The Case Family of NY, NJ, PA, MD and KY – Part 1

~ karynfamilytree

I began this project with one aim in mind: finding the father of Separate Case who marries Lydia Hendrickson around 1774, likely in Fayette County, PA (because that’s where her parents, John and Eve Hendrickson, are at the time). He is the administrator for John Hendrickson’s estate in 1787 Nelson County, KY.

Plus, I wanted to know his birth name — there are NO records anywhere before 1787 for a Separate Case, yet he’s likely in his 30s by that time.

The whole point of a timeline is to figure out who is where and when. It’s not exhaustive research into every aspect of an individual person’s life. Rather, it puts all people into one chain of events and helps to identify who COULD marry who based on their being in the same place at the same time.

Many thanks to Dann Norton, a professional genealogist who is as curious about this Case family as I am! Oddly, neither of us are blood relations to the Case family — we come from Lydia Hendrickson’s side. Here’s Dann’s blog.

The Rules

  • Records only, no stories. There are a lot of stories about the Case family, but I wanted to base my research on facts and records, not stories.
  • Everything is open to speculation and change if new records appear.
  • While I would love to follow the female Case lines in Morris County, NJ, there are only a few early on with records (specifically Keziah Case Corwin, Abigail Case Pew and her daughter Abigail Pew Coleman), so I’ll leave the female line research to others to follow up on. Hint: several of them to go Fayette County, PA.
  • If you have a record I missed, please contact me!
  • We leave Henry Case Jr. behind in NY once Theophilus Case’s sons move to Morris County, NJ (sorry NY Case fans, I’m just following Theophilus, Ichabod and John!).

The Good News

  • In 1881, Zophar Case, grandson of Butler Case Sr, gives first-hand information about the brothers of Butler Case Sr (though his analysis about where they come from is off). Four brothers: Butler Case Sr, Christopher Case, Reuben Case and Theophilus Case Jr. He says they came from Morris County, NJ to southwestern, PA.
  • I find it fascinating that Zophar Case knew about Christopher Case — because Christopher stays in NJ and Butler, Reuben and possibly Theophilus II (and definitely Theophilus III) go to southwestern PA.
  • There are lots of records for this Case family in Southold, Suffolk, NY and surrounding towns/villages.
  • Henry Case Sr only had two sons: Henry Case Jr and Theophilus Case Sr. Whew! It’s incredibly convenient to have only two lines to trace in a family, quite a luxury for a researcher. Henry Jr stays in NY and Theophilus Case Sr (Theophilus I) dies in NY — it’s Theophilus I’s sons Theophilus Case Jr (Theophilus II), Ichabod Case, and John Case Sr who go to Roxbury, Morris County, NJ. I’ll talk more about the Morris County, NJ Case family in Part 2 of this blog series.
  • The Early Germans book suggests there’s another brother for Butler Case Sr: John, and we do have records in NJ for all of them.
  • There are several books that have been digitized with all the Southold, NY area early church and land records. Yay!
  • YDNA, which is DNA passed exclusively father-to-son, shows all these Case men are in the same YDNA group. But there’s a catch — YDNA goes back many generations and it doesn’t prove two men are father and son, only that they descend from the same male line.
  • We know who some of the children of Separate and Lydia Hendrickson Case are because her nephew, Simeon Hendrickson was a Mormon. In his 1841 Baptisms for the Dead, he names his Hendrickson and Case relatives who were dead before 1841, including Separate and Lydia and some of their children.

The Bad News

  • Theophilus Case Sr has some church records in NY, but not as many as Ichabod Case, including no marriage records for Theophilus. Sad! But Theophilus Case Sr does have some land records in Suffolk County, NY so we know when he was there and where in Suffolk County he lived. And we know when he died, which is a helpful fact.
  • We do not know the maiden name Hannah, wife of Theophilus Case Sr., only that she’s “Hannah” on one census record. Researchers speculate on Youngs or Mapes, but I want proof!
  • There are a LOT of “extra” Case people during this time in the Southold records with no proof of who their parents are. My best guess is that it’s siblings all going from NY to NJ together, but this Case family have proven that common migration pattern wrong — there are any number of times that a Case uncle and his proven Case nieces and nephews go to a new location together, while a known father and son end up in different counties.
  • There were a lot of court cases (and newspaper articles) in the late 1880s and early 1900s around the estate of Leonard Case, Jr. Everyone wanted a piece of his 20 million dollar estate! So, everyone claimed to be a child, brother, or sister to Leonard Case Jr. The truth is that Leonard Case Jr never married and died without children, as did his only brother, William (mayor of Cleveland). The proven heirs of Leonard Case Jr are his aunts, uncles and cousins.

About the area in Suffolk County, NY where they live:

  • Southold is on the far tip of Long Island. Most records come from either the church records like deaths and marriages, but seems to have no birth records, or land records. I’m assuming the early church was Congregationalist. Presbyterian churches began a little later on and provide records, too.
  • Mattituck is west of Southold, had its own Presbyterian Church records
  • Aquebogue is to the west of Mattituck
  • Shelter Island is across the bay from Southold along the coast, and has some church records.

Timeline in Suffolk County, NY

I’ll start this timeline with Henry Case Sr in Connecticut to Suffolk, NY and leave this timeline when both Theophilus II and Ichabod are in Morris County, NJ. In Part 2, I pick up from that point forward.

  • 1655
  • 1658
    • November 1658 – Henry Case Sr (Henry 1) marries Martha Corwin, daughter of Matthias Corwin.
      • Has two sons: Henry Jr (Henry 2) and Theophilus (named after Martha’s brother, Theophilus Corwin).
      • Henry Jr is the eldest, probably born in 1659, and Theophilus around 1661.
        • Henry Jr would turn 21 around 1680
          • In a 1698 census, he has known children Henry Case III, Samuel Case, Benjamin Case, Tabitha Case, and Mary Case.
          • His eldest child could turn 21 around 1701, so marriage records would start around that time for his kids.
          • As far as I know, he only has one wife, Tabitha Vail.
        • Theophilus would turn 21 around 1682
          • In a 1698 census, he has known children William Case, Ichabod Case, and John Case.
          • His eldest child could turn 21 around 1703.
          • I believe he has two wives simply because of the ages of his children. (Of course, we don’t know 100% who his children are)
      • Henry Sr dies after Oct 1662, so there is room for more kids but no records that indicate there’s another child other than Henry and Theophilus.
    • December 1658 – Henry Case Sr granted four acres town lot provided he lives there 3 years. But Henry never occupied this property because…
  • 1659
  • 1661
    • Henry Case participated in a land grant at Agribog (Aquebogue)
  • 1662
    • After 4 Oct 1662 (he has a signed doc on this date), Henry Case Sr dies, leaving two sons, Henry Jr (eldest) and Theophilus
  • 1663-1665
    • Martha Corwin Case remarries to Thomas Hutchinson between 1662-1665. He’s dead by 1665, so how many children could they have had together? He may have had a first wife as there are three Hutchinson children named in a later census.
  • 1665
    • Martha Hutchinson of Southold, “admin of estate of my first husband, Henry Case who died intestate.” Second husband, Thomas Hutchinson also dead. Eldest son Henry, lands of his father
  • 1676
    • 1676 – Elizabethtown, Essex, NJ – to Edward Case from William Case (dec’d, heirs of), land called “Luke Watsons Neck” – east end of Elizabethtown. Signed: Agnes Case, Emanual Case, Joseph Case, Mary Case, Penelope Case, Sarah Case, Walter Clarke the governor of Rhode Island (Newport).
      • Is this Edward, 1685 and 1691 in Shrewsbury, Monmouth, NJ?
      • Mentioned in Piscataway Settlers book as son of William (guessing of Rhode Island).
      • 1678 has adjoining lands to Barnabas/Barney Wines (Wyans).
    • See New Jersey Searchable Database
    • This seems to be the heirs of William of Rhode Island giving/selling land to Edward in NJ
    • Piscataway, NJ is settled by the people who followed Williams to Rhode Island
  • 1680
    • Around this time, Henry Case Jr turns 21.
  • 1681
  • 1682
    • Around this time, Theophilus Case turns 21, and indeed we see him on a tax list the following year
  • 1683
  • 1685
  • 1686
    • Is there a census or tax list, because a book mentions Theophilus Case with 1 male and 1 female. So he is already married by 1686, and perhaps this is him and his wife (or does the book mean 1 male and 1 female child?)
      • Just married in 1686? If yes, would have kids 1687, 1689 etc. But 13 years later in 1698, he only has three kids and there aren’t that many records for his kids dying young.
  • 1688
    • Theophilus Case – deed to Simon Grover, Peaton’s Neck
  • 1694
  • 1695
    • Henry Case exchanges lots with Benjamin Young
  • 1696
  • 1697
    • 18 April 1697 – Theophilus Case has a child that died
    • 20 April 1697 – one of the Case men’s eldest son died – I believe this is child of Theophilus, only because he’s just had another child die 2 days earlier (this is before the 1698 census, so who has a gap?)
    • 1697 Theophilus Case – Deed to Benjamin Youngs, Aquebogue
  • 1698
    • 1698 list of names of inhabitants of the town of Southold, NY – three Case families
    • It is supposed to be EVERYONE  who lives in the town
    • The Documentary History of the State of New York (chapter: Papers Relating to Long Island)
    • All children born before 1698
    • Are these listed in age order? They appear to be on Henry Jr’s record
    • MOTHER Martha Corwin Case Hutchinson “Hutcheson” widow, and her children:
      • Thomas Hutcheson
      • Mathias Hutcheson
      • Martha Hutcheson Jr
      • Hanna Case (her granddaughter through Henry Jr)
      • I don’t know if Thomas, Mathias and Martha are her bio children or step-children, I have not looked into them. DNA should prove if the Case descendants match these Hutcheson/Hutchinson children.
    • SON Henry Case Jr
      • Tabitha Case, his wife
        • Henry Case Jr
        • Samuel Case
        • Benjamin Case
        • Tabitha Case Jr
        • Mary Case
        • plus daughter Hanna Case, living with her grandmother
        • 6 kids
        • I think there are no infant deaths for him before this
        • So kids born something like 1697, 1695, 1693, 1691, 1689, 1686
        • Mention in a book: John Barnes, probably son of William Barnes, apparently living with Henry Case
    • SON Theophilus Case Sr
      • Hannah Case, his wife – which one, Mapes or Youngs? Do we know her maiden name for sure? We do NOT know her maiden name. People make educated guesses based on who the neighbors are.
        • William Case, his son
          • I think he’s the “eldest son” death record from April 1697/1698 (remember, during this time period, the first month of the year was March, so all the “year” dates during this time are often crossed over each other, like 1697/1698.)
          • He’s NOT the William Case in Roxbury, that’s the son of Ichabod. And he’s NOT the William Case born 1713 m. Anna Cleveland, he has a death record “age 83,” so born 1713. So, logically, it’s William, eldest son of Theophilus.
        • Ichabod Case, his son
          • goes to Roxbury, Morris, NJ with Theophilus II and names a son William, perhaps for his brother.
        • John Case, his son
          • This is 1698 – could he still be alive in 1760 in Roxbury, Morris, NJ? Or Goshen, Orange, NY?
          • He would be 55 years old in 1753 if he’s the one looking for land with Reuben and Butler. But John Case Sr of Morris has a son, John Case Jr, who might be old enough to look for land in 1753. See what I mean about men with the same names?
        • 3 kids on the census, plus the one or two who died in 1697 = 5 kids
        • If born ever 2 years, then 1697, 1695, 1693, 1691, 1690 (appears he’s married by 1686, so possibly missing one or two more)
        • No Theophilus Jr on this list (YET, so Theophilus II is born 1699-1700), and no Hannah, Eunice, Daniel, Heziah, Abigail — all names suggested by trees, mostly inaccurate
  • 1700
    • Around this time, 1703-1705, Henry Jr’s kids and Theophilus’ kids could turn 21 and get married. But marriage records don’t exist this early in Southold, so much has to be assumed from death records of infants and children.
  • 1704
    • Theophilus Case adjoining land mention
    • Theophilus Case – Deed from Peter Simons, Aquebogue
  • 1705
    • Henry Case land record, says he’s a weaver
  • 1706
  • 1713
    • William Case born in 1713 Southold
      • 1796 Southold, NY death record for William Case, age 83, born 1713, Southold.
      • Logically it’s William m. Anna Cleveland. But if that’s true, that means William born before 1698 is dead by the time William marries Anna Cleveland as it’s the only William Case marriage record.
      • Early Germans says he’s a son of Theophilus 1, but Shelter Island book says he’s the son of Samuel, grandson of Henry Jr. (There ARE children, grandchildren named William in some of Henry Jr’s lines)
      • He is not a candidate for William Case m. Osman. This William is having children at the time William Case marries Marcy Osman in 1741, and those children’s gravestones say “son of William and Anna Case”
  • 1715
  • 1716
    • 26 Oct 1716 Theophilus Case Sr dies aged 55 (this is Theophilus 1, his son Theophilus 2 goes to NJ)
    • 26 Oct 1716 Ichabod Case’s child dies
    • 11 Nov 1716 – Ichabod Case’s 1st wife, Mary Terril Case, dies
  • 1717
  • 1719
  • 1720
    • 24 Apr 1720 – child of Benjamin Case died (Benjamin is the son of Henry Jr)
      • By 1720  Benjamin Case is married and having kids, so he’s born before 1669, and that tallies with the 1698 census.
      • That means other grandchildren of Henry Case Sr can have marriage records by 1720
    • 16 Apr 1720 – Henry Case died – He’s Henry III, dies before his father Henry Jr. His widow remarries shortly after.
  • 1721
    • About this time, Theophilus 2 marries. He would be born before 1700, but after 1698 (because he’s not on the 1698 census with his father).
      • There is no marriage record for him, and there should be: his brother Ichabod has marriage records at the same time and his mother has a remarriage record at the same time. Is he not Congregationalist?
      • BECAUSE he names a son Christopher Case, it’s possible his wife is Mashe Youngs, daughter of Christopher Youngs II. OR he names a son Christopher because he is friends with Christopher Youngs 2 or 3, or one of these Christopher Youngs men are part of his family in some way. The Christopher Youngs men also live at Aquebogue, and it’s the only family in the area that names men Christopher. Perhaps he named a son Christopher in honor of Rev Christopher Youngs and they’re not related at all?
  • 1723
    • 1 Mar 1723 – Ichabod Case’s wife dies, no name (it’s Abigail Mapes)
  • 1725
    • Ichabod Case marries 3rd wife Hannah Goldsmith. In his 1762 will, he names his wife Hannah.
    • 1 May 1725 – son of Benjamin Case died
  • 1726
    • William Case dies in Queens, NY, names wife Rebecca, son Thomas. I don’t know who he is and I don’t know if this Queens, NY record matters to the Southold family.
  • 1731
    • James Reeve of Southold writes a will, mentions a meadow he purchased from Ichabod Case
    • 22 Dec 1731 – daughter of Benjamin Case died (this is his third child who has died)
  • 1732
    • In 1753, Reuben Case, John Case, and Butler Case all have land lease records in Somerset County, NJ near Morris County, NJ. In order to be old enough in 1753, they would need to be over 21, so all born before 1732, likely in NY.
  • 1733
  • 1734
  • 1735
    • 16 Dec 1735 – Tabitha Case, wife of Henry Jr, died 
  • 1739
    • John Case m. Mary Horton (and later Hannah Reeve Aldrich) in Southold. Later has Presbyterian records in Mattituck.
      • Trees say he’s the son of Ichabod Case and Abigail Mapes, guessing because he has records at Mattituck. But he could be a son of Theophilus Sr and a second wife, if she’s young enough.
      • He would be born around 1718.
      • He dies 1775 Southold, has will, names children and his second wife Hannah Reeve Case.
  • 1740
    • 30 Mar 1740 – Henry Case burnt to death – Henry Jr
    • Ichabod Case child died (so he’s still in Southold)
    • John Case child died – has to be the one who married the previous year
    • First record of Theophilus Case in Roxbury, Morris, NJ per Janeway store account book. (Ichabod shows up there in 1742)
    • https://archive.org/details/janewayaccountbo00styk/page/20/mode/1up?q=case
  • 1741
    • William Case m. Marcy Osman, Southold.
      • Likely the son of Ichabod Case and Abigail Mapes, the one mentioned in Ichabod’s NJ will
      • He would be born before 1720.
      • If he is, he can only have children with Marcy from about 1742-1765
      • If he’s the one who dies in KY in 1802, his wife is named “Masey” in his will (study the handwriting like Dann Norton did, and you’ll see how the clerk write his “s” versus how he writes his “r”).
      • Cannot be the William m. Anna Cleveland, they have children born 1742 and 1747 buried Southold saying parents are William and Anna.
    • 17 May 1741 – Joshua Case’s infant died. First mention of Joshua. He marries Deliverance Wells. This Joshua stays in NY and it’s not likely Joshua m. Dickerson in NJ, who is born 1722 and isn’t married yet.
  • 1741
    • Theophilus Case Jr in Roxbury, Morris, NJ, Surveyor of Highways
  • 1744
    • William Case mention in Southold
      • could be m. Cleveland or m. Osman, not sure which William Case
  • 1748
    • Starting around 1748, there are Case records at the Mattituck Presbyterian Church, NY (this is the time Cotton Mather is there)
      • Deborah Case daughter of John born in 1748 (he remarries Hannah Reeve Aldrich Case)
      • Because these people are at Mattituck , and it’s known that Ichabod owned land there, trees speculate that John is the son of Ichabod
      • Moses and Mary Hutchinson Case of Southould, son of Samuel m. Horton. Brother Samuel Jr also has Presbyterian records.
  • 1749
    • 15 July 1749 – Mashe Case noted as dying “at Black River” in the Southold, NY church record.
      • There is no Black River in Suffolk, NY. The Black River is where the Case family lives near Roxbury, Morris, NJ, now known as the Lamington River. Records in this time period call it the “Black River Settlement” and included Roxbury and Chester NJ areas. The First Congregational Church of Chester was known previously as the Black River Church.
      • It’s the ONLY reference to “Black River” in the entire Southold book.
      • Is she the wife of Theophilus II, who is in Roxbury, NJ at this time? If yes, that would explain why he doesn’t have kids after 1745-ish. But he would be around 50, so likely would re-marry.
      • Or is she Marcy Osman Case, the wife of William Case? If yes, he likely would re-marry.
      • If Mashe Case’s husband remarries, any child born after 1749 in New Jersey could be from a second wife.
      • https://archive.org/details/salmonrecordspri00salm/page/32/mode/1up?q=%22black+river%22

Always end a genealogy blog post with a mystery!

See Part 2, which picks up from when the Case men arrive in Morris County, NJ in 1740, through their time in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland, before they go to Kentucky.

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Published by karynfamilytree

2 thoughts on “The Case Family of NY, NJ, PA, MD and KY – Part 1”

  1. Julie..

    This is..

    Lawrence M. (Mike)

    Hasenstab…Dan Norton just emailed Your information to me.

    My Wife..

    Wanda L.Appell

    isca Descendant of Seperate Case.

    Her Wikitree id is.. Appell-33

    Our Son..Erich Hasenstab’s DNA is there also.

    At one No Parents or Siblings at all Now.

    time I Had William M. Case as Separate’s Father.Then a few months ago Dan Removed William .

    When he did that all of the Matches . Vanished..

    You can follow My Wife’s line up from Her to Seperate.

    I might add..

    When Wanda I myself married I had no idea that I was Mayflower.

    TeobYears ago I was Proven James Chilton.

    Also I believe Her Appell line runs to Royal Linage in Scotland.

    Robert the Bruce????

    i also have an Ancestry tree I will gladly share.

    I just need an Email address.

    Sincerely,

    Mike Hasenstab

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    Reply

    1. That’s correct, Mike, there is no *proof* that Separate Case was the son of William Case, Sr. He is not named in William’s 1802 will and there are other adult Case men in the area at the same time who could be Separate’s father. William Case does seem to mention all his children in his will and there are no land transactions between William and other Case people that might hint that he had more children. Please see Part 3 of this series where I conclude my findings about the three possible fathers for Separate Case.

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