John⁶ Carman (John⁵, John⁴, John³, John², John¹) lived a very interesting life and a very interesting young manhood.  He was born about 1751 in Hempstead Township (probably South Hempstead) and became a young man at the time of the American Revolution. He appears to have sided with the Loyalists, and his Uncle Adam was a known Tory, as were several of his associates, and paid the price by having to relocate.  As he moves up to Dutchess County were there were already an abundance of John Carmans, he was dubbed with the nickname "John the Refugee".

 "Called the Refugee, would not fight in the Revolutionary War. Left Hempstead L.I. at the time the English forces landed on Long Island in 1776, when he was a young man, settled and owned farm in Shenandoah Hills near Stormville, Dutchess Co. NY" - William Stillwell Carman genealogical journal no. 19

Actually it appears more likely from the statement below that he was more likely of Loyalist persuasions and after being caught once promoting Loyalist causes, and being under close scrutiny by the Continental Army, elected to leave town rather than to risk further arrest:

"In Jan. 1776 he apologized for his Tory leanings (REV.PAP. 1:215). His conversion could not have been very sincere as he was captured in the "Swamp fight" in June of that yr. by the Continental Forces, and later discharged (REV.PAP. 1:373). He was very likely picked up again by the Americans for in July same yr., a John Carman and others, who had been jailed in New York City petitioned the American authorities to release them as their businesses would suffer and further, desired, at least, to be told why they had been confined (REV.PAP 1:421). It is rather difficult to imagine that any one of their family really believed in his own innocence. Sometime during 1776 a John Carman and others signed the Articles of association as residents of Queens County, L.I. (REV.PAP. 1:209). As a Joseph Bedell also signed this paper, and there was a prominent Tory of that name in the Region, the writer thinks that the paper was signed by many of those who had been captured in June as a condition of their release, or possibly by those unfortunates who had been jailed in New York City either to show their "innocence" or as a condition imposed by the jailers. - "John 1 Carman of Hempstead, Long Island and Some of His Descendants thru his Son John 2", Henry Alanson Tredwell, Jr.

 

According to several of the grand-children of this line, John and his brother Israel 'went to Nova Scotia'. However it appears that this may have been a fabricated story to throw people off his track, or John didn't take to Canada and returned to upstate New York.

John was married three times. First to Catherine Storm of Stormville, Dutchess County, New York, with no children. Second he married Elizabeth Wright about 1789. She died in Shenandoah, Dutchess County, New York. And third he married Diadama Wright, sister of Elizabeth, on 30 November 1795 at Beacon, Dutchess County, New York.  Diadama was born in Stormville, DutchessCounty,  New York and died 29 August 1842 in Broome County, New York.

Children of John and Elizabeth (Wright) Carman:

Children of John and Diadama (Wright) Carman:

08/01/2007