There has been much speculation over the years regarding the identity of the owner of Cornelis Wynkoop's Musket. Even the author of the original article, Dr. J. R. Mayer, wasn't totally sure who it was. He said:

"Who was Cornelis Wynkoop? The writer concedes at once the possibility that the man conjured from a careful scrutiny of the early colonial documents of New York State, did not own or use this gun. Nevertheless he strongly feels that such a contingency is highly remote, especially in view of the fact that no other Cornelis can be found in the rather complete Wynkoop records of the period. Hence we proceed on the assumption that our musket once belonged to Cornelis (nicknamed Keese) Wynkoop of Kingston."

    An old Dutch Will settles that question once and for all:

Liber 16, Page 322. WYNKOOP, CORNELIUS, of Hurley.

    Will dated Sept. 19, 1738, and written in Dutch.

    "Aan my outte Soon Johannis voor Reght van Outste soon Schap myn groote Kerck Psalmboeck oock �3." [to my eldest son J., in right of primogeniture, my great Bible, my great church psalmbook, and �3]. - "Aan myn vier Soons te Weete Johannis, Adriann, Cornelis, en Petrus �50, Elck �12.10." [to my four sons, J., A., C., and P., �50, each �12.10]. Ick myn soon Johannis En Schiet Roer gegebe heb, my drie andere Soons ook voor de deelingh van my Staat Elck een middel Matigh Schiet Roer, met en Degen of hauwer Sullen hebben, myn Soon Cornelius dat Schiet Roer darr myn naam of Staat-indien het Selve op dit tyt onklaar is soo sal het eerst Klaar en in order gebragt werde." [I have given to my son J. a gun, my other three sons shall therefore also have an ordinary gun each, before the division of the estate, and a sword or cutlass; my son C. shall have the gun on which my name (is engraved), but as it may not be in good condition, it shall first be cleaned and put in proper order]. "My geheele staat aan my tien kindere" [all my estate to my ten children], Judicke, Elizabeth, Cornelia, Johannes, Cathrina, Lea, Adrian, Cornelis, Petrus, and Maria. "Indien my Vaarde Huysvrouw Hendrica myn komp te Overleeden sy myn geheele Staat sal besitten tot my Jongste Kindt Syn of haar Mondige Yaree en dan de geregtige helft overte geeven aan alle myne kindere" [If my wife H., should survive me, she shall have my whole estate until my youngest child becomes of age when she shall turn over one half of the property to my children]. "Indien my huysvrouw komt te hertrouwen, dan my geheele Staat sal behore aan my nyne kindere." [If my wife should marry, my whole estate shall go to my nine children]. Wife and my five eldest children Judeikje, Elisabeth, Cornelia, Johannis en Catharina Enn my Broeder Johannis Wynkoop [my brother J. W.] appointed executors. Witnessed by Anthony Crespel, Johanes Suylandt, Dirck Wynkoop. Proved Apr. 3, 1747.

Source:

Anjou, Gustave, Ph.D., Ulster County, N.Y. Probate Records, Volume II, New York, Gustave Anjou, 1906: 138-139

    Which one of the many Cornelius Wynkoops was the author of this Will? His identity is revealed on page 23 of Richard Wynkoop's 1904 edition of Wynkoop Genealogy in the United States of America:

    9. Cornelius Wynkoop, (Maj. Johannes 2, Cornelius 1,) baptized, Kingston, N. Y., June 4, 1688: died about 1747. He married, December 14, 1711, Hendrika Newkirk of Marbletown, baptized November 11, 1692, died before April, 1747; apparently daughter of Adrian Gerritszoon and Lysbet Lambertsze (Brink) Nieukerk. In the Wynkoop Family, 1866, she was allotted to the namesake and cousin of this Cornelius, in deference to an opinion other than that of the compiler, who, on further investigation, returns to his original opinion.

    He is described in conveyances of 1733 and 1737, as of Hurley, blacksmith. His last will, as of Hurley, dated September 19, 1739, appoints his wife an executrix, and mentions ten children: Judith, Elizabeth, Cornelia, Johannes, Catharina, Lea, Adriaan, Cornelius, Petrus, and Maria. Letters testamentary were granted by the surrogate of Ulster County, April 3, 1747, to the surviving executors, and the wife was not among them. His children's baptisms are recorded in Kingston.

    Children of Cornelius and Hendrika Wynkoop:
57. Judith: bp. Aug. 31, 1712: m. Johannes Du Bois.
58. Elizabeth: bp. Jan. 9, 1715: m. Philip Du Mon.
59. Cornelia: bp. Mch. 17, 1717: m. Jan Van Deusen, Jun.
60. Johannes: bp. Aug. 16, 1719. He is mentioned in his father's will, in 1739.
61. Catharina: bp. Feb. 18, 1722: m. at Kingston, N. Y., June 20, 1747, Lucas Elmendorf.
62. Leah: bp. May 31, 1724: d. in infancy.
63. Adriaan, Major: bp. Aug. 21, 1726: m. Catharine Louw.
64. Leah: bp. Jan. 7, 1728: mentioned in her father's will, 1739.
65. Cornelius C., Captain: bp. Nov. 5, 1732: m. Maria C. Ruehl.
66. Petrus: bp. Dec. 22, 1734: m. Janneke, or Anneke, Hardenbergh.
67. Maria: bp. Dec. 22, 1734: mentioned in her father's will, 1739.

    For more on this Cornelius Wynkoop I suggest you read his encounter with pirates in his Family Bible record. It's a good story. The Family Bible also reveals that he had another child that Richard Wynkoop knew nothing about when he published the 1904 Wynkoop Genealogy. He did pick up on him, though, in the unpublished 1906 Supplement.

    His young son, Captain Cornelius C. Wynkoop [65], was the next owner of the musket that bears the name. His entry can be found on page 39 of the 1904 edition of Wynkoop Genealogy in the United States of America:

    65. Cornelius C. Wynkoop, Captain, (Cornelius 9, Maj. Johannes 2, Cornelius 1,) was baptized in Kingston, N. Y., November 5, 1732: died August 6, 1796. He married, April 24, 1760, Maria Catharina Roel, daughter of Gustav Martin and Maria Margaretha (Bimper) Roel. In "New York Marriages", 1860, their marriage bond is indexed, April 17, 1760, with a reference to book iii., p. 112, and her name is spelled Ruehle. These bonds were given when the Secretary of the province of New York issued licenses, and the two were a substitute for the ban, or giving of notice.

    Cornelius was admitted a freeman of the city of New York, in 1770, and was described as a shop-keeper. He left New York when the British took possession of that place. He appears as Cornelius C. Wynkoop, Captain of the First Company, S. E. District of Marbletown Township, in the Third Regiment of Ulster County, with Col. Levi Pawling, Lieut.-Col. Jacob Hoornbeck, and Majors Johannis Cantine and Joseph Hasbrouck. He was commissioned, March 20, 1779, as Assistant Commissary of Issues, in the Northern Department, under the signature of James Gray, Deputy Commissary General, Albany. The commission was addressed to him as Cornelius Wynkoop, Esq., and recited that it was granted by virtue of power and authority invested [in him, Gray] by the Congress of the Thirteen United States of North America, subject to directions from time to time, from this or a future Congress, or Committee of Congress, from the Commander-in-Chief, for the time being, from the Commissary General of Issues, or from the Deputy Commissary of Issues for the Northern Department, according to the rules and discipline of war.

    His wife's mother, "Marytje Roel," married 2d, March 18, 1743, Dutch church, N. Y., George Petterson. The will of George Petterson, of the city of New York, sugar baker, dated September 12, 1764, mentions his wife Mary, and her two daughters, Maria Catharine, wife of Cornelius C. Wynkoop, and Sabrina, wife of Nicholas De Ronda.

    The children of Cornelius C. were baptized in New York City.

    Children of Cornelius C. and Maria C. Wynkoop:
205. John C.: bp. Jan. 21, 1761: m. Lydia Silvester.
206. Maria: bp. July 4, 1762: m. Henry Stanton.
207. Catharine: bp. Nov. 20, 1763: m. Jonathan Hasbrouck.
208. George Pieterson: bp. July 17, 1765: d. in infancy. It is said that he was named after a physician of Montgomery, N. Y.: but see George Petterson, above.
209. Anna Sabina: bp. July 13, 1766: m. Henry H. Schoonmaker.
210. Elizabeth: bp. Dec. 3, 1769: m. Jacob Hicks.
211. Cornelius C.: bp. May 24, 1772: died in 1808, unmarried. He was an attorney at law, and was so described in a deed to him, in 1795, and in a deed by him, in 1796. He is mentioned in the Introduction, in relation to a book-plate.
212. Henrietta: bp. Mch. 23, 1775: d. in 1860: m. Dr. Henry Van Solingen.
213. Augustus: b. Sept. 10, 1777: m. Anne Maria Silvester.

    [Note: Cornelius was seven years old when he was willed the Musket and about fifteen when the will was finally proved. (I've often wondered how he managed to lug that thing around.)]

    I would like to thank Sharon Orahood Lyell, [email protected], for sending me a copy of Cornelius's will. Her copy contained one very crucial variation from the earlier transcription that I had been using, a vital difference which has allowed me to now correctly identify the original owner of this old Musket.

    Sharon, you saved me from a big blunder! ;-)

    I would also like to thank Gerard E. Wynkoop's son for taking the photograph of the portrait of Captain Cornelius which is held by the Huntington Library Art Museum in Pasadena, California and sending it to me, quite some time ago. I tried, unsuccessfully, for a long time to acquire a photo of the portrait but Gerard's son made it happen for me. Gerard, I'm sorry it took me so long to post it here on the website, but I mislaid it for several years and only recently rediscovered it. What can I say, my filing system is a mess, (unlike this website, which is a model of organization! Right....)

    To the best of my knowledge, this is the earliest existing portrait of any American Wynkoop still in existence. I believe he was about six years old when this portrait was made, so we'll still have to guess at what he might have looked like as an adult, but even that's fun.

    Thanks so much folks!,

    Chris