Peter Bice, son
of Matthew Bice and Sarah Palmatier, was born 01
August 1800 and baptized 07 September 1800 in the Middleburgh, Schoharie
County, NY Dutch Reformed Church (church record). He was married first 24
December 1826 to Julia Ann Arner (recorded at the Schoharie Dutch Reformed
Church).
In the 1830 census, Peter was
enumerated in Schoharie Twp (page 005):
1 male 20-29 1 female 0-4
1 male 60-69 1 female 10-14
1 female 15-19
1 female 60-69
“Julia Ann
Bice, wife of Peter” died 5 September 1838, age 28 years, 1 month, 25 days. She
is buried in the Old Stone Fort Cemetery, Schoharie, Schoharie County, New
York. Buried next to Julia are: Smith W.
Haskins, died 20 March 1872, age 40 years, 11 months, 21 days, and Elizabeth A.
Bice, wife of Smith W. Haskins, died 17 March 1916, age 80 years, 8 months, 5
days. (This age at death equates to a birth date of 12 July 1835, thus it is
likely she was a daughter of Peter Bice and Julia Ann Arner.)
There is no
Peter Bice listed as Head of Household in the 1840 census in Schoharie County.
In the 1850 census, the following 2
families were enumerated next to each other (page 109B, Schoharie Twp):
Peter Kniskern Age 69 Male
Rachel Kniskern Age 57 Female
Catherine Ames Age 81 Female
Elizabeth Bice Age 15 Female
and:
Abraham Stubrach Age 64
Male
Nancy Stubrach Age 49
Female
Hannah Bice Age 16 Female
NOTES: Based upon her age, Elizabeth
Bice would appear to be the Elizabeth A. Bice who was born 12 July 1835 and who
married Smith W. Haskins.
Catherine is listed in the 1850 NY State census index with the Ames
spelling. Could her surname actually be Arner?
She is the only individual listed in the index with the Ames surname in
Schoharie County.
Hannah was the daughter of John Bice and
Catherine Stever. They also had a daughter named
Elizabeth, who had been born 17 August 1832. Unfortunately, the 1850 census
entry for both Peter Bice and John Bice cannot be found to ascertain the
members of their household in that year. Elizabeth, the daughter of John,
married Latham Cross and removed to Michigan in 1866, where she died in 1907.)
Peter was
married second to Sarah ______? (census entry).
Peter Bice is
not listed in the 1850 census indexes in either Schoharie or Sullivan County.
There is a Peter Bice listed in the Town of Otsego, Otsego County, NY; however,
both that Peter and his wife Elizabeth were 47 years of age with no children in
their household. [NOTE: This family
has since been found in the 1850 census.]
Peter Bice was enumerated in the 1855
New York State census in the Town of Callicoon in
Sullivan County. His census entry is Dwelling Number 268 and the census was
taken 26 June:
Peter Bice Age 54 Born Schoharie County Married
Farmer
Sarah Bice Age 40 Wife
Born Schoharie County Married
Emily Bice Age 6 Dau Born Sullivan
County
Peter and Sarah
stated they had been 7 year residents of the Town of Fremont. Emily had been a
resident all 6 years.
The following family was enumerated in
the 1855 New York State census in the Town of Schoharie. Their census entry is
Dwelling Number 469 and the census was taken 28 June. Peter stated he had been
born in Albany County, Rachel in Columbia County, and “Elizabethann”
and Smith in Schoharie County:
Peter Kniskern Age 74 Married Farmer
60 Yr resident
Rachel Kniskern Age 62 Wife
Married 49 Yr
resident
Elisabethann Haskins Age 19
Child Married 19 Yr
resident
Smith Haskins Age 25 Boarder Married Carpenter 25 Yr resident
At the time of the 1860 US census,
Peter was living in the Town of Fremont in Sullivan County. His census entry is
on page 588 and the census was taken on 18 August:
Peter Bice Age 60
Male Born NY Farmer
Sarah Bice Age 46 Female
Born NY
Emily Bice Age 11
Female Born NY
The following family was enumerated in
the 1860 US census in the Town of Schoharie. Their census entry is on page 68
and the census was taken 7 July. All members stated they had been born in New
York:
Peter Kniskern Male Age 80
Farmer
Rachell Kniskern Female
Age 67
Smith “Harkins” Male Age 29
Elizabeth Harkins Female Age 25
Emma Harkins Female Age 4
Anna Harkins Female Age 2
Mary Harkins Female Age 7/12
Leah Woolford Female
Age 54
They were
living next door to Cornelius and Matilda Palmatier.
In the 1865 New York State census, the
following family was enumerated in the Town of Schoharie, Schoharie County, on
the west side of Schoharie Creek. The entry is on page 7, the census was taken
10 June and all members stated they had been born in Schoharie County, except
for Rachel Kniskern who stated she had been born in Rensselaer County:
Smith W. Haskins Age 34 Married 1 time/now married Carpenter
Elizabeth Haskins Age 29 Wife
Married 1 time/now married/5 children
Emma Haskins Age 9 Dau
Anna L. Haskins Age 7 Dau
Mary A. Haskins Age 5 Dau
Lester N. Haskins Age
3-7/12 Son
Jay B. Haskins Age
1-7/12 Son
Rachel Kniskern Age 83 Aunt
Married 1 time/now widowed
Lea Woolford Age 61 Mother(?)
Married 2 times/now widowed
At the time of the 1865 New York State
census, Peter was living in the Town of Callicoon,
Sullivan County. His census entry is Dwelling No. 241:
Peter Bice Age 65 Married Farmer Married Twice Born Schoharie
Sarah Bice Age 51 Wife Married Married
Once Born Schoharie
Emily Jane Bice Age 16
Dau Born Sullivan
Peter Bice died
13 October 1866, age 66 years, 2 months, 13 days, in Sullivan County, NY and is
buried in the Youngsville Cemetery in that county.
Sarah Bice is
not listed in the 1870 New York State census index.
Smith Haskins
is not listed in the 1870 New York State census index.
Smith Haskins
died 20 March 1872 (headstone).
Peter’s widow and daughter were
enumerated in the Town of Callicoon in Sullivan
County in the 1875 New York State census. Their census entry is on page 16, the
census was taken 18 June and Sarah stated she had been born in Schoharie County
and Emily in Sullivan:
Sarah Bice Age 61 Widow
House keeper
Emily Bice Age 26
Dau
Single
Sarah Bice is
not listed in the 1880 Census Index.
The only possible Elizabeth (Bice) Haskins
in the 1880 US census was enumerated in District 2, Rotterdam, Schenectady
County, NY, page 102D:
Elizabeth “Haskines” Age 44
Widow Born NY Keeping house
Katie N. Haskines Age 11 Dau Born NY
At school
Peter Bice and his second wife, Sarah
_______, were the parents of one known Bice child:
Emma L., born 16 February 1849, died 01
November 1875 aged 26 years, 8 months, 16 days. Emma is buried as “Emma L.
Bice, daughter of Peter and Sarah Bice” in the Youngsville Cemetery, Sullivan
County, New York.
===============================================
Smith Haskins,
age 19, born NY, a carpenter, was enumerated in the 1850 census in the Town of
Schoharie (page 111, 31 August 1850) in the household of John Warner, age 29,
Catherine Warner, age 27, and 4 young Warner children.
===============================================
The following individuals appear to be
interred in one plot in the Old Stone Fort Cemetery in Schoharie (page 31 of
Gertrude A. Barber’s Schoharie County, NY Cemetery Records, 1932):
Peter Kniskern
18 December 1864, age 83-11-3
Rachel Kniskern, wife of Peter
16 August 1872, age 79y, 8m
Julia Ann Bice, wife of Peter
05 September 1838, age 28-1-25
Smith W. Haskins
20 March 1872, age 40-11-21
Elizabeth A. Bice, wife 17 March 1916, age 80-8-5
===============================================
The Schenectady Historical Society,
Schenectady, New York, has a “Buys” manuscript that contains, on page 15, in
handwritten form, the following information on Petrus
Buys:
Baptized 01 August 1800, Middleburgh Dutch Reformed Church, NY, son of Matheus and Sarah (Palmatier)
Buys. Married 20 August 1820, Germantown Dutch Reformed Church to Catherine Palmatier who was born 14 July 1801. They lived in
Germantown, NY. Children:
Becki
baptized 6 May 1821, Germantown Dutch Reformed Church
Sally baptized 25 April
1823
Clara baptized 11 December
1825
Augustus baptized 17 February
1828
Ellen baptized 12 December
1830
(Note: It appears that the above
information is incorrect as to who the Petrus/Peter
Bice of this biography married.)