USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > Early Dutch Settlers of Monmouth County, New Jersey > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33
Fifty years ago it was a very com- mon remark for strangers visiting Monmouth county to make, that the people here "thought nothing and talk- ed of nothing but trotting horses, races, and horse trading."
Chrineyonce VanMater and Huldah Holmes, his wife, their children and some of their descendants are as fol- lows:
Sarah, b. March 17, 1773, d. unmarried Jan. 1. 1819.
Joseph H., b. Nov. 13, 1775; m. Sept. 28, 1808. Anne, the only child of Aaron (Arie) VanMater and Mary Albertse Polhemus, his wife : d. Oct. 10, 1860, and is buried in yard of "Old White Meeting House," which lies on north side of road from Holmdel village to Middletown, a little distant northeast from residence of Dr. Henry G. Cook. This is the "Joe H. Vanmater." famous in his day for thoroughbred and fast race horses. At one time his name was one to conjure with among the people of this county. He was a tall, well proportioned man, affable and courteous in his manners and very liberal and generous in his disposition. He and his brother Holmes, are the devisees in the will of their brother-in-law and cousin "Big Joe" VanMater. These lands, together with what came to them from their grandfather. Joseph VanMater, and their father Chrineyonce, made them the owners of one of the most extensive tracts of good farm- ing lands, which could be found in Monmouth county. It extended almost continuously from Holmdel village over to Tinton Falls.
Catharine, b. Jan. 9, 1784 : m. Feb. 28, 1803, Joseph C. VanMater (Big Joe as called) al- ready mentioned. She died Jan. 26. 1804. childless and a bride of less than a year.
Mary. b. Sept. 13, 1786 ; m. William Lloyd ; d. Feb. 10. 1869, leaving two children, Charles S. Lloyd, h. 1813 : m. Emma, daughter of John W. Holmes, and Deborah, his wife, d. Feb. 18, 1881. He was a well known citizen and a leading farmer in Holmdel township. His sister. Catharine Lloyd, m. Aaron, son of Hendrick Longstreet and Mary Holmes, his wife.
Holmes, b. Aug. 20, 1789 ; m. Micha, daugh- ter of Gilbert VanMater and Margaret Sprague (widow Rapelje) his wife, of Long Island. She was born Aug. 21, 1795. Holmes VanMater is interred by his brother, Joseph H., in yard of "White Meeting House."
Rhoda, b. Feb. 14, 1792 : m. Nov. 15, 1813, Daniel, son of John S. Holmes. John S. Holmes d. Aug. 15, 1821, on the farm he owned in Pleasant Valley and the same farm on which his grandson, Joseph F. Holmes, lived and died. He is buried in family bury- ing ground on this farm. Daniel, his son, was born Dec. 27. 1792 -- lived, died and was buried on this farm.
Schanck. b. June 1795; d. single June 20. 1812.
96
EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
Daniel Holmes was elected sheriff of Monmouth county in 1828, and a mem- ber of the council of New Jersey in 1832. He was a very popular and influ- ential man in the Democratic party of that time. A likeness of him and his son, Joseph H., with hiographical sketches appear in Ellis' History of Monmouth county. Rhoda VanMater, his wife, died June 20, 1838.
Only one son of Daniel Holmes and Rhoda VanMater, his wife, lived to grow up. This was Joseph H. Holmes, born July 28, 1824; married September 19, 1848, Ann, daughter of James G. Crawford of Crawford's Corner in Holmdel township; died November 28, 1892, and is buried on the homestead. His wife, Ann Crawford, was born September 1, 1821, and died June 6, 1894.
Joseph H. VanMater and Ann Van- Mater, his wife, had the following chil- dren, all born on the original VanMater homestead, now occupied by William Jones:
Huldah Holmes, b. Sept. 14, 1810; d. Feb. 1812. Huldah Holmes, b. Oct. 15, 1812; d. single Feb. 27, 1868.
Aaron S., b. Aug. 17, 1814; m. Sept. 28, 1843, Ann, daughter of Peter R. Smock and Catharine Hendrickson, his wife.
William C., b. Oct. 20, 1816; d. Feb. 4, 1817.
William P., b. March 6, 1818; d. 1822.
Joseph C., b. Nov. 18, 1821 ; d. 1822.
Mary Polhemus, b. Feb. 14, 1822, and is still (1899) living. Mary Polhemus VanMater has always been active in church work, and for many years taught a class of girls in the Holmdel Dutch Reformed church. Many matrons now residing in Holmdel township are indebted to Miss Mary VanMater, not only for religious instruction, but the example of her gentle and refined manners has exerted a good influence.
Eliza Ann, b. Jan. 9, 1824 ; d. June 30, 1840. Joseph 1., b. July 20, 1825; m. Eliza M., daughter of Daniel Ayres of Brooklyn Heights, L. J.
Joseph I. VanMater, like mary others of this branch, has been a zealous mem- ber of the Holmdel Dutch church, serv- ing both as deacon and elder.
Holmes VanMater owned and resided at one time on one of the best farms in Monmouth county. At least it was so considered, and was known as the Academy farm. It embraced more land than it does now. By Micha VanMater, his wife, he had the following children:
Joseph H., b. Nov. 23, 1818 ; m. Margaret, daughter of Paul Rapelje and Catharine Van- Mater, his wife, (daughter of Gilbert Van- Mater and Margaret Sprague, his wife.)
This Joseph H. VanMater owned and resid- ed on the farm now occupied by Edward Smith on the south side of the turnpike from Free-
hold to Englishtown, about three-quarters of a mile east of the latter place. He was a quiet, but pleasant and obliging man. His old neighbors in this vicinity still cherish his memory, and speak of him as a kindly neigh- bor and a good and charitable man. He died May 13, 1874.
Gilbert H., b. June 12, 1820; m. Sarah. daughter of John W. Holmes and Deborah, his wife. Gilbert I. VanMater, too, was a faithful adherent to the church of his fathers, and in his unobtrusive and modest way tried to live a Christian life. He removed a number of years ago from Monmouth county to a plan- tation in the state of Virginia, where he is still (1899) living and highly respected for his gentlemanly manners and honorable conduct. Prior to the Civil War he operated a large grist mill, known as the VanMater, or Red Mills, at Holmdel. The pond covered the meadow which lies in front of the Dr. Cook property, while the dam was where the public road crosses this meadow and the stream. The road then was laid over this dam and a bridge spanned the flood gates. These mills acciden- tally caught fire and were entirely destroyed. They were at the time full of wheat and other grain and wholly uninsured. It entailed a heavy loss on Mr. VanMater.
Catharine, b. Feb. 2, 1822; m. Jesse A. Dennis. They were the parents of Holmes VanMater Dennis, who now owns and resides on the Smock farm, near East Freehold.
Daniel H., b. Feb. 25, 1824: m. Frances L. Dennis.
Daniel H. VanMater represented Monmouth county in the New Jersey Assembly in 1869-70. He now resides on his farm which lies just west of Marlboro village. Like his forefathers he is a staunch and thorough supporter of the old Dutch church, wherein he has served as deacon and elder. Hon. Daniel H. VanMater has one son and three daughters.
William H., b. Nov. 5, 1828 ; d. young.
Augustus. b. June 28, 1830; m. M. E. Rapplije.
Margaret, b. Oct. 15, 1832.
Charles S., b. April 20, 1835 ; m. Anne Kirby. Huldah, b. April 17, 1837.
Joseph H. VanMater and Margaret Rappelje, his wife, had the following children:
Elizabeth. b. Sept. 1841; m. a Mr. Gorselin of Long Island. Catharine, b. Aug. 19, 1843; m. W. C. Iofferts.
Holmes, b. July 20, 1845.
Jacob, b. Feb. 17, 1847.
Paul, b. Aug. 29, 1849; m. Lou Kirby of Imlaystown, N. J.
John Henry D., b. July 11, 1851 : m. Eliza, daughter of Daniel P. Schanck and Mary Con- over, his second wife, and now (1899) owns and resides , on the old VanCleef farm near Wickatunk station, in Marlboro township.
Joseph H., b. Aug. 27, 1852; m. a Miss Johnson of Spotswood, Middlesex county.
Gilbert and Augustus, twins, b. March 5, 1855. Gilbert d. young.
Gilbert, b. Oct. 20, 1858.
Margaret. b. July 6. 1860 ; m. ex-Sheriff Fick of New Brunswick, N. J.
William, b. May 16, 1867.
THE HULSES OR HULSEHARTS OF MONMOUTH AND OCEAN COUNTIES.
The men and women bearing above names are very numerous in Monmouth and Ocean counties. They are all des- cendants of "Benjamin Holsaert" and "Annetie Luyster" his wife, as their names are spelled on the records of the Dutch church of Monmouth, where they became communicants in 1717.
A writer on the early migration of the Dutch from Long Island to Somer- set county, N. J., says that Benjamin Holsaert settled there. This is a mis- take, originating from the fact that the people of Kings county, L. I., in those times spoke of their relatives and friends who had migrated to New Jer- sey as "gone to the Raritans."
The territory south of Raritan Bay as well as that through which the Rar- itan river flows went with them under this one name. In this generation Rar- itan is the name of one locality in Somerset and one township in Mon- mouth. Sloops carried the early set- tlers with their goods and stock from the Brooklyn shore of the East river down the upper bay, through the Nar- rows into Raritan Bay, until they reached the south end of Staten ls- land; here the settlers going to Middle- sex or Somerset counties sailed up the Raritan river, while those coming to Monmouth continued on the same course landing up Matawan or Waycake creeks. In the family records kept in some of the old homesteads in Kings county, they were often put down as removed to the "Raratons." Modern writers on family genealogies have seen these entries, and jumped at the conclusion that "Raritan" was the same region or place it is now. Some per- sons who settled in Monmouth, like Derrick Barkalow and Benjamin Hols- aert, are said to have settled along the Raritan river in Somerset county.
An agreement and deed recorded in Book E of deeds, p. 340, etc., Monmouth clerk's office, shows beyond any doubt, that Benjamin Hulse, (to us the modern name), first settled in Monmouth. A Mark Salem and Cornelius Salem of Freehold township purchased together a tract of 230 acres in same township (now Marlboro), generally described in said deed as bounded "E. by 'Hopp Brook,' W. by Gravel Brook, N. by Thomas Hart's land and S. by unappro-
priated lands." Cornelius Salem by deed dated June 5th, 1718. conveyed hiş in- dividual half of said tract to "Benjamin Holsaert," described in said deed as a cordwainer by trade, and a resident of New Utrecht, Kings county, L. I. By this agreement said tract is equally divided, the southermost half to be the separate property of Holsaert, and the northermost half to belong to Mark Salem.
This name has been spelled in several different ways. Persons who write their names today "Hulse" had parents who wrote the name "Hulshart." Among the many marriages of this family rec- orded in Books A and B of marriages in our county clerk's office, the follow - ing have been selected to show this fact:
Samuel Hulshart to Mary Emmons, August 11, 1796.
Tunis Hulshart to Margaret Covenhoven, January 5, 1797.
John Hulse, son of William, to Elizabeth Harvey, daughter of William Harvey, June 15, 1805.
William Hulse was married to Sarah For- man, April 18, 1799, by Rev. John Woodhull, D.D.
Ezra Havens was married to Mahala Hulse, both of Howell township, May 3. 1814. by John Cooper, V.D.M.
Hendrick Hulst, widower, was married to
"Our county records show that this name was sometimes spelled Hulst and Hulz. The following entry from minutes No. 6 of Mon- mouth Sessions, 1775-1783, shows one of these ways :
OCTOBER TERM, 1778.
Before
John Longstreet, Esq., Joseph Lawrence, Esq .. Peter Forman, Esq., Denise Denise, Esq.,
Judges.
John Hulst. Appellant, ads. The State. Appeal from a Militia fine, £18.15 under the substitution.
It appearing that the Appellant when called. was employed at a salt works which boils at least 1000 gallons of salt water for the pur- pose of making salt, and as the Legislature of the State of New Jersey passed an act the 11th day of December. 1777, for the exempting one man from Military Duty for every 500 gallons of salt water hoiled as aforesaid, and a sub- stitute hired in his stead. Ordered that said fine of eighteen pounds and fifteen shillings be remitted and entirely set aside."
98
EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
Margaret Yetman, widow, by Rev. Benjamin DuBois.
Sidney Hulshart was married to Ann Ben- nett, both of Freehold township Feb. 24, 1820. Thomas Hulshart was married to Anndoshe Hulshart April 23, 1824, by John D. Barkalow, elder of the Independent Methodist church.
Stephen Hulshart to Jane Matthews, Dec. 29, 1829.
Joseph G. Hulshart, Esq., was married Jan- uary 19, 1832, to Agnes M. Ely Bennett, by John D. Barkalow, elder, etc.
The last couple were the parents of John W. Hulse, Esq., one of the jus- tices of the peace of the township and police justice of the town of Freehold. Justice Hulse has abbreviated his name to the first syllable of his father's sur- name, and many others have done the same. John W. Hulse enlisted as a private when a lad of eighteen years, and served as a Union soldier until the close of the Civil War. He has served one term as justice of Freehold town- ship, and gave such satisfaction by his fair and impartial decisions that he was elected to his second term without opposition. In his physical appearance he is a fair type of the old generations of this family and also seems to have their usual mental traits. For the Huls- harts have ever been a plain and unpre- tentions people, without those meddle- some propensities, overweening self- conceit and insatiable curiosity which make the descendants of certain people such unmitigated nuisances to their neighbors. Justice Hulse has in his possession a letter dated August 16, 1830, written and signed by "John Hol- sart" as he spells his name, who is also one of this family.
It is addressed to "John Barcalow." then overseer of the poor of Freehold township, and the grandfather of Wicoff Barkalow, the present overseer of the poor of this township. He signs him- self in this letter as a justice of the peace of Middletown township. The letter is well written and words cor- rectly spelled. This man lived and died on his farm which lay about a mile west of Colts Neck. This part of Middletown was taken off when Atlan- tic township was formed. He married Mary, daughter of Tobias Polhemus of Upper Freehold township, and was one of our soldiers in the Revolutionary war, and was with Col. Asher Holmes at the battle of Germantown. He died December 6, 1846, aged 87 years, 6 months, 27 days, according to the in- scription on his tombstone in yard of Marlboro Brick church. His wife, Mary Polhemus, died February 13, 1851, aged 84 years, 10 months, 3 days. Their un- married daughter, "Maria P. Holsairt,"
as name is spelled on headstone, is in- terred by them. She was born Decem- ber 24, 1792, and died August 12, 1883.
John Holsart's will is recorded in Book E of Wills, page 173. Monmouth Surrogate's office. He gives his wife Mary, and his daughter Maria, full pos- session of his lands, stock and house- hold goods as long as they live to- gether and his widow remains unmar- ried. All his weaving apparatus he gives to his son-in-law, Elias Sickles, his watch to his grandson, John Hol- sart Sickles, but if he dies under age, then to his brother, DeWitt Sickles. He directs 150 acres to be run off so as to take in all the buildings on his home- stead farm and devises it in fee to his daughter Mariah. The remainder of his lands is to be equally divided between his daughter Mariah, and his daughter Hannah, wife of Elias Sickles. He pro- vides for his colored man Jack and or- ders that he shall be maintained on the homestead out of his estate. His
daughter Mariah, and "trusty friend" John Statesir, are appointed executors. Henry D. Polhemus, J. M. Hartshorne, and R. S. Hendrickson are the witness- es. The will is dated June 27, 1838, and proved January 27, 1847.
'Squire Holsart had another daughter not named in this will, Eleanor. She married Daniel, son of Daniel Barkalow and Annetje Luyster, his wife, and they removed to and settled in Western New York or Ohio.
Elias Sickles, who married Hannah Holsart, and named in above will, re- sided near the village of Marlboro and was a deacon in 1830 and elder in 1844 of the Dutch church. He is a descend- ant of the "VanSiclin" or "VanSikkele." family who settled in the vicinity of Gravesend, L. 1. The name on the old records of Monmouth Dutch church is spelled in the latter way; see page 87 of Wells' Memorial Address at Brick church.
Elias Sickles by Hannah Holsart, his wife, had eight children. One of his daughters, Willempe, married Peter Antonides, who has always lived and carried on a blacksmith business at East Freehold, where his father, Peter Antonides, t and grandfather, John An- tonides, also lived and carried on same business.
He was born November 12, 1818, and
¡Peter Antonides is buried in old graveyard near East Freehold, called erroneously the Wyckoff burying ground. His tombstone states he died Dec. 6, 1828, aged 53 yrs. 5 m. 16 d. Mary Lloyd, his wife, died March 3, 1836, aged 56 yrs. 11 m. 26 d.
€
JOHN W. HULSE, Justice of the Peace of Freehold Township, N. J.
WICOFF BARKALOW, Oversoer of the Poor of Freehold Township, N. J.
JOHN R. LONGSTREET. Son of Gilbert Longstreet, of Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, N. J.
MARY MIERS,
Wife of John R. Longstreet, and Grand- daughter of Garret Conover and Alice Hendrickson, his wife.
99
EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
was a son of Peter Antonides and Mary Lloyd, his wife. She was a daughter of David Lloyd. Mr. Peter Antonides, al- though now over four score years, is as straight and erect as a flag staff, supple and quick and able to shoe a horse and do other blacksmith work as well as any other young man in this county. One of his uncles, Vincent, or Vincentius Antonides, removed to and settled in Ohio during the early part of this century. It is said he has raised a large family there.
The grandson, John H. Sickles, named in Squire Holsart's will, and to whom the watch is given, is still living. He was a Union soldier in the war of the
rebellion and very strong in his devo- tion to the Union cause, hating rebels or rebel sympathizers with all his heart. He is still a bachelor, for like a celebrated judge of Monmouth county used to remark, he believes a "man is never satisfied until he gets as bad off as possible, as is the case when mar- ried." So he has escaped the marriage noose and rejoices in single blessed- ness. He is Dutch clear through on both sides, and sometimes remarks that not a drop of mongrel or English blood beats in his heart.
The Hulsharts have generally follow- ed agricultural or kindred pursuits and have been as a rule good citizens.
THE AUMACKS OR AUMOCKS OF MONMOUTH AND OCEAN COUNTIES.
The name of "Teunis Amak" and Lena Lan (Lane), his wife, appear as members of the Monmouth Dutch church in 1723, while his brother, "Stephen Aumack" and Jannetie Janse, his wife, are entered on the church records five years later. *
Abraham Emans + (Emmons), a resi- dent of Freehold township, conveys to Hendrick Hendrickson and Jaques Denys (Denise) of New Utrecht, L. 1., by deed dated May 1, 1719, ninety-six and a half acres of land in Freehold township, bounded east by Bartlett Brook, west by lands ot Thomas Cooper, south by lands of Samuel Dennis and north by lands formerly William Scott's. This tract is described as beginning at William Layton's, formerly John Scott's corner. # The grantor and grantees named in this deed, all join in a deed dated May 5, 1730, conveying this same land to Stephen Aumack. Emans joins in order to cure a defect in the former deed. "Theuny Amack" and "Peter Jansen," as they spell their names, are witnesses to this second deed.§ Solomon
*Wells' Memorial Address at Brick Church, page 87.
+Abraham Emans and Hendrick Emans, who settled at Six Mile Run, Somerset county, N. J., in 1703, were sons of Andrews Emans, who came to America in 1661 and settled at Grave- send, L. I. This name in Monmouth county is now spelled Emmons. Margaret, wife of above Abraham Emans, was a member of the Monmouth Dutch church in 1713. See Wells' Memorial Address, page 85.
#Book G of Deeds, page 61, etc., Monmouth records.
$Book H of Deeds, page 114, Monmouth records.
Deboogh (Debow) by deed dated March 11, 1739, conveys a tract of 100 acres in Freehold township to "Theunis Amack" who is described as a weaver, and resi- dent of Monmouth county. Bartlet Brook and Long Brook are mentioned as part of the boundaries of this tract .! |
"Thunis Amack" is named among the grand jurors impannelled by Sheriff Bernardus Verbryck at April term, 1735, and Stephen Amack among the grand jurors impannelled by Sheriff James Stevenson at April term, 1744. f
In Book H of Deeds, page 275, is the record of a public Highway laid out on June 14, 1740, by the surveyors of the highways. "Theunis Amack's" lands and "Stephen Amack's" mill are named in this return. They also make "void" (vacate) a 2-rod road laid through the Amack's, Tunis Denis (Denise), Gilbert VanMater, Judah Williams, Thomas Borden, and Nathan Tilton's lands. This record shows that the two Aumack brothers lived near each other on this new road, and that Stephen Aumack operated a grist mill. Teunis Aumack married Lena, a daughter of Jacob Thysen Laen (Lane) and Elizabeth Barkalow, his wife, and had the follow- ing children baptized:
Jannetje, Nov. 24, 1723. Child unnamed, August 8, 1725. Elizabeth, August 5, 1733. Afhie, August 17, 1735. Jan, April 15, 1738. Mathys, August 2, 1742.
Book H of Deeds, page 237, Monmouth records.
'Minutes of Monmouth courts, 1735-1744.
100
EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
Teunis and Stephen Aumack were born at Flatlands, L. I., and were the sons of Theunis Janse VanAmach, of that place. He is named among the citizens who took the oath of allegiance in 1687, and he is then put down as having been 14 years in America .** The name is there spelled as VanAmach. I do not know how many children he had. The name was first spelled in Monmouth "Amak" and "Amack."
In Book A of Marriages, page 59, is record of a marriage, where the parties were both of this family, and it shows how unsettled they were a century ago in the spelling of this name.
"Teunis Aumack to Mary Aamach, Nov. 26, 1801," is the way it is entered. According to tradition Theunis Janse VanAmach was a marine on one of Admiral Cornelius Evertsen's or Jacob Binckes' ships, when they compelled the English to haul down their flag over New York in 1673. The red, white and blue of the Netherlands Republic waved over New York and New Jersey for about a year. VanAmach, then a young man, during this occupation, be- came attached to the daughter of a Dutch settler who lived in Brooklyn. Either his term of enlistment expired, or he was discharged, for when the fleet sailed away, he remained and be- came a resident of Flatlands, where he raised a family. He is therefore the progenitor of all the Aumacks and Aumocks in Monmouth and Ocean counties.
This family can therefore look back to one of the Dutchmen who wrested the New Netherlands from the English in 1673, and helped fight in the mem- orable war of that year, as their pro- genitor. This conquest of the New Netherlands was not a secret, treacher- ous attack, without a declaration of war, but a fair conquest after announe- ed hostilities. England and France with the German Provinces of Munster and Cologne, had combined in an alliance to wipe out the Republic of Holland from the map of Europe. It is true, there was a party in England opposed to this alliance and war, but they were made up principally of the old Republicans and Roundheads , who had followed Cromwell. They knew King Charles IF was a papist at heart, and this al- liance was really a blow at the Pro- testant religion, and to restore the Roman Hierarchy to its old power over the world. Charles HI had attacked and seized the Dutch colony of New York in 1664, in order to provoke the States
General into a declaration of war against England. Such an attack must cause war as a child might know. This in England would be reprensented as a defensive war, and so, the Protestant party would be compelled, nolens vol- ens, to stand up for their country.
As Charles II and his secret instiga- tor, Louis XIV expected and intended. this capture of the Dutch colony in America, together with an attack on their African trading posts at about the same time, and the seizure of Dutch merchant ships, compelled the States General to declare war against Eng- land. The successes of the Dutch ad- mirals at sea, together with other troubles, led the English Parliament to interfere with the purposes of their King. A hollow peace was patched up, but the English puppet of the French monarch, held to the same resolution to destroy if possible, the Holland Repub- lic. It became necessary, however, to educate public opinion, and inflame the passions of the English people, in order to overcome the opposition of the Pro- testant leaders. Pamphlets and other writings were circulated, filled with the most outrageous accusations against the Dutch.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.