New Netherland Settler Jan Sipken

 

Jan Sipkens was a Dutch soldier who settled in New Netherland sometime before October 1674. 

His marriage intentions were recorded in the New Amsterdam Reformed Dutch Church that month, and they revealed his origins were in Amsterdam Holland. 

A search of the Amsterdam church records found his baptism in 1656 to parents Sipke (aka Zipke) Auckus and Baefje Jans.

Read more at Jan Sipkens, New Netherland Settler

W is for Walloon

Olive Tree Genealogy is continuing a new Alphabet Genealogy series of blog posts. I'm not following the usual way of going A-Z surnames. Instead I will create a one word "tag". Then I will share an ancestor (mine, my husband's, an inlaw's or one of my children's) who fits the tag

Today's letter is W for Walloon

Walloons come from Belgium and have many historical and cultural similarities with Huguenots from France.

I have written a book about one Walloon immigrant who settled in New Amsterdam (now New York City), New Netherland.

New Netherland Settlers: A Walloon in New Amsterdam:: Adriaen Vincent and his Wife Magdaleen Eloy - 2nd edition! available on Amazon

Adriaen Vincent, a Walloon from Belgium, made the perilous journey to New Netherland with his wife Magdaleen and their young family in the early 1640s. 

A former West Indies Company soldier, Adriaen was embarking on a new life. The family settled in the village of New Amsterdam, which would one day become the city of New York. Life could not have been easy for the couple, faced with a different culture and language. But settlers were pouring in and New Amsterdam was flourishing. 

Within a few years Adriaen and Magdaleen opened a tavern which catered to sailors and new arrivals. Their fortunes soon took a turn for the better and the family settled into their new life. This book contains new information on the family in the Netherlands and New Netherland, as well as details on descendants of Adriaen and Magdaleen

Ancestor Most Wanted: Edward MEEKS

I know very little about my 7th great-grandfather Edward Meeks. I have been sent some information (unsourced) from others but have not done in-depth research for myself.

Did he marry Maria Bastianse Kortright??? Or the sister of Mary Merrit wife of Walter Dobbs?? or...??

Below is the extent of the contradictory claims sent to me about Edward's wife

Claims that Edward's wife was Sarah Merrit:

Walter Dobbs lived in New Amsterdam, New York in the 17th Century. He was a mariner involved with trade at a time when all colonies along the Atlantic Ocean were interested in this activity from Bristol, England to West Caucases. Walter Dobbs and Mary Merritt married and lived on Barren Island, on leasehold of 282 acres on Frederick Philipseís Manor at present Dobbs Ferry, Westchester County New York about 1698.

His Brother-in-Law William Merritt and the possible husband of his wife's sister, Edward Meeks, were also Mariners. Walter and Edward Meeks both died in 1689. Mary Merritt, widow of Walter Dobbs was born in England in 1632 and died on Barren Island in March 1737 at the astonishing age of 104 years 9 month.

Col. William Merritt had two sisters, Mary Merritt who  married (1) Walter Dobbs; m. (2) Nathaniel Pittman) and Sara Merritt who may have married Edward Meeks;then secondly Henry Crabbe).

Claims that Edward's wife was Maritje Kortright

Edward Meek is listed in the 1702 Orange County, NY Census. Edward and Maritje Meeks lived on Spuyten Dyuvil Neck, near Fordham Manor, NY. Edward Meeks of Yonkers, Westchester County, NY, appeared before the court at Westchester on 6 Dec. 1721 to record the earmarks of his son John's cattle (John Meeks of the same place).

Edward Meeks purchased 110 acres just north of his own farm on 16 March, 1727-28, jointly with Richard Crabb (his half brother) and Isaac de la Montagne, probably Maria's cousin, son of Isaac de la Montagne and his wife Hester Van Vorst. Both Edward and Maritje were still living at Spuyten Duyvil on 19 May, 1768, when Edward Meeks sold land in Yonkers to Frederick Van Cortland, Gent.

On 19 May 1768 Edward Meeks of Yonkers Neck, yeoman, conveyed to Fredrick Van Cortlandt, Gent., land in Yonkers near the homestead of Joseph Betts, dec'd. (Liber H, p. 45)

The Question





Who was Edward's wife?

Are You a Taelman/Talma descendant?

If you descend from Douwe Harmanse Taelman & Dirkje Teunise I have good news. A new book on the family has just been published.
 
The Taelman family in America descends from two sons of Douwe Harmanse and his wife Dirkje Teunise. Douwe was born in Friesland, married in Amsterdam, and emigrated to New Netherland in June 1658. Eventually the family settled in New Jersey. This book follows the first two generations of Douwe and Dirckje in the New World.

Available now on Amazon.com and on Amazon.ca
 
New Netherland Settlers: The Taelman Family is the 14th published book in my New Netherland Settlers project. The complete list is available on my New Netherland page




 

Online New Netherland New York Church Records

Do you have ancestors who settled in New Netherland (New York) in the 17th Century? If yes, you won't want to miss these free online church records

  Records of Baptisms of the Reformed Church at Machackemeck (Deerpark), Orange County New York 1716-1827 [New May 2008]
  Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam/New York -- Baptisms 1639 to 1801
  Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam/New York -- Marriages 1639 to 1801
 Membership Lists of the Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam/New York 1649-1701
  Records of the Reformed Church at Conewago - Marriages 1789 to 1793
  Flatbush RDC Consistory Books, Kings Co. Long Island NY - Coordinated Records of Marriages and Baptisms from the Flatbush RDC Consistory Books And the Registers of its Daughter Church at New Lots Kings County, Long Island, New York, Baptisms 1792-1872 and Marriages 1787-1872
  Reformed Dutch Church of Flatlands, Long Island Baptisms 1747-1802
  Reformed Dutch Church of Gravesend Baptisms 1715-1805
  Reformed Dutch Church of Gravesend List of Members 1763-1805
  First Reformed Dutch Church of Newtown, Long Island Communicants 1741, Baptisms 1736-1845, Marriages 1835-1846
  Baptisms for St. George's Church Hempstead, Long Island, New York 1760- 1763
  Reformed Dutch Church of Woodstock, Ulster Co. -- Baptisms 1805 to 1889
  Grace Church, Jamaica (Queens) Baptisms 1710-1731
 Grace Church, Jamaica New York Baptisms 1780-1810
  Grace Church, Jamaica (Queens) Burials 1710-1731
  Grace Church, Jamaica New York Tombstone Recordings
  Grace Church, Jamaica (Queens) Marriages 1710-1731
 Grace Church, Jamaica New York Marriage Records 1769 to 1810
  Miscellaneous Church Records from Jamaica, Flushing and Newtown New York. Communicants 1791-1794 | Baptisms 1790-1802 | Marriages 1790-1810 | Deaths 1790-1795

Church Records of New Netherland/New York on the Olive Tree Genealogy

Revist Life in New York City 1911

This restored black and white film is a joy to watch. It's been carefully repaired, and acts like a personal Time Machine. New York City 1911. How many of us have not wished we could be transported back to an earlier time to watch our ancestors?

I went to New York (my first time on an airplane!) after my dad's death. I was 14 years old and it was incredibly exciting to see the big city, formerly called New Amsterdam, where so many of my Dutch ancestors settled in the 17th Century.

Little did I know as I rode in the elevator up the Empire State Building, that my 9th great-grandfather Lambert Van Valkenburg once owned the land where that building now sits.

New Netherland Settlers: The Goeway Family now available!

The story of the Goeway family in New Netherland begins with Salomon Abelse who was baptised in Amsterdam Holland in 1617, and his wife Barber (Barbara) Phillipse who was baptised in 1619 in Amsterdam. Salomon and Barber left Holland for New Netherland with their children circa 1652, settling in New Amsterdam (present day New York City)

This book provides details of Salomon and Barber's ancestry as well as their siblings and descendants in Holland and New Netherland. Salomon's Freisland origins are also included.
 
New Netherland Settlers: The Goeway Family: Ancestors & Descendants of Salomon Abbelse & Barber Philippse (Volume 7) 72 pages. Available on Amazon.com

Check out the full list of New Netherland Settlers books available!

New Netherland Settlers: Albert Jansen & Elsjie Jans & Their Van Woggelum, Provoost & Van Loon Descendants

Another New Netherland Settlers book is available.

New Netherland Settlers: Albert Jansen & Elsjie Jans & Their Van Woggelum, Provoost & Van Loon Descendants by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

Available on Amazon.com Amazon.ca,

8.5" x 11" (21.59 x 27.94 cm)
54 pages

 Albert Jansen married Hilletie Willems in Amsterdam in 1638. Soon afterwards he left Holland and sailed to the wilderness of New Netherland (New York). When he arrived in 1642, he settled in New Amsterdam, which was little more than a fort with approximately 270 people. Its gabled homes, the Dutch language being spoken, and Dutch laws would have offered some familiarity to newly arrived Albert.

When Albert married Elsjie Jans in New Amsterdam in 1652, they were both widowers. Elsjie had been married to David Clement in Amsterdam in 1641. Albert and Elsjie’s had four daughters and a son, all named in the Orphanmaster’s records of New Amsterdam after Albert’s death.

Eljsie married for a third time to Otto Grimm but no children are known of that marriage. Three of the daughters of Albert and Elsjie married into the Van Woggelum, Provoost and Van Loon families. This book contains details on the lives and adventures of Albert and Elsjie and their children. Documents and sources are included.

Meme: Immigrant Ancestor Lucas Dircksen Vanderburgh

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 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 (in both USA and Canada)

Lucas Dircksen Vanderburgh first appeared in New Amsterdam (in New Netherland) about 1652 and soon after his arrival he married Annetjie Cornelis, the daughter of Cornelis and Adriantje (Wallings) Shubber of Durgerdam, North Holland. He was one of the signers of the Lutheran petition1 in Oct 1657, so his origins may have been German rather than Dutch.  

Lucas was a Sergeant in the service of the Dutch West India Company as early as
1652. While still a member of the Company, he applied in 1654 at the New Amsterdam City Hall to become a tavern keeper.

That same year, Lucas was given a patent for land at Mespat, Long Island,  but never settled there. In 1655, he paid 60 guilders for Lucas Hendrickson, a drummer, to take his place in an expedition against the Swedes at Delaware.  In 1656 he submitted the following petition asking for his discharge from the Dutch West India Company:

"To the Noble, Very Worshipful, Honorable Director-General and High Council of New-Netherland. Shows with humble reverence Luycas Dircksen, Sergeant inthe service of the Honble Company here, that he, petitioner has served the said Honble Company for a period of about four years and that he would like now to transport himself with his family to the Southriver of New-Netherland, to settle there, where he has bought a house.  He requests therefore, that your Noble Worships will kindly please to discharge him from the service and consent to his removal thither, which doing etc."
[signed] Luycas Dircksen

Lucasí petition was approved.  He left for the South River Delaware, where he was granted a patent for land on 10 Feb 1657 near Fort Casmir.  However he was soon back in Manhattan where he remained. Lucas became a well known tavern keeper in New Amsterdam.  He initially operated his tavern from his home on 21 Broadway, but by the mid 1660s he kept a tavern called "The Signe of the Fort Orange" in Manhattan.

He was often being sued in court for debts owed and there are many court documents involving him throughout his lifetime. 

Lucas and 92 others appealed to their leaders of New Netherland in September 1664 to negotiate a peaceful agreement with the English. Their petition, in part, read 

"Right Honorable.  We ... cannot conscientiously foresee that anything else is to be expected for this fort and city of Manhattans (as your Honors must be convinced), than misery, sorrow, conflagration, the dishonor of women, murder of children in their cradles, and, in a word, the absolute ruin and destruction of about fifteen hundred innocent souls, only two hundred and fifty of whom are capable of bearing arms, unless you be pleased to adjust matters according to the conjecture of the time.

Your honors are ... better aware than we, that four of the English Kingís frigates are now lying in the road at Nyack, with six hundred soldiers, ... for the purpose of reducing New Netherland to his Majestyís obedience.  In compliance with that commission, the English General hath sent divers letters to your Honors, summoning this city and Fort Manhattan, promising, in case we voluntarily submit, that we shall not experience the least loss or damage ... ."

The English reached a peaceful accord with the Dutch and in Oct 1664, Lucas and many other New Amsterdam residents swore allegiance to the King of Great Britain. Lucas died in 1669. His long and turbulent life of struggle and debt was over. 
 

Immigrant Ancestors Meme: The Dutchman Herman Coerte

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)

I don't know much about my 10th great-grandfather Herman Coerte. He was from Voorhusyen, Holland and died 26 November 1689 in Bergen New Jersey.

He arrived in New Netherland on the ship De Trouw, February 12, 1659 with his wife Aertje Gerrits and 5 Children ages 5, 6, 8, 9 and 17 years

He made a declaration regarding the raid on the town by Captain John Scott in 1664 in New Utrecht.He made the Oath of Allegience to the King of England in 1665 in Bergen, New Jersey.Harmen Coerton of Voorhuysen was buried in the Dutch Church, Bergen, New Jersey. Being the 19th member of the church, the 105th person to be buried there, and the 48th to be covered with the church pall at his funeral.

His wife Aertje died on 2 December 1684 in Bergen, New Jersey. Aertje Gerrits was buried in the Dutch Church, Bergen, New Jersey. Being the 9th member of the church, the 78th person buried there, and the 26th to be covered with the church pall at her funeral.

Our Immigrant Ancestor: Christian Barentsen Van Horn

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)


My 9th great-grandfather Christian Barentsen Van Horn was in New Amsterdam (present day New York City) by 1653. In 1655 he was among the Dutch who sailed with Peter Stuyvesant from New Amsterdam to the South River, the Dutch name for the Delaware, and captured the Swedish settlements there.

Christiaen Barents, or Barentsen, a carpenter, came from Hoorn, in North Holland. with his wife, Jannetje Jans, and one child, it is supposed, in or perhaps previous to the year 1653. On August 3, of that year, he had a child, Cornelis, baptized in the New Amsterdam Dutch Reformed church. Another son, Jan, was baptized in the same church, March 18, 1657.

In 1657 Christian began selling the property he had acquired in New Amsterdam. Christaen Barentzen was admitted, April 17, 1657, to the Small Burgher right of New Amsterdam. He bought a plot of ground, February 17, 1654, on the west side of Broadway, opposite Wall street. Christiaen sold the premises, or a part thereof, Nov. 17, 1657, to Cornelis Pluvier, for 1616 guilders 13 stivers in cash, and a mortgage for 1233 guilders 7 stivers, or about $1,140.

In 1658 he, with others, were building a mill near the present Wilmington, Delaware. His sales of land, November 17, 1657, and May 30, 1658, were probably with a view to settling permanently on the Delaware, whither he appears to have removed in the latter year, and presently we find him engaged in building a mill in the City of Amsterdam's unhappy Colony of Nieuw Amstel. Before he could complete the work he was seized with the fatal malady which swept through the settlement that summer, and from which he died July 26, 1658.

Jacob Alrichs, Vice Director of the Colony, sent word of the death to the Orphan Masters at New Amsterdam, with an inventory of the estate, and the request that his widow might be assisted. A petition presented by her to the Director-General and Council in relation to the estate of her deceased husband was by them referred to the Orphan Masters, the order bearing date the day of her second marriage.

On 12 Dec. 1658 in New Amsterdam, Jannetje married Laurens Andriessen Van Buskirk. For the next year or more, Laurens and Jannetje attempted to secure a final settlement of Christian Barentsen's South River estate without full success. Soon the Van Buskirks, and her Van Horn sons, moved Ito New Jersey where in 1662 Laurens purchased land on Bergen Neck, south of the present Jersey City.

Welcome to New York City, 1609

Welcome to New York City, 1609 is a fascinating look at 17th Century New Netherland (New York)

"Have you ever wondered what New York was like before it was a city? Find out here, by navigating through the map of the city in 1609. You can find your block, explore the native landscape of today’s famous landmarks, research the flora and fauna block by block, and help our team continue to rediscover 1609."

To take a virtual walk around the city, the Welikia Project  encompasses all of New York City, including the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island, and surrounding waters.

Our Immigrant Ancestors: Jan Snediker to New Netherland (New York)

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)

My 9th great-grandfather was Jan Snediker. He was born circaa 1608 in Oldenberg, Germany and died at Midwont (Flatbush), Long Island, in May 1679.

An article "The European Origin of the Snedeker Family" by Jeff Snedeker with Pim Nieuwenhuis and Ted Snediker, New Netherland Connections 1 (1996) provided me with a great deal of interesting and well-documented information about Jan.

Jans Suycker, shoemaker, was a witness at the 1641 New Amsterdam baptism of Albert, son of Albert Cuynen.

Jan first married Grietje Michiels in Sloterdyk North Holland in May 1632, and had one known daughter - Annitgen born circa 1634. At his  marriage in 1632 he is recorded with his patronymic of Gerritsz

May 9, 1632 Marriage. Netherlands, Noord-Holland Province, Church Records, 1523-1948

On 10 Aug 1636 Jan married Annatje Ruys, daughter of Christian Ruys & Cornelia [Ruys], in Amsterdam Holland.

July 27, 1636 Marriage Intention.Netherlands, Noord-Holland Province, Church Records, 1523-1948

Jan and Annatje came to New Netherland (New York) between 1636 and 1640.
Jan and Anntje's children were

• Jannetje Jans (<1640-1709)
• Gerret Jansz (ca1640-1692)
• Tryntje (ca1642-<1681)
• my ancestor Styntie Jans baptised 23 Feb 1641/42 in New Amsterdam who later married Steven Wolfertszen Ecker

In 1677 Jan Snediker married for a third time to Egbertie Jans.

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.

A New Book in my New Netherland Series for Descendants of Albert Jansen

New Netherland Settlers: Albert Jansen & Elsjie Jans & Their Van Woggelum, Provoost & Van Loon Descendants  by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

New Netherland Settlers
Albert Jansen & Elsjie Jans &
Their Van Woggelum, Provoost &
Van Loon Descendants

Available on Amazon.com  and  Amazon.ca,

Albert Jansen married Hilletie Willems in Amsterdam in 1638. Soon afterwards he left Holland and sailed to the wilderness of New Netherland (New York). When he arrived in 1642, he settled in New Amsterdam, which was little more than a fort with approximately 270 people. Its gabled homes, the Dutch language being spoken, and Dutch laws would have offered some familiarity to newly arrived Albert. 

When Albert married Elsjie Jans in New Amsterdam in 1652, they were both widowers. Elsjie had been married to David Clement in Amsterdam in 1641. Albert and Elsjie’s had four daughters and a son, all named in the Orphanmaster’s records of New Amsterdam after Albert’s death. Eljsie married for a third time to Otto Grimm but no children are known of that marriage. Three of the daughters of Albert and Elsjie married into the Van Woggelum, Provoost and Van Loon families. 

This book contains details on the lives and adventures of Albert and Elsjie and their children. Documents and sources are included.

8.5" x 11" (21.59 x 27.94 cm)
Full Color on White paper
54 pages
Olive Tree Genealogy
ISBN-13: 978-1987938098
ISBN-10: 1987938097

Lambert Van Valkenburg in the New World

Official Seal of New Netherland

My 9th great-grandfather Lambert Van Valkenburg was born in the Netherlands circa 1614. With his wife Annetje Jacobs, Lambert sailed for the New World of New Netherland (present day New York state). 

From his son Jochem Lambertse Van Valkenburg, there are 10 recognized branches of the Van Valkenburg family (one for each of Jochem's children with his wife Eva Vrooman) and I descend from two - his son Isaac Jochemse (with wife Lydia Van Slyke) and Isaac's sister Jannetje Jochemse (with husband Isaac Van Alstyne)
Records found for Lambert indicate he was in New Amsterdam as early as Jan. 1644. Since it is unlikely the ships sailed in the winter, he was probably in New Amsterdam in the summer or fall of 1643. Existing records indicate he purchased land in July 1644. That 1644 plot of land  is now the site of the Empire State Building in New York City.

29 July 1644: Deed. Jan Jacobssen to Lambert van Valckenburgh, of house and plantation on the island of Manhattan, near Fort Amsterdam. [Register of Provincial Secretary Vol. II p. 121] [Source: Calendar of Historical Manuscripts in the office of the Secretary of State, Albany NY edited by EB O'Callaghan]

16 March 1647: Patent. Lammert van Valckenborch; lot south of Fort Amsterdam, Manhattan Island. [Land Papers Vol. G.G. p. 192] [Source: Calendar of Historical Manuscripts in the office of the Secretary of State, Albany NY edited by EB O'Callaghan]

Court records are a wonderful resource. Those of us with ancestors in early New Netherland are lucky for the Dutch kept meticulous records. It was a litigious time period and settlers were frequently in court suing their friends and neighbours. Lambert is found many times in the court records for New Netherland. Here is one of the more volatile examples:

Source:"Minutes of the Court of Fort Orange and Beverwyck 1657-1660", translated and edited by A.J.F. Van Laer, Vol.2, Albany, 1923. Page 9:
"Ordinary Session held in Fort Orange, January 9 Anno 1657

"President, J. La Montagne, Rutger Jacobsen, Jacob Schermerhoorn, Andries Herbertsen, Philip Pietersen

"Lambert van Valckenborch, plaintiff, against Henderick Claessen and Gerrit Willemsen, defendants.The plaintiff complains that the defendants beat him and his wife in his own house. The defendants deny it and claim that the plaintiff chased them with a naked rapier out of his house and pursued them to the center of the fort. The court orders the parties respectively to prove their assertions."

In 1659 Lambert was appointed to the Rattle Watch. The Rattle Watch was responsible for walking the streets at night, watching for crimes or fires and from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. they called out the hour every hour as well as ringing their rattles.

Source:"Minutes of the Court of Fort Orange and Beverwyck 1657-1660", translated and edited by A.J.F. Van Laer, Vol.2, Albany, 1923: Page 209-210:"Extraordinary Session held in Fort Orange, August 8 Anno 1659

"Instructions issued by the honorable commissary and magistrates of Fort Orange and the village of Beverwyck for the rattle watch, appointed at the request of the burghers to relieve them of night-watch duty; to the rattle watch of which place Lambert van Valckenborgh and Pieter Winnen were appointed the 6th of July of this year 1659, on condition that they together are to receive for the term of one year one thousand and one hundred guilders in seawan and one hundred guilders in beavers.

Read more about Lambert from the Court Records online at Lambert Van Valkenburg in The New World This was first published as "Lambert Van Valkenburg: His Life in the New World as Revealed in Court Documents and Other Primary Source Records From 1644 - 1664" by Lorine McGinnis Schulze in The National Association of the Van Valkenburg Family of America serialized beginning in the Fall of 1999

New Amsterdam Collections, 1647-1674 online

New Amsterdam Digital Gallery Now Available online as New Amsterdam Collections, 1647-1674

Images available onllne

The Municipal Archives has digitized early colonial collections from New Netherland (present day New York state) for New Amsterdam (present day New York City). 

Ordinances drawn from the Records of New Amsterdam for the period 1647-1661 and their corresponding translations are now available at archives.nyc

The other records online are Translation of Dutch Records, 1647-1654, Ordinances of New Amsterdam 1647-1661 Translated by E.B. O'Callaghan and Records of New Amsterdam Edited by Berthold Fernow

Digitizing the records and posting them online are the first steps in making the City Archives more accessible.

Translation also available for images

Fascinating Video About New Amsterdam and New Netherland (New York)

Do you have ancestors who settled in New Netherland (present day New York State)? 

If yes, you will want to watch this very interesting 15 minute video called Het Klokhuis: Nieuw Amsterdam about New Amsterdam (present day New York City) and New Netherland (present day New York state). 

The video is in Dutch but it doesn't really matter if you understand Dutch or not. I don't speak Dutch but the video is fascinating and easily understood without knowing what the actors are saying. 

The description of the video reads:
  
Nieuw Amsterdam. Het Klokhuis in Amerika. New York heeft Nederlandse roots! Brooklyn, Harlem, Wallstreet en Broadway; allemaal namen met een Nederlandse voorgeschiedenis. Bart duikt in het verleden van New York dat toen nog Nieuw Amsterdam heette 

Google Translation: Nieuw Amsterdam. The Klokhuis in America. New York has Dutch roots! Brooklyn, Harlem, Wall Street and Broadway, all names with a Dutch history. Bart delves into the history of New York that was then called New Amsterdam

If you can read a few Dutch words, you may want to turn on the subtitles. That is what I did and it helped add a bit more understanding as every so often there would be a word I recognized. 

To turn on the subtitles (ondertiteling), just run your cursor over the bottom of the video screen. A horizontal menu bar displays. You want click on the "T" icon found between the gear icon and the volume icon.  Then untick the radio button "off" and tick the button beside TT888

Enjoy!

Ship Journal De Bever 1661 Holland to New York Now Online

Page from De Bever Journal

Wonderful news for those of us with early Dutch ancestors in New Netherland (present day New York)!

Thanks to Terry Vanderhoof, a translation and transcript of De Bever Journal of May-July 1661 is now on line at The Vanderhoof Project.

You may also view the "passenger list" (the list of names of those who owed passage money) for De Bever at Olive Tree Genealogy Ships Passenger Lists to New Netherland (New York) 1624-1664

I asked Terry to tell us how this project to transcribe the ship's journal began. Here is his answer. Please note that I have taken the liberty of adding links to online passenger lists for any ships Terry mentions, as well as other relevant links.

The Voyage of De Bever
by Terry Vanderhoof

I guess that finding the key to the story of the voyage at 35,000 feet over mid-Atlantic is pretty appropriate, as I've often looked down at the ocean and wondered if De Bever ever sailed in the waters we could see below us.  I'd been reading Jaap Jacob's 2005 book "New Netherland: A Dutch Colony In Seventeenth-Century America" during the flight to New York and noticed an intriguing reference to the "Ship's Logs Gulden Bever, Gulden Otter, Hoop and Roseboom 1660-1663"  This was puzzling for, in the years I'd been researching the Vanderhoof family, no mention of a log for the Bever voyage had ever been mentioned.  The bibliography of Jaap Jacob's subsequent book "The Colony of New Netherland : A Dutch Settlement in Seventeenth-century America" (2009) gave more detail, giving as a source an article in De Halve Maen of January 1968 by Dr Kenneth Scott .

Scott's article was based on a partial translation of an original document held by the New York Historical Society "Journael Behouden opt'schip den Gulden Bever en t'schip den Gulden Otter" but, for reasons of space, Dr Scott only included a summary of each voyage in the article and omitted  much of the routine positional and weather details.

The NYHS were very helpful but were in the midst of a major refurbishment project and unable to provide any copies for several months.  So, we had to make do with an image of the first page of the Journal from their online catalogue and make a start decoding the handwriting and making sense of some of the abbreviations and nautical terms. Scott's article revealed that the original 37-page journal contained descriptions of four voyages based on notes kept by an unknown author, probably an employee of the Dutch West India Company

* First Voyage : The Vergulde Otter 10 Oct  4 Dec 1660 New Amsterdam to Texel.
* Second Voyage : The Vergulde Bever 9 May  29 Jul 1661 Texel to New Amsterdam (on which the party from Beesd travelled)
* Third Voyage : The Hoop 8 Sept - 26 Oct 1662 New Amsterdam to Texel.
* Fourth Voyage : The Rooseboom 30 Mar  3 June 1663 Texel to New Amsterdam

In early 2012, the scans of the part of the Journael describing the 1661 voyage of De Bever arrived and we were able to continue the  project. Helped by a number of Nederlands speakers from
the Historische Kring West Betuwe, the archivists at the Regional Archief Rivierenland at Geldermalsen/Tiel and the staff of the Sheepvaartmuseum in Amsterdam, a transcription and translation of the account of the 1661 voyage of De Bever emerged.  The handwriting was pretty readable for the period - most likely copied at a later date from rough notes kept at sea - and we managed to decode most of the technical seafaring terms with a good deal of help.  As always, direct translations from Dutch to English aren't always possible and we hope we have reached a reasonable balance between readability and faithfulness to the original text.

One major revelation was that De Bever hadn't taken the 'traditional' route via the Caribbean but had first headed for the north of Scotland, attempting to reach the Atlantic via the straits north of the Orkney Islands. This decision was probably made because of the uneasy state of relations between Portugal and the Netherlands at the time but almost ended in disaster as De Bever and her companion the St Jan Baptist were caught in a storm in the Moray Firth.

As always, opening one door reveals a whole row of new doors to be opened and now that some details of the voyage are clearer, many further questions need to be asked.  How was the voyage planned? How did the 37 folks from Beesd get to Amsterdam? How long did they stay there?  What was the induction and boarding process? What was life on ship like?

Hopefully, some of these questions will be answered in the near future.

Orphanmasters' Records of New Amsterdam (New York)

"The Minutes of the Orphanmasters of New Amsterdam, 1655 to 1663" translated and edited by Berthold Fernow is one of my most-used reference books for finding details on family groups.

It  is out of print but may be purchased as The Minutes of the Orphanmasters of New Amsterdam, 1655 to 1663 by Berthold Fernow (V.1 ) (1902-1907) from Amazon.com

My copy is an out-of-print version printed in 1902 by Francis P. Harper.  "translated and edited under the auspices of the Committee on History and Tradition of the Colonial Dames of the State of New York"

Quoting from the preface to this book

"Before New Amsterdam received its charter as a city the Director General and Council of the Province were ex-officio bound " to take cognizance of matters pertaining to minor children, widows, orphans, etc.," and under their supervision the Deacons of the Reformed Church acted as Orphan Masters, but with the incorporation of the village as a city the duties of Director and Council devolved upon the newly created municipal rulers—the Burgomasters and Schepens,—who, at their second meeting on February io, 1653, resolved "that it is necessary to appoint Orphanmasters," for which position they submitted to the Director and Council four names to select two."

Under Dutch law, when a person died, and if his or her spouse intended to remarry, the rights of all underage children had to be assured. The Weeskamer (OrphanMasters) were responsible for assuring that children had guardians appointed who would guarantee their rights.

It is easy to be confused by the word ORPHAN in the title, but the orphanmasters dealt with children who had one parent as well as those who had none.

In New Amsterdam, under Dutch law, widowed fathers also had guardians appointed for their minor children. Under the law no one who might benefit from the death of an heir, could be that heir's guardian. Also in New Amsterdam, guardians were appointed no matter whether the surviving spouse intended to remarry or not.

In all the cases I've read through, both in the Amsterdam Weeskamer records and the New Netherland Orphan Masters records, the guardian was a relative of the deceased -- or an impartial and unrelated individual.

If you are looking for an ancestor who may have had reason to be involved with the orphanmasters before 1650 you may be out of luck. According to Howard Swain, who consulted "The Orphan Chamber of New Amsterdam," by Adriana E. van Zwietenin The William and Mary Quarterly, 3rd series vol LIII, no. 2, pp 320- 340, Zwieten says on p. 321

"The records of new Netherland before 1650 contain few cases concerning the 'unfortunate.' The population was small, and the care of orphans and their estates fell to surviving parents and relatives. If both parents died and there were no relatives, the deacons of the Reformed Church filled the void."

Anyone seeking records of orphans may also want to consult the online list of names of Almshouse children (orphans) sent to New Netherland (New York) from Amsterdam Holland on the ship De Waegh (The Weigh-House), August 1655

For orphanage records for other locations see Orphan & Orphanage Records which also include Almshouse records for New York City.