Johns

There are a few John/ Jan  / and Johannes records floating around for this same time period.   It is still a work in progress to isolate the correct one. I remarked to Tom that this was all quite a puzzle and then I thought "hey, I used to do puzzles with my dad.." so I am trying... 

Approach:  each John will get a page and those with more than one wife - each "family" will get a page. That way, I can move them around and perhaps see where I have incorrectly merged the Johns. 

I have long been searching for Isaac Sr's father.  I knew that he had three sons in the Minaville, New York area - all farmers-  John De Groff (American Civil War veteran), Isaac Sr.   Isaac contributed to John's pension application - confirming their relationship as brothers.  I've speculated that a second brother of Isaac  (Jacob) is also a member of this family but I have not found a connection between John and Jacob and to date, no DNA link between descendants in Jacob's line to Tom or Darren 

    (a rabbit hole if you are curious: Is Jacob in our tree? Yes (click here)  No (click here)

However, who is the father (if they shared the same father) of Isaac Sr, John and possible Jacob?   One theory - upon which this page is built, is that because John is the oldest, his name was also John (or Jan or Johannis / Johannes).  

I've built out information the John's I've found with a logical dates of birth; and  then I found their descendants shared DNA with Darren and TOM

 DNA MATCH   Johannis DeGraff 1720 -1789 wife Magdalena Peeshar

their son --  (born when Johannis was 15 which is sketchy I suppose but feasible?)

DNA MATCH Johannis De Graff 1735 - 1810 wife Anna (Annjte) Smith 

• baptism documented 7 December 1735 - lists both parents and lists as witnesses Margaret De Graaf
• burial:  in Terpenning Family Ground in Ulster County

DNA MATCH their son  Isaac De Groff Sr. 

  

Other John's 

Johannes DeGroff wife Eva Van Driesen - married in Fonda  died in Schenectady  Class Andries Line

• baptized 3 September 1754 Schenectady,  Albany County  
• son of Class DeGraff and Ariantje Schermerhorn
• marriage notation 1755 (Fonda, Montgomery County Florida) 
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  John De Graaf 1720-1789 wife Cateline Rappelje   the De Graaf spelling has me paused.

• marriage and baptism records from New York City 
• baptism records for a Johanna De Groff with both parents listed
• some family trees link Lavinia De Groff to this couple- and we share DNA with her ancestors - but not documentation linking Lavinia to our family (other than DNA)

Johannis DeGraff 1720-1789 wife Magdelena Pesshar

 Amateur Genealogist disclaimer: There are a few John/ Jan  / and Johannes records floating around for this same time period.   It is still a work in progress to isolate the correct one. 

Johannis DeGraff, born 1720, was married to Magdelena Peeshar in 1735 - if this birth date is true he was 15 at marriage and immediately had a son (Jan) . Magdelena and Johannis have a family of nine (9) children and Magdelena passed in 1746.  Johnannis remarries widow Maria Eckert. 

Johannis DeGraff (1720-1795) (our focus today)  DNA MATCHES

Johannis's will lists a wife Mary (presumed to be Mary Eckert),  

two sons, John and Hendrick, a step son Jacob Eckert; 

daughters Mary married David Auchmoody;  Margaret married  to a Schriver; Catherine widow of Henry Rikert and Annatje wife of Lawrance Ines .  

• Johannis leaves land in Cline Esopus to his sons and money to the remainder of his family. 

Johannis and Magdelena's family include:

Jan DeGraff (1735- 1809)       The date of Jan's birth does give a nod to 1710 being correct birth year

Mary DeGraff (1736-1784)   married David Auchmoody

Henderick DeGraff (1741-1792)

Catherine DeGraff (1743-unknown)

Annatje DeGraff(1746-1783) presumed twin 

Margaret DeGraff (1746-1812)  presumed twin 

The connection to Johannes and Magdelena is through their granddaughter, Mary Schriver. Darren and Tom share DNA with the descendants of Mary and David Auchmoody's daughter, Mary, b; 1774 who marries James Schriver (according to records in 1787 -- making her 13 at age of marriage so this seems fuzzy) 

Two Lavinia Stillwells!

I am often bothered by (or challenged) by families reusing names!  It certianly confuses things!

I landed upon two Lavinia's who are hopefully going to help me narrow in on Isaac Sr's father- but untangling them is proving a challenge. 

    Lavinia De Groff Stillwell, (est 1760-1827)

• believed to be daughter of Johannes De Groff and Catelina Rapalje 
• I truly thought I had a baptism record but I cannot recreate it. Stay tuned....
• Marriage to Christopher Stillwell 1780:
• per U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900     
• Death: 7 July 1827 Kings County New York
• per U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current
• also confirms her husband's name

    Lavina De Groff Stillwell, (1817-1856)

• Birth:1817 
• per 1850 US Federal Census, living in Florida, Montgomery County, New York, with her parents, Isaac and her mother (reported as Emma DeGroff)
• Father: Isaac De Groff Sr.
• per 1851 Isaac De Groff Sr.'s will Montgomery County New York, Wills Book 8: 305 consulted via familysearch.org; Decrees and Orders (1851) Montgomery County, New York Book 10: 461, Book 10: 477, Book 10_488; Decrees and Orders (1853) Montgomery County, New York, Book 11: 363
• Mother: Amy De Groff 
• per 1854 Amy De Groff will Montgomery County, New York Wills Book9: 231 consulted via family.search.org; Decrees and Orders (1854) Montgomery County, New York Book 11: 420
• Marriage: to Isaac Stillwell  
• as documented in 1857 Letter of administration, filed in Kings County, New York The document lists Lavinia Stillwell as the former Lavania DeGroff and wife of Isaac N. Stillwell, of New Utrecht, Kings County, New York.  
• Death: 4 August 1856 
• per Letter of Administration (listed above) and filed by her husband Isaac Stillwell.