Relatively Speaking

Cal Bivens, my second cousin who helped with so much information for “Grandma and Me” has recently updated his Crabb/Crabtree research. I will post it in two or three segments.

Marriage of John Crabb/Crabtree and Elizabeth Bassett
John Crabb married Elizabeth Bassett ( 1749 -?) a daughter of Arnold Bassett, about 1765. She was born in Dutchess County, New York on July 12, 1749.

In the fall of 1766, John and Elizabeth’s first child was born. At least 7 of their children were born in Dutchess County, New York: Stephen (1761), William (1767, died before 1782), John (1770), Elizabeth (1771), Mary “Polly” (1773), Nancy (1775 died before 1782), and Priscilla (1777 died before 1782).

Residence: New York
Militia records from Dutchess County indicate that John Crabb was from Fredericksburg in Dutchess County. This area is on the east side of the Hudson River.

A name that appears to be John Crab appears on the 1777 tax list for the Philipse Patent in Dutchess County. The Philipse Patent was divided into nine lots. On Lot No. 9, which belonged to Mary Philipse Morris (wife of Col. Roger Morris), “lived one hundred and twenty-nine families, reckoning six to a family.”

One of those families was that of John Crab. [The area in what is now Putnam County between Patterson on the North, Carmel on the West, Connecticut on the East and Brewster on the South.]

Military service
Militia Service
It has been indicated that John Crabb and perhaps two of his sons, served in Loyalist regiments during the war. In colonial times, from the first settlements onward, militia service was mandatory.

With that in mind, I see that John Crab of Fredericksburg, Dutchess County, New York was enrolled as a Private in the 7th Regiment, Dutchess County militia. He was reportedly in Captain John Crane’s Company (called Beat No. 4, meaning it was to assemble at the 4th drum roll). The 7th Regiment was under the command of Colonel Henry Ludington. At any rate, the name of John “Crab” appears on a militia roll. I see no others from his family, no sons, however.

I do not at this time know how much service John Crabb may have seen with the 7th Regiment. The regiment was activated, but did John answer the call?

The Revolution
At the time of the American Revolution the John Crabb and his family were Loyalists, colonials who supported the British cause. Subsequent information supports that statement. ‘Crabb, John of Fredericksburg, Dutchess County, NY; loyalist, apprehended at White Plains.’
[Documents of the Senate of the State of New York II:317] It would be good to have a date and some details with this notation, but it may be helpful yet. [White Plains is south of Fredericksburg in Westchester County, in the direction of Long Island.]

John Crab was listed as a British POW; not all of the Prisoners in New York were confined there. From October, 1776, many were sent by the Committee of Conspiracies, under guard, to Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.

1779
In 1779 John Crabb and his family abandoned their home in Dutchess County, New York for a location unknown to us. It may be that John was captured at this time and his family was taken into custody and confined to a house specially designated for Loyalist wives and children.

1781
By 1781 John Crabb was no longer in the custody of the American rebels. On December 25, 1781 John Crabb, at New York (City?) signed a petition accusing Col. Roger Morris of disloyalty. John Roberts also signed the petition. [ID Code C1651, Reel M-367, page 9941(3).]
I currently do not know what John’s specific grievance was against Morris. Col. Roger Morris, who was a Loyalist, had been one of the largest land owners in Dutchess County, and the husband of the woman who owned the land the Crabb farm was on. Charges of disloyalty (to the Crown) against Col. Roger Morris found to be false.

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