2 min read

Israel Underhill and his son John (b. 1780)

Israel Underhill was born before 1755 in Westchester County, New York. He married Elizabeth Garrison, also known as Betsy. Israel served as Ensign in the 3rd Reg. of New York Militia and was counted on the census in Yorktown, New York, (formerly called Cortlandt Manor) in 1790. In 1800, he was living in Hurley, Ulster County, New York, and in 1810, he was in Newburgh, Orange County, New York. He died abt. 1811 (or before 1820), in Newburgh, Orange County, New York.

Information about Israel, including clarification on some of the errors and mix-ups previously reported by some sources, are found here in Underhill Genealogy, Vol. 5, p. 115-116.

"As Israel was overlooked by Mrs. Frost and other family genealogists, his children appear in Vols. II-IV as unidentified, to the extent that they were mentioned at all. This situation was due in part to a family tradition, passed down by the descendants of Israel's daughter Elizabeth Cole, in which his name changed to Isaac, perhaps out of confusion with $929 who married Elizabeth's daughter. This tradition stated that "Isaac" came across the Hudson after the Revolution from Westchester Co., and settled in Plattekill (actually Israel's son settled there, but he did cross the river as indicated); it further stated that "Isaac" married Betsy Garrison, dau of Richard and Jane (Gerow) Garrison. (Israel had Garrison and Gerow neighbors in Yorktown). There is no Isaac on record who fits into this situation. One reason why the name of Israel was forgotten may be that all his sons eventually left Ulster and Orange Cos., breaking family ties. See Vol. II, p. 191, and The American Genealogist, Vol. 23, p. 121."

My Underhill line descends from John Underhill, son of Israel. Notice, John's name was not given in the above entry, but he must have been A or B "Probable son, unidentified". He was later identified in Vol. 6, on p. 1539. See my previous blog, "Hannah Saloma Underhill's father, John", for details.