Person:Andreas Finck (1)

GERMAN ORIGIN: In the Chapter Supplements section of the Mooty book on the Fincks, the village of their origin is identified as Weinheim. The record was located in a Reformed church which still exists today. It is located southwest of Alzey and is relatively close to Worms and the Rhine river. It reads, " 1700, 9 Sonntag (Sunday) Trin: A man from Hessen, Andreas Finck, who worked in Weinheim during harvest and whose wife came in childbed, a young son bapt.; who was born 4 Aug. called Christian. godf: Christian Fliegmann, Deutschherren Hoffmann."

REASONS FOR EMIGRATING; Probably included the following: wars of extensive devastation to include the Thirty Years War, about 1618-1648, and the War of the Spanish Succession, 1702-1714. Citing THE BOOK OF NAMES by Lou D. MacWethy, Mooty says that Louis XIV of France was determined to extend France's border to the Rhine and his method of accomplishing this was total destruction of the land, people, and villages. The citizens were tortured, ravished, and killed so that they saw no hope of improvement to liveable conditions. Other reasons included heavy taxes, an extraordinary winter, religious persecution, land hunger, a desire for adventure, liberal advertising by colonial proprietors, and the benevolent and acitve participation of the British government.

HOW THEY LEFT: According to accounts, they went down the Rhine in open boats, a trip of about four weeks to reach Rotterdam where there was a sympathetic goverment. However, by June first, 1709, 1,000 Palatines were arriving each week. Queen Anne of England started turning ships back to Holland, not knowing how to provide for so many. Those who made it to England like Andreas then had to live in tents, barns and shanties. They relied on charity for food. Once on the ships to America, their conditions were similar to those on the infamous slave ships we know about today. Many died. Many English referred to them as "poor Palatines".

Note: Andreas emigrated in 1709 from Holland. "Andreas Ving, his wife and 1 child were in the 2nd party of Palatines in Holland in 1709 (Rotterdam Lists). Andreas Fink, aged 34, his wife, and a son aged 9, a husbandman and vinedresser, were in the second arrivals in England that year (London Lists)." Arriving in New York, Governor Hunter indentured the immigrant Palatines and forced them to work in the Tar Camps in Aug 1710 at West Camp, New York. (The son, aged 9 here, is likely Christian Finck, b. abt. 1700)

RECORD: THE NEW YORK SUBSISTENCE LIST. Andreas Finck is listed first in 1710 as 3-0 meaning 3 adults, no children. He is listed again in 1712 as 3-1 meaning 3 adults, 1 child under ten years. This list was compiled from the "jounal" of Palatine debtors to the British government for subsistence given either in New York City or in the Hudson River settlements, from their landing in 1710 to September, 1712. (Source: Fort Klock Historic Restoration. Early Eighteenth Century Palatine Emigration. A British Government Redemptioner Project to Manufacture Naval Stores by Walter Allen Knittle, Ph.D., Dept. of History, College of the City of New York, Pub. Philadelphia, 1937. Rec'd 1/2002 from Eleanor Dixon).)Fort Klock Historic Restoration

RECORD: http://www.fortklock.com/nameshunter.ht is the source for this. Andreas Finck is listed under Palatine Heads of Families. No place is designated, so we must assume East Camp. The Book of Names Especially Relating to The Early Palatines and the First Settlers in the Mohawk Valley Compiled and Arranged by Lou D. MacWethy Published by The Enterprise and News St. Johnsville, NY., 1933

RECORD; Palatine Heads of Families From Governor Hunter's Ration Lists June, 1710 to September, 1714 Compiled from the records in London and Presented to the descendants of the Palatines by BOYD EHLE. C. E. Historians in general and descendants of the Palatines in particular have long felt a desire for a more complete list of those Palatine emigrants who settled in New York and along the Hudson under the patronage of Queen Anne of 1710. Documentary History of New York, Vol. III gives a census of those in New York, also those in West Camp but no mention is made of those in East Camp although it is known that there were unlisted settlement on the east side. During the summer of 1931 Mr. Boyd Ehle through his London agents caused a search of the records there with the result that the ledger accounts of Governor Hunter were consulted and all the names of heads of families drawing rations were copied. Mr. Ehle has arranged them in alphabetical order and indicated their place of residence by the symbols to be found following the name in case where residence is known as follows:

E---East Camp. Soldiers in Canadian Exposition of 1711.

W---West Camp.

N. New York City.

These locations are from the census reports in Doc. Hist., Vol 3. Those not designated are presumed to have been residents of east Camp. No census of this camp has been discovered, but by eliminating those of known location the balance must belong to East Camp. Andreas Fink is listed with no designation, so East Camp is presumed.

PALATINE SITES of interest: Map Locating St. Johnsville. X=Indian Castle Church Route 5S, 3 Mi. E of NYS exit 29A Box #172 Little Falls, NY 13365

O=Fort Klock Route 5, 2 Mi. E. of St. Johnsville The sites are about 15 minutes apart.

RECORD; FROM THE SIMMENDINGER REGISTER OF THE EARLY PALATINE FAMILIES OF NEW YORK In 1717 Ulrich Simmendinger returned to Germany and published the names of families still living in 14 early NY settlements. Seven of those settlements were in the Schoharie Valley and are listed here. Neu - Ansberg (Schmidsdorf, later called Smith's Town where the railroad station at Schoharie now stands) Andreas Finck, wife Anna Marie, and 2 children are listed.. http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyschoha/simmen.html is the source for this. There were about 40 families listed for Schmidsdorf.

RECORD: The Book of Names Especially Relating to The Early Palatines and the First Settlers in the Mohawk Valley Compiled and Arranged by Lou D. MacWethy Published by The Enterprise and News St. Johnsville, NY. , 1933 Dedicated to the Memory of Two faithful coworkers who labored until called Boyd Ehle, C. E. Hubert W. Hess, A. B. This Book of names includes Andreas Finck.

RECORD; Our Early Citizens Names of Those Taking the Oath of Allegiance from 1715 to 1773 Compiled from the Colonial Laws by Lt. Com. L. F. Bellinger, U. S. N., Retired Included is the name ANDRIES VINK. (I believe this is our Andreas Finck) on 22 November 1715 in Mayors Court, City Hall, Albany, NY.

THE ORIGINAL PATENT FOR STONE ARABIA, NEW YORK

The Indian deed for the Stone Arabia land cost 300 pounds in Indian goods and bears date of 12 February 1723 and approved 9 March 1723. The warrant to grant was issued 14 September and the patent dated 19 October 1723. On the first division, most of the patentees took 100 acres, two lots of 50 acres each; in 1733 another division was made. The survey was made by Nicholas Schuyler. A third division is said to have been made but we have never seen any record of it. In 1793 the lines about the patent were re-run because of variation of compass in former surveys and disputes which had arisen with neighbors in other patents. The field books of both surveyor Schuyler of 1733 and of surveyor Beekman of 1793 are extant and were studied. The first is in the possession of Mr. Wyman of Fonda and the later and last survey is in the possession of Joseph H. Reaney of St. Johnsville.

The survey of 1793 recites the boundaries of the original patent and, coming 70 years after, indicates the outlines of the patent more clearly than any description of boundaries made earlier. We quote from Beekman's notes:

Beginning at a certain Black Oak tree standing in the South East corner of a Tract of Land granted to John Schuyler and in the line of the Lands granted to Col. Abraham De Peyster and Harmanus Van Slyck, which tree is 125 chains East from the Mohawk River, and runs from the said tree along the line of the aforesaid Lands granted to John Schuyler, north 19° 30' west 193 chains to the Tract granted to Francis Harrison, Esq. thence along his line North 16° West 65 Chains to a certain Bruck called by the Indians Garoga, then up the stream of the said Bruck to another Bruck which falls into it and is called by the Indians Cajadutta, thence up the stream of said Bruck called Cajadutta 96 Chains measured on a straight line, thence south 63° East 250 chains to a bruck called the Canada Kill, thence down the stream of said Bruck 80 chains measured on a straight line, then south 61° West 355 Chains, then south 6 chains to the above mentioned land of Abm De Peyster and Harrison [?] Van Slyck, then along their line 153 chains to the place where it begun containing 12 thousand 700 acres with allowance for Highways. Beekman adds a note more definitely located the starting point of the original deed:

Black Oak Tree, which Tree being the North East corner of De Peyster's and Van Slyck's Patent, and the letters D P and its cyphers 1716 cut in the Bark of said tree, and appears that it had been done at the time of the first survey of the said De Peysters and Van Slycks Patent was made which said line runs to the place of beginning of said De Peysters and Van Slycks Patent opposite three small Islands in the Mohawk River. This quite definitely fixes the "beginning point" of the patent, for one can be east of the Mohawk River only in the vicinity of Nelliston and the three small islands are there.

The 27 names which appeared in the patent were: Johan Christian Garlack, John Lawyer, ** Andries Feink** , Hendrick Frey, Warnar Digart, Bartholomew Picart, Johannes Schnell, Johannes Cremse, Johannes Emigen, William Vocks, Mardan Dellinback, Adam Emigen, Teobald Garlack, Suffereinas Deigert, William Copernall, Hans Deterick Cassalman, John Joost Schnell, ** Christian Feink**, Simon Erchart, Mardan Seibart, Elias Garlack, Johannes Ingolt, William Nellese, Andries Peiper, Lodowick Cassalman and Gerhart Scheffer. Of the patentees, the last two took no share in the first division; on the other hand such a share was granted to Bartholomew Picard, Jr.

In the second allotment, made in 1733, we find that 14 who took land in the first division took none in the second. Ten years had witnessed the death or removal of these or they were convinced they had enough land. 26 different titles were given in the 2nd allotment; 4 were titles in partnership. The 30 men who thus shared were as follows: Martynis Tillebagh, Johannis Lawyer, ** Andris Finck** , Nicholas Pickard, Lodewyck Casselmann, **Andreas Finck, Jr., ** Symon Erhart, Jacob Snell, Johannis Snell, Adam Emge, Wilhelmis Casselman, Dierik Loucks, Sutferynes Teyger, Johannis Myderse, William Brower, Johannis Crams, Hanes Erhart, Barhanadus Van Diere, War(ner) Teygor, Johannis Miller, Jacob Sible, Jurigh Houck, Piter Soots, Johannis Schulthuys, Johannis Wies, Van Schullne, Hendrick Six, William Nellis, Nicolas Stensoll, and Robert Garther. Deeds were given to all who shared in this allotment, a few of which are still in existence. Most of the new grantees were sons of the patentees, in several instances were men from Schoharie, and in some cases Dutchmen.

The first allotment had given title to 2550 acres, the second to 9169 acres, a total of 11719 acres. There was but little left. Another survey and allotment was made in 1793. Variations and errors in lines previously run called for corrections. By order of court in 1792 Jacob Eacker, Abraham Coopman and Jacob G. Klock were appointed commissioners; Cornelius Beekman was employed as surveyor. As a result six different narrow wedgeshaped parcels of land were added to the patent and divided. These pieces contained over 1000 acres making the total acreage of the patent nearly 13,000 acres.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Simmendinger Register of the Early Palatine Families of New York, Ulrich Simmendinger, 1717. (Name: scholarie Co.;).
2. ↑ James J. Fink, email rec'd 12/8/01 from ([email protected]).