Thursday, September 24, 2026

Beeks line: The family of Jan Pietersen Slot 1620ish to 1688 or later

Dates on Jan Slot's birth, marriage, and death are not certain.  His birth date is given as anywhere from 1613 to 1624.  He apparently married in 1639 or possibly a bit later, and then, at last, one firm date, that of his second marriage.  His death date is given as 1688 or 1691.  And the locations are not much better.  He was born in Holstein, which is now part of Germany but was then part of Denmark.  We know he arrived in New Amsterdam in 1650, which of course became New York City.  He arrived with his wife and two children.  We know he remarried in 1665 but we're not sure when his first wife died.  And he died in New York City, probably in 1688.

At least we are more certain about names.  His parents are Pieter and Mary Baerts Sloat.  His wife is Aeltje Jans, who was born in what is now The Netherlands, but date, a more exact location, and her parents are all still to be identified. Another name we know is that of his second wife, Claartje Domenicus.  She was about 35 when they were married, and it's unknown whether they had children.

As far as is known, the two children that were with Jan and Aeltje when they arrived in New Amsterdam were the only two children they had, or at least that lived long enough to make a record of some kind.   

Pieter Janszen Slot was born about 1639 and died before 1692 in Bergen County, New Jersey. He married Maretje Jacobse, the daughter of Jacob and Tryntje Jacobse Van Winkle. Their children are Styntje, Jane, Arrentje, Jacobus, Tryntje, Abeltie, and Jonas.  I will follow this family (I hope!) in my next blog post.

The second son, Jan Jacobse, was born in 1650, but I don't know where, as his parents may have already started their trip to America.  He married Judike Elsworth, the son of Theophilus and Annaje Jans Elsworth.  Their children are Heyltje, Johannes, Theophilius, Batilye, Annetje, Hendrick and Judith.  He died after 1688. but the death and location are uncertain.

This is a hard family to research because of the various ways so many of the names are spelled.  Slot is also seen as Slodt and Sloat, and the first names all have variations.  Some of these variations likely come from different interpretations of hard to read ancient records. and are perhaps perpetuated by later hand-written copies.  I may very well have not chosen the most common spelling for some of the names, so researchers, this is a heads up!

It's interesting to me to think about why the Slots pulled up roots in Holstein and came to America.  The most likely causes are that family may have gone ahead, although since we don't know who Aeltje's family was, we don't know whether that's a possibility. or economic woes in Holstein and perceived opportunity in America.  The 30 years war in Europe had caused great disruptions and loss of life, and perhaps it was just time to start over.  Whatever the reason, Jan saw great change both before he left Holstein and after he arrived in New Amsterdam, as he would have been there when the English took the Dutch colony over.  What a fascinating time he lived in! 

 

Thursday, September 17, 2026

Allen line: The family of John Moore 1741ish to 1816

 Once again, there is great confusion on line about John Moore.  He is stated as having been born in Dublin, Ireland in 1745, but it appears that his correct birth date may be 1741.  I regard his parents as "unknown" at this point, although some people say they are Thomas More and Christina Bishop.  I find a later couple with those names, but I haven't found any hints that even point toward someone with an appropriate birth date, let alone an actual document.  John first shows up in Greene County, Pennsylvania, married to Hannah Armstrong, the daughter of Adam and Elizabeth Olifer Armstrong.  The Armstrong family goes back to the Borderlands between England and Scotland, and their history is fascinating.  This blog post is about the Moore family, though.  I wonder if it is possible that John Moore is actually from the Borderlands also, not from Dublin as so many trees state.  More research needs to be done.

Of course, part of the difficulty in writing about this family is that there were at least two John Moores in Greene County, Pennsylvania when our John was there.  I am basing much of this post on material found in "The Ten Mile Country and Its Pioneer Families" by Howard Leckey, with the caution that he was not correct about everything in his valuable book. I have seen several wedding dates for John and Hannah, at various locations, but until I learn otherwise, I am going with the date of 25 September 1761 in Washington County, Pennsylvania, which at the time was Westmoreland County and which later became Greene County.  And of course, the Moores are credited with anything from 8 to 19 children.  Since Hannah Armstrong was born in 1744,  I am highly suspicious of anyone born after 1788 or so.  That leaves me with 8 children, most of who have at least some information available.

It may be that their first child was Catherine, born in 1764 and died in 1833 in Pike Township, Marion County, Indiana.  She married Alexis Jackson, son of Henry and Elizabeth Stump Jackson, and they had 13 children together.  They are John, Sally, Hannah, Edward, Israel, Mary, Alexis, Henry, Barbara, Thomas, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Eleanor.  Eleanor is our connection.

Jane was born "about 1770" and I know very little about her.   Her death date is given as 19 April 1854 in Kirby, Greene County, Pennsylvania, but I have not found records for that nor have I found any information regarding a spouse.  I would love to know her story, and I hope it's not a sad one.

Also born "about 1770" is son John.  It is possible that John and Jane are twins, but it is just as likely that we simply don't have accurate birth dates for them.  He died in 1859 in Greene County, Pennsylvania.  His wife is said to be Susannah Shriver, but I couldn't trace her any further.  Their children are Elsie, Armstrong, John, Abraham, James, Thomas, Jane, and Sarah.

Armstrong was born in 1775 and died in 1843 in Greene County, Pennsylvania.  His wife, sadly, is unknown at this time but he is believed to have fathered at least four children-Abner, Mary, Isaac, and Armstrong.

Margaret was born in 1778 and died in 1865 in Wetzel County, West Virginia.  She married James Morris, the son of Jonathan and Barbara Millard Morris and they are said to have had 21 children. Some died young, but Amos, Isaac, Anthony, Jonathan, James, Samuel, Nathan, Jesse, Moses, Miciah, Jacob, Mordica Lunkhorne, John, Hesekiah, Ruth, and Hannah liked to adulthood.  An article on Wikitree states that Margaret was a physician and a midwife and traveled through the country.  She would be a fascinating person to study further, the potential subject of a good novel!  

Anthony was born in 1782 and died in 1832 in Greene County, Pennsylvania.  He married Francis Elizabeth Steele, as yet not further identified.  Their children are Catherine, Elizabeth, Hannah, Margaret, Hughy (Huey), John, Isaac, and Mary.  

Finally, there was Sarah, born in 1785 and died in 1855 in Belmont County, Ohio.  She married John Vanner, not yet further identified.  Known children are John, Joseph, and Daniel.  Again, there is more work to be done for this family.

This is seven children and presumably there are eight.  I'm missing a daughter.  There may be a Hannah Moore, based on family names, or possibly a Martha.  The Martha Mahala Moore born in 1800 is not a candidate, as far as I can see, because Hannah would have been 56 when she was born.  Honestly, the missing daughter is still a mystery and I'd love to find her.

I should mention that this family lived in a very tempestuous time and place.  John served in the Revolutionary War and it is likely that the sons also served, in the battles with the natives that preceded and led into the War of 1812.  I don't know whether the family ever had to escape to a more fortified location but it is certainly possible.  Also, what became Greene County was right in the heart of the Whiskey Rebellion of 1787, which again was a troubling time.  Our ancestors and their children were not sissies!   

 

 

Thursday, September 10, 2026

The family of Nathan Paine 1741-1818

 By now, the Paine family in America, the ones descended from Stephen and Ann Chickering Paine, is quite a large family indeed.  In this post, we will follow Nathan, a great great grandson of Stephen and Ann.  His parents are Stephen and Sarah Thornton Paine, and he was born in Glocester, Rhode Island.  He didn't stay there, though.  He married Lillis Winsor, the daughter of Joseph and Deborah Mathewson Winsor, about 1765, and it appears that all of their children were born in Glocester.

"All", in this case encompasses at least 11 children and perhaps as many as 17.  Again, there are a lot of Paines born in the right time period and with "family" names that would support a possibility that they are part of Nathan and Lillis's family, but I'm lacking corroborating information for several, and in some cases, the information on line is clearly erroneous.  I have possibly contributed to the incorrect information, as in my last blog post I attributed Artemesia to this family.  I now believe she would have been a daughter in law, not a daughter, as there is an Artemesia Payne buried with son Nathan Payne in Albion, Orleans County, New York.  And incidentally, any reference you find to Nathaniel Payne is likely not this man, nor any of his immediate family.

So, with trepidation, I'll list his family as best I can, hoping as always for additions and corrections to this post.

The first child may have been Zattu/Zather/Zatto, born in 1767.  (The name, it turns out, is Biblical.  Zattu returned from Babylon to Jerusalem with Zerubabbel, in Old Testament times.)  His wife is Abigail Eddy, the daughter of Jesse and Lydia Brown Eddy.  Since we have both Brown and Eddy lines in our tree, I'm guessing that we are somehow related to these two people also, but they are not entered on my software.  Their children are Eddy Brown, Winsor, Mary, Phebe, Arnold, Laura, Mathewson, and Peter.  Zattu had gone to New York with most of the rest of his siblings, but apparently died in Rhode Island in either 1840 or 1847.  I notice that none of the children were given his name! 

The next child born seems to be Nathan, about 1769.  He was married to someone named Artemisia, but apparently not until 1809.  He is also said to have married Mary Carpenter, but I believe that marriage may apply to a different Nathan, later in the 19th century.  His children are said to be Potter, Eli, Joseph, Daniel, Rebecca, Augustus, Sarah, and possibly Nathan and Lydia, but I've not found good records for this.  Nathan died in Barre, Orleans County, New York in 1853.

Deborah is their first daughter, born in 1772.  She married Enos Eddy, the son of Enos and Sarah Brown Eddy.  Their children are Chloe, Lydia, Enos, Deborah, Joseph, Nathan, Lillis, Sarah, George, John, and Almira.  She died in 1849 in Byron, Genessee County, New York.  

Olive was born in 1774 and died in 1853 in Rome Center, Lenawee County, Michigan.  She married Levi Hawley, the son of Stephen and Patience (maiden name not yet found) Hawley.  (Please note that this name is also seen as Holley.) Their children are Henry, Eliza, William, Emeline, Levi, Betsey, Olive, Nelson, Thankful, and Nathan.  

Stephen was born in 1776 and died in 1849 in Cattaragus County, New York.  He married Sally/Sarah Angell, the daughter of Jesse and Amy Hammond Angell.  Angell is another of our family names in Rhode Island, so there is a strong possibility that this Jesse is a distant relative, also.  Their children are Harrison, Amy, Olive, Dorus (male, if you're wondering), Sally, Minerva, Maria, Marcy or Mercy, Stephen, and Mary Anne. 

Samuel was born in 1778 and died in 1800, 1821. or 1868, either in New York or somewhere else.  I  am using the 1821 date in my notes because 1800 would be too young for him to have had as many children as he has, and 1868 would be a very long life.  There is a Samuel Paine who died in 1868 in Yates, Orleans County, New York, but I am not yet convinced that it was this Samuel Paine.  He married Lillis Cole, the daughter of Sisson and Elizabeth Hunter Cole.  Their children are Winsor, Caroline, Samuel, Amos, Cynthia, Lizzie, Lyman, Lillis, Charlotte, Damon, and Jackson-unless, of course, some of these names belong to the son Samuel.  Based on birth dates, either could be correct.  More research is called for!

I actually have two candidates for daughters born in 1780, with no mention that there were twins born to this couple.  I am fairly confident that Thankful is their daughter, born in 1780 and died in 1864 in Seneca,  Ontario County, New York.  She married Daniel Colwell, the son of Daniel and Mercy Hopkins Colwell, and then married Nathan Whitney, the son of Jonathan and Esther Parkhurst Whitney.  Her children were all with Daniel Colwell.  They are David, John, Daniel, Elvira, Minerva, Angelina, Nathan, Christopher, Oliver, and William.  

The other possibility is Lydia, and there is very little reliable information about her.  She is reported to have died in 1811 in Seneca, Ontario County, New York, and is buried in the Whitney Cemetery (see above).  She died "in her 38th year" which would likely mean her birth year is 1774 or possibly 1775.  She had a daughter, Relief, and another infant who is buried with her.  Her husband is Joseph Gibbs but he is still a mystery.

Asa was born in 1782 and died in 1868 in (possibly Barre), Orleans County, New York.  He married Amy Angell, who was also a daughter of Jesse and Amy Hammond Angell (see above; siblings married siblings).  Their children are Valorus, Cordelia, Sophronia, Veeder, Asa, James, Christopher, Amy and possibly Maria and Sarah. Amy died in 1845, and he then married married Jane Rosabella, maiden name unknown, and they had three children, Rosabella, Elva, and Ellen.  He may have also married Mrs. Zilpha Burch, after Jane's death in 1849.  

Sally, possibly Sarah, was born in 1784 and died in 1822, possibly in Orleans County, New York.  (She is not the Sallie Paine who died in Vermont in 1868.) She married William Parker, the son of Cornelius and Sarah (maiden name not yet found) Parker.  Their children are Lydia, Savilla, Lovina, Daniel, Isaac, Adeline, William, and Olive.

Christopher was born in 1787 and died in 1855 at Albion, Orleans County, New York. He married Laura Paine, the daughter of Zattu and Abigail Eddy Paine.  Laura was a niece to Christopher, which seems unusual but perhaps there is something here that I am not understanding.  Their children are Martin, Oville, Celinda, Albert, Christopher, William, and John.  

I have names for three more potential children of Nathan and Lillis, but very little is to be found about them and so I will mention them only briefly, as possibilities.  There may have been a son John, born in 1767 and died in 1821.  He may have married Hannah.  Joseph was born about 1774 and died in 1862 in Ontario, New York.  Finally, Israel was born about 1784 and died in 1813. He may have married Lovica.  That is all that I have about those three men, and I am not at all sure that they belong in this family.  

As we have seen, there are a lot of Paines in Rhode Island and New York, especially, and it is hard to differentiate between one Stephen and another, one John and another, one Nathan and another.  I have three genealogy wishes for this family.  First, I'd like to know for sure whether the three "possibles" actually belong to this couple.  And of course I'd like to have the information I'm missing as to dates and places.  The last question I have is "Why?" Why did Nathan and his family move from Glocester, Rhode Island to New York.  Generally there is a push-pull when a family pulls up stakes and moves on.  What pushed them from Rhode Island?  And what pulled them to New York, which is not the safest of places until after the War of 1812?  

This is the last of the posts on the Paine families who are our ancestors, as we "daughtered out" with Deborah who married Enos Eddy.  It's been both fun and frustrating, and I'd sure love to learn more about all of them. 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Thursday, September 3, 2026

The family of Stephen Paine 1716-1797

 For reasons I don't understand, this Stephen is usually seen in trees, but not records that I could find, as "Stephen Christopher" Paine.  Middle names were highly unusual in this time period (except in some aristocratic families, which the Paines were not part of) so I'm skeptical of the middle name.  Nevertheless, if you see him with the two names, don't dismiss the information out of hand.  Consider it carefully; there could very well be something I've missed.

Stephen is the son of Stephen and Sarah Vallette Paine, born in 1716 in Providence, Rhode Island and died in 1797 in Glocester, Providence, Rhode Island.  He married Sarah Thornton, the daughter of Benjamin and (possibly Mary, but perhaps not) Gurney Thornton.  He may have served in the Revolutionary War.  If he did, he was 60 years old when he became a lieutenant.  It seems possible to me that it was his son Stephen who served at that time, but I've not seen anything that firmly establishes one man or the other as the lieutenant.  

Stephen and Sarah had at least 6 children together, although by confusing one Stephen's children with another,  I've seen as many as 17 names.  I have also seen several names mentioned as a second wife for Stephen, after Sarah died in 1772.  A Stephen Paine certainly married Jemima Martin, but I believe it is just as likely to be the son Stephen who married her.   

Stephen and Sarah's first son is Nathan, born in 1741 and died in 1818 in Castleton, Ontario, New York.  He married Lillis Winsor, the daughter of Joseph and Deborah Mathewson Winsor.  Their children are Deborah, Artemesia, Lydia, Nathan, Olive, Stephen, Thankful, Samuel, Asa, Christopher, Sally, and Zattie.  There maybe more children, and if so, I will identify them in my next post when I try to follow this family.

Stephen was born next, in 1742, The death date I have for him is one day prior to his father's death, which seems a bit suspicious.  Perhaps the two men did actually die one day apart, or perhaps the records are confused.  I've not done a reasonably complete search, but from what I can tell, perhaps we should leave his death date/location as unknown, at least for now.  He may be the Stephen Paine who married Jemima Martin, daughter of William and Jemima Martin Martin (yes, she was a Martin by birth), or/and he may be the Stephen Paine who married Elethea or Eleutheria Sanders, the daughter of Robert and Naomi Paine Sanders.  I've not found children for Stephen.  

Sarah was born next, in 1743.  Again, the number of Sarah Paines to be found in and about Glocester, Rhode Island is large.  Her proposed husbands are Stephen Saunders, with whom she may have had a child Oliver, Asa Franklin, and Royal Inman.  Royal Inman is credited with several children, but as this marriage would not have taken place until Sarah was 44, most if not all of his children were not likely to be Sarah's.  I will leave Sarah to another researcher, if one will step forward, or if someone already knows the answers to the questions about her life, I'd love to hear from you.

Mary was born in 1746 and died before 11 March 1791 in Bristol, Providence, Rhode Island.  She may have married a man with the surname of Page, but that is as much as I could learn about her.  

Benjamin was born in 1749 and died in 1831 in Glocester, Rhode Island.  He served in the Revolutionary War, and married Anna Aldrich, who is likely but not proven the daughter of Noah and Tabitha Inman Aldrich.  Tabitha is most likely related to Edward Inman, who is another of our ancestors.  Benjamin and Anna's children are Dorcas, Hazael, Lydia, Benjamin, Drusilla, Caleb, Phebe, Ransom, Abigail, Noah, and Aldrich.  

Stephen Paine deserves to have more of his family documented than this.  Since most family historians think he was the lieutenant of the Revolutionary War, he should be honored by every family that is descended from him.  (There is also the possibility that he participated in the French and Indian War, perhaps giving an explanation as to why he was made a lieutenant in the Revolution.)