TOWNSEND VAN VOORHIS. This gentleman traces his lineage back through the mist of many years to the days of 1670, when three Van Voorhis brothers sailed from Amsterdam, Holland, and first landed in the strange "New World." They settled on Long Island, where one brother was killed by a poisoned arrow, the other remaining on the island. On December 17, 1701,- Daniel Van Voorhis was born, and to him the present generation in Washington county trace their origin. On November 27, 1724, he contracted a matrimonial alliance with Femmyte Bennett, who was born April 4, 1706, and they became the parents of the following children: Abraham, Jerome, Ange, John, Cornelius, Elizabeth, Femmyte and Daniel. Daniel Van. Voorhis was born July 7, 1728, at Oyster Bay Long Island. He received a thorough education, soon evincing an unusual taste for any study pertaining to navigation, and many of his books treating on that science are yet in possession of the family. He was captain of a merchant vessel for many years, twice lost his vessel and cargo, and was taken prisoner by the British many times. On occasion he was pursued by a British man-of-war, and had just raised the flag of surrender, but before the enemy saw the signal, a cannon-ball tore away the post close by where he was standing. The captain was three times married: first to a widow lady, Mrs. Britt, who bore him two children: Samuel, a successful merchant of New York City, who came to this county about 1800, residing for some time in a cabin near the present site of the Black Diamond Coal Works (he afterward moved to Bucyrus, Ohio, and died there a few years ago) and Sarah who married John Van Voorhis, and died November 17, 1857, near Goshen, N. Y., aged eighty-two years. After the mother of these children died Capt. Van Voorhis was united in marriage with Mary Newton. In 1785 he ..me to Washington county, Penn., and bought sixty acres of land of one Decker, in what is now Carroll township. Some time afterward he moved his family to the new home, where his second wife died, December 31, 1789, leaving three children: John (deceased June 28, 1874, in Muskingum county, Ohio, at the age of ninety-three years), Daniel (who died in 1852, at the age of sixty- nine) and Abraham (of whom further mention will be presently made). The mother of this family was the first person interred in the Van Voorhis cemetery at Pigeon Creek, where four generations of the name are now lying. For his third wife Capt. Van Voorhis selected Nancy Myers, a native of Hagerstown, Md., who bore him one son and one daughter: Elizabeth (Mrs. Frye), and Isaac, who was born March 15, 1794. Capt. Daniel Van Voorhis was called from earth February 21, 1819. Abraham 'Van Voorhis, son of Capt. Daniel and Mary (Newton) Van Voorhis, was born December 28, 1785, near Rancocas creek, on the Delaware river, in New Jersey. lit early manhood he was united in marriage with Ann Watkins, a native of Washington county, Penn., and their children were born as follows. Garret T., born February 18, 1819, married Hester Frye, died March 20, 1864; had two children (Abraham and Melinda); for his second wife, he married Mary J. Baxter, had one son (Luther T.). Joseph was born August 27, 1820, died November 17, 1822. Robert, born July 21, 1822, married Caroline Frye, had one child (Narcissa). Mary born May 5, 1826, died January 31,1863, married Vincent Colvin, had two children (Jay and Abraham). Abraham Van Voorhis married, for his second wife, Jane Phillips, and bad seven children: Eliza, Lucinda, John, Emeline, Caroline, Serena and Cynthia. Eliza born September 1, 1830, died February 28, 1850; married Thorton Watkins, had one child (James). Lucinda, born August 7, 1832, died June 24, 1840. John, born September 6, 1835, married Isa H. Teeple, had six children (Charles, Lulu, Carrie, Serena, Will and Eva). Emeline, born February 28, 1838, married Joseph Brown, had five children (Van, Samuel, Curtis, Cora and Joseph). Caroline, born November 1, 1840, married James Jones, had seven children (Endsley, Jennie, Allie, Etta, Rena, Emma and Ira). Serena, born July 2, 1843, died March 23, 1861, and Cynthia, born January 16, 1848, who married Cooper Bentley, October 15, 1868. Of these children Robert is one of the best authorities in the United States on all questions pertaining to sheep culture, and has contributed to the Congressional stock paper an article entitled "Diseases of Domestic Animals." John is a systematic, farmer and sheep-raiser, having been president of the Monongahela Valley Agricultural and Horticultural Society. Mrs. Jane Van Voorhis is still active and enjoying good health. She has for many years been a devoted member of the M. E. Church, and resides on the 600 acres of land which her husband owned near Monongahela City. Townsend Van Voorhis, son of Abraham and Ann (Watkins) Van Voorhis, was born February 18, 1819, as stated hitherto, in Carroll township. He received his early education at the old Calhoun school, and in 1810 selected a life companion in the person of Hester, daughter of Noah and Lucy (Colvin) Frye. To this union Were born two sons: Abraham, living in Kansas, and Butter T., residing with his parents. Mr. Van Voorhis owns 193 acres of land situated four miles from Monongahela City, and devotes his principal attention to stock raising. He has been school director for several years.

Text taken from page 1058 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed March 1997 by Theresa Hallam of Akron, OH as part of the Beers Project. Published March 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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