Posted by Jason Patton on 11:15:30 6/7/2003 from 68.84.49.95:

In reply to: Clarissa Jolls posted by Ronda Jolls on 7:02:17 6/7/2003 from 65.66.23.22:

Random tidbits from around. Steventown appears to be near Ithaca on today's maps.

============

JOLLS Cemetery
Page created August 26, 2000

On Jolls RD off State Rd. 39 between
Gowanda and Perrysburg, Cattaraugus Co NY
Respectfully submitted by
Dolores Pratt Davidson

JOLLS
Garner, born, May 27, 1770, died April 18, 1850
Wife, Clarissa (STEVENS) born Feb 7, 1775, adopted dau or ward of Abel
STEVENS,
Marker on her grave states
" CLARISSA STEVENS JOLLS
Born 1775 New Lebanon NY
Died 1851 Perrysburg NY
MOHAWK wife of GARNER JOLLS
Migrated west from Albany during the War of 1812.
Settled in Perrysburg 1817
Mother of all NY. JOLLS Descendants"

===================

When Ebenezer Jolls, in 1777, had his property confiscated, because he was a Tory, and was banished from the State of Rhode Island, he with his 14 year old son, Gardner, chose the route to Canada along the Mohawk river to the Niagara frontier. While in Steventown, N.Y., young Gardner met Clarissa Stevens, a young Mohawk Indian girl, ward of Abel Stevens. The Mohawks were friendly to the English. In their long tedious treck across New York State, ten children were born, the first in Albany, the last in Penn Yan. None had the benefit of much, if any, schooling.

===============

During the Revolutionary War in 1777, Ebenezer Jolls' property was confiscated and he with his family, including his seven year old son Gardner, (nicknamed "Garner"), "went west". Another descendant of the old sea captain Jeremiah Jolls also "went west" but only as far as Steventown, Ren. Co. where he settled and as his family grew, developed the Jolls Cemetery, on Presbyterian Hill.

"Garner" and his father's family was thirteen years going from Bristol to Columbia Co., N.Y., through the Berkshires, inhabited by western Massachusetts Indians. With this woodcraft experience, this young seven year old "Garner" became a first class boy scout, so when he got to New Lebanon, Col. Co., this then twenty year old young English, Indian trained, hunter and warrior, according to Indian custom, was qualified and so was selected by an Indian mother for her 18 year old daughter Clarissa Stevens.

Marriage among the Early Indians, was not founded on affection. The young Indian boy was kept too busy learning to hunt and fight, and the girl's time was too fully filled with skinning and dressing the game brought in by the men, and tending the corn squash and bean patches. Marriage was a matter of necessity arranged by the mothers, and was final.

Three years more of "going-west" found this young Loyalist and his Indian bride in Albany County, where their first child, a girl, Lucy was born. Descendants of Lucy's still live there. Here, too, Abel Jolls was born in 1799. Continuing their "Going-west" through the lands of the Mohawks, the Oneidas, the Onandagas, the Cayugas, they arrived in the Genesee Valley lands of the strongest, most powerful tribe of the Iriquois, the Senecas.

By this time this experienced "boy scout" with a hickory English long bow, instead of a rifle, was quite grown up. He was 40 years old.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Clarissa Jolls - Ronda Jolls   5:58:05 6/8/2003 (1)
  • Re: Clarissa Jolls - Nathan Jolls   11:59:43 4/24/2005 (0)

Post a Followup