Jayne Notes and Correspondence

I herewith reinclose the paper you sent me. It contains some facts and some things that are guesses and like all guesses liable to be wrong. I inclose the family record of William Jayne of 1712 the father of Elder David. Complete and made up from indisputable sources. I also inclose a copy of the family record of Elder David Jayne. The dates of birth and the places and dates of death, of those who died in childhood, are from a manuscript in the hand writing of Elder David Jayne furnished to his grandson Silas Carter Jane June 10, 1830 and given to me by Silas Carter Jayne many years ago.

I assume that his statement is conclusive as to where he was at those dates. Elder David Jayne took up a soldiers location on Lake Cayuka in the spring of 1790 in the Town of Barrington Steuben Co. It contained 480 acres which he afterward divided among four sons Benaiah (?), Ebenezer, Timothy and William. Ebenezer sold out. When the war of 1812 came Ebenezer went in the Army and was shot through the neck and lost his pallet so it interfered with his speech. He moved west and then to Kentucky. When I was a very small boy he came East on a visit and was at his fathers funeral in 1837 which was held in Barrington, Steuben Co. N.Y. Uncle David lived with his son Timothy after the death of his wife and his son Timothy came with him when he visited my Grandfather in fall of 1836. I was then in sixth year and remember him well. I remember when Uncle David came that he and my Grandfather embraced and kissed each other. As you will see I have Elder David Jayne’s family record complete, excepting the Record of Ebenezer H. who was a soldier in the war of 1812. He was severely wounded and lost his pallet which interfered with his speech. After the war he moved West and finally to Kentucky where he was living at the time of his fathers death. [Note: the information above was repeated as typed in the original letter.]

After the funeral he came to see my father. I remember he was very indignant and had quarreled with his eldest son David because his son had married a woman who owned slaves. He also had a son Joseph and a daughter Rebecca. Cousin Eben C. Jayne of Phil^a had correspondence with her.

Your DeWitt correspondent is entirely mistaken about Elizabeth DeWitt and Mary DeWitt Jayne being sisters. The late John Jayne of Woodsfort (?) New Jersey was a son of Phillip Jayne the eldest son of Elder Ebenezer Jayne by Mary DeWitt and was in possession of a number of letters from Elizabeth DeWitt Jayne to his Grand Mother, copies of which he sent to me many years ago. She always addressed her as Cousin Mary. In one of these she says My Son “Timothy has named his eldest son for our Uncle John R. DeWitt.” John Rusten (?) DeWitt was the eldest brother of Mary DeWitt who became the wife of General Jos Clinton and the mother of DeWitt Clinton. Dr. David Jayne’s family record says his mother Mary DeWitt was the daughter of Isaac & Mary DeWitt. Dr. Jayne named his second son Isaac DeWitt. Elder David Jayne named his two eldest sons for his wife’s father. They both died at Wantage NJ just across the line from Orange Co. where David DeWitt lived at the time of Elder David’s marriage. Elder David Jayne made his location of land in March 1790. In the winter of 1790 Capt Timothy Jayne went on an exploring expedition in the Lake Country of New York accompanied by his brother David, their cousins Nathaniel & Samuel of Orange Co. and his son in Law David Ogden. Timothy and David made their locations near the head of Lake Kauka (Chooked Lake) [?], Nathaniel 7 miles above where Pen Yan now stands. (Pen Yan is at the foot of the Lake) and Samuel Jayne six miles East of where Pen Yan now stands and David Ogden in what is now the town of Danby. They reached the present site of Ithaca in March. Capt Timothy shot a deer that ran and jumped into the inlet of Cauga Lake. Capt timothy jumped in and caught the wounded deer and got it ashore and died of what they called inflammation of the lungs at the house of David M???? two day later March 20 1790. A form page letter of Elder David Jayne describing the expedition and giving an account of his brothers death is in my possession. “Coolbaugh” Monroe Co. stands on the portion of the land of W^m Jayne of 1712-98 that fell to my Grandfather John Jayne. “Coolbaugh” is a name not exceeding 50 years. Judge Coolbaugh bought my Grandfathers old place and built his house where grandfathers barn stood. It is in the township of Middle Smithfield. David Jayne was the pastor of the Church at Lower Smithfield until 1792 when he went to Tioga Co. N.Y. At that time Elder Ebenezer was Pastor of the Church of New Foundland Morris Co. N.J. Elder David while having his house and family at Barrington went over a wide range of Country preaching and organising churches. Dr. Worden in his history of the Baptist church of Western N.Y. and northern Pennsylvania, describes him as “A very tall spare man full of energy and fire and an Eloquence comparable only to Whitfield and the younger Wesley of this most conspicuous worker and organiser of Churches we have been able to learn little. We are able however to state that he was Licensed to preach at Wantage NJ in 1772 and ordained at ____? in 1790. Of his parentage and nationality we have been able to learn nothing. Our first trace of him begins at Wantage. There we identify him as a Leut in the Patriot Army, but his work in Penn and New York commenced about 1792 and from then on for about thirty years he appears as the most successful Evangil of his times’ when suddenly he disappears. Whether he went back to New Jersey and died we have been unable to learn.” but I have gone far beyond key intended limits in this letter. I have written thus fully because you seem to take an interest and seem disposed to help, and because I think you can appreciate the labor that has been required to produce the pages I send you which are only two out of many hundred. The original W^m Jayne had six sons and I have found the grave of each. He had 21 Grandsons and I can account for each and their descendents. Wm Jayne of 1712 was but one of these 21. There is not a Jayne that I can find that I cannot give his line of ascent from our common ancestor. But enough of this. Simon DeWitt founder of Ithaca and Surveyor G?? of N.Y. for more than 50 years made my grandfather his Deputy in 1792. When he my grandfather moved to Tioga Co. N.Y. Simon DeWitt was a 1st cousin of both Elizabeth and Mary DeWitt. He was a first cousin of DeWitt Clinton. Blooming Grove is a town in Orange Co.

William Jayne [1] was born 18, 1712 at Brookhaven, Long Island, where several of his children, including David, were born, the birth of David being May 14, 1751.

In 1753 he removed to Blooming Groge, Orange County, New York, or to Blooming Grove, Pike County, Penna., (probably the latter place,) where another son, Ebenezer, was born on February 19, 1754.

In 1756 he removed to Middle Smithfield, then in Northampton County, Penna., but now forming a part of Monroe County, and lived at a place named Coolbaugh.

The family appear to have remained here for sometime as Dr. David Jayne, a son of Ebenezer Jayne, was born at Middle Smithfield on July 22, 1799.Daniel Jayne, a grandson of William, born in 1784, was Prothonotary of Monroe County for many years.One of the daughters of Ebenezer Jayne married John G. Davenport, of Milton, Morris County, New Jersey.Another descendant died at Woodsport in the same County.

Both David and Ebenezer Jayne appear to have been Baptist ministers.It is known that in year 1792, David Jayne was elder of the Church of Christ at Lower Smithfield, Monroe County, Penna., and in the same year, that Ebenezer was Pastor of a Church at Newfoundland, Morris County, New Jersey.He was the author of a book of spiritual songs written as early as 1792, and published in 1809, at Morristown, N. J. by subscription.This book was used for many years in the early Baptist Churches.

Sometime after 1792 David and his wife Elizabeth moved to Tunkhannock, Penna.His brother Ebenezer Jayne must have taken his place in Middle Smithfield as one of his sons Dr. David Jayne, who was well know in after years in Philadelphia, was born there in 1799.

David and his wife Elizabeth removed from Tunkhannock to Tioga County, New York, and from there to Shepherds Creek, 10 miles from Watkins Glen, where he and his wife both died, the death of David being on March 9, 1837.

David and his brother Ebenezer married sisters, the one Elisabeth DeWitt and the other Mary DeWitt.At the time of marriage David was 22 and Elizabeth was 19, Ebenezer was 29 and Mary 17.Mary was Ebenezer’s second wife, his first wife being Elizabeth Riggs.

It is evident that the Jaynes and DeWitts must have lived near each other or were so circumstanced that the families frequently visited.Dutch Churches existed at the time in Sussex Co., N. J. (Wallpack), one at Port Jervis, Penna., and one in Northampton County in or near the Smithfield Townships.

Mrs. Lucy Miller Brooks, the granddaughter of David Jayne and Elizabeth DeWitt his wife, now in her 93rd year, and of excellent memory, remembers them both very well, and had them associated in her mind with Sussex County, New Jersey. She states that her grandmother Elizabeth DeWitt Jayne frequently told her, that they were cousins of DeWitt Clinton, one of the Governors of New York, but she had no distinct recollection of her great grandfather on the DeWitt side, but thinks his names was Charles.

Had son David Jayne, born Had daughter Elizabeth
(1) May 14, 1751. ______________________ DeWitt, born May 3, 1754 (2)

(

Married about January 1773
First child born March 2, 1774.

(2) Had a second son Ebenezer Had a second daughter Mary
Jayne, born Feby. 17, 1754 ________________ DeWitt, born June 6, 1766. (2)

(
Married about July 1783.
First child born Aug. 15, 1784.

David and Elizabeth had fourteen children, one a daughter Mary, commonly known as Polly. Mary or Polly Jayne married Amos Miller on June 8, 1780, and had nine children.

Their first son was born Dec. 27, 1810, and named William Jayne Miller after the mother’s grandfather on the Jayne side.

Their second son was born March 11, 1813, and named Charles DeWitt Miller, which was the name of a prominent member of the DeWitt family and may possibly have been the name of the mother’s grandfather on the DeWitt side.

1895

[I have been sent printed copies that have the same wording but no source. Part way through the original handwritten document Amelia mentioned (image above) copying the material compiled by Ebeniah G. Jayne. For a large (over 3MB) PDF of the 21 page handwritten transcript, click here - it opens in a new tab.]

Genealogical sketch of a part of the Jayne family. The progenitor of the Jayne family in the United States was William Jayne, born at Britol, England Jan 25, 1618. He was a clergyman, and as I am informed, a Professor in the University at Oxford. At the time emigrated, owing to religious disturbances, to this country in 1678, he was 60 years of age, and a widower: leaving three sons in England. He settled at Smithtown [2] Long Island N. Y. as pastor of the Puritan church in that place, which position he retained until he died March 24th 1714 aged 96 [3]. In 1682 he married Anna Briggs, by whom he had seven sons, William, born March 1684; Samuel, Matthias, John, Daniel, James and Stephen; the latter born in the year 1700, his father being in his 82 year. (There may be some doubt as to the order of birth of the 3d, 4th and 5th, as I have not the dates.)

William, Matthias, John and Stephen were freeholders in that town in 1757. Samuel and Daniel sold out on Long Island in 1726: Samuel to Stephen and Daniel to Matthias. William died in 1735 aged 51; Samuel in 1765, Daniel in 1781, James in 1785 and Stephen in 1784. No dates of the death of Mattias and John are on record. All were yoemen or landowners. B. G. Jayne wrote further Aug. 5, 1882, “I am in possession of copies of the wills of four of the original brothers Samuel, Daniel, James and Stephen. By these I find that Samuel left one son, Daniel no sons, James six sons and Stephen five. William left four sons. The descendants of Stephen Jayne, who was of the same generation as ourselves, the 6th, lives on the old place or homestead where William settled in 1678 [4].”

William Jayne was born as before stated in 1684, married Anna Sterling in 1709 and by her had four sons and a number of daughters: William born April 12, 1712, Samuel born December 1713, Isaac, born November 1715: Joseph born in 1727. “Of the number and ages of the daughters I have no record” say Benaiah Jayne “I remeber my grandfather telling me when he was a little boy of his Aunt Katruah [Katuiah?] Brewster, who was his father’s sister and of an Aunt Annie also.”

From this and other sources I (E.C.J.) was informed that Katruah Jayne married the younger of the tow “Elder” Brewsters of Connecticut, the progenitors of the Brewsters of this city. (Philadelphia)

Samuel Jayne settled at Florida, Orange County N.Y. where he died in 1779, aged 66 leavining one son Samuel and an unmarried daughter Mary and wife Dinah. Isaac moved to Vermont and left five sons and at least one daugher Anna, who married her cousin Isaac. Joseph remained on Long Island and married Abigail Strong by whom he raised ten daughers and four sons. The old bible gives the dates of their births.

William Jayne, born as before stated in 1712. In 1733 he married Tabitha Norton who was born at Brookhaven Long Island in 1713. By her he raised six sons and three daughters. Their children were, William born in 1735 and killed at the battle of Fort Washington, Nov. 16, 1776. Anna born in 1737; married Benaiah Gristin and died in 1821, aged 84. Tabitha, born in 1779, married Richard Horton and died in 1820. Captain Timothy born April 15, 1741, married Sarah Allen, and died January 20, 1809. Betsey, (Elizabeth) born in 1743 married Thomas Owen, no record of death. Isaac, born Nov. 26, 1746, married his cousin Anna Jayne and died January 12, 1809. John, born Dec. 25, 1748, married Cornelia Decker and died April 25th 1838. David (Reverend) born May 14, 1751 married Elizabeth De Witt and died March 9, 1857. Ebenezer (Reverend) born February 19, 1754 and married, first Elizabeth Riggs and second Mary De Witt, dying March 27, 1826 aged 72. In 1755 William Jayne together with his brother Samuel removed from Long Island to Blooming Grove, Orange County N.Y. where Ebenezer his yougest child was born: the others having been born on Long Island. In 1756 he (William) moved to what was then Smithfield, Northampton Co. (now Coolbaugh), Monroe Co. Pa.

Footnotes:
[1] A three page typewritten manuscript from the papers of Amelia Maria Carter Kennedy.

[2] Setauket, in the Township of Brookhaven, is where he settled.

[3] He is buried in the Setauket Presbyterian Church graveyard (see below).

[4] This home, 55 Old Post Road in Setauket, (Matthias is believed to be the original builder in 1730) is now owned by the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities (SPLIA) and is known as the Sherwood-Jayne house.

This is a real photo postcard of the Sherwood-Jayne house by A. S. Greene taken around the time Sherwood bought it in 1908. The description says the house is 200 years old and the walnut tree is 350. Both are still there (2018).

In the book A brief account of the life at Charlottesville of Thomas William Lamont and of his family; together with a record of his ancestors, of their origin in Scotland, and of their first coming to America about 1750 by Thomas Lamont (1915), is a chapter on William Jayne and a line that connects with the family of the subject's wife. A free download of the small book is available on archive.org. The relevant pages are available here (each link to an image opens in a new window): Title Page; Page 124; Page 125; Page 126; Page 127, Page 128.

Letters from Beniah Gustin Jayne to his "Cousins" from 1881 to 1908. I received these from John Jaynes of California who received them from Benjamin Jayne of Washington. Because they are copies of copies, they are hard to read and some parts have been cropped, but they still provide interesting genealogical information.
Album of Beniah Gustin Jayne letters

To Pictures of Jayne and Woodhull Cemetery Stones in the Setauket Caroline Episcopal Churchyard

To Pictures of Jayne and Woodhull Cemetery Stones in the Setauket Presbyterian Churchyard

Pictures of the Jayne Tavern, Main Street, Setauket

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