This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: DoryAnn Surnames: Cronk, Harrison, Sill, Coleman Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.cronk/526/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hi, I'm wondering if people are still trying to pin down a John Cronk from Westchester and if anybody else has any connection to this John Cronk. My gg-grandmother was Rebecca (maybe Cronk) from NY who married Charles F. Harrison (son of Jemima Sill and Charles Harrison) from Old Lyme, CT, in about 1836 in NY. My brick wall is her maiden name. I found a loose Cronk reference that connects to the Harrisons and it's the only connection I can find. This is the John Cronk who is floating around Westchester and Columbia Counties that I've seen reference to on this message board. Rebecca (perhaps Cronk) and Charles F. Harrison had three sons: John Sill (my ancestor) born 1839, Charles born 1837, and Oscar born 1843. Charles, born 1837, had three children: Charles, Minnie and Oscar. This makes Minnie my 1st cousin twice removed. Minnie married Henry Coleman and Minnie shows up in Volume II of FACTORS IN COLUMBIA COUNTY [NEW YORK] HISTORY published by the Hudson Gazetter in! 1900 as follows although there are some inconsistencies, especially where it says that John Cronk died in 1889 which would make him well over 100 years old at the time: Pages 297 & 298: (The Charles Harrison mentioned as one of the two male descendants of John Cronk is my g-grandfather's brother who was already dead by the time this article was written.) "COLEMAN, Minnie H.--John Cronk, after the Revolution, came from Westchester county, where he was born, and located in the vicinity of Copake in the year 1785. After working around for the settlers, he married Sarah Chrystler and took up some land on a life lease from the Livingston Patent in Taghkanic, near what is now called the New Forge, to distinguish it from the old forge at Ancram. He cleared the land and built his house, the forge being then quite a settlement, having a grist, saw and carding mills and forge. Mr. Cronk lived here some fifty-three years and was a prosperous farmer. He had a family of twelve children, all, with the exception of three, settling in Yates county. Two sons remained in Taghkanic, Samuel being a storekeeper at the forge and Jeremiah remaining on the farm. Farm land was then very fertile, and the only drawback was the distance to market, New York city, or Hartford, Conn., being the nearest to them. Mr. Cronk made many trips each fall t! o Hartford with pork and other farm products, occupying several weeks on each trip. The land seemed to be well adapted to rye, and the flour made at the forge had a wide reputation. Later in the season, when sleighing was good, New York was the market. In 1840, Mr. Cronk moved to Penn Yan with his children and died there in 1889. [NOTE: This MUST be 1839, not 1889] Jeremiah, the youngest son, still occupies the farm, and, on the sale of the Livingston patent, purchased the farm. During the anti-rent troubles he remained neutral, though his lands were often occupied by the non-rent-paying neighbors. He managed to pay his rent as usual, which was $50 a year, five bushels of rye and one pig. The forge settlement is now in a decayed condition; the manor house is destroyed and the fine water power not in use; having no railroad facilities, the place is asleep. Charles Harrison, grandson of John Cronk, and Martin L. Cronk are the only male descendants of the family. Charl! es has one son, Charles, Jr., and one daughter, Minnie, wife of Dr. He nry H. Coleman, of Mount Vernon, N. Y." CAN ANYONE ELSE MAKE A CONNECTION HERE? Or have any thoughts? Thanks, Dory Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.