Calling all Van Alstyne descendants! Check Out the New Book on the Family

 

 Announcing my latest book in my New Netherland Settlers series:

New Netherland Settlers: The Van Alstyne Family: Ancestors and Descendants of Jan Martense & Dirckien Harmense Boertgens

 Available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca

Jan Martense de Wever (the weaver) was the immigrant ancestor of the Van Alstyne family in America. He and his wife, Derckien Hermanse (also recorded as Harmanse) and at least two children came to New York area from Drenthe Province, Netherlands prior to 1655. 

The Dutch Reformed Church in Meppel, Drenthe where Jan and Dirkje were married, has church records for baptisms and marriages dating back to 1626. 

My search of the unindexed Meppel church records revealed the marriage of Jan and Dirckien. Baptisms for three of their children were also found. 

A 1658 Notarial document in Amsterdam revealed the full name of Dirckien, providing the opportunity to find more records for her ancestry. This book provides details of their ancestors and descendants to 3 generations and includes documents and footnotes with sources.

Calling all DAMEN Descendants!

Are you a DAMEN descendant? I have good news if you have Jan Cornelise Damen and his wife Sophia (Fytie) Martens in your family tree.

My latest book in my New Netherland Settlers Series is available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca

New Netherland Settlers: The Damen Family: Ancestors and Descendants of Jan Cornelise Damen & Sophia Martens 

Jan Cornelise Damen was born circa 1636 in Bunnik, Utrecht Netherland. He emigrated from Bunnik, Netherlands circa 1650 and later married Sophia (aka Fytie) Martense. To date no record of him as a passenger on a ship has been found. However an Amsterdam Netherlands notarial document in 1651 has been found where a Jan Cornelisz. van Vechten signed on to come to the New World in the employ of Jacob Stoffels. My research takes the Damen ancestry back four more generations in Holland. This book provides all ancestral details, and follows Jan and Sophia's family down two more generations.

Available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca

Adriaen Vincent, a Walloon from Belgium

 

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.

Read more at Adriaen Vincent the Walloon

The Van Alstyne Family of New York

 My 8th great-grandfather, Jan MARTENSE (Jan s/o Marten) was also known as Jan DE WEVER (the weaver) in Colonial New York. He is the immigrant ancestor of the VAN ALSTYNE family. 

His wife was identified as Dirkje (sometimes written as Dirckien) Harmensdr. (or Harmense, meaning daughter of Harmen) BOERTGENS, in a notorial paper dated 24 May 1658 at Amsterdam.

I have found baptism and marriage records as well as notarial records for the family in the Netherlands.Continue reading at The Van Alstyne Family of New York

New Netherland Settlers: The Straetsman Sisters & Their Six Husbands

 The  Straetsman sisters Barentje and Teuntje were from Culemborg  Netherlands. In 1630 the West India Company conquered part of Brazil and  the colony of New Holland (now present-day Recife) was founded. 

Dutch  troops were sent to Recife and Olinda in Pernambuco Brazil and no doubt  Barentje and Teuntjes first husbands were among those sent to maintain  order. 

They settled first in Brazil before 1637 and then New Netherland  circa 1657.

More at The Straetsman Sisters Barentje & Teuntje and Their Six Husbands

New Netherland Settlers: The Stevensen and Jacobsen Families

 

A brief excerpt from my book New Netherland Settlers: The Stevensen and Jacobsen Familes was previously published as The European Origins of Steven Janse Coning in the December 2001, Vol. 6 No. 4 issue of New Netherland Connections. 

My book completes several years of research into the origins and descendants of Steven Janse Coning who was baptized in 1617 in Nijkerk and settled in New Netherland with his wife Maria Goosens circa 1649. By 1663 Steven and Maria had at least 7, possibly 8 children. 

After their divorce in 1663 Steven and Maria married other spouses, and Maria had one more known child born to a man named Jacob whose surname is unknown. This book follows Steven, Maria and their descendants to three generations.

Continue reading at New Netherland Settlers: The Stevensen and Jacobsen Families 

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

New Netherland Settler Harmen Janie Ryckman

1644 Marriage of Harman Janss Ryckman

 Harmen Janse Ryckman (my 9th great grandfather) came to the New World with at least one child - his daughter Margarita (Grietje) Harmense Ryckman. By 1662 Grietje had married Jacques Cornelise Van Slyke the son of Cornelis Antonissen Van Slyke and his Mohawk wife, Ots-Toch. Jacques and Grietje settled in the new village of Schenectady. Grietje's father lived in Albany as early as 1666 and there he died circa 1677

Read more at Harmen Janse Ryckman in New Netherland

New Netherland Settler Lodewyck Post

Sometime between October 1647 and July 1652, Lodewyck Cornelils Post, his wife Agnietje Bonen, and their children left Amsterdam Holland to settle in New Netherland (New York). Research into Naarden Holland church records has revealed the birth of Lodewyck, and the marriage of his parents in that city.

 Read more at Lodewyck Post, New Netherland Settler

Understanding Dutch Patronymics

The Dutch were much slower than the English in adopting surnames as we know them. Patronymics ended theoretically under English rule in 1687 with the advent of surnames, but not everyone followed the new guidelines. In the Netherlands, patron ymics ended mostly (especially Friesland) during the Napoleantic period around 1811 when everyone had to register and select a family name.

The most common Dutch naming custom was that of patronymics, or identification of an individual based on the father's name. For example, Jan Albertszen is named after his father, Albert. Albertszen means son of a man named Albert. The patronymic was formed by adding -se, -sen, or -szen. Daughters would very often have the ending -x or -dr. added. For example, Geesjie Barentsdr. (Barentsdochter) is named after her father Barent. 

An individual could also be known by his place of origin. For example, Cornelis Antoniszen, my 9th great- grandfather, was known in some records as 'van Breuckelen', meaning 'from Breuckelen' (Breuckelen being a town in the Netherlands). The place-origin name could be a nationality, as in the case of Albert Andriessen from Norway and my 9th great-grandpa, originator of the Bradt and Vanderzee families - he is entered in many records as Albert Andriessen de Noorman, meaning the Norseman.

Continue reading DUTCH PATRONYMICS OF THE 1600s

Albert Andriessen de Noorman aka Bradt

2 Nov. 1636 Atlantic Ocen Baptism of Storm son of Albert Andreissen & Annetje 

Albert Andriessen, or Albert Andriessen Bradt was one of the earliest Norwegian settlers in New Netherland. He came from Fredrikstad, a town at the mouth of the Glommen, the largest river in Norway. In the early records he is often called Albert de Noorman (the Norwegian). 

After 1670 he became known as Albert Andriesz Bradt. Whether he was related to the Bratts of Norwegian nobility, can not be ascertained. The Bratt family lived in Bergen, Norway, before the early part of the fifteenth century, when it moved to the northern party, of Gudbrandsdalen. It had a coat of arms until about the middle of the sixteenth century. Since that time the Bratts belong to the Norwegian peasantry. They have a number of large farms in Gudbrandsdalen, Hedemarken, Toten, and Land.' In the state of New York there are many families of the name of Bradt, descendants of the pioneer from Fredrikstad. 

 The name of Albert Andriessen occurs for the first time in a document bearing the date August 26, 1636, an agreement between him and two others on the one hand, and the patroon of the colony of Rensselaerswyck, Kiliaen van Rensselaer, on the other. The agreement was made and signed in Amsterdam. It states that Andriessen was a tobacco planter. He may have learnt the cultivating of tobacco in Holland, where tobacco was raised as early as 1616. 

 " In the name of the Lord, Amen. On conditions hereafter specified, we, Pieter Cornelissen van munnickendam, millwright, 43 years of age, Claesz jans van naerden, 33 years of age, house carpenter, and albert andriessen van fredrickstadt, 29 years of age, tobacco planter, have agreed among ourselves, first, to sail in God's name to New Netherland in the small vessel which now lies ready and to betake ourselves to the colony of Rensselaerswyck for the purpose of settling there on the following conditions made with Mr. Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, as patroon of the said colony, etc. "Thus done and passed, in good faith, under pledge of our persons and property subject to all courts and justices for the fulfillment of what is aforewritten, at Amsterdam, this 26th of August [1636]. 'In witness whereof we have signed these with our own hands in the presence of the undersigned notary public . . "Kiliaen Van Rensselaer "Pieter Cornelissen "albert and riessen . . -. "Claes jansen. "J. Vande Ven, Notary." 

 As Andriessen was twenty-nine years of age when he made the agreement with Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, he must have been born about 1607. Pursuant to the stipulation in the agreement, he sailed, accompanied by his wife, Annetje Barents of "Rolmers," and as it would seem by two children, October 8, 1636, on the "Rensselaerswyck," which arrived at New Amsterdam March 4, 1637. 

 Continue reading at Bradt Family

D is for Dutch Ancestors

Image by ArtTower from Pixabay

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 D and the tag word is Dutch. I have so many Dutch ancestors who left Holland for New Netherland (New York) that I've lost count! Here are the names of twelve with their years of immigration.

1. Cornelis Van Slyke from Holland to New Netherland (New York) in 1634
2. Albert Andriessen de Noorman (Bradt family) from Norway to New Netherland (New York) in 1637
3. Leendert de Grauw from Holland  to New Netherland (New York) in 1637
4. Cornelis Van Schaik to New Netherland (New York) in 1640
5. Jan Snediker from Germany to New Netherland (New York) in 1641
6. Lambert Van Valkenburg from Holland  to New Netherland (New York) in 1643
7. Adriaen Crijnen Post from Brazil  to New Netherland (New York) in 1650
8. Christian Van Horn from ?  to New Netherland (New York) in 1653
9. Jan Van Alystyne from Holland to New Netherland (New York) in 1655
10. Willem Pieterse Van Slyke from Holland to New Netherland (New York) in 1655
11. Herman Coerts from Holland  to New Netherland (New York) in 1659
12. Soert Olferts (Shuart family) from Holland to New Netherland (New York) in 1663

So there you have just a few of my many Dutch ancestors to North America. Do you have any Dutch family?

FInding a Mennonite or Amish Ancestor

Menno Simons

Do you have Mennonite ancestors? I have several, all of who came to Ontario Canada in the early 1800s.

Menno Simons (ca 1496-1561) was a Dutch religious reformer. In 1536 he left the Roman Catholic priesthood because of his disagreement of infant baptism and other Catholic teachings. He organized and led the less aggressive division of Anabaptists in Germany and Holland. The name Mennonites is derived from his name, although he did not actually found the sect. The Mennonites were a Protestant sect which arose from Swiss Anabaptists. They were also called Swiss Brethren.

During the sixteenth century, the Mennonites and other Anabaptists were relentlessly persecuted. By the seventeenth century, some of them joined the state church in Switzerland and persuaded the authorities to relent in their attacks. The Mennonites outside the state church were divided on whether to remain in communion with their brothers within the state church, and this led to a split. Those against remaining in communion with them became known as the Amish, after their founder Jacob Amman. Those who remained in communion with them retained the name Mennonite

A few Dutch Mennonites began the immigration to America in 1683, followed by a larger immigration of Swiss-German Mennonites beginning in 1707. In the 1870s Dutch Mennonites, who had settled in the German Kingdom of Prussia and then Russia, moved to the United States and Canada where they became known as Russian Mennonites.  Many Mennonites settled in Pennsylvania. Large numbers immigrated further into Ontario Canada especially Waterloo County

My Mennonite ancestors who came to Ontario Canada were Burkholder, Gingrich, and Hunsicker

• Burkholder Mennonite Genealogy - Ancestry of Jacob Burkholder of Hamilton Ontario (Switzerland to Pennsylvania to Ontario)
• Gingrich Mennonite Genealogy - Gingrich Family, Switzerland to Pennsylvania to Ontario
• Hunsicker Mennonite Genealogy - Hunsicker, Hunsecker, Hunsiker, Hunziger, Huntzinger and Hunsucker families of Switzlerland 

You may find the following links of help in your own research for your Mennonite ancestors

Mennonite Ships Passenger Lists
Mennonites to Canada
Mennonite Family Trees
Historical Mennonite Overview

Who Were Your Immigrant Ancestors?

There's been a great deal of talk over the past year about immigration and immigrants to America and Canada. Perhaps it's a good time to look back and recall our own immigrant ancestors.

My earliest immigrant ancestor that I have found so far is Jacques Hertel, a 10 year old lad from France who was brought to New France (present day Quebec) in 1613. He came as one of Samuel de Champlain's (The Father of Canada) interpreters to the Indian tribes. Of course my Mohawk ancestors (proven through DNA and contemporaneous documents) were here much earlier than Jacques!

My most recent immigrant ancestors were my maternal grandparents who came from England to Canada in 1913. That is 300 years of dozens of my ancestors coming to North America from their home countries! Here's a few of my ancestors who arrived in that 300 year time span. I'm sure most of us have similar multiple immigrant arrivals.

1. Cornelis Van Slyke from Holland to New Netherland (New York) in 1634
2. Albert Andriessen de Noorman (Bradt family) from Norway to New Netherland (New York) in 1637
3. Leendert de Grauw from Holland  to New Netherland (New York) in 1637
4. Cornelis Van Schaik  to New Netherland (New York) in1640
5. Jan Snediker from Germany to New Netherland (New York) in 1641
6. Lambert Van Valkenburg from Holland  to New Netherland (New York) in 1643
7. Adriaen Crijnen Post from Brazil  to New Netherland (New York) in 1650
8. Christian Van Horn from ?  to New Netherland (New York) in 1653
9. Jan Van Alystyne from Holland to New Netherland (New York) in 1655
10. Willem Pieterse Van Slyke from Holland to New Netherland (New York) in 1655
11. Herman Coerts from Holland  to New Netherland (New York) in 1659
12. Simon de Ruine  to New Netherland (New York) in 1659
13. David Usille from Calais to New Netherland in 1660
14. Soert Olferts (Shuart family) from Holland to New Netherland (New York) in 1663
15. Georg Wilhelm Kehl from Germany to New York 1709
16. Johann Frederich Marical from Germany to New York 1710
17. Harmanus Hommel from Germany to New York 1710 
18. Nicholas Bieri from Germany to Holland then New York 1727
19. Hartmann Hunsaker from Switzerland to Pennsylvania in 1731
20. Ulrich Gingerich from Alsace to Pennsylvania in 1747
21. Jacob Burkholder from Switzerland to Pennsylvania in 1765 
22. Sophia de Roche from France to Pennsylvania in 1765
23. Thomas King from England to Canada 1831 
24. Betty Bell (nee Higginson) from England to Canada 1831
25. Joseph McGinnis & Fanny Downey from Ireland to Canada in 1846

 So there you have just a few of my many immigrant ancestors to North America in that 300 years between 1613 and 1913. Who were your immigrant ancestors? Who was your earliest?

Image Credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. R9266-518V Peter Winkworth Collection of Canadiana. Copyright: Expired

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!

An Interesting New Netherland Connection

Here is an interesting and intriguing will filed in by Susanne vandeWater on 20 September 1653. At least one New Netherland settler is mentioned.

Seal of New Netherland

Susannetge van de Water weduwe van Franchois Willemsz herroept alle voorgaande testamenten en codicillen. Zij legateert en prelegateert de navolgende mensen. De kinderen van haar broer Abraham Abrahams van de Water te Dordrecht, haar neef Isaacq van de Water te Amsterdam nagelaten zoon van haar broer Pieter van de Water, de kinderen van haar overleden broer Joost van de Water te weten Ariaentge Joosten, Sara Joosten, en Isaacq Joosten, Elijsabeth Cornelisdr dochter van Grietge Jansdr, de kinderen van Jacob Standoncq te weten Jan Standoncq en Sijmen Standoncq verwekt bij zijn vrouw Ariaentge, Paulus Jansz Standonck de Jonge met een obligatie ten laste van Hubert Caijmacxschild voor de koop van een huis gekocht door genoemde Paulus Standoncq de Jonge en gelegen aan de Cordewagenstraat, aan Michiel Couweberg, ysermaker, 100 gulden plus een pak kleren van Paules Standoncq de Oude, aan haar dienstmaagd Grietge Pietersdr of Elijsabeth Pietersdr, aan Maria Damen wonend te Nieuw Nederlant, aan Willem Pietersz, bouwman, en zijn vrouw Elijsabeth Joppen, aan Annetge Joppen wonend in de Beijerlanden, aan Cathalijntge Pietersdr dochter van Pieter Corstiaen, aan de armen van de kerk 2 obligaties ten laste van Arij van de Marel, aan Gijbert Huijen van der Swiep voor haar begrafenis.als enige en universele ergenaam benoemd zij haar zuster Sara van de Water weduwe van Govert Govertsz.

Translation:   Susannetge vandeWater widow of Franchois Willemsz repeals all previous wills and codicils. She explains and preges the following people. The children of her brother Abraham Abrahams van Water in Dordrecht, her cousin Isaacq van Water in Amsterdam, neglected son of her brother Pieter van de Water, the children of her deceased brother Joost van de Water, Ariaentge Joosten, Sara Joosten, and Isaacq Joosten, Elijsabeth Cornelisdr daughter of Grietge Jansdr, the children of Jacob Standoncq, Jan Standoncq and Sijmen Standoncq, acquires his wife Ariaentge, Paul Jansz Standonck de Jonge, with a bond charged to Hubert Caijmacxschild for the purchase of a house bought by the said Paul Standoncq de Jonge and located on the Cordewagenstraat, Michiel Couweberg, ysermaker, 100 guilders plus a suit of Paules Standoncq de Oude, to her maidservant Grietge Pietersdr or Elisabeth Pietersdr, to Maria Damen residing at Nieuw Nederlant, to Willem Pietersz, bouwman , and his wife Elijsabeth Joppen, at Annetge Joppen residing in the Beijerland, to Cathalijntge Pietersdr daughter of Pieter Corsti aen, to the poor of the church 2 bonds charged to Arij van de Marel, to Gijbert Huijen van der Swiep for her funeral.s sole and universal surname she appointed her sister Sara van de Water widow of Govert Govertsz.

Source:  Datering:     20-sep-1653
Aktenummer:     382
Bladzijden:     377 t/m 378
Standplaats:     Rotterdam
Notaris:     Vitus Mustelius Woutersz
Akteplaats:     Rotterdam
Aktesoort:     testament
oegangsnummer:     18 Notarissen te Rotterdam en daarin opgegane gemeenten (ONA)
Inventarisnummer:     504
Organisatie: Stadsarchief Rotterdam

Updates to Ships Passenger Lists to New Netherland (New York) 1624-1664

Olive Tree Genealogy has recently updated its exclusive Ship Reconstruction Project for ships sailing to New Netherland (New York) from 1624 to 1664.

Another passenger has been added to the ship Groote Christophel sailing from Holland to New Netherland in 1654.

Another ship has been added (never before published) - the Jonge Prins van Nederland sailing some time after June 1647.

UPDATE Ships Passenger Lists to New Netherland

Olive Tree Genealogy's exclusive reconstructed Ships' Passenger Lists from Holland to New Netherland (New York) from 1624 to 1664 has been updated.

A new ship with passenger names has been added for GELDERSCHE BLOM (captain Symen Claesen, owned by Wouter van Twiller and Guilliaem Momma), left Texel Dec. 25th 1656, arrived in New Amsterdam about March 19th 1657 with 11 colonists for Nieuwer-Amstel.

See the names on Geldersche Blom

Image credit: Brian L. Massey published here with permission

Exciting News for Barheit Descendants!

Exciting news! My research confirms my theory on who the Barheit ancestors in New Netherland were. Barheit descendants will NOT want to miss this book!


 The exact date of Hans Coenradt's arrival in New Netherland is not known but it is most likely he was among the refugees fleeing Recife Brazil in April 1654. The first record found indicating he was in New Netherland is dated in Albany (Fort Orange) in early December 1655. Sometime between April 1654 and December 1655, Hans arrived in New New Netherland.

As New Amsterdam came into view with its gallows and weather beaten wooden houses dominating a raw, windswept landscape, the Barheit family must have had mixed feelings. New Amsterdam in 1654 was a frontier outpost filled with brawling sailors and rough-looking fur traders. Over fifty grog houses catered to a never-ending stream of men dropping in for a little fun on their way to or from Massachusetts or Virginia.

The Barheit Family Revealed ends speculation as to the origins of Hans and his wife Barentje, as well as providing sources proving the names of their descendants to 3 generations .

New Netherland Settlers: The Barheit Family Revealed: A Genealogy of Hans Coenradt and Barenjte Jans Straetsman, the Immigrant Ancestors of the Barheit Family of Albany New York

Available on Amazon.com , Amazon.ca and CreateSpace
60 pages
8.5" x 11"

New Book on New Netherland Settler Albert Jansen

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 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.

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

Available on Amazon.com  and  Amazon.ca,

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