The fate of Daniel Defoe, Jr.

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starbuck95@hotmail.com

The fate of Daniel Defoe, Jr.

Legg inn av starbuck95@hotmail.com » 07 jan 2005 23:05:55

Various biographies of Daniel Defoe that I've checked seem to be unsure
of the fate of his son Daniel Defoe, Jr. The old DNB says, "His eldest
son, Daniel, appears to have been in business, and to have finally
emigrated to Carolina." The new ODNB mentions son Daniel without
considering his ultimate fate.

It appears that Daniel Jr. actually died in New York. _Abstracts of
Wills on File in the Surrogate's Office, City of New York_, 5:320:

[Liber 21, p. 347] In the name of God, Amen. I, DANNIEL DESSOE, of New
York, merchant. I leave to the heirs of Edward Phillips, late of
Wiltshire (England), £110. I leave to John Fenn, hosier, in Cornhill,
London, 5 guineas. To Benjamin Webb, of Hacking, £30. "I leave to Mrs.
Anne Van Horne, wife of Mr. David Van Horne, of New York, merchant, my
Bible in 4 Large Quarto volumes, interleaved, as a mark of my grateful
remembrance of her gracious and undeserved friendship to me a
stranger." I leave to Mary, Anne, and Susanah, the daughters of said
David Van Horne, 10 guineas each for rings. I leave to my daughter
Mary, wife of John Thorn, of Braintree, in Essex, £50. To my daughter
Sophia, wife of James Standerwick, of London, £50. I leave all the
rest of my estate to David Van Horne and David Clarkson, of New York,
merchants, in trust for my son Samuel and my daughter Martha, and I
make them executors, "well knowing the uprightness and Integrity of
their Hearts."
Dated June 21, 1759. Witnesses, Christopher Bancker, Cornelius
Sebring,
William Lawrence. Proved, June 28, 1759.

See
http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/Du ... 0998351791

The volume of corrections to _Abstracts of [NY] Wills_ notes that 5:320
should read "Will of Daniel Deffoe." There is also an extracted record
in the IGI for the marriage, 21 April 1747 at St. Olave, London, of
John Thorn and Mary DEFFOE, evidently the testator's "daughter Mary,
wife of John Thorn, of Braintree, in Essex."

Daniel Defoe the father had also been associated as a merchant with the
parish of Cornhill, London.

Finally, the testator left the "rest of my estate to David Van Horne
and David Clarkson, of New York, merchants, in trust for my son Samuel
and my daughter Martha." Charles Hansen's article on the royal descent
of Matthew Clarkson of New York (_NYGBR_, 127:198) mentions that
Clarkson's half-brother, Charles Lodwick, "was a friend of Daniel
Defoe, author of _Robinson Crusoe_. Daniel Defoe's signature, as
Daniel Foe, appears on the certificate of character attached to a
petition of Matthew Clarkson for the vacant 'Office of Secretary of the
Province of New Yorke in America,' referred by the court at Whitehall,
London, to the Committee for Trade and Plantations on 9 November 1689."
So apparently there were old ties between the Defoes and the
Clarksons.

I'm not sure if this information is new, but it may assist in tracing
the descendants of the novelist. The following web-page is a start--
http://www.bluehand.co.uk/fam00210.html

Tony Hoskins

Re: The fate of Daniel Defoe, Jr.

Legg inn av Tony Hoskins » 07 jan 2005 23:41:02

DANNIEL DESSOE

Wondering if this isn't/wasn't mistranscribed, hence undiscovered for
so long. Mid- 18th century "interior" letters "s" and "f" could well be
mistaken one for the other.

Anthony Hoskins
History, Genealogy and Archives Librarian
History and Genealogy Library
Sonoma County Library
3rd and E Streets
Santa Rosa, California 95404

707/545-0831, ext. 562

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