Just received a photocopy of this article from Janet Bornhoeft. It appeared in the Port Jervis newspaper (name not known) on 25 July 1890. It did not include a name of the writer. Port Jervis, NY, Friday, July 25, 1890 Re: Deed, Sept. 22, 1720 AN OLD PARCHMENT DEED Sketch of the Early Decker Family and Their Descendants Among the documents which have been presented to the Minisink Valley Historical Society is an ancient parchment deed of lands in the present village of Port Jervis. It is dated September 23(?), 1720, and is a conveyance of "ones thousand acres of land to be surveyed, laid out and taken up in any piece within ye Western Division of the province of New Jersey afores'd where legally purchased of ye Indians." The consideration was L100 current money of New York. The grantors were Sarah Stevensen, widow of Thomas Stevensen and Joseph Kirkride, both of the county of Burke, Province of Pennsylvania. The grantee was Heleke Decker of "Minisink, within the count ot Hunterdon and Western Division of the province of New Jersey, being ye widdow & relict of John Decker, Deceased." The deed is in an excellant state of preservation. It was presented to the Histoical Society by Mr. Josiah Wickham, accompanied by a sketch of the descendants of Heleke Decker, Mr. Wickham being one of them. The paper was read before a meeting of the Historical Society and is as follows: The son of the widow, Heleke DECKER, described in the deed, was Peter Decker who settled in Deckertown, NJ. He had five sons and two daughters. They were Samuel, Josiah, Martinus, Jope and Rick. The FIRST grandson, SAMUEL settled in Deckertown and had fours sons and three daughters. Their names were, Peter, Samuel, Stephen and Dick. Of this family, Peter, a great-grandson of the widow mentioned in the deed was the father of our townsman, Mark Decker, and was the first man to propose to have the Dutch Reformed Church changed to Presbyterian, which he accomplished and it was the first churh built in Dectertown. Afterwards he moved west; Samuel and Stephen settled at Deckertown and died there, and Dick went west. The SECOND grandson, JOSIAH, settled in the Clove on lands where Jacob Swartout now lives and which he owns. He built the first grist-mill and saw-mill near him four miles north of Deckertown; and at this age there were a few Indians on that side of our mountain and near Coleville, where he received a bullet wound which he carried to his grave. This happened a few days before the Minisink battle. He had four sons and three daughters: Bowdewine, Abraham, William and Simon all farmers who settled in the Clove on their father's land, except Simon, who settled at Beemerville. Bowdewine had three sons and two daughters; Josiah, Frederick and John B., the latter whom the Port Jervis people will remember, once owned the Delaware House. The daughters were Mary and Sarah. Abraham had only one daughter. William had four sons and five daughters: John D., Richard, Alanson and Oscar, Maria, Sarah, Emeline, Ellen and Eliza. Simon had four sons and one daughter: Henry, John, Simon and Sidney. Josiah's three daughters were Famachy (sic), Margaret and Leuchey. Famachy married a Kilpatrick, a grandmother of our late Gen. Kilpatrick. Margaret married Seth Wickham, mother of Josiah D. Whikham, our townsman. Leuchey married Robert Evens and settled in Deckertown. The THIRD grandson, MARTINUS, settled on the flat lands of Port Jervis and lived there where the old stone house stands at Germantown. He had two sons,; John who was called Hans, and Dick who went west. John or Hans was at this time 15 years old and lay on the mountain side with his father when Brant and his Indians were going through this valley. He saw them burn his father's barn and the grain that was shucked in the fields. When the men came on from Goshen, Martinus joined them and followed Brant to Lackawaxen where the battle occurred. He, after this bloody fight, with a few others, swam the river with his rifle and escaped without a wound. John who was called Hans, (Martinus son) settled one mile east from the Clove on the road leading to the Drowned Lands, now owned by Abraham J. Decker, his son, who is living on it at this date. The FOURTH grandson, YOPE, settled on the farm now known as the Amos Munson farm, near Deckertown, NJ. The FIFTH grandson, RICK, lived and died in Deckertown.

I'm Curious about this article that Nancy sent to the Sussex Group. I'm sending it also to the Morris group because there are several DECKER researchers there as well. Sorry if it's a duplicate is someone already did same. Although the newspaper article is from 1890, the actual document and description pertains to about 1720ish and a few generations beyond. Notice the use of the names "Rick" and "Dick". These are of course well known nicknames for "Richard". It seems unusual that such nicknames were used in that time period. What makes it especially interesting is that they are used in place of the more common formal name. Even today, we use the given name instead of nicknames on official/formal documents. This shows a degree of informality very rarely seen for the time, even until well into the 20th century. Any one have some insight on this? Were those actually been their given names? Although I have a mild interest in the Deckers, I have no info on them and this is well before their possible connection to any of my lines. This is one of those "just wondering" issues. Thanks Rich in NH Nancy Pascal wrote: > > Just received a photocopy of this article from Janet Bornhoeft. It > appeared in the Port Jervis newspaper (name not known) on 25 July 1890. > It did not include a name of the writer. > > Port Jervis, NY, Friday, July 25, 1890 > Re: Deed, Sept. 22, 1720 > > AN OLD PARCHMENT DEED > Sketch of the Early Decker Family and Their Descendants > > Among the documents which have been presented to the Minisink > Valley Historical Society is an ancient parchment deed of lands in the > present village of Port Jervis. It is dated September 23(?), 1720, and > is a conveyance of "ones thousand acres of land to be surveyed, laid out > and taken up in any piece within ye Western Division of the province of > New Jersey afores'd where legally purchased of ye Indians." The > consideration was L100 current money of New York. The grantors were > Sarah Stevensen, widow of Thomas Stevensen and Joseph Kirkride, both of > the county of Burke, Province of Pennsylvania. The grantee was Heleke > Decker of "Minisink, within the count ot Hunterdon and Western Division > of the province of New Jersey, being ye widdow & relict of John Decker, > Deceased." > The deed is in an excellant state of preservation. It was > presented to the Histoical Society by Mr. Josiah Wickham, accompanied by > a sketch of the descendants of Heleke Decker, Mr. Wickham being one of > them. The paper was read before a meeting of the Historical Society and > is as follows: > The son of the widow, Heleke DECKER, described in the deed, was > Peter Decker who settled in Deckertown, NJ. He had five sons and two > daughters. They were Samuel, Josiah, Martinus, Jope and Rick. > The FIRST grandson, SAMUEL settled in Deckertown and had fours sons > and three daughters. Their names were, Peter, Samuel, Stephen and > Dick. Of this family, Peter, a great-grandson of the widow mentioned in > the deed was the father of our townsman, Mark Decker, and was the first > man to propose to have the Dutch Reformed Church changed to > Presbyterian, which he accomplished and it was the first churh built in > Dectertown. Afterwards he moved west; Samuel and Stephen settled at > Deckertown and died there, and Dick went west. > The SECOND grandson, JOSIAH, settled in the Clove on lands where > Jacob Swartout now lives and which he owns. He built the first > grist-mill and saw-mill near him four miles north of Deckertown; and at > this age there were a few Indians on that side of our mountain and near > Coleville, where he received a bullet wound which he carried to his > grave. This happened a few days before the Minisink battle. He had > four sons and three daughters: Bowdewine, Abraham, William and Simon > all farmers who settled in the Clove on their father's land, except > Simon, who settled at Beemerville. Bowdewine had three sons and two > daughters; Josiah, Frederick and John B., the latter whom the Port > Jervis people will remember, once owned the Delaware House. The > daughters were Mary and Sarah. Abraham had only one daughter. William > had four sons and five daughters: John D., Richard, Alanson and Oscar, > Maria, Sarah, Emeline, Ellen and Eliza. Simon had four sons and one > daughter: Henry, John, Simon and Sidney. Josiah's three daughters were > Famachy (sic), Margaret and Leuchey. Famachy married a Kilpatrick, a > grandmother of our late Gen. Kilpatrick. Margaret married Seth Wickham, > mother of Josiah D. Whikham, our townsman. Leuchey married Robert Evens > and settled in Deckertown. > The THIRD grandson, MARTINUS, settled on the flat lands of Port > Jervis and lived there where the old stone house stands at Germantown. > He had two sons,; John who was called Hans, and Dick who went west. > John or Hans was at this time 15 years old and lay on the mountain side > with his father when Brant and his Indians were going through this > valley. He saw them burn his father's barn and the grain that was > shucked in the fields. When the men came on from Goshen, Martinus > joined them and followed Brant to Lackawaxen where the battle occurred. > He, after this bloody fight, with a few others, swam the river with his > rifle and escaped without a wound. John who was called Hans, (Martinus > son) settled one mile east from the Clove on the road leading to the > Drowned Lands, now owned by Abraham J. Decker, his son, who is living on > it at this date. > The FOURTH grandson, YOPE, settled on the farm now known as the > Amos Munson farm, near Deckertown, NJ. > The FIFTH grandson, RICK, lived and died in Deckertown.