146

    Jacob Gerritsen Strycker, from the small village of Ruinen in the Province of Drenthe is considered a painter of note in early New Amsterdam, and an interesting illustrated article about him has appeared in the New York Historical Society Quarterly Bulletins. However, he made a living as a tailor. He was back in Holland on 28 Dec. 1651 in the office of Not. J. de Winter when "Master Jacob Strycker tailor, at the Manathans" (by "Master" is meant master of the guild) hired Jacob Gerrits from Ruinen, 21 years old, a tailor's apprentice for a period of three years, the terms being "free passage, board and bed and laundry, 9 stivers drink money a week and 100 gl. per year." The first year, this was to be paid in see want, the second year in beaver skins and the third year half and half. If he should become ill, the master is to cure him, but the time of sick leave is to be added to the contract.
    [A more generous employer was Frans Barentsz Pastoor and his wife Delia Brinkman. He was a brewer at Fort Orange. When they hired Elisabeth Hendriksd. from Kampen as a maid servant, they stipulated that if the climate did not agree with her they would cancel the contract.]
    Jacob Strycker was still in Holland on 30 Jan. 1652 (Not. J. de Winter), for he then made a contract with Jannetje Hermans, last widow of Jan Hendriks, workman in the soap factory, "The Two Crowns," at Amsterdam, who declared that she had very little means and that she was now an old woman, 60 years old. She transferred all her possessions to her son-in-law, Jacob Strycker, who was to take her free of charge to New Netherland and to support her there.
    Jacob's wife was given [N.Y. Rec. 38:5] as Ytie Huyberts (Hubrechts). As the above record calls Jannetje Hermans "last" widow of Jan Hendriks, she must have been previously married to a man named Huybert ______ and had by him a daughter Ytie Huyberts, the wife of Jacob Strycker.
    It should be pointed out that Bergen (KingsCo) mixes two persons named Agnietje Strycker. One of these was from Dwingelo (near Ruinen) and was Jacob's sister [NYRec 74:62; HSYB 1900:115]. The other was daughter of Jan Strycker, Jacob's brother. Finally, the statement published in some genealogies that the brothers Strycker received in Jan. 1643 from the States General

a land grant to found a colony in New Netherland on condition that they send over twelve settlers within a stipulated period, is not supported by any evidence. Such grants were made by the West India Company, mainly to rich merchants, important directors of the Company, and not to a tailor from a small village in Drente.
    When trading with New Netherland was opened up by license from the West India Company, several groups of Dutch merchants combined to equip ships and supply merchandise for voyages to the New World. They appointed representatives at Manhattan and Fort Orange, a commies, or factoor as they were called, to sell the merchandise and to secure a suitable cargo, "cargasoen," for the return voyage. In several instances we find that some of the merchants themselves had taken up a temporary residence in New Netherland. I mentioned [NYRec 65:254] the three members of a van Hardenberg family who were prominent traders at Manhattan but who all returned to Patria.
    Another important merchant and shipmaster who lived for some time at New Amsterdam was Adriaen Blommaert. He was in all probability a son or at least a near relative of Samuel Blommaert, a partner of Kiliaen van Rensselaer and also a director of the West India Company. Samuel's wife was Margrieta Reynst, the widow of Adam Bessels, the latter having also had a share in Rensselaerswyck. One of Samuel's children was Barbara Blommaert, married to Wolter Peltzer. The children of Margrieta by her first husband were Jacomo and Gerardo Beasels [9 Apr. 1657, Not. J. v.d. Ven].
    Adriaen Blommaert was from Mauslandsluis [Maassluis] near Rotterdam on the Meuse River. His wife was Helena Jacobs Swanevelt [NYRec, 9:41]. They made a will before Not. de Winter at Amsterdam on 1 Jan. 1652 when he was on the point of sailing for New Netherland. They were living at Amsterdam on the Brouwerstraat in the house "In the Sign of the Boomgaert in Nieuw Nederland" (The Orchard in New Netherland), which she had inherited from her former husband, Joost van den Boogaert--there was a person by that name in the early days in Brazil,--who either had taken his name from his house or had given his name to the house, both common customs in that period [2 May 1652, Not. H. Schaeff]. Such house signs were often the inspiration for a coat-of-arms.
    When sailing for New Netherland in 1652, he was skipper of 't Hoff van Cleeff. Going over with the Blommaerts was Marietje Symons, a servant girl hired for three years. Also on board were three farm hands for Governor Stuyvesant: Willem Jansz from Heerde (he married Brooklyn, 1662, Metje Bastiaens from Werckhove); Harmen Harmensz from Deutecon, Gelderland; and Claes

Theunisz from Apeldoorn (he married, NYDR, 1654, Leentje Martens [NYRec 40:189; Riker]. In addition, the Amsterdam merchant, Matheus de Goms�e, was also a passenger [Not. de Winter].
    Blommaert was again in the Fatherland in 1654, returning as a skipper of the Vergulde Schel (Gilded Shell) in the employ of Volckert Jansz of Manhattan. In later life Blommaert had left Manhattan and was equipagemeester, commissary of outfitting, for the West India Company on the coast of Guinea. He was deceased in 1664 when his widow Helena Jacobs gave a power of attorney to collect the still outstanding debts in New Netherland [Not. J. de Winter].
    Another prominent merchant who at one tine resided in New Amsterdam was Roeland Savry, born at Haarlem. He was a cousin of Governor Stuyvesant. In his will made before Not. Kruys 3 Feb. 1653, he left 150 gl. to the Governor, 100 gl. to his own son Salomon Savry living near Haarlem, and the same amount to Willem Nicolaesz van Lith. He left equal shares to his cousin Anneke Stuyvesant widow of Samuel Bayard, and his cousin Grietie Stuyvesant who made her home with Nicolaes van Lith, also his own cousin, with whom he was staying at present. When Stuyvesant was leaving for New Netherland in 1646, he had given a power-of-attorney to conduct his affairs in the Fatherland to Nicolaes van Lith, his cousin, or after the latter's death to Nicolaes' son Willem [29 June 1646, Not. H. Schaeff, Amsterdam].
    Another important early merchant was Jacques Cousseau, who, like Savry mentioned above, was undoubtedly of either Walloon or Huguenot ancestry; as was also Jacques l'Hermite, the associate and cousin of Kiliaen van Rensselaer. Cousseau was in Manhattan 1662-1669. From a paper dated 21 April 1662 we learn that he had a power-of-attorney from Arent Evertsz Molenaer, former schoolmaster, precentor, ziekentrooster (comforter of the sick) at Niewer Amstel, Delaware, to collect the money due him from "The City" [Amsterdam, owner of the Colony], i.e., his wages, and to surrender them to the Deacons of the Walloon Church. Cousseau had business dealings with Fredrick Philipse in 1669, and in 1670 he gave a power-of-attorney to Jacques l'Hermite on the Island of St. Christophe (in the Caribbean) [12 April 1670, Not. Westfrisius]. That Walloon and Huguenot enterprise was active in New Netherland is indicated by other French-sounding names of merchants engaged in trade there, such as Jean Cathou and Henry Guillantin.
    Arent Evertsz Molenaer, the schoolmaster at the Delaware mentioned above belonged to the well-known Keteltas family. This surname is the Dutch for canteen, a bag (tas) in which the soldier carries his kettle (ketel). Arent had a brother Jan Evertsz Keteltas, and

they were sons of Evert Pietersz from the small town of Landsmeer, North Holland. From my own notes I am able to add the name of one who was very probably a close relative of the family in Holland, for the surname was unusual and in addition the name Evert appears. Barent Evertsz Keteltas wrote a book and invented an instrument to determine longitude. The book, entitled Ghebruyck der naeld wilsinge (the use of the compass), was dedicated to the Admiralty of Amsterdam, and he presented copies to the Council of the City. It attracted some attention; the City Council gave him 25 fl., and the States General, 150 pounds of 60 gr. each, 10 Aug. and 2 Sept. 1610 [Navorscher, XII:274; XXI:515; V:40-1]; Oud Holland, 1925:161]. At a later date there was one Jan Willemse Keteltasse buried at Kampen, in 1748.
    Hendrik Willems, the leading baker at New Amsterdam, in the second half of the 17th century [Icon. Manh. II:261] was a native of the small town of Esens in Holstein, as specified in a mention of him as a "baker in New Netherland" [2 Feb. 1650, Not. H. van Velsen], when Joost Theunissen from Norden, also a baker at New Amsterdam, but in Amsterdam at the time, hired for Hendrik the baker's apprentice Symon Volckerts from Esens, Holstein. Joost Theunissen also hired for himself an apprentice, namely, Gerrit Sibrandts from Norden. He was to serve him for three years, half of his passage money was to be paid, and a yearly salary of 200 gl. in "loose seewant."
    Arent van Hattum was an early Burgomaster of New Amsterdam in 1653 and 1654. His surname indicates for the family an origin from the city of Hattem, Overysel. He himself, however, was from the Neder Betuwe [Lower-Betuwe, a part of the Province of Gelderland], namely, Woudrichem. In the church at Eck near Woudrichem is a stone under which one Dirk and one Johannes van Hattem are buried, dated 20 Dec. 1631. On it appears their coat-of-arms, 3 mullets of 5 pts. and a standing bird for a crest [Her. Bibliotheek, 1879:163]. Arent's wife was Elisabeth Zydeveldt. Arent came here with Cornelis van Werckhoven, the founder of New Utrecht, and like Cornelis eventually returned also to Patria. There is also mention of Arent van Hattum, Jr. [KingsCo; RNA, II:358; VII:219].
    Claes Jansen van Naerden, better known as Claes Jansz de Ruyter [NYRec 65:122-131; VRB:676] was an early settler. On the point of going to New Netherland, he made his will before Notary J. v.d. Ven at Amsterdam, 23 Jan. 1636, in which he mentioned his brother, Ryck Jansz at Naarden. Prior to going on a return voyage to New Netherland in 1659, in the ship the Draetvat, he appeared before the same Notary on 17 Mar. 1659 and declared he owed skipper Albert Jansz 290 gl. for a previous trip

to New Netherland for the passage of himself and his son and the freight and duty "impost" for the shirts, tobacco pipes and "paintings" which he had taken with him to New Netherland [see also VRB:816]. The mention of paintings is of interest.
    The ancestor of the Van Benschoten family, Teunis Eliassen, was indicated as Theunis Eliassen de Kaerl from Benschoten when hired in 1662 by Jan Poest. He was 16 years old. The year of his emigration was previously unknown. De Kaerl was a nickname and the equivalent of the English "churl" or "bloke." When used with an adjective, it sometimes has the meaning of "fellow."
    Arent Arentsz Otterspoor was in Rensselaerswyck in 1649 [VRB:840]. Although the original place of origin of the family must have been Otterspoor, he was indicated as from Jutfaas (Utrecht) when he was hired to go to Rensselaerswyck on 5 May 1649 [Not. v.d. Ven]. He was then 33 years old and was to sail on the Valkenier as a farm hand to cut wood and to plant tobacco.
    Tobacco raising was a lucrative occupation in the Colony and gave work to many settlers. According to van Twiller (27 July 1632), every two acres needed five to six men for cultivation. Minuit stated that the tobacco was planted in the fall and the ground was covered during the winter and this gave a very good harvest in the spring. The winter crop was better than the summer crop.
    Hendrik Koster married Geertie van Schayck, a daughter of Goossen Gerritsz van Schayck (she married second, Johannes Lansing). This was an instance of the employee marrying the boss's daughter. Hendrick Koster had been hired by Seth Verbrugge on 25 Nov. 1658 [Not. Schaeff] for Goossen van Schaick to serve the latter at Fort Orange in the tailoring business and other "affaires."
    Meyndert Hendricksen from Meppel, who married [NYDR 1681 (48)] Jannetje Hendriks van de Esopus, had been hired 21 Mar. 1663 as a farm hand by Elbert Elbertsz from Nykerk [Not. Schaeff.]
    Elias van Ravesteyn was hired as a servant for Jan Koster, a "rol an lademaker" (gunstockmaker) in New Netherland by the latter's brother, Cornelis Coster, also a gunstockmaker at Utrecht [25 Apr. 1658, Not. Westfrisius].
    Johannes Verveelen, whose children married in New Netherland, had a brother Isaac Verveelen, a merchant at Amsterdam [29 Mar. 1668, Not. Lock].
    Cornelis Cornelisz Verwey, born at "de Vecht," was hired as a farm hand by Arent van Curler. His father was Cornelis Cornelisz Verwey "de Oude" (Sr.) [29 Mar. 1657, Not. Molengraaf, Amsterdam].
    A brother of Egbert van Borsum was "spiegelkasten-

maker" (showcase maker) at Amsterdam [25 Apr. 1659, Not. J. Hellerus, p. 204].
    Stoffel Elswaert (Theophilus Ellsworth) from Bristol made an agreement on 25 Apr. 1652 before Not. J. de Winter at Amsterdam with Dirck Claesz Boot, skipper of de Romeyn, to sail to New Netherland "for adventure and half the profit." He acknowledged having received from the latter 154. gl. in advance.
    Jan Jansz, j.m. van den Ham, who married [NYDR 1650 (16)] Grietje Jans, j.d. from Utrecht, and whose children apparently took the name van Ham as their surname, was called Jan Jansz van den Ham alias Welckinghoff on 4 Jan. 1664 [Not. Born] when Daniel Hondecoeter [NYRec 70:59] received a power-of-attorney to collect money from Jan Jansz. Janneken Wilkenhoff, who as the widow of Jan Thyssen married [NYDR 1695] Isaac Selover, was therefore undoubtedly a daughter of Jan Jansz van den Ham, namely, the daughter baptized 1657 [NYDR (44)].
    According to a notarial paper, Andries Claes de Ryp, living in 1675 in New Netherland, was the father of Abraham de Ryp, an artist who made a will 19 Mar. 1675 before Not. J. v.d. Huys at Amsterdam. Abraham is mentioned as a landscape and portrait painter at Amsterdam who was born about 1644 and married in 1674 the thirty-year-old daughter of Isaac de Joinderville, also a painter. He was still living in 1705. [Thieme-Becker, Kunstler Lexicon; only three paintings are listed there.]
    Cornelis Theunissen from "Gorchem" [Gorinchem, Gorkum], who apparently returned from a trip home in 1660 [HSYB 1902], is also mentioned in 1664. [ERA III:294]. He was hired by Kiliaen van Rensselaer in 1639 when 25 years old and was then married to Claesje Theunis from Norden, 24 years old [Not. van de Ven, N21, p. 60/70).
    Hester Tjercks was the wife of Harmen Bastaensz Vischer from Hoorn who was first at Manhattan and later at Beverwyck [ERA III:428, 462; Munsell, Albany, IV:184; Pearson, Albany; NYRec 39; Bergen Gen. 69]. She is in all probability to be identified with a daughter of Geertje Nannings. In July 1641 Van Rensselaer made a contract to go to Rensselaerswyck, not only with Jan Verbeek [see ante], but at the same time with Geertje Nannings, widow of Tjerck Hendricks, 50 years old, and her two children, Hendrik Tjerks, 13, and Hester, 11 (see also VRB 826].
    Geertje Nannings married second, Abel Hendriksz Riddenhaes, but was again a widow 21 July 1646, being then in Amsterdam [Not. H. Schaeff]; she and her boy Hendrik Tjerkcx were on the point of sailing for New Netherland, being both in the service of the West India Company [see also VRB 556, 838]. Her late husband was the father (not by Geertje, of course) of Hendrik Abelsz Riddenhaes, the third husband of the much-married Sophia

van Wyckersloot [NYRec 65:223; New Neth. Register, 1911, no. 3, p. 39-41].
    The fact that Harmen Visscher and Hester Tjerks had a daughter Geertje (named for her putative grandmother) and a son Nanning, and also the fact that the name Nanning is a typical local name in the vicinity of Hoorn, the birthplace of Harmen Visscher, makes it almost certain that the assumed identity is correct.
    Harmen Visscher had a son Bastiaen who married Alida Vinhagen. She was daughter of Jan Dirksz Vinhagen (see ante, p. 73].

Source:

Hoffman, William J., "Random Notes Concerning Settlers of Dutch Descent," The American Genealogist, Whole Number 114, Volume 29, Number: 3 (July 1953), pp. 146-152.