New Netherland 1621-1664
Immigrants to New Netherland
1642
In the Houttuyn
Sailed from the Texel in June, 1642
Skipper, Adriaen Dircksen
Arrived at New Amsterdam August 4, 1642
Persons to the Colony of Rensselaerswyck:
Abraham Staas
From Amsterdam, surgeon; entered into a contract with Kiliaen van Rensselaer, Feb. 1, 1642, to sail to the colony with his wife Trijntje Jochims and one servant, and to practice as surgeon for the period of six years from the date of his arrival, to the exclusion of all others. He sailed by den Houttuyn with one servant, but apparently without his wife. In the contract his age is given as 24; that of his wife as 19 years. Staas is credited in the accounts with various supplied furnished by him between 1642 and 1648, indicating that he was engaged in business besides practicing as a surgeon; also with f 30 for salary as surgeon from Nov. 16, 1645, to Nov. 16, 1646; with f60 for salary as surgeon; and work on de Vlackte til Nov 1647; and with f20 for salary as surgeon till March 20, 1648. He is further credited with f58:6 for salary as Raetspersoon (councilor), from Feb. 5, 1643, to April 10, 1644, and with f400 for salary as Presideerende (presiding officer of the council) from April 10, 1644, to April 10, 1648. Sept. 9, 1649, Abraham Staas obtained a lot in the byeenwooninge (village), near the first creek, on the terms of the freemen. In 1658, he owned a yacht and is referred to as Capt. Staes.
Albert Jansz
From Amsterdam, carpenter; is charged with supples in 1642, and on Aug. 7, 1644, credited with 19 1/2 days wages at 16 stivers a day for work done at the house of Domine Megapolensis.
Andries Herbertsz
Referred to as Andries Herbertsz alias Constapel, Andries Constapel and in one instance as de Constapel vande Vierblaes (the gunner of the vuurblaas, a kind of frigate, built of fir or spruce, formerly used in Sweden). He was apparently not engaged for a definite term of years, but employed at different times to do garden work, cut and haul lumber, build fences, or work at the grist-mill. Between 1659 and 1662, he furnished the colony with brick and tiles from the kiln conveyed to him by Pieter Meusz. June 23, 1662, he was serverly wounded in a tavern brawl by Seger Cornelisz, whom, in self defense, he mortally wounded with a knife. Andries Herbertsz died before Oct. 12, 1662. His wife was Annetje Juriaens, sister of Volkertje Juriaens, the wife of Jan Fransz van Hoesen.
Claes Jansz
From Breda, (province of North Brabant); is charged with supplied in 1642, and is referred to as a boy in the service of Adriaen van der Donck. After van der Donck's departure in 1646, he was for one year employed by Cornelis Segersz van Voorhout. He is perhaps the same person as Claes Jansz Smith, who in July 1647 importuned de Hooges as the Manhatans for settlement of his account and who sailed for Holland by de Prinses, which was wrecked in Sept. 1647.
Claes Jansz
From Waelwijck, (about 14 miles wes of Bois-le-Duc, in the province of North Brabant); came by den Houttuyn in 1642 and was still in the colony in 1649.
Claes Teunisz
Referred to as Claes Teunisz alias Uylenspiegel and as Claes Teunisz Uylenspiegel (the wag, or joker); is credited with two years wages in van Curler's time and with wages earned on de Vlackte, from April 10, 1645, to the fall of 1646; also with wages of his partner Thomas de Englesman; and with various amounts for sweeping a chimney, finding horses, etc. Dec. 17, 1648, he was prosecuted for driving his horse too fast. He took over the farm of Jan Andriesz, Dec. 21, 1649, and was ordered to vacate it Sept. 9, 1650, for failure to improve it satisfactorily.
Claes Tijssen
Is charged with supplies in 1642 and some time before 1648 appears to have been in the service of Evert Pels. June 23, 1650, the court ordered Director van Slichtenhorst to pay f192 due to Claes Tijssen for wages earned on de Vlackte.
Cornelis Lambertsz
From Doorn, (near Utrecht); is given among those who were to sail with Domine Megapolensis on den Houttuyn in June 1642, but his name does not appear in the records of the colony. He probably remained at the Manhatans and soon thereafter died, as in the marriage records of the Reformed Dutch church of New York, under date of Sept. 4, 1644, is found the marriage of Wilhelm Bredenbent and Aeltje Braconie, widow of Corn. Lamberts.
Evert Pels
From Statijn (Stettin, Pomerania); was engaged as brewer for the term of six years, June 5, 1642, and sailed the same year by den Houttuyn with his wife and servant. Feb. 28, 1647, he leased the farm formerly occupied by Symon Walichsz, on Papscanee Island for six years, at f560 a year, but after building a new house and barns transferred the lease to Juriaen Bestval and Jochem Kettelheym, January 14, 1649, and turned the property over on March 25, 1649. Nov. 18, 1649, he leased, jointly with Willem Fredericksz (Bout) the farm formerly occupied by Crijn Cornelisz, in Greenbush, for which he is charged in the accounts with an annual rent of f400, from May 1, 1649 till 1661 when he moved to the Esopus; then same day they also leased the saw- and grist-mill in Greenbush, formerly occupied by Jacob Jansz Flodder, for which he is charged with an annual rent of f125, from May 1, 1649, till May 1, 1658.
[See Also Source #77, page 426]
Hans Vos
From Baeden (Baden, Germany); was engaged for six years, three years at f90 a year and three years at f100 a year. He sailed by den Houttuyn and began his service in the colony on Aug. 13, 1642. Soon after his arrival he was appointed Gerechtsboode, or Steeboo, (court messenger,) for which in the accounts he is credited with an annual salary of f40 from Oct. 12, 1642, to May 12, 1648. In addition to this salary, he is credited with wages from Nov. 18, 1644, to May 18, 1648, at f110 a year. Before Dec. 17, 1648, he enteed into a contract to serve Pieter de Boer for four months, and Dec. 23, 1648, he was reengaged as court messenager, for four months, at a salary equal to f50 a year and board, upon condition that he work two or three days each week for the director at f1 a day and in the morning fetch water, chop wood and spade the garden; for work done for Pieter de Boer and was to receive pay according to contract and for work done for others as much as he could get. From January 1, 1650, to April 1, 1650, Hans Vos served as court messenger on a salary of f20 a month, and one day's work a week for the patroon without further compensation.
[See Also Source #77, page 433]
Harry Albertz
From London, baker; his first accounts in the colony run from 1639 to April 2, 1641. He then left for Holland and in June 1642, at the age of 29 years, returned to the colony, on den Houttuyn, accompanied by his wife Geertruyt Dries, from Doesburch, (in the province of Gelderland). June 7, 1642, he signed a contract with the patroon for the place of ferrymaster. He died before April 11, 1650, when the land formerly occupied by him was leased to Thomas Jansz. He was succeeded as ferrymaster by Jacob Jansz Stol.
[See Also Source #77, page 292]
Hendrick Andriesz
From (Doesburch, province of Gelderland); was the brother in law of Harry Albertsz and sailed with the latter on den Houttuyn, at the age of 21. He appears in the colony till 1651.
Jacob Jansz
From Noordstrandt, or Norstrandt (Nordstrand, an island off the coast of Schleswig); appears first in 1642, when supplies furnished to him are charged to Cornelisz Hendricksz van Nes. With others, he took the oath of fealty, Nov 28, 1651
Jan Helmsz From Barlt, (in the provice of Schleswig-Holstein, Prussia); also referred to as Jan Helmsen alias Jan de Bock; came by den Houttuyn and drew wages in the colony form Aug. 13, 1642. From about 1650 to 1658, he is charged with an annual rent of f445 for a farm at Bethlehem which he appears to have taken over from Jan Dircksz, from Bremen.
[See Also Source #77, page 205]
Jan Pooy
Was furnished with supplies in 1642 and 1643 and is referred to as Boetgesel van Rens'wyck, that is, sailor of the colony's yacht Rensselaerswyck.
Jochem Kettelheym
Came by den Houttuyn and served in the colony from Aug. 13, 1642, under Adries de Vos. From Sept. 20, 1646, to April 20, 1648, he was employed on de Vlackte, at wages of f120 a year. January 14, 1649, Jochem Kettelheym and Juriaen Betval took over from Evert Pels the lease of the farm formerly occupied by Symon Walichsz, till the expiration of said lease on May 1, 1653, at an annual rent of f560, but Oct. 8, 1651, Kettelheym waas released from his obligations and Bestval became solely responsible. According to O'Callaghan, History of New Netherland, I:451, Jochem Kettelheym came from Cremyn (Kremmin, near Stettin, Pomerania).
[See Also Source #77, page 420]
Johan Carstensz
From Barlt, (in the province of Schleswig-Holstein, Prussia); came by den Houttuyn and drew wages in the colony from Aug. 13, 1642. In July 1644, he appears as servant of Michael Jansz.
[See Also Source #77, page 183]
Johannes Megapolensis
Formerly minister at Schoorl and Bergen, (near Alkmaar, in the province of North Holland); entered into a contract with Kiliaen van Rensselaer, April 6, 1642, to serve as preacher in the colony for the period of six years, at an annual salary of f1000 for the first three years and of f1200 for the last three years. He sailed with his wife, Machtelt Williams, and four children, Hillegont, Dirrick, Jan and Samuel, by den Houttuyn in June 1642 and served as pastor of the colony from August 13, 1642, till the summer of 1649. For the entire period of his residence in the colony he appears to have lived in the grenen bosch (pine woods), on the east side of the river, and it is there, in his own house, that religious services were held till some time between 1646 and 1648, when the patroon's storehouse near Fort Orange was adapted to a church. The real name of Megapolensis was probably Grootstadt; Kieft, in a letter of Sept. 11, 1642, refers to him as domine grootstedius, and references are found in accounts kept by Jeremias van Rensselaer in 1656 to a surgeon by the name of Mr. johannes grootstadt who was not unlikely the son of Domine Megapolensis.
Joris Borrelingen
Englishman, servant of Crijn Cornelisz; is charged with supplies in 1642 and 1643.
Juriaen Bestval
From Luyderdorp (Leiderdorp, near Leyden); came by den Houttuyn and drew wages in the colony from Aug. 13, 1642. In July 1644, he is referred to as servant of Michiel Jansz. January 14, 1649, Juriaen Bestval and Jochem Kettelheym took over from Evert Pels the remaining term of the lease, till May 1, 1653, of the farm formerly occupied by Symon Walichsz; Oct. 8, 1651, Jochem Kettelheym was released from his obligations and Juriaen Bestval became solely responsible. This farm was on Papscanee Island and was leased from May 1, 1653, to May 1, 1658, by Pieter Hartgers, and in 1658 sold to Volckert Jansz and Jan Thomasz.
Juriaen Pauwelsen
From Sleswyck (Schleswig); came by den Houttuyn and began his service in the colony on Aug. 13, 1642. He is referred to as Jeuriaen Poulisz Jongen (boy), and in July 1644, as the servant of Michiel Jansz. He does not appear in the accounts after 1644.
[See Also Source #77, page 273]
Paulus Jansz
From Geertruydenbergh, (in the province of North Brabant), came by den Houttuyn and appears in the accounts as jongen (boy) of Adriaen van der Donck, wages beginning Aug. 13, 1642.
Teunis Teunisz
From Loenen, (province of Utrecht); referred to as Teunis de Metselaer (the mason); buildt a chmney in van der Donck's house perhaps as early as 1642. Jointly with Jan Gouw, he contracted to build a brick house for Jeremias van Rensselaer, Sept. 8, 1659.
Willem Fredericksz
From Leyden, Vrij Timmerman (free carpenter); after 1651, commonly referred to as Willem Fredericksz Bout, or Boudt; is first charged with supplies in 1642. Between 1646 and 1648, he is credited with f80 "for making in the church a pulpit, the sounding board, a seat for the magistrates, one ditto for the deacons, a window with two lights, closing up a window and (building) therein a small closet, (making) a rail near the pulpit, with a corner seat and 9 benches." By the term "church" must be understood the patroon's storehouse, near Fort Orange, which according to de Hooges' petition for an increase of salary, dated March 27, 1648, had been turned into a church. Between 1648 and 1651, Willem Fredericksz is charged with f142:6 for passage of his wife and two children, as per account of Geertgen Mannix ( Nannincks), showing that he must have married Geertje Nanninck shortly after the death of her third husband Claaes Jansz Rust, the baker (cf. petition of Pieter Wolphertsz, guardian of children of Claes Jansz, Nove. 30, 1648, N.Y. Col. Mss. 4:422). Nov. 18, 1649, Willem Fredericksz and Evert Pels jointly leased the farm formerly occupied by Crijn Cornelisz and the mill formerly leased by Jacob Jansz Flodder. From 1650 to 1652 Willem Fredericksz is charged with an annual rent of f16 for a hofsteede (house lot) on which he had built a house.
Source: #76, #77