Notes for JOHN FURMAN:

Date of will, September 17, 1773, proved 3 June 1776.

Death Records Presbyterian Church, Newton, New York

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF JOHN FURMAN

In the Name of God Amen I John Furman of New Town Queens Province of New York Yeoman being sick and weak in body but of sound mind memory and under-standing do make and publish this my last will and Testament in manner and form following to witt First of all I will and order that all of my just debts and funeral charges shall be paid by my Executors herein after named

Item I will and order my said Executors to sell and dispose of all my messuage Lands Meadows and Hereditaments scituate in New Town aforsaid or elsewhere together with all and singular my Personal Estate of what kind or Nature soever within twelve years after my death and I do hereby authorize and impower them to make sale thereof Accordingly and to give and execute good sufficient deed or deeds to the purchaser or purchasers of my said Real Estate his her or their Heirs and assign forever Item it is my will that my Son Gabriel Furman shall have all the Incomes and Profits of my said Real and Personal Estate for and during so long a time as my said Real and Personal Estate shall remain unsold but upon this Condition that he may said Son do find and provide for my Children sufficient clothing Schooling and all other necessaries during the time my said Estate shall remain unsold or until such time as my said Executor shall think fit to put my sons to Trades and my said Son Gabriel shall during the time he shall have the Incomes and Profits of my said Estate keep my said messuage Lands and all the singular other the Premises in repair and leave the same in as good order and condition as they are when he shall first take them into his Possession Item as soon as my said Real and personal Estate shall be sold as aforesaid and the same turned into money I do and will and order that the same shall be divided into nine equal parts. One Ninth part thereof I give and bequeath unto my said Son Gabriel Furman One other Ninth part thereof I give and bequeath unto my Son Samuel Furman One other Ninth part thereof I give and bequeath unto my Son William Furman One other Ninth part thereof I give and bequeath unto my son James Furman One other Ninth part thereof I give and bequeath unto my said Paul Furman One other Ninth part there of I give and bequeath unto my son Joseph Furman One other Ninth part there of I give and bequeath unto my son John One other Ninth part thereof I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Furman and the other Ninth part thereof I give and bequeath unto my daughter Abigail Furman And where as I do expect that my father in Law Samuel Burtis will give something considerable to one or more of my said Children it is my will notwithstanding the Division above ordered to be made of my said Estate that whatever my said Father in law shall give to any or either of my said Children the same shall be added to my said Estate and the whole to be divided amongst my said Children as above is directed. And it is my will further that such shares of my said Estate as shall fall to any of my Children and who shall be under age at the time of the Division of my said Estate the same shall be put out to Interest by my said Executors and paid unto my said Children as they shall respectively arrive to lawful age Item I do will and order that my said Executors shall put out my sons to Trades as fast as they shall arrive to proper Age and good places can be got for them and Lastly I do here by ordain constitute and appoint my loving Brother William Furman and his son Robert Furman and my sons Gabriel Furman and Samuel Furman Executors of this my last will and Testament hereby revoking all other will and wills hereto fore made allowing this and no other to be and contain my last will and Testament In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this seventeenth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy three

John Furman (seal)

Signed and sealed publishes and declared by the above named John Furman as and for his last will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses thereto in the Presence of said Testator and in the Presence of each other. The Words Children as in the seventh line of this side being wrote on Erajure before Execution. Benjamin North Ezekiel Furman Phebe Sackett Province of New York Queens Countyss Be it remembered that on that third day of June one thousand seven hundred and seventy six personally came and appeared before me John I Troup Surrogate of the said County Benjamin North of the said County Yeoman and being duly sworn on his oath declared that he did see John Furman sign and seal the within written Instrument proporting to be the will of the said John Furman bearing date the seventeenth day of September one thousand seven hundred and seventy three and heard him publish and declare the same as for his last will and Testament that at the time thereof he the said John Furman was of sound disposing mind and memory to the best of the knowledge and belief of him the Deponent and that his name subferit this said will is his respective and proper handwriting which he sub-scribed as a witness to the said in the Testators presence and that he the Deponent did see Ezekiel Furman and Phebe Sackett the other witness to the said will subscribe their names as witnesses thereto in the Testator's presence John I Troup Surrogate.

Note: The following witnesses are related as follows. Ezekiel Furman married Abigail Furman John's sister they were first cousins. John's sister Margaret Furman married Benjamin North. John's wife’s sister was Phebe Sackett.

Children of JOHN FURMAN and ELIZABETH ALBERTUS are:

                         24.   i.   GABRIEL FURMAN, b. July 01, 1747

                                ii.  SAMUEL FURMAN, b. July 23, 1748;, Newtown, Long Island, NY

                               iii.  JOHN FURMAN, b. February 14, 1749/50, Newtown, Long Island NY; d. September 1840, Berne, Albany, NY.

                         25.  iv.  PVT. SAMUEL FURMAN, b. March 02, 1753

                                v.  ELIZABETH FURMAN, b. May 01, 1755, Newtown, Long Island NY.

                         26.  vi. SGT. WILLIAM FURMAN, b. November 28, 1757

                               vii. ELIZABETH FURMAN, b. November 07, 1759, Newtown, Long Island NY; m. ABRAHAM SPRINGSTEEN, July 23, 1779, Newton, Long Island, NY.

Notes for ABRAHAM SPRINGSTEEN:

More research needs to be done as he may have been m. to Eliz.'s sister Abigail.

                           viii. JAMES FURMAN, b. December 18, 1762, Newtown, Long Island, NY.

Notes for JAMES FURMAN:

Residences: Clinton, NY, Bradford Co., PA.

                27.    ix. JOHN FURMAN, b. May 14, 1764

                         x. PAUL FURMAN, b. March 16, 1765, Newtown, Long Island NY.

Notes for PAUL FURMAN:

Residence: Dutchess Co., NY., Columbia, Bradford Co., PA.

              Descendants of Paul Furman compiled by "Wolf' cousins.

                         xi. JOSEPH FURMAN, b. January 07, 1768, Newtown, Long Island, NY; m. JUDITH WAY, December 27, 1800, Newton, Long Island, NY.

Notes for JOSEPH FURMAN:

Enlisted with brother Samuel.

                         xii. ABIGAIL FURMAN, b. April 29, 1770, Newtown, Long Island N. Y.; m. ABRAHAM SPRINGSTEEN.

Notes for ABIGAIL FURMAN:

Conflict: Or born 1750.

15.  WILLIAM FURMAN (GABRIEL2, JOHN1) was born 1717 probably at Whitepot, near Newtown, Long Island, NY, and died March 22, 1784 in Newtown, Long Island,  NY.  He married ABIGAIL COE December 21, 1739.  She was born 1725, and died March 04, 1785.

Notes for WILLIAM FURMAN:

Baptism: April 05, 1752, Baptized as an adult

Children of WILLIAM FURMAN and ABIGAIL COE are:

                                i. .ROBERT FURMAN, b. 1752, Newtown, Long Island,  NY; d. March 09, 1804, Newtown, Long Island,  NY.

Notes for ROBERT FURMAN:

Baptism: April 05, 1752

Occupation: Supervisor of Newtown

                             ii.  ABIGAIL FURMAN, b. 1747, Newtown, Long Island,  NY; d. 1821; m. RHODES.

16.  HOWARD FURMAN (GABRIEL2, JOHN1) was born 1719 in Newtown, Long Island, NY, and died 1813 in Newtown, Long Island,  NY.  He married HANNAH REMSEN October 31, 1752 in Presbyterian Church, Newtown, Long Island, New York.  She was born May 28, 1734.

Notes for HOWARD FURMAN:

Military service: French and Indian Wars

Will: June 02, 1813

 Children of HOWARD FURMAN and HANNAH REMSEN are:
                                i.   WILLIAM FURMAN, b. November 1753, Newtown, Long Island,  NY; d. September 09, 1826; m. JANE SPRINGSTEEN, January 08, 1776; b. Abt. 1755; d. 1826.

                                ii.   AARON FURMAN, b. November 1753; d. December 17, 1844; m. PHOEBE COE, September 25, 1792; b. Abt. 1772; d. September 27, 1804.

                                iii.  ABRAHAM FURMAN, b. 1755; d. March 12, 1835.

                                iv.  JOHN FURMAN, b. 1755, Newtown, Long Island,  NY; d. November 05, 1800; m. RACHEL TITUS FURMAN, June 22, 1783, Jamaica, NY.

                                 v.  ABIGAIL FURMAN, b. 1759.

                                 vi. HANNAH FURMAN, b. 1764; d. October 31, 1800; m. DOMENICUS VAN KINE, May 26, 1781, Newtown, Long Island,  NY; b. Abt. 1757; d. April 26, 1830.

                                 vii. GARRET FURMAN, b. Abt. 1765; d. January 08, 1772, Newtown, Long Island,  NY.

                                viii. MARY FURMAN, b. Abt. 1765; m. WILLIAM BOERUM.

                                 ix. RHONDA FURMAN, b. 1766; m. ISAAC BRINKERHOFF.

17.  NATHAN FURMAN (GABRIEL2, JOHN1) was born Abt. 1721 in Newtown, Long Island, NY, and died 1805.  He married ESTHER MOSS April 17, 1751.  She was born Abt. 1731.

 Child of NATHAN FURMAN and ESTHER MOSS is:
                                i.  NATHAN  FURMAN, b. Abt. 1755; d. 1805.

18.  MARGARET FURMAN (GABRIEL2, JOHN1) was born January 30, 1723/24 in Newtown, Long Island NY, and died January 27, 1797 in Walton, Delaware NY.  She married BENJAMIN NORTH January 03, 1747/48 in Newton, Long Island, NY.  He was born Abt. 1721, and died March 1777.

Notes for MARGARET FURMAN:

Margaret's husband, sons, and sons-in-law died in the Rev. War.

I believe the following story connects to the Benjamin North and Margaret Furman family but I have not been able to make a positive link with primary sources.

“In the year 1784, Platt Townsend, a surgeon in the army of the Revolution, contracted with Mr. Walton, the owner of a large tract of land, granted by letters- patent in 1770. The country had been recently explored and boundaries fixed, extending from the Cooquago, or West Branch of the Delaware River, to near the Susquehanna, and containing several thousand acres. Those persons, who had been sent out with the surveyors to spy out and examine the land, had returned with a most favorable report. They stated that the flats or bottom lands, where now stands the village of Walton, were, they should judge, about four miles wide and comparatively free from timber of heavy growth, and indeed nothing, excepting now and then perhaps a thorn-bush; also, that they thought it would be dangerous to build within at least two miles of the river, on account of the annual inundations of its banks, similar, indeed, to the far-famed inundations of the Nile.

Based upon these high-colored descriptions, given of this seemingly El Dorado of the Delaware, a river supposed at least to be navigable for sloops, an effort was made, which proved partially successful, to organize a company to emigrate and form a colony or settlement upon the patent. Those who had property, converted it into money as fast as they could, even though at a sacrifice, being desirous of being among the first that moved, in order to secure a choice location upon the patent, while others, more prudent perhaps, chose to send on persons to make a more careful examination, the result of which was that out of a company of about thirty persons, only four or five families concluded to remove; These had all suffered by the war, and were consequently peculiarly calculated to become the hardy pioneers of a new soil, having become accustomed to hardships and privations during that ordeal that "tried men's souls."

They were principally natives of Long Island, but some of them had resided in Westchester county previous to the Revolution, during which they had been driven from place to place; but at the ratification of the treaty of peace with Great Britain, they returned and gathered up the fragments of their fortunes, and assembled the scattered members of their families, and many of them houseless and homeless, prepared to emigrate to new sections of the country.

We shall not, in this place attempt to follow the miniature colony through all their preliminary arrangements, however replete they may be with interest to the reader, or dwell upon their varied hopes and fears. The parting of friends, and the final adieus are exchanged - they arrive in New York, and take passage on board of an Esopus sloop, which weighed anchor from the foot of Peck Slip, and were soon, with a favorable wind, rapidly making sail up the Hudson.

They left New York about the first of March, 1785, rounded the battery just as the luminous orb of day was sinking behind the western hills; the last glimpse they caught of the great metropolis, as it gradually receded from their view, was in the soft twilight that proceeded the darkness of night, and they all retired to commune with their own thoughts. With the indulgence of the reader, we will glance for a moment into the cabin to which the party repaired, and indulge in an impertinent glimpse at these brave men, the "avant couriers" of the future prosperity of a large section of Delaware County.

On the right hand bench sat Doctor Townsend, apparently buried in a deep reverie, leaning slightly forward, with a neatly wrought cane in his hand, which he held suspended, gently tapping the floor, as if to keep time with his wandering thoughts. His looks bespoke an active, an energetic businessman, which he was, and just in the meridian of life; he was accompanied by one of his sons, Isaac, the other, William, having previously gone up to Poughkeepsie to collect some money, and was to rejoin them at Marbletown. Opposite him sat Joshua Pine, whose care-worn countenance would have indicated him as the patriarch of the little party: he had been Captain of a Company of Guides in the American army, and had discharged his arduous duties with honor and courage; his family consisted of his wife and two daughters, Hannah and Deborah. Robert North, wife, and infant son, Benjamin; William Furman, wife and two children, twenty-one souls in all, composed the party. They were safely landed at Swart's landing, or Kingston point, and going ashore, took refuge in an old dilapidated warehouse, without windows or fire to shelter them from the cold and rain. They proceeded to Marbletown, where they procured a home for their wives and children while the men went forward to grapple with the forest and prepare a place for their reception, and the land for planting corn. This journey was performed in March, and part of the way on snowshoes, amidst many privations and difficulties.

At Pepacton they procured a guide by the name of Joseph White, and by whose aid they marked a road over the Colchester mountain, very near where the present road is laid; this road they afterward cut out and succeeded in getting their wagons across. From the overhanging summit of these mountains they caught the first view of the promised land. On the north and west side it appeared to be one dense mass of pines of gigantic growth, and as they descended the mountain and wound down the valley, grove after grove of these huge trees opened to their view, which drew forth from the party many an exclamation of wonder and amazement. At the base of Pine-hill, and near where now stands the beautiful mansion of White Griswold, Esq., they found and immediately took possession of a small hut, in which they deposited their provisions and goods, and made themselves as comfortable as the circumstances would admit of, and far happier than they had been since they left New York. This hut had been built the year before by some men from Neversink, who had come up to cut timber for masts and spars; they had cut over about one acre, on what is familiarly known as Pine-hill, slid the timber into the river and formed it into rafts, without even the assistance of a team. But little of the lumber, however, ever reached the market - as the rafts, not being suitably constructed, were stove to pieces and lodged along the banks of the Delaware far below, and one large spar lay where it had lodged on an island, about nine miles below Walton, from which fact rafts men gave it the appellation of Long Mast Island, which name it retains to the present day.

After having spent the summer in making the necessary arrangements for their families, they returned in the latter part of autumn to conduct their families to their new homes.

The second journey of our pioneer settlers with their families and substance, could it all be written with each night's encampment, and incidents by the way, would form an interesting page in this history; but we can only note a few particulars. On leaving Marbletown they followed up the Esopus creek to Shandaken, where they made a short halt to cut out a wagon-road over Pine-hill. This accomplished, the young men went on in advance, marking and mending the road down the East Branch to Pepacton. At this place canoes were procured to transport goods and part of the company down to the forks of the Delaware, and up the West Branch to the place of settlement. The remainder of the party opened a road over Colchester Mountain, and brought over the wagons and horses, and pitched their tents at the foot of Pine-hill, in full view of the river. The North’s and Furman's lived in their tents till September.

Mrs. Robert North, who lived to a good old age, often spoke of this journey as not only very interesting in itself, but by way of rebuking the pride of the present generation. She said she came all the way from Marbletown on horseback, with her bed and all her furniture lashed on behind her, and her son Benjamin in her arms before her. She often boasted that she was the first woman that ever made a foot- print on the soil of Walton. It was seventy years ago this month of June, that these five families commenced the settlement; they had penetrated the wilderness about eight miles, and there were only a few scattered families within the circle of that distance, and of these none could give them aid. For flour and meal, the nearest places they could be procured was at Mohawk, Cherry Valley, Schoharie, and Marbletown, and all except the latter conveyed on horseback over Indian trails. Splitting free-rifted pine, and smoothing them with the axe and knife made boards and planks for building. For want of nails, the gimlet and wood pegs were used, but industry, courage and perseverance over came all obstacles, and the colony sustained themselves, and was soon prepared to aid those who followed after.

It seems Mr. Walton offered an inducement to the first settlers, for growth and increase of the colony. A lot of land was offered for the first-born male child, on condition that he should be named William Walton. Mrs. Robert North won the prize, but she had set her heart upon calling him Samuel, and in those days a lot of land could not alter a woman's wish. To pursue the history of Samuel: he was educated in Albany, and was elected clerk of the Assembly, in which capacity he acquitted himself with great efficiency, and we believe he was reelected under Governor Lewis; he soon after died of consumption.

Robert North built the first frame house erected in the town-of Walton; the boards and timber (there being no saw-mill in the town,) were floated down the river on a raft, from Paine's mill at Hobart.

Source: Delaware County website.

Note: I have tried to find the URL for this story but was unable to as it has been quite sometime since I found the story.