Tag Archives: Philip Crouse

Crouse

The Enigma of Philip Crouse

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Just for the record: Enigma – a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand

How can Philip Crouse, my 4X great grandfather be an enigma? He was born about 1761 and hailed from the province of Zeeland, Netherlands, in the southwestern portion of the country.


Zeeland, Netherlands
Source: Google Maps

Philip Crouse, a Loyalist, married Sarah Burt, daughter of Connecticut Loyalist Benjamin Burt, about 1790, and settled in Keswick, York, New Brunswick, Canada.

Philip lived a good long life, passing away on 21 February 1857 in Keswick. He and Sarah were the parents of about 17 children and have hundreds and hundreds of descendants.

So, back to the opening statement – why is he an enigma?

Well, I know virtually nothing about him that I can document before he arrived in Canada.

Here is the family lore:

1. Philip came to the United States as a young child (presumably with parents who have never been identified).

2. He supposedly arrived in Philadelphia and made his way south and settled in Lincoln County, North Carolina. It is said he lived near Beaverdam Creek, near what is today the town of Crouse (named for a later Crouse.)

3. He might have two brothers, John and Peter.

Well, that about sums it up. I haven’t found a single record in the United States that even hints of a relationship with my Philip.

Part of the problem is his age. Being born in 1761, he would have been only 22 when the American Revolution ended. With Tory tendencies, Philip certainly hasn’t been found on any militia lists or military-type records. He was unmarried, so even if taxed, would probably only show up as a male over 16.

Philip and Sarah appear to have named children after themselves and Sarah’s parents (Benjamin, who died in 1785 and Rebecca), so it seems reasonable to believe that two might be named for Philip’s mother and father.

In birth order, we have: Philip, Sarah, Rebecca, John, Darius, Elizabeth, Peter, Huldah, Gould, Thomas, Amy, Urial (known as Royal), Jonas, Richard, Mary, James, Benjamin and Mary again.

We can account for Philip, Sarah, Rebecca, and way down the child list Benjamin (Perhaps because Benjamin died before Sarah was even married, there wasn’t the pressure to name a child for him?)

The less common names of Darius, Huldah and Gould are names of Rebecca’s sibling.

The next three sons after Rebecca are John, Darius – an unusual given name – and Peter.

That still leaves quite a potential named-for-a-relative list with John, Elizabeth, Peter, Thomas, Amy, Urial, Jonas, Richard, Mary and James.  Near the beginning of that list come John and Peter, reportedly possible brothers’ names and tied to the Crouse family.

Looking at the 1790 census, I found a Peter Crouse in Lincoln County, North Carolina:


Lincoln County, North Carolina, 1790 Census
Source: Ancestry

Peter is either an older man with only two children left at home or a young man with a wife and two little boys. However, he is gone in 1800.

Instead, I find John “Corouze”, aged 26-44, in Lincoln County:


Lincoln County, North Carolina, 1800 Census

Having researched Lincoln County, North Carolina in the past, I’ve found evidence of Peter’s death and of John Crouse living there, but absolutely no clues pointing to Philip.

What would certainly help with this mystery would be to know some of Philip’s FAN club. However, few clues are found in that arena. Although he was Dutch, he married a colonial English young lady.

Exactly how Philip got to Canada and when he arrived isn’t known either. He doesn’t surface in records until 1789, when a land petition was denied. Philip Crouse, along with reputed North Carolinians Philip Henry, Christian Knai (Nigh), Jacob Knai and Jacob Ham were co-signers together asking for land. The only Loyalist Philip Henry I can find is a man who served under Col. John Butler, who was from New York. As for the Knais, the only mention of them to be found is in the land petitions.  The Ham/m family appears to have been centered around Rowan County, North Carolina, so it is unlikely that Philip Crouse would have known him during his life there. So, while his co-petitioners are of German or Dutch background, with the exception of Philip Henry, they don’t seem to have been neighbors in North Carolina.

To add the cherry on top of this mess of a sundae, Crouse is not a typically Dutch name, at least not with that spelling. It occasionally appears in Dutch records as Kroeze or Kroes, Kruijsse or more commonly as Krause.

Viewing the limited hits on FamilySearch, there are no John, Philip or Peter Krause, by any spelling, born in the time period before the Revolutionary War.

Given that Zeeland borders Belgium, which in turn shares a border with Germany, is it possible that Philip’s family migrated from Germany through Belgium or even from Germany directly through the Netherlands to the coast? I don’t know.

So. . . . . . . . is Philip Crouse to remain my enigma or am I missing a research avenue? I’d love suggestions.

 

Crouse, Loyalists

Miniseries: Loyalist Philip Crouse and Sarah Burt, Part 4

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Today, we will look at the grandchildren born to the youngest five of Philip and Sarah (Burt) Crouse’s surviving adult children.

Amy Crouse (born 2 October 1805) married Richard Jones, c1828, New Brunswick, Canada. They had thirteen children, all born in New Brunswick, Canada.

Children (Jones):

  1. Jane, born 29 November 1829; died 1 September 1872, New Brunswick, Canada; married Richardson Jones. He was born c1825, New Brunswick, Canada; died 29 June 1893, New Brunswick, Canada. They had one child.
  2. Emerson, born 30 October 1831; died 1919, New Brunswick, Canada; married Mary Jane Haines. She was born c1840, New Brunswick, Canada; died 1923, New Brunswick, Canada. They had at least two daughters, Melissa and Nellie.
  3. Huldah, born 4 November 1832; died after 1911 census; married Thomas Lawrence. He was born c1826, New Brunswick, Canada; died between the 1881-1891 censuses. They had at least three children.
  4. Ruth, born 14 April 1834; died after the 1901 census; married Richard Jones, 26 September 1855, New Brunswick, Canada. He was born c1832, They had at least six children. It appears that Richard may have married someone before Ruth, as in 1871 there are two children aged 24 and 22 in the home.
  5. Urial, born 30 May 1835; died 1917, New Brunswick, Canada; married Elizabeth Crouse (daughter of James and Rachel Crouse), 12 November 1862, New Brunswick, Canada. She was born c1844; died 1922, New Brunswick, Canada. This family is already accounted for under Elizabeth Crouse.
  6. Mahalia, born 3 September 1836; married Peter Crouse, 16 May 1855. This family is already accounted for under Peter Crouse.
  7. Mathilda, born 18 September 1837; died 25 April 1919, Middlesex County, Massachusetts; married Jeremiah Crouse, 21 October 1857, New Brunswick, Canada. He was born c1830; died 5 May 1915, Aroostook County, Maine. This family is already accounted for under Jeremiah Crouse.
  8. Rachel, born 15 December 1838; died 17 June 1925, new Brunswick, Canada; married Daniel Haines, c1859. He was born c1820, New Brunswick, Canada; died 26 September 1897, New Brunswick, Canada. He married (1) Rosanna (MNU), c1849 and they had three children together before he married Rachel. Daniel and Rachel had at least 8 children.
  9. Eliza, born 22 June 1841; died 23 June 1927, Ontario, Canada; married Emery Webb, 24 October 1863, New Brunswick, Canada. He was born 1831, New Brunswick, Canada; died 1903, Sunbury County, New Brunswick, Canada. They had five children.
  10. Harvey, born 31 May 1842; died after 1881 census; married Anne Yerxa, 3 August 1867, New Brunswick, Canada. She was born c1846, New Brunswick, Canada; died after 1881 census. They had no children.
  11. Rhoda, born 29 October 1843; died between the 1891-1901 censuses; married John Hanson, c1873. He was born 8 November 1838, New Brunswick, Canada; died 29 January 1907, New Brunswick, Canada. They had six children.
  12. Mary, born 10 July 1846; died after 1901 census; married Benedict Crouse, December 1864, New Brunswick, Canada. He was the son of James Crouse and Rachel Jones. Benedict was born c1840, New Brunswick, Canada; died after the 1901 census. They had five children.
  13. Thomas Odbur, born 25 August 1848; died before 1881 census; married Rebecca Jane Lawrence, c1873. She was born c1857; died after 1881 census. Rebecca lived with her daughter Lucinda Jones and her mother-in-law, Elizabeth Lawrence, in 1881. Odbur appears to have died. Thomas and Rebecca had one child.

Urial Crouse (born 12 December 1808) married Sarah Tracy, c1832. They had ten children. This family lived in Simonds, Carleton County, New Brunswick, Canada.

Children: Crouse

  1. Lucy Ann, born c1833; died 1875; married Joseph B. Davis, c1858. He was born c1835; died 1906. They had at least six children.
  2. Matilda, born 22 October 1835; died 27 October 1927, Carleton County, New Brunswick, Canada; married James McCormack, c1872. He was born c1838, New Brunswick, Canada; died after 1901 census. They had at least three children.
  3. Richard, born c1839; died after 1861. No further record found.
  4. Sherman A., born 2 July 1841; died 4 October 1932, Aroostook County, Maine; married Damaris Clark, about February 1873. She was born June 1853, New Brunswick, Canada; died 26 September 1904, Aroostook County, Maine. They had three children.
  5. Philip, born c1844; died 2 July 1922, New Brunswick Canada; married Adeline Gray, c1880. She was born 22 March 1855, New Brunswick, Canada; died after 1901 census. They had one child.
  6. Miles, born 20 July 1947; died 25 December 1939, New Brunswick, Canada; married Emily Robinson, c1871. She was born 30 March 1850, New Brunswick, Canada; died 1937, New Brunswick, Canada. They had six children.
  7. Emerson, born c1849; died 1930, New Brunswick, Canada; married Annie Jane Reed. She was born 1852; died 1930, New Brunswick, Canada. It appears they had no surviving children.
  8. Comfort, born 9 February 1855; died after 1901 census; married Eliphalet Morehouse, c 1888. He was born c1857, New Brunswick, Canada; died after 1901 census. They had two children.
  9. Sarah J., born c1856; died after 16 December 1929; married (1) Charles A. Brewer, 6 April 1886, new Brunswick, Canada. He was born 1858; died 28 April 1891, York County, New Brunswick, Canada. Sarah and Charles had no children. (2) Marvin Stewart Brewer, 28 May 1892, Fredericton, York, New Brunswick, Canada. Marvin was born 2 May 1849, New Brunswick, Canada; died 16 December 1929, York County, New Brunswick, Canada. Marvin and Sarah had one child.
  10. Mary Elizabeth, born c1858; died January 1896, New Brunswick, Canada; married Burpee M. Hanson, 28 August 1877, New Brunswick, Canada. He was born August 1857, New Brunswick, Canada; died 22 March 1922, Smyrna, Aroostook, Maine. They had four children.

Mary Crouse (born 11 June 1813); died 18 July 1862, New Brunswick, Canada; married (1) David Burt. He was born c1808; died after the 1851 census and before 3 November 1853, when Mary remarried (2) Thomas Staples, 3 November 1853, New Brunswick, Canada. He was born c1806, New Brunswick, Canada; died 26 March 1866, New Brunswick, Canada. David and Mary Burt had five children. Thomas and Mary Staples had no children together.

Children: Burt

  1. Trueman Allen, born c1832; died after 1901 census; married Marietta Haines, 1 November 1860, New Brunswick, Canada. She was born c1843, New Brunswick, Canada; died after 1901 census. They had one child.
  2. Moses, born c1834; died 30 August 1864, New Brunswick, Canada, of typhoid fever; unmarried in 1861.
  3. Cyrus, born 26 April 1836; died 9 November 1915, New Brunswick, Canada; married Mary T. Carman, 22 June 1866, New Brunswick, Canada. She was born 3 January 1840, New Brunswick, Canada; died after 1901 census. They had at least three children.
  4. Emily, born 1846; died 2 August 1862, New Brunswick, Canada
  5. Almira, born 1849; died 21 April 1891, New Brunswick, Canada; married Wesley Crouse, 6 October 1870, New Brunswick, Canada. He was born 1846, New Brunswick, Canada; died 1916, New Brunswick, Canada. They had nine children. This family has been covered under Wesley Crouse, son of Thomas Crouse, in a past post in this series.

James Crouse (born 20 September 1815) married Rachel Jones. They had eleven children.

Children: Crouse

  1. Benedict, born c1840; married Mary Jones, daughter of Richard Jones and Amy Crouse. Family is covered at the top of this post.
  2. Elizabeth, born c1843; married Urial Jones, also a child of Richard Jones and Amy Crouse. This family is also covered at the top of this post in the Richard Jones-Amy Crouse section.
  3. Anson, born c1845; died after 1911 census;  married (1) Hannah Russell, 14 July 1884, New Brunswick, Canada. She was born c1862; died 9 May 1895, New Brunswick, Canada.  (2) Eliza Estey Lawrence, widow.  She was born c1847, New Brunswick, Canada; died between 1901-1911 censuses. Anson and Hannah had two children. Anson and Eliza had no children.
  4. Dean, born c1847; died after 1911 census; married Hannah, c1872,  New Brunswick, Canada. She was born c1850, New Brunswick, Canada; died after 1881 census. They had two children.
  5. Comfort, born c1848; died after 1861. Some say she is the one who married Eliphalet Morehouse, but his wife seems to have been born c1855. More work is needed on the two Comforts.
  6. Huldah, born c1852; died after 1881 census; married John Dennen, 26 August 1877, New Brunswick, Canada. He was born c1842, Ireland or St. John, New Brunswick, Canada; died after 1881 census. They had two children.
  7. Rebecca, born c1855; married Miles Jones, c1880. They had no children. However, the 1881 census shows Miles at home with parents and siblings, but no wife. Gravestone for both wives of Miles erected later gives her death date as 1 June 1882. In any case, they had no children.
  8. Samuel, born 1857; died 1942; married Phebe Ann Burtt, daughter of Abraham Tyler Burtt and Sarah Pickard. She was born 1866, New Brunswick, Canada; died 1962, New Brunswick, Canada. They had eight children.
  9. Emerenza E., born c1860; married Silas Morehouse, 30 November 1881, New Brunswick, Canada. They had three children whose birth registrations are found in the 1880s and 1890s, but they haven’t been located in censuses.
  10. Emerson, born 17 March 1863; died after 1871 census; no further record.
  11. Trueman Richard, born 17 March 1863; died 14 August 1948, New Brunswick, Canada; married Annie Crouse. She was born 11 September 1873, New Brunswick, Canada; died 22 June 1922, New Brunswick, Canada. They had twelve children.

Benjamin Crouse (born 27 August 1817) married Annie Morehouse. They had one adopted child.

Child: Dorn

  1. Huldah Dorn, born c1846, New Brunswick, Canada; married Abraham Crouse. This family has been covered under Abraham Crouse.

 

 

Crouse, Loyalists

Miniseries: Loyalist Philip Crouse and Sarah Burt, Part 3

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Today’s post will list the grandchildren born to Philip Crouse and Sarah Burt through children #6-10 – Elizabeth, Petre, Hulda, Gould and Thomas.

Elizabeth Crouse (born 21 October 1798) married Benjamin Burtt, 7 April 1819, York county, New Brunswick, Canada. They had at least eight children. This branch of the Burt family usually spelled their surname as Burtt, but it also appears as Burt:

Children: Burtt

  1. Frederick, born c1819; died after 1891 census; unmarried
  2. Jeremiah, born 9 February 1823; died 20 December 1890, New Brunswick, Canada; married Ann Elizabeth Boone, 1 January 1845, New Brunswick, Canada. She was born 16 December 1823, New Brunswick, Canada; died 28 August 1882, New Brunswick, Canada. They had at least eight children, two of whom – Milford and Beverley, died in September 1856. Son Milford B., born c1857, was likely named in their memories.
  3. Huldah, born c1828; died 2 April 1864, probably New Brunswick, Canada; married George Staples, 13 December 1854, New Brunswick, Canada. He was born c1828; died 2 September 1919, Ontario, Canada. They had three children.
  4. Joseph, born c1829; perhaps is the man who married Mary Wathen, 12 September 1853, New Brunswick, Canada. However, in 1871 and 1881, Joseph is unmarried. No known children.
  5. Rebecca, born 22 December 1832; died after 1901 census; married James Jones,  21 September 1855, New Brunswick, Canada. He was born 17 October 1825, New Brunswick, Canada; died after the 1901 census. They had at least four children.
  6. Israel, born c1834; died 1922, New Brunswick, Canada; married Anstis Boone, 22 September 1858, New Brunswick, Canada. She was born c1840, New Brunswick, Canada; died 1927, New Brunswick, Canada. She is Anstress or Austress in the 1851 census at home with her parents. They had at least nine children.
  7. Benjamin R., born 7 June 1836; died 7 October, 1917, New Brunswick, Canada; married (1) Maria A. Green. She was born c1837, New Brunswick, Canada; died 28 May 1865, New Brunswick, Canada (2) Mary Jane Sisson, 13 June 1866, New Brunswick, Canada. She was born 25 April 1838, New Brunswick, Canada; died 17 April 1921, New Brunswick, Canada. Benjamin and Maria had one child. He and Mary Jane had at least two children.
  8. Jemima, born c1842; unmarried in 1871. No further record.

Peter Crouse (born 2 February 1800) married Rebecca Jones, c1828. They had four children, all born in New Brunswick, Canada:

Children: Crouse

  1. Elias, born c1828; died between 1860 census and 15 February 1866; married Cyrene A. Cook, 18 January 1858, Calais, Washington, Maine. Cyrene married (2) Joshua Pettigrove. Elias and Cyrene had no children, nor did Cyrene have children with Joshua.
  2. Dean, born c1829; died between 1860-1870; unmarried.
  3. Samuel, born c1831; died between 1865-1880; married Eliza Smith, c1860. She was born c1840; died before the 1880 census. they had two children and too the surname Blyther, as the Crouse children were raised by their stepfather, Benjamin Blyther.
  4. Sarah Moriah, born 7 May 1833; died 18 October 1930, Calais, Washington, Maine; married William Coleman, 6 February 1855, Calais, Washington, Maine. They had one son and probably two daughters.

Huldah Crouse (born 15 July 1801) married John Burtt, 20 March 1833. They had seven children, all born in New Brunswick, Canada.

Children: Burtt

  1. Peter, born April 1834; died July 1858, New Brunswick, Canada.
  2. Rebecca, born 22 December 1835; died February 1857, New Brunswick, Canada.
  3. Susan, born 31 October 1837; died September 1858, New Brunswick, Canada.
  4. Abraham Tyler, born 1 August 1839; died 11 April 1921, New Brunswick, Canada; married Sarah Anne Pickard, 30 October 1861. She was born c1836, New Brunswick, Canada; died 2 October 1897, New Brunswick, Canada. They had ten children.
  5. Whitman, born 20 January 1841; died 9 September 1842.
  6. Elizabeth, born May 1843; died after 1871; married Abraham Lawrence, 27 June 1860, New Brunswick, Canada. He was born 17 April 1832, New Brunswick, Canada; died 2 June 1912, New Brunswick, Canada. They had at least one daughter, Jane, who married Avery Morehouse.
  7. Whitman, born 25 March 1844; died 12 June 1917, New Brunswick, Canada; married Mary Jane Brewer, 22 September 1880, New Brunswick, Canada. They had at least two children.

Gould Crouse (born 2 December 1802) married Hepzibah Clark, c1829. They had twelve children. All were born in New Brunswick, Canada.

Children: Crouse

  1. Jeremiah, born 13 April 1830; died 14 May 1915, Crouseville, Aroostook, Maine; married (1) Esther Christie, 27 September 1853, Aroostook County, Maine. She was born 3 February 1834, Aroostook County, Maine; died 1 July 1901, Aroostook County, Maine. (2) Matilda Jones. Matilda was the daughter of Richard Jones and Amy Crouse. She married (1) Archibald Crouse, found in the previous post. Jeremiah and Esther had nine children.
  2. Abraham, born 10 November 1832; died 14 October 1911, Columbia County, Oregon; married (1) Caroline A. M. F. Christie, c1858. She was born 12 January 1840, Aroostook County, Maine; died 23 March 1862, Aroostook County, Maine. (2) Bethiah Pickard Clark, about 15 August 1862. She was born 12 July 1846, New Brunswick, Canada; died 6 July 1912, Columbia County, Oregon. Abraham and Caroline had two children. Abraham and Bethiah had fourteen children.
  3. William, born 27 February 1834; died after 1880, Kennebec County, Maine; married (1) Prudence H. Churchill, c1858. She was born c1839, Maine; died 19 May 1862, Aroostook County, Maine (2) Lucy Jane Clark, about September 1862. She was born 27 June 1841, New Brunswick, Canada; died 3 May 1933, Androscoggin County, Maine. Lucy married (2) John Hnery Britt. He was born 1846; died 1917. William and Prudence had one son. William and Lucy had ten children.
  4. Child, born and died c1835
  5. Esther, born 5 June 1837; 30 April 1913, Oxford County, Maine; married Henry Russell, c1853. He was born c1823, New Brunswick, Canada; died 17 May 1906, Oxford County, Maine. They had twelve children.
  6. Ann, born 15 March 1839; died 27 December 1909, Aroostook county, Maine; married Job Churchill, 18 March 1855, Aroostook County, Maine. He was born 20 May 1823, Victoria County, New Brunswick, Canada; died 27 May 1899, Aroostook County, Maine. They had fifteen children.
  7. Jesse M., born 30 June 1841; died 22 April 1920, Aroostook County, Maine; married (1) Minnie Sprague, c1865. She was born c1842; died 1883, Aroostook County, Maine. (2) Florence Alberta Clark, 25 February 1885. She was born 16 May 1859, Aroostook County, Maine; died 25 June 1938, Aroostook County, Maine. Jesse and Minnie had three children. Jess and Florence had one child.
  8. Gould, born 26 May 1843; died 10 December 1919, Washburn, Aroostook, Maine; unmarried.
  9. Lucinda, born 29 July 1845; died 21 February 1862, Aroostook County, Maine; unmarried.
  10. Huldah, born 24 April 1847; died 6 March 1862, Aroostook County, Maine
  11. Joshua M., born 20 March 1849; died 20 March 1931, Aroostook County, Maine; married Emma J. Upton, about 4 March 1872. They had no children.
  12. George Aubrey, born c1851; died before 1860.

Thomas Crouse (born 27 March 1804) married (1) Abigail Burt (2) Hetty Ann Day. His children were all born to Abigail and were born in New Brunswick, Canada.

Children: Crouse

  1. Rachel; born c1833; died after 1851 census. No further record.
  2. Burden, born c1836; died 1925, New Brunswick, Canada; married Hepsibeth Estey, c1872. She was born 1844, New Brunswick, Canada; died 1901, New Brunswick, Canada. They had two children.
  3. Abigail, born c1843; died 5 June 1857, New Brunswick, Canada; unmarried.
  4. Mizabeth, died 26 Mach 1846, New Brunswick, Canada
  5. Wesley, born c1846; died 1916; married Almira Burtt, c1871. She was born c1846, New Brunswick, Canada; died 1916. They had at least four children.

Here ends the grandchildren born to Philip and Sarah Crouse’s children #6-10. There were 36 born to these five children, bringing Philip and Sarah’s total number of grandchildren so far to 76, but we still have five more children to cover tomorrow!