CAPTAIN ABRAHAM MAYBEE - U.E.L.
The following account of the
life of Capt. Abraham Maybee is taken from the notes of the late Ralph
D. Maybee. (Continued from Issue #2)
See
Issue #2
Affordable Web Design by Baylite
Studios
Baylite
Studios offers Web development/design packages for your family, business,
organization, or personal needs. Web designer Fred Maybee will consult
with you to determine your needs including images, graphics, text, and
even sound. It is important to convey accurate information to your target
audience. For prices and answers to all of your web design questions go
to: www.baylite.ns.ca |
On Dec. 6, 1779, Major Gaetschius
at Schraalenburgh asked General Wayne for a pass to send Abraham's wife
Gerritje and her two children into New York where she undoubtedly joined
Abraham. These children would have been Peter and Abraham aged four and
two, respectively, at the time.
Apparently Gerritje
died in New York sometime prior to April 1781, perhaps at the birth of
the daughter Jane. In April 1781, Abraham married Ann Ackerman, a widow
whom he may have married twice, once by license and once in a church, or
they changed their minds after obtaining the license. In an Index of Marriages
by License in the State of New York prior to 1784, the date of the license
appears as 19 April, 1781. In the "inserted records" of the Dutch Reform
Church, the record is shown as "22 April 1781, married Abraham Mabie, bootman
(boatman) and Ann Ackerman, widow, living at Hoboken". It is assumed that
Ackerman was the name of Ann's first husband. Little is known of her earlier
history. She may have been the widow Ackerman living on "the road between
the Paramus Church and the New Bridge, New Jersey" in February 1780 and
later removed to Hoboken, and / or she may have been Antje Storr/Starr
born July 10, 1754 and baptized July 28, 1754 at Paramus, daughter of Jacob
Storr and Gerritje who married Albert G Ackerman of Paramus by license
dated Jan. 22, 1771; or she may have been Antje Demsen who married John
Ackerman of Bergen, New Jersey. Royal Maybee's records state that Captain
Abraham Maybee married Ann Huff, widow of Ackerman.
Ann is believed to have been
the mother of Abraham's youngest children, Robert McDowal and Elizabeth,
being born in New York, Isaac being born in Adolphustown after the arrival
of the refugees in 1784. According to a muster roll of "Disbanded Troops
and Loyalists Settled in Township #4 (Cataraqui)" dated Oct 5, 1784,
Abraham, at that time had a family of his wife, one son over ten, two sons
under ten, one daughter over ten, and a daughter under ten. The three boys
were still "in the States, expected in that fall". At that time, Peter
would have been aged nine years, seven months; Abraham, six years, eleven
months; Jane, about five years; Robert McDowal, about two and Elizabeth,
one.
Perhaps Peter and Jane were
tall for their age and undoubtedly out of sight when the roll was called
since children over ten years of age drew full rations. It is believed
that Robert McDowal Maybee was named after the first missionary sent to
Adolphustown by the Dutch Reform Church in New York. Therefore Capt. Abraham
and McDowal must have been close friends before the great exodus but no
birth records of other proof has been found.
Abraham was made a Captain
of the Associated Loyalists in New York City at the close of hostilities
in 1783. This was a loosely knit organization formed to facilitate evacuation
of the refugees. He was selected by Captain Michael Grass to accompany
him to Canada that year.
This site prepared by Baylite
Studios Web Design
