Follow Up on Isaac and Leah Sperling

In the post Isaac and Leah Sperling, I tried to understand whether they were siblings or cousins. I have enough information now to sort out the problem, which is complicated by the repeated use of first names in the family. A family tree at Ancestry.com provided me with the reference to the document that seems to make it all clear as mud. Below is the portion of the transcript available to me.

"Isaac Sperling, son of John Sperling and his second wife Catharine, resided in North Brunswick Township, Middlesex county. He was a Revolutionary soldier, serving in the Second Regiment, Middlesex County Militia, of which his future father-in-law John Gilliland was a lieutenant and his future brother-in-law Daniel Gilliland was a first sergeant. Elizabeth Gilliland Sperling was the daughter of John Gilliland and Leah Sperling. Isaac and Leah were first cousins. Isaac and Elizabeth were married in October of 1787, according to the pension papers.

This record (number 3078 of the GSNJ collection) consists of one page torn from a Bible and filed with pension application W6159. The entries, which appear to be all in..."

Being familiar with the script on the documents of the time, I am thankful to whoever read the originals and wrote out this summary for us. Big dollop of gratitude for that.

Now to put this information together with the rest of the family tree. If I strip an ahnentafel down to just those parts required to identify the individuals in the reference above, I construct the following,

1 Jan Michiel Sperlingh (German immigrant) m. Geertje Pieters
+2 Daniel m. Elizabeth unk
++3 Leah (b.1740) m. John Gilliland
+++ 4 Elizabeth (b.1767) m. Isaac Sperling (b.1759)
+++ 4 Leah (b. 1781) m. Abraham Sperling (b. 1759)
+2 Leah (b.1709)
+2 Petrus
+2 John m. 2nd wife Catherine
++3 Isaac (b.1759) m. Elizabeth Gilliland (b. 1767)
++3 Abraham (b.1759) m. Leah Gilliland (b.1781)

What I have done with the colors is show where an individual's presence is repeated. Isaac (b.1759) and Leah (b. 1740) are 1st cousins, as explained in the reference above. Isaac then married Leah's daughter. The same relationships are repeated with Abraham (b.1759). He is Leah (b.1740)'s first cousin, and he marries her daughter, Leah (b.1781).

Notes: 1. I list both Isaac and Abraham as b.1759, but those are baptismal dates, and there's no reason to believe they are twins. 2. I list Jan and Geertje's daughter Leah as born 1709, but I don't know the actual date, only that this is the earliest assumption, since that is the year her parents were married. 3. I don't know the birth order of Jan and Geertje's children, but placing John after Daniel makes sense to explain the 19 year gap in the age of first cousins. Other than that, their birth order is strictly random at this point.

1813 Abraham Sperling Will

In a post labeled John Michael Sparling in NJ, I provided a list of occurrences of this name and its variations.  The last item on the list was as follows:

1813. John Michael Sperling serves as a witness to the will of Abraham Sperling. John Gilliland Sperling is Abraham's son mentioned in the will. Location: North Brunswick, Middlesex, NJ

Very recently, I have been convinced that there were three generations of John (Jan, Johannes) Michael (Michiel, Magiel) Sparling (Sperling).  Take your pick of spellings.  The first one, Jan Michiel Sperlingh, was an immigrant from Saxony (Germany).  He was a clerk and often called upon to witness legal papers.  He had a son, John, who I believe was also Jan Michiel, who also had a son, Jan Michiel, in various spellings.

The issue with the 1813 will is to determine which of these Johns was witness to Abraham Sperling's will and to identify each of the individuals mentioned.  I think, using age as a criterion, that we can eliminate the first two generations, Jan M., born no later than 1690-ish (?), and Jan M., born no later than 1730-ish (?).  The most likely candidate is Jan M., born 1756, and Abraham's brother.  

I identify the brother, Abraham, by the mention of his son, John Gilliland Sperling.  This confirms him as the Abraham Sperling, b. 1759 at Six Mile Run, son of John Sperling and Catherine, who married Leah Gilliland (1781-1835).

1. Jan Michiel Sperlingh (immigrant from Germany) m. Geertje Pieters

+2.  Jan Michiel Sperling (John) m. 2nd wife Catherine

++3. Jan Michiel Sperling (Johannis Magiel) b.1756, Six Mile Run, NJ

++3. Abraham Sperling b.1759, Six Mile Run, NJ, d. 1815, m. Leah Gilliland (1781-1835)

+++4. John Gilliland Sperling b. 1800

I believe this is how the generations look when stripped to the essentials and that the last three names on this list are the names on the 1813 reference (above) to Abraham's will.

John and Marretje (Burhans) Sperling of Kingston

I have no indication that John Sperling who married Marretje Burhans is related to the Sparlings of NY/NJ whom I have been researching, but I have no indication that he is not either. Nevertheless, I've collected records from this marriage and thought they might be useful to someone.

1. Kingston Dutch Reformed Church, list of marriages from 1660-1809.
1777 07 Sep; John SPERLING, jm, born N.J.; Marretje Burhans, jd, both liv Kingston.

2. Catskill Reformed Dutch Church, Greene Co., NY, Baptisms 1732-1833.
1793 Feb 10; parents: Jan SPERLINGH, Marritje SPERLINGH; child: Wiljem

3. New York City Wills, 1777-1783, p167.

"In the name of God, Amen. I, Wilhelmus Burhans, of Saugerties, Ulster County, carpenter. I leave to my eldest son, Barnet, all my carpenter tools. I leave to my three sons, Barnet, Jerrick, and John, each 20. And whereas my real estate is part of the estate of my father, Barnet Burhans, late of Saugerties, and also part of the other estate of my said father situate at Braband [Kingston], and being yet undivided. I give all my part of the same to my said three sons and my daughters, Margaret Brink and Maretie SPERLING. And I order them to have the said estate divided as soon as possible. And my said children shall, immediately after the division, pay to my loving wife, their mother, Hilletie, 50 per annum, each of them, during her life. But if she marries, the payment is to cease. I leave to my daughter, Margaretta Brink, my Great Bible. To my daughter, Maretta SPERLING, my Psalm Book. I make Henry Schoonmaker, John Brink, and Christopher Kierstede, executors, all of Saugerties." April 28, 1778, proved June 7, 1780

4. Burhans Genealogy by Samuel Burhans p30.

Maritje, bp 5 Jul 1755, m 7 Sep 1777 at Kingston, John SPARLING. Maritje Burhans joined Catskill church 13 Nov 1807 as widow of late John SPERLING on Confession of Faith.

5. Burhans Genealogy by Samuel Burhans p31.

children of Maritje Burhans and John SPARLING:
.Janneke bp Saugerties 6 Nov 1777 d. unmarried
.Saartje bp 18 Feb 1781 m 9 Sep 1799 Catskill, William Osborn. She afterwards married John Rightmeyer and moved to Leeds. Is said to have several children by second husband.
.Mary bp Saugerties 12 Jan 1783
.Maria bp Saugerties 3 May 1784
.Andrew bp 24 Oct 1786
.John b. 1782 d. 1876 m. Ann Terwilliger
.Elizabeth (Betsy) b. at Leeds 7 Feb 1794 m. 4 Jan 1816 at Catskill, Aaron Henry Vedder...
.William bp 10 Feb 1793
.Gitty b. unk m. Jacob Souser, son of Petrus Souser and Maria bp 2 June 1782?

Afterthoughts about the Six Mile Run Baptismal Record of 1750

I really shouldn't try to analyze these records when I'm lacking sleep. Taking a look at what I wrote in my last post, none of it seems plausible. The easier solution is that the baptismal record for Six Mile Run refers to Jan Sperling, a son of Jan Michiel Sperlingh, perhaps even a junior, and his wife, a Geertje, to be sure, but not Geertje Pieters (Pouluse).

Records indicate there was, indeed, a Jan Sperling in the area at the appropriate time. I posted some of those earlier, here and here. One piece of evidence I haven't presented is the quasi-census of Sparling head of households represented by the Middlesex County tax records. What is interesting about these is that one John is named as John, Jr, clearly implicating a John, Sr.

In addition to John, Jr., the tax lists name Daniel, Joseph, Charity, John, Peter, Abraham, Abraham Isaac and Jacob Sparling. I believe all these individuals are related, although not all siblings. Currently, I propose that Jan Michiel Sperlingh, the elder, had at least three sons, Daniel, Peter and John, Jr. As I proceed, I'll compare the records to that hypothesis and either preserve or reject it.

Sperling Baptism, Six Mile Run DRC, New Jersey, 1750

Much discussion surrounds the individual "Geertje," who married Jan Michiel Sperlingh, Dec 10, 1709 in Hackensack, NJ. The issue is her surname and/or patronymic. Suffice it to say, she is known by a variety of name forms, Geertje Pieters, as on her marriage record, or Geertje Pauluse Jacobs or she may be the individual, Geertje Pieters Hartje. It's a matter of not knowing which name her father signed on any particular record at the time Dutch names were in flux in the colonies in conjunction with uncertainty concerning Geertje's preference or need when identifying herself.

We do know, however, this individual when she is mentioned along with Jan Michiel Sperlingh as in this baptismal record I found a few days ago. What is interesting about this latest bit of information is that the suffix of the child's name suggests it was a girl, whereas, I previously only had records indicating the couple's two sons, Daniel and Peter.

This record is from the Somerset County Historical Quarterly, by Somerset Co. Historical Society (N.J.) Somerset Co, ed. Honeyman, A. Van Doren, Plainfield, NJ, 1919. It's taken from the list of baptisms for the Six Mile Run Church from 1743-1805, p.125.

1750, July 1, parents: Sperling, Jan and Geertje; child: ----rtje (?)

The only disturbing aspect of this record is the late date. If this is the same Geertje identified as the daughter of Pieter Pouluse and Treyntje Hans Jacobs, her baptismal is dated 1691 at Bergen, NJ, and that makes her age 59 at this child's baptism. Alternately, if we make a guess that she was between 15 and 18 (a typical marriage age for girls) when she married Jan Sperling in 1709, then she is again between age 56 and 59. It's also possible the child baptized in 1750 is not an infant.

This record is also helpful in verifying the identity of Jan Sperling as he was listed as a member of the Six Mile Run church during the time of John Frelinghuysen. Those lists and their source are provided in my post Forty Years at Raritan.

Additional Records; Sparling; NJ

Again, I've omitted most sources in an attempt to keep to a tidy list. My objective here is to try to discover the overall picture. Sources are available on request.

1715-1726. "List of county clerks before the Revolution": John M. Sperling. Location: probably Flatbush

1719. J.M. Sperling witnessed the legal papers of Phebe? Schelling? of East Hampton, Suffolk Co. Location: ? (This reference needs more research.)

Apr 19, 1737. John Michael Sparling and Peter Sparling witness a deed transfer between Richard Lvanne[?] and Henry Hoogland. Location: Middlesex...county of Somerset.

Feb 28, 1787. "Daniel Sparling appeared before Jeremiah Manning and testified that he was familiar with the handwriting of the two witnesses and that 'one was his Father and the other was his brother,'" recorded -5 March 1787"

Feb 4, 1741. Inventory by William Walling and Jen. Sperling in regards to the will of Daniel Androvet of New Brunswick, Middlesex Co.

Nov 23, 1741. Witnesses to the will of Jan (John) Stryker of Six-Mile Run, Somerset Co.; Waiter Burnet, Pitue Poumil, John Michael Sperling. Proved 6 Aug, 1747.

Jan 22, 1750. Witness to the will of Albert Van Voorhees of New Brunswick, Middlesex Co.; Cornelius Cornel, Petrus Sperling, J.N. Sperling. Proved Dec. 2, 1734.

July 6, 1765. Extract from a List of Letters remaining in the General Post-Office, "Pursuant to orders from ....two of the judges of the court of common pleas for the county of Middlesex, made on the 18th day of July instant, John Sperling, John Lot., ...et al...all insolvent debtors, now confined in the gaol of Perth-Amboy, do hereby give notice to all their creditors, that they shew cause, if any they have, on the 10th day of August next, at Perth-Amboy, why...."

May 12, 1766. Extract from American Newspapers, Relating to New Jersey (Middlesex County); "Pursuant to an order of....two of his Majesty's Judges of the course of Common Pleas, for the county of Middlesex, upon the Petitions of Justus Walker and John Sparling, insolvent Debtors, and the Majority of the Creditors in Value: Notice is hereby...."

Sep 14, 1773. Warrant for the confiscation of goods of John Sparling or, in lieu of those goods, for his arrest for his debt to John Stoniker; receipted by John Sparling and Joacham Gulick. Location: New Brunswick.

Apr 22, 1796. Sperling, Daniel, of the Northward of New Brunswick, Middlesex Co.; will of. Wife, Jane, use of house with lot of land about house from ditch to Isaac Cheesman's lot and 1/2 profits of orchard, during her life. Son, James, use of remainder of land until wife's decease when estate is to be sold. Children, Andrea, James, Leah Gillaland, George and John, each one an equal share of estate after wife's decease. Executors--son, James, and Johnathan Combs, Jr. Witnesses--Johnathan Combs, Jr., Jane Combs and Winant Dehart. Proved Oct. 19, 1796.
1796, Sep 30. Inventory...made by Edmund Davis and Jonathan Combs.

This last, Daniel Sperling's will, I copied nearly in full because of its relevant importance to the questions I am asking. Also very useful is the record of 1787 in which Daniel Sparling identifies the signatures of his father and brother. Using family records of the Gilliland's and others in conjunction with the source records of various families, such as the DeHart's (records not presented), it has become possible to make educated guesses about the Sparling family line.

A few conclusions:
1. The first and most obvious conclusion is that Isaac Sperling was not the brother of Leah (Sperling) Gilliland as I suggested in my post, Issac and Leah Sperling. Yet, it's unlikely they were unrelated. Perhaps cousins.

2. The second, important piece of information is the identity of Daniel Sparling's father. Although it's not explicit, the dates for John Michael Sparling make him the better candidate. Therefore, Daniel's brother is Peter Sparling. (see the 1737 record and the record of 1787 associated with it.)

3. The dates of debtor's trouble ('65-'73) for John Sparling suggest he was the son John of Daniel or a cousin, rather than John Michael Sparling, the elder. It is, furthermore, out of character for a clerk and a man who regularly serves as witness to legal matters to be caught up in gaol.

4. At least one published family tree lists a son of Daniel Sparling as Andrew. I'm inclined to believe it was a daughter, Andrea, as listed in Daniel's will. If Andrea was a son, Andrew, then he was the oldest and would have most likely been granted primary use of the land as well as Executor. Instead, those honors went to James, probably the eldest son.

5. The George Sparling whose parents I have been attempting to identify might very well be Daniel's fourth child. Nothing yet suggests he is not; nothing verifies it either.

Much, much more family information can be pulled from these records in addition to records of associated families and from New Jersey tax lists, too numerous for this particular post. If you can add to these records or to my guesses or steer me in a different direction entirely, please feel free to make contact.

John Michael Sparling in NJ

I've culled the internet for references to Jan Michiel Sperling, hoping to verify any connection between him and Daniel, Isaac, Leah or George Sparling (Sperling). I haven't...yet. What I have found is a community of Dutch immigrants who gather in their churches, where the young folk meet, mingle and eventually marry and build families of their own. In the meanwhile, they brew ale, mend shoes and pots and are farmers and, when they have to be, soldiers.

Below is my attempt to organize (what I hope are) relevant bits of information.

New Jersey-only references to John (Jan, Johannes) Michael (Michiel) Sparling (Sperling) arranged by date

.

Dec 10, 1709. A marriage recorded in the Dutch Reformed Church between Jan Michiel Sperling and Geertie Pieters. Location: Hackensack, Bergen, NJ (Residence: Acquiggenock [Passaic])

between 1720-1748. Head of family, Jan Sperling, joins the Reformed Dutch Church. Location: Six Mile Run, Somerset, NJ

1730. John Michael Sperling serves as the appraiser for the will of Charles Androvet. Location: Six Mile Run, Somerset, NJ

Jun 18, 1752. John Michael Sperling serves as witness of the will of John Vleet. Location: Six Mile Run, Somerset, NJ

1752. Daniel Sperling and Johannes Sperling appear on a list of freeholders in the source, "First Settlers of Piscataway and Woodbridge," p551, O.E. Monette. Location: New Brunswick, Somerset, NJ

1752-1772. Two, individual John Sparlings appear on John Piatt's "Cobbler Census." Location: Somerset, NJ

NJ militia. George, Abram, Isaac, James, Joseph, Peter and John Sparling appear on the Revolutionary War Rolls.

Sarah 1793-1867. The inscription on the gravestone of Sarah Van Pelt reads, "wife of John Sparling." Location: Dayton, Middlesex, NJ

1813. John Michael Sperling serves as a witness to the will of Abraham Sperling. John Gilliland Sperling is Abraham's son mentioned in the will. Location: North Brunswick, Middlesex, NJ

If you can add to this list, amend, correct or help me make any connections, the help is warmly appreciated. In the interest of clarity, I omitted my sources, but can provide them on request. In addition to the names above, there is a host of associated Van Pelts, Van Cleefs (Van Cleaves), Gillilands, Vliets (Vleets, Fleets), Vunks (Vonks), Piatts and others who may have known or married Sperlings over the course of the 18th century in New Jersey. I have more information to offer anyone who is interested.

Isaac and Leah Sperling

Following a different tack to discover the name of George Sparling's (b.1750) father. In one family tree (among many that don't), he has a brother listed as Isaac Sperling. I thought that if I could find Isaac's father, then I'd have my answer.

Isaac Sperling, it turns out, is a good candidate for George's brother. He was born 1758, and he also served in the Revolutionary War as a patriot in NJ.

A little research makes Isaac even more interesting. Apparently, he married a woman named Elizabeth Gilliland of Cranbury, Middlesex, NJ. This woman had several brothers and sisters, but one of the most interesting was a John Gilliland, who married a woman named Leah Sperling! Could it be that Leah and Isaac were siblings, that they knew the Gilliland family and each married within it?

Furthermore, John Gilliland served as a patriot in the NJ militia during the Revolutionary War, specifically under Captain Piatt, the same captain recorded by the DAR as George Sparling's commander. The record from Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revolution Buried in Indiana (p.340) for George Sparling reads, "Served 1 yr in 1st Regt., N.J., commanded by Capt. Daniel Piatt, 3 yrs. Capt. Longstreet. In battles of Brandywine and Monmouth."

This patriot connection suggests that Leah and Isaac may have had another sibling, George Sparling, but this is all conjecture at this point. Also, none of it adds up to a name for a common father. It suggests, though, that my guess that not all the New Jersey Sparlings headed to Canada or were Loyalists might be leading somewhere.

Lots, lots more to unravel. For example, one public family tree claims that Isaac Sperling is the son of Jan Michiel Sperling, elsewhere reported to be George Sparling's grandfather (see my recent post, Loyalists and Revolutionaries). If you can help put together all these tantalizing hints, please send me an email or leave a comment. I'm more than happy to provide any data I have.

Loyalists and Revolutionaries

My Sparling lineage seems to have come through New Jersey, as does that of the Palatinate line, many of whom traveled north to Canada. My reading leads me to believe that the Palatinate Sparlings went north due to Loyalist sympathies. However, records show that George Sparling, my ancestor, born 1750, fought in the Revolutionary War in the service of the 1st regiment, New Jersey militia. His alliance with the revolutionaries is some evidence (though by no means conclusive) that George (b.1750) was not directly connected to the Canadian line.

Another Sparling, John, also served in the Revolutionary War and is listed along with George. He may have been a relative. If these two men weren't related to the Canadian family, then they might not have come to America via Ireland, as those Palatinate families did who traveled on. That's why I'm still looking askew at that Daniel Sparling, b. Limerick, Ireland, who is listed as George's father.

I'm having a heck of a time finding any Daniel Sparlings at all during that time. There is a reference to a Daniel and Johannes Sparling in a book, "First Settlers of Piscataway and Woodbridge," by O.E. Monette, and I'm trying to get a look-up of these "freeholders in 1752", but without success so far.

Jan Michiel Sperling is listed as Daniel's father, and of the father I find some evidence. His marriage to Geertie Pieters was recorded in the Reformed Dutch Church of Hackensack, NJ, as Dec. 10, 1709. A marriage in Hackensack throws suspicion on a Irish birth for a subsequent son, Daniel. I also find "John Michael" Sperling as an appraiser on a 1730, Somerset Co, NJ will.

Any help in this area is warmly appreciated. I am, as always, happy to share all the information I have.

George Sparling b. 1750/52, Rev. War Veteran

The toughest area of research I've worked so far has to be the generations surrounding George Sparling, b. 1750/52, not surprising since that was a time of rapid immigration, first from Europe, then after the Revolution, into the interior, especially by families of soldiers with bounty land to claim. It doesn't help the matter that there was a George Sparling, veteran of the Revolutionary War, AND a George Sparling, veteran of the War of 1812. These two individuals are repeatedly confused in public family trees.

I'm at the stage where I no longer trust any reported family tree, and I'm searching for individual records. It's surprising how many Sperlings/Sparlings there were in New Brunswick, Middlesex Co., New Jersey!!!!

Coming Soon: Updated Jan Michiel Sperling Ahnentafel

I'm working on a new, improved ahnentafel for Jan Michiel Sperling(h). Here's a taste of some of the corrections:


Old Version

4 Edward (Ned) Sparling
.....+Mary Curtsinger
.....5 Michael Sparlin
.....+Sarah Jane Mullins
....*2nd wife of Edward (Ned) Sparling
.....+Mary (Polly) Kretsinger
.....5 David Sparling
.....and so on


New Version

4 Edward (Ned) Sparling
.....+Catherine Elizabeth Curtsinger
.....5 David Sparlin
....*2nd wife of Edward (Ned) Sparling
.....+Mary (Polly) Curtsinger (sister of Catherine Elizabeth above)
.....5 Elizabeth Sparling
.....and so on

When the dates are added, it will be clear why I made the above changes. Coming soon!