Saturday, January 19, 2008

1808: Where was my family 200 years ago?

Donna over at What's Past Is Prologue has built upon Lisa's earlier challenge of Where was your family in 1908? at 100 Years In America. This time, Donna would like to know: Where was your family 200 years ago, in 1808? Well, I love the challenges, not only because they are fun, but they save me the drudgery of thinking up new genea-blogging topics.

Donna broke her list down by families which is a great idea, so here goes:

Austin Family: Ira Austin, Sr. (4th great-grandfather) would have been 7 years old, being born on December 28, 1800 in Denmark, Lewis, New York. He would be living with his parents Silas Austin, Jr. (5th great-grandfather) and Susannah Albro who had arrived in Lewis County from Rhode Island several years earlier during the Yankee Migration. Ira's brother Albro Austin was also born in 1808.

Silas Austin, Sr. (6th great-grandfather) was also still alive and living with his wife, Sarah Crandall, at Silas Jr.'s farm in Lewis County. Silas' sons Grinnman, Alvah and Ira along with daughters Sarah and Lucy lived in Lewis County as well in 1808.

Crandall Family: Joshua Crandall (7th great-grandfather) was living in Berlin, Rensselaer, New York along with his second wife, Abigail Crandall. Among the 13 children he had (seven with his first wife Eunice Kenyon and six with Abigail), only Sarah appears to have made the trek to Lewis County. All the rest remained in Washington County, Rhode Island.

Dence Family: David Dence (4th great-granddather) was age six in 1808 and living in Watertown, Jefferson, New York with his father William Dence (5th great-grandfather) and his second wife Catherine Frye. David's mother, Hannah Arriantje Putman, had died in 1802 while giving birth to him, at age 22.

DeWandelaer Family: Herman DeWandelaer (5th great-grandfather) was living in Fonda, Montgomery, New York with his bride of less than one year, Rachel TenEyck. One year later, in 1809, they would give birth to Margaret DeWandelaer, my 4th great-grandmother. Herman's father, Johannes DeWandelaer (6th great-grandfather) was still alive in 1808, having been born in 1756 and was living in Schaghticoke, Rennselaer, New York.

Griffin Family: Alfred Griffin (5th great-grandfather) was living in Ireland. His daughter, Mary Griffin would be born in 1814 and arrive in Lowville, Lewis, New York around 1840.

Krom Family: Hendricus Henry Krom (4th great-grandfather) was also living in Marbletown, Ulster, New York having been born in 1795. His wife Mary Smith was also a small girl in Marbletown, born in 1799. Her parents, Thomas Smith (5th great-grandfather) and Elizabeth Roosa kept house with Mary's ten other sibilings in Marbletown. Henry Krom's parents, Reuben Krom (5th great-grandfather) and Cornelia Dailey were living in Ulster County in 1808.

Putman Family: David Johannes Putman (6th great-grandfather) was living in Tribes Hill, Montgomery, New York but without his wife Anna Abrahamse Van Antwerpen who had died in 1806. Most of his 10 children were still alive in 1808 but scattered among other counties such as Saint Lawrence, Saratoga and Cayuga.

Roosa Family: Isaac I. Roosa (4th great-grandfather) and Hannah Jane Teas, married in 1801, were raising their fourth child and would later add six more for a total of 10. They too were living in Marbletown, Ulster, New York.

Smith Family: Peter Conner Smith (4th great-grandfather) was barely 8 years old and living in Marbletown, Ulster, New York where he would spend the next 60 years before his death in 1868. His parents Joseph Smith (5th great-grandfather) and Elizabeth Conner were also still alive. Peter's wife, Susan C. Wager was six years his junior and living with her parents Johannes Wager (5th great-grandfather) and Margaret Miller somewhere in Ulster County, New York.

1 comment:

Charley "Apple" Grabowski said...

I spent a long time today thinking about the early settlers on the Tig Hill. With the lake effect machine cranking today I wonder how they survived and why, after one bad winter, did they stay?