Family History

Stephen GASHERIE (Etienne / Estienne GASHERIE / GASCHERIE / GACHERIE / GASHERY / GASHARY etc.) was born in Marenne, Charente Maritime, France (see marriage entry further down)¹. [Estienne is the French form of the name Stephen]

There are two Gascherie families in the Marenne Reformed Church Register from 1655 to 1662, however the baptisms do not include a Stephen / Estienne :-
 

The baptisms cease from 1662 onwards.

Stephen's marriage entry records him as being born in Marenne. It would appear that he was the son of one the two families above. Perhaps they left Marenne shortly after his birth and before his baptism? As both mothers are named Judith, it is not possible to ascertain from the Marenne register which family he belongs to, however as the 2nd family includes a Jean / John, this is the most likely family. Also Stephen named his two children Jan (John / Jean) & Judith, perhaps indicating that his parents were the John & Judith in the Marenne records above (Jan being the Dutch form of John / Jean. Dutch being the prominent settlers and church in Ulster Co., New York). 

Jean Gascherie and Judith Gaschot / Gachet married on 25 Apr 1657 in the La Rochelle Reformed Church, France. There are numerous Gascherie and Gashot / Gaschet entries in the La Rochelle registers that I have transcripts for (1657-1682).

Being Huguenots the family would have faced difficulties after the 'Revocation'. The Edict of Nantes of the 13 April 1598 granted religious and civil liberties to Hugeunots, but this was revoked in 1658 by Louis XIV. After this many Huguenots fled to other parts of Europe, UK & to America.

It would appear that the Gasherie family fled to England.

• In the book of Testaments of the Threadneedle French Church is the following record :
  - 24 Nov 1686 Gachet, Judith : ve. [veuve=widow] du feu [of deceased] S^r Gacherie de Marennes. T. Pioset
  [Publications of the Huguenot Society , London - Vol.XXI, pg.113]
• A Judith Gascherie, and her sons John & Stephen, were granted Letters of Denization (a form of British Citizenship) in England on 9 Apr 1687.
  [Patent Roll S.P. Dom Car.II, Entry book 67 - The National Archives, London]

I think therefore in view of the above it is reasonable to say that Stephen was the son of Jean Gacherie & Judith Gachet.

The only other reference I have at present of the family in England is a mention in the Proceedings of the Huguenot Society of England :- 
"The King David went on to Virginia whence she returned in May 1687 with 57,000lb of tobacco, much of it for English merchant in Plymouth......... David Pappen, Stephen Gashery, Daniel Goizin and Samson Challes were also trading out of Plymouth at this time."
[Huguenot Maritime Links with 17th century Devon - article in the Proceedings of the Huguenot Society, V.25, pg.458]

This would tend to indicate that the family arrived in England prior to 1686 and perhaps Stephen resided in Plymouth, England before emigrating to America.

When the three of them migrated to America is not known. Whilst there is ample evidence of Stephen & John presence in America, there is no other evidence that their mother Judith accompanied them apart from that contained in Stephen's daughter Judith's narrative made  in 1766.

On 2 April 1696, John Gashery & Stephanus Gasherie bought a house and lot of ground in Kingston, Ulster Co., New York State.
[See transcript]
They borrowed the money from the seller, John Hamble, and signed what effectively was a deed of mortgage. The loan, £110, New York currency, was to be repaid in two installments on 1 May 1697 & 1698, in default the property reverting to John Hamble.
[See transcript]
It would appear that they paid the loan as agreed, for on 3 May 1698 John Hamble signed a deed confirming the transfer to John & Stephen.
[See transcript]

21 Apr 1697 - Receipt of Stephen Gacherie for ten pieces of eight paid him by Simeon LeRoy.
[In the Freer Papers in the New Paltz Historical Museum]

He was a witness, and executed, the will of Jan Claetz De Witt dated 1699
(Ulster County, N.Y., Probate Records, In the Office of the Surrogate, and in the County Clerk's Office at Kingston, N.Y., by Gustav Anjou - page 215)

He married Engletje SCHOONMAKER in 1699 in the Kingston Dutch Reformed Church

On 1 Nov 1699, Stephanus Gacherie took his oath for High Sheriff of Ulster and Dutches (Counties) according to Law before Coll' Jacob Rutsen whose commission bares date the (blank) and is expired within a year.
[Ulster County, New York - Deed Book AA, pg.223]
Stephen Gasherie held the office until October 1700, having succeeded Thomas Noxon. Stephen's wife's first husband, Nicholas Anthony, was high sheriff of Ulster county from October 1693 to the 28th of April 1696. ['Olde Ulster : an historical and genealogical magazine' Kingston, N. Y. Published by the Editor  Benjamin Myer Brink.] 

On 26 Jun 1700 Stephen and his wife registered a document approving their administration of the estate of a deceased. [See transcript]
 
On 23 Feb 1701/2, Stephen and his wife sold a half share of a house and lot of ground in Kingston.
[See transcript]

On 27 May 1702, Stephen further signed over his half share of the house to his brother John & wife. Stephen was joint seller with the person to whom he sold his half share. Perhaps Stephen actually sold half of his half share earlier in 1702?
[See transcript]

"Rec'd of Joras (Jonas?) Middagh upon the Acc't of Jeremiah Kettle Segnior the sume of eighteen pounds tenn shillings
Witness my hand this 26th day of February 1703/4
Gacherie
witness John Collins"
(Note - Whether this is Stephen or John is not known, the initial after the signature Gacherie is indecipherable.)
[Winterthur Library - Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts & Printed Ephemera - ref : Folder 24 - 61x66.281]

On the 10th Aug 1704 Stephen Gacherie was licenced to read ye service of ye Dutch Church at Kingston, and to keep a writing and reading School at Kingston. [See transcript]

On the 9th of October 1707 at Kingston, Ezstienne Gacherie & Anthoine Crespel certify the copy of a deed of gift as being a true copy of the original dated in 1689.
['The Schoolmaster's Lot at New Paltz' by A.J.F. vanLaer, New York Historical Assoc. Quarterly Journal, 2:2, p.100-105]

He is mentioned in the will of Antoin Crespel of Kingston, dated 6 Nov 1707 :-
"To my daughter Maria M., wife of Mattys Slegt, ..... I now give to her, for several years board, and in recognition of her great services to me, all the money which is due me from a mortgage of Moyse Le Cont and Stephanus Gacherie."
['Ulster County, N.Y. probate records ....' by G. Anjou, 1906, pg's 71-72.]
 
In 1709 Stephen sold some 114 acres of land on the Roundout Creek, Ulster County.
[See transcript]

Stephen bought a house in Bridge Street Kingston in 1713. [See transcript] 
A deed (effectivelly a mortgage) was issued by Stephen to the buyer. [See transcript] 

Also in 1713 he bought 200 acres on the Hudson River, near Kingston. [See transcript]

In 1715 he entered into a deed with some Indians for land on the Roundout Creek. It appears to be the same land that he bought in 1709. Possibly he was ratifying his former right to it from the local Indians by re-purchasing it from them, and then registering this deed. [See transcript]

"Kingstoune ye 3th day of August 1716
Then received of Capt. Charles Broadhed the summ of two pounds one shillings on Accompt of Apolonie Keyser? I say received by me the day and year aboves'd
Steph's Gasherie"
Another receipt, same text, but in different handwriting. Whether either is in Stephen's hand, or one or both are copies, cannot be ascertained.
[Winterthur Library - Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts & Printed Ephemera - ref : Folder 1 - 61x66.9 & 9a]

Ulster County, NY, Tax List  - 23 Jan 1716/17 :-
Corporation of Kingston - Stephanus Gacherie £35.

Ulster County, NY, Tax List - 18 Feb 1718/19
Corporation of Kingston - Stephanus Gasherie - £17

In 1719 he sold a house and home lot in Kingston. [See transcript]

1920 - Stephen was at one time the plaintiff in a Court case in the Mayor's Court, which was mentioned in this Court case :-
"Sarah Heard, spinster, at a trial in the Mayor's Court between Stephen Gasherie, plaintiff, and John Yarworth, defendant, concerning 10 barrels of strong beer, allegedly falsly swore that she went to the house of Bernadus Smith and his wife and that Mrs. Yarworth desired Smith to go to Yarworth's house to take away some of the beer. Sarah also said she bought shoes of Bernadus and that they lasted her but nine days. sarah is indicted for false swearing. 3 Feb. 1719/20. She pleads not guilty and gives recognizance in £20, with William Taylor, her security, in £10. 2 Aug 1720. The jury found her not guilty. 3 Aug 1720."
['New York Court Records, 1684-1760 - Genealogical Date from the Court of Quarter Sessions" by Kenneth Scott, 1982]
(I have tried to find the original case in the Mayor's Court, but the New York Archives were unable to locate the case.)

Ulster County, NY, Tax List - 25 Jan 1720/1
Corporation of Kingston - Stephanus Gasherie - £17

He was a witness to the will of Johanes Traphagen (Tappen) proved 6 Mar 1727.
(New York City Wills)

He was a witness to the will of Daniel DuBois on 16 Aug 1729.
'History of New Paltz, and its Old Families' Ralph Le Fevre, Ch VI Wills of Old People, pg 81.

He was witness to a document by Hugo Frere of New Paltz, N.Y., confirming the gift of a negro boy called Tobias, to his children Rebecca & Elizabeth, dated 14 Jun? 1731. [Document from the collections of the Huguenot Historical Society, New Paltz].

He was married to Engletje SCHOONMAKER in 1699 in Kingston Dutch Reformed Church¹ :-
"Stephanus Gasherie, j.m., born in Marenne, in Franckryck (France), and Engeltje Hendricks, born in Kingstouwn, widow of the late Niclaes Antonie, both resident in Kingstouwn. Banns published (no dates)". 
Would have been married between 30 April and 6 July 1699 according to the order of marriages.
'Baptismal and Marriage Registers : Old Dutch Church, Kingston, New York' - R Randall Hoes.

Engletje SCHOONMAKER (HENDRICKS) was christened on 18 Mar 1663 in Kingston. 

Calendar of N. Y. colonial manuscripts, indorsed land papers; in the Office of the Secretary of State of New York, 1643-1803, Land papers Vol II, pg 276
9 Apr 1700
Indian deed to Engeltie, wife of Stephen Gasherie, of a tract of vacant land lying in the County of Ulster, on the South side of the Rondout kill, at a small run of water, to the west of the land of Rochsinck, called by the Indian name Wiggewappog; thence along Randout kill, to a small run of water called by the Indian name of Warraminninck, together with a certain fall named Sanchatisinck, adjoining unto said land.
land papers - [LDS film #947853]

Children were:

i. Jan GASHERIE was born 29 March 1700 in Kingston, Ulster Co., New York State. He married Maria Hasbrouk on 14 Oct 1734 at New Paltz, Ulster Co., New York State.
ii  Judith GASHERIE  was christened on 30 May 1702.

Stephen married 2nd to Marie Koolvelt before 1710. No marriage has been found but his 2nd wife is identified in the following christenings of their 2 children :-

1. Sarah was christened on 7 May 1719 in the Old Dutch Church of Kingston (under surname Gasery).²
2. Stefanus was christened on 1 Nov 1713 in the Old Dutch Church of Kingston (under surname Gasery).²

Sources :-
1. Kingston Marriage Register transcript. 
2. 'Baptismal and Marriage Registers of the Old Dutch Church of Kingston' by Roswell Randall Hoes, 1891.