Michael ROUSE

   General Notes:

INTERVIEW
"Rouse Family of Belpre Ohio"
by Lucy COLE Fleming (notes), Seldon COLE, Mrs Clarence SLOAN, Laura Curtis PRESTON- 30 Mar 1939.
"The information listed here is from Mr Alonzo Rouse of Belpre, last living member of the five children of John and Elizabeth (Pennock) Rouse, of Belpre Ohio. Mr Rouse has various old family Deeds, Wills, and the Family Bible (with records) of his family, and has a remarkable memory for dates, names, and family history. He was born at Belpre 23 Feb 1869.
"Date of our call on Mr Rouse was 30 Mar 1939.
"Information given in 'typed sheeets' no name signed but probably written by Alonzo Rouse. Parts copied.
"John Rouse came from England, joined the whaling industry, was stopped by the Revlolutionary War. Rouse had a hard time digging to make a living for wife and eight children on their farm near Rochester MA.
"John Rouse and his neighbor, Capt Jonanthan Haskell, hitched teams to covered wagons early in October 1788, were two months on way to Summerls Ferry where they took a flat boat and floated to Marietta. They arrived in Marietta in December (date not given) four days after leaving S Ferry. the next morning after reaching Marietta the rive was closed by ice...
"Alonzo Rouse papers- an old chart (with notes from LCP- Laura Curtis Preston)
John Rouse married Rebecca Barker and had 8 children
1. Michael Rouse (born Abt 1766, never married, lived & died Belpre OH)
2. Bathsheba m Richard Greene (son of Griffen Greene)
3. Elizabeth m Levi Barber (Marietta 15 Feb 1803)
4. Cynthia m Paul Fearing (Marietta 28 Nov 1795)
5. Robert twin
6. Barker twin
7. Ruth
8. Stephen (see Amer Pioneer v2 p113 Marietta)

BOOKS
The American Pioneer Vol 2 pg 112-34 Cincinnati OH 1843, Stimson Collection Class 051 Book A51P 55838
"Shortly after our call on Alonzo Frouse, Belpre, Mrs TD Phillips, Marietta, said there is a book in Marietta College Lobrary, in which the journey of the Rouse family and others to Ohio, is given in detail, as related to Dr S P Hildreth by Mrs Bathsheba ROUSE Greene, Marietta...
"Parts relating to the Rouse family are here copied. It corrects come of Alonzo Rouse's records-LCP
"EARLY EMIGRATION
"Or the journey of some New England families 'across the mountains' from New England to Muskingum in 1788
"By Dr S P Hildreth
(Omitted: conditions at close and after the Revolution- the Ohio Company purchase- long journey over rivers and mountains etc. Mrs John Rouse was Rebecca Barker, daughter of Capt Isaac Barker- lost at sea 1761. Mrs Jonathan Devol, a sister)
"Among other families who ventured on this long and perilous journey...In the year 1788...were those of John Rouse and Capt Jonathan Devol. Before the period of the revolution, Mr Rouse had followed vocation of whaleman and seaman, from New Bedford, but that event put stop to all pursuits of this kind. He was now living on a small farm in the town of Rochester, Massachusetts...He was now near fifty yers of age...His family consisted of wife and eight children, viz: Michael, a stout young man of twenty-two; Bathsheba, nineteen; Elizabeth, seventeen; Cynthia, fifteen; Ruth, eleven; Stephen, six; and Robert and Barker, twins four years. Capt Johnathan Haskell, who also lived in Rochester, joined in fitting out the expedition, and furnished a large covered wagon and two horses, and Mr Rouse the other two. An active young man named Cushing, who wished to settle in the west, was employed to drive the wagon...
"A party of young ladies, on horseback, accompanied the females as far as "The Long Plain", which was a portion of the north end of the town of New Bedford, distance six miles from Matteposett Harbor. Here they tarried about a week amongst kinfolk and former neighbors; for at theis place Mr Rouse had lived many years and here a large portion of the children had been born. The week flew rapidly away...and the parting morning came...Capt Haskel joined them that morning from Rochester, and early in October 1788...They commenced the long journey to Muskingum, as the new settlement was then called...
"Captain Joseph Cook, who had married a sister of Mrs Rouse, and Edward Bennett, an old neighbor, accompanied them as far as Providence...which reached second day at evening. Here they were joined by the family of Capt Jonathan Devol, composed of Mrs Devol and five children, viz: Sally- 12 years; Henry- 10, Charles- 8, Barker- 5, and Francis- 1 year. Mrs Nancy Devol was the sister of Mrs Rebecca Rouse. Her husband had been absent nearly a year, and was attached to the party of pioneers sent by the Ohio company, in the autumn previous...Their (Devol) covered wagon, with four horses...was driven by Isaac Barker, an only brother of the married femailes. He was about thirty years of age, in the vigor of manhood, and had left a wife and family in Rochester, until he could return and bring them on the following year...
"Chapter II
"The following morning they left Providence, bidding adieu to their friends, who had accompanied them from 'The Long Plain' and to another sister, Mrs Fish. From here by easy stages, they traveled to Hartford, Connecticut...from Farmington, Litchfield, and Ballsbridge, to the North River...crossed at Fishkill landed at Newburgh...went on to Blooming-grove.
"pg 120 After leaving Carlisle Pennsylvania, at a place called the 'Bigspring' they were overtaken by an old neighbor, who was on his way to Muskingum with his family- driving ox team three yokes. He was a tout upright man with a tremendous Roman nose- portly front, about fifty years of age, 'Uncle Daniel Cogswell'. He had been out to the west the autumn before, returned in summer to move out his family...pg 123 'Uncle Daniel' had been both a sailor and a soldier in the late war...
"pg 127 Reached Simrel's Ferry late November, after many hardships. Here they found Benjamin Slocomb and family, going to Muskingum. Uncle Daniel took passage with him... Rouse party secured a boat, forty feet long, twelve feet wide, without roof- in the stern of the boat was a rude fire-place for cooking- beds were spread on the floor...Reached Pittsburgh Sunday evening, at junction of the Alleghany and Monongahela Rivers and saw the waters of the charming Ohio, the object of their toils...Tied up to shore- river fell- land side of boat on shore- outer side filled with water.
"pg 129 Left Pittsburgh Monday afternoon. That evening a violent storm. Had to tie up to the 'Indian shore'. At Buffalo they were joined by the men who had taken the horses overland.
"pg 131 They reached mouth of Muskingum at dark, Thursday, fourth day after leaving Pitsburgh. Ice had made in the Ohio last twenty-four hours...Next morning Muskingum frozen from shore to shore...
"pg 131-132 It was the fore part of December and the emigrants had been more than eight weeks on the road...
"... The following spring, about forty men, commenced a settlement fourteen miles below, on right bank of the Ohio, called Belpre. Captain Devol, Mr Rouse, Michael Rouse, Captain Haskell and Isaac Barker joined this association...
"...Mr Rouse and family remained in Belpre. Michael died a bachelor..."

   Events:

1. Removed; Oct 1788, Marietta, Washington, Ohio, USA. From Rochester Massachusetts, arriving Dec 1788.

2. Removed; Spring 1789, Belpre, Washington, Ohio, USA. From Marietta Ohio.