Adam Stover, from Dutchess to Norwich by an Adam Stover in 1889 and 1898

Members of the Stover family who have interested themselves in tracing up the genealogy find that one branch of the family os traced to northern New York and another to Pennsylvania. From these two points the descendants of two German brothers have found their way to almost every state in the Union, and to various points in Canada. Jacob Stauffer, the ancestor of the Stovers of Norwich, came with his brother from Germans to the West India Islands, where for three months he was employed as a slave driver. Disliking this occupation the brothers came north and Jacob settled in Duchess Co. N.Y., while his brother went to Pennsylvania. Correspondence at this time being almost an impossibility, the brothers heard nothing from each other after they separated but descendants of the Pennsylvania Stovers have written from Denver Col. and from California, to the Stovers in Norwich, asking information concerning family history,

The German name Stauffer became Stover in America, and while the headstone at Jacob Stauffer's grave bears the German name his son Adam's is inscribed Stover. Jacob Stauffer who died in Duchess Co. N.Y. was of the Lutheran faith, and was buried beside the Lutheran minister, an instance that would seem to indicate that he was held in esteem among the people of his church. It was his son Adam Stover who purchased for four of his seven children four thousand acres of Canadian land in Ontario, then known as Upper Canada. Peter Lossing and Peter DeLong who acted as land agents for the settlers who came to Norwich in 1810, purchased from Wm. Willcocks of York (now Toronto) in the County of York in the Home District of the Province of Upper Canada, on the 7th of July 1810, 20,000 acres of land in the "Township of Norwich, County of Oxford, district of London". May 8th 1912, 4,000 acres of this land was deeded to Adam Stover and four of his children who came with him to Canada in 1811. This land was purchased for $2,000 and to the 3 sons, William, Peter, and John who remained in New York State, Adam Stover gave $500 each as an equivalent, for he was "exceedingly particular to make an equal distribution of property among his children.

Adam Stover had, in all, seven children, six sons and one daughter. Those who came with him to Canada were Michael, Frederick, Adam and Mary. Frederick and Adam chose their farms on the 3rd concession on what is now known as Quaker Street, Michael chose his where the town of Norwich now stands. Mary's land was on the 1st concession, one mile west of Burgessville. Her husband's name was Peter McLees.

All of the above copied from Adam Stover's account 1889.

Adam Stover Sr., who settled three of his sons and one daughter in Norwich in 1811, must have been quite advanced in years at the time as the family in all, who came to Canada, numbered twenty nine. His wife, whose name before their marriage was Mary Cunt, died ih Duchess County. Adam Stover Sr. was remembered by his grandchildren as a man of geneai personality. And the fact that he left the well improved Dutchess County N.y. while in comfortable circumstances to face the privations of pioneer life in a wild forest to make homes for his children shows him to have been a man of unselfish character. He lived to see the reward of his labours in the comfortable homes of his children, When he reached the end of his earthly journey, the body of this heroic self-sacrificing pioneer was laid to rest in what is now known as Pioneer Cemetery on Quaker Street, North Norwich.

The foregoing is copied from an account prepared by Adam Stover and his daughter Elizabeth, and read before the family reunion 1898.

- - - - - - - - - Notes by Joan Moore, February 2020

I found these accounts among family papers. The copy I have dates to the 1930's when Daniel Bedell Cohoe was working with his granddaughter Eleanor Cohoe on Stover family history. (Daniel's wife was Miranda Stover)

The Adam Stover who wrote these accounts is not on wikitree. As best as I can determine he is the Adam Stover b 13 Nov 1829, died 12 March 1900. He appears in:

• 1871 census for Norwich, Ontario: Norwich age 42 with Charity Stover (38), Franklin E Stover(12), Sarah E Stover (8), John W Stover (7), and Theodore Stover (6). Religion: Friend
  
• 1891 census for Norwich, Ontario, married</br>
• Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937: Died in North Norwich, Oxford, Ontario, Canada.
  
• Find A Grave Index: buried in Otterville, Oxford, Ontario, Canada.

He does not appear in the descendents of Frederick, who migrated with his father Adam.
He is probably a descendent of Michael or Adam, who also migrated with their father Adam.

- - - - - - - -Note by Joan Moore, November, 2021

Many thanks to the sender of the message I recently received giving me Adam's ancestry: son of John (1800-1858) & Emma Webster (1803-1892). John was the son of Adam (1772-1847) & Ezilpha Moon (1773-1829) who were both born in NY. Adam was the son of Johann Adam (1742-1824) & Mary Woolweaver (1742-1808). Adam is now connected on wikihtree.