(1) Tunis Hontis Case (1691 – 1772) & Eva Catharine Dubraucke (1695 – after 1774)
This couple came to Hunterdon County from the Rheinland-Pfalz area of Germany, probably fairly late in life. Tunis was not listed with Amwell Township freeholders in 1741, but in 1755 he was naturalized along with son Peter. The Case family was extensive in Hunterdon County, especially in Amwell (later Raritan) Township, and this is only one branch of the Case/Kaes/Kase tree.
I was inspired to publish this tree because of Ann Housel who married Flemington notable, John C. Hopewell. But I was not able to link her to the Housel family of Amwell, so I am publishing first the Amwell Housel tree followed by Ann Housel Hopewell’s family.
The second generation of this Lair Family tree came to New Jersey came from Germany in the mid-18th century, after the death of the patriarch in Lyons, France. The widow and her sons came to Hunterdon County in 1757, but settled in different places, one in the northern county and the other in the southern. The name is usually spelled Lair, but sometimes as Lare.
The Myers family from Germany was prominent in old Amwell Township, Hunterdon County for several generations. But people were not careful about how they spelled the name. It could be Myers, Myres, Mires, Meyers or anything else they could think of.
The branch of the family I am most concerned with is the one residing in Flemington. But there are many branches of the tree that I am unfamiliar with and welcome additions and corrections.
Thanks to the efforts of Gen. Daniel Bray of Kingwood Township to collect the boats that Washington needed to get his army across the Delaware River before the British caught up with them, the surname Bray has a certain caché in Hunterdon County. But the family traces back much further, to a Rev. Jonathan Bray of Middletown, Monmouth County, who arrived from England in 1686.
I have written quite a bit about Daniel & Mary Robins. They arrived in Amwell Township as early as 1715, making the family among the earliest to physically settle in Hunterdon County. Despite the hardship of raising a family in the wilderness, the Robins succeeded very well. So well, that they got the attention of a newspaper writer.
The Hoaglands (Hooglandts) came to New Netherland in the early to mid 1600s, along with the rest of the settlers of this Dutch colony. As so often happened, their children or grandchildren preferred to settled in the wilderness rather than the established colony, which is how Jan & Jacobe Hoagland came to Hunterdon County.
The Opdycke family emigrated to America from Holland in the 17th century, settling at Gravesend in Kings County, New York. They certainly prospered in their new home and multiplied extensively. Consequently, there are many many Opdycke descendants, and also an extensive published genealogy. Because it is such a large family, I have not been able to research it as thoroughly as some others.
The Thatcher Family was prominent in both Amwell and Kingwood Townships in the 18th century. They were also very prolific! They keep showing up in other family trees, so published the Thatchers is really way overdue. And you will see that this tree just goes on and on!
As is my usual practice, children of daughters are listed but not grandchildren. Surnames of spouses whose family trees have been published here are highlighted in green. Any additions or corrections are welcome, either in the comments section below or by email.
