William Louis Cuddeback

“ The emigrant and the frontiersman of the early generations have been succeeded by the farmer, the merchant and the mechanic; later, by those in every branch of human activity and industry. A people of high ideals, honest, intelligent, home-making and law abiding, have ever been exerting an influence uplifting and for the preservation of liberty and freedom. ”

“ After the revolution, the state lands of Central New York were opened to settlers. Many of the younger men of the third generation emigrated to that portion of the state and became pioneers on the "Holland purchase" and the military lands of the state where their families have continued to reside.
Later the descendants in the fourth generation, farmers and those of allied pursuits, became owners of nearly all of the most fertile bottom lands in the valley. They were jealous of their ownership of these paternal farms, and guarded them from outside ownership and intrusion. ”

“ Houses disappear. Among the saddest of my experiences are visits to localities where there is now little or no vestige of the lives or of the drama of life enacted in the old homesteads of bygone years. ”

“ Then came the knitting, the weaving, and the making of the clothing,—broom corn brooms supplanted birch splint brooms. Such constant employment invariably leads to habits of economy, to adaptability and resourcefulness which makes for independence and strength. ”

“ William Cuddeback, the father of Capt. Abram, was there with his family. He was an old man and died soon after the revolution. His son, Benjamin Cuddeback, was at Fort DeWitt, near the present Neversink highway bridge, at the time of the raid and was in charge of its defense. After the invasion, he returned to the "Cuddeback Stone House," "Fort Cuddeback," with his family, where he died about 1782 presumably of typhoid fever. ”

“ Forty-one years of the practice of my profession among neighbors, relatives and friends of my boyhood have impressed me with the desirability of a record of our people and of our family. Families scatter. Homes disintegrate. ”

“ These families developed traits of character and physical stature which has been most noticeable in members of succeeding generations.
"William Cuddeback, though uneducated, was versed in the scriptures, was characterized as a wise man in his time." Each succeeding generation developed its leaders in the religious, business and social matters of their day, of sterling uprightness and integrity, among a people gentle, modest, retiring, with strong religious convictions, with sympathy and helpfulness toward each other and a fidelity to duty. ”

“ The upper was the neighborhood of Meckheckemeck, while the lower neighborhood embracing the valley from Huguenot, south to the Delaware river was called "Little Minisink Neighborhood." Its forts were—Westfall, Decker, near the Delaware and Van Auken, the latter being east of the Neversink where the stone houses afforded the protection.
After the revolution, more attention was paid to agriculture. The small farms were again cultivated to a greater extent. Timbers were rafted down the Neversink and Delaware to market. Saw mills and grist mills were built in the valley. ”

“ The typical pioneer's home has been described as a log house on sloping ground, on the brow of a hill, facing and overlooking the level meadow land, from which a path led up to its front door, which was about in the middle of the front of the house. ”

“ The black hat of Caudebec with the large black feather was made here as was most of the headgear worn in France. The French court adopted this Caudebec hat, a large black beaver with a long feather, and later it was used almost universally in France.
The church at Caudebec is said to be one of the finest in Normandy. It has suffered greatly by reason of the sectional wars that have repeatedly devastated the country, especially those of the 16th and 17th centuries. It was built originally in the 11th century and has been enlarged and repaired repeatedly. ”

“ The following transcripts from the public records at Kingston, New York and Albany are of value as records of the life and the struggles of these early colonists. The deeds from the Indians covering a large acreage, extending in the Meckheckemeck valley from Naponeck nearly to the Delaware, was made to others besides those named in the Caudebec patent. This was a cause of differences between owners of adjoining patents and led to disturbances between the Indians and the pioneers. ”

“ William and Benjamin Cuddeback received one-eighth part, which they redeeded to their father, Jacob Cuddeback, and also received deed for
lot No. 5 of 1st division of the patent " No. 6 2nd " " " " No. 5 5th " " " " No. 3 6th " " " " No. 5 7th " " " " No. 2 8th " " "
and also for 12 acres of land with all edifices, barns, barracks, fencing and implements.
No record is found that either John Tyse or David Jamison lived in the valley. It is believed that Tyse was an older man and was a resident of Oesopus where records show the baptism of three of his children about 1680. ”

“ As their children reached maturity and began life for themselves, some of them with others, later emigrants, sought adjacent locations for their homes. The Meckheckemeck settlement was formed just previous to 1700. Lands were purchased and the Cuddeback patent was obtained. Here a new generation grew to manhood. Youth again active, restless and alert sought other locations. From 1730 to 1750 the lands along the Delaware, both in New Jersey and in Pennsylvania were attractive. The younger of the families of Cuddeback, Depuy, Shimer and Hornbeck established homes there. ”

“ From these the water flows into the Delaware River at Port Jervis.
The Kitatiny mountains of New Jersey becomes the Shawangunk range in New York and form the southeastern border of the valley. The Blue Ridge mountains of Pennsylvania extend northeasterly into New York, form the northwesterly border of the valley, and extend into the foot hills of the Catskills. Between these mountain ranges lies the valley of the Neversink, the Meckheckemeck of the early days, two hundred to four hundred feet below their crests. ”

“ I deem myself fortunate to have known and learned from those of earlier generations many facts pertaining to the early history of the family. A physician comes to know the country, the people and the families with an intimacy unknown in other relations. ”

“ The several owners then built substantial stone houses at nearby points in the valley. The "Gumaer stone house" of the present day was built. The "Cuddeback stone house," now standing, near the log house by the highway, near a small run of water just south of Port Clinton and about one mile due north of pioneers knoll, was built by Jacob Caudebec and his sons.
This has been occupied by six generations of the Cuddeback family. It is still firm and substantial and a comfortable home. The Swartwout's possessed Seneyaghquan. ”

“ They had the honesty and the prudence to adjust all matters relating to their mutual dealings." When roused by fear and danger they became sturdy energetic soldiers who knew only independence and self-reliance. The extent of this is shown by the military records. In the second regiment of Ulster County militia, in the company of which Captain Abram Cuddeback commanded we find among the enlisted men six of the name of Cuddeback—William, Peter, James, Benjamin, Abraham, Sr., Abraham, Jr., five of the name of Swartwout and several names of each of the families of the region. ”

“ Nov. 27, 1777 Jane Westbrook. His dau.,
6. Blandina Van Etten, m. Dec. 26, 1805, Benjamin Cuddeback of the fourth generation.
CAUDEBEC IN NORMANDY, FRANCE
The home of our ancestor, from which he fled, a Huguenot refugee in 1685, is a small town on the right bank of the Seine, about midway between Havre and Rouen. At this point the river St. Gertrude, flowing down between the two mountain peaks Mt. Calidee and Mt. Vignette, empties into the Seine.
Caudebec, the capital of Caux, is within a triangle, its base the bank of the Seine on which is a wharf 13.78 ft. ”

“ As the next generation grew to manhood many of them seeking homes crossed over into the valley of Susquehanna into the southern central New York counties. This movement was quite extensive just after the revolution, when influenced by the DeWitts, surveyors, quite a colony from Peenpack established themselves in the "lake country" of central New York. ”

“ These, with the products of the soil made life worth living, and secured the settlers comfort and prosperity.
The Indians, friendly and helpful, taught the planting and the raising of Indian corn, their "gunney wheat" or "turkey wheat"—a native American food—the grinding and the cooking of it and the preparation of many kinds of most nutritious foods from it, samp porridge, suppawn, new samp, succotash, using their handmade mills, their stump and sapling mortar also. They had great fear however of windmills. ”

“ Ruttenber states that Peter Gumaer and Jacob Caudebec were the younger members of the families of Abraham Guimar and James Caudebec. He soon adapted himself to the different conditions of life of the new world. He found employment with Benjamin Provost, a trader of New York and Oesopus. He came to this valley in 1690. On October 21st, 1695, he married in New York City Margarette Provost, a daughter of his employer, Benjamin Provost, and Elsje Aelberts who had been married in New York Nov. ”

“ The 9th of January 1695-6 for a lysence to purchase 400 acres at great little Minissinks Under color of which lysense being upwards of 20 in number, by large gifts to the Indians and other indirect (works?) (debauches?) them to (bad?) faith to the petitioners, to sell the same lands to them, of which complaint was made to the Governor & Council, & an order thereupon granted that (it approving the petitioners lysense) was prior to the date of that of Rutsen & Compa. and the name of the place certain, and (still) it is of ill consequence to have indirect dealings with the Indians. ”

“ This included the level fertile low lands from near Cuddebackville to Huguenot, and was later called the "Peenpack flats." Near the center of this "Caudebec patent" there is a knoll extending longitudinally of the valley, which tradition gives as the location of the homes of the first settlers. It is oval, about three hundred yards long, fifty yards wide, and elevated above the surrounding low lands approximately twenty feet.
This pioneer knoll, today grass-grown and a pasture, gives evidence of its former occupancy. Depressions indicate the location of these log houses. ”

“ It opens against the sloping ground so that wood may be carried or rolled in or that the huge back log—the foundation for the fire—may be drawn in by a horse for the great wide fireplace which fills up one end of the single room—the "fire room"—the general living room. ”

“ The cultivation of flax and hemp constituted a large part of their labor. The manufacture of cloth and clothing was a household occupation and year end employment for both the men and the women of the families. ”

“ All that certain tract or parcell of land, situate lying and being in the bounds of Menissing & Waggackemeck beginning at the west bound of the land called Naponach to a small run of water called by the indian name Assawagkemeek and soe alongst said run of water and the land of Hansjoor the indian. ”

“ Petition of Jacob Codeber Thomas Swart & others praying a patent for a tract of land in Ulster County being a part of a tract called Waghaghkemeck.
To Coll Benjamin Fletcher, General & Governor of New York & c.
Thomas Gumbl Jacob Coddeber, Thomas, Anthony & Barnardus Swartwout, James Tys David Jamisson
Showoth
That there is a . . . land called Waghaghkomock in Elster . . . the sixth first petitioners had a lyine on . . . hundred acres for the improvement but . . . uttssen & Company who has a poss . . . the Minissink fort so it is that . . . Waghkomeck is purchased of the indians . . . ”

“ GEORGE5 CUDDEBACK (Jacob,1 William,2 Benjamin,3 Henry4) , b. Aug. 10, 1815, d. Jan, 18, 1889, m. Dec. 21, 1848, Margaret Carpenter, b. Mar. 24, 1824, d. Feb. 11, 1898, dau. of John Carpenter and Catherine Westfall. He was a farmer in Deerpark, east of the Neversink, on their family homestead farm. Children (Cuddeback) :
Henry G.,6 b. Oct. 17, 1849, m. (1) Sept. 18, 1878, Libbie A. O'Reilly, of Cochecton, b. Dec. 5, 1854, d. Nov. 29, 1879. He m. (2) Feb. 28, 1883, Sarah Whitlock, b. May 29, 1848, d. Dec. 13, 1917, dau. of Benjamin and Jane Swartwout Whitlock, of Lyons. ”

“ John Nearpass, m. Sarah Squirrel and they lived on a farm in New Jersey. His son
3. Michael Nearpass, m. Jemima Cuddeback and at her death m. Charlotte Stewart. They lived on a farm in New Jersey. His son
4. William Henry Nearpass, m. Sept. 8, 1881, Josephine Westfall.
THE LOW FAMILY. PIETER CORNELLISSE LOUWE came from Holstein, Holland in Feb., 1659, in the ship Faith. On Oct. 27th, 1668, he married Elizabeth Blanshau, who came from Artoise, France, in 1660. His son
Tys (Matthias) Louw, of Rochester, Ulster Co., married Jannetje Van Harring. His son
Abraham Louw, married Dinah Codebec. ”

“ Petition dated October 18th, 1699, of Bernard Swartwout and others to Governor Fletcher for protection in the peaceable enjoyment of their lands.
(5) Deed dated February 12th, 1725, Jacob Codebec to his three eldest sons of his seventh interest in the Caudebec patent.
DEED FROM THE INDIANS.
Know all men by these presents that we Achparreny, Orreguan, Harmon Hekan, Tadepaa, Sansanan, Wackheeck, Toorakawa, Paghetenson, Koerderson, Tindemopigton, Namesjarout, Maberotgaroposon, Tonnespaam, Mossingsinck, Capiskeham Indians sendeth greeting. ”