Bevier-Gillett
Lineage
The children of Louis Bevier, The Patentee, comprise the:
Second Generation
By Alta Cecil Koch
This genealogy will deal with a single line of descent from
Louis Bevier. However, in each family unit in which an ancestor appears, I have
listed all the brothers and sisters and included brief bibliographies when
possible. The name in bold in each family (or generation) indicates our
ancestor, and the parent of the following family unit named. Thus, Abraham (#4
underlined in this family) is the father of the next family unit of the third
generation.
2. Marie b. July 9, 1674 d. in infancy
3. Jean b. January 2, 1676. d. prior to 1745. m. April 14,
1712 to Catherine Montanye. Resided in Wawarsing. Sylvesters History of Ulster
County, 1880, says on page 51, "The first families that came to the present
territory of Wawarsing were, perhaps Abraham Bevier and Jean Bevier from New
Paltz. The location of the Beviers was near Napanoch and the date of their entry
upon these lands is usually given as 1708." Jean had a large family, five
daughters and two sons: Maria, d. infancy; Eleanora, baptized May 23, 1714;
Elizabeth, baptized February, 1717; Johanna, baptized June 1727, died infancy;
Esther, baptized 1722; Louis J., baptized October 1724; Johannes b. 1727, died
infancy; and Jesse, baptized May 1729.
4. Abraham b. January 20, 1678. d. prior to March 19, 1768
Married on February 24. 1707 to Rachel Vernooy, b. January 1, 1686, the daughter
of Cornelis Cornelissen Vernooy and Annatje Vernooy. (refer to notes #3 and #4)
Evidence points to a strong bond of affection between Abraham and his brother
Jean. Abraham, though the younger, seemed to be the leader in enterprises which
he and his brother undertook. Abraham and his brother Jean were accepted into
the church at the same time, and other records bear out this continuing
companionship. Abraham married five years before Jean, and this marriage united
the old Huguenot stock to the Dutch. From this union a strong and hardy race was
born. Abraham's children were, Louis, b. November 13, 1707; Anna, b. December
1709; Cornelius, b. 1712; Samuel, b. 1715; Jacobus, b. 1717; Abraham, b. 1719;
Maria, b. 1721; Johannes, b. 1724; Benjamin, b. 1727, and Daniel, b. 1730
5. Samuel b. January 21, 1680, d. 1759. Married Magdalena
Blanjean in 1710. Very little is known of Samuel Bevier personally but between
the lines of family history available, one can read that he was probably less
adventuresome than his brothers. He appears a kind and quiet home-loving man who
accepted and bore responsibilities for his family and for his community.
According to a State Historian, Hugh Hastings, Samuel Bevier, in 1715 , was one
of three lieutenants of the Wawarsing Militia company of which Johannes Vernooy
was Captain. His brothers Jean and Abraham being the other two lieutenants. The
children of Samuel were: Solomon, b. May 1711, d.y.; Mathew, b. 1712, d. between
1746 and 1750; Abraham, b. 1713; Isaac, b. 1714; Jacobus, b. 1716; Margaret, b.
1717; Maria, b 1718: Louis, b 1720: Esther, b. 1721; Johannes, b. 1722, d. 1795;
and Philip, b. 1724.
6. Andre b. July 12, 1682, d. 1768. There is little to be said
of Andre. Up until the time of 1715, when his father made his first will, Andre
appeared normal in every respect. Between that time and 1720, the date of the
second will, he must have had some illness or injury which impaired his
faculties. Apparently, he never regained his faculties, for his brothers
remained, by the terms of the father's will, trustees of his inheritance and
property till their deaths, and this trust was then passed on to their heirs,
for Andre outlived them all. There are accounts and records to show how
carefully Andre was cared for.
7. Louis b. November 6, 1684, d. February 19, 1753. He married
Elizabeth Hasbrouck on June 2, 1713. In 1717, Louis Bevier, their only child,
was born. Louis Bevier lived at Marbletown and held many town offices. Louis
Bevier's signature is found on many documents and is always recognizable - a
strong, firm hand, and the "Bevier" signed always with a small
"b".
8. Esther b. November 16, 1686, d. not known. Little is known
of Esther. She grew up to carry the cares which her mother would have borne had
she lived. She kept a home for her five brothers and her father, and remained at
her post till after the brothers had all married, with the exception of Andre.
When she married, she took Andre with her to her new home. Esther certainly had
some schooling, for she wrote well, as did her brothers. It was written of this
generation that, "they were noted for their book learning." The extent
of education is not known, but certainly the books belonging to this family, and
that have been saved and cherished by their descendants, are deep and profound
reading by any standards.
The Children of Abraham comprise the:
Third Generation
9. Louis b. November 13, 1707, d. February 1747 or 9,
unmarried. He joined the company of the Rochester militia in 1738, under Captain
Cornelius Hoornbeek. He was called Louis Bevier, Junior.
10. Anna b. December 12, 1709, died young
11. Cornelius B. b. June 9, 1712 d. April 17, 1744, unmarried.
Joined Captain Cornelius Hoornbeek's militia company in 1738.
12. Samuel b. June 9, 1715, d. January 20, 1764. Married on
June 10, 1739 to Sarah LeFevre, daughter of Andries LeFevre and Wife Cornelia
Blanjean. Samuel joined Captain Hoornbeek's militia company in 1738, and he was
Town Trustee from 1748 to 1752. His children were Maria, 1740-1801; Andries,
1742-1792, Mathew, b. 1744; Abraham, b. 1746; Rachel, b. 1750: Elizabeth, b.
1753; and Cornelia, b. 1755.
13. Jacobus b. August 18. 1717, d. 1800. Married on February
23, 1751 at Wawarsing to Anna Vernooy. He belonged to Captain Hoornbeek's
militia, and in 1775 he was signer of the Articles of Association. He enlisted
in the 3rd, or Western Regiment of Ulster County. His children were, Jenneke, b.
January 1752, d. infancy; Abraham, b. July 1753; Sarah b. August 1755; Rachel,
b. February 1758, d. 1800; Elizabeth, b. 1762; Catherine, b. July, 1768. The
story is told that at the time of the Fantinekill Massacre in 1779, Jacob (Jacobus)
Bevier lay sick and unable to move. "All the family had fled across the
mountain except an insane brother (Daniel), who was sitting on the fence unaware
of his danger, and a daughter who had refused to leave her father. The father
expostulated with her, telling her that if the Indians came she could not save
him and that they must both fall before the tomahawk and scalping knife."
The daughter was finally persuaded to go and made her escape to safety. We would
like to know just what happened to her father, and how he escaped, but the story
does not tell us. He did escape, as did the insane brother Daniel, and both
lived for many years.
14. Abraham b. October 19, 1719, d. prior to 1739, the date of
the father's will.
15. Maria b. December 15, 1721. Married on June 20, 1745 to
Benjamin DuBois. She resided in New Paltz and her children were: Daniel, b.
1746; Abraham, b. 1748; Anna, b. 1751; Asaph, b. 1757; Samuel, b. 1762; and
Magdalena, for whom no date is given.
16. Johannes b. January 29, 1724. Baptized at Kingston on
April 26, 1724. Died 1797. He was married twice: first to Rachel LeFevre on
August 9, 1747, and second to Elizabeth (VanVliet) Gonsaulus, September 18,
1764. He resided in Wawarsing, and his children by the first wife were: Maria,
b. 1750; Sarah, b. June 16, 1752; Andries LeFevre, b. March 20. 1754, d.y.;
Simon, b. March 27, 1756; Conrad, b. May 1758; Cornelius, 1760; and Cornelia, b.
1762. Children by the second wife were Jacob J., b. May 1766; Daniel, b.
December 1768; and Abraham J., b. March 11, 1770. The book, The Bevier
Family-The Descendants of Louis Bevier, has this to say of Johannes, our
ancestor. "The fifth son of Abraham Bevier, Johannes, was born January 26,
and baptized April 29, 1724. He became a man of note in Rochester. In 1775 he
signed the Articles of Association (refer to note #5), and was made a member of
the Committee of Safety of Ulster County the same year. He was always known as
'Captain Johannes', and was compensated for his services in the Revolution by
receiving Land Bounty Rights. He held the office of Town Clerk, and in 1766 was
made Town Trustee. During the year 1779-80, he was Supervisor of the town. He
also was an elder in the Dutch Reformed Church. He was twice married, first on
August 8, 1747 to Rachel LeFevre, daughter of Andries LeFevre and Cornelia
Blanjean. This was the first marriage on record at Wawarsing. His second
marriage was with Elizabeth (Van Vliet) Gonzales, widow of a certain Gonsaulus,
on September 18, 1764. (refer to note #6). A family historian, Abraham Garrett
Bevier says that Johannes would not go with his cousin Louis to the rescue of
Jesse Bevier at the time of the Indian Massacre of 1779. This would seem to
indicate a character more prudent than sympathetic. However, Johannes' son,
Conrad, went to help and the savages were driven off." Johannes Bevier died
in 1797. His will was dated August 3, 1796 and probated at Kingston, June 7 in
1797. (County Records Book B, Page 461). Revolutionary War Service: page 199,
New York in the Revolution, Johannes Bevier, Ulster County Militia, Fourth
Regiment (Hardenburg) Captain Johannes Bevier.
17. Benjamin b. March 29, 1727, baptized May 7, 1727, d.
February 2, 1801. Married to Elizabeth Van Keuren on October 29, 1760, and
resided in Wawarsing. His children were: Benjamin, b. 1762; and Maritje, b.
1768. Benjamin was a miller by occupation, and it is said that in 1754, he built
the old grist mill at Napanoch. In 1831 the mill was sold and the oldest part of
the building was taken down. He was kirkmaster of the Wawarsing church in 1766.
In 1775, he signed the Articles of Association and enrolled in the same year as
a private in the Third Regiment of Ulster County. He received Land Bounty Rights
as a reward for his services. He was a Commissioner of Highways in the town of
Rochester in 1780. Both Benjamin and his wife are buried in Wawarsing cemetery.
18. Daniel b. February 7, 1730, d. 1786, unmarried.. Records
show that this man enlisted in the War of the Revolution in the 3rd, or Western
Regiment. He was declared insane by a decree of the court on March 21, 1785.
(Book 00, p. 372. Kingston Records), and he is referred to in #12 (Jacobus),
pertaining to the Fantinekill Massacre. One wonders what happened to this man -
what pressures he endured or what horrors he saw, perhaps in the war, that sent
him into the shelter of oblivion. The story says that he "sat on the fence,
unaware of his danger." It is notable that every brother of this family
unit, living at the time of the War of the Revolution, saw service in one way or
another. Some served with the Militia, or home guard, and others enlisted in the
active army, but each one received Land Bounty Rights in compensation for his
services. To me this seems quite a record for one family.
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