Note: Included are also some settlers from Holstein--East Friesland, bordering on the Dutch province of Groningen, many of whom were without a doubt originally of Dutch origin and were refugees who had fled across the border when, following the treason of Count Renneberg, Groningen joined the Spanish side and adhered to the Catholic faith. There were many settlers from Norden, Emden, Esens, Flensburg, and other towns situated in that general district.

    Nicolaas de Roever, the well-known Dutch scholar and for many years archivist of Amsterdam, Netherlands, was the first of the Dutch historians to make a study of the history of New Netherland and especially of the Colony of Rensselaerswyck. In addition to having ready access to the vast collections of the Amsterdam archives, he secured the loan of the family papers of the van Rensselaer family. As a result, he published in the Dutch magazine, Oud Holland, of which he was the editor, two articles (1890: 29-54, 241-259) entitled "Kiliaen van Rensselaer and his Colony Rensselaerswyck."
    His sudden death in 1893 prevented the continuation of these articles. However, in 1908 the New York State Library published the Van Rensselaer-Bowler Papers, in which (pp. 40-85) the translated articles by de Roever are to be found.
    During the many years that de Roever was in charge of the Amsterdam archives, he collected every bit of information relating to the Dutch settlers, taken principally from notarial papers. The notes were all written in his very small but legible handwriting, on little bits of paper only partly filed in alphabetical order and therefore difficult to consult. The greater part of this collection was later acquired by the Koninklyk Nederlandsch Genootschap voor Geslacht en Wapenkunde at The Hague, of which I have been a member since 1903. Last summer this Society was so kind as to send at my request this valuable collection to me, for I had offered to transfer the notes alphabetically on cards so as to make the contents more readily accessible. I have kept a duplicate set of these cards.

    The collection proved to be somewhat of a disappointment in some respects, as many of the data had already been used by de Roever and in the V. R.-B. Papers, and it contained very little or no information about some of the important, still unsolved genealogical problems, such as the origin of Anneke Jans and the van Maesterland, Rip van Dam, Van Couwenhoven, Kip and several other well-known families of Dutch descent. Nevertheless, it did disclose many facts of interest.
    Taken in large measure from depositions made before various Notaries Public at Amsterdam (the majority being powers-of-attorney to hire servants or to collect money either in New Netherland or Patria), the facts stated therein--in most cases made under oath--are authentic and in addition were taken down by persons who were expert in noting such details as places of origin, age, correct names, and relationships.
    I believe that most of the following information, to which I have added here and there from my own notes, is unknown or at least has not, to my knowledge, been published.
    The various records disclose many of the customs which prevailed when hiring prospective settlers or the servants for those who were already established in New Netherland. The Van Rensselaers obtained many of the settlers for their Colony from the villages around Nykerk, where the family lived, a neighborhood in which the Rensselaer Farm was and still is located; also from near Huizen where from 1620 the rich jewelry merchant, Kiliaen Van Rensselaer had his country estate Cralo (Kraloo, Krailo), with about 300 acres and a beautiful house and carillon and the coat of arms over the entrance. Kiliaen imported seedlings of American pines and planted an American pine forest. The original house was destroyed in 1672 during the French invasion of the Netherlands.
    To digress, Kiliaen was a member, later sole owner, of a house of international fame founded by a member of the van Byler family. They furnished valuable objets d'art to many of the princely families. In some of the inventories among the notes we find swords encrusted with diamonds, dozens of diamond buttons, ornate chains, hatbands with diamonds, and plumes. There is mention of the Elector of Brandenburg having bought valuable jewelry to be used at his investiture, but when that event did not taste place, he returned the baubles to a German firm which had bought the collection from Van Rensselaer. This led to a dispute about a settlement [Not. J. Westfrisius, Amsterdam 7 June 1621]. In 1613 the house furnished to the States General a "carcanet" with sixteen diamonds and a string of 52 pearls to be presented to the Countess Palatine, daughter of King

James I of England.
    A group of prospective farmers, twelve in number, was engaged by Jan Van Rensselaer in 1651, who were natives of villages within a five mile radius of Amersfoort. There was 14-year-old Elbert Elbertsz from Nykerk (not the ancestor of the Stoothoff family of the same name and origin who was born about 1620 and settled here in 1637), who, though the youngest, had for fellow travelers Paulus Paulusz from Amersfoort, 15 years old, Ryck Claes from Nykerk, 16 years old, and Cornelis Jansz from Bunschoten, also 16 years old. What an experience for the youngsters, to sail for the New World expecting to see the Indians who would later (see below) murder one of their fellow passengers.
    Another passenger was Cornelis Evertsz Wynkoop, 24 years old, from the "Buurschap Wyckerom by Eeden." This establishes the origin, age, and the father's name, all heretofore unknown, of this well known family in America. In my article [N.Y. Record, 1934:331; 1935:68], devoted to the arms of this family, I enumerated several bearers of this surname found in the records of Gelderland (to which I have since been able to add others). I mentioned Evert Wincoop, who was living in 1585, and also one Reynier Evertsz Wijncoop whose widow Diele van Morseler was mentioned in 1609, then aged 85, hence born about 1524. It is possible that he may be identified with Rev. Reynier Wijncoop, formerly a priest who had been converted to Protestantism and had become a minister at Barnevelt. He died in 1602. There is also mention of Styne Elbertsd [Evertsdr?], wife of Gerrit van Mehen and a sister of Reynier van Wyncoop (possibly the above) who sued Evert Wyncoop in 1580. These are excellent leads for a further investigation concerning the ancestry of the American settler, Cornelis Evertsz Wynkoop, born about 1627. The above cited records prove that the American Wynkoops belong to the Gelderland family of this name and not to the family of the same name from Hoorn as the late Mr. de Young, a Dutch genealogist in the United States, propounded.
    Still another passenger on the same ship was Gysbert Philips from Velthuysen, 24 years old, a "neve" (nephew or cousin) of Cornelis Wynkoop. His wife was a daughter of Cornelis Pietersz, a farmer at Velthuysen. Gysbert was killed by the Indians [ERA, IV:11; Corr. Jer. van Renss., p. 89; Pearson, Alb., p. 199]. He is not to be confused with Sergt. [Nicolaes] Velthuysen at Midwout.
    And finally another passenger should be mentioned: Adriaen Dirksz v. Bil, 40 years old (see VRB:842). Mr. van Laer identifies tentatively Bil with 't Bildt in Friesland. As all the twelve passengers came apparently from the same general neighborhood, as has been

pointed out above, it would seem to me rather that de Bilt, Utrecht, was meant.
    Adriaen van der Donck, when selecting farmers for his Colony (Yonkers) in 1652, followed the same procedure as did Van Rensselaer and found the following in the neighborhood of Breda, his birthplace. He engaged for a period of six years, Aert Pieters Tack and Jacob Jansz, both from Etten, the settler ancestors of the Tack and van Etten families. Also Mayken Huyberts from Raemsdonck, Jannetje Gerrits from Loon, Bartel Nicolaesz van de Broeck, and Dirk Adriaensz from "Dreumelen" (by which is meant Dreumel in Gelderland situated on the Waaldyk) [15 May 1652, Not. de Winter].
    Mayken Huyberts "van Geertruidenberg" (Raemsdonck is in the immediate neighborhood) married 1653 [NYDR 18] Hans Fommer "van Hirts Velt (Hirschfeld, Germany) [RNA I:118; NYRec. 1936:235].
    Jannetje Gerrits "van Loon op't Sandt in the Mayerye van den Bosch" (Mayorate of Bois-le-Duc, Brabant) married 1652 [NYDR 17] Hans Janssen van Noordstrant. She apparently did not finish her term of employment. Her husband, according to Bergen. [KCo], was from Holstein, but according to his will [NYWills, I:200], Hans Hansen "van Neuerstrait," Holland. It seems to me very probable that Bergen is correct and that there has been a misreading of the will. There is a town Noordstrant in Holstein and the names are German rather than Dutch, while Neuerstrait in Holland cannot be identified. He had emigrated in 1639. The children mentioned in his will are: Gerrit Hansen, Pieter Hansen, John Hansen, and Volckert Hansen; no Symon Hansen "from Amsterdam" who married at Brooklyn 1663 and whose descendants were also known as "van Noordstrant." However, his father was also one Hans Hansen, and in addition there is a will in 1695 [NJWills, I:209] of Volckert Hansen (see above) with brothers Gerrit Hansen and Simon Hansen. It would therefore seem that Simon was also a son of the same Hans Hansen, but in view of Simon's marriage date, by an earlier wife than Jannetje Gerrits.
    Bartel Nicolaes from Broek in Waterland and Dirk Adriaensz from Dreumel have not yet been identified in New Netherland.
    When Adriaen van der Donck during the following year [4 June 1653, Not. de Winter] needed carpenters and other craftsmen to build his manor house, he went farther afield to hire them. Three came from Steenwyk in Overyssel; two of these, Jan Gerritsen and Evert Jansen, are mentioned in HSYB 1900:112. The third one, Jan Meesz, was hired "with his tools"; he died in 1655 [HSYB 1900]. Hendrick Claesz, a "plateelbakker" (tile maker) from Rotterdam, was hired "to make potash according to the new invention" and was to receive 250 gl. a

year, a large amount. His "hovenier" (gardener), Gommaert Paulus, was from Antwerp, while Christiaen Jansz from Frederickstadt (Norway or Denmark) was to serve as a farm hand "in the manner as was the custom in his native town and to work with the ax."
    In general, contracts were made for from two to six years, those for three years being the most prevalent. In most cases the passage money was paid by the employer, and in New Netherland bed and board were to be furnished in addition to wages. For single girls, it was nearly always stipulated that if they married before the expiration of their contract, the passage money was to be refunded. Wages above board and bed were around 50 gl. a year for a maid servant; farm hands received 100 to 150 gl. according to age and experience. Salaries for merchants' assistants were much higher, and for an officer such as Anthony de Hooges at Albany--of "Anthony's nose" fame--amounted in 1650/1 to 30 gl. a month as secretary, 100 gl. a year as "gecommitteerde," 300 gl. a year as precentor, and 40 gl. a year as "gerichtsbode" (court officer). This checks with amounts given in VRB:825.
    In order to get an idea of the purchasing power of such wages, there is a record of 1639 [3 Mar., Not. de Vos] which enumerates various prices. For a mare, 200 gl., for a milch cow, 100 gl., for a pound of butter or a pound of pork, 6 st. (there were 20 st. to the guilder). A shirt was worth 3 gl., a very fine one double that amount or one beaver skin, while a pair of farmer's shoes as well as a woman's "ryglyf" (laced bodice) could each be bought for 4 gl., and for an English cap with green velvet one had to pay 8 gl.
    Of interest also are the special conditions mentioned in a number of the contracts. For example, Wouter van Twiller engaged Gerrit Courten van Voorthuizen, 21 years old, and Wouter Aerts from Putten, of the same age, on 13 Nov. 1641 [Not. J. v.d. Ven] to go to New Netherland "to sow, to mow, to plow, to dig ditches (greppen maken) and to do farm work in the Gelderland manner." The former, who married in 1647 [NYDR] Geertje Jans Deunars, is mentioned in RNA I:298; II:277 and NJWills, I:101 (1671). He was a brother of Herman Courten whose descendants are given in NYRec, 1925:267.
    Wouter Aertsz from Putten may be the same as Wouter Aertsz from Nykerk, these towns being very close. He was a wheelwright at Albany [ERA IV:56]. He took the oath of allegiance on 7 May 1652 [Min. Ft. Orange Ct., p. 20; also, Du. Settl. Soc., 1934/5, p. 2]. If this identity is correct, he must have left the employ of Wouter van Twiller to go to Fort Orange.
    When Coenraet ten Eyck, master shoemaker and tanner at New Amsterdam, engaged Abel Hardenbroeck from Elber-

feld, Germany [see NYRec, 1939:130] on 6 Jan. 1659 [Not. H. Schaeff] to serve him in his shoeshop, his tannery, and at "the vats." He was to work from 5 o'clock in the morning until 9 o'clock in the evening and to produce 10 pairs � la mode of man's or woman's shoes a week at 120 gl. a year in addition to bed and board and laundry."
    A few days later, before the same Notary, Coenraet hired (28 Jan.) Pieter Jansz School (Scholl) from The Hague [Publ. Gen. Soc. of Penn., X, no. 3, p. 213], while eight years before he had hired (21 Mar. 1651) Barent Meynders as a shoemaker's apprentice.
    Barent Reynders, 24 years old, who was to serve Remmert Jans, smith, in New Netherland in the capacity of smith and gunsmith (roermaker) for a period of three years, was rather particular in specifying that he was to be furnished with laundry, room, board and his own bed [23 Apr. 1651, Not. C. v. Vliet].
    Payments were to be made in most cases in money, but sometimes in salable (leverbare) beaverskins, seewant, strung or loose, even in corn.
    From the de Roever notes we learn the (until now unknown) parents of the famous Secretary of New Netherland, Cornelis van Tienhoven, who, according to Broadhead, I:223, 275, was from Utrecht, meaning the province. He was from the town of Breuckelen in the Province of Utrecht, for his brother Adriaen van Tienhoven, clerk at the South River, aged 35, on 16 Mar. 1655 was mentioned as a native of that town [Penn. Arch. Del. Papers, 254; Icon. Manh. IV:168]. In a paper passed before Not. J. v.d. Ven at Amsterdam, 7 July 1650, Cornelis signed with his full name: Cornelis Luycasz van Tienhoven, and in another paper of 10 Mar. 1651 before Not. H. Schaeff, at Amsterdam, his parents are mentioned as the late Luyt [Lucas] Cornelisz van Tienhoven and his widow Jannetje Adriaensd. de Haes. These two papers therefore establish the Secretary's parentage.
    There is additional information concerning a man of many trades,--the Notary Public, tailor and tavernkeeper, Salomon Pietersz (de) la Chair. According to a paper dated 9 May 1658 before Not. Leuven at Amsterdam, he was the son of Pieter Jacobsz la Chair, 60 years old, laborer at the weighhouse in Amsterdam and of Margaret Jansd. Cavalier, 54 years old. This last family name is also found in the early New Amsterdam records. Salomon had a sister-in-law married to Jacob van Couwenhoven, "and she thereby made a good marriage." Jacob van Couwenhoven had married [NYDR] in 1655, Magdaleentje Jacobsdr. Ryssens, j.d. van Amsterdam. Salomon La Chair's wife was Anna Jacobs, which checks, the patronymic of both being the same. It is also to be noted that the two ladies apparently joined the Dutch Reform-

ed Church at the same time (Membership List). On a visit to Amsterdam, the wife of La Chair had hired for her husband Barent Egberts from Schutterop (Schuttorf, Germany) on 19 Apr. 1655 [Not. G. Borsselaer]. Barent married [NYDR] in 1657, Aechje Alberts from Emderlandt.
    From the Genealogical Records from Family Bibles, we may learn the date (26 Feb. 1641) of the marriage of Govert Loockermans to his first wife, Adriaentje Jans, also the birth of their daughter at sea. However, the original entry in the Amsterdam betrothal records [D. T. & B., 455] gives additional details. He was a seafaring man from Turnhout, in Belgium, living at Amsterdam on the Prinsegracht and, what is of greater importance, his bride was a widow living at Haarlem. The name of her first husband is not evident from this record, but a very reliable searcher has supplied me with it, namely, Jan van de Water, which information he stated as being based on a record. It would seem that Adriaentje Jans and her first husband were the parents of Hendrik van de Water, j.m. van Amsterdam, who settled also in New Amsterdam. Govert Loockermans was a sponsor at the baptisms of Hendrik's children. Members of the van de Water family in Haarlem are mentioned in the Van Brugh genealogy in NYRec, 1935:5.
    In addition, the de Roever notes determine the parentage of Adriaentje Jans. From notarial papers dated respectively 4, 10, and 18 Mar. 1651, passed before Notary Schaeff at Amsterdam (one of the most popular Notaries with the American settlers), it is evident that Govert and his wife were on the point of sailing for New Netherland, apparently after a visit to Patria, and that the wife Adriaentje was a daughter of the late Jan Philipsz, "bode op Zeeland" (messenger to the Province of Zealand), whose widow Lysbet Setten was to accompany them. They took also with them Jacomyntje Fransen as a maid and Dirk Jansz from Rotterdam to be in charge of Govert's herd.
    From the marriage banns and marriage record of Jacob van Couwenhoven (married Amsterdam, 1 Dec. 1637) to his first wife, Hester Jans, we learn that she was "assisted" by her mother, Lysbet Setten. Hester Jans was therefore a sister of the first wife of Govert Loockermans and consequently also a daughter of Jan Philips, "bode op Zeeland." In RNA, VI:299 n, there is a statement that they were sisters, without however any proof and without naming the parents of the sisters. Cors and Lysbet Setten were sponsors with Hendrik van de Water and Annetje Arents at the baptism of a child of Adolph Pieters van der Groeft on 8 July 1657 [NYDR]. Note that Hendrik van de Water also acted as a sponsor, and if the supposition made above is correct, Lysbet Setten was his grandmother.

    The second marriage of Govert Loockermans (in the entry of which he is indicated as a j.m. and his future wife as j.d., although both had been married before) to Marietje Jans, a sister of the famous Anneke Jans, is well known [NYRec, 8:11; 5:69; 1925:202; Munsell, II:63].
    Jan Verbeek, from Breda, a tailor [see VRB:826] is quoted as calling himself "attorney and grandfather of Jacomyntje Swart," a daughter of Teunis Cornelisse Swart and Elisabeth de Lint. This can be explained by reference to a notarial paper dated 11 July 1641 passed before Notary J. v.d. Ven at Amsterdam, wherein it was stated that Jan Verbeek from Breda, 27 years old, tailor, Mayken Dammes (Adams) Vissenburg his wife, 42 yrs. old [fifteen years older than her husband!], and her "voordochter," daughter by a previous marriage, Lysbeth van der Linden, 11 years old, had made a contract to go to the Colony of Rensselaerswyck. Jan Verbeek was in consequence the stepfather of Elisabeth van der Linden and thus the step-grandfather of her child.
    "Reyer [Reinier] Stoffels was a smith, first at New Amsterdam in 1638, and succeeded, the following year on Aug. 18th Burger Joris as smith at Rensselaerswyck. He does not appear at the Colony after 1647." [VRB:822.]
    On 18 Apr. 1639, before Notary J. v.d. Ven at Amsterdam, Kiliaen Van Rensselaer made a contract with Reynier Stoffels from Essen, Germany, 39 years old, and his wife Geertje Jans, 40 years old, from Borcken near Wesel [the place of origin of the Duicking family and of Frans Cregier of New Castle, Del., the husband of Walburga de Sille], and her sister, Susanna Jans. Kiliaen van Rensselaer wrote Reynier under date of 25 June 1640 [VRB:502], "your wife's sister, the banns of whose marriage were published in my colony married in the Manh. and stayed there." This sister is therefore Susanna Jans, undoubtedly also from Borcken.
    Although the banns and marriage referred to in the above letter cannot be found in the still existing records, Susanna Jans undoubtedly married Aert Theunissen, for there is a baptism of a child of this couple named Susanna on 7 July 1641 [NYDR], in which the mother is indicated as Susanna van Schurenberg. Aert Theunissen was murdered by the Indians at Pavonia during the war of 1643 [Doc. Relat. to Col. Hist. of N.Y., I:328-30]. Two years later, as Susanna Jans wed. van Aert Theunissen, she married, 12 Mar. 1645 [NYDR], Sijbolt Claessen, j.m. van Hoorn. She is the only Susanna Jans who appears in contemporary records at the right time. From the will of Sybolt Claessen [N.Y. Wills, I:107], dated 10 Feb. 1678/9, it seems that Susanna Jans had only two children, both by Aert Theunissen, namely, Susanna, above mentioned, who married Reynier Willems-

zen, and Weyntie, who married Simon Barentsz.
    To come back to Reynier Stoffels, he was indicated as "formerly smith in New Netherland" [23 Jan. and 8 Mar. 1651, Not. P. van Velsen]. In 1653 he was styled free merchant in N. Ned. when he hired for a term of three years Abraham Staats, surgeon at Fort Orange, Pieter Dirks from de Ryp, and Reinier Reiniersz, son of Reindert Jaspers, herring packer.
    On 6 May 1658 [Not. G. Meyer, Amsterdam], Geertje Jans, wid. of Reyer Stoffels, was ready to sail for New Netherland.
    Marritgen Paulus, wid. Leendert Evertsz van der Grift, was mentioned as the mother of Paulus Leendertsz van der Grift, "vrykoopman" [free merchant, that is, not in the service of the W.I.C], in New Netherland, on 31 Oct. 1657 [Not. H. Schaeff, Amsterdam]. This establishes the parents of the settlers of that well-known van der Grift family from Amsterdam, namely, Jacob Leenderts van der Grift, Paulus Leenderts van der Grift, and their probable sister, Grietje Leenderts van der Grift; she had children baptized 1678-1692, much later than Jacob or Paulus.
    A notarial paper dated 24 May 1658, passed before Not. de Winter at Amsterdam, mentions a power-of-attorney given to Eldert Jeuriaens, "roermaker" [gunsmith], to collect 50 gl. from Jan Martens and his wife, Dirkje Harmensd. Boertgens, from Meppelin. This establishes the surname of the ancestress of the van Alstyne family. Eldert Jeuriaens, who signed the merchants' protest in New Amsterdam of 26 Oct. 1655 [Col. Mss., 6:119], was the partner of Cornelis Jansz Kloppert (from Bergen-op-Zoom, Brabant), a "grofsmit" [blacksmith] by trade, the ancestor of the Klopper family. They contracted on 19 Apr. 1655 [Not. J. de Winter] to go to New Netherland to work together for a period of five years.
    Jan Hendriksz van Baelen came to America about 1657 and was a tailor by trade. On 6 May 1657, he hired Matthys Crynen Cuyper as a tailor's apprentice [Not. Schaeff], and two months later, Jan Dirksz Vinhagen from Gemen to help him in the tailoring business. On the previous 8 April he had hired Hendrik Jansz Rooseboom from Dingsterveen, Overyssel, a tailor's apprentice, to go with him for three years to Fort Orange to help him with his handiwork and "affairen" [Not. N. van Born]. Jan van Baelen died before 8 Apr. 1682, when we find his widow, Helena Tellers, living on the Princegracht near the Elandstraat at Amsterdam, being then on the point of returning to New Netherland [Not. Jac. Hellerus], where she married the following year [NYDR:54] Fran�ois Rombouts.
    Jan Dirksz Vinhagen, mentioned above, is said to

have come from Gemen (see also Pearson, Alb., p. 43). I cannot identify this town, which is not mentioned in the various gazetteers consulted, even in some variety of spelling. I think that Gemert was probably meant. Hendrik Jansz Rooseboom, also mentioned, above, married first, Gysbertje Lansing and second, Tryntje Jans, wid. Rut Jacobsen. His place of origin, Dinstervenn, is sometimes indicated as Wanneperveen.
    The full name of Jannetje Gerrits who married first, Johannes de Wit, second, Matthias de Haert, and third, 1677, Jan Hendriksz Bruyn, was Jannetje Gerrits Torenburg, as is evident from a paper dated 11 July 1681, passed before Not. Vinkel at Amsterdam, whereby she received a power-of-attorney from her third husband to take care of his business.
    Gerrit Bancker, indicated as "from Amsterdam" [see NYRec, 65:60], was in reality a native of "Wessum" [Wessem, Limburg], for according to a record dated 9 Mar. 1651 passed before Not. Schaeff, Amsterdam, Gerrit Jansz, merchant going to New Netherland, hired at 120 gl. yearly, Gerrit Bancken from Wessum as a merchant's servant.
    Roelof Gerritsz van der Werken, from Meppelen in the Province of Drente, who emigrated in 1663 [HSYB, 1902], was engaged on 21 Mar. 1663 [Not. H. Schaeff] by Simon (de) Groot at the Esopus [see about him, VRB:837]. There is a later Roelof v. d. Werken at Stone Arabia in 1763.
    Together with Roelof there was also engaged Frederik Claesz from Westrenen in Drenthe. He is without doubt the same as Frederik Claessen from Meppelen, also indicated as born at "Wester," who emigrated in 1663 [HSYB, 1902]. His mother was living at Staphorst, Drenthe [NYRec, 1890:170 ff].
    The settler of the Turck family was Paulus Turck, "j.m. uyt den Hage" [from The Hague], and his full name is indicated as Paulus Jacobsz Turck at the baptism of his oldest son [NYDR, 1661 (63)]. The de Roever notes contain a reference to a notarial paper of 14 Jan. 1665 by Not. J. Hellerus, Amsterdam, wherein was mentioned the settlement between Anna van Gesel, wid. Jacob Turck, and Nicolaes van den Vijver, uncle and guardian of Paulus Turck, at that time in New Netherland. (The age of majority was 25 in the Netherlands.)
    This establishes the name of the mother of the settler, a name also known in New Netherland. For here was Cornelis van Gesel, Secretary of the Delaware, who in RNA [II:420] is called Cornelis van Giesel Simonsen. His wife's name was Anna Catharina Ram [Du. Ms. 244]. He had a son Jacob baptized 1661 [NYDR see further, Del. Hist. and Gen. Soc., Vol. I, no. 11].
    There was in addition one Hendrik Gerritsen van Ge-

sel, court messenger. In Brasil we find in 1653 Hendrick Duycker married to Willemina van Gesel.
    Cornelis van Gesel is indicated as a nephew of Jacob Alrichs, vice-director at the Delaware, but it is not clear how this relationship came about. Jacob Alrichs was originally from Emden, Germany. He had a brother, Rev. Sigfridus Alrichs, entered as "from Emden" at his matriculation at Groningen University, who was later a minister at Niekerk near Zuidhoorn, 1623 until his death in 1651. His son, Peter Alrichs, also settled in New Netherland.
    There is a genealogy of a van Ghesel family in Vorsterman van Oyen, Stamboek, I, but a positive connection with this family is not evident.
    The well known settlers at Fort Orange, Sander Leenaerts Glen ["Glen's Falls"] and his wife, Catalyn Donckers, who sailed together for New Netherland on the Harinck in 1639, were of Scotch descent, for Sander Leenaerts, "uyt Duisert in Schotland," 34 years old, and his wife Cathalina Jacobs, 24 years old, from "Alone, Schotland," were engaged by Kiliaen van Rensselaer, as "vrye coloniers" [free colonists] on 26 Mar. 1639 at Amsterdam, together with several others [Not. J. v.d. Ven]. The towns of origin in Scotland have been "probably" identified by the National Library of Scotland (letter, 25 Feb. 1952) as Dysart in Fifeshire and Ellon in Aberdeenshire.
    The origin of Claes Jansz van Elsland is not evident from these records. In the article which I published in The American Genealogist, Vol. 28 [Jan. 1952], I called attention to a Claes van Elsland who lived in Haarlem, Netherlands, in the first part of the seventeenth century, and who was possibly the one who settled later at Manhattan, where he became a man of some importance. Although not definitely proved, two records in which the settler and the Haarlem resident were mentioned seem to substantiate the possibility of their identity.
    In a paper dated 13 July 1641 [Not. Schaeff, Amsterdam], Dirk Corsen Stam, "commies van de cargasoenen" [cargoes], 33 years old, and Claes van Elsland, commies van de vivres, 40 years old [the age checks with that given in Icon. Manh., IV:100], both at the time at Amsterdam but having served the W.I.C. for several years in New Netherland, three years in the aforesaid capacities and also as councillors under Governor van Twiller, declare that they were present on 18 Nov. 1634 at Fort Amsterdam when van Twiller had summoned Maritje Thomas and Jacob Jans van Rochel on account of insulting language, etc. While on 29 June 1640 [Not. Schaeff], Dirck Corsz Stam, previously in the service of the W.I.C., but on the point of sailing to the Virginies, in

private employ, declared to owe Claes van Elsland of Haarlem 276 gl. on account of merchandise supplied to him, Stam, in 1638, and to pay interest on same after his first trip to the Virginies in the employ of Gillis Verbrugge.
    When Claes's daughter, Catalyntje, married in 1663 [NYDR, 29] Jacob Abrahamsen van Deursen (whose family was originally from Haarlem), she is called "j.d. van Amsterdam," but I believe this should read New Amsterdam, for she was undoubtedly the Catalyntje who was baptized 1645 [NYDR, 191]. In other words, this marriage entry does not prove that the family lived at one time in Amsterdam.
    Icon. Manh. [II:334] names Andries Claessen as a son of Claes Jansz van Elsland. This statement is seemingly based on the fact that Andries Claessen and Claes Jansz van Elsland owned adjoining lots at New Amsterdam. The sponsors for the grandchildren of Claes van Elsland and those for the children of the two Andries Claessens who appear in the Dutch records of that time in New Amsterdam do not seem to bear out this relationship.
    If further proof was needed to show that the van Deursen genealogy is wrong with regard to the parentage of the settler [see NYRec, 1934:62 ff.], there is also a notarial paper of 25 Jan. 1632 [Not. A. J. Engel, Amsterdam], stating that the following persons who had been since 1627 in New Netherland at Manhattan to build windmills there had disputes with regard to this with Pieter Minuit. These persons were: Gillis Jans, huistimmerman [house-carpenter], 41 years old; Abraham Pieters (van Deursen), miller, 31 years old, therefore born about 1601 and not in 1607 as the genealogy states; and Francois Yesaert, millwright.

Source:

Hoffman, William J., "Random Notes Concerning Settlers of Dutch Descent," The American Genealogist, Whole Number 114, Volume 29, Number: 2 (April 1953), pp. 65-76.

    Dr. Charles Gehring, of the New Netherland Project in Syracuse, New York, wrote me on the 25th of February, 1998, regarding my request for more information on the Dutch Notarial records that are the subject of William Hoffman's article above:

    "We have found out the following from notarial record 1096/286-287 (film no. 1282) in the Gemeente Archief of Amsterdam (taken from a transcription of the original): The notarial record concerns a contract dated 20 March 1651, signed by Cornelis Eevertsz Wijnkoop (actual signature in the original), in which he is to cross to New Netherland with the ship Geldersse Blom, where he will be employed in construction, cultivation, woodcutting, and tobacco planting; he is 24 years' old from the neighborhood of Wijck (oom?) in the land of Eeden (probably Ede, west of Arnhem). The contract is for 3 years at 125 guilders annually. His passage, food and drink were all gratis."

    Later that day Dr. Gehring wrote me again:

    "We are happy that you are so pleased with the information. Most of what I sent you came from research done by my assistant Janny Venema a few years ago. She just happened to remember the name and was able to lay her hands on the information within a few minutes--truly amazing. She has now checked her transcription against another source for transcriptions from the Gemeente Archief and finds that the village of origin in question is Wekerom, which is just north of Ede in the province of Gelderland. All of the people he traveled with came from the same area, places such as Amersfoort and Nykerk. Gijsbert Philips van Velthuysen is also in the list; he is 34 years' old and committed to three years at 125 guilders annually."

    "You will have to contact the Gemeente Archief directly for a photocopy. Just use the citation I sent you. The address is: Gemeentearchief Amsterdam/ Amsteldijk 67/ 1074 HZ Amsterdam/ The Netherlands."

    I was able to talk my good friend, Koen Wynkoop, [email protected] in Luxembourg, into making a copy of the notarial record that Hoffman's article refers to, when he was in Amsterdam visiting family in late March of 1998. One of the additional things the contract had to say was:

    "Their tasks in the colony will be given to them by the commies Gerrit Vastrick or Jan van Twiller."

    Koen did some further research when he stopped by the Gemeente Archief and discovered the following additional information in other notarial records from the period:

    "Skipper was Cornelis Coenraets. van Kampen. From GAA, Not. Arch. 65/155v; 1651 February 25, notary J. Fr. Bruijningh. Here it is spelled Gelderse Bloem, (Flower of Gelderland.) The ship was a "galjoot, 60-70 last." Don't know how big that is. Wouter van Twiller represented the owners. Commies were Gerrit Vastrick & Jan van Twiller."

    I'd like to thank Dr. Gehring and Ms. Venema for all of the help they've given me over the years and for their generosity of spirit. I feel blessed to have gotten to know both of you.

    I would also like to thank my good friend Koen for his patience and forbearance with me over the years, particularly during some of my more difficult moments. I've learned a lot from you, my friend, and I'm more grateful than you could know. Here's to many more!

    All my best,

    Chris