(I have differentiated the three generations of Michael Kerman/Carmans by inserting their birth year in parentheses)
The Kerman/Carman family may have moved (from Philadelphia?) about 1771 to the Mohawk River Valley of New York State. In this area, Tryon County, near the present Johnstown, was a large tract of land, commonly known as the Kingsborough Patent, which had been acquired by Sir William JOHNSON and eventually passed to his son and heir, Sir John JOHNSON. German and Scottish immigrants were encouraged to rent parcels of land and Michael KERMAN (CARMAN)(1743)(from 25 Mar, 1771) and Martin(us) WALDORF (WALTER)(from 25 Mar, 1766) were two of the tenant families. Michael KERMAN(1708) married Johann Martin WALTER’s sister Magdalena(1709).
Michael CARMAN(1743) was by 31 Oct, 1777 a Private in the 1st Battalion, King's Royal Regiment of New York (KRRNY), under Sir John JOHNSON. Also in the 1st Batt'n was Martin WALTER. They had both enlisted on June 19, 1776.
At the conclusion of the war the Loyalists obtained grants of land in Upper and Lower Canada:
TOWNSHIP NO. 5, NOW MATILDA.
1ST Concession.
Lot # 23, Jacob Coons, Peter Murray
E1/2 Lot # 24,Sergt. Martin Walter
W1/2 Lot # 24,25, (No name entered on map, Patent issued to Peter Carman, 4th Oct., 1803).
Point Iroquois here forms a Concession in front.
2nd concession
Lot # 26, Michael Carman, Henry Waley
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Iroquois, Matilda Twsp. Ontario:
In 1784, the first settlers of the village of Iroquois arrived. They were Michael Carman(1743), Martin Walter(1725), Jacob Coons(1759), Ault Brouse and Peter Brouse(1st h/o Anna Katherine(1771) d/o Michael Carman(1743)), all of whom were United Empire Loyalists. The most famous being Michael Carman(1743) and his two sons, Jacob(1774) and George(1766). The village of Iroquois has recognized them with the naming of the Carman Road and the Carman House Museum, his original home. Like many others, Michael Carman(1743) in 1803, traded a horse, saddle and bridle for two hundred acres of land on the waterfront. He built his home and began a business as a contractor.
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In the early 1800s, the Great War of 1812 commenced and the Americans were heading towards the Fort of Montreal by means of the St. Lawrence. With many British settlers in the area, the British Government decided to have a fort built on Point Iroquois because of its great strategic location, overlooking the river and both shores. The contract was given to Michael Carman(1743). His son Jacob Carman recalls the time in his autobiography written in 1814, "In this year my father took a large contract from the British Government to furnish all the square timber they should want to build a fort on Point Iroquois, which took us all winter and a good part of the summer, and from what I saw of the job. It paid well. I saw him bring home two boxes of silver coins, each containing one thousand dollars, and I found one of the boxes to be a very good lift.".
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The first Church built in Matilda and one of the first Methodist Episcopal Churches in all of Canada was constructed on Point Iroquois in 1800.
The Board of Trustees for the rebuilt church in 1825 were John VanCamp Sr.(?2nd h/o Anna Katherine(1771) d/o Michael Carman(1743)), John VanCamp Jr., Jacob Brouse, George Brouse, Michael Brouse, Jacob Coons,(husband of Magdalena Carman) William Shaver, Jacob Stamp, Michael Carman(1769),(brother of Magdalena (Carman) Coons) Peter Dillabough and John Strader.
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SOURCES:
CARMANs - http://www.carman.net/mattheus.htm
King's Royal Regiment - http://www.royalprovincial.com/military/musters/krrny/krrjohnson.htm
Some COONS info - http://infoweb.magi.com/~gordiera/ancestor.htm
Michael (KERMAN) CARMAN/Martin WALTER - http://www3.sympatico.ca/pc.lozo/
Picture from: History of Iroquois ON - http://members.tripod.com/j.wagemans/history.htm