From T.G. Bergen's Early Settlers, 1881, p.68:²

COOL, CORNELIS LAMBERTSEN, m. Altien Brackhonge, who after his death m. Willem Bredenbent. Bought May 17, 1639, of Thomas Bescher or Beets a plantation in Gowanus (for which he obtained a patent Apl. 5, 1642), to which he removed, having previously resided in N. A. This patent, as near as can be ascertained, covered the farms designated on Butts's map of Brn as of Peter Wyckoff, John Wyckoff, Henry Story, and Winant Bennet. Issue:--Altie Cornelis, who m. 1st Gerret Wolferse Van Cowenhoven, and m. 2d Elbert Elbertse Stoothoff; Peterje Cornelis, who m. Claes Jansen Van Purmerent, alias Jan Pottagie; and Lambert
[Page 69]
Cornelise. See pp. 251 and 252 of Bergen Genealogy. Made his mark to documents.

[Footnote on Page 33]:

      ¹April 5th, 1642, a patent was granted to Cornelis Lambertsen (Cool), for a tract at "Gouwanes," adjoining William Adriaensen (Bennet), "which land was formerly occupied by John Van Rotterdam and Thomas Beets." A deed from Thomas Bescher, an Englishman, who probably was the same individual known as Thomas Beets in the patent to Cornelis Lambertsen (Cool), of May 17th, 1639 (prior to the date of the first Brooklyn patent), recorded in the office of the secretary of state at Albany, for the premises covered in the patent, is the earliest conveyance from one settler to another which has been found for lands in Brooklyn. In this deed Bescher conveys his right in "the plantation heretofore occupied by Jan Van Rotterdam and afterwards by him, Thomas Bescher, situate by Gouwanes on Long Island, extending Southwardly to a certain Kil a little cripplebush at which side William Adriaensen (Bennet), Cooper, lies contiguous, and on the north side Claes Cornelissen Smit's, streching in the length in the woods, for 300 carolus guilders at 20 stuyvers the guilder." This is the earliest reference found in the records relating to a settlement in Brooklyn, and from this deed it may be inferred that the first agricultural settlement in said town was made on these lands, but however of this there is no certainty. Bescher died in 1640; his wife Nanne entered into a contract, April 27, 1641, to marry Thomas Smith, in which it was stipulated that Bescher's surviving daughter, Eva, should have the plantation, house, etc., of her father, situated on Manhattan Island. Jan, or Jan Cornelise Van Rotterdam, afterwards occupied premises on Manhattan Island, and was dead in 1648.

[Page 29]

LEYDEN IS the last Dutch city to feel the caresses of the old Rhine before that river empties its waters into the North Sea. The pride of Leyden is its University. After William of Orange raised the Spanish siege of
[Page 30]
1573 and 1574, by piercing the dikes and sailing his relief ships up to the city walls, he is said to have offered to reward the citizens for their gallant defence by either exempting them from taxation for a period of years, or establishing a university in their city, whereupon they chose the university.

There are those who question such a story as this, but there is no doubt that the Prince did found the University in 1575. The institution grew and flourished. The greatest scholars of their age lived, taught and wrote there, until, as Niebuhr says in his "Roman History," no spot in Europe is so memorable in connection with the history of science as the venerable Senate Hall of the University of Leyden.

This Senate Hall, or Faculty Room, is in the original University building, erected at about the time America was discovered, and used as a nunnery before the Reformation. We have respect for the builders when we realize that people have gone in and out of these doorways every day since Columbus first set foot in the New World, and that, with perhaps a few repairs, the building seems fit for still more centuries to come. The shaded canal-bank beside this venerable hall is a pleasant resting spot on a summer's day. It is also a place where thoughts seem bound to turn inward and upward, and lead to self-belittling meditation on the transitoriness of life.

But of all the thousands of students who have come to Leyden in days gone by, we are at present concerned about only two, who were there more than two and a half centuries ago. We enter the hallway, with its low ceiling, and climb the dark and winding stair. In a moment we are at the door of the Senate Hall itself. Looking down from the walls are the portraits of some one hundred and fifty professors, dating almost from the founding of the institution to the present day. Many of these distinguished men were there in the flesh when Joannes and Matthias Nevius were at Leyden. An elaborate fireplace and mantle, a long counsel table, bearing some books and several old-fashioned inkstands, and surrounded by stately rows of straight-backed, leather-covered chairs, complete the furnishings.

The published "Album" of the University gives only the bare facts of date, name, place of nativity and age of students. It is this printed album which is quoted by Mr. A. V. D. Honeyman's informant, on page 43 of "Joannes Nevius and his Descendants" (Plainfield, 1900). The published "Album," however, is condensed from a manuscript record of former students, in which fuller particulars are given. This latter record consists of a series of ponderous volumes, bound in sheepskin, and kept in a cabinet in the historic Senate Hall. These are not the original records, but copies, made many years ago, in Latin, and carefully indexed.

[Page 31]

The list of Nevius students at Leyden, as given in "Joannes Nevius and his Descendants," is as follows:

Year     Name               Nativity      Age    University

1608.    Joannes de Neef    Amsterdam      14    Leyden 
1609.    Joannes Neeff      Amsterdam      13    Leyden 
1645.    Matthias Neef      Zoelen         --    Utrecht 
1646.    Joannes N'vius     Kampen         --    Leyden 
1648.    Matthias Neef      Kampen         20    Leyden 
1649.    Matthias Neef      Zoelen         21    Leyden 
1650.    Matthias Neeff     Kampen         --    Utrecht 
1673.    Johannes Nevius    Reinswondamus  20    Leyden 
1674.    Joannes Nevius     Montfoort      --    Utrecht 
1676.    Matth'us Neef      Montfoort      16    Leyden 
1679.    Matthias Neef      Montfoort      20    Leyden 
1681.    Matthias Neeff     Montfoort      --    Utrecht 

These entries as they appear in the manuscript books at the University are as follows, for Leyden only:
"ALBUM STUDIOSORUM," VOL. I, 1575-1617
July 9, 1608. Joannes de Neeff. Amsterdamensis. An. XIV. Stud. Litt. Apud Patrem.
                              [Of Amsterdam. Age 14. Student in Letters. Living with parents].
Nov. 11, 1609. Joannes Neeff. Amsterdamensis. An. XIII. Stud. bon. Litt. Apud Patrem.
                              (Word "Minorensis" in left-hand margin).
                              [Of Amsterdam. Age 13. Student in Letters. Living with parents].
"ALBUM STUDIOSORUM," VOL. 4, 1645-1662
June-July,1646. Johannes Nevius. Campensis. An. 20. Stud. Philos. habit.
                              Apud Grietgen Lievens. op de Breestraat.
                              [Of Kampen. Age 20. Student in Philosophy. Living
                              with Grietgen Lievens, in the Breestraat].
May 30, 1648. Matthias Neef. Campensis. An. 20. Stud. Litt.
                              by Cornelis Timonsz. Geesdorp.
                              [Of Kampen. Age 20. Student in Letters. Living with Cornelis Geesdorp].
Apr. 2, 1649. Matthias Neef. Solano-Geldrus. An. 21. Stud. Theol.
                              in de Croon by Bandewijn Harincshouck. [Of Zoelen,
                              in Gelderland. Age 21. Student in Theology.
                              Living at "The Crown" with Bandewijn Harincshouck].

It is suggested, on page 44 of "Joannes Nevius and his Descendants," that the 1608 and 1609 entries are for the same person, and that the discrepancy in age is an error. I am inclined to think this may be the case, but, if the ages are wrongly given, the error is in the original record, where it will be noticed the ages are given in Roman numerals, and therefore
[Page 32]
not likely to be misread. In commenting on this a Dutch gentleman made the following general remark: "The reason ages were so carefully given was that students had to pay tuition according to their years. Very young students sometimes did not even have to pay for their rooms. Older ones did have to pay for their rooms, and still older ones also had additional fees. The latter were to some extent remitted if the young man was willing to serve in a military organization. This system often resulted in students declaring an age under their actual years. I do not mean that a man of thirty could pass as fifteen, but, if a student of eighteen looked young, there was a great temptation to state his age as, say, fifteen." This interesting side-light was not meant to apply especially to the entries of 1608 and 1609 and thus disturb the consciences of the present generation of Nevius descendants. In fact real comfort may be gotten from the situation, because, if the two do refer to the same student, and this student did lie about his age, he was manifestly a poor liar, and, therefore, normally a very model of truthfulness.

My copy of the other Nevius entries at Leyden is not as complete as might be wished for, but from it I take the following:

"ALBUM STUDIOSORUM," VOL. I, PAGE 152
October 10, 1601. Joannes a Nafe. In mss. index spelled "Naefe", in
                              printed album spelled "Nefe") Nob. Silesius.
                              an. XXII. Stud. Jur. Apud Eundem (?).
                              [Four other Silesius students registered on same day].
DITTO, VOL. I, PAGE 280
April 28, 1611. Joannes Casparus N'vius. Misnicus. an. XXI. Stud.
                              Jur. habit by Martgen Cornelis.
DITTO, VOL. I, PAGE 345
May 7, 1615. Joachimus Navius. (In mss. index and in printed album
                              spelled "N'vius"). Amsterdamensis. An. XXI. Stud. Jur. by Joost van Colster.
FROM PRINTED ALBUM
Feb. 16, 1615. Johannes Johannis a Nave, Leidensis, 10. L.
June 5, 1621. Johannes Neveu. Sidanensis. 17. famul. ejusdem a
                              Steenvliet. Aug. 13, 1624. Theodosius Neef. Holsatus. 22.
                              [Five other Holsatus students registered on same day].
July 12, 1634. Cornelius de Neve. Brugensis. 31. Mat.
"ALBUM STUDIOSORUM," VOL. V, PAGE 388
Feb. 15, 1673. Johannes Nevius. Reinswoudanus. An. 20. Stud.
                              Liter. Apud Matrem. op de Haerlemmerstraat by de Kercksteegle.

[Page 33]

DITTO, VOL. V, PAGE 490
                              March 26, 1676. Matthias Neef. Monfortensis. An. 16. Stud. Phil.
                                  habit by Marcus van Houten in the Choirsteegle.
FROM PRINTED ALBUM
                              June 20, 1679. Matthias Neef. Monfurtensis. 20. P.
                              Feb. 16, 1686. Cornelius de Neef. Parens. Veera-Zelandus. 60.
                              " " " Cornelius de Neef. Filius. Veere-Zelandus. 20.
                              March 11, 1689. Simon Navius. Alcmaria-Batavus. 20. P.
                              Feb. 12, 1697. Carolus Fredericus Neeve. Saxo. 27. L.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the above is the persistent recurrence of "Joannes" or "Johannes" as a name in the Nevius family. Also, the entry of father and son, both from Veere, in Zeeland, on Feb. 16th, 1686, is unique.

Scores of houses which were in Leyden when Joannes and Matthias were there are still standing, and it is not improbable that the ones where they roomed are among them, nor is it impossible that these might be located. The difficulty is that poor women like Grietgen Lievens, with whom Joannes lived, have been renting houses and then letting out a few rooms to students for these three hundred years, so that while a search of the Leyden land records would certainly involve much labor, it might yield nothing else, because, unless the property was in her own name, it would only be an accident if it were discovered.

Joannes lived in the Breestraat, which was then and still is the principal street in the city. A five-minute walk from the University, crossing the tree-shaded Rapenburg Canal, through the narrow Klok Steeg (Clock Passage), past the side and around the end of old St. Peter's Kerk, then a little farther through the Koor Steeg (Choir Passage) and Joannes emerged--exactly as the visitor does to-day--on the Breestraat, nearly opposite the Stadhuis and in sight of the famous inscription which commemorates the great siege of Leyden. On his way past the Kerk he also passed the house in which John Robinson, leader of the Pilgrim Fathers, had lived, taught and died only a comparatively few years before. Old prints prove that the whole route looked almost precisely the same then as it does now.

Not only can we identify localities, however, but we can still see the faces of the men whom Joannes met as he took a stroll about town. It was the custom for persons in public positions to have group portraits painted of the board or guild to which they belonged. An example of this is found in Rembrandt's well-known work "The Syndics," now in the Ryks Museum, at Amsterdam, in which we see the officers of the guild of the cloth-makers in the midst of their deliberations. Nearly
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every gallery and public building in the Netherlands contains examples of this kind. But our interest is now centered upon three large canvases in the vestibule of the Stadhuis. These are portrait groups of "The Burgomaster and his Council," "The Guild of the Tailors" and "The High Officers of the Military"--all of 1650. Joannes must have known most of these very men when he was in Leyden in 1646, and we wonder whether his thoughts ever reverted to them and all their official finery as he later on watched the less elegant but equally self-important city fathers of New Amsterdam.

There is little to say about Joannes' brother Matthias. No doubt he too was familiar with all these scenes. The most interesting thing about his record is to notice that, at twenty-one, he had already decided upon the ministry and entered for the theological course which fitted him for his pastorate at Montfoort.

Leaving Leyden now, we go to the other great Dutch university seat, Utrecht. Joannes never registered as a student here, and the records of Matthias are much more fragmentary than at Leyden. They are not found at the University, but in the City Archives, in two books, as follows:

In Vol. I, "Album Academi' Ultrajectin'" (described in the QUARTERLY, vol. I, page 104), are two signatures in the same hand. In 1645 one hundred and four students registered, of whom the thirtieth was "Matthias Neeff, Soelanus." In 1650 one hundred and twenty-eight students registered, of whom the one hundred and ninth was "Matthias Neeff, Campensis."

The other book, the "Album of Guelderland-Overyssel Students" is unique in itself. There is no other book of the kind at Utrecht. Apparently it had to do with a club or organization of students from these two eastern provinces of Holland. Each man was assigned a page in the album, in the upper corner of which he wrote his name and residence. Then he handed the book over to an artist who painted the coat-of-arms. Whether or not it required money to become a member of the club we have no evidence, but there is the best kind of evidence that the artist's motto was "no pay, no work," for on more than one page which a student has signed in his best handwriting there is only a half-finished design, and, in some cases, only a caricature. Matthias either had good credit or paid his charges in advance, for his page is done in the artist's best style, substantially as reproduced as a frontispiece in "Joannes Nevius and his Descendants."

Perhaps other evidences exist of the student life of Joannes and Matthias, but, if so, they are not available to the hurried investigator. However, with such a varied background of contemporary men and
[Page 35]
scenes as we have tried to portray, it is not difficult for our imagination to complete the picture, so that the large number of descendants of Joannes Nevius now living in Somerset County, or elsewhere, can get a good idea of the everyday life of their ancestor as he pursued his studies in the Fatherland.

It may be noted here, what everyone does not know, that Joannes Nevius was Schepen and third Secretary of New Amsterdam (New York City), and that all persons in America hearing the name of Nevius, Neafie, Neefus, etc., descend from him. Hundreds of his descendants have lived and many are still residents in Somerset.

DE POTTER, CORNELIS, of Brn, m. Swantje Jans, who after his death joined the D. ch in N. A., and m. Apl. 4, 1669, Pieter Delancy; d. prior to Oct. 1660. Bought Aug. 29, 1651, Herry Brezer's plantation; Jan. 4, 1652, land of Jan Haes; and Dec. 3, 1652, over 2 morgens of Cors Hoogland, ferryman--all in Brn. In 1654 he was a mag. of Flds, where he then resided. Issue:--Adriaentje Cornelise, m. Jan Aardsz Middagh; (sup.) Elizabeth, m. Isaac Bedlo; (sup.) Zwantje, m. Jan Teunise of the ferry; and (sup.) David, on list of catechumens of the R. D. ch. of Brn of 1662.

[Page 145]:²
Cornelis Dircksen, b. 1599. Kept goats for their milk in 1638 for Wouter Van Twiller, as per p. 2 of Cal. of Dutch His. Man. Sold cows to Tunis Nyssen (Denyse) in 1643, as per p. 25 of do. Was ferry-master at Brn in 1652, when he sold a lot with house and barn, on the shore of L. I. near the ferry, to Cornelis de Potter, as per p. 55 of do. Dec. 12, 1645, he obtained a patent for upwards of 12 morgens on L. I. next to Harry Breser's land in Brn, as per p. 370 of do. Dec 3, 1652, sold Cornelis de Potter upwards of 2 morgens of land with buildings in Brn, as per p. 376 of do.

[Page 95]:

"DE POTTER, CORNELIS, of Brn, m. Swantje Jans, who after his death joined the D. ch in N. A., and m. Apl. 4, 1669, Pieter Delancy..."⁵

88 Jan Pieterszen STAATS.^2,13 Born about 1605 in Huizen, North Holland, Netherlands.¹³ Resided on the farm at Gowanus late of Adriance Van Brunt. Jan Pieterszen died about 1714.² Alias/AKA: Jan Pieterse.²

From T.G. Bergen's Early Settlers, 1881, p.272:²

Jan Pieterse [STAATS] of Gowanus, the common ancestor of the Gowanus family, known as old Jan Pieterse, m. 1st, May 16,
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1652, Grietje Jans; m. 2d, Nov. 15, 1663, the wid. of Frederick Jansen, ship-carpenter; d. about 1714. Owned and occupied the farm at Gowanus late of Adriance Van Brunt. On ass. rolls of Brn of 1675 and '83 and cen. of 1698. Issue:--Pieter Jansen; Jan Jansen; Neeltje Jansen; and Sarah Jansen.

Jan Thomasse, emigrated from Amsterdam in 1652 and settled in N. U.; (sup.) m. 1st (???) (???), by whom Thomas, Carel, Derick, and Pieter; m. 2d Tryntje Agias, Achias, or Hagen, who after his death m. 2d Tileman Jacobsz Vander Meyer. In 1673 he was appointed one of the schepens of N. U. by Gov. Colve. Jan. 25, 1675, his old farm in the village of N. U. was sold at auction to "Rut Joosten" (Van Brunt) for 2500 gl.; his new farm was at the same date sold to Cryn Janse (Van Meteren) for 2000 gl.; and his 2 houseplots in the village to Hendrick Janse Van Dyck for 750 gl., as per town rec. There was a Jan Tomassen on the Delaware in 1659, as per p. 286 of Vol. XII. of Doc. of Col. His. of N. Y., who possibly may have been this Thomas. Issue:--Thomas Jansz; Derick Jansz; Carel or Charles Jansz; Pieter Jansz; Achias or Agyas Jansz; Hendrick Jansz, bp. July 2, 1653, in N. A.; Jan Jansz; Antje Jansz, m. Pieter Staats of Brn; Angenietje or Annetje Jansz, m. Adriaen Willemse Bennet; Mayke or Marretje Jansz, m. Johannis Daniels Rinckerhoudt; (sup.) Tryntje Jansz; and (sup.) Lambert Jansz.

[Page 173]

JAN THOMASSE VAN DYKE, the son of Thomas Van Dyke, was the founder of the Van Dyke family in America. He came to New Amsterdam from Amsterdam, Holland, in the year 1652 with his wife Tryntje Achias or Haegen and seven children. It is said that she was his second wife and that his first wife was the mother of four of his children. He died in 1673. He was one of the founders in 1657 of New Utrecht, where Director-General Peter Stuyvesant had permitted the establishment of a town comprising about one thousand acres divided into farms of fifty acres each. The early settlers in America could not purchase land from the Indians without permission of the government and when a purchase was arranged it was followed by a special grant allowing the formation of a settlement or town. This is in accordance with the "Law of Nations" expressed in Wheaton. Jan Thomasse Van Dyke owned one of these farms and in 1659 added to it a tract of meadow land extending toward what is now called Coney Island.

The founders of New Utrecht were granted patents by
[Page 174]
the Governor and Council at Fort Amsterdam on January 16, 1657. They were Jacques Cortelyou; the Lord Counsellor and Fiscal Nicasius de Sille; Peter Buys; Johan Zeelen; Albert Albertsen (Terhune); Willem Willemse (Van Engen); Jacob Hellickers (alias Swart); Pieter Jansen; Huybert Hoock; Jan Jacobson; Yunker (or Squire) Jacobus Corlear; Jan Thomasse Van Dyke; Jacobus Backer; Rutgert Joosten (Van Brunt); Jacob Pietersen; Pieter Roeloffse; Claes Claessen (Smith); Cornelis Beeckman and Teunis Joosten.

There were then in New Netherlands besides Jan Thomasse Van Dyke two other representatives of Van Dyke families of Holland; Franz Classen Van Dyke or Dyck, and Hendrick Van Dyke, who was "Fiscall" or State's Attorney under Governor Peter Stuyvesant, and who came to New Amsterdam in 1640. He is the one who raised a disturbance on Broadway which nearly caused the early finish of New Amsterdam. He had a house and orchard just south of where Trinity Church now stands. In 1655 he shot and killed an Indian who was stealing fruit from his orchard. This hasty action led to much trouble with the Indians and many settlers were killed. He died in 1688, leaving a son Cornelius who was the ancestor of the Albany Van Dykes and a son Rodolphus Van Dyke who married Elizabeth Oudenade and had a son Rev. Henry Van Dyke, born in 1740 in Nassau Street, New York City, died in 1811, who married Hulda Lewis of Stratford. An account of this Van Dyke family may be found in Rev. G. Morgan Hill's History of the Church in Burlington, N. J.

Tunis G. Bergen, in a footnote to his History of the Bergen Family, says that the father of Jan Thomasse Van Dyke was Thomas Janse Van Dyke of Amsterdam, who married Sytie Dirks, and that they had two other sons, Nicholas Thomasse Van Dyke and Hendrick Van Dyke.

Jan Thomasse Van Dyke was active in the affairs of the colony from the beginning and soon received honors and appointments under its government. He inherited the qualities of energy and ability from his ancestors of Holland, a family which had long been considered one of the best
[Page 175]
of the burgher families. His coat of arms is described in Rietstap's Armorial General of France, as follows: "D'arg. Š une digue de sin., touchant les flancs de l'’cu, mouv. d'une eau au nat., et surm. de trois ’toiles d'or, rang’es en chef. Crest: une ’toile d'or."

The Director-General and Council at Fort Amsterdam on October 2, 1659, made the following proclamation: "The Director-General and Council notify the inhabitants of the Town of New Utrecht to keep good watch and for the purpose of keeping good order they have appointed and set as in other cases the person Jan Thomassen to the office of Sergeant, they therefore order the inhabitance of the Town of New Utrecht to obey and acknowledge as Sergeant the above named Jan Thomassen." This was the commission of Sergeant Jan Thomasse Van Dyke.

It was often the custom of the Dutch to refer to a person by mentioning his first name and the first name of his father. Jan Thomasse would mean John the son of Thomas, and Jan Janse, John the son of John. To this would be added the name which indicated generally the place from which he came; thus Beekman was "the man of the brook," Van Dyke was the man of the dyke. The name was spelled in many ways, often in the same family. It was spelled Van Dyke, Van Duyk, Van Dike, Vandike, Van Dyk, Van Duyck, and Van Dyck. The correct way of spelling the name of the family founded by Jan Thomasse Van Dyke is Van Dyke. Dutch parents in naming their children would generally give to the oldest son the name of his paternal grandfather, and to the second son the name of his maternal grandfather, The two oldest daughters would receive the names of their grandmothers in the same order. According to the Register of New Netherland Jan Thomasse Van Dyke was for many years a Magistrate of Fort Orange and New Utrecht.

Jan Thomasse Van Dyke was appointed by Governor Colve, August 18, 1673, one of the Schepens. He must have died soon after for under date October 16, 1673, we find in Documentary History of New York, vol. ii., 577 and 659, the following entry:
[Page 176]
"The Governor hath, from the nomination made by the Magistrates of the town of Utrecht selected Jan Gysbertse Van Meteren as a Magistrate in place of Jan Thomassen now lately deceased."

In Bergen's Early Settlers of King's County, it is stated that in 1675 his heirs sold his old farm in New Utrecht to Rut. Joosten for 2500 guilders; his new farm to Bryn Janse for 2000 guilders, and his two lots in the village to his son Hendrick Janse Van Dyke for 750 guilders. His widow Tryntje Haegen married on August 11, 1678, Tileman Jacobsz Van der Hard, who came to America from Kamerik, Utrecht, Holland.

Jan Thomasse Van Dyke and Tryntje Haegen his wife had children:

(A) Thomas Janse Van Dyke.
(B) Derrick Van Dyke.
(C) Carel Van Dyke.
(D) Captain Jan Janse Van Dyke.
(E) Achias Van Dyke.
(F) Peter Van Dyke.
(G) Lambert Van Dyke.
(H) Hendrick Janse Van Dyke.
(I) Antje Janse Van Dyke.
(J) Angenietje Van Dyke.
(K) Tryntje Van Dyke.

VROOM, CORNELIS PIETERSE (sup. of Brn), m. Tryntje Hendricks, who after his death m. 2d, Aug. 17, 1657, Frederick Lubbertse of Brn; d. prior to 1657. Resided at one period in N. A., where his children were all bp. Issue:--Cornelis Corsen, bp. 1645; Pieter Corsen, bp. Mar. 5, 1651; Hendrick Corsen, bp. Nov. 30, 1653--all in N. A.; and Catherine Corsen, m. Jan Stats or Stals. A Catharine Corsen Vroom m. Jan. 4, 1700-1, in N. Y., Johan Boutier.

Cornelis Corssen of Brn, bp. Apl. 23, 1645, in N. A.; m. Mar. 11, 1666, Marretje Jacobse Vander Grift of Brn; d. 1693. On ass. rolls of Brn of 1675 and '76; constable 1677, and mem. of the R. D. ch. hailing from the Walabocht. Left Brn and removed to S. I., where he obtained title to 352 A. to the W. of Miles Creek on the 24th of Dec., 1680; and also for 180 A. on said island on the 28th of said month. In 1684 he was appointed a justice of the peace for Richmond Co., as per p. 132 of Cal. of English Man.; Apl. 2, 1685, he was appointed capt. of militia for Brn, as per p. 137 of do. In 1689 he held the office of capt. of militia and justice of the peace on S. I. In 1681 he purchased land on the Raritan, N. J., at 3 cts. per A., as per p. 122 of 2d Edition of Whitehead's E. N. J., and p. 103 of the Records of the Gov. and Council of. E. N. J. Will da. Dec. 9, 1692, and pro. Aug. 13, 1693. Issue:--Jacob Corsen of S. I., m. Elizabeth (???); Cornelia Corsen of S. I., bp. Aug. 13, 1681, m. Jannetje dau. of Peter Van Boskerk; Christian Corsen of S. I.; Cornelius Corssen; and Daniel Corssen of S. I., bp. Nov. 28, 1690, in N. Y, His descendants appear to have adopted Corssen or Corsen as their family name, many of whom reside on S. I. Signed his name "Cornelis Corssen."
[Page 383]
Hendrick Corson of Brn, bp. Nov. 30, 1653, in N. A.; m. 1st Josina Pieterse Van Nest of Brn; m. 2d Judith Rapalie. Mem. of R. D. ch. of Brn in 1677, hailing from the Wallabout, and on ass. rolls of Brn of 1683 and '93. Finally settled on the Raritan in the vicinity of New Brunswick, N. J., and is the ancestor of Gov. Vroom of said State. Issue:--Corson or Cornelius Vroom of the Raritan, bp. June 27, 1677, in N. Y.; Judith Vroom, bp. Mar. 16, 1679; (sup.) Rachel Vroom, m. Christoffel Van Zandt; Hendrick Vroom of the Raritan, bp. May 7 or 13, 1683, m. 1st Jannetje Bergen, m. 2d Dartie Demond; (sup.) Alfred Vroom; and Katryna Vroom, bp. Apl. 6, 1690--all of N. J.

Peter Corson of Brn, bp. Mar. 5, 1651; m. Oct. 19, 1679, Katharine Vander Beek wid. of Daniel Richauco. Mem. of the R. D. ch. of Brn in 1677 and '85, hailing from the Wallabout. Resided at one period on S. I. County-clerk of Kings Co. in 1739, and removed to the city of N. Y. His father-in-law, Frederick Lubbertse, devised to him in his will a part of his South Brn farm, a part of which he sold Oct. 10, 1689, to Thomas Lambertse, administrator, as per p. 180 of Lib. 1 of Con., and the balance of 100 A. to Cors Sebring, as per p. 162 of Lib. 2 of Con. Issue:--(sup.) Jacob, who had children Hester bp. Mar. 25, 1701, Jacob, bp. 1707, and Benjamin, bp. Apl. 1, 1709--all on S. I. Signed his name "Peter Corson."

[Page 254]

[Hendrick Corsen Vroom] was born on Long Island and was the son of Cornelius Petersen (Vroom), b. about 1611, who came from Langeraer, Holland, and settled on Long Island about 1638, and married Tryntje Hendricks. His brothers Cornelius Corsen Vroom and Peter Corsen Vroom dropped the name of Vroom and retained the surname of Corsen, and their descendants are numerous on Long Island and in New Jersey.

[Page 256]

We may add that the late Hon. Frances E. Woodruff, of Morristown, in a brief record of "The Coursens of Sussex County," states that the Vroom family was founded at Haarlem, Holland, by one Hendrick Vroom, a sculptor, who had a son, Cornelis, a sculptor, and that his son was Hendrick, a marine painter of note, b. 1566 and d. 1640; and his researches led to the belief that originally the name was Coursen, and that the family was of French Huguenot stock, taking refuge in Holland. His view was that "Vroom" or "de Vroome," meaning "the Pious," was attached in Holland...

From the Somerset County Historical Quarterly, Vol. V, Somerville, New Jersey, 1916, pp. 254~256:⁴³

[Page 254]

THE FIRST person of the name of Vroom who settled in New Jersey was Hendrick Corsen Vroom. He was born on Long Island and was the son of Cornelius Petersen (Vroom), b. about 1611, who came from Langeraer, Holland, and settled on Long Island about 1638, and married Tryntje Hendricks. His brothers Cornelius Corsen Vroom and Peter Corsen Vroom dropped the name of Vroom and retained the surname of Corsen, and their descendants are numerous on Long Island and in New Jersey.

Hendrick Corsen Vroom was baptized November 20, 1653. He married Josina Pietersen Van Neste, daughter of Peter Van Neste, of Brooklyn, and Judith Rapelje, a granddaughter of Joris Jansen Rapelje. He settled along the Raritan in Somerset County. His son, Hendrick Vroom married Janetje Hansen Bergen. His children were, Hendrick, John, Peter, George, Sara, Maritje and Bradice. He married a second time Dortie Dumont, a widow.

George (or Joris) Vroom married Garretje DuMont, daughter of Peter DuMont and Jannetje Veghte, and had three children: Hendrick, Peter Dumont, and Jannetje. He died in 1756.

Colonel Peter Dumont Vroom, the second son of George, was in his time one of the most prominent citizens of Somerset. He was born on the 27th of January, 1745, (old style). In his early life he lived in the city of New York, whence he came to live on the Raritan river, near the junction of the north and south branches. He was an officer of

[Page 255]

militia before the Revolution, and one of the few who raised the first military company in the county of Somerset, when it became apparent that hostilities with England could not long be delayed The meeting to organize was held on May 3, 1775, at the home of Garret Garretson in Hillsborough township. The citizens at this meeting determined to elect officers for the several companies represented, when for the Hillsborough Company the following were elected: John Ten Eyck, Captain; Peter D. Vroom, Lieutenant; Jacobus Quick, Second Lieutenants. The proceeding of this meeting are preserved in full in the "Appendix" to Dr. Messler's "History of Somerset County."

Colonel Vroom was subsequently promoted to a Captaincy, and on June 6, 1777, was elected First Major of the 2nd Battalion of Somerset Militia, and on September 9, 1777, Lieutenant-Colonel. He served with the Militia under General Philemon Dickinson during the War. He took part in the Battle of Germantown, where he was wounded and his Lieutenant, John Brokaw, killed.

The public life of Colonel Vroom did not end with the Revolutionary War, for in 1774 he was elected High Sheriff of the County of Somerset; in 1784 he was elected Clerk of the Common Pleas (the County Clerk) by the joint meeting of the Legislature. In 1790 he was elected a member of the General Assembly, and re-elected in 1792, 1794, and from then on until 1798. From 1798 to 1804 he was a member of the Legislative Council, and again a member of Assembly in 1813.

In the year 1800 he was nominated on the Federal Republican ticket for Congress, his colleagues on the ticket being Aaron Ogden, William Coxe, Jr., James H. Imlay and Franklin Davenport. The proceedings of the meeting which placed these gentlemen in nomination were printed with the address to the Federal Republicans of New Jersey. This address was written by William Griffith, and is strong in its advocacy of the principles of the Federal party. Of the importance of the then pending election it says: "The Seventh Congress is now to be chosen, and the great question again submitted to us, whether to continue our government in the hands of men opposed to untried theories and dangerous innovations, and attached to the existing order of things, or whether we will abandon it to the direction of those, whose conduct, whose writings, whose views, are revolutionary, to men who plainly tell us 'that they mean to change the entire face of things in the country.'" The Jefferson ticket, however, was successful, the Federalists not securing a majority again in the State, excepting one year, 1813, during the second war with Great Britain, when Colonel Aaron Ogden was elected Governor. Colonel Vroom was elected in that year for the last time a member of the General Assembly from Somerset County.

[Page 256]

Colonel Vroom for many years, beginning with 1787, filled the office of justice of the peace and was also made Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Somerset in 1788. In addition to farming, he devoted much time to surveying and conveyancing, and in the early days of Somerset he transacted almost all of the business of surveying and conveyancing in his neighborhood. He was for many years an elder in the Reformed Dutch Church at Somerville, and was ever active in promoting the interests and welfare of the church,

After a long and eventful life he died November 17, 1831, in the eighty-seventh year of his age.

On the first of June, 1755, Colonel Vroom had married Elsie Bogart, a daughter of Guysbert Bogart, of Somerset, and by her he had three sons and several daughters. The eldest son was Guysbert Bogart Vroom. He early went to New York City, was engaged in the banking business and died suddenly in 1832. The second son, John Vroom, studied medicine, received his degree but never practiced. Peter Dumont Vroom, junior, the third son, was born at the old Homestead on the Raritan on the twelfth day of December, 1791. He was the Governor.

[EDITOR'S NOTE.--The foregoing is published by the courtesy of the late Judge Vroom's daughter, Gertruda G. Vroom, who is in possession of the original. A few dates and facts have been added by her and by the Editor. We may add that the late Hon. Frances E. Woodruff, of Morristown, in a brief record of "The Coursens of Sussex County," states that the Vroom family was founded at Haarlem, Holland, by one Hendrick Vroom, a sculptor, who had a son, Cornelis, a sculptor, and that his son was Hendrick, a marine painter of note, b. 1566 and d. 1640; and his researches led to the belief that originally the name was Coursen, and that the family was of French Huguenot stock, taking refuge in Holland. His view was that "Vroom" or "de Vroome," meaning "the Pious," was attached in Holland].

VANDEGRIFT...the surname being probably derived from the river Grift in Gelderland..."

Jacob Leendertsen, m. July 19, 1648, in N. A., Rebecca Frederickse dau. of Frederick Lubbertse of Brn; mem. of the R. D. ch. of Brn in 1664. Removed to N. Y. and elected schepen in 1673; and one of the patentees of Newtown in 1686. Issue:--Marretje Jacobse, bp. Aug. 29, 1649, m. Mar. 11, 1666, in N. Y., Cornelis Corsz Vroom; Christine Jacobse,
[Page 317]
bp. Feb. 26, 1651, m. 1st, Sept. 22, 1678, Cornelis Jacobse Schippen, m. 2d, Mar. 20, 1681, Daniel Van Vos; Anne Jacobse, bp. Mar. 16, 1653, m. Aug. 26, 1674, Jacob Claesen; Leendert Jacobse, bp. Dec. 19, 1655, m. Nov. 3, 1678, Styntje Elswaerts; (sup.) Frederick Jacobse; Nicholas Jacobse, bp. May 5, 1658; Rebecca Jacobse, bp. May 22, 1661; Rachel Jacobse, bp. Aug. 20, 1664, m. 1689 Barend Verkerk; and Johannes Jacobse, bp. June 26, 1667--all bp. in N. A. and N. Y. Signed his name "Jacob Leendertsen Vandergrift."

[Page 24]

Joris (George) Jansen Rapalie, the father of Sarah, and the common ancestor of the Rapalies of this country, is said by some writers to be a proscribed Huguenot, from Rochelle in France, an emigrant in 1623 in the ship Unity with Catalyntie Trico, whom he probably married before the voyage (although the ceremony may have been performed after his arrival, having no date of the same), appears to have resided for three years, until in 1626, in Albany, then removed to New Amsterdam, where he remained for more than 22 years (occupying and owning a house and lot on the north side of the present Pearl street, and butting against the south side of the fort, for which he received a patent on the 18th of March, 1647), and until after the birth of his youngest child in 1650.¹ During at least a portion of this time he kept a tavern or tap-house, as then styled, his name appearing as late as March 16, 1648, on the records in the book of the burgomasters court² of said city, among the inn keepers and tapsters, inhabitants who promised to observe the proclamation of Gov. Stuyvesant of March 10th, 1648, in relation to the regulation of such houses. He probably removed to his Long Island farm as early as 1655, which he probably partially cultivated previously, for April 13th of that year he was appointed one of the magistrates of Brooklyn, in the place of Pieter Cornellisse.³ Rapalie figured frequently in numerous suits
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[Footnotes on Page 24]:

      ¹See Riker's Newtown, p. 267. He sold his house and lot June 22d, 1654, to Hendrick Henderson, drummer, for 800 gl.

      ²The records here referred to are proclamations, etc., issued prior to the establishment of the courts, and entered in the beginning of this book, containing said court records.

      ³Pieter Cornellisse, a house carpenter, in New Amsterdam as early as 1640, was appointed one of the magistrates of Brooklyn, April 9, 1654. In 1646, he obtained a patent for over 27 morgens in Brooklyn adjoining lands of Cornelius Dircksen, fetryman.
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[Page 25]:

on the records of the burgomaster's and schepen's court of New Amsterdam, up to 1656, on the 28th of April, of which year a return was made in a suit of Cornelia Schellinger¹ against "Joresy Rapalje," of Rapalje's having departed beyond the jurisdiction of the court, and the same return was made on the 25th of the following November, in a suit of Jacob Schellinger against "Catalyn Joresy," Rapalje's wife.

On the 16th of June, 1637, Rapalie bought a tract of land of the Indians, "Kakapeyno, and Pewichaas," called "Rinnegakonck," situate "on Long Island, south of the Island of the Manhattans, extending from a certain Kil till into the woods south and eastward to a certain Kripplebush (swamp), to a place where the water runs over the stones." On the 17th of June, 1643,² his Indian purchase was patented to him by the governor, and is described as "a piece of land called Rinnegakonck, formerly purchased by him of the Indians, as will appear by reference to the transport, lying on Long Island, in the bend of Mereckkawick³ (now Brooklyn), east of the land of Jan Monfoort,⁴ extending along the said land in a southerly direction, towards and into the woods 242"
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[Footnotes on page 25]:

      ¹Cornelia Schellenger was a daughter of Cornelis Melyn; the early patentee and settler of Staten Island, she marrying (1st), April 30, 1647, Jacob Loper, and (2d), April 7, 1643, Jacobus Schellenger.

      ²See Book G. G., pp. 20 and 64, land papers, office sec. state, Albany.

      ³The bend of Mereckkawick is the same as the Waaleboght cove, and Mereckkawick is the Indian name of Brooklyn.

      ⁴The patent of Jan Monfoort for 28 morgens, was dated May 29, 1641, and a second patent for the same premises, Dec. 1, 1643; in which they are described as "betwixt the land of Jorse Rapalje on the east side, and the land of Pieter Monfoort on the west side," April 23, 1701, Peter Monfoort and Maria his wife, John Monfoort and Ida his wife, William Cowenhoven and Jonica his wife, and Claes Wyckoff and Sarah his wife, for ¦150, as heirs at law, conveyed Jan Monfoort's patent to Garret Cowenhoven, as per a deed in hand of H. C. Murphy, In Jan Monfoort left no issue, the parties conveying being the children of his brother, Pieter Monfoort.
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[Page 26]:

rods, by the kill and marsh easterly up 390 rods, at the "sweet marsh 202 rods on a southerly direction into the woods, and behind into the woods 384 rods in a westerly direction, and certain outpoints next to the marsh, amounting in all to the contents of 167 morgens and 406 rods" (about 335 acres).

On this land, which is situated in the city of Brooklyn, in the vicinity of and including the United States Hospital, and on the easterly side of the Waaleboght, Rapalie finally looated, and died soon after the close of the Dutch administration, having had eleven children.¹

In August, 1641, Rapalie was one of the twelve men representing Manhattan, Breukelen and Pavonia, elected to suggest means to punish the Indians for a murder they had committed. In 1655, '56, '57, and 1660, he was one of the magistrates of Brooklyn.
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[Footnotes on page 26]:

      ¹His children, as per an original family record, preserved in the library of the New York Historical Society, were Sarah, born June 9, 1625, m. successively to Hans Hansen Bergen and Teunis Gysbert Bogaert: Marritie, born March 11, 1627, m. Nov. 18, 1640, Michael Paulus or Paulisen Vandervoort, from Vancermonde or Vlaenderen in the Netherlands, the ancestor of the Vandenvoort family in this country, who resided for some years in New Amsterdam, where, Sept. 15, 1646, he obtained a patent for a lot: Jannetie, born August 18, 1629, m. Dec. 21, 1642, Rem Jansen Vanderbek, from Severen, in Westphalia, by one account Coevorden, in Overyssel, by another, the ancestor of the Remsen family in this country: Judith, born July 5, 1635, m. Pleter Pietersen Van Nest, the anoestor of most of the Van Nest family of this country: Jan, born August 28, 1637, m. April 26, 1660, Maria Fredericks, of the Hague, died in 1662, without surviving issue: Jacob, born May 28, 1639, shot dead by the Indians while standing in his door: Catalyntie, born March 28, 1641, m. 1664, Jeremias Jansen Westerhout, who came over on the ship Rose-tree: Jeronemus, born June 27, 1643, m. Anna Denyse, daughter of Teunis Nyssen or Denyse: Annette, born Feb. 8, 1646, m. (1st), May 14, 1663, Marten Reyyese, as written by himself, or Ryerse, of Amsterdam, the ancestor of the Ryerson family in this country; m. (2d), Jan. 30, 1692, Joost Fransz, widower of Gertruy Aukes, who emigrated in 1654: Elizabet, born March 28, 1648, m. Dirck Cornelisse Hooglandt, and had a son Ariaen Dirckse, bapt. Sept. 22, 1670: and Daniel, born Dec. 29, 1650, m. June 13, 1674, Sarah Klock, of Fort Orange.
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[Page 27]:

March 1, 1660, "Aert Anthonis Middagh, Tonis Gysbert Bogaert, Jorsey Rapalie, Jean LeCler,¹ Jacob Kip,"² and others, petitioned for permission to plant a village on the river opposite the Manhattans, in sight of Fort Amsterdam, between the lands of said Bogaert and Kip, but failed to obtain the same. Bogaert at this time possessed the lands patented to Hans Hansen Bergen, and the location of the proposed village was on the line between the towns of Brooklyn and Bushwick.

On the 26th of April, 1660, Rapalie petitioned to be allowed to leave his house standing on his farm for the present, which application appears to have been denied. At this period, in consequence of the Indian troubles, an order had been issued for those residing outside of the villages to abandon their dwellings, and remove to the villages, which were fortified, for safety.

December 25, 1662, he became a member of the Protestant Reformed Dutch Church of Brooklyn.

Rapalie's patent, after his death, was probably divided by will or otherwise between his surviving sons, Jeronimus and Daniel. On the death of Jeronimus, his son, Jeronimus, Jr., appears to have owned 230 acres. The main portion
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[Footnotes on page 27]:

      ¹In a letter from the directors in Holland to Stuyvesant, of Sept. 2, 1662, among the names of immigrants given, is that of Jean Le Claire, from Valenciennes. This may be the Jean Le Cler of 1660, and the letter in which his name occurs may have been written some time after his immigration.

      ²Jacob Kip, a son of Hendrick Kip, one of the oldest settlers, and a tailor, was in New Amsterdam as early as 1647, of which place he was appointed, Jan. 27, 1652, secretary, and on several occasions schepen. He bought Lambert Hnybertse Moll's house and plantation, of 25 morgens, the patent for which is dated Sept. 7, 1641, located near unto a certain creek or kill called "Runnegaconck," on Long Island, for which, Feb. 27, 1667, a patent was granted to him. This patent is located in what was originally Bushwick, and adjoined that of Hans Hansen Bergen, in Brooklyn. The site of the new village it was proposed to establish appears to have been on the boundary line between Brooklyn and Bushwick. He m. Feb. 14, 1654, Maria de la Montagne, and had several children.
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[Page 28]:

of this tract was conveyed to him by his father, Jeronimus, October 5, 1725 (lib. 6, p. 42, con. King's co. reg. office), described as land in Brooklyn, "at a place called and known by the name of the Wale Bocht consisting of a eight acre house lot * * * * * Bounded Easterly and Southerly by Daniel Rapalje's land, Westerly by the River, and Northerly by Hans Hansen's (Bergen) creek; as also 145 acres of upland * * * * * bounded North by Hans Hansen's (Bergen) kill, East and West by Daniel Rapalje's land, and South by Bedford lotts," etc. In this conveyance, the creek known as Rinnegaconck, appears to be called Hans Hansen's creek or kil. It may be that Jeronimus Rapalie also conveyed to his daughter Sarah, who m. Hans Bergen, 150 acres, for Jacob, son of said Hans and Sarah appears to have owned and sold a tract of this size in 1755, to Martin Ryerse, bounded on the east by land of Jeronimus Rapalje, and others. The 250 and 150 acres make 400 acres, some 65 acres more than 335 acres, the quantity in the original patent. This may have occurred in-consequence of there being a surplus covered by the patent, or by a purchase of adjoining land. Jan. 8, 1753 (lib. 6, p. 31, King's co. reg. office), Jeronimus Rapalje, Jr., and Helletje, his wife, conveyed to Marten Martense Schenck, of Flatlands (who m. his dau. Antie), his farm at the "Waale Boght," containing by estimation 230 acres, "Bounded Easterly partly to the land of John Noostrand, & partly to the King's highway or road that leads from a place called 'Kroepelhos' to Bedfort, Westerly partly to land of Jacob Bergen & partly to the River; Southerly partly to the land of John Vandervoort & partly to the land of Harman Andriessen, & Northerly to a kil or creek out of the River and between the land of the said Jeronimus Rapalje," etc. In consequence of Daniel Rapalie's land not being referred to in this
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[Page 29]:

boundary, it is evident that he must have disposed of it previous to this date. This sale ended the ownership of the patent in the male branches of the Rapalie family.

The prefix of "De" or "de" has been used by some old and some modern writers to Rapalie's name, so as to make "DeRapalie," the "De" indicating noble birth. Dominie Polhemius, the first clergyman in King's county, used this prefix in five instances on the baptismal and marriage records of the churches, the first of which was in an entry on the 19th of March, 1662, of "Jan Joriszen de Rapalie," as a godfather at the baptism of Jacob, son of Rem Janzen (Vanderbeeck), and Jannetie Joris (Rapalie). Dominie Selyns, who officiated in Brooklyn from 1660 to 1664, and in New York or New Amsterdam from 1682 to 1701, wrote the name "Rapallje," without any prefix. Dominie Van Zuuren, who officiated in the King's county churches from 1677 to 1685, in three entries prefixed the "De," and in fifteen omitted it. Dominie Varick, who officiated from 1685 to 1695, in four entries prefixed the "De," and in three omitted it. Dominie Lupardius, who officiated from 1695 to 1702, in one entry prefixed the "De," and in ten omitted it. Dominie Freeman, and Dominie Antonides, who officiated from 1705 to 1744, in their numerous entries of the name of Rapalie, omitted it altogether.

Joris Jansen Rapalie shows no sign of the "De," in his signature to documents, which consisted simply of a mark resembling the letter "R." The "De" to his name does not generally appear in the old colonial or New Amsterdam records, in which he is frequently referred to. The author has seen no evidence of the use of the "De" by any of his children, or grand-children, the following being the exact spelling of their signatures on the earliest documents which have come under his observation, viz: "Joris Rapalie," in 1697; "Jeronimus Rapale," in 1697;
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[Page 30]:

"Samuel Rapalye," in 1703; "Jeronimus Rapalje," "Yan Rapalje," "Daniel Rapalje," and "Joris Rappalyee," all in 1723; and "Derrick Rappaljee," in 1739. In consequence of this prefix not having been used by Joris Jansen Rapalie and his immediate descendants, although in some instances used by contemporary clergymen and writers, the propriety of its being used by them in any case is very questionable.

If he had been of noble birth, or of a station above the ordinary settlers, his contemporaries would, in the public records, have prefixed to his name the appellation of "Heer," (Mister), as was done in the case of Van Rensellaer, De Sille, De Bruynne, Poulus Van der Bek, and others.

Joris Jansen Rapalie was probably a sailor, for on the colonial records of June 12th, 1647, in the office of the secretary of state at Albany, it is set forth, that "Jan Dircksen from Amsterdam, master carpenter, who sailed in the company's service in the ship Swol, lying sick a bed at the house of George Rapalje, chief boatswain ('hooch bootsman'), in New Amsterdam, makes his will."¹

Rapalie made the following mark for his signature to documents: [Sorry, image not available at this time--Webmaster]
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[Footnotes on Page 30]:

      ¹See vol. 11, p. 349, O'Callaghan's translation Dutch Records.
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[Page 32]

It has been asserted by our early writers that several families of Walloons, who emigrated with Rapalie and his wife, in 1623 (who strictly speaking are the inhabitants of the frontier between Belgium and France), settled as agriculturists at the "Wahle-Bocht, or the Bay of the foreigners," since known as the Waaleboght in Brooklyn, as early as 1624 or 1625.³ Of a settlement at so early a period at this location, there is believed to be no documentary proof, a rigid search failing to produce from our colonial and early records evidence to sustain the assertion. The earliest recorded Indian grant to an individual for land in Kings county, is that to Jacob Van Curler,⁴ on the 16th of June,
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[Footnotes on Page 32]:

      ³O'Callaghan's New Netherland, vol. 1, p. 101.

      ⁴Jacobus Van Curler was in this country as early as 1633, having a bouwery at Haerlem, on Manhattan Island prior to May, 1638, which he sold to Cors.
[footnote cont'd. on page 33]:
Van Tienhoven, May 12, 1639. He appears to have had another plantation on said island, at the point known as Curler's Hook, by the Indians as Nectanc, which he sold Feb. 22d, 1652, to Wm. Beekman. In 1660, he appears to have resided in New Utrecht, of which place he was a magistrate, previous to which, in 1658, he appears to have taught school in New Amsterdam.
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[Page 33]

1636, for flats in Flatbush and Flatlands, and the earliest to the government or West India Company is dated the 1st of August, 1638, for land between Brooklyn and Mespath. There is also evidence showing that William Adrianse (Bennet), and Jacques Bentin, purchased in 1636, of the Indians, a large tract in Gowanus, and erected a dwelling house thereon, which was afterwards burned in the Indian wars. The earliest patents granted by the government for land in Brooklyn were to Thomas Bescher, on the 28th of November, 1639, of a plot of 300 paces in breadth, for a tobacco plantation located probably at Gowanus;¹ and to Frederick Lubbertsen, on the 27th of May, 1640, for a Van Tienhoven, May 12, 1639. He appears to have had another plantation on said island, at the point known as Curler's Hook, by the Indians as Nectanc, which he sold Feb. 22d, 1652, to Wm. Beekman. In 1660, he appears to have resided in New Utrecht, of which place he was a magistrate, previous to which, in 1658, he appears to have taught school in New Amsterdam.
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[Footnotes on Page 33]:

      ¹April 5th, 1642, a patent was granted to Cornelis Lambertsen (Cool), for a tract at "Gouwanes," adjoining William Adriaensen (Bennet), "which land was formerly occupied by John Van Rotterdam and Thomas Beets." A deed from Thomas Bescher, an Englishman, who probably was the same individual known as Thomas Beets in the patent to Cornelis Lambertsen (Cool), of May 17th, 1639 (prior to the date of the first Brooklyn patent), recorded in the office of the secretary of state at Albany, for the premises covered in the patent, is the earliest conveyance from one settler to another which has been found for lands in Brooklyn. In this deed Bescher conveys his right in "the plantation heretofore occupied by Jan Van Rotterdam and afterwards by him, Thomas Bescher, situate by Gouwanes on Long Island, extending Southwardly to a certain Kil a little cripplebush at which side William Adriaensen (Bennet), Cooper, lies contiguous, and on the north side Claes Cornelissen Smit's, streching in the length in the woods, for 300 carolus guilders at 20 stuyvers the guilder." This is the earliest reference found in the records relating to a settlement in Brooklyn, and from this deed it may be inferred that the first agricultural settlement in said town was made on these lands, but however of this there is no certainty. Bescher died in 1640; his wife Nanne entered into a contract, April 27, 1641, to marry Thomas Smith, in which it was stipulated that Bescher's surviving daughter, Eva, should have the plantation, house, etc., of her father, situated on Manhattan Island. Jan, or Jan Cornelise Van Rotterdam, afterwards occupied premises on Manhattan Island, and was dead in 1648.
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[Page 35]

large tract opposite Governor's Island, neither being located at the Waaleboght. The first patents at the latter place, except that of Rapalie, were those of Pieter and Jan Monfoort,¹ of the 29th of May, 1641; of Lambert Huybertsen² (Mol), of the 7th of September, 1641; of land formerly in the occupation of Cornelis Jacobsen Stille; ³ of Pieter Ceaser Italien (the ancestor of the Alburtus family of Newtown), for a tobacco plantation, of the 17th of June, 1643; of those enlarging or more particularly describing the bounds of the lands granted to the Monfoorts, of the 17th of August, 1643; that of William Cornelisse, of the 19th of February, 1646, for premises formerly occupied by Michael Picet; and that of Hans Hansen (Bergen), of the 30th of March, 1647; and that of Remmert Jansen Vanderbeck. The Monfoorts and Huybertsen may have been Walloons; the name of Cornelisse indicates that he was a
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[Footnotes on Page 35]:

      ¹Pieter Monfoort m. January 12-17, 1630, Sarah de Planken, Planck or Blanck, at Amsterdam in Holland, prior to his emigration, and died January 4, 1661. His widow m. (2d), January 1, 1663, Lambert Janse Bosch, from Oetmarsum. From Pieter are descended the Monfoorts of this country. Have seen no trace of the descendants of Jan Monfoort; probably he left none.

      ²Lambert Huybertsen (Mol), who m. Feb. 26, 1662, Jannetje Williams, widow, was a ship carpenter by trade, a small burger as early as 1657, a resident of New Amsterdam in 1665, on the present William street, and probably at no time resided on his plantation. His name is sometimes written Lambert Huybertsen Klomp. In 1674, he resided on Pearl street, and was estimated to be worth $500.

      ³Cornelis Jacobsen Stille and Jan Jacobsen, his brother, leased, August 15, 1639, for six years, of James Bronck, one house, two horses, and one cow, with the land to cultivate. Cornelis leased May 13, 1643, of Cornelis Van Tienhoven, his bouwery in the Smith's valley, on the Manhattens. March 18, 1647, Stille obtained a patent for bouwery No. 6, previously occupied by Wolfert Gerretsen Van Couwenhoven, containing 28 1/2 morgens, on Manhatten Island. It lay along the present south side of Chatham square, coming down to Pearl street, and was known as "Bowery No. 6." He died in 1680, and his son, Jacob Cornelissen, born in New Amsterdam, occupied the farm after his father's death.
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[Page 36]

Netherlander; Picet or Piquet was from Rouen in France, which is located many miles from the frontiers; he was banished in July, 1647, for slandering and threatening exdirector Kieft; pardoned by Stuyvesant, and in October of the same year, for threatening to shoot the latter, sentenced to perpetual banishment and eighteen years imprisonment in the work-house at Amsterdam. Pieter Ceaser (Alburtus), as his name indicates, was an Italian; Hans Hansen Bergen was a Norwegian; Remmert or Rem Jansen Vanderbeck was from Overessel in the Netherlands; and Rapalie could not have been a Walloon by birth, if, as asserted and claimed, he was a native of Rochelle, in France, a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, several hundred miles from the frontiers of Belgium. All Huguenots in those days may, however, have been known by the general title of Walloons, and the settlement of immigrants of this class at a later period in that vicinity, may account for the name, it being customary in Holland in those days to distinguish churches in their midst erected by French Huguenots, by the name of "Waale Kerken," or Walloon churches, appears to favor this theory. "Wal" in Dutch is beach or shore, "boght" is a bend in a river or cove; the literal meaning, therefore, of the word "Waaleboght" appears to be the beach or shore of the cove. The affidavits of Catelyntie Trico, hereinbefore set forth, appear, however, to settle the point, that none of the families who came over with her located at the time of the immigration at the Waaleboght. It is not very reasonable to suppose that agricultural settlements existed in Brooklyn, and that improvements were made so many years prior to Indian purchases, or the granting of patents for the land. The most tempting locality on the west end of Long Island for natives of the low and level lands of Holland or Belgium, who were inexperienced in the clearing of forests, were the flats in
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[Page 37]

Flatlands and Flatbush,¹ miniature prairies, void of trees, with a dark colored surface soil, similar to that of the prairies of the west, which had been subject to the rude culture of the natives, and which were ready without much previous toil and labor for the plow. On these flats, of which there were three, it is supposed, and almost certain, that the first agricultural settlements on Long Island were made, and their adaptation to cultivation accounts for their being first sought for and purchased.

On the westernmost of them, called Kaskutenu, located in Flatlands, purchased of the Indians and patented by Gov. Van Twiller to Andries Hudden and Wolfert Gerretsen (Van Couwenhoven), on the 16th of June, 1636 (the same date as Van Curler's patent for flats), a plantation called "Achtervelt" was established, on which, prior to July 9, 1638, when an inventory was taken, they had a house set around with long round palisades, the house being 26 feet long, 22 feet wide, 40 feet deep, with the roof covered above and around with plank; two lofts above one another, and a small chamber at their side; one barn, 40 feet long, 18 feet wide, and 24 feet deep; and one bergh with five posts, 40 feet long. The plantation was stocked with six cows, old and young, three oxen and five horses.²
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[Footnotes on Page 37]:

      ¹Flatlands was originally named New Amersfoort, from Amersfoort, a city on the river Eem, in the province of Utrecht, in the Netherlands, of 12,889 inhabitants, the birthplace of Wolfert Gerretsen Van Couwenhoven, one of the earliest settlers of the place. It also was known as De Baije, or the bay. Dr. Strong, in his History of Flatbush, says that Flatbush "was appropriately called by the first settlers, by the name of Midwout or Middlewoods." As all the other Netherland settlements or towns in Kings county were named after localities in the fatherland, it is probable that this place was named Midwoud from "Midwoud and Oostwoud," a village of 544 inhabitants in the province of North Holland, from which place some of the early settlers may have emigrated.

      ²See vol. 1, p. 20, of Dr. O'Callaghan's manuscript translation of colonial records.
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[Page 38]

Antony Jansen,¹ from Vaas, Ves, Fez, or from Sale’, as sometimes written, but generally written Antony Jansen Van Sale’, and designated in addition, in portions of our early records, with the appellation of "Turk," on being banished from New Amsterdam in consequence of improper conduct on his part and that of his wife Grietje Reiners, obtained in 1639 from Director Kieft a grant of 100 morgens (200 acres), on the west end of Long Island, partly in the present towns of New Utrecht and Gravesend, on which he located and became the first settler in said towns. Probably in consequence of the word Jansen (meaning the son of Jan), being common to both names, he is fancied by some writers to have been a brother of Jores Jansen Rapalie, but of this there is no particle of proof, nor is this corroborated by our early records, they on the contrary going far to disprove it.
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[Footnotes on Page 38]:

      ¹Antony Jansen, it is surmised, came from Fez or Sale’ in Africa, and was probably a son of Jan Janse, of Haerlem in Holland, a freebooter and pirate, who settled in Sale’ in Morocco, where he married a woman, turned Turk or Mahommedan, deserting his lawful wife and children, whom he had left at Haerlem.

This Protestant country welcomed religious refugees from France, Belgium and other countries. French-speaking refugees founded churches in the Netherlands and held services in French. In the last century specialists made index cards of the baptism, marriage and burial records of these churches. They also combed their Dutch records and some French and German ones and made similar cards from entries pertaining to refugees and their descendants. They then alphabetized these cards, and the "Walloon Index" was born.

In 1948, the Genealogical Society of Utah microfilmed it on 199 rolls of microfilm. This opened the way for Americans to do serious genealogical research on these foreign families in the Netherlands.(3)

The first two entries for the Rapalje family in this index are dated in 1624, and the second of these, dated 13 January 1624 at Amsterdam, contains the marriage of two future emigrants to New York. It says, "Joris Raparlie born in Valenchiene (Valenciennes in French) (age) 19 (years), boratwercker (living at) Waelport (section of Amsterdam) and Catharina Triko (here spelled Friko, but in the original Dutch it is Trico)(living at) Nes (in Amsterdam) born at Pris in Waesland (French speaking area) (age) 18, accompanied by Marry Flamengh, her sister."(4) The original entry says that Catherine Trico was born at Paris, but this is deleted and "Pris" is recorded.

In 1964 I wrote to the Archivist of the Departmental Archives of the Department of Nord, where Valenciennes is located. He sent me the name and address of a researcher, Monsieur F. Bleriot. This man mailed me a report on 24 September 1964. It contains extracts of the baptism record of Georges (French for the Dutch name, Joris) Rapareilliet, son Jean Rapareilliet, and of those of his older brothers and sisters. They were found in the records of St. Nicolas parish in Valenciennes. Indexes of other parishes there contain no baptism of a Georges Rapareilliet. The dates given below are baptism dates unless identified as burial dates:

Jehenne (old form of Jeanne) daughter of Jean (John) Rapareilliet 1 August 1578.

Marie, daughter of Jean Rapareilliet 29 July 1580.

These two girls, born 14 or 16 years before the next children may be the daughters of another Jean or more likely of the same Jean's earlier marriage.

[page 85]

Olivier, son of Jean Rapareilliet 28 Feb. 1594.

Anne, daughter of Jean Rapareilliet 17 Sep. 1595.

Francois, son of Jean Rapareilliet 5 Nov. 1596.

Nicolas, son of Jean Rapareilliet 10 July 1598.

A Rapareilliet child was buried 16 Nov. 1600.

Georges, illegitimate son of Jean Rapareilliet 28 Apr. 1604.

"The wife Rapareilliet, miller" was buried 23 Feb. 1606.

A microfilmed copy of these records, now available, shows by the handwriting that the same priest recorded the baptism of Nicolas in 1598 and of Georges in 1604; he called only the latter illegitimate, as he did two per cent of the babies he baptized.(5)

It appears that Georges Rapareilliet carried the same stigma as did William the Conqueror and many other noted people. This, and the fact that he was the youngest child, less likely to inherit property than his older brothers, could help to explain why he moved to Amsterdam and later to the New World. We find no record of his brothers and sisters in the Walloon Index. He may have accepted Protestantism in Amsterdam, or have received Protestant teachings at home in Valenciennes.

I accept this George Rapareilliet as the future husband of Catherine Trico and as a progenitor of a million Americans and Canadians because:

1. The French name Georges is Joris in Dutch.
2. Born in April 1604 he was still nineteen on 13 January 1624, as his marriage record says.
3. He was born where his marriage record claims: at Valenciennes.
4. Protestantisme was outlawed in this area, then under Spanish rule, Jean Rapareilliet and his wife, if they had Protestant views, were required to have their children baptized in the Catholic Church.
5. In America, Joris took the name Jansen, which means "son of Jan or Jean."
6. The surname Rapareilliet is pronounced Raparlie (the spelling used in the 1624 marriage record with the dropping of one l.)

Neither parish nor notarial records (wills, marriage contracts, sales of property, etc.) of Valenciennes are available early enough to extend this Rapareilliet line further.

"Pris in Waesland" appears to be Prische, also in the Department of Nord, France. There the preserved parish records begin nearly a century after Catherine Trico's birth, but they contain many Trico names.(6)

[Page 86]

In 1972 George Olin Zabriskie, Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists, published an article entitled, "The Rapalje-Rapelje Family." He used the Raparlie-Trico marriage and with my permission the Rapareilliet baptism and burial records from Valenciennes. I publish them here because many people interested in this family probably have not seen his article in the magazine, de Halve Maen.(7) He spelled the surname Rapareilliet, as in my researcher's report. But I now see in the microfilmed records that it is spelled "Rapareilliet," more like the "Raparlie" spelling used in the Amsterdam record.

Also in 1972, Dr. George E. McCracken, Editor of the American Genealogist, and Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists, published an article entitled, "Joris Janzsen Rapelje of Valenciennes and Catelyntje Jeronimus Trico of Pry."

He arranged it from data received from one of my colleagues at the Genealogical Library. This article contains the marriage record of the above couple and Joris's (Georges') baptism record, but it doesn't name his brothers and sisters and differson Catelyntje's place of birth. I am indebted to Dr. McCracken for his interpretation of Joris' occupation. He suggests that a "boatwecker" was a "weaver of a certain kind of cloth which in French is called "'bure.'"(8) I agree with him, for a French dictionary calls "bure" a "loosely woven brown colored material of wool" and a Dutch one identifies "borat" as a weaver of wool cloth.(9)

The indexes to the Bulletin historique et litteraire de la Societe de l'Histoire du Protestantisme Francais from 1852 to 1940 contain no reference to the surnames Rapalje or Rapareilliet.(10) Nor do the nine volumes of La France Protestante ou Vies des Protestants Francais qui se sont fait un nom dans l'Histoire. (Protestant France or Lives of France Protestants who made a name for themselves in History.)(11)

That Joris Jansen Rapalje and Catherine Trico were the parents of the first child of European parentage born in New York is apparently true; but the tradition that they brought with them 1500 pounds in money from Holland appears doubtful when we consider the work of a nineteen year old weaver.

On 21 Jan 1623/24 when Joris Janszen was 18, he married Catalina Jeronimus TRICO, in Walloon Church at Amsterdam, Noord Holland, Netherlands.⁸

They had the following children:

	49	i.	Sarah Joris (1625-1685)
		ii.	Marretje Jorise (1627-1685)
		iii.	Jannetje2 (1629-)
		iv.	Judith Jorise (1635-1726)
		v.	Jan Joriszen (1637-1663)
		vi.	Jacob (1639-)
		vii.	Catalyntje (1641-)
		viii.	Jeronimus (1643-1690)
		ix.	Elisabeth Joris (1648-1712)
		x.	Daniel Jorise (1650-1725)
		xi.	Annetje Joris (1646-)

99 Catalina Jeronimus TRICO.  Born in 1605 in the tiny hamlet of Pry or Pris or Prische, Waesland, Dept. of Nord, France. One source says she was born in Valenciennes; another says Paris, France. Yet another says she was born in Jever, Ostseeland, Holland. Catalina Jeronimus died on 11 Sep 1689 in Wallabout, Brooklyn, Kings Co., Long Island, New York. Alias/AKA: Catelyn / Catalynte / Catalina TRICO/TRICOT, Catalyntje / Catalyntie Jeronomus / Jeronimus (Friko) TRICO, FRISCO.

From The Bergen Family by Teunis G. Bergen, Albany, N.Y., 1876, pp. 30~32:¹¹

[Page 30]

His [Joris Jansen Rapalie] widow, Catalyntie, died Sept. 11, 1689, aged 84, having been born in 1605, and married before the age of 20; and Sarah, her daughter, calculating from the birth of her oldest child, was married between that of 14 and 15. Like others, Catalyntie's life did not pass without difficulties. In 1642, meeting "Poulus Van der Bek,"² at the house of
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[Footnotes on page 30]:

      ²Paulus Vander Bek, from Bremen, served in Curacao on board the company's ships, came to New Amsterdam, and finally settled in Brooklyn. October 9, 1644, he m. Mary Thomas or Baddie, widow successively of William Arianse Bennet and of Jacob Verden. In 1656 he was a farmer of the revenue in New Amsterdam, in 1661 of excise on Long Island, and in 1662 ferry master at Brooklyn.
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[Page 31]:

Hans Kierstede,¹ she asked him, "Why did you strike my daughter?" He answered, "You lie." She replied, "You lie like a villain and a dog," raising her hand at the time, on which Poulus struck her, and called her vile names. On this she sued him for slander, and on the trial, Jan. 12, 1645, Poulus admitted that he "knows nothing of the plaintiff but what was honest and virtuous." For the blow given he was fined 2 1/2 guilders, and charged not to repeat the offense on pain of severer punishment.² From the journal of Dankers and Sluyter, Labadists, who visited this country in 1679, it appears that on the 30th of May, they visited Catalyntie. They state, "M. de la Grange³ came with his wife to invite me to accompany them in their boat to the Wale Bocht, a place situated on Long Island, almost an hour's distance below the city, directly opposite Correlaer's Hoeck, etc. This is a bay, tolerably wide, where the water rises and falls much, and at low water, is very shallow and much of it dry, etc. The aunt of de la Grange (Catalyntie Trico), is an old
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[Footnotes on page 31]:

      ¹Hans Kierstede was a surgeon in the service of the West India Company, who was in the colony as early as 1638, and obtained a patent, Jan. 21, 1647, for a lot in New Amsterdam, adjoining the company's store on the strand, and also owned a plantation on the wagon road, on Manhattan Island, near the Pannebacker bouwery. He married Sarah Roelofs, June 29, 1642, by whom he had several children. In 1665 he resided on Water street, and died prior to August, 1666.

      ²See page 214, council min., office secretary state, Albany, and vol. 11, p. 126, O'Callaghan's manuscript translation colonial records.

      ³Monsieur or Arnoldus de La Grange in 1677, petitioned the director and council relative to the island of Tinicum, in the Delaware river, purchased by his father of Armegat Prints. He kept a small shop in New Amsterdam, in which he sold tobacco, liquors, thread, pins, and other knicknacks. See Memoirs of the L. I. Historical Society, vol. 1, p. 117, and vol. XXI, p. 51, English manuscript, office secretary of state, N. Y.
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[Page 32]:

Walloon from Valenciennes,¹ seventy-four years old. She is worldly minded, living with her whole heart, as well as body, among her progeny, which now number 145, and will soon reach 150. Nevertheless, she lived alone by herself, a little apart from the others, having her little garden and other conveniences, with which she helped herself."² With her husband, Dec. 25, 1662, she became a member of the Protestant Reformed Dutch Church of Brooklyn.

Catalyntie made her mark: [Sorry, image not available at this time--Webmaster]
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[Footnotes on page 32]:

      ¹In Catalyn's deposition before Justice William Morris, at the "Wale Boght," Oct. 17, 1688, she stated she was born in Paris, instead of Valenciennes, showing a discrepancy, probably caused by a misunderstanding, or an erroneous entry by one of the parties. In 1679, she stated that she was 74 years old, which would make her birth to be in 1605; in 1688, she gave her age as 83, which also makes her birth in 1605, a coincidence which leads to the conclusion that the old woman the Labadists visited at the Walabout was Catalyn Trico.

      ²See p. 341 of Hon. H. C. Murphy's translation of Journal of a Voyage to New York, 1679-80, of vol. 1 of Memoirs of L. I. Historical Society.

For long it was believed that Catelyntje was born in Paris, France, and, indeed, this old error was restated as recently as April 1971 in a letter to the editor of The Colonial Genealogist (Vol. 3, No. 4, New Series, p. 258) . . . The origin of the error is to be found in a deposition made by Catelyntje on 17 Oct. 1688 (printed in E. B. O'Callaghan, Documentary History of New York [1850] 3:32; also in Frank Allaben, Ancestry of Leander Howard Crall (New York 1908), p. 391; the deposition is from New York Colonial Manuscripts, vol. 35. This begins "Catelyn Trico aged about 83 years born in Paris."

In March 1961 when the distinguished genealogist, John Insley Coddington, was in Amsterdam, he was informed by Dr. Simon Hart of the Gemeinte Archief that Catelyntje was actually born in the tiny hamlet of Pry, 50/215/17' North latitude, 4/215/26' East longitude, on the Herve River directly south of Charleroi in Hainault. It is obvious that when Catelyntje said "Pry," the English-speaking clerk who took down the deposition misunderstood her to be pronouncing "Paris" as the French pronounce it, an easy error if she rolled the "r" very strongly. This important information was printed soon after in the News-Letter of the American Society of Genealogists, but as that periodical is not available outside the Society, the information did not become generally known.

In the Zabriskie articles in De Halve Maen [Vol. 46, beginning with January 1972], there are comments on the phrase in the marriage intentions of Joris and Catalina that refers to "Mary Flamegh, her sister, living in de Vles, age 18 years." Zabriskie calls her, in reality, a half-sister.

"Absence of a notation about parental approval may indicate that Mary's parents were dead in 1615. Cornelia de Fonteijn, wife to De La Grange, was probably a daughter of the Carel Fonteijn who came to New Amsterdam in 1658 and lived for years in Bushwick, now part of Brooklyn. Pending a study of the De La Grange and De Fonteijn families, we assume that Carel was the son of Mary Flamengh and nephew of Catalina Trico, thus making Catalina the great-aunt of Mrs. De La Grange."

However, letter from Henry C. Hoff, Editor of NYGBR, May 1996, includes notation that "Cornelia was descended from [Philippe de Foenteijn de Wikkat and Mary Flamegh] but Charles Fontaine was not her father (nor even related)."

Dorothy A. Koenig and Pim Nieuwenhuis identify the diarist cited by T.G. Bergen on page 31 of his Bergen Family as "Jasper Danckaerts, a Labadist missionary," and the date of his diary entry as "Thursday, the 30th of May in 1680." Dorothy Koenig then provides, with expanded abbreviations to make for easier reading, the text for Catalyn's deposition³⁹ that Bergen referred to in his footnote 1 on page 32 before Justice William Morris, at the "Wale Boght," Oct. 17, 1688:

Catelyn Trico aged about 83 years born in Paris doth Testify and Declare that in the year 1623 she came into this Country with a ship called the Unity whereof was Commander Arien Jorise belonging to the West India company being the first ship that came here for the said Company; as soon as they came to Mannatans now called New York they sent Two families and six men to harford River and Two families and 8 men
[page 56]
to Delaware River and 8 men they left at New York to take Possession and the Rest of the Passengers went with the ship up as farr as Albany which they then Called fort Orangie. When as the Ship came as farr as Sopus which is 1/2 way to Albanie; they lightened the Ship with some boats that were left there by the Dutch that had been there the year before a tradeing with the Indians upont there oune accompts and gone back again to Holland and so brought the vessel up; there were about 18 families aboard who settled themselves att Albany and made a small fort; and as soon as they had built themselves some hutts of Bark: the Mahikanders or River Indians, the Maquase: Oneydes: Onnondages Cayougas and Sinnekes, with the Mahawawa or Ottawawaes Indians came and made Covenants of friendship with the said Arien Jorise there Commander Bringing him great Presents of Bever or other Peltry and desyred that they might come and have a Constant free Trade with them which was concluded upon and the said nations came daily with great multitus of Bever and traded them with the Christians. There said Commander Arien Joris staid with them all winter and sent his sonne home with the ship; the said Deponent lived in Albany three years all which time the said Indians were all as quiet as lambs and came and Traded with all the Freedom imaginable. In the year 1626 the Deponent came from Albany and settled in New York where she lived afterwards for many years and then came to Long Island where she now lives.

The said Catelyn Trico made oath of the said Deposition before me at her house on Long Island in the Wale Bought this 17th day of October 1688.
                                                 WILLIAM MORRIS, Justice of the Peace

[page 92]

On 15 October 1624 Marie appeared before the notary Sybrant Cornelisz to record her will. (Nr. 630, fol.61). She identifies herself as Marie Flamen, housewife of Philippe de la Fontaine dit Wicart, and she names her five [living] children that she has borne to her husband -- Philippe, Jan, Daniel, Andries, and Abraham -- as well as all those children yet to be procured by the said Philippe. (Note that she does not mention her daughter Marie who had been baptized just that year on 13 April 1624 in the Walloon Church in Amsterdam. Marie must have died in infancy.) To each of her children alive at her death Marie wills 1,200 carolus guilders, and she further stipulates that her widower-to-be, Philippe, must prove to the officials of the Orphan's Chamber that he has given her heirs their legacy within six weeks after her death. And Philippe will be bound to pay a sum of 1,000 carolus guilders to the testatrix's mother, Michele Sauvagie, if she is still alive at the time of her daughter Marie's death. And if the aforesaid Michele Sauvagie has already passed away before the testatrix's death, then the sum of 1,000 carolus guilders is to be paid to Marie's brother and sisters in equal parts.

[page 93]

From Margriet Trico's marriage intention in May 1632 we know that her mother -- now identified as Michele Sauvagie -- was definitely alive and presumably living in Haarlem because Margriet had to bring in her written permission for the pending marriage (see previous issue, page 58). Thanks to Dr. G.J. van Amerongen in Haarlem, the records of Haarlem for this time period were checked to see if any members of the Trico family could be found. There was only one, a Philippe Trico married to a Sara Janis. This couple had five children baptized with the surname Tricot or Triquot in the Walloon Church of Haarlem: Abraham on 5 Nov. 1628; Jeanne on 24 Feb. 1630; Jaques on 3 Dec. 1634; Jean on 15 June 1636; and Louis on 20 March 1639. One burial with this name was recorded in Haarlem; on 27 August 1656 "Philips Trigault" was buried in Haarlem. (72, fol. 140v)

There is no evidence that this Philippe Tricot/Triquot/Trigault was the brother of Catalina Trico. However, we do have Marie Flamen's stated wish that in the event that her mother predeceased her, Marie wanted 1,000 carolus guilders to be paid to Marie's "brothers and sisters in equal parts." Was Marie's brother a Flamen brother or a Trico half-brother? We know that her half-sisters were Catalina and Margriet Trico. Did she have more than two?

From The Bergen Family by Teunis G. Bergen, Albany, N.Y., 1876, pp.295+296 [corrected]:¹¹

196. JOHANNES or JOHN BERGEN, born Sept. 23d, 1764; died August 12th, 1824, of typhus fever; m. April 23d, 1793, Rebecca, dau. of Samuel Stryker,¹ of Gravesend,
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[Footnotes on page 295]:

      ¹Samuel Stryker was a descendant of Jacob Gerritse Strycker, a tailor by trade, who emigrated to this country in 1651, and as near as can be ascertained was a brother of Jan Strycker, who emigrated from Rhuynen, in Drenthe, Holland, in 1652, and settled in Flatbush. Jacob Gerretse settled at first in New Amsterdam of which place he was schepen in 1655, 1656, 1658, 1660, and 1663. In 1660, he and his wife, Ytie (Ida) Huybrechts, are entered on Dominie Selyn's list of old church members as removed to New Amersfoort (Flatlands). From his being schepen in 1663, it may be inferred that he returned to New Amsterdam for a time. In 1667, his name and that of his wife appear as of Flatlands on Dominie Van Zuuren's lists of church members. In 1687 he took the oath of allegiance in Flatlands, and in 1688, as per Dominie Van Zuuren's church books, he died. His children were Gerret, of Flatlands, who died in 1695, m. December, 1683, Wyntie Cornelise Boomgaert (afterwards written Bougaert and the ancestor of the New Jersey Bogerts in the 14th line of the foot noteon page 295.]), who died in Gravesend in 1700. A Gerret Strycker, supposed to bethis Gerret, appointed sheriff of King's county by Gov. Dongan, in 1688. Have seen no account of other children, unless Altje Strycker, wife of Abraham Voorhies, ofFlatlands, whose name appears on a deed of 1687, was one.
[footnote cont'd. on page 296]:
Gerrit, son of Jacob Gerritse, had issue: Gezina, bapt. Dec. 9th, 1677; Jannetje, bapt. Dec. 26th, 1679, m. Thomas Lake; Jacob, bapt. August 27th, 1682, m. Martha (???), and settled on the Raritan, New Jersey; Gerret, bapt. Nov. 23d, 1684, settled on Stryker's bay, on the west side of Manhattan Island; Geesje, bapt. Jan. 11th, 1685; Maria; Catharine; Cornelis, of Gravesend, born (???), 1691, died Oct. 23d, 1769, m. Rebecca Hubbard, (supposed) dau. of James, of Gravesend, born 1700, died Sept. 8th, 1787; and Gerretje, bapt. Nov. 14th, 1694, (supposed) m. Oct. 11th, 1709, Jan Wyckoff.

      Cornelis, son of Gerrit and Wintie, had issue: Garret, born March 2d, 1729, died Sept. 27th, 1779, m. June 26th, 1756, Ida Van Deventer, born Nov. 28th, 1734, died Feb. 7th, 1810, and (supposed) resided in Gravesend and Flatlands; Hanna, born Feb. 13th, 1733, died Oct. 1st, 1807, m. May 31st, 1751, Mighiel Stryker, of Flatbush; Samuel, of Gravesend, born Oct. 20th, 1737, died Feb. 7th, 1828, m. Nov. 27th, 1768, Maritje Schenck, dau. of Stephen Janse, born March 17th or May 29th, 1739, died May 13th, 1813; Cornelius, of Gravesend, born May 2d, 1739, died Feb. 6th, 1829, m. Maria Lake, born July 2d, 1748, died July 3d, 1837; and Elizabeth, born Sept. 28th, 1741.

      Samuel, of Gravesend, son of Cornelis and Rebecca, had issue: Cornelius, born August 21st, 1769, died Dec. 2d, 1794; Anny, born Sept. 24th, 1771; Altie (twin), bp. Oct. 11th, 1771; Rebecca, born Jan. 8th, 1774, died Jan. 28th, 1850, m. April 23d, 1793, John Bergen, of Flatlands; Stephen, born Dec. 9th, 1776, died June 1st, 1851, m. March 15th, 1796, Annatie or Johanna, dau. of Tunis Bergen, of Gowanus; Garret, born Aug. 15th, 1781, died Feb. 6th, 1861, m. September, 1801, Catherine Ryder, born April 1st, 1783, died July 4th, 1850; and Maria, born (???), died May 13th, 1813, single.

      The following is facsimile of Jacob Strycker, the emigrant's signature: [Sorry, image not available at this time--Webmaster]
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born Jan. 8th, 1774, died Jan. 28th, 1850. Will dated April 27th, 1821, proved Oct. 27th, 1825, recorded lib. 3, p. 78, of wills, surrogate's office, King's county. Rebecca's will is dated April 28th, 1843, recorded lib. 12, p. 31, of wills, surrogate's office, King's county.