Updated 03/01/2010
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Generation One - The Alpha Luke
The Palatinate is
located in the western part of the Rhineland of Germany, just north of the
French border. The Palatinate has been a much fought over area since the time of the Holy Roman Empire. During the late sixteen hundreds the Palatinate was ravaged by war. The wars were Religious in
nature, Protestant rule verses Catholic rule. Queen Ann of England offered the Palatine Protestant’s refuge.
Thousands of Palatine’s migrated to England. From England many went to settle in the British Colonies in America.
Johann Philipp Laux (Luke) was among the first wave of
Palatines arriving into New York harbor in the year 1710. The voyage was
treacherous. Four hundred and seventy of twenty eight hundred Palatines
perished during the Atlantic crossing from England to the American Colonies. Conditions aboard the
ships were wretched. Upon their arrival to the new world the survivors were in
such a sickly state they were not allowed to enter the city of New York (New Amsterdam). Two hundred and fifty more Palatines would
die from illness during that first summer of 1710.
The Palatine, Germans were sent north up the Hudson River to settle in encampments. The settlements were
on both sides of the Hudson River in the general area of what are today Columbia, Dutchess and Ulster counties in New York State. To pay for their voyage the Palatines had
agreed to work in these camps collecting pine pitch for the Royal (British)
Navy. Over a period of years they would leave the encampments. They often left
in groups, to settle new wilderness territories. Many of the New York Palatines settled along the Mohawk valley in
what is today Montgomery and Schoharie county.
Johann Philipp Laux (Luke), the first Luke to settle in what would
become the United Sates of America, was assigned to Beckmansland, a Palatine encampment
sometime after his arrival to the new world. The exact location of the
encampment is unknown, but believed, to be in the vicinity of Ulster County, New York. After a number of years Philipp and his family
would leave the Beekmansland encampment and migrate further up the Hudson River towards Albany County. The earliest found recordings of the Philipp
Luke family are from 1717 at the baptism of a daughter at the Reformed Dutch Church in Albany. Around this time there is some indication that
Philipp and his family may have resided in Athens (Loonenberg), New York, then part of Albany County. In 1732 Philip Luke leased land in an area
just south of the city of Albany known as the West Manor of Rensselaerwyck
(currently Bethlehem, New York). He like many of his Dutch neighbors would
become farmers and freeholders of the land. Freeholders would be given a
certain number of years, usually seven, to establish their farms rent free.
Afterwards they would pay to Stephen Van Rensselaer or his heirs a portion of
their crops or livestock. The records of the Reformed Dutch Church of Albany, as well as, deeds and mortgage recordings in Albany County have been an invaluable source of information.
Johann Philipp Laux, known as Philip (forename not used) Luke was born
in the Palatinate of Germany at an unknown date in the late 1600‘s. Though
Philip migrated from Germany, spoke the language and had adopted its
customs, it is not clear if he was of the German race. The name Laux is of French origin. If one went back to the time of the Roman Empire, Laux family historians would claim they were
Visigoths dwelling in what is now Southwestern France and Spain. After
many centuries they would become know as Huguenots (Protestants). It is in the Fifteenth century that that up
to a half a million Huguenots were driven into exile, many of these Protestants
ended up settling in the German Palatinate.
Further research states that the name Laux was a German
translation for the name Law, in which there was no exact translation to
German. So, how did Laux become
Luke? Well no one family member ever
changed the name. It changed over time,
translation and the way the name sounded phonetically. For instance, Philip Laux spoke German, so at
the baptism of his daughter he would tell the Dutch speaking Minister that his
name was Loo –ke. So, the Dutch speaking
Minister would record his name in Dutch, the best way he could spell it. Years later the Dutch would be translated to
English. From the time of the family’s
arrival in 1710 until after the time of the American Revolution, the name saw
many variations depending on who was recording it. Laux, Lauck, Louk, Look, Loeck to mention the
most common. The lineage of Johan Philip
Laux/Luke now spell their name Luke, other Laux families use Lauck or other
variations. Not all Luke’s were
Laux. In summary, Laux is a Huguenot
sounding name. Johan Philip Laux arrived
with several other Laux families all claiming Huguenot decent. It seems likely that he was part of this
clan, not separate from it.
Philip died in 1751 and was buried near his farm in Bethlehem, New York. Philip
Luke was the father of the following children:
Johannes Loeck (Luke) -
born 1711
Anna Marie Loeck (Luke) -
born 1717, died after birth
Jacob Loeck (Luke) - born
3/14/1718
Anna (Marytje) Maria Loeck
(Luke) - born 2/10/1720
Magdalena Loeck - (Luke) born 12/5/1726
Coenraedt Loeck (Luke) -
about 1727
The wife or wives of Philip Luke is unclear. There is no room in Genealogy for speculation,
as I have found out source documentation means everything. With that said, and for future family
historians, some thoughts need to be put out there. There is no record of the birth of Johannes
Luke, his existence and relationship to the family is well documented. This author believes that the mother of
Johannes deceased upon or shortly after his birth. Her name is unknown at this time. It is difficult to believe that there would
be a 6 year gap between a first and second child. A Bradt family researcher claims that he has
source documentation that the wife of Philip Luke was Magdalena Roosa.
The Roosa’s (Rose) a Huguenot family settled in Duchess County, New York decades before Philip Luke’s arrival in
1710. A relationship between Philip Luke
and his wife Magdalena Roosa is made clear in the Records of the
Reformed Dutch Church in Albany as Andres Bradt and his wife Wyntie Roosa
sponsored the first two children of Philip and Magdalena Luke.
The exact whereabouts of the Philip Luke family in Albany County from 1717 until his first lease with the
VanRenesselaer’s in 1732 is unknown. The
Bradt family farm and sawmill on the Normanskill is only a few miles from the
original Luke Family farm. There is
another 6 year gap between children after 1720.
H.Z. Jones a Palatine researcher along with another Luke family research
are convinced that the wife of Philip Luke was one Magdalena Lang. I
contend that Philip Luke may have married a third time. The daughter of Philip Luke named Magdalena born in 1726 would have been named after his
second wife Magdalena Roosa, this was customary at the time. So it is this author’s speculation that Magdalena and Coenraedt Luke are from another
marriage. Without evidence to the
contrary throughout this writing the issue of Magdalena and Coenraedt Luke will be attributed to Magdalena Roosa.
One final note on the subject, the son of Coenraedt Luke born about 1727
married the daughter of his aunt Marytje Luke Van Wie. This fact has made me uncomfortable in the past,
the idea of Coenraedt Luke having a different mother then his half-sister
Marytje would give it the proper degree of separation.
Johannes Loeck (Luke) was
born in 1711 and died in 1787 according to cemetery records. He married Geesje
Legrange in 1753. At that time the De Legrange’s were one of the oldest farm
families in Albany County. They were French Huguenots that settled in America during the mid 1600’s. Johannes Luke had a son Philip born in
December of 1753 and a daughter Maria born in 1758. His son Philip married
Eistje Spawn (Vanderspaan) in 1776.
During the Revolutionary War, Philip would serve as a Captain with Butler’s Rangers, a New York Militia group loyal to the British Crown. Dutch
records show Philip and Eistje had a son Johannes and a daughter Catrina.
Philip and his family fled to Canada at the end of the Revolutionary war. He was
among the first settlers of Saint Armand Parish, Quebec. According to a Canadian source he had two more
sons, and five more daughters. Philip, Jacob, Lucretia, Mary, Magdalena, Hannah and Margaret. Philip Luke would become
a prominent and prosperous citizen in Canada. He would serve his new country as a Colonel in
the Militia during the war of 1812. His
son Philip Luke Jr. would also serve in the Canadian militia. During an American invasion into Canada Philip Luke Jr. and his men were captured and
taken prisoner. They were held in a Jail
cell in Burlington, Vermont until the end of hostilities. Philip Luke’s
sons, Philip and Jacob Veeder Luke would have many heirs. Over the years several Luke families would
re-cross the border and settle throughout the United States. Extensive research is continuing in this
area. Colonel Philip Luke is also at the
center of a controversy in Quebec. Upon
the death of his mother Geesje Luke in 1790, Philip received from his
brother-in-law, John Van Allen a certain amount of currency and likely a number
of family slaves (between 6 and 8) in settlement his parents Estate. These slaves were taken to Saint Armand, Quebec, Canada where they would work and toil on Philip Luke’s
500 acre farm until the time of their deaths.
They are buried near the site of a large rock in unmarked graves known
locally as “Nigger Rock”. Philip Luke
son of Johannes, and his family are buried in the Luke Family cemetery in St.
Armand, Canada on the site of his original farm.
Maria Luke, (Johannes and
Geesje Luke’s only daughter) married John Van Allen. John Van Allen served as a
patriot in the Militia during the Revolutionary War. John Van Allen was without
question a much beloved and trusted son-in-law of Johannes and Geesje
Luke. In 1778 Johannes Luke had his last
will and testament re-written. His
previous will, though not available would have likely left his earthly
belongings to his only son Philip. Based
on other wills from this period, there would have been a clause to provide for
his wife for her lifetime and perhaps a stipend for his only daughter
Maria. During this time of the
Revolutionary War the real and personal property of those who remained loyal to
England was subject to forfeiture and seizure by the government of New
York. The new will written in 1778 left
the entire estate of Johannes Luke to his wife Geesje. Johannes predeceased his wife in 1787, when
she passed away in 1790, she died intestate, leaving no will. John Van Allen had a full and painstakingly
complete inventory taken of his in-laws estate.
This inventory is on file in the Albany County Courthouse. In a clandestine meeting, Philip Luke and
John Van Allen along with witness met.
At this meeting Philip Luke signed over the deed to his father’s farm to
his brother-in-law, John Van Allen for a certain sum of currency. This original deed is part of the Van
Rensselaer Collection in the Archives of the New York State Library in Albany,
New York. Johannes and Geesje Luke as
well as many of the Van Allen’s are buried in the Jerusalem cemetery in Feura
Bush, New York.
Coenraedt Loeck married
Geertruy Van Deusen in 1751. He is a direct descendant and will be featured in
Generation Two.
Jacob Loeck married Alica
(Alida) Goewey in November of 1754. She gave birth to twin sons, Philip and
Solomon Luke. Alida died shortly after the birth of her sons. Jacob remarried
Rachel (Slingerlandt) Hogen a widow. They had two daughters, Alida and Achie.
Alida was named after Jacob’s first wife, this was a Dutch custom. Alida would
marry David King of Schodack, and Achie married Garritt Gowey, her half
brothers cousin. Solomon Luke was a Patriot and served in the Militia on the New
York line during the Revolutionary War. He would eventually take over his
father, Jacob’s farm. He would inherit his land and most of his property.
Solomon married Lena Moak, they had a son Jacob born in 1790. They also had two daughters, Alida born in 1798
and Magdalena born in 1800. Alida Luke married John Crewel of Bethlehem, New York. Magdalena Luke married Teunis Slingerlands of
Bethlehem, New York. Solomon’s son Jacob Luke married Angelica
Moak. He and his wife would continue to farm his grandfather’s lands known as
the “Homestead Farm”. The farm would eventually be sold to the
Honorable Adam Van Allen in the 1840’s. Van Allen a prominent Albany business man and the Albany County Treasurer was the grandson of Magdalena Van Wie Luke Van Allen. Jacob Luke’s heirs
lived and farmed in the town of Bethlehem, New York until the late eighteen hundreds.
Philip Luke, the twin
brother of Solomon Luke had been presumed by this author to have died sometime during
his childhood. The presumption had been made because there was no further
evidence of his existence. Most recently, there has been strong evidence that
Philip Luke the son of Jacob remained loyal to the British Crown and served
with Butler’s Rangers a Militia group during the Revolutionary war years. It is
also believed that he, Philip Luke of Jacob Luke would settle in Canada along
with his cousin Philip Luke of Johannes Luke. There is record of two Philip
Luke’s of Albany county (Yeoman) having their properties confiscated by the
State of New York. One Philip Luke is distinguished from the other as being
referred to as the son of John (Johannes). There is also documentation of one,
Philip Luke, of Butler’s Rangers being born on 10/9/1755. This is significant
because the pension records of Solomon Luke state that his birth date was also
10/9/1755. While the author is still seeking further evidence, it seems
compelling that twin brothers Philip and Solomon Luke served on opposite sides
during the Revolutionary War.
Marytje Loeck married
Henrick Van Wie, the Van Wie’s were among the original Dutch settlers of
Albany. They married in 1750 and had six children. The Van Wie’s were a large
and important family in Albany county. Marytje (Maria) and Henrick would
settle on a farm along side the farms of her brothers and sister.
Magdalena Loeck married Johannes Van Wie (Hendrick’s
brother), she was Johannes’s second wife, there is no record of them having any
children. They too would settle close to the original family farm bordering the
farms of her brothers and sister.
Generation Two, Koerad Loeak
Philip the Alpha Luke, died in 1751. An old map of
Rensselaerwyck dated 1767 shows all of Philip Luke’s children living on
adjoining farms, on or near his original farmlands between the forks of the
Vlooman kill, a creek in southern Albany county. His children either inherited
portions of his lease or were fortunate enough to secure adjoining farms on
their own. Early deeds suggest that Koerad (Coenradt) Luke‘s family ended up on
the location where his fathers original farmhouse stood. The Vlooman kill runs
from the Heldeburgh hills to the Hudson River just a few miles south of the
Normanskill. Some of the neighbors surrounding the Luke’s farmlands were the
Van Deusen’s, Slingerlandts, Van Wie’s, Van der Zee’s, Hilderbrandt’s, Houck’s,
Moaks, Van Allen’s, Winne’s and Seger’s. Many of these are prominent names in
the early history of Albany County. Most all of these families would intermarry
with each other at one time or another over the years. These were perilous
times in the early colonies. Good neighbors were a necessity. During the early
1700’s bands of Mohawk Indians still roamed the area. Though there were times
of relative peace and trade, there were also times of hostilities and revenge
taking. Albany, once called Fort Orange was a hub of activity and a source of
protection. It was the best part of a days travel away, thus, in times of need
these early settlers had to rely upon themselves and their neighbors.
Coenradt Luke (Koerad
Loeck) birth date is unknown and there is no record of his baptism. An
estimated date of birth of 1727 has been used on some sources. The most reliable source to date is 1731
from the D.A.R. books. Coenradt married
Geertruy Van Deusen**. There is some speculation about her birth year and
lineage. Coenradt was active in the militia during the French and Indian war
according to H.Z. Jones. There are other
records indicate that he served in the New York militia as a private during the
War of independence. Coenradt Luke
appears in the 1790 census and was alive and active in Bethlehem town meetings
as late as 1794. Based on deed information the author estimates his death to be
around 1797-1798. Ceonradt and Geertruy had the following children:
Philip Luke born in 1753,
he married his cousin Magdalena Van Wie. He is a direct descendent and will be
featured in generation three.
Engeltje Luke was born in
1756. She married Hezekeah Van Orden in 1778 during the Revolutionary War. Van
Orden was from the Catskill area and served as an officer in the Militia.
Engeltje died in 1780, during child birth, two years after their marriage. She
is buried in Catskill, New York.
**Geertruy Van Deusen has
no existing birth record. The author along with another Luke family researcher
believe that she is the daughter of Mattheus Van Deusen and Engeltje
Slingerlandts. They had sons Ardent and Jan Van Deusen. Both, Ardent and Jan
Van Deusen were sponsors for the children of Conrad and Geertruy. Also naming their
daughter Engeltje after the mother in-law follows Dutch custom. More research
is pending. The Van Deusen’s and the Van Buren’s are related and have links to
President Martin Van Buren and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The burial site of
Geertruy and Coenradt Luke is unknown. The author believes that they are buried
in the Britt-Luke cemetery on the original Luke family farm, there are old and
unmarked graves in the cemetery plot.
Generation Three, Philip Luke
Philip was born in 1753 and married his cousin Magdalena Van
Wie (of Marytje Luke and Hendrick Van Wie). Philip served as a Captain in the
Albany County Militia, Fifth Regiment (Third Rensselaerwyck Battalion). He
enlisted as a Second Lieutenant in October of 1776. Philip died in 1782 towards
the end of the Revolutionary War. The circumstances of his death and his burial
site are as of yet still unknown. By an
act of Congress passed June 7, 1832, pension benefits were extended to those who
had served in the military during the Revolutionary War. To receive a pension,
certain provisions and criteria needed to be fulfilled by former soldiers and
militiamen who served their country. Because this act of Congress was passed 50
years after the close of the war, many of the surviving soldiers and militiamen
suffered from body frailty and the consequent loss of memory due to old age.
These surviving soldiers appeared in open court and declared under oath to the
best of their recollection the role they played during the Revolutionary War
and the services they rendered to the United States of America. I have
transcribed from hand written testimony most of the pension records of the
surviving Albany County Militiamen.
Several pensioners mention marching under Captain Luke north along the Hudson River and into the foothills of the Adirondacks and forming a group of rangers searching for
loyalist and disaffected person in and around the Albany County. Go
to:
http://revolutionarywarpensions.tripod.com/ to view the website. A document was found that stated that, as
late as 1880, Philip Luke’s powder horn was in the hands of his
great-great-grandson, Solomon Luke of Pennsylvania. More
research on this subject is pending.
Philip Luke died at the age of 29 and left a widow and three young sons.
They are as follows.
Coonrad Luke was born on
June 6, 1772. He married Elizabeth Hilderbrandt around 1795 and had six
daughters, and two sons; Magdalena, Engeltje, Hannatie, Maria, Betsy, Philip C., Samuel Jackson Luke
and Sally Smith Luke. Coonrad often used Junior after his name on several
documents. It is believed by the author that he was raised by his grandfather
after his father’s untimely death. Coonrad likely used the junior moniker to
distinguish himself from his grandfather. It is Dutch tradition for the first
son to be named after the paternal grandfather. Coonrad stayed on at his
grandfather’s farm for a few years following the death of his grandfather. In
1801 he would liquidate his holdings in Albany County and move his family to the Town of Florida in Montgomery County. Coonrad’s heirs would live in Montgomery County for the next two hundred years.
Hendrick (Henry) Luke was
born in 1776 the year of our independence. He married Jane Waterson and is a
direct descendant and the subject of generation four.
Johannes Van Wie Luke was
born in 1778. He married Jane Britt, the daughter of Frederick Britt a veteran
of the Revolutionary War and Helena Burhans a long time Luke family neighbor.
They had two sons, Philip and Frederick.
Johannes Van Wie Luke would be active in the early town politics of
Bethlehem, New York. He served as Pound Master then later he would
serve as a Justice of the Peace. John VW Luke died in 1817 at 41 years of age.
His son Frederick died in his mid- twenties and little is known of him. What is known is that Frederick had just graduated from Union College in 1826 and was a member of the Philomatehean
Society. John VW Luke’s son Philip
lived a long and successful life. He had farm properties in the county as well
as properties in the city of Albany. Philip married Maria Vanderzee, they were
together for over thirty five years. After her death Philip remarried Hannah
Pickett who was many years his junior in age. The Johannes Van Wie Luke family
is buried in the Britt-Luke cemetery in Feura Bush, New York behind the old Britt-Luke farm. According to
old deeds this property was the site of the original Luke family farm. The farm
of Philip, the Alpha Luke established in 1732. The farm site passed to his son
Coenradt, whose only male heir Captain Philip Luke died in 1782. Coenradt may
have died in testate, having no Will. It appears that after his death his
property went into the hands of his grandson Coonrad Jr. It is unknown if the
property was owned by him singularly or in joint with his brothers. It is not
certain if this property was wholly owned by the Luke family, or part of a
lease-for-life agreement with the Van Rensselaer manor, this agreement could be
passed down to heirs. Sometime after the 1797 wedding of John VW Luke and Jane
Britt a new home was being constructed on the original Luke family farm site.
This home would be owned in joint by Frederick Britt and his son-in-law John VW
Luke. During the time of the 1800 census it appears that both Coonrad Luke Jr.
and his brother Henry and their families lived in the original Luke Family farm
house. While the Britt’s and JVW Luke and their families lived next door in a
newly constructed home. Soon after this time, the farm site would be turned
over by deed to Britt and JVW Luke. By 1801 Coonrad Jr. would be on his was to Montgomery county and Henry would settle on his new farm
in New Salem, New York. The property passed on to Philip Luke the son
of John VW Luke. In 1869 Philip Luke purchased the property outright from the
Van Rensselaer Estate.
Magdalena Van Wie Luke, the
wife and widow of Captain Philip Luke was left with three young sons. It is
most, and highly likely that she lived with her father-in-law Coenradt at the
time of her husband’s death. From reading many wills from the period one would
sense that the father-in-law’s would tend and care for a widow and her children
up until the time of her remarriage, when that obligation would be taken over
by the new husband. By 1782 Coenradt and Geertruy had sadly lost both of their
children. Their grandsons would be a welcome sight to have around the large
farm. There would be a well beaten path through the fields to Magdalena’s parent’s home by which she and her children
could visit. In 1789 the widow Magdalena Van Wie Luke would remarry Wilhem Van Allen. Wilhem served as an
officer under the command of Captain Philip Luke in the Albany County Militia. Like Philip, Wilhem was also a cousin
of Magdalena Van Wie Luke, his mother was Magdalena’s aunt. Wilhem Van Allen was the brother John
Van Allen who married Maria Luke the daughter of Johannes and Geesje Luke,
mentioned in a previous chapter. Wilhem and Magdalena would have a son named
Garrett W. Van Allen, born in 1790 and a daughter Maria born in 1793. In years
to come Garrett would marry Hannah Winne. Magdalena and Philip Luke’s oldest
son Coonrad Luke married in 1790, one year after her remarriage to Wilhem Van
Allen. Coonrad and his brother Henry
were approaching manhood at the time of their mothers’ remarriage. The author
believes that these older sons stayed on the farm with their grandparents. The
census of 1790 tends to bare this out. Wilhem Van Allen died in 1795. Once
again Magdalena Van Wie (Luke) Van Allen was left widowed, with
young children. Her children from her first marriage were now grown men. Magdalena would marry for a third time in 1797. Her
husbands name was Richard Godsby (Goesby) a widower and long time Bethlehem resident. Richard’s will was recorded in 1836,
it proclaims deep devotion and love for his beloved s Magdalena, his wife for
over 30 years. Richard and Magdalena were sponsors at the baptism of Philip Luke the son of John VW
Luke. Magdalena is buried with her second husband Wilhem Van Allen in the Van
Allen family plot in Jerusalem, (Bethlehem), New York. Why she was buried by the side of Wilhem was
most likely decided by her son Garrett Van Allen, son of Wilhem.
Generation Four, Henrick (Henry) Luke
Henry Luke born in October of 1776, the year of our
independence. His father Captain Philip Luke had died during the time of the
Revolutionary War. Henry married Jane Waterson around 1798. He and his wife
would reside in Bethlehem for a few years living with his brother Coonrad on
his grandfather’s original farm. Around the turn of the century (1800) he and
his young family would start a farm in what is today the Town of New Salem, New
York. New Salem was originally part of Bethlehem. The township of New Scotland would split off from the town of Bethlehem. At a later date, the town of New Salem would then split off from New Scotland. Henry and Jane had the following children:
Magdalena, John, Mariah, Philip, Conrad, Nancy, Garrett, Henry, and Solomon.
This was a much needed replenishing of the Luke family gene pool. Henry Luke was a patriot and served his
country in the War of 1812. A newspaper
article also states the Henry was abroad on business in November of 1819. He was accompanied by D. and S. Seger, Esqrs. While out, he had taken a fall 50 feet
straight down onto a precipices, then tumbled an additional 100 feet landing on
a large flat rock. He was not discovered
until the next day. Henry though injured
badly had miraculously survived the fall.
Henry died on his farm in June of 1848. He and Jane are buried at the Mt. Pleasant, Cemetery in New Salem, New York.
Magdalena Luke born 1799
married Andrew Reamer from a large family in East Berne, New York. They had seven children. They would reside in
the town of East Berne, New York. Her son James Reamer would serve as a
Supervisor in the Town of Berne, New York. The Reamer Family bible was a great source of
backup information.
John Luke born 1801 married
Charity Reamer. Charity was the sister of Andrew Reamer married to Magdalena
Luke. John and Charity married in 1821 and had the following children: Jane,
Mary Ann, Magdalena, Rachel, Henry, Sarah, Phebe, Abigail, Solomon, John,
Eunice, and Maria. Around 1830 John Luke, his wife and family would move to
western Pennsylvania. Henry Luke, son of John would serve in the Civil war.
There would be several generations of Luke’s in Pennsylvania and some family members would later move to Ohio.
Mariah (Mary) Luke born
1804 married Cornelius Van Wormer of Albany county and had the following
children; Frederick Cornelius, Jane, Lucretia, and John Van Wormer. While
researching this family line, one must search spelling variations such as; Van
Wormer, Wurmer, and Wormer.
Philip Luke born 1806
married Mary Matthias and is a direct descendant and the subject of generation
five.
Conrad Luke born in 1809
married Eva Ann Moak the daughter of a neighbor. Conrad would reside and raise
his family on his father Henry Luke’s farm. After his fathers passing Conrad
bought the farm from his brothers and sisters. Conrad and Eva Ann had six
children, Nancy Jane, James Henry, Maria Louisa Luke, Sarah Magdalena, Harriett
Taylor and Frances. Several of Conrad’s children would marry and reside in
Schenectady/Glenville area. In his later years, Conrad himself would move to
Glenville and live with his daughter Sarah Magdalena Luke Stalker. Henry Luke’s
original farm currently lies under the Vly Creek Reservoir in the town of New
Salem, New York.
Nancy Luke was born in 1811
and married George Stevenson. Nancy and George had the following children;
George, Elizabeth, Sarah E., Harry, Charles, Maria, Harriet, and Howard
Stevenson. The family moved to Superior Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan sometime between 1855 and 1860. George appears
as a farmer on the 1860 census, born in England. He passed away sometime before the 1870
census. Nancy and her children remained in Michigan through the 1880 census,
further information pending.
The Reverend Garrett Luke
born 1813 married Maria Houghtaling (Hotaling) around the year 1836. The couple
owned a farm and resided in the Albany County area until 1849. In 1849 the family moved to Cayuga County, New York. They resided there for five years. They would
relocate again, this time to Boone County Illinois. The family lived in Boone County for four years. The Reverend Garrett Luke would
move on once again to shepherd a new flock, this time to Galena in Jo Daviess County in the Northwest tip of Illinois. The family raised eight children; Catherine,
John, Garrett, Mary Jane, Moses, Elizabeth, Elmira and Alice. Sons, John Wesley Luke, Garret Watson Luke and
Moses Hotaling Luke would serve in the Union army during the Civil War. Captain John Luke and his brother Garrett
were both wounded and fought most gallantly and courageously during the Civil
War. They each served for the entire
duration of the War (their service is recognized in another portion of this
website). The many heirs of Garrett and
Maria would settle in many different western States.
Henry Luke Jr. was born in
1816. He and his brother Solomon moved to Albany and took up business. They owned and operated
the H & S Luke, Dry goods on South Pearl Street in downtown Albany. Along with the dry goods business Henry and
his brother also seemed to have bought and sold real estate. They appear to
have had real estate dealings with their cousin Philip Luke son of John VW
Luke. Henry Luke Jr. married Theresa Jameson, they had five daughters Isabella,
Emma, Josephine, Jessie B. and Fannie T. Luke. Henry, his wife and several
heirs are buried in the Albany Rural Cemetery. Henry
Luke made the following quote in American Ancestry "Luke Henry, son of
Henry b. 1776 d. 1848 (m. Jane Waterson) Son of Philip of Bethlehem, b. 1753 d.
1782 (m. Helen Van Wie) son of Conrad whose ancestors came from Germany"
Solomon Luke, born 1818
married Jane Antis. He owned real estate and ran a dry goods business with his
brother Henry. After Henry got out of the family business, Solomon would
continue to run the business with his nephew John Luke, the oldest son of his
brother Philip. Solomon and Jane had the following children, Fannie, Jane E.,
Mary W. and Charles S. Luke. Solomon’s wife Jane died in 1860. Solomon raised
his daughters in Albany, New York. At the time of the 1880 census he and his son
Charles were living next door to his daughter Jane and her husband in Manhattan, New York. Solomon died in 1904. He and most of his
family are buried in the Albany Rural Cemetery.
Jane Waterson (Watterson)
wife of Henry was born in 1778 and died in November of 1841. She is buried at Mt. Pleasant cemetery in New Salem, New York. Research on Jane has been difficult. The
author believes that her father was John Waterson who was living in Bethlehem around 1795 according to town records. There is record of a Robert Waterson
(brother) being wed in 1800 in the Dutch Reform Church in Albany. Jane’s own children seem unclear as to her
origins. Some say she was born in the United States, other claim she was born in Ireland and one child claims she was born in Scotland. Researching the surname, Waterson almost
always leads one to the Isle of Man, one of the British Isles with people of Irish, Scottish, Welsh and English decent. More
research is pending.
Generation Five, Philip Luke
Philip Luke born in 1806 married Margaret Matthias in 1835.
They had a ninety five acre farm in New Salem, New York. Portions of the
original house and barn are still standing. They are located on what is today
the corner of Clipp and Hurst Road. The farm had a gentle stream flowing through
it, a pond and views of the Helderberg Hills. The author believes that the farm
was the original property of Fredrick Matthias and Eunice Reamer, Philip Luke’s
Father and Mother-in-law. Philip and Margaret had the following children: John,
Mary Magdalena, Adaline, Frederick, Solomon, David, Addison, Sarah M. and
Antoinette.
John Luke born 1835 married
Margaret, (unknown last name), they had a son Edward and resided in the city of
Albany. John worked with his uncle Solomon in the dry
goods business. Years later John and his son Edward would reside together in
the city of Watervliet, New York. They worked together on River Street in Troy, New York as upholsterers. John and his family are buried
in the Albany Rural Cemetery.
Mary Magdalena born 1836
married a man named William J. Ward. They resided in Watervliet, New York and
had the following daughters; Mary E., Carrie, Lavinia and Jennie. At the time
of the 1880 census their daughter Mary E. Ward lived with her grandparents
Philip and Margaret Luke. Mary E. Ward is buried with her husband Elmer Orlep
and their two sons in the Luke family plot in New Salem, New York. Mary Magdalena Luke Ward was living with her
brother John in Watervliet, New York at the time of the 1900 census.
Adaline Luke born in 1838
married Jacob Ogsbury. They resided in Guilderland, New York where Jacob served
as justice of peace. They had a daughters named Mary and Cora Ogsbury. At the
time of the 1920 census, Adaline Luke Ogsbury, a widow and late into her years
resided with her daughter Cora and her husband Charles Vandenberg in Meriden, Connecticut.
Frederick Luke born 1841
married Mary Winne, he is a direct descendant and is featured in generation
six.
Solomon Luke was born September
8th 1843.
Solomon served in the 3rd New York Infantry, Company E during the
time of the Civil War. He mustered into
service on May 14th 1861. In
June of 1862, while stationed in Baltimore, Maryland, he left the Army and joined the Navy. He returned home to the family farm when his
service time was complete (see, Luke’s serving in the Civil War, below). According to a family will it appears that
Solomon Luke was deceased before the death of his father Philip Luke in
1891. (Authors note, for some unknown
reason the life of Solomon Luke saddens me, he went to war, returned home,
stayed around the farm, never married and died young.)
David Luke was born in
1844. He is 17 and living at home at the time of the 1860 census. He is not
located again until the 1880 census, where it appears that he is single and
living in Bartlett Springs, California and working as an engineer. From this point
there is no further record of him. Like his brother Solomon, he too appears to
be deceased at the time of his father’s death in 1891. (Authors note, the life
of David Luke mystifies me. He may have
joined the service during the Civil War or fled from it. There is no record of any kind stating his
activities. The David M. Luke born in New York in 1844 shown on the 1880 census is very likely
our David Luke. He may have spent 20
plus years roaming the West living the cowboys life!)
Addison Luke born 1849
married Ellen Relyea. Addison moved to South Troy, New York where he raised his
four children, Martha, Alden, Philip, and Lena. Addison moved to Troy in the late 1870’s and worked at the Burden
Iron works. By 1891, now widowed, Addison would return to the family farm in the New
Scotland/New Salem area. By the time of the 1900 census Addison and his second wife
Harriet would be residing in Amsterdam, New York. Years later he would move in with his son
Philip who also lived in Amsterdam with his wife and family. Addison died in 1936
and is buried in Mt. Pleasant cemetery in New Salem, New York along with his first wife Ellen Relyea and
their infant daughter Martha. Alden Luke, 1873-1965 is buried in Washington State. Lena born 1877 is believed to have lived into her
years and passed on in 1970 in Florida. Addison’s son Philip Luke would reside in
Amsterdam, New York and have a large family.
Sarah M. Luke was born in
1851 and married Avery Gallup of Berne, New York. In 1870 Avery is working as a farm hand near
the Luke farm. By 1880 they are married and living next door to Sarah’s
parents. Avery passed away in 1884, further research is pending on Sarah. It
appears that they had no children. On
the 1910 census there is a Sister Sarah A. Gallup living in a Shaker Settlement
in the town of New Lebanon, New York, all descriptions of the census fit that of our
Sarah Luke.
Antoinette (Nettie) Luke
born in 1857 was married in 1876 to Walter Hurst and died in 1944. In 1880 they
resided in the town of New Salem and had a son Robert and a daughter Ella May.
Further information is pending.
Margaret Matthias, Philips
wife was born in 1816. She is the daughter of Frederick Matthias and Eunice
Reamer. Eunice is the sister of Andrew Reamer married to Magdalena Luke of Henry Luke. Margaret has many
interesting lines in her family, one to the Van Buren’s (of Martin Van Buren),
another to Ots-Tochs, a Mohawk women from the Turtle Clan, and yet another to
Rebecca Towne, who was hung during the Salem witch trials, after being accused
of witchcraft. Margaret is buried with her husband Philip at their family plot
in the Mt. Pleasant cemetery in New Salem New York. Her parents, Frederick and Eunice Reamer are
buried in a family plot just west of the Luke family plot.
Generation Six, Frederick Luke
Frederick Luke was born in
1841 on his fathers farm in New Salem, New York. Frederick married Mary M. Winne, they would
first reside on a farm in Berne, New York. There they had the following children;
Charles, Ida, William, and Ira. They lived in Berne until the early 1870’s when the family moved to
South
Troy, New York. Frederick’s younger brother Addison would follow him to South Troy some years later. Both families lived on Willis Street. By the time of the 1880 census Frederick had four more children, James, Frederick Jr.,
Anna and Edward. The census indicates that Frederick, his brother Addison, and
his oldest son Charles, 15 at the time, all worked at the Burden Iron Works in South Troy, New York. By 1900, Frederick and Mary left Troy and moved to a small farm in North Greenbush, New York. There Frederick would once again take up farming. He only
stayed in North
Greenbush for a
short time. He would next purchase a one hundred acre farm in Clifton Park, Saratoga County, New York. He remained there until around 1920 when
illness forced him to move back to South Troy to reside with his son Ira Luke. Frederick died on May 24, 1922. A wake was held at his
son Ira’s home on Grant Avenue in South Troy. Frederick and his wife Mary are buried in Mt.
Pleasant Cemetery in New Salem, New York.
Charles E. Luke born in
1865 married Nellie Pickett. Charles is a direct descendant and the subject of
Generation Seven.
Ida Luke born 1866 married
a man by the last name of Lindsley. They had a son Robert and a daughter Susie.
They all resided with Ida’s father, Frederick in North Greenbush at the time of
the 1900 census. In 1920 Ida is living with her sister Anna in Florida. The
author believes that Ida remarried a gentleman later in life with the last name
of Pierce.
William (Willie) Luke born
1867 and died young in 1873. He is
buried in the Luke family plot in New Salem, New York.
Ira Luke, born 1869 moved
to South Troy as a young lad and remained there for the rest
of his life. He worked at the collar factory in Troy when he was young. He married Agnes Bain and
they lived at 42 Grant Avenue in South Troy with their daughter Margaret Luke. Margaret was
born in 1904 and was still living with her parents at the time of the 1930
census. In both the 1920 and 1930 census Ira listed himself as a Fruit farmer.
Agnes Luke died in 1936. The author believes that Ira predeceased Agnes.
According to a family source Margaret Luke married a local man named “Dutchy“
Williams. They would reside at her parent’s home on Grant Avenue in Troy.
James Luke was born in
1871, he married Alice Smith. Alice was of English decent. The 1900 census
indicates that she was born in the United States and that both of her parents
were born in England. At the time of the 1900 census James and Alice and their
three oldest daughters were living near James’s father’s home in North
Greenbush. James worked at Collar factory in Troy, New York. By 1920 the family
had relocated to Schenectady, New York and resided on Albany Street. During
this time period James worked for a Locomotive company in Schenectady, New
York. James and Alice had the following children; Ruth, Anna M. (May), Marian,
James, John Enos, Minnie, Dorothy and Alice. By the time of the 1930 census,
James, his wife and their youngest daughter Alice lived on Glenridge Road in
Clifton Park, New York. His son, James A. Luke and his wife Carrie Hayes lived
next door. James A. Luke was a wood pattern maker working for General
Electric. John Enos Luke would marry
Daisy Welch and reside in Lansingburgh, New York. In 1944 John and Daisy along with their
children would relocate to the Clifton Park area. Both James and John Luke have heirs
living in the Schenectady/Saratoga county areas.
Frederick Luke Jr. was born
in 1873, at the time of the 1900 census, he along with his wife Alice and their
daughter Ida M. were living with his father Frederick in North Greenbush, New York.
Later that same year both his wife and daughter passed away. By 1920 Frederick
had remarried a women named Mary E. and resided on Locust Avenue in
Schenectady, not far from his brother James‘s home. No further information is
available. He is buried in Schenectady, New York.
Anna Luke, born in 1875
married a man named Benjamin Hayes. Benjamin was many years older then Anna.
During the 1920’s they had a home in Pinellas County, Florida, and spent their summers in upstate New York. She is buried in the Luke family plot in New Salem, New York.
Edward Luke born 1878
married a women named Margaret Kennedy from Troy, New York. They moved to Bayonne City, N.J. and raised the following children, Agnes, Ida,
Edward, Frederick and James. Edward worked for an Insurance Company. (additional information on this branch of the
family has been difficult to come by.)
Jessie Luke born in 1880
died in 1901 at 21 years old. She is buried with her parents in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.
Mary M. Winne, Frederick’s wife was born in Albany County in 1844. Mary was a direct descendant of Peter
Winnie one of the areas original Dutch settlers. Andrew and Catherine Winne,
Mary’s parents were from the Bethlehem/New Scotland section of Albany County. Mary had eleven brother and sisters.
Generation Seven, Charles E. Luke
Charles was born 1865 in
Berne, New York. At a young age he moved to South Troy with his family. In 1880
at the aged of 15 he was working full time at the Burden Ironworks along with
his father and his uncle Addison. Charles married Nellie (Ellen) Pickett and
had the following children; Mary M., William, Charles, Ira, Anna and Ellen.
Charles and Nellie’s first home was on Vandenberg Avenue in South Troy, New York. They would soon move a few blocks away to 40 Willis Street, in South Troy. It appears that Charles purchased his father, Frederick’s home when he moved to North Greenbush. In 1930 Charles and Nellie were still living
on Willis Street and Charles was still working at the Iron Mill.
By this time Charles was 65 years of age and had been working at the Iron mill
for 50 years! Charles and Nellie are buried in Saint Mary‘s Cemetery in Troy,
New York. They are buried along side their son William. Sadly, Charles and Nellie have no headstone
to mark their graves.
Mary Margaret Luke born
1898, she married Louis Schackett of Troy, New York. Margaret and Louis resided in downtown Troy. The author believes they had at least one son
named Joseph Schackett who was a pall bearer at his grandmother Nellie Luke’s
funeral. According to family sources, Margaret spent time at a Mental
Institution in Poughkeepsie, New York. She later committed suicide by jumping off the
bridge connecting Green Island and Troy somewhere around 1936.
William Joseph Luke born
1901 was 19 years old and living at home at the time of the 1920 census. He
died In January of 1924 and is buried in Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Troy, New York. He was a seaman second class in the USNRF.
His funeral was largely
attended and a particularly sad event.
Charles J. Luke born in
1904 married Ruth Laboissiere. He is a direct descendant and the subject of
Generation Eight.
Ira E. Luke born 1906 was a
life long resident of Troy New York. He was married to Louetta Clickner and had two
sons Charles E. Luke and James Luke Sr. they also had a daughter Louetta Luke
who drowned tragically at an early age while playing on the ice with school
mates. Louetta is buried with grandparents, Charles and Nellie in an unmarked
grave. Ira and his family resided in South Troy, New York. Ira died in 1989, his sons James and Charles
still reside in the Troy, New York area.
Anna Luke born 1908 married
Alexander Seney. At the time of the 1930
census they lived in Green Island, New York.
Anna Seney’s brother Charlie also lived in Green Island at this
time. The Seney’s would soon move to
Rensselaer, New York, where they would reside and raise their family. Alexander
and Anna Seney had three sons; Charles, Alexander and Robert Seney. They also
had a daughter Shirley Seney. Both Alexander and Anna lived into their nineties
and left several descendants.
Ellen R. Luke born 1910 was
still living with her parents as late as 1930. She married Edwin Wager, a Troy
Fireman. The couple lived on 9th Street in Troy. According to family
sources they had a son also named Edwin.
Nellie Pickett Luke, the
wife of Charles Luke was born in 1869 in New York State. Her parents, William Pickett and Ellen Dineen
both resided in Troy at the time of the 1880 census. The census indicates that they
were both born in Ireland. Nellie had a sister Mary and a sister Anna
Pickett. Anna married a man named Howard
Gordiner of Troy, New York.
Generation Eight, Charles J. Luke
Charles Luke (Charlie, Pop)
was born in 1904 in South Troy, New York. He married Ruth LaBoissiere and moved
to Green
Island, New York. In the early 1930’s Charlie Luke worked as an
insurance salesman. He and his young family would soon move to Latham, New York. He was the Post Master in Latham and also
owned and operated a Service Station (gas station and repairs) for many years.
In later years he owned and operated a small vending service, his featured item
was the famous “Ford Gumball”, which sold for a penny. At the time a penny gumball machine was in
nearly every business. For most of their
years in Latham, Charlie and Ruth resided on their small “farm” on the Troy-Schenectady Road. “Pop”
Luke was an avid outdoorsman who loved to fish and hunt. He knew of many
“secret” fishing holes between Latham, and Long Lake, New York. Long
Lake is where he enjoyed spending his time off with the likes of Old Bill
Coghill, Emerson Pitts and Indian Pete, to name a few, of a cast of characters.
Charlie Luke was one of the first Chiefs of the Latham Fire Department. Charlie
and his wife Ruth both passed away in 1971. They had the following children.
Alice Luke who married
James Cooley an Air Force veteran of World War II. Alice and James resided in
New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They raised the following children; Maureen,
Ann, James, Peggy, Eileen, Mike and Sheila. Alice and James Cooley, both
deceased are survived by many grandchildren, living throughout the United States.
William Luke married
Theresa Freije and is a direct descendant and will be featured in generation
nine.
Ruth Luke married Alan
Knipe of Latham, New York. Ruth and Al lived in various places in New
York and eventually settled in downstate New York where Al worked for many
years in a management position at New York Telephone Company. In retirement
Ruth and Al have homes in Lake George, New York and Florida. Ruth and Allen had the following children;
James, Jeff, Jeannette and Kathy.
Ruth LaBoissiere was from Green Island, New York. Her fathers name was Ulrich LaBoissiere from Schaghticoke, New York.
Ulrich’s father Joseph and mother Caroline were both born in Canada. Ruth’s
mothers name was Elizabeth O’Connor daughter of Michael and Bridget O’Connor
both born in Ireland. The
O’Connor’s first settled in Cambridge, New York, they would later settle in Schaghticoke. They had two sons and eight daughters. It is believed by many family members that
Ruth LaBoissiere Luke made the greatest pie crust on earth!
Generation Nine, William Francis Luke
William Luke was born July
19, 1930 in Green Island, New York. He
attended high school at Vencentian Institute in Albany, New York. Upon graduation he married Theresa Freije of Cohoes, New York. Bill
and Theresa first resided in
Cohoes then moved to Latham, New York. Bill
was a member of the New York National Guard.
He took over his father’s gas station business. Evenings, Bill ran a
separate auto repair shop. In the early 1960’s he took over a small, once a
week, trash route from the widow of an elderly man he had known. He would turn
this small route into a full-time going business. Luke’s Disposal Inc., under
different ownership and name it is still in existence today. William Luke
passed away in 1971 at 41 years old, from Hodgkin’s disease. Bill was an excellent marksman, he enjoyed
small and large game hunting. In his
youth Bill loved baseball, his teammates called him the “old right
hander”. He was also an avid golfer and
bowler. He and Terry had the following
children; William Jr., Charles F. and Ann Marie.
William F Luke Jr. married
Pam McCarthy, both are life long residence of Latham, New York. Bill owned and operated a Lumber yard in
Latham for many years. After closing the Lumber Company Bill took a job with
the Town of Colonie in the water department. Pam Luke works as a
dental hygienists. Bill and Pam have the following children William F., Daniel,
Robert and Erin Luke.
Charles F. Luke married
Katherine Reilly. Charles is a direct descendant and will be featured in
generation ten.
Ann Marie Luke married Bob
Ballard, they reside in Latham, New York near the old family farm on Homestead Drive. Ann Marie has worked for several large
companies specializing in computers. Bob works for a printing company and does
small contracting jobs on the side.
Theresa Freije Luke was
born in Troy, New York. She was only a child when her father bought
the mansion on Saratoga Avenue in Cohoes, New York. Wrought iron fences and stately lions guarded
the main entrance of the home. Huge pillars supported the upper balcony which
offered views of Van Schaick Island and the Hudson River. Though still very young Theresa had vivid
memories of the upstairs ballroom and the downstairs library of the home, once
owned by a New York State senator. Over the years her father and older
brothers went to work on the home converting the third floor as well as the
ground floor into nine apartment units. The family would reside on the massive
middle floor with its formal rooms and inlaid parquet flooring. Theresa would
reside here until her marriage. Her father and mother, Fred (Fuad) Freije and
Mary Ferris Freije were both born in Lebanon (Syria). They migrated to the United States sometime around the turn of the century. Fred
and Mary had the following children; George, Philip, Margaret, Charlie, Fred,
Theresa, Joseph and Mary. George, Philip and Fred Freije all served their
country in the United States Navy during World War Two.
Fred Freije senior migrated
to the United States around 1903.
From New York City, he would next reside in Troy, New York. There
he owned an operated a fruit and vegetable store located first on the corner of
4th St. and Congress, then later at 49 Congress Street. With the help of his family he would expand
his business. He would eventually own the Congress Street property along with several other pieces of
real estate. Fred Freije senior would loose everything at the time of the great
depression. Starting from scratch he would relocate his family to Cohoes, New York. There, he and his family would rebuild his
grocery business. First on Remsen Street in Cohoes, then later on the corner of Congress and Main. The Congress Street store was called the Big Value (IGA)
Supermarket. Later, with his sons he
would build a sister store in Waterford, New York. His sons Charlie and Fred Freije junior, along
with his daughter Mary Freije would run and operate the Big Value Supermarkets
until their closings in the late 1970’s. Philip and Margaret Freije were
employees for the State of New York. Charlie Freije retired to Florida from the Supermarket business, until he passed
away in August of 2004. George Freije was a technical wizard who was well ahead
of his time. He would own and operated a variety of small businesses. Joe
Freije owned and operated Custom Cooling Service as well, as having several
real estate holdings. Joe Freije died in
2009. Sons, George, Philip and Fred all
served their Country in the United States Navy during World War Two.
At a very young age,
Theresa Freije, the apple of her father’s eye, she was known as “Little Miss
Cohoes”. Dressed in Shirley Temple type outfits she would sing and dance at
local theaters and variety shows. She also had many guest appearances, singing,
live on local radio broadcast. Theresa resided in Latham, New York with her
husband Bill and raised three children. She obtained her real estate license
and worked in the field for a few years prior to her husbands untimely death.
After her husbands death she worked as a rental agent for a large Apartment
complex. She met and remarried to Brian Stancil and lived in Louisiana for
several years. She eventually returned to New York and spent many great years
with her grandchildren. She died in January of 2000.
Generation Ten Charles F. Luke
Charles F. Luke was born in
Cohoes, New York. He attended Shaker High School in Latham, New York. Later he graduated from Siena College in Loudonville , New York with a Bachelors degree in business
administration majoring in Accounting. He opted for an early retirement after a
twenty year career at United Parcel Service where he was employed as a manager
in Operations. He along with his wife Katherine owned and operated a Luke
Beverage Center, Ltd. in Cohoes, New York. Charles Luke married Katherine Mary Reilly of
Rensselaer, New York, they had the following children, Charles F., Jonathan W.,
and Joseph M. Luke.
At the time of this
writing;
Charles Luke Jr. graduated
from Shaker High School in Latham, New York. He was a member of the National Honor Society.
He was also a many-time High School All-American in Gymnastics. Charles Jr. was a two time, State of New
York, high school gold medalist on the floor exercise. He is a Siena College graduate, majoring in Accounting. He is
currently working in his field.
Jonathan William Luke
graduated from Shaker High School and attends Adirondack Community College. Jonathan was also an accomplished gymnast in
High School and was honored several times as a High School All-American. He
finished in the top three to five in the New York State finals several times in his career in a variety
of gymnastic events. Jonathan attended Adirondack Community College, majoring
in Police Science. He is currently a New York Park Police officer.
Joseph Michael Luke is a
recent graduate of Lake George High School in Lake George, New York. While attending Shaker High School, prior to moving to Lake George, Joseph was a tough and determined member of
the wrestling team. He was honored as the most improved on the team by his
coaches. Joseph is attending Adirondack Community College, majoring in Computer
Science.
Katherine Mary Reilly
(Luke) was raised in Rensselaer, New York. Her father Joseph Vincent Reilly and her
mother Anne Marie Carey were both born and raised in Rensselaer, New York. Joe and Anne Reilly had the following
children; J. Michael, Anne Marie, Robert, Katherine, John Raymond, and Carolyn.
Katherine Luke’s father,
Joseph Vincent Reilly was a veteran of world war two. As a graduate of Oneonta
State University, Joseph Reilly pursued a career as a history teacher in the
Rensselaer School district. He would later serve as Principal, then as
Superintendent of the Rensselaer school district. Joseph
Reilly’s great grandfather Patrick Reilly, was born in Ireland in 1828. At the time of the 1880 census, he,
and his large family had settled in Albany, New York. Patrick Reilly worked as a carpenter. His son
Henry P. Reilly migrated to Rensselaer, New York. Henry Reilly worked as a car inspector for the
railroad. Henry’s son Joseph Dalton Reilly, the father of Joseph Vincent
Reilly, would raise his family in Rensselaer. He too worked as a car inspector for the
railroad.
Katherine Luke’s mother,
Anne Marie Carey, was a housewife and the wonderful mother of six children. Her
great grandfather was John Cary (Carey). He was born in Ireland in 1833. He and his large family appear in the East Greenbush, New York census of 1860. A stone and brick mason, John
Carey died in the mid 1870’s. His wife Margaret Keenan and his eldest son
Mathew Carey, a stone mason, were left to fend for the family. Dennis E. Carey,
the second oldest son of John would eventually marry and raise his family in
Rensselaer, New York. His son, John Raymond Carey, the father of
Anne Marie Carey, would also raise his family in Rensselaer, New York. Like his father, John Raymond Carey worked for
the railroad. He worked as a trainman for the Steam Railroad Company.
Katherine Mary Reilly
(Luke) attended Saint John’s Catholic High School in Rensselaer, New York, until its closing in her junior year. She
graduated from Rensselaer High School. Katherine attended Hudson Valley Community
College in Troy, New York. She worked for the federal government in the
Department of Housing and Urban Development for several years. Later she would
co-own and operate the Luke Beverage Center in Cohoes, New York.
Luke’s serving during the Civil War
Solomon Luke, son of Philip
of Henry Luke. Served in the 3rd New York Infantry, Company E. He
mustered in on May 14, 1861. His unit saw action at Big Bethel, Virginia, a
union loss. After the battle his company was moved to stand guard in Baltimore,
Maryland. The unit remained there for nearly a year. In June of 1862 Solomon Luke left the Army
and joined the Navy. His Army record
states he deserted. In the remarks
section, it goes on to explain that he re-enlisted into the Navy.
John Wesley Luke, son of
Garrett of Henry Luke. Served in the 14th and 15th Illinois Infantry, Company A and E. Rank in as a 2nd
Lieutenant, Rank out Captain. Regiment was organized in Freeport, Illinois and mustered in May 24, 1861. Regiment saw
action at the battle of Shiloh, the siege of Corinth, battle of Hatchie River, the siege of Vicksburg and the battle of Bentonville.
Garrett Watson Luke, son of
Garrett of Henry Luke. Served in the 96 Illinois Infantry, Company K. Rank in Sergeant, Rank out
2nd Lieutenant. Regiment was organized in Rockford, Illinois and mustered in September 6, 1862. Regiment saw
action at the battles of Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Buzzard Roost Gap, Peach Tree Creek, the siege
of Atlanta and the battles of Jonesboro, Franklin and Nashville.
Moses Houghtaling Luke, son
of Garrett of Henry Luke mustered into Company F of the 17th
Regiment of the Illinois Cavalry. The company was assigned the Missouri Territory where much action was seen if the form of
skirmishes.
Henry Luke, son of John of
Henry Luke. Served in the 137th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, Company B, as a Sergeant. Henry saw
action at South Mountain, Antietam and Chancellorsville.
Comments, Thoughts and Notes on My Research
My research began almost by accident when I stumbled across
the Troy City web site that included an 1880 and a 1900 city census. Knowing my
grandfather Charles Luke was from “South Troy“, New York, I decided to take a
look. I found a Fredrick and an Adderson Luke as heads of household living in
Troy, New York in 1880. I also found a Charles Luke age 15, I wondered, could
this be my grandfather? A quick finger count of years, said no. Could he be my
great grandfather? It turned out that he was in fact my great grandfather. Soon
I was able to determine that his father was Fredrick Luke (my great, great
grandfather). I correctly thought, but did not know for certain at the time
that Fredrick and Adderson were brothers. I was able to trace the movements of
these two families through the 1900,1920 and 1930 census and was soon able to
establish the beginnings of a nice little family tree.
I had many nagging questions. Fredrick and Adderson Luke
seemed to burst onto the Troy, New York scene post civil war then disappeared
at the turn of the century. Where were they from? The one bit of information I
did have was that both Fredrick and Adderson noted on the 1880 census that both
their mothers and fathers were born in New York. This to me was exciting information. It dated
the existence of our family roots in America back to sometime at least to the early 1800’s!
I made an exhaustive search of Rensselaer County looking for Luke’s and chasing down a few
random leads. I expanded my research to the rest of New York State. I found Luke names in Albany, Schenectady, Western New York and New York city. Coming up with any information prior to 1880
was incredibly difficult. I eventually got onto the web site of the Latter-day
Saints.
I found a Philip Luke who
had several children living in New Salem, New York. He had sons named Frederick and Addison (not
Adderson). The names were spelled different then those on the 1880 census. The
birth years were close, but also different. I had a good feeling that this was
the connection to the Troy, Luke’s, but no proof. I had previously
collected several bits of information about the Albany county Luke’s, in fact I
had, already had, Philip Luke’s name but did not know at the time that he had a
son named Frederick born around the same time as my great, great grandfather.
This became increasingly exciting to me because some of the information I had
about Albany County Luke’s dated them back to the time of the
Revolutionary War. Could this be the same family? Were we connected? I started
to trace Philip Luke backwards. I found that his fathers name was Henry Luke.
Henry also had a large family in the Bethlehem/New Scotland/New Salem, New York area. I found that Henry’s fathers name was
also Philip Luke. This put me into the Records of the Dutch Reform Church of Albany. I started to find variations on name spelling.
I found Laucks, Laux, Louk, Loek, Locks, Loock, Loeck, Lock, Loeck, Look, Loek,
and Luke. Who were all of these people? I sorted out the entire Dutch Records,
by last name, first name, and sponsor names at baptisms. Not only were last
names translated from the old Dutch with different spelling, but first names
too were spelled differently, Conrad, Coonrad, Coenradt, etc. To make matters
more complicated the Dutch custom of naming children after grandparents and
renaming children after deceased children further complicated matters. There
were two Philip Luke’s born in 1753 and another one born in 1755! Once it was
all on paper I was able to determine with 100% certainty that the Philip Luke’s
father I was looking for was Coenradt Luke (loeck). I was later able to support
my research through the Latter-day saints and other resources. I was becoming
very endeared to this family. But, was it my family? I had nothing other then a
gut feeling. The one thing I found out for sure doing research was that
assumptions could not be supported.
The key to making the link between these two generations of
Luke’s turned out to be Adderson (Addison) Luke. I was actually hunting down
his son Philip Luke. I found a Philip Luke living in Amsterdam, New York in
1930 who was the same age as the Philip Luke from the Troy census I was looking
for. When I got out the actual census page guess who was still alive and living
with him, his father Addison, not Adderson. The 1880 census had his name
misspelled. Addison lived until 1936 and was buried in New Salem, New York. To me this was the link, I was 99% certain,
but it was too difficult to explain. So, I now chased down Frederick Luke my
great, great, grandfather. He had moved to Clifton Park, New York and was living there in 1920. I went to the New York State archives and researched the date of his death,
1922. I then went to the NYS Library and researched his obituary. He too was
buried in New Salem, New York. The linkage to the generations was complete at
100% certainty.
I was now no longer just endeared to this early Luke Family of
Albany County. They were my ancestors. I restarted my
research into their history with more vigor. I researched all of the census information
of the 1800’s and came up with more and more information. I stumbled across the
Reamer Family Bible. This not only confirmed all of my information but it gave
me new names that I had not previously had. I was eventually able to establish
the last name’s of the Luke’s wives. To me this information was vital to get a
sense of our families’ nationality.
Eventually, I ended up back in the early Dutch records. Early
on with the Luke family everything seemed Dutch. We were following Dutch
customs. The early Luke wives were all Dutch. We were living in what appears to
be a Dutch community in early Albany county. I pieced together all of the Luke
families. Then, I made a time line of all the entries of family members in the
Dutch records. The nagging question of the moment was who was Coenradt Luke’s
father? I knew from the Dutch Records that Coenradt was born in Albany county, so he was not the Alpha or the first
Luke I was looking for. I believed with a very high degree of certainty that
his father was Philipp Luke. I also believed that he had two brothers Jacob and
Johannes. I made and entire family tree that also included two sisters. The
degree of certainty was so high that there was really no question that Philipp
was the father. But, was he the Alpha? Just as the Luke’s burst onto the Troy, New York scene in 1880. The Luke’s I was tracing seemed
to burst onto the Albany county scene in the early 1700’s. It is
impossible to do a family research of this time period without picking up a lot
of factoids about early colonial times. During this time period there were many
Irish, English and Scottish soldiers in the colony’s who settled here and took
American brides. Being aware of the history of the Colony’s, I was also aware
of the Palatine (German) migration of the early 1700’s. After some exhaustive
card catalog research at the NY State library, I came up with the Henry z.
Jones book on the early Palatine families. This is perhaps the most extensive
research book of all time on the Palatine migration. In this book (from the
Hunter list, family 439) I found Johann Philipp Laux. Not only did it have his
name but it had the names of his entire family. This matched the list I had
made from the Dutch records exactly 100% to the tee. Here was the Alpha Luke, at
least in America. Johann was a forename and not used. Philipp
was one of the 1709ers. This was the first migration of Palatines to America. These early Palatines endured much hardship
during these early voyages and most of them were penniless. This too leads to
many questions. There were several families with the Laux name that migrated
from Germany. Of all of these families their names
translated to Laucks and is still Laucks today with the ks ending,
sounding like an x ending. Even from the earliest Dutch records the Luke
name we use seems to be written and pronounced with a harder k sound,
Luke or Look or Loeck. On an early 1767, map of Rensselaerwyck it written as
Lauck without the s. I am uncertain if this information is of any value. To me
it is doubtful that our Johann Philip Laux is related to any other Palatine
Laux families that made this voyage in 1709. If they were related they would
have most likely settled together as the other Laux families had. It is also
seems uncertain that researching old German records for the Laux spelling will
come up with anything. The Palatine records state that Johann Philip Laux came
to this country with a wife and child. It is thought by H.Z. Jones that the
Philipp’s wife and child did not survive the trip. Jones is also uncertain
about Magdalena Laux, Philipp’s wife. He tends to think she could be Magdalena Lang, from another Palatine family. A Roosa
family researcher claims to have written proof that Magdalena is in fact a Roosa (Rose) from an old Dutch
family. To me, this seems to actually tie in better and H.Z. Jones would not of
had this information. Some other thoughts and questions are, Philipp Luke was
widowed sometimes around 1710 or sometime there after and was remarried by at
least 1716. According to Jones and other Palatine researchers, they show our
Philipp Luke settling in Beckmansland a temporary Palatine refugee camp
somewhere near the West Camp settlement (Saugerties, New York), but its exact location is uncertain. As
stated earlier Philipp was most like (but not for certain) penniless. He may
have had to work for many years in service to the Queen of England to pay for his voyage to the new world. (Many
Palatines worked at collecting pine pitch for the Royal English Navy) It seems
from my research that the Palatines that settle on the east side of the Hudson
River in or near East Camp settlement (Germantown, New York area, Columbia
County) became more in servitude to the Livingston Family of New York and spent
a longer time in their service. Either way, somehow Philipp must have paid for
his voyage, became a free man, and remarried. I believe that he lived in what
is today the Athens area of Greene County, New York for a number of years prior
to moving with his new and growing family to the West Manor of Rensselaerwyck
(Albany County). Further research may prove this out, because at some point in
time he became a freeholder in Albany County. For now, this is the extent of my comments and
thoughts about my research. The reader can form their own opinions.
References
The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day
Saints
www.familysearch.org/Eng/default.asp
The Palatine
families of New York : a study of the German immigrants who arrived in colonial
New York in 1710 / by Henry Z. Jones, Jr. AUTHOR: Jones, Henry Z., 1940-
PUBLISHED: Universal City, Calif. : H.Z. Jones, 1985. SUBJECT:
Reamer family Bible, www.bernehistory.org/families/families.htm
Second Reform Dutch Church,
Bernehistory.org
1790 Watervliet Census, www.rootsweb.com/~nyalbany/census/1790Watervlcen.html
Britt-Luke Cemetery
records, www.rootsweb.com/~nyalbany/cem/Britt-Luke_BullockCem.html
Fort Klock Historic Restoration, www.fortklock.com
Jerusalem Reform Church, www.bettyfink.com/jerus06.htm
Voorheesville Public
Library, www.uhls.org/niche/view.asp?Img=2xVoormap2.jpg
Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, www.interment.net/data/us/ny/albany/mt_pleasant.htm
Town of New Scotland, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~clifflamere/Misc/MAP-NewScotland.htm
Records of the Dutch Reform Church, http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/gen/albany/part6.html#marriage
Same as above, hard copy
from NYS Library, Albany, NY.
Holland Society of New York (1922/3)
Excerpted from Year
Books of the Holland Society of New York
1880, 1900 Federal Census, Troy NY, www.connorsgenealogy.com/troy/1880Census.html
Census on Microfilm NYS
Library, 1810,1850,1870,1860,1830
1910 1920 1930 Census
information Ancestry.com
Van Orden Descendancy www.nstep.net/dorgon/vandec/pafg07.htm#845
Martin Van Buren, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~nnnotables/zmvb.html
1767 Rensselaerwyck map,
History of Bethlehem - NYS Library
http://www.lib.rpi.edu/dept/library/html/Archives/history/rensselaerwyck/map(small)2.jpg
Van Orden
http://www.nstep.net/dorgon/vandec/pafg07.htm#845
Munsell’s History of Albany
- NYS Library
Loyalist Studies
http://www.royalprovincial.com/etc/search.htm
Roland Viau on Philip Luke
of Canada
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.forum.umontreal.ca/numeros/2000_2001/forum_00_11_20/article03.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2B%2522philip%2Bluke%2522%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DG%26as_qdr%3Dall
Butlers Rangers http://216.239.33.100/search?q=cache:tfNNjXxcwPcC:www.iaw.on.ca/~awoolley/brang/broffr.html++captain+%22+philip+luke%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
http://216.239.53.100/search?q=cache:qylypP90_GwC:www.starseekers.org/news%26evidence_UR.htm+philip+luke+albany+loyalist&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Civil War info. http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair/3680/cw/cw.html
"Con Te Partiro", Andrea Bocelli
