HERKIMER COUNTY HEMPSTEADS!

Just found online at familysearch.org some probate documents from Kings County, New York for Christopher Hempstead [Jr.], born approximately 1807, died 1881 in Brooklyn.  The biggest surprise was mention of a deceased son, named - of course - Christopher [III].  He would have been the eldest son, born approximately 1825, married probably Mary [surname unknown], born in Wales.  He married approximately 1850, does not appear in the 1850 census that I can find.  However in the 1860 census there is a Christian Hempstead of the right age, wife born Wales, 3 children that match later details exactly, plus one daughter of whom no further mention is found.  He lived in Erie County, Buffalo, New York.  As far west in the state that you can get.  What could have taken him so far from Brooklyn?  His children later lived in Herkimer County, German Flatts, Ilion township [per 1881 probate documents plus found in earlier censuses].  That's a lot closer to Brooklyn than Erie County, but - how and why did the family, or perhaps orphaned children, remove from Buffalo to Ilion?  In 1870 I found a census entry for the possible widow of Christopher III; few details are shown in that census, but she was still in Buffalo.  Her children in the same census year were mostly in Herkimer County, living in various households.   Only one child, daughter Phoebe E. Hempstead, was living in Brooklyn at the date of Christopher Hempstead [Jr.]'s probate; she was of full age and residing in an orphan asylum.  She was found at the same approximate address at the 1880 census.  Had she lived there long?  How did she get back to Brooklyn?

RECENTLY...

...I've just been recording in PAF the new info I've found on this family. This was a fairly prolific family, it seems a bit strange that I haven't been contacted by any living descendants [with the exception of Kimi Ruiz, descendant of Emma Augusta Hempstead].

At any rate, my primary question was answered, Phoebe Hempstead does descend from Joshua Hempstead of New London CT. I still have nothing on Sarah Sherman, wife of Christopher Hempstead [Sr.]. And the Nathaniel Hempstead b. 1803 Brooklyn NY, died 1870 Riverhead, Long Island...I  believe he married Caroline Glispie, but can find absolutely nothing on the family he may have had, nor what occurred in his life between his marriage and his death...I did find one or two articles in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle mentioning a Nathaniel Hempste[a]d who was drunk and disorderly...don't know if that was him or not.
 

EXCITING INFORMATION

Mr. Benjamin Feldman, author of "Butchery on Bond Street", has very generously sent me copies of some of the historical documents he used for researching the Hempstead family during the writing of his book.  The documents are primarily copies of some of the probate documents of Nathaniel Hempstead [Sr.] and Christopher Hempstead [Sr.].  These documents, particularly those that pertain to Nathaniel's Will, establish the names of their children, spouses of their children, and in some cases the grandchildren.  My feeling that Clement Miner Hempstead was the son of Nathaniel Jr., and brother of Nathaniel III, was confirmed!  I have a couple of new surnames to research [Covel and Van Winkle, which gentlemen married Hempstead daughters], along with the name of a previously unknown-to-me daughter [Cordelia Hempstead, dau. of Christopher & Sarah].

Stay tuned!!

Updates on Christopher Hempstead

• Christopher Hempstead [Sr.]'s wife's maiden name may have been Van Winkle.  According to yet another newspaper article published in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, reference was made to a male relative by that surname.  Have yet to look into it further. [Subsequently found her obituary, and her maiden name:  Sarah Sherman.  Also, per probate documents of Nathaniel Hempstead, father of Chris Sr., Van Winkle was the married name of Anna Hempstead, sister of Chris Sr.]
  
  
• According to an article on the history of the Methodist Episcopal Church, both Christopher Sr. and Jr. were members of the Church, both signing in as members at the first meeting of the new church in Wallabout, in June 1837:
  
  

Christopher Hempsted
Christopher Hempstead, Jr.

Elizabeth J. H. Hempstead

• According to the 1850 census, Christopher's wife at that time was named "Elizabeth J." , and they had been married within the year.  So was the 1850 Elizabeth a different woman?  If so, Christopher married (1) Alice, (2) Elizabeth J.H., (3) Elizabeth J., and (4) Susan [whom I found in an online death index dated 1884]. 
  
  

• In checking Brooklyn city directories online, I found Christopher listed through 1882.  His wife Susan was listed as his widow in the 1883 directory only [she died the following year].  Thus I assume Christopher died somewhere between 1881-1882.

Isn't it amazing that with every new piece of information, more questions arise?!