NORTHERN NEW YORK
Genealogical and family history of northern New York: a record of the achievements of her people and the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation.
New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co. 1910.



VROOMAN



Transcribed by Coralynn Brown



This is one of the oldest names connected with the settlement of the Mohawk Valley. There were three of the name early settlers in Beverwyck (Albany) and Schenectady, Pieter Meese, Jacob Meese and Hendrick Meese, all son of Meese Vrooman, born in Holland, about whom nothing is know.

(I) Pieter Meese Vrooman settled in Beverwyck. He was twice married and left a daughter, Geertruy (Gertrude).

(I) Jacob Meese Vrooman, carpenter and surveyor of Beversyck. In his will he spoke of no children, but his wife was to occupy, "My house by the bridge formerly Dominie Schaets."

(I) Hendrick Meese Vrooman, the third brother, was living "behind Kinderhook" in 1670. In the same year he leased of Robert Sanders the long island in the Mohawk, called Steenraby, for six years. in 1677 he moved to Schenectady, where his home lot included the present site of the New York Central passenger depot. His "Bouwlandt" was a portion of Van Curlers land, the engine house of the Central's depot southwest of Schenectady stands about in the center of his land. In the Indian massacre of 1690 he was killed with his son Bartel. He left two sons, Adam and Jan.

(II) Adam, son of Hendrick Meese Vrooman, was born in 1649 in Holland, came to America with his father and uncles. In 1670 by consent of his father, he bound himself for two years to Cornelius Van den Burgh to learn the wheelwright's trade for eighty guilders and a pair of new shoes the first year, and one hundred and twenty guilders the second year. In 1715 he was naturalized in the province of New York. In 1683 he built a mill on Sand Kill and in 1688 bought lands of the Mohawk sachems at Fort Hunter. In 1690, when Schenectady was attacked and burned by the Indians and French, he saved his life by bravery in defending his house, which then stood on the west corner of Church and Front streets. During the attack and subsequent massacre, his first wife, Eugeltje, with her infant child was killed, and his two sons, Barent and Wouter, carried away captives to Canada. In 1698 he went to Canada with an embasy to try to obtain the release of his sons (one of whom had become a Catholic); his brother and cousin were also carried away in 1690.
In 1703-08 he obtained patents for lands in Schenectady and in Schoharie, from which some of the Palatines attempted to drive him off, when he attempted settlement in 1715. He commenced the erection of a stone house in Schoharie, twenty-three feet square, with the help of his sons, and had proceeded as far as the second story floor beams when one night his unruly neighbors, led by one Conrad Weiser, entirely demolished it. He then retired to Schenectady and petitioned the governor for redress. The governor ordered the sheriff of Albany to arrest Weiser, and succeeded in stopping the opposition to his settlement. In 1726 he received an additional patent for one thousand, four hundred acres for his son Peter, made his will Sept. 12, 1729, proved June 13, 1730; it spoke of all the following children, save Christina and Jannetje.
He died on his farm in Schoharie, Feb. 25, 1730, and was buried in his private burying ground, No. 35 front street, Schenectady, N.Y.
He married (first) Engeltje ____; (second) Grietje Ryckman, widow of Jacques Cornelise Van Slyck, in 1691; (third) Grietje Takelse Heemstraat, Jan. 13, 1697, in Albany.
Children, baptized:
Barent, 1679.
Wouter, 1680.
Pieter, 1684.
Christina, 1685, married Teunis Swart.
Hendrick, see forward.
Johannes or Jan, 1697.
Maria, 1699, married Douw Fonda.
Bartholomus, 1700.
Timotheus, 1702.
Seth, 1705.
Jacob Meese, 1707.
Eva Mae.
Joachim Ketelkuyn.
Jannetje, married Harmen Van Slyck.

(III) Captain Hendrick, son of Adam Vrooman, was baptized 1687. He was constable in Albany, and in Schenectady was "baes" of the carpenters who built the church in 1732 at seven shillings a day.
He married (first) Geertruy _____; (second) Maria, daughter of Barnet Wemp.
Children, baptized in Albany:
Engeltje, 1702.
Maria, 1705, married Isaac Swits.
Barent, 1710.
Adam, 1712.
Engeltje (2), 1713.
Children, baptized in Schenectady:
Adam, 1716.
Johannes, see forward.
Hendrick, 1722.
Volkie, 1725, married Isaac Jacobse Swits.
Jannetje, 1729, married Simon Van Patten.

(IV) Johannes, son of Hendrick Vrooman, lived on Normans Kill, where he died May 1, 1785. He married Jannetje, daughter of Jacob Swits, Nov. 26, 1757.
His children, as baptized:
Hendrick, Feb. 9, 1759.
Jacob, Sept. 7, 1760.
Maria, July 12, 1763, married (first) ____ Van Alstyne (second) John W. Van Arnheim, of Gulderland, died April 28, 1852.
Isaac, Feb. 3, 1765.
Helena, Aug. 31, 1766, married Evert Van Aernham.
Adam, Aug. 21, 1768.
Barent, April 1, 1770.

(V) Hendrick (2), son of Johannes Vrooman, married Sara, daughter of Johannes Gonzalis, who died July 11, 1849, in her eighty-fourth year.
Children baptized:
Magdalena, married Johannes Pootman.
Johannes, see forward.
Machtell.
Jacob.
Bastian.
Chatje.
Pieter.
William.
Jan.
Bartholemus.
Abraham.
Joseph.
Angelica, May 5, 1810.

(VI) Joseph, son of Hendrick (2) Vrooman, was born April 16, 1805. He married and had issue.

(VII) John, son of Joseph Vrooman, married Maria Ehle, and had issue.

(VIII) Erwin (or Irwin), son of John Vrooman, was born in the town of Denmark, Lewis county, N.Y., Sept. 13, 1841.
He married, Oct. 27, 1863, Emma Peirce, born Dec. 27, 1842.
Children:
Ehle E., born June 7, 1865.
Herbert C., Aug. 13, 1868.
De Vene, see forward.
Wallace B., Dec. 14, 1872.
Rae R., Jan. 16, 1874.
Lloyd, Dec. 24, 1880.
Harry H., Nov. 29, 1893.

(IX) De Vene, son of Erwin (or Irwin) and Emma (Peirce) Vrooman, was born in the town of Denmark, Lewis county, N.Y., Aug. 13, 1870. He received a good common school education, and then became his father's assistant at the family homestead, "Highland Home," a highly developed and productive farm, situated near the village of Deer River, overlooking the sightly valley of the Black river. He was taken into partnership by his father, and place in management of the property, running it as a dairy and poultry farm. In a few years he purchased the farm, and is operating it on the most modern and improved lines. His standard specialties are small fruits, grain and hay, with a poultry department fitted with incubators, brooders and other applicances best understood and appreciated by the poultry fancier. His blooded poultry breed is "The Rhode Island Red," on which he is an authority. He is progressive and modern in his methods, availing himself in all departments of his business of the best modern thought, discovery or invention. He is prosperous in his worldly affairs, as the Vroomans have always been since the days of Hendrick and Adam, the early Dutch pioneers, who transmitted to posterity their own sturdy, thrifty natures as well as a name.
Mr. Vrooman is an influential member of the Patrons of Husbandry, belonging to Denmark Grange. He is a member of Deep River Congregational Church, and a Republican.
He married, Sept. 28, 1892, Stella, born Nov. 4, 1873, daughter of Dwight and Temperance (Thompson) Hubbard. Her father, Dwight Hubbard, was born at Carthage, N.Y., Feb. 14, 1830, and married Temperance Thompson, born in Harrisburg, Lewis county, N.Y. March 21, 1838.
Children:
Ward H., born Feb. 20, 1894, deceased.
Howard Hubbard, Nov. 2, 1897.
Lucy Randall, Feb. 3, 1899.
Erwin Lloyd, Dec. 24, 1902.

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