USA > New Jersey > Passaic County > Paterson > History of the city of Paterson and the County of Passaic, New Jersey > Part 26
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his
Signed Sealed Published & Declared
by the said Simion Van Winkle as and
Simion Van X Winckel mark
for his last Will & Testament Cornel-
ius Van Riper, Hendrick Post Michael H. Vreeland
SEAL.
V. Trintje, b. April 2, 1688 ; m. Isaac Enogse Vree- land, March 23, 1706. Ch .- Simon, bap. June 5, 1709 ; An- netje, bap. March 30, 1712.
VI. Rachel, bap. Oct. - , 1690; m. Johannis Koeiman (b. at Albany, but living at New York), March 6, 1708.
VII. Arie, b. at Constable's Hoeck ; m. Annetje (b. at Wyhaecke-Weehawken), dau. of Tades Michielse, Oct. 27, 1705.
VIII. Aeltje, m. Jurian Tomasse Van Ripen, June 12, 1714.
IX. Gideon, m. Jannetje Koeiman (b. at Albany, living at N. Y.), March 13, 1708.
X. Abraham, m. Maritje Van Dyke, of Second River, Nov. 2, 1732.
XI. Leah, m. Isack Tomesen, Aug. 4, 1722.
XII. Marinus, m. Geesje Hendrickse Van Wageninge, Sept. 2, 1721. His will, dated May 10, 1762, was proved Sept. 28, 1767. He devised all his real estate to his wife- Geesie, and his daughters-Rachel, Margaret, Annatie, Jan- netje and Catrientje; the four daughters first named re- leased, Dec. 23, 1767, to their mother, and to their sister Ca- trientje, and her husband, Abraham T. Van Riper, the farm on which their father had lived, being Lot No. 13, which had belonged to Symon Jacobse, the father of Marinus.
1 Liber L of Wills, Secretary of State's office, Trenton, f. 378.
97
THE VAN WINKLES.
Geesie, by deed Oct. 28, 1771, released her interest to her daughter Catrientje and the latter's husband.
Fourth Generation.
Daniel Jacob-Jacobse haó children :
I. Metje, b. Dec. 31, 1710.
II. Aeltje, b. April 13, 1712; m. Cornelius Van Ripen,
.. June 29, 1728; d. July 19, 1776.
III. Son, bap. Dec. 12, 1714; d. in inf.
IV. Jannetje, m. Jacob Diedricks, Nov. 26, 1738. Ch., Daniel, b. Oct. 14, 1740.
V. Margaret, m. Johannis Van Ripen, Sept. 5, 1742 ; d. Sept. 18, 1754. VI. Fitje.
VII. Rachel, m. Zacharias Sikkels, widower, of Bergen, June 29, 1734.
VIII. Antje.
Johannis Jacob-Jacobse had children :
I. Hendrick, b. March 20, 1714 ; m, Maritje Jurianse, Aug. 22, 1739.
II. Jacob, b. March 9, 1716.
III. Johannes, b. July 3, 1719; m. Mareyte Gerritszen, dau. of Gerret Tomasse (Van Ripen), Aug. 22, 1739.
IV. Agnietje, b. Dec. 16, 1723 ; bap. March 16, 1724.
V. Daniel, b. Dec. 16, 1723 ; bap. March 16, 1724 ; m. Sarah Brass, of Acquackanonk, June 29, 1757.
VI. Aeltje, b. Nov. 25, 1726.
Hendrick Jacob-Jacobse had children :
I. Jacob, m. Rachel Cammenga, April 28, 1753; d. Dec. 17, 1778; she d. Sept. 18, 1772.
II. Joseph, d. in inf., Nov. 22, 1738.
III. Daniel, b. Jan. I, 1735 ; m. Aeltje Van Ripen, mar- riage license dated Jan. 28, 1760; d. Dec. 19, 1823.
IV. Hendrick, b. Jan. 23, 1736 ; m. Ist, Jannetje Brow- er, May 18, 1759 ; 2d, Sarah Speer ; d. Dec. 19, 1827.
V. Johannis, b. May 9, 1739 ; d. before his father, without issue.
VI. Joseph, b. June 4, 1740 ; m. Jenneke Vreeland, wid. of Henry Newkirk, May 26, 1798 ; d. Aug. 4, 1809, without issue.
Jacob Waling-Jacobse had children :
I. Wyntje, m. Gerbrant Gerbrantse.
II. John, his heir-at-law, who was living in New York in 1753.
Johannis Waling-Jacobse had children :
I. Catrina, m. Pieter Hessels Pieterse, Oct. 31, 1733; d. March 23, 1783, aged 69 years, I mo., 25 days; he d. just two days later, aged 75 years and 2 days. They are interred in a family burying ground adjacent to the Wesel road, a few hundred feet north of Cedar Lawn cemetery.
II. Annatje, m. Johannis Sip, Dec. 12, 1744.
III. Waling, m. Jannetje Van Houten (bap. Feb. 24, 1719, dau. of Jacob Van Houten, of Totowa), June 8, 1743. His will, dated May 29, 1774, was proved March 23, 1784.
Johannis Symon-Jacobse had children :
I. Simeon, m. Annatje Bosch (b. at Tappan), Oct. 19, 1738.
II. Alexander, m. Antje Van Winkle; probably re- moved to Gansegat.
III. Jacob, m. Annatje Van Noostrand ; d. Aug. 5, 1834, aged 86 years, 4 months, 24 days; she d. Feb. 18, 1829, aged 75 years, 2 months.
IV. Abraham, m. Jacomyntje Newkirk, of Acquacka- nonk, June 2, 1739; d. Jan. 23, 1796, in his 85th year.
V. Marinus, m. Maria Evertsou (b. at Hackensack), Jan. 15, 1742; d. April 28, 1802, aged 86 years ; she d. June 29, 1820, aged 102. He was a private in Major McDonald's company in the French war of 1761.
VI. John, m. Jannetje Van Ripen, July 3, 1745 ; lie d. before his father, leaving issue, but not in this vicinity.
VII. Catharine, m. - Marsh.
VIII. Hannah.
IX. Mary.
X. Leah.
XI. Rachel.
XII. Sarah, b. July 14, 1735; m. - - Daley.
Simeon Symon-Jacobse (Simeon of the White House) had children :
I. Abraham; he is not mentioned in the partition made by the heirs, through commissioners, in 1782, as re- lated on page 70; it is said that he released to the other heirs, which would explain the absence of his name from the map and report .of the commissioners. His eldest daughter was named Ann.
II. John, b. 1723; m. Janneke Reyersen (b. at New York, living within the bounds of the Acquackanonk church), Dec. 5, 1746. The Gerretses bought of Richard Ashfield a tract of land at Wagaraw, and by deed dated Feb. 9, 1730, released a large part of the tract to Gerrit Gerritse, who on June 8, 1743, conveyed 212 I-2 acres to Simeon Van Winkle, of Essex county, for £215. It is understood that this Sim- eon was he of the White House, father of John. The latter having married one of the Reyersens at Wagaraw, naturally settled in that neighborhood. By deed Oct. 26, 1774, Sim- eon conveys to John, for £144, "the tract where said John now lives, at Wagaraw, containing 212 I-2 acres," being the same tract bought by Simeon from Gerritse. It may be add- ed here that Johannes S. Van Winkle, of Bergen county (the same John, son of Simeon), by deed dated May 24, 1783, conveyed the said tract to Simeon J. Van Winkle, of Essex (his son). The conveyance by Simeon to John proba- bly accounts for the fact that by his father's will John had no share in the real estate devised by his father. He had been already provided for liberally in that respect. John lived to the great age of 93 years, dying in January, 1816.
III. Simeon.
IV. Jacob, m. Froutje Gerritsen, Dec. 8, 1749. (She was b. Feb. 6, 1727, dau. of Gerrit Pieter-Gerrit-Gerrit-Ger- ritse. The name Froutje, Vrouwtje, etc., is the Dutch for Sophronia). Soon after his marriage he bought Lot No. 8, West, in the Bogt or Paterson subdivision, lying on the north side of Broadway, and lived in the old stone house now known as tlie Passaic hotel. Like his father, he was a tanner, and established himself in that business in a favor- able swamp through which flowed the Dublin spring brook.
I3
98
HISTORY OF PATERSON.
The vats were in the middle of what is now Main street, near Fair, and along the east side of the present Main street, between Fair and Division streets. It is related that a belated and somewhat befuddled wayfarer one night, years before the Revolution, in making his way home fell into one of the vats, and spent the night floundering around in the fragrant depths, under a vague impression that he was swimming across the river. The story mightily amused the Dutch people for many a long day. It is here preserved as a specimen of the humor that tickled the fancy of our pre- decessors of a century and a half ago. In excavating for a sewer in Main street, about 1869-70, some of the frame- work of one of the ancient vats was brought to the surface, as sound as when it was put down. The tannery is no longer in existence, but the sale of leather is still carried on upon its site.
V. Antje; she is not mentioned in the partition of 1782, and probably had died before then.
VI. Feytje (Sophia), m. - Van Dyke.
VII. Saertje ; not named in the partition of 1782.
VIII. Trientje, m. Philip Berry. Children-John, Phil- ip, Elenor, m. Arie Van Vorst. Trientje lived until the be- ginning of this century. _ Her husband died in 1788.
IX. Rachel, m. Albert Ackerman, of Paramus, June 17, 1748. She had outlived him when she joined the Hacken- sack church, Aug. 3, 180I.
X. Janneke, b. Oct. 9, 1728; m. Peter Mead.
XI. Leena, b. Feb. 24, 1730; m. Gerrit Van Giesen.
XII. Marregrietje, m. Henry Doremus, who learned his trade as tanner and currier with her father. Children-I. Geertye, b. Aug. 22, 1775; 2. Hendrick, b. March 21, 1781. XIII. Geertje, m. Jacob H. Vreeland.
As the will of Simeon mentions Marritje, dau. of Abra- ham Cadmus, and the partition of 1782 allots parts of Sim- eon's farm to Jacobus Post, and to Adrian Van Houten and Mary his wife, it is evident that there were other daugh- ters who had died, leaving issue.
Arie Symon-Jacobse had children :
I. Tades (Theodorus), m. Ist, Catharina Bord (b. at Raritan, but living at Acquackanonk), Dec. 17, 1736; 2d, Theodosia Earle, wid. - Van Buskirken, June 30, 1760. She m. 3d, Thade Van Eydestyn, widower, Jan. 19, 1783.
II. Antje, m. Joris Bord, Jan. 10, 1730. Children-I. - Helena, b. June 29, 1730; 2. Arie, b. June 14, 1732; died young and unm .; 3. Catherine ; 4. Jannetje.
III. Johannes, m. Jane [?sister of Michael Slingerland]. In his will, dated March 27, 1778, he describes himself as a a "Farmer of the county of Bergen." The will was proved March 27, 1779. He gives to his wife "all my Moveable Estate Excepting four Negroes Wenches Quack Pol Nance Prince also one large dutch Bible, I also give her the whole use of all my lands and Effects During her Widowhood." After her decease, his house and four acres of land to Michael Slingerland, with a span of horses and his loom ; the remainder of his estate he devised to his brothers and sisters, and to the children of such as were dead. "Note, the Bible & Blacks to be Equally divided Among my
Brothers and Sisters Children." Adrian Post, miller (at Slooterdam), Hessel Peterson and his wife Jane, executors and trustees.1 The testator seems to have had no children.
IV. Michael. V. Marinus.
VI. Casparus, m. Lidia Van Winkle.
VII. Hannah, m. - - Bush
Gideon Symon-Jacobse had children :
I. Lidia, m. Casparus Van Winkle. Ch., Gideon, b. May 27, 1756.
II. Maritje.
III. Ariantje.
IV. Annatje, m. Samuel Stivers.
V. Rachel, b. 1727; m. Jedediah Dean.
Abraham Symon-Jacobse had children :
I. Simeon.
II. Fransois, m. Ist, Susanna, dau. of John Forester, Oct. 3, 1777 ; 2d, Elizabeth Douwe, wid., Feb. 5, 1785. III. Feytje.
IV. Antje.
Abraham devised his lands to his children; the others released to Francis.
Marinus Symon-Jacobse had children :
I. Annatje, b. Feb. 20, 1730; m. Hendrick G. Van Wagenen, whose children have been named on a previous page.
II. Margrietje, bap. Feb. 9, 1725; m. Cornelius E. Vreeland.
III. Rachel, m. Jacob Van Wagenen.
IV. Jannetje, m. Michael E. Vreeland, Dec. 28, 1755.
V. Catrintje, m. Abraham T. Van Ripen, Nov. 16, 1763.
The various church records give these additional data :
Antje Van Winkel m. Peter Van Woegelum, on certificate from Bergen, Dec. 14, 1709.
· Geertruy Van Winkel and Johannis Diedricks had ch., Jacob, b. Feb. 12, 1728.
Joanna Van Winkel m. Staets Bos (both of Acquackan- onk), Jan. 8, 1726. Children-I. Josua, b. Nov. I, 1727 ; 2. Catrina, b. Sept: 4, 1729 ; 3. Joanna, b. Jan. I, 1731 ; 4. Isaac, bap. Dec. 19, 1736; 5. Machiel, bap. Sept. 5, 1742 ; 6. Johannis, b. Dec. 5, 1749.
Simon Van Winkel m. Elizabeth Degraw, March 21, 1738. Children-I. Simeon, bap. Nov. 19, 1738 ; 2. Jan, bap. July 6, 1740.
Magiel Van Winkel, of Acquackanonk, m. Zietske Van Horn, Sept. 23, 1743. Ch., Arie, bap. March 25, 1750.
Simeon Van Winkel, living at New Brittanje, m. Geertruy Kuuk, maiden, of Acquackanonk, June 5, 1727. Children- I. Marynus, bap. June 5, 174I, at Gansegat ; 2. Geertruy, bap. Feb. 15, 1747.
Marytje Van Winkel and Gerrit Van Wagenen had ch., Leah, bap. Dec. 13, 1747.
Johannis Van Winkle, of Acquackanonk, m. Jennike Van Bos, Dec. 8, 1748.
Eghie Van Winkle m. Henry Fielding, April 2, 1752.
1 Liber 21 of Wills, Secretary of State's office, Trenton, f. 66.
99
THE VAN WINKLES.
Claesje Van Winkel m. Jacob Banta, at Schraalenburgh, Sept. 29, 1754. Children-I. Hendrick, b. Jan. 17, 1755, d. Feb. 7, 1757 ; 2. Tryntje, bap. Dec. 3, 1758, d. Nov. 7, 1759 ; 3. Annaetje, b. March 23, 1763, m. Frederick Mabie; 4. Tryntje, bap. June 2, 1765, d. Sept. 8, 1772 ; 5. Rebec- ca, b. Jan. 10, 1768, m. Henry Clapp ; 6. Jakob, bap. Aug. 30, 1772, d. Nov. I, 1772.1
Antje Van Winkel, of Acquackanonk, m. Dirck Bourdan, of Hackensack, June 9, 1738.
Jacob Van Winkel, bachelor, b. and living at Second Riv- er, m. Margaretha Heyl, b. at Ramapo, and living in Han- over county (Hanover, Morris county, N. J.), 1736.
Abraham Van Winkel, bachelor, m. Rachel Van Rype, maiden, Feb. 17, 1753.
Helena Van Winkel, b. at Second River, m. Gysbert Peek, b. in New York, Nov. 9, 1754.
Fifth Generation.
Hendrick Johannis-Jacob-Jacobse had child :
I. Jurian, b. April 22, 1740.
Jacob Hendrick-Jacob-Jacobse had children :
I. Daniel, b. July 21, 1758 ; m. Antje, dau. of Johan- nis Winne, Oct. 26, 1802 ; d. June 13, 1830 ; she d. Aug. 25, 1843.
II. Abraham, m. Antje Clendenning, Sept. 9, 1780 ; he was then living in New York ; d. at Bergen, Nov. 24, 1823.
III. Catrintje, b. June 1, 1763 ; d. Sept. 8, 1793, unm.
IV. Joseph, b. May 18, 1768 ; d. Jan. 27, 1775.
V. Leah, b. Nov. 7, 1770 ; d. Sept. 18, 1772.
Daniel Hendrick-Jacob-Jacobse had children :
I. Jurriaen, b. Feb. 22, 1761 ; m. Antje Sip, marriage license dated Aug. 31, 1783 ; d. May 3, 1837.
II. Catrintje, b. Jan. 30, 1765 ; m. Jacob Merselis.
III. Hendrick, b. Nov. 27, 1774; m. Catlyntje Van Wagenen, Jan. 10, 1801 ; d. Dec. 13, 1848.
Hendrick Hendrick-Jacob-Jacobse had children :
I. Catrina, b. Jan. 26, 1772.
II. Raegel, b. March 29, 1775, d. in inf.
III. Raegel, b. Feb. 13, 1777; m. Martin Winne, April I, 1797.
IV. Johannis, b. Nov. 7, 1778; m. Geertje, dau. of John Diedricks, Jan. 3, 1800.
V. Jacob H., b. Feb. 20, 1789 ; m. Mary Smith.
Waling Johannis-Waling-Jacobse had ch .:
I. John, m. Eva Kip, Oct. 24, 1747.
II. Hillegont, b. Sept. 25, 1749 ; m. Hendrick Gerritse Van Wagenen, jun.
III. Jacob, m. Elsie, dau. of Henry Kip.
IV. Cornelius, bap. Nov. I, 1747; m. Annaetje Van Rypen. He removed to Paterson about 1773, and lived in the old stone house still standing, in River street, a short distance west of West street. He owned six acres of land from the river southerly to Broadway, also the grist and saw mills at the foot of Mulberry street, which he operated for
twenty years or more. He also kept a country story in a red frame building, about thirty feet long and twenty feet deep, on the north side of the road, next to the mill.1 It was used at one time by Chauncey Andrews as a turning shop, but was afterwards converted into a dwelling-house, and re- moved to the south side of the road. Cornelius was famil- iarly known as "Walling's Case."
V. Waling, b. Sept. 22, 1753; m. Pietertje, dau. of Derrick Van Ripen, Feb. 7, 1783 ; d. Jan. 17, 1832; she was b. Nov. 16, 1758 ; d. Jan. 4, 1846.
VI. Maritje, b. Sept. II, 1757 ; m. Ist, Isaac Housman; 2d, Christian Zabriskie.
VII. Helmich, b. June 22, 1761 ; m. Marritje, dau. of Adrian Post, Jan. 3, 1784 ; d. May 5, 1822 ; she d. April 13, 1821, aged 61 years, 8 mos., I day.
Jacob Johannis-Symon-Jacobse had children :
I. Johannis, b. Sept. 1, 1772.
II. Jacob, b. Oct. 17, 1774.
III. Jannetje, b. March 6, 1782.
IV. Isaac, b. April 30, 1786.
Abraham Johannis-Symon-Jacobse had children :
I. Geertruy, b. Feb. 15, 1747.
II. Jacob, b. Jan. 9, 175I.
III. Simeon, b. Dec. 22, 1755.
IV. Helena, h. Feb. 28, 1758.
Marinus Johannis-Symon-Jacobse had children :
I. Arie, m. Margaret Van Wagenen ; d. Dec. 3, 1828, aged 84 years.
Johannis Simeon-Symon-Jacobse had children :
I. Simeon, b. Dec. 12, 1749 ;2 bap. Jan. II, 1750; m. Claesje, dau. of Cornelis Gerritse. He was called "Sim- eon of the Bogt," to distinguish him from Simeon of Broad- way. He lived in a stone house at Riverside, destroyed by fire about 1880. He died in 1828.
II. Frans, m. Esebel Archebel (Isabel Archibald), an Irish girl, a marriage that was regarded with surprise and disfavor by the Dutch girls generally. He lived at the Gof- fle, where he bought a tract of 31. 71 acres from Peter, John and Hessel Gerritsen, heirs of Hessel Gerritsen, north of his father's place, along the Deep brook. In 1784 he built a saw mill in partnership with John C. Garrison, John I. Ryerson and Jacob Snyder, the last named being a carpen- ter living at the Goffle, who probably did the carpenter work on the mill, in consideration of which he received a three-eighths interest in the mill, which he released to Van Winkle, March 9, 1792, for £21. This mill was on the Deep
I These particulars about the store kept by Cornelius Van Winkle were communicated to the author about 1876, by the late Smith Kinsey. son of Judge Charles Kinsey, of Paterson. Mr. Kinsey had a very clear recollection of what he had seen, and of what he had heard from older persons.
2 This date was obtained in a curious way. When the First Reformed Dutch church was built on Main street, in 1827-8, JoEn S. Van Winkle, one of the most influential members of the church, placed in the corner stone a memorandum of the date of his father's birth, and ot his chil- dren. When the old church was destroyed by fire in December, 1871, this paper, discolored by fire and badly frayed by water, was found in the box that had been in the corner stone.
1 A Frisian Family. The Banta Genealogy. Descendants of Epke Jacobse, who came from Friesland, Netherlands, to New Amsterdam, February, 1659. By Theodore M. Banta. New York, 1893, 66.
100
HISTORY OF PATERSON.
brook; the Van Blarcom mill is on the same site. Frans was a pewholder in the Totowa church. He appears to have been a soldier, for in his will, dated July 22, 1826, proved July 24, 1830, he bequeaths to his son David his "holster pistols and sword and brown mare's colt." He devised two-thirds of his estate to his wife Isabel, for life, and the remainder to his four children. 1
Jacob Simeon-Symon-Jacobse had children :
I. Simeon, b. April 4, 1752 ; m. Antje, dau. of Edo Merselis; she was b. March 28, 1755. He continued his father's business as tanner and currier, perhaps moving the tannery a little further up Main street, and ex- tending it across to the present West street. He lived in a stone house on the northeast corner of Main street and Broadway, standing about eighteen feet back from both streets, with a picket fence in front, and a row of poplar trees before it along Broadway. The dwelling was one story high, with large open attic under a high pitched roof ; the hall was in the centre, facing Broadway, with two rooms on each side. This was called the "homestead," and per- haps had been built by Simeon. In addition to the tanning and currying business, he ran a distillery, between the house and the tannery. After the founding of Paterson, and the opening of lower Main street, he started a store in a frame building north of his house, for the convenience of the people of the town and his own profit, which he carried on for some years. He was also a harness-maker and farmer- altogether, a man of many parts.
II. Pieter, bap. December 25, 1754. He was one of the most remarkable men of his day, and his fame spread far and wide. This was because of the extraordinary size of his head, which was so monstrous, that he was unable to support it unaided. A chair was fashioned especially to re- lieve him as much as possible from the great weight-a rocking-chair, with arms, the seat a foot high ; a board stood up from the back, on the top of which was fastened a hick- ory half-hoop, like a barrel hoop, and as he sat in his chair his head rested within this support, so that he was fairly comfortable. He could not move about, but was fain to content himself sitting in his chair. His mother had brought with her, when married, a colored slave, and after Peter's birth this woman was assigned to wait upon him con- stantly. She died about 1833, at the age of 107 or 108 years. His deformity attracted the more attention, as he was a man of good faculties, intelligent, and able to take part in any discussion on the affairs of the day.2 It was said that he could repeat a chapter in the Bible, after hearing it read once. Surgeon James Thacher, of the American army, who saw him in July, 1780, after a trip to the Passaic Falls, thus describes him :
In the afternoon we were invited to visit another curiosity in the neighborhood. This is a monster in the human form. He is twenty- seven years of age, his face from the upper part of the forehead to the end of his chin, measures twenty inches, and round the upper part of his head is twenty-one inches, his eyes and nose are remarkably large and
prominent, chin long and pointed. His features are coarse, irregular and disgusting, and his voice is rough and sonorous. His hody is only twenty-seven inches in length, his limhs are small, and much deformed, and he has the use of one hand only. He has never heen ahle to stand, or sit up, as he cannot support the enormous weight of his head ; hut lies constantly in a large cradle, with his head supported on pillows. He is visited hy great numhers of people, and is peculiarly fond of the com- pany of clergymen, always inquiring for them among his visitors, and taking great pleasure in receiving religious instruction. General Wash- ington made him a visit, and asked, " whether he was a whig or tory?" He replied, that " he had never taken an active part on either side."1
Washington was greatly pleased with this felicitous reply, and some years later, when the Baron Steuben had invited him to dine with him, in company with a gentleman from New York, whose loyalty during the Revolution had been very questionable, upon the Baron making some apology for his guest, General Washington laughingly declared, "Oh, Baron, there is no difficulty on that point. Mr. - is very like the big headed boy at Totowa, he never has taken an active part."2
When Gen. Lafayette revisited Paterson, in 1825, he stopped for a moment at the Passaic hotel, to greet Gen. Godwin, and inquired about the "big headed man," remark- ing that he recollected the house solely on account of having there seen that remarkable phenomenon.
Samuel Dewees, of Pennsylvania, who served in the Rev- olutionary army as a fifer boy, gives the following account of Peter. As he was writing from recollection, sixty years after the event, his narrative must be taken with allowances for errors and exaggerations :
When we lay 4 or 5 miles from (I think it must have heen the) Passaic Falls, in Jersey (although it is possible that it was near to Trenton Falls in York state) the soldiers went frequently to see the falls, and then a great curiosity which was not far from the falls. There was a poor fam- ily that had in it a son, who was said to he upwards of thirty years old, I went with some of the soldiers to see him, and heheld the most won- derful sight that I ever did hehold in all my life. His hody was chunkey and ahout the size of a healthy hoy of ten or twelve years old and he laid in a kind of cradle, hut his head (although shaped like to a human head), was like a flour harrel in size, and it was common for one soldier to de- scrihe it to others hy comparing it to a flour harrel. It had to he lifted ahout (the hody could not support it) whenever and wherever it had to he moved to. His senses appeared to he good, and it was usual for us to say, " he can talk like a lawyer." He would talk to every person that visited him. All the soldiers that visited him and that had any money, would always give him something. It was said that General Washing- ton when he went to see him gave his father the sum of four or five hun- dred dollars as a present to aid in his support. Although I have here attempted a description of his person and appearance, it beggared every description I can give, as no person can conceive truly his appearance hut those that seen him.3
The value of this account is in its description of what De- wees saw. He was very young, illiterate and credulous.
1 A Military Journal during the American Revolutionary War, from 1775 to 1783, descrihing interesting events and transactions of this per- iod, with numerous Historical Facts and Anecdotes, from the original manuscript, etc., hy James Thacher, M. D., late Surgeon in the Ameri- can army, Boston, 1823, 243 ; 2d ed., Hartford, 1854, 233. In copying the ahove extract into the Historical Collections of New Jersey, published in 1844, the compilers of that work have added seven inches to the length of Peter's face. Dr. Thacher says it was twenty inches long.
2 Ih., 528 ; 2d ed., 433.
3 A History of the Life and Services of Captain Samuel Dewees, a native of Pennsylvania, and Soldier of the Revolutionary and last Wars, etc., hy John Smith Hanna, Baltimore, 1844, 174.
1 Bergen County Wills, D, 44.
2 Conversation with the late Cornelius H. Post, of Water street, in 1874; also with the late Samuel A. Van Saun, of Church street.
101
THE VAN WINKLES.
Peter was not the object of charity that he imagines, as his family was well-to-do, and he had every care and comfort. It is no wonder that Grootkop Pietem, or Big-Headed Peter, as he was commonly called, should have been considered quite as much an object of curiosity, by visitors to the Falls, as the famed cataract itself. His extraordinary affliction, accompanied by his cheerful disposition, won him friends, and the admiration of all who saw him. He was naturally an object of the tenderest solicitude on the part of his pa- rents, brothers and younger sister. His father made special provision for him in his will. As the will was proved June 6, 1785, and Simeon and Jacob divided the real estate July 9, 1786, it would seem that Peter died between these two dates, having lived more than thirty-one years. He was probably buried in the Totowa churchyard, between Ryle avenue and Hamburgh avenue.
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