Brian Smith – updated Aug 18, 2024

As a refresher, Grandma Smith’s writings told us:

“In November, the year 1839, Nicholas Smith brought his family, a wife and nine children, from Herkimer County, New York into the wilds of Charleston Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. Three of Nicholas’ brothers and their families came at the same time.Who their father was, I don’t know, I can’t find any data that goes beyond these four brothers. Nicholas married Katie Friggie, and they had nine children.”

That intro gave me a pretty good starting place to look for something more, although I had no idea what I’d find.

The Letter
My search began with a letter I found in the drawer of an old family heirloom, a spool cabinet that had originally been in the store of H.E. Smith. The letter was written to Nicholas and Katie in 1855 by a man named Nicholas Loucks. Here is a copy of the letter with a translation following.

I didn’t know how Nicholas Loucks was related to Nicholas and/or Katie and wondered about the salutation “Dear Brother”. It was obvious that Mr Loucks was familiar with both sides of the family.

The Deed
The correspondence said that A. Wetmore “took up the deed”, so I visited the Montgomery County courthouse in Fonda NY to inquire about property purchased by Mr A. Wetmore around 1855. I was able to find said deed written in 1846, but not executed until 1855.

Here is a link to the Canajoharie deed and a translation. Following that is an 1858 map of the town of Canajoharie, N.Y. where the land was located. The handwriting on the deed makes it impossible to decipher it in it’s entirely but here the jist of it. The seller, the buyer, and a description of the location is all we’re really interested in knowing.

Know all men by those present, that one Nicholas B. Smith of Charleston Twp, County of Tioga and State of Pennsylvania, and Katy his wife, for duly good causes and consideration through money especially for twenty five dollars, recorded to my full satisfaction of Alphonso Wetmore of Canajoharie Village here recorded, released, and forever quit claims and do by these present for ourselves, our heirs and assigns and absolutely release
and quit claim unto the said Alphonso Wetmore to his heirs and assigns forever all such rights and title as <> <> <> Nicholas + wife
have or ought to have in a certain lot located in said village formerly belonging to John Friggy deceased. Said lot is bordered
North by the Erie Canal, South by Main Street, East by a lot of George Loucks together with all other buildings > title to a <><><> onto<>
<> to said <><> by the will of John Friggy. , <>. To have and to hold <><> <> Alphonso Wetmore his heirs and assigns
to the ,. use ,according. of <> Alphonso Wetmore heirs and assigns <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> or any other
<> have set my hand and seal this 23 day of April A.D.1846
Nicholas B (+wife) Smith (L in presence of A Wetmore, E Smith?> State of New York
Montgomery County <> on the 23day of April 1846 at Canajoharie

Recorded July 3, 1855 at 9 1/4 hours AM
D.V. Penny Dep.

Note: Apparently this deed was copied from another book because immediately follow the text is A. Wetmore reselling the property to someone else.

Seeing that this property had been owned by Katie’s father (or brother) and the deed mentions his will, I went in search of it.

The Will
I found the last will and testament of John Frickey written in 1820, and a link to the probated will after his death in 1826. A translation of each follows…

In the name of God Amen I John Frickey of the town of Palatine in the County of Montgomery being weak in body but of sound disporting mind and memory, thanks be given to Almighty God for the same. Do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say, it is my will that after my decease my body shall be decently interred at the expense of my executors herein after named. As to my estate, both real and personal I dispose of the same as follows. I give and bequeath to my beloved wife, if she shall survive me all the real estate and personal estate I may die possessed of to be hers as long as she shall be and remains my widow and after her decease I give, devise and bequeath the same to my son John Frickey heirs and assigns for ever. It is my desire that my daughters Catherine and Margaret when they or either of them shall get married, receive an offset in cattle + household furniture similar to my daughter Maria the wife of Nicholas Loucks when she got married. I term it is my will that two years after my decease and after the decease of my wife, my son shall pay to Maria the wife of Nicholas Loucks, the sum of fifty dollars current money, and four years after the decease of myself and wife the sum of fifty dollars of like money to my daughter Catherine, and six years after our decease the sum of twenty dollars to my daughter Margaret and that immediately after our decease or the decease of the survivor of us an equal division shall be made amongst my three daughters aforesaid, of all the household furniture I possessed before my second marriage. I recommend to my children, that they live in the peace of God with each other, and with their stepmother, as I married her her to be a comfort to them and to myself in the loss of their deceased mother – and that they ought to respect her on account of the confidence I place in her. I enjoin on all my children to cultivate peace with all mankind, to be honest and upright in their dealings to live in the love and fear of God, if they expect a blessing. Lastly I nominate, constitute and appoint my beloved wife Maria my executrix, and my trusty friend Peter N Smith Esquire executor of this, my last will and testament, while by their presence I publish and declare to be such hereby revoking all other wills or codicils by me hither to fore made. In testimony whereas I have here set my hand and seal this 30th day of July 1820.

[This note at the bottom of the will is because the original was copied to another book and there were errors when it was transcribed. BDS]

Note, the name of Maria in the twentieth first page altered to Margaret and page ? in the sixth line obliterated and the word Margaret interlined. John Frickey. Signed, sealed published and declared by the testates as for his last will and testament in the presence of us, who in his presence, and of each other subscribed to the same as witness. Phil R. Frey, Daniel Gray, John R Gray.

Montgomery County

Surrogates Office

The Probated Will
{Be it remembered that on the eighth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty six, personally appeared before me Tobias A Stoutenburgh, Surrogate of the County of Montgomery aforesaid Daniel Gray and John R. Gray two of the subscribing witnesses to the will of John Frickey, late of said County of Montgomery deceased, who being duly sworn declare that they saw the said John Frickey deceased, seal and execute the foregoing instrument which said witnesses ordained to be the last will and testament of the said John Frickey deceased, bearing date the thirtieth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty that they heard this the said John Frickey publish and declare the same as and for his last will and testament; that at the time the said John Frickey was of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding to the best knowledge and belief of these the said Daniel Gray and John R Gray, and that they together with Phillip R. Frey the other witness to the said will did subscribe their names thereto as witnesses to the execution thereof in the presence of the Testor in testimony whereof the said Surrogate hath hereforto set his hand and affixed his seal of office down at the Village of Johnstown in said County of Montgomery this eight day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty six. Tobias A Stoutenbough.

Montgomery County

Surrogates Office

{Be it also remembered, that on the said eighth day of August personally appeared before me the said surrogate, Maria Frickey as executrix in the aforesaid will named, and was duly sworn to the faithful performance and execution thereof by taking the word oath in the case provided. Tobias A Stoutenbough.

The preceding are true copies of the last will and testament of John Frickey deceased of the certificate of the proof and of the oath of the executrix of the latters testamentary thereof.

Registered August 8th 1826. Tobias A Stoutenbough, Surrogate

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Reading the will of John Frickey was quite illuminating. We see that Katie had two sisters, Maria and Margaret and a brother John. Maria was married to the writer of our letter, Nicholas Loucks, therefore the salutation “Dear Brother”. The children’s mother had died prior to 1820 and their father married a woman named Maria. It’s not clear to me why the deed was written in 1846 but not “taken up” until 1855. My conjecture is that it may have been property that went to John’s 2nd wife and upon her death was passed on to the children.

Other Records and a timeline

?1762 – Birth of Anna NELLIS, Stone Arabia, Montgomery, NY
Parents Wilhelm NELLIS; Maria Dorothea SALTZMAN (If this is our Anna she would have been 31 when her first child was born)
? Marriage of John Fricky to Anna Nellis
Maria Dorothea FRICKE b 4 Mar 1793, father John FRIKE, mother Anna sponsors: Wilhelm and Maria NELLES Baptismal records of Trinity Lutheran Church, Stone Arabia
Margaret FRICKE b 1792
Katarine FRICKE b 1796, d 19 Jun 1821
1 Sept 1797 – John Frickey listed on the Palatine Church records for a 6 shilling subscription to be paid every three months to compensate the minister
22 Sept 1802 Andreas FRIKI, Father John FRIKI, mother Anna
sponsors: Andreas and Catarina Creh (Baptismal records of Trinity Lutheran Church, Stone Arabia)
?death of Anna?
22 Jun, 1818 – John Fricky (Sr) marries Maria Peiffer (Reformed Dutch Church at Fort Plain, Minden Twsp, Montgomery, NY)
6 June, 1819 John Jr marries Cathe. Fox (If the above Andreas is our John Jr. he would have been only 17)
30 July, 1820 – John Frickey records his will
1820 Census for Northhampton, Montgomery County
– Head of Family: John Frickey
– 1 free white male (16-26) (son of Maria Peiffer, or John Jr, or Andreas)
– 1 free white male (>45) John Sr.
– 1 free white female (<10) (daughter of Maria Peiffer?)
– 1 free white female (16-26) – Catharine
– 1 free white female (26-45) – Margaret, or Cathe Fox (or Maria Peiffer)
– 1 free white female (>45) Maria Peiffer Frickey (or a parent?)
19 Jun, 1821 Catharine Frickey marries Nicolas B. Smith
22 July 1822 – Daughter Marianne born to Johann Frikky and wife Caty (Baptism record of Trinity Lutheran Church, Stone Arabia, NY
8 August, 1926 – Maria Frickey sworn in as executrix of his will (meaning John Sr has died)
Nov, 1939 – Nicholas and Katie move to Charleston Twp, PA
23 April, 1846 – Deed is written for sale of property (assuming Maria wife of John Sr, or John Jr. has died)
3 July, 1855 – Deed is recorded at court house (why did it take 10 years?)
2 Aug, 1855 – Nicholas and Katie receive payment from N.L.

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Records from the Reformed Dutch Church of Stone Arabia, Palatine, Montgomery Co. NY. showed Catharine Fricky marrying Nicolas B. Smith on June 19, 1821. I’ve found similar spellings of the last name “Friggie” in other documents and alternate spellings of Friky, Fricke, Frickey, and Friki. According to the dictionary of American Family Names there is no English translation of the name although it is likely an Americanized spelling of the German Fricke. Frick is the name of a place in the Swiss region of Aargau, which borders the Germany region known as Palatine. In her father’s will and in numerous baptism and marriage records the name is spelled ‘Frickey”, so that’s the name I settled on.