Hornbeck, Benjamin, Biography, Hampshire Co WV, 1754-1827 ************************************************************************ 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. ************************************************************************ Submitted by Shirley Hornbeck - shornbeck @tminet.com - November 13, 1997 Benjamin Hornbeck was born about 1754 in Hampshire Co., West Virginia. He was the ancestor of the present Hornbeck families of Randolph and Upshur Counties, West Virginia with other descendants residing in various parts of the country. Benjamin moved from the South Branch of the Potomac, the area that is now Hampshire, Hardy and Pendleton Counties. West Virginia and settled on Stalnakers Run. It has been said that his first wife was a Miss Vanscoy from a neighboring farm, however members of the Vanscoy branch of the family state that she was not a Vanscoy and the possibility exists that the maiden name of his mother, Sarah Vernoy, has caused some confusion. According to family tradition, Benjamin's first wife was killed by Indians along with any children of this marriage during the Leading Creek Massacre of 1781. Family tradition says that she was killed at the gate of a picket fence around their cabin with her four week old child. They were scalped and her hair was later recognized as it hung from the belt of a warrior. At the time of the massacre, Benjamin Hornbeck had been working in the fields. Only he and Jonathan Buffington escaped this raid and they were able to warn residents of the nearby Friends Fort (built about 1772 at the mouth of Leading Creek) and Wilson's Fort (built about 1777 on Valley River). This same year Benjamin served with Captain Tieverbough in Harrison Co. and in 1782 he was Sgt. with the Monongalia County Militia under Col. David Williamson. Benjamin married (2) Lydia Currence, daughter of William Currence and Lidia Steele and they were the parents of the following children: (1) William m Mary Elizabeth Yoakam. Issue: Nathanial, Mary, Eliza, Benjamin, Lydia, Moses William and Joseph Casper. (2) Sarah Elizabeth m Samuel Channel. Issue: Moses L., Mary C., Lydia Ann, Joseph A. William, Solomon, Isom, Jonathan, Hiram and Samuel. (3) Moses m Mary Light. Issue: Elizabeth, Lydia, James, Nancy, Lettice Hewitt, Benjamin C. and William. (4) Jonathan m Catherine "Kitty" Wilt. Issue: Jonathan, Benjamin, Isaac, Susan, three unknown sons and two unknown daughters. (5) Joseph m Nancy Agnes Light. Issue: Solomon, William, Lydia, John, Eli, Noah, Elizabeth, Mary, Martha and Emily. (6) Anna m James Carr. Issue: David. (7) John H. m Margaret Stalnaker. Issue: Margaret, Dorcas, Elizabeth and Adam H. (8) Mary "Polly" m John Wood. Issue: Daniel, Martha, Ambrose, Joel, Mary and / Elizabeth. (9) Susannah m Jacob Slagle. Issue: Leah, Emily, Isaiah, Elizabeth, Eli, Jacob, Isaac, Noah, Lydia, Elliot, David, Martha J. and Mary M. I have seen some show a daughter Jemima b1798 in this family. Jacob was born 1797 and Jemima cannot possibly be his daughter. I do not know of a Jemima in this family. (10) Lydia m Jonas Vanscoy. Issue: Martha, John, Mary, David, Adam, Daniel, Jesse, Abel and Lydia. (11) Elizabeth. History books report Elizabeth but she is not in the wills and is believed to be the first child, Sarah Elizabeth. The Dutch ancestor of Benjamin Hornbeck was Warnaar Hornbeck who is more than likely a son of Joos van Hoornbeecke born Gent (Flanders) approximately 1604, married in Sloterdijk 1635 (nowadays the municipality of Amsterdam) to Sarah Warnaar(t)sdr "From Stolck" born approximately 1617, a daughter of Warnaar.....(unknown so far but still alive in 1635). The banns were published in Amsterdam 21 Jan 1635. According to The Centraal Bureau Voor Genealogie in The Hague, although they did not find Warnaar's baptism entry in the Amsterdam parish registers, they take for granted in view of the patronymical name of his wife, that Joos called one of his sons Warnaar (a rare Christian name) after his father-in-law (according to the custom at the time). Joos and Sarah had known issue: (1) Francois van Hoornbeeke baptized in Amsterdam 16 Dec 1635 (2) Jacob van Hoornbeecke, baptized in Amsterdam 25 Jan 1637. They believe the family left town (possibly for New Netherland in America?) sometime before Warnaar was born. In the book COLONIAL AND REVOLUTIONARY LINEAGES OF AMERICA, they state that Warnaar came to the province of New Netherlands in 1660 in the ship "The Guilded Otter" although his name has not been found on a passenger list. There was a requirement for the men to be at least 15 years of age or older and the passenger lists named the head of the household plus a mention of "wife", number of children, any servants or apprentices being mentioned only as "boy" or "girl". In any event, by 1662, he was settled at Wiltwyck, ( a part of the territory called "New Amsterdam"), now Kingston in Ulster Co., New York. Warnaar married (1) about 1668-1670 Anneken "Anna" de Hooges in Hurley, Ulster Co., New York. She was born about 1650 daughter of Anthony de Hooges of Flemish stock and Evaatje Albertse "Eva" Bratt. Anna died about 1688-1693. Warnaar and Anna had nine known children, among them Johannes "John" Hornbeck born 20 Apr 1685 in Kingston, Ulster Co., New York who married Orseltjen "Urseltje" Westbroek 1716 in Kingston, Ulster Co., NY. Warnaar married (2) Margreit Ten Eyck Tyssen about 1690-1692 in Kingston, Ulster Co., New York. Margreit was born 1658 and died after 1710. She may have been a daughter of Mathys Ten Eyck and his wife Janneken Rosa. Warnaar and Margreit had eight known children. Warnaar Hornbeck's son Johannes "John" Hornbeck and Orseltjen Westbroek were the parents of Benjamin baptized 1717. Benjamin may have died as they baptized a second Benjamin in 1724. They also had a son Jonathan who was baptized in 1730. There has been some confusion and disagreement as to which of these two sons (Jonathan or Benjamin) are the father of Benjamin Hornbeck (subject of this article) born about 1754. An article written by Nellie Hornbeck Gaetner in 1927 (can be found on the net) states that Benjamin (the subject of this article) was a son of Benjamin born 1717 and his wife Jane Kortright. While it is true that Benjamin Hornbeck and Janneke Kortright had a son named Benjamin (born Sep 18, 1760), I believe their son married Catarina Schoonmaker Jan 7, 1791 in Rochester, Ulster Co., NY and is NOT the same as the Benjamin, subject of this article. A review of the Ulster Co., NY baptismal records reveal that Johannes Hornbeck and Orseltjen Westbroeck baptized a son Benjamin on 19 May 1717 AND baptized another Benjamin 28 Jun 1724. I believe it is the second Benjamin baptized 1724 who married Janneke Kortright in Wawarsing, NY when he was about 15 or 16, depending on how old he was when he was baptized. Benjamin died after 1804. Benjamin Hornbeck, husband of Lydia Currence, received a 25 acre grant for his military service from the Governor of Virginia and became a large property owner. He served as Justice of the Peace in Randolph Co. in 1806 and Sheriff 1815-1818. In 1796 he began gradually selling his land. Benjamin is buried at the old Currence farm which is located by the Tygarts River at the site of the David Tygart cabin near Dailey. For many years his grave was marked only by a crude fieldstone engraved "B. Hornbeck, DAT Apr 6, 1827, AGED 73 years". His gravesite was located by his descendant Duffy Hornbeck, Sr., who was successful in obtaining a government marker that was set Jul 15, 1928. Duffy Hornbeck is the author of WARNAAR HORNBECK DESCENDANTS (NEW YORK TO CALIFORNIA) and is a direct descendant of Benjamin Hornbeck and Lydia Currence. Duffy spoke at the dedication of the monument and an article regarding this can also be found on the web. Benjamin's will as well as that of his wife Lydia are on file in Randolph Co., Virginia. In Benjamin's will, he asks that his perishable estate be sold immediately after his death and that his debts and funeral expenses be paid from the proceeds. He gave his wife Lydia 1/3 of the perishable estate and the residue to be equally divided between his daughters Sarah (Hornbeck) Channel, Anna (Hornbeck) Carr, Susannah (Hornbeck) Slagle, Polly (Hornbeck) Wood and Lydia (Hornbeck) Vanscoy. He gave his wife Lydia two Negro slaves and at her death they are to be freed. He made small bequests of $1.00 each to son William Hornbeck, daughter Sarah, son Moses Hornbeck, daughters Anna and Polly . He gave son Jonathan Hornbeck two tracts of land on Leading Creek. He gave daughter Susannah one horse. He gave daughter Lydia 40 acres of land on the home place. He gave son Joseph Hornbeck the upper half of the home place after deducting Lydia's 40 acres. He gave son John the lower half of the home place after deducting the said 40 acres to Lydia and gave him all the buildings, two young horses, gears, plows, etc. The balance of his estate was to be equally divided between his children.