Stephen Tompkins Sr. (1741 - 1794)

Born 11 Apr 1741 in Duanesburg, Albany, NY

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 25 Nov 1794 at age 53 in Kinderhook, Columbia, New York, United States

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Biography

Private Stephen Tompkins Sr. served with 7th Regiment, Dutchess County Militia, New York Militia during the American Revolution.

Stephen Tompkins Sr. is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A114779.

Birth

Stephen was born on 11 April 1741 and baptized on 21 April^[1] in Duanesburg, Albany, New York.

Children

From his two marriages, Stephen was the father of 9 sons and 1 daughter. Two of his sons settled in Norway, New York.^[2]

i. John Tompkins^[3]

ii. Hanna (Tompkins) DeGroff^[3]

iii. Moses Tompkins^[3]

iv. Sarles Tompkins^[3]

v. Uriah Tompkins^[3]

vi. Stephen Tompkins^[3]

vii. Nathaniel Tompkins^[3]

viii. Cornelius Tompkins^[3]

ix. Robert Tompkins^[3]

Edward Tompkins^[3]

American Revolutionary War service

Stephen served in the American Revolutionary War as a Minuteman with the rank of Private in the Dutchess County Militia, 7th Regiment.^[4][5] He served under the command of Captain George Lane and Colonel Henry Ludington.^[1] The 7th saw fighting at White Plains in 1776 and the 7th's commanding officer, Colonel Ludington served as aide de camp to George Washington during the campaign.^[6][7] It is at this battle that some historians believe the legend for Washington Irving's headless horseman of his story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was inspired after a Hessian soldier's head was shot off by a cannon ball.^[8]

Battle of White Plains Commemorative 2-cent Stamp

After the battle of White Plains, George Washington continued south and sent the 7th and other New York militia units north to defend the Hudson River Valley from British attack. Up until the end of the war, the 7th Regiment also served Military Police actions, fighting against British supply agents ("cowboys"), disarming Tory citizens, and intercepting British war letters.^[6]

In April 1777, the Royal Governor of New York, William Tyron began a military campaign to seize rebel supplies. Tyron, who was also the Major-General of the provincial Army set out to capture the supplies in Danbury. His army went house to house burning as they went. A horseback messenger brought the news to the home of Colonel Ludington to warn him of the attack. But without enough men, the Colonel decided to send his 16 year old daughter Sybil to muster the militia. Known today as the "Female Paul Revere," she set out in the dark of night and covered a distance of 40 miles alerting the 7th to action. By the time she returned home at daybreak, most of the 400 members of the militia had been called into action.^[9]

The Ludington family papers have journals, letters, drawings, and maps from Colonel Ludington that portray the actions of the 7th and other New York militias during the war.^[10]

In 1925, a great-grandson, Francis Tompkins (Stephen, Samuel, Stephen Sr), visited old friends and family in Gouverneur, NY, 55 years after leaving to settle in Iowa. During his stay he shared the following with a local reporter.

Mr. Tompkins relates that his great grandfather conducted a blacksmith shop at Sackets Harbor and that an employee in the shop hammered out the nails which were used to nail the Declaration of Independence to the Charter Oak tree. Mr. Tompkins also relates that his great grandfather saw the three men told about in history, who went out in a rowboat and in the darkness ordered the captain of a Hessian boat to surrender or he would blow his vessel to pieces. The three men succeeded in their strategy and under the stipulation that but two of their numbers should board the Hessian boat, to accompany it in, and that if any hostile move should be made they would be fired on, and brought the vessel and crew into the harbor as prisoners. ^[11]

Residence

Stephen lived in Dutchess County (later Columbia County), NY.^[2] 1790 - Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York (1790 census)^[12] 1794 - Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York (death and burial)^[3]

Death and burial

Stephen died on 25 November 1794 in Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York.^[1]

His will was probated on 23 December 1794:^[3]

Will of Stephen TOMKINS of Kinderhook, Columbia Co, NY

25 Jul 1794, probated 23 Dec 1794

Heirs;

to WIFE (unamed) - one horse & bridle, worth 24 pds, one bed & bedding and 50 pds money

1st son, JOHN - five pds money

to dau. HANNA, now wife of Abraham GROF - one set of curtains, tester & valence together with the High Cupboard

2nd son, MOSES - 40 pds money

3rd son, SARLES - 50 pds money

4th son, URIAH - one set of Blacksmith Tools & 30 pds money

5th son, STEPHEN - 50 pds money

5th son, NATHANIEL - 50 pds money

7th son, CORNELIUS - 50 pds money

8th son, ROBERT - 50 pds money

9th son, EDWARD - 50 pds money

Remainder of estate to be sold and equally divided to Widow and all above named heirs

Research Notes

The birth place of Duanesburg may be correct after all. There exists another (sourced) line from Westchester with a different Stephen Tompkins:

https://www.wikitree.com/genealogy/Tompkins-Family-Tree-1616

• https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/15173/images/dvm_GenMono000597-00021-0?backurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ancestry.com%2Ffamily-tree%2Fperson%2Ftree%2F118142932%2Fperson%2F140175655080%2Ffacts%2Fcitation%2F582086176849%2Fedit%2Frecord&key=Uhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.ancestry.com%2Finteractive%2F15173%2Fdvm_GenMono000597-00012-1%2F16%3Fbackurl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.ancestry.com%2Ffamily-tree%2Fperson%2Ftree%2F118142932%2Fperson%2F140175655080%2Ffacts%2Fcitation%2F582086176849%2Fedit%2Frecord&clickref=1101l8nxb93s%3Fcamref%3D1011l4xx5%2C1101l8nxb93s&adref=&creativeid=0&campaignid=1100l415&o_iid=9971&o_lid=9971&o_sch=Unknown&pId=16 lists him, & parents

• Father's probate
• Probate schedules showing Stephen by name

• https://archive.org/details/documentsrelativ15brod/page/490

• http://www.dcouch.com/connie/constancemariefrith/aqwg09.htm

• http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~fenstemaker/genealogy/p129.htm#i11395

• http://www.americanwars.org/ny-american-revolution/dutchess-county-militia-seventh-regiment.htm

• Fact: Christening (21 April 1741)
• Fact: Residence (1790) Kinderhook, Columbia, New York, United States
• Fact: Burial (Nov 1794) Kinderhook, Columbia, New York, United States
• Fact: http://familysearch.org/v1/LifeSketch Stephen Tompkins (son of Nathaniel) was born in North Castle, Westchester County, on April 21, 1741. He married 1st a Sarles before 1760. He married 2nd, about 1772, Sarah Griffen, (born Philipsburgh Jan. 30 1747) daughter of Edward Griffen. Stephen died in Kinderhook, Columbia County, on November 24, 1794.-- from Families of the colonial town of Philipsburgh by Grenville Mackenzie

Stephen Tompkins' will names children: 1st son John, daughter Hannah, 2nd son Moses, 3rd son Sarles, 4th son Uriah, 5th son Stephen, 6th son Nathaniel, 7th son Cornelius, 8th son Robert, 9th son Edward, 10th son Samuel.

• Interesting family history of the Tompkins boys who settled in Norway.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed November 22, 2018), "Record of Stephen Tompkins", Ancestor # A114779. Stephen was a militia member of the Dutchess County Militia; Dutchess County is just north of Westcheter. He saw combat at White Plains located in Westchester County. He died in Kinderhook, well inside of Albany County and it is likely that he descendants transposed his birth location.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Author unknown. "Norway Tidings" newspaper article, August 1890, Norway, NY. Note: this reference was added in November 2017, further citation information and link are needed.
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11} Will of Stephen Tomkins. Will Book New York, Columbia County, Volume A, page 264. Open image at Ancestry shared image page 1 and page 2.
4. ↑ Broadhead, John Romey, and Fernow, Berthold. Documents relative to the colonial history of the state of New York. Albany, NY: Weed, Parsons, & Co., 1853. Volume 115, p. 490. Accessed 22 November 2018 SJ Baty at https://archive.org/details/documentsrelativ15brod/page/490.
5. ↑ Roberts, James A., Comptroller of the State of New York. New York in the Revolution as Colony and State. Albany, NY: Press of Brandow Printing Company, 1898. 2nd edition, pp. 149, 252. Accessed 23 November 2018 SJ Baty at https://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/rev/New_York_In_The_Revolution_2nd_ed_1898.pdf.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Wade, Rob. "https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nydutche/robinson.html." Major Ebenezer Robinson of New York. Accessed 22 November 2018 SJ Baty at https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nydutche/robinson.html.
7. ↑ A more detailed account of the exploits of the 7th Regiment are contained in: Johnson, Willis Fletcher. Colonel Henry Ludington : a memoir. New York: Ludington L. E., and Ludington, C. H., 1907. Accessed 22 November 2018 SJ Baty at https://archive.org/details/colhenrylud00johnrich.
8. ↑ Wikipedia Contributors. "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_White_Plains." The Battle of White Plains. Accessed 23 November 2018 SJ Baty.
9. ↑ Today in History. "https://todayinhistory.blog/2018/04/26/april-26-1777-midnight-ride/." April 26, 1777: The Female Paul Revere. Accessed 23 November 2018 SJ Baty.
10. ↑ New York Historical Society Museum & Library. "http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/nyhs/ludington/dscref1.html." Guide to the Ludington Family Papers 1776-1945. 2011. Accessed 22 November 2018 SJ Baty.
11. ↑ The Ogdensburg Republican-Journal, Wednesday, May 20, 1925, page 7; Absent for 55 years.
12. ↑ Year: 1790; Census Place: Kinderhook, Columbia, New York; Series: M637; Roll: 6; Page: 245; Image: 268; Family History Library Film: 0568146. Accessed 24 November 2018 SJ Baty at https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=5058&h=245608.

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 09 February 2019, 16:54), entry for Stephen Tompkins(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LZNV-VBP); contributed by various users.

See also:

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:3QVW-72S : accessed 2017-11-10), entry for Stephen /Tompkins/. Note: unsourced tree.

• Nevada Historical Society, Biennial Report of the Nevada Historical Society, Issue 2 (Nevada, State Printing Office, 1911), Biennial Report of the Nevada Historical Society, Issue 2. Note: this reference outlines the family connections of Henry Paige Tompkins Comstock, the discoverer of the famous Nevada Comstock silver lode. Henry was the great-grandson of Stephen Tompkins.

• Yates Publishing, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004), Ancestry.com, Provo, UT, Source number: 2384.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: MLC.

• Ancestry.com, New York, Genealogical Records, 1675-1920 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004), Ancestry.com, Provo, UT, 1790 Federal Census of New York State; Publication Place: Washington, D.C.; Publisher: Government Printing Office; Publication Year: 1908; Page Number: 68.