The Roots of Daniel Crumb of Westerly, Rhode Island by Bill J. Smith
Daniel Crumb (Crumbe) was first documented in Rhode Island in 1668,i when he was a young adult. It has long been assumed that Crumb was of English or Scottish origin. This piece is an attempt to examine a different version of the roots of Daniel Crumb, as a result of the digitalization of 17th-century baptism archival records in the Netherlands and what they can tell us. At the end of this topic, Y-DNA results for a straight-line DNA project for Crumb-surnamed men with the common ancestor William Crumb Sr., son of Daniel Crumb of Westerly, are discussed.
To properly explain this, I must include details of my father's Walloon, Huguenot, and Dutch ancestry in America, because it is intrinsic to understanding how I arrived at certain conclusions, regarding Daniel Crumb's highly probable family background. Please click on the endnote numbers, to see relevant information.
Nancy Crumbii (1783-1886)iii was born in Westerly, R.I., where the Crumb family began in America in the 17th Century. Nancy's father was Simeon Crumbiv (Wm., Wm., Dan'l.), born in Westerly, in 1752. Nancy's mother Harriet Pendletonv had early ancestry in Colonial New England. In 1804, Berlin, Rensselaer, NY, Nancy married Robert Davisvi. Robert and Nancy's daughter, Sarah Ann "Sally" Davis (1820-1898), in what appears to have been an arranged marriage agreement in 1839, wed a young man of Dutch and Huguenot background, Cornelius D. Davis.vii viii The wedding was held in Ulster County, which was approximately 85 miles from Sarah Ann and her parents' home, in Rensselaer. Cornelius Davis' parents were Martinus Davisix and Wyntje Kromx (1793-1836). Wyntje, in addition to her Walloon ancestors since 1624 in New Netherlands, had a large amount of Huguenot and Dutch ancestry in Ulster County, which included several original patentee Huguenot settlers in New Paltz. Many of the Huguenots in Colonial America, who had fled France, due to religious persecution, had first taken asylum across the border in Germany. As Germany was an enemy of France, the Huguenots who went there were considered to be traitors. Many, if not most Ulster County Huguenots, starting in the 1660s, for generations, only intermarried with the Dutch. Their marriage rules began to loosen up a bit after the Revolutionary War. This trend continued during the Industrial Revolution, but never stopped completely until the Gilded Age, or a bit later.
I originally thought that there was likely a genealogical family connection between the Ulster County Krom/Crom/Krum family, which originated in the Netherlands, and the ancestry of the Crumb family of Westerly. I found nothing to substantiate the hypothesis. This prompted a search for 17th Century European or American-born males who might have been the father of Sarah Ann Davis' 3X Great Grandfather, Daniel Crumb. I did an exhaustive search of several countries in Europe, New England, and New Netherlands. No relevant candidates turned up using internet-based genealogy search engines or online genealogical services.
I eventually came across the online records of the Walloon Church of Haarlem, Netherlands. The Walloons in the Netherlands, who were usually Protestant, were permitted to practice their religion and hold services in French. There were other Walloon Churches in the Netherlands, such as those in Amsterdam and Leiden. A search of the Walloon Haarlem Church's baptism records for the name Daniel Crumb, born between 1630 and 1645, turned up an infant named Daniel Grumé, who was baptized Sept. 1, 1641.xi His parents were Anselme Grumé and Elizabeth Vinck, who lived in Haarlem and had previous children baptized there. According to other baptism records for this church, Daniel had three older siblings. His brother Salomon was born in 1629, a sister Mariexii was born, in 1634 and a brother named Jacobxiiiwas born in 1638. Two more were listed who died in infancy.
At Salomon'sxiv baptism, the only witness was Abraham Vinck. A search for Abraham Vinck's surname in the Netherlands showed a painter and art dealer of some renown and success named Abraham Willemsz Vinck.xv He was born approximately 1575, in Antwerp, and died in Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 1619. Vinck had a son, also named Abraham. The child was baptized on May 30, 1610, xvi not long after Abraham Willemsz Vinck and his wife, Victoria Obbekens, moved to Amsterdam from their previous location in Naples, Italy. If this son was the same person that witnessed the baptism of Salomon Grumé in 1629, he would have been 18 years old, probably the minimum age for being qualified to act as a witness for baptisms. Abraham Vinck Jr. parents' first child was a daughter, Margaritha Vinck, xvii who was born1602 in Naples.
There is a six to a seven-year gap between the births of Margaritha and Abraham Vinck, which usually is a red flag in genealogy. There is a very strong possibility that Elizabeth Vinck, given the years that she was bearing children, from 1627 to 1641, was a sister of Abraham and Margaritha Vinck, and she was probably born in Naples, circa 1605.
Abraham Vinck Jr. was a witness to another Grumé (spelled Gramé in this case) baptism, in 1675. There is a separate post on this blog, with more information. This further underscores the case for Vinck being the uncle of Daniel Grumé/Crumb, and the son of Abraham Willemsz Vinck (1575-1619): He was old enough at 18 years old in 1629 to be the witness at his nephew Salomon's baptism at the Walloon Church of Haarlem, and young enough at 65 to appear as a witness to his grand nephew's baptism, in 1675.
For the remainder of this document, I will use the surnames Grumé or Crumb interchangeably for Daniel, depending upon the context.
As the British stopped Dutch ships from arriving in New Netherlands in 1664, Daniel Grumé would have arrived before this date. The Netherlands had more vessels than the total number of ships of the next seven largest European maritime nations combined. Unfortunately, there are very few passenger lists of those who came to New Netherlands via these Dutch ships in the 17th Century. Passengers whose fares were paid in full were usually not recorded, and the names of arrivals in New Netherlands were not meticulously recorded or kept by agencies, ship companies, etc. We can assume that Daniel Grumé arrived no earlier than 1659, at about eighteen years of age or more likely, between 1662 and 1664 at an age of 21 to 23 years old.
Daniel arrived at a time when the British and the Dutch were wrestling for control of New Netherlands. The newly arrived Huguenot settlers, who had financial resources, were busy establishing themselves, much to the exasperation of France where they were considered traitors.xxi The days of friendly, open relations and marriages among the different cultures, during the 1620s through the 1650s in New Netherlands, were beginning to show signs of being strained. Daniel might have decided to leave New Netherlands because he was not actually Dutch, didn't fit in well with any of the various conflicting factions there, and possibly didn't want to. The French government requested that the British turn over the Huguenots in the Colonies to them, as late as the 1690s. If the British had decided to comply, Daniel could have easily been mistaken for a Huguenot refugee from France, and found himself in custody. For whatever reason, Daniel Grumé changed his surname and chose to settle in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island, founded by Roger Williams, was the Birthplace of Religious Freedom. The policy of separation of church and state was approved by a charter signed by England in 1644. This level of religious tolerance was unavailable elsewhere. There are no records to indicate which church, if any, Daniel was affiliated within Rhode Island. Many of his descendants became members of the Seventh Day Baptist faith which opened a church in Westerly, in 1671. This is the religion that Nancy Crumb Davis and daughter Sarah Ann Davis were followers of. The Seventh Day Baptist Church in Berlin, Rensselaer County, New York, which they attended in the 19th Century, is still in existence.
There was an incident recorded in 1699 which gives the only known insight into the political nature of Daniel Crumb's character. The long version from the Trumball Papers, transcribed from the book, Brian Pendleton and His Descendants, 1599-1910, can be found in a separate post on this blog. Below is the abridged version found in the introduction, page 11, of the 1957 book, The Crumb Genealogy: Descendants of Daniel Crumb of Westerly, R.I., by Clara Crumb Fisk:
"On December 2, 1699, Governor Cranston issued a warrant for fourteen inhabitants of Westerly, among them Daniel Crumb,-'for remonstrating under their hands (in Town Meeting) against the choosing of rate members, according to an assembly act at Warwick Oct. 25, 1699.' This was said to be high contempt against the Majesty's authority in the Colony. Whether the men were arrested, does not appear."
Public expressions of disagreement with the government in the British colonies could have resulted in fines, a whipping, or worse. Daniel Crumb was a man, like others in Rhode Island, who believed in freedom of speech. A total of 14 men were ordered to be arrested. They all survived. Had this incident occurred in New York, or areas such as New Jersey, Delaware, etc., previously controlled by the Netherlands, the chances of a more dire outcome for those arrested would likely have been greater.
Recent Crumb family DNA testing information:
There has been a Y-DNA project since 2021, for males who are straight line descendants of Daniel Crumb. So far, six have matched. We know that five are descendants of William Crumb Sr., and one man has not supplied a sufficient family tree, but he may be a descendant of either of Daniel Crumb's two sons, William Crumb Sr. or Daniel Crumb Jr. No known test takers who are named Crumb, and not a descendant of Daniel, have matched our group, which supports the theory that Daniel Crumb had changed his surname in Rhode Island or before.
In conclusion, a few notable descendants of Daniel Crumb.
Colonel Alfred Merrill Worden,xxii USAF, born in Michigan Feb. 7, 1932, died March 18, 2020, was an American test pilot, engineer, and NASA astronaut who was the command module pilot for the Apollo 15 lunar mission of 1971. One of only 24 people to have flown to the Moon, he orbited it 74 times in the command module (CM) Endeavor.
George Crumb,xxiii born October 24, 1929, in Charleston W.V, died Feb. 6, 2022, Media, Pennsylvania, was an American composer of modern classical and avant-garde music. He is known as an explorer of unusual timbres, alternative forms of notation, and extended instrumental and vocal techniques, which obtain vivid sororities. Crumb won a Grammy in 2001 for his composition, Star-Child. His daughter, Ann Crumb (1950-2019) was an actress and singer.
Robert Dennis Crumb,xxiv born August 30, 1943, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is an American-born cartoonist and musician, who often signs his work R. Crumb. Robert's older brother, the late Charles Crumb, Jr., taught him to draw. Robert's younger brother Maxon is also an artist. Robert's late wife, Aline was a fine cartoonist, as is their daughter Sophie. Robert's late son, Jesse, was also very talented in the arts.
There is an excellent study from the University of Amsterdam: Netherlandish immigrant painters in Naples (1575-1654): Aert Mytens, Louis Finson, Abraham Vinck, Hendrick De Somer and Matthias Stom. See the link below.
Abraham Vinck was possibly the most prolific portrait painter in Amsterdam, as well as co-owner of an Art Workshop.
https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/2556860/158911_02_1_.pdf
Endnotes:
i The Crumb Genealogy: Descendants of Daniel Crumb of Westerly, Rhode Island by Clara Crumb Fisk, page 10, 1956, Sarasota, Florida
https://archive.org/details/crumbgenealogyde00fisk/page/10/mode/2up
ii The Crumb Genealogy: Descendants of Daniel Crumb of Westerly, Rhode Island by Clara Crumb Fisk, page 61, 1956, Sarasota, Florida. Attn.: List of children is not complete https://archive.org/details/crumbgenealogyde00fisk/page/60/mode/2up
iii Nancy Crumb, Grave and Obit https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/168957381/nancy-davis
iv The Crumb Genealogy: Descendants of Daniel Crumb of Westerly, Rhode Island by Clara Crumb Fisk, page 31, 1956, Sarasota, Florida https://archive.org/details/crumbgenealogyde00fisk/page/30/mode/2up
v The Pendleton Genealogy: Brian Pendleton and His Descendants 1599-1910, Everett Hall Pendleton, page 203
https://archive.org/details/brianpendletonhi01pend/page/202ode/2
vi The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, 1847-2011
Name: Robert Davis Event Type: Marriage
Marriage Date: 20 Dec1804 Marriage Place: USA
Spouse Name: Nancy Crumb Page Number: 129; Volume Number: 122
vii Cornelius D. Davis: line 11, page 26, lists his name as the son of Wyntje Krom and Cornelius Davis Sr., nephew of Blandina Krom (named a daughter after her see 1850 census), etc. Krom-Krum Family or Descendants of Gysbert Krom Volume One, Woodstock, Ulster County, New York, 1941, page 26, by Louise Hasbrouk Zinn. https://archive.org/details/kromkrumgenealog01hasb/page/n57/mode/2up
viii 1850 U.S. Federal Census. Name: Cornelius Davis, Gender: Male Age:31, Birth Year: abt 1819, Birthplace: New York, Home in 1850: Rosendale, Ulster, New York, USA, Occupation: Mason Industry, Family Number:377, Household Members: Cornelius Davis 31, Sarah Davis 30, Sarah Davis 8, Blandina W Davis 5, Lewis Davis 2. NOTE: Cornelius D. Davis had an aunt, Blandina, who was his mother's sister.
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1850usfedcenancestry&indiv=try&h=8659562
ix Marriage of Martinus Davis and Wyntje Krom, Feb 20, 1814, Records of the Reformed Dutch Church of New Paltz, N.Y., page 92, pub. 1896, The Holland Society
https://archive.org/details/cu31924072060043/page/n107/mode/2up
x Wyntje Krom, parents, and family, Krom-Krum Family or Descendants of Gysbert Krom Volume One, Woodstock, Ulster County, New York, 1941, page 25, by Louise Hasbrouk Zinn. https://archive.org/details/kromkrumgenealog01hasb/page/n55/mode/2up
xi Baptism record for Daniel Grumé (Crumb) at the Walloon Church of Haarlem, Netherlands, Sept. 1, 1641.
https://www.wiewaswie.nl/nl/detail/39385097
https://nha.blob.core.windows.net/scans/DTB%20Dopen/Haarlem/2142_103/NL-HlmNHA_2142_103_041.jpg
xii Baptism Record for Daniel's sister Marie Grumé, Walloon Church of Haarlem, 1634
xiii Baptism record for Daniel's brother Jacob Grumé, at the Walloon Church of Haarlem, 1638.
xiv Baptism Record for Daniel's brother Salomon Grumé, Walloon Church, Haarlem, 1629. witnessed by their uncle, Abraham Vinck II.
xv Abraham Willemsz Vinck (1575-1619) Painter and Art dealer, maternal grandfather of Daniel Grume (later Crumb).
xvi Abraham Vinck son of Abraham Willemsz Vinck. Baptism, Amsterdam, 1610.
xvii Margaritha Vinck daughter of Abraham Vinck on Wiki
xviii Joris Jansen Rapalje https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joris_Jansen_Rapelje
xix Sarah Rapalje https://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/history-and-heritage/dutch_americans/sarah-rapalje/
xx Hans Hansen Bergen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Hansen_Bergen
A very interesting bio of Bergen, on findagrave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72495189/hans-hansen-bergen
xxi The Huguenot Settlement in Ulster County, G.B.D. Hasbrouk, Proceedings of the New York State Historical Association Vol. 11 (1912), page 92, 93
https://www.jstor.org/stable/42889951?seq=6#metadata_info_tab_contents
The town of New Paltz, Ulster, NY, founded by Huguenot settlers
Noted descendants of Daniel Crumb:
xxii Al Worden, Apollo astronaut https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Worden
xxiii George Crumb, composer and professor of music. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Crumb
xxiv Robert Crumb, cartoonist and musician https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Crumb
Hello - I'm a Daniel Crumb descendant and would be happy to participate in the DNA aspect. (My mother is a Crumb.) I have been puzzled by my genetic ancestry, as our family has also long assumed the Crumbs were English. My genetic heritage indicates rather little English genetic heritage given the large number of presumed English ancestors, so your theory is interesting. you can contact me at ezra.erb@gmail.com if this would be of interest.
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