KANOUSE FAMILY NOTES
ALEXANDER KANOUSE
Alexander KANOUSE as a boy had the advantages of only the common schools, and when very young started out to do practical labor, contributing to his own livelihood. His first venture in business was domestic work, farming, then mining and later boating on the Morris canal, at which he worked for two years. Seven years was then spent as a teamster, until 1865. After that for seven years he was in the grocery trade at Rockaway and also kept a hotel there, moving from Rockaway to Dover, where he established a bottling plant and had a livery stable. For a number of years he has made the Dover House a popular place of entertainment to the traveling public and by wise investments and shrewd management has accumulated a large amount of city real estate. In politics Mr. KANOUSE usually votes the Republican ticket, although he exercises his own judgement in matters of political interest. For three years he was honored with the office of town treasurer. His affiliation with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows has continued for more than foty years, and he was a charter member of the lodge at Rockaway.
In the 1750's, two Germans, Jacob Knauss {Kanouse} and his brother, settled farther to the west near Powerville after working off their indenture held by a Dutchman named Luke Ryerson. Still farther west in the pleasant Rockaway Valley, Frederick Miller, of English descent, bought nearly eight hundred acres in the 1740's and built a house. Later in the 1760's, two stone houses, still standing today, were built on the property by his sons Adam and Aaron. About this time the Millers dammed a stream and built a grist mill near Aaron's house. To the south of the Millers, another grist mill was erected in Rockaway by Gilbert Hedden, who migrated from North Carolina. In the Rockaway area, John Davenport, one of the original proprietors, was no doubt the first settler. When he settled there is not known, but it was probably about 1715.
Ichabod Sayre
In the name of God, Amen. I, SAMUEL BISHOP, of the town of Southampton, in Suffolk County, in the Province
of New York, on the Island of Nassau, yeoman, being weak in body. I leave to my wife Elizabeth, the use of the best room in
my now dwelling house, and the chamber over the same, and the leanto adjoining the said room, and 1/2 my barn and well, and
1/3 of all lands and meadows and Commonage, during her life, and also the use of my movable estate. I leave to my son
Samuel my now dwelling house and home lot, and my close of land as I lately bought of Nathan Sayre, and my close of land
lying near the Seven Ponds as I bought of Joshua Barnes, and my orchard land lying at Long Springs, and 1/2 of a €50 right of
Commonage running throughout the town bounds. I leave to my son, John Bishop, my dwelling house and home lot as I lately
bought of Joseph Pierson, and my close of land lying between Joseph Goodale, Samuel Cooper, John Woolly and Elizabeth
Bishop, widow of Josiah Bishop, And my close of land lying between Benjamin Hains and Ichabod Sayre, And my close of
land lying at the Long Springs adjoining to Isaac Halsey, Jeremiah Jagger and Obadiah Rogers, And 1/2 of a €50 right of
Commonage. But if he die without issue, then the said lands are to go to my son Daniel. I also leave him 1/2 of my meadows.
If my sons John and Daniel both die without issue, then the lands are to go to my son James. I leave to my wife and my son
Samuel, my team and tackling. I leave to my daughters Susanah and Mehitabel, each 20 shillings. To my daughter Hannah, 40
shillings, and to my daughters Deborah and Elizabeth, each 20 shillings. I leave to my son Daniel €30 when of age, and to my
son James €20 when of age. I leave to my two youngest daughters, Phebe and Abigail, €10 each. I make my wife and my son
John, executors, and my beloved friend, John Post, overseer in trust.
KANOUSE FAMILY LINKS
Email: conniered@hotmail.com
