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The Rose Family of Jerusalem township, Yates County
John, Nicholas and Henry were sons of Robert Selden Rose, whose wife was Jane Lawson, and who came to Geneva, Ontario County in 1804 from Stafford County, Virginia, near Fredericksburgh, with their family at the time of three sons, later increased to seven children, 5 sons and 2 daughters. Mr. Rose, three years after coming to Geneva, settled on a large farm on the east side of the Seneca Lake, opposite the village of Geneva, a distance of about 3 miles and within the town of Fayette, Seneca County, (now known as Rose Hill Mansion). The farm, family and property became noted as the home of Robert S. Rose, Esq. Mr. Rose died in November of 1835 suddenly while attending court at Waterloo, where he had ridden on horseback to attend to business. He was 63 years at the time of his death. Mrs. Rose survived him until 1849 when she died in Geneva.
The names of the children of the elder Rose were Dr. Gavin S., John N., Henry, Robert L., Charles A., Mary S. and Susan. Of this family, only two of the sons, John N. and Henry, and one nephew, Robert S. the 2nd, (son of Robert L.) came to Yates County.
John N. was born in Virginia on December 18, 1799. He married Jane E. Macomb, of the city of New York on May of 1829, niece of the late Major-General Alexander Macomb. They settled on the farm they had purchased from John Beddoe, consisting of 1,050 acres and lying on both sides of the road from Branchport to Penn Yan, via Kinney’s Corners, and embracing the Beddoe homestead on the east side of the lake. At that time, the “Beddoe Tract” on the west side was a wilderness, but where now stands the village of Branchport. In 1838 and thereafter, John built his present stone mansion and continued the improvement of his property.
Robert S. Rose II, purchased land from his Uncle John, and built a home near the lake (on the current site of the Keuka Lake State Park) which became known as the Chestnuts.
Henry was born in Virginia on January 9, 1802. He married in 1832, Sarah L. Macomb, sister of Mrs. John N. Rose, of the city of New York, where she was born in 1801. They settled in Jerusalem in 1836, adjoining his brother on the east side. His farm was composed of several earlier and smaller farms originally owned by Israel, Jacob and Nathan Herrick, and Ezra Wittar, altogether 500 acres, 60 acres of which, embracing the “Kinney’s Corners and tavern property,” he sold to Jasper Traver. Dr. Rose had been largely interested in wool growing from Merino sheep, and fruit growing, especially apples and pears.
The area where the Rose family purchased land in the township of Jerusalem is a valley of an ancient outlet of the west branch of Keuka Lake, where it has flowed from what is now its head over to the east branch, which formed the base and principle area of the farms of the Messrs. Rose, with a hill side slope on the north forming one of the most eligible and beautiful agricultural sections of the county, and thus conveniently and beautifully situated between the two branches of Keuka Lake and the villages of Branchport and Penn Yan, on one of the best surfaced and improved roads in the county (a plank road). Mr. Henry Rose was educated as a physician, but chose to follow instead the business of farming.
Robert S. Rose, 2nd, was born at Allen’s Hill, town of Richmond, Ontario County. His father was Robert L. Rose, long a resident of that area and a representative of that district in Congress. Mr. Robert S. Rose married Frances S. Cammann of New York city, where she was born. They resided on a portion of original purchase of John Rose of the Beddoe farm – 360 acres covering the old homestead of the Beddoes, where he raised principally both grain and stock. Robert and Frances had seven children, O.J. Cammann, Robert L., Edward, Frederic D., George, Catharine A.
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