This site was originally built and maintained for The PHILLIPS-KNAPP Family Association, which was
organized in 2005. Although suggested first year contributions were only a dollar a person, that
initial year turned out to be a very productive one. Many of our members gave generously of their
time and dug into their own pockets to cover expenses they incurred. To all of these people we
will be eternally grateful for organizing our family group.
In its first year of existence, the PHILLIPS-KNAPP Family Association led the effort to restore and rededicate the PHILLIPS-KNAPP Cemetery on Birch Drive in Thiells, Rockland County, New York. The SAR, DAR, Veterans Association, and Town officials all took part in the deeply moving rededication ceremony which ended the reunion weekend.
As we began our second year, our goal in addition to continued community service and care of the resting places of our ancestors was to locate more of our family members. Some members of the Association are descendants of the three sons of John PHILLIPS & Sarah KNAPP, namely Eli PHILLIPS, Gilbert PHILLIPS and Daniel PHILLIPS. Most of those persons identified to date are descendants of Daniel PHILLIPS as those are the ones who stayed in Rockland County and the surrounding area. Other members are descendants of four KNAPP brothers, Lebbeus, Jared, Jonah or Jonas, and Silas. They are believed to have come to Rockland County from Horsenecks (Greenwich) Connecticut. A quick look at the family tree will show you that the PHILLIPS and KNAPP families intermarried repeatedly. If you are a PHILLIPS descendant, most likely you are also KNAPP descendant, and vice versa.
The second reunion ended by dedicating the Flag Pole at the Phillips Knapp Cemetery, and by honoring Bob Phillips. Bob had kindly shared with us many of his original documents about our ancestors. These documents included deeds, letters, and various other things. It was with great sadness that we reported the death of Bob Phillips during the following year. We are grateful he was able to attend our first three reunions and that we honored him during his lifetime.
Our third reunion focused on the occupations of many our ancestors; namely the rivermen, the brickmakers, and the solders and militiamen. The highlight of the weekend was a boat trip down the Hudson from West Point to the Bear Mountain Bridge, followed by a History Channel movie featuring the Haverstraw Brick works where many of our ancestors worked. A representative of the brick museum was there to tell us more about the industry and answer our questions.
The fifth reunion featured the annual picnic on Saturday, and a luncheon and tour of Cold Springs on Sunday. Cold Springs is in the Town of Phillipsburg. We had learned during the year that the Phillips brothers had been born there. This information was located in Eli's Revolutionary War Pension application in a certification written by Eli himself.
The original purpose of building this family tree was to bring each line down as close as possible to the current date, and thus be able to locate other potential members of our association. Now that we are in our sixth year, our focus is changing to include all the early North Rockland Families. I was made Registrar of the Stony Point DAR Chapter in April 2009, and in the course of preparing well over 100 applications since that time, I have learned that all the old families are interconnected. As a result, I am changing the name and focus of the site.
Over the years the site I use has been upgraded several times so that I can now add much more information about the entries. I will be going through as time permits and adding the source material to the existing entries, as well as adding additional entries with source material. Enough room is now available for each entry to add the full text of wills, deeds, etc., as well as basic information from birth, marriage, death certificates, census returns, obituaries, and the like. All I need is more time in my life. My job and the DAR leave me little time for my own genealogy or this website.
If you have additions and/or corrections, any pictures to add, or any other comments, please contact me at my e-mail address, barbarademare@yahoo.com. Happy Hunting, and I hope you enjoy the revised site! More research in constantly being done, so check back frequently!
(c) 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Barbara L. de MARE.
No part of this Website may be reproduced or used in any way, except with the
express permission of the copyright holder. This is a work in progress and no
representations are made as to the accuracy of any part hereof. Researchers of
these names are advised to make their own searches and verifications.