Re: The Port Henry, NY/VT Devins family - 1830 on
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In reply to:
Re: The Port Henry, NY/VT Devins family - 1830 on
9/22/01
Hi Pat...It's very nice to meet you...I think we may find that we are distant relatives...
My Grandfather was George Frederick Devins who was born in Port Henry, NY in 1871...as were five of his eight brothers and sisters...the other three were born in VT...
His father was James E. Devins who was born in Underhill, VT in 1843 and who married Ellen A. Lynch who was born in St.Albans, VT. in 1848...
James E. had at least three sisters:
They were:Mary Agnes Devins who was born in Moriah and married John Brown.She died 5/12/1927 at Fort Edward, NY. He died in 1910 in Moriah...
The others were Sarah who I think married an M.Finnegan at Barre, VT and an unknown name who married J. Sullivan at Plattsburg, NY...
I suspect that your Margaret may have also been a sister but I can't make the connection for you at the present time...the dates and places are too close to be a coincidence...as Isle La Motte/Underhill/St. Albans are all as close to each other as Mineville/Port Henry/Moriah are in NY...as a matter of fact they are just across Lake Champlain from each other...if you don't have access to a map of northern VT I can download one to you...
James E. Devins' father was John Devins who married Anna Nancy Haggerty.He died in 1879 and that's all I know about him...I suspect the reason for that is his ancestry name is not Devins...I suspect at some point that we may connect him to the Cristofell Devins family who settled the southern part of NY state around the NJ/PA border called the Minisink Valley (the Hudson River Valley)...and extended all the way up to the Albany area and beyond...
Their name translates to Devins/Devens/Davids/David/Davidson/Davis/Davidtz...and were instrumental in settling Colonial America.
Nancy Haggerty Devins was born in 1802 in Connaught, Sligo, Ireland and died 9/4/1899 and is buried in Mineville, NY.She appears to have had two sisters...Bridget and Eliza...
There is, also, a huge Lynch family who seems to live between northern VT and western NY state as well but I haven't had a chance to research that one yet...
I plan, at some point to take a trip to Port Henry and search cemeteries for myself...I find that you can acquire a tremendous amount of information that way...I would also like to research the town clerk's offices in the area but am unaware if you can do that in the state of NY.Do you know if they allow that?Perhaps I could find Margaret in my travels that way...In any case, I'll keep my eyes open...
I hope this isn't too long and windy and gives you some insight into your roots...I think this is a terrific hobby...hope to hear from you soon...Mary Ann