A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 117

Author: Ross, Peter. cn
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1188

USA > New York > A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 117

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NAMES OF FAMILIES IN BROOKLYN.

Ancient

Modern.

Courten.

Defforest,

Deforest.

Ffilkin.

Gulick.

Hansen,

Harsen. Johnson.

Honghawont,

Lefferts.

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NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

Ancient. Abranse. Aerson.

Modern.

BUSHWICK.

Ancient. Vanderschaez. Schamp. Loysen.

Modern.

Amertman, Blaw. Beeckman,

Amerman.

Beekman.

FLATBUSH.

Casperse. Dehart.

Depotter. Ewetse. Hooghland. Janse, Jarisse. Jurianse. Lambertse, LeFoy.

Johnson.

Lambertson and Lamberson.

Lubbertse. Middagh. Schaers. Seberingh.

Symonse,

Simonson.

Staats.

Van Cortlandt. Van Eckellen.

Of all these families there are now but seven remaining in Brooklyn, viz .: Beekman, Deforest, Johnson, Lambertson, Lefferts, Mid- dagh and Simonson. Within the last five or six years the emigration from Continental Europe has brought back some of the old names as in New York, merchants of the name of Courten. The name of Middagh is Dutch, and means, in English, midday or nocn.

NEW UTRECHT.

Modern.

Ancient. Van Westervelt. Mattyse, Martense.

Coorten. Salom. Smack. original of Martense.

Van Thinhoven.

GRAVESEND.

Garretse, Remmerson,

Garretson and Gerritson. Remson.

FLATLANDS.

Terhune.

Tiehuynon, Lucasse. Kenne. Elbertse. Harmanse.

Ditmarse, Ditmas.

The practice of giving people what would now be called nicknames, by which they be- came known, not only to the public generally, but also in the official records, was very com- mon under the Dutch Colonial Government, and it also continued for a considerable period under the English administration in this col- ony. In 1644, in the Dutch records we have John Pietersen, alias Friend John. In the Newton purchase from the Indians, dated April 12, 1656, one of the boundaries is, "by a Dutchman's land called Hans the Boore;" and in the Bushwick patent, dated October 12, 1667, one of the boundaries is "John the Swedes Meadow." In 1695, in the Kings County records a man is named living at Go- wanus, as "Tunis the Fisher."

And we also find that by the records of the Common Council of the City of New York, on the 25th of March, 1691, they ordered that "fish be brought into the dock, over against the City Hall [then standing in Pearl street, at the head of Coenties slip], or the house that Long Mary formerly lived in."

And also on the 9th of April, in the same year, they directed "that Old Bush deliver into the hands of the treasurer the scales and weights that he hath in his hands belonging to the city, being first satisfied for the making of them."

Again, on the same day, the order "that Top Knot Betty and her children be provided for as objects of charity, and four shillings a week allowed." And further, that "the treas- urer let Scarebouch have a new suit, and as- sist him in what's wanting."

All the preceding orders, from the date of April 9th, inclusive, were made in one day, so that our city functionaries of that period seem to have had a most charitable disposition, as well as a strange propensity for giving nick- names to people. But we are not yet done ; this Common Council were not so mean as to apply such nicknames to those only to whom they afforded charitable relief, as some might otherwise suppose- they also used them when

762

HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

discharging their debts. Thus, on the 8th of December, 1691, the city records contain an order that "the treasurer pay English Smith, £1, 13s. for three cords of wood, which he bought for the use of the city this day."

Strange as it may now seem to us for the Common Council of a city to place such names upon the public records, yet we have seen that this practice extended to the highest function- aries of the Colonial Government, and that the Governors, both Dutch and English, used it in their patents for towns, and other official docu- ments. The explanation of it, in many cases, undoubtedly was, that in many instances the parties either had no surname, or family names ( for family names were not so common then as now), or if they had, they did not them- selves know it, and that which now appears like a nickname was from necessity adopted as a means of distinguishing them, and was usually taken from some personal characteris- tic, and which subsequently became, some part or other of it, the surname of the children, as Long and Betty.

The manner in which names of families sometimes become changed in this country is truly curious. There was previous to the mid- dle of the last century, among the Dutch set- tlers in the southern part of this colony, and particularly upon Long Island, a regular sys- tematic change of the family name with every generation, so that the son never bore the fam- ily name of his father; thus, if the father's name was Leffert Jansen, and he had a son named Jacobus, this son's name would not be Jansen, but it would be written Jacobus Lef- fertsen. Suppose the old gentleman would have a grandson by his son, who was christened Gerrit, his whole name would be Gerrit Jacob- sen. Thus we would have in the three genera- tions of that one single family, the following different names, viz. :

I. The father, named Leffert Jansen.

2. The son, named Jacobus Leffertsen.

3. The grandson, named Gerrit Jacobsen.

This strange custom does not seem to have prevailed among the Dutch in Albany; there they preserved their family names from the first settlement, and many of them may there- fore be traced back without difficulty.

In other parts of our country, as well as among the Dutch, great changes have occurred in family names. Edward Livingston, Esq., in his answer to Mr. Jefferson, in the case of

the New Orleans Batture, furnishes us with the following singular instance of this nature:

An unfortunate Scotchman, whose name was Feyerston, was obliged, in pursuit of for- tune, to settle amongst some Germans in the western part of the State of New York. They translated his name literally into German and called him Fourstein. On his returning tò an English neighborhood his new acquaintances discovered that Fourstein, in German, meant Flint in English; they translated, instead of restoring his name, and the descendants of Feyerston go by the name of Flint to this day. I ought, however, says Mr. Livingston, to ex- cept one of his grandsons who settled at the Acadian coast, on the Mississippi, whose name underwent the fate of the rest of the family; he was called, by a literal translation into' French, Pierre-a-fusil, and his eldest son re- turning to the family clan, his name underwent another transformation, and he was called Pe- ter Gun! This is about equal to the Dutch transmutation of names, although wanting its system. Here we have the following resuit:

I. The father's' Ist Name, Feyerston. 2d Name, Fourstein. 3d Name, Flint. Name, Flint.

2. 'The son's

3. The grandson's Ist Name, Flint. 2d Name, Pierre-a-fusil 3d Name, Peter Gun.

The old practice formerly so common among the Dutch settlers on Long Island, seems also to have been at one time in use in Iceland. Mr. Hooker, who was there in the summer of 1809, speaking of the family of Olaf Stephenson, the former Governor of that island, observes: "In naming his children, the Stiftsamptman (Governor), as well as his sons, have abolished the custom, which is other- wise, I believe, very general in Iceland, of call- ing the child after the Christian name of the father, with the addition sen or son to it; thus the son of the Etatsrod (Chief Justice) Mag- nus Stephenson ought by this rule to have been Magnusen, to which any Christian name might be subjoined. If it had been Olaf Magnusen, his son would bear the name of Olavsen, or, rather Olafsen, as I believe it is generally writ- ten. The females had the addition of datter to the Christian name of the father."

This was precisely the old Dutch custom in this colony ; and it has led to great difficulty in tracing the descent of our early Dutch fam-

763

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

ilies, and also in examining our old records, as there are but few who are conversant with this peculiarity in their change of names. Thus, amongst the Dutch the original name of the present family of the Lefferts was Hougha- wout. Leffert Houghawout's son James was called Jacobus Leffertsen, or Leffertse, as it was often written, dropping the letter n; and when this custom was abolished about the mid- dle of the last century, this latter name Lef- fertse was retained as the family name. So also the original family name of the Martenses was Smack. Mattyse Smack's son received Mattyse as his surname, which eventually be- came the present name of Martense, although as now written only within the last half cen- tury. This is also the origin of the present family names of Johnson, or Jansen (which are both the same name), Remsen, Gerritsen. etc. It is strange that such a custom should have been identically the same with those two dif- ferent nations; but it shows their common origin.

Upon this island, and especially in the cen- tral portions of it, are very many families of the name of Smith, and so numerous did they become at an early period of the settlement that it was thought necessary to distinguish the various original families by some peculiar name. Thus we have the Rock Smiths; the Blue Smiths; the Bull Smiths; the Weight Smiths, and the Tangier Smiths. Of the Rock Smiths there are two distinct families: one originally settled between Rockaway and Hempstead, some ten or fifteen years before the settlement of the first white inhabitant in Setauket, who derived their name from their contiguity to Rockaway; and the other located themselves in Brookhaven, and obtained their appellation from their ancestor erecting his dwelling against a large rock which still re- mains in the highway of that town. The Blue Smiths were settled in Queens county, and ob- tained their peculiar designation from a blue cloth coat worn by their ancestor ; whether be- cause a cloth coat was then an uncommon thing in the neighborhood, or that he always dressed in a coat of that color, does not appear. The Bull Smiths of Suffolk county are the most numerous of all the families of the name of Smith upon this island; it is said that there are now at least one thousand males of that branch on this island. The ancestor of this branch of the Smith family was Major Rich- ard Smith, who came from England to New

England, with his father Richard, in the early part of the seventeenth century ; and afterward came to the island and became the patentee of Smithtown. The sobriquet of this class of Smiths is said to have arisen from the circum- stance of the ancestor having trained and used a bull in place of a horse for riding. The Weight Smiths derived their name from being possessed of the only set of scales and weights in the neighborhood of their residence, to which all the farmers of the country around resorted for the purpose of weighing anything they wished to sell or buy ; at least so says the tra- dition. The Tangier Smiths owe their origin to Colonel William Smith, who had been the English Governor of Tangier, in the reign of Charles the Second, and emigrated to this col- ony in the summer of the year 1686, where he settled in the town of Brookhaven, on the Neck known as Little Neck, and afterward as Strong's Neck, which, together with his other purchases, were erected into a manor by the name of St. George's Manor, by a patent grant- ed to him in 1693, by Governor Fletcher. Most of the Tangier Smiths are now in that town, scattered through it from the north to the south side of the island.

These different appellations of the families of the Smiths became as firmly settled as if they were regular family names; so that when any inquiry was made of any person on the road, man, woman or child, for any particular Smith, they would at once ask whether he was of the Rock breed, or the Bull breed, etc. ; and if the person desiring the information could say which breed, he at once was told of his resi- dence. In truth, there are so many of the same name in that most numerous family of the Smiths upon this island, that without adopting some such plan it would be almost impossible to distinguish one from the other. Among these Smiths, and at Smithtown, upon this island, have occurred two of the most marked instances of longevity known in this country.

Richard Smith, the patentee of Smithtown, of the Bull breed, purchased at New York a negro man named Harry, who lived with him, with his son, and then with his grandson, and died at Smithtown in the month of December, 1758, aged at least one hundred and twenty years. This remarkable individual said he could remember when there were but very few houses in the city of New York; his memory must have extended back to the administration of the Dutch Governor Kieft. His health and

764

HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND

strength of body continued almost unimpaired until very near his death, and he could do a good day's work when he had passed one hun- dred years.

There appears to have been another negro man in the same town who even exceeded him in the point of age. In a note to Moulton's History of New York, it is stated that an obituary article appeared in a newspaper, print- · ed in 1739, of the death of a negro man at Smithtown, on Long Island, reputed to have been one hundred and forty years old; who declared that he well remembered when there were but three houses in New York. The memory of this man must therefore have ex- tended back to the founding of New Amster- dam, in the year 1626, as New York was then called, and he must have come into this coun- try with some of the first Dutch settlers.

BROOKLYN SURVIVORS OF THE MEXICAN WAR.

It is singular that in 1901 no fewer than thirty-five survivors of the Mexican war were still resident in Brooklyn, and nearly all, if we may judge by their portraits, hale and hearty old gentlemen, and several of them still engaged actively in business. Their names and the regiments in which they served are as fol- lows:

T. W. Barnum, Company A, First Louisi- ana Volunteers; A. Nelson Bell, Naval Sur- geon : Anthony Bassey, United States Steam- ship "Ohio;" Charles Blohm, Permanent Par- ty; C. M. Brower, Company F, First New York Volunteers ; Othneal Bush, United States Steamship "Princeton ;" R. D. Buttle, United States Marine Battalion; Jacob Clute, Siege Train ; E. B. Cole, Company C, Second United States Artillery; William Coler, Company B. Second Ohio Volunteers; Hugh Conner, Ma- rine Corps ; Jolin Cornock, Company E, Third United States Dragoons ; John Da Silva, Uni- ted States Steamship "Savannah;" John Dick, Company I, First New York Volunteers; C. H. Farrell, Company I, First New York Vol- unteers ; James C. Foote, United States Steam- ship "Columbus ;" John H. Foote, United

States Steamship "Columbus ;" J. S. Gallagher, Company A, Second Maryland Volunteers ; C. Herrschaft, Company H, First United States Artillery ; F. W. Jennings, Company E, First United States Infantry ; Edward Kast, United States Steamship "Raritan ;" Robert T. Kirk, Company K, First New York Volunteers ; Julius Lucas, United States Steamship "Cum- berland;" Hubert Oberly, Company G, Sev- enth United States Infantry ; F. E. Pinto, Com- pany D, First New York Volunteers; David Randall, Recruiting Office; John Ritter, Uni- ted .States Steamship "St. Mary's;" H. T. Spencer, United States Steamship "Vesuvius ;" Samuel C. Stores, Company A, Tenth United States Infantry ; E. Sullivan, Company I, First Rhode Island Volunteers; L. Thomas, Com- pany F, First Pennsylvania Volunteers; D. Van Auken, United States Steamship "Inde- pendence ;" Van Bokkelen, Seventh United States Infantry; John Weeks, United States Steamship "Cumberland ;" J. Williams, United States Steamship "Vesuvius."

The following details regarding some of these veterans are taken from an article in "The Brooklyn Eagle" of February 17, 1901 :

By far the most important military organ- ization that was recruited in this vicinity for service in Mexico was the First New York Volunteers, under the command of Colonel Ward B. Burnett, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Baxter, who was killed at Chapultepec, and Major J. C. Burnham. On May 19, 1846, the President served a requisition on Governor Fish for seven regiments to be organized and held in readiness for service. On November 16 of the same year a regiment was called for, and Colonel Burnett's being the first or- ganization, was chosen for the service.

The surviving members of the First New York Volunteers are General Francis E. Pin- to, Charles H. Farrell, Charles M. Brower, Robert Kirk and John Dick. General Pinto enlisted as second lieutenant in the First Regiment, New York Volunteers, and is the only surviving commissioned officer of

765

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

the regiment. He was brevetted a captain and assisted in planting the only regimental flag on the walls of Chapultepec. General Pinto was a close friend of Lieutenant Mayne Reid, who became famous as a writer of boys' stories, they being officers in the same regiment. The General raised a regiment for service in the Civil war, during which he rose to the rank of brigadier-general. He has written a history of the Mexican campaign and the Re- bellion, which he has not published. He is not now actively engaged in business.

Charles M. Brower, who lives at 1105 Bed- ford avenue, was one of the original members of the regiment, and enlisted in Company F. One of his most conspicuous services during the war was the recovery for burial of the body of a comrade who had been murdered by the Mexicans in the rear of the American army. Mr. Brower was twenty years old when he enlisted. He rose to the rank of sergeant.

Charles H. Farrell enlisted in Company I, of the First New York Volunteers, and served through the entire war. He contributed letters to the Herald during the Mexican war, and at the outbreak of the Civil war became its regu- lar correspondent. For years Mr. Farrell was the city editor of that paper, and is now clerk of the Supreme Court in this borough. Mr. Farrell, who is seventy-two years old, resides on Gates avenue.

Robert Kirk enlisted in Company K, of the same regiment, at the age of twenty-three, but being detailed for recruiting service at Fort Hamilton, he was unable to sail with the rest of the troops. He did duty as a recruiting ser- geant until August 10, 1847, when he joined his regiment in Mexico. Mr. Kirk has retired from business and lives at his home on Stuy- vesant avenue. He is seventy-six years old and a well-preserved man.

John Dick enlisted in Company I, with the original regiment, and was connected for a time with the quartermaster's department. Mr. Dick is in poor health and somewhat feeble.

Edward Kast, who is nearly eighty-two

years of age and still hale and hearty, followed' the sea all the early years of his life, and at the cutbreak of the Mexican war he was serving in the United States Navy on the frigate "Rar- itan,". under the command of Commodore Gregory. Before the beginning of actual hos- tilities his vessel was dispatched to Point Isa- bel, and he, among others, was sent ashore to join General Taylor's division, which took part in the battle of Palo Alto. Mr. Kast remained with the American forces until the end of the war, when he embarked in the merchant serv- ice. He now conducts a cigar store on Met- ropolitan avenue.

Julius Lucas shipped on the "Falmouth" when that vessel sailed for Vera Cruz with the United States Minister. This was in 1844, when Mr. Lucas was about sixteen years of age. Shortly after this, Commander Forrest, who was a friend of Mr. Lucas' father, had the young man transferred to his own vessel, the frigate "Cumberland." He was at the siege of Vera Cruz, the engagement of Eldo- rado, and later was sent ashore to join the land forces at Tobasco. Mr. Lucas marched into Vera Cruz by the side of Commander Forrest. He is seventy-three years old, and has retired from business.

John Ritter joined the merchant service when he was but seventeen years old, and fol- lowed it for a decade, when he entered the United States Navy. He served on the United States steamship "St. Mary's," the famous "hanging ship" (so called because a man was hanged at the yard arm for striking an officer), during the Mexican war, and took part in the siege of Vera Cruz. He is not only the oldest retired gunner in the Navy, but the oldest Mexican war veteran in Brooklyn. He works every day in the Department of Arrears in the Controller's office, and, although eighty-six years old, he writes a beautiful hand.

A. Nelson Bell, the editor of the Sanitarian, was a naval surgeon during the war with Mex- ico, and the last one who survives. Mr. Bell went to Vera Cruz with Farragut, and was in

766

HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

the wreck off the coast of Mexico when two commanders were lost. He floated out to sea on two oars, and, after terrible suffering, was picked up by a passing vessel. He served on six different vessels during the war.

Anthony Bassey, who is quite feeble, is one of the few sailors who served on the Pacific coast. John Da Silva was also in the Pacific. They both served on the "Savannah," and Mr. Bassey was also on the "Ohio." Mr. Da Silva is a Portuguese, and was born in Madeira.

James Williams, who lives at 33 Devoe street, and Hiram T. Spencer, of 555 Tenth street, were both on the United States steam- ship "Vesuvius." John H. Foote and James C. Foote, who are brothers, were on the ship "Columbus," doing blockade duty at Monterey. They were under the command of Commodore Bidel, and afterward circumnavigated the world in this vessel. Othneal Bush, who is employed in the Navy Yard, served during the war on the "Princeton." , Daniel Van Auken was stationed on the Pacific coast in the "In- dependence," under Commodore Schubert. Mr. Van Auken is seventy-five years old, and has retired from business. John Weeks, who is the only colored survivor of the Mexican war in Brooklyn, was on the old frigate "Cumber- land."

The other veterans in this borough were enlisted in the regulars or the volunteer regi- ments of other States. There is one member of the Marine Battalion, one of the Third Dragoons, one of the First and one of the Sec- ond Artillery, several in the infantry, and one each of the volunteer regiments of Ohio, Penn- sylvania, Rhode Island and Maryland. There is also a musician, a member of the Permanent Party and one of the Ordnance Department.

John Cornock, who belonged to Company E, Third United States Dragoons, has the rep- utation among his fellow veterans of being one of the most recklessly brave fighters of the war. Mr. Cornock is very reticent about his own feats, but his regiment saw some of the severest fighting of the war. Mr. Cornock has

led a very romantic career since the war with Mexico. Many of his personal experiences in Mexico are thrilling and entertaining, and his narrow escape from capture by Indians in crossing the continent, his services in the Cali- fornia Vigilante troubles and his subsequent life prove him to have been a seeker of adven- tures. Mr. Cornock has retired from business and lives at 114 Fourth avenue.

Robert D. Buttle is the only survivor of the Marine Battalion in this borough. He enlist- ed in this organization on May 24, 1847, and sailed in the "Atlas" on June 4 of the same year, arriving at Vera Cruz in the early part of July. His company was engaged in the battles of Pueblo, Contreras and Churubusco, and at the storming of Chapultepec. Mr. But- tle was wounded at the capture of the city of Mexico, and lay there eight months before he had recovered sufficiently to be removed. He is now seventy-three years old, and conducts a restaurant in Court street.

Charles Blohm was a member of the Hano- verian army in Europe, and on account of his training was selected for a body of troops known as the Permanent Party. They enlisted for any service until the end of the war, but were quartered at Governor's Island till the declaration of peace. Ebenezer B. Cole enlisted in Company C, of the Second United States Artillery, during the Mexican war, and for years after was a captain in the Rhode Island Militia. Mr. Cole is seventy-two years old and has retired. Jacob Clute was connected with the Ordnance Department under General Stone, and was attached to Scott's army. Mr. Clute lives at 207 Halsey street, and has re- tired. David Randall, who lives at 277 Eight- eenth street, was a musician during the Mexi- can war. Mr. Randall is seventy-six years old.

Coley Herrschaft occupies the unique posi- tion of being the youngest Mexican war vet- eran. He enlisted in the First Artillery, Feb- ruary 10, 1845, at Governor's Island, and fought under the forces of General Taylor. Mr. Herrschaft was but twelve years old when

767

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

he became a soldier. He served part of the time in Company H and afterward in the regi- mental band, his regiment being the last to leave Vera Cruz. He received his discharge after a service of five years, and this docu- ment places his age at that time at seventeen.

William Coler is the only representative of the Ohio troops in this city. Mr. Coler was in Company B, of the Second Regiment of Ohio Volunteers, under the command of Colo- nel Morgan. Mr. Coler was elected a ser- geant, but resigned the office to become clerk to the colonel of the regiment. He is best re- membered as the father of Controller Bird S. Coler and the head of the banking firm of W. N. Coler & Company.

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A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 117

Author: Ross, Peter. cn Publication date: 1902 Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1188

Author: Ross, Peter. cn
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1188