The 1753 - 1845 Boundary Line Records of Sussex & Warren Counties

Tucked away in the Sussex County Divisions of Land, Vol. B, is a complete set of extracts, dated 1753 through 1845, pertaining to the county divisions and precinct (township) partition records. Headings in elegant calligraphy set these pages apart from the preceding mid-19th century court business written in the every day hand of William L. Smith, then the elected County Clerk.  This compilation of material appears to be the last official act of Smith, who served five years in that position, for subsequent entries in Vol. B are in the handwriting of  his successor, Thomas I. Ludlum, elected in 1851.

"Records Relating to the Division of the County of Morris into two Counties, the Division of The County of Sussex into Precincts or Townships & also the Division of The County of Sussex into two Counties, Sussex & Warren, and Subsequently Division of the Townships in the County of Sussex" - Sussex Divisions of Land, Vol. B, p 418.

Sussex Centennary, 1853

While no context is given for this insertion into the record, Smith's intention may have been to gather together, for his successor's ease of reference, the history and particulars of boundary lines as they might relate to the future divisions of estate lands in Sussex County.  The footnoted extracts appear to be accurate facsimiles* of earlier publications, attesting to the meticulous efforts required of a county clerk.  


Another possible motivation for William Smith's work at the time may have been the first preparations underway for the Sussex County 1853 centennial celebration, for both Edsall's and Tuttle's addresses would be heavily footnoted, echoing the Smith compilation as well as earlier histories. Benjamin Edsell's foreword states he is "especially indebted to Thomas I. Ludlum, Esq., clerk of Sussex County, for giving me free access to the books and papers of his office."




Most interesting to this researcher in the Smith boundary line extracts are the various precinct signatories' full names, the place names within the landscape, and the occasionally noted location of freeholders' homes, including those of Warren County, set off from Sussex in 1824.  Though scattered throughout the 19th century histories, finding such material in one place is a delightful convenience. 

Mansfield Woodhouse Precinct, now Warren County, in 1754.

 

Partition line Between Sandiston and Montague August term 1801.

 In pursuance of a commission from the judges of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas of May term last we the subscribers met at the house of Daniel Ennis on the 11th day of August 1801, agreeable to notice given and proceeded to run the following line Beginning at the Delaware River at the mouth of Abraham Westfalls Mill Brook near the lower end of Minisink Island ....  (Note the place name Abraham Westfalls Mill Brook is labeled White Kill in the earlier NJ - NY boundary map of 1769.)

White Kill (1769) later known as Abraham Westfall's Mill Brook (1801).

Householders and place names

1753 -1759: Great Pond (Lake Hopatcong), Japhet Byram, Henry Hughe, Ephraim Darby, Ash or Ask Swamp, Ebenezer Byram, David Luse or Leese, Thomas C Cove____,  Henry____, Benjamin Smith, William Schooley, Johannes [John] Depue, Johannis Cornelius Westbrook, Joseph Hull, Richard Gardiner, Richard Lundy, Gap of Packhoquarry Mountain commonly called the Water Gap, Minisink Mountain, Elijah Cole, Joseph Dennis, Hunter's Ferry, Redmund's land, Thomas Scott, Joseph Hixon, Thomas Thatcher, John Richey, mine hill, Col. Stout, young Samuel Green,  Bev___ Pond, Polly P__ Meadow, E___ Harris, Mott's Saw Mill, Edward ___'s Meadow, Ayers, Daniel Westfall, Jerimiah Kittle, Station Point, Col. John Leward, Francis Bernard, Esq. (Governor).

1782-1801:  Spruce Bank (a turn in the Pequest river), Jesse Force, Pepocottin bridge, White Pond,  red Meeting house on the Wallkill, Nathan White, Herman Millhaus, Daniel Ennis, Abraham Westfall's Mill Brook, White Rocks, ___ Decker, George Backster, Joseph Sharp, Jacob Ayres, White's Tavern, Aaron Prall, George Armstrong, Robert C Thompsen, ___ J. Reading.

1824 - 1829: Hardwick church (situated on the South side of the main road leading from Johnsonburg to Newton), John Lawrence, East & West Jersey line, Blue mountain, Nathaniel __axton, Thomas Gorden, Benjamin McCurry,  John Clay, Obadiah Pellet, Beemers Meeting house, Deckertown Church or Meeting house.

1840 - 1845: Joseph Linn (surveyor), Richard R Morris, Thomas A. Dildine, Robert Van Kirk, Benjamin Chamberlain, Robert Mills, Holloway Bates,  heirs of John Ruttenford, Jonah Howell's Mill, Thomas house, Merritt Pinckney, Joseph Northrup, Solomon Roe, Peter G Demerest, Moses Woodruff, A. Boyles, John Snyder, James L. Hunt, William Martin, Seely Pow___, Lewis Sherman. 

Note:  Some people and place names carry through across the years and are repeated in bordering township lines.  Initialed stone boundary markers and variants of the main branches of the watershed have not been included.   

Warren County Addendum

In 1839, under an act of the New Jersey Legislature, Warren County commissioners would set off Hope, Franklin and Harmony Townships.  The recorded survey points of reference include numerous householder locations and place names within the landscape.

Warren County Townships, 1839.

      
1839:  William Tinsman, William Hawke, Joseph Coate, Z___Everitt, Anthony Kirkhoff, Taylor's Tavern, Anthony B Robeson,  County Poor House, Bloomsbury bridge, George Taylor, Merril's Brook, Brass Castle stream, William Runkle (Runkle's bridge), DeWitt's school house, John Stryker, Robinson's Rift (in the Delaware River), Doc'r Jabez Guiness, C__H. Valentine, Edward  Swayze, John VanKirk.

 ~~~~~

* Footnotes within the extracts:

'Allison' refers to the Samuel Allison edition of  Acts of the General Assembly of the Province of New-Jersey : from the surrender of the government to Queen Anne, on the 17th day of April, in the year of our Lord 1702, to the 14th day of January 1776 http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.35112203945466

'Paterson' refers to  Laws of the State of New Jersey, revised and published under the authority of the Legislature, by William Paterson,1800,  http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.35112203945474

Magdalena Van Etten Ennes, 1751 - 1819

Over the course of the years exploring the genealogy of the Ennes family the problems encountered have included a seemingly endless stream of rumors, one purposeful misdirection, legends, third hand translations, lost records, a mysterious bible, faulty 19th century newspaper reports of a vast inheritance and conflated battles fought in one place or another with an ever growing number of nameless casualties, and finally a host of Minisink young folk heading off  to settle a new town in the late 18th century just as one is getting comfortable with the old guard left behind.

All in all it ends up with people crossing rivers in search of a livelihood, burying a neighbor, attending a wedding, growing old or giving birth. Sometimes the mist lays heavy across the water obscuring the view and sometimes the sun rises and burns through the fog.

The tale of  the "Widow Ennes," Magdalena Van Etten, who married and buried Lt. Benjamin Ennes, and long rumored to have followed their children up the tributaries of the Susquehanna River into New York State has proved out.  

Last Will & Testament of Magdalena Ennis, of Spencer, Tioga County, N. Y.

"...I give and bequeath to my Eldest son Alexander Ennis whom I likewise Choose, and constitute, make and ordain my only and sole executor, of this last will and testament One Sixth part of my property also to have full power to ___ the money due from the State of Pennsylvania and to be allowed a fair and reasonable compensation for all his trouble and expenses as executor for all business..." 

Magdalena further wills portions of her property to "my second Son Johones Ennis,"  "my two daughters Elizabeth Decker and Mary Ennis," "my third son Emanuel Ennis," "my fourth son Benjamin," "my son in Law Abraham Decker,"  and lastly, "my son in Law Wilhelmus Ennis" (husband of daughter Mary).

The Witnesses to Magdalena's Last Will and Testament of February 9, 1819 were Isaac Swartwood, Hannah Vangorden and Aiusy (?) Ennis.  Magdalena left her mark, whether out of illness or illiteracy is unknown, beside the signature "Magdalanah Ennis" of this record made by Robert Lawrence, Esq.  Within months, by the 17th of November of that year, Magdalena would be dead.

May she rest in peace.

~~~~~

Sources:

"New York, Probate Records, 1629-1971," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-24591-15644-25?cc=1920234&wc=Q7PJ-HZ3:213301801,213928801 : accessed 22 September 2015), Tioga > Will and Proceeding index 1800-1936 vol A > image 49 of 196; county courthouses, New York.

"New York, Probate Records, 1629-1971," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-24597-10914-34?cc=1920234&wc=Q7PG-MNP:213301801,213948601 : accessed 22 September 2015), Tioga > Wills 1818-1840 vol C-D, 4, 8 > image 34 of 478; county courthouses, New York.

"New York, Probate Records, 1629-1971," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-24597-11195-29?cc=1920234&wc=Q7PG-MNP:213301801,213948601 : accessed 22 September 2015), Tioga > Wills 1818-1840 vol C-D, 4, 8 > image 35 of 478; county courthouses, New York.

Related MVG articles:

The "Widow Ennes," Magdalena Van Etten, of Delaware Township, 1798

The 1780 Account of the Battle of Conashaugh 

The Battle of Conashaugh Affidavits

Jeremy Kettle's Bequest to William Ennes, 1703

Traces of William Ennes, Sr. are scarce, so happening upon the Ulster County, N.Y. Probate Records in the Office of the Surrogate, Vol. 1, added an interesting if minor piece to the puzzle. The variant William Annis is repeatedly named in the 1703/4 Will of Jeremy Kettle of Marbletown. No indication is given on the nature of the gift or bequest to William but the tone of the Will is doubtless an effort to make good on a promise.  Note Schepel is the Dutch unit of measurement for bushel.  Bushels of wheat were also used as payment on mortgages at this time. The inventory of Kettle's estate was completed in 1707.

It is worth noting here that Jeremy Kettle's wife Catharina is a Guderis var. Goderis, Goderus, Gouderus, Goederus. Their first son, Jeremy was baptised in Kingston in 1675.  In 1683 a New Amsterdam marriage is recorded for Frans Goderus, jm van N. Yorke; Rebecca Ennes, jd van Amsterdam.  Two of the Goderus - Ennes children, Rachel  and Jacomyntie, would be baptized in Kingston in 1684 & 1685 respectively, thereafter this young family appears in the New Amsterdam records as residents, along with Sara Ennes and her husband Barent Hyben, on Hoogh Straat (High Street).

Deeds 1685-1709 Vol AA (which includes Wills) is available on FamilySearch.org.  The complete Will with additional information on the payment terms to William is found on volume page 327 :

I give and bequeath unto William Annis ye Just and full summe of one hundred and twinty schipples of wheat to bee payd unto him by my Children Jeremy Richard Susan & Elisabeth in manner as follows the first payment to bee two years after my decease then each to pay him tenn schipples of wheat and ye two years following each to pay him yearly tenn schipples.*

Notes on variants of the Ennes surname

For search results using Billard's Dutch Record Vital Statistics, check the exact match and whole words only  boxes then use one of the variants: Ennes, Ennis, Ennist, Annis, Annist or Viervant, Veervand, Veervant, Vier-Vant, Vierbrand, Vuurvant.

Kingston Baptismal records for the children of William Ennes and Cornelia Viervant under variants include: Alexander, 1694;  Cornelis, 1696; Catharina, 1701; Jennetje, 1703; Alexander, 1709; Wilem, 1712.

William Ennes, first husband of Cornelia Viervant, died between 1711/2 and 1715/6.  The Marbletown(e) Tax Assessment List of 1716/7 include a Widdow Keettel £2 & Cornelia Ennis £10.

In 1717 the following marriage #367 is noted in the Kingston records:  Lammert Brink, j.m., born in Hurley, and Cornelia Vierbrand, widow of Willem Ennes, born in Kingston. Banns registered, 21 April: 

*"New York, Land Records, 1630-1975," images, FamilySearch ( https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-33165-7996-87?cc=2078654&wc=M9M4-NM6:n1110786057 ), Ulster > Deeds 1685-1709 vol AA > image 230 of 350.

 

The Ulster County Migrants into the Minisink, 1716

It's always a treat to discover original document film available online, in this case references to the earliest immigration into the Minisink.  Herein eight pages of records with accompanying transcription of the residents, including the Neighborhood of the Neversink River valley (present day Orange County). Numerous family members of those found in the Ulster County records would settle as far south as the Flatbrook & Bushkill confluences with the Delaware River before 1737:

 Tax Assessment List for the County of Ulster, 1716/7

The Freeholders Inhabitants Resident and Sojourners in the County of Ulster theire Reale and Psonall Estates are rated and assessed by the assessor (on theire Oaths) Chosen for the same and that on the 23d day of January in the third yeare of his Majesties Reigne Anno Dom 1716/7 viz+. . . .

Neighbourhood of Wagachkemeck

Researchers will find Ulster Co heads of household listed in the villages along the roads from Kingston: Towne of Marbletown, includes Cornelia Ennis [Ennes] mother of William Ennes, town clerk of Minisink (Montague Township NJ).

1779 Sauthier Map of Provincial New York [including New Jersey]

Click to enlarge

See also:  Recording the Minisink 1701 - 1738.

Delaware Raftmen - G.D. Wheeler, Simon Ennis, Ellis Carhuff

"Before the railroad came, said Colonel [George D.] Wheeler, we lived just about as our ancestors had lived for two hundred years before us. Now we are within five hours of New York. Then no road had been broken through to New York, even for wagons. Our highway to the outside world was overland a hundred miles to Catskill and then down the Hudson by sailing sloops. My father settled on the East Branch of the Delaware in 1798 and built him a log hut there where his married life began. My mother thought nothing of riding horseback thirty miles with one of her children in her arms and when my brother was born in 1807 mother being then in her old home in Connecticut took him when he was six weeks old and rode a horse two hundred miles to Hancock [NY].

Our few neighbors were all in the lumbering business. For seventy five years this was entirely a timber country and Deposit [NY] was a gathering place for the rough and hardy raftsmen who made up their rafts at this point and floated down to the market at Philadelphia. Because better prices could always be obtained at Philadelphia than Baltimore, the timber cut on the Susquehanna eighteen miles across country was hauled to Deposit and here made into rafts. A hundred teams used to trail through the village streets in one procession from the valleys and hills and the saw mills clattering on the bank of every creek within twenty miles.

It cost eighteen and a half cents to send a letter to New York and the mail was carried once a week. Lumbermen don't make good farmers and sometimes food ran short. At such times I have known my father to strap his knapsack on his back and walk over to the Susquehanna and bring back a load of salt pork on his shoulders, a round trip of nearly forty miles in a day. I used to hear the wolves howling in the hills back of our home and the charcoal burners in these woods would throw chunks of fire around them at night to drive the wolves away.

The rafts were taken down to tide water in four days and then their crews walked home on foot. To show that they were a hardy race it is worth mention that their employers paid them as a rule five days wages for the time taken in coming home. This meant that they must foot it up the valley at the rate of forty miles a day to cover the two hundred mile journey and come out even. I have known raftsmen to come back from Philadelphia in three days walking better than sixty miles a day along a trail that could hardly be called a road.

An excerpt from: "Before the Railroad Came" by David Lansing, The Outing Magazine:  The Outdoor Magazine of Human Interest, edited by Caspar Whitney, Volume XLVI, April-Sept, 1905, p747.