Account of Garret Van Artsdal (aka Garret Van Arsdale, Garret Van Arsdalen, Garret Van Arsdal, etc.) in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr.

Garret Van Arsdale, Sr.

A Note on the Van Arsdale Name Variations

Surname variations are abundant in the Van Arsdale family and to some extent changed over time. For the purposes of the following discussion, I am calling the early settler of the Town of Fleming (then part of Aurelius), Cayuga Co., New York and client of Jacob Post, Sr.'s tannery on present-day Stone School Road, Garret Van Arsdale, Sr., Van Arsdale being the form adopted by Garret's descendants. Garret used several other forms of his surname during his lifetime, which I will identify when encountered. I also have generally used the standardized Dutch male patronymic name ending "sz." for "son of" (e.g., Jansz. instead or Jansen or Janszen, etc.) to simplify the several forms used in the old records.

Family Origins

Garret's line of the Van Arsdale family has roots in the person of Jan Pauwelsz. van Aedsdaele of Nukerke, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium and his wife Geertie Philipsdr. Halters. One of their sons, variously seen as Symon Jansz. Van Aersdalen or Van Arsdalen, came to New Amsterdam, New Netherland in 1653. He had left his wife, Marijtje Balutsdr., and two children in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands where they died of disease by November 1655. Symon remained in the New World. He married second, ca. 1658, Pieterje (aka Pietertje) Claesen Van Schouw and resided at Nieuw Amersfoort (Flatlands, now part of Brooklyn) on Long Island.

Symon (aka Simon) and Pieterje Van Arsdalen's son, Cornelis Simonsz. Van Arsdalen married as his third wife Marretje Dirkse Ammerman (aka Amerman). Cornelis had farms at Gravesend and Flatlands on Long Island. He appears to have spent some time in New Jersey as his Will was executed in Somerset County in 1738 although later registered at New York, New York. Cornelis died at Flatlands in 1745.

Jacobus Cornelisz. Van Arsdalen was among the nine children of Cornelis and Marretje. He was born at Flatlands in 1709. Jacobus at some point removed to Somerset Co., New Jersey, perhaps by 1738, the year that his father's Will was executed there. He married Alida Hooglandt (aka Hoagland), who was said to have been previously married, in 1752. Their son, Jacob, was baptized at Six Mile Run Reformed Dutch Church in Franklin Township, Somerset Co. on 17 November 1754 under the surname Van Aersdalen (aka Van Arsdalen).

Jacob Van Arsdalen, son of Jacobus and Alida, married a 1st cousin once removed, Aleda (aka Alida) Van Arsdalen, by 1776. Jacob and Aleda apparently lived in the vicinity of Harlingen, Montgomery Township, Somerset Co., New Jersey because at least two of their sons were baptized at the Harlingen Reformed Dutch Church under the surname Van Arsdalen, including Garret Van Arsdale, Sr., the subject of this sketch. Jacob must soon have become involved in the Revolutionary War as a Private in Captain Duryea's Company, 1st Battalion, Somerset County Militia where he was listed under the surname Van Asdalen.

Jacob Van Arsdalen, Sr., Revolutionary War Veteran and Early Settler of Cayuga County

Revolutionary War veteran Jacob Van Arsdalen, Sr. had removed from Somerset County by 1800 when he and at least two of his sons (Jacob, Jr. and Garret) appear in the federal census of Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York, placing his family among the early Dutch settlers who settled around Owasco Lake. Tax records indicate that Jacob, Sr. owned a farm valued at $350 in 1802. This farm would not have been far from Owasco Lake because Jacob was censused in close proximity to the Post and Peterson families who were early settlers on the western shores of the lake. In 1807, Jacob is listed as Jacob Van Artsdal, Sr. (at least in this transcription of the document) in Meeting House of the United Congregation of the Reformed Low Dutch church at the Owasco Outlet, a list of subscribers for what would later be known as Sand Beach Church in the Town of Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York. Jacob's son, Garret, also is among the subscribers for the Meeting House and appears with the surname Van Artsdal, like his father.

Jacob is present with the surname Van Arsdol in the 1810 federal census of Aurelius, again adjacent to the Post and Peterson families in the portion of Aurelius that would be taken off as the Town of Fleming in March 1823. He died between 15 September and 1 October 1817 (sources differ on the exact date) after executing his Will on 13 September 1817. In his Will and probate documents (the latter dated 29 October 1817), Jacob's surname again appears as Van Arsdol, which may represent the spelling he adopted later in life. I have found no burial record for Jacob although one would expect that he should be in Sand Beach Cemetery in the Town of Fleming based on his support for Sand Beach Church and his farm's proximity to its location. As in the case of Revolutionary War veteran  Roger Strickland of Sempronius, Jacob Van Arsdol is another patriot settler of Cayuga Co. to lie in an apparently unrecorded grave where he cannot be properly honored for his service in the founding of this country.

Garret Van Arsdale, Sr. and his Time in Cayuga County

Garret, son of Jacob and Aleda Van Arsdalen (aka Van Arsdol), presumably grew up near Harlingen, Montgomery Township, Somerset Co., New Jersey. He married Nelly Quick as his first wife, probably ca. 1798, because the birth and baptism of their son, Peter Quick Van Arsdalen, appear in records of the Harlingen Reformed Dutch Church in 1799. Peter was baptized on 25 August 1799. It seems likely that Garret, Nelly, and Peter removed from Somerset County either in the fall of 1799 or the spring of 1800 because Garret appears in the federal census of 1800 for the Town of Aurelius. Garret possibly was located in that part of the town that was taken off as the Town of Fleming in March 1823 although at some remove from his father, Jacob, who was near Owasco Lake. Tax records of 1802-1803 show that Garret had a small farm with real estate valued at $125, less than half the value of his father's farm and so likely relatively small in acreage. Garret had a personal estate valued at $32 in each of those years.

Garret and Nelly had a second son, recorded as Jacob Van Arsdalen, presumably born 23 June 1801 (the last two digits of the birth year are missing in the record fragment), his tentative birth year generally being supported by Jacob's age given in later census data. Census data for Jacob's birthplace repeatedly give New Jersey, but he was baptized 23 August 1801 at the Old Log Reformed Dutch Church near Brinkerhoff Point (now Burtis Point) on the east side of Owasco Lake. It may be that Jacob's mother, Nelly, had returned to Somerset Co., New Jersey for a time before Jacob's birth. It should be noted that the Old Log Reformed Dutch Church was located in the part of Aurelius that was taken off in 1802 as the Town of Owasco, Cayuga Co., New York.

I believe Garret Van Arsdale, Jr., born 6 June 1804, is the third son of Garret, Sr. and Nelly Quick based on somewhat indirect evidence. Garret, Jr. would later marry Phebe Wyckoff, daughter of Peter Wyckoff and Phebe Ditmars. Phebe Ditmars Wyckoff may be remembered as numbering among the victims of William Freeman in the infamous Van Nest murders of 1846 in the Town of Fleming. Another victim was Sarah Wyckoff Van Nest, sister of Garret, Jr.'s wife, Phebe. Garret, Jr. appears elsewhere in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr. and will be the subject of a future blog post.

Cornelius Van Arsdale, a wounded survivor of the aforementioned murders, is believed to be the fourth son of Garret Van Arsdale, Sr. and the first son borne by Garret, Sr.'s second wife, Polly Whitlock [NOTE:  One source transcribes Polly's surname as "Whitbeck"]. I have not found a record for this birth; however, Sheila Saft Tucker writes (p. 44) in The Township of Fleming Cayuga County New York 1823-1973:  "Cornelius, a half brother to Mrs. Wyckoff's son-in-law Garret Van Arsdale, [Jr.] had arrived at the home that past Thursday to work for the family." Reference to Cornelius and Garret, Jr. being half-brothers indicates that Garret, Sr.'s first wife, Nelly Quick, was deceased at the time of Cornelius's birth in 1808-1809. Cornelius married three times, the second of which was to Hannah V. D. Van Nest, sister of Van Nest murder victim John G. Van Nest.

Polly Whitlock and Garret Van Arsdale, Sr. next had a son, Henry, whose birth appears in records of the Reformed Dutch Church at the Owasco Outlet (Sand Beach Church) in 1812. At least one more son of Garret, Sr. and Polly is known, John Van Arsdale, born in 1818, presumably in Fleming (then part of Aurelius).

Garret Van Arsdale, Sr. temporarily disappears from Fleming by 1820. Two Garret Van Arsdales appear in the 1820 federal census, one in Ohio and one in Virginia, but there is no evidence that either represent the subject of this discussion. Garret would later remove to Livingston Co., New York so it is possible that he also spent time there in the 1820s. Garret, Sr. resurfaces in Fleming by 1827 when he again appears in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr. About this time, Garret, Sr. marries for the third time to Sarah Tallman, daughter of Peter Tallman and Margaret Cobhem. The one known child of this marriage was Tunis Tallman Van Arsdale, who was born in Fleming 20 September 1829 and would later become a prominent hardware merchant in Cheboygan, Cheboygan Co., Michigan in partnership with Jacob J. Post, a grandson of Jacob Post, Sr. and Jannetie Nevius of Fleming.

Garret, Sr. and Sarah Tallman Van Arsdale appear in the 1830 federal census at Fleming. By 1840, they are at Mount Morris where Garret, Sr. died in 1846, supposedly near Ridge, an historical hamlet and Post Office. Only two of his sons, Henry and Jacob, and wife Sarah appear in probate documents. No burial place is recorded for Garret, Sr. Sarah, however, is buried at Pine Hill Cemetery in Cheboygan. Many of Garret's descendants removed to Kalamazoo Co., Michigan.

Images of Garret Van Arsdale, Sr.'s (aka Van Artsdal) Account in Jacob Post, Sr.'s Tannery Ledger

Debit Page (15A) for Garret Van Artsdal's (aka Van Arsdale) Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Credit Page (15A) for Garret Van Artsdal's (aka Van Arsdale) Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Additional Debit Page (2A Bottom) for Garret Van Artsdal's (aka Van Arsdale, V. Nasdallen) Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Transcription of Garret Van Arsdale, Sr.'s (aka Van Artsdal) Account

Garret Van Artsdal [Van Arsdalen, Van Arsdall, Van Arsdale]		Debit			Garret Van Artsdal [Van Arsdalen, Van Arsdall, Van Arsdale]		Credit
Date	Description	₤	S	d	Date	Description	₤	S	d
October 14, 1811	To Sundries	0	17	0	November 1811	To Cash paid	0	17	0
February 18, 1812	To Leather	0	8	0	March 6, 1812	To one Skin	0	5	0
March 6, 1812	To Leather	0	1	6	April 15, 1812	To Cash	0	4	6
	Total [not shown] =	1	6	6		Total [not shown] =	1	6	6
Note: The ledger shows double underlines under the last debit and credit entries above, indicating that the account was balanced as also apparent from the above totals (not shown in the ledger).
October 3, 1812	To A ½ Side of Soalleather [sole leather] And A peace [piece] of hors [horse] leather	0	15	0	November 12, 1812	To Cash	0	12	0
November 12, 1812	To Leather	1	4	0	December 28, 1812	By Cash	0	16	0
	To Cash	0	1	6
					May 1813	To Sugar 8 ½ lb	0	8	6
	Total [not shown] =	2	0	6		Total [not shown] =	1	16	6
Note: The ledger shows double underlines under the last debit and credit entries for 1812-1813 indicating that the account was balanced, but payment of the apparent 4-shilling difference was not shown in the ledger.
July 15, 1814	To ½ Side of uper [upper] leather	0	11	0	July 15, 1815	By Cash	2	0	7
October 11, 1814	To ½ Side of Soaleather [sole leather] wt 10 lb	1	0	0
April 24, 1815	To ½ Side of Soaleather [sole leather] wt 4 ¼ lb	0	9	7
	Total =	2	0	7		Total [not shown] =	2	0	7
Note: The ledger shows a debit total but a credit total was not necessary for a single credit entry. Double underlines under the debit total and lone credit entry indicate that the account was balanced by Garret's cash payment.
March 8, 1827	To Leather	0	16	0	No date	By Cash	0	16	0
	Total [not shown] =	0	16	0		Total [not shown] =	0	16	0
Note: The ledger was balanced without need for showing total debits and credits. An apparent duplicate debit entry for leather purchased by Garret in 1827 appears on Page 2A of the Tannery Ledger. This entry identifies the account holder as Garret V. Nasdallen, almost certainly Garret Van Arsdale. The entry on Page 2A, which is X'd out, may have been moved to Page 15A where all other entries for Garret Van Arsdale's account appear. The probable duplicate entry is transcribed below.
[Page 2A, Garret V. Nasdallen] 1827	To Leather	0	16	0

Garret Van Arsdale, Sr.'s (aka Van Artsdal, V. Nasdallen) Purchases and Credits

The first debit entry for Garret is 17 shillings for sundries and is dated about a month prior to the ledger being put into use in November 1811 so must be a sum brought forward to the new ledger, perhaps when Jacob Post, Sr. recorded Garret's cash payment of the balance in November. The account, though balanced, was left open, and Garret purchased leather twice during the late winter of 1811-12. Using a combination of one animal skin valued at 5 shillings and cash in the amount of 4 shillings 6 pence, Garret had cancelled his recently incurred debt by 15 April 1812.

Garret visited the tannery twice in the fall of 1812 to buy sole leather, horse leather, and unspecified leather. The cash entries of 12 November 1812 on the debit and credit pages of the ledger are confusing (at least to me). Garret apparently made a payment of 12 shillings to Jacob but also received 1 shilling 6 pence from Jacob, both recorded the same day. The other curiosity is that the term "to" preceding the item description was twice used in the credit column instead of the usual term "by." Garret's use of 8 1/2 pounds of sugar as part of his payment is interesting. Sugar must have been eagerly sought by Jacob's large family. The account was marked by a double underline as settled in May 1813 despite a 4 shilling difference between the debits and credits shown in the ledger. 

In 1814 and 1815, Garret purchased sole leather and upper leather on three occasions. The debit balance of 2 pounds 0 shillings 7 pence was paid in cash on 15 July 1815. Garret does not reappear in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr. until 1827. Presumably, Garret remained in Cayuga County for the next several years because he and his brother, Peter, were appointed Executors of their father's estate in the fall of 1817. As previously discussed, by 1820 Garret does not appear to be present in the county.

Garret purchased unspecified leather on 8 March 1827, showing that he had returned to Fleming prior to that date. This purchase happened to be recorded at two different locations in the Tannery Ledger, probably in error. The first entry, under the name Garret V. Nasdallen, is near the front of the ledger where Jacob Post, Sr. likely was using up unfilled pages. This entry appears to have been crossed out and re-entered on the original, previously used ledger pages labeled for Garret Van Artsdal. The 1827 balance of 16 shillings was paid by cash although the entry is undated. Garret made no more purchases during the unknown number of years that he remained in Fleming (at least until 1830) before removing to Mount Morris.

Account of Peter Herring (aka Peter Reed Harring) in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr.

Peter Reed Harring (aka Herring)

An account bearing the name "Peter Herring" appears in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr. Investigation reveals that this man most probably was Peter Reed Harring, son of Daniel D. Harring and Mary D. Reed who are buried in Fleming Hill (Rural) Cemetery. Daniel Harring (spelled Herring in this record) appears in the 1800 federal census for the Town of Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York with his wife, three young males, and five young females in his household. The family appears again in 1810 (under Daniel D. Haring) with the same number of children in the household. Daniel D. Harring died in 1813. Before his death, he was among a group who withdrew from what would become the First Presbyterian Church of Springport to found the First Presbyterian Church of Auburn (Storke, 1879: p. 370).

Peter Reed Harring was born 6 June 1801 in Aurelius. His was baptized on 2 August 1801 at the Reformed Dutch Church of Owasco (as Peter Reed Herring).

Name: Peter Reed Herring; Gender: Male; Christening Date: 02 Aug 1801; Christening Place: DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH, OWASCO, CAYUGA, NEW YORK; Birth Date: 06 Jun 1801; Father's Name: Daniel Herring; Mother's Name: Mary Reed; Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C50632-1; System Origin: New_York-ODM; GS Film number: 17834

-- "New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FDP6-Q56 : 11 February 2018), Peter Reed Herring, 06 Jun 1801; citing , reference ; FHL microfilm 17,834.

 Mary Harring (as Herring) was censused as head of household at Aurelius in 1820. Peter presumably was part of his mother's household, which included a male between 16 and 25 years of age. The Town of Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York was taken off Aurelius in 1823, and Peter (as Herring) appears there as a head of household in the 1830 federal census. His household included a female of 60-69 years of age, probably his mother, Mary, who lived until 1854.

A Peter R. Harring of the correct age, with wife Permelia Squires, is found in census data for Dover, Lenawee Co., Michigan beginning in 1845 and continuing through 1860. Peter was listed as a Carpenter in 1850. He died in 1862 and is buried at Osseo, Hillsdale Co., Michigan in East Hill Cemetery.

Images of Peter Reed Harring's (aka Herring) Account in Jacob Post, Sr.'s Tannery Ledger

Debit Page (2A Bottom) for Peter Herring's (aka Harring) Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Credit Page (2B Bottom) for Peter Herring's (aka Harring) Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Note that Peter's debits appear in two different places on the debit page image, separated by two other brief accounts. Jacob Post, Sr. probably was returning to the front part of his ledger to find unused space after filling the rest of the tannery ledger over the years since he began it in 1811.

Transcription of Peter Reed Harring's (aka Herring) Account

Peter Herring [Harring]		Debit			Peter Herring [Harring]		Credit
Date	Description	₤	S	d	Date	Description	₤	S	d
May 5, 1827	To two Skins	0	16	0	No Date	Credit By one hide wt 40 lb	0	16	0
December 6, 1827	To Leather	1	9	6
January 4, 1828	To ½ Side of uper [upper] got Peter Read	0	13	0
	To one Saf [calf?] skin got by Peter Read	0	14	0
April 20, 1828	To 6 bushels of weet [wheat] To one Sheap [sheep] Skin	0	4	0
	To one Side of Soalleather [sole leather] wt 11¼ lb	1	2	6
	Subtotal [not shown] =	4	19	0		Subtotal [not shown] =	0	16	0
December 1, 1828	To one Skin	1	0	0
	To 2/1 [½] Side of Soleather [sole leather] wt 6½ lb	0	13	0
	And ½ Side of uper [upper] got by Lukes [Lukas]	0	13	0
	Total [not shown] =	7	5	0		Total [not shown] =	0	16	0

Peter Reed Harring's (aka Herring) Purchases and Credits

Peter bought leather over a period of less than 2 years in 1827-1828. He would have been in his late 20s and living in Fleming, probably on his mother's property. Where Peter lived in the Town of Fleming is not clear but may have been in the vicinity of Fleming village given his father's burial at Fleming Hill (Rural) Cemetery. He did not live in the immediate vicinity of Jacob Post, Sr.'s tannery near Owasco Lake but appeared in the 1830 census several pages away from the Posts and Petersons  who lived along the western shore.

Peter's purchases were mainly of various types of leather, both sole leather and upper leather. In addition, he bought two unspecified skins, a sheepskin, and 6 bushels of wheat. The value of the wheat is somewhat unclear. Jacob made an entry of 4 shillings after the the sheepskin and entered nothing after the wheat. One or the other or both may have cost 4 shillings. Another entry concerns an item that appears as "Saf skin," as near as can be made out. Possibly it was for calfskin.

A "Peter Read" picked up several of the items for Peter Harring. This surname likely should have been spelled Reed, the maiden name of Peter Reed Harring's mother, given that "Peter Read" appears to have been a relative living in his household. Another leather purchase was picked up by "Lukes," probably Lucas, surname unknown but presumably a member of Peter Harring's household.

Peter Harring had only one undated credit entry shown, a hide weighing 40 pounds and valued at 16 shillings. This credit was against debits summing to 7 pounds 5 shillings. Peter appears to have owed Jacob a net of 6 pounds 9 shillings. There is no record of how, or if, Peter paid the balance of his account. Nevertheless, Jacob X'd out the account, indicative of payment in some fashion.

Account of John Roraboc (aka John Roraback) in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr.

John Roraback

Storke (1879: p. 422) identifies John Roraback as of German origin and an early settler of the Town of Scipio, Cayuga Co., New York. Roraback later removed to "Crooked Lake," an historical name for Keuka Lake based on its forked shape. The family surname suffered from a variety of phonetic spellings. The Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr. shows the name as John Roraboc. Other variants were "Roorbach," "Rorabaugh," "Roerbach," and "Roreback."

Census and Tax Data

John Roraback may have settled briefly in the Town of Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York before 1800 because he appears there in the Tax Assessment Rolls of 1800.

Jno Roreback; Assessment Year: 1800; Assessment Place: Aurelius, Cayuga, New York, USA; Residence Year: 1800; Residence Place: New York, USA; Transcription:  'Roreback, Jno.  [Description] Barn and Farm  [Real Estate] $100  [Personal Estate] $46  [Total Amount] $146  [State Tax] $0.15  [County Tax] $0.10'

-- New York (State), Comptroller's Office. Tax Assessment Rolls of Real and Personal Estates, 1799–1804. Series B0950 (26 reels). Microfilm. New York State Archives, Albany, New York. [From Ancestry.com]

John's real estate, valued at $100, probably represented a fairly small property because other farms in the town had values two to five times (or more) higher.  The quoted tax record does not identify where in the Town of Aurelius John was located, the entries being in alphabetical order. Part of Aurelius was taken off as the Town of Fleming (Cayuga County) in 1823 so John may have been located in either of today's towns.

The 1800 federal census for the Town of Scipio shows the family of a "John Roorbach," believed to be the same person as the man who paid taxes that year in Aurelius. This must be the year that John settled in Scipio, as referenced by Storke. The census data reveal that John and his wife had three additional young males and four additional young females in their household. Both John and his wife are listed as between 26 and 44 years old.

A "John Rorabaugh" appears in the 1810 federal census for Scipio. He and his wife were listed as 45 or more years old. Their births thus would have occurred no later than 1765. Two boys and two girls appear in John's household in this census. It may be that three of the four children appearing in the previous census as age 10 or older had, if living, established their own households by 1810.

Consistent with Storke's reference to John Roraback removing from Scipio to "Crooked Lake," a "John Roerbach" appears in the 1820 federal census for the Town of Milo (later incorporated in Yates County), Ontario Co., New York. Milo abuts the eastern shore of Keuka Lake. John's household in 1820 included four males and three females in addition to John and his wife. Some of these household members may have included one or more of John's married children with spouses.

John Roraback's Death

John died on 19 January 1829 in Yates Co., New York. At the time of his death, his wife was listed as Ann Margaret Roraback with the implication that he had been married more than once. Names of heirs in the written record are somewhat confusing. Children John, Adam, and Nancy are listed as heirs at law. Betsey and Peggy appear to be children of a first marriage and their respective spouses were Alexander McConnell and James McConnell. Two other children, Jacob and Polly, are listed as children of Ann Margaret Roraback, but not as heirs, so may have been deceased or stepchildren of John Roraback.

Name: John Roraback; Event Type: Death; Event Date: 19 Jan 1829; Spouse's Name: Ann Margaret Roraback; Digital Folder Number: 004696957; Image Number: 00805

-- New York, Yates County, Swann Vital Records Collection, 1723-2009," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJ8B-XSTR : 12 March 2018), John Roraback, 19 Jan 1829; citing Death, , Yates County Genealogical and Historical Society and Oliver Museum and Underwood Museum, Yates.

Images of John Roraback's (aka Roraboc) Account in Jacob Post, Sr.'s Tannery Ledger

Debit Page (2A Top) for John Roraboc's (aka Roraback) Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Credit Page (2B Top) for John Roraboc's (aka Roraback) Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Transcription of John Roraback's (aka Roraboc) Account

John Roraboc [Roraback]		Debit			John Roraboc [Roraback]		Credit
Date	Description	₤	S	d	Date	Description	₤	S	d
October 8, 1810	To Sundries	8	2	4	January 4, 1811	By Sundries	5	14	2
November 21, 1811	To Leather	2	14	0	November 21, 1811	By Sundries	1	9	2
October 6, 1812	To ½ Side of uperleather [upper leather] And	0	14	0	November 21, 1811	By Sundries	1	4	0
	½ Side of Soalleather [sole leather]	1	0	6	December 16, 1812	By two hids [hides] wt 161 lb	3	4	5
December 16, 1812	To ½ Side of uperleather [upper leather] And ½ Side of Soalleather [sole leather]	1	9	6	November 4, 1813	By Cash	4	12	7
September 17, 1813	To one Side of Soalleather [sole leather] – wt 22 lb	2	4	0
	Total =	16	4	4		Total =	16	4	4
November 4, 1813	To ½ Side of Soalleather [sole leather] wt 5¾ lb	0	11	6
November 10, 1813	To one Side of uperleather [upper leather]	1	12	0	February 14, 1814	By Cash	2	3	6
	Total =	2	3	6		Total =	2	3	6

John Roraback's (aka Roraboc) Purchases and Credits

Jacob Post, Sr.'s Tannery Ledger was put into use in November 1811 after being drafted by Dr. Jacob Bogart. John Roraback's account must have existed in earlier account books of Jacob Post, Sr. because a balance of 8 pounds 2 shillings and 4 pence dating from October 1810 was brought forward to the new ledger. A credit of 5 pounds 14 shillings and 2 pence in John's favor dating from January 1811 was brought forward as well.

John Roraback purchased leather from Jacob Post, Sr. during the fall of the year in each of 1811, 1812, and 1813. This would indicate that John worked with leather during the winter season when field work was done until the subsequent spring. Most of the leather purchased was of the classes called "upper leather" and "sole leather," presumably based on their respective suitable characteristics (thickness and stiffness) for making the upper parts and soles of boots and shoes. John spent roughly ₤2 each year for leather.

John offset his purchases in November 1811 by providing Jacob Post, Sr. with "sundries." We can't know what the sundries were, but they may well have consisted of green hides or farm products such as grain, fruits, or vegetables. The following year, it was in fact two hides that John applied to his credit account with Jacob. John paid cash in November 1813 to settle his account in full before proceeding on the same day to get another winter's worth of leather. These debits were settled by cash in February 1814.

We can see that John Roraback was an honorable man who settled his accounts. The fact that John bought no more leather after late winter 1814 may indicate that 1814 was the year in which he removed to Milo, Ontario Co. (later Yates Co.), New York near Keuka Lake where he was censused in 1820.

Charles William "Max" White: Auburn's Forgotten Literary Son - Part III

Max White Returns to Writing

In The Blazing Light, Max White's Third Novel

The movements of Max White immediately after his discharge from the U.S. Army late 1944 are not clear. He may have returned to New York City for a time, but an article published in November 1946 referenced Max setting up in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana to write after his Army service.

Max's third novel, In The Blazing Light, was published in New York City by Duell, Sloan & Pearce on 18 January 1946. This book was based on the life of the Spanish painter, Goya, as described in a Kirkus Review [NOTE:  The year of publication given in the Kirkus Review appears to be incorrect from other sources]. Back in Auburn, The Citizen-Advertiser took note of the book's publication when the paper announced that well-known radio host, Mary Margaret McBride, would interview Max White on her New York City show several days later.

Max White, author of the recently published novel, "In the Blazing Light," which romanticizes the life of Goya, the great Spanish painter, will be interviewed by Mary Margaret McBride at 1 o'clock Monday afternoon over Station WEAF in New York. "In the Blazing Light" is the Auburn author's third novel. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. William J. White of 139 East Genesee Street.

-- Thomas Tryniski (scan), Roger Post (transcriber), Auburn Author In Radio Interview (Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, The Citizen-Advertiser, Saturday, 19 January 1946), Old Fulton New York Post Cards http://www.fultonhistory.com

How I Feed My Friends, A Cookbook By Max White

Max White departed from his previous work with publication of How I Feed My Friends:  One Hundred Sunday Night Dishes by Duell, Sloan & Pearce on 21 August 1946 in New York City. This book is described in a Kirkus Review. After the cookbook's publication, Max celebrated by hosting a Sunday night buffet of his own preparation, attended by literary notables such as Taylor Caldwell as well as by Clementine Paddleford, the noted Food Writer of the New York Herald Tribune. A pleasant gathering, one suspects, but possibly an astute publicity move as well! In Auburn, The Citizen-Advertiser published excerpts of Paddleford's Herald Tribune article.

Max White, Auburn novelist, son of Mr. and Mrs. William J. White of 139 East Genesee Street, is saluted as "Sunday Night Host" by Clementine Paddleford in a feature article on food in the Sunday magazine section of the New York Herald Tribune of November 24. In an illustration topping the article Mr. White is shown passing a dish of own concoction to such celebrated fellow novelists as Fannie Hurst and Miss Taylor Caldwell, among others. The party that the food specialist at the Herald Tribune writes about--she was among the score and more guests--was held recently in New York in honor of the former Auburnian's newest, a gayly written cookbook called "How I Feed My Friends, or One Hundred Sunday Night Supper Dishes." It was a Sunday night buffet party, with Max White doing the hosting, and also the cooking. . . . Of her Sunday night host the Herald Tribune food expert says: "A dozen years ago Max took a studio in Woodstock, N. Y., to finish a novel. With no restaurants in the town, it was cook or starve. He began cooking. His friends liked his chow so he made it a practice to have Sunday night suppers and entertain in the kitchen. Delighted guests pestered him to write out the recipes. He decided to put the best of the lot in a book. War interrupted both cookbook and novel and he forgot the whole business. Out of the Army, he set up for writing again, this time in New Orleans. Between bouts with a novel he wrote his cookbook."

-- Thomas Tryniski (scan), Roger Post (transcriber), Auburn Novelist Is Sunday Night Host and Cook for Some Literary Cronies (Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, The Citizen-Advertiser, Tuesday, 26 November 1946), Old Fulton New York Post Cards http://www.fultonhistory.com

Max White Visits Auburn, New York for the Wedding of a Friend

The wedding of Mrs. Barbara Watson Chamberlain to Archibald W. Green on 10 June 1947 drew Max White back to Auburn to attend the social event. Barbara Watson Chamberlain was the widow of Rudolph Wilson Chamberlain, the newspaper editor who had hired Max, as Charles William White, back in late 1930 to be Associate Editor and Editorial Writer for The Auburn Advertiser-Journal. Rudolph Chamberlain had died in 1945. Max apparently remained close enough to the Chamberlain family over the years to be motivated to attend Barbara's remarriage after traveling from New Orleans. It is less likely, but possible, that Max was also acquainted with Lt. Col. Green from World War II service because both had served in North Africa.

It seems safe to assume that Max enjoyed a visit with his parents while he was Auburn. His father, William J. White, would die 2 years later. It is possible that this trip was the last time that Max and his father saw each other, so far as newspaper accounts can tell us.

The Midnight Gardener, Max White's Fourth Novel

Published on 4 August 1948 by Harper & Brothers at New York City, The Midnight Gardener was Max White's fourth published novel. The Midnight Gardener, based on the life of the French poet, Baudelaire, has a Kirkus Review. The Citizen-Advertiser ran a story on Max's latest novel and again included quotes from a review by the New York Herald Tribune, this time by Ray Pierre.

Max White's newest work is entitled "The Midnight Gardener." It is the story of Charles Baudelaire, nineteenth century French poet, depicting his turbulent life. It is described as a story of "genius and madness." Following are excerpts from a review by Ray Pierre in the book section of the New York Herald Tribune: "Max White's novels are no mere period pieces. . . . The hero of his latest book 'The Midnight Gardener,' is an even more tortured, complex genius, the poet, Charles Baudelaire. Mr. White delves beneath the outward symptoms of a disorganized life to reveal the emotional and artistic development of one of France's greatest poets. Mr. White's novel suffers from the very richness of his material. It is often repetitious, its dialogue is occasionally over-long and stilted, its descriptive passages fulsome. But despite these flaws it is noteworthy for it success in recreating Baudelaire as a living, suffering person.". . . Max White has been living in Paris and Rome recently and now is in New Orleans, with plans for another novel on the Harper fall list.

-- Thomas Tryniski (scan), Roger Post (transcriber), Max White's Novel on Life of Baudelaire, French Poet, Appears (Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, The Citizen-Advertiser, Thursday, 19 August 1948), Old Fulton New York Post Cards http://www.fultonhistory.com

The preceding reference to Max White living in Paris and Rome before publication of The Midnight Gardener has not been verified with other references, unless it referred back to the period before the War.

The Man Who Carved Women From Wood, Max White's Fifth Novel

Harper & Brothers published Max's fifth novel, The Man Who Carved Women From Wood, on 14 September 1949 at New York City. A review of his latest work by Elise Beauchamp in the The Times-Picayune of that city was not favorable, not least because the reviewer believed that the book painted a false picture of New Orleans. In the words of Ms. Beauchamp, "It is shudder inspiring, to contemplate what the editors of Harper's must picture the city of New Orleans as being like." The reviewer also objected to "wooden" and unrealistic characters.

On the other hand, W. G. Rogers, although not enamored with the novel, reviewed Max's book in a more balanced way in The Ithaca Journal. Rogers found that, "White, whose previous evocations of creative workers have been very worthwhile, may again be interpreting the artistic spirit. But I think he's just having fun; it's an exercise in fancy, he lets his imagination run, and gleefully lifts his hands from the wheel."

The Man Who Carved Women From Wood has a Kirkus Review, which describes the book's characters in some detail.

Max White's Later Years and Unpublished Works

Max White's Travels (1949-1953)

Publication of  The Man Who Carved Women From Wood marked a turning point in Max White's career. Although he continued to write novels and plays, Max's later works remained unpublished and thus his movements and activities went largely unrecorded in the newspapers of the day. William J. White, Max's father, died at Auburn in August 1949, almost exactly 1 month before Max's fifth novel was published. Max was still living in New Orleans at that time. If Max traveled to Auburn for his father's funeral, it was not recorded in the Auburn newspaper.

The timing of Max's removal from New Orleans is not known. However, Max spent time in Italy, France, and Spain in 1951. When he returned to New York City from Le Havre, France aboard the Aquitania in November of that year, his address was listed as 247 Waverly Place in Manhattan. Presumably, he had taken up residence in New York City before his trip to Europe.

The Citizen-Advertiser published an article in 1952 that mentioned Max White among prominent alumni of the Auburn newspaper and its predecessors. The article referenced Max's travels in Europe and stated that he was then (1952) living in Colorado. But, by the time of his mother's death in September 1953, Max was again living in New Orleans. An Auburn newspaper article in 1954 refers to Max being in Auburn in 1953, presumably during his mother's illness or to attend her funeral.

Tyrone Power Buys Screen Rights to Max White's In The Blazing Light

Film and stage star Tyrone Power announced in May 1954 that he planned to make and star in, as the Spanish painter Goya, a film based on Max White's book, In The Blazing Light. This story was picked up by The Citizen-Advertiser at Auburn.

Tyrone Power, stage and film star, has announced, according to New York papers, that he is going to star in "In The Blazing Light," story of the life of Goya, Spanish painter, which he will produce independently in Spain next year. Based on the novel of the same name by Max White, Auburn author, the film will be produced by Mr. Power's Copa Productions. Mr. White left Auburn a year ago after having spent much time previously in Spain, France and Italy. He went from here to New Orleans, thence to California and at present is in New York City. . . . The New York Herald Tribune quotes Tyrone Power as saying: "I've always wanted to do Goya's life, because he was not only a great painter but also a great matador. The possibilities of excitement are tremendous. Also, we have the assurance of the Spanish government that we will have their co-operation in making the film.". . .

-- Thomas Tryniski (scan), Roger Post (transcriber), Auburn Author's Book to Be Filmed (Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, The Citizen-Advertiser, Wednesday, 26 May 1954), Old Fulton New York Post Cards http://www.fultonhistory.com

Tyrone Power's plan to make the referenced movie does not seem to have been carried out in practice. He only lived another 4 years, during which time he starred in eight other movies. Copa Productions made only three movies, none of them In The Blazing Light.

Max White's Hobbies

We know from the reviews of  How I Feed My Friends that Max enjoyed cooking for, and entertaining, his friends. The critical review of The Man Who Carved Women From Wood by Elise Beauchamp in the The Times-Picayune contains the following passage:  "White may be an excellent cook and an interesting companion and possessed of a wonderful collection of rugs, but he certainly is an uninspired novelist. . . ." Here we learn that Max was a collector of rugs.

Max White's Unpublished Manuscripts

Max White's papers were donated to the Princeton University Library by Princeton graduate Thomas Colchie in 2014. Colchie is a literary agent, editor, and translator. The papers consist of manuscripts comprising Max's unpublished works and his correspondence. As may be seen, Max's manuscripts include seven novels and five plays, plus a number of shorter works. He apparently continued to write in his later years. Had even a small number of these works been published, the name "Max White" may not have sunken into obscurity.

Max White's Travels (1958-1978) and Death (1978)

Letters relating to a planned collaboration between Alice B. Toklas (Gertrude Stein's partner) and Max to write an actual autobiography of Alice (as opposed to the one Stein famously wrote) show that Max was living in Paris during the first half of 1958. Max cancelled a contract with the planned publisher of the Toklas book in June 1958 and returned to New York City. How long Max had been in Paris before 1958 is not certain. Max may have again returned to Paris after 1958. Don Skemer writes in the RBSC Manuscripts Division News that Max spent many of his later years in Paris. In the end, however, Max seems to have resided in Manhattan. Raymond Theodore White, Max's older brother, died at Auburn in 1975, at which time Max was listed as living in New York City. Max died on 31 January 1978 with his last residence listed as "New York, New York, New York," (i.e., Manhattan) in the Social Security Death Index.

I have found neither an obituary for Charles William "Max" White nor a place of burial.

Resources For Locating Books By Charles William "Max" White

Cornell University Library

• Title: Anna Becker; Author: White, Charles William, 1906-; Language: English; Call number: PS3545.H667 A8; Location: Library Annex https://newcatalog.library.cornell.edu/catalog/2362804
• Title: Tiger tiger; Author: White, Charles William, 1906-; Language: English; Call number:  PS3545.H667 T5; Location:  Library Annex
  https://newcatalog.library.cornell.edu/catalog/2362808
• Title: In the blazing light; Author: White, Charles William, 1906-; Language: English; Call number:  PS3545.H667 I3; Location:  Library Annex https://newcatalog.library.cornell.edu/catalog/2362805
• Title: The midnight gardener; Author: White, Charles William, 1906-; Language: English; Call number:  PS3545.H667 M6; Location:  Olin Library https://newcatalog.library.cornell.edu/catalog/2362806

-- Cornell University Library information provided by Linda Post Van Buskirk

Seymour Library

The Seymour Library in Auburn had copies of some of Max White's books in the era in which they were published. It is possible that these copies still exist.

Booksellers

Max White's books are available on the used books market. AbeBooks has most of them, as does Amazon. E-bay and Etsy have some as well.

Charles William "Max" White: Auburn's Forgotten Literary Son - Part II

Max White, Author of Fiction

Max White's Early Literature

Charles William White settled in New York City following his return from France in 1933. Charles must have been engaged in creative writing from this time forward although he may have begun even earlier during his stays in France and Spain. In either case, Charles had assumed the pen name "Max White" by 1934 and had gained publication of a group of his short stories that year. One of these stories, A Pair of Shoes, was chosen for republication by Houghton, Mifflin Company in Edward J. O'Brien's Best Short Stories - 1935. Other authors appearing in O'Brien's 1935 selections included William Faulkner, Erskine Caldwell, Sarah Haardt, William Saroyan, Allan Seager, Thomas Wolfe, and Morley Callaghan.

Max White Among the Literati and Artists

Charles William "Max" White (1906-1978)
Alice Neel, Max White, 1935, oil on linen, Smithsonian American Art Museum, © 1970, HARTLEY S. NEEL, Museum purchase, 1989.14

Max White was a member of the arts community in and around Greenwich Village, Manhattan, during the 1930s, according to Don Skemer of the Manuscripts Division of the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library. One of Max's friends was the artist, Alice Neel, who painted his portrait (above) in 1935 and another in 1961. Among other friends in later years were Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. Stein was enthusiastic about Max's literary work as indicated by her correspondence to Max in the Princeton archive of Max's manuscripts and correspondence.

Anna Becker, Max White's First Novel

Stackpole Sons of New York City published Max White's first novel, Anna Becker, on 15 February 1937. The book received a favorable review by Rose C. Feld of the New York Herald Tribune, parts of which were quoted in The Citizen-Advertiser.

Max White, a newcomer in the field of long fiction, has written a book that will place him in the forefront of the younger novelists. "Anna Becker" as a novel and as a heroine defies classification and is insistent in demand for speculative attention. Rarely are originality of plot, characterization and style so finely welded to make a powerful structure. The conventional-minded may find flaws in expression and unevenness in flow of narrative, but Max White has written no conventional novel and obviously has no use for conventional tools. . . . The book moves with the undertones of swift rushing water under ice. . . . With brilliant technique White builds his characters into persons with flesh and blood. Some will compare his style to Faulkner and some to Hemingway. It is neither. It is straight White, distilled out of complexity that finds expression on the page with confounding simplicity that may be mistake for naivete. "Anna Becker" is the story of a woman who is shocked into emotional and intellectual integrity by physical assault. . . . What Max White has achieved is making credible the development of a situation which in the hands of a tyro would have turned into an artificial melodrama.

-- Thomas Tryniski (scan), Roger Post (transcriber), First Novel by Young Auburnian Wins Exceptional Encomiums, Striking Originality Acclaimed (Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, The Citizen-Advertiser, Monday, 15 February 1937), Old Fulton New York Post Cards http://www.fultonhistory.com

A Kirkus Review exists for this book as well. Anna Becker was published in England ca. July 1937. This month saw Max White traveling to Auburn to visit his parents at 139 East Genesee Street before returning to New York City where he was working on two more novels.

The Lady of Respectability, A Novella

Max White again visited his parents in Auburn in July 1938. He spent some or all of the winter of 1938-39 in California before returning to New York City where his novella, "The Lady of Respectability," was featured in the March-April 1939 issue of Story magazine as "the novella of the month." Max's short novel was about 50 pages in length. Later, in July 1939, Max again came to Auburn to visit his parents. He repeated this trip in June 1940 at which time he anticipated publication of his next novel in the fall.

Tiger, Tiger, Max White's Second Novel

Duell, Sloan & Pearce published Max White's second novel, Tiger, Tiger, in October 1940. Gertrude Stein, author of The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, was favorably impressed by White's work, as indicated in a Kirkus Review of Tiger, Tiger. At Auburn, The Citizen-Advertiser took notice of Max White's new novel.

In a review of the book published in Sunday's Herald-Tribune "Books," Florence Haxton Bullock referred to it as "a fascinating record giving the whole story--mental, moral, emotional, technical--of the growth of an artist." The review concluded by saying, "Here is an excellent novel of a painter's life, as earthy and detailed less exotic, but almost as dramatic as the novelized lives of Van Gogh and Gauguin."

-- Thomas Tryniski (scan), Roger Post (transcriber), 'Tiger Tiger,' New Novel by Max White, Reviewed in Herald Tribune (Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, The Citizen-Advertiser, Wednesday, 16 October 1940), Old Fulton New York Post Cards http://www.fultonhistory.com

A much more lengthy review of Tiger, Tiger appeared in The Citizen-Advertiser the following month.

It may be superfluous to probe the meaning of an author's title, but when Max White chose 'Tiger Tiger' for his new novel of an artist's struggle to find his own true medium of expression, he invited conjecture. Mr. White . . . may have meant that Blake's tiger, "burning bright in the forests of the night," is "the relentless force of genius," as one critic suggests; but we prefer to believe that - the tiger is human nature, neither sentimentalized nor depraved but just it a-moral self, fierce with the lust of life, challenging mortal hand or eye to frame its fearful symmetry. This is where the artist comes in; for it is John Martin's struggle to frame human nature searchingly but without over-emphasis, to learn from other artists only to promote his own originality, that is the real story. The physical action, therefore, is subordinate to the inner progress. . . . it is the artist's pilgrimage, influenced but not conditioned by geographical change, that is the meat of the book. . . . Many of the pictures Max White draws are unforgettable, particularly those in the Spanish sequence, though one needs a hardihood to approach some of them, so cruel they are in their understatement of brutality. . . . And yet in John Martin one sees a great deal of Max White. An artist in words has chosen the symbols of another art to delineate the stages in his own creative development. . . . Max White's diction is like the brushwork of a modern painter, and he has cultivated it with the same fidelity. His sentences are uneven strokes, applied in different directions to his prose canvas. . . . the impact of the whole is undeniable. . . . the events which have a way of happening outside the will of the characters, the descriptions, three-dimensional rather than the flat posters of average fiction; even the characters most of them, especially the Spanish father and the French girl Claire, drawn with exceptional insight. . . . R. W. C."

-- Thomas Tryniski (scan), Roger Post (transcriber), 'Tiger Tiger,' New Novel by Max White Tells of Artist's Struggle (Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, The Citizen-Advertiser, Tuesday, 12 November 1940), Old Fulton New York Post Cards http://www.fultonhistory.com

Charles William "Max" White, Soldier

Charles William White enlisted as a Private on 9 April 1942, possibly under the name Max White and presumably in the U.S. Army, about 4 months after Pearl Harbor. Details of his enlistment have not been found, but it probably occurred at New York City. A U.S Department of Veterans Affairs record under the name Max White, shows a second enlistment date of 9 September 1942, the apparent date of his commission as an Army officer, because other evidence reveals that by November 1943, Charles was serving as a Company Commander in North Africa. His rank and unit have not been found. Charles was released from the Army on 25 November 1944.

To Be Continued