Phillip Bessey, Sr

Philip was the son of Robert Besse born April 30, 1680 in Sandwich, Barnstaple, Massachusetts who died ab0ut 1765 probably in Northeast, Dutchess County, New York. He married in Sandwich, Massachusettsyon May 9, 1712 to Ruth Pray. Ruth was the daughter of Ephraim Pray and Elizabeth Hayden and was born in Braintree, Massachusetts on March 27, 1689. She is believed to have died in Northeast, Dutchess County, New York after 1752.

Their children were:

a.) Tabitha Besse born September 18 1713 pb. in Agwam, Plymouth, Massachusetts.She married Nathaniel Chubbuck on September 18, 1732 in Plymouth. Nathaniel was in the same regiment as his brothers-in-law, Philip Bessey and Lemuel Bessey from Sharon, Ct. in the French and Indian Wars.

b.) Joseph Besse born about 1713.

c.) Mary Besse born about 1716.

d.) Ruth Besse born 1719 in Wareham and died in 1788.

e.)Robert Besse,II born 1723 in probably Wareham. He was a Loyalist settled in Canada On Crown land grants for services given.

His son, Jacob Besse, born in 1756, was a Loyalist from New York during the Revolutionary War.) Jacob was born in 1755 and died in 1810. He was a member of Bernard Frey's Co in Butler's Rangers. He married Elizabeth and settled on Crown land grants given for services rendered.

    Another son of Robert was Robert Besse, Jr.who married Mary Read. He also fought in the same Butler's Rangers company and also received Crown land grants.

f.) Jabez Besse born 1727 in Sandwich, Massachusetts and died December 7 1804 in Albion, Maine.He was a Patriot and married Margery Norris on August 28, 1752. Jabez served in the Revolutionary War in Captain Israel Fearing's Co.They marched on the Alarm 0f April 19, 1775 to Marshfield. He also served with Captain John Gibb's Co. later. He was a Private serving from Wareham.

g.) Ephraim Bessey born 1730 in Wareham, Plymouth, Ma. and died February 5, 1809 in Westmoreland, Oneida County New York. (He was a Loyalist.)

h.) Philip Bessey born in Wareham and died in 1813 in Fabius, Onondaga, New York. There is some thought that he may have been born as early as 1732 or between that date and 1740. He was a Loyalist.

i.)Lemuel Bessey born 1738 in Wareham .He served in the French and Indian War in the Sharon , Ct. Militia , 4th Regt. of Col. David Wooster, 9th Co. under Captain, Samuel Elmore in 1758. (His brother,Philip, also served in this 9th Co.in 1761.)

Philip served in the French and Indian War from April 9, 1761 to December 4, 1761 as part of the 9th Connecticut Co. under the command of Captain Samuel Elmore of Sharon, Ct.

He married Sarah Dunham in Amenia, Dutchess County, New York on January 2, 1764. Philip was listed in the Amenia, Dutchess, County tax lists from June, 1766 to June, 1773, In 1790, they were located in Kingsbury and had four sons under sixteen years of age and three daughters. in 1800, they are still in Kingsbury but between that date and 1806, they have moved to Fabius, New York. On January 6, 1806, he purchased land from Jonathan Fuller on Lot 15. In the 1810 census, Philip, and sons , Philip II, Dunham, Sr. and their wives live nearby. Philip, Sr. appears to be alone in the 1810 Fabius census. Their son, Philip Bessey II lives three houses away. Son Joseph Bessey is in the 1810 census for Marcellus. Marcellus is about 28 miles northwest of Fabius.

Philip, Sr. dies in September of 1813 and his property was sold on October 24, 1814, by his sons and their wives.

In 1806, Sarah joined the Baptist Church in Fabius and Philip joined on February 28, 1807. Although no stones exist, it is very likely they both were buried in the old Fabius Cemetery behind the Baptist Church. They would have been among the first burials there.It is uncertain when Sarah died but she must have died between 1806 and 1810 as she does not appear to be in that census. Philip disappears after the 1810 census.

Their children were as follows:

Three daughters whose names have never been found and were last noted in the 1790 Federal Census for Washington County. They are not in the 1800 census for the family there so they probably married or died before that date.

The four sons survived into adulthood and are as follows:

Philip Bessey II born 1775 in New York. He was married before 1806 to Susannah who was born in Rhode Island, according to the census. In 1807, he bought land in Fabius near his parents and was probably in Onondaga County until about 1820. He and his family at that point move to Steuben County, New York with several children in the household. The 1835 census finds the family in Jasper, Michigan.

Dunham Bessey, Sr.(See link below).

Joseph Bessey (See link below).

John Bessey born 1787 probably in Kingsbury, Washington County, New York .He comes with his family and parents from Kingsbury to the Fabius and Marcellus area where in 1816, he and wife, Lucy, buy land in Marcellus, Onondaga County, with his brothers, Dunham and Philip Bessey II and their wives. The land is on lot 7 in the village and is actually considered to be in the adjoining Marcellus Falls. John, Lucy and his family eventually move to Wheatland Township,Kenosha County, Wisconsin, and are buried there.

Please note: Philip Bessey,Sr. was a Loyalist during the Revolutionary War and is noted as such in documents that are part of Governor George Clinton papers in New York State. He, his brother Ephraim, and nephew Elias. were all classified as such. Please see Ephraim's memorial #147219766 for more information. Elias Bessey also apparently came with Philip and his family to the Marcellus and Fabius, New York area when they arrived but apparently Elias moved on before he was included in any town census. The problems the family endured during the Revolutionary War years was probably the main reason they all left Washington County for new homes.

                Documents of the Senate of the State of 

                           New York

Volume 6 (Index) page 55
Bessey, Philip of Kingsbury, N.Y.

                        Loyalist

                  Volume 7   page 357

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Mar 15 2016, 22:37:43 UTC

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