Henry Ct. Middaugh's Beneficiaries, 1836

 

Will Book B, p  312

Pike County, Pennsylvania

Estate of H Ct. Middaugh

Deceased

"And now August 20^th A D 1836 Henry C Middaugh, John W Middaugh, & Lenah Middaugh make application to me Daniel E. LaBar the Register for the probate of wills and granting letters of administration in and for Pike County for the probate of the last will and testament of Henry Ct Middaugh and for letters testamentary therein and which said will is in the words following to wit …"

 

Beneficiaries:

My well beloved wife Lenah;

my son William Middaugh;

my son Cornelius Middaugh, Jun.;

my son Levi Middaugh;  

my son John Middaugh;

my son Henry Middaugh, and his son and daughters, William Middaugh, Elmira Middaugh, and Catherine Middaugh;

my daughter Catherine Little, wife of William Little;

my daughter Peggy Danneley, widow of William Danneley; (or Donnoley?)*

my daughter Peggy Wood, wife of John Wood and her daughter Charity Lambert;   

my daughter Janey Caskey, wife of Martin Caskey;

my son William to hold in trust for my daughter Sally Quick, wife of Daniel Quick;

my grandson Henry C. Middaugh (father is not named).

 

Executors:  Henry C Middaugh, John W Middaugh & Lenah Middaugh

Witnesses: Richard Eldred, M.M. Dimmick, Catherine Carpenter

Daniel E. LaBar, Register

Inventory Sept 15, 1836

Filed Sept. 20, 1836

 

The two daughters are both referred to by the anglicized nickname “Peggy” in the will.

 

* William Dowley & Ganehje Middag, bapt Henry b 1804 & Pegge b 1805 https://archive.org/details/minisinkvalleyre00vosb/page/235/mode/1up

 

        "Midaghs" 1792, Reading Howell, A Map Of The State Of Pennsylvania

 

Pike County Jury List, February Term, 1842

Jeffersonian Republican, Stroudsburg, Pa., 02 Feb. 1842.
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress

The Minisink Subscribers to the 1810 "Fifty-Three Sermons on the Heidelbergh Catechism"

The New York Public Library's rare copy of the 1810 English language translation of the Dutch edition of Fifty Three Sermons on the Heidelbergh Catechism, by the Rev. John Vanderkemp, is notable for the bound in Subscriber pages featuring a list of well-to-do patrons who underwrote the cost of publication, often in return for a discount. Typically this would be the first print run as delivered to the subscribers - subsequent runs would lack these pages further reducing the cost.  The list of subscribers, a virtual Who's Who of the Dutch Reformed Church in America in 1810, is fascinating for its helpful bracketing of community place names or congregations & heads of families in the Minisink Valley from a period when other records are scarce.  New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania tax and census records offer additional details of subscribers' residence during this time period.  

Surnames variants of the Clove, Flatbrook, Mehakkemack, Menissing, Shappanack and Walpeck families include:  Bennet, Carmer, Carpenter, Cole, Cuddebeck, Depuis, Ennes, Force, Gomar, Hoornbeek, Lambert, Little, Middagh, Neerpass, Quick, Rosencrans, Rowles, Swartwout, Titsworth, Van Aken, Van Bunschooten, Van Campen, Van Gorden, Van Neste, Van Nimwegen, Van Noy, Van Vliet, Vredenburg, Westbrook and Westfall.

James Bennet, Mehakkemack	Wm Titsworth, Clove
Benj. Carpenter, Mehakkemack	Revd. Elias Van Bunschooten, Clove
Benj. Cuddebeck, Mehakkemack	James Van Vliet, Mehakkemack
William Cuddebeck, Mehakkemack	Joseph Van Noy, Mehakkemack
Martin Cole, Mehakkemack	Garrit Van Aken, Mehakkemack
James Carmer, Shappanack	James Van Aken, Mehakkemack
Benjamin Depuis, Menissing	Evert Van Aken, Mehakkemack
Joseph Ennes, Esq. Menissing	Joseph Van Gorden, Mehakkemack
Revd. James G. Force, Walpeck	James Van Gorden, Mehakkemack
Elias Gomar, Mehakkemack	Martin Van Gorden, Mehakkemack
Peter Gomar, Mehakkemack	Joseph Van Aken, Mehakkemack
Benj.  Hoornbeek, Mehakkemack	Daniel Vredenburg, Mehakkemack
S. Lambert,    Mehakkemack	Herman Van Nimwegen, Mehakkemack
Wm. Little,   Mehakkemack	Peter Van Neste, Esq. Flatbrook
Levi Middagh, Mehakkemack	Abm. Van Campen, Esq. Shappanack
Simon Middagh, Mehakkemack	John D. Westbrook, Menissing
David Morrow, Mehakkemack	John I Westbrook, Menissing
Jacob Quick, Mehakkemack	Severin Westbrook, Menissing
Simon Rosecrans, Shappanack	Wm Westbrook, Menissing
Wm. M. Rowles, Mehakkemack	Abm. Westfall, Menissing
Peter Swartwout, Mehakkemack	George D. Westfall, Mehakkemack
	Daniel B. Westfall, Mehakkemack

Pennsylvania Settlers of the Minisink 1740 - 1751

The Bucks County Warrant Registers found at the Pennsylvania State Archives record an interesting overview of the colonial landowners on the West side of the Delaware River in present day Pike or Monroe Counties. These documents often named neighboring grant holders and additional lands held as well as features within the landscape. 

Note the Warrant Registers frequently refer to the location with the place name Minisink, Minisinks, or Minesincks, citing the original application and warrant, but this would rarely carry over onto the survey. The State's surveys were sometimes commissioned many years after the grant of land and may refer to the township and county of the later period. Present day townships may be jotted in the corner or noted on the reverse of the survey and are also found in the compilation of surveys in the Township Warrantee Maps.

Surname variants may appear on the Application, the Warrant and the Survey. Patentees which differ refer to a later sale or heir to the tract. Acreage listed in the Warrant may differ slightly after the more precise survey was conducted.

Click on the link to see the Register page or Survey.  Highlighted names will open a link to the Family Search Warrants 1734 - 1769 in the Pennsylvania Probate Records. The remaining warrants can be found on Ancestry.com (subscription) under Pennsylvania Land Warrants & Applications. Tract, actual warrant descriptions and place names as cited are in italics, the present day township as found on the Warrantee maps are in parentheses ( ):

10 April 1740, Register, John Van Campen, 100 acres,  Survey.  Note additional settlers on this Register page include:  John Van Etten (1750), Gilbert Vangarder (1750), Gilbert Vancamp (1750), Cornelius Vanakin (1750.)

2 October 1742, Register, Lenor ( ?) Cuykendall, 188 acres, Survey. Land situate below Walpack Ferry in Smithfield Township. 

24 May 1742,  Register, Samuel DePue, 100 acres, Survey, Minisink, situate on the Bushkill (Lehman Twp.) Note additional Minisink settlers on this Register page include:  Samuel DePuey [DePue] (1738), Moses DePue (1743), Andrew Dingman, (1744 - Delaware Twp), Christopher Denmark (1745 - Delaware Twp.)

30 Nov 1744  Register, Simon Westfall,  Survey  to Cornelius DeWytt [DeWitt] in right of Simon Westfall,122 acres, (Milford/Westfall Twp.)

12 June 1749 Register, Cornelius Dewytt, [Dewitt], 100 acres, Survey, Smithfield, (Westfall Twp.)

Westfall Township Warrantee Map for Cornelius DeWytt [DeWitt] tract of 1749.

4  Mar 1750  Register, Peter Robeson [Robinson], Survey 118 acres, Flemings Valley, Remmonds [Raymondskill] Creek, Minisinks. Peter Robinson,  adjoining Brewer Dacker [Broer Decker] and Guisbard [Guisbert or Gilbert] Van Camp (Dingman Twp).

11 Mar 1750  Register, Tunis Middagg, [Middaugh], Survey 91 acres, Upper Smithfield (Milford/Westfall Twp.)

11 Mar 1750  Register, Thomas Quick, Survey 103 acres, above the Minesinks (Milford Twp.)

11 Mar 1750  Register,  John Williams, Survey 63 acres, Upper Smithfield (Lehman Twp)

13 Dec 1750  Register, James McCarty, Survey, 50 acres, at the Minesincks (Milford Twp.)

20 Dec 1750  Register, Anthony Bunscotta, Survey, 45 acres, Minisink (Lehman Twp.)

20 Dec 1750  Register, Henry J Cortrach [Cortright], Survey, 12 acres, Upper Smithfield (Dingman Twp.)

20 Dec 1750  Register, Brewer [Broer] Decker, 100 acres, multiple surveys, Minisincks (Lehman/Delaware Twp.)

20 Dec 1750  Register, Andrew Dingman, 30 acres, Survey,  Minisincks (Delaware Twp.) 

20 Dec 1750  Register, Herman Rosencrans, Survey, 62 acres, Minisinks (Westfall Township)

21 May 1751 Register, Garret Brink, Survey, 54 acres, Brinks Creek, at the Minesinks (Delaware Twp.)         

The PA State Archives' Warrantees of Land in the Several Counties of the State of Pennsylvania, 1730-1898, edited by William Henry Egle, 1898, also lists Bucks County Warrants, arranged by first initial of the surname (variants), then date.

Each of the Surveys cited in this article can be found on the Warrantee Maps, present day townships:

Pike County Township Warrantee maps, Pennsylvania Historic & Museum Commission 

• Blooming Grove, Delaware, Dingman, Greene, Lackawaxen (North), Lackawaxen (South), Lehman, Milford, Palmyra, Porter, Shohola, Westfall.

Wayne County Township Warrantee maps, Pennsylvania Historic & Museum Commission 

• Berlin,  Buckingham, Canaan, Cherry Ridge, Clinton, Damascus, Dreher, Dyberry, Lake, Lebanon, Lehigh, Manchester, Mount Pleasant, Oregon, Palmyra, Paupack, Preston, Salem, Scott, South Canaan, Sterling, Texas.

Monroe County Township Warrantee maps, Pennsylvania Historic & Museum Commission

• Coolbaugh A  Index,  Coolbaugh B   Map

Bucks County was one of the original Pennsylvania counties formed on 10 March 1682; Northampton Co set off from Bucks County 14 October 1751; Wayne Co set off from Northampton Co 21 May 1798; Pike Co set off from Wayne Co 26 March 1814; Monroe Co set off from Pike and Northampton Counties 1 April 1836.

 See also MVG's collection Historical Maps of the Minisink 1755 - 1875.

UPDATE:  An automated, fully-word-searchable transcription of the Northampton County Warrant Register, transcribed by volunteer Marie Robinson, is now available online.

An excerpt from the quite useful Land Records Guide of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania:

 "...During William Penn’s proprietorship, much of the land settlement was never recorded formally so squatting on land was common practice. Land that had been settled under this policy was considered improved land. All other lands vacant were considered unimproved lands. In order to regulate the settling of their lands and to retrieve payment from squatters who settled before 1754, the Penns [heirs of William] further updated the application system, which consisted of a series of documents including application, warrant, survey, and patent...."

Disputes over Warrants may be found in Minutes of the Board of Property and Other References to Land in Pennsylvania including Proprietary (Old) Rights; Pennsylvania Archives, Vol II, Harrisburg, 1894.

1766 Applications for Warrant

Identified place names:
Deckers Creek - present day Hornsbeck Creek
Remmonds or Rimmonds Creek - present day Raymondskill Creek
Swartwood Creek or Swartwoods Mill Creek - present day Toms Creek

Unidentified place names:
Brink's Creek - ?

UPDATE:  Pennsylvania Residents have FREE access to PA Land Records on Ancestry providing they also have a free Ancestry account: Click the PA State Portal page for more information. 

Stone Cutter Peter Higgins

Willow & Urn ornament, Old Dimmick Cemetery, Milford PA, 1861

Among the stone cutters active in the Upper Delaware River Valley during the period 1860 -1870 was Peter Higgins, a native of Ireland. It is likely Higgins arrived in the US via Canada sometime in the late 1840s for the 1850 census finds the family in New York City.  By 1860 they've moved to Deerpark, and by 1870 Higgins had established his firm on Jersey Avenue in Port Jervis, NY.

for James Suiter, 1861

The above crisp example of his distinctive Willow and Urn ornament is from the James Suiter tombstone which is presently in storage, protected from the ravages of weather.

19th century marble and stone cutters advertised their wares with a signature on the tombstone, typically in the lower right hand corner.

1870 Census, Deerpark, Orange Co NY

The Evening Gazette, Port Jervis, NY, October 1, 1874

Peter's only known son, John F. Higgins, apprenticed with his father but would leave the trade after Peter died to attend St Francis Xavier College. He later returned to Port Jervis to practice medicine.

Shohola-Worzel Cemetery, Pike Co PA, 1862

 The Higgins' tombstone carvings are noted for the use of mixed fonts in the lettering, the distinctive shape of the upper portion of the stone, and the frequent use of the Willow or Willow & Urn ornament.

Eldred Cemetery, Sullivan Co NY, 1861

In Memory of
James Collard
Who Died Feb. 8, from
wounds received on the
N. Y. and E. R. R., Jan. 29, 1861
Aged 24 years
7 mo & 3 D's
None knew him but to love

Higgins, Port Jervis 

Willow & Urn ornament, Delaware Cemetery, Dingmans Ferry, Pike Co PA, 1866

The Joseph H Albright tombstone bears the signature of Higgins, Port Jervis in the lower right hand corner.

German Hill Cemetery, Pike Co PA, 1864

This Civil War veteran's tombstone by Higgins is unusual in the tri-state area for its depiction of a standing soldier.

John 

son of 

Francis & Christine Kreiter

of the 56th Regiment of the New York Volunteers

Died Aug. 21, 1864

N Beauford, South Carolina

Aged 21 years

& 7 months

Higgins

Port Jervis

Willow & Urn ornament, Van Tuyl Cemetery, Pond Eddy NY, 1861

The Higgins signature is visible on the lower portion of this broken stone for Levi Middaugh.

 

Higgins Tombstones

Parker, Charles M (signed)

b. July 12, 1836 d. Aug 12, 1864

Barryville Congregational Churchyard, Barryville, Sullivan Co NY 

Albright, Joseph H (signed)
b. Oct. 13, 1807 d. Jan. 27, 1866
Delaware Cemetery, Dingmans Ferry, Pike Co PA

Collard, James (signed)
b. Jul. 5, 1836 d. Feb. 8, 1861
Eldred Cemetery, Eldred, Sullivan Co NY

Mapes, Kezia Oakley 

b. 1792 d. Feb. 23, 1861
Eldred Cemetery, Eldred, Sullivan Co NY

Kreiler, John (signed)
d. Aug. 21, 1864    
German Hill Cemetery, Shohola, Pike Co PA

Meginnis, Joseph W (signed)

d. March 17, 1859

Laurel Grove Cemetery, Port Jervis, Orange Co NY

McCarty, Amanda (signed)
b. Nov. 28, 1833 d. Nov. 8, 1860
Milford Cemetery, Milford, Pike Co PA

Van Etten, Oliver P (Willow & Urn ornament)
b. Nov. 29, 1816 d. Dec. 18, 1864
Milford Cemetery, Milford, Pike Co PA

Suiter, James (signed)
b. Mar., 1781 d. May 2, 1861    
Old Dimmick Cemetery, Milford, Pike Co PA

Brink, Elizabeth (Willow & Urn ornament)
b. Jan. 18, 1837 d. Nov. 25, 1864
Rowlands Cemetery, Rowland, Pike Co PA

Terwilliger, Roxy S Brink (Willow & Urn ornament)
b. Feb. 8, 1834 d. Jul. 30, 1867
Rowlands Cemetery, Rowland, Pike Co PA

Hehn, Anna Maria (signed)
b. Apr. 13, 1862 d. Sep. 13, 1862
Shohola-Worzel Cemetery, Shohola, Pike Co PA

Covart, Sarah C. 

d. Oct. 16, 1864
Upper Mongaup Cemetery, Upper Mongaup, Sullivan Co NY

Middaugh, Levi (signed)

b. Jul. 7, 1786 d. Sep. 13, 1861
Van Tuyl Cemetery, Pond Eddy, Sullivan Co NY

Middaugh, Margaret Van Aken (Willow & Urn ornament)

(In the style of Peter Higgins, likely lettered after his death from stock on hand when the business was sold in 1874.)
b. Feb. 26, 1793 d. Oct. 11, 1876
Van Tuyl Cemetery, Pond Eddy, Sullivan Co NY

A virtual cemetery of Higgins tombstones, photos from various contributors.