Category Archives: Elias VanScoter and his children

Elias VanScoter and Mary Halstead (my great x 3 grandparents) and his children

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The last post showed the last will and testament of John C. VanScoter, who was:

a child of my great, great, great grandfather Elias VanScoter
a sibling to Merritt (Merik) VanScoter, my great, great, grandfather
an uncle to my great grandfather Frank Miles VanScoter
thus John was my great, great, great uncle.

Got that?

I thought it would be a good time to share details about Elias VanScoter, and his children. Simply because Elias VanScoter was one of the first people to settle the town of Burns in Allegany County, NY in the early 1800’s, there is info available about him in various historical records.

According the VanScoter book published in 1907, pages 617 – 618, Elias was:

“married Feb. 3, 1800, in the Wyoming Valley, Mary Halstead, b. Mar. 10,1786. He, like his father, was a quiet man and industrious – ‘the most industrious man,’ says Alexander Morian* , ‘I ever knew.’  He was tall, six feet in height, but rather spare. He and his wife were among the earliest settlers of the town of Burns, Allegany County, NY, locating there in 1806. There were many Indians in that region at the time, and all the conditions were frontier ones. Elias died on his farm in Burns July 17, 1843; his wife d. Apr. 10, 1854, at the home of her dau. Mary Rockwell at Olean, NY.”

*More about Alexander Morian below.

The children of Elias and Mary:
Selah S., b, Dec. 24, 1801, in Wyoming Valley. **photo at end of post
Theron, b. Nov. 3, 1803; d. May 16, 1839, unmarried.
Merritt, b. Mar. 17, 1806.  ** my great, great grandfather
Jonas, b. July 9, 1808.
Thomas, b. Aug. 14, 1810.
Phillip, b. May 6, 1812.
James, b. Feb. 8, 1814.
Richard, b. Jan. 21, 1817.
Lucinda, b. Jan. 22, 1818.
Anthony, b. Oct. 22, 1820, at Burns.
Delinda, b. Dec. 21, 1823; d. in 1833.
Mary, b. May 12, 1826. ** info about Mary, below, at end of this post
John C., b. June 29, 1829. ** see this post for his last will and testament

That is 13 children, every 1-3 years, over a span of almost 30 years. Note that Mary was married very young – just before turning 14 years old. Elias was 10 years older than her, born in 1776. Their first child was born when Mary was 15, almost 16. Her last child was born when she was 43 years old. I can’t even imagine having all these children, in primitive and frontier like conditions, with no modern conveniences as we have today! No indoor plumbing. No electricity. Etc.

The VanScoter book has details about all these children and their descendants.

In another post I can share more about the father of Elias, that would be Anthony, found on page 606 of the VanScoter book. But for now, in a book entitled: Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chautauqua County, New York (published in 1891) there is a write up on Alexander Morian, son of Lydia VanScoter – sister of Elias. Lydia’s siblings, including Elias, are listed by name. It also mentions VanScoter family history, thus you learn some details about Anthony. See here.

This photo of Lydia Van (Ben) Scoter Morian is found in the Van Scoter book between pages 628 and 629. She would be my great, great, great, great Aunt. Lydia died in 1869 at the age of 85, so this photo is likely from the 1860s, maybe earlier.

lydia

But back to Elias.

Elias is mentioned in this book: Allegany county and it people: A centennial memorial history of Allegany county, New York, published in 1896. See here. Elias came in 1806, from Pennsylvania, to the area that would eventually become Burns, NY in 1826. He settled in the eastern part of the town. 

The town of Burns published a Burns Bicentennial & Sesquicentennial Booklet in 1976. Elias is mentioned in this booklet. On page 11, it says that at least 7 families settled in Burns in 1806. “Also from Pennsylvania and in the same year came Thomas Quick, Elias VanScoter, and Elijah and Daniel Abbott all of whom located in DeWitts Valley, later Old Burns.”  Furthermore, on page 16, is says that in 1826, the founding fathers elected Nathaniel Bennett, Elias VanScoter and Silas Rease as commissioners of highways. Hmmm. I wonder what commissioner of highways entailed in 1826? This info is also found here, an older source referenced above, Allegany County and its people: a centennial memorial history of Allegany County, New York.

It is quite fascinating for me to see my ancestors mentioned in these historical records.

Elias’s daughter Mary is mentioned in the book Beauties and Achievements of the Blind published in 1890. See here. Mary married a blind (from birth) man named Lemuel Rockwell, and a section of this book is a sketch of his life. He was a musician. Note that in the paragraph about Elias and his wife Mary at the beginning of this post, it states that Mary died at the home of her daughter Mary Rockwell.

Well, I think I have shared enough for one post! But I will add a photo of Selah Van (Ben) Scoter found between pages 618 and 619 in the VanScoter book. Selah is the brother of Merritt, and the first born child of Elias and Mary. Selah was born in 1801 and died in 1885. He would be my great, great, great uncle. And my dad’s great, great uncle. I think my dad had a resemblance to Selah, including the odd hairdo (haha). However, when my dad was alive and I told him that I thought he had a resemblance to Selah, my dad was not pleased. Of interest, the VanScoter book says that Selah’s family had their home wrecked by a hurricane. They survived by taking refuge in the cellar. They lost most of their possessions.

selah

Last will and testament, 1898, John C. VanScoter

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In this post, I share the last will and testament of John C. VanScoter. It was written in Erie, Pa on December 16, 1898. The type is fading but I used the edit feature of our photo program to darken it and make it more readable. Click to see enlarged.

This was among the various papers that are in my possession. I initially was not certain who John was, and wondered why it was among Leota VanScoter’s personal effects rather than among a more immediate relative. But it was easy enough to determine.

John C. was the brother of Merritt VanScoter, Merritt being my great, great grandfather and the father of Frank Miles VanScoter, my great grandfather.  John would have been the uncle of Frank. So, John C. is my great, great, great uncle.  So why did Frank end up with his uncle’s last will and testament?

Well, John C. and his wife apparently had no children. The VanScoter book (page 628) states that John and his wife Helen Morrison were “no issue” which means no children. Also, other research does not reveal any evidence of children. The last will and testament makes no reference to children either.

The January 10, 1899 edition of The Buffalo Evening News had an obituary for John that begins  “John C. Van Scoter, one of the best known business men of Erie, Pa., is dead.” I can’t access the rest without paying a fee, but that is not a problem as I found a nice write up about John in Nelson’s Biographical Dictionary and Historical Reference Book of Erie County, Pennsylvania. It is a history of Erie County, as well as portraits of governors and representative citizens from between 1790 and its publication in 1896. This book is available for free access through google. See here.

**Genealogy research tip: check the many antique books available for free access through google. **

It says this about John C. VanScoter:

“John C. Van Scoter, loan agent, North Park, Erie, Pa., was born in Allegany county, New June 29, 1834, and is a son of Elias and Mary (Halstead) Van Scoter, natives of Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, respectively. He received his early education in his native county.  Opening a dry goods store in Hornellsville, N.Y., he operated it until 1858. In 1860 he came to Erie, Pa., engaging in mercantile pursuits, and later becoming interest in the oil trade, which he continued for four years, when he became interested in lake trade. In 1892 he closed out his lake interests to enter his present business exclusively, having previously devoted a portion of his time to it since 1881. Mr. Van Scoter was united in marriage in 1860 to Miss Helen, daughter of Horace and Hannah (Hall) Morrison, natives of Saratoga County, New York, a Christian lady of rare talent and amiability. She departed this life March 17, 1895. Mrs. Van Scoter was a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. In politics, Mr. Van Scoter is a Democrat, and is one of Erie’s most respected and influential citizens.”

— You will note in the will (page 1) that John wanted a memorial window for his wife Helen at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.  The church still exists up in Erie.

— On page 2 of the will, note is says the balance of his estate goes to the legal heirs of: Selah, Merih, Jonas, Lucinda, Mary. These are his siblings, see page 617-618 in the VanScoter book. See a photo of brother Selah on page 619. Of interest, I think Selah bears a resemblance to my father, which would have been my dad’s great uncle.

Merih? Perhaps it is a k, as in Merik. There was brother Merritt, which seems to be the proper spelling of the name. I have, however, seen it spelled in various other ways in formal and informal family documentation, such as Merik, Merrick, etc. Perhaps they pronounced it with a K sound, despite the t. Or maybe with a “k” is actually the proper spelling? I do not find a relative named Merih. Merih must be brother Merritt. It makes sense that Merritt’s son Frank (my great grandfather) ended up possessing this will.