Van Salee

It is difficult enough with all of the Van Sickle research I tackle; I will not dive too far into the Van Salee gene pool.  For the most part, I will leave that to others.  I foresee a great deal of confusion on the part of the Van Salee researcher.  Jan JANSZOON, the man, is fast becoming lost in a sea of fiction, but Jan Janszoon, the pirate, fueled by modern-day plays and poems, and a current pirate craze in Hollywood, is once again raising his flag and sailing in the perilous Mediterranean of the early 17th century.

But as stated, I'm not wading too far into those waters.  My search for all Van Sickles (especially those tricky 18th century ones) continues.  It was when searching for one tricky relative when lo and behold I found the will of one France Abramse VAN SELLEA (a purported descendant of Jan Janszoon.)  Because the Van Sickle and Van Salee paths often flow parallel here on land, I do know something about the family, mainly in regard to the relationship of Anthony Jansen of Salee and his daughter Eva (Mrs. Ferdinandus Van Sicklen).  There are enough muddy waters there- the claim that Anthony was the son of Jan Janszoon is likely, but not proven.  The claim that Ferdinandus Van Sicklen is related to the VAN DER SICKLEN family of Belgium is downright hysterical when one learns how that information came to be, but it still may be possible.  But I digress.

I did say that I located the will of France Abramse Van Sellea.  Now according to records1, France (Frans) was the son of Abraham Van Salee, a mulatto, and likely a brother of Anthony Van Salee.   Frans is an important person in Van Salee history.  From my own research I have concluded that Anthony had no other sons, and that all descendants of the Van Salee name are through Frans (such as John Van Salee DE GRASSE).

A portion of the will of France Abramse Van Salle can be found online, but for those serious about researching this family, the entire will would be much enjoyed (there is a probate as well, but due to its length, I will not include it.).  To follow is my transcription of a transcribed copy (that's right, transcribed at least twice now) of the will of France Abramse Van Sellea (aka Frans Abramse Van Salee):

The Will of France Abramse Van Sellea2

In the name of God Amen the third day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and thirty seven I France Abramse Van Sellea in the County of Orange in the Province of New York being very sick & weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given to God therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body & knowing it is appointed for all men once to Dye do make & Ordain this my last Will & Testament that is to say principally first of all I give and recommend my Soul into the hands of God that gave it & for my body I recommend it to the Earth to be buried in a Christian & like & decent manner at the discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God & touching such Worldly Estate where with it hath blessed God to bless me in this Life I give devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form Imprimis It is my will and I do order that in the first place all my just debts and bequeath unto my dearly beloved Wife whome I Constitute make and ordain one of my Executrixs of this my last Will and Testament all and singular the Lands messuages and Tenements and with all my moveable Estate that I now Dye possess'd of by her freely to be possess'd and Injoy'd during her being my Widdow but in case my beloved Wife should compleat a second marriage then I give and bequeath to my wel beloved son France Van Sellea Junr. whome  I constitute make Ordain one of my Executors of this my last Will and Testament after my dearly beloved Wife Death Isabala or at her second marriage all and singular the Lands messuages and Tenements with all my moveable Estate that I shall now Dye possess'd of I do give to the above named France Van Sellea my youngest son aforementioned all my Lands and moveable Estate by him freely to be possess'd by him his heirs and assignes for ever, Item I give to my well beloved son Abram Van Sellea one of the best horses that Wife Isabella shall Dye possess'd of and that my youngest Son France Van Sellea Junr. one of my Executors shall deliver unto his Eldest Brother Abraham Van Sellea one of my best horses after a Decease or a second marriage of my Wife Isabella, Further it is my Will and pleasure that in case my dearly beloved Wife Isabella whome I give all my Lands and moveable Estate to during her Life or my Widdow but in case she should Dye or marry again after my Decease then as before mentioned I give all of my Lands and moveable Estate to my youngest Son France Van Sellea Junr.

France Abrams (his mark) Van Sellea (SS)
In the presence of Arie Koning, Johannis De Gran, Johannes Remsen.

One of my Executors and further out of my Estate I give unto my Eldest Son Abram Van Sellea twelve pounds ten shillings and unto my Daughter Anna Mary Van Sellea I do give twelve pounds ten shillings and I do give unto my Second Son Cuffeen Prime Van Sellea twelve pounds ten shillings and I do give unto my third Son Casper Prime Van Sellea twelve pounds ten shillings which in all makes fifty pounds which said fifty pound my youngest Son France Van Sellea shall pay unto my three Sons and Daughters in Current Lawfull money of New York each of them twelve pounds ten shillings as aforest in this my last Will and Testament but if any of my Sons and Daughter before mentioned should Dye before or after my Decease and leave no Issue of their Bodys Lawfully begotten them I give them Legacies to my youngest Son France Van Sellea Junr. my Executor in case of their Death without Issue and further I give and bequeath unto Marya Salmons my Wifes Daughter one Cow, it is further my Will that after my Wifes Isabella Decease or a second marriage that my youngest Son France Van Sellea Junr. whom I give all my Land and moveable Estate to Except the fore mentioned Legacies shall pay unto my forementioned children the abovesaid fifty pounds in Lawfull money of New York in a twelve months time or a year time after the Decease of my Wife or a second marriage and further my Son France Van Sellea Junr. shall deliver a Cow to Marya Salmons my Wifes Daughter in a year after my Wife Isabella Decease or second marriage and I do hereby utterly disallow revoke and disannull all and every other former Testament Wills Legacies and Executors by me in any ways before this Time named Will and bequeathed Ratifying and Confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & Seal the day and year before written.

France Abramse (his mark) Van Sellea (SS)
Signed Sealed Published Pronounced & Declared by the said France Abramse Van Sellea Senr. as his last Will and Testamt. in the presence of us the Subscribers (Viz. this my Will Contains two sheets, Johannes Remsen, Arie Koning, Johannes De Gran.

P.S.  Mr. Howard Swain's post from 2005 sums up the connection of the Van Salee family quite accurately.

1New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 121, No. 2, Apr. 1990, "Frans Abramse Van Salee and Descendants- Colonial Black Family in NY and NJ", pgs. 65-71.

2Record of Wills, 1665-1916; Index to Wills, 1662-1923, Vol. 13 1736-1741, Film #874522, New York Surrogate's Court, filmed by The Genealogical Society of Utah, 1971.

Van Sickle Family Genealogy And History

I forgot all about sharing the Facebook site I created on the Van Sickle family here at my blog.  Check it out:

Van Sickle Family Genealogy And History

I still run the family site at Ancestry.com too, but I had a lot of complaint about how it was difficult to find things there.  I agree, but unfortunately the format really limits the way things can be shared.  I also thought that it would be easier for Van Sickle researchers to find and share info. through Facebook since search engines pick up on what is listed at Facebook.  So it's going to be interesting to see if I can juggle it all without making it a big tangled mess.

Census Records And Biographies- I Just Love 'Em

My struggle and continued research on the VAN SICKLE name has led me to one Moses Van Sickle (1806-1891) of Fulton County, Illinois.  While I cannot connect my own line with this branch of the family name, it is Mr. Van Sickle's connection with Southwestern Ohio and his unknown ancestry that has grabbed my attention.  Hey, that sounds just like my family!

At least [I believe] I've had more success with researching the ancestry this branch.  Both Mr. Van Sickle's biography from History of Fulton County, Illinois (1879) and Portrait & Biographical Album of Fulton County (1890) have been very helpful.  It was from the ladder that confirmed many facts, including:

• Moses was the son of Abraham and the grandson of John, both of whom were born in New Jersey.
• The Van Sickle family removed to Pennsylvania when Abraham was "quite young".
• The family lived in Venango County, Pennsylvania before moving to Ohio in 1815.
• John died in Hamilton County, Ohio and his son Abraham in Butler County, Ohio (circa 1817).

Census records that span over 30 years clearly show that Moses was born in Pennsylvania, and so I know that the Van Sickles were in the state from as early as 1806.  Census records also show both a John and Abraham in Venango County, Pennsylvania in the 1810 Federal Census. Though there were none by the surname recorded in Venango County, pre-1810, a John Van Sickle is enumerated in both the 1790 and 1800 Federal Census in nearby Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

1810 Federal Census, Venango County, Pennsylvania

Check the actual census rather than the index.
John Van Sickle (Line 4), spelled here as VAN SIGLES,
was listed in an index as VANRIGLES.

If I were to guestimate the birth year of Abraham and John based upon the age of Moses, I would say Abraham was born circa 1781 and John circa 1756 (assuming both were age 25 when their son was born). The age does fit with the census information for the John of Westmoreland County.  

A check in John Waddell Van Sickle's book on the surname show a very likely match-  a John, baptized in New Jersey in 1757, who had five children including one called Abraham, and who had another son who was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.  This son also moved to Dearborn County, Indiana, which borders Hamilton County, Ohio.  Bingo- I'm convinced!!

Back up...I've been fooled many, MANY times before.  I've learned enough through the years to know that although the Van Sickle book is a great resource, it is not a family Bible.  And so, though my tree on this branch does list the above to be true, there is also a big fat "Ancestry Not Proven" comment besides John's name.

Close But No Cigar

Hello!  I am alive.  Keeping up three blogs is a lot of work.  Obviously, I've let this one go a bit.  But you know me- I never stop researching.

I really do love to help others with their genealogy, and though I've been so happy to help some of the people at the Van Sickle group at Ancestry.com,  it's been SO FRUSTRATING to have found nothing further on my own family line.  And so several months back, I ordered yet another record- the marriage record of my gggg-grandparents, William Van Sickle and Rachel Jones. 

Argh- it is only an index!!  I had this information all ready.  Oh well, another dead end... or maybe not...

FamilySearch recently has released Ohio County Marriage Record images to the public.  On their Ohio marriage page, it says, "During the early 1900s, counties began using preprinted register books, with only two entries per page."  Cincinnati's courthouses have been plagued by fire over the decades, the last one [to my knowledge] happened in the late 1800's.  The image above, written in the 1900's style [not to mention 1900's penmanship] recorded an event that happened in 1818.  Could it be that the original marriage record has survived and is housed somewhere in Cincinnati?? 

Of course, if I'm lucky enough to find a copy of the original record, there is no guarantee that there is any more information listed on the document.  In fact, an example of an original marriage record from 1817 is on the FamilySearch site.  No additional types of information is listed on the example.  Still, I won't let that stop me from trying to get a copy of the original document.

I'm really stumped on this line.  Private researchers I've hired have turned up nothing, and unless I miraculously wake up in Cincinnati or Salt Lake, I may have to put a big ol' stop sign up on the end of my Van Sickle tree.

If you're looking for a genealogical challenge, I sure have one for you.  Please, if you have any advice for me on how to find the ancestry of William Van Sickle, I'd appreciate it greatly.

William Van Sickle
Born:  Unknown
Died:  Unknown,though likely before 1830
Married:  29 January 1818, Cincinnati
Spouse:  Rachel Jones; she married Mr. Nehemiah Blake circa 1830
Siblings:  Unknown
Parents:  Unknown
Census Location/Information:  Unknown