Page 317 [317]
of the family were in (1771) the possession of the
Booth, of Tyndale. From “ Kimber and Johnson’s
Baronage, "1771, and " Nicholas’ Peerage,” the family
is traced from 1275, through a long line of distin¬
guished descendants, including Thomalin of the
Booths, Knight, 1327; John of Barton, 1377, who
bore as his paternal arms the ancient Booth device,
viz., three boars’ heads; William, who became
Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry, 1447, and Arch¬
bishop of York, 1452; Roger, Bishop of Hereford,
1516; Lawrence, Lord High Chancellor of England
under Edward IV.; Thomas, knighted by Henry
VI.; Sir William, who received an annuity from
Henry VI.; Sir George, who married Catherine
Mountfort, a near relative of David, King of Scot¬
land; Sir William, of Dunham Massey; George,
son of Sir George, who received an official letter,
dated October 12th, 1529, announcing, by the com¬
mand of Queen Jane Seymour, the birth of Edward
VL; Sir George, the use of whose estates were
Earl of Leicester ; John, knighted by Charles II.; Sir
George, born 1722, who for his services in the
Loyalist cause, was created by Charles II., Baron
Delamere, of Dunham Massey ; Henry Booth, second
Lord Delamere, who was one of the committee of
three noblemen appointed by the Prince of Orange
to demand of King James that he remove from
Whitehall ; George Booth, second Earl of Warring¬
ton, who died in 1758, when the earldom became
extinct, but was revived in the line of Harry Grey,
Earl of Stamford, who married the daughter of the
last Earl of Warrington. On the death of George,
Baron Delamere, the barony expired.
The family is of Welsh descent, and careful inves¬
tigation has disclosed the fact that property to the
value of many millions of dollars has escheated to
descendants in America not being able to complete
the necessary chain of evidence as to their claim.
The first of the name who came to America was
one Ensign John Booth, who landed at Southold,
Long Island, about 1652. From Ensign Booth
and also in Canada. One of his descendants, John
Booth, left Southold, and removed to Watkill, Ulster
County, New York, now known as the Town of
Goshen, Orange County, where he raised a family
of ten children. The names of the children were
David, John, Bethia, Zacheus, Charles, Abner, Isaac,
Samuel, Vincent, and Phebe. This family was
being reared during the American Revolution, and
as they preferred British institutions to republican
23
selves of the royal proclamation, and remove to
Canada. Zacheus was chosen to proceed’ to_ the
loyal province, and select a location for the family.
He arrived in Elizabethtown, probably in 1784 or
1785, and inspected the country.
On preparing to return he called at the residence
of Thomas Sherwood, father of the late Sheriff Sher¬
wood, where he was hospitably entertained, and on
his departure with an Indian guide, Mr. Sherwood
made him a present of a little dog, mention of which
is made in the memoirs of the late Sheriff. He
crossed the St. Lawrence, but his fate is shrouded
in mystery, as Booth, the Indian, and the faithful
dog were never afterwards heard from: supposed to
have been murdered by hostile Indians.
The fate of Zacheus cast a deep gloom over the
family. After a lapse of three years, Samuel and
Vincent started in company with other Loyalists for
Canada. The party drove a number of cattle and
sheep and also brought with it a horse, the journey
being made through the trackless forest by the aid
of a compass. The wanderers, after a toilsome
journey, reached Lake Champlain, from which point
they struck out for the St. Lawrence, fording
streams, building frail rafts to cross lakes and finally
reaching the river at a point near Morristown, New
York. Samuel, being an excellent swimmer, swam
to the Canadian shore and returned to his com¬
panions by the same means. A raft was then built.
The stock which could swim was driven into the
river, and, after a hazardous passage, all reached
British territory. They landed near the present site
of Brockville, and proceeded to the vicinity of Cole’s
Ferry, where they were hospitably entertained by a
settler, probably a Clow or Cole. They proceeded
on their journey and located on Lot No. 37, in the
5th Concession of Elizabethtown, where they built
a log shanty, which was at first roofed with bushes,
but was finally covered with bark.
At a subsequent period, not precisely known, the
remainder of the family in Orange County joined
their relatives in Canada and took up land in the
same neighborhood.
The family has never been characterized as seekers
for office. Samuel Booth held a captain’s com¬
mission and served in the War of 1812; Matthew
Booth also held a captain’s commission, as did John
Booth, P. L. S., who served in 1812.
John Booth, P. L. S", son of Vincent Booth, was a
man of marked ability. From an innate desire for
knowledge, he obtained, without instruction, from
the few books which he could secure, a good know¬
ledge of astronomy, and, after a service of three
months with the late Robert McLean, he proceeded