Category: 18th Century
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Quaker Earl
The Quaker Meeting in Cornwall, NY I generated the audio from an earlier post. Just to see how well it works. Probably could benefit from some finessing. Any helpful criticism is very appreciated.
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Tuxedo Historical Society
On Feb 15th, 2026, we traveled down to the Tuxedo Historical Society to see the opening of their exhibit “The Continental Road & The Ramapough Pass in the Revolutionary War 1777-1780.” It was great to see the information presented, including a beautiful map of the area with the Taverns highlighted along Clove…
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New List of Posts
Here is a synopsis of all the posts. I was thinking I hadn’t done enough until I saw how many were here.
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Just Friends
When I started working on The Clove I had no idea that I would be visiting my family’s Quaker roots to the extent that I have. Part of the book deals with a cross-country journey taken by my 5X GGrandfather Ben Earl and his brother Richard. The trip will take…
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August 8, 1778
The date of the robbery at the Earls (and Woodhulls). Right in the middle of a Hudson Valley summer. Claudius Smith was 43 years old and married to Abigail Rumsey (41). They had married in 1762, and Abigail was not the mother of Claudius’s sons and fellow gang members. James…
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Backwoods Butchershop
Many years ago when I was a student at the Culinary Institute of America the scheme was that the newer student/chefs start off learning the basics of all things related to cuisine and by the end of your time there you are designing your own restaurant and cooking in one…
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The Press
I sometimes think that the news of wartime events happening in Colonial Orange County, New York was shared informally and close to home. That information important to the common folk spread by word of mouth or by the occasional screed posted to a tree. A group of yokels trying to…
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An Indictment
Claudius Smith of Cornwall precinct in the County of Orange labourer, James Smith of the same place labourer, and Richard Smith of the same place labourer on the fourthday of August in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy eight at the precinctof Cornwall in the County…
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John Earl’s Will
Here is the last will of John Earl, which gives some insight into his accumulated property and the regard he held his family members at the end of his life. I have a special place for old John in my heart. He is my 5X Great-Grandfather. He is the first…
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Some background on Claudius Smith
As in all things related to the Smith Gang, take with a grain of salt. SOURCE: “History of Orange County, New York” Ruttenber EM and Clark,LH. (Philadelphia: Everets and Peck, 1881) reprinted 1980 Claudius came to Knight’s Mill’s in the present town of Monroe with his father“where he grew up,…