MILITARY MONDAY: William Cimbel from Orange Co., NY Serves during the French and Indian War

The following post appeared November 3, 2014 on my other blog, Casper Kimber Connections. I haven't yet documented William Cimbel/Kimber's lineage to the Casper Kimber family. With that said I'm looking at him as a possible 'son of Casper and Femmetje Kimber'. At the same time, I'm wondering if he might be an ancestor of my 4th Great Grandfather Isaac Kimber.


The French and Indian War was a dispute fought between France, Great Britain and their colonists in America that lasted from 1754 to 1763. This war was also known as the Seven Years War. The French and British each had Native American allies fighting on their side.

The cause of the war was possession of the Ohio Valley lands which the British considered a threat to the New York Colony and its frontier settlers. New York was the ‘major theater of operations’ for the British army. By the end of the war, Britain had dramatically increased their lands in America.

During these years William Cimbel was one of nineteen men serving under Captain James Smith. Each contributed 3 Shillings to hire a man to scout ‘over the Wallkill’ on Jan. 9, 1756. The men of the company promised to pay Capt. Smith as evidenced by the following document.[1]

 The promise stated:

   “We promise to pay Captain Smith for hiering a man to scout over the wallkill ever man his perticuler shear in hiering a man for twenty Days now begining the Ninth Day of January In the year of 1756”

William Cimbel’s name appears 18^th on the list.

A few years later on April 16, 1759, William Cimbel was included on a muster roll in Orange County serving with Captain James Howell’s Company out of Goshen in Col. Tustens Regiment. The roll provided his date of enlistment, age, birthplace, trade and out of what company of militia. He enlisted March 13, 1759, was 23 years of age (dating his birth to about 1736), born in Goshen, worked as a laborer and was out of Capt. John Wisner’s Company Militia.[2]

I can’t say who William Cimbel’s family was but with a 1736 birthdate and a Goshen birthplace, it’s possible he could have been an undocumented Casper Kimber-Femmetje Williamse child.

More research needs to be done. Help is always appreciated!

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[1] Goshen Public Library, Main St., Goshen, NY; Sharts Room, Wisner Collection, French and Indian War, Microfilm Roll 2-00088S

[2] Collections of the New York Historical Society for the Year 1891, Muster Rolls of New York Provincial Troops, pages 34-35