I’m going to be posting details about several families who are related to one of my cousins, but are not in my direct line. This cousin asked for some help with his mom’s family, who (1) have early American families, but can’t tie their ancestor into them and (2) have families that immigrated from the United Kingdom in the 1800s, but with John Smith and Robert Moore and no known town of origin, where do you go?

Today’s post is all about the Babcocks, but there isn’t a whole lot to say because, as far as I can tell, no one has ever tied Daniel S. (no idea what the middle initial stands for) to parents or even siblings.

Here is what is known.

Daniel apparently never owned any real estate and, although a newlywed around 1840, hasn’t been found in any records until the 1850 census of Cortlandt, Westchester, New York. The family is listed near the bottom of the page and there is one family clue found. Notice that John J. Babcock, 18 years old, and also a shoemaker is in the home:

Unfortunately, relationship to head of household wasn’t recorded in the 1850 census, but he is surely a younger brother, cousin or nephew of Daniel. The census taker noted all born in New York.

While perusing the 1850 census, I found several other Babcock teenagers living with various assorted families: James, born 1833, page 64, living with the family of John V. and Sarah A. (Babcock) Smith plus their five children, and Charlotte and Gonley Babcock, born c1833 and 1836, on page 127, living with Isaac and Ellen MacKay and their found kids. For reference, Daniel’s family is on page 64. And, of course, with a name like Gonley, you think that would be helpful, but Gonley isn’t found anywhere else.

Daniel S. Babcock was born c1815, probably in New York, but possibly in New Jersey. The New York state census of 1855, showing Daniel and all his family members, living in the town of Ramapo, also reported all being born in New York and, specifically, in Rockland County:

Note the column about birthplace:

Here is a typed transcription I found online for the Babcock family:

Note that the place of birth for everyone is Rockland County. Remember, this was for 1855 and everyone in this family was living in 1850, except for Elizabeth and George, the two youngest children. I’m not sure I believe that, given that they lived in Westchester County in 1850 and family lore states that Charles Babcock was born in Peekskill, Westchester County, c1842/43. Peekskill is only about 4 miles from Cortlandt.

What is really frustrating is that James Muns, Eliza’s father, can’t be found in any other record and, while John J. Babcock apparently remained in the area his entire life and raised a family there, no one has figured out his parents either.

There is another twist to the Babcock mystery in this time period Was Eliza Muns (given that James Muns, father-in-law lived with them in 1855) Daniel’s first or second wife?

While there is nothing in the enumeration that jumps out at me, notice that Elizabeth is 4 years old (perhaps even almost 5) and little George is only 1 year old. With the earlier birth years, it appears that the couple either lost a child or Daniel lost a wife and remarried.

In support of this second wife theory, look what popped up in the land deeds of Orange County, New York, which borders Rockland County:

A transcription of this deed isn’t necessary. Suffice it to say that Daniel Babcock, of Warwick, Orange County, in 1839, bought land from Aaron Taylor.

Next, we have this deed whereby Daniel Babcock sold the same piece of land in 1845, although it wasn’t recorded until 1848:

Again, a complete transcription isn’t necessary as the pertinent information is this tidbit at the beginning of the deed:

Orange County, New York: This Indenture made the thirtieth day of January one thousand eight hundred and forty five Between Daniel Babcock and Margaret his wife of the Town of Ramapo County of Rockland and State of New York of the first part . . .

There are ZERO Daniel Babcocks found in Orange or Rockland Counties in 1850. Yet, in 1845, Daniel and wife MARGARET sold land that he bought in 1839 and the opening description states that Daniel and Margaret currently lived in Ramapo, Rockland County – the same town where Daniel and Eliza and family were living in 1855.

There is yet another twist in this Daniel Babcock story. The 1850 census of Pompton Township, Passaic, New Jersey includes Daniel Babcock and wife Margaret, both aged 38 years, so born c1812, both born in New Jersey at home with eight children. This is definitely not the family of Daniel and Eliza found in 1855.

Interestingly, though, the first five of the Pompton Township family children were all born in New York (through 1841) and the last three children, born 1845 to 1849 were born in New Jersey.

So, it is possible that this Daniel and Margaret were the couple who sold the real estate in Orange County while residents of Rockland County in 1845. This family eventually removed to Wisconsin.

By the way, there is one Daniel Babcock in Orange County, New York and the family makeup appears to match Daniel and Margaret who lived in Pompton Township.

That still leaves completely unanswered the question about where Daniel S. and Eliza Babcock were living in 1850.

Daniel S. and Eliza are found in only one more census record, that of 1860 when they lived in Hohokus, Bergen County, New Jersey:

Here is a cropped image of the family:

Both William and Elizabeth have disappeared from the family. Since they would have only been 12 and 9 years old, respectively, it seems that both died in childhood. However, little Lucy, born c1857, is now in the family and they reported that they were ALL born in New Jersey!

There is one more mystery found on this 1860 census page. The very last person enumerated, living just six families from Daniel is Elizabeth A. Babcock, enumerated [likely an error] as a second wife in the home to Benjamin Eckhart. Her age is 39 and she was born in New Jersey.

I had to look for other numbers 2 and 3 on the page to be sure. This census taker just had a unique way of writing the number 3:

There are many Babcocks in the tri-state area. Could this be a sister of Daniel S. Babcock or is this just a coincidence?

I have no answer to that question either.

Tomorrow, we’ll examine the family of Daniel S. Babcock. What happened to them?