Countryman Genealo13y P,ART I By Alvin Countryman 1925 Lux Bros, & Heath, Publishers To show in a small measuPe ouP appPeciation of his effo-,,ts in collect­ ins and compilins this family his­ to-,,y, we affectionately dedicate this volume to ouP fathe-,,, the late Alvin CountPyman, bo-,,n FebPuaPy 4th, 1835; d:ed JanuaT'y 13th, 1916. His Family Preface The idea of family reunions and the compiling of a Countryman gu1ealog-y occurred to the late Alvin Countryman on Aug·ust 15, 1901, \\'hen :\[r. and :\[rs. Countryman, their gran<lson, Arthur T. Guest, and Fred \\'. Craft attended a clan reunion at Silver Lake Assembly. ~ew York. Heretofore, the members of the family in Steuben county, ::;-ew York, mostly descendants of John A. I. and Solomon, had held reunions attracting from fifty to one hundred of the relatives together, includ­ ing an occasional member from other branches. But in the year 1901 it was determined to lay the foundations of a more comprehensive organization which would be in touch with all possible members of the family and provide for accurate gathering- of all possible data bearing on the genealogy of the family. Presi<lent, Rev. A. F. Countryman, of Scottsburg, N. Y., pre­ sided, an<l Alvin Countryman was elected President, and the next reunion was voted to Rochelle for June, 1902. The largest and most nearly representative reunion ever held was that of June 18, 1902, at Rochelle, Illinois, the first for this sec­ tion. About one hundred and twenty guests assembled and some of these, own cousins, who had never met before. Among them were Rev. and :vlrs. Abram F. Countryman and sister, }Irs. Margaret E. Bateman, of Scottsburg, New York, who for a first time greeting, met their cousins, Robert Emmet Countryman and his most estimable wife of Weeping Waters, Nebraska. Since the 1902 reunion, nineteen reunions have been held in Rochelle, Rockford, DeKalb, Dixon, Fair­ dale and Lynnville. For years Alvin Countryman revelled in these gatherings and faithfully collecte<l data on the family. At the time of his death, Jan­ uary 13, 1916, he was about to realize the ambition of his life, the publication of the family history. Since that time :Vliss Emma V. Countryman, a daughter; John E. Countryman, a brother; Arthur T. Guest, a grandson, and Mrs. Ida Countryman Craft, a niece, have carried on with the results as h~rein set forth. Alvin Countryman leaves to the clan a history that the name "Countryman" may b€ perpf'tuated. H'e has not lived in vain. THE COU~TRYMA~ GE~EALOGY. 9 THE "COUNTRYMAN" NAME. The name "Countryman" is the English translation of the German word "Lantzman." It is readily acknow­ ledged to be the proper translation by German scholars. In the early history of the name in America, there were eight different translations by Germans, who attempted to trans­ late the name so as to conform to an English brogue that would sound similar to the true nrthography and pronuncia­ tion of the English word. The attempt was a marvel in the eight different ways of spelling the name. The eight trans­ lations as found recorded in the war archives at Albany, the state capital of New York, prove this contention. We list them as they were found and copied: 1. Kunderman 5. Counterman 2. Kunterman 6. Contreman 3. Cunderman 7. Contryman 4. Conderman 8. Countryman Perhaps to more fully establish that the rendering of the name should be that of the eighth way given, we find that in the first census taken in the state of New York in A. D. 1790 there were no other names given beside the name "Countryman." It follows that it must have been the rep­ resentative name of all those who were the direct descend­ ents of ancestors who had severally assumed the names as given above. We however, find the name "Conderman" ex­ tant as the result of the choice of the early ancestors who were known as "Kuntermans" to change the orthography to "Condermans." 10 HISTORY AND GE.:-.;EALOGY. To gather the history and genealogy of a race after nearly two centuries has elapsed is found to be no easy task. Many of the early records are either lost or are in unknown hands. But patience and perseverence has its just reward and a diligent search has brought information from many sources. The early history is composed of tradition, oral history, and family records. The latter were all written in the German language, which should be a sufficient proof that the Countryman ancestry were of German descent. The earliest ancestral name given is that of Conrad Countryman, who, to escape religious persecution, emigrat­ ed from Germany to France, continuing later to Holland and finally to the United States of America. This emigration to Holland has given rise to the false impression among some of the Countryman posterity that they were Holland­ ers. Conrad was accompanied to America by his brother, the two men landing in New York harbor during the decade of 1710-20 A. D. Here they separated. Conrad proceeded up the Hudson and Mohawk river valleys, while his brother is said to have gone into the state of Pennsylvania. There is little known of the history of this brother. The names of few of his posterity who served as soldiers in the Revolutionary War are on record at the state capitol at Harrisburg. There is, also, the name of one soldier recorded in the capitol records of the state of Virginia. Likewise an­ other small group of his posterity are in evidence in other states. Conrad Countryman is said to have first settled in Schoharie county, New York. Later he moved into Mont­ gomery county where many of his posterity are known to have resided dt,ring the Revolutionary War. Fort Willet was built on some of their land. It is further interesting to note that twenty-seven of his posterity enlisted as soldiers in the war. The date of Conrad's marriage and the maiden 11 ---------------··. J1amc of hs \\·ife are unknown. T:~e issue of their union \Ye a;-e to'd wa~, ten chi'dren. ceH.n ,·ons and three claughtc;·s. Their children were: Adam. :Vlarcus, Frederick, Conrad, Jr., John, Jacob, George, Ann Eve, who married William Dillen­ back; Rosana, who married John Pickard; and l\/Irs. John Plants, whose name is unknown. Of these children we are the most deeply interested in John, the fifth son, whose p8s­ terity constitute the larger portions of the membership of the Countryman Relative Reunion, either as direct descend­ ants or through marriage relationships. John, having left his family records in the hands of his posterity who fortu­ nately preserved them, we have access to an accurate his­ tory and genealogy. We herewith insert a copy of his family record as translated and copied from the original records. A transcript of the family record of John Country­ man, the fifth son cf Conrad, the first: "To the glory of God, I, John Countryman, was born at Canajoharie in County of Montgomery and State of New York in the year of Jesus Christ the second day of March, · A. D. 1736. And my wife, Rachel, nee Richard, was born at Stone Arabia in the same county and state, on the 29ch day of Octoter, A. D. 1733. And in the year of our Lord, A. D. 1758, on March the fourth, we entered into the state of Holy matrimony. And during married life we have given biri h to the following children, to-wit: 1st, a daughter, Leah, on the 26th of December, A. D. 1758. 2nd, a daughter, Margaret, on the 20th day of Feb­ ruary, A. D.1760. 3rd, a daughter, Rachel, on the 10th day of August, A. D. 1761. Died July 1, 1767. 4th, a daughter, Dorothy, on the 1st day of August, A. D. 1762. 5th, a son, Nicholas, on the second day of FP,bruary, A. D. 1764. 6th, a daughter, Catherine, on the 20th day of July, A. D. 1765. 12 THE COG'.',TRYMA::--; GE:'.'<EALOGY. 7th, a daughter, Susan, on the 1st day of November, A. D. 1766. 8th, a son, John I., on the 12th day of February, A. D. 1768. 9th, a daughter, Magdalena, on the 18th day of August, A. D. 1769. 10th, a daughter, Mary, on the 15th day of September, A. D. 1771. 11th, a son, Abraham, on the 31st day of l\Iarch, A. D. 1773. 12th, a son, Benjamine, on the 15th day of Septem­ ber, A. D. 1775. In the year 1787, February 28th, my ,vife died." Will. The following is a copy of the will of John Country­ man, fifth son of Conrad the first. "In the name of God, Amen, and in the Year of Christ One Thousand seven hundred and eighty eight. That this is my last will and testament. My body I bequeath to the earth and to a soft rest therein. And my soul I entrust to God who gave it to me. Now I bequeath to my eldest son, Nicholas, as his prior claim, three pounds in money, and therewith he must be content with what I shall afterward bequeath him. I bequeath to my son, Nicholas, twenty-eight pounds in money, therewith he must be content. Further I bequeath to my son, John I., sixty-three acres of land which is located on the Gey senberg in a deed from Sir Wagner, number six, the western part, for his own forever. On the Geysenberg, further, I bequeath to my son, Abraham, sixty­ three acres of land in number six, the eastern part, forever, on the Geysenberg.