The Rosenkrans Genealogy Web Site

by Jim Rosenkrans
Frederick, MD
Rosenkrantz-Genealogy.org

contains
The Rosenkrans Family
in Europe and America

COMPILED BY 
ALLEN ROSENKRANS,
 

NEWTON, NEW JERSEY.
JANUARY, A.D., 1900.

 
                       MENU
           
 
Sons of Jacobus and Sara Dekker which  according to Rosenkrantz-Genealogy.org
 

Captain Daniel and Catharine (Cole) Rosenkranz
   Great Grandfather of William Starke Rosecrans

59. CAPTAIN DANIEL ROSENKRANS, son of Jacobus (28) was born at Huguenot, near Port Jervis, New York, and baptized at the Reformed Dutch Church of Port Jervis, August 24, 1737. About 1765, he married "Catrina Cool" (Catharina Cole), widow of Martinus (Martin) Koykendal. She was baptized May 30, 1738, and married Martin Koykendal, about 1757, her daughter Kazio having been baptized June 2, 1758, and her son Harmanus November 27, 1759. In 1762, she was received as a widow into the church at Port Jervis, and married Daniel Rosenkrans, 1765. Captain Daniel and Catharine, the great grandparents of General William Stark Rosecrans had some romantic experiences at the beginning of the Revolution, when according to authentic records, he was made a Captain in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania, but was surprised and captured by the Indians. A narrative of the event is given in the "History of the Newton Baptist Church of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania," written by Reverend C. Sherwood, and published by Ira D. Rosenkrans, of Wilkes-Barre, a great grandson of the Captain, who kindly presented the writer with a copy, 1893. The account written from tradition, while correct in the main, is erroneous in several points, among which are the name of James, the date of his capture, and the church denomination to which he belonged in New Jersey, and at which it is said he officiated. The following is the narrative:

"Rosenkrans Family — 1775, James Rosenkrans, the grandfather of Deacon Benjamin Rosenkrans, now of Newton Baptist Church, came in from New Jersey and settled in Wyoming, and from here a long line of Baptist descendants of the Rosenkrans stock may be traced down to the present period. At the time of the Wyoming massacre, in 1778, James Rosenkrans was taken prisoner by the Indians, and taken off up the Susquehanna to their settlement on the East side of Senaca Lake, in the State of New York. He saw them practice the most horrible cruelties upon their prisoners while on the way. While there, and while most of the Indians were out on a hunting expedition, he feigned sickness and made his escape, and by traveling through the wilderness by day, and through lonely by-paths by night, he returned to his friends in New Jersey in safety, where he was agreeably surprised in finding his family whom he had left on that memorable day of cruelty in the valley, supposing that they had fallen victims with others by the tomahawk, or by torture. His wife had succeeded in making her escape from the valley after the massacre with her six children, supposing that her husband had been slain in battle. She had five boys and one girl who fled with her almost naked and barefooted through the shades of death, over rocks and through dismal swamps without food except the berries found along the way. They crossed the Delaware in abject wretchedness, and finally made their way back to their friends in New Jersey.

Miner’s History says that a Mrs. Courtright, then a young girl flying with her father’s family from the valley, saw sitting by the roadside a woman who had heard that her husband was slain, six children were on the ground near her, the group the very image of despair, for they were without food. Just at that moment a man was seen riding rapidly toward them from the settlement. It was Mr. Hollenback. Foreseeing the probable destitution, he had loaded his horse with bread, and was hastening back to their relief. He gave a morsel to each and hastened on to the relief of others. Deacon James Rosenkrans, the father of Deacon Benjamin Rosenkrans, was one of the sons of the elder Deacon James Rosenkrans, who passed through the wilderness in 1778, and who, when grown to manhood, returned to the valley and lived for a time on the Rosenkrans farm. The property afterward passed into the hands of Mr. Pettibone, when Mr. Rosenkrans again returned to New Jersey, where he was soon after ordained Deacon of the Baptist church."

In July, 1893, the writer conversed with Mrs. Susan M. Rosenkrans, of Scranton, widow of Deacon Benjamin, above mentioned, at the house of her daughter, Mrs. Julia A. Casterline, (631) who admitted that as the above narrative was merely traditional, there might be mistakes in it, especially as to the Captain’s name, which I informed her was Daniel, instead of James. I subsequently corresponded with Mrs. Amanda Joslyn, of Batavia, New York, and her sister, Mrs. Elizabeth J. Fish, of Daws, New York, daughters of John D. Rosenkrans, the second son of the captive, who gave their tradition received from their father, in substance, as follows: That Daniel returned from the Wyoming valley at the beginning of the Revolution , that there were seven children, and that Catharine took two horses, and fastening a feather bed on each horse, took some of the children on one horse with herself and put the others on the other horse, and thus came through the forests to New Jersey. As to Daniel’s capture they had but a faint idea. The Minisink Reform Dutch church records show that Catharine Cole, widow of Martin Koykendal married Daniel Rosenkrans, not James, and that Daniel and Catharine Rosenkrans had a son Jacobus baptized there November 25, 1766, and a son Jacob baptized there June 1, 1777, and no others between these dates. This record, which is authentic, renders it very probable that Daniel and Catharine went to the Wyoming valley soon after the birth, and baptism of James, in 1766; that John, Josiah, Daniel and Catharine were born in Pennsylvania, and that as Mrs. Joslyn states, they returned to New Jersey about 1776 before the birth of Jacob, the youngest child, baptized 1777. It is also probable that Catharine had seven children when she returned as stated by Mrs. Joslyn, since she had two by her first husband, Martin Koykendal and five by her second, Daniel Rosenkrans. The church at which Daniel’s children were baptized, James before he left New Jersey, and Jacob after his return, and at which Daniel may have officiated, was the Reformed Dutch Church at Minisink, in the Delaware Valley. No Baptist church existed in the valley in Captain Daniel’s time.

The Luzerne county records do not show the date of Captain Daniel’s purchase, as the county was not formed till 1787, but Mr. O.J. Harvey, historian of the Nesbitt family, mentioned in "sources of family information," reports that the historical society’s records of Wilkes-Barre, which antedate that of the county show that an appraisement was made on the estate of "Captain Daniel Rosecrants" dated Westmoreland, 19 October, 1782. He died sometime prior to 1782 near the state line, in Wantage, New Jersey, where his widow afterwards lived and died, having made a will. Captain Daniel was apparently the first Rosenkrans settler in the Wyoming Valley, the village of Wyoming being located on his farm. The Sherwood narrative is elsewhere confirmed in the statement that after the captive’s death, and the close of the Revolutionary war, Catharine with her family returned to the Wyoming Valley, disposed of the farm, and then returned to Sussex County, New Jersey, where she died. Her will recorded in Newton, is as follows:

Will of "Catherin Rosecrants," of Wantage, Sussex County, New Jersey, 1803:

"In the name of God amen — Whereas I Catherin Rosecrants, am sick in body, but sound in mind, do hereby make this my last will and testament, for the division of all my earthly property of whatever kind, in the way and manner hereinafter mentioned, and I do hereby nominate, and appoint my beloved sons, James and Jacob Rosecrants my proper executors of this my will and testament. In the first place, my doctor, or physician bill or bills, and my funeral expenses must be paid before anyone hereinafter mentioned shall receive any part of the sum herein mentioned in their behalf. Secondly — daughter Kazeo Kerkendall otherwise Stuart (whom I had by my first husband Martin Kerkendall), shall have fifty pounds current money of the State of New York, to be paid unto my aforesaid daughter out of my property, or in money aforesaid before any person hereinafter mentioned shall have any. My beloved son Harmanus Kerkendall by my first husband aforesaid, shall have thirty dollars paid unto him out of my estate. To my beloved grandchildren, Catherin and Daniel Rosecrants, son and daughter of my son, John Rosecrants, by my second husband, I allow, or bequeath, ten dollars each out of my estate. To my beloved grandson, Daniel Rosecrants, son of my son Daniel Rosecrants, I allow or bequeath him ten dollars. To my well beloved daughter, Catherin Rosecrants, otherwise Stark, I allow or bequeath my saddle, wearing apparel and bed and bedding. Thirdly — After the sums, etc. , hereinbefore mentioned are paid off, I allow the residue to be divided equally among my six children whom I had by my second husband, share and share alike of the said residue, namely, my five sons. James, John, Josiah, Daniel and Jacob Rosecrants, and my daughter Catherin Rosecrants, otherwise Stark — these my beloved children to have each an equal sum of said residue. Fourthly — My beloved son Jacob Rosecrants hath in keeping for me eight notes of one hundred dollars each, which I received of my beloved son-in-law Paul Stark for value given to him by me for said notes, one of said notes is paid, and seven remain unpaid, which unpaid notes are to be paid in cattle, etc. I order my executors to turn the same to cash without delay after they become due for paying off the sums hereinbefore mentioned. I sincerely request that if any difference arise by anything that may appear dark in this my will and testament, that it be settled without the course of law; the specified sums are to be paid in cash in the same order as they stand in this writing. In witness that the foregoing is my real will and testament, I have hereto set my hand this seventh of October in the year of our Lord 1803.

In the presence of —

JOHN CLARK, CATHERIN ROSECRANTS"

HENRY REEMER,

THOMAS PATTERSON.

(This will was proved 1808. At the time it was written, all her sons except James and Jacob had left the county and located elsewhere.)

60 - 61. GERTJE ROSENKRANS and SALAMON ROSENKRANS, children of Jacobus (28), both died unmarried.

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 (Soldier) John and Maria (Rosa) Rosenkrans
   
Brother of William S. Rosecrans' Great Grandfather

62. JOHN ROSENKRANS, son of Jacobus (28), was born at Huguenot, and baptized at Port Jervis December 23, 1744. He married November 30, 1777, Maria Roosa, or Rosa, baptized at Port Jervis March 20, 1749. Maria was a daughter of Jan Alderse Roosa, and Catharine VanEtten. He was baptized at Hurley, New York, January 29, 1712, son of Jan, the son Albert Heymanse Roosa and Wintje Allerd, from Harwynen, Gelderland, who came to Kingston 1660. — "Church Life." The other children of Jan Alderse Roosa were Rebecca, Isaiah and Jacob. Johannis, or John, was evidently a scripture man and a Christian, as were the early settlers generally, and gave scripture names to all his children. He lived in Orange County, New York, during the Revolution, and his great granddaughter, Mrs. C.E. Trotter (576), of Marshalltown, Iowa, informs me that he was a soldier under a Captain Rosa, perhaps his father-in-law. John Rosenkrans and all his sons, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and John, went to the Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania, where his brother, Captain Daniel had first gone, and still later they went to Delaware County, Ohio.

Mr. O.J. Harvey, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, reports the following concerning him: "John Rosencrants was admitted February, 1800, to Lodge No. 1, F. & A. M.., at Wilkes-Barre, 11 March, 1800, B. Sweetland, for £500, conveys to John Rosecrants, Secord Island, 300 acres, Putnam township, Luzerne County. In July, 1802, John Rosencrants bought two lots in Nanticoke, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania." These purchases were near Tunkhannock, Luzerne County, now Wyoming, Pennsylvania. John went on to Delaware County, Ohio, and purchased land there, as the records show, 1810, being the first Rosenkrans found on the land records there. The records of the Rosenkrans Family in Delaware County, Ohio, including the spellings of their names has been reported by Mr. J.P. Wintermute, of Delaware, Ohio, historian of the Wintermute family. Concerning John Rosencrants’ settlement in Ohio, his granddaughter, Mrs. Permelia Stockwell, of Sunbury, Ohio, seventy-two years of age (386), in a letter November 20, 1893, writes as follows:

"My father’s name was Jacob Rosecrans, and my grandfather’s name was John. He had one daughter named Rebecca and four sons named Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and John, all scripture names. My grandmother’s name was Mariah. They came from Pennsylvania when the country was all a wilderness, and underwent the hardships of a new country life. The Rosecranses were called a very honest, industrious people." Of the death of John and Mariah we have no account, but they have many descendants in the west, especially through their son Isaac, who exceeds all the members of the family, as far is we have discovered, in the number of his progeny. As already mentioned, the names of John’s children were, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, John, and Rebecca.

63. ALIDA ROSENKRANS, daughter of Jacobus (28), and Catharine Cole, his second wife, was born about 1749, since which time nothing is known of her.

64. SALOMAN ROSENKRANS, son of Jacobus (28), and the second of the name, was born about 1751, and also disappeared from the records.

 
 
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(07/18/2010)