The five nations of New York as of the 1650s.
As of 1715 the Tuskarora from North Carolina joined these nations
B
The Six Nations. Because most of these Natives sided with the English, after the Revolution they fled to Canadian areas. Treaties were also signed to allow the American settlers to come and claim the land.
Livingston County was formed out of the larger Ontario County, New York.
Betsy (Elizabeth McNeal Clark) McElhany (1768-1849) and her husband, William McElhany (1766-1815) moved between the birth of their daughter, Jane McElhany in 1794 to Ontario County, NY by the 1810 census. Their first son Matthew William McElhany who was a year older than Jane had also been born back in Dauphin County, PA. They had their next son, Robert Clark McElhany in 1811.
Ontario county ...
Land-hungry settlers from New England swept into upstate and western New York after the Revolution, as nearly five million acres of new lands were available for purchase since the Iroquois were forced to cede most of their territories to the United States. Four tribes had allied with the British and were mostly resettled in Canada: the Mohawk, Onondaga, Seneca and Cayuga.
Transfer of what is now Ontario County to New York formally took effect in 1789, when native title was extinguished and the county was formally established to govern the lands of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase the year prior. The territory first organized as Ontario County was much larger than at present and ran south from the shore of Lake Ontario. As the area was settled, new counties were organized. SOURCE: Wikipedia
The town [of Geneseo] was established in 1789, before the formation of Livingston County [in which it is now situated]. The settlement of Geneseo by the colonists began shortly after the arrival of James and William Wadsworth in 1790. The brothers came to the Genesee Valley from Connecticut as agents of their uncle, Colonel Jeremiah Wadsworth, to care for and sell the land he had purchased. (Wikipedia)
Betsy is on the censuses in Geneseo, Livingston County, NY for 1800, 1810, 1820 and 1830. In 1818 Betsy's parents (the McNeals) both died in Geneseo, NY, so they had also moved from Pennsylvania.
The town was established in 1789, before the formation of Livingston County. The settlement of Geneseo by the colonists began shortly after the arrival of James and William Wadsworth in 1790.A year after their third (and last) son was born, the War of 1812 broke out, again against the British. William McElhany was in "The Pennsylvania -- 22nd Regiment Infantry" (HERE) and he died in 1815 and is buried in Williamsville, NY in a veterans cemetery.
Their oldest son, Matthew (1793-1845) was of age 22 by that time, and he took over the head-of-household for his mother and little brother, and sometimes his sister, Jane.
My cousin, Cheryl Richardson (3rd, 1 time removed) says this about him:
"Matthew was obviously the caregiver of the family. He never married. He had his mother, Elizabeth and brother Robert living with him on 1820 census; his mother Elizabeth with him on 1830 census; his mother, and his sister Jane’s children, Charles, Lucinda and Daniel Booth lived with him on the 1840 census. Upon his death, in 1845, he willed a portion of his property to Isaac and Jane Booth’s children and his brother Robert and his mother, Elizabeth. He named his brother Robert as the administrator of his estate."The McElhanys were in the midst of a geographical area with a spiritual movement known as The Second Great Awakening.
This frontier area was part of the evangelistic activities during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century, when Baptist, Methodist and Congregational preachers traveled and organized revivals and camp meetings. In addition, independent sects developed in central and western New York during this period, including the Church of Latter Day Saints and the Shakers. (Wikepedia)By the 1840 census Betsy had moved with her son Matthew to Ohio, Sandusky County, and had other relatives around her.
I found an interesting (but long) video about Livingston County, NY, which is where Geneseo is located. Beautiful scenery, and historical information.
Elizabeth (Betsy) McNeal Clark McElhany was my 5 times great grandmother.
Sharing this week with Generations Cafe' on Facebook and Sepia Saturday.
.jpg)
Lots going on during those times.
ReplyDeleteI keep learning new things about old times. It weaves together history and my own life into a comfy shawl.
DeleteI'm fascinated by the history of early American native people, especially the ones who encountered the first English colonists. The Tuskarora tribe's connection to North Carolina and New York is interesting because I have a set of postcards of a professional brass band from the Onandaga reservation in NY which included musicians from the Seneca and Tuskarora tribes too. They performed around central New York in 1908 and even made a concert tour to Germany in 1910.
ReplyDeleteI guess they set up some reservation land rather than taking over all the Natives' property. I believe some other tribes also were known in that area.
DeleteExcellent research here about what was happening and what your ancestors were having to deal with.
ReplyDeleteIt does open my eyes beyond the really silly westerns on TV and in movies.
DeleteLike Mike, I was also interested to read about the Native residents of New York when your ancestors went to live there. I, too, had ancestors who lived in Western New York, though later in the 1890s -- and some of the Seneca Nation still live in the area. In fact, in the town of Salamanca, homeowners lease their property from the Senecas, who were able to retain their original claim on the land.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear that there is still Seneca land ownership. I believe Robin Wall Kimmerer, author, has Potowatami roots in that area also. I don't remember if they have a "reservation" though. Just the term gives me chills.
Delete