My husband’s ancestor, Revolutionary War soldier and pensioner, John Stufflebean, was born Johannes Stoppelbein. Somewhere along the way, during his lifetime, the name evolved into Stufflebean or Stufflebeam. I had thought that this change happened after his war service, but I have seen a few (very few) mentions of “Stufflebeam” or “Stufflebean” in use in Columbia County, New York in modern times. That makes me think that the name might have started to become a bit more Americanized when John was a young many growing up in Kinderhook.
I also noticed in John’s pension record that he stated he was married and had several children when he enlisted to fight in the war, but he never returned to New York after the war ended. I’ve wondered if his wife and children left a paper trail in New York, so I delved into New York records.
My first steps reminded me of what a black hole New York can be for research. FamilySearch has digitized Columbia County, New York probate records, but at best, they don’t begin until 1788. I’ve checked AmericanAncestors.org because they have really expanded their New York holdings and databases, but haven’t had any luck their either. In short, it doesn’t seem to be any easier to do New York research today than it was in the 1980s if one is looking in a particular area. Even trying to do look ups in Hank Jones’ series on the New York Palatines is frustrating because the closest library to Tucson that has the book is 100 miles away in Phoenix.
Having said all that, I am going to share some of Dave’s German and Dutch family lines, with the caveat that this is some of my earliest research work and much of it was obtained from family histories published in the 1800s and early 1900s, with a few books of abstracted church records mixed in. Looking at what is available online, I don’t see much evidence of people doing any of their own research as the same basic info that I found 20-30 years ago is now replicated many times over online.
While the Stufflebeans were Palatine Germans, Rev. War soldier John Stufflebean’s mother, Eva Dingman, was from a long time Dutch New York family.
First, for soldier John’s family, his parents were Johannes Stoppelbein, born 30 December 1732 in Laubenheim, Germany. Johannes’s immediate family were part of the 1740 wave of Palatines to New York. I have no death date for him, except that he was alive in 1765, as his last known child, Valentine, was born on 9 February 1766 in Kinderhook. John’s mother was Eva Dingman, born 13 December 1730 in Kinderhook. Their marriage record hasn’t been found, but it was probably about 1755.
Children of Johannes and Eva (Dingman) Stoppelbein:
- Johannes, born 28 February 1756, Kinderhook, Columbia, New York; died 16 January 1844, Kaskaskia, Randolph County, Illinois. This is Dave’s John Stufflebean. Johannes married (1) Unknown in New York and had several (unidentified) children (2) Priscilla Ross, about 14 July 1790, Bourbon County, Kentucky (3) Elsee Larrison Ketchum, after 12 August 1795, Bourbon County, Kentucky
- Jacob, born 6 August 1758, Kinderhook, Columbia, New York; no further information. Some say he died after 1845, also in Randolph County, IL, but the Jacob who was there at that time was John’s son, Jacob, not his brother. There is a Jacob Stoplebeam in Hillsdale, Columbia County, New York in the 1790 census who could be him.
- Geejse, born 1 March 1761, Kinderhook, Columbia, New York; no further information in my records, but I have seen online information that she married Peter Dingman and reportedly had a daughter, Eva.
- Michael, born 30 October 1763, Kinderhook, Columbia, New York; I have seen information that he died about 1830 in Vermilion County, Illinois, but I have no evidence of that myself.
- Valentine, born 9 February 1766, Kinderhook, Columbia, New York; no further information, but there is a Valentine Stopelbeam living in Claverack, Columbia County, New York in 1790 with eleven souls in the household. This could be John’s brother.
This isn’t much to show for so many years of work, but it’s all I have. Because there are only five children, who were born in fairly regular intervals, I wonder if Johannes perhaps died in the 1760s and/or if Eva also died?
Tomorrow, we will take a look at Eva Dingman’s family.
Here is John’s obit. Feel free to contact me if you wish. His 1st wife was Eva Dingman. Judy
obit: Kaskaskia (Illinois) Republican, March 16, 1844, Page 2, Column 3
Departed this life, in the vicinity of this place, on the 16th of January, 1844, JOHN STUFFLEBEAN, a Revolutionary soldier, at the advanced age of 110 years, 11 months and one day. This ancient man was born, on the banks of the Hudson river, twelve miles from Albany, in the state of N. York, Feb 15, 1733. There, he married his first wife, whom he left with two children, when he enlisted, as a private, in the Revolutionary Army, in which he served, almost to the close of the war, when he was taken captive by the Indians, who disposed of him, to the British, for a barrel of rum. Having remained a prisoner at Detroit, a few months; while employed, one day chopping wood, he and five of his fellow prisoners effected their escape. On account of the difficulty, experienced in procuring subsistence, these fugitives separated into two parties, and took separate routes to the Ohio River.
The subject of this notice and his two companions, guided by the sun, in fair weather and lying bye, when it was cloudy, aiming for some point, high up, on the river, made the best of their way through the desolate and gloomy forest, then inhabited, only by the hostile Indians; but now is the territory constituting the States of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. Three long months were spent in concealment and wandering about, in the performance of this lonesome and hazardous journey, beset as it was on all sides, by insidious foes, then the sole tenants of those savage wilds; in perils and dangers, daily; and at times nearly reduced to starvation.
At one time for four successive days they were without nourishment, save that afforded by a half-dozen pheasant eggs. Some times falling in among the Indians and representing themselves, as sent from the British Army, in pursuit of deserters, they obtained food from them and their sufferings were mitigated by the kindness, thus elicited, as well as themselves protected from the effects of the savage enemy then so strong against the Colonists. These forlorn wanders struck the waters of the Muskingum, near its source, and following the stream down to where, it was found to be of depth, sufficient to float a bark canoe, they constructed one, and made their way in it to the Ohio. After their arrival at this river, they were rejoiced at the sight of a float boat, floating down the stream. Although their applications to be permitted to come on board, often repeated, for several days, were, as often, refused, from the fear of their being enemies, finally, the owner, Jown Lyon, being satisfied of their friendly disposition, yielded to their solicitations. With this gentleman Mr. Stufflebean continued, after their arrival at Limestone, now Maysville, working for him. Here he married his second wife, who, after a few years, died, leaving three children.
After his bereavement, he settled in Bourbon county in Kentucky and there married his third wife, who has survived him and is now living, at the advanced age of 82 years, and was able to attend the remains of her deceased husband to the grave. In the state of his adoption, to which he had fled, as to a place of refuge; he passed the residue of his long life, except the last two years, which were spent, with his son Jacob Stufflebean, in this county, where he died. He was, during the Indian troubles, in Kentucky, engaged with occasional intermissions, three years in the ranging service and, while so employed, as at all other times, when his country called, he always heard her voice, where dangers were greatest and thickest, there he was in their midst, prepared to face them. He was one of the first settlers in Bourbon county and assisted in sawing with a whipsaw, the planks, used in constructing the first permanent framed building, there erected. This county he left, not long after his third marriage, and settled, high up, on the Kentucky river.
Among the incidents of his eventful life, may be mentioned his presence of Crawford’s defeat, where he was one of Crawford’s party. With him, hunting was a favorite pursuit, and the sight of the bears and buffaloes, in those days, so numerous, where he lived, was the delight of his eyes, and, not infrequently was he gratified with the discovery of the former, among his own domestic cattle, as they came home, out of the woods. He was blessed with a fine flow of animal spirits and, was generally cheerful. His eye sight was unimpaired, almost to the last, and he never had occasion for the use of spectacles. He never took a dose of medicine and, with the exception of the four days illness, immediately preceding his death, he was never sick. At least, not seriously so. In his last and only sickness, he could not be prevailed upon, to call in a physician. So long as he was able to procure a livelihood by the labor of his own hands, or possessed the means of support, he utterly refused to apply for a pension, declaring, he “did not fight, when in his country’s service, for money, but for Liberty.” At last, however, finding himself unable to work and in poverty, he was forced to make application for a pension, and was placed upon the Pension Roll of the United States. This patriarch died as he had ever lived, opposed to the enemies of his country.
Wow! Thank you for posting this. I am a descendant of Michael Stoppelbein.