The Mystery of Thomas Curtis/Curtice b.c
Thomas Curtis/Curtice was born about 1760 in the US. Four years of searching has failed to locate his family of origin.
Family history lists VALONIA as the original wife of Thomas.With Valonia, Thomas had four children:
SUBMIT b. Nov 13, 1785,
ANNA b. 1787,
STEPHEN b. 1788
THANKFUL b. 1792.
Little is known of Valonia....it is thought perhaps her maiden name was Nelson. Submit, the oldest daughter names her second daughters, born in 1809,Valonia. The middle name of her eldest son is Nelson. She is thought to have died between 1793 and 1796.
Thomas then married LUCEY CHENEY
The Cheney Genealogy lists the children of "Mr Curtice" and Lucy as:
COMFORT b. 1797
JOHN b. 1801
THOMAS b. 1805
HIRAM Curtice b. 1807.
Another child, PHOEBE, was born about 1800.
Daniel Cheney, Lucy's father lived in Promfret Conn until after the Revolution when he moved to Pittstown, Renssalaer Co. N.Y. and then to Ellery, Chautauqua Co. N.Y. Did Thomas and Lucy meet there, or had Lucy and Mr Cummin/gs lived in another location whereThomas and Lucy met and married?
The Cheney Genealogy states thatLucy Cheneymarried 1) a Mr Cummins and 2) a Mr Curtice.Harlow Dunham Curtis, an earlier Curtis Family researcher believed that Lucy had married John5Curtis (James4, James 3,Isaac2, Thomas1)great,great grandson of Thomas Curtis of Wetherfield. As we know now, this was an error. Lucy actually married Thomas, she and two of her children from her Cummin/gs marriage are buried in the Curtis plot in Warkworth Cemetery near Cobourg with other members of Thomas's family.But, it does appear thatThomas may well have been a member ofthe Stonnington family.
The distinct spelling of "Curtice" is a spelling found only in Isaac of Stonington's Curtis family. Isaac was theson of Thomas of Whetherfield.
Harlow Durham had looked at John5( John 4, James 3, Issac 2 ,Thomas1) as the husband of Lucy. John b. 1720 married Margaret Davis, the widow of his brother James5 1713-1739. James and Margaret had three children, Stephen, Hannah,and Ann. John raised his brothers three children along with his ownchildren, Content, Hannah, Margaret, Ephraim, Comfort and John. Sibling of James and John include their sister Anna and brother Thomas. Thomas's oldest son, also Thomas, marriedThankful Crandall. Within this immediate family circle we find the majority of the names of the children of Thomas of Warkworth.
This researcher looked at the possiblility that John5 Curtis and Thomas of Warkworth were the same person (ie John Thomas Curtis). John 5resided in Clarendon, Vermont. Along with his brother Comfort5 Curtis, he supported the British and with the other men of the Baptist congregation of White Creek took up arms to fight with Baum and Phister Aug 15-16, 1777 at the Battle of Benninton.The consequences of this action led to confiscation of Curtis property and banishment.
April 23, 1778 there was a list of Estates Ordered Confiscated, the names of both John Curtice and Comfort Curtice of Clarendon were on that list.
In June 1778 by an act of Assembly at Bennington "sundry persons" of the State of Vermont were sentenced to banishment, Many of these "sundry persons" were still residing in the State in Feb 1779. On Feb 26, 1779 one hundred and eight persons were, by name, banished by an act ofthe General Assembly. Comfort Curtis of Clarendon was one of those proscribed by this act. His brother John's name was not on that list. This fact and the following declaration by the Vermont Council of Safety, leads this researcher to believe that John of Clarendon had died prior to Jan 1779.
State of Vermont, In Council of Safety, January 30, 1779
To Capt. Elkanah Cook:
You are directed to let the Heirs of John Curtis improve the Farm formerly belonging to him during the Life of said Curtiss wife their giving sufficient bonds to Maintain the said John Curtiss wife druing her Life.
By order of the Council, Thos Chittenden, Pres't.
There is also a Bond In Re Support Of Families Of John Curtis and Timothy Hill made by a David Hoggis Mar 21, 1778. In this bond David Hoggis states " David Hoggis his heirs Executors Administrators or asines or any of them shall or Do well and Truly aquit Clear and Indemnity the Above said town State of all Cost trouble and Charge of Supporting maintaining and bringing up of the families of John Curtis and Thimothy Hill of Clarendon..."
The preceding proclamationsappear to indicate that John Curtis had died prior to 1779 and could not have been the Curtis who fled to Canada with Lucy Cheney
Vermont Loyalist Claims in Canada
There is record of Comfort of Clarendon among a group of 147 loyalists of Vermont who claimed land in Canada as compensation for losses in support of the British government: VA6 (Vermont Archives VI-List of 147 Loyalist Claims in Canada). There is also within this group of 147 from Vermont, a Uriah Curtis and a John Curtis. However the claim of this John Curtis is connected to another claim QT11(B) (1783-88 Quebec Land Petition) for a wife Catherine -daughter Hannah born 1794. Possibly John of Clarendon but certainly not Thomas of Warkworth. There were no claims made in the name of Thomas Curtis.
Thomas Curtis of Clarendon
There was a Thomas Curtis in Clarendon prior to and after the time of the Revolution. There are land records indicating sales to Thomas Curtis Feb 10, 1781 and Jan 13, 1784 . Thomas soldland Oct 1, 1781,Jun 26, 1784 and Jan 29, 1779. There is also a record ofan Account of Thomas Curtis in the misc State Papers of Vermont, vol 8, p 400.
"march the 8th 1778 then Recd of Elhanah Cook the sum of Eight pounds teen Shillings on account of Providing for Tory women I say Recd by me"
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There was also a petition from Daniel Marsh for restoration of citizenship in 1782 which was co-signed by Thomas Curtis.
But who this Thomas Curtis was, or what his connection to John and Comfort was, is undetermined.
Looking at the members of the Curtis/Curtice family for a possible parent for Thomas Curtis this researcher found Stephen Curtis b. May 10, 1735 to be a possibility. Stephen was theson of James and Margaret Davis. He was raised by James brother, John. He is the right age to have been the father of Thomas who was born about 1760. If Thomas had been the son of Stephen he would have grown up close to the family of John Curtis andthe people who bear the names of his children. Thomas names his first son Stephen...after his father? Unfortunately there is nothing knownof Stephen, of his possible marriage, children or settlement location. There was no Stephen Curtis in Clarendon though there were two petitions by a Stephen Curtis of Massachusetts petitioning for townships in Vermont. Whether this is Stephen son of James is unknown.
THOMAS CURTIS/CURTICE had to have had parents and family somewhere....any help would be greatly appreciated.
Linda Herman
[email protected]
More Replies:
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Re: The Mystery of Thomas Curtis/Curtice b.c
Terri 1/03/02
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Re: The Mystery of Thomas Curtis/Curtice b.c
Linda Herman 1/04/02
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Re: The Mystery of Thomas Curtis/Curtice b.c