Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: User Home Page Book: The Family History of Donald Joseph La Coste, and Ellsworth John La Coste: NGS Quarterly Report of James Savage

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Descendants of James Savage

Generation No. 1

1. James¹ Savage was born Bet. 1790 - 1796 in New York. He married Elizabeth Abt. 1814. She was born Bet. 1789 - 1793 in New York City, or Dutchess county, New York, and died Aft. 1841 in Brooklyn, New York.

Notes for James Savage:
Nothing is known about our James Savage prior to 1830, he seems to first appear in this city ca. 1829-1830, which would place our Catherine Savage at about 7 years of age, which is not in place with the 1855 census statement, which of course can be wrong. That he was born in New York is shown by her death record, and the 1880 census records only, no other conclusive proof exists connecting this James with New York. Their was another man named James Savage who appears in the NYC directories from 1822 until 1831, a Mason, who lived first at 61 Bancker street, along with a man named John Savage, and then at 18 Prince street in 1831, he disappears from these records after this time, and it is not known whether this was the same man, for Prince street was in a different ward. This James for some reason does not appear in the census records in 1830, only our James appears? On 07 March, 1828 a James Savage married a woman named Sarah Bunton in the 8th street Presbyterian Church in NYC. It is not known whether this was our James, or the other James? The first time we find James in NYC was in the City Directory for 1830 living at 427 Washington Street, and 42 Vestry, in the 5th Ward of the City, and he worked as an Engineer. From 1831-1832 we find him still listed in the NYC directories as an Engineer, living at 42 Vestry street in the 5th ward. In thae 1832-1833 NYC directories we still see James listed. James seems to disappear from the NYC direcories after 1833, where he went is still unknown, possibly Brooklyn by this time? James Savage was living in NYC in the 1830 census, and who in the late 1830's had a wife named Elizabeth, she being a member of the New York Dutch Reformed church, along with James on 10 April, 1839. This author has conducted a search of this churches records, and has not found any other mention of this family, so it is not known whether this James, and Elizabeth were the same as found in Brooklyn from 1840 until 1849. But considering that this was the only family of this surname in NYC at that time, then the likely hood is good. In the 1830 New York City census he was listed in the 5th ward, page 323, working as an Engineer. He was listed at being between 30 and 40 years old, and his wife was also listed in this age bracket. He had two other men living in the household being between 20 and 30, whose identities are unknown to this author. Two girls were in the household under 5, and one was 5 to 10 years old. He was living next to a man named William Hoyt, while there is no known connection to the Hoyt family of Dutchess county, I mention it here just in case future historians can link such. James no longer appears in either the NYC, nor the Brooklyn census records for 1840, but his wife Elizabeth is listed in the Brooklyn 1840 census (See her biograpy for more). Elizabeth is not found in the 1840 NYC census, only the 1840 Brooklyn census. On 10 April, 1840 Elizabeth Savage, wife of James Savage was listed as being in full Communion, and cenfession in the Reformed Dutch Church in NYC. From 01 October, to 04 October, 1845 James Savage had uncollected mail being held in the Brooklyn Post office, as shown in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspapers. He also had uncollected mail in this post office on 30 July, 1849. He does not reappear in these newspaper articles. James does not seem to have been listed in any of the New York City area census records for 1850, so he may have died just prior to this event.

Notes for Elizabeth:
As stated under Catherine Savage's biography, her name was probably Hermance, based on family stories, and Catherine naming one of her daughters Ellen Jane Hermance Mc'Canlis. In fact, that she named one of her daughters "Jane Hermance Savage" is a good indication that either she bore this surname, or that her mother may have had the surname of Hermance, with the possiblity that her first name was "Jane". But this is not proven, so I leave off her surname in this file, because her true identity is still not known. She was most likely from Dutchess county where the Hermance Iheermans) family lived for a long time. Of all the possible matches from the census records in either New York City, or Brooklyn in the 1830-1840 census records this is the only match found in both census records. Elizabeth lived in the 5th Ward in Brooklyn, in 1840 as Elizabeth Savage. While it is not proven that this woman was the mother of Catherine, it is very possible given the fact that Catherine's first born daughter carried the name of Elizabeth Mc'Canlis. This daughter would have been named for her maternal grandmother Elizabeth, or so it would seem. After 1840 Elizabeth seems to disappear from Brooklyn records, so she may have died shortly after this date, or moved somewhere else. It is very plausible that Catherine Savage could have met her husband Thomas Mc'Canlis in Brooklyn, for Thomas most likely lived in this area, based on family letters in one branch of the Mc'Candless family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1839 until at least 1844 or so, when he most likely moved to New York City, where he starts to appear in the 1845 New York City Directories for the first time. However, there seems to be no mention of Thomas Mc'Canlis in either the New York City, nor the Brooklyn census for 1840, and he does not appear in either the Brooklyn City Directories for 1840, nor the first few years of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspaper. So this is purely conjecture at this time. It is this author's belief that Elizabeth is most likely the mother of Catherine, and that her husband's name is not known, or could have been Jacob (James). A thorough search of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspaper from 1841-1850 does not show Elizabeth, however, it does show her daughter Jane Hermance Savage in the 1844, and her husband James from 1845-1849, when he to disappears, neither James, nor Elizabeth appear in the 1850 Brooklyn census records.

Children of James Savage and Elizabeth are:

	2	i.		N.........² Savage, born Bet. 1815 - 1820 in Brooklyn, New York.
	3	ii.		Catherine Savage^1,^2,^3,⁴, born Bet. May 01, 1822 - April 29, 1823 in Matteawan, Fishkill, Dutchess County, New York; died April 30, 1890 in Brooklyn, New York. She married Thomas Mc'Canlis^5,^6,^7,^8,^9,^10,^11,^12,¹³ Abt. 1844 in New York City; born October 31, 1816 in Ballymena, Antrim, Ireland; died March 07, 1895 in New York City.

Notes for Catherine Savage:
Catherine's death certificate (number 6505) states that she was born in Matteawan, which is a small post town located in East Fishkill, Dutchess county, New York. She was buried in the family plot in the Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn. She was living at Hale, and Atlantic avenues in Brooklyn when she died. Some family histories are so difficult to clarify, and the history of Catherine's family was indeed difficult. The written evidential trails state that she was born between 1822-1824 in Dutchess county, New York, the 1855 New York city census states her birthplace as Dutchess county, and that she was in New York city since she was only 1 year old. Of course she would not herself remember where she was born, but no doubt she was told by her mother where she came from. Her death certificate states the town of Matteawan, and the only place in New York where this name comes up is again in Dutchess county. Also she gave the name of Hermance to one of her daughters, a name which originates in Dutchess county. Numerous family members interviewed by this author, Aunt Ruthie, Uncle Roy, and my father Ellsworth La Coste all remember a name that sounded like Hermance, or Heran, as being in the family tree, and they said Dutchess county, New York was there early on in the families history. These clues alone does suggest that either Catherine herself may have been born in Matteawan, or that her mother's family came from that area, and that they still had relatives living in that town. Also when this author started his quest in the late 1970's, the surname of Hermance came up more than once, and Aunts, and Uncles seemed to remember that we were descended from that family, even though they did not know how, or even how to write the name. It is my guess that Catherine was probably born either in Matteawan, or in New York, probably Brooklyn, New York, and that her father may have been from the Dutchess county area, but this is not known for sure. However, it is the belief of this author that her mother, who may very well be the Elizabeth Savage who was found in the 1830, and 1840 Brooklyn census records, was probably from this area, most likely Matteawan, and that her maiden name may have been Hermance, or a variation thereof. It is entirely possible that Elizabeth came from Dutchess county, moved to the New York City area, and met Mr. Savage. This author has conducted an extensive 5 year study of Dutchess county records which included Census, Probate, Church, Deeds, and Cemetery records, and the Dutchess County Genealogical Society conducted a search of their records, and no mention was found of any family with the surname of Savage in their records. Thusly, it is safe to assume that what you do not find is as important as what you do find. No doubt the Savage family itself had little or anything to do with Dutchess county, even though occasionally a person of this surname does appear in records but no link has been established. Assuming that Catherine was either born in New York city, or came to New York city as a young girl of 1 or so, I then researched all available records from there. This included a detailed study of the 1820-1860 census records for all persons with the surname of Savage, Deed records in NYC, and Brooklyn, and New York City Directories, Probate records, War of 1812 records, death records, Church records, and Newspaper records. This exhaustive search took over 7 years, with no conclusive proof mentioning Catherine. In two occasions a Catherine was mentioned in connection with two families named Savage, but this author proved that these girls were not our Catherine. Now we get the practice of family naming patterns, and the general rules, while not conclusive proof, sometimes leads us to a possible connection, in this case came up empty, except for the name of Hermance. However, George William La Coste, and his wife Ellen Jane Hermance Mc'Canlis did name their first born son William N. La Coste, so this also could point to his being named for some ancestor. The census records, and City Directories seemed to be the only proofs available, but they did not name the names of the children in 1830-1840. The only family with the surname of Savage located in the 1830-1840 census records of New York city which fits our family was the Elizabeth Savage who lived in Brooklyn, New York from ca. 1829-1841 or so. But the father of this family died, or left home before the 1830 census, and his name is never mentioned. At one time I thought a Jacob Savage, obviously an Englishman,or Irish born, who was found in the Brooklyn 1820 census, and who died in 1822, based on Spooners Brooklyn City directories for 1822, was the husband of the Mrs Savage, and Elizabeth Savage in the 1830, and 1840 census records, but this is probably not the case. That Catherine named her first daughter Sarah Elizabeth, and that Thomas Mc'Canlis first lived in Brooklyn, and then New York City, lends some degree of probability that the Brooklyn family is probably related to this familly. It is this author's belief that Elizabeth Savage may have been named Elizabeth Hermance, and that she was the one who came from Dutchess county, and that she most likely met her husband Mr. Savage either in Columbia county, Dutchess county, or New York City. The name of Savage is conspicuously absent in Dutchess county during this time frame. He probably came from either the Columbia county area, or the Dutchess county area, including possibly Putnam, and Westchester county, and possibly Ct., or from New York City, or somewhere else in New York State. While there is no direct evidence to prove my assertions, there is little doubt that Catherine Savage was either herself from Dutchess county, or that her mother's family was. Indeed the family of Hermance was a well known family of Dutchess county. In the 1880 census Catherine lived in Brooklyn, and she stated that her mother, and father were both born in New York, she was 57 in this census. A thorough search of the Greene street Methodist church records has revealed three families attending with the surname of Savage, however, this author has conducted a very extensive search of these persons, and they do not match the profile, and they do not have a daughter of this age bracket. Catherine may have been the girl found in both the 1830, and 1840 Brooklyn census records with her mother Elizabeth. Another very probable match for Catherine's parents was a certain Bernard Savage who was the son of a Barnaby Savage, and Catherine Colner of New York City. This family goes back to the early 1740's in NYC with another Barnaby Savage, a ropemaker of NYC.. Bernard Savage fits the profile in the 1830 NYC census, he does have one daughter, unnamed in the household, who fits the age bracket of our Catherine, and Bernard's mother's name was Catherine so it is very possible that he named his oldest daughter after his mother. Bernard first appears in the New York City Directories in the 1824 period, and his disappears from all records, including future census records in 1833. He most likely died by this time, and his wife's name is never mentioned. He never appears in any records in upstate New York. It is this author's belief that Bernard was not the father of our Catherine, but I mention it anyway in case sometime in the future new evidence appears which may dispute my beliefs based on many years of research. A third match was that of a James Savage who was found in the NYC 1830 census, but he disappears in the 1840 census. These were the only three households with the surname of Savage in either the 1830 or 1840 NYC census records which could be the parents of our Catherine. It is presently not known who the real parents of Catherine were, and this author leaves this issue open for future research. However, it is this author's belief that her mother's name was indeed Elizabeth Hermance, and the only woman of this name found in any records in New York State during this time was the daughter of Hendrick Heermans (Hermance), and Sarah Hoyt of Matteawan, and Rhinebeck, Dutchess county, New York, but this author has not put forth their genealogy,considering there is no proof of such an assertion. More research is needed to ascertain the validity of this claim. That there is a connection to the Hermance family of Dutchess county seems very probable.

More About Catherine Savage:
Cause of Death: Peretonitis
Medical Information: Due to Diabetes Mellitius.

Notes for Thomas Mc'Canlis:
When Thomas died he was living at 158 West 15th street in Manhattan. He was buried in the family plot (see attachment) in the Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. Thomas's last name was often mis-spelled. We find it written as Mc'Candless, Mc'Canlis, Mc'Caulis, and as Mc'Caudless. It is possible that Thomas first came to America in Baltimore, Maryland. However, on further study I have found that he came over at the age of 20 on the ship "William Brown", from Liverpool to New York City on 29 May, 1839 (National Archives Series number M237; File number 38; List number 312). At this time he exchanged letters with George Mc'Canless who was living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Thomas was the only man of this name in the New York area, so there is little doubt that this is the right person. No doubt his father, and brother Adam came to New York during this time also, but they came from Maryland, where they had landed years before. Thomas must have met his wife Catherine Savage in either Brooklyn, where he first lived, or in New York city where he first appears in City Directories in the mid 1840's. Thomas, and his wife Catherine attended the Greene-Asbury Methodist church in Manhattan. The La Coste family also attended this church, which leads me to believe that the two families met in this environment. New York city Directories, and census records chronicle Thomas's life. He is listed as being a Stereotyper, and typeface operator. No doubt he worked for a publisher of sorts, and he could read, and write quite well, which meant that he had some sort of Education in Ireland. In 1840 Thomas does not appear in the New York City census index. It is very possible that he was not listed, or that he soon moved to Maryland, for a Thomas Mc'Candless was found in the 1840 census in Washington county, Maryland. Of course it is possible that this was another Thomas, but then again, our Thomas did list that prior to moving to New York City he lived in Maryland (1855 NYC Census). Thomas first appears in the New York City directories from 1846-1847 as a finisher living at 46 Spring street. He may have lived in Brooklyn before this date, or in Maryland. From 1847-1849 he was living at 60 Marion street, and from 1850-1860 he lived on Mulberry street. From 1861-1866 he lived At 383 Broome street, and all these years he worked as a Stereotyper. From 1876-1878 he lived at 477 Hudson street, and was listed as a printer. From 1879-1880 he lived at 22 Jones street. In 1881 Thomas moved to Brooklyn, and he lived at 49 Albany street. His printing shop was located at 209 Mulberry street, and he took the Ferry to work everyday. From 1882-1884 he lived at 892 Bushwick avenue, and his son Albert lived with him. In the 1850 census we find him listed as Thomas Mc'Canells on page 236 in the 14th ward of New York City. He was listed as being 33, and born in Ireland. His wife Catherine was listed as being 27, and from New York. Living in this household was a girl named Elizabeth Mc'Canells, 18 years old, and she was listed as being born in Ireland, She may have been a sister to Thomas. In 1855 we find Thomas in the New York City census (see attached copy). He was found as number 14 in the 14th ward, 4th district. This record states that he was 39 years old, and from Maryland, and that he was living in New York City for 14 years, which could also indicate that in 1840 he was the same Thomas who was in the Maryland census. This record would then indicate that he came back to New York city in 1841 or so. In this census he was listed as a Stereotyper, and that he was Naturalized, and an owner of land. His house was made of wood frame, and brick, and was worth about 7000.00. His personal worth was 3000.00, which in 1855 was a large sum of money. In this census his daughter Ellen is listed as being 12 instead of 2, which is an obvious mistake. In 1860 he again appears in the New York City Census (14th Ward, district 2). He was living between 14th street, and 26th street in Manhattan near the East river. This record listed him as being born ca. 1816 in Ireland. His home at this time was only worth 600.00, and his personal worth was put as only 1000.00. I show a copy of this census record also. Thomas also appears in the 1870 census in NYC, but the author has not conducted a search of this record. In 1884 Catherine Mc'Canlis applied for a pension for her son Benjamin, who had been shot in the Civil War. At this time the family purchased a plot in the Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn (see attached map). In 1888-1890 Frank Mc'Canlis was living with Thomas, and his family at Hale, and Atlantic streets in Brooklyn, and this Frank was a Nephew. In the 1880 census he was living in Brooklyn, next door to his nephew Robert R. Mc'Canlis (FHL 1254856, page 61D). He stated that he was born in Ireland, and that both his parents were also Irish. He worked as a Stereotyper at this time.

More About Thomas Mc'Canlis:
Cause of Death: General Senility
Medical Information: Nephritis Coma

iii.

Jane Hermance Savage, born Bet. 1825 - 1830 in Brooklyn, New York.

Notes for Jane Hermance Savage:
Jane appears in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle Newspaper on 01 March, 1844, as has letters unclaimed in the Brooklyn Post Office.

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