WELLEVEN/WOLLEAVER HISTORY, HERKIMER, NEW YORK

Copyright (c) 2001 by Stewart J.A. Woolever, Jr. (sjaw@citlink.net).

************************************************************************
USGENWEB NOTICE:  These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in
any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or
persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material,
must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal
representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb
archivist with proof of this consent.  The submittor has given 
permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently
for free access.
************************************************************************

Bibliographic Information: Hardin, George A. History of Herkimer County, New
York. Publisher unknown, Little Falls, NY est. 1893

The Welleven (or Wolleaver) Family.--This name is written Wolleben and
Wohleben in the list of heads of Palatine families on the west side of the
Hudson in 1710. Nicholas W. was a patentee in Burnetsfield and also in
Staley's first and second tracts, and died in 1773, leaving six sons, Henry,
Peter, Richard, John, Abraham and Jacob; and six daughters, Catharine, wife
of Frederick Shoemaker; Mary Sophia, wife of Peter Flagg; Elizabeth, wife of
Frederick Schute; Lany, wife of Frederick Bellinger; and Hannah, wife of
John Emgie, or Empie, who was a tory and went with his family to Canada.
Richard, John, Peter, and Abraham were in the battle at Oriskany; the two
former were killed, the others returning, Peter with a slight wound. Peter
was one of the party in the Little Falls mill when it was burned, and made
his escape. Peter Wolleaver lived on the farm in Manheim afterward known as
the Christy place, which he hired of Joseph Brant, the Mohawk chief. When
the chief sent word to him in 1777 that he would come and tomahawk him if he
did not immediately leave the farm, Wolleaver removed to Fort Herkimer with
his family in the fall of that year, and remained there until the close of
the war. He had three sons who reached manhood, Nicholas, John and Henry.

His daughters were Elizabeth, wife of Frederick Shoemaker; Catharine,

Page 84


wife of Garret Van Slyke; Susan, wife of Jacob Edick; Hannah, who married a
Mr. Furman; Mary, wife of Mr. White, and Eva who married Stanton Fox.
Abraham Wolleaver, one of the patentee's sons, was taken prisoner in
October, 1781, with Henry Staring near Fort Herkimer; was knocked down soon
afterward, tomahawked and scalped by his captors and left, while they went
on with their other prisoner towards Oneida. Abraham survived his terrible
injuries; was out two nights, his feet being frozen, and near sunset of the
third day was brought to the fort. He lived a number of years afterward.

A/K/A Willever-Woolever-Wellever-ETC