Individual Details
Benjamin DUPUY I
(1695 - 1765)
DePuy, LeRoy Beck, 1913- "DePuy/DePue family history : Nicholas DePui and Catherina Renard, immigrants and their descendants" Bradenton, Florida : LeRoy (Lee) Beck DePuy, [1991?]; LDSFHL#6105105.:
Benjamin Depui/Depue I, 1695-1765, and Family
The first Benjamin, apparently born 1695 -- he was baptized October 13 of that year -- thus lived for 70 years. (34) He died in the year his sons Benjamin II and John probably settled in that part of Mt. Bethel Township. Northampton County, Pa., which 22 years later became Lower Mt Bethel Township.
Benjamin married twice. The first time, September 13, 1719, was to Elizabeth (baptized February 18, 1700), daughter of (1) Jochem Schoonmaker (Shoemaker) 1658-1730, (35) whose will was probated November 7, 1730. (36) and (2) Anna (Antje) Hussey, baptized June 27, 1670. The second marriage December 13, 1733 was to Eyke DeWitt.
The first of the two Benjamins in our direct line was overshadowed at least in terms of appearing in public records, by older brother Nicholas, 1682-1761, earliest white man to settle in the Shawnee section of the lower Pocono Mountains, and later by Nicholas' son Samuel, 1716-66. Benjamin followed his brother some 100 miles away from their birthplace in Ulster County, N. Y. and possibly obtained a part of the 3,000 acres Nicholas purchased in 1727 from the Indians (later purchased from William Penn's Chief Justice Allen). (37) Altho we don't know when Benjamin arrived in the new homeland, he is mentioned as one of the first officers in the Old Stone Church in Shawnee in 1752. (38) He was unfortunate to have his home burned during the French and Indian Wars in the late 1750's.
Dr. Cornelius Depuy, quoted by Hoff, characterized Benjamin as "a farmer of very strong mind, plus and of a mild disposition," then adds "his home was burned by Indians." (39) His mild disposition and piousness must have been severely tested with the burning of his possessions by those considered as savages. Perhaps Benjamin concentrated on thanking his God for sparing his life since material possessions could be regained.
Presumably Benjamin's home was rebuilt. His brother Nicholas and nephew Samuel with those of their families who remained at home were protected by Fort DePui. This latter was one of a chain of frontier fortifications for which Benjamin Franklin had responsibility. (40) Daniel, son of Nicholas, whose farm was distant from the fort, escaped a party of 60 raiding Indians who burned his house and barns; he and family fled to Fort Van Campen in Pahaquarry on the New Jersey side of the Delaware. (41) Benjamin's two sons had earlier crossed the river; John in 1749 and Benjamin II in 1755 married cousins, the Van Campen sisters, daughters of Col. Abram Van Campen. (42)
Children:
Two children, Benjamin and Johannis, died in infancy, we're told by Hoff. (43) Information on the other four as follows:
1. Maria; baptized 1722, married James Hyndshaw, September 12, 1746. (43a) "A charter member and deacon of the Smithfield Dutch Reformed Church in 1746, (he) was commanding officer at Fort Hyndshaw, Bushkill, during the French and Indian War; owned a mill at Bushkill in 1765." (44) Hyndshaw became a captain in 1760 and died in 1765. (45)
2. John (Johannis) 1727-77, married Marie (Mary) Van Campen June 9, 1749. They moved to Mt Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pa., about 1765 where John and Brother Benjamin II bought 596 acres of land three years later. Apparently a significant share of the payment for this land came from inheritances to Marie and Catherine Van Campen of 400 pounds, left by their father, Col. Abram Van Campen, in his will proved May 25, 1767. (46) The 400 pounds each, would come to about $1,066 in colonial currency according to the example given in Letters From An American Farmer by Hector St. John de Crevecoeur. (47)
A marker to John in the old Presbyterian cemetery, near Martins Creek, examined by the writer, bears an inscription that he died in his fifty-first year on April 19, 1777.
Of John and Mary's family we know that son Benjamin (1756-1840), now an adult, with his mother administered John's estate. (48) There is some uncertainty as to the exact number and names of John and Marie's family. Before the Northampton Country Orphans Court on March 20, 1783.
The petition of Benjamin Depue, eldest son of John Depue. . . was read, settling forth that (his) father died . . . leaving a widow named Mary and seven children to wit: -- the petitioner, Elizabeth, Susanna, Sarah, Mary, Abraham and Samuel. (48)
The Van Campen family chart lists only Benjamin, Sarah, Abraham, Samuel, but adds Joh, the latter appearing to be an error. (49)
Settling John's estate was no simple matter; he had not left a will. First, an administration bond had to be prepared. In this, Mary the "widow relict." her son Benjamin, "Benjamin Depui the elder" (presumably Johnn's brother who also was a justice of the peace) and Thos. Ross were "held and firmly bound unto John Arndt Register for the probate of Wills in the Sum of Fifteen Hundred Pounds." They were given one year, until June 10, 1778, to make "a true and just Account of their said Administration ... " (50)
Negro (presumable a slave) ........................80 pounds
Wheat, other products in the ground..........73
Cattle/horses/sheep/ ..................................72
Hogs and shoats......................................... 5-1/2
Cash..........................................................46
Household furniture...................................30
Beds, bedding, furniture.............................20-1/2
Boat and 5 pikes.......................................22
Ferry Boat "or flat" ................................. 6-1/2
Canoe....................................................... 1
Farmers utensils........................................21
Wearing apparel.......................................11-1/2
Saddles (woman and man's)...................... 2
Sundry..................................................... 4
Although Benjamin inherited his father's estate about 1783, final settlement did not occur until April 6, 1789. (52)
In this final settlement we may see the fine hand of brother Benjamin II, by now an "esquire" since he began his career as Justice of the Peace in 1777 and likely continued until 1791. Benjamin II was also to die intestate and in his early career must have learned the legal advantages, including lengthy delays, of not hurrying to settle estates. Perhaps there was indebtedness on John's property and an extended delay may have helped his family to carry on. Possibly one or more of the children was a minor and this may have affected the time period. Likely, Mary, son Benjamin and the other children carried on the farming for the eleven years. Possibly too they ran the ferry as there was occasion for people to cross the river. This possibility of running a ferry arises because in the inventory of John's estate we find two boats, one a flat, ferry boat. Thus it could be that Benjamin, son of John, operated the ferry rather than Benjamin Depui, Jr. as shown among the list of taxables for 1780 in Mt Bethel Township.
The subject of a ferry brings up the question just where John and family lived. They may have lived at the foot of a road leading from the hamlet of Freytown which road probably terminated when it reached the banks of the Delaware. Freytown is located on the Belvidere, N.J. to Martins Creek, Pa. Road, about halfway between them. Another road from the village of Richmond crosses the other road at Freytown and continued toward the 596 acres bought by brothers John and Benjamin in 1768. When Modern maps of roads are compared to those of the latter 1700's one finds a remarkable relationship between the two.
3. Benjamin II: 1729-1811. Hoff refers to him as the "child of Benjamin Depuy and Eycke DeWitt" even though they were not married until 1733. (see the following section on Benjamin II).
4. Sarah: The youngest child, baptized December 25, 1737, died April 2, 1818 (53) She was married to John Van Campen, 1727-1805, eldest son of Col. Abram Van Campen. Both the Van Campen genealogical chart (55) and Sarahs' tombstone show her as John's wife. Hoff who lists her as wife of Benjamin, brother of John, apparently did not have access to Van Campen records. (54)
Benjamin and John were each justices of Northampton County courts, John appointed March 3, 1770 and Benjamin on March 24, 1786. (57) John's tombstone at Shawnee Presbyterian cemetery lists his death as 11 July 1805, in his 80th year, also that he was a Revolutionary war veteran. The Van Campen family chart shows John's date of baptism as May 15, 1727. In his earlier life, John, who was an elder in the Smithfield Dutch Reformed Church, "operated a water grist mill at Shawnee in 1758 and shipped flour via Durham boats to Philadelphia." (58)
*************************
Duke, Eva, "Research Notes on Ancestors of John Depue, son of Benjamin Depue", after 2000, by Eva Duke 77 Mitchell Road, Oxford NJ 07863 (908) 835-1175, evaduke@yahoo.com Generation No. 3: 4. Benjamin Depue, born October 13, 1695 in Kingston, Ulster County,m NY; died 1765 in Minisink, Orange County, New York. He was the son of Moses Depuy/Depui and Maria Wynkoop. He married Elizabeth Schoonmaker September 13, 1719 in Kingston, RDC, Ulster County, New York. 5. Elizabeth Schoonmaker, born February 18, 1699/1700 in Kingston, Ulster, New York; died bef. 1735. She was the daughter of Jochem Hendricksz Schoonmaker and Antje Hussey.
Notes for Benjamin Depuy;
Lived in the area of Delaware Water Gap, Pa. Lived in Minisink where his brother Nicholas lived.
More About Elizabeth Schoonmaker: Baptism: February 18, 169899, Kingston, DRC [Ulster, New York]
More About Benjamin Depue and Elizabeth Schoonmaker: Marriage: SEptember 13, 1719, Kingston, RDC, Ulster County, New York.
Children of Benjamin Depue and Elizabeth Schoonmaker are: [not included in my notes, but are included in her research paper. They are included in my data file] FIELD NAME Page VALUE Jochem H. Schoonmaker 19: _INFO P FIELD NAME Page VALUE DePuy, LeRoy Beck, 1913- "DePuy/DePue family history : Nicholas DePui and Catherina Renard, immigrants and their descendants" Bradenton, Florida : LeRoy (Lee) Beck DePuy, [1991?]; LDSFHL#6105105.: _INFO P FIELD NAME Page VALUE !FHL SLC LeRoy Beck DePuy's DEPUY FAMILY HISTORY page 14 _INFO P FIELD NAME Page VALUE IGI - 822024/7224519-1 _INFO P
Benjamin Depui/Depue I, 1695-1765, and Family
The first Benjamin, apparently born 1695 -- he was baptized October 13 of that year -- thus lived for 70 years. (34) He died in the year his sons Benjamin II and John probably settled in that part of Mt. Bethel Township. Northampton County, Pa., which 22 years later became Lower Mt Bethel Township.
Benjamin married twice. The first time, September 13, 1719, was to Elizabeth (baptized February 18, 1700), daughter of (1) Jochem Schoonmaker (Shoemaker) 1658-1730, (35) whose will was probated November 7, 1730. (36) and (2) Anna (Antje) Hussey, baptized June 27, 1670. The second marriage December 13, 1733 was to Eyke DeWitt.
The first of the two Benjamins in our direct line was overshadowed at least in terms of appearing in public records, by older brother Nicholas, 1682-1761, earliest white man to settle in the Shawnee section of the lower Pocono Mountains, and later by Nicholas' son Samuel, 1716-66. Benjamin followed his brother some 100 miles away from their birthplace in Ulster County, N. Y. and possibly obtained a part of the 3,000 acres Nicholas purchased in 1727 from the Indians (later purchased from William Penn's Chief Justice Allen). (37) Altho we don't know when Benjamin arrived in the new homeland, he is mentioned as one of the first officers in the Old Stone Church in Shawnee in 1752. (38) He was unfortunate to have his home burned during the French and Indian Wars in the late 1750's.
Dr. Cornelius Depuy, quoted by Hoff, characterized Benjamin as "a farmer of very strong mind, plus and of a mild disposition," then adds "his home was burned by Indians." (39) His mild disposition and piousness must have been severely tested with the burning of his possessions by those considered as savages. Perhaps Benjamin concentrated on thanking his God for sparing his life since material possessions could be regained.
Presumably Benjamin's home was rebuilt. His brother Nicholas and nephew Samuel with those of their families who remained at home were protected by Fort DePui. This latter was one of a chain of frontier fortifications for which Benjamin Franklin had responsibility. (40) Daniel, son of Nicholas, whose farm was distant from the fort, escaped a party of 60 raiding Indians who burned his house and barns; he and family fled to Fort Van Campen in Pahaquarry on the New Jersey side of the Delaware. (41) Benjamin's two sons had earlier crossed the river; John in 1749 and Benjamin II in 1755 married cousins, the Van Campen sisters, daughters of Col. Abram Van Campen. (42)
Children:
Two children, Benjamin and Johannis, died in infancy, we're told by Hoff. (43) Information on the other four as follows:
1. Maria; baptized 1722, married James Hyndshaw, September 12, 1746. (43a) "A charter member and deacon of the Smithfield Dutch Reformed Church in 1746, (he) was commanding officer at Fort Hyndshaw, Bushkill, during the French and Indian War; owned a mill at Bushkill in 1765." (44) Hyndshaw became a captain in 1760 and died in 1765. (45)
2. John (Johannis) 1727-77, married Marie (Mary) Van Campen June 9, 1749. They moved to Mt Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pa., about 1765 where John and Brother Benjamin II bought 596 acres of land three years later. Apparently a significant share of the payment for this land came from inheritances to Marie and Catherine Van Campen of 400 pounds, left by their father, Col. Abram Van Campen, in his will proved May 25, 1767. (46) The 400 pounds each, would come to about $1,066 in colonial currency according to the example given in Letters From An American Farmer by Hector St. John de Crevecoeur. (47)
A marker to John in the old Presbyterian cemetery, near Martins Creek, examined by the writer, bears an inscription that he died in his fifty-first year on April 19, 1777.
Of John and Mary's family we know that son Benjamin (1756-1840), now an adult, with his mother administered John's estate. (48) There is some uncertainty as to the exact number and names of John and Marie's family. Before the Northampton Country Orphans Court on March 20, 1783.
The petition of Benjamin Depue, eldest son of John Depue. . . was read, settling forth that (his) father died . . . leaving a widow named Mary and seven children to wit: -- the petitioner, Elizabeth, Susanna, Sarah, Mary, Abraham and Samuel. (48)
The Van Campen family chart lists only Benjamin, Sarah, Abraham, Samuel, but adds Joh, the latter appearing to be an error. (49)
Settling John's estate was no simple matter; he had not left a will. First, an administration bond had to be prepared. In this, Mary the "widow relict." her son Benjamin, "Benjamin Depui the elder" (presumably Johnn's brother who also was a justice of the peace) and Thos. Ross were "held and firmly bound unto John Arndt Register for the probate of Wills in the Sum of Fifteen Hundred Pounds." They were given one year, until June 10, 1778, to make "a true and just Account of their said Administration ... " (50)
Negro (presumable a slave) ........................80 pounds
Wheat, other products in the ground..........73
Cattle/horses/sheep/ ..................................72
Hogs and shoats......................................... 5-1/2
Cash..........................................................46
Household furniture...................................30
Beds, bedding, furniture.............................20-1/2
Boat and 5 pikes.......................................22
Ferry Boat "or flat" ................................. 6-1/2
Canoe....................................................... 1
Farmers utensils........................................21
Wearing apparel.......................................11-1/2
Saddles (woman and man's)...................... 2
Sundry..................................................... 4
Although Benjamin inherited his father's estate about 1783, final settlement did not occur until April 6, 1789. (52)
In this final settlement we may see the fine hand of brother Benjamin II, by now an "esquire" since he began his career as Justice of the Peace in 1777 and likely continued until 1791. Benjamin II was also to die intestate and in his early career must have learned the legal advantages, including lengthy delays, of not hurrying to settle estates. Perhaps there was indebtedness on John's property and an extended delay may have helped his family to carry on. Possibly one or more of the children was a minor and this may have affected the time period. Likely, Mary, son Benjamin and the other children carried on the farming for the eleven years. Possibly too they ran the ferry as there was occasion for people to cross the river. This possibility of running a ferry arises because in the inventory of John's estate we find two boats, one a flat, ferry boat. Thus it could be that Benjamin, son of John, operated the ferry rather than Benjamin Depui, Jr. as shown among the list of taxables for 1780 in Mt Bethel Township.
The subject of a ferry brings up the question just where John and family lived. They may have lived at the foot of a road leading from the hamlet of Freytown which road probably terminated when it reached the banks of the Delaware. Freytown is located on the Belvidere, N.J. to Martins Creek, Pa. Road, about halfway between them. Another road from the village of Richmond crosses the other road at Freytown and continued toward the 596 acres bought by brothers John and Benjamin in 1768. When Modern maps of roads are compared to those of the latter 1700's one finds a remarkable relationship between the two.
3. Benjamin II: 1729-1811. Hoff refers to him as the "child of Benjamin Depuy and Eycke DeWitt" even though they were not married until 1733. (see the following section on Benjamin II).
4. Sarah: The youngest child, baptized December 25, 1737, died April 2, 1818 (53) She was married to John Van Campen, 1727-1805, eldest son of Col. Abram Van Campen. Both the Van Campen genealogical chart (55) and Sarahs' tombstone show her as John's wife. Hoff who lists her as wife of Benjamin, brother of John, apparently did not have access to Van Campen records. (54)
Benjamin and John were each justices of Northampton County courts, John appointed March 3, 1770 and Benjamin on March 24, 1786. (57) John's tombstone at Shawnee Presbyterian cemetery lists his death as 11 July 1805, in his 80th year, also that he was a Revolutionary war veteran. The Van Campen family chart shows John's date of baptism as May 15, 1727. In his earlier life, John, who was an elder in the Smithfield Dutch Reformed Church, "operated a water grist mill at Shawnee in 1758 and shipped flour via Durham boats to Philadelphia." (58)
*************************
Duke, Eva, "Research Notes on Ancestors of John Depue, son of Benjamin Depue", after 2000, by Eva Duke 77 Mitchell Road, Oxford NJ 07863 (908) 835-1175, evaduke@yahoo.com Generation No. 3: 4. Benjamin Depue, born October 13, 1695 in Kingston, Ulster County,m NY; died 1765 in Minisink, Orange County, New York. He was the son of Moses Depuy/Depui and Maria Wynkoop. He married Elizabeth Schoonmaker September 13, 1719 in Kingston, RDC, Ulster County, New York. 5. Elizabeth Schoonmaker, born February 18, 1699/1700 in Kingston, Ulster, New York; died bef. 1735. She was the daughter of Jochem Hendricksz Schoonmaker and Antje Hussey.
Notes for Benjamin Depuy;
Lived in the area of Delaware Water Gap, Pa. Lived in Minisink where his brother Nicholas lived.
More About Elizabeth Schoonmaker: Baptism: February 18, 169899, Kingston, DRC [Ulster, New York]
More About Benjamin Depue and Elizabeth Schoonmaker: Marriage: SEptember 13, 1719, Kingston, RDC, Ulster County, New York.
Children of Benjamin Depue and Elizabeth Schoonmaker are: [not included in my notes, but are included in her research paper. They are included in my data file] FIELD NAME Page VALUE Jochem H. Schoonmaker 19: _INFO P FIELD NAME Page VALUE DePuy, LeRoy Beck, 1913- "DePuy/DePue family history : Nicholas DePui and Catherina Renard, immigrants and their descendants" Bradenton, Florida : LeRoy (Lee) Beck DePuy, [1991?]; LDSFHL#6105105.: _INFO P FIELD NAME Page VALUE !FHL SLC LeRoy Beck DePuy's DEPUY FAMILY HISTORY page 14 _INFO P FIELD NAME Page VALUE IGI - 822024/7224519-1 _INFO P
Events
| Birth | 1695 | Kingston, Ulster, New York, United States | |||
| Christen | 13 Oct 1695 | Kingston Dut Ref, Kingston, Ulster, New York, United States | |||
| Marriage | 3 Sep 1719 | Kingston Dut Ref, Kingston, Ulster, New York, United States - Elizabeth SCHOONMAKER | |||
| Marriage | 13 Dec 1735 | Dutch Ref Church, Ulster, New York - Ikee Kersted Or Rjarsted DEWITT | |||
| Death | 1765 | Minisink, Orange, New York | |||
| Burial | Of Mt. Bethel, Northampton, Pennsylvania | ||||
| Reference No | coqt-k1 | ||||
| Residence | Lived On The Area Of Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania. | ||||
| Residence | Lived in Minisink, Orange, NY |  | |||
| Residence | Shawnee, Mifflin, Pennsylvania, United States | |
Families
| Spouse | Elizabeth SCHOONMAKER ( - 1735) |
| Child | Benjamin DEPUI (1720 - 1729) |
| Child | Maria DEPUE ( - ) |
| Child | Johannis DEPUE (1724 - 1727) |
| Child | Johannis DEPUI (1727 - 1777) |
| Child | Benjamin DEPUE II (1729 - 1811) |
| Child | Sarah DUPUY (1737 - 1818) |
| Spouse | Ikee Kersted Or Rjarsted DEWITT ( - ) |
| Child | Sarah DEPUI ( - 1818) |
| Father | Moses DUPUIS Sr. (1657 - 1728) |
| Mother | Maria WYNCOOP (1660 - 1724) |
| Sibling | Marertje DUPUY (1681 - 1745) |
| Sibling | Nicolaes DUPUY ( - 1761) |
| Sibling | Catharina DUPUY (1684 - ) |
| Sibling | Magdalina DUPUY (1686 - ) |
| Sibling | Cornelis DUPUY (1688 - 1778) |
| Sibling | Catrina DUPUY (1690 - ) |
| Sibling | Moses DUPUY Jr. ( - 1769) |
| Sibling | Susanna Or Sarah DUPUY (1698 - 1754) |
| Sibling | Catharina DUPUY (1701 - ) |
| Sibling | Jacabus DEPUY Sr. (1703 - 1757) |
| Sibling | Johannis DUPUY (1705 - ) |