Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Possible Knapp Families in Dutchess County NY - Post 1: The 1790 U.S. Census

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According to the limited records I have, William Knapp was born in 1775 in Dutchess County, New York.  I have been unable to determine the names of his parents after searching all of the Knapp surname books I can find, and reviewing many other books like the Dutchess County surname book.

Since he married Sarah Cutter of Woodbridge, NJ in about 1804, and had several children there before the family moved to Newton, Sussex, NJ,  it is probably that, as a 25 year old man, he had left Dutchess County NY before 1800.

That leaves the 1790 U.S. census as one of the finding tools that can be used to possibly narrow down the search for parental families.  In the 1790 U.S. census, there were only three columns for different age groups of white people, males age 16 and older, males under 16 years, and females.  William would be approximately age 15 in 1790, so I am looking for families with males under age 16.

All of the Knapp families in the 1790 U.S. census for Dutchess County are (with numbers for the three age groups, and those families with a white male under age 16 are in red):

Amenia Town:
Jones Knapp    1 -- 0 -- 2
Daniel Knapp   1 -- 2 -- 2
Silas Knapp    1 -- 0 -- 2
Thomas Knapp   1 -- 1 -- 4

Clinton town:
David Knapp  2 -- 1 -- 4
Samuel Knapp  3 -- 1 -- 6

Fishkill town:
Jonathan Knapp  2 -- 0 -- 2
James Knapp 1st  1 -- 1 -- 3
Benjamin Knapp  1 -- 0 -- 3
Shadrack Knapp  1 -- 0 -- 5
James Knapp 2nd  2 -- 2 -- 3
Nehemiah Knapp  2 -- 2 -- 2

Frederickstown:
Daniel Knapp  2 -- 2 -- 2
Benjamin Knapp  1 -- 4 -- 3
Joseph Knap  1 -- 4 -- 4
Israel Knap  1 -- 0 -- 2
Moses Knap Sr.  2 -- 0 -- 2
Moses Knap Jr.  1 -- 1 -- 5
William Knap  1 -- 0 -- 4
Benjamin Knap 2nd  1 -- 3 -- 3

Northeast town:
Thomas Knapp  2 -- 1 -- 4
Peter Knapp  2 -- 3 -- 4

Philipstown town:
Hannah Knapp  5 -- 3 -- 6
Mary Knapp  2 -- 3 -- 3
John Knapp  1 -- 4 -- 2

Poughkeepsie town:
Isaac Knapp  1 -- 2 -- 4

Washington town:
Phinehas Knapp  3 -- 2-- 4
Phinehas Knapp Jr.  1 -- 0 4
Amos Knapp  3 -- 4 -- 3
Nathaniel Knapp  1 -- 3 -- 3
John Knapp, 2 -- 1 -- 2

So 22 out of the 32 Knapp names in the 1790 U.S. Census for Dutchess County have a male under the age of 16 residing with them. 

Note also that some of the towns may be in present day Putnam County, the present county (formed in 1813?) just south of Dutchess County, NY.

Two potential problems may be that William Knapp (1775-1856) wasn't residing with a family headed by a Knapp in 1790, or the family he was residing with did not live in Dutchess County in 1790.  A third potential problem is that he may have been listed in the males 16 and over category.

How can I narrow these potential Knapp parental families down a bit more?  I can compare the family composition in the 1790 census with family entries from the Knapp Genealogy surname book.  I'll do that in my next post on this subject.

If readers have a good suggestion as to research opportunities for further narrowing possibilities, please offer them!

3 comments:

Cousin Russ said...

Randy,

I am working on the Fishkill Knapps. I have a number of Headstones from the cemetery I visited. It was very near to Fishkill.

I'll let you know when I am done. Have already added some to Find-A-Grave and my Headstone Collection Blog.

Russ

Anonymous said...

Did William have sons who might have been named after his father? I'd look at families headed by men of those names as a priority.

Cousin Russ said...

Anonymous:

Sons of William:

Joseph - none listed above

Samuel - Clinton town

Benjamin - Fishkill, Frederickstown

William - Frederickstown

Manning - none listed above

Hannah - Philipstown

I have been working on Randy's brick wall, and have been focusing on the Fishkill area.

Russ