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 19
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He seems to have had the regard both of the natives and the Dutch and to have had considerable influence with both peoples between whom he acted as interpreter.}
At one time he had a house lot in the village probably on the west corner of Washington street and Cucumber Alley, having a front on the former street of about 166 feet and extending back to the Binnè kil. The alley on the north side- 16 feet wide wood measure,- was the passage to the Binne kil which was crossed by a scow to his farm on the Great island.
This lot passed to his son Capt. Harmen Van Slyck ; in 1778, it was owned by Harmanus and Samuel sons of the latter, and still later by James Van Slyck Ryley their nephew, his mother being a daughter of Col. Jacobus Van Slyck.
The first patent for land at Schenectady was made Nov. 12, 1662, by Governor Stuyvesant and confirmed by Governor Nicolls April 13, 1667,- to Sweer Theunissen [Van Velsen] and Jacques Cornelyssen [Van Slyck] to each of them severally the moiety of "a certain Island, - Marten's " island-near Schenectady over against the town, etc., containing [82] acres " first taking out six acres or three morgens on said island the title to which " was vested in said Theunissen, who married the widow of Jan Barentse " Wemp to whom and to the said Jacques Cornelise said island was granted "Nov. 12, 1662."§
* [Gautsh, pronounced Hotch (nearly); can it be an abbreviation of Ots-toch, his mother's name? " A squaw was queen of the island which lies back of Washington street. She is buried on the island, under an old willow tree at the point towards the bridge. She had two children by a Frenchman - Mr. Harttell. Otstoch was like her mother, savage and wild. She married Cornelius Van Slyck. Kenutje, the second child, was small and handsome, like her father Mr. Harttell ; she was very white. She married a Bratt."- Statement of tradition in his family, by Laurence R. Vrooman, of Cortland county .- M'M.] + Wills, 1, 11.
# Col. Doc. III, 823, 431, etc.
§ Patents, 357; also the original patent belonging to Union College.
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
After Van Slyck's death, Grietje Vrooman his widow, received a confir- matory patent April 2, 1695 for his moiety of said island in trust for the use of their four sons,-Harmen, Cornelis, Marten and Acus .* This island orig- inally belonged to Marten Maurits,t Van Slyck's brother, who dying in 1662, it fell to Jacques by inheritance ; hence at first it was called Marten's island, afterwards Van Slyck's and sometimes Sweer Theunise's and Wemp's island, all of whom had an interest in the same.
Besides the half island above mentioned, Van Slyck also received a grant of land on the First flat on the south side of the Mohawk river to the west of the village, described in the confirmatory patent of Oct. 30, 1684, as " situate between two creeks, one called Stone creek to the eastward, the "other the Platte creek to the westward ; - the low land lying along the " river side to the south of the Mohawk river and on the north of the land " belonging to the inhabitants of Schenectady of which said Jacques is to "have forty morgens or eighty acres of the best clearest land lying be- " tween said creeks, and also forty morgens or eighty acres of woodland on " the west side of the Platte creek adjoining to his arable land along the " river side."t
The land confirmed by this grant to Jacques Cornelise, is stated to have come to him in right of his mother who was a Mohawk woman. His sons Marten and Cornelis inherited and lived upon this farm which is still in possession and occupancy of the family.§
CAPT. HARMANUS VAN SLYCK.
Harmanus, eldest son of Jacques Cornelise, married Jannetie, daughter of Adam Vrooman, in 1704 ; they had twelve children. Ile died in 1733 His military title was given because of his commanding the company of foot in the village.
By his father's will, fourteen morgens of land on the First flat was devised to him, and the Mohawks gave him 2,000 acres at Canajoharie. This conveyance was made Jan. 12, 1712, " in consideration of ye love, goodwill " and affection which we have and do bear towards our loving cozen and
* Patents, 1474.
+ Col. MSS., XXXIX, 216.
# Coun. Min., v, 11, 12. Patents, 1200.
§ Will of Jacques Cornelise in Court of Appeal's office, and Deeds, Sec., State's office,
VII, [See Ante, page 69, First Flat, page 77, Martens, Van Slycks, Wemp's Island].
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Adult Freeholders.
" friend Capt. Harmon Van Slyck of Schenectady aforesaid, whose grand- " mother was a right Mohaugs squaw and his father born with us in the " above said Kanajoree, .. . it being his the said Harmon Van Slyke's by " Right of inheritance from his father." This deed was signed by Roddah, Kahekoe, Schenaktadee* and others of the principal Indians, and witnessed by " Lea Stevens interpreter to ye above deed."t
In a deed of partition, dated 15th March, 1771, of Capt. Van Slyck's land, it is recited that Capt. Harme Van Slyck, deceased, obtained a patent for 2,000 acres of land at "Anthony's Nose" ;- Nicholas Schuyler, deceased, surveyed the same 27th Sept., 1723, and divided it into sixteen lots ; Nov. 1, 1731, said Harme Van Slyck made his will and bequeathed to his three sons, Jacobus and Adam Van Slyck, both now [1771] of Schenectady, and Harmanus Van Slyck, now of Canajoharie, the half of the above mentioned tract of land, save lots No. 8 of lowland, and No. 9 of woodland, and five morgens of lowland out of the west end of No. 6 of lowland, which he bequeathed to his son Harmanus. Isaac Vrooman made a new map of this property and a new sub-division, and the same was alloted to said Jacobus, Adam and Harmanus by lot ; and the above mentioned deed was given to confirm this allotment.}
Capt. Van Slyck probably inherited the half of Van Slyck's island belonging to his father ; in 1748 it belonged to his son, Capt. Jacobus Van Slyck.§
ISAAC VAN VALKENBURGH.
Isaac, son of Jochem Van Valkenburgh, of Albany, married Lydia, daughter of Jacques Cornelise Van Slyck, in 1705, and settled in Schenec- tady.
His house lot, on the south side of Union street, was the lot now occupied by the Court House, and was bought of Carel Hansen Toll, for £53 [$13260]. The conveyance made Sept. 6, 1712, he being then in possession,
* [Is this only a coincidence ?- M'M.]
+ H. Yates' Papers.
Į H. Yates' Papers.
§ See Jan Wemple's will ; Wills, II, 4.
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
describes it as " bounded north by the street [Union] near where the streets " cross [Union and Ferry], being in breadth on the street 100 feet,-east by " the lot now in possession of Arent Bratt 210 feet,-on the west by Caleb " Beck's house and lot 210 feet and on the south by lot of Symon Volckertse "[Veeder]."*
He was still in possession of this lot as late as 1764. It is probable that his father was for a time a resident here.
SWEER TEUNISE VAN VELSEN alias VAN WESTBROOK.
Sweer Teunisen, first settled in Beverwyck where and at the Esopus [Kingston], he remained for some years. In 1664 he married Maritie Myndertse, widow of Jan Barentse Wemp. In 1669 he received a convey- ance from Madam Johanna [De Laet] Ebbingh of land at Lubberde's landt [Troy], according to contract with Jan Barentse Wemp, and in 1675 he sold to Jan Cornelise Vyselaer and Lucas Pieterse Coeymans, a saw mill and two morgens of land on the Poesten kil.t He received a patent in 1667 for a lot on the west corner of Broadway and Van Tromp street, Albany, 9 rods square [108 feet English], which hesold in 1678, to Wouter Aertse, having previously removed the house to Schenectady.
About the year 1666 he removed to Schenectady and built the first grist mill in the settlement, on Mill lane; this was carried away by a flood and rebuilt in 1673. In consideration of his loss he was allowed to take an eighth instead of a tenth as toll.
The following is his petition to the Governor for redress of grievances:
" Petition of Sweer Teunise to the Governor wherein he states that he " did build at Schenectady a corn mill and made a contract with the " comonalty 28th Jan. 1669, by which it was agreed that he should enjoy " all the privileges of any Miller in this countrey, being obliged to grind "every week i. e., on Tuesdays, all the corn that was to be ground and if "he could not grind it all that day he was to grind the day after, for which "he was to receive the 10th or 8 stuivers sewant per skipple, or 4 stuyvers " sewant for malt; No other mill was to be erected as long as he did ac- " commodate the people with good meal. After about two years an " extraordinary high flood carried off his mill; he engaged to rebuild the " mill and completed it before July, 1673, at which time a new covenant " was made whereby in consideration of his great damage it was agreed he
* Deeds, v, 153, 264.
t Deeds, I, 271 ; Deeds, II, 751.
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Adult Freeholders.
" should have the 9th, or 10 stuyvers sewant the skipple and enjoy all the " rights of the first contract; and whereas certain persons possessed of envy " and malice did send him certain new regulations ordering him to take the " 10th, or 8 stuyvers sewant, notwithstanding your humble servant triumph- "ing and winning the Process with Lewis Cobes, your schout, the Court "releasing me of the same."
.
Now said Teunise petitions to have his rights confirmed and ratified by the Governor and Council .*
In 1676 Van Velsen was made one of the magistrates of the village. In the massacre of 1690 he was slain, with his wife and four negro slaves, leaving no heirs here, though there were many of his name in Ulster county.
Besides the half of Van Slyck's island acquired through his wife, he owned the land on the south side of State street from Church street nearly to Coehorn creek easterly, and extending southerly and westerly upon the lowland to and beyond Mill creek so as to comprehend 24 acres. Before his death it was understood that he had in his will devised a half or a third of his property to the church and the remainder to his wife's children by her first husband, Jan Barentse Wemp; but as his will, if ever made was burned in the destruction of the village, the church had no legal claim upon his estate. A compromise was however effected in 1694, the church taking that portion of his estate lying on the south side of State street between Church and Dock streets, together with his grist mill, and his wife's heirs the remainder.t
This settlement of the estate having been concluded by the claimants, t the following property was assured to them by a confirmatory patent dated Sept. 13th, 1694, to wit : "to Capt. Sander Glenn and Johannes Glenn,§
* Col. MSS., 45.
+ Col. MSS., XXXVII, 216; Dutch Church Papers ; Deeds, IV, 82 ; Not. Pap., II.
# "Feb. 26, 1689-90, Diewer Wendel, widow of the late Myndert Wemp, Capt. Sender Glen, man en rooght of his wife Antje Janse [Wemp], daughter of Maritie Myndertse, late wife of Sweer Teunise. Barent Janse, son of Maritie Myndertse and Arnout Cornelise Vielè, chosen guardian of all parties,-agree that the property of Sweer Teunise Van Velsen shall be divided into three parts, - one part for Maritie, widow of Myndert Wemp; one for Capt. Glen, husband of Antje Janse, and one for Barent Janse, son of Maritie Myrdertse."-Not. Papers, II.
§ After the massacre he married the widow of Myndert Wemp, in 1691.
25
194
History of the Schenectady Patent.
-
" and Barent Wemp, sundry parcels of land in Schenectady i. e. to each of " them one equal third part of said land,-the said Johannes Sanderse Glenn " to hold in trust one-third part for the benefit of the children of Myndert " Wemp lately deceased and of Dinah his wife, now wife of said Johannes, " said parcel of land being described as follows :- all that home lot of " ground in said town of Schenectady whereon are the message and barn " lately in occupation of Sweer Teunise Van Velson deceased, lying east- " ward and westward on both sides of the kil or stream of water [Coehorn " and Mill creeks], which the common highway from Albany to Schenec- " tady [State street] crosseth, running with a small arch or bow to the side " of the woods southward, to a marked white oak tree, which stands on the "brink of a hollow, and running west to the land, fly or marsh lately " belonging to Gerrit Bancker deceased,-the whole of the orchard, pas- " ture and part of the marsh, containing 12 morgens or 24 acres more or " less ;- and also one grist-mill or corn-mill standing upon the kil or creek " [on Mill Lane] within the said town of Schenectady ; and also three "morgens, or six acres more than the one-half part of a certain island " [Marten's or Van Slyck's island] lying over against said town on the other " side of the [Binne] kil ; and also one equal half part of another island " lying to the rear [West] of said island, separated by a small kil, both " lying to the west of said town and the southernmost parts of said islands; "containing the whole of both islands 22 morgens, or 44 acres; and also " another small tract of land lying without said town upon the land com- "monly called Juffrouw Corlaer's land bounding to the West of Gysbert " Gerritse [Van Brakel's] land, and to the south of Isaac Cornelise Swits " land, containing four and a half morgens or 9 acres more or less."*
The exact position of Van Velsen's house in the village cannot be fixed with certainty, but was probably situated between the house of Mrs. Abel Smith and the south corner of Mill Lane and State street.
From his house easterly to Coehorn kil, State street at this time was only settled upon the north side, and the ancient burghers had a clear view from their front stoops, of Juffrouw's landt and the wooded heights lying south and west of the village. That portion of the above described land, includ- ing the mill, lying between Church and Dock streets, was conveyed to the church ; the remainder was held by Wemp's heirs. As the demand for house lots increased, the church divided up and sold its portion fronting upon State street, reserving the lowland in the rear, and the corn mill on Mill lane. This was called the " church pasture," and was not finally sold until some time after 1800.
* Patents, 1469 ; Coun. Min., VI, 62; Dutch Church Papers ; see also Van Slyck.
195
Adult Freeholders.
JELLIS VAN VORST.
He was son of Jacobus Gerritse Van Vorst of Beverwyck, and was born in 1670 .* At the age of eleven years his father apprenticed him to Jeroni- mus Wendel for six years, to learn the shoemaker's trade.t
Having in 1699, married Elizabeth, daughter of Jan Baptist Van Eps and widow of Teunis Viele, he removed to Schenectady the next year, and pur- chased of Johannes Ouderkirk and Neeltie Claes his wife, the lot on Union street next east of the Dutch church lot, 100 feet front and rear and 200 feet deep Amsterdam measure.
Sander Glen de oude and Jan Gerritse Van Marcken, magistrate and sec- retary of the village, conveyed this lot originally to Christiaan Christiaanse ; the deed was burned in Joris Aertse Van der Baast's house at the sacking of the town by the French and Indians Feb. 9, 1690 ; therefore Johannes Sanderse Glen, renewed the same Dec. 1, 1694, and the same day Chris- tiaanse conveyed said lot to Neeltie Claase, widow of Hendrick Gardenier. It would seem however from the inventory of Gardenier's property that he had owned this lot long before the above conveyance.
Neeltie Claase married Johannes Ouderkirk and with him conveyed said lot to Jellis Van Vorst 21st Feb., 170} for the sum of £21 [5250] current money of the Province. Johannes son of Gillis, inherited it and gave the east half to his son Johannes 20 Aug., 1767, his other son Jan Baptist, at that time being owner of the west half.
The west half, 50 by 200 feet now forms part of church yard, the east half of the same dimensions Amsterdam measure, is owned and occupied by Mr. Aaron Barringer.
PIETER ADRIAENSE SOEGEMAKELYK § alias VAN WOGGELUM.
Pieter and Jacob Adriaense (brothers), were innkeepers in Beverwyck or Colonie Rensselaerswyck. Although the former was one of the early proprietors of Schenectady, it is not known that he ever resided here.
His village lot was the easterly quarter of the block bounded by Union, Washington, State and Church streets; he received a patent for this lot in 1664, and sold it to Helmer Otten, baker, of Albany in 1670,| who dying soon after, it passed into the possession of Reyer Schermerhorn; the latter
* Annals of Albany, II, 98, 163; Deeds, II, 690. + Not. Paper, II.
# Toll Papers ; Wills, I, 3. § [ Soegemakelyk = Oh so easy .- M'M.] [ Deeds, II, 769.
196
History of the Schenectady Patent.
having married Otten's widow. The descendants of Catharina Otten, who married Gerrit Symonse Veeder, long afterwards occupied this corner.
Van Woggelum's bouweries No. 4, confirmed to him by patent dated June 5, 1667, were described as " two parcels of land at Schenectady both "marked No. 4,-one lying west of Arent Van Curlers from which a line " being drawn between No. 3 [between which and No. 3 a line being drawn] "south-east by south stretches along [north] till it comes to a killetje " bounding No. 1, containing by estimate with the vleylandt thereunto be- " longing, 14 morgens or 28 acres 164 rods ;- the other lying on the hind- " most parcel of land near the river, to the east of No. 3,-to the west of " No. 6, a line being run on both sides from the river to the small creek " [dove-gat], south-west and by west, it is in breadth 56 rods and contains " 12 morgens,-as granted by Governor Stuyvesant June 16, 1664."*
On the 13th Aug., 1670, Pieter Adriaense sold the above parcels of land to Helmer Otten together with "a barn and rick lying in Schaenhechtede and a garden in the valley (leeghte)," for thirty-five beaver skins [$112].t After the death of the latter about 1685, these lands passed to his daughter and only heir, Catharina, wife of Gerrit Symonse Veeder, and to his widow Ariaentje Arentse Bratt, who subsequently married Reyer Schermerhorn. In the final partition of Otten's estate, Schermerhorn obtained the foremost lot No. 4, and 8 morgens of the hindmost lot; and Gerrit Symonse 4 morgens of the latter lot and a conveyance from Schermerhorn of 8 morgens of lot No. 9.
Foremost lot No. 4 remained in possession of the Schermerhorn family until 1872. The mill right on this farm was confirmed to Schermerhorn in 1688 by patent from Governor Dongan, Į and the farms No. 4, by quit-claim from Jan, eldest son of Pieter Van Woglum in 1695.§
HARMEN ALBERTSE VEDDER.
He was an early settler in New Netherland, residing mainly at Bever- wyck, even after he had purchased a bouwery at Schenectady.
As agent of Dirk De Wolfe, merchant of Amsterdam, in 1661, he erected a salt kettle on Coney Island, which was claimed by the inhabitants of Gravesend.
* Patents, 478. + Deeds, II, 769; III, 108.
# Patent in the Secretary of State's office of Massachusetts at Boston; also Deeds, V, 287.
§ Schermerhorn Papers.
197
Adult Freeholders.
Vedder and one Pieterse laid claim to the island, but in a suit brought before the Governor and Council, were beaten and probably abandoned their enterprise .* After the Province passed into the possession of the English, De Wolfe returned to Holland ; and in 1667 his house and lot in Albany, then occupied by Vedder, was ordered to be confiscated by Governor Nicolls.t He was a trader, at least so long as he remained in Albany, and made several voyages to Patria, -one in 1660, and another in 1668, on which occasion, being in Holland, he, with other traders, having purchased goods and chartered the ship King Charles, petitioned the King of England for permission to send the same to New York, which was granted.t
Vedder's bouwery in Schenectady was rented in 1663 to Symon Groot, for six years at a yearly rent of 500 guilders.§
In the spring of 1672, it is probable he gave up business in Albany, and retired to Schenectady, for in February of that year he purchased bouweries No. 8 of Dirk Hesselingh, to be delivered to him May 1, 1672, and the year following he was appointed one of the three commissaries or magistrates of the village.||
In 1674, the magistrates of Schenectady were reprimanded for not show- ing due respect for those of Willemstadt [Albany], and for pretending to the privilege of the Indian trade, and Harmen Vedder, schout, in particular, was complained of because of his conduct towards Capt. Schuyler, and was warned "to regulate himself accordingly." **
His children were probably born in Albany; but the records of the church there prior to 1684 being lost, neither the dates of their baptisms nor the name of his wife, are known. It is only known that in 1668 he was brother- in-law of Johannes Provoost, secretary of Albany.tt
At the date of his death, which happened before June 18, 1714, tt five sons and one daughter were living and had families of their own.§§
Although Harmen Albertse was among the earliest proprietors of Schen- ectady, his name does not appear as grantee or patentee in the records until 1672, Gerrit Bancker received the patent for bouweries No. 6, in 1664 and 1667;|| although in fact he had but a half interest in the same as appears by
* Val. Man., 1863; O'Callaghan's Hist. N. N., II, 542. + Col. MSS., XXII, 18.
# Col. Doc., III, 179; Deeds, II, 170. § Not Papers, I.
| Col. Doc., 11, 609. ** Col. Doc. IT, 675. tt Deeds, II, 736.
## Deeds, VIT, 185. §§ Albany Annals, VII, 35. Il Patents, 382.
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History of the Schenectady Patent.
the lease given in 1663, by Bancker and Vedder to Symon Groot for these bouweries,* and from the fact that in 1701, Vedder sold the easterly half of hindmost lot No. 6, which seems to have been his share in the above men- tioned patent, to his son Albert for £91-16.t That he was an early pro- prietor also appears from the fact that he with Sander Leendertse, Willem Teller and others, petitioned the Governor in 1664, to have their lands sur- veyed. Hindmost farm No. 6, lying between the river road and the river was unfit for a hofstede by reason of the annual floods, but the purchase of the adjacent bouwery No. 8, gave him a convenient and pleasant site for his house and farm buildings beyond the reach of the highest floods.}
This farm was originally allotted to Marten Cornelise Van Ysselsteyn who sold it to Cornelis Corn. Viele, from whom it passed successively to Jurriaen Teunise Tappen, to Dirk Hesselingh and finally Feb. 1, 167} to Harmen Vedder, who purchased with " de bouwery (daer den Vooz: Dirk " Hesselingh op woont op Schaenechtede), soo het landt als huys, schuer ende " twee berghen &c. soo als het de voorn &c. Hesselingh van Jurriaen Teu- " nissen gecocht heeft gehadt" * * * to be delivered to Herman Vedder the coming 1st May, 1672, together with the seed in the ground. Vedder promised to pay 20 whole beavers to Jurriaen Teunissen for the same.§
In 1701, Harmen Albertse owned a pasture of two and a half morgens lying between Front street and the river, beginning 509 feet Eng. east of north street and extending easterly along Front street 210 feet Eng. to the New York Central Railroad; in 1714-18 this lot belonged to his son Albert. ||
Outside of the limits of Schenectady he owned several parcels of land be- sides several houses and lots in Albany.
Jan. 31, 1657, he bought of Rutger Jacobsen, " syne huys en erff gelegen " in de doorpe beverwyck, breet voor en achter ses dertich voet, lanch vier en " sestich voet en met aen ganch van vifte voet en breet lanch tot aen kil " welcke ganch is Gelegen tusschen goossen gerritsen [van Schaick] en den " Vercooper " &c., consideration 2325 guilders.
This lot was on the south side of State street, Albany, between Green and Pearl streets, and extended back only to the Rutten kil now arched over and used as a sewer; there was included in this sale Jacobsen's brewery which was to be delivered to Vedder the following November .**
* Not. Papers, I. + Deeds, v, 107.
# This site is now occupied by the house of Mr. Jno. D. Campbell.
§ Not. Paper. | Deeds, v, 232. ** Albany Co. Rec., 20.
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Adult Freeholders.
In 1665 he owned a house and lot on the hill in Albany next to Cornelis Steenwyck's .*
He contracted in 1662 to buy a house and lot next to Philip Pieterse Schuyler's, for 1600 guilders.t
Aug. 21, 1670, he sold to Robert Sanders a parcel of land at Stone Ara- bia. [Lansingburgh ? ]}
And on Oct. 31, 1677, he and Barent Reyndertse sold "to Claes Janse Van Boekhoven [de Brabander] and Ryck Claase [Van Vranken] a farm in Canas- tagioene on the north side of the Mohawk river, consideration 550 skiples of wheat."§
After his death, his children on the 3 May, 1715, petitioned the common council of Albany for the renewal of a release (burnt at Schenectady when it was cut off) of a lot owned by their father Harme Vedder deceased, and lying on the south side of Albany, which petition was granted.||
ALBERT VEDDER. .
He was probably the eldest son of Harmen Albertse, and was born in 1671. At the destruction of the village in 1690, he was carried away to Canada. On his return he married in 1699, Maria, daughter of Johannes Sanderse Glen, and had at least five sons and two daughters, a part of whom were living 8th February, 175}, when his will was made. He died August 1, 1753, aged 82 yrs., 2 mos. and 21 days.
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