Monday 26 July 2010

The Enoch series part 4: Enoch Fitzhenry and his appearance in official records


Mrs Josephine Hodge writes:
Enoch's pension application and depositions file reveals that he was living in Franklin County, Ohio as of 25 Sept. 1835, was born in Ireland in 1752 and came to America in 1765.

He was in Westchester County, New York in 1775 until 4 years after the Revolutionary War.

He lived in Vermont, New York State (again), Pennsylvania in 1810, and Coshocton County, Ohio by 1815. He is not found in the 1830 census of Franklin County, so it is believed that he came soon after the census was taken for that year.

We are told that he married in Danby Township, Rutland County, Vermont so perhaps he had met and courted Abigail Hartt while living in that county.

He was enumerated in Chittington County for the 1790 United States (US) census which was taken in 1791 in Vermont.
He is enumerated in Jerico, Chittigton County as Enoch F. Henry. There was one free white male aged 16 and above in the household (Enoch), one free white male aged under 16 (Sawtell) and two white females (Abigail and Mary)
Source Citation: Year: 1790; Census Place: Jerico, Chittenden, Vermont; Roll: M637_12; Page: 148; Image: 128; Family History Library Film: 0568152.
Then an Enoch F. Henry family of 12 was enumerated in the 1800 US census of --- --- Point, Essex County, New York.
There were 3 adult males and 2 adult females plus the 4 male children. The male children would have been Sawtell born 1790, Enoch in 1791, Mathew 1794 and George Washington in 1800. The 4 female children, would have been Mary born 1788, Susanna 1792, Elizabeth 1796 and Abigail in 1798. Could the elder female be Susanna Hartt, Enoch's mother-in-law? This female was between 26 years of age and 45. Susanna is said to have died at the age of 102.
However, the enumerator uses the " (ditto sign) instead of a zero.
So this gives
2 males aged under 10 years (Enoch jr and Matthew)
1 male aged 10-16 years
(Sawtell)
1 male aged over 45 years (Enoch)
3 females aged unger 10 years (Susannah, Abigail jr. and Elizabeth)
1 female aged 10-16 years (Mary)
1 females aged 26-45 years (Abigail nee Hartt)
This accounts for all the members of this household with the known dates of birth of Enoch's children.
Source Citation: Year: 1800; Census Place: Willsboro, Essex, New York; Roll: 22; Page: 1010; Image: 396; Family History Library Film: 193710.
There is an Enoch HENRY enumerated in Montgomery Township, Franklin County, Ohio in 1830 but in tracing this family it becomes apparent that this Enoch HENRY is much younger than Enoch FITZ HENRY and came to Ohio from Virginia, whereas Enoch FITZ HENRY came to Ohio via Westchester County, New York; Vermont, Essex County, New York; and Pennsylvania.
In an indenture (contract) between Sawtel F. Henry, son of Enoch F. Henry and John Hoff---? of the town of Willsborough, County of Essex, New York Sawtell paid 75 cents for 1/2 acre of Lot #6 containing 3 acres, in 1801. Diana Clynn wrote in a letter in 1983 that Enoch had bought some land at auction in the county on 6 Oct. 1808.
Lieutenant James FitzHenry of Detroit, Michigan, told this writer that his grandmother said that there were five unrelated FitzHenry families of Ireland and that two or three remained in Ireland and the others came to America.
Our Fitz(-)henry DNA study shows that there are at least 3 genetically distinct Fitzhenry families emanating from Ireland.
Kathryn also wrote in the previous reference that Enoch made a trip to Canada to see his cousin, William FORTUNE. A letter from William Fortune who was (or had been) a Colonel with the British military in Canada was sent to Enoch F. Henry in Elizabethtown, New York. He was in New York City en route to Charleston where he had lived before the Revolution. He mentioned the birth of Enoch's son, William, who had been named in memory of him.

Kathryn wrote in a letter to the compiler, Josephine F. Hodge, that "Enoch's cousin William Fortune lived in Canada when Enoch was fighting in the Revolutionary War"
"Commencing with March 7th, 1814, a complete record is kept by Enoch F. Henry (Licking) Township Clerk (Muskingum County, Ohio) which is highly creditable to him for neatness and good penmanship". His son, James C., was not born until October of 1814 in Pennsylvania. Of his 12 living children it is known that at least 9 settled in Ohio. His eldest son, Sawtell remained in Pennsylvania and is found in Iowa in 1850.
No trace has been found of Mary, the first born, who married David Morrison, nor of Elizabeth who married firstly Mr. B. F. HILLIAR in January 1813 (perhaps before Enoch left the family to go to Ohio).
Elizabeth's second marriage was in 1826 and because it is recorded in Enoch's bible she may have come to Ohio at the same time as the others or joined them later.
The Enoch enumerated in the 1820 Muskingum County (under the name of Fitsbury) appears to be the subject of this family history.
There are four males age 10 and under (three of these would be Hart, Hiram and James)
two aged 10 to 16 (Edward and Azor)
one between 16 and 18 (
Johnson )
two males 16 to 26 (one of which is William).
Abigail is listed, plus one female 10 and under and another aged 16 to 26.
There are two unknown males and at least one unknown female.
The male and female 16 to 26 could be Susanna (FitzHenry) and Rufus WILSON and their first born
Source Citation: 1820 U S Census: Licking, Muskingum, Ohio, Page: 141; NARA Roll: M33_92; Image: 175.

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1 comment:

  1. I have tried to find a copy of Enoch's pension application. Can you direct me to where you found a copy?

    Thank you, Caroline (heintzelmance@gmail.com)

    ReplyDelete