Rachel (Decker) Babcock (abt. 1769 - abt. 1830)

Born about 1769 in British Colonial America [uncertain]

Wife of Benjamin Babcock U.E. — married 1789 in Kingston, Ontario [uncertain]

Descendants

Died about 1830 at about age 61 in Ernestown, Addington, Upper Canada [uncertain]

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Biography

Rachel Decker was born about 1769 in British Colonial America. (See the Research Notes below for comments on her date and place of birth.)

Rachel Decker married Benjamin Babcock about 1789 in the community now known as Kingston, Frontenac Co., Ontario.

Rachel (Decker) Babcock and Benjamin Babcock U.E. (1754-1829) lived in the area that became Kingston Twp, later in Ernestown Twp., and perhaps finally in Loughborough Twp.^[1] By 1784-5 Benjamin Babcock had arrived in Kingston as a single man, a settler from the state of New York^[2].

By 1804 Rachel (Decker) Babcock and Benjamin Babcock U.E. had the first seven children mentioned below. ^[3] Benjamin had a brother named David Babcock UE (1752-1818) who, on 25 Jan 1804, attested to Benjamin's children (note: name of the first child listed in this source as "Richard" is incorrect; it should be "Rachel").^[4]

Rachel (Decker) Babcock and Benjamin Babcock U.E. (1754-1829) had the following children:^[1][3]

1. Rachel, b. ~1790, Order-in-Council Nov. 23, 1816, m. James Powley
2. David, b. ~1792, petitioned January 22, 1839
3. Peter, b. ~1794, petitioned April 24, 1816
4. Sarah, b. ~1797, petitioned April, 27,1820, m. Isaac Smith
5. Jacob, b. ~1799, petitioned August 30, 1829 and July 10, 1833
6. John, b. ~1801, petitioned January 30, 1834
7. Elizabeth, b. ~1803, described as lunatic in John’s petition on her behalf, Oct. 11, 1836
8. Benjamin of Ernestown, petitioned July 10, 1833
9. Pamina, petitioned April 27, 1831, m. Cornelius Hogaboom
10. James of Ernestown, b. ~1809, petitioned April 27, 1831, m. Hannah Loveless
11. Catharine, of Elizabethtown, petitioned November 17, 1837, m. William Kelly

Benjamin Babcock's entry in the UELAC list^[5] confirms his wife's name was Rachel and the children they had as at 25 Jan 1804, wereas follows:

"Rachel aged 14--David 12--Peter 10--Sarah 7--Jacob 5--John 3--Elizabeth 1--25th January 1804"

Research Notes

Two Rachel Deckers

The husband of Rachel (Decker) Babcock (abt.1769-abt.1830) was Benjamin Babcock U.E. (1754-1829). Benjamin Babcock U.E. (1754-1829) and his brother David Babcock U.E. (1752-1818) had probably come from Haverstraw Twp., Orange Co., New York^[6], so it is possible that Rachel (Decker) Babcock came from the same area.

A Rachel Decker, daughter of John Decker and Anna, was born 3 Jul 1769 at Pownalborough, Maine.^[7] Some believe this to be the same Rachel Decker who married Benjamin Babcock. However, a Rachel Decker of Pownalborough, Maine married James Carr in 1786.^[8] James Carr (1763-~1803) died at sea when he was about 40 years old, so that birth record is not for the Rachel Decker of this profile.^[9]

The Birth Date in this profile for Rachel (Decker) Babcock had been recorded as 3 July 1869, however, the accompanying notes (above) make it clear that the source for that date is believed to apply to a different Rachel Decker. Therefore the Birth Date in this profile has since been changed to 1769 (Uncertain) to avoid perpetuating any confusion caused by the implied confidence associated with a specific date. A date of birth of 1769 would be plausible, as her first child was born in 1790.^[3]

The Birth Place of this Rachel Decker had been recorded as at Ernestown, Lennox and Addington, Upper Canada, however, the Province of Upper Canada had not been created until 1791 and Ernestown had not yet been organized. Also, given that the American Revolutionary War had not yet started in 1769, there was almost no migration from the New England colonies to Québec (as this British Colony was then called) in time for Rachel Decker' birth in (approximately) 1769. Therefore, is highly unlikely that her birthplace was north of the St. Lawrence River, but was in New England or New York, within British Colonial America.

Historical Names of Kingston, Ontario, Canada

The name of the area that is now occupied by the City of Kingston, Ontario has evolved over the centuries.^[10]

• The locale was originally called "Cataraqui" (pronounced "kat-a-RAK-wee"), probably derived from the Iroquois words for "hiding place."
• In 1673, the French established "Fort Cataraqui" here, within the Province of Québec.
• The fort was later called "Fort Frontenac."
• The French ceded control of the Colony of Québec to the British in 1763, under the terms of the Treaty of Paris after the Seven Years' War (or French and Indian Wars).
• The British began to settle here in great numbers after the American Revolutionary War, starting in 1783 and referred to the area as "Cataraqui."
• The British laid out Cataraqui Township in 1784.^[11]
• The town was known as "King's Town" by 1787
• in 1788 the town's name had been shortened to "Kingston" and the larger district was established as "Mecklenburg District," still within the Province of Québec .
• The "Province of Upper Canada" was established in 1791, incorporating the Mecklenburg District (as well as the Lunenburgh District, Nassau District, and Hesse District).^[11]
• In 1792, Mecklenburg District was renamed to "Midland District" and the electoral county of "Frontenac" (along with the counties of Addington, Hastings, Lennox, Ontario, and Prince Edward) was established. (At the same time the other districts were renamed: Lunenburgh District became "Eastern District," Nassau District became "Home District," and Hesse District became "Western District.")^[12]
• In 1841, the Province of Upper Canada was renamed to "Canada West" (and Lower Canada was renamed to "Canada East.")
• In 1850, Midland District was abolished and the "United Counties of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington" were created.^[12]
• In 1867, the provinces joined to form "The Dominion of Canada" with Canada West renamed to "Ontario" (and Canada East renamed to "Quebec"). This event was known as "Confederation."

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Ontario GenWeb - Sorting out the Benjamin Babcocks. http://www.ikweb.com/murduck/genealogy/resources/lennox-addington/articles/babcock.htm  : accessed 21 Mar 2018.
2. ↑ L.B.K. (Land Board of Kingston), 1792—200 (acres?)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} United Empire Loyalists Centennial Committee (Toronto, Ont.). The centennial of the settlement of Upper Canada by the United Empire Loyalists, 1784-1884; the celebrations at Adolphustown, Toronto and Niagara, with an appendix, containing a copy of the U.E. List, preserved in the Crown Lands Department at Toronto. Rose Publishing Co. Toronto. 1885, pg. 133. https://archive.org/details/centennialofsett00unituoft/page/132 pg. 133
4. ↑ The centennial of the settlement of Upper Canada by the United Empire Loyalists, 1784-1884., pg. 334. https://archive.org/details/centennialofsett00unituoft/page/334
5. ↑ United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada, Loyalist Directory. Entry for Benjamin Babcock, Kingston. Accessed on 23 Jan 2023 from https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=284
6. ↑ WikiTree contributors, "Benjamin Babcock U.E. (1754-1829)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Babcock-1087 : accessed 23 January 2023).
7. ↑ Familysearch.org https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-9974-Y9LB?i=2008&cc=1803978 Rachel Decker, birth
8. ↑ Familysearch.org https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L979-5BM3?i=830&cc=1803978 James Carr and Rachel Decker
9. ↑ Carr, Edson I. (Edson Irving), b. 1831. The Carr family records. Embacing [sic] the record of the first families who settled in America and their descendants, with many branches who came to this country at a later date. Herald printing house. Rockton, Ill. 1894. https://archive.org/details/carrfamilyrecord00carr/page/70 "James Carr married Miss Decker"
10. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Kingston, Ontario," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kingston,_Ontario&oldid=1134767843 (accessed January 23, 2023).
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Wikipedia contributors, "Upper Canada," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Upper_Canada&oldid=1129847585 (accessed January 23, 2023).
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Wikipedia contributors, "Midland District, Upper Canada," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Midland_District,_Upper_Canada&oldid=1060098477 (accessed January 23, 2023).