Johannes HESS was born in Hessen Cassell, Germany, a small duchy along the Rhine River in 1692, to Heinrich and Anna Maria HESS. When he was eighteen years old he joined with a company of Palatines to sail for America. There were three thousand of them who landed at Nutten Island, now Governor’s Island, New York on July 14 and 15 in 1710.
With some of the other Palatiners Johannes built a small village on the west shore of the Hudson River in Ulster County near the present town of Saugerties. In 1711 he married Catherine KORSING, the daughter of Rudolph and Delia KORSING of Hellstein, Dutchy of Isenburg, Germany.
Not long after his marriage, Johannes and his family moved on further west to the fertile soil of the Mohawk Valley. There he took up grants and soon owned a great deal of land - some of it in the now famous Klock Patent.
His children with Catherine were:
2. Fanniche HESS (b.20 May 1712-Westcamp, Ulster, New York)
2. Anna Eva HESS (b.24 Sep 1713-Stone Arabia, Montgomery, New York)
sp: Andrew CLAPSADDLE (b.1705-Wuerttemburg,Germany)
2. Anna Maria HESS (b.25 Mar 1715-Stone Arabia, Montgomery, New York)
sp: Gustav OSTERHOUT (b. Abt. 1711-Stone Arabia, Montgomery, NY; m. bef. 1745)
2. Catherine HESS (b.25 Mar 1717-Stone Arabia, Montgomery, New York)
2. Augustus HESS Sr. (b.21 Dec 1718- Schoharie, Herkimer, New York; d.15 Jul 1782 - Fort Herkimer, Herkimer, New York)
sp: Catherine KAST (b.1721-NY;m.Bef 1743; d.1754)
sp: Anna SCHELL (b. abt. 1725-Bad Marienberg, Germany)
2. Johannes HESS (b.2 May 1721-Stone Arabia, Montgomery, New York; d.1767-Palatine, Herkimer, New York)
sp: Ann Margaretta YOUNG/JUNG (b.24 Jan 1716-Livingston Manor, Columbia, New York;m.10 Nov 1743)
2. Johannes Frederich HESS (b.1722-Stone Arabia, Montgomery, New York)
2. Anna Dorothea HESS (b.25 Mar 1724-Stone Arabia, Montgomery, New York)
sp: Adolph WALLRATH (b. abt. 1720-Stone Arabia, Montgomery, NY; m. bef. 1753)
2. Johan Hendrick HESS (b.2 Feb 1730-, Montgomery, New York; d.25 Feb 1810-Canjohary, Montgomery, New York)
sp: Maria Elizabeth GERLACH (b.16 Apr 1739-Shenandoah Vale,Page,Virgina;d.9 Jul 1822-,New York)
Augustinus, was killed by the Indians in the Great Mohawk Valley Massacre as he was taking his family to old Fort Herkimer for safety. He is buried under Fort Herkimer. He had a large family and five of his sons were later to be soldiers in the Revolutionary War. So also were other of the men in this first generation.
Catherine, Johannes' first wife, died in the Valley and story has it that Johannes returned to Germany where he married a second wife whose name was Margaretta, a second name unknown. He brought her back with him to America. Perhaps a brother also returned with him.
Johannes helped to build the old Palatine Stone Church in the Valley. This Church is still a national landmark and shrine. His name is on old church records as having contributed some sixty pounds toward its erection. Johannes died in the spring of 1771 and is buried at Stone Arabia in the old church yard.
His son, Johannes (II), our ancestor was born in Palatine, New York in 1721. (d. 1767) He was married to Ann Margaretta YOUNG.
Ann Margaretta YOUNG (b.24 Jan 1716-Livingston Manor,Columbia, New York), was the daughter of
Henry JUNGST (b.1690-, Hessen, Germany), the son of Henrig JUNGST (b.1645-, Hessen, Germany; m. 1668) and Mrs. JUNGST (b.1648-, Hessen, Germany; d. Bef. 1744-, Hessen, Germany)
And Anna Margaretha FREYMAUER (b. Abt. 1690-,Germany; d. bef. 1790, Hessen, Germany)
Joannes (II) and Margaretta had the following nine children:
3. Catherine HESS (b.16 Jul 1744-Stone Arabia, Montgomery, New York; d.22 Nov 1821)
3. Johannes HESS (b.27 Oct 1745-Palatine, Montgomery, New York)
3. Elizabeth HESS (b.12 Aug 1747-Palatine, Montgomery, New York
3. Anna HESS (b.25 Mar 1749-St Johnsville, Montgomery, New York)
sp: Jacob KLOCK (b.1749-St Johnsville, Montgomery, New York; m.27 Sep 1770; d. bef. 1792-St
3. John Frederick HESS (b.10 May 1751- Palatine, Montgomery, New York; d.1806)
sp: Catharine Catherine NELLIS (b.1 Jun 1748- Palatine, Montgomery, New York; m.1772)
3. Dewalt David HESS (b.22 Sep 1753-Palatine, Montgomery, New York
3. Daniel HESS (b.16 Mar 1756-Palatine, Montgomery, New York; d.11 Apr 1758)
3. Daniel HESS (b.13 Nov 1758-Palatine, Montgomery, New York; d.2 Nov 1842)
3. Augustus John HESS (b.1760-Palatine, Montgomery, New York)
His son John Frederick, who was born in 1751 at Palatine, married Catherine NELLIS, the daughter of Andrew NELLES and Catherine FOX.
John Frederick served in the Revolution.
His children with Catherine were:
4. Catherine HESS (b.16 Oct 1773-Otsega, New York; d.1804)
4. John Frederick HESS (b.12 Apr 1778-German Flats, Herkimer, New York; d.14 Oct 1861-,Oneida,NY)
4. Anna HESS (b.23 Oct 1781-Otsega, NY)
4. Frederick HESS (b.29 Nov 1784-Otsega, NY;d.1 Sep 1870-Lyons,Clinton,Iowa)
sp: Mary (Maria) MCDOUGALL (b.30 Oct 1782-German Flats, Herkimer, New York;m.2 Sep 1804; d.17 Feb 1852-Lyons,Clinton,IA)
4. David HESS (b. Abt 1785-, Otsego, New York)
4. Jacob HESS (b.24 Feb 1787-, Otsego, New York)
sp: Elizabeth SCRAMLIN (b. Abt 1797-Mohawk Valley, New York; d. aft. 1828-South Dumfries, Ontario)
sp: Rhoda PELTON (b. Abt 1791-, Canada)R
4. Frederick HESS (b.Abt 1789-, Otsego, New York)
4. Margaret HESS (b.8 Jun 1790-Otsego, NY)
4. Mariah HESS (b.Abt 1791-, Otsego, New York)
4. David HESS (b.28 Nov 1791-Otsego, NY)
4. Elizabeth HESS (b.6 Mar 1794-Otsego, NY)
4. Maich HESS (b.7 Oct 1797)
His son Jacob, great grand-son of the first Johannes, was the father of the three men whose names are on the stone memorial at Momence.
It was in John Frederick's family that the move toward the farther west began.
One son, Frederick, took his family to Iowa; another, David, to Michigan, and a daughter Mariah also went to Michigan and were among that State's early settlers.
Others of the family went up into Canada - among them the son, Jacob, from whom we are descended.
