Harshbarger line: The family of Wendell Essig

This will be a very short post, as little is known about Wendell, nor of his wife, Anna Eva Matte.  He is given a life span of about 1700 to about 1770, although there seems to be no documentation for either date.  He was from Bern Canton, Switzerland, and settled near Emmitsburg, Maryland, where he is thought to have raised at least four sons.  He , along with his wife and three of his sons, are said to have been killed by natives during the run-up to the Revolutionary War.  This is a family story that has yet to be proven.  

We don't know whether the three sons-Adam, Jacob, and George, who did not survive the believed attack are older or younger than Simon, the surviving son.  He had been sent away from the homestead on an errand, and when he returned, found his family killed and the cabin burned to the ground.  Was he sent on the errand because he was the oldest son and could be trusted to travel for miles in the countryside?  Or was he sent as the youngest son, the least useful around the farm? We don't know.  

None of those killed are known to have married or have had children, but it's possible that someday records will be found that will help fill in the picture of this family.  

For now, we know that Simon, born in 1754, married Julia Margaret Schneer, the daughter of Johann Caspar and Magdalena Kunkel/Kunkle Schneer.  They raised a large family together, and I will follow this family in my next post.  Their children are Adam, Magdalena, Elizabeth, John,  Jacob, George, Sarah, Julie, David, Samuel, William, Catherine, and Rebecca.  Julia died in 1844 in Canton, Stark County, Ohio, and Simon died there in 1851.  The family had lived in Ohio since 1808.  

I told you this would be a short post!  If anyone has further information about Wendell, I'd love to hear it!   

The family of Samuel Demarest 1707-1781

 This is the last of I believe 7 posts about the immigrant David Demarest and his descendants.  It's been fun, and sometimes a slog, to see how the original French Huguenots grew their family, and how those families grew.  Although I have only followed the siblings of my family's ancestors for one generation, I know that if those children were traced further, there would be even more interesting stories and tidbits than I have uncovered here.  For at least 150 years, the Demarest family was closely associated with history, only some of which we studied in school.

As a reminder of how we got to this point, Samuel's father is David, whose father is Samuel, whose father is David.  And to make matters interesting, this Samuel decided to use the spelling De Maree, as did at least some of his children.  I'm referring to him as Demarest because, that's easier for me.  David was born in 1707 in Hackensack, Bergen County, New Jersey.  His wife is Lea Demarest, and they are distant cousins.  Lea's line back to immigrant David is Peter, Jean, and then David.  Her parents are Peter and Maretjie Meet Demarest; his are David and Matie DeBaun Demarest.  Samuel died in 1781 near Pleasureville, Henry County, Kentucky.  Lea may have died in 1780 in Hackensack, New Jersey. This couple, like their ancestors, had a large family.  Ten children was normal for the Demarests but of course, not to us.  

Their first known child was a daughter, Antjin, born in 1733 and died in 1810 (some say 1802) in Pleasureville, Henry County, Kentucky.  She married Hendrik or Henry Banta, the son of Hendrick and Geertjie (I've found lots of different spellings, not sure this is the most correct) Terhune Banta.  Their children are Rachel, Samuel, Peter, John, Cornelius, Jacob, Daniel, Mary Polly, Antie, David, Isaac, Anginitje, and Hendrick.  

Marie was born next, in 1735.  She died in 1799 in Harrodsburg, Mercer County, Kentucky.  She married Jacobus Westervelt or Westerfield, son of James and C=Debora Van Schyweg Westervelt.  Their children are Jacobus, William, Samuel, Isaac, Leah, Debora, Catrina, William, and Rebecca.  This family has a sad story, known as the Westerfield massacre.  Indigenous people regarded Kentucky as their hunting ground, and were very upset as the first settlers arrived and settled in land they regarded as theirs.  During the Revolutionary War, the natives, aided and abetted by the British, repeatedly attacked settlers to try to force them out of the land they claimed.  One such group was the Westerfield family.  There were about 40 allied people who were headed to the fort at Harrodsburg after learning that their neighbors were being killed and their settlement was next.  They didn't make it to the fort.  Instead, they whole group was ambushed.  All of the men (at least 9) were killed, scalped, and their scalps sold to the British.  Some of the women and children were taken to Detroit and held there for ransom, although I am not sure if any of this immediate family was included in that group.  Only about half of the people who set out for Harrodsburg escaped to tell their story.  I do not know this for a fact, but it seems that Marie may have stayed in Harrodsburg rather than return as a widow to a burned out home. slaughtered animals, and destroyed crops in Pleasureville.

Petrus (Peter) was the first son, born in 1737.  I was unable to find a death date and location, other than "about 1818 in Kentucky", although he is buried in Pleasureville.  He married Mary Allen, or Ellen, and I am not sure who her parents are.  Their children are Samuel, Johannes, Peter, Abraham, David, James, and Mary.  

Elizabeth was born in 1739 and died in 1799 in Conewago, Pennsylvania.  She married Daniel Harris, whom I am unable to further identify.  Their children are Annie, John, Daniel, Samuel, George, Peteer, Eleanor, Lena, and Mary/Polly. 

Sarah was born in 1741 and died sometime after 1800, when she married for the second time.  Her first husband, the father of her children, is Benjamin Slot. who changed his surname to Lock.  He is the son of Jacobus and Maria Demarest Slot (Maria is a descendant of Jean and Jacomina De Ruine Demarest, so this family is interconnected in several ways!). Their children are Samuel, William, John, Gerardia (may well be something else), Peter, Jacob, and possibly Polly.  Her second marriage is to George Erdmayer/Admire in 1800.  It is possible that she died in Henry County, where George lived at the time of their marriage, but I haven't found proof of that.

Rachel was born in 1743 and died in 1811 in Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana.  She first married Gerardus Rycken or Ryker, the son of Johannes and and Gartung Wiltsee Rycken.  Their children are Jacob, John, Leah, Gerardus, Samuel, Peter, Geertje, Rachel, and Deborah.  After her husband's death, she married John Van Cleave, son of Aaron and Rachel Schenck Van Cleave.  Their children are Peter and David.  

John was born in 1745 and died about 1798,  in Shelby County, Kentucky.  He married Nancy, possibly Ramey, whom I can't further identify.  All that is reasonably certain is that his wife's name was Nancy.  Their children are Jacob, John, Peter, Nancy, Phebe and Mary.   

Tryntje or Trintie was born in 1748 and died in 1828 in Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana.  She married Jacob Smock, the son of John and Leah (maiden name not found) Smock.  Their children are Leah, Samuel, Peter, Abraham, Matthew, John, Mary, Jacob, Katherine, and Sally Ann.   

The last daughter, Lea, was born in 1752.  What little information I can find of her is conflicting.  She probably married Abraham van Buskirk, but who he was I cannot determine.  She is said to have died in 1843 in Jefferson County, Indiana, although the Demarest family book states that she was the only one of her siblings not to have gone west.  I know that some of the van Buskirk families were Loyalists, so it's possible that they went to Canada or another of the British colonies after the Revolutionary War.  Or she may have gone west long after the rest of her family, perhaps as a widow.  Much more research needs to be done for her.  Her children are listed as David, and possibly Peter.  There may have been more.

And finally, there is yet another Samuel Demarest or Demaree.  He was born in 1754 and died in 1826 in Jefferson County, Indiana.  He married Mary Brouwer, the daughter of Daniel and Marie Brouwer.  Their children are Susanna, Daniel, and Mary Ann.  

Some general comments: The Revolutionary War greatly affected this generation.  Some of the family fought on the Patriot side and some on the British side.  There were times when the men were in the same battle, on different sides.  The family moved from their Bergen County, New Jersey home to Conewago, Pennsylvania, on to Berkeley County, Virginia, and then to the area of Shelby/Henry/Mercer County, Kentucky.  Several of the children crossed the Ohio River and settled in Jefferson County, Indiana.  It has been suggested that at least some of them were motivated by anti-slavery beliefs, but it is just as likely that they were looking for more land and economic opportunities.  And of course, when some of the family moved, more joined them.  

This has been a fascinating family to follow, from start to finish.  There is so much history encapsulated in their lives, and we are fortunate that so much of it is available to us.  Their stories should be part of the Beeks family treasury of stories.   

 

The family of David Demarest 1681-1761

 Just so we're keeping the Davids and the Samuels and the other Demarest men straight, sort of, this David is the grandson of David the immigrant, who is married to Marie Sohier.  He is the son of Samuel and Maria DeRuine Demarest, and is one of several David Demarests who are part of this large extended family.  He married Matie (sometimes seen as Martha) de Baun, the daughter of Joost (Jost, Joseph) and Elizabeth Drabbe de Baun or de Banen, and died in 1761 in Hackensack, Bergen County, New Jersey. Once again, there are numerous variations on the spellings of these names and once again this is a family with a lot of children, several of whom are named David, with a couple of Samuels thrown in.  And as always, this is how I see it as of today, but further documentation could change my mind, or at least answer some of the questions I still have.

David and Matie's first child was Samuel, born in 1707.  I am still researching to find his date and location of death but most web sites are showing that he died in 1781 near Pleasureville, Henry County, Kentucky.  That would make him an early pioneer there.  He married twice.  His first wife is Antie Lozier, the daughter of Nicholas and Tryhtje Slot Lachaire.  They had two children together, David and Nicholas.  After Antie died, he married Lea Demarest, the daughter of Peter and Maretie Demarest (yes, they are cousins.)  their children are Antie, Marie, Peter, Elizabeth, Sarah, Rachel, John, Daniel, Trntje, Lea, and Samuel.  I have seen a Samuel listed as the child of the first wife, but I can't verify that.  Perhaps there were two Samuels.  I will follow this family in my next blog post.  

Elizabeth was born next, in 1708.  Sadly, she died 6 1/2 years later, in 1715, in Hackensack, New Jersey.

Joost was born in 1710 and died in 1750 in New York City, New York.  I am not sure whether he lived there or whether he was there on business of some sort.  He married Marijtjin Meyer, the daughter of Jacob and Annetie Kammega Meyer.  Their children are Antjin, Maria, Jacob, Daniel, Petrus, Elizabeth, Annetje, Sara, Rachel, John, Daniel, Marytjin, Tryntje, and Samuel.  I am somewhat skeptical of this list, as 14 children seem like a lot for a man who died when he was 40.  We should do more research on this family.  

Maria was born in 1713 and died about 1793, although her place of death is not known.  She married Thomas Eckerson, son of Jan and Marie Jans Ekkerson.  Their children are Mrtie, David, Jacob, Jan, Sara, Edward, Elizabeth, and Maria.   

Elizabeth was born in 1715 and died in 1797 in Bergenfield, Bergen County, NJ.  She married William Campbell (I have also seen this spelled Kammell more than once, but based on the parents' names, think that Campbell is the more likely spelling), the son of James and Janet Humphrey Campbell.  Their children are Jannetje, David, Thomas, Christian, James, Alexander, Samuel, John, Jacob, Nancy and Elizabeth.   

Christian was born in 1717 and died in 1787 in New York.  He is interesting because in 1780, at the age of 63, he was captured by the British, at Paramus, New Jersey and held as a prisoner of war.  As yet, I haven't tracked down more of his story but I certainly want to do so.  He married Geesje Romein, the daughter of Albert and Jantje Westervelt Romeyn.  Their children are Maetje, Albert, Elizabeth, Jannetje, Albert again, David, and Nicholas.  Christian married twice more, to Hannah Van Horn and then to Jane Bussey, but these were later in life marriages with no children born to them.

Peter was born next, in 1719.  One page I looked at said that he married Mary Demarest, but there was no further information about either of them.  I do not know how long Peter lived, nor whether he married.  If someone has that information, I would love to know a little more of his story!

Jacob was born in 1721 and died in 1793, in Goshen, Orange County, New York.  He married Rachel Secord, the daughter of Daniel and Catherine Secord.  I suspect that there are more children that I haven't located, but this couple seems to have had a son, David, and perhaps a son Peter.  He served during the Revolutionary War, even though he would have been in his late 50s or early 60s.  Again, more research needs to be done to learn more of his story.

Sara was born in 1724 and married James Campbell, whom I can't further identify but who may be related to the William Campbell mentioned above.  I have two different death dates and locations for her so at this point I do not know when or where she died.  Their children include Sara, James, and Jannetje, and there may well be more.  

Rachel was born in 1726 and died in 1756, although neither date seems to be well documented.  It is thought that she died in Bergen County, NJ.  She married Cornelius Doremus, the son of Johannes and Lysbeth Ackerman Doremus.  Their children are Rachel, Johannes, David, Margaret, and Aeltje.

And finally, perhaps after Matie thought she was done with the pregnancy and birth events, there was Annetje, born in 1730.  Annetje died in or after 1794 in Adolphustown, Ontario, Canada.  She married Claes Peterson the son of Nicholas and Catalyntie Jongbloedt Petersen,  Adolphustown was formed in 1784 by Loyalists (Tories) who had fled or been forced out of their homes in the thirteen colonies following the Revolutionary War.  It is easy to speculate that Claes was a Loyalist but not so easy to understand what Annetje might have thought about that, other than perhaps it was her duty to go with her husband.  Or perhaps she wholeheartedly agreed with his political beliefs, which would have set them apart from most of the Demarest family.  Their known children are Davvid, another David, Trintje, Annetje, Paul, Nicholas, Christopher, Katherine, and Maritje.  

Some of these children lived a normal life span for the time, and some lived less than 40 years.  They all, however, started families and helped grow their country, whichever country they sided with.  Most of these children stayed relatively close to "home", which indicates to me that David and Matie were able to help them get a start in life, and that achievement, by itself, is enough to make me give them respect. 

 

 

 

The family of Samuel Demarest 1656-1728

 These Demarest lines are confusing, and are about to get more confusing.  I recently wrote posts about the families of David Demarest, Jean Demarest, and David Demarest, three generations of men before daughtering out with David's daughter Lea.  I mentioned then that Lea had married Samuel Demarest, and we'd be exploring that line next.  So now we're backing up to an earlier Samuel Demarest, who is a brother to Jean and the son of David and Marie Sohier Demarest.  We'll follow this line for several generations, also.  And again, a caution: These names, both surnames and given names, have all kinds of variations so anyone looking at or for records needs to be on their toes, have good eyesight, and accept flexible spelling in the same family and even in records depicting the same person.  I am not positive that I've sorted through all of this correctly, but it at least gives us a good starting point.  Are you ready?

Samuel, as mentioned above, is the son of David and Marie Sohier Demarest, born in 1656 in Mannheim in what is not Germany, and died in 1728 in Hackensack, Bergen County, New Jersey.  He married Maria De Ruine, the daughter of Simon and Magdalena van Straaten (Vanderstraaten) De Ruine.  Eleven children are known to have been born to this couple, so once again, this will be a rather long post.  

Their first child is a daughter, Magdalena, born in 1680 and died between 1712 and 1718, in Hackensack, New Jersey.  She married Cornelius Banta, the son of Epke and Sitske Dirckse Banta.  Their children are Samuel, another Samuel, Jacob, Rachel, Lea, Elizabeth, and Abram.   

David was born in 1681 and died in 1760 in Hackensack.  He married Matie DeBaun, the daughter of Jost and Elizabeth Drabbe DeBaun.  Their children are Maria, Lea, Elizabeth, Christian, Peter, Sarah, Jacob, Rachel, Annetje, and Samuel.  (Please note that the only name from Magdalena's list of children that is not repeated here is Abram.  And it will get more complex as we add more cousins!) I will write more about this family in my next post.

Jacomina was born in 1686 (potential pregnancy between the two??)and died in 1728 in Monmouth, New Jersey.  She married twice.  Her first marriage was to Samuel Helling, or Helm, the son of  Hendrik and Grietje Samuels Helling.  They had three children, Susanna, Teunis, and Samuel.  She naxt married Cornelius van Horn, the son of Cornelius and Margrietje Vanderburgh Van Horn.  Their children are Margaret, Annetje, Cornelius, Margrita, Maria, John, Lucas, Rachel, and Daniel.  Jacomina died a day after her son Daniel was born.  

Judith was born in 1690 and died in 1767 in Kinderkamack, New Jersey.  She married Christian DeBaun, the son of Jost and Elizabeth Crabbe DeBaun.  (Demarest siblings married DeBaun siblings, so Judith's first child, Christina, is a double cousin to David's children).  She next married Peter Durie, the son of Jehan and Jeanne Hessulier Durie.  Their children are Cornelia, Jan, Marie, Jannete, Samuel, and Sarah. 

Samuel was next, born in 1693.  Don't try to keep track of all the Samuel Demarests in these two lines, unless you really want a challenge.  This Samuel died in 1737 in Monmouth, New Jersey.  He married Annetje Van Horn, the daughter of Cornelius and Margretje Vanderburgh Van Horn (yes, you just saw the names of those parents a few paragraphs ago.  Again, siblings from the Demarest family married siblings from the Van Horn family.).  Their children are Jannetje, Cornelius, Samuel, Margrietje, David, Elsie, Peter, and Daniel.  

Peter was born in 1695 and died in 1774 in Orange County, New York.  This may have been about 50 miles, depending on which part of each county the farms are located.  He married Grietje Haring, the daughter of Cornelius and Cathalyn Flierboon Haring.  Their children are Marie, Catalynthe, Samuel, Fytie, Sara, Jacob, Margretjen, John, and Vrouwtje.

Sara was born in 1697 and died in 1719 in Hackensack.  She married John Westervelt, the son of Jurinen and Gieske Bongert van Westervelt.  They had one child together, Jurrian.  I don't know whether Sara died as a result of childbirth, but it's certainly possible.

Simon was born in 1699 and died in 1761 in Hackensack.  He married Vrouwtje Haring, the daughter of Conelius and Cathalyn Flierboon Haring.  (See two paragraphs above-siblings and siblings, again.  So many double cousins in this family!)  Their children are Samuel, Catalyntje, Cornelius, Maria, Daniel,  John, David, Petrus and Jacob.   

Rachel was born in 1701 and died in 1799 in Appoquinimink, Dekaware,  She married Jacobus Peek, the son of Johannes and Lysbeth van Imbarg Peek.  Their children are Sarah, Judith, Rachel, Samuel, Jacobus, Guysber, Rachel, David, and Annetie.  

Susanna was the last daughter, born in 1703 and died in 1747 in Hackensack, New Jersey.  She married Benjamin van Boskerck, the son of Laurens and an unidentified mother van Boskerck.  Their children are Samuel, Lauren, Marie, and Jacomyntie.  There may be more children, but  these are the ones that are noted in the records I looked at.

Finally, son Daniel was born in 1706 and died in 1727 in Bergen County, New Jersey.  There are no records of a spouse or children for Daniel, and it is believed that he was single when he died at the age of 21.

Samuel and Marie had about 77 grandchildren.  10 were named Samuel, and I didn't attempt to count the Maria or Rachels or other names.   When we think of the Samuels I've mentioned in the previous posts, and the ones yet to come, it's easy to wonder how the families kept them all straight.