Spring 1963 Schoharie County Historical Review Page 23
Hendrick Mattice... Was He a Tory or Was He Made Prisoner?
By the late Rex G. Mattice
Recorded facts do not prove that Hendrick went of his own accord. Let us review these facts:
Capt. Adam Crysler married Ana Maria Brown, July 10th, 1760, as per record, St. Pauls CH. Vol. I pg. 210. Hendricks eldest daughter, Sophia. married one Michael Brown (of the same famil as the wife of Adam Crysler) per family records. May 8th, 1770, she being Michael�s 2nd wife, and Adam Brown, (above mentioned) was his brother. Hendrick�s third eldest daughter, Maria Magalena, married one David Brass, November 12th 1775, as per record, H&L Dutch CH. Vol. I. part 2 pg. 310. David Brass held a commission as 1st. Lieut. under Capt. Crysler.
Hendrick Mattice owned a valuable mill site and waterrights, which was very desirable property to many, whether they were Tories or not. It has never been clear why he was able to live in Schoharie valley, operate his mill up to about August 9th 1780, (about which time his mill was burned) without having been brought before the Commissioners of Conspiracies. If he had done anything or acted in any way which might have classed him to be a Tory, why wasn�t he he brought before the as others had been?
In the Schoharie Historical Review of May 1950 pg 5, is a map made from survey in 1778, by Robert Erskipe, geographer to the American Army made in preparation of the Military Expedition of Major General Sullivan against the Six Nations in 1779, which shows the Mattise�s (Mattice�s) Grist Mill at Westkill, North Blenhiem. In the Review of May 1919, Paul B. Mattice had an artical on �Old Grist Mills along the Schoharie� pg. 7, given in part, �Henry Mattice after building a mill at Breadabeen, a few years later built the mill at Blenheim, because the settlers at Dlese Manor (now Guiloa) and Harpersfield (also in the Schoharie District of Albany County at that time.) objected to going so far down the valley as Breakabeen to have their millling done. In the report of Sullivan�s Expiditeon of 1779, �the mill was then in operation.� Also, Robert W. Chambers in his book, �Hidden Children� mentions the same mill in operation. Hendricks�s forth daughter, Margaret Depeyester Mattice, was made a prisoner August 9th 1780, the same date her father was supposed to have gone to Canada of his own accord. Why was she made a prisoner, if her father was a Tory and left of his own accord?
She was sold into slavery at the age of 21 years in Canada to one or more Indians. Adam Vroooman, who had left Schoharie as a loyalist in the spring of 1778, recognized her as one whom he had known in Schoharie. He made arrangements to buy her freedom with a few pocket trinkits, and they were married a short time later. Their first child, Rachel Vrooman was born in 1781, she being the first white child born in Lower Canada in the vicinity of Queenstown Heights. She received a grant from the Canadian Government of 200 acres where the city of Toronto now stands.
When Adam Vrooman died in 1810, (he is buried in Niagara, Ontario, Canada) his widow, Margaret , Married Adam Brown, then a widower the same who (as Simms states) left with her father. They had been childhood sweethearts as the following will show: St. Paul�s Ch., Vol. I. page 136. 1777, November 12th: Adam, bp. Michel Braun (Brown) Sophia (Mattice) Sponsors: Adam Braun (his brother) Margared Matthews (her sister.)
Hendricks family remained in the States, His son Johannes was captured October 24th 1781, just two months and 28 days after he was one of a company of troops called out to pursue the enimy. His other two sons Nicholas and Elias both served in the 15th Reg. thru the war.
Hendrick returned after the war a broken man of 51 years of age. His valuable property having been confiscated, no friends and no funds, with which to fight for the return of his property. There were others who were outright Tories, such as Christopher Service and Capt. George Mann, Whos property was returned to or their families. These properties did not have valuable water-rights however.
All of the above makes a picture where�n, Hendrick was more than likely told, if he
didn�t go if he didn�t go peacefully, he would be killed, if he remained in Schoharie.