We often use abstracts of original sources because of convenience, especially when they are regarded as reliable. But it pays to looks for an earlier version (preferably the original, if available), even for minor statements, because the abstracts may be defective in unexpected ways.
In the case of the published records of the Newtown Presbyterian Church in Elmhurst, Queens County, Long Island, 1708–1882, interesting information like cause of death and even entire entries were omitted by the abstractor, Arthur White.1 Fortunately, both an earlier typed version and the original church records are readily available.2 Good examples are provided by the following death entries for 1731 and 1732 (the additional information provided by the typescript is in italics):3
1731 William Laurence, died with the small pox Dec. 11
William Hallet, also Dec. 13
Joseph Hallet, also Dec. 14
1732 Nathan Fish, also Jan. 11 1731-32
Moses Halet, also Dec. 29 1731
His sister Creed also March 1731-32
His Aunt Fish with the Small Pox May 30 or 31 1732
Thus, the typescript tells us these people all died of smallpox and adds two decedents not in the abstracts. Moreover, the relationship to Moses Hallett for the two extra decedents identifies them:
- “His sister Creed” is Mary Hallett, whose marriage of 20 December 1728 to William Creed was recorded at Grace Church, Jamaica, Long Island.4 Mary is not identified in two standard accounts of the Hallett family.5
- “His Aunt Fish” is Elizabeth Hallett, whose marriage of 21 February 1716/7 to John Fish was recorded at Grace Church.6 This relationship was already known.
Only one other entry on the same page of the typescript has been omitted from the abstracts; however, information from that page has been simplified or omitted from the abstracts, as the following examples show:7
1730 Yoos Springsteen, fell down in his Barn & died in an Hours time March 17 1730-1
1732 John Scudder, aged about 87 Nov. 30 or Dec. 1 1732
1732-3 Hannah Forman, widow,8 died with the Dropsy Feb. 22 1732-3
Nathan Fish, a young man belonging to this Town being an apprentice at New-York ferry on long Island was taken ill on Sabbath Even: died in less than 24 hours: was buried in this town on the 18th D Aprl. April 16
John Morrel’s son, taken wth a fit in the morning died a little after noon the
same day July 31
About 7 or 8 of the clock in the evening Capt. Thomas Hazard was Riding from Capt. Fish’s Mill Homeward, fell off from the beast and died the next day a little after 3 of the clock in the afternoon Aug. 31 Aug. 30 [sic]
1733-4 Jan. 18. Peter Schank had a child scalded, died the next day Jan. 18
Item, Daniel Rapalie’s child died about that time Jan. 199
Widow Brinkerhoof’s negro wench died Suddenly Well & dead in a very Short time: after it was perceived that She was in pain it was asked her what aild her. She Said she had a pain in her head and said no more till She died: which was (by report) in about a Hours time Jan. 23
Robert Coe died very suddenly June 21
Philip Ketchum died consumptively July 12
It is always advisable to look at the introduction to any published records. From the examples given on the previous page, we might expect that the abstractor would comment about including only essential information. However, the opposite is true. We find that Arthur White, who had been hired by The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society to transcribe the church records, wrote that “to my best knowledge and belief I have made a complete copy of the vital records of the Newtown Presbyterian Church” and “[t]o the best of my belief these transcriptions are a faithful copy of the original records.”10 It is possible that White thought he had made a “complete copy,”11 but in fact he had made incomplete abstracts.
Mr. Hoff is the former editor of The NYG&B Record, and is a Trustee Emeritus of the Society. He is the current editor of The NEHGS Register. 10209 Faire Commons Court, Burke, VA 22015-2858 (hbhoff@aol.com).
Notes
1 Arthur White, “Records of the Presbyterian Church, Newtown (Now Elmhurst), Queens County, Long Island, N.Y.,” Record 55 (1924):162–67, 281–91, 393–400; 56 (1925):73-83, 173–87, 353–69; reprinted in Collections of The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, vol. 8 (New York, 1928), 1–83. Both versions are available on the Society’s website.
2 The earlier typed version is included in Cora Snapp, “Historical Notes of Newtown,” typescript, 4 vols. (Jamaica, N.Y.: Long Island Collection of the Queens Borough Public Library, 1941 [Family History Library microfilm 0,017,805, items 3–6], described in the Record 131 [2000]:267n, 274–75).
Miss Snapp transcribed “Historical Notes of Newtown” from the James Riker Papers at the New York Public Library, described in The NYG&B Newsletter 13 (2002):37. The original records are still in the possession of the church, and a microfilm of what appear to be those original records up to 1902 is in the Family History Library [microfilm 0,497,549, item 2], but surprisingly not in the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia.
3 “Records of the Presbyterian Church” [note 1], Record 55:353 [Collections 8:48]; “Historical Notes of Newtown” [note 2], 2:201. For the effect of smallpox epidemics on Newtown, see Jessica Kross, The Evolution of an American Town: Newtown, New York, 1642–1775 (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1983), 244–45.
4 “The Register Book for the Parish of Jamaica; Kept. by the Rev. Thomas Poyer, Rector from 1710 to 1732,” Record 19 (1888):5–12, 53–59, at 57; Horatio Oliver Ladd, The Origin and History of Grace Church, Jamaica, New York (New York: Shakespeare Press, 1914), 285.
5 James Riker Jr., The Annals of Newtown in Queens County, New-York. (New York: D. Fanshaw, 1852; reprinted Lambertville, N.J.: Hunterdon House, 1982), 402–03; John Ross Delafield, Delafield: The Family History, 2 vols. (New York: privately printed, 1945), 2:486–87.
6 “Register Book for Jamaica” [note 4], Record 19:55; Ladd, Grace Church [note 4], 281.
7 “Records of the Presbyterian Church” [note 1], Record 55:353 [Collections 8:48–49]; “Historical Notes of Newtown” [note 2], 2:201.
8 “Records of the Presbyterian Church” [note 1], Record 55:353 [Collections 8:49], spells her name “Furman.”
9 There is no date for this entry in “Historical Notes of Newtown” [note 2], 2:201.
10 “Records of the Presbyterian Church” [note 1], Record 55:162 [Collections 8:1].
11 His handwritten manuscript is at the Family History Library [microfilm 0,178,804, item 1].
by Henry B. Hoff, CG, FASG, FGBS
Originally published in The New York Researcher, Winter 2010
© 2011 The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
All rights reserved.