Bassett-Edgecomb-Snyder Archives home
Snyder/Sharpsteen migration maps
Ancestors of John Henry Sharpsteen
 

John Henry (1766-1848) and Jane Simpson (1766-1840) Sharpsteen

Key words: John Sharpsteen, John Sharpstone, John H. Sharpstone, John and Jane Sharpsteen, John H. and Jane Sharpsteen

John H. Sharpsteen and Jane Simpson were probably married in about 17861 in eastern New York.  In 1790, they were probably living in Washington, Dutchess Co., NY.2  In family references, they are referred to as "Sharpsteen".  However, on the 1800-1810 census records, they are listed under "Sharpstone", which is a literal translation of the German "Scharffenstein". 

They had the following children:1

Mary 13 Nov 1787 - 11 May 1853, m. Philip Snyder, Jr.
Phoebe  22 Aug 1789 - 11 Feb 1838, m. Robert Callister on 1 Jan 1806.
Elizabeth "Betsy"  31 May 1791 - May 1863
Sarah  15 Nov 1792 - 8 Jan 1863, m. John Pulver
John 17 Feb 1794 - 20 Feb 1863 at Chatham Corners, m. Susan Smith on 2 Feb 1813
Samuel  8 Apr 1796 - 25 Nov 1865 in Perry, Wyoming Co., New York, m. Margaret Sleight
Rebecca  b. 3 Jun 1798-27 Feb [?], m. Elias D. Haight on 30 Sep 1818 in Washington Hollow. 
Eliza Ann  6 Aug 1800 - after 1860 in Hillsdale, Michigan, m. Ira Warren
Margaret  b. 22 Feb 1803
Jane  b. 20 Apr 1808

The census records from 1800-1810 generally support these names and dates3 4, although they suggest that there may have been one son and two daughters older than Mary.  If this were true, then the marriage date of John and Jane would be pushed back to as early as 1763 when they were 17 years old.  

By 1800, John and his family had moved up the Hudson River valley to Columbia County where they were living in the town of Livingston.3  By 1810, they were living in the town of Gallatin.  The census record shows Mary and her husband, Philip Snyder, Jr., living nearby.4  In 1820 John's family is back in Washington, Dutchess Co., NY.5  In 1830, John Sharpsteen and his family are living in Leicester, Ontario Co., NY.6  They are living near to Henry Snider who is probably his grandson, son of Mary Snyder.  Also listed nearby is Ira Warren, husband of Eliza Ann. 

Jane died on 9 Jan 1840 and John is recorded as dying in Leicester, Livingston Co., NY on 25 Oct 1848,1 suggesting that the Sharpsteen family and Philip Snyder, Jr.'s family moved west together through New York and on to Michigan.  (Livingston Co. is just west of Ontario County where Philip moved in about 1815.)  This is supported by the fact that Samuel is listed in the 1840 census for Leicester, Livingston County, NY7 and descendants of Samuel and Eliza Ann died in Michigan where Mary and some of her children moved after they lived in western New York. 

 

Many thanks to J. Max Anderson who made the connection between our family and the origins of John Sharpsteen and Jane Simpson Sharpsteen and to Barry Coomer who pointed out that Sharpsteen was rendered Sharpstone in early records.

This information is freely available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.  On the web, a link to this page would be helpful.
Creative Commons License

Comments?  Questions?  Contact Steve Baskauf

 

References:

1. J. Max Anderson.  2006. A History of Johann Jost Snyder and Anna Magdalena Elizabetha Flagler of Palatine Immigrants to America in 1710.  Salt Lake City, Utah.  p. 45. Much of this information is also given at http://genforum.genealogy.com/sharpsteen/messages/5.html which lists the birthdate of Mary as 30 November 1787.

2. U.S. Census of 1790 for Washington, Dutchess Co., New York, p.150  [blank 1790 form]
Rationalization of this census record.

3. U.S. Census of 1800 for Livingston, Columbia Co., New York, p. 293.   [blank 1800 form]
One male 26-44 (John H. aged 34), one male 16-25 (?? possibly the same unidentified male from the 1790 census), two males under 10 (John S. aged 6 and Samuel aged 4), one female over 45 (?? can't be Jane aged 34 but where is she?), two females aged 16-25 (possibly the two unidentified females listed in the 1790 census), two females aged 10-15 (Mary aged 13 and Phebe aged 11), two females under 10 (Elizabeth aged 9 and Sarah aged 8).  Rebecca who should be aged about 2 is not listed.

4. U. S. Census of 1810 for Gallatin, Columbia Co., New York, p. 838.   [blank 1810 form]
One male 26-44 (John H. aged 44), two males aged 10-15 (John S. aged 16, Samuel aged 14), one female aged 26-44 (Jane aged 44), one female aged 16-25 (Sarah aged 18, Mary and Phebe were already married - don't know about Elizabeth), two females aged 10-15 (Rebecca aged 12, Eliza Ann aged 10), one female under 10 (Margaret aged 7, Jane aged 2 not accounted for). 

5. U.S. Census of 1820 for Washington, Dutchess Co., New York, p. 146. [blank 1820 form]
John H. Sharpsteen: one male 16-18(?), two males 18-26 (John S. 26 and Samuel 24), one male over 45 (John aged 54), one female 10-16 (Jane 12), one female 16-26 (Margaret 17), one female over 45 (Jane aged 54)

6. U.S. Census of 1830 for Leicester, Ontario Co., NY, p. 164.  [blank 1830 form]
John Sharpsteen: one male 60-70 (John aged 64), one female 50-60 (Jane, but supposed to be aged 64), one female 20-30 (Jane 22?), one female 10-15 (?)

7. U.S. Census of 1840 for Leicester, Livingston Co., NY, p.156.  [blank 1840 form]
Saml. Sharpstein: one male 40-50 (Samuel aged 44), one male 20-30 (Hiram Mortimer aged 19 or Daniel aged 21 or Anson aged 26), two males 15-20 (Albert aged 15, Miles aged 17), two males 10-15 (Oscar aged 10, Henry aged 13), one male 5-10 (Bolton aged 4), one male 0-5 (Seward aged 2), one female 40-50 (Margaret aged 44), one female 10-15, one female 5-10 (Adeline Marie aged 8).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.