William O'Farrell was born August 28, 1784 at Kingston, NY. His father was full Irish also a sea captain and was lost at sea. William's mother was German. As both parents died when he was young he was “bound out” to a Mrs. Patrick McDonald. Being bound out he received his board and clothes, a certain amount of schooling and a trade until he was 21 years of age. There was another brother John who was also bound out to people who went west to Ohio where John settled. He was lost sight of.
William's German mother taught him the German language and as long as he lived he could talk fluently with any German.
The trade that William was taught was shoe making and for many years of his later married life he made all the shoes for his large family. His foster mother listed his honesty and honor by scattering pieces of money about a guest chamber after guests had departed, by sending him to the room on errands. He saw the money gathered it all up and brought it to her. He grew to be a man of the strictest integrity and honor, was religious a Methodist, reliable during all of his mature life holding all positions of honor and trust and authority of the community in which he lived.
He was married Sept 25, 1805, to a young widow 3 years his senior. Dinah Terbush Skinner, daughter of Henry and Catherine Turbush of Fishkill, NY near the Hudson River south of Poughkeepsie. The young widow had one son 5 year old Jeremiah Skinner. During her widowhood she was employed in the home of a Methodist Bishop and was baptized by Bishop Francis Asbury.
It was only natural that she should name her sons after the eminent men with whom she was personally acquainted . She was strictly pious, she wore no jewelry except drop earrings and no flowers on her bonnets nor ornaments about her clothing, Her bonnets were made to order of black silk Quaker style. She also wore very beautiful white lace caps both with her bonnet and without. Dinah Turbush O'Farrell was a small boned sparse woman, no extra flesh, black eyes, rosy cheeks and a very fair skin. A very beautiful woman.
After William and Dinah were married they lived at Pompey, NY where the first 5 older children were born:
1 Francis Asbury July 24, 1806
2. William McCarty February 16,1808
3 David McDonald December 15, 1809
4 John Wesley November 26,1811
5 Elihu Anderson March 27, 1814
The family moved from Pompey, NY to a farm of 94 acres near Spafford Hollow for which he went in debt. He built a log house. First during the building of the house he fell and broke his leg and the older boys of the family had to finish the house. The floor of the house was the ground, they had a fireplace. He had an ox team when he first came to the Hollow.
The rest of the children were born here in Spafford Hollow. Namely:
6 Marie April 12, 1816
7 Catherine June 7, 1818
8 Cornelia October 9, 1821
9 Henry Terbush December 4, 1823
This made 9 children of the William O'Farrell family. Of Dinah Terbush Skinners son, Jeremiah little, is known except that he could beat anybody dancing the “Pigeon wing” and was such a miserable writer that his stepfather William was ashamed of the address on his letters he sent home. Jeremiah raised a large family of 10 or 12 children.
In their new home William saved seeds for all fruit trees, made a large garden, had berry bushes and all sorts of ornamental bushes and trees all sown from seed. There was a spring down in what was later a meadow some little ways from the house from which water was carried daily. After many years a well was dug near the doorway but they still continued to carry water from the spring. William built the first frame house in the hollow, His home was the headquarters of all the ministers and their families at all times. He gave the land at the corner of the property for a church and boarded the men while they were building it.
William held many prominent offices including these.”Justice of the peace” “Postmaster” from the first post office established there until his death. He started for the war of 1812 but peace was declared and he returned home. Williams son's besides their professions were all taught a trade. Francis was a Methodist minister and his trade was a cabinet maker. They also understood farming and carpentry work. All the children of William had fine musical talent and possessed fine voices. Many of them very superior.
William died December 11, 1863 at Spafford Hollow, NY.
His wife Dinah was born July 16, 1781 at Fishkill, NY and died August 29, 1868 at Spafford Hollow NY.