KNAUSSLETTER 5

December, 2001

I apologize for the delay in getting out the next Knaussletter. I had a hard drive crash in September, and other things have interfered in my life. I had announced that this Knaussletter would include all the known Knauss immigrants to the United States, but that will be the next one, instead. This one is about the families of Jacob Kanouse and John George "Honiery" or "Yerry" Kanouse who came to New Jersey about 1750/1755.

Adapted from David Kanouse, kanouse@rand.org, plus new information I've added:

Two brothers, Jacob Kanouse and his brother John George ("Honiery") Kanouse, came to America about 1750. An early family tradition, documented by Judge John L. Kanouse in Munsell's History of Morris County, New Jersey, is that Jacob and Honiery (who commonly used the nickname "Yerry") were accompanied by an older half-brother who, upon their arrival in New York, went ashore first with the common purse and failed to return, leaving them unable to pay for the passage. The ship's captain sold them into service for a number of years.

After serving his time, Jacob, progenitor of the Morris County, New Jersey, Kanouse family, settled by 1766 in the Rockaway Valley, near the present town of Boonton, New Jersey. He purchased land in 1768 and built a large frame house at Powerville, in what is now Boonton Township, that has remained in the hands of his direct descendants for over 230 years. "Jacob Knowse" appears in a list of Morris County ratables living in Pequannock Township in May 1778, when he was assessed for 100 acres of land and 15 horses and/or cattle. In November 1795, Jacob and his son, Jacob Jr., signed the statement of incorporation of the Reformed Dutch Church at Lower Montville.

According to the History of Outagamie County, Wisconsin (1912), Jacob Kanouse was born 12 August 1733 in Wurttemberg in the German Palatinate. He died in Rockaway Valley, Morris County, New Jersey on 14 September 1821, "aged 88 years and 26 days," which implies a later birth date in August.

The settlement of Jacob's estate in Morris County, New Jersey, 1822, includes a listing of children: Conrad Kanouse; Elizabeth Peer; Anne Hopler; Jacob Kanouse, Jr., deceased, leaving children; John Kanouse, deceased, leaving two minor children; Peter Kanouse; Rachel Cook, wife of Peter Cook, Abraham Kanouse, and John G. Kanouse. Another researcher claims that there was another daughter, Sarah, but I do not yet know the reason for this claim.

Other settlements help establish families of his descendants. The 1814 settlement of John Kanouse's estate mentions two minor children under age 14, David and Polly, and two children over 14, Peter F. and John J. That he was the son of Jacob mentioned above is confirmed by the fact that the guardians appointed by the court were Abraham and Peter Kanouse.

The 1818 settlement of Jacob Kanouse, Jr.'s estate (Jacob, son of Jacob) names minor children David, Joseph, Conrad, Jr., Frederick, and a major child, Peter Kanouse. Administrator was David Kanouse.

Family Group of Jacob Kanouse

(note: the numbers used in these family groups are those that will be used in the posted genealogy):

II-2. Jacob KANOUSE

Jacob was reportedly married twice, but it's unclear which children were from which wife. The division here is somewhat arbitrary and may be wrong.

born: August 12, 1733, Wurttemberg, Germany

died: September 14, 1821

married (1): Unknown

married (2): Unknown

spouse (1): Mary PEER

This is uncertain; she may have been his first wife

born: Unknown

died: Unknown

children:

III-21. Conrad KANOUSE

III-22. Elizabeth KANOUSE (1764-1827)

III-23. Anna KANOUSE

III-24. Jacob KANOUSE

III-25. John KANOUSE

spouse (2): Elisabeth DAVENPORT

d/o Cornelius & Rachel DAVENPORT

born: 10-12-1765 Milton, NJ

died: Unknown

children:

III-26. Rev. Peter KANOUSE

III-27. Rachel KANOUSE

III-28. Abraham KANOUSE

III-29. ?Sarah KANOUSE, b. ?1796; d. y.?

III-2A. Rev. John George KANOUSE

Family Groups of Jacob's Children

III-21. Elizabeth KANOUSE

born: 1-1-1764

died: 1-24-1827

married: Unknown

spouse: Elder David PEER

born: 3-10-1762

died: 4-15-1824

children:

Unknown

III-22. Conrad KANOUSE

born: 11-15-1765 NJ

died: Unknown

married: Unknown

spouse: Sarah PEER

born: 9-3-1769

died: 4-28-1837

children:

IV-221. Jacob KANOUSE, b. 5-27-1790

IV-222. Tunis KANOUSE, b. 1-2-1794

sp (1)--Sarah BAKER

sp (2)--Mariah VAN DYNE

?IV-223. John KANOUSE

IV-224. Thomas KANOUSE, b. 7-20-1797 NJ, d. 12-1-1881 Morris Co., NJ

sp--Elizabeth C. VAN NESS, b. 1800/01 NJ, d. ca. 1875, Morris Co., NJ (d/o Henry J. VAN NESS)

IV-225. Eleanor KANOUSE, b. 10-17-1799; d. 17 Jun 1878, Parma, NY; m. 12-12-1817

sp--John N. HILER, b. 8-20-1796; d. 12-22-1872

IV-226. Daniel KANOUSE, b. 10-10-1802 NJ

sp--Hannah, b. 1805/06 NJ

IV-227. Anne or Amy KANOUSE, b. 1-21-1806

sp--Cornelius VANDERHOOF

IV-228. ?Abraham KANOUSE, b. 10-6-1809; d. 05-02-1899 (not certain that he's Conrad's son)

sp--Mary Anna HILER or HYLER, b. 12-26-1814; d. 1-7-1899

III-23. Anna KANOUSE

born: Unknown

died: Unknown

married: 7-12-1789

spouse: Frederick HOPLER

s/o Conrad HOPLER

born: 1770

died: Unknown

children:

IV-241. Henry HOPLER, b. 1-2-1795

IV-242. Anna HOPLER, b. 8-18-1797

III-24. John KANOUSE

John's estate settlement in 1814 lists the four children below.

born: Unknown

died: 1814

married: Unknown

spouse: Unknown

born: Unknown

died: Unknown

children:

IV-241. Peter F. KANOUSE, b. before 1800?

IV-242. John J. KANOUSE, b. before 1800?

IV-243. David KANOUSE, b. after 1800

IV-244. Mary A. ("Polly") KANOUSE, b. 1813; d. 01-07-1899

III-25. Rachel KANOUSE

born: Unknown

died: Unknown

married: Unknown

spouse: Peter COOK

born: Unknown

died: Unknown

children:

Unknown

II-26. Jacob KANOUSE, Jr.

Jacob's estate settlement in 1818 lists the five children below.

born:

died: 1818

married:

spouse: Mary HOPLER

born:

died:

children:

IV-265. Frederick KANOUSE, d. 1879

sp--Catherine YOUNG, b. 1802; d. 1869; bur Scott Family BurGd, Boonton, Morris, NJ

IV-261. Peter KANOUSE, b. 1824/25 NJ

sp--?Sarah COOK

IV-262. David KANOUSE

IV-263. Joseph KANOUSE, d. 1845?

sp--Eleanor THOMAS, d. 1845?

IV-264. Conrad KANOUSE

III-27. Rev. Peter KANOUSE

born: 8-20-1784 NJ

died: Unknown

married: Unknown

spouse (1): Amanda Malvina DE CAMP

born: Unknown

died: Unknown

children:

IV-271. Abraham KANOUSE, b. 10-1808; d. 05-02-1899

IV-272. Amanda KANOUSE, b. 1810/11 NJ

spouse (2): Mary Woolverton BASSET

born: 1-17-1785

died: 9-27-1819

children:

IV-273. Mary Elizabeth KANOUSE, b. 9-5-1818, d. 10-5-1819

spouse (3): Mary ORSBORN

born: Unknown

died: Unknown

children:

IV-274. Elizabeth KANOUSE, b. 1824/25 NJ

IV-275. Ann M. KANOUSE, b. 1827/28 NJ

III-28. Abraham KANOUSE

born: 1784/85

died:after 1850

married one: 3-3-1809

married two: Unknown

spouse one: Elizabeth ("Betsey") LOW

d/o John LOW

born: Unknown

died: Unknown

children:

IV-281. John L. KANOUSE

spouse two: Unknown

born: Unknown

died: Unknown

children:

4 sons, 2 daughters, names unknown

III-2A. John George KANOUSE

born: 1800 Pequannock, NJ

died: 1870 WI

married: 06-04-1818 Caldwell, Essex Co., NJ

spouse: Elizabeth DODD

d/o Elijah DODD and Lois WILLIAMS

born: ca. 1801 Pequannock, NJ

died:

children:

IV-2A1. Elijah Dodd KANOUSE, b. 1820 Newark, NJ; d. 1870

sp--Sarah WOOD, b. MI

IV-2A2. Jacob Allen KANOUSE, b. 1822; d. 1870

sp--Mary Ann BUSH

IV-2A3. Abraham Morris KANOUSE

IV-2A4. John Calvin KANOUSE, b. 11-11-1829, Newark, NJ

sp--Maria L. SKINNER

IV-2A5. Peter A. KANOUSE, b. 1832

sp--Jane ____

IV-2A6. David M. (Or K.) KANOUSE, b. 1836; d. 1908

sp--Sarah HALL

IV-2A7. Theodore Dwight KANOUSE, b. 1838; d. 1927

sp--Amelia Adelaide LEVAKE

IV-2A8. Ira Weed KANOUSE, b. 1840

sp--Marian TAYLOR (d/o William Robert TAYLOR, WI Governor)

IV-2A9. Mary Elizabeth KANOUSE, b. 1843

sp--Abijah CATLIN

IV-2AA. George Washington KANOUSE, b. 1846, d. 1932

Jacob's brother John George ("Honiery") settled at Newfoundland, Bergen County, New Jersey, not far from where Jacob lived. He is likely the Johan Georg Knauss whose baptism was recorded at the Evangelische Kirche Dornhan in Wurttemberg 2 April 1736. The church record says that he and his brother Jacob went to "Pennsylvania," which could be a broad reference to "America." Or the brothers may have set out for Pennsylvania and ended up in New Jersey instead. John George died at Newfoundland, Pompton Township, Bergen County, New Jersey 7 December 1810. He had a son, Jacob, born 10 June 1762. Quite a few of the Kanouses in the area of Newark and East Orange during the late 1800s are descendants of this Jacob. Another son, John Kanouse, born about 1765, removed to Manchester, Ontario County, New York, where he had a very large family. He often spelled his last name "Kanouts". Those are the only two children known, though there may have been daughters.

Family Group for John George "Honiery" or "Yerry" Kanouse

II-3. John George ("Honiery" or "Yerry") KANOUSE

born: 4-2-1736 Wuerttemberg, Germany

died: 12-7-1810 Newfoundland, Pompton Twp, Bergen Co, NJ

married: Unknown

spouse: Unknown

born: Unknown

died: Unknown

children:

III-31. Jacob Allen KANOUSE, b. 6-10-1762 Newfoundland, Pompton Twp, Bergen Co, NJ; d. 3-23-1827 same

III-32. John C. KANOUSE, b. ca. 1765, d. Manchester, Ontario Co, NY

Family Groups for Yerry's Children:

III-31. Jacob Allen KANOUSE

The only child listed below that's known to be Jacob's son is John Baltos. There's also disagreement over whether Elizabeth Davenport was Jacob's father's wife or his own.

born: 6-10-1762 Newfoundland, Pompton Twp, Bergen Co, NJ

died: 3-23-1827 Newfoundland, Pompton Twp, Bergen Co, NJ

married: Unknown

spouse: ?Sarah ____

born: Unknown

died: Unknown

children:

IV-311. John Baltos KANOUSE, b. 5-9-1785 Newfoundland, Pompton Twp, Bergen Co, NJ; d. 9-4-1821 same; m. ca. 1806 (John Baltos was the progenitor of the Essex County Kanouses)

sp--Chloe WALLACE, b. 5-14-1782 CN; d. 2-17-1864 Newfoundland, Pompton Twp, Bergen Co, NJ (d/o William WALLACE and Sarah DICKERSON)

IV-312. ?Jacob KANOUSE, m. 12-18-1813 Bergen Co., NJ

sp--Sally O'BRIEN

IV-313. ?Catharine KANOUSE, m. 06-27-1818 Bergen Co., NJ

IV-314. ?Frederick KANOUSE, m. 02-02-1825 Bergen Co., NJ

sp--Catharine YOUNG

IV-315. ?Peter KANOUSE

IV-316. ?David J. KANOUSE, b. 1800/01 NJ

sp--Anna ____, b. 1800/01 NJ

IV-317. ?Moses KANOUSE

sp--Margaret SISCO (d/o Derrick SISCO and Marregriet VAN RIPER)

III-32. John KANOUSE

born: 1770 NJ

died: 6-4-1851 NY

married:

spouse: Mary VANDERHOOF

d/o Jarret VANDERHOOF

born:1784/85

died:

children:

III-321. John C. KANOUSE, b. 2-28 (or 25)-1795; d. 8-29-1849 NY

sp: Sarah A.? ("Sally") VAN NESS, d/o Henry J. VAN NESS

III-321. B. (Son) KANOUSE, b. 1809/10 NY

III-322. Andrew KANOUSE, b. 1813/14 NY

III-323. ?David KANOUS, b. NY

sp ____ VAN DINE

III-324. Louisa KANOUSE, b. 1821/22 NY

III-325. Ann KANOUSE, b. 1828/29 NY

III-326. Jacob KANOUSE, b. 1831/32 NY

Many descendants of these families, of course, emigrated elsewhere across the continent. Early points included New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Next Issue: ALL the Knauss Immigrants (that I can find!)

End of Document