Revision as of 22:20, 23 February 2011

Per http://www.ancestry.it/facts/van%20zandt-family-history.ashx, the Van Zandt surname refers to place of residence, either of Dutch origin, for someone from any of the places called Zandt in Gelderland, Friesland, South Holland or Zeeland; or of Belgian origin, for resident of Zande in Belgium.

However, in Cornelia's case, her ancestry is said to go back to one Wensel Michaels, born about 1600, in Xantene, Germany. Her maternal grandmother was Maria Waldron, and the Waldron line appears to trace back to English landholders in the early 1500's. Two generations of English Waldron men migrated to Holland and married Dutch women; their descendants later settled in New Amsterdam and New Jersey.

Ancestry chart segment

 Generation 7           Generation 8             Generation 9
 
                                             
                                              
                    +-- Lucas Covert  
                    |   (1741-1821)           
 Catherine Covert --+                        +-- Peter Praa Van Zandt    
 (1778->1850)       |                        |     
                    +-- Cornelia Van Zandt --+
                        (1746-????)          |
                                             +-- Sarah Willense
Sources: [2][3]

Children

(11 children with Lucas Covert)^[4]

Places of Residence

Photo Gallery

Children & Grandchildren of Lucas Covert and Cornelia Van Zandt are buried in the old upper portion, now abandoned, at Muddy Creek Cemetery, Butler Co. PA


Gravestones of John VanZandt Covert & Sarah Bennett:

Gravestone of John Covert, Old Muddy Creek Cemetery, Brady Twp., Butler Co. PA

Gravestone of Sarah, wife of John Covert, Old Muddy Creek Cemetery

Covert plot, upper abandoned section, Muddy Creek Cemetery

Gravestones of Silas Covert (son of John VanZandt Covert) & wife Margaret Esther Moore, & children Alfred P. and Cindarella:

Gravestone of Silas & Margaret Covert & children, Muddy Creek Cemetery

children of Silas & Margaret Covert: Alfred P. & Cindarella Covert

Sources

Ref. Num.	Description	Image of original
1	1790 U.S. Federal Census, Northumberland Co. PA, ancestry.com pg.5. Left column, line 7 lists family of Luke Coubert with 2 males over 16, 3 males under 16, and 5 females. This suggests that Luke had 4 sons & 4 daughters by 1790. See source notes.
2	Genealogical and personal history of western Pennsylvania, Vol. 3, Editor-in-chief: John W. Jordan. Author: Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921. Pages 1272-1274. From the Historic Pittsburgh Full Text Collection. Collection is searchable; policy prohibits reproduction of text. Extract:Jane Stoughton was a daughter of John and Catherine (Covert) Stoughton, both born in Pennsylvania. Catherine Covert "was of Holland descent, her mother's maiden name being Van Zant, a family that had settled on Manhattan Island, New York." http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pitttext;cc=pitttext;q1=catherine%20covert;rgn=full%20text;idno=03aee8434m;didno=03aee8434m;view=image;seq=0247
3	Somerset County Genealogical Quarterly Volume 8, online at: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/PABUTLER/2003-07/1057200413 Luke Covert, born October 18, 1741 in Franklin Twp., Somerset, New Jersey; died 1821 in Butler Co., Pennsylvania. He was the son of Bergon (Bragon) Covert and Annetze Selover (Slover). He married Cornelia Van Zandt May 12, 1768. She was born May 15, 1746 in New Jersey, and died in Butler Co., PA. She was the daughter of Peter Praa Van Zandt and Sarah Willense.
4	1883 History of Butler County by Waterman, p. 363. "Among the first to take up land and make a home within the territory now known as Brady Township was Luke Covert, a Holland Dutchman, who had been a soldier in the American Army during the Revolution. He came from New Jersey to Northumberland County, and thence here. His family consisted of eleven children, of whom John Covert was the last survivor, and died in 1873, in his ninety-second year. John Covert married Sarah Bennett, and reared a family of eight children. The Covert family moved from the East with horses and a wagon, cutting roads and making bridges as they came.
5	Gravestone transcription June 2006 by Elizabeth W Williams, Old Muddy Creek Cemetery, Clay Twp., Butler Co. PA. "John Covert died Dec 31, 1873 aged 92 yrs & 5 mos." "Sarah wife of John Covert died (Aug) 19, 1848, age 67 years". These two stones are located centrally in the old upper cemetery at Muddy Creek. Next to them is a broken stone with only "Sarah J." legible, perhaps a daughter. "Silas Covert died Nov 11, 1870 aged 59 yrs 6 mos & 18 da; Margaret Covert died Jan 13, 1853 aged 37 yrs 8 mos & 13 d.; (Other side of obelisk: Children of S. & M. Covert, Alfred P. died Jan 14, (1820?) aged 24 yr 2 mo & 8 da.; Cindarella died June (2 or 7), aged 24 yrs 2 mos; Sarah M.....(illegible without surface enhancement). Minerva died (Dec) 2, 1818, 54 yrs 6 mos 9d ; John A. died Mar 20, 1852, aged 2 mos 2 d.; Nancy died Jan 23, 18(60) aged 2 __ yrs Note: this transcription, among the Covert transcriptions at Muddy Creek, fails to indicate whether one stone or three; no photo; possibly another side of the Silas Covert obelisk. Govert/Covert, Sarah Wife of John Govert died (Aug)19, 1848, age 67 yrs.; John Govert/Covert died Dec 31, 1873 aged 92 yrs & 5 mos. Note: Lettering appears to read Govert; stone lies near other Covert graves.
6	Souvenir History of Slippery Rock, 1925, ed. Rev. Goerge S. Bowden, p. 23 "Brady township, once part of Slippery Rock, claims as its first settler, Luke Covert, who came in 1796..."
7	"Map of Butler County 1858 Reproduction", compiled by Violet M. Covert, from surveys of Chas. Dunlap, Hugh McKee, David Scott, Office of County Surveyor, The Court House, Butler, PA. c 2005, Mechling Bookbindery, Chicora PA. Pg. 13 Brady Township. Present day Covert Road runs east from just SE of West Liberty toward present-day Rt. 8. Bordering this road on the north side is property of J. Covert. On the next road to the north, running straight east from West Liberty, lie one property of J. Covert and 2 properties of John Covert. Neighbors include Badger, J. Wick Henry Grossman, Wm. Stoughton, Douglass, H. H. McDeavitt..
8	Pennsylvania Atlas and Gazetteer, c 1990, DeLorem Mapping Company, pg. 43 & 57. Covert Road runs east-west, just slightly southwest of West Liberty, Brady Twp., Butler Co. PA. Covert Rd. runs east to Staff Rd, which runs east to Old Route (parallel to present Rt. 8). Note: Muddy Creek Church is on the old route. Turn north onto Rt. 8; entrance to Muddy Creek Cemetery is immediately on left).
9	1810 U.S. Federal Census Butler Co. Pa, Slippery Rock Twp, ancestry.com pg.1. Two Covert households on an alphabetized listing, neither with a male old enough to be Lucas Covert, but possibly his sons John & Jacob. Both first initials appear to be "J", but possibly "I", etc. First household has 1 male age 10-15, 1 male 25-44, 1 female under 10, 1 female 25-44. Possibly household of John VanZandt Covert, age 29 in 1810. Second household has 1 male age 16-25, 1 female under 10, 1 female 16-25. Possibly household of Jacob Covert, age 23 in 1810.
10	1830 United States Federal Census, Slippery Rock Twp, Butler Co, PA, page 1. John Covert family: 1 male age 5-10, 1 male age 10-15, 1 male age 15-20, 1 male age 40-50; 1 female age under 5, 2 females age 5-10, 1 female age 10-15, 1 female age 15-20, 1 female age 40-50. Jacob Covert family: 1 male age under 5, 1 male age 5-10, 12 males age 10-15, 1 male age 15-20, 1 male age 40-50; 1 female age under 5, 1 female age 5-10, 1 female age 10-15, 2 females age 15-20, 1 female age 40-50. Also in their neighborhood were the families of James Hoge, James I Hoge, James & John McDavitt, 4 Cornelius families;and Robert McCandless with 2 males under age 5, 1 male & 1 female age 20-30.
11	1840 United States Federal Census, Slipperyrock Twp, Butler Co, Pa, page 1. Family of Col. John Covert:2 male 15-20, 1 male 50-60, 2 females 10-15, 2 females 15-20, 1 female 50-60. This corresponds to John Covert, son of Lucas Covert (along with John's wife Sarah Bennett). Also on the page (and close by) are Jacob Covert: 1 male 10-15, 1 male 15-20, 1 male 20-30, 1 male 50-60, 1 female 50-60. Also, Perry Covert: 1 male <5, 1 male 20-30, 1 female <5, 1 female 20-30; probably a grandchild of Lucas. Also of note on the page is Richard Hines.
12	1850 United States Federal Census, Slippery Rock Twp., Butler Co. PA, pg. 35. Undated. Lines 6-11: John Wigdon age 88, farmer, $1500 estate; Magdalena age 78; Sarah age 40; Covert age 33; Phebe H. age 25; Robert Logan age 52. All born in PA. Note: Robert Logan is living with his wife Euphamia Stoughton's aunt & uncle. Her mother Catherine Covert and Magdalena Covert (Wigdo were sisters, daughters of Lucas Covert.
13	Bassett's Notes on Coverts, ed. by Leslie A. Bryan 1957; copy at MN Hist. Soc. Library, St. Paul MN extracted 2008 by Elizabeth Wilson Williams> Derivation of Covert name; probably French Huguenot Teunis Janse Covert & wife Barbara Lucas immigrated 1651 from Heemstede, North Holland. Their 8 children included Hans (John) Teunnise Covert, born in Brooklyn, married Jannetie/Jannitze Brokaw. Eight children of Hans Teunnise Covert & Jannitze Brokaw included Bragon Covert, bapt. in Brooklyn, m. Anna Slover of Fordham Manor. Their 8 children included Lucas Covert, bapt. at Somerville, married Cornelia Van Zandt.
14	Obituary of Dr. John W. Covert, great grandson of Cornelia Van Zandt; New Castle News, Monday 19 May 1913. From contributor A. Fix Dr. John W. Covert died Saturday (17 May 1913) of heart disease. He was born 18 July 1837 at Covert's Station, the youngest son of William Covert & Prudence Mayberry, who had 6 children. William Covert was the 2nd son of "Garre H." (sic/Garrett) Covert and Eleanor Black. (Garrett) was the oldest son of Luke Covert and Cornelia Van Zandt, she born 16 May 1746, married 12 May 1768. His ancestors came to this country from Holland and settled in Brooklyn. Dr. Covert enlisted in the Roundhead regiment, 100th PA volunteers, & when discharged, re-enlisted and served honorably to end of Civil War. He attended Cleveland Medical college, graduated from school of homeopathy in 1879, beginning practice in New Castle same year. First wife was Mary Young, daughter of David Young; married 3 July 1862; she died 15 years ago (i.e. ~1898). Second wife was Clare Beckwith who survived him. No children by either marriage, but survived by Cora Rhodes of Chicago, who was brought up in his home. Member First M. E. Church. Funeral Tue. (i.e. 20 May 1913) at his home, Dr. N. H. Holmes of Wash. D. C., formerly pastor of First M. C. church officiating, with Dr. J. H. Clemens. Interment Oak Park cemetery.

Web Sites - Documentation Not Given

Source notes

• The 1883 History of Butler County calls Lucas Covert a "Holland Dutchman", possibly referring not to his place of birth but to his Dutch heritage, as opposed to being German "Deutsch". The later 1895 History apparently quotes this earlier source, but expanding on his Revolutionary War record to say that he was a Hessian who became attached to the American cause in NJ. All other sources, however, place Lucas Covert as born in Somerville NJ, and his ancestors as having been in NJ or New Amsterdam area for two generations before him. His grandfather, Hans Teunise Covert, born in Heemstedt, Holland in 1657, was the immigrant. From the name spelling "Hans", and from his wife Jannetje Brokaw having been born in Mannheim, Germany, we assume Hans Tuenise Covert migrated first to Germany, then to America where his children are born in Brooklyn, then Long Island NY, and by 1709 in Somerset, New Jersey.
• The curious tradition of Lucas Covert having been a Hessian soldier could possibly be explained if he did in fact begin his Revolutionary War fighting on the side of the British, as many colonists did, and at some point, whether from being taken prisoner or otherwise as the war progressed, changed his allegiance to the cause of the revolutionaries.
• 1790 census, Northumberland Co. PA corresponds to (2 males over 16):Lucas Covert age 49, son Garret age 21; (3 males under 16): sons John 9, Barnet 6, & Jacob 3; (5 females): Cornelia VanZandt Covert age 44, daughters Ann 18, Magdalene 15, Catharine 12, & Mary age 1. This source agrees with the 1883 History of Butler Co. PA in placing the Luke Covert family in Northumberland Co. before settling in Butler Co. PA.
• Per source W-2, The McGinnis Family Tree, the death dates for Sarah Covert & husband James Vogan are 4 months apart, both dying in Worth Twp.; Sarah is listed as dying in Worth Twp., Butler Co. PA, and James Vogan as dying in Worth Twp., Mercer Co. PA. This may be a copying error, although both counties do have a Worth Township.

Conjecture

Research Wishlist