covering about eleven thousand miles; besides travelling in and
through the West and East India islands, Mexico, Canada, and
have seen every state in the Union, except Kansas, of which they
made the circuit twice, and passing through several of the terri-
tories, in all traversing about one hundred and thirty thousand
miles, seeing many of the wonders and glories of the natural
world. On his extensive tours he was shipwrecked twice and
railroad-wrecked three times, and escaped without any bodily
harm having befallen him. During their travels Mr. Winants
kept a daily record, in accordance with a habit of some forty
years past, part of which he has given to the world in two hand-
some volumes, elaborately illustrated, full of valuable and
instructive information, written in a clear, forcible and interest-
ing manner.
In former years, while a resident of New York city, Mr. Wi-
nants took an active part in politics, but had no aspiration to
office, and on two occasions was tendered by the democratic
party the nomination for alderman, and could have held other
important places for trust had he desired, but all of these he re-
fused to accept and now favors men in preference to party. As a
director of the Union Dime Savings Bank of New York for thir-
teen years he aided largely in strengthening that successful insti-
tution. He is an elder in the Dutch Reformed church, president
of the board of the American Bible Society of Hudson county, N.
J. ; member of the supervisory board of trustees of the theologi-
HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY. 021
cal seminary at New Brunswick; also trustee in the board of
domestic missions, delegate to the general synod and one of the
principal financial pillars in that denomination.
Mr. Winants' paternal grandfather, Jacob Winants, a wealthy
farmer of Staten Island, felt himself called to preach the Word,
and gave his life service to the Methodist church as a travelling
preacher, refusing to accept financial aid, but only souls for
his hire, and from him our subject would seem to have inherited
similar desires. He has given largely of his abundant means
to the church and kindred associations, irrespective of sect or
creed, besides educating young men for the ministry. The ma-
ternal grandfather of Mr. Winants, Captain Garret Ellis, was
one of the heroes of the war of 1776, always an uncom-
promising patriot, and ever loyal to the cause of liberty. Mr.
Winants' father, Capt. Peter Winants, was of similar patriotic
heart, and served his country through the war of 1812, follow-
ing in the steps of his ancestors with unflinching faith. During
our last war, beginning in 1861, G. E. Winants, though not go-
ing to the war himself, when the nation was in distress and
needed the full support of all loyal citizens, gave substantial
aid in the interests of the Union armies by his means and coun-
sel, and thus was one of the pillars to support every measure
of the government to suppress the rebellion.
The writer is largely indebted to Ex-Governor Bedle and
Hon. A. A. Hardenbergh, of New Jersey, for the material facts
of this sketch, and they say of him, "It is impossible to do
justice to a character which has made so strong an impress upon
his fellows." Men of his marked characteristics have acquired
fame, and their names have been repeated by history. Bold,
honest, defiant in his nature, as befits his physical manhood,
yet kind and genial in his disposition, it may well be said of
him,
" None know him but to love him,
None name him but to praise."
And yet why is this; we may be asked, but the answer
is readily found; wealth and affluence have detracted nothing
from the sincerity of his character, nor have circumstances ex-
position palsied any energy in his devotion to the common weal
through life. Charity never fails in its mission when Mr. Wi-
nants is required to set his seal upon the act, and the young
and timid in the race of life gather from his kindly spoken
622 HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
words at once a benediction and blessing. There is something
heroic in the strong and stalwart man who has achieved success
on the battlefield of life, still more so when such success has been
marked by devotion to principle, when its honors are gathered
beyond the voice of criticism, and its monuments are found in
missions of public benevolence, and the daily exercise of hid-
den deeds of kindness. Besides being devoted to his family
and faithful to his friends, he has always been full of energy
and enterprise, and ready to make sacrifices when demanded for
the public good. It is by such self-made men that the charac-
ter of the community is conserved, the better interest of the
state made safe, and the happiness of the republic assured; if
it be not so. we may have but limited faith in our republican
institutions.
WOGLOM. This name was originally written "Yan Woge-
lum." John sold land in 1696; this is the earliest mention of
the name in the local records; the next is Grysie Woggelum,
who was witness at a baptism in 1698. John Van Wogelum had
a daughter Chrystyntien, baptised - - 22, 1707, and a daugh-
ter Suster, baptized July 26, 1711. Ary (Adrian) and Celia
Fryer had the following children: Jan, baptized May 21, 1716:
Anna, baptized June 3, 1722; Andries, baptized June 27, 1725;
Adrian, baptized July 27, 1729; and Abraham, baptized August
8, 1731.
There was a Douwe Van Wogelum residing on the island in
1742.
The next notice of any members of the family are from the
records of St. Andrew's. Abraham and Hannah Parlee were
married November 18, 1790; Joshua and Martha Cole were mar-
ried February 10, 1796; John and Lanah Pryor were married
December 24, 1808.
WOOD. This family is of English origin. The name is com-
mon everywhere, and it is exceedingly doubtful whether the
Woods on the island have descended from the same original.
Samuel B. Wood, Esq., of Garrison's, is the son of the late
John B., who, with his brother Samuel are sons of Samuel.
Samuel's brothers were Joseph, John, Stephen and Jesse, and
they were the sons of John, the great-grandfather of Samuel
B., Esq. It is impossible to trace the genealogy of any other
branch, but we subjoin the names of such as are to be found in
the several church records. Stephen and his wife Geertje (Ger-
HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY. 623
trude) Winter, had twins, Stephen and Obadia, baptized De-
cember 24, 1727. Stephen and his wife Jemima Mott had a son
Richard, baptized June 13, 1731.
The above are from the records of the Dutch church ; the
following are from those of St. Andrew's church: Stephen and
Mary, his wife, had a daughter Mary, born September 18, 1772;
a son Stephen, baptized June 5, 1785. John and Margaret, his
wife, had a son Stephen, baptized August 1, 1773, who married
Damy Housman, February 3, 1794. (This Stephen was one of
the five brothers mentioned above as sons of John.) Stephen
and Alice, or Elsy, his wife, had a son John, baptized June 15.
1783 ; he married Barbara Van Pelt, December 23, 1804, and
another son, Abraham, born September 22, 1788. Timothy and
Sarah Rezeau were married in January, 1769. Isaac and Susan
Lewis were married February 9, 1794. John and Sarah Lock-
man were married March 23, 1794. Richard and Catharine
Lockman were married January 7, 1795. James and- - Els-
ton (Alston ?) were married June 1, 1799. Charles and Joanna
Dongan were married December 11, 1806; she was the daughter
of the late Walter Dongan, of the Four Corners, and the mother
of Mr. Walter D. Wood, of Mariners' Harbor. Jesse and
Catharine Marshal were married July 9, 1807. James, men-
tioned above, lived at Long Neck, or Travisville, and his sons
were : Charles, mentioned above, John. Peter and Abraham ;
Charles was well known in his day as a local preacher in the
Methodist church. John, brother of Charles, married Mary
Jones, and was the father of James and Edward.
ABRAHAM C. WOOD, son of Benjamin W r ood, was born in
New York city, March 1, 1819. He came to Staten Island with
his father in the year 1821. From early life he was a prominent
and useful member of the Reformed church, Port Richmond.
He commenced his business life in the employ of the New York
dyeing and printing establishment at West Brighton. In 1851
he became a member of the firm of Barrett, Nephews & Co.,
Staten Island fancy dyeing establishment, the works located in
Cherry lane, AVest Brighton. As secretary and treasurer he
controlled the office in New York city. In this position he con-
tinued during his life. He was for many years trustee of pub-
lic school No. 2, of Castleton. He also served in other positions
of honor on the island, among which were supervisor and mem-
ber of the board of police. The following resolution was placed
624 HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
on file by his associates of the board of trustees of school
No. 2:
" Resolved, That this board of trustees feel called upon to
testify its appreciation of the great loss the people of this dis-
trict have sustained in the death of this tried and faithful
officer, whose integrity and purity of purpose were beyond all
question. It is with sorrow not wholly unmixed with pride
that we remember our worthy colleague, the public spirited
citizen, the efficient friend and laborer for public schools, the
loving husband and parent, the conscientious Christian, and
record for the benefit of those who come after us, that Abra-
ham C. Wood lived a long and useful life amongst us, and laid
down the burden of life generally esteemed as one of the most
conscientious, worthy and public spirited citizens that ever lived
among us."
He died April 30. 1884, and rests in the Moravian cemetery at
New Dorp, Staten Island, awaiting the call to a blissful immor-
tality.
JACOB B. WOOD, son of Benjamin Wood, was born in New
York city, August 22, 1811, and came to Staten Island with his
father in the year 1821. He was, during his life, connected in
business with the custom house in New York city for a number
of years as entry clerk, and afterward as head of the firm of
Wood, Niebuhr & Co., custom house brokers, which last posi-
tion he held until his death. He was also, as his father, con-
nected with the Brighton Heights church. In business and in
church relations he was always prominent. In nobility of char-
acter and loftiness of spirit he closely resembled his father. In
the minutest particular he was always the gentleman, and every-
where courted for his high social qualities. He was a great
lover of books and works of art. In 1851 he visited Europe.
On his return he published a small volume entitled " Notes of
Foreign Travel." The book reveals a lively appreciation of
every sight he witnessed and of all the incidents that marked
his tour. He had a mind and heart of very high order. His
home was on Staten Island from 1821 until 1863. He served as
supervisor a number of years, and was a marked and prominent
man in every good work going on around him, and esteemed and
beloved by all with whom he came in contact. He died at
Piermont, Rockland county, New York, August 1, 1885, rest-
HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY. 625
ing in faith awaiting the trumpet call to a blessed immortality.
His body lies beside his father in the Rockland cemetery.
ABRAHAM J. WOOD. Abraham Wood, the grandfather of
the subject of this biography, died at Springville, Staten Island,
September 20, 1796. To his wife Ruth were born sons, Moses
Abraham, James C., Walter; and daughters, Nelly, married to
David Price, and Mary, married first to Samuel Baily, and a
second time to Isaac Sprague. James C., the third son in
order of birth, was a native of Staten Island and by trade a
chairmaker and mechanic, after which, he became and contin-
ued for many years a merchant at Tottenville. He was an ex-
emplary Christian, zealous in the cause of temperance, and an
honored exhorter in the Methodist Episcopal church with
which he was connected. By his first marriage to Catherine,
daughter of Elias Price, were born Abraham J., Esther Ann,
wife of Andrew Sprague, and Elias P. His second wife was
Hettie, also a daughter of Elias Price, whose children were
Catherine M., wife of Isaac Bedell, Alfred, Emily, wife of John
T. Winant; Rachel, married to Sebastian Butler; Drusilla, wife
of James Booth, and James.
Abraham J., the eldest son, was born January 29, 1812, in
Hudson county, N. J., from whence he removed when but 5
years of age to Staten Island. Receiving but limited advant
ages of education at Tottenville, his home, at the early age of
16 he engaged in the oyster trade. New York afforded a ready
market, and his regular trips were rendered more profitable
by the occasional transportation of passengers. At the age
of 24 his attention was turned to farming and butchering for
a limited time. His former vocation again attracted him,
and to the present time his energies have been chiefly di-
rected to oyster planting, with such successful results as to
have placed him in a condition of independence. He now re-
sides on his attractive farm at Prince's Bay. Mr. Wood, in
1860, opened a store at Prince's Bay, of which he is still the
owner. As a citizen he is enterprising and public spirited. As
a business man, clear headed and thrifty, his ventures have
usually been crowned with success.
An early democrat, Mr. Wood on its formation found the
principles of the republican party to harmonize with his views,
and consequently joined its ranks. He has been a delegate to
state conventions, served as justice of the peace, held for six
40
626 HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
terms the office of supervisor, and in various other capacities
served his township, county and state. In all these relations
he has won respect as a conscientious and able public officer.
He has also been for a quarter of a century postmaster of
Prince's Bay. Mr. Wood was, May 24, 1834, married to Cath-
erine, daughter of James La Forge. Their children are Abra-
ham E., Catherine E., Frances A. and James A.
Besides the foregoing, there are several names that have at
one time or another been prominent in the county. Some of
these we notice in the following paragraphs :
ARROWSMITH. Of this name there were two on the island
during the first half of the last century Thomas and Edmond.
They were Englishmen, and appear to have aspired to an aris-
tocratic position in society. Their public services were chiefly
of a military character.
BEATTY. John, and his son Edward, who died July 17, 1825,
aged over eighty-one years. They owned the property lying
between the Moravian church and the Patten house, and were
prominent as friends and supporters of that church.
BILLOP. The name is introduced here only to notice the fact
that Colonel Christopher, so eminently notorious during the
revolution, had a son, John Willett, baptized June 11, 1769, of
whom we hear nothing more. If living at the time of the
evacuation of the island he was a lad of fourteen or there-
abouts, and probably accompanied his father to the British pos-
sessions.
BORLAND. In the latter part of the seventeenth century we
meet the name of Lambert Borland frequently. He was a mem-
ber of the colonial assembly in 1691, and therefore must have
been a man of considerable importance. The name has now en-
tirely disappeared from the island.
DUNN. In our local records, church or county, this name oc-
curs only in connection with a single individual, who is desig-
nated as John Dunn, Esq. He appears to have been a man of
superior acquirements, and was twice elected member of assem-
bly from the county, 1804 and 1805. He died December 21, 1826,
aged fifty-seven years. Mrs. Abraham Housman, of Port Rich-
mond, is his only surviving child in the county.
GIFFORD. This name also occurs in the records only with ref-
erence to a single individual, as early as 1770. He was a man of
HISTORY OV RICHMOND COUNTY. 627
considerable influence, and his name is perpetuated in the public
road called from him, Gifford's lane, near Richmond.
HARRISON. John Talbot Harrison, M.D., was born October
2, 1785, and died March 6, 1863. His appointment as health of-
ficer of the port introduced him to ihe island, where he subse-
quently took up his residence. He was a member of assembly
for the county in 1830 and 1831, presidential elector in 1840, and
member of the state constitutional convention in 1845. He was
highly respected as a man and as a physician. He was the father
of H. R. Harrison, M.D., Port Richmond.
LE COUNT, or LE CONTE, JOHN. Was a man of great influence
in the county early in the last century; he was a member of the
colonial assembly in 1726, and again in 1756; he was also county
judge from 1739 to 1756.
MARLET. There were two brothers of this name, Paul and
Abraham, residing in the county, between 1680 and 1700 ; they
possessed considerable property, but the name has become ex-
tinct. They both appear to have been highly respected in their
day and generation.
MICHEAU. During the last half of the last century, and the
beginning of the present, there were several families of this
name in the county, some of whom were men exceedingly
popular. The first of the name, Paul, was sheriff in 1736, and
member of the colonial assembly from 1748 to 1751 ; his son
Paul, however, appears to have been a great favorite with the
people of the county ; he was chosen to the provincial congress
in 1775-6 ; county clerk for twenty years from 1761 ; county
judge for eleven years from 1786, and state senator from 1789 to
1792. His son, Paul J., was member of assembly 1798-9, 1802-
3, and Benjamin, county treasurer in 1787. There was never a
more popular or influential family in the county, but they have
all disappeared. They were residents of Westfield.
Besides the above, there were individuals and families who
once exerted a powerful influence in the county, who have
now totally disappeared ; among them are the names of Berge,
Adriance, Stoothoff, Veghte, Yanderbeck, Staats, Veltman,
Clendening, Garrabrantz, Hoogland, Ralph, Jenners, Van
Wagenan, Slecht, Carenton, Spier, Hafte, Swaim, Nefius,
Ryke, Schouten, Gray, Zutphen, Rykman, Van Engelen,
Metzelaer, Van Tuyl, Pryor, Jurks, De Grammeaux, Vander-
Loven, Richaud, Wimmer, Gaspers, Packer, Van Dyck, Sim-
628 HISTOKY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
senbach, Brebant Bosler, Tillburgh, Van Brakel De Camp,
Carhart, Corbitt, Tillou, and others.
EMINENT MEN AND WOMEN OF STATEN ISLAND.
By Hamilton Willcox.
Forgotten corner of the world though most strangers deem
Staten Island, it has been the home of as many famous persons
as most places of renown. Since, yes, before, the time when
Governor Dongan bnilt his residence on the shore of Kill Van
Kull, overlooking the scene where white men began the long
record of outrage and murder on the occupants of the land,
and built his shooting lodge on the west slope of the hills,
that just above Castleton Corners look toward the Orange
mountains, Staten Island has been the abode of numerous men
and women whose memories are historic.
Lest partiality should seem to be shown, the writer has been
unwilling to trust to his own knowledge or recollections. No-
tice of the preparation of this chapter has been furnished to the
journals of Richmond county, with a request for memoranda
regarding those who could properly be deemed distinguished.
If any who should be included here are left out, it will be be-
cause the needful information has not been supplied. Our
space will mainly be devoted to those who are no longer living,
or now dwell elsewhere.
Above all the figures of its past, towers that of Daniel D.
Tompkins, whose great mansion yet stands on a hill overlook-
ing the first village incorporated in the county, and named for
him. Assemblyman, judge of the supreme court, representa-
tive in congress, governor of New York state ten years, includ-
ing the trying time of the war with Great Britain, and by his
courage and patriotism, when his state was invaded on the St.
Lawrence river and Lake Ontario, and his own home was in
peril from British ships, distinguished as "New York's war
governor ;" as governor, obtaining the passage of the noble law
which abolished slavery and secured freedom to ten thousand
human beings and to their posterity forever ; also as governor,
approving the various acts whereby the legislature removed the
burden of disfranchisement from several classes of people ;
leaving the governor's chair to become vice-president of the
United States, in an administration which had the glory to
allay partisan strife, and receiving an almost unanimous re-
HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY. 629
election ; during this second term as vice-president almost
elected governor again ; presiding over the convention which
revised the state constitution, and serving as vice-president al-
most to the day of his death ; few American statesmen have
had so brilliant and honorable a career. One of the great forts,
which at the Narrows guard New York on the Staten Island
shore, fitly bears his name, and is his lasting monument.
The spirit of the elder Tompkins was transmitted to his son,
the courtly, scholarly, brave, genial and eloquent Minthorne
Tompkins, who resigned his seat in the state senate in 1840,
sacrificed a career which lay before him probably as brilliant as
his father's, rather than withhold his hostility to slavery in
other regions, and espoused the cause of liberty when it was
political ruin to befriend the slave. In a state where his father
was so long governor he had the nerve to accept a nomination
for that office as the candidate of the free soil party (with John
P. Hale for president and George W. Julian for vice-president),
when his supporters could give him but 19,000 votes. To his
generous sympathy hundreds of poor families on the island owe
their houses, for he it was who broke up the great estate his
father left into small lots, sold these lots to poor families, and
allowed them to pay him as they could five or ten dollars at a
time. The people of the county remembered this, and on two
occasions, when he headed the county ticket of his party, which
was in a hopeless minority, he was honored by a vote much
beyond the strength of that organization. In 1855, when his
party (republican) was beaten nearly three to one, Minthorne
Tompkins failed of election to the assembly by only seventy-
five votes. During the war of the rebellion he spent much time
and pains in raising the " Staten Island Regiment," of which he
was made colonel, though of an age that well exempted him
from military service; and when the exigencies of war obliged
the government to consolidate the regiment with others before
he could complete its numbers, and to hurry to the front the
men he had recruited, he gave up his command without a mur-
mur. For many years he served, in the latter part of his life,
as a member and president of the board of port wardens. He
died, not long since, beloved and regretted by friends all over
the state and country.
Another vice-president, a predecessor of Vice-President
Tompkins, and a man of a very different career, ended his days
630
HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
at Port Richmond. Soldier of the revolution, leader of the bar,
attorney-general, senator of the United States, inventor of the
methods of American politics, manager of the tremendous
struggle of 1800 which placed Jefferson and the party of the
people in power by carrying Xew York city, hence the state,
and so turning the scale; while vice-president engineering the
ST. JAMES HOTEL, PORT RICHMOND. HOUSE WHERE AARON BURR DIED.
act of 1801, by which the legislature relieved tens of thousands
from disfranchisement, and presiding over the first convention
which revised the state constitution; missing the presidency
only by want of generous and hearty loyalty to Jefferson; can-
didate for governor, driven from the state by a combination of
HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY. 631
politicians who used the death of Alexander Hamilton to crush
him, would-be emperor of Mexico when Aaron Burr came to
the end of his eventful life, it was on Staten Island, where he
had passed much time at intervals, that he died.
Jacob Dolsen Cox, one of the most honored of living Ameri-
cans, who has filled the posts of major-general of volunteers
in the civil war, governor of Ohio, secretary of the interior in
General Grant's first cabinet, representative in congress, presi-
dent of the Toledo, Wabash & Western railroad; dean of Cin-
cinati law school, and almost senator in place of John Sherman,
was in his youth a clerk in the Wall street office of Anthony