This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: abracadabra243 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.newyork.counties.dutchess/5900.1.2/mb.ashx Message Board Post: If I am following the information I have correctly --- Jane Fort b. 1797 m. Henry P. Van Rensselaer -- She was the daughter of Jacob Fort and Anna Vrooman and granddaughter of Abraham Fort and his second wife Eva Bennewe or Benoit. This Abraham is a different Abraham than the Abraham who married Jane Monfort and with whom the Fort Homestead in Poughkeepsie is associated. Rev. War Major Abraham Fort m. Jane Fort of Poughkeepsie and Abraham Fort who m. Eva I am confident do have a common ancestor going back to Jean La Fort, (Liberte')b: Abt. 1650 in France (A French Hugenot) d: 1707 in Nistagioene, New York m. abt. 1687 Margariet Rinckhout - at this point I can't tell you their exact relationship but I will work on it. [Source - Genealogy of the Fort Family in New York State by Jerome H. Fort - Edacra Press - edited and arranged by Richard Fort Sheil - 1993] Does that Fragile Old Dutch Bible you have contain any genealogical information which you could share? Thank Goodness the Fort Homestead in Poughkeepsie still stands but its final fate still remains unanswered as the developer moves forward with the project on the site. Those interested in supporting the Fort Homestead Association in its efforts to preserve the Homestead can find more information here. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/2843/saveforthomestead.html ------------------------ Genealogy of the Fort Family in New York State by Jerome H. Fort (Begun in 1892-Finished in 1924) Edited and Arranged by Richard Fort Sheil 1993 EDACRA Press Fredonia, NY [Original Book sent to VAB by Richard Fort Sheil] ********************************************************* ABOUT THIS EDITION While browsing the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints microfiche catalogue, I came across an entry entitled, Genealogy of the Fort Family in New York State, by Jerome H. Fort, dated 1924. I immediately sent for the microfilm and upon arrival I was astonished to find that it was not a published book, but rather a typewritten manuscript. In fact, it was seventy-three pages of material, often rather difficult to decipher because of poor film and a typewriter whose keys were not very clean. Along with the typewritten material were some eight pages of handwritten copy intended to be an insert within the work. This presented another kind of difficulty, for some pages are rather faded. Also Mr. Fort's script often leaves something to be desired in clarity. The handwritten pages are two wills pertaining to Jean Fort's estate, and several other documents. Rather than include them in the body of the work, I have opted to place them in an appendix. I have also taken the liberty of deleting a small amount of material in Mr. Fort's AUTHOR'S PREFACE which is not pertinent to this edition. The numbering scheme used by Mr. Fort for the genealogical ordering of individual entries is excessively cumbersome. An individual in the seventh generation, for instance, must have a genealogical number of six digits to classify him. To conserve space, I have excised his rather lengthy explanation of the numbering system. His material is also organized by line of descendancy through several generation, rather than the more customary procedure of presenting the entire family across the board generation by generation. On studying Mr. Fort's work, however, it became patently clear that there was a gold mine of information re the Fort family history. Most certainly I can find no cause to question the accuracy of his data, much of which was collected first hand. With the above in mind, I decided to attempt a revision which would include applying another numbering plan, name the REGISTER SYSTEM, and to reorganize the material to follow a presentation by generation. Happily this could be done with minimal changes in Mr. Fort's written material. His writing style tends to be a little bookish at times, and rather repetitive. I have made not attempt to alter this, for I feel it has a charm all of its own. I have added or changed a punctuation mark here and there to clarify meaning. A few other changes should be noted. Mr. Fort was not very consistent with writing out dates, nor was he consistent in the use of the abbreviations he lists in his AUTHOR'S PREFACE. I have opted to use the day-month-year order and to use the three-letter abbreviation for month, hence July 3, 1923 will appear 3 Jul 1923, except for those places Mr. Fort quotes and outside source. His list of abbreviations is quite standard and I have used it through! out, and I have added several new abbreviations to the list. Mr. Fort spells the early family name as LeForte since this is incorrect French gender agreement, it should be LeFort or LaForte, I have chosen to spell it as La Forte, and to separate the article from the name. On several occasions, Mr.. Fort has included children of the second generation of a daughter. In keeping with fairly standard practices, I have chosen to eliminate these entries and list only children of the first generation of daughters. The original title page contains bits of incorrect information (see facsimile Title Page). It must have been Mr. Fort's intention to include genealogies of some connected families, but in the typewritten manuscript none is included. He also states on the title page that copies of the work may be found in libraries in Syracuse, Albany and New York City. Carnegie Library in Syracuse does indeed have a copy (from which the LDS copy was made), but there is none catalogued in either the State Library at Albany or the City Library of New York City. In the event the reader might be curious as to my interest in the Fort family, my great grandmother was Lydia Ann Fort (1829-1901), a favorite person with both my grandfather and my mother, and it was from her that my grandfather, George Fort Slocum, and I acquired our middle names. Richard Fort Sheil Fredonia, New York 1993 N.B. All entries in parentheses ( ) are Mr. Fort's. Entries in in[sic] brackets [ ] are mine. R. F. S. ********************************************* AUTHOR'S PREFACE This genealogy is not complete. No genealogy ever can be. It is as complete in so far as such records as I have been able to obtain can make it. Its preparation has extended over a period of about thirty years, has necessitated a considerable volume of correspondence and such research in Genealogical Libraries, particularly those at Albany and at Syracuse where I found many valuable records; as well as numerous trips to more or less distant places to examine old records. Occasionally people have neglected or refused to reply to my letters asking for information, but the majority of those with whom I have corresponded or have sought out have been most courteous and earnest in their help, and acknowledgement is hereby made of their assistance and of the information obtained from various books and records in the libraries above named. I must speak my special thanks to Miss Jeanie VanRennselaer, of Mechanicville, New York, for a most valuable service. I had been trying for! along time, but without much success to secure the records of the Old Dutch Church of Schaghticoke, New York, which were then at a little place called "Reynolds," near Troy, New York. Miss Van Rensselaer most kindly took the trouble to go to the old church at Reynolds, copy all the records there mentioning our family and send them to me. Without them this Genealogy could never have been completed to any worthwhile extent. She should have the gratitude of every one of our family. May her name long be remembered as of one who did such a gracious and kind act. Still there remains much not contained in the pages of this Genealogy. Many persons have been unable to give me any information beyond that of their own generation. Of the generation of their fathers they know but little, and of their grandfathers often they know not even their names. Sometimes I have been able to connect up such information as I did receive with records I already had or with records I later fo! und elsewhere. At other times I was not able to do so. Throughout th e Genealogy I have indicated by letters n.f.i. the cases where I have been able to obtain "no further information," and in closing pages I have included a section which I have called "UNKNOWN CONNECTIONS" wherein I have p laced all names as well as such fragmentary family lines which I have received and which I have been unable to connect with the Genealogy because of lack of sufficient information. Unquestionably they belong in the Genealogy somewhere. Perhaps some other searcher may some day find the requisite missing line which will connect them up. I am happy to have completed the work thus far and trust it may prove of interest to present and future generations. I have tried to make it as authentic as possible and have carefully excluded from it everything which did not bear witness to the truth. Oneida, N. Y. January, 1923 (Signed) Jerome H. Fort 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.