John Watson1

M, #1838, * c 1800, + 19 Jan 1875
Footstone, East Branch Cemetery, Watson Graves

Family

Eliza Kirkwood * 1812, + 1893
Children
     John Watson was born c 1800 in Ireland. 23,1,4,5 He married Eliza Kirkwood b 1836. 61,7,8,9 He died on 19 Jan 1875 in Hancock, New York.10,5 He was buried in the East Branch Cemetery in the Town of Hancock at Delaware County 11.5,12,13

Other information:

John Watson was in 1855 a farmer in Hancock, Delaware County.
     His farm had 35 improved acres and 75 unimproved acres.
     The value of the acres was $1000, the value of the stock $225.
     30 acres of meadow yielded 25 tons of hay.
     He had 3 cattle under 1 yr old, 4 over 1 yr old, 2 working oxes and 3 milk cows. He produced 150 lbs of butter.
     He had 1 horse, and 4 swine (2 under 6 months, 2 over)
See here for an overview of the Watson farm over the years.1,14
He and Eliza Kirkwood lived according to the 1855 census since 13 yrs. This would fit with James, Martha and Sarah being born in New York (instead of in Delaware.)1
John Watson made a will on 3 Oct 1874. It was proved 15 Nov 1875 in Surrogate Court, Delhi, Delaware County, New York.
He mentions his wife Elisabeth, his sons Henry and Isaac, and his daughter Rachel. His sons get the farm, described as follows: all and .... subdivision Lot 59 in the Spooner Tract, so called Great Lot number 4 of the Hardenburgh Patent, containing one hundred acres of land [...] subject to the Dower rights of my wife Elisabeth. Edwin Furman is the Executor, Willis C. Miles and Charles C. Miles are the witnesses.15

     Several Watson families are listed in the townland of Mullock, Killyleagh parish, County Down. They are listed as the widow Watson, John (2x), James, Matthew (2x), Joseph and Natl. If order of listing has any relation to closeness of the land, they owned land rather close together. All of them had land of 2nd quality or lower. They owed between 3' 5" and 16' 5" in tithes.16
For a short blogpost about John and his daughter Jane Watson, see .

He is listed in the following census:
1840 Fed. census (1 Jun): Household of John Watson, Sheridan, Chautauqua County, New York. 1 male 30-40 (John), 1 female 20-30 (possibly Eliza) and 1 male and 2 females under 5 (possibly James, Martha and Sarah). NOTE: The age composition of this family would match the expected age composition of our John's family, but they are at the opposite end of the state of New York, as Martha was baptized in Fordham. Still, this seems to be the only John Watson in the 1840 census, which matches our John.17
1850 Fed. census (1 Jun): Household of John Watson, Town of Hancock, Delaware County, New York. Household consists of John, his wife Eliza and their children James, Martha, Sarah, Elisabeth, Alexander, Mary, Margaret and Henry.18
1860 Fed. census (1 Jun): Household of John Watson, Town of Hancock, Delaware County, New York. Household consists of John, his wife Eliza and their children Alexander, Mary, Jane, Henry, Isaac, Rachel and Elisabeth.4
1870 Fed. census (1 Jun): Household of James Watson, Town of Hancock, Delaware County, New York. Household consists of James, his wife Eliza and their children Henry, Isaac and Rachel, and Sarah Sprague, insane.)19
1855 New York census: Household of John Watson, Town of Hancock, Delaware County. Household consists of John, his wife Elisabeth and their children James, Martha, Sarah, Elisabeth, Alexander, Mary, Jane, Henry, Isaac and Rachel.1

Name variants: James Watson (in the 1870 census.)19

Citations

  1. [S107] State Census: 1855. New York, Delaware County, Town of Hancock. House #107, Line 42-45, 1-8 (FHC Film# 0832848). Household of John Watson.
  2. He was 58 yr in 1855, but 40 in 1850, 67 in 1860, and 80 in 1870! Acc. to the 1860 census he was born in Scotland.
  3. [S108] Fed. Census: 1850. New York, Delaware County, Town of Hancock, pg ?, line 28-37 (NARA: M432, Roll 495, Page 358). Household of John Watson.
  4. [S108] Fed. Census: 1860. New York, Delaware County, Town of Hancock, pg ?, line 17-25 (NARA: M653, Roll 744, Page 764). Household of John Watson.
  5. [S843] Watson Graves, East Branch Cemetery, Corner of Fish Road and Church Street, Hancock, Delaware County, NY.
  6. A John Watson and Elisa Kirkwood marry on 25 Jul 1835 in Killileagh, County Down, Ireland. No parents are mentioned, one of the witnesses is a Robert Watson. Whether this is the right couple, needs to be proven. FamilySearch has the date both as 25 Jul, and as 7 Aug 1835, but that could be banns vs marriage. The FamilySearch film are typed extracts of the marriage cert., and have less info than Roots Ireland. The familysearch website has records for 25 July and 7 Aug 1835, but no pictures. Roots Ireland is no longer accessible w/o a subscription.
  7. [S202] "Ireland Marriages, 1619-1898," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGNQ-7L8 : 12 December 2014), John Watson and Eliz Kirkwood, 25 Jul 1835; citing Presbyterian,Killyleagh,Down,Ireland, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 928,510.,. Index and/or images online at http://www.familysearch.org
  8. [S202] "Ireland Marriages, 1619-1898," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGNQ-72N : 12 December 2014), John Watson and Eliza Kirkwood, 07 Aug 1835; citing Presbyterian,Killyleagh,Down,Ireland, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 928,510.,. Index and/or images online at http://www.familysearch.org
  9. [S492] IFHF Ireland. Index and/or images online at http://brsgenealogy.com. This is a searchable database.
  10. [S202] New York, Probate Records, 1629-1971, Delaware Wills and proceedings index 1797-1963, vol L-Z, image 420,. Index and/or images online at http://www.familysearch.org
  11. East Branch Cemetery, located to the left of the Methodist Church, Village of East Branch, Town of Hancock, Delaware County, NY. Catalogued by Rita R. Finkle, Jun 15, 2001.
  12. [S575] John Watson. Find A Grave Memorial# 91957435, Find-A-Grave. Index and/or images online at http://www.findagrave.com/
  13. [S835] Dcny.org, East Branch Cemetery, Hancock <http://www.dcnyhistory.org/EastBranchCemHancock.html>., online: http://www.dcnyhistory.org/
  14. [S107] State Census: 1855. New York, Delaware County, Town of Hancock. Agricultural census, Line 7 (FHC Film# 0832848). John Watson.
  15. [S202] New York, Probate Records, 1629-1971. Delaware Wills, 1871-1876, vol H, pg 634-636.,. Index and/or images online at http://www.familysearch.org
  16. [S495] Tithe App, Watson Families, lines 538-541, 543, 545-547.
  17. [S108] Fed. Census: 1840. Household of John Watson. "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YYT-T6M?cc=1786457&wc=31SV-1XT%3A1588666984%2C1588667712%2C1588669064 : 24 August 2015), New York > Chautauqua > Sheridan > image 11 of 24; citing NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
  18. [S108] Fed. Census: 1850. New York, Delaware County, Town of Hancock, pg 358, line 28-37 (NARA: M432, Roll 495, Page 358). Household of John Watson.
  19. [S108] Fed. Census: 1870. New York, Delaware County, Town of Hancock, pg 221, line 10-15 (NARA: M593, Roll 923, Page 221). Household of James Watson.
  20. [S950] New York and Vicinity, United Methodist Church Records, 1775-1949[database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Original Data: Manuscripts and Archives Division of the New York Public Library; New York, New York; Methodist Episcopal Church Records in New York City and vicinity.,. Index and/or images online at http://www.ancestry.com
  21. [S104] Marr. Cert., State of New York, City of New York, Borough of Manhattan, cert#4713. Alexander Watson and Mary Ann Dunn, 2 Aug 1871.