The Notebooks of Charles F. Mulks

They were both protestants and were both in the siege of Londonderry, sometime after which, together with several other families, they came to America and settled in Orange County in the then province and now state of New York; that among these families were those of Col. Charles Clinton, and the Dennistons.

If these McNeals were in the fort at the siege of Londonderry, they were there as children, for they were both under five years of age. It was probably a matter of tradition in the old family, and although tradition is very long lived, it sometimes gets a little mixed up in its facts. The McNeal Clinton and Denniston and names are to be found in Eager's history of Orange County and also in the documentary history of New York relating to Orange County. The Clinton family are historical in the annals of the state.

The Clinton and Denniston families inter married and it is a matter of authentic tradition that the Mulks family are related to both these families through Nancy Dennison, who was the wife of Benoni Mulks and the mother of his children. She said to have been first cousin of George and James Clinton, both famous in the time War of the Revolution.

My research and investigations in regards to the Mullex and Mulks names have resulted in the following information: Mullex is a Scotch name and in some places in Scotland many people of the name and in one or two local counties it is quite common. They pronounce it with the accent on the last syllable. I have never found it in the directories of this country.

I have never heard or been able to locate any person by the name of Mulks that I did not know to be a descendent of the first Benoni Mulks of Caroline. There have been a couple of stories of persons of the name down in Orange County, but my belief is that it's all a mistake and that the name instead of being Mulks was really Mullocks and I have found the latter name in Eager's history. Mulks is a little difficult for a stranger to ketch or understand right at first mention as I have many times found out by trial. I think the slight similarity in the pronunciation of the two names by persons not accustomed to them is the explanation. I think there's never was any Mulks in Orange or Ulster counties except the original Benoni and his descendants. I have met with in directories and also in public prints such names as Mulkins, Mulkey, Mulker, and Mulkets all names of syllables. Several years ago there was

a Irish laborer living in Humboldt […] by the name of Mulkscraw and his name appears in directory of the time, but he had gone before I made the discovery