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 History of Van Staverns in America |
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| The Immigrant Millwrights |
Nickolas and Cornelius Van Stavern were millwrights as were many of their grandsons. The millwright of the 17th and 18th Centuries was quite different from the millwright of today. He was a master craftsman who completely designed and constructed mills. Sir William Fairbairn, a millwright of the late 19th Century, wrote in his "Treatise on Mills and Millwork, "...the millwright of the late centuries was an itinerant engineer and mechanic of high reputation. He could handle the axe, the hammer, and the plane with equal skill and precision...he could set out and cut in the furrows of a millstone with an accuracy equal of superior to that of the miller himself." The millwright of yesteryear was generally trained in arithmetic and geometry and his occupation demanded application of such principles. According to Fairbairn, his knowledge and abilities seemed unlimited. "He could calculate the velocities, strength, and power of machines, could draw in plan, and section, and could construct buildings, conduits, or watercourses, in all the forms and under all the conditions required in his professional practice..." Oliver Evans characterized the millwright as the typical American engineer of the time. "the millwright could utilize the axe, hammer, or the plane, with precision and skill; he could turn, bore, or forge.........He could calculate the velocities, strength, and power of machines, he could.......construct buildings, conduits and water courses." In short, the millwright of past centuries performed the work of a civil engineer, designing and carrying out most of the mechanical operations in the United States and earlier in Europe. Our forebearers were such people!
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| The Family History |
Nickolas: A millwright was from the French Netherlands (Flanders or modern day Belgium) the date given from the family Bible was 1679.
Cornelius:
Cornelius Van Staveren, son of Nickolas, was Born in Amsterdam, Holland April 16, 1713, an immigrant to American from Holland is listed among the 154 foreigners on page 478 in a book of the Pennsylvania German Pioneers. The ship Lydia's registry was reported at the court house at Philadelphia, Monday 9 October 1749. Cornelius Van Stavern …and his descendants were millwrights. (His is the eighth name from bottom of photocopy page the left side of original signatures on the manifest of the ship Lydia , dated Oct 9, 1759). Cornelius signature was bold and showed some flair. He was literate as others signed with an x and had the Captain write their name for them. It stated the ship sailed from Rotterdam and is signed by the Captain John Randolph and each of the heads of households or passengers. His wife Agatha, not listed, was born in Harlem, Netherlands April 15, 1729. A copy of the ship manifest document is included in this history. What follows is a copy of the birth records of the Van Stavern family Bible printed in 1806. The records predate the Bible print date. The Bible states it was was the property of Nicholas, son of Cornelius and Agatha and was last in the possession of J. C. Van Stavern. Other children listed from family birth records: Cornelius born May 7, 1752 in Philadelphia d: Aug 8, 1824 (probably the Corneliius listed in 1790 Delaware census; Nicholas, b:Oct 5, 1756 New Castle Del d: Nov 9, 1835 (m: March 31, 1788, Caty Howard b: Sep 29, 1768); William b: Feb 15, 1759 Delaware; Arthur b: April 6, 1761 d: Jan 8, 1774 Delaware; Elizabeth b: July 17, 1754 Maryland
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The Generation Gap ...The (following) paragraph lists Nicholas, a grandson of Cornelius above.
Nicholas:
An excerpt from Oren Morton's ...A History of Monroe County, West Virginia...Page 411 reads as follows:.
Nicholas a grandson of Cornelius (an immigrant from Holland) was born in New Castle County , Delaware, October 5, 1756, and died in Sweet Springs Valley, 1831. He was a millwright and in 1816 he built a mill on Dunlap Creek. (It is strange that there is no mention of his father in this history narrative but the family Bible entry says he was Cornelius’ son not grandson) The 1790 Delaware census does list another Van Stavern who may well be this missing link. Nicholas' wife was Kate Howard, whom he married in 1783. Their children: Elizabeth (Thomas Patton, 1808)-William (Matilda Walton, 1822) -Cornelius (1793 -1863) Agnes Haynes, 1820) Benjamin(s) -Mary (Isaac Byrnsides 1822) -Catherine N. (Joseph Carson, 1822).
Mary Van Stavern: (daughter of Nicholas and sister of Cornelius) Married Isaac Byrnsides in 1822. Her daughter was - Catherine (Robert Kerr Thompson) This line of Van Staverns is listed here because we have grandparents of separate families who were brother and sister (Cornelius of the Van Staverns and Mary Van Stavern who married into the Byrnside/Kerr/Thompson family and Mary's granddaughter, Bertie Thompson, who married her cousin (William “Willie” Van Stavern).
Mary, Rob's Great-Great Grandmother married Isaac Byrnsides in 1822. Her daughter Catherine married Robert Kerr Thompson and their daughter, Catherine Roberta (Bertie) Thompson, married her cousin and Rob's Great Grandfather William (Willie) Van Stavern. This important marriage links the male lineage of the Van Staverns to the Kerns twice. Once through Mary's marriage and then again through the marriage the two cousins (Willie and Bertie). An interesting side note; a careful reading of this line of the Kerr family history indicates that no male heirs survived to sire children to this branch the noble house of Kerr. (Kerr narrative in a separate chapter following the Van Staverns).
Cornelius: www.caverdoug.com/monidx.htm
Cornelius (1793 - 1863)(Agnes Haynes) also a wright, came to Gap Mills about 1830, and built or repaired several mills on Second Creek and elsewhere. He finally settled near Hollywood. He was born in Amherst. Their graves are in a family plot on the old Van Stavern farm near Hollywood, W. Va
Children: Mary M. (b.1820) (James Hoylman) -Nicholas (b. 1822) (Amanda Beamer) - Benjamin (1823-1897) (Mary Beamer, 1845, Mary E. Daugherty, 1888) - Sophronia (James Humphreys, 1845) - Elizabeth (Joseph P. Beamer) -William C. (d.-61) - Malinad G. Neel. 1855) - Addison (Mary Charlton) - Andrew P. (b. 1836) (Jane Carlton, 1863 -Hudson(Marian R. Robertson) Virginia C. (1841-1886) (Charles F. Hogshead, 1860)
Nicholas:
Nicholas and Amanda Van Stavern went to Missouri. It was common oral history that he was a millwright in West Virginia and a farmer I read somewhere that he sold his farm and milling business to a brother and moved to Missouri. Millwrights without mills also became blacksmiths or carpenters and builders when millwork was not needed. Every millwright without a mill was also a farmer in order to subsist. No other personal information is known about them. Many of the Van Staverns are buried in the McBride Cemetery south east of Lebanon, Mo (Laclede County).
Children. Willliam (Catherine Roberta “Bertie” Thompson), Cornelius (Margaret Hogshead), John H., Mary C. (N.B. Mc Dowell), Virginia S. (R. W. Mc Dowell), Margaret, Catherine (Kate)
William: (No Personal Information but he believed to have been a carpenter and subsistence farmer as well)
William (Willie) born 1844 died 1890. He married Catherine Roberta (Bertie) Thompson (born March 27,1850 died Ju17 1919) both died in Laclede Co. Missouri and are buried in the McBride Cemetary. William and Bertie were cousins. William's grandfather (Cornelius) and Bertie's grandmother (Mary) were brother and sister. Other Personal Information Unknown.
Children: -John William Aug 8 1883 -Jan 10, 1948(Lilly Eveline Crabtree-Sept 1, 1883-1950), Ethel (King)
John William :
John William and Lilly (Crabtree) - Only known personal Information: He was a big man 6' 8", skilled carpenter and subsistance farmer. He is described as being quick tempered and stern with a stare that could freeze water. He prided himself in being a “Cambellite” as others called him. He moved his family in the late 1910s to Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was a supervisor for construction company that was building the Cosden refinery near Collins, Oklahoma. My father was born in Collins, Oklahoma in 1916 and told a story how his dad was fired from the refinery because he (a deeply religious man) would not join the KKK. In 1921 at Greenwood, a black affulent community north east of the Tulsa city limits and railroad tracks, was the site of one of the worst race riots in U.S.history ( http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_Race_Riot ). From the evening of May 31st, to the afternoon of June 1, 1921 wholesale murder and mayhem ruled. Curious, the riots did not center around the area of the refinery but I read somewhere that rioters tried to storm the gates of the refinery to get to the blacks working there. I know this was also during the time my father told of moving back to Missouri. Was there a connection? I believe so. My father was 5 years old at the time and remembered riding in a covered wagon and said it took two weeks for them to get there. John William worked as a carpenter and supervised building crews in the Lebanon area and farmed near Competition, Missouri.
Children: William C. (Ruth), Oval C., Frieda (died as a young child from diptheria), Leida( Paul Zalesman), Robert Mearl(Dorothy Jean Hise),James Earl (Ruby Charlott Hise), John Junior(Bonnie), Glen (Roberta)
Robert Mearl -Dec 10, 1916 - Jan 1, 2001 married Dorothy Jean Hise on Feb 1, 1941
Children: Robbie Gene (Rob) (Emily Mae Lustgarden) Married Aug 30, 1968, Monte Craig (Gayle Godley 1970)
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