Grandma's Cabin, Genealogy by Nancy Machuga

       George William McCormick was born, according to the Federal Census for New York State, in 1809 in the state of Pennsylvania.   Little is known of his parentage, or his early years. It is known that he was in New York State by 1831 as he married Miss Fanny Tuller about that year in Tompkins County.
       Fanny was born in 1810 in Cayuga County, New York, a daughter of Isaac Tuller who had moved his family to the Dryden area of Tompkins County, N.Y before 1830.
       George and Fanny Tuller McCormick were the parents of the following children: Harrison born in Tompkins County in 1833; Rodema, William, and twins Isaac and Abram. The last four children were born in Pulteney, Steuben County, N.Y. In 1853 George William McCormick died in Pulteney, N.Y. leaving behind a mystery for his descendants to solve. From where in Pennsylvania had he come and who had been his parents?
       The McCormick Family Bible, with its wooden cover encased in a silky red material, had been burned in a house fire near Keuka Lake, New York in the 1950s. A descendant, Charles Harold McCormick, contacted older McCormick family members in order to glean information from them about their mutual ancestry. Charles was told the name “Hat” for Harrison McCormick was listed in the Bible. Family members also referred to an “Ike” McCormick who had, supposedly, died in a southern prison camp during the Civil War. The earliest date in the Bible was 1746 and a story about ten brothers “coming over” was related. The older family members consistently described themselves as being “Scots-Irish”.
       With these little clues to help in the research, Charles Harold McCormick embarked upon a quest that, after nearly thirty years, still has not solved the ancestry of his great-great-grandfather George William McCormick. There are some indications that George William McCormick may, somehow, tie into a branch of a McCormick family that settled early in the Steuben County, N.Y. area before 1790. However, no proof positive has yet been found.
       The following information was gathered from several sources including Harriet Erhinger,
Ann Sampson, Charles Harold McCormick and myself.   It is a hope that a reader may have some information that will properly place George William McCormick with his correct ancestry.

       The McCormick Family from Giants Causeway, County Antrim, Ireland made its historic voyage to America circa 1760 after the 1758 death of its patriarch Joseph McCormick in his 46th year. His widow Euphias and her children, possibly including 10 sons, made the journey across the Atlantic Ocean to settle in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Known children were Henry born 1738, John born 1748, David born before 1758, Alexander born before 1758, Margaret and Hannah. There is speculation that a Joseph McCormick born 1733 and a James McCormick born 1749 in Giants Causeway were other sons. I will include them as probable male children of Joseph and Euphias McCormick.

       Joseph: born 1733 in Ireland, died in America and possibly married a Nancy Fleming; children: Alexander born circa 1760 in NY, Margaret born 1764 in PA,

John: born 1748, married Elizabeth Mary Fleming; had 9 children: Alexander, Benjamin, John Fleming, Joseph, David, Mary, Elizabeth, Robert and Saul

                 Alexander: fathered John Dunlap, Elizabeth Frances and William Montgomery
                 Benjamin:
                 John Fleming: fathered Hugh White, John, William, Robert F., Alexander, Amelia,  Margaret and Agnes
                 Joseph: married Rebecca Quiggle, fathered Eliza, John L., Fanny M., Katherine, Euphias, Susan and J.Fleming
                 David: fathered William Berry, and Demetrius
                 Mary: married Mr. Stewart and had: Samuel, Robert, John, Charles, Rosette, Francis, Mary Elizabeth and Josephine
                 Elizabeth: married her cousin Henry McCormick, Jr. and had 7 children, listed below with Henry, Jr.
                 Robert: fathered Elizabeth, James W., John M., Saul, Robert White, William Henry, George Alison, Charles Stewart, and Albert
                 Saul: fathered Mary Jane, Josephine, Helen, Thomas Hood, Augustus, Edward P., William E., and Emma

David: married Sarah Miller, resided Ovid, N.Y. He died in 1838 and she died in 1841.
Children: Martha, Hannah, Levica, and Henry

Alexander: in 1825 an Alexander McCormick was arrested on forgery and counterfeiting charges in Yates County, NY. No information was given as to his age so it is impossible to determine his ancestry or whether he belonged to this group of McCormicks.

James: born 1749, married and had children: William, Sarah, Jane and others; William was born in 1769, resided in Catharine, NY before moving to Phelps, NY. William married 1st Jane Linn and 2nd Jane Bush. He was the father of James born 1794, John born in Phelps in 1797, Robert born 1799, Samuel Alexander born 1801, William Andrew born 1805, George Washington born 1809, Jane born 1817 and Sally born 1818. It is conjected that William may have fathered a Levi McCormick born c. 1808 in NY and an Edward McCormick born c. 1815 in NY but there is no proof of any connection. William and several of his children moved to Michigan around 1828 and settled in Washtenaw County, Michigan. He died there in 1850. Levi married Electa _____; he may have died in the Corning, NY area circa1860 and she died 1890 in Cortland, NY. Edward McCormick married first Amanda ______; he married second Hannah. Edward fathered the following known children: John born 1831, George W. born 1834, died 1860 and was buried in the Millport, NY Cemetery where also was buried his Mother Amanda in 1853 and an unknown sibling (Clinton?), Clinton born 1836 and died before 1860, Elizabeth born 1837, Nancy born 1839, Marantha born 1845 and a son Francis, by William’s second wife Hannah, who was born 1855.

Henry McCormick and his brothers David and Alexander resided in the Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania area for awhile before moving on to the Luzerne County area of Pennsylvania. After a short stay there, Henry and David moved to New York State after the Revolutionary War in which they all served. Henry may have been a British soldier who was captured at the Battle of Delaware and became an American soldier thereafter.

Henry McCormick appeared on the 1790 New York Federal Census for Ontario County, Erwin District. In his household were 3 males age 16 and up; 4 males under age 16 and 3 females. In the same 1790 census David “McCormit” was listed as a resident of Montgomery County, Town of Chemung and had 2 males age 16 and up; 2 males under 16 and 1 female in his household.

                     John: was in the Steuben Militia, married Betsey, had children George born 1808 and died 1883, Charles, Abraham, Alma, John, Eliza, Henry and Theodore.
                                         George, born 1808, married Adeline Gere and fathered  George Buell, Adeline, Elizabeth, Jane   Anne, Mary W.,  and John Henry
                     Abraham: born 1778, married Catherine Heckart of Dauphin County, PA; was an Ensign in the Steuben Militia; died before 17 January 1810; buried in the Painted Post, NY township area.  His widow Catherine married 2nd John Fridley and named a son Abraham McCormick Fridley born 1818.
                     David: born 1785, married 1st Olive May Wales, 3 girls Olive, Ellen, and Euphias; David married 2nd Susannah McHenry, 3 children: Anna, Martha and Miller
                     Joseph: married and had 5 children: Guy, John Harrison, Marcus, Hiram and Elizabeth
                     Euphias: never married, resided with her brother Henry and his family in Owego, Tioga County, N.Y
.                    Henry Jr: married his cousin Elizabeth McCormick, d/o of his Uncle John, resided in Owego, Tioga County, N.Y. and had 7 children: Henry, Halsey, Delinda, Bertrand, Mary, Henry II and Catherine
                     Jacob Miller: Veteran of War of 1812 as were his brothers John, Henry, David and Joseph; Jacob Miller resided in Ithaca, N.Y.; married Catherine Conrad and had 8 children: Addison, Horace, Sarah, William, Mary,  Eliza, Emma and Delinda. Jacob was a prominent politician and business man in Ithaca, NY.
                    Hannah: no further information
                    James: possible son/brother named in Henry’s will

Henry McCormick had been a Veteran of the Revolutionary War and he died 10 March 1812 in Painted Post Township, Steuben County, N.Y. A will for Henry McCormick was placed on file in the Surrogate’s Office at the Steuben County Courthouse in Bath, N.Y.

This will was recorded on 9 January 1805 and was witnessed by Henry McCormick Jr., Theodore W. Burney (McBurney) and William Mulholland (Mulhollen). It was stated that full power was given to John and James McCormick. They appeared to be sons of Henry but could have been brothers. Witness: Henry A. Townsend.

Henry’s will stated that debts were owed to John McCormick and Abraham McCormick. Considerable mention was made in the will to John McCormick and Joseph McCormick.

Henry’s burial place and that of his son Abraham are unknown but are believed to be in the Township of Painted Post. Related families such as the Fridleys and Heckarts are buried in the Old Presbyterian Cemetery located on the northside of Corning, NY and in the Colonel Lindsley/Lindley Cemetery near Lindley, NY. It is possible that Henry and Abraham McCormick were buried in either cemetery.

Abraham McCormick, a son of Henry, had died in Painted Post, N.Y. before 17 January 1810 which was the date of his probate. Abraham had been married to Catherine (Caty) Heckart who was born in Dauphin County, PA circa 1785. She later married John Fridley of Elmira, N.Y. whose first wife Catherine Huy/Huey Fridley had also died in 1810. In the Steuben County Surrogate’s Office, papers exist pertaining to Abraham McCormick’s estate. Administrators were: John McCormick, Frederick Heckart, Abner Thurber, Henry A. Townsend and Dugald Cameron. Included in these papers was a petition by Catherine, widow of Abraham McCormick and wife of John Fridley, for a claim to a parcel of land formerly owned by David McCormick. Named in these papers were: Henry McCormick, Jacob M. McCormick, John McCormick and John Wormly.

(2 McCormick sisters, Jane and Sarah, had married a Mr. Chambers and a Mr. Claudius Townsend respectively. The Townsends were related by marriage to the Wormlys who were prominent in the development of Wormlyville, present-day Caton, NY. These 2 McCormick girls were sisters of William McCormick of Catharine, in present-day Schuyler County and daughters of James McCormick. It would appear the witnesses were related by blood or marriage to the McCormicks. Also, a Miss Heckart had married a Mr. Amos Thurber so these early families all were connected by blood or marriage.)

Some of the early McCormicks, such as John McCormick, remained near Lock Haven, Pennsylvania but close relatives to him left that area for New York State. George William McCormick was born in Pennsylvania in 1809 but lived out his life in New York State. He centered the younger part of his life in the area surrounding Ithaca, NY. Somehow, he must tie in with the branches of the family that came from the Chester County, Pennsylvania area to reside in the Chemung, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben and Tompkins Counties’ areas. Not all of the descendants of the early McCormick pioneers are listed as some names are unknown and the exact number of children for each pioneer may be in error. With these uncertainties, the task of determining ancestry is almost impossible. This quest has been extremely difficult due to a lack of existing records for the years 1809-1853 pertaining to George William McCormick. Perhaps some reader can provide the missing information.

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