| Notes |
- Nathan Rumsey was the last son named in his father's will of Jan 1751/52, so was probably born after Phineas (b 1734). There may have been daughters between these two. There are many questions and much unresolved confusion about Nathan.
Nathan was in the Court of General Sessions of the Peace for the County of Orange on the last Tuesday of Oct 1754 (Perhaps he and his brother James got into trouble together?). His appearance as entered and he was discharged on paying the fees. This was repeated in 1759. In 1768 he was appointed Pathmaster in Cornwall.
His son Asa died intestate in Cornwall Precinct, a laborer, and his father Nathan, carpenter, was appointed Administrator of his estate 27 April 1784. (Abstract from New York Histocial Society Collections Vol.36 - Wills Vol.12, p.408) Another abstract gave the date of probate as 18 March 1784 (Dr. Kenneth Scott: Genealogical Data from Administration Papers from the New York State Court of Appeals in Albany (1972).) Bondsmen were Nathan Rumsey, Henry Brewster Jr, and Stephen Hulze, all of Orange Co. Witnesses were James Everett and Thomas Moffatt. Presumably Asa would have been at least 21 at the time of death, so born by 1763. Asa served in the Third Regt. of Orange Co Militia, Col Wm.Allison (Land Bounty Rights) (Roberts: New York in the Revolution p255).
There was a Nathaniel Rumsey in the Line Artillery (ibid p.66). Lacking any suitable Nathaniel, this may be Nathan3, who was listed as having served in
The Levies, Col. Albert Paulding (ibid. p.85).
Shelford reported about Nathan: "He married Lydia Tuthill and had three sons. He was executor of the estate of his son Asa in 1784 and is referred to as Nathan of Cornwall. The other sons were Richard (Census of 1810) [not indexed NY 1810] and Ebenezer (m. Wallkill, Census of 1820).
"During the Revolution Nathan served in Pauling's artillery as matross. The outfit was a land bounty regiment. There are two original letters in Albany, one from John Chandler who claimed that Nathan's rights had been conveyed to him, and one from Hill Dills who claimed he had purchased Nathan's right and title. Whatever these letters may signify, Nathan drew Lot 4 in Sempronious, No. 13 (160 acres) on the site of the city of Auburn. He took possession of the land and planted an orchard; he returned later and found someone had settled on it and refused to move."
Jean Rumsey found in Wayne Co., NY, a book of deeds of Cayuga Co., which records Nathan Rumsey of Upper Mount Bethel town, Northampton Co., PA laborer, and formerly a Soldier from the State of new York under the command of Capt. George Fleming of the New York Artillerty, conveyed all right to land he was entitled to from the State for service during the late war, to Henry Dills for 12 pounds. Witnesses were Samuel and David Kickendall of new Jersey. The transaction was dated 2 Nov 1789 and recorded 19 Mar 1796.
Continuing from Shelford: "Nathan conveyed the land to David, son of Simon, in 1788. David sued to recover it. A letter from Mrs. Sanford to Minnie Rumsey of Cragiville indicates that Miss Rumsey had loaned the depositions to Mrs. Sanford for copying. The letter commented that Lydia Miller presented much testimony and that she must have married again after the 'drowning of Nathan.' In the 1790 census, a Nathan Rumsey was recorded in Cornwall (one male over 16 years, 2 under 16 years, 2 females).
In addition to Mrs. Sanford's 'drowning of Nathan' suggestion, there is another story that Nathan pushed his wife overboard and she drowned in the Hudson. H.C. Duryea wrote that Nathan, son of Simon, married and went to Jamestown, PA. Mrs. Sanford referred to him as the son of Simon who wandered off after marrying and having a family. There were plenty of Nathan Rumseys to do all these things. The 1790 census showed NY 2, PA 1, CT 1, VT 1 (The last two were descended from Robert of Fairfield, CT). Maryland had one drowned at sea returning from Europe 1778. Usually there were several generations of Nathans."
Of the 2 Nathans in Orange Co., NY in 1790, the one in Goshen near Phineas and David (who prob. married Lydia McGowen), had 2 adult males and 3 under 16, plus 2 females, which does not match either Nathan above, or his nephew Nathan who had one son born 1788 and one daughter born Sep 1790, and Goshen does not seem the right location for either.
The other was in New Cornwall, as Shelford showed above, and had one extra female for Nathan, and one extra male for Nathan. And the town of Cornwall would be appropriate for either. Nathan "Ramsey" was listed Apr 1798 as a Pathmaster in Cornwall.
The Nathan in Pennsylvania in 1790 was in Northumberland Co., living alone, not far from John Rumsey who as a nephew of Nathan. This could fit the Sanford story that Nathan had "wandered off" after having a family. It also could fit Duryea's report that Nathan went to Jamestown, PA. There was a Jamestown, not on current maps, which was a hamlet or post-borough in Lycoming Co., five miles south of Jersey Shore. An old Gazetteer places it in Limestone Township, with post office at Oriole, which, on current maps, is between the North White Deer Ridge and South White Deer Ridge.
Nathan might have left his family in Orange Co., NY and gone first to Upper Mt. Bethel, PA, before 1789, where the Dills deed placed him. This was a little way down the Delaware river from the western tip of Orange Co., NY. From there he could have gone to Northumberland Co. to be enumerated in the 1790 census. Yet his name may also have headed a household in Orange Co. because his family was still there.
Next is the question of wives and children for Nathan. Shelford must have obtained his information about the family primarily from Mrs. Sanford, that he had a wife Lydia Tuthill and sons Asa, Richard and Ebenezer. But there is no knowing where she obtained it, or if it is based on sound proof. The son Asa is the only one which Jean Rumsey has found documentation for, and he had no descendants. It is possible that Lydia Tuthill was Asa's mother, but there was quite a gap between Asa and the other two who were under 16 in 1790, if they are identified properly.
If this Lydia married a Miller "after the drowning of Nathan", it might be more than mere coincidence that a William Miller and his wife Lydia sold land in 1811 in Solon, Cortland Co. to Richard Rumsey of Solon. Richard's age is not known, though presumably he was 21 in 1811 when he signed the deed, thus born before 1789. His wife was born in 1789 in MA. Ebenezer was listed as age 66 in the 1850 census, so was born about 1784, making him more than 20 years younger than Asa.
There are other possibilities to offer for an unidentified Nathan. Perhaps Nathan had an older son named Nathan, whose records (if any) might have been confused with those of his father. Perhaps he was the one who married Lydia McGowan in 1783, so could be the father of Richard and Ebenezer. The only other spot where another Nathan could fit would be as a son of Daniel. All of this is pure speculation though in an attempt to accoutn for one more of the numerous Nathans, and solve discrepancies in the various tales. [2]
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Aft 1736 - Yes, date unknown
[1, 2] 
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
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: Not Set
