Meme: Our Immigrant Ancestors - My First in N. America

1636 List of Rensselaerswyck ^FN1

There is a lot of discussion about immigration in America right now. Tempers have flared, and different groups hold various strong opinions. There is also Brexit, where immigration was a large focus of the recent vote which resulted in the U.K. leaving the E.U.

I've been following this for several months and it occurs to me that those of us in Canada, America, and Australia have immigrant ancestors. Have you researched yours? Do you know who they were, why they came to your country and when? Do you know how they fared once settled in their new land? Were they welcomed? Were they shunned? Was their discrimination based on their religion or ethnic origin? These are all questions that are important, and interesting to discover. With that in mind, I'm the dedicating Saturdays (as many as needed) as the day to join me in discussing your immigrant ancestors.

You will be able to read any you are interested in by using the keyword Immigrant Ancestors. 

I'm going to share each week what I know of my immigrant ancestors to North America (whether that is USA or Canada)

One of the first ancestors I've found setting foot in North America is Albert Andriess Bradt de Norman (ca 1607-1686 New Amsterdam) With his brother Arent Andriesse Bradt, he was among the early settlers at Rensselaerswyck in New Netherland. 

The yacht "Rensselaerswyck" set sail from the Texel for New Amsterdam, 1 October 1636, carrying colonists to Fort Orange (present day Albany New York) in the service of the Patroon, Killian Van Rensselaer, of Amsterdam, Holland.

On board the ship were Albert Andriessen (Bradt)  and his wife Annetje Barents of "Rolmers" and two children; and Arent Andriessen (brother to Albert). The voyage was through rough seas, and a son born to his wife during the voyage was named "Storm." Although this Storm was not our ancestor, and in fact took the surname Vanderzee rather than Bradt as his siblings used, the name Storm has carried on in our family. A direct ancestor is Storm Bradt, the grandson of Albert Andriessen, who married Sophia Uziele in 1711. As well my eldest grandson was given the middle name of Storm.

The brothers were from Fredrikstad, a town at the mouth of the Glommen, the largest river in Norway. Albert Andriess Bradt, known as "de Noorman" was a land owner and tobacco farmer at Bushwick, New York, 13 August 1630. He established himself a few miles south of Albany on a stream, "Norman's Kil," where he built a mill.


You can read more about Albert Andriessen at Bradt Family - The Descendants of Albert Andriessen de Noorman aka Bradt 

^FN1  Memorandum listing passengers indebted to the owners of the ship Rensselaerswijck for voyage from Amsterdam to New Netherland, 1636-1637. Image courtesy of http://www.nysl.nysed.gov. The heading of the memorandum reads: "The following persons are indebted to the owners of the ship Rensselaerswijck for board beginning on the first of October anno 1636 and ending anno 1637 when each person landed in New Netherland." This memorandum contains the names of 33 men, women, and children and gives the exact date [or time?] when each person disembarked the ship.