Jefferson County, NY Pioneers

JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK

PIONEER EZEKIEL ANDRUS FAMILY

1. SAMUEL ANDREWS/ANDRUS married on 8 Nov. 1721 MARY SCOTT. He was a lieutenant in the militia and they lived in Southington CT. Mary died 17 Dec. 1741 and he married 2nd on 18 Mar. 1742 to the widow, SARAH HUBBARD. His will dated 1769, Dec. 16, gives his wife Sarah; to Amos; to my son Hezekiah; to my daughter Mary; to my son Ezekiel—and made him sole executor of his will. Sarah Andrus of Southington had a will dated 2 April 1778 and proved in the probate court of Farmington on 15 Aug. 1780. She named her daughter Sarah Hubbard; her son William Hubbard; her daughter Ruth Beckley; her daughter Mary Bushnell and her son Ezekiel Andrus as her sole executor. Her will was witnessed by Jeremiah Curtiss and Samuel Woodruff.

Children of Samuel Andrus and Mary Scott:

            2          i          AMOS ANDRUS born 27 May 1722; baptized 2 Mar. 1723 at Southington.
            3          ii          SAMUEL ANDRUS born 14 April 1725; baptized 2 Mar. 1725 at Southington; died;
            4          iii          twins born 1st April 1727 and one died 1 April 1727 and
            5          iv          one died 16 April 1727
            6          v          SARAH ANDRUS born 4 Sept. 1728 and baptized 2 Mar. 1728; died 13 Aug. 1729
            7          vi          HEZEKIAH ANDRUS born 11 July 1730; baptized 12 July 1730
            8          vii          SARAH ANDRUS 2ND born 10 Oct. 1733; baptized 25 Oct. 1733
            9          viii          ELISHA ANDRUS born 10 Mar. 1741; baptized 7 June 1741

Children of Samuel Andrus and Widow Sarah Hubbard:

10 i MARY ANDRUS born 1742 and baptized 2 Jan 1743
11 ii EZEKIEL ANDRUS born 1745; baptized 25 April 1746

11. EZEKIEL ANDRUS was born in Southington CT in 1745 and married on 26 June 1782 to MARTHA MUNSON, daughter of REUBEN MUNSON and MARY CHITTENDEN. Martha was born 12 Oct. 1760 at Southington CT. They resided first in Farmington CT and later in the adjoining town of Bristol or Burlington but then moved to Kinderhook, Columbia Co., NY. One of their children was born in Kinderhook and soon after they moved to Utica NY where his wife, Martha, died on 20 Aug. 1799 from accidental poisoning. A variety of causes forced the loss of nearly all of his property there and he resolved to make a new start in the Black River Country. In the spring of 1800 he moved to Rutland in Jefferson County, and located on a tract of 144 acres of land. There he set about clearing and improving the land. Part of his children accompanied him to Rutland and the others followed in the fall of the same year. His belongings were brought in a two-wheeled cart, drawn by a yoke of oxen. One horse was included in his livestock. The horse carried for part of the time, two and sometimes three of his daughters. He built a log house with a cobblestone floor and developed his property into a fine farm and where he died on 14 Mar. 1828. He was buried in Brookside Cemetery in Watertown, Jefferson Co., NY. Oakes says he was the father of eleven children and grandfather of 67. Ezekiel served as a private from CT in the Revolutionary War and is listed in the DAR Patriot Index.

Children of Ezekiel Andrus and Martha Munson:

12          i          SAMUEL ANDRUS – twin
13          ii          SALLY ANDRUS – twin
14          iii          POLLY ANDRUS; married WARREN SPAULDING
15          iv          REUBEN ANDRUS
16          v          PHEBE D. ANDRUS; married DANFORTH EARL
17          vi          LODEMA ANDRUS – twin; born 17 June 1790 in the Town of Rutland and died 12 Nov. 1876 in Watertown. She married FREDERICK WOODRUFF 14 June 1809. He was born 24 June 1787 Litchfield CT; served in War of 1812 See Woodruff Family this site.
18          vii          DIADAMA ANDRUS – twin
19          viii          EZEKIEL ANDRUS
20          ix          ELISHA ANDRUS
21          x          URIAH ANDRUS
22          xi          BENJAMIN ANDRUS

19. EZEKIEL ANDRUS, No. 17 above, was born 17 May 1792 in Farmington CT and was nearly eight years old when he came to Rutland. He assisted in the clearing and development of the farm. He also served at Sacketts Harbor in the War of 1812. At the age of majority he located on a farm in the same town, which passed to his grandson, ELON O. ANDRUS. He was a leading farmer and citizen of the town.
On 16 Jan. 1816 he married TRYPHENA GILBERT who was born 24 Feb. 1789 and died 17 July 1872 in her 84th year. Ezekiel survived her for seven years and died on 5 Aug. 1879 in his 88th year.

Children of Ezekiel Andrus and Tryphena Gilbert:

23          i          LODEMA ANDRUS born 21 Dec. 1816; died 18 Mar. 1841
24          ii          DIADAMA ANDRUS born 17 June 1818 and married 13 Nov. 1861 to T. N. CLARK who died 1 July 1893; she died 23 Oct. 1904.
25          iii          DAVID ANDRUS born 24 Jan. 1820; married FANNY CHASE on 27 Mar. 1842. He married second on 1 May 1858 to ROXY HITCHCOCK. His third marriage was on 29 May 1870 to MRS. AMELIA (POTTER) BOYNTON. He died 2 May 1887.
ALEESTA G. ANDRUS born 4 Feb. 1824. She married on 10 Feb. 1847 to JASON B. JOHNSON who died 16 Oct. 1891. She lived in Copenhagen NY.
26          iv          PHEBE ANDRUS was born 20 Dec. 1826 and married on 14 May 1851 to PHILO C. SCOTT. She died 13 Dec. 1878.
27          v          STILLMAN ANDRUS was born 8 Mar. 1833 in Rutland

20. ELISHA ANDRUS, the ninth child above, of EZEKIEL and MARTHA ANDRUSzekiel and Martha Andrus, was born 2 June 1794 in Kinderhook NY and came to Rutland at age six. His schooling was limited to the pioneer efforts of the time. He helped in building the home farm and in time settled on a farm in the neighborhood where he lived for many years. At one time he was a hotel keeper and considered a leading agriculturist of the town. He married first to NANCY FISH who was born about 1798 in Bozrah, CT, daughter of JOHN FISH who had moved from Bozrah to Bloomfield, Hartford Co, CT, and whose wife was LYDIA LATHROP. She died at 89 years. Nancy Fish Andrus died 18 July 1841.

Children of Elisha Andrus and Nancy Fish:

28 i EZEKIEL ANDRUS; died young.
29 ii MERRITT MUNSON ANDRUS; born 9 Dec. 1824 in Rutland; received a local education and attended the Lowville Academy. In 1842 he moved to Watertown to study law with Judge Joseph Mullin and was admitted to the bar in 1846. He chose not to practice and instead entered mercantile pursuits. In 1848 with W. N. Woodruff they established a successful grocery business which they maintained for three years. The firm was dissovled and Merritt joined Francis R. Lamon and they set up in business. Merritt died on 18 April 1892.
He married on 20 Mar. 1850 to ANGELICA DICKERSON. She was born 6 Nov. 1833 and died 2 Dec. 1897, daughter of HANNIBAL S. DICKERSON, son of DAVID S. DICKERSON, a physician an surgeon at Fairfield NY. He practiced in Herkimer co NY and located at Rice's Corners in Watertown where he died 19 Aug. 1845. David married ABI RICHARDSON, daughter of SYLVESTER AND ABIGAIL (SCOTT) RICHARDSON.
Sources: Hist. Of Jeff. Co by Oakes Vol.2; DAR Patriot Index; Allen Family Geneal; probate records of Southington CT.

27. STILLMAN ANDRUS son of Ezekiel and Tryphena, spent his life in Rutland. He attended public schools and supplemented his learning by attendance at the Black River Literary Institute at Watertown. Eventually he owned the home farm and worked it until 1884 when he moved to an adjoining farm on the Middle Road and turn over the original homestead to his son who occupied it. On 29 May 1857 he married ARAMINTA J. RUDD, daughter of NATHANIEL RUDD. She died in Jan. 1862 and left two sons—WILLIAM NYE ANDRUS and ELON OSCAR ANDRUS. Stillman married a second time on 15 Feb. 1865 to MARY A. WARNER who was born 30 Mar. 1832, daughter of DEACON ALEXANDER WARNER AND URETTIE CONKLIN. Stillman and Mary had a son and daughter—CLINTON EZEKIEL ANDRUS and MARY ARAMINTA ANDRUS.

Children of STILLMAN and ARAMINTA J. (RUDD) ANDRUS:

30          i          WILLIAM NYE ANDRUS
31          ii          ELON OSCAR ANDRUS
Children of STILLMAN and MARY A. (WARNER) ANDRUS: 32          i          CLINTON EZEKIEL ANDRUS
33          ii          MARY ARAMINTA ANDRUS.

29. MERRITT MUNSON ANDRUS; born 9 Dec. 1824 in Rutland; received a local education and attended the Lowville Academy. In 1842 he moved to Watertown to study law with Judge Joseph Mullin and was admitted to the bar in 1846. He chose not to practice and instead entered mercantile pursuits. In 1848 with W. N. Woodruff they established a successful grocery business which they maintained for three years. The firm was dissovled and Merritt joined Francis R. Lamon and they set up in business. Merritt died on 18 April 1892.
He married on 20 Mar. 1850 to ANGELICA DICKERSON. She was born 6 Nov. 1833 and died 2 Dec. 1897, daughter of HANNIBAL S. DICKERSON, son of DAVID S. DICKERSON, a physician an surgeon at Fairfield NY. He practiced in Herkimer co NY and located at Rice's Corners in Watertown where he died 19 Aug. 1845. David married ABI RICHARDSON, daughter of SYLVESTER AND ABIGAIL (SCOTT) RICHARDSON.

Children of Merritt Andrus and Angelica Dickerson:

34          i          SHERWOOD D. ANDRUS – in business in Chicago; was born 5 April 1855 in Watertown, Jefferson Co. NY. Attended Hope College in MI. In Oct. 1871 he became a clerk in the Black River Ins. Co. at Watertown and continued until May 1878. He moved to Chicago and became quite involved in the insurance industry. He married on 18 June 1888 to LAURA J. STEBBINS, a native of Troy NY. 35          ii          SEWARD A. ANDRUS – in business in Chicago; born 23 June 1857 in Watertown and attended public schools. Became a clerk for Black River Ins. Co of Watertown. In 1893 he moved to Chicago and became involved in the insurance business there and became quite successful. He married in 1886 to SARAH ALTON RICHARDSON, a native of Brownville NY, daughter of JAMES H. AND JANE (ALTON) RICHARDSON. James was of NY and Jane was a native of England. Seward and Sarah had one child who died in infancy.
36          iii          ELLA A. ANDRUS; married JOHN C. STREETER in 1900 as his second wife. She was Mrs. Ella A. Phelps at the marriage. John was the son of NELSON W. STREETER and was born 22 Nov. 1829 in Watertown, Jefferson Co., NY. His first wife was MARY WHITE, daughter of STEPHEN WHITE of Watertown.
37          iv          GRACE ANDRUS
38          v          MAUDE M. ANDRUS married HARRY P. BABCOCK of Watertown.
39          vi          ELIZABETH ANDRUS; married HIRAM MILLS and died in Watertown, leaving two daughters and a son.
Elisha died in Watertown on 15 Feb. 1884. He married twice more after the death of Nancy but neither wife was noticed by Oakes.

30. WILLIAM NYE ANDRUS, son of STILLMAN and ARAMINTA (RUDD) ANDRUS was born 8 Sept. 1860 on the homestead of his grandfather in Rutland. He married ABBY M. WOODRUFF in 1880 and died 18 Dec. 1894.

Children of William N. Andrus and Abby M. Woodruff:

40 i ULMONT STILLMAN ANDRUS born Aug. 1883; resided in Chicago.

31. ELON OSCAR ANDRUS was born in Rutland, Jefferson Co on 27 Aug. 1858. He attended the local Watertown High School and Cornell University. He was an instructor in the public schools. In 1883 he returned to the homestead and took up farming. He married on 20 Feb. 1884 to MARY EMMA SCANLON, daughter of DAVID AND SUSAN B. (SULLIVAN) SCANLON. She was born 4 April 1856 in the town of Cape Vincent.

Children of Elon O. Andrus and Mary Emma Scanlon:

41 i LELAND HARRISON ANDRUS born 1 Aug. 1886; died 12 April 1889 in Cape Vincent
42 ii MILTON HARRISON ANDRUS born 24 June 1891.

32. CLINTON EZEKIEL ANDRUS, son of STILLMAN and MARY A. (WARNER) ANDRUS was born 18 May 1866 and educated in the public schools. He remained on the paternal farm until 1883 and then located on a farm near the old home and became a successful dairy farmer. He married on 14 Feb. 1893 ANNA JOSEPHINE SCANLON daugher of David Scanlon and Susan. She was born 9 Aug. 1866 in Cape Vincent.

Children of Clinton E. Andrus and Anna J. Scanlon:

43 i ROSS DAVID ANDRUS born 27 Aug. 1896 in Rutland
44 ii FLORENCE MARGUERITE ANDRUS born 8 April 1900

33. MARY ARAMINTA ANDRUS,daughter of STILLMAN and MARY A. (WARNER) ANDRUS was born 30 Dec. 1867 in Rutland and attended the public schools and Potsdam Normal School. She married on 31 Mar. 1897 to HIRAM I. BRONSON and they lived on a farm where he was a progressive in agriculture.

Children of Mary A. Andrus and Hiram I. Bronson:

a. ANNA LILLIAN BRONSON born 24 Jan. 1898
b. MARCUS EDWARD BRONSON born 30 Mar. 1901.

Sources: Hist. Of Jeff. Co by Oakes Vol.2; DAR Patriot Index; Allen Family Geneal; probate records of Southington CT.

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