Gertrude Appleget Wyckoff

Other Events:

• Voress Number: 5E7D2B2
• Adopted: Abt 21 May 1840
• Residence: 1850, East Windsor Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA

Notes:

5E7D2B2 Gertrude A. (Appleget?) (1850 East Windsor Twp., Mercer County, NJ Census-Voress-In this Census, when she was living in this referenced Twp., she was referred to as an “Applegate” Wicoff, born c1840; died after Nov 1916. She married Maxwell. She was adopted.

APPENDIX

A Portion of the Autobiography of Gertrude Appleget Wyckoff Maxwell
Reprinted in the Hightstown-East Windsor Historical Society News, January-February, 1998

[Note: This occurred when Gertrude was about ten years old. The family had just moved and she was about to go to school for the first time]

September dawned. The new teacher came to call. I liked her curls, but was not otherwise impressed. The day before school opened my Mama's brother from the mill stopped and said "All was ready for my start to school" After he was gone I asked, "Why does that man from the mill want me to go to school?" My Mama replied, "That man is your father and he knows what is good for little girls." I thought she was joking and could not understand until she made me keep quiet and listen and then she told me what everybody knew and what I would have known if I had not been so entirely absorbed in myself and my surroundings.

I was the youngest of nine children. My paternal and maternal grandfathers had died before I was born and the dear man whose memory was so precious to me was my grandfather only in name and the "bolt from the blue" knocked me over. I did not want two Papas nor two Mamas and I did not want to live at the mill; it was noisy and crowded. etc., etc. My Papa who had been absent comforted me and said I was his little girl and nobody should take me away from him. I must he good and nice to my mother and father, that was all, and in reality there was no difference. The family at the mill were in another county. They went to the store and post office in Sweet Auburn [Cranbury] and we sat on different sides of the Church and we seldom saw them there. My brothers and sister were grown. One brother was married, others were in business or school. They cared little more for me than I for them.

I was very undeveloped and undisciplined and very selfish and younger than my years and it took many repetitions of the story to convince me of its truthfulness and it was not until I was grown that I really understood after hearing the explanations from both mothers.

My Mama Aunt was my real father's youngest and favorite sister. She married and settled near her old home at John's town [Hightstown]. After fifteen years she borrowed a little girl from this brother and did not return her, but she only lived three years with her aunt and died from scarlet fever. The grief of the uncle and aunt was great and they said to the mother, "You must find us another little girl." The mother replied "her family was finished but if it was not she could make no plans to barter her flesh and blood".

But the stork who loved to hover over roofs and chimneys sent a message through the air that a little girl would be found. All the neighbors and friends knew of this and awaited developments.

On the appointed day the old Doctor hurried by the old house by the side of the road and called out he was "going to the mill for the little girl". Jeff [a long time family slave and then servant] got the gig ready but when the Doctor returned, he gave rein to his horse and shouted, "It's a boy."

The news was a heavy disappointment but the uncle and aunt got in the gig and went to the mill, where they found the Doctor had been joking. Whether the excitement of the "Divinity that shapes our ends" was responsible I do not know, but my mother was taken so ill her life was despaired of and I was bundled up and taken to the old farm house in John's town [Hightstown]. A messenger was sent post haste to Philadelphia to get the baby bottle of that day for milk as the older of the two colored women had been married and a mother, I was put in her willing arms and lay in her capacious bosom many times when I was restless in the big hooded family cradle that had been so long unused.

My black Mammy never failed in her devotion to me, and I am thankful I had the privilege of ministering to her on her death bed and clothing her in a white robe for her burial, in her old age.

(We have a bit of a problem at this point. In the following reference [1870 Census, East Windsor Township, Hightstown PO, Mercer County, NJ], we have Kinneth’s wife Gertrude, who is still alive at the age of 73 living with a “Thomas” Applegate; “54; mercht dry goods; PE $6000”. [The two of them might be living well since Gertrude is listed with “RE $10000; PE 19000” which is big time money in those days.] The manner in which Thomas is shown in the Census would seem to indicate he was her son. However he was born about five years before she was married. That does not make it impossible, but we never had a prior indication of his existence. There is the possibility he was adopted, since she and her husband had no children of their own, but did adopt two girls. But again we must point out he was never mentioned before when the two of them were. We need her obituary to see in what manner he is mentioned as being her survivor.—ED)

And with the discovery of Gertrude’s autobiography, we know a little more about this Thomas:

Papa had arranged before his death with a neighbor cousin to look after the farm and act as adviser in need. He had also been concerned for our protection at night. Among the old families it was "comme il faut" to live alone, with "the help.” The distinction between "House and Kitchen" was kept up long after slavery days. Our colored people were the same, and loyal and true, but Papa had a remote relative, one of a large family who had one by one married and settled around their neighborhood. This one had not married, had drifted into store keeping, changed about and the year before Papa's death found himself in John's town [Hightstown] in a store, so it was arranged that he would receive bed and board, and in return he would protect us at night from marauders. He was punctual at meals and never absent at night and the arrangement worked out very well and lasted the twenty-six years of Mama's remaining life. He was genial and had a good memory for jokes and stories, was a great friend of old and young ladies, children and babies. He was very much like his namesake in the "Great DeWilloughby Claim." He had not had the advantage of an early education and was very fond of telling he had never "gone to school but one night and then the candle went out." He was Uncle Tom to everybody in town and as he was twenty years younger than Mama and twenty-four years older than I, the same "everybody" approved the arrangement and said, that one of us would find a son and the other a father thereby.

“Gertrude Appleget Wyckoff,” Hightstown-East Windsor Historical Society Newsletter, Nov-Dec. 1998

Based on his age, his unmarried status, his coming from a “large family” and his description as a cousin, I believe this Thomas is Thomas 5A1C1H ~sta 2012-01-19

Gertrude married James McClusky Maxwell 26 Oct 1865. James died 13 Nov 1903. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Voress Number: 5E7D2B
• Date of Will: 13 Nov 1847
• Occupation: 1850
• Residence: 1850, East Windsor Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA

Notes:

5E7D2B Kinneth (Voress-“Kenneth”—ED) Appleget (Voress-“Applegate”—ED)
Kenneth was born 01 May, 1793. He served in the War of 1812 as a dragoon in Captain Cook's Middlesex County Horse of Colonel Frelinghuesen. He enlisted at Hightstown, NJ in September, 1814 and was discharged in December, 1814 (Appendix.)

There is a series of tax records for Kenneth in East Windsor, Middlesex County. I believe that to be this Kenneth. In 1817, he had 100 improved acres valued at £40 and a tax of 5s 20p (Applegate, 1992.) The acreage remained the same in 1819 and 1820 but 2 horses and 3 cattle were also taxed for a base of £40. His tax came to 5s 60p.

By 1822, Kenneth's acreage had increased to 136 acres valued at £40. The extra 36 acres apparently were not much! His tax base was £54/50 with a state, county and town tax of 6s 54p. By 1836, Kenneth "Applegait" had 140 acres, 4 horses and mules, 12 cattle a wagon and 1 dog. No values or taxes are given.

Kenneth married, on 16 January, 1821, Gertrude Wyckoff (Voress-“Wycoff”—ED). The Reverend S.C. Henry officiated at the ceremony (CJCLDS Film 0888727.) She was born 26 June, 1796 (Service Record of husband-Voress—“1797”—ED) and died 03 January, 1880 of consumption, (Voress-“in Mercer County, E. Windsor” Twp., NJ—ED) aged 84. Gertrude is buried in the Brainerd (now First Presbyterian Church, Cranbury) cemetery a church she joined on 26 April, 1838 (CJCLDS Film 0888727.) Gertrude was the daughter of Jacob and Lydia (Wyckoff) Wyckoff. On 24 December, 1822, Kenneth bought from Jacob Brown of South Amboy six acres in South Amboy for $30 (Middlesex Deeds Z:182.)

In the 1830 census (p. 276,) Kenneth and family lived in South Amboy, Middlesex County. There was one male 30?40, two females <5, two females 5?10 and one female 30?40. Voress says they had no children of their own so the youngsters are unidentified. (We know Kinneth adopted an Applegate child later. It is possible he cared for kids who needed help, or that he took in Applegate kids who needed help.—ED) (Kenneth and Gertrude “adopted” two daughters of Gertrude’s brother, Peter; both named Gertrude. See discussion at 5E7D2B2 Gertrude Appleget Wyckoff, infra. Several of these female children are likely to be their siblings. ~sta 2012-01-19)
On 06 August, 1836, Kenneth bought land from Benjamin Browne and Elizabeth his wife, for $15.76. My copy of the deed is incomplete and the acreage is missing. George Garrison and wife sold 2.85 acres to Kenneth. The price was $900 and the date was 29 March, 1839 (Middlesex Mortgages 16:7475.)

In the 1840 census (p. 28,) "Kinneth" and family still lived in South Amboy. The family had grown, however. There was one male 5-10 and one 40?50 ? plus a gaggle of females. There was one female <5, one 5?10, two 10?15, two 15?20 and one 30?40. Two were engaged in agriculture (a boy between 5 and 10 plus Kinneth?.)

On 01 May, 1845, Kenneth sold land to John J. Johnson. The land was 1.24 acres and the price was $3,000. There is no indication the land was in town; if farm land, it was indeed excellent land (Middlesex Mortgages, 17: 386.) On 09 February, 1846, Kenneth again sold land. This time to William Reese. The amount was 25 acres and the price was $600 ? somewhat less per acre the previous sale (Middlesex Mortgages, 17:342.)

By 1850 (p. 058,) the family had shrunk. They now lived in East Windsor Township, Mercer County. Kinneth was 56, a farmer and worth $25,000. Gertrude was 54; adopted daughter Gertrude was 10 and in school. (He evidently had two adopted daughters named Gertrude, as one had died in 1839. Both he and his father seemed to appreciate children being named after them and their wives.—ED)

He wrote his will 30 November, 1847 and died 07 (Voress-“9”—ED) March, 1854 aged 61 (Hightstown Gazette, 10 March 1854.) Kenneth is buried in the First Presbyterian (Brainerd) Cemetery in row 32 site 6. He is identified as the son of Disbourough. Kenneth's will was proved 21 March, 1854. He gave adopted daughter Gertrude Wicoff $4,000 and namesake Kinneth Appleget Wicoff, son of Cornelius Wicoff $3,000. Sister Rachel Allen was given $60 unless she fell sick and needed more money. in that case, she was to be given whatever was needed. The money was "to be paid to her and not subject to any other person."

Upon his wife's death, Gertrude and Kinneth were to receive an additional $1,000. Wife Gertrude was appointed administer
Gertrude filed for a pension based on Kinneth's service in the War of 1812 (93.046.) It was rejected (22 February, 1856) because she did not prove she was Kinneth's widow. She later gave affidavits to prove she was the widow. The pension application does not give the result.

(1860 Census, East Windsor, Hightstown PO, Mercer County, NJ-In this Census report Gertrude was 63, and had a real estate value of $20,000 and personal property of $25,000 [ifr that is what RE and PE stand for. There was also a “Thomas” Applegate, aged 43 living with her. He was a merchant with PE of $4,000.—ED) (This is her nephew-by-marriage Thomas 5A1C1H

Gertrude wrote her will on 13 September, 1876. It is very long and detailed. She left money to adopted daughter Gertrude and large amounts to "blood kin" i.e. nieces and nephews on her side of the family. Small amounts were left to non?blood kin (is there such a thing?) with the proviso that if they contested the will they got nothing. I don't believe I would have liked Gertrude.

After Gertrude's death, a John V.D. Beckman was given/ loaned $500 by Catherine A. Miller, Upper Freehold, Monmouth County. She assigned to Miller a mortgage dated 23 January, 1856 made by Israel Pearce and wife Mary to secure to Gertrude Applegate the payment of $500 plus interest (Mercer County Mortgage Book I/J:355.) The mortgage was transferred to the executors of Gertrude's estate on 17 June, 1880 (Mercer County Mortgage Book K:485.) Catherine then died and William V.B. Beckman, executor of her estate received $500 from Joseph J. Ely for the mortgage (Mercer County Mortgage Book L:582.)

Occupation:
Farmer

Kenneth married Gertrude Wyckoff 16 Jan 1821, First Presbyterian Church, Cranbury, Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. Gertrude (daughter of Jacob Wyckoff and Lydia Wyckoff) was born 26 Jun 1796, New Jersey, USA; died 03 Jan 1880; was buried , Brainerd Cemetery, Cranbury, Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Baptism: 21 Apr 1838, First Presbyterian Church, Cranbury, Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA
• Residence: 1850, East Windsor Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA
• Occupation: 1870
• Residence: 1870, East Windsor Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA
• Residence: 1876, East Windsor Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA
• Date of Will: 13 Sep 1876

Notes:

Baptism:
wife of Kainith

Occupation:
Householder

Other Events:

• Voress Number: 5E7D2
• Residence: 1837, East Windsor Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA
• Date of Will: 14 Aug 1837
• Baptism: 22 Aug 1847, First Presbyterian Church, Cranbury, Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA

Disbrow married Margaret Dey 1788. Margaret was born Abt 1766; died 18 May 1835. [Group Sheet]

Jacob married Lydia Wyckoff 1786. Lydia (daughter of Peter Wyckoff and Elizabeth ?) was born 1766; died 13 Nov 1842. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Voress Number: 5E7D

Anthony — Sarah Baird Applegate. Sarah (daughter of Thomas Appleget and Sarah ?) was born Abt 1747; died 23 Aug 1829; was buried , Brainerd Cemetery, Cranbury, Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Voress Number: 5A1E
• Date of Will: 10 Jun 1826

Peter — Elizabeth ?. [Group Sheet]