Isaac Doty’s Story, Minisink, NY

I introduced 4th Great Grandparents Isaac Doty and Elizabeth Paddock in my last post. Today I’d like to continue telling Isaac’s story.

After the American Revolution ended, Isaac married Elizabeth in Orange County, New York circa 1783. Great Grandmother was known as ‘Betsey Paddock’ in Ethan Allen Doty’s book, “The Doty-Doten Family in America”.

Isaac and Elizabeth welcomed their first child, Hannah, about 1785. Jacob came along in 1788 followed by my 3^rd Great Grandfather John in 1790.

I couldn’t locate Isaac and Elizabeth Doty in the 1790 federal census. I searched the Minisink, Orange County, New York enumeration without success.

Perhaps Great Grandfather Isaac wasn’t a ‘head of household’. This might explain why he doesn’t show up in 1790. Maybe the family was in Sussex County, New Jersey where Isaac’s father was living. Unfortunately, the 1790 New Jersey schedules disappeared long ago.

Isaac and Betsey’s family grew; Ruth arrived about 1793, Abner 1796 and Benjamin 1798.

December 14, 1797 Isaac needed money and mortgaged 197 ¾ acres of land to William Wickham from the Town of Goshen (except 3 acres and 23 rods previously sold to John Davis). Grandfather borrowed 600 British Pounds plus interest. Did he owe a debt or want to buy more land? I wish I knew why he needed the money. Does anybody know how much 600 Pounds was in American dollars?

A 200 Pound payment was due May 1, 1778, another due May 1, 1779 and the final 200 Pound payment May 1, 1800. You can see the county clerk’s copy below followed by my transcription of the agreement. Normally when a mortgage had been paid, the clerk wrote in the left margin of the agreement stating the mortgage was fully paid and satisfied. As you can see, the margin is empty indicating Grandfather wasn’t able to pay off the mortgage. It looks like he lost the land to William Wickham.

Mortgage Book D, page 62 

 

Transcript:

   A Mortgage from Isaac Doty of the Town of Minisink in the County of Orange & State of New York To William Wickham of the Town of Goshen in the said County Esquire Dated the fourteenth Day of December one thousand Seven hundred & ninety seven for all Land lots situate in the patent of Wawayanda in the Town of Minisink & is bounded as follows Beginning at the most Westerly Corner of the same at a heap of stones then runing North fifty two Degrees & forty five minutes East thirty seven Chains & seventy seven links to a Birch tree in a swamp then south forty six degrees & thirty minutes East fifty Chains to a heap of stones then south forty three degrees & thirty minutes west thirty seven Chains & twenty links to a heap of stones then north forty six degrees and thirty minutes west fifty six chains & thirty links to the place of Beginning Containing one hundred and ninety seven acres & three quarters Excepting out of the same three acres & twenty three rods which was formerly sold to John Davis__To be Void on the payment of Two hundred pounds on the first Day of May next the further sum of two hundred pounds like money on or before the first Day of May following & the further sum of two hundred pounds on the first Day of May which will be in the year one thousand Eight hundred with Interest on the whole to be paid annually__according to the Condition of a bond bearing even Date herewith__proved by the Oath of George D. Wickham one of the Subscribing witnesses before John Steward one of the Judges of the Court of Common pleas for Orange County the first Day of January one thousand seven hundred & ninety Eight

      A true Record Entered the fourth Day of January

      one thousand Seven hundred and ninety Eight

      Hopkins, Clerk

The 1799 Town of Minisink assessments included Isaac Doty. His real estate was estimated at $600 and his personal estate $507. I don’t know if Grandfather still owned his land but he had something in order for the town to collect a tax. Although he owned property in Orange County, no recorded deeds exist.

A seventh child, Joseph, was born Jan. 19, 1800 in Minisink.

Minisink tax assessments dated 1800 show Isaac’s real estate remained at $600 while his personal estate was less than the previous year--$446. Grandfather’s financial standing improved in 1801. His real estate assessment increased to $930 with his personal property also valued at $930.

There’s more to Isaac’s story. Watch for my next post.