George Washington Suydam (1820 - 1907)

Born 9 Dec 1820 in Franklin Park, New Jersey, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Dilanah (Stoothoff) Suydam — married 27 Aug 1843 in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States

Husband of Jane H. (Wyckoff) Suydam — married about 24 Jun 1863 in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States

Descendants

Died 27 Jun 1907 at age 86 in Prospect Place, Bound Brook, Somerset, New Jersey, United States

Biography

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import. It's a rough draft and still needs to be edited -- but it's drastically improved!

Birth

George Washington Suydam was born to Peter R. Suydam and Catherine Priest on December 9, 1820 in Six-Mile Run, Somerset, New Jersey, United States (now Franklin Park.)

Marriage(s)

27 August, 1843 in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States

Marriage to Dilanah (exact spelling?) Stothoff or Stoothoff

Note: I found an abstract of the marriage record in a bound volume published by The Somerset County Historical Society. Will add more info here later.

24 JUN 1863 OR 25 JUN 1863 in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States

Marriage to Jane H. "Jennie" Wyckoff

Her father, Simon Wyckoff's journal gives the marriage date as 24 June, 1863. Somewhere else, I saw it as either the 24th or 25th.

The red genealogy binder lists the date as the 25th.

Abstract: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FZP8-K8X (Marriage date is the 24th)

and https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FZ5C-DDG

"New Jersey, Marriages, 1678-1985,"

indexing project (batch) number:M59510-4

system origin:New Jersey-VR

source film number:0584581

reference number:2:3V8WQVL

Children (from his first marriage)

John S. Suydam (??)

Catharine Amelia Suydam She is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Franklin Twp., Somerset, NJ. Her gravestone gives her parents' names. She was born abt. 21 August 1848 and died 10 September 1856.

Mary Fannie (Suydam) Wright I'm more certain of this relationship, but could use a little more "proof."

Children (from his second marriage)

This space reserved for future use -- I know all of these relationships, but I have bigger fish to fry right now!

Census Records

1850

Note that I BELIEVE I have found him in the 1850 census, but I'm not 100% correct that I'm right!

Based on what I've discovered about the children from his first marriage, I BELIEVE that this is his family. (I wasn't sure if he was in Somerset County, NJ or Brooklyn, NY at the time of the 1850 census. It's conceivable that he was elsewhere, but these two locations are the most likely.) Also note that his occupation is consistent with the 1870 and 1880 census records.

1850 Census

New York City, County of New York, State of New York

Page/image number: Image 470, Page (Stamped: 235; Handwritten: 469)

Lines: 23-27

Dwelling number: 620

Family number: 1415  (Looks like there are three families in this dwelling.  I assume there are three “apartments” and that the other families are unrelated.) 

Enumeration date: 2 (?) Aug, 1850 

Website: Family Search

URL: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MCBH-S24

Access date: 24 February, 2013

SURNAME IS MIS-INDEXED IN FAMILY SEARCH AS “SNYDAM”

George W. Suydam (indexed in Family Search as George Snydam), 35, Male, White, Cartman, Real estate: (blank), NY (sic)

Mrs (???) Suydam (indexed in Family Search as ___ Snydam), 30 (sic?), Female, White, (Occupation: blank), NY (sic?)

John Suydam (indexed in Family Search as John Snydam), 4, Male, White, (Occupation: blank), NY

Catharin(e?) Suydam (indexed in Family Search as Catharein Snydam), 2, Female, White, (Occupation: blank), NY

Ann??? (indexed in Family Search as Ann ___), 60, Female, White, (Occupation: blank), England

 

1860

South Brunswick, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States^[1]

1870

South Brunswick, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States^[2]

1880

Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States

Unknown SAMUAL Age 2 b. NY (Was this a child that my grandmother did not know of??? It's possible that this was one of her uncles. However, I rather doubt it since she knew about Mary Catharine who also died in infancy.)

Brother, John

Niece, Ellen

(Unknown relationships before viewing census. Still unconfirmed. I'm sure that John and Ellen were related to George Washington Suydam, but I don't believe that the relationships given on the census form are correct. I have no proof, but I suspect that John is a child from his first marriage and that Ellen is his granddaughter. I would LOVE some help with the children from his first marriage!! I'm sure that he had more than two children by his first wife!!)^[3]

1900

Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States

Unknown BEATRICE M Age 12 (niece) b. in 1888...(This is NOT a niece, but George Washington Suydam's GRANDDAUGHTER -- one of George Wyckoff Suydam's children from his first marriage. George Wyckoff Suydam and his first wife seem to have split up right around the time of the 1900 census. The children are split up and Alice is living elsewhere with only one of the children. She's enumerated as "Mrs. Geo. W. Suydam." I'm sure that the separation was a sore subject, so I'm not surprised that the enumerator wasn't given the real story.^[4]

Residence

12 OCT 1858

Franklin Twp., Somerset, New Jersey, United States

Source: Dilanah Suydam's obituary

Occupation

Cartman

1870

In "The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell," Mark Kurlansky writes:

It is noteworthy that even in the 1870s, the cartman, a solitary man with a one-horse open-bed carriage, was still an important component in New York City street commerce. It is clear from an 1812 commercial directory of Manhattan that in the early part of the century, cartmen had been the single most plentiful source of employment in New York City. Anyone who had goods to move hired a cartman. They were a ubiquitous and controversial element of perilous Manhattan traffic, notorious for rushing their carts closely past pedestrians, allegedly singling out attractive women to terrorize. Washington Irving satirically commented, "Saw a cartman run down a small boy on Broadway today. What of it? Served him well. Shouldn't have been there in the first place."

Cartman rates were fixed by law -- the rates of cartage. Oysters were one of the better-paying loads. In 1858, a cartman could charge thirty-one cents for each load of oysters. This was not as good as the seventy-five cents allowed for furniture, but was better than a load of bricks, three bales of cotton, five barrels of beef, twenty bushels of salt, or a load of wheat, each of which was only twenty-five cents."

- Pages 176-77 in the hardcover

Death

June 27, 1907

Near Richmond Boro, New York, United States (Note: I'm pretty confident about the date. It's the location that I question. In the 1905 NJ State Census, he was enumerated with Jennie, Missy and Grandpa Suydam, Grandfair, and Uncle Frank in Bound Brook, Somerset, NJ. I'm very unsure of where he was living in 1907! Was he with Uncle George (George Wyckoff Suydam) in Richmond?? I THINK that's where Uncle George was living then! I know for sure that several decades ago, Ma tried to get a copy of George Washington Suydam's death certificate, but no results were found! This makes me think that SOME part of the information was incorrect!!)

UPDATE! I found an obituary OTHER than the one I'd seen an abstract of (from the New Brunswick newspaper!) Now, I know what the correct location was!!!

(from the ) Brooklyn Daily Eagle (found at fultonhistory.com)

Friday, June 28, 1907

Page 20

SUYDAM – Thursday morning, June 27, 1907, at the home of his son, Robert Suydam, Prospect place, Bound Brook, N. J., GEORGE W. SUYDAM, husband of Jane Wyckoff, in the 87th year of his age.  Funeral services at Presbyterian Church, Bound Brook, at 3 P. M. Saturday, June 29, 1907.  Kindly omit flowers.   

Burial

Bound Brook Cemetery

Bound Brook, Somerset, New Jersey, United States

(Various family visits over the past 30 years, or so. I distinctly remember visiting the cemetery with my late grandmother circa 1992 on one of her rare visits to NJ after moving to Florida circa 1979.)

Information (and Misinformation) in Wyckoff genealogy book

Bibliography: Wyckoff, William Forman. The Wyckoff family in America: a genealogy. Summit, N.J.: Wyckoff Association in America, 1950.

Information about Jane (Wyckoff) Suydam and her siblings is found under her father's entry on page 305. (Her father is the Simon Wyckoff numbered 114.) Jane's entry is on page 342. On page 305, George Washington Suydam's date of death is given INSTEAD of his wife's date of death! (He died in 1907, and she died in 1930.) Robert's middle name is given as Albert instead of Mildred. (Not sure if this was intentional or not. Based on what has filtered down to me through the generations, Grandpa Suydam wasn't particularly happy about having a girl's name as his middle name even though it was a family surname!)

Sources

• Source: S25 1880 U. S. Census, Kings County, New York, population schedule
• Source: S26 1900 U. S. Census, Kings County, New York, population schedule
• Source: S56 1870 U. S. Census, Middlesex County, New Jersey, population schedule
• Source: S57 1860 U. S. Census, Middlesex County, New Jersey, population schedule

1. ↑ Source: #S57

   1860 Census

   South Brunswick Township, Middlesex, New Jersey

   Post Office: Kingston

   Page/image number: Image 28, Page 28

   Lines: 31-34

   Dwelling number: 191

   Family number: 194

   Enumeration date: 3 July, 1860

   Website: Family Search then Heritage Quest

   URL: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MFH5-NN3

   Access date: 10 September, 2012

   Catharine Suydam, 66, Female, White, Retired, Real estate: 1000, Personal estate: 200, NJ

   George W Suydam, 38, Male, White, 60, Occupation (blank), Personal estate: 600, NJ

   John S Suydam, 13, Male, White, NJ, Attended school    (born abt 1847)

    Mary F Suydam, 9, Female, White, NJ, Attended school    (born abt 1851

   – Probably the same Mary in G.W.’s household in 1870, even though one b. in NJ and the other in NY) Also note that the Catharine Suydam in the household is probably George's mother, Catharine (Priest) Suydam.

2. ↑ Source: #S56

   1870 Census

   South Brunswick Township, Middlesex, New Jersey

   Civil division (Ward # or post office): Kingston post office     

   Page/image number: Image 84 (on Family Search); Image 117 (on Ancestry), Page 84

   Lines: 30-34

   Dwelling number: 667

   Family number: 699

   Enumeration date: , 1870 (exact date blank)

   Website: Family Search

   URL: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MNDR-C92

   Access date: 10 September, 2012

   THE FAMILY’S SURNAME IS INDEXED ON FAMILY SEARCH AS “LUYDAM”

   George W Suydam, 49, Male, White, 60, Cartman, Real estate: 2000, Personal estate: 5000, NJ

   Jane Suydam, 31, White, Female, Keeping House, NJ

   Mary Suydam, 19, White, Female, (blank), NY    (born abt 1851)

   George W Suydam, 6,  Male, White, NY  

   James S Suydam, 3,  Male, White, NY    

3. ↑ Source: #S25

   1880 Census

   317 Madison St., Brooklyn, Kings, New York

   Civil division (Ward # or post office): Ward 23

   ED: 236

   Page/image number:  Image 160, Page 371, Sheet 8D AND Image 161, Page 372, Sheet 9A

   Line number: 45-50 AND 1-5

   Dwelling number : 59

   Family number : 82

   Enumeration date: 2 June, 1880  

   Website: Family Search  and then Heritage Quest

   URL:  https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MZD7-GCB

   Access date: 9 June, 2012

   Place of birth of this person, “ “ of Father, “ “ of Mother

   George Suydam, 59, Married, Truckman, NJ, NJ, NJ

   Jennie, 42, Wife, Married, Keeping House, NJ, NJ, NJ

   George, 16, Son, Single, At Home, NY, NJ, NJ

   James, 13, Son, Single, At School, NY, NJ, NJ

   Elsie, 7, Daughter, At School, NY, NJ, NJ

   PAGE BREAK

   Franklin, 4, Son, NY, NJ, NJ (Note: This is Joseph Franklin, Uncle Frank.)

   Samual (sic), 2, Son, NY, NJ, NJ (Note: This child is Simon Wyckoff Suydam.)

   Robert, 3/12, Feb., Son, NY, NJ, NJ (Grandpa Suydam)

   John, 33, Brother, Widowed, (unreadable occupation), NJ, NJ, NJ

   Ellen, 19, Niece, Single, At School, Illinois, NJ, NJ  

4. ↑ Source: #S26

   1900 Census

   (House number 1215?) Beverley Rd., Borough of Brooklyn, New York City, Kings, New York

   Civil division (Ward # or post office): Ward 29

   Election District: 4

   ED: 538

   Page/image number:  Image 26

   Line number: 74-81

   Dwelling number : 207

   Family number : 233

   Enumeration date: 11 June, 1900  

   Website: Family Search  

   URL:  https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MSNP-9M1

   Access date: 10 June, 2012

   Place of birth of this person, “ “ of Father, “ “ of Mother

   Geo W. Suydam, Head, May 1820, 80, Married 38 yrs, NJ, NJ, NJ, Rents a House

   Jennie W., Wife, Oct. 1838, 61, Married 38 yrs, Moth of 5 children – 4 living, NJ, NJ, NJ

   George, Son, May 1864, 36, Single, Book Keeper, NY, NJ, NJ

   I Franklin (sic), Son, Aug. 1875, 24, Single, Book Keeper, NY, NJ, NJ :: S. Wyckoff, Son, Feb. 1878, 22, Book Keeper, Single, NY, NJ, NJ

   Robert, Son, Feb. 1880, Book Keeper, 20, Single, NY, NJ, NJ

   Beatrice M. Suydam, Niece, (Month illegible) 1888, 12, At School, Single, NY, NJ, NJ

   Bridget Harris, Servant, June 1881, 19, Single, Ireland, “”,“” 1899 -Immigrated to US, Had spent 1 yr in US

   Elsie (Suydam) Wyckoff (and her husband, Richard DeMille Wyckoff) is listed in a separate “household” but within the same dwelling  

Miscellaneous

He was raised in the Dutch Reformed Church. My late grandmother associated one phrase with him: "Hell and Damnation." I take this to mean that if he were a minister, he would have been of the "fire and brimstone" persuasion!! I remember my grandmother visiting NJ around Christmas when I was about 15. My sister and I entertained her by singing parody songs to the tune of commonly-known hymns. Grandfair nearly burst her sides laughing (which surprised me), but I vaguely remember her saying that HER grandparents wouldn't have found it so funny!

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Kathryn Smith for creating WikiTree profile Suydam-63 through the import of Wikitree Jan 2013 GEDCOM.ged on Jan 25, 2013.