Sunday, January 20, 2013

Along with the new year brings new research news. The Ancestral land of Andreas Weatherwax (1700-1784) was previously identified by Mr. R. Johnson (deceased)as lying under the Tomhannock Reservoir which is in present day Pittstown,Rensselaer co. NY. Late in December 2012 I was contacted by Christinia Kelly Town Historian for Schaghticoke. She questioned the location cited by Mr. Johnson. We managed finally to link up for a discussion of the issue in early Jan 2013. Additional research is ongoing but research so far seems to indicate that the correct location is not under the Reservoir, but actually in Schaghticoke near the site of the Brookins Family Cemetery.
Previous research efforts with the town historian of Pittstown failed to prove the the reservoir as the location of the 2800 acres mentioned in Andreas's Will  dated 1784. However research using the papers of John Peer Weatherwax and his ancestors clearly indicate the land of Johannes or Hannes Weatherwax's son Alexander was in the area of present day location of the Brookins Family cemetery
in Schaghticoke. Several issues including the changing boundaries of Lansingburgh,Schaghticoke and Troy all seemed to have confused Mr. Johnson's  research. It seems he chose the wrong end of Tomhannock brook of stream. The corrected location agrees with many early records, land deeds,voter listings and othe family  record citations all support Schaghticoke as the proper location. This year I will be working on documenting sources and to confirm a more accurate location of these important family lands.