Conklin Westchester Branch

Joseph Conkling, son of Joseph and Mary (Cory) Conkling was born on 6 March 1764 in Westfield or Elizabeth (Essex County), New Jersey. In November, 1784 Joseph signed a petition from the Trustees of the First Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth to the New Jersey legislature asking to set up a lottery to raise funds to rebuild the church which was destroyed by fire in 1780. The 1778-80 Tax list shows Joseph living in the Elizabeth Town ward of Elizabeth. He is also listed on the 1793 Essex County New Jersey Militia Roll. In 1802 Joseph and Rebecca were living in Westfield, New Jersey. An Essex County deed dated February, 1803 says that Joseph lived in the township of Westfield. Essex County deeds show that Joseph and his brother Benjamin sold land to Benjamin Cory, Sr. in 1804. Joseph Conkling was married first to Rebecca Ross at the Westfield Presbyterian Church in 1787. Church records give the date of July 15 and DAR records of one of his descendants identify that the marriage took place in February, 1787. Rebecca, the daughter of David Ross and Ann (Nancy) Stites was born on 4 November 1769 in Essex County, New Jersey. According to Joseph’s grandson, William M. Conklin, Joseph and his brother Stephen came to Ohio together in 1805. Other family records suggest that the family moved to Cincinnati in April, 1806. The family probably came to Cincinnati in 1806 as their daughter Mary died in New Jersey in January of 1806. Joseph and Rebecca sold land in Essex County, New Jersey to Ellis Hand in 1806 and to William Clark in 1807. Records in the Hamilton County (Ohio) Courthouse shows that Joseph purchased 100 acres of land in Millcreek township on 2 July 1806. The deed states that Joseph Conkling late of the state of New Jersey now of Hamilton County, Ohio purchased 100 acres for $700 from Joel Williams. The land was located in section two of the third township, second fractional range. This was in Walnut Hills, the oldest section of Cincinnati. Today it is located on Woodburn Avenue between Burdette and Locust Streets, directly across the Ohio River from Dayton, Kentucky. In August, 1806 and in 1812 Joseph bought land in Butler County, Ohio, but apparently never lived there. The Freeman’s Journal of 26 August 1806 reports that Joseph Conkling was living at the headwaters of Duck Creek near Ezra Ferris’s still house when he reported a stray horse. Joseph appears on the 1808 Hamilton County, Ohio tax list for Mill Creek Township of Cincinnati. Rebecca died at age 43 on 19 March 1813 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The place of burial of Rebecca and Joseph is unknown. After his wife Rebecca died, Joseph married a second time. This second wife, Gitty is named in his will. Very little is known about Gitty. The R. Pearson Greaves Collection at the New Jersey Historical Society refers to her as Gertrude. Land records in Hamilton County (Ohio) show that Gitty Conklin, known as widow Conklin sold land in Columbia township to Isaac Ferris in April, 1820 for $30. She sold more of this same parcel in July 1831 to Isaac Ferris for $10. The 1831 sale was witnessed by her daughter Eliza Conklin and by John T. Jones. A family bible which probably belonged to Joseph and Rebecca's oldest son Pierson, records the birth, death, and marriage dates of Joseph, Rebecca, and their children. The bible does not record the date of Joseph's second marriage, but the birth of Eliza, the child of Joseph and Gitty is recorded there. Joseph died shortly before his fiftieth birthday on 19 February 1814 in Cincinnati (Mill Creek Township), Ohio. A notice of Joseph’s death and estate sale appeared in a Cincinnati newspaper, the Liberty Hall on March 15, 1814. The notice says that Joseph Conkling lived in Mill Creek Township of Hamilton County. Items to be sold at the sale included “horses, cows, a number of young cattle, sheep, hogs, a strong waggon, a pleasure wagon, and an elegant eight day clock.” Joseph’s will was written on 13 February 1814 and was filed 12 March 1814. It is housed in the archives at the University of Cincinnati. To his two oldest sons, Pierson and Joseph Cory he leaves his land in the Indian creek settlement in Butler County (range 1, township 4, section 14). To his sons Daniel and Elijah he leaves 50 acres of land in the Miami Purchase (range 2, township 4, section 32) “unless it is wanted to bring up the younger children”. His will indicates that he was still living on the farm which he purchased from Joel Williams. He left this farm to his sons, Aaron, Felix, and Benjamin. Stock in the Miami Exporting Company Bank of Cincinnati was left to sons Isaac and David and daughters, Keziah Wooley, Phoebe and Rebecca Conkling. He requests that the rest of his property be sold and used for the bringing up of his five youngest children. He mentions that his wife Gitty Conkling may be entitled to $200. He apparently did not know that his wife was pregnant. Joseph’s last child, Eliza was born six months after his death. Hamilton county court records show that John Ferris was appointed as guardian to four month old Eliza Conkling, child of Joseph Conkling, deceased. Land records in Hamilton and Butler County show that she was also given a share of the land which Joseph had left to his sons. All of the land was set aside for Eliza Conkling by order of the Supreme County of Hamilton County. There is no indication that she ever claimed or sold any of this land. In early June, 1832, shortly after Benjamin’s twenty-first birthday, several land transactions occurred involving the sale of Joseph’s Hamilton County lands. Benjamin Conkling received $2300 and David Conkling received $1,600 from the land sale. Most of these sales transactions refer to the court order and continue to set aside the land for Eliza.

In June 2013 the burial place of Joseph and his wife were discovered. They are buried at Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church Cemetery. This is a graveyard which actually preceded the church and was probably part of an earlier church.

Daughter of David Ross and Ann Stites.