USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > Early Dutch Settlers of Monmouth County, New Jersey > Part 4
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
Mary, baptized April 25, 1742.
I think this son Peter, was the justice of the peace whose name appears fre- quently in our court records during and
after the revolutionary war. I am not sure, however, of this.
By his second wife, Jannetje Hen- drickson, (maiden name) widow of Roelof Jacobse Couwenhoven, whom he married in 1747, he had the following children:
Roelof P., baptized January 22, 1749, mar- ried Elizabeth Gordon.
Jannetje, baptized July 28, 1751, married John Walter, December 5, 1769.
Leah, baptized November 9, 1755. Francyntje, baptized March 7, 1762.
Antje, baptized September 30, 1763, married Garret Conover.
Jan, son of Roelof Schenck, (black Roelof) and Geesie Hendrickson, his wife, married November 26, 1740, Jac- ominkey, daughter of Cornelius Cou- wenhoven and Margaretta Schenck, his wife. He died June 27, 1749, before his father. Their children were:
Roelof, baptized September 19, 1742. Cornelius, baptized October 12, 1744. Sara, baptized September 21, 1746. Geesie, baptized October 23, 1748.
THE MASTERFUL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DUTCH WOMEN.
While speaking of the men of these Dutch families, we must not forget the women. The woman was indeed the "King Pin," or rather the "Queen Pin," around whom the whole family life, past, present and future revolved. The old Roman historians, when describing the Teutonic tribes, often mention, as something very singular, the consider- ation and respect shown by these "Bar- barians" to their women, that they were treated as the equals and in some cases as the superiors of the men. In important affairs the women were not only consulted but were entrusted with the management of them. Sometimes they led the men in battle. Among the Orientals and Latin races, females were treated as the inferiors of the males; as untrustworthy and on the level with children. They were caged in harems among the Orientals, and secluded behind harred windows and doors among the Spaniards, Italians and other Latin peoples. The Batavians or Fresians, from whom the Netherland people spring, belonged to the Teutonic race, and their regard and respect for women was a national characteristic. During the long war with Spain the
Holland women often fought in the front ranks, side by side with their fathers, brothers, sons and husbands.
During the sieges of some of the cities when people fell dead from star- vation in the streets, and when it seem- ed as il human beings could not endure further suffering, the women encour- aged the men to hold out and suffer death before surrendering to the hated Spaniard. Another trait of the Dutch women which is always noticed and commented upon by travellers through Holland, is their extreme cleanliness. Sweeping, washing, mopping and scrub- bing form a passion with them.
Cleanliness is said to be next to god- liness. If this saying is true then the Holland woman must "take the cake" for superlative piety. Among the farm houses scattered through Pleasant Val- ley, Atlantic, Marlboro and other town- ships and occupied by the descendants of the Dutch, these same traits have been noticed about the women folks. To soil the kitchen floor was deemed a serious matter, and the men in some houses were required to take off their boots or shoes hefore stepping over the sill of the kitchen door.
18
EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
House cleaning two or three times a year was a solemn and important work, especially so, if it was suspected that a bed-bug had effected an entrance into the domicile. Then the "huisvrouw" was up in arms. An angry frown mar- red her usually placid features and her tongue clattered all day like the machinery in a grist mill, giving com- mands, orders, and urging "all hands" to the work of hunting out and exter- minating the pestiferous insects. The house, from foundation to turret, was deluged with floods of water and soap- suds, so that the men folks had no dry place where they could place their feet. They thereupon retreated to the barn or wagon house to get a little peace and comfort, from the fierce rushing to and fro of the angry vrouw and the ceaseless clatter of her tongue. The bed clothes were also inspected with a microscopic eye. The bedsteads all taken apart, the furniture all moved, the carpets all taken up, and beat and beat and beat, and then hung on a line outdoors for the free winds to blow away what little dust there was left. In short, the whole house was turned topsy turvy and there was no rest, peace or comfort for anybody, but more especially for the unfortunate bed bug, who wished he had never been born. After the whole house had thus been deiuged and scrubbed, if the vrouw still suspected there was yet a solitary bed bug lurking in a deep crack of the floor or walls, she brought up her heavy ar- tillery in the shape of scalding water and bed-bug poison, and poured that into his hiding place, until the miser- able insect gave up the ghost. Then and not till then, did "order reign in Warsaw." After the whole house had been thoroughly swept and garnished and white wash applied from cellar to garret and the furniture all polished and varnished, returned to its usual place, were the "men folks" allowed any peace or comfort. The long exile was then over and once more the "good man" of the house could comfortably sit in his chair by the chimney corner and smoke his pipe. Among these fam- ilies the real "boss" was the vrouw.
The very name "huisvrouw" means the "woman of the house or home." Her authority was absolute in the home. No one dared to dispute her edicts, for a woman can scold with more terrific effect in the Low Dutch language than in any other. A true story is told of a Mrs. Benjamin Van- Cleaf or Cleef which will illustrate the power and authority of the wife. Dur- ing the early part of the present cen-
tury many of our school teachers were Irishmen. They were paid by the par- ents of the children. It was greatly to their interest to have all the children sent it was possible to get. This Irish teacher taught school at or near the old Tennent church. Benjamin Van- Cleaf lived some two or three miles from the school house and had a large family of boys and girls, all of whom were under eighteen years of age. The Irishman had no personal acquaintance with him, but hearing about his family called at his residence in order to per- suade him to send his children to his school. A colored man, who had long been a slave in Mr. VanCleaf's family, came to the door and upon his inquiring for the master of the house, was in- formed that he was not at home. Think- ing he could learn something from the old negro the Irishman slipped a silver shilling in his hand, and then asked how he could induce Mr. VanCleaf, the boss, to send his children to the school in question. "Ah," said the old slave, "you go an' see de vrouw. She is de real boss. Mr. VanClear is only called de boss. You git on de right side of de vrouw fust an' you hab r.o trouble den." The shrewd Irishman took the darkey's advice and secured all the children.
To show the respect and regard in which the women were held, look at our court records of criminal cases in Monmouth county for the past two cen- turies, and 1 doubt if you could find a single case where a white man of true Dutch descent, has ever been indicted for striking or beating his wife. At least I have never seen or heard of any such case. The vrouw was the ruler of the home and inmates. The parlor was her throne room, a place kept sacred from all common uses. Closed and darkened, except when respectable company came or when the damsel of the house was visited by an approved suitor for her hand. Here before the open fireplace, in which the fire cheerily blazed and sent its dancing light and genial warmth through the room, the young couple took their seats on each side of the hearth to spend the long winter evening, in courtship.
The young "Lochinvar" would grad- ually hitch his chair nearer and nearer to the blooming and blushing fraulein, if she did not move away, his chair, before the long winter evening wore away, would get very close to hers, and before he hardly realized it he was tied hand and foot in the matrimonial knot. His liberty was gone. He was engaged After the wedding feast the parlor was sternly closed to him, for he was one
1
1
19
EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
of the family and only entitled to the same usage.
The huisvrouw with her store of household linen, her heavy blankets, home woven, her patchwork quilts, with more colors than Joseph's famous coat, and many other household articles were also prepared and laid away to start her daughter in housekeeping.
The parlor was the trap in which many a roystering, devil-may-care, hot- headed young Dutchman was caught in the marriage noose and compelled to settle down as a sedate, meek and docile married man. Thenceforth he was ruled by the vrouw and his mother-in-law. Yet his lot was by no means an un- happy one. The great majority of the Scheneks, Conovers, VanCleafs, Van- Brockles, Gulicks and others of the Van
name, had wives of unadulterated Dutch blood, on the farms of Monmouth county during the past generations, and were truly described as follows:
"She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."
"She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands."
"She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens."
"She stretcheth out her hand to the poor ; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy."
#
"She looketh well to the ways of her house- hold, and eateth not the bread of idleness."
"Her children arise np, and call her blessed ; her husband also, and he praiseth her."
THE SIX CONOVER BROTHERS AND FOUR CONOVER SISTERS.
In one of my former articles I inad- vertently stated that the three Conover brothers who married Schenck wives were the only original settlers of this name. I should have said that they were the only brothers who married in the Schenck family, and were likely the first ones to come here with the two Schenck brothers. As a fact there were six Conover brothers and four sisters, who were all born in Kings county, Nassan Island, as Long Island was then called, and removed to Mon- mouth county.
They were the children of William Gerritse Cowenhoven, who resided for a number of years in Brooklyn. He was a magistrate there in the years 1661-62- 64, and a deacon of the Dutch church in 1663. From there he removed to Flat- lands. His name appears as a resident and freeholder of that place, on the assessment rolls of 1675-83-93. He was also an elder of the Dutch church there in 1677. Nov. 1, 1709, he sold his farm at Flatlands to his son William, and is supposed to have spent his declining years among his ten children in Mon- mouth county.
William Gerritse Couwenhoven was born in year 1636. He married for his first wife Altje, daughter of Joris Dirckse Brinckerhoff. On 12th of Feb- ruary, 1665, he married his second wife, Jannetje, daughter of Pieter Monfoort. By his first wife he had two sons.
. Garret.
Joris, or George, who married Alletta Luy- ster, or, as spelled on Brick church records, Altige Luyster, where they became commun- icants in 1731.
By his second wife he had eleven children:
Altje, b. Dec. 14, 1665, married Cornelius VanAertsdalen.
Neeltje, b. Dec. 7, 1667, married John Piet- erse Wyckoff.
Peter, b. Feb. 12, 1671, married Patience, daughter of Elias Daws.
Cornelius, b. Nov. 20, 1672, (according to Teunis G. Bergen), married Margaretta Schenck, Sept. 8, 1700. According to inserip- tion on his tombstone in the Schenck-Couwen- hoven burying ground, Pleasant Valley, he died May 16. 1736, aged 64 yrs., 5 mos., 17 days. This would place his birthday back in 1671. As his brother Peter is said to have been born in 1671, there is a mistake either in Mr. Bergen's record or in the tombstone record. His wife, Maragreta, as spelled on her tombstone, died Dec. 6, 1751, aged 73 yrs., 9 mos., 27 days.
Sarah, b. Jan. 6, 1675, m. Jan Schenck.
Albert, b. Dec. 7, 1676, m. Neeltje Schenck. Jacob, b. Jan. 29, 1679, m. Sarah Schenck.
Jan, b. Apr. 9, 1681, m. Jacola VanDerveer. Annatie, b. Apr. 13, 1683, m. Aert William- son.
William, b. Mar. 7, 1686, m. Annatie Lucasse Voorhees.
Jacomina. b. Dec. 28, 1689, m. Elbert Wil- liamson.
Garret, William and Altje were the only ones who did not come to Mon- mouth county. Cornelius, Jacob and
20
EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
Albert came first, then Peter. Jan and Joris. Sarah and Neeltje, of the daugh- ters came first, as their names appear among the communicants of the Brick church as early as 1709, while their sisters, Annatie and Jacomina appear in 1717.
Joris or George Couwenhoven, who married Alletta or Altje Luyster, al- though the eldest of all the sons who came to Monmouth, was the last one to come. He evidently had children born before he took up his residence in this county. The Brick church records show the baptism of the following children of George Couwenhoven and his wife, Aletta Luyster.
Elizabeth, b. Mar. 18, 1725. She married May 7. 1747, John Smock, and died May 7. 1812. She and her husband are interred in the Smock burying ground, on the farm for- merly owned by Peter R. Smock, the father of ex-sheriff Rulief P. Smock, in Holmdel township.
John Smock and Elizabeth Smock had the following children:
Mary, b. Mar. 20, 1748. I endrick, b. Dec. 31, 1749. Joris, b. June 9, 1751, died young. Joris, b. Dec. 22, 1754. Neeltje. b. Nov. 21, 1756. Sara, b. July 30, 1758.
Caterina, b. Apr. 27, 1760. Johannes, b. Jan. 19, 1764.
Roelif, b. Nov. 20, 1769.
In Book E of Deeds, page 226, Mon- mouth clerk's office, is record of a deed dated Dec. 9, 1712, from Capt. John Bown, merchant, of Middletown town- ship, to Johannes Smock, late of Staten Island, New York, for 230 acres in Mid- dletown township and four acres of salt meadow at Shoal Harbor. Ramen- essin brook is called for as one of the boundaries of the 230 acre tract.
Joris Couwer hoven had the following children baptized after Elizabeth, wife of John Smock:
Cornelius, bapt. July 2, 1727. Daughter, not named, bapt. Jan. 1, 1729. Peter, baptized Mar. 31. 1731.
We also find in these records a Garret Couwenhoven and his wife, Sarah Trap- hagle (Traphagen), had a son named Joris, baptized Oct. 26, 1746. Aletta Luyster appears as sponsor. As this Garret Couwenhoven cannot be ac- counted for among the children of the other brothers, and the coincidence of name also agreeing with Joris Couwen- hoven's family, we think it reasonable to say that he was a son of Joris Cou- wenhoven and his wife, Aletta Luyster. born prior to their removal to Mon- mouth county.
In Book H of deeds, page 152, Mon- mouth Clerk's office, is record of a deed dated May 6, 1729, from John Antonides, miller, and Johanna, his wife, of Free- hold township, to George Couwenhoven, yeoman, of Middletown township, for 105 acres in Freehold township. This is about all the definite information the writer has of Joris Couwenhoven.
As to the other five brothers, who took up their residence in Monmouth county the records are clear and cer- tain. I will take them up in the order of their respective ages.
Peter Couwenhoven married Patience, daughter of Elias Daws, and is said to have settled somewhere in what is now Manalapan township. His Dutch Bible, a very precious book to him, is now in the possession of Mrs. Lydia H. S. Conover, who has kindly furnished me with names and dates of births of his children as follows:
Hannah or Johanna, b. Sept. 26, 1695, m. John, a son of Rev. Vincentius Antonides, a Dutch clergyman, sent out by Classis of Amsterdam to supply the churches in Brook- lyn, Flatbush and Flatlands. The quarrel te- tween him and Rev. Bernardus Freeman, who had been commissioned by Lord Cornbury as pastor of these same churches fills many pages of the early history of teh Dutch churches in Kings county, L. I.
Jane, b. July 28, 1697, married Wil-
liamson.
Alice, b. Sept. 28, 1699, died young.
Mary, b. July 25, 1701, m. Koert Gerritse Schenck.
William, b. July 11, 1703, m. Mary Calyer or Colyer and died May 3rd, 1777. Mary, his wife, died January 30, 1777, in her 70th year. Both were buried in Tennent church cemetery.
Altje, b. May 21, 1705, m. Jan. 16, 1730. . Her cousin, William Williamson, who was born Feb. 18, 1709. died April 22, 1788. He was a son of Aert Williamson and Annetie Conwen- hoven, his wife.
Elias, known in after life as "Ensign Elias," was born Sept. 12th, 1707. m. Williamsee, daughter of John Wall, died Dec. 25. 1750. His wife died March 24th, 1759, aged about 58 years, Both are interred in the Schenck-Cou- wenhoven burying ground, Pleasant Valley.
Neeltje, b. Sept. 2, 1709.
Peter, b. June 27, 1712, married his cousin. Leah, Janse Schenck, and removed to state of New York.
Anney, b. Sept. 29, 1714, m. John Longstreet, son of Adriaan Langstraat and Christina Janse, his wife. He was baptized Jan. 13, 1712, and married Anne Couwenhoven Dec. 17. 1746.
Pieter Couwenhoven, the lather of these ten children, made his will March 15, 1743. It was proved April 23, 1755. and is on record at Trenton, N. J., in Book F of Wills, page 259, etc. He names in this will his wife, Patience, his sons Peter, William and Elias, whom he also appoints executors, and his
21
EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
daughters, Hannah Antonides, Jane Williamson, Mary Schenck, Aeltje Wil- liamson and Ann Longstreet. He was an active member of the Dutch church and served as elder in 1711-21. 1 do not know where he is buried.
His son Elias, called "Ensign Elias," who married Williamsee Wall, was the father of Col. John Conwenhoven, who was born March 8, 1734, married Elea- nor Wyckoff and died April 21, 1803. He is interred in yard of Marlboro Brick church. He represented Monmouth county in the Provincial Congress of this state and was a member of Council of Safety during years 1775-76. He seems to have been one of the trusted leaders of the people in Monmouth county, at the very beginning of the stormy days of our Revolutionary war. The following resolutions representing the views of the patriots in Freehold township are closely associated with his name, if indeed he was not the author and mover of them.
It required great courage and devo- tion to the people's cause for a man at that time to speak out so plainly.
At a meeting of the freeholders and inhabi- tants of the township of Lower Freehold, in the county of Monmouth in New Jersey, on Monday, the 6th day of June, 1774, after notice given of the time, place and occasion of the meeting.
RESOLVED, That it is the unanimons opin- ion of this meeting, that the cause in which the inhabitants of the Town of Boston are now suffering, is the common cause of the whole continent of North America, and that unless some general and positive measures for the public safety be speedily entered into, there is just reason to fear that every province may in turn share the same fate with them ; and that, therefore, it is highly incumbent on them all to unite in some effectnal means to obtain a l'epeal of the Bra'on Port Bill, and any other that may follow it, which shall be deemed sub- versive of the rights and privileges of free born Americans. And that it is also the opin-
ion of this meeting, that in case it shall ap- pear hereafter to be consistent with the gen- eral opinion of the trading towns and the commercial part of our countrymen, that an entire stoppage of importation and exportation from and to Great Britain and the West Indies, until the said Port Bill and other acts be re- pealed, will be really conducive to the safety and preservation of North America and her liberties, they will yield a cheerful acquiesence in the measure and earnestly recommend the same to all their brethren in this province.
RESOLVED moreover, That the inhabitants of this township will join in an association with the several towns in the county and in conjunction with them, with the several conn- ties in the province (if as we doubt not, they see fit to accede to this proposal) in any meas- ures that may appear best adapted to the weal and safety of North America and her loyal sons.
Then follows the names of the seven persons appointed as a committee of Freehold township to carry said reso- lutions into effect. Among them ap- pears the names of Hendrick Smock and Capt. John Couwenhoven.
A month later still stronger resolu- tions were passed, and we find his name again among the committee. Also in the proceedings of the Congress of New Jersey of the years 1775-76 we find his name prominent. He was the great grandfather of late Hon. Charles H. Conover, who was during the seventies. one of the lay judges of our county courts and who resided on the old Cou- wenhoven homestead farm in Marlboro township, still (1898) in the family ownership. He was a gentleman of re- served and retiring manners, but up- right and faithful in the discharge of private and public duties, and consist- ent and reliable in his business deal -. ings.
The writer for several years was brought in close contact with him, and learned to respect him for many ex- cellent traits of mind and heart.
ODDITIES AND PECULIARITIES OF THE DUTCH PEOPLE AND THEIR DESCENDANTS IN MONMOUTH.
To understand the character and peculiarities of the different races and people who settled these United States, it is necessary to consider the nation- ality from which each one springs. Children of the same parents often dif- fer greatly in appearance and conduct. Sometimes they inherit the physical or mental traits of a remote progenitor,
but we may generally expect them to exhibit more or less of the character- istics of the nation from which they originate. Today we have in our coun- try representatives of all the races and nations of the world. Never before in all times, was there such a heterogen- eous population. But among them all there is no people who have more dis-
EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
tinct and marked characteristics than the Hollanders. They belong to a very ancient race, whose known history goes back to the days of Julius Caesar and Pompey. In the battle of Pharsalia the Batavians took a prominent part, as we learn from Roman history. The Hol- landers are a people who have ever act- ed and thought for themselves. They have never been imitators or syco- phants. On the contrary, they are truly said to be the oddest people in Europe. Everything in Holland is different from what it is in other countries. Even their morsel of territory is neither water nor dry land. Only by the most herculean lahors has it been wrested from the ocean, and by unceasing vigil- ance is it preserved from the constant assaults of the waves. The reader. therefore, can easily see how likely it is for strangers, who travel hastily through the country to make many mis- takes in describing or understanding such a people. We are all apt to esti- mate others by our own experience. The venal man loudly asserts that "every man has his price." The honest man falls an easy victim to the plans- ible talk of the "confidence man "
The English writers and those of the same school in America, often describe the Dutch as a plegmatic people, as slow, sluggish or torpid. It is true that they are a quiet, grim and taciturn people. It would be strange if they were not, when we recall the wonderful achievements of the little country. about the size of New Jersey, and ever in danger of inundation. "That beats the Dutch" has become a proverb, when some skillful or remarkable work has been done. The love of truth and jus- tice is said to be a national trait. As a fact there is less crime in Holland. according to her population, than in any other European country. They have especially prized liberty and indepen- dence. That industry, so noticeable in Holland, where even the dogs are train- ed to work, is based on this intense love of "independence."
They know, as was said of old by the wise king of Israel, that there can he no true and permanent independence without industry. The primeval curse still continues that man must earn lasting bread by "the sweat of his brow" and not by spoils taken in Wall street or watering railroad storks or patent medicines. To avoid, however, the charge of partiality, or exagger- ation, I will quote from the writings of a Frenchman and an Englishman. for the writers of both of these nations
have been very keen to see the faults and failings of the "Low Dutch." "If this is not true, you can call me an Englishman," is an expression very often used by certain English writers, except you must substitute Dutchman for Englishman. But it shows their animus and the lofty contempt and scorn.
The following is from the pen of Henri Alphonse Esquiros, entitled, "Dutch at Home." "It has long been remarked how naturally a pipe hung from a Dutch mouth; and most local habits are based on hygenic conditions of climate. Beneath the foggy sky of the Netherlands, a necessity was felt to produce smoke against smoke. It is a sort of local homeopathy. Some physical writers have asserted that tobacco smoke befogged the intellect: but this observation is contradicted by the Dutchmen, who live in a climate of smoke and whose minds are more pre- cise, positive and clear in their details, than those of any other people.
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.