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BIOGRAPHIES
Suydam
Family
Anna
Van Nostrand Suydam (18th cent.)
Married
Cornelius Suydam. They had four children: Garret, Mary, John and
Cornelius and lived in East Woods, Oyster Bay, L.I.
John
C. Suydam (1782-1871)
John
was "nominated" as sergeant in the 117th Regiment of the New
York State Militia, out of Eastern Queens, Town of Oyster Bay during the
War of 1812. In 1871, when he was 90 years old, he applied for a pension
for his service in that War. He married Abigail Kelsey of Centerport in
1802. They lived in the Homestead with their six children. John engaged
in farming and fishing.
Cornelius
Suydam (1818-1903)
Son of John and Abigail Kelsey Suydam. He married
Phoebe Ackerly of Centerport in 1850. They lived in the Homestead, which
Cornelius inherited from his father on the condition that he (John) be
taken care of in his home until his death. Cornelius engaged in farming,
boat building (he built the sloop MARY EMMA and smaller boats) and
oystering. He held leases on oyster beds in Northport Harbor.
Katurah
Suydam Titus (1803-1832)
Daughter
of John and Abigail Kelsey Suydam. Her 1818 school copy book reveals
that she attended the Juvenile School in Cow Harbor. She was married to
a Titus.
Phoebe
Ackerly Suydam (1828-1914)
Daughter
of Charles and Harriet Sammis Ackerly. Married Cornelius Suydam in 1850.
There were seven children of this union--three of whom died in infancy.
Mary Emma, John, Anne and Francis survived.
Mary
Emma Suydam Chalmers (1853-1947)
The
daughter of Cornelius and Phoebe Ackerly Suydam. In 1877 she married
Maurice Chalmers, son of David Bethume Chalmers of Centerport. They
purchased a house on the north side of highway 25A, next door to her
brother John's residence. Though the family lived there, they often
moved back to the Homestead during the summer when vacationers rented
their house. Mary Emma and Maurice had five children: Ivy, Fred,
Winifred, Ethel and Arthur. Mary Emma was a many talented lady who was
respected and loved by all. At the age of 90 she wrote down the memories
of her youth "Looking Back" for her grandchildren.
John
Edgar Suydam (1856-1936)
Son of Cornelius and Phoebe Ackerly Suydam,
John married Anne Scott (1861-1906) in 1879. The 1880 census lists him
as a seaman, but in later years he owned a hardware store on Woodbine
Ave.
in
Northport. Later in 1896, he owned an oyster lease. He and his family
lived in a house on the north side of Route 25A, about a block east of
the Homestead where he was born and spent his childhood. John served on
the Board of Trustees of the Centerport Methodist Church for many years. He and his wife had four children, William, Nellie, Raymond and
Harold.
Anne
Suydam Schoonhoven (1865-1945)
Youngest
daughter of Cornelius and Phoebe Ackerly Suydam. Married Rev. Wilbur
Schoonhoven, a Methodist minister in 1895. She lived her entire life at
the Homestead and died there. Anne and Wilbur had no children.
Francis
(Frank) Suydam (1868-1940)
The
youngest son of Cornelius and Phoebe Ackerly Suydam. Married Hattie
Smith of Greenlawn in 1901. He was a carpenter, farmer, and occasionally
in youth, a seaman. Frank and Hattie owned and resided in the house on
the corner of Little Neck Road and Harbor Heights Drive, Centerport, one
block north of the Homestead. They had one daughter, Ethel. Two boys
died in infancy.
Hattie
Smith Suydam (1868-1948)
Daughter of Mordant L. and Abbie Smith and
granddaughter of Smith Whitson of Godfrey Lane, Greenlawn. She taught
school in Centerport until her engagement to Francis (Frank) Suydam. She
then taught in the Greenlawn School until her marriage in 1901. Of three
children born to this marriage only one, Ethel survived infancy. Hattie
was active in the Centerport Methodist Church, a charter member of the
Centerport Garden Club and involved in numerous other community
organizations and activities.
Ethel
Suydam Witting (l902-l990)
Ethel was the only surviving child of
Hattie and Francis (Frank) Suydam. She attended the two- room school in
Centerport, Huntington High School and Normal School. Nearly all of her
teaching career was spent in Centerport. First, she taught in the
two-room school, then the Little Neck School, and later, Washington
Drive School after Centerport became part of the Harborfields Central
School District. Ethel was active in local civic organizations during
her lifetime. She was born and lived all of her life in her parents home
on Little Neck Road, one block from the Homestead.
Fred
Chalmers (1879 - 1906)
Son
of Mary Emma Suydam and Maurice Chalmers. At one time, he owned land on
Little Neck Road. After a lengthy illness (T.B.), he sold the land to finance a trip to Arizona where he stayed for some time. He returned home
to Centerport to die. Fred never married.
Ivy
Wandesford Chalmers Nash (1881 - ?)
Daughter
of Mary Emma Suydam Chalmers and granddaughter of Cornelius and Phoebe
Suydam. She married Malcolm Nash of Huntington, a merchant seaman. For
a time they lived in California.
Ivy
occasionally went to sea with her husband.
Helen
Suydam (? - 1987)
Wife
of Raymond Suydam (daughter-in-law of John Edgar Suydam). Resided and
taught school in Huntington until retirement. Moved to Florida and died
there in 1987.
Natalie
Suydam (1911- )
Daughter
of William Fillmore (1885-1977) and Susan Scudder Suydam (1886-1976).
Natalie resided .with her parents in a house on Prospect St.,
Centerport. For the last several years she has lived in the
Presbyterian Home in Syosset. She has never married.
Jean
Trucker Dangman (1918- )
Daughter
of Ethel Chalmers Trucker and granddaughter of Mary Emma Suydam and
Maurice Chalmers. Although her home was away from Centerport, she
corresponded and visited her cousin Ethel Suydam Witting on a regular
basis.
Robert
Kennedy ( 1921 - )
Son
of Nellie Suydam and grandson of John Edgar Suydam. He remembers the
Homestead well having spent much time there as a child. Though a
resident of Florida, he corresponded and visited regularly with Ethel
Suydam Witting.
Winifred
Ooodman Pool (1921- )
Daughter
of Winifred Chalmers Goodman and the granddaughter of Mary Emma Suydam
Chalmers. She and her husband William reside in Connecticut. They have
one daughter living in Colorado. Winifred remembers spending time at the
Homestead and has visited and corresponded with her cousin, Ethel Suydam
Witting throughout the years.
Related
Family Members
Rev.
Wilbur E. Schoohoven ( - 1956)
Married Annie Suydam in 1895. A graduate
of Drew University, he was one of the preachers who helped keep
Methodism alive in Centerport until the two congregations there united
and became the Centerport Methodist Episcopal Church. He served in
several churches as well as acting as substitute in the Centerport
Church for a number of years. After Annie's death in 1945, he remarried.
The Homestead was sold out of the family after his death by his widow.
There were no children of either marriage.
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