I put this query on the Bergen County and Dutch Colonies lines and Wendy Freborg on the Bergen County line included her research on this line which included the 1850, 1860, and 1870 census records. Thank you Wendy. I am combining Wendy's information with mine and information found in the Demarest Genealogy 7-1027 to make the following timeline. Recap. On 9 Nov 1837, John T Demarest married (1) Anna Louisa Sullivan. In the 1850 census, John and Anna had three children. In 1856, "Demarest came home to find his wife and nine children brutally murdered." Who are the other children? Hard to believe they had six children in the next six years. Why is there no record of their birth and baptism in his church. Surely the minister would have his children baptized in his own church. IF the ministers wife and nine children were murdered, why is there no record of there death. There is NO stone. Nothing to mark their graves. To say "They must have wrapped them in sheets and put them in the first row of the plot. It's plot 18" and "You can see the ground is uneven there" proves nothing. Their deaths are not in the Pascack Church records. Such a horrific murder would be mentioned in the local papers and there is no mention of these deaths. I have not found any documentation to prove any part of this story. If anyone can prove any part of this story, please put it on line. ------------------------------- 20 Feb 1813. Birth of John T Demarest [aged 37 on 1850 census] died 30 June 1897 Undocumented info from Demarest Genealogy. About 1814, Birth of first wife Anna Louisa Sullavan [aged 36 in 1850] 30 Nov 1829. Birth of second wife Jane Elizabeth Polhemus, died 19 Nov 1897 Jane Elizabeth Polhemus, Nyack d/o Dr John (M.D) and Elizabeth Earle Outwater. 9 Nov 1837. First marriage of John T Demarest to Anna Louisa Sullivan. Married at New Brunswick. 31 August 1838. Birth of daughter Anna Louisa. d. 17 May 1856 NJ; Pine Bush, NY; Called Allen L (12) in 1850 census. 18 June 1841. Birth of daughter Euphemia b. 18 June 1841, bp 6 Aug 1841, New Prospect (Pine Bush) New York; 17 July 1847. Birth of son John Oscar. bp 18 Sept 1847 New Prospect, NY died 14 June 1867, buried Pascack, with mother. Errors in Dem Gen 7-1027. John is enumerated on the 1850 census but not on the 1860 census. There is no record "buried Pascack with mother" Need reference. On the 1850 Census, John T. Demarest, age 37, had a wife, Sullavan, age 36, and three children: Allen L (12), Emphema (9) and John C. (3). Bet 1850-1857 Death of first wife of John T Demarest. 9 June 1857. Second marriage of Rev. John T. Demarest to Elizabeth Polhemus. "Rev. John T Demarest, D.D. to Jane Elizabeth Polhemus" Married: 9 June 1857 Clarkstown Reformed Church. On the 1860 Census, Rev. John is 47, his wife Jane E. is 40. Euphemia is 17 and John O. is 12. 20 Nov 1861. Euphemia Demarest married John Ackerman. "John Ackerman of Pollify and Euphemia Demarest of Saddle River" Married: 20 Nov 1861 English Neighborhood Church by Rev John Y DeBaun Bergen County Marriages by Westervelt [p.21] [Ackerman Gen 7.51] 18 April 1668. Death of Euphemia Demarest Ackerman. She died 18 April 1868 at the age of 26. On the 1870 Census, John is 57, Jennie is 50 and Effie is 7. Who is Effie? Mother is aged 43. Thanks again Wendy, the census records were very helpful. Ethel Kay Konight ============================= On May 12, 2008, at 3:02 PM, ETHELKK@aol.com wrote: > Many moons ago, I went on a tour of the Pascack Reformed Church and > Cemetery, located at 65 Pascack Road, Park Ridge, Bergen County, > NJ. and> during a> tour of the cemetery, the guide told a story about the Rev. > Demarest> coming> home in 1856 and finding his wife and nine children murdered. I > forgot> about > this story until last week when this story is repeated in a local > paper> The> Pascack Valley Community Life on 7 May 2008 with quotes by Carl > Weil, the> church historian. "In 1854, Dr. John T. Demarest became the first > full-time> minister of the Pascack Reformed Church, Weil says, barely > audible. And in> 1856, Demarest came home to find his wife and nine children brutally> murdered." > > In a separate article by Carl Weil he writes "In 1857, John Demarest> received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Rutgers College > and> remained at> Pascack until 1867. He died in New Brunswick, NJ on January 30, > 1897 and> was> buried at New Prospect, NY." _http://www.pascackreformedchurch.org/history/_> > (http://www.pascackreformedchurch.org/history/) > > I checked the Demarest Genealogy and could not find this story > mentioned.> I> phoned Carl Weil, the church historian and he could not answer any > of my> questions. He did not know the name of the Reverends wife or the > names of> the> murdered children. I mentioned that ten people murdered must have > been > mentioned in the local newspapers. He said someone checked and > did not> find the> story in the newspaper. > > Is this a true story? What is the name of his wife? Is there any> documentation for any> part of this story? Is Dr. John T Demarest listed in the Demarest> Genealogy?> If he died on 30 Jan 1897 and buried at New Prospect, NY, is > there a> record of his death? > > Regards, > Ethel Kay Konight **************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family favorites at AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001)