Weatherwax family
ancestral land search in Rensselaer
County New York.
Previous research by Arthur Johnson a descendant of Isaac
Johnson husband of Betsey Weatherwax identified the location of the Land
purchased by Andreas (Andrew) Weatherwax in 1765 as lying under the
existing Tomhannock Reservoir in
Rensselaer county NY.
This research is not supported by sources in Johnson's
limited published work. He only sites several geologic maps without reference
to why they were selected.. There is little or no correlation with the Known
published Will of Andrew Weatherwax (the immigrant's son) or known locations
and deed of other family members
The Will of Andrew Weatherwax probated in 1784 and found in
Fernow's Calendar of Wills states the following regarding the disposition of
lands and deeds granted to his children.
1. "To my son
Hannes- 231 &3/4 acres of land wheron he now lives in Tamhanick."
"He having a deed for the land from me already."
2. "To Martin
Widderwax- the farmhouse whereon I now dwell in Tamhanick at the extent of
a farm surveyed for Alexander Widderwax containing 235 & 1/2 acres."
Although Andrew's Will gives further disposition of lands to
his other children these two provisions of the Will provide sources that lead
to the identifying the current location of the lands in Question.
Clearly based on #2 Martin Widderwax (Weatherwax) inherited
his father Andrew's farm of 235&1/2 acres of land. Subsequent land records
will show the location of this property today.
It must be remembered when doing land searches in New York
that most land was in one huge county called Albany county. Rensselaer County
NY was not broken off from Albany county until 1792. So when researching land
that was purchased or deeded prior to 1792 the Land records of Albany county
must be consulted to provide a continuous chain of ownership for lands being
searched.
Hannes Widderwax
(Weatherwax)
Johannes or Hanes Weatherwax was the first born son of
Andrew Weatherwax by his 2nd marriage to Jo Anna Edeli. His exact date of birth
is not found, but other documentation indicates a dob of 1740. He married Anna
Premmer abt 1761. He died 11 Mar 1818 in Schaghticoke, Rensselaer co. NY. He
had seven known children. The son Andrew Weatherwax b:9 Sep 1766 provides the
chain of land ownership from his father Hannes to Andrew's son John A.
Weatherwax b:1794. His son was John A. Weatherwax b:4 Sep 1841
Additionally the approved S.A.R. application of John P.
Weatherwax clearly indicates the land in question remained within the family until the last parcel was sold by him in 1972.
Contained in the holdings of the Rensselaer county
Historical society is the family Bible of John A. Weatherwax this Bible
provides a clear consistent line of descent to John Peer Weatherwax b:23 Sep
1904, d:28 Jun 1991. These papers containing over 15 boxes of documents, photos
and family records provide a chain of land ownership that points to the
location of this land on Weatherwax lane in present day Schaghticoke, Rensselaer
co. NY.
Deed found, Albany
co. Deeds, Book 9, page402 for lot "H" containing 233 acres and 3
rods.
Deed dated 2 Dec 1772 and recorded on 25 Apr 1774
Grantor: Andrew Weatherwax
(the original immigrants son)
Grantee: Johannis
Wederwax
original record was examined by myself in Albany County
Clerk's office on April 19,2013. This record
does not specify anything that would indicated the present day location
of the land in question.
Deed found,
Rensselaer co Deeds, Book 267, page 6
Deed dated: 17 Apr 1899
Grantor: John A. Weatherwax
b:1794
Grantee: Freeman C. Weatherwax b:31 Aug 1868
140 acres of land located in Schaghticoke
Another Deed found Book 330, pg25 indicates that Freeman
Cooper Weatherwax and wife Edith sold some of this land to his brother William
M. Weatherwax on 22 Oct 1910.
Upon Freeman C. Weatherwax's death on 3 Feb 1953 the
remaining parcel of original land passed through inheritance to his son John
Peer Weatherwax and his sisters Louis W. Austin and Esther W. Sykes.
Utilizing the 1976 Rensselaer County New York Tax maps for the
town of Schaghticoke indicated a
parcel of property on "Weatherwax Lane" , at the junction of Gunbadt
Road. A cross reference to property sales indicated that John P. Weatherwax
sold property in 1972 A surveyed plot
map with information confirmed that the
property at this location was sold by John Peer Weatherwax and his sisters.
The Schaghticoke Tax Map #041.00 clearly indicates the property
in question and also indicates that the 10.66 acres sold was part of the
original 231+ acres of the original patent. This last parcel of land owned by
Hannes Weatherwax's decendants was sold
based on a land survey dated 26
Jun 1972 and registered on 11 Jul 1971. The land was sold to James A. and
Caroll Jennison of Schaghticoke.
This then confirms along with other documentation that
Andrew Weatherwax's purchase of 1/3 of a parcel of land encompassing 8602 acres on the East bank of
the Hudson which was transacted in 1765 was in fact located in present day
Schaghticoke, not Pittstown NY. It appears that the Northern boundary was along
Tomhannock creek. Some indications are that the patent continued southward to
the Deep Kill. In total on his death Andrew parceled out a total of about 2800 acres of land, reserving 800 acres
to pay for anything due on the whole patent.
Andrew Weatherwax's
original farm of 235 1/2 acres which was deeded to his son Martin Weatherwax 1741-1813.
Martin Weatherwax
bap:13 Jan 1741; d:27 May 1813.
Martin Weatherwax and his brother David Weatherwax
(1747-1831), both these brothers sold their Rensselaer county farms and moved
to Peru, Clinton county NY by 1794. Clearly in 1796 both appear in Road tax
lists for the town of Peru, Clinton co. NY. No record of the sale or transfer
of David's property has yet been found. But evidence exist based on land
purchases in Clinton co NY that both bought 300 acres farms in Peru on the
Western shore of Lake Champlain
Deed found: Rensselaer
county Deeds Book 1, pg.44 (First Deed book of the new Rensselaer co. NY)
This deed date 29 Nov
1792 clearly indicates that the
Grantor Martinus Weatherwax
Grantee: Benjamin Holt
purchased land on 185 1/2 acres on 29 Nov 1792
then on 23 May 1811
Rensselaer county deed book 5, pgs.496-497
Indicates that land in possession of Benjamin Holt is
conveyed to James Brookins.
Here it gets fuzzy because the Court of Common Pleas took a
certification of this transaction by Martin Weatherwax who was then living in
Peru NY. Possibly he traveled to Rensselaer county, but he would die within 2
years and it appears he would not have traveled that far but provided a written
certification to the court.
So further research is needed to identify the land held in
1811 by James Brookins. It is noteworthy that Peter Weatherwax 1752-1805 is
buried in the Brookins Family cemetery on NY route 41 along with James Brookins.
Peters property is rumored to be located near this site
again in Schaghticoke. It seems a reasonable assumption that the reason Peter
Weatherwax was buried in the present day Brookins Family cemetery is that prior
to the land purchase by Brookins that this was in fact a Weatherwax family
cemetery with only the tombstone of Peter Weatherwax remaining in present day.
Why else would Brookins allow Peter Weatherwax to be buried there?
