I agree with Wendy and Ethel, there seems to be no evidence that Rev. John Terhune Demarest had 9 children - His first wife did die 17 May 1856 and is bur. at Pascack but her three known children survived her, and all three are bur. in Pascack. According to the Demarest Genealogy #7-1027 (1625): John Terhune Demarest son of Samuel S. Demarest and Annatie Terheune was b. 20 Feb 1813 and bap. at S. Schraalenburgh RD Church (Bergenfield) 14 Mar 1813. He d. 30 June 1897 at New Brunswick NJ. He married 1) 9 Nov 1837 New Brunswick, Anna Louisa Sullivan b. 16 Mar 1816 and d. 17 May 1856; bur. Pascack RD Churchyard. He married second, 9 Jun 1857 at Clarkstown, NY Jane elizabeth Polhemus, b. 30 Nov 1829 and d. 19 Nov 1897 in Nyack, NY dau. of Dr. John Polhemus, M.D. and Elizabeth Earle Outwater, bur. Pine Bush, NY. He was a Dutch Reformed minister who served in Pine Bush NY, Minisink NY, Pascack NJ, principal of Harrisburgh Academey 1852 -54; D.D. [Doctor of Divinity] conferred om 1857 by Rutgers Col. Children of John Terhune Demarest and Anna Louise Sullivan 8-1604 Anna Louisa - b. Aug 1838 Pine Bush, NY; d. 8 Nov 1874 bur. Pascack. 8-1605 Euphemia W. - b. 18 June bap. 8 Aug 1841 New Prospect (Pine bush) NY. d. 5 May 1863, bur. Pascack; m. Rev. James Demarest (Demarest # 7-51) 8-1606 John Oscar - b. 17 Jul bap. 18 Sep 1847 New Prospect (Pine Bush) NY; d. 14 June 1867 bur. Pascack, with mother. Children of John Terhune Demarest and Jane E. Polhemus (not listed in Demarest Genealogy): Effie - b. abt. 1863 (7 in 1870) [likely after 5 May 1863 if named for sister Euphemia]; not found in 1880 census with family possibly married? 1850 Census taken 12 Sep 1850 (as of 1 June 1850) Montague Twp., Sussex co., NJ dwelling 699 family 717: Rev. John T. Demarest, age 37, Dutch R. Clergy had a wife, Sullavan Demarest, age 36, (both born NJ) and three children: Allen L (sic)[should b Anna Loisa] female age 12, Euphema 9,(both attended school) and John O. 3 (all b. NY). 1860 Census taken 16 Jul 1860 (as of 1 June 1860) Twp. of Washington, Bergen Co., NJ Hohokus post office, page No. 49 and 50, p.709 (penned) dwelling 355 family 409: Rev. John T. Demarest 47. clergyman D.R. (b. NJ) not real estate, but $300 in personal estate, Jane E. 40 wife (b. NY), Euphemia 17 young lady (b. NJ) (idiotic) Danl Matania 30, laborer b. NJ, John O. Demarest 12 (b. NY) and Hester Demarest 19, (black) servant, (b. NJ) 1870 Census taken 16 Aug 1870 as of 1 June 1870 Town of Crawford, Orange Co., NY, Walden post office p.325 (stamped), family and dwelling #15: John Demarest 57 clergyman, Jennie 50 keeps house, Effie 7, at school. Hester Bennett 18, (black) domestic (could not read or write) Ditto marks under b. NY for all. 1880 Census taken 4 June 1880, (as of 1 June 1880) Shawangunk, Ulster co., NY, p.4D, e.d.157, dwelling #32 family #38 John T. Demarest 67 (b. NJ; parents b. NJ) ministry, Jane E. 60 (b. NY; parents b. NY) wife, Hester Bennet 46 (b. NJ parents b. NJ) (black) servant. Ree Maria (Ree) Hopper, CG *CG, Certified Genealogist is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certified genealogists after periodic evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. Visit www.bcgcertification.org. for more information. The Hopper Family Genealogy; Descendants of Andries Willemszen Hoppe(n) of New Amsterdam 1651-1658; First Six Generations Visit www.reetree.com for more information. From: Wendy Freborg <wfreborg@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [NJBERGEN] John T Demarest, wife and nine children murdered? Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 23:10:49 -0700 References: <c27.37691c05.355a186a@aol.com> In-Reply-To: <c27.37691c05.355a186a@aol.com> I did some research on this and discovered the following: 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). Rev. John T. Demarest married Jane Elizabeth Polhemus on June 9, 1857. On the 1860 Census, Rev. John is 47, his wife Jane E. is 40. Euphemia is 17 and John O. is 12. In 1870, John is 57, Jennie is 50 and Effie is 7. In between the 1860 and 1870 censuses, Euphemia Demarest married John Ackerman. She died 18 April 1868 at the age of 26. In summary: 1. The reverend's first wife died between 1850 and 1857. 2. His eldest child (Allen) is no longer living with the family by 1860. 3. Other children may have been born between 1850 and 1860 but deceased before the 1870 census. (But I do not believe the family could have produced 8 children during that time). 4. Effie, age 7 in 1870, is named in memory of her deceased sister. The earliest reference to the murder story (that I could find) appeared in A History of the Classis of Paramus of the Reformed Church in America, pub 1902, pp. 353-354, published 1902. Wendy 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 > Maria (Ree) Hopper, CG *CG, Certified Genealogist is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certified genealogists after periodic evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. Visit www.bcgcertification.org. for more information. The Hopper Family Genealogy; Descendants of Andries Willemszen Hoppe(n) of New Amsterdam 1651-1658; First Six Generations Visit www.reetree.com for more information.

I wasn't going to ring in on this one until we had a little more information, but there are a few things that are known at this point which are of interest. Certain it is that the Rev. Demarest only had three children that ever appeared in the census records or church baptismal records. There is absolutely no record of Anna Louise Sullivan Demarest's death or any child's death in the extant Pascack Church records, nor any burial record for any of the family, nor any stone in the graveyard. I seriously doubt that the term "Idiotic" in the 1860 census refers to Euphemia, whose occupation is being a "young lady". It seems possible that there was some mention made in the conversation with the census taker of first daughter Anna Louise, who unfortunately is listed in the 1860 and the 1870 census records as an inmate of the NJ State Asylum in Ewing, labelled "insane". Although the Demarest genealogy says she is buried in Pascack, it also says that she died in 1874. It seems unlikely that she would be buried in Pascack since the family left the Pascack area in 1867 when he gave up the pastorate. Second daughter Euphemia married a Rev. James Demarest, the first pastor at the 2nd Reformed Church in Hackensack. Little Effie, the 7 year old in the 1870 census was Rev. James and Euphemia's child - she never married. Rev. James D's wife Euphemia died in 1863, when the little one was 6 months old, and she was apparently raised by her grandparents, Rev. John T. and his second wife Jane, even though Rev. James eventually married twice more after Euphemia's death. However the second time wasn't until 1872, by which time the grandparents and little Effie undoubtedly had a tight bond. The Demarest genealogy says that the Rev. John's granddaughter Euphemia died single in Middletown in 1920, and I wonder where she was in 1880. It seems highly unlikely that there was any reason for Euphemia to be labelled "Idiotic" (the census does say that!) since she went on to marry a well-educated clergyman, but unfortunately died at age 22. Son John Oscar died of TB in 1867, the last year the family was at Pascack - there is a NYTimes obit for him. A search for newspaper references hasn't so far turned up anything. I have requested a death record for Rev. John T's wife Anna Louisa. I wonder whether anything would be learned from a death record for daughter Anna. The earliest reference to Rev. John T. Demarest is a biography in the History of the Classis of Paramus - this can be read online through Google Books. It was published in 1902, five years after the death of Rev. John. It says: "The parsonage was built without delay. In this home Dr., Demarest was called upon to suffer the greatest sorrows of his life. The remains of his wife and children lie buried in our (Pascack) cemetery." Regina Haring Nanuet, NY http://www.dutchdoorgenealogy.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Maria Hopper" <reetree@optonline.net> To: <NJBERGEN-L@rootsweb.com> Cc: "Ethel Konight-SC" <EthelKK@aol.com> Sent: Monday, May 26, 2008 9:01 PM Subject: [NJBERGEN] John T Demarest, wife and nine children murdered? >I agree with Wendy and Ethel, there seems to be no evidence that Rev. > John Terhune Demarest had 9 children - His first wife did die 17 May > 1856 and is bur. at Pascack but her three known children survived her, > and all three are bur. in Pascack. > > According to the Demarest Genealogy #7-1027 (1625): > John Terhune Demarest son of Samuel S. Demarest and Annatie Terheune > was b. 20 Feb 1813 and bap. at S. Schraalenburgh RD Church > (Bergenfield) 14 Mar 1813. He d. 30 June 1897 at New Brunswick NJ. He > married 1) 9 Nov 1837 New Brunswick, Anna Louisa Sullivan b. 16 Mar > 1816 and d. 17 May 1856; bur. Pascack RD Churchyard. He married second, > 9 Jun 1857 at Clarkstown, NY Jane elizabeth Polhemus, b. 30 Nov 1829 > and d. 19 Nov 1897 in Nyack, NY dau. of Dr. John Polhemus, M.D. and > Elizabeth Earle Outwater, bur. Pine Bush, NY. He was a Dutch Reformed > minister who served in Pine Bush NY, Minisink NY, Pascack NJ, principal > of Harrisburgh Academey 1852 -54; D.D. [Doctor of Divinity] conferred > om 1857 by Rutgers Col. > > Children of John Terhune Demarest and Anna Louise Sullivan > > 8-1604 Anna Louisa - b. Aug 1838 Pine Bush, NY; d. 8 Nov 1874 bur. > Pascack. > 8-1605 Euphemia W. - b. 18 June bap. 8 Aug 1841 New Prospect (Pine > bush) NY. > d. 5 May 1863, bur. Pascack; m. Rev. James Demarest (Demarest # 7-51) > 8-1606 John Oscar - b. 17 Jul bap. 18 Sep 1847 New Prospect (Pine > Bush) NY; d. 14 June 1867 bur. Pascack, with mother. > > Children of John Terhune Demarest and Jane E. Polhemus (not listed in > Demarest Genealogy): > > Effie - b. abt. 1863 (7 in 1870) [likely after 5 May 1863 if named for > sister Euphemia]; not found in 1880 census with family possibly > married? > > > 1850 Census taken 12 Sep 1850 (as of 1 June 1850) Montague Twp., Sussex > co., NJ dwelling 699 family 717: > Rev. John T. Demarest, age 37, Dutch R. Clergy had a wife, Sullavan > Demarest, age 36, (both born NJ) and three children: Allen L > (sic)[should b Anna Loisa] female age 12, Euphema 9,(both attended > school) and John O. 3 (all b. NY). > > 1860 Census taken 16 Jul 1860 (as of 1 June 1860) Twp. of Washington, > Bergen Co., NJ Hohokus post office, page No. 49 and 50, p.709 (penned) > dwelling 355 family 409: > Rev. John T. Demarest 47. clergyman D.R. (b. NJ) not real estate, but > $300 in personal estate, Jane E. 40 wife (b. NY), Euphemia 17 young > lady (b. NJ) (idiotic) Danl Matania 30, laborer b. NJ, John O. Demarest > 12 (b. NY) and Hester Demarest 19, (black) servant, (b. NJ) > > 1870 Census taken 16 Aug 1870 as of 1 June 1870 Town of Crawford, > Orange Co., NY, Walden post office p.325 (stamped), family and dwelling > #15: > John Demarest 57 clergyman, Jennie 50 keeps house, Effie 7, at school. > Hester Bennett 18, (black) domestic (could not read or write) Ditto > marks under b. NY for all. > > 1880 Census taken 4 June 1880, (as of 1 June 1880) Shawangunk, Ulster > co., NY, p.4D, e.d.157, dwelling #32 family #38 > John T. Demarest 67 (b. NJ; parents b. NJ) ministry, Jane E. 60 (b. NY; > parents b. NY) wife, Hester Bennet 46 (b. NJ parents b. NJ) (black) > servant. > > Ree > > Maria (Ree) Hopper, CG > > *CG, Certified Genealogist is a service mark of the Board for > Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certified > genealogists after periodic evaluation, and the board name is > registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. > Visit www.bcgcertification.org. for more information. > > The Hopper Family Genealogy; Descendants of Andries Willemszen Hoppe(n) > of New Amsterdam 1651-1658; First Six Generations > Visit www.reetree.com for more information. > > > > > > > > From: Wendy Freborg <wfreborg@gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [NJBERGEN] John T Demarest, wife and nine children > murdered? > Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 23:10:49 -0700 > References: <c27.37691c05.355a186a@aol.com> > In-Reply-To: <c27.37691c05.355a186a@aol.com> > > I did some research on this and discovered the following: > > 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). > > Rev. John T. Demarest married Jane Elizabeth Polhemus on June 9, 1857. > > On the 1860 Census, Rev. John is 47, his wife Jane E. is 40. Euphemia > is 17 and John O. is 12. > > In 1870, John is 57, Jennie is 50 and Effie is 7. > > In between the 1860 and 1870 censuses, Euphemia Demarest married John > Ackerman. She died 18 April 1868 at the age of 26. > > In summary: > 1. The reverend's first wife died between 1850 and 1857. > 2. His eldest child (Allen) is no longer living with the family by > 1860. > 3. Other children may have been born between 1850 and 1860 but > deceased before the 1870 census. (But I do not believe the family > could have produced 8 children during that time). > 4. Effie, age 7 in 1870, is named in memory of her deceased sister. > > The earliest reference to the murder story (that I could find) > appeared in A History of the Classis of Paramus of the Reformed Church > in America, pub 1902, pp. 353-354, published 1902. > > Wendy > > > 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 > > > 66 - Release Date: 5/25/2008 6:49 PM > >