__
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_Jacob DEMOUTH-THEMOUT __|
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| |__
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|--Frederick Johann DEMOUTH Temout
| (1697 - 1766)
| __
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|_Anna Elizabetha FEBERS _|
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[2637]
Christening was a Confirmation on Easter Sunday in1714.
February 5, 2006
Dear Children,
Tonight I will tell you the story of your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Frederick Demouth. That's grandfather with 7 greats in front of it.
The Frederick Demouth Story
(1697-1766)
Frederick Demouth was born in Darmstadt, Germany in about 1697 to a Huguenot family that had fled persecution in France. He came to America with his mother, father and two sisters as members of a group of Palatines when he was about 12 years old. (See his father's story to learn about the Huguenots and Palatines and opinions about whether or not our Demouths were Huguenots.)
He married Annatie Charlotte Muller, a single woman from "Hedenborgh" (probably Edinburgh, Scotland) on 14 April 1722, in Geemepogh, which is translated Communipaw. Communipaw was the first Dutch settlement in North America settled in 1615, even before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth. It is now part of Jersey City, New Jersey.
In his will Frederick names four children; sons Adam and Conrood, and daughters Elizabeth and Catherine. Baptismal records have been found for Conrad, baptised at four weeks of age, 6 March 1733/34 on the Eulenkill, which is right near the present location of Boonton, and sponsored by his grandparents, Jacob and Elisabeth Demuth; and also for Elisabetha who was born 29 October 1735 and baptised on the Eulenkill and sponsored by her Aunt and Uncle, Pieter and Anna Dorothea Friederich. Records of the other two children come to us from Frederick's will. Was the Eulenkill a river? I don't know. But I did find an old map, a map of where the Palatines had settled. It had Eulenkill on it and under the word in parenthesis it said Hanover, and it was right about where Boonton is today.
Frederick was the first European settler in the Rockaway Valley. There was a lot of seemingly empty land there, and Frederick both bought and was granted huge tracts of land. One tract was the 655 acres of Rockaway Valley purchased from Thomas and Richard Penn, sons of William Penn in 1758. On this tract he established his home and farm.
William Penn is a famous Quaker. He was given the colony of Pennsylvannia in 1681 as payment for a debt that King Charles owed to William's father. Penn used the opportunity to establish a democratic system with freedom of religion, fair trials, elected representatives, and separation of powers. He bought land from the Indians and treated them with respect and fairness. Many of his ideas later formed the basis of the American constitution. William Penn was also granted a large tract of land in New Jersey, by the Duke of York in 1680. When he died in 1618, this parcel passed to his sons Thomas and Richard who sold a huge chunk, 655 acres, to our ancestor, Frederick Demouth.
You may wonder how Frederick came to have so much money to buy all that land. Remember the Huguenots? They tended to be the wealthier members of French society, so it may be that Frederick's father, Jacob, was not a poor man and was able to preserve his wealth between the time he left France and the time he sailed for America with the Palatines. Frederick as the only son probably inherited the bulk of his father's estate, though no will has been found for Jacob. Another point to remember is land was cheap then. It could be bought for shillings an acre, which would mean less than a dollar per acre.
Here are a couple of his other land acquisitions: In 1748 Frederick was one of a group of four men who were granted 422 acres along Rockaway River. In 1750 Frederick bought 614 acres in Rockaway Valley near Boonton.
The Boonton official website lists Frederick Demouth as the first resident and says he was of French Huguenot extraction and that his Rockaway plantation on land he bought from the Penns was at that time part of Pequannock. In her History of the Demouths, Lois Wells Wilson described an "Abner" Demouth thusly:
"The earliest De Muths came over before the Huguenot troubles in France, colonized the Bergen, N.J. area and had large landholdings dating from 1624 in and near Boonton, N.J. The De Mott Hill and Cemetery there still exist. They say that Abner De Mouth lived like a feudal lord; he had 7000 acres of land, had his own brewery and his own blacksmith shop, all on his own place."
We know that Frederick Demouth was the first settler in the valley where Boonton now is. So if Mrs. Wilson is right about the place she must be talking about either Frederick or his son Adam. And they're our Demouths that are buried in the Demouth Cemetery. They owned a lot of land, but nowhere near 7000 acres. I believe she was speaking of Adam. Frederick spent his life amassing the family fortune and Adam inherited it, enjoyed it, and in turn passed it on to his son, Jacob.(Refer to the stories of Adam Demouth and Jacob Demouth (b. 1763).)
Did you notice that Mrs. Wilson spelled Demouth without the "o"? And notice below that it's not even spelled with a "D". Read what Mrs. Wilson says about the spelling of Demouth in Frederick's father's story.
We know Frederick was a responsible member of his community. We can see this fact in his being chosen and in his willingness to serve as tax collector for Pequannock in 1743, 1753 and 1754.
This is a summary of his will:"1763, Feb.5 Temout Frederick, of Pequannock, Morris Co., yeoman: will to Wife, Charlotte, use of my real and personal while my widow. Sons, Adam and Conrood, my plantation where I dwell, of 600 acres, and also land by Rockaway River, of 50 acres, and all other lands, except 4 lots at New Foundland. When son, Conrood, shall get married, he is to have a setout, equal to his brother and sisters. Daughters, Elizabeth and Catharine, 4 lots at New Foundland. Executors - my two sons, Adam and Conrood. Witnesses - John Van Winkle, Frederick Miller, Ezekiel Cheever. Proved Sept. 8, 1766"
In his will Frederick names four children; sons Adam and Conrood, and daughters Elizabeth and Catherine. You may be wondering what became of Frederick's children. I can find no further record of Conrood after this mention in his father's will. It is believed that one of the two daughters, Elizabeth or Catherine, married Peter Snyder and inherited the property at Newfoundland where the house, celebrated in the Rockaway Township Bicentennial quilt, is located, the house where they burned the eight foot logs. Is this the same house that Frederick's grandson, Jacob inherited and raised his nine children in? I'm not at all sure about the answer to that - more about that house when we get to Jacob.
So this is our ancestor Frederick Demouth. He was born of a (perhaps) Huguenot family in Germany and with his parents and sisters endured a harrowing journey to America with the Palatines. During his adult years he amassed a huge estate, acquiring many hundreds of acres of land, building a home and farm that he passed on to his children. He also served as a leader of his community. We can be very proud of our forefather, Frederick Demouth.
Here's how we're related to Frederick: Frederick Demouth had Adam Demouth, Adam had Jacob Demouth, Jacob had John Demouth, John had Jacob Demouth, Jacob had Samuel De Mouth, Samuel had Thelma De Mouth, Thelma had Dianne Zimmerman, Dianne had Dawne Stevens, Dawne had . . . Sarah, Hannah, Timmy, and Becky! So Hooray for Frederick Demouth!
8 MAR 1743 Fredrick Temout was appointed Colector (taxes?) for the town of Pequanock, NJ.
He was appointed again in 1753 and 1754.
The first reference to Jacob (1) I have yet found is contained in Morris County Deeds, Book A, page 70 (abb. MC Deeds A/70) dated December 30, 1730, in which Jacob Temout and Elizabeth his wife convey some land near Montville, N. J., to Mathew Van Duyne. In this deed it is stated that Jacob Temout purchased the land on December 5, 1722, from John Koarta; also that previous to 1730, Jacob had sold 100 acres to his son Frederick(2).
Boonton Township's recorded history began about 1710 when William Penn, the Quaker land speculator, located in the northern valley his Lot No. 48, which contained by actual survey 1,430 prime field and woodland acres. James Bollen, whose bordering "plantation" stretching south toward the Tourne was described as "situate on the fork of Rockaway with an Indian plantation in it," mapped his 1,507 acres in 1715. In 1765 David Ogden purchased from Burnet and Skinner the Great Boonton Tract of 3~656.97 acres. When the Township of Boonton was created in 1867 by "An Act to Divide the Township of Pequannoc in the County of Morris" most of Penn's Lot No. 48 and parts of the Bollen and Great Boonton Tracts fell within our boundary. Boonton Township's official birthday is April 11, 1867.
The first settler of proper record was Frederick DeMouth of French Huguenot extraction. By 1758 his Rockaway Valley plantation within the Penn Lot comprised 672 acres, and it was on this land that the large Stickle, Bott and Kincaid farms were to prosper in the far distant future. Frederick Miller of German Palatine birth bought extensive land (later day Dixon acres) within the Bollen piece at 13 shillings per acre. These founding families were closely followed by the Hoplers, Van Winkles, Cooks, Scotts, Peers, Stickles and Kanouses.
As to Frederick (2), I find a record of a marriage in the Hackensack R.D. Church for Frederick Temout, young man, born in "Hedenborgh" (Edinborough ?), banns published April 14, 1722, both living in "Geemepogh" (Communipaw, Jersey City). This may or may not be Frederick (2), son of Jacob (1), but the probable age (young man) and the spelling of the name make it a strong probability. Since the marriage took place several months before Jacob (1) purchased land in Morris County, their residence, Communipaw, is not out of order. If my conjecture - that this is Frederick (2) - is correct, then this tells from what city - Darmstadt - the Demouths came from.
To continue with the references to Frederick (2), the next thing I find is a deed filed in the vaults of the Secretary of the State of New Jersey at Trenton. In this deed, dated Sept. 27, 1748 filed in Book G-2, page 111, Frederick Demouth and four others were granted 422.70 acres by John Burnett and Samuel Neville. This land was on Rockaway River, but its exact location I haven't dtermined. Again, on July 10, 1750, Frederick purchased 614 acres of land (c.f. G-2, p. 518), this time mainly in Rockaway Valley which is very near Boonton. Purchase was made on May 1, 1758, (Trenton's Deedss p. 394) of 655 acres in Rockaway Valley from Thomas and Richard Penn (sons of Wm. Penn to whom the tract was laid out in 1730. Upon acquiring this tract, Frederick (2) established his home and his farm there. We know that this Frederick who bought the Penn tract was your ancestor, as will be shown below, but we are less sure that he was the same Frederick referred to in the Hackensack marriages or that he was the son of Jacob (1). However, he was referred to in the Trenton deeds as "Frederick Temout" and his mark was "FD." This fact is not without significance, even if it does not constitute proof.
The next pertinent reference to Frederick (2) is his will dated Feb. 5, 1763, and proved Sept. 8, 1766. (N.J. Archives, 1st series Vol. XXXIII, p. 423) In his will he gives his wife Charlotte the use of all his real and personal property while his widow. "...Sons, Adam and Conrood, my plantation where I dwell, of 600 acres, and also land by Rockaway River, of 80 acres, and all other lands, except 4 lots at Newfoundland. When son, Conrood, shall get merried he is to have a setout equal to his brother and sisters. Daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine, 4 lots at Newfoundland. Executors - my two sons, Adam and Conrood." (Trenton Wills I, p. 56) The testators name was given as "Frederick Temout."
It is my guess that one of the two daughters married Peter Snyder whose father had been a business associate of Frederick. This might account for the Peter Snyder house at Newfoundland being referred to as the Demouth place.
Lemuel Cobb surveyed for the heirs or assigns of Hugh Hartshome at the request of Frederick DeMouth all that tract adjoining the farm of Adam DeMouth in Pequanack, Morris Co which was surveyed 12 May, 1715 for Gov William Penn. Also a tract situate on NE side of the Green Pond, Pequannack returned 14 September, 1751. The heirs of Hugh Hartshone/Hartshome claim right to these through a certificate of Mislocation to them at the request of Frederick Demouth dated 26 December 1761. This was witnessed 27 Nov. 1786
Frederick Miller lived further down the valley; on the property owned by William M. Dixon at the time of his death. Part of the Miller house is yet standing. William Dixon, son-in-law of Miller, also lived in that neighborhood. Frederick Demouth, or Demoth, as it was originally called, lived further down the valley, and was a farmer of considerable means and style for those early days.
[2650] This citing is from the chapter "Rockaway" by James H. Neighbour
[2635] West Camp Lutheran Churchbook cited.
[11466] Jones cites a Hackensack Reformed Church record.
_____________________
|
_Henry DYMOKE _______|
| (1265 - ....) m 1295|
| |_____________________
|
|
|--John DYMOKE
|
| _Hugh PLACETIS Lord__
| | (1242 - ....)
|_Dionisia PLACETIS __|
m 1295 |
|_____________________
_Benjamin SHELDON ____+
| (1705 - 1752) m 1726
_William SHELDON ____|
| (1731 - 1816) m 1753|
| |_Abigail KELLOGG _____+
| (1702 - 1746) m 1726
|
|--Rhoda SHELDON
| (1769 - ....)
| _Elisha NOBLE Captain_+
| | (1702 - 1771) m 1726
|_Hannah NOBLE _______|
(1735 - 1810) m 1753|
|_Abigail WARNER ______+
(1703 - 1782) m 1726
_Charles STEVENS _______+
| (1829 - 1917) m 1864
_Addison Archibald STEVENS _|
| (1865 - 1952) m 1895 |
| |_Catherine PATRIQUIN ___+
| (1835 - 1920) m 1864
|
|--Roxie Anna STEVENS
| (1902 - 1988)
| _William Andrew GRAHAM _
| |
|_Zema Ann GRAHAM ___________|
(1877 - 1963) m 1895 |
|_Rebecca Jane SMITH ____
[3760]
Roxie was also the name of a neighbor girl living next to Addison's family in Spring Grove, WI. That Roxie's older brother Leonard married Addison's sister, Ina Stevens.
Per granddaughter email of 4/23/09 - "Roxie and Audie moved to Oregon from Boise, Idaho. Audie worked on the railroad and Roxie did some teaching."
Line 1 318 laurel St. dwelling # 53 Family # 90
Stevens, Addison Head Rents age 52 m imm: 1870 Nat: 1910 NS WI WI occ: coal Miner wage
Zenia wife 42 m OR OH VA none
Roxie dau 17 s OR NS OR school
Mildred dau 15 s ID NS OR school
Wayne son 13 s ID NS OR school
Roy son 8 s ID NS OR school
Lloyd son 6 s ID NS OR
Catherine dau 3 s ID NS OR
Marion dau 1 s WA NS OR
Line 56 Dwelling # 88 Household # 91
Lewis, Audie F. head rent no radio age 28 m. at age 22 NC NC NC occ: Foreman/section gang/ RR
Roxie A. wife 27 21 ID NS OR
Virginia dau 4 9/12 ID NC ID
William F. son 9/12 ID NC ID