There are two certainties when it comes to researching the Stufflebean family tree. First, they are all related, regardless of the variant spellings of Stufflebeam, Stupplebeen and the original German version of Stoppelbein, which is first found in Laubenheim, Germany, a Palatinate town. Second, the family settled in New York, which isn’t the easiest place to research.

Knowing these variant name forms is really important for researching. While Stufflebean/m both come up when looking for one or the other form, search engines don’t recognize Stopplebein or Stupplebeen as being another version of Stufflebean.

Since one branch of the family that remained in New York and kept Stupplebeen/Stubblebeen as their surname, I’d be missing a lot of descendants if I didn’t know that.

This Stufflebean puzzle will be a work in progress, as I would like to trace the family who remained in New York and add them to the family tree. There are many references to this family online, but either they are mentioned in a solitary record and not connected to anyone else or they are part of badly documented and very messed up family trees.

My starting point for this project is Ghent, Columbia, New York. A couple of years ago, I shared a post about the Stufflebeams (Michael and John) who migrated from New York through Ohio and on to Illinois and Indiana.

This Michael is the most likely candidate to be the brother of my husband’s Revolutionary War pensioner, John Stufflebean, who stated in his pension application that he went to Illinois to obtain a statement from his brother, Michael, in 1823.

One of the records I discovered while browsing through Illinois and Indiana Records was a marriage record for John e. Stufflebeam who married Harriet Ostrander in Warren County, Indiana in 1837.

Ostrander is a nice, unique surname like Stufflebean. It leads back to Ghent, Columbia, New York, where other Stupplebeens lived; hence, my start in Columbia County, New York.

Since few documentary sources have been found for online trees, my first task was to find a document that would link some of these people into a family, giving me a solid start.

The Stufflebeans seem to never have been big on leaving wills and I haven’t yet located any land deeds for them in the 1700s, but I did find one deed, drawn up on 27 November 1828 and recorded a month later, on 6 December 1828, that is the first piece in my big puzzle.

Columbia County, New York Land Deeds
Volume M:394-395
Source: FamilySearch

This Indenture made the twenty seventh day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & twenty eight Between William Stupplebeen and Sally his wife, Jacob I. Miller & Polly his wife & Michael Stupplebeen & Betsey his wife all of the County of Columbia of the first part & Valentine Stupplebben & Peter Harder both of the town of Ghent in said County of Columbia of the second part  Witnesseth that the said parties of the first part for & in consideration of the sum of Two thousand seven hundred Dollars good & lawful money of the State of new York to them in hand paid by the said parties of the second part the receipt whereof is hereby confessed & acknowledged have (rec?) released & forever quite Claimed & by thes presents do (rec?) release and forever Quit Claim unto the said parties of the second in their actual possession now being & to their heirs & assigns forever All that certain piece parcel or farm of Land situate lying & being in the town of Ghent in the County of Columbia & State of new York butted & bounded as follows (Viz) on the North by the lands of Jacob T. Stupplebeen on the East by lands of Jacob Moul on the Southeasterly by lands lately owned by John T. Vosburgh decd on the Southwesterly by lands
lately owned by James Ostrander decd & Wilhelmus A. Ostrander & on the West by lands of Martin Dedrick & Wilhelmus A. Ostrander being the farm now in possession of said Valentine Stupplebeen & Elizabeth Stupplebeen widow of the late Martinus Stupplebeen deceased containing about one hundred forty five Acres be the same more of less Together with all & singular hereditaments & appurtenances thereunto beloning or in anywise appertaining the reversion & recursions remainder & remainders rents issues & prifts therof & all the estate right title interest claim & demand whatsoever To have & to hold the said above described premises to the said parties of the second part their heirs & assigns to the sole & only proper use benefit & behoof of the said parties of the second part their heirs & assigns forever.

In witness whereof the parties to these presents have hereunto interchangeably set their hands & seals the day & year first above written.

William Stupplebeen
Sally Stupplebeen
Jacob I. Miller
Polly Miller
Michael Stupplebeen
Betsey (her X mark) Stupplebeen

Sealed & Delivered
in the presence of:
James Rowley (clerk)
Recorded Decer 6.1828 at 9 oclock A.M.

Therefore, it appears I have my first documented family grouping of Stupplebeens and neighbors included Ostanders!

Martin Stupplebeen of Ghent, Columbia, New York, born ? and died by 27 November 1828 married Elizabeth Waltermire.

Children:

1.William, baptized 13 September 1799, Claverack, Columbia, New York; married Sally Miller, 11 October 1823, Reformed Dutch Church, Ghent, New York
2. Sally, born 7 April 1802, Claverack, Columbia, New York; died young.
3. Valentine, born 5 April 1804; died 15 May 1850; married Sarah Fowler, 10 July 1830, Ghent, Columbia, New York
4. Polly, born 23 March 1806; died 5 August 1890; married Jacob I. Miller, before 27 November 1828. Jacob I. Miller married Mary SHIPMAN on 19 October 1826. No Shipman-Stupplebeen marriage has been found. Was he Polly’s second husband?
5. Michael, born 3 May 1808; died after 1870; married (1) Betsey (reportedly Ostrander),  before 27 November 1828 (2)  Polly (MNU), before 1850. Michael was a gunsmith.

Google Books brought up pages in American Ancestry: Giving the Name and Descent, in the Male Line of American Whose Ancestors Settled in the United States Previous to the Declaration of Independence, vols. 1 & 2, pages 122-123, published in 1887.

It’s sort of a mug book with no photos, but having been published in 1887, people who gave family information actually knew at least a generation or two before them, so the information is probably fairly accurate.

It adds in summaries of several Stupplebeens, including one Martin Stupplebeen. Martin Stupplebeen married Elizabeth Waltermire and lived in Ghent. They were the parents of Valentine, who married Sarah Fowler. She was born January 1804; died 2_ April 1890.

Martin’s widow, Elizabeth, died on 21 May 1856, never having remarried. Her gravestone states that she was the wife of Martin.

It adds an interesting detail about Martin Stupplebeen’s death. He drowned while crossing the Hudson River on 23 February 1810.

Many members of this family were apparently buried in the Old Ghent Cemetery in town and whose gravestones are still standing and legible, providing corroboration for some of this family information.

There are many more puzzle pieces to put in place for this branch of the family! It will be a long term work in progress.