Jefferson County, NY Pioneers


JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK


WILLET RANNEY PIONEER FAMILY



1. WILLET RANNEY was born 28 March 1731 in Upper House, Middletown, CT and died 1818 at Smithville, Jefferson Co. NY. He was a patriot (see Fonda List for his extensive service) and DAR proven patriot.

In 1778 Willett was at New Lebanon, NY and then moved to Fort Stanwix, which is now Rome, NY. The Hist. Of Oneida Countyby Daniel E. Wager mentions that the settlers in what is now Oneida Co. came from Connecticut in 1785 and 1786 and were located in the shadow of Fort Stanwix. "They were all related to each other by blood, or connected by marriage. Willett Ranney, Sr., with a family of eleven children, all grown to maturity, and most--if not all--were married. Seth Ranney, one of the sons with his wife and children, located northeast of the present Rome Courthouse. Also living there were Nathaniel Gilbert and David I. Andrus, both of whom had married into the Ranney family."

He married 19 Nov 1752
MARY BUTLER, daughter of BENJAMIN BUTLER and THAKFUL SAGE. Mary died in 1821 at Smithville, although her grave and that of Willett have not been located.

CHILDREN of WILLET RANNEY and MARY BUTLER,

2        i        REBECCA CHLOE RANNEY born 2 March 1753 and married 29 April 1770 NATHANIEL GILBERT (DAR Patriot) who was born 23 April 1750. He was a Captain in the Revolutionary War and settled in Rome, NY.

3        ii        MARY/POLLY RANNEY born 2 March 1755 and married WILLIAM SMITH of Connecticut

4        iii        JAMES RANNEY was born 27 Feb 1757 at Upper Houses

5        iv        LUCRETIA RANNEY born 20 Jan 1759 and married BENJAMIN MURRAY

6        v        SETH RANNEY was born 21 Jan 1761 at Upper Houses and died 21 July 1839

7        vi        SARAH RANNEY was born 2 Jan 1763 at Upper Houses and died 22 July 1818. She married DAVID I. ANDRUS

8        vii        SYBIL RANNEY was born 7 January 1765 at Upper Houses and married 1) RICHARD WILLIS (proven Rev. Patriot) and after his death she married 2) JOSEPH WHITE. See a separate account of this family under Amasa Hart and Willis Family.

9        viii        LUCY RANNEY was baptized 6 Jan 1767 and died 11 Mar. 1793 at Clinton, NY. About 1788 she married JOSIAH BRADNER, who was born 1765 and died 1843.

10        ix        WILLETT RANNEY was baptized 6 Aug 1769 with his twin, Benjamin at Upper Houses.

11        x        BENJAMIN RANNEY was baptized 6 Aug 1769 with his twin, WILLET, at Upper Houses. As no further records of brother BENJAMIN, appear anywhere, it is assumed he died as an infant.

12        xi        PERSIS RANNEYwas baptized 2 April 1773 at Upper Houses and died 3 Dec 1866 at

13        xii        BUTLER RANNEY bc 1780 probably New Lebanon, NY and died Feb 1854 at Watertown, NY.


4. JAMES RANNEY, son of WILLET RANNEY and MARY BUTLER was born 27 Feb 1757 at Upper Houses, and followed his father's moves; in 1806 he was in Adams, NY. James died at the home of his brother, Willett Ranney, in 1822.

Known CHILDREN: It is suggested that most of his children moved to Canada.:

    11        i         BENJAMIN RANNEY

    12       ii        MARINUS RANNEY

    13      iii        GIBBS RANNEY

    14      iv        ORRIN RANNEY

    15      v        MARY RANNEY

    16     vi        MARTHA RANNEY

5. LUCRETIA RANNEY, daughter of WILLET RANNEY and MARY BUTLER, born 20 Jan 1759 and married BENJAMIN MURRAY

CHILDREN of BENJAMIN MURRAY and LUCRETIA RANNEY:

    17        i         WILLETT MURRAY

    18       ii        JOHN MURRAY

    19       iii        BENJAMIN MURRAY

    20       iv        MARTHA MURRAY

    21       v        EUNICE MURRAY

    22       vi        LUCRETIA MURRAY

6. SETH RANNEY, son of WILLET RANNEY and MARY BUTLER was born 21 Jan 1761 at Upper Houses and died 21 July 1839 and is buried in Ogdensburg Cem., St. Lawrence Co., NY. He married ELEANOR MATTHEWS, who died 12 March 1813 at 50 years. Known as Capt. SETH RANNEY, having served in the War of 1812, he resided in Canada for a few years and then returned to Ogdensburg, NY. He had a farm on the St. Lawrence River and also kept a hotel. In 1793 Seth had a tavern at Ft. Stanwix in a two-story building that he had built. The first town meeting was held in April of 1793 at his house (Town Meeting Minutes), in the house "lately occupied by Seth Ranney." Brother James Ranney was present at that same meeting.

CHILDREN of SETH RANNEY and ELEANOR MATTHEWS:

    23       i        GEORGE RANNEY born 1780 was married three times and died 27 May 1860

    24       ii        LOIS RANNEY who married SYLVESTER GILBERT of Ogdensburg

    25       iii        BETSEY RANNEY who married JAMES CHAMBERS and moved to North Carolina

    26       iv        BELINDA RANNEY who was born 6 Dec. 1791 and married HENRY LUM

    27       v       CLARISSA RANNEY who married 1) DAVID LUM and 2) JJOSIAH PERRY

7. SARAH RANNEY daughter of WILLET RANNEY and MARY BUTLER was born 2 Jan 1763 at Upper Houses and died 22 July 1818. A baptismal certificate by Rev. Samuel Eells from the Second Church of Christ in Branford, Ct., dated at Steuben, NY, 9 Sept. 1793, notes the adult baptisms of Sarah and David and three of their children-George, Lydia and Fanny.

She married
DAVID I. ANDRUS, a proven DAR patriot. David was born 1766 in Connecticut and served in the Revolutionary War as a fifer in various companies. About 1789 David moved to Oneida Co., NY, carrying nothing but an ax. It was about that time that he married SARAH (SALLY) RANNEY.

David Andrus scouted the Adams area of Jefferson Co. with Daniel Fox in about 1800. (Mr. Fox died in 1873 at 102 years). But it was not until 1805 that David Andrus settled in Ellisburg, NY as an agent for Col. Samuel Wardwell of Rhode Island, who owned a large estate at Ellisburg. David Andrus began improvements in 1811--the first sawmill and first dwelling, both built by him. In 1812 he built the Andrus Hotel, which was destroyed by fire in 1890. The hotel was a favorite stopping point by the public and the stage line made a change of horses there. Andrus also built a grist mill, distillery, ashery and blacksmith shop. His 400 acre farm provided clay for a brick yard which was up and doing business before his hotel was finished. David and his son, George, were also in the mercantile business by 1810. In 1812 Andrus built the army barracks at Sackett's Harbor and in 1817 the Jefferson County bank at Adams, being one of the directors.

Somehow he also found time to serve in various public offices. After the death of Sally, he married Mrs. Esther Hinman. David died 21 Aug 1831 after a brief illness at 65 years.

CHILDREN born to SARAH RANNEYand DAVID I. ANDRUS (8) :

    28       i       GEORGE ANDRUS

    29       ii       LYDIA ANDRUS

    30       iii     FANNY ANDRUS

    31       iv      ALMIRA ANDRUS who was born 24 April 1815 and died 6 September 1897, buried Ellisburg, NY.

    32       v       CHAUNCEY ANDRUS

    33       vi       IRA ANDRUS

    34       vii       SALLY ANDRUS

    35       viii       SAMUEL ANDRUS who died at 14 years.

8. SYBIL RANNEY daughter of WILLET RANNEY and MARY BUTLER was born 7 January 1765 at Upper Houses and married 1) RICHARD WILLIS (proven Rev. Patriot) and after his death she married 2) JOSEPH WHITE. See a separate account of this family under Amasa Hart and Willis Family.

CHILDREN of RICHARD WILLIS and SYBIL RANNEY:

    36       i       CATHERINE WILLIS

    37       ii       DELIA ANN WILLIS born 1793 married WILLIAM HART of Adams

    38       iii       WILLETT RANNEY WILLIS born 22 Feb 1799

    39       iv       SYBIL JANE WILLIS

    40       v       HENRY WILLIS. His daughter was ANNIE WATSON of Lexington, Mississippi

10. WILLETT RANNEY son of WILLET RANNEY and MARY BUTLER was baptized 6 Aug 1769 with his twin, Benjamin at Upper Houses. In June of 1790, Willett leased 100 acres from then Gov. Clinton in Wright's Settlement next to the 100 acre settlement of his brother, Seth. In 1801, both Ranneys moved on to Saratoga, NY. Willett moved in 1810 to Taberg and the next year moved to Smithville, near Adams in Jefferson Co., his "aged parents" moving with him. The early annals of Jefferson Co. mention Willett Ranney as a miller on Stony Creek. The news of the British attack at Sackett's Harbor caused the militia to be ordered out and Willett Jr. mounted a horse to report for duty. Willett Ranney, Sr., who was then over 80 years old, ordered his son off the horse so he could go instead. Willett Sr. went as a volunteer and in 1818 passed away, his wife, Betsey, in 1821. In 1826, Willett Jr. bought a farm in Redfield where he lived until 1831, but then returned to his homestead at Smithville until his death in 1865, at the home of his son, Lester Ranney.

He married in October of 1799 at Rome, NY
BETSEY ROBBINS, who was the daughter of JOHN ROBBINS from Bennington, VT. She passed away in 1821.

CHILDREN of WILLETT RANNEY and BETSEY ROBBINS:

    41       i       ANSON RANNEYborn 5 Aug 1802 (probably at Saratoga, NY)

    42       ii       JOHN RANNEYborn 16 Jan 1803

    43       iii       LUCY RANNEYborn 1804 and died young

    44       iv       SOPHRONIA RANNEYborn 1807 married REUBEN DRAKE

    45       v       MARY RANNEYborn 1809 married VOLNEY CHAMBERLAIN

    46       vi       JEANETTE RANNEYborn 1812 married Dr. SHELDON BROOKS

    47       vii       ORVILLE WILLETT RANNEYborn 1814

    48       viii       LESTER RANNEYborn 29 Sept 1815.

12. PERSIS RANNEY daughter of WILLET RANNEY and MARY BUTLER was baptized 2 April 1773 at Upper Houses and died 3 Dec 1866 at Theresa, NY.

She married about 1800 at Rome, NY
SAMUEL JARVIS, who was born 16 Sept 1768 at Norwalk, CT. He was the son of NATHAN JARVIS and ANN KELLOG. SAMUEL JARVIS lived at Camden, NY until after the birth of daughter, ANGELINE. He then moved to Norwalk, CT but later moved to NY and died 10 Jan 1853 at Theresa, NY.

CHILDREN of SAMUEL JARVIS and PERSIS RANNEY:

49       i       JULIA ANN JARVIS born 1800 and died young

50       ii       HANNAH JARVIS born 1802 and died 27 Mar 1855 and married Dr. IRA WRIGHT

51       iii       WILLETT RANNEY JARVIS born 1803 and moved to Pittville, WI

52       iv       ANN ELIZA JARVIS born 1804 and died 27 May 1802; she married DUDLEY CHAPMAN

53       v       MARY JARVIS born 13 Sept 1806 and died 17 Sept 1841; she married GEORGE FOSTER. Their child SARAH CONANT FOSTER born 14 Dec 1832 married 1871 Dr. L. HANNAHS as his 2nd wife

54       vi       ANGELINE JARVIS bc 1808 d 13 Mar 1866 married REUBEN KNAPP

55       vii       AUGUSTA JARVIS bc 1811 died April 1887 and married HARRISON MILLER

56       viii       HARRIET AMELIA JARVIS bc 1818 died 27 Aug 1870; mc 1843 Dr. L. HANNAHS. He m 4 Oct 1871 SARAH CONANT FOSTER.

13. BUTLER RANNEY son of WILLET RANNEY and MARY BUTLER b c1780 probably New Lebanon, NY and died Feb 1854 at Watertown, NY.

He married In 1802
ORA HETH/HEATH and in 1808 moved to Redfield, Oswego Co., NY. Later, he moved to Jefferson County to join his brothers. During the War of 1812 he kept a public house in Adams and later moved to Watertown where he resided in 1818. In September of that year, the first Jefferson County Fair and Cattle Show was held in Watertown. Officers and guests enjoyed dinner at Butler's home. Distinguished guests were Gov. DeWitt Clinton, Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer and James LeRoy Di Chaumont, president of the Society.

Children of BUTLER RANNEY and ORA HETH/HEATH:

57       i       ZANANA RANNEYmarried DAVID L. SEYMOUR

58      ii       MINERVA RANNEY married JAMES V. NICKEY

59       iii       NORMAN RANNEY

60       iv       CORNELIA C. RANNEY b c1812 and d 14 October 1892; married Sept. 1841 JOHN CLARKE, attorney. Their daughter CORNELIA S. CLARKE married 1871 F. SEYMOUR

61       v       HELEN MINERVA RANNEY who died in infancy.

62       vi       DELIA ANN RANNEY married DAVID L. SEYMOUR Their child : ALLAN McCUTCHEON

63       vii       FREDERICK RANNEY

64       viii       THOMAS N. RANNEY

65       ix       JOHN C. RANNEY

66       x       HARRIET ALLAN RANNEY married EUGENE ROBINSON

Sources:
Fonda List,
DAR Records
VIR
Upper Houses-the Ranney Family
Hist of Oneida Co NY
Hist of Rome NY
cemetery stones
census records
Early Hist of Jefferson Co.


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