Descendants of the Heyns/Hains Family
of New York and Pennsylvania

Generation #3

Joseph Hendricksen (²Hendrick, ¹William) Heyns of New York

Debunking the myth of Jacob Hains.

1. During the French and Indian War c. 1755-59, the Bedford PA area was the extreme western frontier  of Pennsylvania.
2. In 1758 British General Forbes marched his forces west, passing through Bedford PA, to take Ft. Duquesne (later Ft. Pitt) from the French.
3. There is an exceptional letter from a SGT John Hains of Lancaster PA who marched 130 miles west from Harris' Ferry (now Harrisburg), arriving at Ft. Raystown (now Bedford PA) in June 1758. And, the letter is addressed to his father, "Jacob Hains, near Lancaster." <http://www.motherbedford.com/HainsLetter.htm>
4. Unfortunately, SGT John Hains is listed as killed on 4/13/1759.
5. I believe the SGT John Hains of the French and Indian War, who wrote the letter, and my John Hains, Esq. of the Revolutionary War have become conflated; as we have two men with the same name serving in the army at the same place, Bedford PA, back when the frontier was so sparsely populated. And with this confusion, "Jacob Hains near Lancaster," father of SGT John Hains, has incorrectly been attributed to my John Hains, Esq.
6. Of note, the "Jacob Hains, near Lancaster" was a part of the Weber allied families from the Weberthal area of Lancaster county which was headed up by Bishop Hans Herr.

Connecting John Hains, Esq. to Joseph Heyns of Bucks Co PA

1. John Hains, Esq. b. 12/14/1746 Bucks Co PA married Lanah Devore, daughter of Willem Devore.
2. Joseph Heyns was witness to Lanah's baptism 6/10/1753 at Smithfield TWP, Northampton Co PA.
3. Willem Devore b. 11/6/1711 Manhattan NY married Catherine Schoonmaker.
4. Joseph Heyns b. c. 1715 Kingston NY, father of John, married Helena Schoonmaker, sister of Catherine.
5. Joseph Heyns, Jr. b. c. 1743 Bucks Co PA married Heltje Devore, another daughter of Willem Devore.

Thus in two generations we link the Heyns/Hains and the DeVoor/Devore and the Schoonmaker families from New York to Bucks/Northampton Co PA:

1. John Hains, Esq. married his first cousin.
2. Lannah's baptism was witnessed by her aunt and uncle. Lanah's father, Willem Devore, was a descendant of Dutch immigrants to New Amsterdam. Willem is documented in his migration from New York through New Jersey, just across the Delaware River from Smithfield TWP in Bucks county, to Bedford Co PA.
3 & 4. William Devore and Joseph Heyns married sisters.
5. Joseph Heyns, Jr. also married his first cousin, another daughter of Willem Devore. Thus, two Heyns boys married two Devore girls.

6. I believe the Heyns family migrated in the company of the Schoonmaker family to the "Minisink country." The Schoonmakers settled in Hunterdon/Sussex Co NJ and the Heyns went a little further down the Old Mine Road and across the Delaware to Bucks/Northampton Co PA. And in the next generation, the Hains family migrated in the company of the Devore family to Bedford Co PA.

Joseph Hendricksen Heyns was born in about 1715 in Kingston NY. In about 1732, Joseph migrated in the company of the Schoonmaker family to Bucks Co PA. And, the Heyns family attended the DRC Church at Smithfield TWP, Bucks (now Monroe) Co PA. [Minisink Churches]

In about 1744 at Smithfield TWP, Bucks Co PA, Joseph Hendrickson Heyns married Helena Schoonmaker, sister of Catherine Schoonmaker. And by 1751, spelling of the last name has morphed to Hayns. There is a 1762 record for a Lydiea Heyns at the Dutch Reformed Church at Smithfield. Perhaps, Lydia is a daughter of Joseph.

Catherine and Willem Devore lived in Sussex Co NJ (just across the Delaware River from Smithfield TWP, Bucks/ Northampton Co PA) until about 1772 when they migrated to Bedford Co PA. And, John Hains and family migrated in the company of his father-in-law, Willem Devore.

By 1772 their route would have been rather straightforward. From the Delaware Valley, they had the choice of traveling south to Philadelphia and then west or traveling west to the Susquehanna and then south to the Germantown Pike. Either way, after crossing the river at Harris Ferry, the families traveled west on the old military road, Forbes Road, to what had been Ft. Raystown, now known as Bedford PA.

There are three Hains men who are found in the Bedford records: Joseph (Jr.), Vandle and John. Joseph (Jr.) appears in the 1778 Cumberland Valley Twp Tax List. Vandle appears in the 1790 Bedford Co PA Census as head of household along with two other grown males. Nothing more is known of these two purported sons of Joseph, Sr.

Did Joseph, Sr. migrate in the company of his sons to the frontier of Bedford County? Or, did he stay behind in eastern Pennsylvania? His date and place of death is unknown. 

• Born c. 1715 Kingston NY
• Migrated c. 1732 w/ Schoonmaker family to Bucks (now Monroe) Co PA
• Married c. 1740 in Bucks (now Monroe) Co PA to Helena Schoonmaker (sister of Catherine Schoonmaker) ch. 5/20/1711 Kingston, Ulster Co NY

• 1749 Church Record, Smithfield TWP, Bucks (now Monroe) Co PA

• 1753 Northampton split from Bucks Co PA

• 1753 Church Record, Smithfield TWP, Northampton (now Monroe) Co PA

• 1760 Church Record, Smithfield TWP, Northampton (now Monroe) Co PA

• Migrated before 1772 to Bedford Co PA

• Died before 1778 Bedford Co PA

Note: Baptisms and marriages performed at the four Dutch Reformed Church of the Delaware Valley were recorded at Machackemeck (Deerpark) Church of Ulster (now Orange) County, New York. Additionally, itinerant preachers maintained their own personal records including Rev. Joh. Casparus Fryenmuth and Rev. Elias Van Bennschoten. [Minisink Dutch Reformed Church]

    Children

    1. Vandle Hains

• Born c. 1740 Bucks (now Monroe) Co PA

• 1753 Northampton split from Bucks Co PA

• Migrated before 1772 w/ family to Bedford Co PA

• 1790 Bedford Co PA Census: Hains, Vandle 3 2 5

• Date and place of death unknown

    2. Peter Hains

• Christened 12/25/1741 Smithfield TWP Bucks (now Monroe) Co PA

• No further information

    3. Lydia Hains

• Born c. 1742 Bucks (now Monroe) Co PA

• 1753 Northampton split from Bucks Co PA

• Married c. 1759 in Smithfield, Northampton Co PA to Leonard Wieser b. c. 1738

• 4/1762 Smithfield TWP, Northampton Co PA Church Record

• Date and place of death unknown

    4. Joseph Hains, Jr.

• Born c. 1743 Bucks (now Monroe) Co PA

• 1753 Northampton split from Bucks Co PA

• Married c. 1665 in Sussex Co NJ to Heltje Devore b. c. 1744 Morris Co NJ

• Migrated before 1772 w/ family to Bedford Co PA

• 1778 Cumberland Valley Twp, Bedford Co PA Tax List: Joseph Hains

• 4/5/1797 Bedford Co PA Land Transaction

• Died after 4/1797 Bedford Co PA

    5. Daniel Heyns

• Christened 12/30/1744 Bucks (now Monroe) Co PA

• Died 1823 Portage Co OH

    6. John Hains, Esq. b. 12/14/1746 Bucks (now Monroe) Co PA

    7. Elizabeth Hayns

• Christened 5/25/1751 Bucks (now Monroe) Co PA

• Date and place of death unknown

Generation #4