Janitie CONOVER

Cornelius married Jannetje DE NEIS on 5 Dec 1758 in Freehold Middletown DRC, Marlboro, Monmouth, New Jersey. Jannetje (daughter of Tunis DENISE and Francintje HENDRICKSON) was born on 10 Aug 1740 in Sqaun, Monmouth, New Jersey; was christened on 23 Nov 1740 in Freehold Middletown DRC, Marlboro, Monmouth, New Jersey; died on 26 Mar 1799 in Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey; was buried in Schenck-Couwenhoven Cemetery. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Tunis married Francintje HENDRICKSON on 17 Sep 1731 in Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey. Francintje (daughter of Capt. Daniel HENDRICKSON and Catherine VAN DYKE) was christened on 19 Dec 1714 in Dutch Reformed Ch.. Middletown, Monmouth, New Jersey. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Francyntje, (Frances) the ninth child of Daniel Hendrickson and Catharine VanDyke, his wife, married 1731, Teunis (born June 15, 1704, died June 10, 1797), son of Denyse Denyse and Helen Cortelyou, his wife, of New Utrecht, L. I. She was his second wife, as he first married Catharine, a daughter of Hendrick VanDyke, by whom he had one daughter named Helena, born March 14, 1728; married April 17, 1759, Samuel Forman (born November 13, 1713; baptized February 13, 1714; died January 18, 1792), a son of Jonathan Forman and Margaret Wyckoff, his wife. She died January 20, 1789, and is buried by her husband in old burying ground at Mt. Pleasant or Freneau station. Teunis Denyse married for his third wife, December 2, 1779, Rachel, daughter of Garret Schenck and Neeltje Voorhees, his wife, and the widow of Geisbert Longstreet and Jacob VanDorn. It was the third venture of both in the lottery of matrimony. History not only repeats itself with nations, but with individuals, for we have today in Monmouth county a lineal descendant of Teunis Denise, who not only bears the same name, but has been married three times and whose second wife was also a Hendrickson. Tunis Denyse made his will April 2, 1792, proved January 16, 1798, and recorded in Book 37 of Wills, page 350 at Trenton. N. J. His son Daniel and son- in-law, John Forman, are named as executors. His sons-in-law were among the most influential and prominent of the patriots during the revolution. Francyntje Hendrickson and Tunis Denyse, her husband, had the following children: Tryntje, (Catharine) born May 8, 1732: died September 8, 1771, married Garret Hendrickson, (born January 22, 1734 ; died December 2, 1801) who has already been mentioned in a former article. Eleanor, baptized May 26, 1734 ; married John Forman, (born 1731, died 1811) grandson of Samuel Forman and Mary, his wife. Their license was granted May 2, 1752. John Forman served as one of our county judges. She died in 1796. Anna, born June 16, 1736 ; married June 16, 1757, David Forman, (born October 1, 1733; died March 30, 1812) son of Jonathan Forman and Margaret Wyckoff, his wife. Their license was granted June 9, 1757, according to records in secretary of state's office. She died September 9, 1798, and is buried in Tennent church yard. David Forman was Sheriff of our Monmouth militia during the Revolution and one of the most energetic and active of the patriotic leaders. On account of his swarthy complexion he was called Black David Forman. Nuis or Denyse baptized January 4, 1738, died young. Jannetje (Jane) born August 19, baptized October 2, 1740, married Cornelius R., (born July 29, baptized September 11, 1740, died July 12, 1796) son of Roelof Cornelius Couwenhoven and Sarah Voorhees, his wife. Their license was granted December 5, 1758. She died March 26, 1799, and is buried by her husband in Schenck-Couwenhoven yard. This couple had ten children, three boys and seven daughters, who all married well. Fammetje (Phoebe) born August 11, baptized September 4, 1743: married October 19, 1765, Rev. Benjamin DuBois, the famous pastor for over 50 years of the Monmouth Dutch church. He was born March 30, 1739, and died August 12, 1727. [sic 1827?] She died January 7, 1839, and is buried by her husband in yard of Marlboro Dutch church. Denyse, baptized December 22, 1745 ; married April 17, 1768, Margaret, daughter of Richard and Sara Francis, who died April 18, 1770, aged 22 years, 10 months, 24 days, according to her headstone in Topanemus burying ground where she is interred by her parents. He married for his second wife Catharine, daughter of Garret Garretse Schenck and Jannetze Williamse Couwenhoven, his wife. She was baptized September 5, 1756. Denyse Denyse was a major of our militia and also a judge in our county courts during and subsequent to the Revolution. Daniel, baptized May 15, 1748, married first April 18, 1771, Jane Schenck, who was born in 1754; married second, Mary Stillwell. Buried in old yard near East Freehold. Mary, born July 9, 1750; married July 31, 1767, John Schenck, the famous leader of our militia during the Revolution. He was born August 28, 1745, and died August 28, 1834, on the farm in Pleasant Valley where his grandson, David Schenck, now resides. She died July 15, 1829. Both were first buried in Schenck and Couwenhoven yard, but with many others have been since removed, or rather what little was left of their bodies has been removed and their tombstones set up in the Holmdel cemetery. John Schenck, who married this youngest daughter, was next to Sheriff David Forman, his brother-in-law, one of the most active and daring of the officers of our county militia. So troublesome was he that the enemy offered a reward of fifty guineas for his capture or death. An attempt to capture the notorious tory, mayor of New York city, David Matthews, by some Monmouth men led by John Schenck and William Marriner, was perhaps the primary cause of this offer. This was a very bold move and failed of success through the absence of Mayor Matthews from home that night. He had been accidentally detained in New York city. The kidnapping of prominent patriots in Monmouth by raiding bands of refugees was of frequent occurrence, and their treatment as prisoners of the harshest kind. It is said that Cunningham often boasted when in liquor, that he had used up more rebels by starvation and neglect than the whole British army had killed by their bullets and bayonets. At all events reprisals or retaliations of some kind were the only means left to compel decent treatment and exchange of prisoners. Accordingly it was resolved to capture David Matthews and two or three other prominent loyalists w^ho resided at Flatbush, L. I., and within the lines of the British army. John Schenck had a number of relatives living in the vicinity of Flatbush, and when a boy had often visited them and so became well acquainted with the country and roads. Marriner presented this plan to the council of safety who sanctioned it. Nearly every neighborhood through which a large stream or creek flowed into Raritan river, and from Cheesequake creek to Compton's creek along the Bayshore had its association of men to own and man what was called a whaleboat. Raritan Bay was wholly commanded by the guns of the British men of war so our people were obliged to hide thier boats up in some swamp or ravine. The large barges or gun boats were kept well up Raritan river. The usual crew of a whaleboat on the patriot side was fifteen men, of whom one steered and gave commands while the others rowed. Picked men of great physical strength and endurance were selected. The least sign of cowardice on part of a man led to his instant dismissal from the crew. They were trained to row without noise and could propel the boat at the rate of twelve miles an hour. Each man was armed with a cutlass and pistols, and the boat supplied with a few pikes and hooks on long poles, a few grappling irons, lanterns and heavy blankets. These boats were about thirty feet in length with flat bottoms to float in shoal water, wide in the centre with high sides to carry big loads, and pointed on both ends. They were called whaleboats, but altogether different from the small boats used in the whale fishery. They were built of cedar or some other light wood so that they could be lifted from the water and carried over land by the crew and concealed in some swamp or ravine up in the woods. These boats were originally built to carry on a secret traffic with the enemy and smuggle goods back and forth. A whale boat loaded with butter, eggs, poultry and other farm truck, in summer, and hay, grain, firewood, etc., in winter, slipping out of the inlets, or rivers on our coast were safe from capture on the ocean or bay unless intercepted by the whale-boats of the patriots. Coming back with the specie or other valuable goods after trading with the enemy, they were valuable prizes to our people when captured. Transports loaded with munitions of war and other supplies for the British army in occupation of New York were constantly coming and going out of Raritan Bay. A constant demand existed for fresh provisions on part of the people within the British lines and there was a constant traffic to supply this demand. An association of men existed through this region back of Middletown Point, as Matawan was then called, who had two whale-boats hid in the ravines southeast of the village. These men were seen by John Schenck and agreed to help him and Marriner in their raid. The first cloudy or dark night was agreed on. This happened the second Saturday in June, 1778. Eleven of the regular crew met Marriner and Schenck at Brown's Point late in the afternoon. The boat was taken from its hiding place and launched in the Creek a little after sunset. The sky was overcast with clouds and there was every indication of an easterly storm. They rowed dirrectly across to Staten Island, and guided by the lights which shone out from the houses on land skirted the shore until they reached the Narrows. Here they rowed across and landed some distance above what is now Fort Hamilton. Leaving two men in charge of the boat and guided by John Schenck they went over to Flatbush. They reached here about midnight and effected a noiseless entrance into the dwelling of Mayor Matthews. The women were placed in one room under guard, but the mayor was not at home. They took however, four of his negro slaves. At the next house they captured a Major Monerieff and a Mr. Bache. With these two white men and four negroes they got back to their boat without exciting the least alarm. They rowed back and reached the mouth of Matawan creek with their six prisoners by daylight next morning. A newspaper of that day in speaking of this raid says they traveled over fifty miles between six o'clock Saturday night and six o'clock next morning and behaved with the greatest prudence and bravery. This spiriting away of prominent men at night from their homes within the British lines naturally aroused great alarm. No one felt safe or secure against capture and same treatment as they gave the American prisoners. Their fears made them more humane. Following is the British account of the Flatbush raid from the journal of Lieut. Col. Stephen Kemble, published in N. Y. Hist. Collection for year 1883, Vol. 1, pages 151-2. "Sunday, June 14, 1778. About 2 o'clock this morning, a party, said to be about 20 men, some armed, others not, with faces blacked, took off Major Moncreiffe and Mr. Bache. Attempted the Mayor. Mr. Matthews' house, but it being well fastened, and a shot being fired, which they apprehended might give the alarm, induced them to go off, with the two first mentioned gentlemen, supposed into Jersey, but at this time no certain account can be given. All else is quiet." In this account the Mayor is left out as though he was home and his house fastened, but the truth is he was not at home, and if a shot had been fired it would have created an alarm as the British sentinels were posted all around for Flatbush was within their lines." Beeckman, George C., Early Dutch Settlers of Monmouth Co., New Jersey, Morrau Bros. Publishers Freehold NJ 1901, pp .139- 141, US/CAN 974.946 D2b.

Daniel married Catherine VAN DYKE about 1696 in Of Middletown, Monmouth, New Jersey. Catherine was born about 1674 in New Utrecht, Kings, Long Island, New York; died after 9 Dec 1744 in Middletown, Monmouth, New Jersey. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]