USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > Early Dutch Settlers of Monmouth County, New Jersey > Part 5
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"In Holland we find what thinkers born in periods of moral agitation never attain, and what Dante sought-peace. It is not rare to notice in little wayside hostelries, the inscription, "Pax Intran- tibus." We might say that life is like the water in their canals, it does not flow. Be it illusion or reality, it seemed to us that the hours strike here more slowly than in France, and are ushered into life with a song. The whole char- acter of old Holland is found in these solemn peals, in those aeolian voices which the fathers heard, and which the sons will hereafter hear.
"At Utrecht, a thoroughly protestant town, the chimes played a hymn accord- ing to the Reformed ritual. This Pur- itan gentleness, the notes of which the beels dash out in the air harmonizes with the calm and reposed hues of the scenery. Ine gardens which border the water are kept up. gravelled and ralted with extreme care, and trees loaded with fruit offer pleasing variety to the slightly monotonous character of the verdure." According to this French writer, contentment and peace prevail among the people of this land, and each one is not trying to exceed or beat his neighbor, or discontented because some one else has a few more dollars than he has. Peace, quiet and contentment, while easily mistaken for, are very different from the apathy and stupidity which come from ignorance and slug- gishness. The bustle, excitement and hurry which mark life in America is unknown in Holland. The same slow
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EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTII.
and sure walk and talk, although mod- ified ly modern environments, may be seen in their genuine descendants in America. Washington Irving, in his so called Knickerbocker History of New York has seized upon this trait as one of the principal themes for his pleas- antry, ridicule and caricatures. Other English writers have done the same. forgetting that the shallow brook ever makes more noise than the deep and
silent river. English austerity and stolidity can be well contrasted with Dutch phlegm and grimness. Occasion- ally an English writer appears who is able to see some merit in other nations. The following is taken from the London Times of October 23rd, 1888, and is supposed to have been written by an author who has shed his "cockney shell" and dropped his "Lion's skin." He speaks first of the great prepar- ations being made in Holland to cele- brate the 75th anniversary of their lib- eration from French domination, and the re-establishment of their national independence, and then goes on to say : "No nationality in the world has earned its liberties more worthily than the Dutch or has more right to some- thing of self glorification on the score of it. The land on which it dwells is. if not its own creation, its salvage. Without indefatigable efforts this mor- sel of territory would have been a bar- ren salt marsh. Human erterprise has reclaimed and guards it and has con- verted the whole into one of the most productive regions in Europe. Not only has it turned an expanse of foggy un- wholesome f'ens into a vast model farm. but it has built prosperous cities and filled them with the products of art and civilization. The
Dutch race has stretched its hands everywhere and the earth is full of evidence of its courage and foresight.
The surprising history of its influence and affluence is essentially connected with its stubborn determination to be independent. It defied the powers of nature, it compelled the old world and the new to pay it tribute; it made itself learned and accomplished, because it felt that it was performing the work for and by itself.
In the history of its rise and for- tunes, the maintenance of its indepen- dence, with the briefest intervals, is a continual marvel. Swiss independence. with all its great deeds cannot match the tale of the vitality of Dutch Free- dom.
A highland people occupies defensive strongholds and has little to provoke
covetousness. The Dutch inhabit a country which can be overrun in a week, and perpetually has been over- run. "The Dutch have taken Holland" is a byword the world over, and has been for generations past.
By their industry they rendered it long ago desirable and a constant temp- tation to those powers who coveted wealth. They have accumulated within its territory incalculable riches, not only of gold and silver and precious stones, but masterpieces of art, ingen- uity and patient industry. They also endowed it with a network of valuable external dominions, apparent prizes of their conqueror.
Their maritime enterprise, distant colonies, great mercantile marine, laden with the precious products of the earth, were so many additional temptations to the unscrupulous powers of Europe, who not only hated and feared their Republican and Democratic proclivities, but looked on their little country and small population as easily subjected. In the midst of numberless dangers Dutch independence seems to have borne a charmed life. When they pro- claimed their independence of the great Spanish Empire, until then invincible, the first coin struck bore the picture of a ship without sails, masts or rudder. a mere hulk tossing on the mountainous waves of a storm dashed ocean, with the words "In God We Trust." This truly expressed their desperate straits, and that they realized that deliverance could only come from Him Who holds the world in the hollow of His hand.
Feudalism, instead of quenching, like the cruelties of Alva and the tortures of the inquisition, invigorated their love of liberty and independence. While Europe languished under the burden of thousands of petty despots, Holland throve under its counts: Burgundian, Spanish and French rule passed over it, without stifling its free spirit. The oath of the ancient Frisians that "The Frisians would be free as long as the winds of Heaven blow." seems to have been kept in letter and spirit by their descendants. Under a variety of forms of government, the essence of Dutch independence has gone on many cen- turies, pertinaciously immovable. Only in 1795 was there any serious risk of an extinction of Dutch nationality. Had France employed its armed authority over the country for the simple benefit of the Dutch people, and the building up of a true Republican government, objects which had induced a large part
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EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
of the Dutch people to co-operate in assuming the French rule, the conta- gion of French Democratic ideas might have ended in absorbing Holland per- manently in the French republic.
Bonaparte's dynastic ambition opened their eyes to the fact that they were regarded as a conquered nation and were in chains to a tyrant, who sought to aggrandize himself at the expense of his wife, his friends, his allies and his country.
For the uplifting of himself as Em- peror he abolished the Batavian repub- lic and after four years of his brothers' mock reign incorporated the province of Holland as part of his empire. Up to this time Holland troops and Holland officers, like VanDamm, had served him faithfully. In his disastrous invasion of Russia some of the Holland regi- ments had perished almost to a man in the performance of duty. Thencefor- ward it was a mere question of time when the deceived and betrayed people of Holland would throw off the yoke of this Corsican soldier, and assert their independence. The field of Leipsic gave them this opportunity. A month later the Dutch nation declared itself once more free and summoned the Prince of Orange home to lead the movement. Circumstances then aided Holland in its deliverance and in shak- ing off the French yoke which the Hol- landers themselves had originally co- operated in adjusting. Coincidences were equally favorable when its troops marched with those of Marlborough and
Eugene. It profited by the great league which William III constructed from the vantage ground of the English throne.
Queen Elizabeth and Valois and the Bourbon Kings of France had all helped in its struggle for existence against Philip II but the nationality, too, was constantly on the alert and ready.
Generally it has been the heart and soul of the international combinations for resistance to a crushing monopoly of powers in Europe. European liber- ties owe yet more to the uncontrollable Dutch love of independence than Dutch independence owes to European succor. The Dutch race are not especially con- ciliatory, any more than is supposed to be the English. Frequently it has shown itself harsh, as Belgium found between 1814 and 1830. Englishmen have had cause to accuse it of commer- cial rapacity and exclusiveness. Its handful of people and morsel of terri- tory ever in danger of being swallowed up by the sea, has ever been throughout a palpable and visible unit, which it has been impossible for European coun- tries to ignore and entirely possible for them to obey."
This tribute from a foreign English- man shows certain characteristics of the Dutch and which their descendants in America should naturally possess. The Dutch farmers of the Transvaal in Africa have exhibited the same spirit in their determined efforts to preserve their independence, and the Dutch set- tlers of Monmouth showed the same spirit during our revolutionary war.
CORNELIUS COUWENHOVEN OF PLEASANT VALLEY AND HIS CHILDREN.
Cornelius Couwenhoven seems to have been the first one of this name who actually settled in Monmouth county, but there is evidence that one or more of this family had long been familiar with the territory and the In- dian inhabitants. As early as 1663 we hear of a Jacob Couwenhoven, who owned a small sloop and who traded with the Indians for venison and furs. The trade with the Indians for peltries and furs was very profitable and ex- tensively carried on by the early Dutch settlers. The Albany records contain an account of an attempt made in 1663 by certain of the English people at Gravesend and other Long Island towns to purchase lands of the Indians, known
as the Navesinks, and who occupied part of what is now Monmouth county. The Dutch authorities hearing of this, sent an officer and a few soldiers in a vessel to prevent it. When the boat reached the southern point of Staten Island, opposite the mouth of the Rar- itan river, they met Jacob Couwenhoven in a small sloop. He informed them that he had been out trading for ven- ison, also that a number of the Nave- sink and Raritan Indians had gathered at a place about three miles up the Rar- itan, and that the English, in an open stoop. the day previous had gone up the river to meet them. From this it appears that Jacob Couwenhoven had made for- mer trips across the bay and was well
House erected by Cornelius Covenhoven, the pioneer settler, on his farm at Pleasant Valley in the early part of the eighteenth century.
Photograph taken by Mrs. L. H. S. Conover in summer of 1899.
The ruins of the early home of Cornelius Covenhoven, who married Mary Hendrickson, and called his place "Carroway" (near Keyport, N. J.)
Photograph taken by Mrs. I. H. S. Conover in July, 1998.
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EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
enough acquainted with the Indian in- habitants to distinguish those who lived in what is now Monmouth county from those who lived on the Raritan river. It is more than probable that the ownership of vessel property and the continuance of this traffic with the Indians would remain in the family. The emigration of the Dutch people from King's county, Long Island, to Somerset, Middlesex and Monmouth counties between 1695 and 1730 was quite large. Several vessels must have been employed to transport their house- hold effects, agricultural implements and stock over the water.
Cornelius Couwenhoven, it is said, owned a sloop which he named the "Carroway." It sailed between the East River and some landing, either up Matawan or Waycake creek. His son. William, afterwards owned the boat and no doubt made trips from the Mon- mouth shore to New York and Kings county whenever there was a necessity for it. In this way an intercourse was kept up with the old people and goods and passengers transported back and forth. I think it likely that sometimes the first settlers, prior to 1709, may have had some of their children bap- tized in the Dutch churches of Kings county. There was no regular Dutch church minister in Monmouth county until 1709, and, although there may have been an occasional visit by a licensed clergyman, there was no such thing as regular services. It is to be remembered that our early Dutch set- tlers lived on isolated clearings with the primeval forest all around them. There were no schools for their chil- dren. They learned to speak the Dutch language from family intercourse. The children also would hear the uncouth talk of the negro slaves, the broken English of the wild Indians, and the talk of the ignorant Englishman or Frenchman who occasionally visited their home. Thus they gradually fell into a dialect which was impure Dutch, mingled with many English words wrongly pronounced and wrongly spell- ed. Take the christian names of the children born after 1700 as spelled in their wills or private family records, and you can see how far they had drift- ed away from the correct Dutch spell- ing of their own names, We can hardly conceive today the many disadvantages our pioneer settlers labored under.
Cornelius Couwenhoven by his wife, Margaretta Schenck, had the following children :
William, born July 20, 1700, married first Jannetje, daughter of Peter Wyckoff, and Williampe Schenck, his wife. Second Antje. daughter of Daniel Hendrickson and Catharine VanDyke, his wife, and widow of William, son of Jacob Couwenhoven.
He died November 10, 1755, leaving a will dated September 29, 1755, proved December 22, 1755, and recorded in Book F of Wills, page 305, etc., secretary of state's office. He appoints his brother Roliph, and his son-in-law, Matthias "Cownover," as he spells the name, ex- ecutors. He speaks in this will of his father-in-law, Peter Wyckoff. He signs the will "William C. Kouwenhoven" and describes himself of Carroway, Middle- town township. As stated before "Car- roway" was the name of his sloop and he called his place by the same name. He only names one son, Cornelius, and two daughters, Williamtic and Cathar- ine, in this will.
Roe'eff, born April 12, 1710, married Sarah, daughter of Cornelius Voorhees, and Maritje Ditmars, his wife, and died December 12, 1789.
In Book G of Deeds, page 31. Mon- mouth clerk's office, is a record of a deed from Alexander Laing of Scotland, Great Britain, to Hendrick VanVoorhies of Flatlands, Kings county, Nassau Is- land, for such was then the name of Long Island. A tract of land at Topan- emes, Freehold township, containing 250 acres is conveyed by this deed. I think this Cornelius Voorhees was a brother of the Hendrick VanVoorhies named in the deed and who actually settled on this land, but I am not certain.
Annetje.
Jannetje, married in 1731, Aris, son of John Vanderbilt and Ida Suycam, his wife.
One of the earliest records we have of the Suydams in Monmouth is in Book G of Deeds, page 74; a deed dated April Ist, 1729, from Thomas Williams to Hendrick Suydam of Flatbush on Long Island, for a tract of land in Freehold township. Then in the same book of deeds, pages 139-141, from Lewis Morris of Manor of Morrisania, in Province of New York, to Ryke Hendrickse, Domin- icus Vanderveer, Daniel Polhemus,
Jacob Hendrickse, Auke Leffertse, Stephen Coerten and Johannes Polhe- mus, all of Kings county on Long ls- land, for a tract of land known as "Fif- teen hundred acre tract." bounded on one side by Swimming river, dated May 17. 1709. This Jacob Hendrickse and Ryke Hendrickse were really Suydams,
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EARLY DUTCHI SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
but in accordance with the Dutch cus- tom, they were given their christian names and their father's christian name with "se" or "son" annexed. This clear- ly appears from a deed recorded in Book H of Deeds, page 211, Monmouth clerk's office, dated June 6, 1727, where- in Ryk Hendrickson Suydam of Flat- bush, Kings county, L. I., conveys to John VanMeeteren (VanMater) of Mid- dletown township, Monmouth county, N. J., all that tract of land in Middle- town township bounded west by Domin- icus Vanderveer, east by Anken Leffert- son, south by Swimming river and north by 'heirs of Quryn (Kriin) VanMeeteran (VanMater) and known as No. 4, con- taining 152 acres. Daniel Polhemus of Flatlands, L. I., by a separate deed con- veyed his share to Johannes Polhemus.
Altje, married William, son of first Jacob VanDorn and Marritje Bennett, his wife.
In Book H of Deeds, page 325 we find record of a deed dated December 23, 1689, from John Reid of Hortencia, Monmouth county, to Richard Salter of same county for part of Hortencia. The tract begins where west Branch comes into Hop brook at a place called Pro- montoria; on page 327 of same book we find record of assignment of same deed from Richard Salter to Adrian Bennett and Jacob VanDorn of "Gawanus," Kings county, L. I. This is dated April 2, 1697.
Again on page 329 of Book H of Deeds is record of a deed from Aria Bennett and Barbary, his wife, of Free- hold township, to Jacob VanDorn of same township, dated February 14, 1707, and conveys the undivided one-half of a 200 acre tract in Freehold township, beginning at a corner of Albert Cow- enhoven's land and being same prem- ises conveyed to said Bennett and Van- Dorn by John Bowne May 17, 1700. Also another tract adjacent to this also conveyed to them by John Bowne. I am not sure whether this Aria Bennett was the same person as Adrian Bennett or another. The above deeds however, show the time when the VanDorns and Bennetts came into this county and the place they came from on Long Island.
Leah. Sarah.
Neeltje, married July 2, 1741, Benjamin, son of Benjamin VanCleaf and "Hank" Sutphin, his wife.
In Book H of Deeds, page 222, is a record of a deed dated May 4, 1725, from John Job of Freehold township to Law- rence VanCleve and Isaac VanCleve of Gravesend, L. 1. On our old records the
VanCleaf name is spelled many different ways, VanCleaf, VanCleve, etc. This deed, however, shows about what time this family came into the county. In Book G of Deeds, page 50, is record of a deed dated December 6, 1718, from John Johnston of New York City, to Jacob Sutvan (for so the name is spelled) yeoman, of Kings county, L. I., for a tract of land containing 333 acres at a place called "Wemcougak in Freehold township." Topanemus Brook, Middle Brook and John Craig line are called for as boundaries in the description. This "Sutvan" was no doubt a "Van Sutphen," for so the name is spelled in old records of Kings county, L. I.
Mary, baptized December 24, 1710.
The first Dutch church of Monmouth had been regularly organized with a stated pastor, one Joseph Morgan, in 1709, and so we have a record of the children baptized from this time.
Rachel, baptized November 2, 1712. Margaret, baptized De ember 5, 1714.
Jacometje, baptized November 23, 1717, mar- ried November 26, 1741, Jan Roelefse Schenck.
The youngest child by this marriage was named Geesie after her paternal grandmother. She married May 9, 1765. Aurie, son of second Jacob VanDorn and Maria Schenck, his wife. Aurie Van- Dorn was born September 14, 1744, died July 14, 1830.
Caterina, baptized June, 1720, married Dec- ember 22, 1741, Daniel Hendrickson.
Cornelius Couwenhoven, the father of these thirteen children, made his will November 22, 1735, proved June 22, 1736, recorded in office of secretary of state at Trenton in Book C of Wills, page 107. He mentions the names of all of the above children, but the spelling differs considerahly from mine. For instance he spells "Jacomintje" "Yacominsky," and "Jannetje" "Yannikie."
He devises to his son William the land sold to him by William Bowne by deeds dated March 1, 1704, and January 20, 1705, one for 94% acres, and the other 62 acres, and also 120 acres re- "leased to him by Daniel Hendrickson, Garret Schenck, John Schenck and Peter Wyckoff, dated July 10, 1716.
Cornelius Couwenhoven and his wife are buried in the Schenck-Couwenhoven burying ground. The inscription on his tombstone shows that he died May 16, 1736, aged 64 years, 5 months and 17 days. His wife, Margaretta Schenck. died December 6, 1751, aged 73 years, 9 months and 27 days.
ALBERT COUWENHOVEN AND HIS TWELVE CHILDREN.
Albert Couwenhoven came from Flat- lands, L. 1., to Monmouth county, and settled on lands in the township of Freehold (now Marlboro) where Mr. Selah Wells now resides. We find his name and that of his wife, Neeltje or Eleanor Schenek, daughter of Roelof Martense Sehenek, and his second wife, Annetje Wyckoff, among the commun- icants of the Brick church in 1709. His Dutch Bible is still in existence with dates of the births of all his sons and daughters entered in his own hand- writing. He had the following children:
William, b. March 7, 1702, married Libertje, daughter of Benjamin VanCleaf and Hank Sutphen, his wife. She was baptized May 19, 1705.
He settled in what is now Manalapan township, and left a will recorded in the office of the Secretary of our state.
Ruliff, b. September 8, 1703, married Antje, daughter of Jan Strycker and Margaretta Schenck, his wife. She was baptized Decem- ber 20, 1708.
Antje, b. August 21, 1705, married Abraham Polhemnus, supposed to be of the Somerset county or Long Island people.
Jannetje, b. September 30, 1707, married Joseph Coernel.
Altie. b. January 20, 1709, married Hen- drick, son of Hendrick Hendrickson. He was born November 11, 1706, and died July 28, 1783.
In Book G of Deeds, page 59, Mon- mouth county elerk's office, is record of a deed from Tunis Covert of Free- hold township, to Cornelius VanBrunt and Hendrick Hendrickson of New Utrecht of Long Island, for 20312 acres and 9612 acres in Freehold township. On pages 61-62 of same book is record of a deed dated May 1, 1719, from Abra- ham Emans of Freehold township, to Hendrick Hendrickson and Jaques Denys of New Utrecht, L. l., for a tract of 96 aeres in Freehold township. It therefore appears that there were other Hendricksons who purchased land in Monmouth county, besides Daniel and William who came here prior to 1700 and settled on lands at what is now Holland in Holmdel township. The
early Dutch settlers were in the habit of visiting once or twice a year their old homes in Kings county, L. I. And mariages likely occurred between the young people here with the young people in Long Island. The Dutch gen- erally preferred to marry among their own people, and it was not often that any of them were caught by the "daughters of Heth," or the sons of the Philistines.
Margaret, b. February 15, 1711, married December 8, 1731, Daniel, son of Johannes Polhemus. He was born in 1706 and died September 26, 1763. She died June 7, 1780.
Both are buried in the family bury- ing ground of the Polhemus family at Scobeyville, Atlantic township.
Sarah, b. June 21, 1714, married May 19, 1737, Johannes, son of Benjamin VanCleaf and Hank Sutphen, his wife. He was baptized June 3, 1711.
Peter, b. October 12, 1716, married May 19, 1740, Wiliampe. daughter of Hendrick Van- Voorhees and Jannetje Jansen, his wife. She was born January 25, 1722, died August 12, 1803. He died October 1, 1771; interred in yard of Marlboro Brick church.
Nellie, h. February 7, 1719, died unmarried August 22, 1738. Buried in Schenck and Couwenhoven burying ground.
Garret, b. June 16, 1721, married November 8. 1742, Sarah, daughter of Hendrick Van- Voorhees and wife aforesaid.
Jan, b. February 18, 1723, married October 19, 1744, Catherine, daughter of Hendrick Van Voorhees and wife.
Corneilus A., b. October 29. 1728, married in 1750 Antje, daughter of William Williamson and Antje Couwenhoven, his wife. She was born September 13, 1730, and died September 14, 1757, and was buried in Wyckoff I ill grave yard, near Freehold. He married for his second wife, July 12, 1770, Mary Logan, who was born August 9, 1748, and died May 2, 1831.
The Logan family is now extinct in Monmouth county. Cornelius Couwen- hoven died January 23, 1802, leaving a last will proved before Caleb Lloyd. Surrogate of Monmouth county, April 15, 1802, and a true copy of same is given herearter. Cornelius and his second wife are buried in the Schenck and Couwenhoven burying ground. He
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EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
had a son named Cornelius, born May 18, 1771, who married Elizabeth, a daughter of Harmon Conover and Phoebe Bailey, his wife, died December 20, 1814. He was also buried in the Schenck Couwenhoven burying ground. His oldest son was named John C. Con- over, born November 10, 1797, married December 3, 1820, Elizabeth, a daughter of John A. Vanderbilt and Mary Mac- Kildoe. She was born September II, 1804, and died January 30, 1860. He was the last owner of the Albert Cou- wenhoven homestead. He died Nov- ember 26, 1852, and this farm then passed out of the family.
Albert Couwenhoven and his wife, the parents of the above named twelve children, were buried in the Schenck and Couwenhoven burying ground. He left a last will which is herewith given. Following it is the will of his son Cor- nelius.
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