Samuel Kress Biography The following are excerpts from pp. 919-921, 1023 of the book, History and Directory of Yates County, New York, edited by Stafford C. Cleveland, published in 1873 in Penn Yan, Yates County, New York. Submitted by Bonnie Bunce on October 11, 1998 1:19 PM ************************************************************************ SAMUEL KRESS. Was a native of Orange county, born in 1763. He there married Catharine Slaughter, and they moved at an early period to Newtown, where he worked at his trade as a miller. In 1804 they took up their residence in what is now Starkey, buying fifty acres on the Potter Location of Philo Ingraham, in 1806, and remaining thereon while they lived. He was a zealous Methodist and one of the earliest class-leaders in his vicinity. He was in all respects a good citizen, and accumulated a good estate. His wife died at seventy-two, in 1837, and he in 1845, at eighty-two. Their children were John J., Samuel, Mary, Leah, William, Rebecca, Sarah, James and Isaac. Samuel Kress, Sr., married in 1840 a second wife, Mehetabel, widow of Deacon La Fever, who is still living. John J. Kress born in 1787, married Margaret Murdough in 1810. She was born in 1789. They resided in Starkey, and she died in 1867, and he in 1869. Their children were Maria, Catharine, Eliza Ann, Semantha, Jane, Margaret H., John S., William, Mary B., Andrew J., Susan A., S. Minerva, Halsey S., and George W. Maria married Isaac Wilkin, and their children were John and Catharine. Catharine married Elisha Reed, and their children were George, John, Mary and Wallace. Eliza married Shannon McLoud, and their children were Huldah, Montgomery, Emery and Bell. Semantha married Joshua Norris, and their children were Nelson, John, Mary, James and Susan. Nelson died at the South, of wounds received while in the service of the Union, during the Rebellion, and Susan died at the age of seventeen. Jane married John O'Brien, and their children were Myron, Ann, Horace, Mary and Ida. Margaret H. married William Ketchum, and they had a son James L. John S. married Rachel, daughter of Anthony B. Ryal, and their children were Zeruah, Elizabeth, Jane, Anthony, Margaret and William C. Mary B. married Peter Bunce, and their children were Spencer, John, Alida, Charles, George and Melvin. Andrew J. married Adaline Shannon, and their children were John, George and Melissa. Susan A. married J. Wesley Slaughter, and their children were Maggie and Ida. S. Minerva died young. Halsey S. married Martha Ayres and their children were Ida and Arthur. George W. married Sarah Raplee, and they have one child, Lee Ellsworth. Thirteen of this family grew up to adult age and had families of their own. The parents reared also, two of their grandchildren, and lived to see them all married and well settled. Samuel Kress, Jr., born in 1789, married first, Betsey, sister of John Starkey, and had a second wife, Asenath Keyes. He had two children, Catharine and Andrew P. T., by the first marriage, and four, Charles, Mary E., Emily and Harriet by the second marriage. He had a third wife, Sarah Hutchins. He lived in Starkey, and died there at the age of sixty-three. Mary born in 1791, married Levi Walling of Starkey, and had five daughters Rebecca, Alvira, Mary, Susan and Elizabeth. They moved to Rockford, Ill., where Mrs. Walling lives a widow. Leah born in 1795, married Jacob Walling. Their childen were Hannah, Catharine, Sarah A., Clinton, Amanda and Samuel. Samuel Walling was Captain of a Company of the 161st N.Y.V., in the war of the Rebellion, and died in the service. The mother of this family resides at Nunda, N.Y. William born in 1798, married Eliza, daughter of Peter Gabriel. Their children were Charles W., Susan, Adelaid, Isaac, Grandison, Scott, Genette and Olivette. Grandison lives at Addison, N.Y., a mechanic. Scott is City Marshall at Elmira. Charles is a joiner, and a local Methodist preacher at Hornellsville, N.Y. Isaac is a carpenter at Hornellsville. Rebecca born in 1800, married Dr. Richard Huson. She now resides at Lawrence, Kansas. [The following is from pg. 1020 of Cleveland's history:] Richard [Huson] born in 1798, married Rebeca, daughter of Samuel Kress, Sr. They resided in Dundee, where he was a Homeopathic physician. They moved to Kansas about 1856, where they still reside. Their children were Eliza Ann, Catharine and Samuel K. Eliza Ann was the wife of Edward Hoogland, for some years well known in yates County as the Editor of the Dundee Record. He died in Kansas leaving a daughter, Mary. Catharine was the first wife of James Spicer, and died leaving one daughter. Samuel K. married Polly Ann, daughter of John Spicer. He was a Homeopathic physician and moved to Kansas. [Back to p. 921] Sarah born in 1802, married Orison Seaman. They lived and died at Watkins, and their children were James, Clinton, Catharine, Samuel, Eliza and DeZeng. James born in 1806, married Mary Hulse. They reside in Michigan and have six children, Thompson, Mary, Garwood, Theodore, Richard and Rachel A. Thompson was a soldier in the Mexican War. Isaac Kress born in 1809, is still a resident of Starkey. He married Joanna, daughter of Wilson Ayres. They formerly occupied the homestead of Samuel Kress, Sr. He was supervisor of Starkey in 1870. Their surviving children are Elizabeth, Melissa and Samuel H. Elizabeth married James Moore, Melissa married Jephtha F. Randolph, youngest son of Daniel F. Randolph. They have a son, Orville Y. Samuel H. is a classical student. Excerpts from History and Directory of Yates County, New York, edited by Stafford C. Cleveland, published 1873, on George and John Kress, brothers of Samuel Kress, Sr. whose biographical sketch appears on pp. 919-21. (Note: The last will and testament of Christian Kress dated 4 Mar 1800, filed in Will Book A, p. 28 of Tioga Co., New York records, names his heirs as, wife Mary, sons: John, Samuel, Jacob, George and Elijah and daughters: Leah Van Gorden, Sarah Bennet, wife of David Bennet; as well as the children of his deceased daughter Mary Bishop. His will gave a life estate to his wife, Mary, but his estate was to be divided among his children after her death. It appears his wife, Mary, died prior to 4 Nov 1801, because in Book 3, page 49 of Tioga County, New York deeds, there is a record of their son, Jacob Kress, buying out the interest of the other heirs to Christian Kress' estate, which wouldn't have been possible had Mary Kress been alive, since she had been given the use of her husband's property while she lived. Christian Kress and his wife had come to America aboard the ship "Rawley" with George Grove as captain, last from Plymouth, England on 3 Oct 1752, and resided in Northampton Co., and Berks Co., Pennsylvania (in the Pennsylvania Archives 6th Series, Vol. III, there's a record that Christian Kress served in Captain Petter Gower's Company, First Berks County Militia Battalion in May, 1785); Walpeck, Sussex Co., New Jersey; also probably at some point in Orange Co., New York, perhaps in the Shawangunk region that straddles the border between Ulster and Orange Cos., since that appears to be where Samuel Kress met and married his Dutch wife, Catharine Slaughter, baptised Tryntie Slawter, sometime between 21 Apr 1765 and 5 May 1765, dau. of John Slawter/Sluyter and his wife, Metie Loyes (see "Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Shawangunk, Ulster Co., New York" by Mrs. Jean D. Worden, which baptimal record pretty well agrees with her age of 72/2/14 at the time of her death on 28 May 1837 in Starkey, Yates Co., NY), then Christian Kress and his family moved to Chemung, Tioga Co., New York, where he purchased 162 acres on lot number 14 on 22 Jan 1790. He died 27 Mar 1800, at age 72, at Chemung, Tioga Co., which was just outside of what is now Elmira, Chemung Co., New York. According to both Cleveland's History and Directory of Yates Co., New York, p. 430, and the History of Yates County, New York, ed. by Lewis Cass Aldrich, published in 1892, p. 377, "Newtown" was the former name of Elmira, New York, which is a town near Chemung. Samuel Kress with his wife and family came from "Newtown" to settle in Starkey, Yates Co., NY in 1804 (see pp. 919 of Cleveland's History). Today, New York State Highway 14 goes directly north from Elmira to Starkey, Yates Co., New York, and was probably based on an earlier road. Interestingly, the index to the 1800 U.S. census has the names of Mary, George, John and Samuel Kress, residents of Tioga Co., who were the only persons with the Kress surname in the whole state of New York at the time of the 1800 census. His son, John Kress, was also a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and served in Capt. Petter Gower's Co. of First Berks County Militia Battalion 13 May 1785; his Revolutionary War pension file number is N.J. R6057. Additional information on the descendants of Christian and Mary (______) Kress can be found in the book, Kress Family History, compiled, written and published by Karl Friedrich von Frank zu Döefering in Vienna, Austria, with the American line by Charles Rhoads Roberts, published 1930, pp. 712-719; as well as county histories for Chemung Co., NY.) p. 161: chapter on Town of Barrington John Kress was the predecessor of William Ovenshire on the same place. p. 1067: in section "Other Pioneers," chapter on Town of Starkey: George Kress, a brother of Samuel Kress, Sr., was a very early resident, living on the Judson Millard place, near Dundee, where he was the original settler. He was some years a Justice of the Peace. John Kress, another brother, was an early resident of Barrington. p. 1074: section on Nicholas Hair, chapter on Town of Starkey. Sophronia [dau. of Nicholas Hair] married Hiram, son of George Kress, and moved to Indiana. p. 1138: section on "Civil History," chapter on Town of Starkey: Justices of the Peace--Daniel DeWitt, Harry Smith, John Dow, George Kress, John Roberts, James Norton, Richard Lanning, John O. Cook, were Justices of the Peace by appointment in the old town of Reading. The last three, together with John Starkey, were the first four elected in the town of Starkey. The election was held in 1827.