Samuel Demaree Jr. (abt. 1754 - 1826)

Born about 13 Dec 1754 in Dumont, Bergen, New Jersey

Ancestors

Husband of Marya (Brouwer) Demaree — married 15 Jan 1788 in Mercer, Kentucky, United States

Descendants

Died 6 Sep 1826 at about age 71 in Madison, Jefferson, Indiana, United States

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Biography

Samuel Demaree Jr. was an early pioneer in the Indiana Territory.

Samuel Demaree Jr. is the descendant of a Huguenot emigrant.

The Brewer and Cozine families went to Kentucky, until then part of Virginia, about the same time. The will of Cornelius Cozine, dated February 9, probated May 23, 1787, Harrodsburg, leaves his estate to his wife Mary and the children, Daniel, Cornelius, Anna, Sarah. Daniel Brewer, grandfather was appointed by the Court guardian of the children; after his death Samuel Demaree and Samuel Demaree Jr., step father, were named guardians; they made annual reports as to property and income. In 1791 Sarah Cozine, age 15, and one of her brothers were kidnapped by Indians; the boy was killed and she was held captive; after five years, 1796, she escaped and found her way back to her mother’s family. When they, Samuel Demaree and Mary (Brewer) Cozine Demaree, went to Indiana, she went with them, about 1812, having married Jesse Blanton, October 28, 1800, at Shelbyville. Demarees and Blantons settled on Indian Kentucky Creek about 6 miles northeast of the present Madison, Ind. Alarmed by the Pigeon Roost massacre by Indians near Henryville, Ind. they hastened back to Kentucky, but when the Indian troubles subsided they returned to Indiana. Sarah Cozine Blanton, probably a widow, lived in her later years in a home built for her near the home of Samuel Demaree's son, William Underwood Demaree, known to all as Aunt Sally. She was regarded as eccentric for her following some Indian ancestors or habits of her captivity time, would kindle a fire in the Indian way and in the summer live in a tent or wigwam. She was still living in 1855.^[1]

Samuel Demaree married, near Harrodsburg, KY, a widow Cozine whose maiden name was Mary Brewer. Their children were Daniel; Sally, captured by Indians at the age of 10 and held captive for 5 years; a son killed at the time of the capture; Mary/Polly; Susanna.^[2]

There were three generations of the family who settled, at early dates in this century, in Jefferson County, vis: Samuel the father, who came in 1812, and entered a large tract of land,^[3] Daniel, his son, and William U., a grandson. Daniel came from Shelby County, Ky., bringing his son William U., with him, who was but a boy at the time.^[4]

Within a few years after establishing homes on Indian Kentuck Creek, Samuel had acquired most of the land on both sides of the stream for a distance of eight or ten miles and built waterpower saw, grist and paper mills. He made several trips to Kentucky to dispose of his holdings in that state. About 1823 he began deeding his land in quarter section tracts to his several grandchildren. His will was dated June 1, 1826, and probated at Madison, Oct. 6, 1826. The court record states he died about fifteen days previous to the latter date. We have no record showing date or place of birth; also no record of Mary’s birth and death. Samuel’s will bequeathed the remaining 320 acres of the estate to Mary and Daniel; also the mills. ^[5]

Alternative Will Information

His will, dated 21 June 1826, was probated 6 Sept. 1826 in Jefferson Co., IN.

• Fact: Christening (26 December 1754) Bergen, New Jersey, United States

Sources

1. ↑ "The Demarest family : David des Marest of the French patent on the Hackensack and his descendants," Mary A. Demarest and William H. S. Demarest (1938)
2. ↑ Re: Samuel Demaree Jr. of Mercer Co., KY - late 1700s
3. ↑ Biographical and Historical Souvenir for the Counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana. (1889). United States: Chicago printing Company, page 168.
4. ↑ "Jefferson County Biographies Taken from Biographical and Historical Souvenir of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott and Washington," Published by John M. Gresham & Company (1889)
5. ↑ The Demarest Family, Vol. 1. Hackensack, NJ: Demarest Family Association.[1]

• Ancestry.com. The Demarest family [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data:Demarest, Voorhis David,. The Demarest family : a record of the desMarets family in France, the Holy Land in the Crusades, again in France, Holland, the Palatinate (Germany), again in Holland, and the migration to America, 1663 .... Hackensack, N.J.?: unknown, 1985.

• "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5Z6-3RS : 17 May 2018), Samuel Demeree in entry for Cornelius Bice and Mary Demeree, 13 Dec 1794; citing Marriage, Mercer, Kentucky, United States, various county clerks and county courts, Kentucky; FHL microfilm 191,840.

• "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH29-ZGT : accessed 31 March 2020), Samuel Demaree, Shelby, Kentucky, United States; citing p. 212, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 8; FHL microfilm 181,353.

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 18 August 2020, 01:21), entry for Samuel Demaree Jr(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:L6PF-JLP); contributed by various users.