USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > Early Dutch Settlers of Monmouth County, New Jersey > Part 7
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"You're going to leave the homestead, Jacob, "You're twenty-one today.
And the old man will Le sorry, Jacob, To see you go away.
You've labored late and early, Jacob, And done the best you could ;
I ain't a going to stop you, Jacob, I wouldn't if I could.
The years, they come and go, my boy, The years, they come and go ; And raven locks, and tresses brown. Grow white as driven snow.
My life has known its sorrows, Jacob, Its trials and troubles sore ;
Yet God, withal, has blessed me, Jacob, 'In basket and in store.'
But one thing let me tell you, Jacob, Before you make your start, There's more in being honest, Jacob, Twice o'er than being 's mart.'
Though rogues may seem to flourish, Jacob, And sterling worth to fail,
Oh! keep in view the good and true ; 'Twill in the end prevail.
And don't be mean or atingy, Jacob, But lay a little by
Of what you earn ; you soon will learn How fast 'twill multiply.
So when old age comes creeping on, You'll have a goodly store
Of wealth to furnish all your needs, And maybe something more.
There's shorter cuts to fortune, Jacob, We see them every day, But those who save their self respect, Climb up the good old way.
'All is not gold that glitters,' Jacob, And makes the vulgar stare,
And those we deem the richest, Jacob, Have oft the least to spare.
Don't meddle with your neighbors, Jacob, Their sorrows or their cares ; You'll find enough to do, my boy, To mind your own affairs. The world is full of idle tongues, You can afford to shirk : There's lots of people ready, Jacob, To do such dirty work.
And if amid the race for fame You win a shining prize, The humble worth of honest men, You never should despise. For each one has his mission, Jacob, In life's unchanging plan ;
Though lowly be his station, Jacob, He is no less a man."
THE YOUNGER OF THE SIX CONOVER BROTHERS AND HIS CHILDREN.
This was the youngest of the six Conover brothers, who removed from Flatlands, L. I., to Monmouth county, N. J.
In Book G of Deeds, page 162, Mon- mouth county clerk's office, is the rec- ord of a deed dated October 3rd, 1705, from John Bowne, merchant of Middle- town township, to John Covenhoven, yeoman of Flatlands, Kings county, L. I., for the consideration of £300 two tracts of land, one containing 94 acres and the other 215 acres, in the town- ship of Freehold, (now Marlboro) and conveyed. In the description it is stated that these two tracts lie to- gether and are bounded on the east by lands of Jacob VanDorn and Aria (Adrian) Bennett. On page 165 of the same book of deeds is record of a deed dated October 15, 1709, from Jacob VanDorn of Freehold township to John Covenloven of the same place, for a tract of 3812 acres, adjacent to the two tracts above mentioned and between them and other lands of said VanDorn. These two deeds show that John Coven- hoven had removed from Long Island and was actually settled in Monmouth county some time between 1705 and 1709. The lands described in the above deeds, or the greater part of them, have been continuously in the possession of the descendants of Jan Couwenhoven from that date to the present year of our Lord, 1898.
Peter G. Conover, the well known and highly respected farmer of Marlboro township, was born, lived and died on this homestead. He was a grandson of the said Jan Couwenhoven. John Lyall Conover, who now owns and oc- cupies these lands, and who is one of the first farmers of Monmouth county, is a son of the late Peter G. Conover. Lafayette Conover and Stacy P. Con- over, lately deceased, who owned and occupied valuable farms in the same vicinity, were also sons of Peter G. Conover and great grandsons of the original settler, Jan Couwenhoven. Jan Couwenhoven made his will Nov- ember 23, it was proved December 29, 1756, and is on record in the office of the secretary of the state of New Jer-
sey, in Book F of Wills, pages 392, etc. He names in this will seven sons, viz: William, Garret, Cornelius, Peter, John, Jacob and Dominicus. He appoints as executors his son Garret, his cousin Roelof Schenck, (Black Roelof) and his cousin Garret, son of Koert Schenck; only his son Garret qualifies. This will is witnessed by David Williamson, Cor- nelius Couwenhoven and Elbert Wil- liamson.
All his sons except Garret removed from Monmouth county to Penns Neck and from there his sons, Cornelius, Peter and Jacob, emigrated to the state of Kentucky. Peter is said to have removed from Kentucky to the state of Illinois. It is also said that he had a daughter Tryntje, who removed with her three brothers to Kentucky. Dom- inicus married Mary Updyke. His will, dated January 23, 1778, at Princeton, N. J., is on record in Book 20 of Wills, page 194, etc., at Trenton, N. J. He names in this will the following sons: John, William, Garret, Levi and Peter. He devised his farm at Penns Neck to his sons, Levi and Peter.
The records of Marlboro Brick church show only the following children of Jan Couwenhoven baptized :- Trinke, baptized, October 30, 1709; Cornelius, baptized April 6, 1712; Peter, baptized December 5, 1714; Jan, baptized April 12, 1719; child un-named, baptized June 7, 1724.
Garret, his youngest son as supposed, was born on the old homestead in Marl- boro township April 27, 1726, and re- sided there until his death, November I, 1812. He is buried in the yard of the Marlboro Brick church, and his age, inscribed on his tombstone, is 86 years and 6 months. He married first Neeltje, daughter of Benjamin VanMater and Elizabeth Laen, his wife, and had by her five children. He married second Antje, daughter of Peter Janse Schenck and Jannetje Hendrickson, his wife. She died April 5, 1803, aged 49 years, 7 months and 2 days. By his second wife he had the following children:
Eleanor, b. December 13, 1787, married Hon. Lafayette Schenck.
Ruins of the old grist mill of Cornelius Covenhoven at Carroway, near Keyport, N. J.
Photographed July, 1898.
View of Cornelius Covenhoven's milldam and pond at Carroway. near Keyport, N. J.
Photographed July, 1898.
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1233693
EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
Mr. Schenck at one time represented Monmouth county in the New Jersey Assembly. He lived and died on the * farm now (1898) owned and occupied by his youngest son, Lafayette Schenck, in the township of Atlantic. He was also the father of the late Rev. Garret Conover Schenck, the well known cler- gyman of the Dutch church, and who died only a few years ago. As Eleanor Conover was, on her mother's side, a descendant of Jan Schenck, and her husband, Lafayette Schenck, was a descendant of Garret Schenck, the Dominie was a lineal descendant of the two Schenck brothers who first settled in this county.
Jane, b. November 9, 1789.
Ann, b. September 1790, married first Wil- liam Schenck, second Theodore Rue.
John, b. December 17, 1791, married Ann Smock.
Peter G., b. January 2, 1797, married Nov- ember 10, 1819, Charlotte, daughter of John Lyall, and died May 21, 1886.
During his long life of nearly four score and ten years he lived in peace with all men and was respected by everybody for his integrity. His name is mentioned in a case decided by the supreme court of New Jersey back in the year 1825. This decision is found in Third Halstead, New Jersey Reports, pages 90 to 116. His name is brought in through his marriage in the Lyall family and in a brief account of this family and some of their connections. It seems to have been an important case, for the decision fills thirty-six solid pages of this book. Four of the greatest lawyers of that day in New Jersey appear for the parties. Robert Stockton and George Wood for the plaintiff, and Garret D. Wall and L. H. Stockton for the defendant. George Wood subsequently obtained a national reputation as a lawyer.
This case turned upon the construc- tion of the will of Eleanor Lyall, who had bequeathed a farm of 108 acres at Nut Swamp, Middletown township, to Fenwick Lyall. Fenwick Lyall sold and conveyed this farm to Richard Crawford for the sum of $4,390. After Fenwick's death it was claimed that he only had a life right under his mother's will. The Supreme court in their long opinions sustained this con- struction. Fenwick Lyall and John Lyall are interred in the Lippitt bury- îng ground at Middletown village. Peter G. Conover, by his wife, Char- lotte Lyall, had the following children:
John' Lyall, who married Abbie M. Bishop and now occupies the old homestead.
Lafayette, who married Elizabeth, daughter of William Schenck and Abbey Polhemus, his wife.
William Schenck was a son of Roelof P. Schenck, or Long Ruly, as called, and a brother of Antje Schenck who married Garret Conover above men- tioned, the grandfather of Lafayette Conover.
Stacy P., who married Ellen L., daughter of Daniel P. Schenck.
Garret, married Mary L. Hulse, (formerly Hulshart.)
Charles, died young.
Ann Eliza, married David Baird.
Eleanor, married Alfred Conover. They are the parents of the well known lawyer, John L. Conover of this county.
Emma, married Ferdinand Hyers.
Three other children, Amanda, Jane and Eugene, died young
In this connection I might say that Garret Conover by his first wife, Neel- tje VanMater, had a son named Garret who married Mary, daughter of the third Garret Schenck. He owned and lived on the farm where the late John W. Herbert lived in Marlboro township, adjacent, I think, to the farm of the late Stacy P. Conover. He built the brick house yet standing where Judge Herbert lived until his death. Another Garret H. Conover, son of Hendrick P. and Ghacey Conover, his wife, owned and occupied the adjacent farm where Joshua Smith now lives, and a Garret I. Conover owned and occupied the farm where Gideon C. McDowell resides. This Garret I. Conover was a son of John G. Conover (a brother of farmer Jacob Couwenhoven), born May 23, 1760, and married August 22, 1778, Jane. daughter of Garret Koertse Schenck and Nelly Voorhees, his wife, and who died May 10, 1802. Garret I., the son, was born March 31, 1785, married a daughter of Ruliff H. Schenck and died May 12, 1829. His brother Elias, born August 10, 1779, was the father of Hen- drick E. Conover, so well known to the people of Freehold, and who died only a few years since and hereinbefore mentioned with his brothers, John E. and Ruliff E.
These three farmers all had the same walnut tree for a beginning corner. The people of this vicinity in speaking of these three Garret Conovers, made up a simple little rhyme which serves to identify and distinguish them. It ran thus:
The farmrs of the Garret Conovers, three : Garret H., Garret I. and Garret G., All butted up to a walnut tree.
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EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
The walnut tree, I understand, was cut down a few years ago and a slab from it presented to all the descendants of the three Garrets who could be reached, as a relic.
Jacoba Vanderveer, the wife of Jan Couwenhoven and ancestress of this Conover line, was born at Flatbush, L. I. She was baptized April 29, 1686, and was a daughter of Cornelius Janse Van- derveer and his wife, Trintje, daughter of Gillis DeMandeville. Cornelius Janse Vanderveer came from Holland to America in the ship Otter, February, 1659. In 1677-8 he purchased a farm at Flatlands, L. I., where he settled. One of his daughters, Neeltje, married Daniel Polhemus. He also had a son, Dominicus, baptized November 16. 1679. This Dominicus Vanderveer was associated with Daniel and Johannes Polhemus, Auke Lefferts or Leffertson, Ryck Hendrickson Suydam, Jacob
Hendrickson Suydam and Stephen Coerten in a purchase of a tract known as the 1500 acre tract on Swimming river from Lewis Morris in 1709. This Auke, or Aukey Lefferts was the prog- enitor of the Leffertson or Lefferts family in Monmouth county. He was born April 4, 1678, married May 29, 1703, Marytje TenEyck, a sister I think, of Johannes Polhemus' wife. He died November 26, 1769, and is interred in the Polhemus family burying ground at Scobcyville. Of these purchasers only Johannes Polhemus and Auke Leffertson actually settled. The old deeds for the purchase and subsequent
transfer from Daniel Polhemus to Johannes Polhemus are still in the pos- session of the Polhemus family at Pha- lanx, Atlantic township. In Book I of Deeds, pages 450, Monmouth county cler ,'s office, is record of a deed from Cornelius Vanderveer of Middletown township to John Covenhoven of Free- hold township, dated September 18, 1789. In this deed Cornelius Vander- veer states that he is a son of Domin- icus Vanderveer and for the consider- ation of £1332 he conveys a tract of 330 acres In Shrewsbury township, ly- ing on both sides of the public road leading from Tinton Falls to Colts Neck and between Swimming river and Fall river or brook, being a part of the Manor of Tinton, conveyed by Edward Antill and Anne, his wife, to Cornelius Vanderveer, March 27, 1741, the grand- father of said Cornelius, the grantor in this dced.
There is also record of a deed dated June 2, 1712, in the Monmouth county clerk's office from Stephen Warne of Middlesex county to Tunis Vanderveer
and Cornelius Vanderveer of Flatbush, Kings county, L. I., for a tract of 350 acres in Freehold township. The Mid- dle brook of Topanemes, the South brook of Topanemes and the line of John Baird's lands are mentioned in the description. The above named Tunis and Cornelius Vanderveer were sons of Dominicus Vanderveer. These deeds show when and how the Vander- veers first came into Monmouth county.
Tunis Vanderveer, above named grantee, married about 1723, Aeltje, daughter of Garret Schenck of Pleas- ant Valley, and settled on part of the above tract. It has been in this family ever since. David Arthur Vanderveer, who now owns and occupies it, is a lineal descendant of Tunis VanDer- veer and Altje, Schenck, his wife. They had a son Tunis, born April 19, 1739. He had a son John, born April 4, 1763, married February 18, 1789, Anna Bowne. They were the parents of ten children. Among them were Joseph I., born January 9, 1790, and married Jane Smock; and David I., born April 19, 1806. married February 13, 1828. Mary, daughter of William Covenhoven and Janet Davis, his wife. Joseph I. Van- derveer was a wellknown and a very popular man through Monmouth coun- ty, "Uncle Josey Vanderveer," as he was generally addressed. He had two or three horses stolen che night from his stable. Single handed and in his everyday clothes he started out the next morning to find them. His pur- suit led him through the state of New Jersey, city of Philadelphia, lower counties of Pennsylvania into the state of Maryland, where he found and cap- tured the thieves and brought his horses back home. His courage, per- severance and determination shown in this adventure was talked of ard told for many years afterwards. His broth- er, David I. Vanderveer, lived and died on the old homestead in Freehold town- ship. His death occurred July 23, 1884. He left four children surviving him :--
Hannah Matilda, married February 5, 1851, David Clark Perrine, who was born at Clarks- burg, Millstone township, October 20, 1816.
He was the well known merchant of Freehold who made the "Big Red Store" famous In this part of New Jer- sey. Their only son, David Vanderveer Perrine, the leading merchant of Free- hold, has deepened and widened the business his father established.
William Conover, b. July 22, 1831.
Farmhouse now (1901) on the Jan Covenhoven farm, near Wickatunk, N. J., and still owned and occupied by the descendants of the pioneer settler.
Photograph taken by Mrs. L. H. S. Conover in the summer of 1900.
Old house on Murray homestead in village of Middletown, N. J., occu- pied and owned by Jacob Covenhoven during the latter part of the eighteenth century.
Photographed in the summer of 1900 by Mrs. L. H. S. Conover.
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EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
He removed to and settled in Ohio, where he still lives.
John D., b. September 28, 1836, married November 30, 1859, Jane Ann, daughter of John Henry Vanderveer and Jane Smock, his wife.
David Arthur, b. June 23, 1844, married November 2, 1865, Eleanor G., daughter of Tunis Vanderveer Schenck.
He resides on the old homestead where his forefathers settled nearly two centuries ago. Thus both in the history of Jan Couwenhoven and of the Vanderveer family in which he married
we find they have held to the present day the lands in Monmouth county on which they first settled. This speaks well for their stability, conservatism and contentment with things as found. No family in Monmouth can show a better record in this respect. In this connection 1 may add the late Col. Elias Conover of Middletown, and Joseph Conover, father of the late William W. Conover of Red Bank, and of Sidney Conover, are descendants of the above named Jan Couwenhoven and Jacoba Vanderveer, his wife.
REASONS WHY THE NEW YORK HOLLANDERS MIGRATED TO NEW JERSEY.
It may seem strange why the Van- Dorns, VanPelts, VanAmacks, (Aum- ocks) VanSiclens, (Sickles) and other Dutch people left the towns and vil- lages of New York, and the society of their relatives and friends between 1690 and 1720, when there was so much unoccupied land close by, just as fertile and cheap as that in Monmouth, Mid- dlesex and Somerset counties, N. J.
Monmouth county at that time was reached from Long Island by sailing vessels, generally small sloops. They, of course, were dependent on the winds and tides. In calms or contrary winds a sloop might be two or three days in making the passage. In the winter when the bay was covered with float- ing ice or disturbed by violent storms, no passage was possible.
The few people who then resided in Monmouth county were of a different race and language and had nothing in common with these Dutch people from Long Island. The country here was little more than a howling wilderness. No roads which deserved the name, but mere tracks through the primeval for- ests over the old Indian paths, very few bridges, no schools or churches of their language and faith. In short, none of the conveniences of civilized life.
To understand this migration it is necessary to take a brief glance at the political and social conditions of affairs in the province of New York. Just be- fore 1690 the great revolution had oc- curred in England, which drove King James into lasting exile, and placed on the throne of Great Britain the Stad- holder of the Dutch Republic, William
of Orange. Everything in England was in confusion, and they had no informa- tion or time to consider the affairs of a little colony like New York some three thousand miles away. When the news of this great revolution was re- ceived in New York, the old officials who had been appointed under King James were naturally supposed to be his adherents. The Dutch population were well satisfied to have a man of their own race and country, like Wil- liam of Orange, as their sovereign. In fact, for the first time since the pirat- ical seizure of New Netherlands, in the interest of this same King James, then known as the Duke of York, were the Dutch people really satisfied with Eng- lish rule .
At suggestion and with support of many of the Dutch and English people, particularly those in Kings county, L. I., and New York City, a man named Jacob Leisler was chosen to administer temporarily the government of New York until communication could be had with the government of Great Britain. This, of course, would require from four to five months with the sailing vessels of that time.
An Englishman named Richard In- goldsby, who had been identified with the old officials appointed under King James, backed by the aristocratic clique who had previously controlled the provincial government, attempted also to rule. In this they were de- feated by the Leisler party and some of the leaders, like Nicholas Bayard, had been imprisoned. Jacob Leisler was a plain, sincere man, without any experience in political intrigue or du-
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EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
plicity. He was also without ability to manage public matters of such mag- nitude or at such a critical period. He was, however, a zealous protestant and an enthusiastic supporter of William of Orange, the revolutionary king.
He took every possible way to have King William and Queen Mary pro- claimed the legitimate sovereigns of Great Britain at all the principal vil- lages and towns of New York. On the 4th of March, 1690, he sent an order to one John Langstaff or Longstreet of East Jersey, directing him with the aid of the principal freeholders and inhab- itants of the place to proclaim William and Mary king and queen of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, accord- ing to the form used, at chief towns of East Jersey, with all the solemnities usual on such occasions. This was done at the villages of Middletown and Shrewsbury, some time in the month of March, 1690, for they were the prin- cipal towns in this part of East Jersey. This action on the part of Leisler proves the utter falsity of the charge afterward trumped up by his enemies, that he was the ringleader of a Dutch plot to subvert the English govern- ment. . Finally on the 19th of March, 1631, an Englishman named Henry Sloughter duly commissioned as Royal Governor, arrived in New York. He was entirely unacquainted with the people and the true situation of public matters. He naturally fell into the hands of the old English politicians and relied on them for all information. Many of these men were the bitter pol- itical and personal enemies of Leisler. They looked upon him as an upstart and the leader of the common people who had pushed himself forward, con- trary to usage, precedent or aristo- cratic connections.
At their suggestion, made for a sinis- ter purpose, Sloughter appointed In- goldsby to demand from Leisler the surrender of the fort and the disband- ment of his military forces. Surprised at such a messenger and suspecting a trick, Leisler at first refused but finally when convinced that the new governor had really deputized him, he surrender- ed up the fort without any resistance. Leisler, his son-in-law, Jacob Mill- bourne, and several of his principal officers, were at once arrested and thrown in prison. Sloughter, who was a mere thing of putty, was persuaded „by these conspirators to call what was designated a special court of Over and Terminer to try these prisoners. Leisler and Millbourne, knowing that their conviction and death was a foregone
conclusion with this packed tribunal, refused to sanction the farce by a "plea of guilty" or "not guilty," but stood "mute" as it was then called.
This so-called court, with indecent haste, found them guilty and sentenced them to death by hanging, mutilation of their corpses and confiscation of all their property. Sloughter, however, seems to have had a little idea of what was proper, for under date of May 2nd, 1691, he writes to Lord Inchiquin in England. After informing him of the "conviction of Leisler and his accom- plices" by a court of Oyer and Termin- er, adds "I am not willing to proceed but upon extreme necessity and until his majesty shall have information and his pleasure be known." If Sloughter had pursued this course the colonial history of New York, and his own memory would have been saved from a disgraceful stain.
The arch conspirators, however, well understood that a review of Leisler's case by intelligent and disinterested men, would defeat their vindictive pur- pose. They at once took measures to change the governor's intention. We have no sure means of knowing what private representations they made to him, although many grave and scandal- ous rumors and reports were circulated among the people. We have, however, the records of their public proceedings, made up by them in the best shape they could put it. The following is their record, on the 14th of May, 1691, at a council held at Fort William Henry. New York :
"Present: Governor Henry Slough- ter, Frederick Phillips, William Nicolls, Nicholas Bayard, Stephen VanCortlandt and Gabriel Monville, of the council."
Then they go on to say that Governor Sloughter inquires "what is best for the peace of the country, as he was about to go to Albany" (then a trip of about two weeks). With one voice, showing previous collusion, they re- plied, "that to prevent insurrection in the future and to preserve the gover- nor's authority, it was absolutely nec- essary that the death sentence against Leisler and Millbourne be forthwith executed."
At this time there was not the least danger of insurrection yet with this bold lie, they induced the governor to sign the death warrant. Two days later, such was their haste, May 16, 1691, Jacob Leisler and Jacob Mill- bourne were strangled to death in the city of New York. They both met their death like christians and brave men. They asserted their innocence to the
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EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH.
last and declared that what they had done was for the protestant religion and in the interest of King William and Queen Mary. Thus was consum- mated one of the darkest crimes in the annals of the State and colony of New York.
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