The paperback and eBook are available at lulu.com:
The paperback is in 6" x 9" format. It is about 400 pages and contains 561 footnotes, 24 maps, and many images and tables. You will find it a priceless addition to your family histories. It is also a fantastic gift for descendants of Joel.
The book contains a lot of local history. If you wonder what your Campbell relatives were doing during the Revolutionary War (and what everyone else was doing), this book contains some answers. In many cases, the exact role of Campbells in local events is not known and the roles of neighbors are used as surrogates. Some sections of the book are written as historical fiction and are clearly marked as such. This was done to aid in the story-telling.
What is a "Yeoman?" If you could go back in time and ask an eighteenth century colonist, "What is your occupation?" the majority would have answered, "Yeoman." The term denoted a person who owned his own land and farmed it primarily for his own subsistence. Joel Campbell (1735-1828) described himself as a yeoman. His ninety-three years spanned three wars, two religious reawakenings, and the birth of the United States. He was born before Jefferson and Adams, and died after them. He settled wilderness areas in three states and left over 100 descendants at this death.
This is his story and the story of his times. It is typical of the yeomen of that day who were the stuff of which the new nation was made. Jefferson described them as "the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bands."
You can see a preview of the book at bit.ly/JoelCampbellBook. Let me know what you think!
The electronic version contains color maps which are easier to read (see example below). The maps and images in the paperback book are in "gray-scale" to reduce costs.
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| Map of Campbell Farm in current Montgomery, New York near the Wallkill River. |
Here is one of the many jewels in the book: Joel's signature!
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| Deed "signed" by Joel Campbell |
The author is a 5th great-grandson of Joel Campbell. He is an amateur author, historian, and genealogist. He lives within an hour’s drive of Newark Mountain and Newburgh and has researched the life of Joel “on location.” He is also the author of 1685 - The Year that Changed Scotland and Clan Campbell. He is a volunteer at the Orange County Historical Society, New York.
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| Author Jay A. Campbell |
His ongoing research can be viewed at http://joelcampbell1735.blogspot.com
Hello - Having previously commented in your blog for its thorough insights into Ulster County / Orange County Campbells and Campbell neighbor John Perry (from whom I'm descended), I've purchased the e-book, Congratulate you for printing it, and look forward to reading it! I hope to follow in your footsteps with Perry family research, and find the way you craft a story with references invaluable. Did you happen to notice or come across any Perry family references in the Colden Daybook? Again - Congrats on this accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteHugh..See my recent post on the transcription of the DayBook. I am sure there are references to the Perry family in there. If you help out, you will have early access to the results. Jay
ReplyDeleteHi,Dr. Jay- I just finished reading your book, and want to let you know that I appreciate how much time and effort went into it- thank you! I've been doing a similar (though not nearly as in-depth) study of how my Gleason ancestors ended up in the Midwest, and it turns out that my Campbell ancestors were early settlers in Michigan. Your book does a great job showing why the Campbells moved from NJ to NY, and what their lives were like- I even enjoyed the fictional parts (I admit that when I can't find concrete evidence, I also try to embroider a story that fits- I like your use of italics for those sections). However, my 5th GG was Joel's brother, Jonathan, who married Mary Haines (in the book you suggest that she may have inherited her family fortune). I haven't had any luck researching her family, but Jonathan's son, my 4th GG Jonathan married a Springer (that family genealogy is a real mixed up mess, but I found a possible link to Isaac and Charity being her parents). If you can point me to any resources that may help me with the NY Haines/Springer families, I would be much obliged to you! Thanks again for writing this book! Mary Beth -apologies for the lengthy post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments. Because Jonathan was wealthier than his brothers, there is actually more preserved in history about him (than his siblings.) For example on March 27, 1782 the Quartermaster General's Department of New Windsor, disbursed to Jonathan Campbell for five days hire of a single team (of horses) 6.22 pounds. Teams were often 'impressed' to deliver supplies from the warehouse in New Windsor, NY to the troops wintering at Morristown.
DeleteThe Haines were long time residents of Hanover (now Montgomery) area. For some reason I had always thought that Mary Haines was from a different branch of that family, maybe because I had always spelled her name as Heines. The name 'Springer' on the other hand does not appear in the records of that area in the 18th century, so I am not sure when they first arrived in Ulster County. I wish I were more help.
BTW there are a few of us very active on this branch of the Campbell tree. We are moving our collaboration from FamilySearch to our own custom website: http://ourcampbellconnections.com/ You are welcome to join.