John Tunnicliff
Encyclopedia
John Tunnicliff was a prominent landowner and presumed Tory
in Otsego County, New York
. He was born in Derbyshire
, England
, the eldest son of George and Mary Tunnicliff. He married Elizabeth in 1747 and later married Mary Woodhouse.
on all gamesters, so incensed him that he at once resolved to emigrate to the American colonies, where he could be at liberty to enjoy the pleasures of the forest unrestrained by stringent laws or the caprice of titled nobility.
, and Mr. Tunnicliff visited this portion of the state in search of land, with a view of making it a future home for his family. Proceeding westward from Albany
, he at length reached Cherry Valley
where he learned of the existence of a region of beautiful lakes and numerous mill-streams a few miles farther to the west. He was desirous of securing a location that would resemble, so far as possible in its topography, his estate in England, and amid the unlimited diversity before him, finally selected a tract of 12,000 acre
s (49 km²), about two miles (3 km) southwest of Canadarago Lake
, in the patent just granted the same year to David Schuyler and others. The lands of this purchase extended easterly to the stream known as "Fly creek," and the region of the headwaters of this stream are designated as the "Twelve Thousand" to the present day [c.1880]. Here he erected a home and commenced the work of clearing away the forest.
and English
nations were at this time contending for the mastery of the continent. England occupied the Atlantic slope, while Canada
was in the possession of France, who were making vigorous efforts to control the western lakes and rivers south to the mouth of the Mississippi
, and thus confine the English to the Atlantic coast. The French had vast hordes of Indian
allies, who were constantly on the alert to perpetrate acts of hostility on their forest. Frontier settlements were frequently destroyed, and isolated cabins and unprotected families fell into the hands of the savages who burned their homes to the ground.
Mr. Tunnicliff had frequently been apprised of the danger that surrounded him, and resolved to leave until the close of the French and Indian War
. His family treasures and belongings were buried in the forest, and he returned to his family in England. Soon after his departure, his estate buildings were burned by the Indians, and in consequence of this circumstance he remained in England several years, during which time he sold his estate there, bestowing, according to the English custom of primogeniture
, a large portion of his property upon his eldest son, John, Jr., who had arrived at the years of manhood, and preferred to remain in the land of his birth. Mr. Tunnicliff had three sons and two daughters. The two younger sons were at this time lads of twelve and fourteen years, and the eldest daughter sixteen.
he purchased a vessel fully manned, and with a considerable number of passengers on board (several families of which we shall have occasion to notice in this work), he sailed again for Philadelphia, where he arrived in the summer of 1758. An estate, previously purchased, on the banks of the Schuylkill
, was now occupied by the family, where they remained until the year 1764, when they removed to Dutchess County
, in the colony of New York. Although peace had been restored the year previous, Mrs. Tunnicliff refused to accompany her husband to his lands in Schuyler's patent. Accordingly, an estate was leased for five years at Skenesborough, New York, near Lake Champlain
, where the family were located with the two sons, Joseph and William.
Mr. Tunnicliff returned to his former country estate, and found the ruins of his home that had been burned by the Indians. He at once caused new buildings to be erected, also a saw-mill on the stream nearby, that was kept incessantly at work to answer the requirements of the now growing settlement. His eldest daughter remained with her father at The Oaks as the estate was called, from the circumstance that a large portion of the lands in the purchase were thickly covered with gigantic oak
trees. This name was subsequently given to the stream (Oaks Creek) that forms the outlet of Canadarago Lake
, which it still retains. The "orchard" on this estate was the first in Otsego County. At this early day there were few or no roads in this section of the country, and traveling was done mostly on horseback or on foot.
In the year 1774, John Tunnicliff purchased 600 acres (2.4 km²) of land in the northern portion of Schuyler's patent, commencing near the mouth of Fish Creek, and running northerly to the present line of Herkimer County, New York
. Before his death in 1800, Mr. Tunnicliff built an Episcopalian church near his residence, but it was destroyed by fire in 1840.
, on the north bank of the St. Lawrence River. Their son, Hon. Dunham Jones, lived on the original estate of his father, and for many years held offices of distinction under the British government.
In 1783 (http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/bios/t/jotunnjr1700.html) John Tunnicliff, Jr., came to this country from England, and located at Albany, New York
as a goldsmith, his former employment. He remained there but a few months when he purchased a farm about one mile (1.6 km) south of Little Lakes, in the town of Warren, New York
which he continued to occupy until his death in 1814. His family consisted of seven sons and five daughters.
In 1916, descendant Lester Tunnicliff purchased the American Hotel (built in 1802) in nearby Cooperstown, New York
and renamed it the (http://www.cooperstownchamber.org/~tunnicliff/history.html)
Tunnicliff Inn. The establishment is still in operation under that name (as of 2005).
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
in Otsego County, New York
Otsego County, New York
Otsego County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. The 2010 population was 62,259. The county seat is Cooperstown. The name Otsego is from a Mohawk word meaning "place of the rock."-History:...
. He was born in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the eldest son of George and Mary Tunnicliff. He married Elizabeth in 1747 and later married Mary Woodhouse.
Sports of the chase
In 1755, he was living in Derby, England, where he owned a large and valuable estate, with extensive forests in which were preserved a variety of game for the diversion of himself and numerous friends. Like nearly all his descendants, he was extremely fond of the sports of the chase; and on one occasion he pursued and shot a deer in the forest of an English nobleman, who prosecuted him for the offense. This circumstance, it is said, together with the onerous tax imposed by King George IIGeorge II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
on all gamesters, so incensed him that he at once resolved to emigrate to the American colonies, where he could be at liberty to enjoy the pleasures of the forest unrestrained by stringent laws or the caprice of titled nobility.
First visit to the colonies
Accordingly, the following year he arrived in Philadelphia. Extensive tracts of public land had already been granted to individuals and companies by the English colonial government in the eastern part of the colony of New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and Mr. Tunnicliff visited this portion of the state in search of land, with a view of making it a future home for his family. Proceeding westward from Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, he at length reached Cherry Valley
Cherry Valley, New York
Cherry Valley, New York is the name of two locations in Otsego County, New York:*Cherry Valley , New York*Cherry Valley , New York...
where he learned of the existence of a region of beautiful lakes and numerous mill-streams a few miles farther to the west. He was desirous of securing a location that would resemble, so far as possible in its topography, his estate in England, and amid the unlimited diversity before him, finally selected a tract of 12,000 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (49 km²), about two miles (3 km) southwest of Canadarago Lake
Canadarago Lake
Canadarago Lake is the second largest lake in Otsego County, New York, USA, lying to the west of and parallel to the larger Otsego Lake.The lake's name is also spelled "Candajarago Lake" or "Caniadaraga Lake".- Bordering areas :...
, in the patent just granted the same year to David Schuyler and others. The lands of this purchase extended easterly to the stream known as "Fly creek," and the region of the headwaters of this stream are designated as the "Twelve Thousand" to the present day [c.1880]. Here he erected a home and commenced the work of clearing away the forest.
Peculiar exigencies
Other adventurers had already occupied claims in the vicinity, and it doubtless required no small degree of fortitude and courage to endure the privations and dangers incident to frontier life; and especially when we take into consideration the peculiar exigencies of the times. The FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
nations were at this time contending for the mastery of the continent. England occupied the Atlantic slope, while Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
was in the possession of France, who were making vigorous efforts to control the western lakes and rivers south to the mouth of the Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, and thus confine the English to the Atlantic coast. The French had vast hordes of Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
allies, who were constantly on the alert to perpetrate acts of hostility on their forest. Frontier settlements were frequently destroyed, and isolated cabins and unprotected families fell into the hands of the savages who burned their homes to the ground.
Mr. Tunnicliff had frequently been apprised of the danger that surrounded him, and resolved to leave until the close of the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. His family treasures and belongings were buried in the forest, and he returned to his family in England. Soon after his departure, his estate buildings were burned by the Indians, and in consequence of this circumstance he remained in England several years, during which time he sold his estate there, bestowing, according to the English custom of primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
, a large portion of his property upon his eldest son, John, Jr., who had arrived at the years of manhood, and preferred to remain in the land of his birth. Mr. Tunnicliff had three sons and two daughters. The two younger sons were at this time lads of twelve and fourteen years, and the eldest daughter sixteen.
Return to America
Mr. Tunnicliff was possessed of a large property, and occupied a high social position. At LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
he purchased a vessel fully manned, and with a considerable number of passengers on board (several families of which we shall have occasion to notice in this work), he sailed again for Philadelphia, where he arrived in the summer of 1758. An estate, previously purchased, on the banks of the Schuylkill
Schuylkill
Schuylkill may refer to the* Schuylkill River, Pennsylvania, United StatesPlaces:* Schuylkill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, neighborhood in South Philadelphia* Schuylkill Expressway, portion of I-76 in Philadelphia* Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania...
, was now occupied by the family, where they remained until the year 1764, when they removed to Dutchess County
Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
, in the colony of New York. Although peace had been restored the year previous, Mrs. Tunnicliff refused to accompany her husband to his lands in Schuyler's patent. Accordingly, an estate was leased for five years at Skenesborough, New York, near Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
, where the family were located with the two sons, Joseph and William.
Mr. Tunnicliff returned to his former country estate, and found the ruins of his home that had been burned by the Indians. He at once caused new buildings to be erected, also a saw-mill on the stream nearby, that was kept incessantly at work to answer the requirements of the now growing settlement. His eldest daughter remained with her father at The Oaks as the estate was called, from the circumstance that a large portion of the lands in the purchase were thickly covered with gigantic oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
trees. This name was subsequently given to the stream (Oaks Creek) that forms the outlet of Canadarago Lake
Canadarago Lake
Canadarago Lake is the second largest lake in Otsego County, New York, USA, lying to the west of and parallel to the larger Otsego Lake.The lake's name is also spelled "Candajarago Lake" or "Caniadaraga Lake".- Bordering areas :...
, which it still retains. The "orchard" on this estate was the first in Otsego County. At this early day there were few or no roads in this section of the country, and traveling was done mostly on horseback or on foot.
In the year 1774, John Tunnicliff purchased 600 acres (2.4 km²) of land in the northern portion of Schuyler's patent, commencing near the mouth of Fish Creek, and running northerly to the present line of Herkimer County, New York
Herkimer County, New York
Herkimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 64,519. It is named after General Nicholas Herkimer, who died from battle wounds in 1777 after taking part...
. Before his death in 1800, Mr. Tunnicliff built an Episcopalian church near his residence, but it was destroyed by fire in 1840.
Descendants
Tunnicliff's eldest daughter married Dr. Jones, of Brockville, OntarioBrockville, Ontario
Brockville is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in the Thousand Islands region. Though it serves as the seat of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Brockville is politically independent and is grouped with Leeds and Grenville for census purposes only.Known as the "City of the 1000...
, on the north bank of the St. Lawrence River. Their son, Hon. Dunham Jones, lived on the original estate of his father, and for many years held offices of distinction under the British government.
In 1783 (http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/bios/t/jotunnjr1700.html) John Tunnicliff, Jr., came to this country from England, and located at Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
as a goldsmith, his former employment. He remained there but a few months when he purchased a farm about one mile (1.6 km) south of Little Lakes, in the town of Warren, New York
Warren, New York
----Warren is a town in Herkimer County, New York, United States. The population was 1,136 at the 2000 census. The town is named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill....
which he continued to occupy until his death in 1814. His family consisted of seven sons and five daughters.
In 1916, descendant Lester Tunnicliff purchased the American Hotel (built in 1802) in nearby Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
and renamed it the (http://www.cooperstownchamber.org/~tunnicliff/history.html)
Tunnicliff Inn. The establishment is still in operation under that name (as of 2005).
Main source
- D. Hamilton Hurd The History of Otsego County, New York 1740-1878 Everts & Fariss, Philadelphia.