Daniel Skinner, referred to here as Daniel #1, lived at Newtown, Sussex Co., NJ from about 1760 to 1763. His brother, Benjamin had settled there by that time as well.
Daniel did not stay long. He relocated further upstream on the Delaware River to an area called Cochecton. Cochecton straddles the Delaware River at Sullivan Co., NY and Northampton Co., PA. This land was first purchased by his father, Joseph Skinner, from the Indians. Daniel and another brother, Hagaii, were well-known in the timber business, transporting timber down the Delaware River.
Map of Sussex Co., NJ; Cochecton, PA/NY; and Orange Co., NY
Daniel's brother, Benjamin Skinner, stayed on in Sussex County, NJ until the Revolutionary War. Records (tax list-11b) show that Benjamin Skinner was recorded at Newtown, Sussex Co., during the census of 1773/4. Ultimately, he had lands confiscated at Hardiston in 1784 because he was a British sympathizer. Hardiston is about 8 miles northeast of the town of Newton. The British government compensated him for the loss with land in Ontario, where he relocated. There is much information relating to raids against British sympathizers in Sussex Co, and other eastern Jersey counties, going back to the earliest days of the Rev.War. (
www.njstataelib.org)
Benjamin's offspring are unknown. However, it is widely assumed that his children included another Daniel Skinner (referred to here as Daniel #2). There is no proof of such and others have expressed reservations.
An overview of the descendants of Thomas Skinner of Malden, MA is contained in Exhibit-1.
A more detailed look at the branch of his family that relates to Sussex Co., NJ follows (per exhibits 9-11):
JOSEPH SKINNER (1/17/1708 - ) married 30 Apr 1729 Preston, CT MARTHA KINNE (1/20/1712 Preston, CT - )
Joseph was one of the proprietors of the Susquehanna Purchase; shot and killed Wayne Co., PA 1755-59.
1. JOSEPH SKINNER (b. Preston, CT - d. 9/13/1730 age 18)
2. BENJAMIN SKINNER (b. Preston - ) married MILLICENT ___
3. DANIEL SKINNER (Daniel #1)
b. Mar 22, 1733 Preston, Windham Co., Connecticut; son of Joseph Skinner
d. Feb 23, 1813 buried St. Tammany cemetery, Northampton Co., PA
m. Mar 11, 1761
w1. Lillie Richardson - a widow, nee HEALY, with daughter Phoebe.
b. Nov 11, 1737 Preston, CO
d. Jun 7, 1807 buried St. Tammany cemetery, Cochecton, Northampton Co., PA
Children:
1. REUBEN SKINNER (11/27/1761 - ) married Anna M. Chase
2. DANIEL SKINNER (11/17/1763 - ) married Hannah Burleigh
3. LILLIE SKINNER (3/4/1767 - ) married John Land
4. MERCY SKINNER (3/12/1769 - ) married Reuben Hanckett
5. JOSEPH SKINNER (3/10/1771 - ) married Mercy Dunlop
6. WILLIAM SKINNER (3/22,/1763 - ) married (1) & (2)
7. SARAH SKINNER (2/15/1775 - ) married JOHN CONKLIN
8. NATHAN SKINNER (4/4/1777 - ) married SARAH CALKINS
9. CORTLANDT SKINNER (8/26/1779 - ) unmarried June 22, 1796
w2. Rosabelle Kinne, married May 4, 1808 no issue
b.
d.
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Daniel was a merchant sailor and logger. His son, Nathan, wrote the Nathan Skinner manuscript about the early history of Cochecton.
On 4 Sept 1755 Daniel purchased 25 acres from his father near Cochecton, part of Joseph's 100 acre share of the Susquehanna purchase. He left about 1759 and took up residence in Newtown, Sussex Co, NJ. In 1763 he returned to Cochecton, and began a career rafting timber down the Delaware river to Philadelphia.
Unable to get clear title to his property, and harassed by neighbours anxious to take over the timber business, Daniel moved to Shawngunk Kill in Nov 1772 where his brothers Timothy and Abner had property. He returned to Cochecton in 1777 just in time to run into a 'Committee of Safety'. His new house was plundered and burned.
After the War, Daniel settled again in Cochecton and named his farm St. Tammany Flats.
Mrs. George A. Wahl, The Skinner Kinsmen: The Descendants of Joseph and Martha (Kinne) Skinner of Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania, Vol 1 (Niagara Falls, NY: 1959).
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