This signature comes from the will of Simon van Aersdalen the Elder. Cornelius and Abraham Bodine were witnesses. Abraham only put his mark. Simon's will was written and witnessed on December 3, 1787 in Straban Township in York County, Pennsylvania. I think that usually wills were witnessed by neighbors. Simon and Cornelius' family were probably living near each other. Simon was an executor of John Bodine's will. John was Cornelius' father. The Abraham who witnessed Simon's will must be Cornelius' brother since I can think of no other Abraham who would have been in the area. My one doubt about this is that Cornelius would have only been seventeen or eighteen years old when he signed. You'd think someone older would have been a witness, but I don't know the rules for that. Therefore, it is possible that this signature belongs to another Cornelius Bodine. The only one that comes to mind would be the husband of Margaret Sutphen. He was also an uncle to Cornelius. I say this because he was in the general area about that time. Cornelius, husband of Margaret, was counted in the 1790 Census of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. That county is not too far north of the York County. However, I have no information that Cornelius and Margaret ever lived in York County. This Cornelius was John's brother.
I decided that he must be the brother of John Bodine (BK#17631) whose children were born about the same time as Cornelius' in Niles, north of Sempronius. This needs proof, though.
His middle name was listed as "Cruser" somewhere, but I wonder if this has any proof or support. He may have had the middle initial "C" and someone thought it must have been "Cruser." In fact, if he did have the middle initial "C," then the name was probably "Cozyn" since that was his mother's maiden name.
I later received information from a Laurel Auchampaugh, the historian for Owasco, New York for the past 18 years (going back from 1999), whose information lent more evidence to this relationship. She is a descendant of Cornelius' daughter, Hannah Bodine Mattoon. Laurel believed that Cornelius was probably the son of a John Bodine (I believe this is the husband of Lemme Cozyn) who "settled the Owasco Lake region" or possibly an Abraham Bodine.
Laurel has corresponded with a Gayle Davidson (7602 Red Fox Trail, Hudson, OH 44236) who had received some letters from her aunt, Catherine Horman. Her aunt had been corresponding with a Mary Esther Bodine in Clarence, New York in 1960. Mary sent her aunt some abstracts from a Bodine-Bartlett Bible. This Bible has some information on this family. Mary Esther Bodine received the Bible among some household goods from her uncle, Bartlett Bodine, after his death in the early 1900's. (Mary Esther Bodine is the grandaughter of Abram C. Bodine. She was ten years old when Abram died. I believe Mary Esther Bodine was 86 in 1960.)
LDS listed an Abraham B. Bodine, born 1830 to Cornelius Cruser Bodine and Hannah Fonteyn, but that must be a mistake. Cornelius and Hannah were married by Rev. George G. Brinkerhoff.
Laurel Auchampaugh says that Cornelius was living in Sempronius at the time of his death. He left some of his land in Clarence, New York to his sons John C. and Abraham C. I believe these sons went to Clarence and lived and died there. Abraham C. married Mehitable Bartlett. This is where the Bartlett-Bodine Bible comes in.
The younger son Cornelius C. and Peter C. remained in Sempronius with their mother Hannah VanTine Bodine and sisters: Hannah J., Caty, and Mariah. Catherine (Caty) never married. Peter C. married Catherine Ammerman. Cornelius married 1. Ann 2. Rachel. Elizabeth (wife of John VanFleet) Sarah (wife of John B. Bodine) went by C. as a middle initial. Other Bodines used B. as a middle initial.
Here is transcription of Cornelius' will sent to me by Laurel. It can be found in Cayuga County Wills, box #? (maybe 31), p. 143. It is a large 14" x 24" linen. It was written in Sempronius, Cayuga County, New York on November 1, 1821 and probated on February 2, 1822.
IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN I, Cornelius Bodine of the Town of Sempronius County of Cayuga, being not well in bodily Health, but of perfect understanding considering the uncertain continuence of my life, and being desirous to leave my Estate which God Almighty hath been pleasure to blesf with, in my family with as much peace and union as may be, and that I have nothing of this transitory world to remember my thoughts and comtemplation at my going out of it, but to meditate on the inestimable blessings that are to be enjoyed in the world to come, I Do Make this my last Will and Testament in manners following:( that is to say) first I resign my soul to God who made it in hopes of through the alone mercies and merits of my blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to have a blessed ressurection to life eternal in the Heavens, and my body to commit to the grave, to be decently buried, and as for my temporal estate and goods, I give Divise and Dispose of the same as follows - in premiss. It is my Will and Desire in the first place, that all my Lawful and just debts to be paid, together with my funeral charges, out of my personal estate.
ITEM: I give and bequeth to my beloved wife Hannah Bodine a decent outfit of household furniture, together with one good cow.
ITEM: It is my will and desire that my wife Hannah Bodine aforesaid, be and remain in the house,and on the farm, I now Own and Occupy in the Town of Sempronius, sharing in the convinicences of said house and farm together with my affectionate children who now are living with me, so long as she remains my widow.
ITEM: I give and devise to my oldest son John Bodine, all that lot, piece and parcel of land situated and lying and being in the town of Clarence and county of Niagra and State of N. York, known as Distinguished as being lot no 1 in the fifteenth section.
ITEM: I give and divise to my second son Abraham Bodine, all that certain lot, piece, and parcel of land situate lying & being in the town of Clarence and County of Niagara aforesaid, known and Distinguished by being Lot # 2 in the fifteenth section of directing to each of my said sons John and Abraham Bodine heirs and afsings forever.
ITEM: I give and bequeath to my youngest sons Peter Bodine and Cornelius Bodine and to their Heirs and Afsigns forever all that Lot of Land I own in the Town of Sempronius, wherecom I now reside to be equally divided between my two said sons Peter Bodine and Cornelius Bodine when they shall respectively arrive at the age of twentyone years old.
ITEM: I give and bequeath to my oldest daughter Anny Bodine, one hundred dollars of personal estate to be paid to them by my executors herin after named at the expiration of four years of my Decease.
ITEM: I give and bequeath to my second daughter Elizabeth, wife of John VanFleet, the the sum of one hundred Dollars of my personal estate to be paid to her by my executors, at the expiration of four years after my decease or soon as consistant as the minds of my executors.
ITEM: I give and bequeath to my grandson Abraham Bodine Jun. son of my Daughter Sarah Bodine deceased, wife of John B. Bodine, the sum of one Hundred Dollars to be paid to him the said Abraham Bodine Jun. by my two youngest sons Peter and Cornelius Bodine, out of the incomes or awards of my farm that I have herein Devised to the said Peter, and Cornelius Bodine, and to be paid to the said Abraham Bodine Jun. when he shall arrive to the age of Twenty one years.
ITEM: I give and bequeath to my fourth daughter Maria Bodine the sum of One Hundred Dollars of my Estate, to be paid to her by my two said sons Peter and cornelius Bodine when she shall arrive at the age of twenty six years old
ITEM: I give and Bequeath to my two youngest Daughters Hannah and Caty Bodine of my Estate when my two daughters shall each arrive at the age of eighteen.
ITEM: It is my will and desire that my said wife together with those of my children who now live and reside with me, should continue to live together on the premises I now pofess and share quietly, peacefully and equally in the incomes thereof.
ITEM: It is my will and desire, that my said children who now reside with me should be decently brought up and supported out of my estate until they shall arrive to the years of eighteen if females, and if males Twenty one years old.
ITEM: It is my will and desire that my said wife Hannah Bodine should be resonably and decently supported out of my real Estate that I posess in the Town of Sempronius During her Natural.
ITEM: It is my will and desire that my two youngest sons Peter and Cornelius should be at the expense and support Provide for and Decently Maintain my said wife Hannah, when they come in posession of the premises. I have herein devised to them.
LASTLY I constitute and appoint my loving wife Executor AND affectionate son-in-law John VanFleet and my son John Bodine Executors to this my Last Will and Testaments, hereby making Void all former Wills by me made. In witness whereof, I have hereinto set my hand and Seal this first day of November in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and twenty-one ----1821----
Signed, sealed and Published by the said Cornelius Bodine in the presence of us who subscrivbed our names in the presence of the Testator and at his request.
signed Cornelius Bodine
Thomas Johnson the 3rd
Peter Bodine
Elijah DeVoe
I think many of his descendants are buried in Ovid, New York.
From Ronny Bodine:
From Records of Conewago Church, York County, Pa. (pub. Somerset County Historical Society Quarterly, IV, 1915)
Marriages: 23 March 1790: Cornelius Bodine - Annatie Fonteyn.
The births of their ten children appear in the Bodine-Bartlett Bible Record, Detroit Society for Genealogical Research Magazine, 30 (Fall 1966), p. 32.
On 3 Sept 1811, a subscription paper of the Owasco Reformed Church was passed and signed by Cornelius Bodine, among others.
In 1850 Hannah Bodine, aged 78, lived with her daughter and son-in-law, Ann and James Terneur. In 1860, Hannah Burdine, aged 87, and her daughter, Catharine Burdine, 48, lived together in Owasco, Cayuga County, next door to Hannah's daughter and son-in-law, Ann and James Terneur.From Records of Conewago Church, York County, Pa. (pub. Somerset County Historical Society Quarterly, IV, 1915)
Marriages: 23 March 1790: Cornelius Bodine - Annatie Fonteyn.
The births of their ten children appear in the Bodine-Bartlett Bible Record, Detroit Society for Genealogical Research Magazine, 30 (Fall 1966), p. 32.
On 3 Sept 1811, a subscription paper of the Owasco Reformed Church was passed and signed by Cornelius Bodine, among others.
In 1850 Hannah Bodine, aged 78, lived with her daughter and son-in-law, Ann and James Terneur. In 1860, Hannah Burdine, aged 87, and her daughter, Catharine Burdine, 48, lived together in Owasco, Cayuga County, next door to Hannah's daughter and son-in-law, Ann and James Terneur.