William Wynkoop Smith, born 1866. Paper read to the Bucks County Historical Society on the Wynkoop family with considerable interesting information. For example, Judge Wynkoop and Alexander Hamilton were together as members of the First Continental Congress; Washington wrote a letter to Judge Wynkoop arranging for Munroe (then Colonel) to stay at his home while Munroe recovered from wounds from the battle of Trenton. Elias Ely Smith,M.D. and Susan B. Wynkoop were my great-grandparents and lived in Bucks County. So that's where the Wynkoop family ties in. The paper isn't dated but the writer speaks having "served over three years in war of '61-4".
page 250 JH Battle History of Bucks County
The recommendation of the first congress and the county committee that the people should associate "to improve themselves in the military art" was not received with general favor, and in September, 1775, Henry Wynkoop reported the number of associators at 1688, and the number of those refusing at 1613, notwithstanding the provincial authorities had adopted a resolution to consider such as public enemies. Bucks county was early represented at "the front," however. Early in 1776 John Lacey recruited a company of sixty-four men, with Samuel Smith as first lieutenant, Michael Ryan as second, and John Bartley and James Forbes as ensigns, for Anthony Wayne’s regiment. Robert Sample, of Buckingham, commanded a company in the Tenth Pennsylvania regiment; Augustus Willett was a captain in Colonel Bull’s regiment; Alexander Graydon, of Bristol, was a captain in Colonel Shea’s regiment, and Samuel Benezet was major in the Sixth Pennsylvania. Beside these regiments, that of Colonel McGaw drew many recruits from Bucks county.
Battle's History of Bucks County
The first president judge of Bucks county was
Henry Wynkoop. his greatgrandfather emigrated from Utrecht early in the seventeenth century, and came to New York, subsequently settling at Albany. He left four sons at his death, of whom the third, Gerardus, came to Moreland in 1717, and at his death there left five Sons and three daughters. Of this family the third son, who bore his father’s name, came to Bucks county about 1744, where he spent the remainder of his days. He left a daughter and son, named Henry. The latter was born on March 2, 1737, and seemed destined to gain distinction only as a prosperous farmer. It appears that he prepared to enter Princeton college, but was hindered from consummating his design. He was greatly interested in the course of affairs which led up to the revolution, and subsequently gained the title of major, though it is not believed he ever held a commission. He was possessed of fine intelligence; was noted for his strict integrity, and exerted a commanding influence over the community in which he lived. He enjoyed the confidence and respect of Washington, Hamilton, and others of the revolutionary leaders, and was prominently identified with the civil measures’ adopted to carry on that struggle. He was a member of the Bucks county committee of safety in 1774—6, a member of the body that framed the "Declaration of Independence," and a member of the first national congress. After the battle of Trenton, Mr. Wynkoop hastened to the army to render assistance to the wounded. Lieutenant Wilmot, an English officer, and Lieutenant Monroe of the American army, both wounded, were committed to his care by Washington, where they remained until recovered. Judge Wynkoop was six feet four inches tall, of fine appearance, and presided over the county courts for thirty years. He died in 1816, leaving eight children and more than forty grandchildren.
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