The Rectors in Yates County, NY

Below are pages 324 through 330 of Vol 1 of the 1976 reprint of the History and Directory of Yates County by Stafford C. Cleveland. The long paragraphs have been re-formatted for ease of locating your Rector ancestor.

THE WEST WOODS
In one of a series of articles contributed in 1869, to the Yates County Chronicle, concerning the "Yates County Gazetteer," Edward J. Fowle, wrote as follows: "After the earlier settlers of Benton, about 1816, there came a colony from Livingston's Manor, Columbia county, who located in the west part of the town, which for many years was designated as the West or Dutch Woods. They were an honest, frugal and industrious people. The 'Old Folks' are nearly all departed, as are most of the log houses they built. Many of the descendants reside there, possessing the virtues of the parents. They are well-to-do farmers, and good livers. Among them will be found the family names of Crank, Rector, Finger, Wheeler, Simmons, Carrol, Hoos, Moon, Miller and Niver. In the young days of the old people, the winters afforded good times for visiting and social enjoyments. Every week, if not oftener, at the log residence of some one of them, the families would all congregate, coming in sleighs or sleds, when there would be music and dancing, story telling, refreshments and smoking, while the huge logs blazed sway in the good large fire-places; and so the evening or night passed away. There was usually one double log house, with only one room below, which had two fireplaces, two looms, two beds, and other furniture, and occupied by two families. And those primitive times were happy times with them, with few artificial wants, with no heed to fashions, no class distinctions, no envyings nor jealousies, their lives glided along smoothly and pleasantly. Their spiritual wants were supplied occasionally by an itinerant Dutch or Methodist minister. They were always kind to one another, at house raisings and logging bees, at marriages. in sickness and at death and burial. The large and small wheel, the reel and the loom, have nearly disappeared from among them, but agriculture, the dairy, poultry flocks and herds; and general household duties, now claim the attention of both men and women, old and young, conducing to health and competence. They have rarely if ever been engaged in law suits, and never has one of them been before the courts for wrong doing. It would be hard for our friends in high life to frame for themselves a more exalted eulogy."

THE RECTOR FAMILY
Andrew Rector was a native of Copake, originally Taghkanick, Columbia Co., N. Y., and was born in 1762. He married Charity Rockefellow, of the same place. He died in Benton, in 1842, at the age of eighty, and she in 1838, at the age of seventy-two. They came to Benton in 1817, bringing most of their family of nine children, and settled in the West Woods, on lot 104, where there was no house or clearing, buying the land of Samuel Colt, of Geneva, who was a considerable landholder in that vicinity, and paying ten dollars per acre. Here they tarried the remainder of their days. Their children were (1) William, (2) Hannah, (3) Mary, (4) Teal, (5) Andrew, (6) Eva, (7) Christiana, (8) Catharine and (9) Elizabeth.

(1) William, born in 1782, married Hannah Simmons, in Columbia county. They settled in Benton, in 1810, and on lot 101, in 1813, coming with Henry Simmons previous to his father. Hannah, his wife, was born in 1786, and died in 1870. Their children were Elizabeth, Andrew W., Conrad, Jacob, Charity, David, Catharine and William J.

• Elizabeth, daughter of William Rector, born in 1806, married James Jennings, of Benton, where she died. Her children were Hannah, Thomas, William J., Nelson, Sarah and Jerusha. Hannah married Jesse Tiers, of Benton. They reside on the Pottertown road, and have one child, Hannah. Thomas married Anna Wheat, of Benton. They reside in Naples, and have six children. William married Cynthia Kirkham, of Benton. They settled in Naples, and have three children. J. Nelson married Ursula Wheat, of Benton, a sister of the wife of Thomas, and has resided with his father. He has a second wife, Annie E. Washburn, of Naples. They reside now in Penn Yan. Sarah married John Miller, resides in Michigan, and has one child. Jerusha married William Washburn, of' Naples, and has one child.
• Andrew W., son of William Rector, born in 1806, married Elizabeth Coons, of Benton, and settled in Potter. He has held the office of justice of the peace in that town several years. Their children are Nelson, Hannah E., Sarah C., Emily J., Amelia M. and Julian. Nelson married Caroline Coons, of Naples, and resided in Benton, where she died, leaving two children, Elizabeth and William. He has a second wife, Harriet Shaw, of Benton, and there are two children of the second marriage, Caroline and Andrew. Hannah E. is unmarried. Sarah married Orson Linkletter, of Steuben county. They reside in Naples. Emily married Daniel Reynolds, of Middlesex, and resides in Michigan. They have one child, Llewellyn. Amelia M. married Daniel Olcott, of Naples, where they reside. They have one child. Julia married Addison Hasley, of Potter, and resides with her father.
• Conrad Rector, born in 1809, married Mary Wheeler, of Benton, and settled in Naples. They have one child, Caroline.
• Jacob, born in 1812, married Maria Coons, of Benton, and resides in Naples. They have one son, John.
• Catharine, born in 1822, married Seymour Wheeler, of Potter, and resides in Naples. Their children are Werder, Malcolm and Hannah.
• Charity, born in 1815, married John Rector, of Benton.
• David, born in 1815, married Susan Bates, of Potter, and resides in Naples. They have one child, Hannah.
• William J. born in 1826, married Cataline Kelsey, of Benton, and resides with his father on the homestead. He is an enterprising and thrifty farmer. He has a second wife, Eleanor, daughter of Thomas Davis, of Benton.

(2) Hannah, daughter of Andrew Rector, senior, married Henry Simmons.

(3) Mary married Christian Niver, of Columbia county. They did not come to this county. Their children were Andrew, Elizabeth, Henry, Charity, Hannah, Catharine, Mary B. and Norman. Elizabeth and Catharine only became residents of this county.

• Elizabeth Niver married Col. William Carroll, and settled in Benton, where she died, leaving seven children, James, Peter D., Alfred, Ann, William, Worthy and Mary E.
• Col. Carroll married a second wife, Catharine Niver, sister of his first wife. Their children were Adelaide; Hannah J., Mercena and Frank. William Carroll was the successor of Col. Gilbert Sherer, as colonel of the old 103d regiment of Militia. He died in 1860, at the age of fifty-one. His son James Carroll is a Methodist clergyman. He is married, and resides in Connecticut. Peter D. married Mary J. Miller, of Columbia Co., and resides on a portion of the paternal homestead, on lot 106. Their children are Jane, Deloss, Seneca, Gazelle and Floyd. Alfred married Sarah Doremus, of Penn Yan, and resides on the place known as the Lovejoy farm, south of Cranks Corners. Their children are Grace, Charles and Fred. Baron married Mary, daughter of Simon Forshay, of Penn Yan. They reside in Torrey, on the Penn Yan and Dresden road, and their children are Job and Will. William married Alice Niver, of Columbia county, and resides there. Mary E. is the wife of William Miner Taylor, of Benton. Worthy is single, and is one of the firm of S. J. Larham & Co., grocers, and resides in Penn Yan. Adelaide married Charles Swarthout, of Torrey, and resides on the Swarthout family homestead. They have one son, Henry. Hannah J. married Dudley Olney, of Torrey. They reside at Ypsilanti, Michigan. Marcena and Frank are unmarried, and reside in Penn Yan.

(4) Teal Rector, born in 1789, married Eleanor Finger, of Columbia county, and settled on the homestead in Benton, where he died, in 1859, leaving eight children: Charity, John, Jacob T., Eliza, William T., Simeon, and Lucetta and Lewis, twins.

• Charity, born in 1812, married David Lovejoy, of Benton, and they reside in Ohio. Their children are John, Albert and Simeon.
• John, son of Teal Rector, born in 1813, married his cousin, Charity, daughter of William Rector. They reside in Naples, and their children are James and Hannah.
• Jacob T., born in 1815, married Catharine Baker, of Benton, and resides in Milo, on the Conrad Shattuck farm. Their children are Madriff, May and Stephen. Madriff married Sarah Gordon, of Barrington, and resides with his father. Mary married Holly Snyder, of Barrington.
• Eliza, born in 1817, married John Finger, Jr., and settled in Benton, where she died, in 1839, leaving one surviving child, McKendric.
• William T., born in 1820, married Mary Church, of Benton, and moved to Cohocton, N. Y., where she and her four children died within one month, the children of diphtheria, and she of pulmonary disease. He married a second wife, Catharine Harris, of Conhocton, and resides there.
• Simeon, born in 1823, married Hannah Elder, of Benton, and resides at Iona, Michigan. They have two children, George and Oscar.
• Lewis married Catharine Potts, of Benton, and resides in Jerusalem.
• Lucretia was the first wife of Freeman G. Wheeler, of Penn Yan, and died in 1864.
• Eleanor, wife of Teal Rector, died in 1866.

(5) Andrew Rector, jr., born in 1792, married Dorothea Finger, of Columbia county, and settled in Benton, with his father. He died in 1842. Their children were John H., Andrew, Edward and Henry, twins, Elizabeth, Jane, Jeremiah, Norman, Polly, William F. and Jacob.

• John H., born in 1814, died single, in 1835.
• Andrew, born in 1816, married Elizabeth Finger, of Benton. Their children are John and Helen.
• Edward, born in 1820, married Diantha Shaw, of Benton, and moved to Rockford, Michigan.
• Henry married Harriet Gilbert, of Benton, and resides in that town. Their children are William W., Charles, Albert, Madison, John and Rosa, of whom William W. married Margaret Shaw, and resides in Naples.
• Elizabeth, born in 1828, married Freeman Carroll, and resides at Benton Center. Their children were James and Anna.
• Fanny Jane, born in 1825, married Jefferson B. Briggs of Potter and they reside at Potter Hollow, Michigan.
• Jeremiah, born in 1827, married Artimetia Shaw, of Benton, and resides on the old Andrew Rector family homestead, on lot 104. Their children are Dorothea, Miner and George.
• Norman married Harriet, daughter of Baltus Wheeler, of Jerusalem, and resides in that town. They have one son, Jerome.
• William F., born in 1831, married Phebe Jane, daughter of Theron R. Finch, of Potter. They have one child, and reside at Cascade, Michigan.
• Jacob T., born 1836, married Esther J. Corey, of Jerusalem. They reside at Birchtown, Michigan.

(6) Eva Rector, born in 1794, married Jeremiah Finger, of Columbia county, and settled in the "West Woods." Their children were John J., Andrew, Mary, Catharine, Charity, Hannah and Norton.

• John J., born in 1815, married Sally Coons, of Benton and resides In that town. Their children are Emily, Hannah, Jane, William and Sidney. Emily married Charles Owen. Their children are Wilkie and Florence. The others are single.
• Andrew married Rosetta, daughter of Julius Barnes, Jr., of Jerusalem, and resides in Benton. Their children are Samuel, Rachel and Margaret.
• Mary was the second wife of Martin Brown, jr., of Benton.
• Hannah married Abraham Bain, of Benton, and resides there. Their children are Theodore, Andrew and Martin.
• Catharine died single.
• Charity is unmarried.
• Norton married Emily Hainer, of Benton, and resides on his father's homestead. Their children are Oliver, Mary, Alice, Margaret, Irene and Eva.

(7) Christiana Rector, born in 1789, married Garnet Crank, of Columbia county. They settled near her father. He was a blacksmith, and gave the name to Crank's Corners, where they reside. Their children are Andrew, Amy, Charity and John M.

• Andrew married Mary A. Simmons, of Schoharie county, and resided in Benton, at the old McIntyre blacksmith stand on the Pottertown road, where he died, leaving three children, Emma, Catharine and Bradford. Emma married George Sampson, of Benton. They reside in Penn Yan, and have one son, George. Catharine married William Barringer, of Benton, where they reside. They have two children, Lizzie and Minnie. Bradford married Della Hatch, of Penn Yan, and resides in Benton.
• Amy Crank died single.
• Charity married Clinton Chrysler, of Benton, where she died, leaving one child, Charity.
• John M. married Samantha Simmons, sister of the wife of Andrew 3d, and settled on the homestead with his father. He died, leaving two children, Christina and Maria. 

(8) Catharine Rector, born in 1802, married William H. Simmons.

(9) Elizabeth Rector, born in 1806, was the first wife of Martin Brown, jr., and the mother of his children.

Scanned by PDB - 11/98

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