Anthony Lamping is the most fascinating character in our family's history.
Anthony was born about 1770, maybe in Holland, but it is beginning to look as though he was born in
Bucks County Pennsylvania. He arrived in Northern New York and settled in the vicinity of Massena
about 1790.
There he married Marie Neddo on the 26th of May 1794. Marie was born May 15, 1778 in Canada,
the daughter of an early settler in the area around St Regis, Louis Nedo(Nadeau?), and a Mohawk Indian woman.
In late 1797, the Lampings were living in Cornwall, Ontario
(Ontario was then known as Upper Canada). Not everyone in the colonies had been in favor of independence.
Many Loyalists or "Tories" crossed the St. Lawrence into Canada after the American victory.
|
|
|
Anthony Lamping's signature on his petition for a land grant.
|
In October of 1797, both Anthony and Marie applied for land grants from the King.
Each had sworn allegiance as a loyal subject of the Crown. It appears that they received some land in the area around
Cornwall, as they were engaged in farming in addition to Anthony's work as a hatter.
The Lampings also owned some pasture land on the New York side of the St. Lawrence River.
In 1800, they petitioned New York Governor John Jay for relief from the predations of the Indians at St. Regis.
It seems that the Lampings' cattle sometimes wandered onto tribal lands and quickly became beef jerky.
There is some question whether Anthony's name was Joseph Anthony Lamping, but he signed the petition to
John Jay, as well as his petition for land in Ontario, as Anthony Lamping.
In between making hats, farming, and signing petitions, Anthony and Marie found
time to have fourteen
children. Anthony Lamping died August 10, 1828 on Barnhart's Island in the St. Lawrence River. Local legend says that
he was struck by lightning while praying the rosary. Barnhart's island is about four miles west of Cornwall, Ontario.
The Lampings were living there at the time. Marie Lamping died February 26, 1856, at the age of 77,
presumably of exhaustion.
Anthony Lamping's Land Petition
