Jan Corneliszen Damen In The New World Part 2

Several years ago I wrote an article for publication in New Netherland Connections. it was about my ancestor and 9th great-grandfather Jan Damen who left Bunnik Netherland for the New World of New Netherland (present day New York state) in the mid 17th century. Jan settled in Long Island New York and married Sophia (Fytie) Martens.

Far right: My 13th great grandfather Jan Damen 1515-1569,
2nd great grandfather of Jan Damen 1638-1707 
Five Members of the Utrecht Brotherhood of Jerusalem Pilgrims
painting by Jan van Scorel ca 1541

My article Jan Corneliszen Damen In The New World was published on pages 47-56 of Volume 4, number 2 (May 1999) as a companion piece to another article called The Nephews of Jan Jansz Damen by Dorothy Koenig and Pim Nieuwenhuis in Volume 4, Number 2 May 1999 pages 36-39. The two nephews discussed were Jan Cornelisz Buys (aka Damen) who had three wives, 1) Eybe Lubberts, 2) Phebe Sales, and 3) Willemptje Thyssen; and his first cousin (my ancestor), Jan Cornelisz Damen, who married Fytje Martens. 

I have decided to republish the first 3 pages of my article here on my Olive Tree Genealogy blog.  I hope that descendants of Jan and other genealogists enjoy this story of Jan's life in New York. This is Part 2, continuing on from Part 1
 

Jan Corneliszen Damen In The New World

by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

The first child we have a baptismal record for is Marte, baptised in 1661, and his growing family may have prompted Jan's purchase of a farm in August 1662. The farm, formerly that of Cornelis Hendrickse Van Eens, was on the west side of the road in Flatbush.[1]

Three of Jan and Sophia's children were baptised in the Reformed Dutch Church in Breuckelen between July 1661 and February 1663. One month later, in March, Jan and twenty-eight other inhabitants of Breuckelen presented a petition to the Council of New Netherland, requesting land for a new village to be situated nearby[2].  The following year, in August 1664, Jan sold the farm in Flatbush to Claes Melles Baes.[3] He and Sophia now had four young children under the age of 5, and Sophia may have been pregnant with Cornelia who was probably born next in 1665 or 1666.  By 1667 he had a tavern in Brooklyn.[4]

            In 1674, Sophia Martens stood as a sponsor at the baptism of Jan Damen's cousin Jan Cornelise Buys' son Thys (by his third wife Willemtie Thyssen). Thys was baptised 14 January in New York Reformed Dutch Church.[5] The sponsors' names were recorded as Jan Corneliszen Ryck and Sytke Martens. Totten provides a footnote that this is Jan Cornelise Damen and his wife Sophia but there is no evidence to support the notion that Jan ever used the name "Ryck".[6]

Jan was recorded as a member of the Reformed Dutch Church of Breuckelen, and living at the Wallabout, in 1677.[7] His name appears on a patent of Breuckelen this same year.[8] Sophia stood again as a baptismal sponsor in 1678 in New York at the baptism of Harmen, son of Harmen Reynierszen and his wife Jannetie.[9]

---

[1] Register, in Alphabetical Order, of the Early Settlers of Kings County, Long Island NY From its First Settlement by Europeans to 1700 by Teunis G. Bergen (Hereafter called KCo.) p. 83. See p. 143 Lib B  Flatbush records

[2] A History of the City of Brooklyn; including the Old Town and Village of Brooklyn, the Town of Bushwick and the Village and City of Williamsburgh by Stiles, 1867, V. I pp 119-120.

[3] KCo. p 83. See p. 7 Lib D  Flatbush records

[4] Long Island Source Records excerpted from the NYGBR by Henry B. Hoff. 1987 (Hereafter called LISr) Genealogical Gleanings from Book No. 2 of Conveyances, Brooklyn, Kings Co. NY. P. 58 "Jan Cornelise Buys aged 38 years" acknowledges he heard "in the house of John Damon, tavern keeper in Brooklyn"

[5] RDCNY. 1877 V8:2 p 80. 1674 14 Jan; Jan Corn. Buys, Willemtie Thyssen; Matthys; Jan Corneliszen Ryck, Sytie Martens

[6] Jan Cornelisz. (de) Ryk and Marittje Gerritse baptised children in the New York Reformed Dutch Church between 1658 and 1666. Jan Cornelisz. Damen and Sophia Martens baptised children in the same time period.

[7] KCo. p 83

[8] ibid

[9] RDCNY. 1877 V8:4 p. 170 1678: 30 Jan;  Harmen Retnierszen, Jannetie Cortois; Harmen; Hendrick Claeszen, Fytie Martens