SIXTH GENERATION

681. John Thorn was born on 30 Oct 1757 in North Castle, Westchester Co, NY. He died on 29 Oct 1821 in Newburgh, Orange Co, NY. Died 63 years 11 mo. 29 days. He died the day before his BD. He was buried on 29 Oct 1821 in Plattekill, Ulster County, NY. In his Will He" requested to be buried in the manner of the Friends" . He no doubt remained a Quaker His whole life. He & Wife Mary are buried in the PLATTEKILL FRIENDS CEMETERY. While the Plattekill Friend's Cemetery fail to include John Thorne's headstone, he is buried there. In 1995 I was there & found it nearly face down. He had an estate probated on 17 Dec 1821 in Newburgh, Orange Co, NY.
JOHN THORNE OF NEWBURGH, THE SON OF THOMAS THORNE OF CORDLANDT

The Thorne genealogy was traced from the present day to John Thorne (b. circa 1755; d. 1821) of Newburgh, Orange County, New York. The problem arose in trying to identify John Thorne's parents.

John Thorne of Newburgh, Orange County, New York was enumerated in census records from 1790 to 1820 indicating his birth about 1755-1765. He was a resident of Newburgh when he purchased property in there on 2 January 1783 (OCD, R:114). In his will of 6 October 1820, proved 21 December 1821, he mentioned his wife Mary and his children: his "two oldest sons" Solomon and Jonathan Thorne; his "third son" Zadock Thorne; his "fourth son" Thomas P. Thorne; his "youngest son" Daniel B. Thorne; and his "oldest daughters" Hannah and Ann Thorne; his "youngest daughters" Mary and Jane Thorne.

Another John Thorne lived in the neighboring town of New Windsor, where he purchased land on Murderers (now Moodna) Creek. In a deed recorded 22 May 1772 he was described as being from Flushing [LI] 9OCD, C:358). He was evidently never married, for in his will of 6th month 2nd day 1801, he named his sister Joanna Thorne, his brother Joseph Thorne, and his cousins James, James Jr., Hallock, Joseph Jr., Mercy, Phebe, and John Thorne, Jr. (OCW C:85-8). (This John Thorne is actually 1st Cousin, once removed to our John. He is also descended from Joseph Thorne & Martha Johanna Bowne. PVT)

Research in Orange County, Newburgh, and New Windsor records turned up no connection between the two John Thornes, although it could not be ruled out the John Thorne Jr. named in the New Windsor John's will was the Newburgh John. Another suggestion to the latter's origin, however, is found in C. M. Ruttenberg and L. H. Clark's History of Orange County, New York,...1683-1881;([1888; reprint. Interlaken, NY: Heart of the Lakes Publishing, 1986] 254). About 1791 a "colony of Friends from Westchester County, composed of Daniel, Zephaniah, and Barak Birdsall, John Sutton, and John Thorne settled in the Kipp and Cruger Patent in the west central part of Newburgh."

Newburgh Friends:

Quakers who lived in Newburgh would have attended meeting in neighboring Cornwall. Cornwall Monthly Meeting records date from 1788, but no record of John Thorne as a member was found. On the 3rd month 23rd day 1789, however, "Mary Thorn, wife of John Thorn," was condemned for having married before a magistrate--a practice forbidden by Friends. Her request for membership in the Cornwall meeting was accepted with a removal certificate from Amawalk Monthly Meeting in Westchester.

Although the dating of the will of John Thorne of New Windsor suggested he might be a Friend, there is no evidence that he ever married. Additionally, the removal certificate of Mary, wife of John Thorne, from Amawalk was in harmony with the Orange County History account of John Thorne being a Quaker from Westchester County, even though he was in Newburgh at least eight years earlier than claimed by Ruttenberg and Clark. [Assuming John Thorne came to Orange County from Westchester in or before 1783, he was then about 18-28 years old].

Westchester Thornes:

The earliest record of John Thorne in Westchester county land records in 1828, when John Thorne of New York City, son of Thomas Thorne, deceased, purchased land from Hannah Thorne of New Castle (WCD, 33:72). In a second deed recorded the same day John and his wife Phebe sold the land in New Castle to Joseph W. Merritt (WCD, 33:73). This John Thorne's father was doubtless the Thomas Thorne of New Castle who, in his will of 5th month 11th day 1821, proved 17 August 1821, named wife Hannah, daughters Amy Thorn, Sarah Weeks, Jerusha Griffin, Hannah Hunter, sons James and John Thorn, and grandson Thorn Griffin (WCW J:187-9). (This John Thorne is the nephew of our John Thorne, through his brother, Thomas Thorne. PVT).

Years earlier Thomas Thorne of Cortlandt, Westchester county, mentioned a son John Thorne in his will of May 1, 1776, proved February 12, 1785. He left bequests to his wife Elizabeth and children, Stephenson, Elnathan, Thomas, James, Isaac, John, Sherwood, Samuel, Hannah Price, Sarah Thorn, and Ann Thorn (NYCW, 37:394-5). John was to receive 110 pounds at the time of his marriage or when he arrived at the age of 21 years. From this we know John's birth was after 1755, which agrees approximate time of his birth census records.

Though there were two Thomas Thorns, one Thomas of Cortlandt, the other of New Castle, who both had sons Named John, John Thorn of Orange Country was not the son of Thomas Thorn of New Castle, but probably the son of Thomas Thorne of Cortlandt.

Westchester Friends:

Quakers in Westchester county attended meeting at Purchase which dates from 1725, Chappaqua from 1785, or Amawalk Monthly Meeting from 1798. Purchase Monthly Meeting records were searched for the Thorne family, but John Thorn was not mentioned. A request for membership from Thomas Thorne, Jr., was received on 10th month 1777. The wife of Sherwood Thorn was disowned from Purchase Monthly Meeting for marrying out of care of Friends in 1790. Since two of Thomas Thorne's sons were not Quaker, we can assume that probably none of his children were Friends.

To become Friends Thomas Thorne's children would have to formally request membership themselves. Though the children may have been raised in a Quaker manner and atmosphere, probably attending meeting, they were not considered members and so were not found in the records. A request for membership for John Thorn was not found in Purchase or Amawalk Monthly Meeting records. (Chappaqua Mens' Minutes are missing.)

However, in Chappaqua Women's Meeting records Mary Thorn formerly Birdsall of Amawalk Monthly Meeting, who married out of the care of Friends before a magistrate and was then residing near Cornwall Monthly Meeting, requested a certificate of removal 2nd month 13th day 1789. Cornwall meeting was requested to deal with her. Cornwall Monthly Meeting, we know, accepted Mary Thorn's removal certificate, granted by Chappaqua Monthly Meeting 7 month 10 day 1789.

Birdsall Connections:

According to the Purchase Meeting records, Mary Thorn's maiden name was Birdsall. In Amawalk Monthly Meeting records Zadock Birdsall and Levina Purdy had eleven children, including a daughter Mary:

Susanna 3d 6m 1759
Rhoda 1d 3m 1761
Mary 2d 9m 1762
Daniel 31d 1m 1764
Barac 3d 11m 1765
Zephaniah 30d 3m 1767
Phebe 3d 6m 1769
Jonathan 27d 1m 1771
David 16d 12m 1772
Hannah 5d 10m 1774
Solomon 4d 6m 1776


John and Mary Thorne named their children Solomon, Jonathan, Zadock, Daniel, Hannah and Ann Thorne, names found in the Birdsall family. Their son Thomas P. Thorne may have been named for his grandfather Thomas Thorn. Unfortunately Zadock Birdsall did not leave a will where his daughter Mary would be mentioned.

According to Ruttenberg and Clark (History of Orange County), John Thorne came from Westchester County with Daniel, Zephaniah, and Barak Birdsall and settled the Kipp and Cruger patent. The Birdsall men may be Mary Thorne's brothers. In federal census records, 1790-1820, John Thorne and Daniel Birdsall resided near each other in Newburgh. In 1800 Baruck Birdsall was also listed in Newburgh. In John Thorne's Orange County deed, dated 1783, his Newburgh land was purchased from the widow of Henry Kipp and bordered the land of Zephaniah Birdsall (OCD, R:114). Census records and deeds concur with the Orange County history.

John's son, Jonathan Thorne, purchased land in Newburgh on 11 April 1811 that bordered Zephaniah Birdsall (OCD, P:421). Jonathan and his wife Cornelia sold this land to Simon Wood on 9 April 1817, and at the same time selling land in Ulster county to Simon Wood (OCD, V:189). Zephaniah Birdsall appeared as witness to the deed.

In 1821 Daniel Birdsall sold the land in Newburgh to Simon Wood in Newburgh that included land granted by patent to Jacobus Kip (OCD, V:291). Daniel Birdsall's will, dated 7th day 2nd month 1830, proved 8 April 1830, mentioned his wife Ann; daughters Mary and Sarah Ann; sons Benjamin, John T., Daniel P., and Solomon Birdsall. He named his son, Solomon, and his nephew, Thomas P. Thorne, as executors of his estate (OCW, I:114). Thomas P. Thorne was the son of Mary Birdsall and John Thorne.

Supporting Evidence:

In October 1963 Thorn Dickinson presented an article on "The Early History of the Thorne Family of Long Island" in the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Record (vol. no.:[October, 1963] 224-30). John Thorne of Newburgh, Orange County, New York, was identified as one of eleven children of Thomas Thorn of Cortlandt, Westchester County, New York. Thorn Dickinson's evidence connecting these two men was a notebook supposedly belonging to John Thorne, dated March 31, 1786. The children were:

Stevenson, born August 22, 1740
Samuel, born August 22, 1742
Elnathan, born December 25, 1745
Hannah, born May 3, 1747
Thomas, born April 24, 1750
James, born November 17, 1753
Isaac, born May 25, 1755
John, born October 30, 1757
Sarah, born April 27, 1760
Anna, born July 24, 1762
Sherwood, born November 15, 1767

John was born on October 30, 1757; he married Mary Birdsall; and he died on October 29, 1821, in his 64th year in Newburgh. The notebook refers to John and Mary's ten children:

Solomon April 6, 1785 m. Jane Hardenburg d. April 23, 1860
Jonathan Nov. 21, 1786 m. Charity Rider d. June 21,1867
Zadock Sept. 28, 1788
Hannah Dec. 16, 1790 m. Thomas Merritt
Thomas P. Sept. 22, 1792 m. Eliza Gerow d. June 16, 1878
Jane T. April 23, 1807 m. Jacob G. Gerow d. Nov. 19, 1880
Daniel B. Aug. 26, 1801 m. Phebe Mullinex d. July 25, 1866
Mary B. Sept. 9, 1799 d. Oct. 2, 1876
Ann May 12, 1796 d. Nov. 8, 1844
John Nov. 19, 1794 d. May 5, 1779


Ulster Connection:

When Jonathan Thorne Purchased property in Newburgh (P:421) he was said to be from Plattekill, Ulster County, New York, just north of Orange County.

Friends in Plattekill attended meeting at Marlborough Monthly Meeting. Shirley V. Anson and Laura M. Jenkins, authors of Quaker History and Genealogy of Marlborough Monthly Meeting, Ulster County, NY, 1804-1900+ (Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1908) include the cemetery inscriptions at Plattekill Friends Cemetery. Mary Thorne and a number of her children and their wives were buried in Plattekill Friends Cemetery. Husband John Thorne is buried there as well. Although his Headstone is now missing, we know from the Book, Old Gravestones of Ulster County, that He is buried there. (UPDATE: In August of 1995, I visited the Plattekill Cemetery. John's headstone is NOT missing it had fallen face down & the surface was severely eroded, but enough info remained to identify it positively as our John Thorn/e PVT)

Mary Thorne was buried on October 14, 1825, aged 63 years 1 month 12 days (born Sept. 2, 1762). This is the birth date of Mary Birdsall, the daughter of Zadock and Levina Birdsall, that was recorded in Amawalk Monthly Meeting.

An infant, John Thorne, was buried in Plattekill, died May 15, 1795, aged 5 months 26 days. He was listed in John's notebook though the date of death given was May 5, 1795.

According to John Thorne's notebook, his son Daniel B. Thorne married Phebe Mullinex. Plattekill Friends Cemetery includes Daniel B. Thorne, born August 26, 1801; died July 25, 1866 and Phebe Mullinex Thorne, wife of Daniel B., born March 25, 1802; died October 14, 1877. Daniel's dates exactly match the dates in John's notebook.

John and Mary's son, Thomas P. Thorne, married Eliza Gerow. those buried at Plattekill Friends Cemetery include: Thomas P. Thorne, September 22, 1792; January 16, 1878 and Eliza Gerow Thorne, wife of Thomas P., July 16, 1790; July 19, 1865. These dates exactly match those in John's notebook.

Jane T. Gerow, wife of Jacob C. Gerow and daughter of John and Mary Thorne, was buried at Plattekill Friends Cemetery. The abstracts give her dates of birth and death as, Jane T. Gerow, born April 23, 1807; died November 19, 1880. Jane's vital statistics are the same as those in John's notebook.

Ruttenberg and Clark (History of Orange County) stated that Barak Birdsall was one of the men who came to Orange County with John Thorne. We believe Barak was Mary's brother. Marlborough Monthly Meeting records mention Barock Birdsall whose birth date, 11:3:1765, was the same date of birth found in the Amawalk Monthly Meeting for Barac Birdsall, son of Levina and Zadock Birdsall. Marlborough Meeting abstracts also said Barack and his wife Catherine resided in Newburgh, Orange County, which we have confirmed in the 1800 census. Barack died 5:4:1847, aged 82 years. Barack and Catherine had six children, one of whom was named Zadock for Barack's father.

Conclusion:

Though the notebook cited by Thorn Dickinson in his article, "Early History of the Thorne Family of Long Island," was used to prove the relationship between John and his father Thomas Thorne, it was not enough. More research was conducted in Orange County and Westchester County records. Evidence was found to corroborate the information supplied in the notebook supporting the assumption that John Thorne Of Newburgh, Orange County was the son of Thomas Thorne of Cortlandt, Westchester County, New York.

In his will dated 1795 Thomas Thorn of Westchester mentioned his eleven children. His son John was under twenty-one years of age. John's bequest was not land but 110 pounds when he reached twenty-one or married. John did not record any land deeds in Westchester County. Though land deeds were recorded in Westchester County by another John Thorn, son of Thomas Thorn, it was shown this was not the same Thorn family.

Thomas Thorne's children were not members of Friends. John's wife, Mary Birdsall, was disowned for marrying someone who was not a Friend. She later received a removal certificate which enabled her to transfer her Quaker membership to Cornwall Monthly Meeting near Newburgh, Orange County, where she was then residing with her husband John Thorne.

John and Mary resided in Newburgh from 1783 until after John's death in 1820. They lived near her brothers Zephaniah, Daniel, and Barack Birdsall. Mary was buried in 1825 in Plattekill Friends Cemetery with her infant son John, her sons Daniel B., Thomas P., her daughter Jane T., and their spouses.

With additional evidence we can say that John Thorne of Newburgh, Orange County, was the son of Thomas Thorn of Cortlandt, Westchester County, New York. The information given by Thorn Dickinson in his article, "Early History of the Thorne Family of Long Island," has been bolstered by primary evidence linking Thorn and Birdsall families in Westchester and Orange Counties.

An added bonus to the family history is that we can now identify Mary Birdsall, wife of John Thorne, as the daughter of Zadock and Levina Birdsall of Westchester County, New York.

Written by Suzanne McVetty; C.G.
May 1994

The foregoing analysis was completed by Suzanne McVetty, a nationally recognized genealogist & lecturer. She had done much of the research for Philip Thorne & is a personal friend of Harry Macy, at the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society. Macy is the man who oversaw the publishing of the original Thorne Family History. The above information was reviewed by a number of Orange & Westchester County Genealogists. These people all had their opinions included in the body of this article & it was originally intended for publication by the N.Y.G.&B. At the last minute, they decided there was nothing really new in this information & did not want to give it space in their periodical at this time.

PVT
15 May 1994
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John was possibly disowned by the Friends abt. 1776. reason unknown. UPDATE: He appears to have NOT been a Birthright Quaker as there is evidence that his siblings had to apply to join. Meaning 1 Parent was NOT a Quaker, but He PROBABLY attended Meeting & lived his Life in the manner of the Friends. Wife Mary was a Birthright Quaker & their closest relatives & associates seem to have been largely Friends.

John Thorne kept a notebook, from which most of the info we have on his parents, siblings, their & his kids & all the marriages were recorded. That notebook is now missing. It was in the hands of Mildred Struble, former head of Westchester County, NY, Historical Society. She is now deceased. The last person I know to have seen it, was a man named Crosby J. Wilkin (also a Thorne desc.) of Wallkill, NY. He too is deceased but an informant with same surname in that area said the widow had gone to live with her daughter in Ohio. Could it be there? I received a letter from Mary Lee-Gellhaus, She is descendant of our John 6 Thorne through his son Thomas P. Thorne, (Great-Great Grand Daughter). She gave me a name regarding Gerow family Info. It was David Wilkin, I called his home in Ohio, He IS the son of the above named Crosby J Wilkin. According to Kenneth Hasbrouck, Crosby J was descendant of John 6 Thorne. David does have his father's records & is reviewing all files. In the Thorne file He saw nothing that was from John 6 Thorne's journal BUT He does have a hand drawn chart in his father's hand writing that confirms our data. It occurred to him that the actual record might be in his Birdsall Family File, which is a good guess! He is still looking. He is going to send me what he has.

Beginning with John's Grandad Samuel the E seems to start getting dropped off the end of THORNE. Our Granddad John seems to be the only son of Thomas Thorne that appears to have CONSISTENTLY retained the correct spelling of our Family Name. In Father Thomas' will the name is spelled both ways. So in our direct family line we have had 2 ancestors who seemed to drop the E for the most part. That is Samuel, his son Thomas, but not our John son of Thomas.

The two witnesses to John Thorne's will were Jeromus & Jeremiah Hardenburgh. Son Solomon Thorne, one of the executors of John's will was married to Jane Hardenburg. She is said to have had a brother Jeremiah, but no Jeromus. He was probably first cousin or an uncle.

Of their 6 sons 4 were given Birdsall Family names (Solomon, Jonathan, Zadoc & Daniel B.)

John Thorne arrived in Orange County in 1791, along with his Birdsall brothers-in-law & settled on part of the Kipp-Krueger Patent.

He was married to Mary Birdsall (daughter of Zadoc Birdsall and Lavinia Purdy) on 4 Jun 1784 in Westchester County, NY. Date & location just a good guess. Altho the families were both Quakers for generations no surviving record exists of their Marriage. It was no doubt a Quaker Marriage & most likely in Chappaqua MM. Mary Birdsall was born on 2 Sep 1762 in Chappaqua, Westchester Co, NY. She died on 14 Oct 1825 in Newburgh, Orange Co, NY. She was buried on 14 Oct 1825 in Plattekill, Ulster County, NY. We know for certain that she is buried with husband John in the Plattekill Friends Cemetery. She with headstone & his was thought gone, but is there. I have her place of death as Newburg, as that is where she lived with John, who preceded her in death by 4 years. At her death at least 3 of her children were living in or very near Plattekill, which is only about 7 miles from Newburg. The point being she may well have been living with one of her children at her demise. She was Quaker. Philip V. Thorne Notes:

Mary's younger brother Daniel J. Birdsall married her husband John's younger sister Anna Thorne.

In 1789 The CHAPPAQUA MM sent a letter to The CORNWALL MM asking them to deal with Mary THORNE formerly BIRDSALL for having married out of the Society of Friends. She had requested a Certificate of Removal, which would allow her membership to be transferred from CHAPPAQUA TO CORNWALL . She married John THORNE, who at that point was no longer a Quaker, or they were married by a priest or magistrate. She wrote a letter acknowledging her error, it was accepted & she was granted a Certificate of Removal. John apparently did not request a formal membership but in his will, He asked to be buried in The Manner of The Friends, so it would seem that he may have lived out his life as a Quaker.

In Shirley Anson's abstract of the Marlboro MM, Mary Thorne's death is listed. She was obviously a member of Marlboro at her death. As I have previously speculated, She probably was no longer living in Newburgh. She was probably living with 1 of her children in the Plattekill area. Her son Thomas P Thorne was there & son Daniel B Thorne was also. Her youngest daughter Jane T Thorne was there married to Jacob Coutant Gerow, whose son John B Gerow, became the guardian of her great grand kids, the Browns. Plus others. John Thorn and Mary Birdsall had the following children:

+1211 i. Solomon Thorn.
+1212 ii. Jonathan Thorn.
+1213 iii. Zadoc Thorn.
+1214 iv. Hannah Thorn.
+1215 v. Thomas P. Thorn.
1216 vi. John Thorn was born on 19 Nov 1794 in Newburgh, Orange Co, NY. He was buried in May 1795 in Plattekill Friends Cemetery, Plattekill, Ulster County, NY. Little John Thorne is buried with his Mom & Dad at the Plattekill Quaker Cemetery. He died on 5 May 1795 in Newburgh, Orange Co, NY.
+1217 vii. Anna Thorn.
+1218 viii. Mary B.(irdsall) Thorn.
+1219 ix. Daniel B. Thorn.
+1220 x. Jane T. Thorn.