The copyright on this page must appear on all copied and/or printed material.
                                
                              Send email  to chsmith47@yahoo.com





  

Deabold Schott (1735 - 1799)

The Smith family has a rich heritage of ancestors descended from men who provided service  to the United States of America so that we may enjoy the freedoms of liberty.  In this entry I will provide some links to show several of our connections back to Deabold Schott.  About 1760 Deabold  Schott married Christina Elisabetha Ries. They became the parents of 11 children whose names are provided in the DAR papers. They were: Lorentz Feb 13, 1761;  Maria Margaretha 7/17 1763;  Gertrude 3/3/1765;  Christina 1/3/1767 who married Leonard Knecht the son of Hans Leonard Knecht;  Dewald (Theobald) 1769; John Jacob 7/25/1770; Margaretha 7/3/1772;  Catharina 7/21/1774; Elizabetha 11/28/1776 and  Anna Maria 12/4/1777.

The inscriptions on the tombstones of Deabold and Christina in the  Salem Union Church Cemetery, Moorestown, Pennsylvania provides important information for both.  He was born on September 28, 1735 and died November 14, 1799.   Christina Riesen Schott was born June 24, 1737 and lived to the age of 69 when she died on November 22, 1806.    Her stone is difficult to read, but the inscription in part says, "lived in marriage with Theobald Schott for 39 years and conceived 4 sons and  7 daughters".   The "en" attached to Ries tells us that she was a daughter of a man named Ries.

A flag and medal at his grave commemorates military service, but it is not always easy to prove that an ancestor  provided service during the Revolutionary War.  For one thing any documents that remain showing a record of service have been transcribed from the original records.  Have you ever tried to read something written in  a 250 year old script?  The handwriting, while in some cases is beautiful and flowing, in many it is just downright near impossible to decipher.  But the transcriber did the best they could when they read the records to write the names in modern English. And for the amateur genealogist such as me, the best sources are these transcribed records, many of which can be now found on line.

Deabold lived in Northampton Co., Pennsylvania  prior to and after the Revolutionary War.  Even though there is a Dewalt Schudt who arrived here on the ship Ranier in 1749, our Deabold would have  only been 14 years old in 1749, so most likely this is his father.  A record from Macungie township shows that  Dewalt Shut or Shutt (both spelling used in this) applied for 50 acres adjoining Joseph Walbretght, Christian Curr and Caspar Wistar in 1758. By this time he would have been about 23 years old and ready to start out on his own.  On May 25, 1758, Dewalt Shut  applied for  25 acres including improvements made about a year ago adjoining lands of Joseph Albright in Macungie township.  


Deabold's  name appears in a general muster roll of the 2nd Battalion of the Northampton County Pennsylvania Militia, May 14, 1778.  (Pennsylvania Archives, Series 5, Volume 8, page 106) The troops were commanded by  Colonel George Breinig, Lieut. Colonel Stephen Balliet, and 2nd Company Captain George Knappenberger.  Dewauld Shoutt was in the 6th class. The Daughters of the American Revolution  provides us with a record of his service in the Revolutionary War.  He is Ancestor #:  A101118.  The DAR record cites his service listed in the Pennsylvania Archives, Series 5, Volume 8, page 106.  the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Company, Northampton Co. under Captain Johan George Knappenberger.  Another Smith ancestor,  George Graver was also part of this company.


A later service record shows that he provided a substitute, Lorance Shott, in his stead  (PA Archives, Series 5, Volume 8, page 47 and 60).  The 1st Battalion of the Northampton Co. Militia was  commanded by Lieut. Colonel Stephen Balliet and Captain Casper Griemimyer in the 7th Company. Theobald Shoth (also shown as Devalt Shot)  was in the 6th class for which his son, Lawrence served in his place. 

Deabold and Christina had a daughter Christina who married Leonard Knecht who was the son of Hans Leonard Knecht.    Christina Schott and  Leonard Knecht had a daughter named Salome who married George Kunkle, a grandson of John George Kunkle.  Their son  Charles Kunkle was the grandfather of Estella Kunkle who was the great grandmother of Ronald Smith, my husband. 

Sources:
Bucks Co. PA Gen Web."Land Records For Bucks County Pennsylvania". http://pagenweb.org/~BUCKS/Land20Records/landrecordspage2.html
Pennsylvania Archives, Series 5, Volume 8, various pages as cited above.  Available on line.
Find A Grave Memorial # 59644709 and  # 59644751
Family records of Cynthia Hughes Smith

Please see this list of all My Revolutionary War Ancestors.  I welcome your comments. Please consider joining this BLOG as a follower or member.

                                                             Copyright

This page  © 2015, Cynthia H. Smith


Send email to chsmith47@yahoo.com

This site may be linked, but not duplicated in any way without consent. The copyright on this page must appear on all copied and/or printed material.

George Graver (1742 - 1807)

This very awesome tintype is a picture of several members of the Edward Graver family who lived in Franklin township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania.  Ed and his wife Elizabeth are seated.  Wilson Graver, the father of Beatrice Graver Smith, stands in the middle back flanked by his sister and brother.   Wilson married Jennie Lauer. You must go back and read the story of their very rocky relationship, but before you do, I will share with you what I have learned about Wilson's great, great grandfather, George Graver.

George (Graber ) Graver is the earliest known ancestor of Beatrice Graver Smith. Beatrice was my husband Ron's grandmother.   In her written family history, she wrote that oral family history told to her was that this branch of the family was from Switzerland. They were probably members of the Palatine people who immigrated to America from the Rhine river area of Germany / Switzerland.  George married Maria Catherine Ludwig.

The Pennsylvania, Land Warrants and Applications, 1733-1952  shows that George Graber had a  Warrant dated 20 August 1768 for 50 acres in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. That is a substantial tract of land. Between then and 1807 when he died he acquired more land as evidenced in his will.  His will was filed and proven on February 26, 1807 in Moore Township, Northampton County Pennsylvania. File #2506, Will Book 4 names sons John and Mathias as executors and  also names his eleven children. To son Henry his homestead of 66.5 acres, while son David received 50 pounds. To his daughter Elizabeth (Moser) was given the yearly interest on 100 pounds,  the principle to be retained for her. To his sons George, Mathias, Peter, Andrew, Henry and Daniel each received 30 pounds.  John and Mathias, the executors, received 25 pounds.  

As to the records documenting Revolutionary War service for George Graver the following evidence has been found.

The Archives Records Informational System says that "Inactive Duty" meant the soldier did not necessarily see active duty.  The Pennsylvania Militia was organized under an Act of the Assembly of March 17, 1777 that required compulsory enrollment of all able-bodied white males between the ages of 18 and 53.

But his name appears in a general muster roll of the 2nd Battalion of the Northampton County Pennsylvania Militia, May 14, 1778.  The troops were commanded by  Colonel George Breinig, Lieut. Colonel Stephen Balliet, and 2nd Company Captain George Knappenberger.  George Graver was in the 2nd class.
The Daughters of the American Revolution  provides us with a record of his service in the Revolutionary War.  He is Ancestor #: A133784.  The DAR record gives him credit in the 1st Battalion of the Northampton County Pennsylvania Militia in the 2nd Company under Lieut. Colonel Stephen Balliet, Major Frederick Limbach and Captain Grienlmyer.  Dates of service for this enlistment were November, 1781 to January 1st 1782.  He is listed as a private.
Therefore we can surmise that he willingly availed himself for service for the duration of the War for Independence.  Living in  this part of Northampton County meant not only being prepared to go into battle if called upon, but also meant securing the safety of the home-front from invasion by hostiles, as this area was very much the frontier at that time.
Life was not easy for a family living on the frontier.  George's son Daniel married Elizabeth Dreisbach, whose father Johannes Dreisbach also gave service in the Revolutionary War.  Dan and Elizabeth Graver had a son named John Andrew who married Elizabeth Hower and had a son named Edward who is  pictured in the above photo.  Their son Wilson Graver married Jennie Lauer and were the parent's of Beatrice Graver Smith, Ron's grandmother.

Sources:


1. Pennsylvania Archives, Series 5, Volume 8, page 106, page 59.
2. National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, online research, http://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search/
3. Pennsylvania State Archives, online http://www.digitalarchives.state.pa.us/archive.asp. (ARIAS).

  This entry marks the 3rd year anniversary of the publication of my Family History Blog, "Who's Your Grammie".  Your comments are welcome on the form below.  Please see this list of all My Revolutionary War Ancestors.


                                                               Copyright

This page  © 2015, Cynthia H. Smith


Send email to chsmith47@yahoo.com

This site may be linked, but not duplicated in any way without consent. The copyright on this page must appear on all copied and/or printed material.