USA > New York > Schenectady County > Schenectady > A history of the Schenectady patent in the Dutch and English times : being contributions toward a history of the lower Mohawk Valley > Part 14
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Myndertse appealed to the Supreme Court of the Province sitting in New York, and gained his cause ;- the common council was mulcted in damages, fees and costs in the sum of £41-9-3.t
It is believed this decision effectually established the right of citizens of Schenectady to the same privileges of trade as citizens of Albany.
He owned two lots on State street - one on the north side where he had his smiths shop and a bolting house-now the site of Barney & Co.'s store, and another on the west corner of Mill lane and State street, on which his dwelling house stood. The latter was conveyed to him April 6, 1708, by the trustees of Schenectady and described " as a lot on the south side of "a street called the Martelaer's Straat [State Street], on the east of a lot " belonging to said Myndertse,- in breadth upon the street 64 feet and "behind the same ; - in length [depth] on both sides east and west 35 " feet : - also another lot on the south side of his house and lot 54 feet in " breadth and in length [depth] 17 feet all wood measure."} The lot on which his house stood next west of the above described lot, had a front on State street of 54 feet ; both together had a frontage of 118 feet. Mr. Abraham Doty now owns a portion of those lots.
Myndertse made his will May 4, 1754,- proved Sept. 7, 1757,- and left his real estate to his three sons, Myndert, Reinier and Jacobus.§
* See " Albany Families."
+ Albany Annals, VIII, 286-9, 293-8; IX, 16.
# Dutch Church Papers.
§ Wills, Court of Appeal's office.
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Adult Freeholders.
THOMAS NOBEL.
He married Catarina, daughter of David Marinus in 1701, and had several children baptized in the church here,- the last in 1708. He removed about this time to New York, where he had a child baptized in 1720.
In 1706, he occupied lot No. 36 Washington street and the lot next north of it and was probably an innkeeper as he refused to pay for a license "to sell strong liquors."*
DIRK OFMULDER.
But little is known of him, save that he married Alida Pieterse, widow of Ludovicus Cobes, and in 1698, lived on the easterly half of the Fourth flat, on the north side of the river, on a farm formerly owned by Cobes. They gave Thomas Smith, Cobes' son-in-law, a life lease of the same in 1698.+
HELMER OTTEN.
He was from Isens [Essen, Rhenish Prussia (?) ] ; by trade a baker, and owned the north corner of North Pearl and State streets, Albany. The year before his death, which took place in 1676,¿ he sold his Albany lot to Dominie Nicholaas Van Rensselaer.§
His wife was Ariaantje, daughter of Arent Bratt, by whom he had a daughter, Tryntje, who married Gerrit Symonse Veeder.
After Otten's death his widow married Reyer Schermerhorn.
His house lot in Schenectady was on the west corner of Church and Union streets, and comprised one quarter of the block bounded by Wash- ington, State, Church and Union streets, being about 200 feet square.
This lot passed to Tryntje, his daughter, and her descendants, the Veeders.
His bouwery (No. 4), was that owned by the Schermerhorns at the mills, to whom it came through Reyer's wife.
* Johannes Glen's will, Court of Appeal's office ; Albany Annals, v, 150.
+ Toll Papers ; see also Cobes and Kleyn.
# Proceedings of Magistrates 1675-80, fol. 19, Albany city clerk's office.
§ Deeds, 1, 282 ; Albany Co. Records, 122.
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
Both village lot and bouwery, Otten purchased 13th Aug., 1670, of Pieter Adriaense Soegemakelyk, alias Van Woggelum .*
JACOBUS PEECK.
He was a son of Jan Peeck,t innkeeper, and Maria Du Truy [Truax], of New Amsterdam, where he was baptized Jan. 16, 1656. With his kins- man, Isaac De Trieux, he early took up land on the Second flat, on the south side of the Mohawk, about five miles above the village. He married Elizabeth Teunise and had two sons, Jacobus and Johannes, who succeeded him in the possession of his farm. His mother lived upon the lot on the west corner of Front and Church streets, now belonging to the heirs of the late Jeremiah Fuller ; she died before the year 1684.
The patent conferring title to the Second flat upon Peeck and Du Trieux, was granted by Governor Andros on the 29th Oct., 1677. The survey made by Joris Arissen Vander Baast, describes this parcel of land as being 240 rods long on the woodside, and 150 rods broad, comprising 22 morgens and 230 rods, to which is added another parcel on the woodside behind said flat 200 rods long and 30 rods broad, making altogether about 32 mor- gens and 230 rods of land.
Du Trieux died about 1705, when his widow sold her half interest in this flat, probably to the Peecks.t
The Second flat is now owned by Mr. John McGue and Mr. Abraham A. Bratt.
* Albany Co. Records, 465 ; see also Van Woggelum, Schermerhorn and Veeder.
t Jan Peeck was probably a resident of Fort Orange before the year 1655, when he sold two houses there to Johannes Dykeman for 1627 gl .- Albany Co. Records, 226.
He and his wife were frequently complained of in New Amsterdam, for selling liquor to the Indians and without license, and finally, in 1664, she was fined 500 gl., and banished from Manhattan island ; it is presumed that she retired to Schenectady, where she was found living not long after .- Dutch MSS., v, 455; VI, 4, 308; VIII, 80; x, 23, 24; x2, 452; x3, 1, 2; Council Minutes ; Deeds, III, 324.
Mrs. Peeck at the time of her banishment, was said to be " one of the oldest inhabi- tants of the city of New Amsterdam."
The town of Peekskill-on-the-Hudson, received its name from Jan Peeck, who ran his vessel into the creek and wintered there.
# Land papers, II, 59; Toll and Dutch Church Papers; Albany Co. Records in Deeds, IV; Col. MSS., 129th vol., p. 197; Col. Doc., IV, 802.
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Adult Freeholders.
PHILIP PHILIPSE (de Moer).
He married Elizabeth, daughter of Harmen Ganzevoort of Albany, about 1685, and soon after took up his residence in the township of Schenectady. He owned or leased a portion of the Sixth flat on the north side of the Mohawk river, which in 1689 he exchanged with Claas Willemse Van Cop- pernol for the Willegen Vlachte, lying on the south side of the river about one mile above Crane's village .*
The descendants of Philipse still reside on or near the Willow flat.
JAN PHILIPSE.
He was probably a brother of Philip and is first mentioned as a member of the church in 1701.
On the 10th March, 1706, the trustees of Schenectady conveyed to "Jan " Philipse, bachelor, a lot of ground in Schenectady, on the south side of the " street that leads by the church [State street], having to the east six feet " of ground adjoining to the lot of Cornelis Slingerland, south the town " stockades, west ye vacant ground belonging to the town,-breadth on the " street three rods and four feet [40 feet],- behind the same, depth on east "and west sides two rods and four feet [28 feet], Rynland measure."} This lot was on the south-west corner of State street and Water street alley,- in 1713, this lot then having a depth of fifty feet, was conveyed by Arent Bratt, brewer, who lived opposite, to Hendrick Vrooman, Jr., weaver, who, in 1721 mortgaged it to Philip Livingston, merchant of Albany.t
BARTHOLOMEW PIKKERT.
He married Eva Claese and had four children baptized in the church here between 1700 and 1706. He lived at the Verrebergh between Albany and Schenectady, having received a grant of land there in 1717.§
JAN POOTMAN (PUTMAN).
In 1661 being then a resident of Beverwyck, he was apprenticed by Jan Hendrickse Van Bael for three years to Philip Hendrickse Brouwer. He
* Deeds, IV, 234, 236 ; Dutch Church Papers ; see also Van Coppernol.
+ Old deed. Į Deeds, VI, 30.
§ Albany Annals, VII, 61.
18
LATIVE
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
was then sixteen years of age .* On Brouwer's removal to Schenectady in 1662, Pootman became a resident here and shortly after married Cornelia, daughter of Arent Andriese Bratt. His house lot was on the north corner of Union and Ferry streets, having a front of 100 feet on the former street; later he purchased the 100 feet next west, of Jan Roeloffse, son of the well known Anneke Janse.t On the fatal night of Feb. 8, 1633, both Pootman and his neighbor Roeloffse with their wives were slain. Three of his sons,- Arent, Victoor and Cornelis arrived at maturity and had families.
On the 6th April, 1709, Arent Pootman, the eldest son, conveyed to his brother Victoor, " a certain lot of ground being part of the lot now in my " possession and occupation, bounded on the east and south by the common " highway [Ferry and Union streets] and on the north and west by the "other part of the lot of said Arent Pootman ;- in length on the east and " west sides 217 feet and in breadth on the north and south 69 feet 4 in.,- " wood measure."
PIETER RAL.
He was a member of the church in 1700, but his name does not again appear in the records.
JURRIAN RINCKHOUT.
His father Jan Rinckhout was a baker in Albany.§ Jurrian was a free- holder here at an early date. In his will made Feb. 2, 1703, he spoke of his wife Maria Idessen, to whom letters of administration were issued March 30, 1704 ;- of his father, Jan, and several children. || He gave to his wife "the use of his real and personal estate here and in New York during her " lifetime,-his father to be maintained out of the estate ;- son Teunis to
* 14 Sept., 1661, " Sov heeft Jan Hendr. Van Bael besteet ende Philip Hendr. Brouwer aen genomen Johannes Pootman, jong gesel out jegenwordich omtrent sestien jaeren,"-to serve said Brouwer, “ van drye achtereen volgende jaaren." Jan Pootman signed his name to the indentures in a clear and beautiful hand. Brouwer engaged to pay him 80 gl. a year in lieu of outfit, for his services .- Not. Papers, 1, 19.
+ Toll Papers ; see also Roeloffse.
# Old deed.
§ In 1669 he hired of Bent Bagge, a house and land in Schenectady for one year .- Not. Papers, II.
| Wills, I, 104.
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Adult Freeholders.
" have the farm at Schenectady at a fair price; Ida when he comes of age " to have the farm, near New York as made over by his father-in-law Teunis " Idesse."
After Jurrian's death his widow married John McIntyre, June 17, 1704, and the family was not afterwards mentioned in the records.
Where Rinckhout's farm lay is not now known.
BENJAMIN ROBERTS.
" Bent " Roberts was a householder in the village as early as 1669. His house lot was on the north side of Union street, 150 feet westerly from Church street,-51 feet front and rear and 404 feet deep, extending through the block to Front street. Roberts purchased this lot of Arent Van Curler or of his estate and subsequently sold it to Reynier, son of Dominie Gideon Schaets of Albany .* .
His patent for this lot dated March 17, 1669, described it as " a certain "lot of ground at Schenectady now in his occupation, which was granted to " him by A. Van Curler deceased, containing in length 400 feet -in breadth " 50 feet, abutting on the West [east] side with Symon Groot, on the north " [west] with the bouwery [house lot] of Willem Teller and Pieter Jacobse " Borsboom."t
His bouwery, called Maalwyck was just west of the village of Scotia and in the confirmatory patent granted to him July 1, 1669, was described as "a " piece of land near Schenectady on the north side of the river over against " the hindmost piece of land heretofore belonging to Arent [Bratt] the "Noorman, running in breadth on the east side along by the high woods 17 " rods and on the west side along said woods 56 rods, in length on the " south side along the river 278 rods,-all cleared land, together with the " several corners or hoeks of land, containing about 36 acres or 18 morgens ; " as also a parcel of woodland beginning at the east end and running with " a deep half moon to the west of the aforesaid cleared land, being divided "by the highwoods, containing about 40 acres or 20 morgens ; - in all 38 " morgens, as conveyed by the Indians to said Roberts with the approbation "of the commissioners at Albany."}
He made his will June 28, 1706, and gave his property to his wife Maria, and in case of her death or remarriage, to his stepsons Pieter and Joseph Clement.
* Roberts also owned a house and lot in Albany, which he sold in 1684 .- Deeds, III, 266; v, 106; Not. Papers, II.
t Patents, 647.
# Patents, 981.
140
History of the Schenectady Patent.
In 1711, Pieter Clement sold his half of the farm to Cornelis Viele to- gether with Benten island, for £445 ;* and on March 17, 1712, his brother Joseph sold the other half to Carel Hansen Toll for £400.
Roberts was also the original owner of Poversens lying opposite to Maal- wyck on the south side of the river.t
JAN ROELOFFSE.
He was the eldest son of the famous Anneke Janse, by her first husband Roeloffe Jansen. Until about the year 1670 he was a resident of Bever- wyck, where he acted as the surveyor of lots. This year he accidently killed Gerrit Verbeeck at Albany, for which he was pardoned by the Governor .¿ His house lot here was on the north side of Union street 100 Amsterdam feet west of Ferry street-the lot now owned and occupied by Messrs. Joseph Y. and Giles Van de Bogart. This lot he sold to Jan Poot- man, his neighbor on the east, reserving a life interest in the same for him- self and wife. The consideration to be paid by Pootman was 50 beavers at 8 guilders each, in merchantable grain at market price, within eight years from date-12 Sept., 1687, whereof, it is stated, a cow had already been paid and delivered at nine beavers.§
On the fatal night of Feb. 8, 1690, both Pootman and Roeloffse with their wives were slain. The latter left no children.
REYNIER SCHAETS.
Reynier Schaets " chyrurgion," eldest son of Dominie Gideon Schaets, was an early settler of Schenectady, where he was appointed justice of the peace by Leisler in 1689.| His house lot was on the north side of Union street, 100 Amsterdam feet west of Church street and extended through to Front,-404 feet, having a front on both streets of 51 feet .** A portion of this lot fronting upon Union street was owned by the late Dr. Alexander G. Fonda, now by the county. Schaets and one of his sons were killed in 1690, when the village was burned by the French and Indians. His widow Catrina Bensing, afterwards married Jonathan Broadhurst of Albany, April,
* Deeds, v, 108, 141. + See Douwe Aukes, Toll, and Vielè.
# Albany Annals, IV, 14; Court of Assizes, II, 524. § Toll Papers.
| Doc. Hist., II, 198; Col. MSS., XXXIII, 12. ** Deeds, v, 106.
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Adult Freeholders.
23, 1696. Two of Schaets' children,-a son named Gideon, who sold the above mentioned lot in 1700 to Albert Vedder,-and a daughter Agnietje who married Matthys Nak of Albany.
SCHERMERHORN.
Jacob Janse Schermerhorn, the first settler, is said to have been born in Waterland, Holland, in 1622 .* He came to Beverwyck quite early, where he prospered as a brewer and trader. In 1648 he was arrested at Fort Orange, by order of Governor Stuyvesant on a charge of selling arms and ammunition to the Indians. His books and papers were seized and himself removed, a prisoner, to Fort Amsterdam, - where he was sentenced to banishment for five years, with the confiscation of all his property. By the interference of some leading citizens, the first part of the sentence was struck out, but his property was never recovered. These severe proceed- ings against Schermerhorn formed subsequently a ground of complaint against Stuyvesant, to the States General.t Nothing daunted by his misfortunes, he began anew, and before his death in 1689, acquired a large property for the times. He made his will May 20, 1688, and the year following died at Schenectady, where he had resided for some years.
By his will he gave "to my eldest son Reyer before partition of my " estate my lot at the river side in Albany, where Kleyn De Goyer t lived,- " my wife to have during her widowhood the rents and profits of all my " real estate, viz., my farm at Shotac [Schodac], - pasture over against "Marten Gerritse's island, two houses and lots in Albany, the one over "against Isaac Verplanck, the other where my son Symon lives ;- my house " and lot at Schenectady where I now dwell,-to my wife all my movable " property." His son Jacob lived on his farm at Schotak. After his and his wife's death, his property was to be divided equally among his nine children.§ At the final settlement of his estate, it was inventoried at 56,882 guilders.
* O'Callaghan's Hist. N. N., IT, 63 note, 587; 1, 436, 441; Deeds, II. In 1648 he was at South [Delaware] river .- O' Callaghan's Hist. N. N., II, 81.
+ Col. Doc., 1, 312, 337, 345, 428 ; II, 459 ; III, 179.
# [De Goyer = the thrower-caster-pitcher .- M'M.] § Wills, 1, 26.
142
History of the Schenectady Patent.
REYER SCHERMERHORN.
Reyer was the only son of Jacob Janse, who settled permanently at Schenectady. He was gebortigh alhier in Albanie, - his wife, Ariaantje Bratt, in Esopus .* She was the widow of Helmer Otten and was married in July, 1676, at which time, in anticipation of this marriage, she made a contract with the guardians of her daughter Catharina, by which she mort- gaged her farm, No. 4, at Schenectady, for the payment of 225 beaver skins to said daughter when she arrived at mature age, or married; also to give her one-half of her late husband's property in Holland. Tryntje t married Gerrit Symonse Veeder, in 1690, and in 1697, Gerrit and his wife made the following settlement with Schermerhorn and his wife, in relation to the patrimonial property of Veeder's wife :
Schermerhorn agreed to make over
Ist. Eight morgens of land at Schenectady, out of Symon Volckertse's hoek.
2d. To convey to Gerrit Symonse, four morgens of land from the south end of bouwery No. 4, hindmost land.
3d. To make satisfaction for money of Helmer Otten obtained from Holland.
And Gerrit Symonse agreed to make satisfaction to Schermerhorn for the house the latter bought of Lewis Cobes for Catharina Otten before her marriage.}
He was one of the five patentees mentioned in the patent of Schenectady 1684, and for nearly 15 years (1700 to 1714), was the only survivor, for which reason he was complained of as exercising arbitrary power over town affairs and rendering no account of his proceedings. In 1690 he was member of the Provincial Assembly from Albany county and justice of the peace. In 1700 he was appointed assistant to the Judge of Common Pleas. The mills on the Schuylenberg kil, together with the bouwery No. 4, re- mained in the family nearly 200 years and have but lately passed into other
* Will made by them 7th Sept., 1678 .- Not. Papers, II. He was baptized in New Amsterdam, June 23, 1652 .- Valentine's Manual.
+ [Tryntje = dutch for Catherine .- M'M.]
# Deeds, Iv, 106, 287, 298.
B
143
Adult Freeholders.
hands. Schermerhorn made his last will April 5, 1717,-proved April 8, 1719, and died Feb. 19, 1719,* leaving two daughters and three sons, all of whom had families.
Real estate owned by Reyer Schermerhorn.
First. In addition to bouwery No. 4, acquired through his wife, he owned the easterly half of the Seventh flat on the north side of the river. In 1705 he conveyed this farm to his eldest son Jan, but in 1717 devised the same in his will to the children of his daughter Cataleyntje, wife of Johannes Wemp, which bequest her brother Jan confirmed after his father's death in 1719, by a deed in which the whole flat is said to contain 40 morgens, and to be bounded east by the creek called Tequatsero [Droybergh, Verf or Color kil], west by another small kil, north by the hills and south by the river. In 1733 the Wemps conveyed their half of this flat to Johannes Van Eps who owned the other half.t
Second. He owned the lot on the east corner of State and Church streets, purchased probably of Claas Laurense Van der Volgen, having a front of 170 feet on State street and 160 feet on Church street.' Of this lot by his will the corner lot, 50 feet by 160 (lately the property of Gen. Jay Cady), was devised to his daughter, Ariaantje, wife of Jan Wemp, and the next seventy feet, now belonging to the Schenectady bank and estate of the late S. C. Groot, to his son Jacob, who then lived upon it; this lot afterwards passed to Jacob's son Willem, who sold one-half of it to Cornelius Groot in 1806.1
Third. On the 23d February, 1703, Johannes J. Bleecker of Albany, guardian of Catharina Otten, sold to Reyer Schermerhorn a lot on the north side of State street, next west of the present lot and building of Isaac I.
-
* Wills, I, 163. The following is a copy of the sexton's bill for his funeral expenses : Ano. 1719. Voor het aen sprecken van de overledene Reyer Gulden. Schermerhorn en Voor het begraaven. 54
en voor het aen sprecken op Nystakayoene, 12
en voor het doot Kleet, 6
-
en bekenne vol daen toe zyn tato dese den 27 April. Gulden, 72
JAN VROOMAN.
+ Deeds, v, 69, 70, 494 ; VI, 145; Toll Papers.
¿ Deeds, XIII, 513; Deeds, Iv, 298.
·
144
History of the Schenectady Patent.
Truax, having a front of 73 feet. This included the lot of the late Nicholas Van Vranken, now occupied as a public house, and probably at the death of Schermerhorn or before, passed into the possession of Volkert Symonse Veeder, who married his daughter Jannetie, and who also owned the lot of 120 feet front, next east on the north corner of State and Ferry streets.
Fourth. He also owned a lot on the west side of the lot of Douwe Aukes De Freeze, of 50 feet front on State street and 200 feet deep, which he be- queathed to his son Arent. This is the lot on which stands the house and store of the late G. Q. Carley.
Fifth. He also owned a parcel of land on the south side of State street, extending from the lot of Edward Ellis to the Coehorne kill -- 256 feet English, which in 1717, he devised to his son Jan. In Jan's will made 1752, this lot is said to comprise four morgens, it must therefore have extended in the rear from 1,000 to 1,500 feet.
Sixth. In 1684, he owned the lot on the west corner of Union and Church streets,-about 190 feet square, which he acquired through his wife .* This lot subsequently became the property of Helmus Veeder, grandson of Mrs. Schermerhorn, to whom he devised the " lot of pasture ground lying on the " south of Schenectady next to the lot of Gerrit Symonse [Veeder] and now " in occupation of said Gerrit Symonse."
This pasture was between Mill creek and the Canal, east of Ferry street extended south :
Reyer Schermerhorn in his will bequeathed to his children the following parcels of real estate :
" To his son Jan, all his real estate, provided he shall convey to his de- " ceased sister Catalina's three children, Myndert, Reyer and Ariaantje " Wemp, one-half of the house, farm and land where my son John now " lives on the north side of the Maquaas river, [Seventh Flat] and the other " half to my daughter Jannetie wife of Volkert Symonse [Veeder] :- to his " eldest son Jan, that lot of ground lying in Schenectady adjoining to the lots " of Ground of Hendrick Vrooman and Barent Wemp, [east end and south " side of State street] :- to son Jacob, eight morgens of the hindmost bou- "wery No. 2, bounded east by land of Arent Bratt and west by lands of " Samuel Bratt, with 5} morgens of woodland bounded by the lands of " heirs of Samuel Bratt and the woods : - also part of the lot of ground in " the town of Schenectady where he now lives which part shall be broad on
* Deeds, III, 324.
-
145
Adult Freeholders.
" on the front 70 feet, to be taken in the middle of the whole together with " a passage of four feet broad from the north end of said lot going Westerly " to the street [Church] by the house now in possession of Josias Swart : - " to son Arent the farm called the Second Flat, where Symon Groot Jr., "formerly lived with the wood lands thereunto belonging; also one lot of " ground in the town lying on the west side of the lot of ground belonging " to Douwe Aukes De Ffreeze being broad in Front 50 feet and long 200 " feet [the late G. Q. Carley's lot] :- to Ariaantje daughter of Jan Wemp a " lot of ground in Schenectady lying on the west side of the lot of ground " hereinbefore devised to my son Jacob, being broad in front 50 feet and "long 160 feet, [lot of the late Gen. Jay Cady] : - to daughter Jannetie " wife of Volkert Symonse [Veeder] half of my lands on the Raritan in East " Jersey, and the other half to my three grandchildren, Myndert, Reyer and " Ariaantje Wemp :- to Hannah Symonse [Veeder] my lands in the Jerseys " called Ganse gat :*- to Wilhelmus Symonse, son of Gerrit Symonse " [Veeder] the lot of pasture lying in the south part of the town of Schenec- " tady next to the lot of said Gerrit Symonse, now in his occupation.t
SYMON SCHERMERHORN.
When Jacob Janse made his will in 1688, he spoke of his son Symon residing in Albany ; in 1690, when Schenectady was destroyed he was a resident of the village, and though wounded in the leg rode to Albany on the night of February 8 to carry the news. His son Johannes and three negroes were killed. Subsequently he removed to New York where he died about 1696, leaving his widow Willempie, daughter of Arnout Viele and one son Arnout; from whom have descended the Schermerhorns of New York city.
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