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John Knapp Sr.

Birth
Greenwich, Fairfield County, Connecticut, USA
Death
1817 (aged 47–48)
Fallsburg, Sullivan County, New York, USA
Burial
Fallsburg, Sullivan County, New York, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
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John Knapp is a direct descendant of Nicholas Knapp who emigrated from England on the Winthrop Fleet. Nicholas first settled Watertown, MA and then his family were early settlers of Greenwich, CT. Joshua, his direct ancestor, is included on the Founders and Proprietors Monument in Greenwich. John married Martha Brown on April 16, 1793, in Greenwich. His parents are Eli Knapp and Rachel Elizabeth DuBois.

With two young sons in tow (William and John), they moved with his friend William Thompson and young brother in law, James Brown to what is now Thompson in Sullivan County, NY. It has been said that James and John built one of the first mills on the Neversink.

The History of Sullivan County by James Eldridge Quinlan and Thomas Antisell mentions him several times including:

- 1816 He along with more than a dozen others formed the "President and Directors of the Neversink Navigation Company". The purpose was to open the Neversink River for rafting purposes. (Introduction chapter) Note: John died the following year.
-Previous to 1805, there were settlers south-west of Monticello besides Terwilliger and Litts. On the 22d of March, 1805, Samuel Pelton and John Knapp, two of the Road Commissioners of the town met at the house of Abraham Waring, and "resolved that road district No. 16 contain the road from the Sacket road near Hog Back Ridge; thence past the house of Mr. Letz, Samuel Pelton, Isaac Wells and Jarea Jones; from thence to where it intersects the Sacket road near the Mongap stream." These Commissioners were elected in April, 1804. (about p537 Fallsburgh chapter)
- On the 10th of October, 1797, Elijah Reeve, of Mount Hope, and John Knapp, of Thompsonville, laid out a public road from Johannes Masten's to Sackettborough. (Fallsburgh chapter about page 510.)
-Sept. 29, 1797 Elijah Reeve of Otisville, and John Knapp of Thompsonville, Commissioners of Mamakating, established a road from the residence of William A. Thompson, over Mount Prospect to the Neversink at the Falls, and from thence to Woodbourne (Fallsburgh chapter page about 210)
-1796-1797 They arrived on the 5th of May, and brought with them five or six mill-wrights, who at once began to clear the ground for the foundation of the sawmill. In about four months, this mill was completed, when the grist-mill was commenced. The latter was finished in the summer of 1796.... John Knapp and his wife remained in the settlement during the first winter. Mr. [William A] Thompson returned to New York with his family, the hardships of a forest-life in the season of snow and frost being deemed too formidable for them. (About p500 in Thompson Chapter)

John and Martha lived in Liberty and Thompson, Sullivan County. They had several more children. A list I have found and am working to source includes:

William KNAPP (1794-1870) married Sally Ann Seeley and stayed in Thompson.
John KNAPP (1795-????) married Rebeckah Summers; settled around Derby CT
Deborah KNAPP (1797-????)
Phoebe KNAPP (1799-????)
David Brown KNAPP (1800-????)
Eli KNAPP (1802-????)
Shadrack KNAPP (1803-????)
Isaac KNAPP (1805-1865) married Eliza Gardner and stayed in Thompson
Israel KNAPP (1807-????)
Hannah KNAPP (1809-????)
Gilbert F. KNAPP (1811-????)
Robert James KNAPP (1813-????)

John died in 1817 leaving Martha with a houseful of children. She apparently married a neighbor, Benjamin Carpenter, and is buried as Martha Carpenter, late widow of John Knapp.

Somewhere I found a list online that included John in this cemetery but I can no longer find it. That is how I found Martha. The list also reflected him as a Sr. His son John is also my direct ancestor. John Jr also had a son John Dayton, who I have never heard referred to as a III or Jr.

More info to follow...
John Knapp is a direct descendant of Nicholas Knapp who emigrated from England on the Winthrop Fleet. Nicholas first settled Watertown, MA and then his family were early settlers of Greenwich, CT. Joshua, his direct ancestor, is included on the Founders and Proprietors Monument in Greenwich. John married Martha Brown on April 16, 1793, in Greenwich. His parents are Eli Knapp and Rachel Elizabeth DuBois.

With two young sons in tow (William and John), they moved with his friend William Thompson and young brother in law, James Brown to what is now Thompson in Sullivan County, NY. It has been said that James and John built one of the first mills on the Neversink.

The History of Sullivan County by James Eldridge Quinlan and Thomas Antisell mentions him several times including:

- 1816 He along with more than a dozen others formed the "President and Directors of the Neversink Navigation Company". The purpose was to open the Neversink River for rafting purposes. (Introduction chapter) Note: John died the following year.
-Previous to 1805, there were settlers south-west of Monticello besides Terwilliger and Litts. On the 22d of March, 1805, Samuel Pelton and John Knapp, two of the Road Commissioners of the town met at the house of Abraham Waring, and "resolved that road district No. 16 contain the road from the Sacket road near Hog Back Ridge; thence past the house of Mr. Letz, Samuel Pelton, Isaac Wells and Jarea Jones; from thence to where it intersects the Sacket road near the Mongap stream." These Commissioners were elected in April, 1804. (about p537 Fallsburgh chapter)
- On the 10th of October, 1797, Elijah Reeve, of Mount Hope, and John Knapp, of Thompsonville, laid out a public road from Johannes Masten's to Sackettborough. (Fallsburgh chapter about page 510.)
-Sept. 29, 1797 Elijah Reeve of Otisville, and John Knapp of Thompsonville, Commissioners of Mamakating, established a road from the residence of William A. Thompson, over Mount Prospect to the Neversink at the Falls, and from thence to Woodbourne (Fallsburgh chapter page about 210)
-1796-1797 They arrived on the 5th of May, and brought with them five or six mill-wrights, who at once began to clear the ground for the foundation of the sawmill. In about four months, this mill was completed, when the grist-mill was commenced. The latter was finished in the summer of 1796.... John Knapp and his wife remained in the settlement during the first winter. Mr. [William A] Thompson returned to New York with his family, the hardships of a forest-life in the season of snow and frost being deemed too formidable for them. (About p500 in Thompson Chapter)

John and Martha lived in Liberty and Thompson, Sullivan County. They had several more children. A list I have found and am working to source includes:

William KNAPP (1794-1870) married Sally Ann Seeley and stayed in Thompson.
John KNAPP (1795-????) married Rebeckah Summers; settled around Derby CT
Deborah KNAPP (1797-????)
Phoebe KNAPP (1799-????)
David Brown KNAPP (1800-????)
Eli KNAPP (1802-????)
Shadrack KNAPP (1803-????)
Isaac KNAPP (1805-1865) married Eliza Gardner and stayed in Thompson
Israel KNAPP (1807-????)
Hannah KNAPP (1809-????)
Gilbert F. KNAPP (1811-????)
Robert James KNAPP (1813-????)

John died in 1817 leaving Martha with a houseful of children. She apparently married a neighbor, Benjamin Carpenter, and is buried as Martha Carpenter, late widow of John Knapp.

Somewhere I found a list online that included John in this cemetery but I can no longer find it. That is how I found Martha. The list also reflected him as a Sr. His son John is also my direct ancestor. John Jr also had a son John Dayton, who I have never heard referred to as a III or Jr.

More info to follow...

Gravesite Details

A headstone cannot be found.



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