William Drake (1784 - 1847)

Born 30 Nov 1784 in Deerpark, Orange, New York [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Finley) Findley — married 11 Oct 1807 in New York, United States

Descendants

Died 5 Aug 1847 at age 62 in Concord, Jackson County, Michigan, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Douglas Drake [send private message]

Biography

Land

3/16/1837 The Land Record for William Drake states that he is of Wayne County, New York, United States. 3/16/1837 Jackson County, Michigan [1] 6/15/1837 Jackson County, Michigan [2]

Residence

1840 Concord, Jackson County, Michigan [3]

A brief biography of William and Betsy Drake is included in the biography of John M. Hartung who was the husband of Lois Drake. Lois Drake was the grand-daughter of William and Elizabeth Drake. Portrait and Biographical Album of Jackson County, Michigan Containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County (Chicago, Illinois: Chapman Brothers, 1890), 511, 512.[4] [5]

William Drake died on the 5th of August 1847 in Jackson County, Michigan. He is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery, Concord, Jackson County, Michigan. [6]

Bradley Woodworth and Henry Drake were administrators of his estate. The valuation of the estate was 1,994.00...."

.....He left no widow but did leave nine children. Eight of whom reside in this county (to wit deponent) Henry Drake, Joseph Drake, George W. Drake, David Drake, William R. Drake, Almyra Woodworth, the wife of Bradley Woodworth, Harriet Drake, and one whose name is Charles F. Drake resides in Walworth, Wayne County, New York, none of them are minors..... [7]

^[1]

Research Notes

The information by myself as posted below has been proven to be inaccurate as to the Dutch Ancestry. DNA has established this Drake line to be descended from the English Drakes. I would love to have this removed from the internet and have tried many times since it is not accurate as to the earlier generations.

The following was an early listing of this Drake family based on available research at that time. Hopefully it will be of use to share it here with other family members. I continue to research and hope to improve or disprove the documentation on each generation. Judith [8]

Sources

1. ↑ Probate Records, State of Michigan, County of Jackson, Volume I Estates 1835-1864, File #285.William Drake

• Probate File, Jackson County, Michigan, Estate of William Drake, 1847

Probate Records, State of Michigan, County of Jackson, Volume I Estates 1835-1864, File #285. [9]

Here's the problem with William being born in Owasco or Owasco Lake NY in 1784, according to Wikipedia and the history of the Cayuga Nationa at cayuganation-nsn.gov. The Cayugas sided with the British in the Revolutionary War. After the British lost, they signed the Treat of Paris ending the War in 1783. The Cayugas did not sign. The was continued until the Treaty of Canandaigua on November 11, 1794.

The land was first settled around 1792, by a man named Herman Mesgow. The town of Owasco was formed in 1802 from the town of Aurelius. William couldn't have been born there unless he was a Cayuga, and he wasn't. I have only European DNA.

George Washington sent the Sullivan Expedition to destroy the Cayuga villages in 1779. After the war, this region became part of the Central New York Military Tract, used to compensate New York soldiers for service in the military during the War for Independence. The first European-American settler of record arrived in the area in 1789. It is likely that others had made their homes in the vicinity on lands belonging to the native Iroquois. The town of Aurelius, formed in 1789, was already an existing township when Cayuga County was carved out of Onondaga County in 1799. The town of Auburn was established from a portion of Aurelius. Aurelias; The Sullivan Expedition passed through to destroy the Cayuga villages in 1779. This region became part of the Central New York Military Tract, used to compensate New York soldiers for service in the military during the War for Independence. The first European-American settler of record arrived in the area in 1789. It is likely that others had made their homes in the vicinity on lands belonging to the native Iroquois. The town of Aurelius, formed in 1789, was already an existing township when Cayuga County was carved out of Onondaga County in 1799. And we know Aurelius was created by the Military tract Bounty Land Act in Feb 25 1789 when those pesky native Cayugas were tricked into giving up "title" and moved to a reservation.

Let's put William in Orange County, and specifically Deerpark, Orange, New York.  So, we've got this newly incorporated town of Deerpark, NY, incorporated in 1798 from Mamakating, and we've got Charles Findley, William's father-in-law in both the 1790 Mamakating census and the 1800 Deerpark census, because he didn't move, but the towns did.  So, I did a little research, and found out that Deerpark had in fact been around since around 1743 (History of Sullivan County, Ch. 13, History of Mamakating).  Now we believe Charles came from Ireland, and we know that he enlisted in the army in Goshen NY in 1777.  Did he move around a lot, or was he pretty stable.  Well, guess who was elected dogcatcher, er, I mean Overseer of the Poor in Deerpark?  Our pal, Charles.  Okay, so we've got Charles, or perhaps his nickname was "Find" which is the name on his grave, in Goshen in 1777, then Deerpark part of Mamakating census 1790, then Deerpark, census 1800.  He's in the area with his lovely daughter Elizabeth who was born in 1782, we think in Mamakating.  Since Charles is living in Deerpark as the Overseer of the Poor, that's where she's born.  It just wasn't a legal town until later.  So what, you say.  Well, Deerpark was in the  Machackemeck Valley and there is still a "Reformed Church of Machackemeck" in Port Jervis.  It used to be the Dutch Reformed Church of Machackemeck.  And guess who was married there on Dec 7, 1768?  Joseph Drake and Maria Hoogtaling. And on Dec 2. the same year, Joseph Drake and Margariet Hoogteling.  A couple of Josephs and a couple of Dutch sisters.  Now my Uncle Frank says our Joseph married Margariet Westfall.  Here are our two problems:  1. There are people on the idiotnet who say Margariet Westfall did indeed live and die in the Deerpark area.  I got 50 hits at myheritage.com   2.  For some reason, I wrote down that our William Drake was born at Owasco Lake, Montcomery County.  We know from history, that the rather upset Cayugas living there weren't "tamed" until 1789, upset because they were on the losing side of the Revolution.   I think William was born in Orange County, NY about the same time as Elizabeth Findley.  1782-84.  They grew up together. Then they all moved up to Ontario County together in 1807, where they all lived together and somebody said William and Elizabeth got married in October 1807.    Timeline and Theory             Orange County:   1768  One of Josephs marries Dutch girl, Maria or Margariet.                1784 That Joseph has child William Drake.                  Before 1776 Charles Findley comes to Deerpark                  1782, Charles has Elizabeth in Deerpark.  William and Elizabeth grow up together.                  Ontario County                    1804  William Drake moves to Ontario County                  1807 Charles Findley and family move to Ontario County                    1807 William and Elizabeth re-meet, and marry.                    1808-1831 William and Eliz have lots of children, inc. Charles F                    1823 Wayne County formed from Ontario County                     1828 Findley family farm, road, and cemetery, just outside Walworth Wayne County.        Michigan             1837 William Drake from Wayne County NY and all children except Charles F move to Michigan.                      1845  Elizabeth dies in Michigan                        1847, William dies in Michigan, leaving one heir still in Walworth, Wayne County.