Person:John Snook (4)

Committee Chamber, Amwell, in Hunterdon County. New Jersey, April 9, 1776.“I, John Snook, the subscriber hereof, have been so wicked and abandoned as to speak in favour of ministerial oppressions against Americans, and wishing destruction to the Americans in opposing such oppressions, and being now fully convinced of the heinousness of my conduct, do hereby in the fullest manner most sincerely beg pardon of my justly incensed countrymen, and in all instances for the future promise to conform to the rules of the Continental and our Provincial Congress for the supporting American freedom, and do heartily wish my imprudent conduct may be a warning to others, as I now sincerely repent of my impudent oppressions. Witness my hand, March 12, 1776. JOHN SNOOK [Extract from the minutes, Jasper Smith, Sec.” exerpted from The Pennsylvania Gazette, May 1, 1776

On 12 April 1796, John Snook was appointed guardian of Polly, the child of Michael (and Nancy?) Ayers and Willis Brown believes that John and Nancy probably reared Polly.

There is a John Snook, blacksmith, listed on the 1803 ratables for Amwell Twp., Hunterdon, Co., NJ. If this is the same John who married Nancy Brion/Brian and later moved to OH, he would be part of the William Snook family of Hunterdon Co., NJ.

John Snook bought land in 1814 in Jackson (now Vinton) County, Ohio. One of his neighbors is John Coon. This was one of the first settlements in the area. He is listed in Early Ohioans’ Residences from the Land Grant Records in Vol. E, p. 121 which indicates he had lived before in Athens County, Ohio. He bought land in 1827 in Athens County. He is listed in the 1820 census for Clinton Township. There is a John Snook and a William Craig listed in the 1819 list of taxpayers in Jackson County, Ohio.He is listed as a property owner in the 1823, 1826 and 1828 list of taxpayers. He had five sons living with him and paying chattel taxes in 1826 and 1828. John Snook, 94 yo, born in New York, is shown living in Clinton Twp, Vinton Co., Ohio in the 1850 census. From the place on the pages, it looks as if he was living with or very near to Sarah (51 yo) b. PA, John (19 yo) b. Ohio and William (28 yo) b. Ohio. I think that is Mathias Snook’s widow Sarah (nee Craig) and her two sons.

John Snook of Corydon, Iowa thinks this John Snook was probably someone who left Britain due to religious persecution and came to the U.S. via Germany for religious freedom. (I suspect the Snooks left Germany (the Palatinate) and went to England for protection from the Catholic rulers and came to American via England sometime. Could that explain John’s loyalty to the British in 1776?)

1. ↑ 1850 Federal Population Census.
2. ↑ United States Census.
3. ↑ 1850 Census.
4. ↑ Betty S. Welliver. Betty S. Welliver.
5.   Email from Willis Brown; WillisB199@aol.com.
6.   Betty S. Welliver. Betty S. Welliver.
7.   Federal Land Series.
8.   Riegel, Mayburt Stephenson. Early Ohioans’ Residences from the Land Grant Records. (Ohio Genealogical Society).
9.   Source (12).
10.   Jill Burns/milwray@lisco.net. Descendents of John Snook.
11.   Powell, Esther Weygandt. Early Ohio Taxpayers.
12.   Southern Ohio Taxpayers in 1820’s: Gallia and Jackson Counties. (Heritage Research; Atlanta, George).
13.   Source (13).