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Photos contributed by Julia
Casey & Patty Breeden Furrer (2006)
Scroll
down or click here to view other family burials
without photos. |
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| About two miles
from the Mohawk in the south central part of
Clifton Park, the church stood beside an old
Indian trail which meandered norhward from the
ford in the Mohawk at Vischer's Ferry. Situated
on a hilltop, this tract of land (including the
larger part of Clifton Park) was granted to five
men on 17 Sep 1703 by Queen Anne. On 01 Jan 1793, Richard
Peters purchased two acres of the tract from
James Murray and was one of the founders and
organizers of the Old Clifton Park Church.
Established in 1788 with many of the residents of
Vischer Ferry and Grooms Corner as its members,
it stood adjacent to the cemetery until February
of 1975 when it was destroyed by fire.
The cemetery is
known as the Grooms Methodist Chruch Cemetery as
well as the McIntosh Cemetery, is located about
one mile north of the old Peters' homestead and
is the final resting place of many of Richard's
descendants.
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THOMAS SMITH
1735-1808
| Thomas was born 08 Feb 1735
and lived in Halfmoon/Vischer Ferry after
making that move from Pittstown in 1784 .
In Clifton Park where he owned property,
Thomas attended the Grooms Methodist
Church also known as the Old Clifton Park
Church. Since Thomas weighed over
400 lbs, a special seat had to be built
for him as he could not fit in the
pews. When he died he weighed 425
lbs and so he had to have a special
casket built. It was so large that it was
impossible to bring it through the church
doors. Therefore, it was left
outside while the services took place
inside the church. |
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MARY (WIFE OF THOMAS)
According
to her headstone, Mary was the wife of
Thomas and died April 1822. The family
Bible lists her date of birth as 21 Jun
1729 and her date of death as 25 Jun
1822.
Note: The family Bible lists
Mary, wife of Thomas and mother of Thomas
C. Smith, as born 21 Jun 1729; died 25
Jun 1822, therefore, the dates inscribed
upon this stone are unclear.
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"Mary
P
Wife of Thomas Smith
died March 1, 1846
aged 71 years 6 months 13 days"
"In Memory of
Thomas Smith
who died Aprl 25, 1821
in the 55 year of his life"
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THOMAS C. SMITH
1767-1821
| Thomas was born in Putman
Valley, New York. He married Mary
"Polly" Peters - sister to
Betsy Peters who married his older
brother Samuel. His epitaph reads:
"In memory of Thomas Smith who died
April 25th 1821 in the 55th year of his
age. Go home dear friends, wipe off your
tears, here I must lie till Christ
appears." Note: The will of Thomas C.
Smith was dated 19 Feb 1821 and inventory
of his estate in which he is then listed
as deceased, is dated 21 Nov 1821. The
family Bible lists his date of birth as
07 Mar 1767.
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MARY
"POLLY" (PETERS) SMITH
1774-1846
| Mary "Polly"
Peters, was the daughter of Richard
Peters and Jerusha (Sutton). She and
Thomas were married 18 Jan 1793 and in
1813 were residing in Half Moon. Her
husband's will was dated 19 Feb 1821 and
probated 23 Nov 1821 naming herself and
sons Samuel, Abel, Richard and Stephen.
It is believed that she had nine other
children: Lucas, Sidney, Thomas, Betsy,
Catharine, Maria, Jerusha, Jennie and
Sarah. |
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| WILLIAM ALEXANDER
PETERS, WIFE REBECCA & DAUGHTER PHEBE |
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WILLIAM ALEXANDER
PETERS
1815-1888
| William Alexander Peters,
born on or about 08 May 1815, son of
William A. Peters and Jeanette (Shepard
or Shepherd), was husband of Rebecca
(Craiger). His father William was the son
of Richard Peters & Jerusha (Sutton)
and his mother Jeanette was the daughter
of William Shepherd and Margaret
(McIntosh) who were laid to rest in the
nearby Shepherd cemtery. William A.
Peters died at the age of 72 yrs 11
months and 14 days on 12 April 1888. Notice the
headstone of William in the first photo
taken by Julia Casey's mother is upright
and undamaged unlike the larger photo
contributed by Patty Furrer in 2002 in
which the stone was broken and was nearly
buried.
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REBECCA (CRAGIER /
CREGIER), WIFE OF WILLIAM A. PETERS
1817-1896
| Headstone of Rebecca, wife
of William Alexander Peters. Rebecca,
daughter of Tunis and Ann
(Van Vranken) who were among the
earliest settlers in the Clifton Park /
Halfmoon area, was born on or about 18
Jun 1817 and died 06 May 1896. She and William
were the parents of eight children - most
of whom died young. Their first known
child was a son who was born 04 Jul 1838
and died the same; daughter J.H. was born
in 1840; Mary Ann in 1842; Phebe
Elizabeth (whose stone is shown above)
was born in 1843 died at the age of eight
on 01 Sep 1851; Tunis Craiger born in
1845 died at the age of five; Susan
Adelaide born in 1847 died before her 4th
birthday; William A. born in 1849; and
Caroline Estelle born in 1856 died at the
age of seven years and seven months. All
were buried here in the Grooms ME
Cemetery.
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Family Members
Buried in Grooms Methodist Church Cemetery
(Also known as McIntosh)
*Indicates
date of birth is calculated from age at death.
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| NAME |
BORN |
DIED |
NOTES
OF RELATION |
| (BROWN),
Elizabeth Smith |
1805* |
28 Jan 1883 |
Wife
of Abel Smith |
| (CRAIGER), Rebecca
Peters |
18 Jun 1811* |
06 May 1890 |
Wife
of William Alexander Peters |
| (FURMAN),
Anna Eliza Peters |
05 Jul 1829 |
20 Nov 1859 |
Wife
of Leonard S. Peters |
| HICKS,
Isaac |
15 Jan 1779 |
28 Nov 1859 |
Husband
of Jerusha (Peters) |
| (KNOWLTON),
Lucretia Peters |
17 Jan 1792 |
27 Dec 1841 |
Wife
of Thomas R. Peters |
| PETERS,
Caroline Estella |
25 Apr 1856* |
25 Nov 1863 |
Dau
of William & Rebecca |
| PETERS,
Emma A. |
19 Dec 1856* |
22 Jan 1860 |
Dau
of Isaac & Katherine |
| PETERS,
Harriet |
1850 |
09 Jan 1860 |
Dau
of Isaac & Katherine |
| PETERS,
INFANT DAU |
04 Aug 1853* |
23 Aug 1859 |
Dau
of William & Rebecca (Craiger) |
| PETERS,
INFANT SON |
04 Jul 1838 |
04 Jul 1838 |
Son
of William & Rebecca (Craiger) |
| PETERS,
Isaac |
19 Jul 1820* |
31 Jan 1864 |
Son
of William & Jeanette; husband of Katherine |
| (PETERS),
Jerusha Hicks |
06 Mar 1777 |
26 Mar 1849 |
Dau
of Richard & Jerusha (Sutton); wife of Isaac
Hicks |
| PETERS,
JOHN |
1823 |
28 Jul 1901 |
Son
of Thomas R. & Lucretia (Knowlton); husband
of Sarah A. |
| PETERS
Leonard S. |
21 Mar 1825 |
09 Jan 1863 |
Son
of William & Jeanette; husband of Anna Eliza
(Furman) |
| PETERS,
Margaret Ann |
07 Apr 1823 |
10 Mar 1857 |
Wife
of James N. Peters (son of Wm & Jeanette) |
| PETERS,
Margaret Lucinda |
23 Jul 1845* |
23 May 1855 |
Dau
of Isaac & Katherine |
| (PETERS), Mary
"Polly" Smith |
18 Aug 1774* |
01 Mar 1846 |
Dau
of Richard & Jerusha (Sutton); wife of Thomas
C. Smith |
| PETERS,
Phebe Elizabeth |
01 Sep 1843* |
01 Sep 1851 |
Dau
of William & Rebecca (Craiger) |
| PETERS,
Stalee |
03 Feb 1852* |
23 May 1855 |
Son
of Isaac & Katherine |
| PETERS,
Sarah A. |
1838 |
1890 |
Wife
of John Peters (1823-1901) |
| PETERS,
Susan Adalaide |
27 Sep 1847* |
27 Jul 1851 |
Dau
of William & Rebecca |
| (PETERS),
Susan J. |
11 Nov 1853* |
27 Nov 1855 |
Dau
of Matthias Swaim & Harriet (Rogers) |
| PETERS,
Thomas R. |
22 Nov 1788 |
16 Apr 1850 |
Husband
of Lucretia (Knowlton) |
| PETERS,
Tunis Cragier/Grogier |
19 May 1845* |
19 Jul 1851 |
Son
of William & Rebecca (Craiger) |
| PETERS,
William |
06 Apr 1782 |
13 Dec 1856 |
Son
of Richard & Jerusha (Sutton); husband of
Jeanette (Shepard) |
| PETERS,
William Alexander |
08 May 1815* |
12 Apr 1888 |
Son
of William & Jeanette; husband of Rebecca
(Craiger) |
| (SHEPARD),
Jeanette Peters |
19 Jun 1787 |
28 Mar 1858 |
Dau
of William & Margaret (McIntosh); wife of
William Peters |
| SMITH,
Abel |
12 Jul 1795* |
17 Feb 1862 |
Son
of Thomas C. & Mary "Polly"
(Peters); husband of Elizabeth (Brown) |
| SMITH,
George W. |
29 Jul 1838* |
01 Sep 1839 |
Son
of Abel & Elizabeth (Brown) |
| SMITH,
Stephen |
10 Feb 1804 |
14 Sep 1843 |
Son
of Thomas C. & Mary "Polly"
(Peters) |
| SMITH, Thomas |
08 Feb 1735* |
03 Feb 1808 |
Husband
of Mary |
| SMITH, Thomas C. |
1766* |
25 Apr 1821 |
Husband
of Mary "Polly" Peters |
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