Valentine Stover UEL and Christine Amey

Johann Veltin Stober
4th Great Grandfather
b. 1741, Beekman Patent, Dutchess Co, New York Colony
d. Jan 29, 1805, Ernestown, Lennox & Addington County, Ontario

Christine Emigh
4th Great Grandmother
b. 1754, Backway, Dutchess Co, New York Colony
d. 1800, Ernestown, Lennox & Addington County, Ontario

Valentine was one of the first of the Stovers to settle in Canada along with his wife Christine Amey (4^th Great Grandmother) who was the granddaughter of John Nicholas Amey (6^th Great Grandfather). Valentine's sisters also moved to Canada with their husbands, Eva N Stover (4^th Great Grandmother) and Jonas Amey (4^th Great Grandfather) and Margaret Stover and Nicholas Amey. Christine Amey was cousin to the Amey brothers.

On the 18th day of April, 1775, a detachment of British troops under Colonel Smith, was sent from Boston by General Gage, to destroy some American stores collected at Concord, then a small village, six miles north-west of Lexington, in Massachusetts. Upon Lexington Common seventy men were drawn up; on whom Major Pitcairn ordered the detachment to fire. The order was promptly obeyed, and seven men were killed and three wounded. After the Battle of Lexington, citizens of the Beekman Patent came out with a Pledge which they asked supporters of the rebellion to sign. Records were kept of those that signed and those that did not.

The Pledge was as follows ;

"Persuaded that the salvation of the rights and liberties of America depend, under God, on the firm union of its inhabitants in a rigorous prosecution of the measures necessary for its safety ; and convinced of the necessity of preventing anarchy and confusion, which attend the dissolution of the powers of government, we, the freemen, freeholders, inhabitants of _____, being greatly alarmed at the avowed design of the Ministry to raise a revenue in America, and shocked by the bloody scene now acting in Massachusetts Bay, do, in the most solemn manner, resolve never to become slaves and do associate, under all the ties of religion, honor, and love to our country, to adopt and endeavor to carry into execution whatever measures may be recommended by the Continental Congress, or resolved upon by our Provincial Convention for the purpose of preserving our Constitution, and opposing the execution of the several arbitrary Acts of the British Parliament, until a reconciliation between Great Britain and America on constitutional principles (which we most ardently desire) can be obtained ; and that we will in all things follow the advice of our General Committee respecting the purposes aforesaid, the preservation of peace and good order, and the safety of individuals and property."

4^th great grandfather, Valentine Stover, would not sign this pledge:
4^th great grand uncle, Nicholas Emigh, would not sign this pledge:

The following are the names of those persons who refuse to sign the Association of Beekman's Precinct, Dutchess County :

Arey Delong, James Gaslin, Peter Rosseil, Jacob Hasver, Matthias Valentine, Richard Heliker, William Harris, Richard Tripp, Richard Trippjr, Israel Tripp, James Noxon, Barthol. Noxonjr, Michel. Woolf, Smighting Tripp, Peter Hogoboom, Daniel Beadle, John Wilkenson, Christopher Moyer, Myndert Valey, Henry Gidley, John McDonald, Samuel Smith, Martine Easterly, Daniel Ferris, James Burtice, Nathan Hyatt, Frederick Shapher, Thomas Brundage, Peter Levins, Sr., William Bocker, Baultis Veily, Bartholomew Wood, Abraham Bycejr, Peter Chatterton, Philip Miller, Lawrance Lossee, Israel Titus, John Brown, Robert Thorn, Stephen Lockwood, Peter Paley, Jonathan Thorn, Peter Dop, Peter Johnson, Johannes Miller, Jeremiah Leuderbeck, Philip Flagler, William Giles, Daniel Way, John Smith, Garret Burtis, Martine overaker, Cornberry Dayton, Myndert Cole, Josiah Bulljr, Charles Thomas, Gilbert Thorn, John Akerbry, Cornelius Hegeman, Jonathan Atherton, William Woolf, Aaron Lasey, Crapo Lake, Francis Delong, John Burnit, Stephen Dean, Samuel Stringham, Ichabod Bourman, Sylvester Richmond, James Titus, Ephraim Horton, Edward Adams, Thomas Hutchings, Robert Moon, James Striker, Ebenezer Worden, Charles Vincent, William Sleeves, Thomas Langdon, Peter Buycejr, Samuel Emory, Rowland Emory, Jacob Brill, Jeremiah Haxstum, Elias Palmer, Benjamin Kenyon, Nicholas Mosher, Richard Cornell, Peter Deeyo, James Pettet, William Giffordjr, Capt Yerry Emigh, Peter Simson, Lawrence Emigh, Samuel Whipple, Isaac Veal, Philip Emigh, Nicholas Emigh, son of Philip, Hendrick Emigh, John Ball, Hendrick Klyn, John Dearstine, Abijah Ketcham, Michal Shearman, Amos Pine, Nathan Hoag, Peter Emigh, Richardus Cornell, Valentine Stover, Richard Vincent, Preserved Fish, Joseph Losee, Capt Joseph Harris, Lieut. Hey. Collins, Ensign Barnt Veily, Abraham Buyce, Causper Overhiser, William Gifford, Roger Morey, Samuel Crandle, Samuel Crandle Jr., Peter Kedney, Oliver Waterman, Jesse Thorn, Jacob Ferguson, Johannes Shear, Charles Davis, Jasper Fullmore, Andrew Skidmore, John Golder, Capt. Michael Vincent, Lieut. Peter Buyce, Ensign Steph. Hunt, Yerry Lossing.

4^th great grand uncle, John Jost Snider, would not sign this pledge:

A list of persons in Dutchess County who refused to sign the Association :

Of Captain Heganan's Company: John Tarpanning, John Jast Snider, John Crandle, James Medagh, Michas Cock, Barent A. Van Kleek, William Baker, Urean Terwilger, Jores Middagh, Daniel Cole, Albert Monfoort, Henry Cailen, Peter Burhans, William Rogers.

Valentine joined the Loyal Rangers in 1776 and served as a private in Captain Jonathan Jones' Company (Fifth Company). Simon Snyder (4^th Great Grandfather) was also a private in the Loyal Rangers.

There is no information as to when he and his family moved to Earnestown but likely at the same time as the Ameys and Sniders.