Person:Simeon Fort (1)

Notes

Halfmoon became part of Saratoga County in 1791. Niskayuna became part of Schenectady County in 1809. DAR Patriot Simon Fort: b 4-24-1734 NY d 9-26-1789 NY m Annetie Van Vranken QM NY DAR Number 257327, Helen M. Fort, 1212 State Street, Utica, New York May 27, 1929 DAR Number 258861, Florence Fort Tynan, Slingerlands, Albany County, New York December 16, 1929 DAR Number 754222 A825, Karen Lea Hill Walker, 1281 NW Bus 36 Hwy, Hamilton, Missouri February 23, 2001 "Contributions for the Genealogies of the First Settlers of the Ancient County of Albany from 1630 to 1800." by Prof. Jonathan Pearson 1872 page 50 Fort, Simon, of Onostoungjoone, m. Annatie Vranken, in Schenectady, Oct. 22, 1762. Ch: Ryckert, b. Aug. 12, 1766. See Schenectady Families. "Contributions for the Genealogies of the Descendants of the First Settler of the Patent and City of Schenectady, from 1662 to 1880." by Jonathan Pearson page 73 SIMON, son of Nicolaas, of "Onestoungjoone,: m. Annatje Van Vranken of the same place, October 22, 1762. Ch. bp: Ryckert, b. Aug. 12, 1766; Johannes, bp. Aug. 6, 1769, d. Dec. 14, 1838, in Niskayuna. His wife Gertrude d. Jan. 17, 1856, in her 80th year; Maria, Sept. 16, 1772; Daniel, Feb. 18, 1776, d. Jan. 15, 1839, in Niskayuna; His wife Eleanor, d. Dec. 6, 1856, in her 77th year. "History of the Schenectady Patent. The Old French War, 1744-1748." Page 290-303 After the close of hostilities Governor Clinton sent Lieut. Stoddert to Montreal to arrange for an exchange of prisoners. With Capt. Anthony Van Schaick he went into the Indian country to recover the captives, but with indifferent success. Among those who returned with Lieut. Stoddert were Capt. Anthony Van Schaick, John Vrooman, Peter Vasborough [Vosburgh], Albert Vedder and Francis Connor. Efforts were made to induce others to return but without success; of these were Rachel Quackenbos, Simon Fort and Philip Phillipsen. Rachel Quackenbos abjured the English religion and Lieut. Stoddert could not persuade her to return. Fort and Phillipse also desired to remain with the Iroquois; the former belonged by adoption to a sister of a chief named Agonareche. She refused to give him up at any price. Capt. Van Schaick offered six hundred livres for Fort without succeeding in obtaining him. On the contrary, so determined was his squaw owner to retain him, that she said she would obey the French commandant and deliver him up, but that she and her husband would follow him, and he should not reach home alive. Lieut. Stoddert left Canada on the 28th June, 1750, with twenty-four prisoners.*

• Drake's Particular Hist., 178-9; Col. Doc., x, 209, 215.

"Colonial New York" by George W. Schuyler, Bolume Second, New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1885 page 374-375 . . . . . In the old French and Indian war of 1744-48, the people on the borders were exposed to great dangers and hardships. The almost uninterrupted peace of fifty years, since 1697, had made them careless and indifferent as to their defences. The old fort at Canastagione had rotted down and disappeared. The French had erected Fort St. Frderick at Crown Point, which gave them command of the Lakes Champlain and George and of the upper Hudson. The English, in consequence of the chronic quarrels between the governors and the Legislature, neglected to fortify any point on the boarders to hold the French in check, but left the settlements north of Albany undefended and open to the incursion of the enemy. Suddenly the peace of Europe was broken, and all North America became involved in the horrors of a savage war. Scalping parties from Canada swooped down upon the defenceless settlements of New York and New England, killing and capturing the terror-stricken inhabitnats. The farmers of Canastagione were especially unfortunate. In the year that Saratoga was destroyed, 1745, several persons were killed, and others carried to Canada to suffer a long imprisonment. Three of Jean Fort's sons and two grandsons were among the unfortunates. Johannes (3) died in Prison at Quebeck, on December 7, 1746, and his brother Abraham (4) died in the same prison a year later. Jacob (6) fared better; he succeeded in regaining his liberty, and returned to his family, but nothing was heard of his son, whose fate was unknown. Simon, a son of Nicholas (5), was a mere boy when carried off. He was adopted by an Indian woman, one of the Mohawk proselytes, in place of her own son, killed on an expedition. After the war, in June, 1750, Governor Clinton sent commissioners into Canada to effect an exchange of prisoners. They could not procure Simon's release, although Captain Van Schaick offered the Indian mother six hundred franes for his ransom. She said that she was much attached to him, and regarded him as one of her own children, but if she were obliged, by the commands of the French governor, to give him up, her friends would follow them and cause them to feel her resentment. On appealing to him to leave the Indians and return to his family, he replied that he was attached to his new friends, and, having become a Catholic, he preferred to remain with them. In the following autumn his father was more successful, and procured his release at an expense of L. 50. Simon returned home, and twelve years later married a daughter of his neighbor, Van Vranken. . . . . . Information on Simon and Annatie Van Vranken Fort and their children from: "Genealogy of The Fort Family in New York State: by Jerome H. Fort 1924 Page 46 SIMON FORT, No. 72, son of Nicholas Fort Simon Fort was carried away captive by the Indians after the destruction of Saratoga in November 1745. He was adopted by one of the squaws because she fancied he resembled her own son who had been killed on an expedition. He remained with the Indians about six years, viz. from November 1745 until the fall of 1751. In June, 1750, the French and Indian War then being over, Govenor Clinton sent exissaries into Canada to bring about an exchange of prisoners. They could not obtain Simon Fort, however, because his Indian mother refused to give him up, altho offered six hundred francs as a ransom. She claimed that she cherished a sincere affection for him and that if he were taken from her by force the Indians would follow the party into the woods on their homeward journey and take vengeance upon them. Simon himself did not help matters much, for he declared that he was fond of his Indian friends and preferred to stay with them. The next fall, however, Simon's father made another attempt and was successful in securing his release upon paying a ransom of fifty pounds. Simon afterward became Quartermaster of the Twelfth Regiment, Albany County Milita. David Lyle Fort, 6104 West Sylvester, Pasco, Washington 99301 1994

Will

Albany County, Albany, New York Wills Vol 5 page 231-233 Simon Fort his last will and testament recorded October 14, 1820 In the name of God amen. The seventh day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight Simon Fort of Nikauna in the county of Albany yeoman considering the frailty of my body the certainty of death and the uncertain time and minute thereof but being of sound memory and mind. Praised be almighty God, do make my last will and testament hereby revoking and disannulling all former wills and testament by me heretofore made at any time either in word or writing and declaring this only to be my last will and testament. In manner following first I give and bequeath my soul to God who gave it me hopeing for the pardon of my sins past thro: the merrits and mediation of Jesus Christ my body to the earth to be decently intered at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named thereto. Rest in hopes of a glorious resurrection and my temporal estate in the manner following that is to say I will that all my just debts to be paid out of my said Estate. I do give unto my eldest son Nicholas Fort my great Dutch Bible in right of Primogneture. I do give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Anna Fort the possession and income of all and singular my Estate Real and Personal during she remains my widow. I do give devise and bequest unto my said son Nicholas on the west end of my lands divided by a line as follows. Beginning at the divison line between me and Harmand Wm. Antwerp at the river thence down the river till you come to a walnut tree marked with three notches on each side south and west standing at the creek from thence running with a straight line to a marked white oak tree which stands on the road that leads to Schenectady thence along the said road northerly to where it strikes the road that leads to Albany thence along Albany road to a marked black oak tree on the east side of the said road from thence down easterly to another marked black oak tree and from thence south east to the mannor line. I do also give and bequeath to my son Nicholas two acres of good meadow ground in my pasture on the east side joining to a small creek that runs from the hill into the river these unto him my said son Nicholas his heirs and assigns forever after the decease or remarriage of my said wife upon condition that my son Nicholas his heirs. Executors administrators do pay unto my Daughter Maria the sum of twenty pounds New York currency within two years next after the decease or remarriage of my said wife which shall first happen. Item I do give devise and bequeath unto my son Richard Fort all and singular on the east end of my lands beginning at the river at Duikes kill and thence up the river to the fence that goes across the cleared land called the middle fence thence along the said fence from the river to the upper fence atop of the hill and from thence southeast to the mannor line these unto him my said son Richard his heirs and assigns forever after the decease of my said wife or remarriage upon condition that my said son Richard his heirs, Executors or administrators do pay unto my daughter Maria the sum of twenty pounds New York currency within two years next after the decease or remarriage of my said wife which shall first happen. Item I do give devise and bequeath unto my two youngest sons John and Daniel all the remaining of my real Esta. Share and share alike with the prevelege of the ferry these unto them my said sons John and Daniel their heirs assigns forever after the decease or remarriage of my said wife upon condition that my sons John and Daniel their heirs, Executors or administrators do pay unto my daughter Maria each of them twenty pounds New York currency within two years next after the decease or remarriage of my said wife which shall first happen. Item I do give unto my sons Nicholas, Richard, John and Daniel and to their heirs and assigns after the decease or remarriage of my said wife which shall first happen all my farmers tools unto them share and share alike as also all my apparel both linnen and woollen unto them share and share alike. Item I do give unto my sons and daughter Nicholas, Richard, John, Daniel and Maria all my horses and cattle unto them share and share alike. Item I do give and bequeath unto my said daughter after my said wifes decease all the apparel belonging to the body of my said wife both tin_____ and woollen. Item I give and bequeath unto my above said five children Nicholas, Richard, John, Daniel and Maria after my said wifes decease or remarriage the remainder of all and singular my personal Estate to be equally divided between them unto five equal shares. Item I will that my wife with my sons Nicholas, Richard and John shall furnish my son Daniel with a trade. Item I will that my daughter Maria shall be furnished out of my Personal Estate with complete house furniture. Item I will that my sons Nicholas, Richard, John and Daniel shall pay the Quit seut share and share alike. Lastly I do nominate and appoint my wife and friends John N. Fort and Richard Van V______ [Vranken] to be the Sole Executors of this my last will and testament, In Testimony where of I have signed, sealed, published and delivered this only to be my last will and testament in the presence of the witnesses subscribing hereunto. In my presence Signed Sealed and delivered in the presence of Symon Fort Seal Simon Fort junior Abraham Van Antwerp Nicholas Fort State of New York Albany County Be it remembered that on the fourteenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty personally appeared before me Ebenezer Baldwin Surrogate of the county of Albany aforesaid Nicholas Fort one of the subscribing witnesses to the will of Simon Fort late of the town of Niskayuna in the said county deceased who being duly sworn declared that he did die in the said Simon Fort deceased seal and execute the instrument hereunto assuaged, and impressed with the seal of office of the said Surrogate which said instrument purports to be the last will and testament of the said Simon Fort deceased bearing date the seventh day of March in the year of our Lord seven hundred and eighty eight that he heard him the said Simon Fort publish and declare the same as and for his last will and testament; that at the time thereof he the said Simon Fort was of sound disposing mind and memory, to the best knowledge and belief of him the said Nicholas Fort and that he together with Simon Fort Junior and Abraham Van Antwerp the other witnesses to the said will did severally subscribe their names thereto as witnesses in the presence of the testator and of each other. In testimony whereof the said Surrogate hath hereunto set his hand and affixed his seal of office this fourteenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty. Ebenezer Baldwin

1. ↑ Albany County, Albany, New York Wills
   Vol 5 page 231-233, 12/29/06.