Genealogy and Short History of the Garlinghouse Family

Written by Nellie Garlinghouse, in 1936

Courtesy of Ann Briggs Brown and Charles W. Hopkins.

It has been said that old people live in the past, and one of the signs of old age is the talking of old times or past events. If that be true, I fear that some of us who have prepared papers for this Historical social may be looked upon as being rather aged. Be that as it may --- a man is as old as he feels, and I do not feel old.

Sadness and pleasure are always intermingled in the writing and reading of history, and I have experienced both in the search for facts to be used in this Historical sketch of my forbears.

My great great grandsire Garlinghouse and his frau lived and died in Holland, of them I know only this - they had a son John who was my great grandfather. When a young man in his teens, he came to America and settled in New Jersey. He was married early in life to one Jane Leonard, who was an only child, and to them was born nine children, five boys and four girls. He served four years as a soldier of the Revolution as a private soldier under Col. Lewis DuBois in the Levies; continuing his residence in New Jersey until about the year 1798 when he emigrated to the wilderness of western New York. After a long tedious journey he settled between Naples and Atlanta forming what has since been known as Garlinghouse Settlement. He had brought with him besides his family, implements for his work, seed for the planting and food to last until the next harvest, also a tremendous amount of grit and push and a strong faith in America’s future.

The children were as follows, James, Joseph, Benjamin, Leonard, John, Betsy, Mary, Sally and Joanna.

An aunt must mean more to a youth than an uncle as I cannot recall ever hearing my father speak in particular of an uncle, but many was the time that he talked of his aunts. Aunt Betsy became Mrs. Victor Hopkins, and lived on the farm now owner by Albert Hawes. Mary, who was the first white child born in the town of Springwater married Thomas Briggs and lived in what is now known as the John Ray district. Sally who was a very sweet singer married one George Fox and lived for a time where Roy Reed now resides, later the family moved to Michigan. Joanna never married. The father lived but 12 years after settling in York state - His death having taken place August 15, 1810 at the age of 51 years. His wife lived almost 31 years after the death of her husband, and in the meantime became the second wife of one Moses Briggs - death claiming her May 27, 1841 at the age of 77 years. Her body was laid to rest in the old Short Cemetery near Hemlock beside that of her first husband and her son Benjamin. In this consecrated ground were laid to rest many of the pioneers of that section of New York State. Two years ago as that old burial ground was about to be ploughed over, my brother had the tombstones of our great grandparents and that of my great uncle Benjamin brought to Allen’s Hill and set in the Garlinghouse lot; as after 100 odd years, they were all that was earthly; the bodies had returned to dust.

Joseph, the second son of John and Jane Leonard Garlinghouse was my grandfather; he was born in New Jersey in the year 1785 and died in LeRoy in the year 1862. His marriage with Submit Sheldon, daughter of Reuben and Sarah West Sheldon took place at Williamstown, Mass. In the year 1808. Her father was a farmer and a lineal descendant from one of the little company who crossed the stormy Atlantic in the Mayflower. He was one of the pioneers who at an early date came into this town, and bought the north part of the farm once owned by Tisdale Ashley. The first year that he was on the farm chanced to be a very dry one, his crops were poor, and becoming discouraged, he sold and moved back to Mass.

My grandfather Garlinghouse was in the war of 1812, he was at the burning of Buffalo, and brought back a musket which he exchanged for a cow; shortly after he bought 25 acres of the farm now owned by George Deal and paid for it with the uniform of a Militia officer. He later added to the farm and at one time owned in this town 1000 acres of land on which he grazed 1500 sheep. In the fifties he sold his home farm to Nelson Ogden and with his wife and daughter Ellen moved to Auburn. He had a family of eight children. The first born was Jane named for her maternal grandmother. The second, who was my father, was given his grandfather’s name John with an appendix of Nelson; but when a lad he dropped the name John as he never liked it, and made up his mind that he would not need it unless at sometime he should want to skip the country; then he would again take up the name and drop the Garlinghouse; but as the skipping out time never came, he lived and died as Nelson Garlinghouse.

The third born was Leman then Joseph, Louise, Mary, Ellen and Amelia who died at the age of 11 years.

That Joseph Garlinghouse was a most remarkable man will be seen from the following, which was taken at the time of his death from the LeRoy Times:

“On Saturday morning our citizens received the sad intelligence of the sudden death from an apoplectic shock of Joseph Garlinghouse Sr. He was in active life till the hour of his death, coming that morning from Albany to the home of Mrs. William Sheldon who was his daughter. He was truly a remarkable man. He had never had a sick day, never called a physician, never drank a glass of liquor or used tobacco in any form. Never remained indoors because it was too cold or too warm. He held the office of constable for 17 years, that of sheriff six years and during the last 8 years he had been an officer of the State Senate. His knowledge of the history of Western New York was extensive and perhaps unequalled by anyone connected with the Society of the Pioneers of the Genesee. He was a fine conversationalist and a most agreeable companion. As a citizen he was much respected, being upright and loyal and a true friend.”

He was in active service of the State in pursuit and capture of the persons indicted as participants in the Morgan abduction.

He was also in service of the government in the removal of the Cherokees beyond the Miss. and in these capacities exhibited resolution, sagacity and persistence.

My father who was the eldest son was born on the farm now owned by George Deal, and spent the greater part of his life in this locality; consequently was well known to the older inhabitants. He was educated in the old Temple Hill School in Geneseo. Soon after his school days he went to Elkhart, Indiana, where he was a clerk in a general store for a period of three or four years, after which he returned to York State and entered into the employ of Edwin Gilbert Sr., who was a merchant in Honeoye; there he remained several years.

He was twice married, taking for his first wife Lorinda Short, daughter of Abel and Abbie Pitts Short, who was granddaughter of Captain Peter Pitts, one of the first settlers of Pittstown or Honeoye. About that time be bought and moved on to the farm now owned by John Hagaman where he remained some ten years, when he sold the farm and bought the one that is still in the family. His wife lived but two years after the removal to their new home, having died of typhoid fever. She left two little girls, Arabella Louise who became Mrs. Col. Gilman of Chicago and Jennie Delphene who is Mrs. George Shull of Mt. Morris.

Three years after the death of his first wife he again married this time to Lucy West Bothwell who was my mother. She was of Scotch ancestry, her great grandfather having come to America from Bothwell, a little village in Scotland, about 8 miles from Glasgow and settled in Vermont near Pawlet.

Of this union was born seven children, two boys and five girls, all of whom are still living except Joe Milton, who died July 4, 1882. The next to be called from the home circle was my father who departed this life April 27, 1895 at the age of 83 years. My mother, who was one of the best of mothers, was called to her reward on Feb. 25, 1905, seventy-nine years young.

This is but a brief history sketch of my ancestors which takes me back 208 years; none of them were born great, neither did they acquire greatness, nor was it thrust upon them but it is an ancestry of which I am not ashamed, only sorry that I know not more of their early lives and their struggles.

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