According to records held at Laval University in Montreal, Michael VALLERAND was born in Quebec on 18 January 1759 to Jacque Francois-Marie Vallerand and Francoise-Louise Samson, a second generation Canadian family from France. The family immigrated in the mid 1600s. One early ancestor came as part of the French "Filles du Roi" or the Kings Daughters who were women who volunteered in exchange for a 50 pound dowry to marry a French soldier in Canada. This early ancestor, Marie-Anne Metru, married Jacques Samson and produced 17 children, one of which was Michael's maternal grandfather, Jean-Baptiste Samson.
In 1776, at the age of 17, Michael and his close friend (or possibly a cousin of unknown relationship) Francis LeCoste (or LeCours) walked from Montreal to the American Colonies where they were promptly arrested by the American Continental Army upon reaching Boston. The pair then enlisted as Privates in the Army at Albany on 16 Dec 1776 in Captain Gilbert's 6th Company of Hazen's Regiment (Congress' Own). Michael enlisted under the surname VERLIE. It is believed that since Michael was illiterate and had a strong accent, Verlie is what the clerk heard and wrote when he phonetically spelled Michael's surname. It might also have been that Michael used an alias to avoid detection as an underage runaway. Nevertheless, he joined the Continental Army and was from this moment, Private Verlie.
During his time in the Army, it is known that Michael fought in the battles of White Plains and Horse Creek in New York. Michael Verlie was promoted to Corporal in May 1777 and was honorably discharged in 1779 at Morristown New Jersey.
Following the war, he and other Canadians who had fought for the US received land grants in upstate New York in an area west of Lake Champlain. Michael apparently sold his to a speculator and it is not known where he went after that. It is assumed that he settled in Orange County, New York where Michael received his Infantry training, and an area in which he felt comfortable.
Sometime around 1777-78 before leaving the Army in 1779, Michael married a woman from Orange County, New York named Jemimah Raynor. (her name is miss-transcribed in New York death records as Jeremiah). His first child, a son, was born in Warwick, Orange County, New York in 1795.
Little is known of Michael's activities in the years in Orange County until when in 1827, he was living with his daughter in New York City and applied for a military service pension in the New York Court of Common Pleas. Several Army acquaintances including Frances LeCoste (LeCours) appeared on Michael's behalf. He was granted a regular pension based on his original rank of Private because he could not produce discharge papers to prove that he had achieved the rank of Corporal. He made his plea under the name Michael Verlie, the same name he used when he enlisted and used throughout his time in service.
During the pension hearings, Michael stated that his wife was ill and he was living with his daughter and her husband, George Streighthoff, in New York City. The official transcript of the hearing shows that Michael had the following six children: Ramer S., Ann, James S., David, Adeline and Thomas Jefferson. At the time of the hearing, it was learned that Michael was invalid and could not work and therefore had to depend on others, including his children in New York City and elsewhere in New York State for support.
Sometime around the time of the pension hearing in 1827; all six of Michael's children formalized the family surname to be VELDRAN, possibly a phonetic spelling of how their illiterate father pronounced Vallerand – with a guttural "r". The name Veldran might also have been a way for the children to distance themselves from the Verlie name due to ongoing anti-Canadian sentiments at the time.
Michael died in New York City on 17 September 1828 at the reported age of 75 years the same month he received his last pension payment (Source: NY City death certificate for Michael Veldran, Film Number: 447546). This does not correspond to his Laval recorded birth year as 1759. It is apparent that whoever reported his death did not know how old he was. According to the record of his pension hearing 15 days before his birthday in 1827, he was 67 years old, corresponding correctly to his date of birth of 18 January 1759. His age at death was actually 69, putting the NY City death certificate in error.
The New York City Archives lists the burial place for both Michael Veldran and his wife as the Bedford Street Methodist Episcopal Church, which was at the time in Greenwich Village on Manhattan. Originally, several hundred remains were interred in the old vaults beneath the church edifice. It is known that many well-known early residents of Greenwich Village were buried there. In 1913, the old church was demolished to make way for local improvements. The church purchased a plot in Mount Olivet Cemetery, in Queens, on Long Island, where the dead were moved. According to Mt. Olivet records, there is a common grave in Lot 2446B that contains the remains of 73 unknown persons re-interred from the old church. It is assumed that Michael Veldran and his wife are among them.
In 1776, at the age of 17, Michael and his close friend (or possibly a cousin of unknown relationship) Francis LeCoste (or LeCours) walked from Montreal to the American Colonies where they were promptly arrested by the American Continental Army upon reaching Boston. The pair then enlisted as Privates in the Army at Albany on 16 Dec 1776 in Captain Gilbert's 6th Company of Hazen's Regiment (Congress' Own). Michael enlisted under the surname VERLIE. It is believed that since Michael was illiterate and had a strong accent, Verlie is what the clerk heard and wrote when he phonetically spelled Michael's surname. It might also have been that Michael used an alias to avoid detection as an underage runaway. Nevertheless, he joined the Continental Army and was from this moment, Private Verlie.
During his time in the Army, it is known that Michael fought in the battles of White Plains and Horse Creek in New York. Michael Verlie was promoted to Corporal in May 1777 and was honorably discharged in 1779 at Morristown New Jersey.
Following the war, he and other Canadians who had fought for the US received land grants in upstate New York in an area west of Lake Champlain. Michael apparently sold his to a speculator and it is not known where he went after that. It is assumed that he settled in Orange County, New York where Michael received his Infantry training, and an area in which he felt comfortable.
Sometime around 1777-78 before leaving the Army in 1779, Michael married a woman from Orange County, New York named Jemimah Raynor. (her name is miss-transcribed in New York death records as Jeremiah). His first child, a son, was born in Warwick, Orange County, New York in 1795.
Little is known of Michael's activities in the years in Orange County until when in 1827, he was living with his daughter in New York City and applied for a military service pension in the New York Court of Common Pleas. Several Army acquaintances including Frances LeCoste (LeCours) appeared on Michael's behalf. He was granted a regular pension based on his original rank of Private because he could not produce discharge papers to prove that he had achieved the rank of Corporal. He made his plea under the name Michael Verlie, the same name he used when he enlisted and used throughout his time in service.
During the pension hearings, Michael stated that his wife was ill and he was living with his daughter and her husband, George Streighthoff, in New York City. The official transcript of the hearing shows that Michael had the following six children: Ramer S., Ann, James S., David, Adeline and Thomas Jefferson. At the time of the hearing, it was learned that Michael was invalid and could not work and therefore had to depend on others, including his children in New York City and elsewhere in New York State for support.
Sometime around the time of the pension hearing in 1827; all six of Michael's children formalized the family surname to be VELDRAN, possibly a phonetic spelling of how their illiterate father pronounced Vallerand – with a guttural "r". The name Veldran might also have been a way for the children to distance themselves from the Verlie name due to ongoing anti-Canadian sentiments at the time.
Michael died in New York City on 17 September 1828 at the reported age of 75 years the same month he received his last pension payment (Source: NY City death certificate for Michael Veldran, Film Number: 447546). This does not correspond to his Laval recorded birth year as 1759. It is apparent that whoever reported his death did not know how old he was. According to the record of his pension hearing 15 days before his birthday in 1827, he was 67 years old, corresponding correctly to his date of birth of 18 January 1759. His age at death was actually 69, putting the NY City death certificate in error.
The New York City Archives lists the burial place for both Michael Veldran and his wife as the Bedford Street Methodist Episcopal Church, which was at the time in Greenwich Village on Manhattan. Originally, several hundred remains were interred in the old vaults beneath the church edifice. It is known that many well-known early residents of Greenwich Village were buried there. In 1913, the old church was demolished to make way for local improvements. The church purchased a plot in Mount Olivet Cemetery, in Queens, on Long Island, where the dead were moved. According to Mt. Olivet records, there is a common grave in Lot 2446B that contains the remains of 73 unknown persons re-interred from the old church. It is assumed that Michael Veldran and his wife are among them.
According to records held at Laval University in Montreal, Michael VALLERAND was born in Quebec on 18 January 1759 to Jacque Francois-Marie Vallerand and Francoise-Louise Samson, a second generation Canadian family from France. The family immigrated in the mid 1600s. One early ancestor came as part of the French "Filles du Roi" or the Kings Daughters who were women who volunteered in exchange for a 50 pound dowry to marry a French soldier in Canada. This early ancestor, Marie-Anne Metru, married Jacques Samson and produced 17 children, one of which was Michael's maternal grandfather, Jean-Baptiste Samson.
In 1776, at the age of 17, Michael and his close friend (or possibly a cousin of unknown relationship) Francis LeCoste (or LeCours) walked from Montreal to the American Colonies where they were promptly arrested by the American Continental Army upon reaching Boston. The pair then enlisted as Privates in the Army at Albany on 16 Dec 1776 in Captain Gilbert's 6th Company of Hazen's Regiment (Congress' Own). Michael enlisted under the surname VERLIE. It is believed that since Michael was illiterate and had a strong accent, Verlie is what the clerk heard and wrote when he phonetically spelled Michael's surname. It might also have been that Michael used an alias to avoid detection as an underage runaway. Nevertheless, he joined the Continental Army and was from this moment, Private Verlie.
During his time in the Army, it is known that Michael fought in the battles of White Plains and Horse Creek in New York. Michael Verlie was promoted to Corporal in May 1777 and was honorably discharged in 1779 at Morristown New Jersey.
Following the war, he and other Canadians who had fought for the US received land grants in upstate New York in an area west of Lake Champlain. Michael apparently sold his to a speculator and it is not known where he went after that. It is assumed that he settled in Orange County, New York where Michael received his Infantry training, and an area in which he felt comfortable.
Sometime around 1777-78 before leaving the Army in 1779, Michael married a woman from Orange County, New York named Jemimah Raynor. (her name is miss-transcribed in New York death records as Jeremiah). His first child, a son, was born in Warwick, Orange County, New York in 1795.
Little is known of Michael's activities in the years in Orange County until when in 1827, he was living with his daughter in New York City and applied for a military service pension in the New York Court of Common Pleas. Several Army acquaintances including Frances LeCoste (LeCours) appeared on Michael's behalf. He was granted a regular pension based on his original rank of Private because he could not produce discharge papers to prove that he had achieved the rank of Corporal. He made his plea under the name Michael Verlie, the same name he used when he enlisted and used throughout his time in service.
During the pension hearings, Michael stated that his wife was ill and he was living with his daughter and her husband, George Streighthoff, in New York City. The official transcript of the hearing shows that Michael had the following six children: Ramer S., Ann, James S., David, Adeline and Thomas Jefferson. At the time of the hearing, it was learned that Michael was invalid and could not work and therefore had to depend on others, including his children in New York City and elsewhere in New York State for support.
Sometime around the time of the pension hearing in 1827; all six of Michael's children formalized the family surname to be VELDRAN, possibly a phonetic spelling of how their illiterate father pronounced Vallerand – with a guttural "r". The name Veldran might also have been a way for the children to distance themselves from the Verlie name due to ongoing anti-Canadian sentiments at the time.
Michael died in New York City on 17 September 1828 at the reported age of 75 years the same month he received his last pension payment (Source: NY City death certificate for Michael Veldran, Film Number: 447546). This does not correspond to his Laval recorded birth year as 1759. It is apparent that whoever reported his death did not know how old he was. According to the record of his pension hearing 15 days before his birthday in 1827, he was 67 years old, corresponding correctly to his date of birth of 18 January 1759. His age at death was actually 69, putting the NY City death certificate in error.
The New York City Archives lists the burial place for both Michael Veldran and his wife as the Bedford Street Methodist Episcopal Church, which was at the time in Greenwich Village on Manhattan. Originally, several hundred remains were interred in the old vaults beneath the church edifice. It is known that many well-known early residents of Greenwich Village were buried there. In 1913, the old church was demolished to make way for local improvements. The church purchased a plot in Mount Olivet Cemetery, in Queens, on Long Island, where the dead were moved. According to Mt. Olivet records, there is a common grave in Lot 2446B that contains the remains of 73 unknown persons re-interred from the old church. It is assumed that Michael Veldran and his wife are among them.
In 1776, at the age of 17, Michael and his close friend (or possibly a cousin of unknown relationship) Francis LeCoste (or LeCours) walked from Montreal to the American Colonies where they were promptly arrested by the American Continental Army upon reaching Boston. The pair then enlisted as Privates in the Army at Albany on 16 Dec 1776 in Captain Gilbert's 6th Company of Hazen's Regiment (Congress' Own). Michael enlisted under the surname VERLIE. It is believed that since Michael was illiterate and had a strong accent, Verlie is what the clerk heard and wrote when he phonetically spelled Michael's surname. It might also have been that Michael used an alias to avoid detection as an underage runaway. Nevertheless, he joined the Continental Army and was from this moment, Private Verlie.
During his time in the Army, it is known that Michael fought in the battles of White Plains and Horse Creek in New York. Michael Verlie was promoted to Corporal in May 1777 and was honorably discharged in 1779 at Morristown New Jersey.
Following the war, he and other Canadians who had fought for the US received land grants in upstate New York in an area west of Lake Champlain. Michael apparently sold his to a speculator and it is not known where he went after that. It is assumed that he settled in Orange County, New York where Michael received his Infantry training, and an area in which he felt comfortable.
Sometime around 1777-78 before leaving the Army in 1779, Michael married a woman from Orange County, New York named Jemimah Raynor. (her name is miss-transcribed in New York death records as Jeremiah). His first child, a son, was born in Warwick, Orange County, New York in 1795.
Little is known of Michael's activities in the years in Orange County until when in 1827, he was living with his daughter in New York City and applied for a military service pension in the New York Court of Common Pleas. Several Army acquaintances including Frances LeCoste (LeCours) appeared on Michael's behalf. He was granted a regular pension based on his original rank of Private because he could not produce discharge papers to prove that he had achieved the rank of Corporal. He made his plea under the name Michael Verlie, the same name he used when he enlisted and used throughout his time in service.
During the pension hearings, Michael stated that his wife was ill and he was living with his daughter and her husband, George Streighthoff, in New York City. The official transcript of the hearing shows that Michael had the following six children: Ramer S., Ann, James S., David, Adeline and Thomas Jefferson. At the time of the hearing, it was learned that Michael was invalid and could not work and therefore had to depend on others, including his children in New York City and elsewhere in New York State for support.
Sometime around the time of the pension hearing in 1827; all six of Michael's children formalized the family surname to be VELDRAN, possibly a phonetic spelling of how their illiterate father pronounced Vallerand – with a guttural "r". The name Veldran might also have been a way for the children to distance themselves from the Verlie name due to ongoing anti-Canadian sentiments at the time.
Michael died in New York City on 17 September 1828 at the reported age of 75 years the same month he received his last pension payment (Source: NY City death certificate for Michael Veldran, Film Number: 447546). This does not correspond to his Laval recorded birth year as 1759. It is apparent that whoever reported his death did not know how old he was. According to the record of his pension hearing 15 days before his birthday in 1827, he was 67 years old, corresponding correctly to his date of birth of 18 January 1759. His age at death was actually 69, putting the NY City death certificate in error.
The New York City Archives lists the burial place for both Michael Veldran and his wife as the Bedford Street Methodist Episcopal Church, which was at the time in Greenwich Village on Manhattan. Originally, several hundred remains were interred in the old vaults beneath the church edifice. It is known that many well-known early residents of Greenwich Village were buried there. In 1913, the old church was demolished to make way for local improvements. The church purchased a plot in Mount Olivet Cemetery, in Queens, on Long Island, where the dead were moved. According to Mt. Olivet records, there is a common grave in Lot 2446B that contains the remains of 73 unknown persons re-interred from the old church. It is assumed that Michael Veldran and his wife are among them.
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