According to Rupp’s, 30,000 Names of Immigrants, Johan Adam Papst 1730(+/-) to 1807 (+/-) arrived in Philadelphia on the ship “Two Brothers”, Sept. 28th, 1753.
Despite extensive research, his movements have not been confirmed until he turns up in the Mohawk valley in NY province and married Eva Marie Hamm ca 1760. On the manifest of the ship Two Brothers, there is a person with the name, Hamm and conjecture would indicate that possibly Eva Maria and her father were on that ship. It is only postulated that he came from Saxony.
In the Mohawk valley Johan and Eva produced three sons and 5 daughters, the first being Maragaret ca 1757 and the first male Rudolph ca 1760. The youngest was John Adam Papst, born in Brunswick, Rennselar county NY, 12th July, 1777, as the revolutionary war was well underway.
Adam Paps (Pabst) and his oldest son Rudolph, are known to have been incarcerated and “appeared before the Board”, 17 Mar. 1781 in Albany County, and were freed on payment of 100 pounds each.
At some point Johan joined Butlers Rangers and the Census of Niagara of 1783, indicates Adam Papes was released from Capt Lewis Genevay’s company on Nov 30, 1783. His son Rudolph joined the KRRNY.
At the conclusion of hostilities Johan Adam received 300 acres of land in Winchester Township along with two other relatives, and Rudolph Papist obtained 200 acres in Osnabruck Township. All children that relocated to this area near present day Cornwall received land grants, although there are several occasions where possession of these specific lots are not clear and clean.
The will of the patriarch, Johan Adam and the will from Rudolph outline their children, but children for the other two sons has been very difficult to authenticate. Two similar handwritten notes from ca 1923 would seem to indicate the family of the second male child, Daniel Frederich, but the children of the 3rd male child, John Adam born 1777 has been very difficult and paid researchers have not been able to confirm the children of this 3rd child. His marriage to Elizabeth McWilliams in 1800 fits with the modest evidence of children and the census of 1850 and on, confirms the homestead of Johan Adam on Lot 2 Con 3 Stormont County. The will of Johan Adam dated 1808, leaves the majority of land and possessions to his youngest son, John Adam and intensive searching of land transactions show the transfer and selling of various plots from John Adam to his children.
It is concluded that this union of John Adam and Elizabeth McWilliams produced a family of 10 to 11 children all domiciled in Stormont county, and the youngest male child John Jacob Poaps(t) (1823-1896) is considered to be the link. Many land records exist relating to J.J. Poaps as the developer of the town of Osnabruck Centre, and the Belden maps and his obituary in the Cornwall Standard of Feb 17, 1896 clearly indicate his activities as a developer and entrepreneur. It is considered that he was a quite successful land realtor as he is involved in many land transactions. He was on the council of Osnabruck Centre for three terms (1872-75), the postmaster 1853-1877, and at one point owned a tavern and established a, “Fair grounds” on the farm that he purchased from John Adam, his pseudo father, in Osnabruck twp.
The actual records of birth were burned and lost in the Church fire in Osnabruck ca 1922 but records of his marriage and the birth of his children exist.
The actual link therefore of John Jacob to John Adam is therefore considered tenuous but when taken in the context of land transactions provides a very strong likelihood.
A history of Johan Adam Papst and Eva Marie was researched and published by Lt. Col Ervan Amidon (USAF Ret’d) of Traverse City Mi. in 2007, and claims UE status through the oldest son, Rudolph, of John Adam and brother to John Jacob.
Submitted by Descendant Richard Poaps UE