War of 1812 Pension Application for a Widow

Fold3 is making available for free digitized pension claims for the War of 1812.  The digitization project is proceeding in alphabetical order and Cook files for New Jersey have recently become available.

My 3x great grandmother, Elizabeth Vanderhoof, applied for a widow's pension for service of her deceased husband, Stephen H Cook.  For quite some time, I have been holding out for this file after locating an index card.

Index Card War of 1812
From the collection United States, War of 1812 Index to Pension Application Files, 1812-1910
at FamilySearch.org
This collection is free to search and view.

Elizabeth Vanderhoof was born in 1799 and died in 1878, according to her gravestone.  I do not know her parents.  As you can see from the marriage record below, her parents are not listed.  I cannot find a record of her death with any parentage.  She might be characterized as a "brick wall," meaning that I cannot get to the generation behind her.

Elizabeth is more like a glass wall than a brick wall.  She likely comes from one of the nearby Vanderhoof families.

Stephen Cook was born in 1797 and died in 1853, according to his gravestone, making him just old enough to have participated in the War of 1812.  He and Elizabeth were married in 1819 and was recorded at the county level.

A nod to the DNA studies:  The first couple at the top of the page of marriages, Peter Vandroof and Rachel Peer, are ancestors of a man who shares a segment of DNA with my third cousin from the Stephen Cook/Elizabeth Vanderhoof line.  Could the common ancestor be a Vanderhoof?

New Jersey, County Marriages, 1682-1956
Stephen Cook to Eliza Vandroof, 7 April 1819 in Morris County
Free index and images at FamilySearch.org

In order to claim a pension as a widow of a veteran, the marriage must be proved.  I was hoping that the pension application would provide me with Elizabeth's family of origin.  No such luck.  Elizabeth claimed to be unable to provide documentation of her marriage to Stephen Cook.

Elizabeth applied for a widow's pension under an 1871 act that entitled a widow to a pension if married to the soldier before the end of the War in 1815.  Note that Elizabeth wrote the day and month of her marriage but not the year.  Had she written the actual year of marriage, 1819, and included proof, her pension would have been denied.  She was denied anyway.

The 1878 Act, however, entitled Elizabeth to a widow's pension.  She died on May 4, just two months after the passage of this Act.  Viewing the actual application shows us that she filed under the 1871 Act and not the 1878 Act as I originally speculated.  See the The Legal Genealogist's article for a concise summary of entitlements for pensions for the War of 1812.

Elizabeth attempted to bootstrap her application for a widow's pension by mentioning the Land Warrant.  Her reliance upon this bounty is misplaced.  (You can search and view land patents for free at the non-genealogy site of the United States Bureau of Land Management.)  Under the 1850 Scrip Warrant Act, Stephen Cook was granted 40 acres in Wisconsin for his service in the War of 1812.  Stephen was alive at this time, so when he married Elizabeth is not relevant for receiving the land bounty.  The number of acres, forty, tells us that Stephen was able to prove at least one month of service, but not more than four months.

Transfer of 40 acres in Wisconsin from Elizabeth, widow of Stephen Cook,
back to the Land Office and then to William Bach.
Accession # MW-0901-319

The only possible Vanderhoof family tie I can garner from Elizabeth's pension application is in her selection of witnesses to her signature:  Chilion Cook and Charlotte Cook.

Chilion Cook was a first cousin of Stephen H Cook.  Chilion married Charlotte Vanderhoof in 1828.

New Jersey, County Marriages, 1682-1956
Chilion Cook to Charlotte Vanderhoof in 1828 in Morris County
Free index and images at FamilySearch.org

Charlotte died in 1886.  Her death certificate lists parents as Jacob Vanderhoof and Ann.  We need more documentation to connect these two woman to the larger Vanderhoof family in Morris County, New Jersey, but I think we are on the right trail.

New Jersey certificates of death 1886-1887
Place 75 (Morris County), Certificate number C138
Copied from microfilm at New Jersey State Archives in Trenton, New Jersey by J Lutter

Woodland Cemetery: Hurricane Damage Persists

Documentation and preservation efforts at Woodland Cemetery in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey remain thwarted by the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which hit the area six months ago.

The remaining entrance on South 10th Street was accessible when I took this photo seven years ago.

Woodland Cemetery, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey
Entrance at South 10th Street
9 June 2006

Now the entrance is blocked by a tree.

Woodland Cemetery
Entrance at South 10th Street
16 April 2013

Old entrance at Rose Street by corner of Rose Terrace/Chadwick Avenue,
right off Bergen Street.
9 June 2006

Current condition of Rose Street entrance.

Most of the fencing around the cemetery is destroyed, so you can simply walk right in,
even though the entrances are blocked.
The gravestones are shifting onto the sidewalk, where not everyone is interested in preserving them.

This was beautiful once.

Me at Woodland in 2012.
Photo by J Wertz.

This is sad that a cemetery has been allowed to decay over the years.  This is not an isolated story.

Google Maps for Genealogy

Google Maps provides you with the ability to create your own maps.  I am finding this function useful for genealogy.

Google Maps
Morris County, New Jersey

In the map above, I marked burial places for various families in Morris County, New Jersey.  This helps me visualize their geographical proximity.  I can add locations of residences and places of worship to establish a clearer picture of the close interactions among these people.  Some of the sites are not public cemeteries and finding them is difficult.  I shared this map with other researchers to enable them to find the private burial grounds.

The map could also be used to help you plan a trip to a distant location.  You could include cemeteries, churches, homesteads, as well as local repositories.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Irish I knew where in Ireland
my ancestors came from.

Cousins remain Connected

Cousins are connected
Heart to Heart
distance and time can't break them apart

Genealogical research and DNA testing brings cousins back together.

23andMe DNA Kits- Price Reduction Again!

I didn't think we would see a sale at 23andMe so soon after their massive price reduction, but to my surprise, kits are on sale!

The first kit is still $99, but additional kits are 20% off!

Just after I purchased several kits without the sale.

Time to purchase more . . .

Current pricing for autosomal DNA kits
23andMe.com

Testing More Family Members

I will be testing more family members at 23andMe.  This will bring me a lot more matches and a lot more work, but should enable me to better assign the matches to a branch in the tree.  Results should arrive within two months.

Like Father, Not Like Son

Applications for passports are digitized and offered online through sites such as Fold3 and Ancestry.  Even if you think that your family stayed in the same place and never left the United States, search for them in the passports.

I found the passport application for my great-great-great grandfather, John R Winterton.  This provided me with his date and place of birth:  December 3, 1831 in New York City.  We are also provided with his signature!  We share a birthday!

It is important to note that "Jr" follows John R Winterton's name.  Do not assume that this indicates that John shared a name with his father.

I John R Winterton Jr do swear
that I was born in the City of New York on
or about the 3rd day of December 1831,
that I am a citizen of the United States, and am about to travel abroad.
Sworn to before me
this 12 day of June
1849
Notary Public, New York.

The bottom of the page is the attestation from John's father that the above information is correct.  His name is Samuel Winterton.  We get his signature as well!

I Samuel Winterton do swear that I am
acquainted with the above named Jno R Winterton Jr (my son)
and with the facts above stated by him, and that the same are true, to the
best of my knowledge and belief.
Sworn to before me
this 12 day of June
1849.
Notary Public, New York.

Based on John R Winterton's use of "Jr," we can now look for a family member in an older generation with this name, such as an uncle.

I do not know if John sailed abroad.  In 1855 he married Sophia Walling in Raritan Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey.  In the 1860 federal census, the growing family was living in nearby Matawan.  (The names and borders of these locations have changed over the years and that is a study unto itself.)

Bishops of Morris County, New Jersey

For several weeks, on Amanuensis Monday, I posted pictures of handwritten records along with my transcription, of the contents of the family file for Bishop found at the New York State Library in Albany, New York.  As I uncover my Bishop line back in time, one generation at a time, I hope to link up with one of those documented Bishop lines (and continue researching).

The most recent Bishop in my family line was Minnie Caroline Bishop, my great great grandmother.  Minnie was born in Newark, New Jersey about 1866 and died in Newark in 1910.  She is buried with her parents and siblings at Evergreen Cemetery in Hillside, Union County, New Jersey.

List of burials in plot owned by William R Bishop
Courtesy of Evergreen Cemetery
located in Hillside, Union County, New Jersey

Minnie was one of several children born to William Reuben Bishop and Susan Jennie Marsh.

William Reuben Bishop was born in the 1840s in Morris Township, Morris County, New Jersey, to Reuben Bishop and Susan Ayers.  The earliest child I have found for this couple is Mary Bishop, born about 1836.  Reuben died in after the 1850 census.  I do not know where he is buried.  Susan remarried in 1860 in Newark to Enos Whitehead and died in 1890.

My strategy at this time is to uncover more records in Morris County on Bishops prior to 1860.  I need to find a record of the marriage of Reuben Bishop to Susan Ayers, probably in the mid 1830s.  There are some Bishop burials at the First Presbyterian Church in Morristown that I need to explore.  I have two possibly relevant wills probated in Morris County in 1823.  One is for Rachel Bishop, where she names two daughters, Elizabeth Smith and Mary Jones, and a son, William Bishop.  The other will is by Reuben Bishop and mentions brothers, Calvin Luther Mills and Abner Bishop.

Amanuensis Monday: John Bishop of Guilford, Connecticut 1639

Transcriptions continue for hand-written notes found in the BISHOP family file at the New York State Library in Albany.

John Bishop, one of the founders of Guilford 1639.

Probably born in England and was at least 45 years old when he came here.  He married Ann before coming.  Died in Guilford Jan 1660.  She in April 1676.  His son was

John Bishop Jr.  Died in Guilford Oct 1683.  His son was

Nathaniel Bishop.  Born in Guilford 1666.  Died in Guilford May 1, 1717.  His son was

Ebenezer Bishop.  Born in Guilford Sept 22, 1701.  Died Jan 26, 1788.  His son was

James Bishop.  Born in Guilford Jan 3, 1745.  Died Jan 16, 1832.  He was a Rev. Army Soldier.  His son was

Jonathan Bishop.  Born in Guilford Aug 28, 1783.  Died in Guilford Dec 20, 1852.  His son was

David C. Bishop.  Born in Guilford May 7, 1814.  Died in Branford Nov 18, 1884.  My grandfather.

Thanks to Jan Franco for posting headstones at Find A Grave.

Amanuensis Monday: Bishop lines 1600s

Continued transcriptions of the hand-written notes in the BISHOP family file at the New York State Library in Albany.

Branches of the Bishop Family

John Bishop, Guilford Conn  1639

Rev. John Bishop, Stamford Conn  1644

Gov. James Bishop, New Haven Conn  1647

Richard Bishop, Salem Mass  1635

Edward Bishop, Salem Mass  1639

Thomas Bishop, Ipswick Mass  1686

Nathaniel Bishop, Boston Mass  1634

Henry Bishop, St. Marys Maryland  1634

John Bishop, Jamestown Va  1642

Eleazur Bishop, New London Conn  1667

Stephen Bishop died 1752

Great Grandfather's Music Across the Ocean and a Century

Today we visited the Pianola Museum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Our great grandfather was Howard Lutter.  In Newark, New Jersey and New York City he created piano rolls at Welte Mignon and other companies in the 1910s through the 1930s.  The staff at the Museum were very knowledgeable and shared their time and skills with us.  The Museum's collection of piano rolls does not contain any by Howard Lutter, so we will have to send them some.  We learned that Welte rolls were created in Europe and the United States, but they cannot be played on the same player pianos.

The Director, Kasper P. J. Janse with Jody Lutter and Kim Lutter.

Mr Janse filling the air with music.

Thank you to Kasper P. J. Janse and Marijke Brekelmans for sharing their insights and time with us.

Amanuensis Monday: Doolittle married Andrews 1893

Transcriptions continue for hand-written notes found in the BISHOP family file at the New York State Library in Albany.

John H Doolittle, born April 6, 1863.

Elizabeth E Andrews, born June 13, 1872.

Married Nov 2, 1893.

Children:

Ralph Andrews, born Jan 19, 1894.

Harry LeRoy, born July 21, 1896.

Arnold Bertram, born Jan 6, 1902.

The author of this note used whatever paper she or he could find to write the family history.

1910 United States Federal Census
Wallingford, New Haven County, Connecticut
Having the names of the children helps us be sure that this is the correct family.
Note that the years of marriage as well as the individual's ages in the census differ from the hand-written note.

De Oude Kerk, Amsterdam

Today I visited De Oude Kerk (The Old Church) in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.  The building was constructed around 1300 and is still in use as a church, among other pursuits.  Currently the Church houses an art exhibit from the Gerrit Rietveld Art Academy.

The floor is comprised of gravestones.  Wealthy people paid to be buried inside the Church.  A computer database exists of the burials for your use within the church or online.  Stones and records can be found for burials from the 1500s through the 1800s.

Floor of gravestones, with the buried underneath.

Backer Family side by side for centuries.

You can look up graves by their location within the Church.

You can also browse or search names.  Keep in mind that spellings were not uniform.

Gravestones could be used again by scratching off someone's name.

Close-up of removed inscription of a prior occupant.

The room of the Graeff grave is occupied by this piece of artwork.

Art display:  an unmade bed.

Partial gravestone.

Dangling art.

More art.

Note written on napkin on side of kiddie pool.
I do not know if this is part of the art.

Art display.

Art display of dirt, not a fresh burial.

Me on the stairs inside the Church.  No heat.

Copper plaques from coffins.

Plaque from coffin.
Ida Cornelia Deutz, wife of
Robbert Jan Neel
died 4 March 1807

Amsterdam of Yesteryear Today

Today I toured the canals of Amsterdam on a boat.  Created in the 1600s, the canals helped Amsterdam grow in population and trade, enabling merchandise and people easier access to the area.  Narrow structures were built along the canals as warehouses to hold goods and to house sailors and their families.  Amsterdam requires that the front facades of these buildings be preserved, enabling us to envision how the area looked hundred of years ago.

Houses are narrow but long and tall.  The wider the house, the higher the tax.
A hook at the top of the house is used to pull up or lower down heavy items through the large windows,
a method still used to this day.

Houses did not have numbers until the 1800s.
Residences were distinguished by the design of the glass above the front door.
The lower door in the middle was for servants.

Before houses were numbered, a tradesman could distinguish his residence by a plaque.

The houses along the canals have been esthetically maintained over the centuries.
Amsterdam is below sea level.  The houses shift and lean.

Visit to the Anne Frank House

Today I visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.  The museum is next to the actual building where Anne Frank, her family, and four others hid from the Nazis during World War II until their discovery in August of 1944.  You can walk through the front house, which was used as a warehouse and offices by Anne's father, Otto, and then through the small door, covered by a bookcase, to enter the secret second house where the eight people lived to avoid transportation to concentration camps.  Anne wrote her now famous diary and other stories while in hiding.  Some of the actual pages, written in Dutch, are on display.  The papers were not seized by the Nazis during the raid and an employee of Anne's father safely kept them and returned them to him.  Only Otto survived.

Pictures are not permitted to be taken inside the buildings.

Knowing the fate of Anne and her family, the mood inside was sombre.  Rooms contained clips of Anne's writing, telling of the stress of the situation and Anne's fear of being discovered, which we knew became reality.

The rooms of refuge no longer contain furniture, but magazine and newspaper clippings that Anne used to decorate the walls remain.  The interior is dim and the windows blacked out to replicate the darkness and seclusion incurred by needing the drapes closed at all times.

The set-up of the house into a front and back amazes me.  The rear of the front house has windows that overlook a courtyard.  There is really no indication that several more rooms exist in the back of the house, accessible by only a tiny door, easily concealed.

Me in front of 263 Prinsengracht, Amsterdam

Anne Frank Huis

Anne wrote about the bells of the church in the background.

A memorial for Anne Frank at the church.

Another memorial for Anne Frank in her neighborhood, Merwedeplein.