Baptism Date: 30 Apr 1710

Father: Johannes Spoor

Mother: Maria Singer

Item #: 2077

Child: Dirk

Sponsor: Claas Van Woert; Dirkje Barheit

Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885

Derrick Spurr, formerly Spoor, one of the earliest settlers, removed from Copake, N. Y., to Sheffield in 1760, and located on road 21, upon the farm now owned by Henry Spurr, a portion of land one mile square having been granted him by the State, which portion he subsequently divided among his four sons. He reared a family of four sons-Nicholas, Abram, John, and Isaac, and two daughters. Nicholas lived and died on road 21, upon the farm now owned by Abner Roys. Abrarn built near the old homestead, and the house which is over 100 years old, still stands. Isaac, who resided on the old farm, had six children, the youngest of whom, Moses, passed his entire life upon the homestead. He was a farmer, and had six children by his first wife and two by his third. His third son, Isaac, succeeded his father upon the farm, making the fourth generation to occupy the old homestead. Isaac married Mary Clark, of Salisbury, Conn., and has had two children,-George, residing on road 18, and Mary E., whose home is on Long Island. Isaac Spurr has been town assessor, is a prosperous farmer, and a highly esteemed member of the Methodist church.

Ancestor of the Sheffield Massachusetts branch of the family
He was probably married at Catskill, New York or at least lived there at the time of the birth of his first child, Nicholas, who is recorded on the list of Bapt. on Sept 1, 1734. He lived afterward at Copake and removed to Sheffield, Massachusetts in 1762. He was a farmer and settled on the Under Mountain road about three miles west of the village of Sheffield and directly under Mount Everett-the dome of the Taconics. He died at the age of 70; his wife died at the age of 83. They were long buried in a private cemetery near their original home, but in May 1879 (this is exactly 99 years after his burial), they were removed with others of the family to the village cemetery at Sheffield, where a monument was erected by some of their descendants.

Direck , son of Johannes Spur , was born January 28, 1710 , at Albany . He married, May 1, 1733 , Christina Bresie Van Alstyne , who was born May 10, 1712 . They lived in Sheffield, Massachusetts , in 1762 . At the time of his marriage he lived at Catskill, New York , where his first child was born, and he next lived at Copake . He was a farmer, and settled on the Under Mountain road, in Sheffield , about three miles west of the village, directly under Mount Everett . He died May 28, 1780 , and his wife died June 12, 1795 . They were buried in a private cemetery near their original home, but in May, 1879 , they were removed with others of the family to the village cemetery at Sheffield , where a monument was erected by some of their descendants. Children: 1. Nicholas , born May 24, 1734 . 2. Mary , May 30, 1736 . 3. John , May 14, 1738 . 4. Catlina , May 12, 1740 . 5. Sarah , August 19, 1742 . 6. Gesia , December 12, 1744 . 7. Hannah , October 13, 1747 . 8. Abraham , January 29, 1749 . 9. Isaac Derick (mentioned below).

INTRODUCTION  ANCRAM,COLUMBIA COUNTY, NY

By Capt. Franklin Ellis- 1878

"MANOR LIVINGSTON, MAY 6, 1775

"HONLE. sR.:

     "On Monday Mr. Connor went to Warn the People to Assist on Theusday Morning at Taghkanick, and as he Arrived to Anchoram about Sun Down, he Was Informed that there Was a proclamation from ye Leiutenant-Governour of Boston Nailed upon Dirck Spoor Door, and Mr. Conner being Uneasie to know what Was Meant by the proclamation being put up there, he Went to Dirck Spoor's, and When they seen him Coming towards the house they took it of and Locked it up in on of their Chest.  But Mr. Conner Insisted Upon Seeing the paper that was Nailed to the Door, and After Some Dispitte Got it out of the Chest, Which is Now Inclosed and sent to You for Your Better Information, and as Mr. Connor was in Comeing Whome he Came by Anchoram, Where he Stayed till Ten O'clock at Night; he Likewise ordered the people of Anchoram to keep together in one house, and to be Sure to Make Deffence, But in Steed of Deffending Themselves the fled after a Base Mannor, and Made No Resistance at all.

     "Inclosed you have the Number of Men Which Were taken this Morning out of Anchoram by the New England Company, and your Servt., Jacob Knight, Who Was among them, and call'd out to the New England People to ty the Anchoram, and as Mr. Connor Informed me that the New England Sheriff Come up to Mr. Decker and Shook hands With him, and said he Would not take him, and Mr. Decker never offered to make any Resistance and all against him, and its said they are to Come and take Mr. Conner and the Rest of the Anchoram People, and We are Going there Now With a Company of men to Assist him as far as We Can.

"I am hond. Sr., your most

"Obedient & faithfull Servt.,

"Dirck Swart."

"THE NUMBER TAKE FROM ANCHORAM."

     "James Elliott, the Clarke;  Neil Macarthur, Founder; Hugh MacCay, Filler; Jacob Showers, Founder; Samuel Herris, Do.; Charles MacCarthur, Morris When, Angus MacDuffey.

     "the number took there were

     "Robert Noble, Thomas Whitney, Jacob Spoor, Cornelius Spoor, Andries Reese, Jonathan Derby, Francis Balviel, a Soldr belonging to Albany Garrison, Ebenezer Pain, John Van Gelden, an Indian, Joseph Van Gelden, an Do., Jacob Kneight, Mr. Livingston' Servant, 103 ye Whole Number."

Sheffield, Massachusetts 1790 census

Sorted By Head of Household

Spoor, Abraham           1         2         4         0          0      35

Spoor, Derick                2        2         6         0          0      35

Spoor, Derick 2nd        1         0         2         0          0      35

Spoor, Isaac                 2        3          4         0          0      35

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ArchivesSearch/RevolutionarySearch.asp

Volume Number 032

Page 757-759

Summary COPY OF A DEED GIVEN TO JOHN HALENBECK AND OTHERS BY SEVERAL STOCKBRIDGE INDIANS FOR A TOWNSHIP NEAR THE GREAT TACONIC MOUNTAIN, ADJOINING THE ONE PURCHASED BY CAPT. ROBERT NOBLE.

Number of Pages 3

Condition

Series : :

Cite N/A

Copy Type Attested Copy

Original Date (yyyy/mm/dd) 1762/04/07

Other Dates 1757/03/16

Seals No

Geographic Locations · 

HUDSON RIVER (NY & NJ) · 

MOUNT WASHINGTON (MA) · 

STOCKBRIDGE (MA)

Personal Names :   Signature Type

SPOOR, DERICK 

SPOOR, JACOB

SPOOR, JOHN

Subjects ·  LAND TITLES ·  STOCKBRIDGE INDIANS

American Revolutionary War - Continental Forces

Cocksakie, Albany County, New York (Now Coxsackie, Green County New

York ) Eleventh Regiment Militia Land Bounty Rights

Spar, Johannis J.

Spoor, Abraham

Spoor, Dirk

Spoor, Isaac

Spoor, John

Descendants of Direck Spoor 1710-1780-“Sheffield Branch”

The towns of Massachusetts, in common with other New England States, usually possess complete vital statistics dating back to early times. In tracing the present family, however, we have been hampered by the fact that the town records of both Egremont and Mt Washington have been destroyed by fire; these towns are near the border line of Columbia county, NY, where several Spoors were among the early settlers. Sheffield records have furnished some facts not included in family records, and those of Great Barrington have given a few marriages. Much of the history has been derived from private records in the possession of various members of the family, among which the old Dutch bible in the possession of Mrs. Abner Roys (daughter of Jacob Spoor, no. 120), of Sheffield, is most important as giving a nearly complete record of two generations from the founder of this branch. As already noted, lands were purchased in Massachusetts by Johannes Spoor (no.2), father of Direck Spoor, as early as 1730, but the settlement in Sheffield apparently was not made until 1762. Before this and for a long time afterwards the members of the family were baptized at the various Dutch churches in Columbia county, NY, so that the records of Linlithgow and Groenebosch (now Mt Ross) have supplemented this record materially, especially among female lines. Some of the descendants of Direck Spoor still reside in Sheffield and neighboring towns. Among these the name was changed first to Spur and later to Spurr. Other members of the family migrated to central and western New York toward the close of the eighteenth century and later. These have retained the original spelling of the name and their descendants have become widely scattered. Of the seventeen grandsons of Direck Spoor, the descendants of only eight have been fully traced.

Direck Spoor was probably married at Catskill, NY, or at least lived there at the time of the birth of his first child, Nicholas, who is recorded on the list of baptisms 1 Sept 1734. He lived afterward at Copake and removed to Sheffield, Mass., 1762. He was a farmer and settled on the Under Mountain road about three miles west of the village of Sheffield and directly under Mount Everett - the dome of the Taconics. He died 28 May 1780 ae 70; his wife, Christina, d. 12 Jun 1795 ae 83. They were long buried in a private cemetery near their original home, but in May 1879, they were removed with others of the family to the village cemetery at Sheffield, where a monument was erected by some of their descendants. The movement resulting in this removal originated with the sons of Moses Spur (no. 165) and was largely carried out by them. The monument is a tall granite shaft and the original headstones are placed in a circle about it. The graves of Direck Spoor and those of his brothers, Johannis, at Coxsackie, and Abram, at Copake, are the oldest that have been found.

Sheffield historian Lillian Preiss noted: "Perhaps the first road build by any settler in Sheffield was constructed as a pack horse trail by Derrick Spoor, a member of an early Dutch family which received an easement for land in Mount Washington under the Westenhook Patent. Spoor built a cabin on land now owned by Berkshire School. He then made a trail following for the most part an old Indian path to Bash Bish Brook near East Street in Mount Washington, where the rest of his family lived. Now called Elbow Trail, this road is used by people going to Guilder Pond and Mount Everett.

History of Berkshire County, Massachusetts - Vol. 1

Egremont

Abraham Spoor

Great Barrington

John Spoor

Mount Washington

William Spoor

Sheffield

Abraham Spoor,  Abraham Spoor jr, David Spoor, Isaac Spoor, John Spoor, & Derick Spoor.

Civil War

Albert J. Spoor