Barnardus Lagrange Tunison (1766 - 1845)

Born 31 Oct 1766 in Raritan, Somerset, New Jersey

Ancestors

Husband of Lydia (Teeple) Tunison — married 24 Jan 1790 in Oldwick, Hunterdon, New Jersey, United States

Husband of Alida (Voorhees) Tunison — married 14 Oct 1830 in Somerville, Somerset, New Jersey, United States

Descendants

Died 14 Feb 1845 at age 78 in Covert, Seneca, New York, United States

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Biography

Barnardus (Bernardus) Lagrange Tunison was born on October 31, 1766 and baptized on December 25th at the Dutch Reformed Church at Raritan, Somerset County, New Jersey. He was a son of Philip Tunison and Deborah La Grange. He was named for his mother's brother, the lawyer and Loyalist, Bernardus La Grange.

On January 24, 1790, he was married to Lydia Teeple at the Zion Lutheran Church at Oldwick, Hunterdon County, New Jersey.

The name of Bernardus Tunison was on tax lists of Bridgewater, Somerset County, New Jersey in 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1796, and 1797, and , then again, in 1802 and 1803.

In 1795, Bernardus and Lydia with their first three sons migrated from Somerset County, New Jersey to Seneca County in the Finger Lakes region of New York. He was a farmer and was, likely, seeking inexpensive and fertile farmland. Several of the Tunison families followed that route, including Bernardus's brothers, John P. Tunison and James Tunison. According to a deed dated 19 Oct. 1797, Bernardus conveyed land in Seneca County, New York to his brother, John "of the town of Bridgewater in the County of Sommerset" which he had purchased from Abraham Covert, who was an early immigrant to the "Lake Country" of New York. John paid 153 pounds for 153 acres, the northwest corner of Military Lot 69. Bernardus acquired a separate part of this Military Lot, purchasing it from John Smack of New York City. In 1805, Bernardus purchased 100 acres of land in Ovid, Seneca County, New York from Cephas Beach for the sum of 850 dollars.

Lydia died in 1826. On 14 October 1830, Bernardus was married by Rev. Van Kleek to a widow, Alida "Letty" Voorhees, in Somerset County, New Jersey.

Bernardus died February 13 or 14, 1845 without having made a will. The following Letter of Administration was drafted in order to settle his estate.

Letter of Administration of the estate of Bernardus Lagrange Tunison -

Seneca County ss: Philip Tunison of the town of Covert in said county being duly sworn says that his father Bernardus L. Tunison, late of said town of Covert in the county of Seneca, died on or about the fourteenth day of February last, a natural death, in the said town of Covert in the county of Seneca where he resided previous to & at the time of his death; that the said deceased died intestate, having no last will or testament to the knowledge or belief of deponent; That he left Alleta Tunison his widow residing in Summerville (Somerville), Somerset County, New Jersey, whose renunciation of her right & claim to letters of Administration upon the estate of the said deceased is now here in court produced. That the said deceased also left children & heirs at law & next of kin whose names & places of residence are as follows, viz the said Philip Tunison, James Tunison, Le Grange Tunison, & Abigail Smally (Smalley) wife of Benjamin Smally residing in the town of Covert aforesaid; Deborah Voorhees wife of Abraham Voorhees residing in the town of Lodi in the county of Seneca, Peter Tunison residing in Chili, Monroe County, John Tunison residing in the town of Big Flats, Chemung County, Cornelius Tunison in the town of Sparta, Livingston County, New York, William Tunison residing in Wing, Lucas County, Ohio, Abraham Tunison in Hadley, Lapeer County, Michigan, & Garret Tunison, Little Fort, Lake County, Illinois - children of the said deceased - and James Brooks, Emily Brooks, George Brooks, Lydia Ann Brooks, David Brooks, Le Grange Brooks,Thadeous Brooks, Mary Brooks, & John Brooks - grandchildren of said deceased, being the sons and daughters of Sarah Brooks deceased & her husband John Brooks - all residing in the town of Ovid in the said county of Seneca. That the said George, Lydia Ann, David, Legrange, Thadeus, Mary, & John Brooks are minors under twenty one years of age.

That the said deceased died leaving personal property not exceeding in value about six hundred & fifty dollars.
Subscribed & sworn to this 3rd May Phillip Tunison
1845 before Mr. John Morgan, Surrogate of Seneca Co.

To John Morgan Surrogate of Seneca Co.
The undersigned son of Bernardus L. Tunison, late of the town of Covert in the county of Seneca, deceased, hereby applies for Letters of Administration of & upon the goods, chattles, & credits of his deceased father; And hereby consents & requests that John Brooks his brother in law of the town of Ovid in said county of Seneca may be joined with him in the taking of such letters & in the administration of the estate of the deceased - Dated Seneca Falls May 3, 1845 Phillip Tunison^[1]

Bernardus' and Lydia's graves can still be found at McNeil Cemetery in Ovid, New York.^[2] In 1977, a descendant, Michael Tunison, copied the poem written on the gravestone. "My Children dear assemble here, A fathers grave to see, Not long a go I dwelt with you, But soon you'l dwell with me."

Children of Bernardus Tunison and Lydia Teeple:

1. Philip B. Tunison, b. 24 November 1790, Somerset County, New Jersey, USA; d. 21 September 1852, Covert, Seneca, New York, USA; m. Magdalena Covert, Abt. 1815; b. 22 January 1797, Ovid, Seneca, New York, USA; d. 16 March 1881, Covert, Seneca, New York, USA.
2. Peter Tunison, b. 28 August 1792, Somerset County, New Jersey, USA; d. 9 July 1851, Chili, Monroe, New York, USA; m. Sarah M. 'Sally' Brooks; b. Abt. 1795, New Jersey, USA; d. 7 October 1864, Chili, Monroe, New York, USA.
3. Abraham Tunison, b. 25 November 1793, Somerset County, New Jersey, USA; d. 19 August 1865, Hadley, Lapeer, Michigan, USA; m. (1) Mary 'Polly' Covert, Abt. 1815, Monroe County, New York, USA; b. 27 April 1792, Ovid, Seneca, New York, USA; d. 7 May 1847, Leslie, Ingham, Michigan, USA; m. (2) Lucinda Goodwin, 29 June 1857, Oakland County, Michigan, USA; b. Abt. 1814.
4. William Tunison, b. 16 December 1796, Seneca County, New York, USA; d. 22 April 1850, Wing, Lucas, Ohio, USA; m. Julia Cole, 26 November 1820, Carmel, Putnam, New York, USA; b. 6 November 1801, Carmel, Putnam, New York, USA; d. 14 August 1877, Weston, Lenawee, Michigan, USA.
5. Cornelius Tunison, b. 22 August 1798, Somerset County, New Jersey, USA; d. 8 January 1871, West Sparta, Livingston, New York, USA; m. Rebecca Runyan, Abt. 1819, Ovid, Seneca, New York, USA; b. 12 October 1798, Amwell, Somerset, New Jersey, USA; d. 26 April 1861, West Sparta, Livingston, New York, USA.
6. John V. Tunison, b. 8 August 1800, Seneca County, New York or New Jersey; d. 4 January 1882, Big Flats, Chemung, New York, USA; m. Maria Hall, 14 September 1820, Seneca County, New York, USA; b. Abt. 1803, New York, USA; d. Bet. 1840 - 1850, New York, USA.
7. James Tunison, b. 7 December 1802, Seneca County, New York, USA; d. 10 February 1859, Ovid, Seneca, New York, USA; m. Eliza Ann; b. 10 July 1808, New Jersey, USA; d. 18 June 1849, Ovid, Seneca, New York, USA.
8. Sarah Tunison, b. 1 April 1804, Seneca County, New York, USA; d. 25 March 1843, Ovid, Seneca, New York, USA; m. John Brooks, Abt. 1820; b. 17 May 1800, New Jersey, USA; d. 9 May 1881, Ovid, Seneca, New York, USA.
9. Deborah Tunison, b. 12 January 1807, Seneca County, New York, USA; d. 13 July 1860, Lodi, Seneca, New York, USA; m. Abraham Voorhees, 10 November 1825, Ovid, Seneca, New York, USA; b. 25 June 1802, Seneca County, New York, USA; d. 21 February 1889, Ovid, Seneca, New York, USA.
10. Garret B. Tunison, b. 9 March 1809, Seneca County, New York, USA; d. 23 January 1890, Papillion, Sarpy, Nebraska, USA; m. Prudence Voorhees, 9 February 1830, Dutch Reformed Church, Ovid, Seneca County, New York; b. 8 April 1808, New York, USA; d. 29 November 1859, Papillion, Sarpy, Nebraska, USA.
11. Abigail Tunison, b. 13 January 1811, Ovid, Seneca, New York, USA; d. 30 January 1868, Lodi, Seneca, New York, USA; m. Benjamin Smalley, 11 November 1835, Farmerville, Seneca, New York, USA; b. 5 November 1813, Seneca County, New York, USA; d. 16 May 1873, Ovid, Seneca, New York, USA.
12. Lagrange B. Tunison, b. 30 July 1816, Seneca County, New York, USA; d. 31 August 1889, Elmira, Chemung, New York, USA; m. Joanna, Abt. 1842; b. 9 April 1816, New York, USA; d. 29 March 1884, Elmira, Chemung, New York, USA.

Research Notes

• In some genealogies and family trees, he has been listed under the name "Bogardus Lagrange Tunison" or "Bogardus Tunison". No deed, tax list or other legal document has been located, as yet, with his name as "Bogardus". He signed his name on an estate inventory and it is clearly spelled as "Bernardus Tunison". Bernardus or Barnardus Lagrange Tunison was named for his mother's brother Bernardus LaGrange, a wealthy lawyer and a loyalist during the American Revolution.

Sources

1. ↑ New York Wills and Probate Records, Seneca Minutes, Orders, Decrees, Vol A1-0004, 1830-1849.
2. ↑ Gravestone, McNeil Gospel Lot Cemetery, Ovid, Seneca, New York. Find-A-Grave Memorial #72895929

• 1810 U.S. Federal Census, Ovid, Seneca, New York; Roll: 36; Page: 253; Image: 153.00.
• 1820 U.S. Federal Census, Ovid, Seneca, New York; Roll: M33_75; Page: 339; Image: 82.
• 1830 U.S. Federal Census, Ovid, Seneca, New York.
• U.S., Dutch Reformed Church Records from Selected States, 1660-1926. (Ancestry.com).