Notes for: William (Wilhelm Bodyn) Bodine

Recent DNA testing (2008) seems to show that this William Bodine is somehow related to Jean Bodin of Medis, France. Maybe they had a common ancestor back in France or maybe William is a descendant of Jean Bodin. The connection is unclear.

The following information comes from the web site "Ulster County, New York queries" located at "http://www.hopefarm.com/ulsquery.htm".

30.. BODINE OR BODYN (2/23/97)
I need the names of and information about the parents and children of a William Bodine (or Wilhelm who BODYN) who was b abt 1710 in Wallkill, Montgomery Twp, Ulster/Orange Co., NY. He m bef abt 1730 and lived in Montgomery, Ulster/Orange Co., NY until aft 1742. He was the father of the William BODINE who a Private in the Orange Co Militia, 4th Reg. Ulster Co, NY during the American Rev. Two other known children were Peter BODINE (or Pieter BODYN), b abt 1732, and Jacob BODINE, b 15 May 1742, d 27 Nov 1824. Some family records are found in the records of the old Dutch (or German) Reformed Church of Montgomery NY.

Paul Wood

Other information on this family came from Betty A. Roach:

Good Evening, I am working on the Bodine Line from NY. The last person I have is William Bodine/Bodyn born about 1715 in Walkill, Montgomery, NY. He married in 1733, I don't have his wife's name, and their children were Peter, William and Jacob. Our ancestor is William, and he married Maria Melsbach abt. 1757 in Montgomery, Orange, NY. Their children were Susanna, Francis, James, Benjamin, Catherine, Mary and John. The family then moved to Hamilton Co. Ohio and were carriage makers. Do you have any information on this family. I would greatly appreciate any help you could be. Thanks, Betty A. Roach

The following comes from "New England Families Genealogical and Memorial," Third Series, volume 3. It may apply to this William or his son. It seems to have some mistakes, but it does provide some clues that might help work out William's genealogy.

William Bodine, grandson or greatgrandson of Jean, was born about 1720. Unquestionably he belonged to the family of Jean Bodine, but the record of his birth has not been found. He was granted a large tract of land in Montgomery, in the village of Walden, and his homestead was occupied by several generations of his descendants. His name appears on the town records often, from 1768 to 1778, and also the name of Peter Bodine, doubtless his, son. Jacob Bodine also settled early in Walden with sons Charles and Lewis. He was also a son of William, it is believed, but possibly a brother, According to the Census of 1790 there were several Bodine families at Walden, Orange County. William Bodine had four males over sixteen, one under that age and five females; Jacob Sr. had four males over sixteen, two under that age and six females, indicating perhaps that he was as old as William. John, Lewis and Peter also had families. Moses and James Bodine were living in Walden in 1812. During the civil war Henry, Meron, Courtland and John Bodine enlisted from Walden. The brief town history tells us that Peter Bodine, son of William, married Mary Milspaugh and had eleven children, of whom Sylvester had a son Frederick, born 1835, a resident of Montgomery.

I have a William Bodine/Bowen who married a Cornelia Potman on February 15, 1732 at the Schenectady Dutch Reformed church in Schenectady, New York. This must be in the records there, but should be doublechecked. (It has now. See Ann's message just below.) The marriage record appears to say something like "jm, born Woesyne. jd, born in here lives Maquaas land." I guess this means that he was a young man born in Woesyne and she was a young woman born in Schenectady and living in Maquaas land. I'm not sure where either one of those places is. This needs checking. The marriage date would work for the William from Ulster County, but Ulster is quite a ways, about 90 miles, from Schenectady. The William from Ulster was supposedly born around 1710 or 1715 in Wallkill, Montgomery County, New York. This was stated several times, but no source was given. I wonder what the proof for his being born in Wallkill is.

From: Ann Messecar [annmess28 at yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, February 14, 2021
Subject: The mysterious Ulster County Bodines (from Ann)

Hi Dave,
I thought this might help with the hunt for the father of those Bodines in Ulster County.

The marriage listed in the records as "William (Boden?) and Cornelia Potman" is NOT a marriage record for William Bodin, but for William Bowen.

I think you'll find that Cornelia is the daughter of Victor Jans Potman (Pullman) and Grietje Pieterse Mabel, living in "Maquaas" near Schenectady, NY.
Cornelia has 2 sisters married soon after her...
Anna Potman with husband Isaak Callier.
Mary Potman and husband Cornelis Bowen. A Bowen!
That started me looking at Bowens and I found a William Bowen (brother of Cornelis) and his wife, Cornelia, baptizing a child, John Bowen, January 26, 1734, in Schenectady, NY. Two brothers marrying two sisters and it's in the right location.

Just ruling out a Bodyn marriage with Cornelia Potman.
Ann

From Ronny Bodine:

Orange County was one of the first twelve counties established in the Province of New York in 1683. Because of its small population, it was not fully independent and shared government functions with other counties. The first court was not established until 1801. In 1798, the southernmost towns in Ulster County were moved into Orange County, to compensate Orange County for breaking away the southernmost portion of that county to form Rockland County.

Eager, Samuel W.. An outline history of Orange County : with an enumeration of the names of its towns, villages, rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds, mountains, hills and other known localities, and their etymologies or historical reasons therefor : together with local traditions and short biographical sketches of early settlers, etc.. Newburgh N.Y.: S.T. Callahan, 1846-1847.
p. 265, the Bodines were Huguenots. "Some of these individuals we find on the town record as early as 1768:--the families had, no doubt, been there twenty years or more before that time.

1683-- the Province of New York established its first twelve counties, among which were Orange and Ulster County. The territory embraced in the present town of Montgomery was originally covered by Shawangunk Precinct in which relation it remained until 17 Dec 1743 when it was constituted a part of Wallkill Precinct.
1743, 17 Dec-- Shawangunk Precinct and Wallkill Precinct are organized.
1772, 24 March-- Wallkill Precinct was divided into the Precincts of Wallkill and Hanover.
1782--The inhabitants of Hanover Precinct obtained approval to rename the precinct Montgomery.
1788, 7 March--All precincts become towns--Montgomery, Newburgh, New Windsor, New Marlborough, Shawangunk and Wallkill.
1798, 5 April--the towns of New Windsor, Newburgh, Montgomery, Deer Park and Wallkill are annexed to Orange County.

The name of William Bodine has been used as the earliest ancestor of this family, yet, there has been no evidence that this man actually existed. A large number of Bodines appear in Orange County around the 1750s, many of roughly the same age, and in all liklihood many are siblings, though their precise relationships to each other remain unproven. Many Bodines served as sponsors to the baptisms of the children of other Bodines at the Brick Reformed Church of Montgomery in Orange County, yet, one is unclear if these sponsors were siblings, nephew or nieces, or cousins. Onomastically speaking, there is no doubt they all originate from one family. For the sake of convenience, it is here assumed that the progenitor was indeed a William Bodine and that the named children were his, until evidence can be found that refutes this. No Bodines are included in the lengthy militia lists of the 1730s and 1740s when they should have been, leaving the question if they were indeed present in the Orange-Ulster County area. One tantalizing piece is an entry in the marriage records of the First Reformed Church of Schenectady Dutch Reformed Church:

1732--Feb. 6. banns proclaimed, married Feb. 15. William (Boden?) j.m. born in the Woestyne and Cornelia potman, j.d. born at schoenegthede, both living in Maquass Land. [Translated it would read William (Boden?), young man born in the Woestyne and Cornelia Potman, young woman born at Schenectady, both living in the Mohawk Land. What Woestyne alludes to remains a mystery. Could this refer to the first William Bodine or is it just coincidental? As the name Cornelia never appears in the family among the Orange County Bodines it seems more likely the two men are unrelated.]

Determining birth dates:
PETER BODINE. Born about 1732. Married in 1753, his birth may have occured in 1732 if he was at least 21 at the time. There is no known record that refers to his age.
ISAAC BODINE. Born 1733-4. He was 24 when he enlisted in April 1758.
LEWIS BODINE. Born 1734-5. He was 23 when he enlisted in April 1758.
MARY BODINE. Born about 1736. Her eldest child was bapt. 29 March 1757. Assuming an age of 20 at marriage, perhaps she was born about 1736.
WILLIAM BODINE. Born 1737-8. He was 20 when he enlisted in April 1758.
JANE BODINE. Born about 1741. She married 30 April 1761 and if 20 at the time places her birth about 1741.
JACOB BODINE. Born 23 May 1742. His birth date is established from his age at death in 1824 as inscribed on his grave marker.
HESTER BODINE. Born about 1744. She married 14 April 1764 and if 20 at the time places her birth about 1744.
SUSAN or SUSANNAH BODINE. Born about 1745. Her first child was bapt. in Oct 1766, if married the year before and aged 20, she would have been born 1745.
ANN BODINE. Born about 1751. Her first child was bapt. 4 Oct 1772. Assuming her marriage in 1771 at age 20, her birth would have occured in 1751.

Determining relationships:
PETER BODINE: His son William was sponsored in 1758 by Jane Bodine Velten, his son John was sponsored in 1760 by Lew Bodine, and his daughter Mary was sponsored in 1767 by William Bodine.
LEWIS BODINE: His daughter Ann was sponsored in 1766 by Ann Bodine, his daughter Eleanor was sponsored in 1768 by Mary Bodine Kimbark.
MARY BODINE: Her daughter Margariet was sponsored in 1762 by Jacob Bodine.
WILLIAM BODINE: His son William was sponsored in 1758 by Johannes and Jane (Bodine) Velten, his son John was sponsored in 1760 by Lewis Bodine, and his daughter Maria was sponsored in 1767 by William Bodine.
JANE BODINE: Her son David was sponsored in 1766 by Lewis Bodine, her daughter Anny was sponsored in 1768 by Ann Bodine, and her daughter Maria was sponsored in 1774 by Mary Bodine Kimbark.
JACOB BODINE: Served as a sponsor in 1762. He married a daughter of John Newkirk (1701-1777) and his wife Geertle Klaarwater (Gertrude Clearwater).
SUSANNAH BODINE: She married a son of John Newkirk (1701-1777) and his wife Geertle Klaarwater (Gertrude Clearwater).
ANN BODINE: Served as a sponsor in 1766 and 1768.