Saratoga NYGENWEB
Saratoga County, New York
All information on this site is displayed
free of charge. If you wish you may:
Go to the Saratoga
County NYGenWeb Home Page.
Go to the Saratoga County
Vital Records Index Page.
1882 Letter with Miller Genealogy
This letter enclosing transcribed records from Jacob Miller's family Bible is in the collection of the Saratoga County Historian. There is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the letter or of the vital records. As will be seen in the notes, references to many of the people mentioned in the genealogy may be found in various sources such as census, county and local histories and cemetery records. Note also the similarity in given names between this Miller family and that in the Ebenezer Miller Bible.
The author of the letter was Emily (Knapp) Lewis, wife of Marcus Lewis and resident of West Millcreek PA in 1880.[1] Emily was a daughter of Nezer Knapp and his wife Eunice Miller.[2]
The envelope was addressed to "Mrs. B. F. Prior, Saratoga Springs N.Y.," and was postmarked at West Millcreek PA, Oct 7, 1882, and marked again at Saratoga Springs on October 9. Benjamin F. Prior was Town Supervisor of Greenfield in 1850, and later resided in Saratoga Springs.[3] Mrs. Prior was formerly Esther Denton, daughter of Jacob Denton and his wife Eve Elizabeth Miller, Eunice (Miller) Knapp's sister. Thus, the relationship between Emily and Esther was indeed "cousin" as Emily used in the salutation.
The Letter
Letter images: page 1, page 2, page 3
West Millcreek, Oct 6/82
Dear Cousin,
Agreeable to my promise sometime
ago, I sit down to write you a few lines, and send the record of the Miller
family, so far as I have ascertained. I
was in North East last week, and called again at Jacob Brown's Aunt Maria[4], and Jacob, both were quite interested in
helping me to get the record correctly as written in Grandfather's Bible. A part of the writing is somewhat obscured,
and deaths of a later date are not written there & I must wait and
ascertain from other other sources.
[page 2]
Aunt Maria says tell Esther she is
quite feeble from age, and says she does not know why she is spared to such an
age. She is 86. I think she retains her faculties,
remarkably.
Friends are usually well. I was up to Girard to visit Sarah, Mrs.
Reynolds. She is not very well. She has been alone of late, and as a
consequence works to hard for her.
We returned last week from a trip to
Bradford and Livonia to visit a son and two sisters of Mr. Lewis, were gone
near three weeks. We were also at
Clifton Springs, had a pleasant excursion on Canandaigua Lake, spent the night
at one of its cotages, had a very enjoyable time. But notwithstanding, I find that traveling
and visiting are attended with much fatigue, and after all home is the place
for rest.
[page 3]
Emma wishes to be remembered to you
all. Tommie and she were so delighted
with their visit to Saratoga that they do not tire talking about it.
You will please accept our grateful
thanks for their kind entertainment by you all.
And hope the time may not be far distant when we may have the privalege
of making at least some returns by way of a visit from you. Do come and see us, soon.
Remember us to Myron and family,
James Denton and family; Mary Brownell, tell her we want to see her out here
very much.
Regards to all,
Your aff'c't cousin,
Emily M.
Lewis
Grateful regards
to cousin Delia and family.
The Record
Great Grand Parents |
|
Francis West was born at West Kingstown in Kings Co., Rhode Island, March 26th 1735. |
|
|
|
Eunice West was born July 31st, 1738, died Oct 8th 1814, aged 66 years, 2 mo and 8 days. |
|
|
|
Grand Parents |
|
Jacob Miller was born at New York, June 24th 1765. Died at Greenfield, Erie Co. PA, Jan 14th [or 24th] 1840 , aged 74, 6 months and 20 days. |
|
|
|
Sarah West Miller was born at Poquage, May 24, 1765. Died at Greenfield, Erie Co. PA, March 28, 1835, aged 69 years, 10 months, and 27 d. |
|
|
|
They were married at Beekmantown, Duches Co. N.Y., Oct. 29, 1784. |
|
|
|
Children of Jacob and Sarah Miller |
|
Jacob was born at Beekmantown, Duches Co. N.Y., Oct 29th 1785 |
|
Eunice was born at Beekmantown, Duches Co. N.Y., May 21st 1789 |
|
Eve Elizabeth was born at Stillwater, Saratoga Co. N.Y., March 13, 1792 |
|
Henry was born at Stillwater, Saratoga Co. N.Y., Oct. 6th 1794 |
|
Maria was born at Greenfield, Saratoga Co. N.Y., Oct 8, 1796 |
|
Emely was born at Greenfield, Saratoga Co. N.Y., March
31st 1800 |
|
Sarah was born at Greenfield, Saratoga Co. N.Y., Apr 20, 1802 |
|
|
|
|
|
Amy Mott was born at Greenfield, Saratoga Co. N.Y., May 12th 1806 |
|
|
|
Deaths |
|
Emely Miller died May 3d 1823, aged 23 years |
|
Eve Elizabeth wife of Jacob Denton died Aug 24 1829[5] |
|
Henry Miller died Jan 14th 1839 |
|
Eunice Knapp, wife of Nezar Knapp, died June 9, 1847 |
|
|
|
Jacob Miller died -- |
|
Sarah wife of Mr. Rhodes died -- |
|
Amy Mot wife of Horace Willis died -- |
|
Maria wife of Prentice Brown, yet living. |
|
I have not yet obtained the records of their deaths. |
|
|
|
Fayette Swain, first husband of Amy Mot Miller, died Jan 14, 1833, aged 32 years, 9 months & 4 days |
|
Nezar Knapp, husband of Eunice Miller, died Jan 20th 1837, aged 56 y 10 m 24 days |
|
Prentice Brown died Feb 11, 1871 aged 84 years. Husband of Maria Miller |
|
Amy, wife of Jessy Mott; Born April 1st 1767, died March 3d 1811[6] |
|
|
|
It appears that Amy West Mot was sister to our grandmother and was married to Jessy Mot. |
|
I give you this Record as correctly as I could copy it from grandfather's Bible. |
Transcribed and annotated March 2010 by Lynn E. Calvin