Numbered pages 271-278.

 

Nicholas Harris   Counsellor-at-Law                           Belvidere  N.J.                  June 22nd  1896

Henry J, Aten, Esq.                  Hiawatha  Kansas

Dear Cousin Henry:--

Your kind letter of the 18th inst. came to hand this morning, and I was greatly pleased to hear from you.  Your kind letter of May 27th ult., was also duly received and I was pleased to receive the same.  My failure to answer yours of the 27th ult., was not because I did not wish to write to you, but was left until I might see some of the many distant kinsfolk of yours about here, and show them the letters

received from you, and the family history sent by you, and see if they or any of them could give me any information that would be interesting to you.  I am glad to know that our friend and kinswoman Mrs. Caroline Adarancha (St. John) Prentiss wrote to you.  She is a lovely woman and a lady of intelligence, and is a very fine correspondent.  You will I know be pleased to receive her letters.  I sent to her copies of all the letters and information sent to me by you, and requested her to write to you.—

About the one child whose name you missed in your first letters, as they say out here Aunt “Jennie” or “Jeny” or Jena  I think I wrote to you about her

or intended to do so.  Mrs. Hay says she remembers very well of hearing about her from her (Mrs. Hay’s) Grandfather.  We have it out here that she married Robert Britton and removed to Halifax Nova Scotia.  Last summer when Mrs. Prentiss was out here, I directed a package of newspapers to Halifax, and one to a place in Nova Scotia, for Mrs. Prentiss and she said they were sent to some distant relatives on her Great Great Grandmother’s side.—

I looked into an old history of the “Early Germans,” in New Jersey and I find the following expressions in the said book in reference to—

the name of Richard and Derrick.  “Dierick Jans” (i.e., Richard son of John.)—

                  “Dietrich”—(Dutch for Richard)

                  “Dirck”—(Derrich, Richard)

The above three as I said are extracts from the old book, and show that the name Derrick or Derick or Derrich—came down from Richard—

Why yes my dear cousin, I will be pleased to receive a copy of the family history, as received by you from Miss Katharine Aten, daughter of Charles Morgan Aten—as he received it from his father Henry Aten of Wellsville Ohio.  I don’t think I have ever seen the statement.~~~~

I send to you herewith a report of a meeting of Presbyterians at one of the old churches down in Monmouth County.  I send you

also a clipping about Genl. Robert McAllister’s death.  He was a resident of Belvidere, and a brave and noble man in the War, and an honored citizen at home.  -- --

Several members of the Aten families have some old family papers connected with the Settlements of the estates of the older members of the Aten estates.  I will send you with this letter a copy of the settlement of the estate of Adrian Aten who was a brother of Derrick Aten your Great Great Grandfather.  You can read it, and make a copy of it if you wish to and then return it to me again.  Also I send to you the

Letters of Administration, of the administration of the estate of Henry Aten dec’d.

You have a copy of the will of Derrick Aten your Great Great Grandfather, and my Great Great Great Grandfather.—and these two now sent show the Admrs of Henry and the Executors of Adrian—two of the brothers of Derrick dec’d—I merely send these to you that you may see them.  The said letters of Administration I wish to have returned to me after you have read it.—

We also have two old Parchment deeds—one to Adrian Aten and one to Henry Aten—written on Sheepskin.  I doubt if you ever saw any of the old Parchment deeds of the earlier times.

If you would like to see these old papers I can send them to you and you can after reading them return them to me again.  The one to Adrian Aten is dated 1744.—

Did I tell you that my wife is a descendant of Henry Aten, a great Grand daughter, so you see in our case, we, that is husband and wife are both descendants in line from Aten’s.  The Henry spoken of in the letters of Administration, who was the person who died intestate, is the same person spoken of as Hendrick Aten in the papers

concerning the settlement of the estate of Adrian.  Adrian seems to have lived and died in Readington, Hunterdon County  N.J.

They have built a new fence around the old Aten Grave Yard up along the Delaware, this spring.

Mrs. Josephine Hay and family are quite well.  She often says she would like to see you and talk with you.  I thank you for your kind invitation to visit you and if life is spared I may ere many years. If you go to Boston or New York at any time don’t forget to stop off and see us all & the old places.  We are all well at my home. Hope you are all well at your home.  We all send love and kind regards to you all. In conclusion I am very fraternally your cousin                  Nicholas Harris