| Notes |
- Who is this Joseph Sweezey? Is Enos Sweezey his son? While linked into the Sweezey tree at this point, Robert Sweey is not sure. He comments (visited 14 Jan 2003):
This information comes from a list of Wills from Suffolk Co. It reads as follows:
"Joseph Sweezey, farmer of Brookhaven. 2 Jun 1812. Heirs and kin resign: Jonathan King, Enos Sweezey, Jonathan Edwards. Administered: Friend John Rose. Witness: Isaac Biggs, Ben Hallock. Bond: Ben Hallock, Josiah Smith". I am assuming that I have the right person here, because Joseph's sister Rebecca married a "Jonathan Edwards". I need to find out how this person is related to Enos Sweezey, so I can tie-in Enos to the Sweezey Tree. Since Enos was born about 1750, he would more likely be a son than a brother. If Enos is a nephew, he would then be the son of either Benjamin or Stephen. Since there is no mention of Stephen, I assume he died prior to 1812. Also, Joseph would have been 92 years when he died.
I am beginning to have my doubts about this person and the will dated 2 Jun 1812. I am having my doubts that this is the Joseph mentioned in the will. One of the reasons I assumed it was this Joseph, was because Jonathan Edwards would have been this Joseph's brother-in-law, but Rebecca's husband Jonathan Edwards, would have been almost 100 years old in 1812, plus there is no mention of his children in this Will.
I just discovered that Jonathan Edwards died around 1770, but he had a son Jonathan Edwards who could be the person mentioned in the Will.
I forgot to document in my notes where I first found my information on Joseph's sons. It may be part of his Will. I need to find his Will.
I found it, but it is just an administration of his estate. It is administered by John Mapes, Benjamin Hallock and Jonah Smith. There is also a document dated 20 May 1812 that states:
"To the Surrogate of Suffolk Co. We the Subsemilies(?), heirs and next of kin to Joseph Sweasy deceased, do hereby request you the Law(?) Surragate to grant a letter of Administration to John Rose of Brookhaven to administer upon the Law(?) deceased(?) estate in pressence of: Jonathan King, Enos Sweesey, Isaac Biggs, Benjamin Hallock and Jonathan Edwards."
I see no mention of sons. The names of the children come from B. F. Swasey, but I am not sure where I got the birth dates from. These names look suspiciously like the children of Joseph's father, Joseph, Sr. And, if Joseph had three sons, I would expect to see many more Sweezey's as next of kin. I cannot even tell by this information which Joseph Sweezey this Administration refers to. The Enos Sweezey mentioned as an heir must be Enos the second, since Enos the elder died in 1803. Assuming I have the correct Joseph Sweezey here, then we would come to the conclusion that Joseph had only one son who had male heirs, and that would have to be Enos Sweezey (c. 1755 - 1803). It does not appear that any of his sons are old enough to be the father of Enos Sweezey, born c. 1755. I really need to search my records for the information on his children. I have a feeling that I found the information in one of Clyde Downing's Newsletters.
I do not see this person in the 1776 census, unless he is living with his brother Stephen, and I have his date of birth wrong and he was really born after 1726. This is all an assumption. The 1776 census did not cover Upstate New York, which is probably where Joseph was during this time. I have more Sweezey's in my database, that should have been alive around 1776, than I can find in the 1776 census. Most of them left for Connecticut when the Revolution started. There is a source that claims an additional son Joseph instead of Asa.
1790 Census - I do see a Joseph Sweezey in the 1790 census for Albany Co. There is just one male and one female over the age of 16. This might be the same person. There is also a Joseph Sweezey living in Ulster Co. in 1790. I believe the Joseph Sweezey in Ulster County is the one born 1740 and died 1811 with a wife Mary. That Joseph could very well be a son of this Joseph Sweezey. There is also a Joseph Sweezey in the 1790 census for Brookhaven, Suffolk Co., that could be this person. I now believe that the Joseph and Stephen Sweezey living close to each other in Brookhaven, are this Joseph and his son Stephen. There are no children in either of the families, just these people, and one female in both the households. I believe this is the same Joseph Sweezey. The Stephen Sweezey that is living close by in 1790 does not show up in the 1800 census, and may have died.
1800 Census - The Joseph Sweezey from the 1790 census for Ulster County, may have moved to Orange County. He is 26-45, with 4 young males living with him, plus an older (45+) female, who could be his mother. Could this person be a son of this Joseph?? He had to have been born after 1765 to be under 45 years of age, and that seems unlikely. There is a Joseph Sweezey in Saratoga County, who is over 45, but he is probably the same one that was living in Albany County in 1790. There are two Joseph Sweezey's living in Brookhaven in 1800, but both are in the 26-45 age bracket. I cannot identify either one of these people. One of them is a Joseph (1766-1833), who married a woman named Hannah, but I do not know who his parents are. That one is living in Riverhead near Richard Sweezey, Jr. The other Joseph is living in Brookhaven. He is 26-45 as is his wife, plus a male and female 16-26. These other people could be a recently married son and his wife. I do not know who he is either. The only 'Sweezey' in Suffolk County census for 1800 with an 'extra' male is Isaac Sweezey (s/o James), who has an extra 45+ male living with him. But James is by no means a 'close' relation to this Joseph. I am not sure where Joseph is in this census. He is quite old, 84, he could be living with a married daughter.
1810 Census - I believe I see this Joseph living in Brookhaven with just his wife (or someone who appears to be his wife), they are both 45+. But I am sure this is the same Joseph Sweezey I saw in the 1800 census for Brookhaven who was in the 26-45 age bracket in 1800. That Joseph Sweezey is living next to Asa and Richard Sweezey, sons of Christopher and Juliana Davis Sweezey. He actually looks like he could be another son of Christopher Sweezey. The only Joseph Sweezey in Upstate NY, lives in Cayuga County. This Joseph is 45+, with 5 males living with him and 2 additional females. This appears to be an 'mature' family, and it is possible that at least one of the 16-26 year old males is a married son and the young male could be his son. But Cayuga County is way up North by the Great Lakes, near Wayne County. There is also a William Sweezey (26-45) living in Cayuga County in 1810, but in a different town.
The problem with many of my ideas on the Jospeh Sweezeys that I see in the 1790, 1800 and 1810 census, is that if any of those people were sons of this Jospeh, then I should see more 'Sweezey' names listed as 'heirs' in his Estate Records.
I have a Michelle (Michell) Corwin in my database, born 1718 in Suffolk Co., and is married to an Unknown Sweezey. Joseph is the correct age, so he is a possibility.
I just discovered a Benjamin Sweesey who enlisted in the Ulster County Military on 1 April 1762 at age 16. It says he was born in Ulster County, he is 5' 4" tall with Brown complextion, Grey eyes and Brown hair. This Benjamin would fit perfectly as the son of this Joseph. It would also mean that the Joseph Sweezey I have in my database (1740 - 1811) who married Mary Tuthill, would also be a son of this Joseph. It would also mean that Benjamin died before 1812 since he is not mentioned in the Will of this Joseph Sweezey. And, why weren't all the descendants of the Benjamin and Joseph Sweezey who moved to Ulter County mentioned in the Will?? And, since I do not see Benjamin in the 1790 or 1800 census anywhere in Upstate NY, there is a good chance that he did indeed die prior to 1812, and the Will.
I found an even more interesting entry. There is a Joseph Sweezey in the 1738 Militia under the command of Thomas Ellison. This is the heading: "A List of the Foot Company of Militia of the Presenk of the Highland Under the Command of Capt. Thos. Ellison". I am not positive exactly where this Militia is located, but it is close by the Orange, Ulster, Rockland County areas, and the listing follows the New Paltz, Ulster County listing. This would mean that this Joseph Sweezey also lived upstate for awhile. I believe Joseph's father (born 1686) would have been too old for a 'Foot Soldier' in 1738, and this is the only Joseph Sweezey I have left. It is possible that this Joseph had a cousin named Joseph born around the same time. It would mean that either one of his Uncles (Richard, Stephen or Samuel) had a son named Joseph. There is no evidence that any of his Uncles had a son named Joseph.
I am totally confused by all the Joseph Sweezey's I find (and don't find) in the 1790, 1800, 1810 and 1820 census for New York. Nothing makes sense, and I cannot seem to 'follow' any of these people with any degree of confidence.
There is also a Joseph Swezey listed in the Levies (Weissenfels) around 1781. This Joseph would appear to be too old to be that person (he would have been 65 years old at the time), but if he had a son Joseph, it would fit.
That Joseph is probably the Joseph Sweezey who was born 1740 and who married a Mary Tuthill. There is a good possibility that he is also the son of this Joseph.
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1716 - 1812 (96 years)
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