Catherine DeGroat

Other Events:

• Race: White
• Name: Catherine DeGroat
• Name: Kate Wells
• Reference Number: 5774
• Residence: 1800, McHenry, Illinois, USA
• Birth: 1803, Canada
• Birth: 1803, Canada
• Birth: 1803, Canada
• Residence: 1844, McHenry, Illinois, USA
• Residence: 1850, Byron, McHenry, Illinois, USA; Age: 47; RealEstateValue: 1800
• Residence: 1870, Dunham, Harvard, McHenry, Illinois, USA; Age: 67; FatherForeignBirth: Y; MotherForeignBirth: Y; Occupation: Keeping House
• Residence: 1880, Dunham, McHenry, Illinois, USA; Age: 77; Occupation: Keeping House; EnumerationDistrict: 137; IsSick: Rheumatism; MaritalStatus: Married; RelationToHead: Wife

Notes:

Birth:
perhaps Lake Champlain, Lower Canada

Catherine married Jonathon Wells on 18 Oct 1825. Jonathon was born on 20 Jun 1804 in Marlboro, Vermont, USA; died on 19 Jan 1892 in Dunham Township, McHenry, Illinois, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
perhaps 10/18/1826

1. Philiar Loope Wells was born on 29 Jan 1834 in Bombay, Franklin, New York, United States; died on 12 Jul 1912 in Kingfisher, Kingfisher, Oklahoma, United States; was buried in Kingfisher, Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, United States of America.
2. Edwin J Wells was born on 9 Oct 1838 in New York, USA; died on 18 May 1919; was buried in Dunham Township, McHenry County, Illinois, United States of America.

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 6244

Notes:

The only source for the 1746 birthdate and the 1830 death date appears to be an old DAR application. No sources were used. No sources can be found. The Joseph Degroat of Ulster County in the New York Militia listed an age of 24 in August of 1776. That would be a birth year of 1752. We do not know if that is the same Joseph Degroat. A Joseph Degroat appears on the Ulster County Census in 1790, 1800 and 1810. As it appears our Joseph was living in Quebec during that time period, it does not seem to be the same Joseph.

Heinrich/Henrich/Henry Ruiter (Joseph's father in law) a loyalist who fled to Ontario has mentioned his 'son-in-law Joseph Degroat' on some documents in Quebec. As we do have autosomal DNA matches through other children of Joseph and through other children of Henry Ruiter, It makes sense that our Joseph is the Joseph in Quebec with his wife and her father, Henry Ruiter.

The connection between Joseph and his assumed father, Pieter De Groot is very weak. Pieter DeGroat has one thrulines match through his son Johannes, however shared matches on that match do not indicate any other Degroat connections. Interestingly, thru Joseph's granddad we show 2 thruline connections thru Joseph's brother Johannes which both show shared matches indicative of Degroat ancestry. Perhaps Pieter's brother, Johannes is the father of Joseph. Although we have Johannes birth record, we have no proof he married and had children. His granddad's will did not mention a child named Johannes.

https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%2012578186/person/-222015170/media/3894dced-6ce3-4570-b0ac-74000422ccce

Birth:
??

Joseph married Hannah Ruiter. Hannah (daughter of Henrick Ruiter and Rebecka Daat) was born on 4 Mar 1774 in Schaghticoke, Rensselaer, New York, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Annatje Ruiter
• Reference Number: 6248
• Baptism: 1774, Schaghticoke, Rensselaer, New York, USA; Age: 0

Notes:

baptised as Annatie/Annatje Ruiter at the Dutch Reform Church in Schaghticoke, Rensselaer, New York, USA. Some documents in Quebec of her father Henrich Ruiter mention his 'son-in-law' Joseph de Groat. In his book Rick Ashton "The life of Henry Ruiter" on page 52 assigns Joseph de Groat to his daughter Gertrude. He does not assign a husband to Hannah. We believe he erred, as the specific daughter who married Joseph De Groat was not mentioned in any records that he had seen. I do not know what his reasoning was.

Birth:
baptism date

Other Events:

• Name: Hendrick Ruyter
• Name: Hendrik Ruiter
• Reference Number: 6316

Notes:

Fought with the British during the French and Indian Wars and during the American Revolution. After Burgoyne was defeated at Saratoga in Oct 1777, Henry Ruiter Fled to Canada. His wife stayed in New York until 1780, but then also fled to Canada.

from findagrave.com:
Henry, and his brother John, stayed loyal to the British side at the start of the American Revolution. In 1777, he was forced to hide in the woods outside his home in Pitts Town, N.Y. for three months while revolutionists tried to capture him for his political beliefs. While they tormented his wife and their children, he managed to join the Burgoyne's British soldiers. He probably fought in the battles of Bennington and Saratoga. He escaped to Canada after Benedict Arnold's defeated Burgoyne at Saratoga. He later returned to the Albany area to recruit other Loyalists. He got them to join Major James Roger's Corps of Rangers, a British militia group. They fought with the British regular army and were headquartered in St. John's (St. Jean), Quebec on the Richelieu River.

By 1780, Henry Ruiter was leading his own Company of militia. They fought in battles at Fort Anne, N.Y. and Fort George (Lake George, N.Y.). Captain Ruiter's Company, one of three of Roger's Rangers companies, helped the army by spying on the rebels. They captured local rebel leaders, guarded prisoners of war, scouted, and delivered messages. They helped build defenses and forts. They saved loyalist families by helping them escape to Canada. His wife, Rebecca, and 6 of their 9 children were one of these families, arriving in St. Jean after being moved by the Army. The family was near starving to death. Finally in 1781, the Rangers took part in General Barry St. Leger's attacks along Lake Champlain. They were disbanded at the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783.

In 1781, Henry's wife Rebecca died in St. John's (St. Jean). A few years later, around 1783-84, he was remarried to Katherine Friot. She came from Pownal, Vermont, near where he had fought in the Battle of Bennington in 1777.

Henry Ruiter settled in Dunkin, a town along the Mississquoi River and near Mount Sutton. Many other Loyalists, like his brother John, settled there too. The land was just across from the Canadian-American border and just east of Mississquoi Bay, the northern part of Lake Champlain. Ruiter finally got the legal grant for his farm in 1803. He went on to build several saw and grist (lumber & grain) mills in the area. Ruiter soon became "well off" because of the money he made from his mills, selling land, farming and his military pension.

PARENTS:
It is not clear who the parents of Henry Ruiter were. Genealogical records of the Albany area show the baptisms of two infants named Hendrik Ruyter in 1742. Hendrik Ruyter, baptized 14 Feb, was the son of Philip Ruyter and Geertruy Vander Werken, who were married 20 Mar 1741. Hendrik Ruyter, baptized 26 Sep 1742, was the son of (John) Frederic Ruyter and Engeltie Vander Werken, married 6 Feb 1738. The two young Hendriks may have been double first cousins, their fathers being brothers and their mothers sister. To complicate the problem of identification further, both the Hendriks had younger brothers named Johannes. Both fathers died while the boys were still young, conforming to a family tradition that Henry Ruiter was early left a half-orphan. Frederic Ruyter was buried 19 may 1746. Philip Ruyter was buried less than two weeks later, on 1 June. (from "The life of Henry Ruiter 1742-1819" by Rick Ashton pub. 1974)

I am showing Philip and Geertruy as the parents based upon Hendrik naming his first daughter Geertruy.

Henrick married Rebecka Daat on 16 Aug 1763 in Albany, New York, USA. Rebecka (daughter of Johannes Daat and Johanna Elisabetha Ruiter) was born on 6 Apr 1746 in New York, USA; died in 1781. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Rebecca Dath
• Name: Rebecca Dooth
• Name: Rebecca Doth
• Name: Rebecca Staats
• Reference Number: 6314

Notes:

Sometimes spelled as Staats, Dooth, Dath, Doth and Daat

Birth:
Baptism Rhinebeck Flats Reformed Churchbook

Notes:

Married:
Albany Reformed Church book

Other Events:

• Name: Philip Ruiter
• Name: Philip Ruyter
• Reference Number: 8996

Notes:

Birth:
NYC Luth churchbook

Died:
Albany Rural Cemetery-burial date

Johann married Geertruy Van Der Werken on 20 Mar 1741 in Albany, New York, USA. Geertruy (daughter of Johannes Roeloffse Van Der Werken and Margaret Baart) was born on 1 Nov 1718; died on 1 Jun 1746 in Albany, New York, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Geertruy Van Der Werken
• Reference Number: 8953

Other Events:

• Name: Johannis Taet
• Reference Number: 8948
• Arrival: 1710, New York, New York

Notes:

age based on oldest child, Anna marrying abt 1748. Say Anna b. abt 1728. Say Johannes b. abt 1703

Johannes married Johanna Elisabetha Ruiter on 6 Apr 1746 in Rhinebeck, Dutchess, New York, USA. Johanna (daughter of Heinrich Ruiter(Reiter)(Reuther) and Anna Juliana Maul) was born on 8 Jul 1711 in New York, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 8946

Notes:

Birth:
baptism West Camp Luth Churchbook

Notes:

Married:
Dutch Reformed Church of the Flats.