This article has been reprinted with the kind permission of Harry Macy, Editor of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record.

    I wish to express my heartfelt thanks for his help and understanding.

    The previous Wijnkoop article had already been printed when I obtained some additional information which proves that the Wijnkoop family of the province of Gelderland, Netherlands, did use a coat-of-arms, a fact which until now was unknown.

    Among the records of the court of Gelderland, civil law suits (Federal Archives, Arnheim), has been preserved the will of Bessel Melissen Wijnkoop dated May 2, 1709. To this instrument, signed by him, he also attached his own seal, as is evident from the inscription on same: i.e. Bessels Win.oop (the c or k is illegible). The arms on the seal are the following. A scarpe (a narrow bend sinister) between three (2-1) coronets in chief snd three signal lights or torches erect and in fess, in base. Crest, a coronet between a pair of wings.

    The arms are remarkable for two reasons. In the first place the charges in chief are those of the van Wenckum arms (see van Wenckum article) and the Wijnkoop crest is identical with that of the van Wenckum family coat. And secondly, the signal lights or torches remind us of the flaming basket crest--often called burning cresset or beacon-of the van Rensselaer and other families. (see van Rensselaer article). As already stated, the Wijnkoop family originated from the same general district as the van Wenckum and van Rensselaer families.

    From the contents of the will we learn that Bessel Wijncoop had a deceased brother, Reyer Melissen Wijncoop, whose daughter Aeltje Wijncoop was married to Gerrit Hendricksen van Harzeler living "op holck" (the name of a farm), to whom Bessel leaves the zaalweere or homestead proper, of the erve Bergman of Cootmans-goet alias Wijncoop genoemte-the estate or farm named Bergman or Cootman alias Wijncoop. This estate was situated in the Norden district of Putten, Veluwe, Gelderland, and belonged to the Paderborn convent, kelnerij Putten (see for explanation van Rensselaer article).

    Bessel, who according to the above will held the estate in tenure, left the remainder to Melis Janssen Wijncoop (a son of Bessel's late brother Jan), who lived there at the time. Bessel was also the owner or tenant-in-tenure of the estates Colthoorn in the Spryell district and 't Cloenengoedt in the Huinen district of Putten.

    In regard to the arms borne by the Wynkoop family in America, Pobert Ensko, Inc., silversmiths, have in their possession a beautiful silver tankard made by Benjamin Wynkoop (1675-1728) engraved with the Wynkoop arms. This old heirloom antedates by many years the bookplates mentioned by me in the previous Wynkoop article.

Source:

New York Genealogical & Biographical Record
The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
122 East 58th Street
New York, N.Y. 10022-1939

Volume 66
January 1935
Pages 68-69