BIOGRAPHY: Robert Fulton Soare; Walden, Orange co., New York

transcribed by W. David Samuelsen for USGenWeb Archives

***********************************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm

http://www.usgwarchives.org/ny/nyfiles.htm
***********************************************************************

Portrait and Biographical Record of Rockland and Orange Counties New York
Containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens of the Counties.
Together with Biographies and Portraits of all the Presidents of the United
States.
New York and Chicago; Chapman Publishing Co., 1895

ROBERT FULTON SOARE, of Walden, was born in West Newburgh, now called New
Mills, November 8, 1839, and is a son of William Hunt and Sarah Ann (Fulton)
Soare, the former a native of England, and the latter of the Empire State.
(See sketch of the father on another page of this work.) The Fultons are
old residents of Orange County, and trace their ancestry back a great many
years. Thomas Fulton, the great-grandfather of our subject, was born
October 3, 1763, and died October 26, 1814. He married Jemima Frost, who was
born November 5, 1767, and died June 26, 1846. Their son, Robert J., was born
January 31, 1788, and died September 3, 1834. He was the father of Sarah Ann
Fulton, the mother of our subject.

Mr. Soare, of this sketch, was reared in his native county, received his
education in the common schools, and remained at home until reaching his
twenty-first birthday, when he commenced life for himself as a clerk in the
hardware store of J. C. S. Hardenbergh, of Newburgh, where he remained for one
year, and then engaged in clerking for a general house-furnishing company, a
retail branch of C. Lockwood & Co. He was afterward employed by James E.
Horton, who was in the crockery business, and remained with that gentleman
until his health failed, when he went to England, where he spent twenty-one
months, resting and visiting old friends of the family. Returning home, Mr.
Soare clerked for the hard-ware firm of Patterson Bros., of Park Row, New York
City, for a time, after which he removed to a farm near St. Andrew, in Ulster
County, where he joined his uncle, Thomas Fulton. He worked on his farm for
one year and a-half, assisting in its management.

While residing there, Mr. Soare became acquainted with Miss Wilda Louisa
Relyea, of New Hurley, whom he married on the 21st of November, 1867. She is a
daughter of Benjamin and Mary Ellison (Griffith) Relyea. They remained upon
the farm but a short time after their marriage, removing to Newburgh, where
Mr. Soare again engaged as a clerk, securing employment with William A. Moore.
Subsequently severing that connection, he purchased a horse and cart, and for
four years engaged in the transfer business. At this time he was not in very
good financial circumstances, and on disposing of his transfer business he
purchased a small farm two and a-half miles north of St. Andrew, continuing
its operation for about eleven years. His health again failing, he came to
Walden, in March, 1888, where he has since lived a retired life. His home,
which he purchased soon after his removal to this place, is situated on Ulster
Avenue.

Mr. and Mrs. Soare are the parents of two children. Robert Ellison, born
September 14, 1868, resides on his father's farm, one and three-quarter miles
from Walden. He married Carrie Mary Walker, a daughter of Rev. James S.
Walker, of Walker Valley, Ulster County. William Denniston, born December 25,
1871, is living at home. Both sons received good educations and are practical
business men. Mr. and Mrs. Soare, who are members of the Dutch Reformed
Church, are sincere Christian people, and their son Ellison has been a Deacon
in the church for a number of years. Politically our subject is a Republican,
but not a politician, and has repeatedly refused office.