Kaye, After sending off the email about Mary Swartwood marrying c. 1799-1800 Isaac Shoemaker, Jr., I grabbed my book, "Swartwood Sojourn 1575-1997" and looked for Elizabeth Brink and found this: p. 353 Alexander Swartwout, son of Thomas Swartwout and Elizabeth ENNIS, was b 14 May 1764 in Walpack, Sussex Co NJ. About 1783 in Exeter, Luzerne Co., PA (that's the Wyoming Valley) he married Catherine SCHOONMAKER, daughter of Isaac SHOEMAKER and Elizabeth BRINK. I am not a Shoemaker or Schoonmaker researcher. Are these names used inter-changably? Catherine Shoemaker/Schoonmaker was born 28 Sept 1766 in Walpack, Sussex Co., NJ. Alexander Swartwout died 25 July 1825 in Exeter, Luzerne Co., PA and was buried in Forest Hill Cem. His widow Catherine died on 6 July 1832 in Exeter, Luzerne Co., PA and was also buried in Forest Hill Cem. Then follows a list of 9 children for them. Do you need their children's info? Their first child was born about 1784, per the book, thus the estimate of 1783 for their marriage. Doesn't say when Alexander Swartwout came to Exeter, so perhaps the marriage occurred back in PA/NJ. I know who Alexander Swartwout's father Thomas Swartwout was... he was my husband's ancestor's brother. He was born c. 1730 in the Peenpack, the son of Bernardus Swartwout and Margaret DECKER. Thomas Swartwout moved to Upper Smithfield with his parents c. 1735 when that area really opened up for settlement because the original warrant owners started selling off pieces of their huge land grants obtained from the Penns. Thomas lived south of what became the town of Delaware (first Bucks, then Northampton, then Pike Co., PA). He never left. He died there c. 1801. The Swartwouts, Brinks, Shoemakers/Schoonmakers, Deckers, VanEttens on both sides of the Delaware River inter-married for over a hundred years. Many of the families who left the Minisink after 1780s seemed to migrate together and settle in the same places, such as around Exeter in the Wyoming Valley of Luzerne Co, PA and in Tioga and Chemung Co., NY. Helen Graves ---- Original Message ----- From: "K Powell" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 5:12 AM Subject: [MinVal] John Schoonmaker Shoemaker 12 Feb 1777 Smithfield, Pike Co, PA >I have a family I'd like to ask more about that I believe were probably in >the > neighborhood. Isaac Schoonmaker b abt 1739 Machackemeck, d 1778 Pike Co > PA. > Wife Elizabeth Brink was then left with a batch of children to raise. I > think 3 > of them settled at what would become Chemung County NY - my ancestor John, > Abram and Isaac Shoemaker Jr. > > John b 12 Feb 1777 (just before his father's death) married Phebe Decker b > 20 > Jan 1780. Their daughter Elizabeth b 10 Jul 1803 PA. > > Did Isaac die in the war? I'm curious what became of widow Elizabeth Brink > Schoonmaker's life - and all those children, 6 I've found record of, did > she > remarry? I don't know where John met and married Phebe Decker, who were > Phebe's > parents, nor where in PA ancestor Elizabeth Shoemaker was born. I feel > they > stayed close by minisink all along until they popped up in Tioga/Chemung > County > 1819. John and Phebe are buried at Chemung Co. > > My reconstruction is based upon oral history told to me by a grandmother > late > 1940s and what I've been able to learn in the years since I began research > myself. If she hadn't known, and told me, the parents' names I doubt I'd > have > gotten past daughter Elizabeth. Grandmother did not mention Isaac's death > when > speaking of the Revolution that I recall, but who knows, she may not have > wanted to say that to a gradeschool child, dunno. Maybe he drowned > crossing the > river. Frankly I'm also amazed that an oral family history like this was > passed > on to her 100 years ago, and she passed it on to me. > > Any bits about this Schoonmaker-Brink family, and Decker too, would be > appreciated. > > Kaye in Texas > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > ============================== > Census images 1901, 1891, 1881 and 1871, plus so much more. > Ancestry.com's United Kingdom & Ireland Collection. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13968/rd.ashx > > >