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 22
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45
JAN VROOMAN.
Jan, son of Adam Vrooman, was by trade a brewer. He probably did not marry,-if so there is no record of it in the Dutch churches of Albany and Schenectady.
On the 17 Jan., 1724, his father conveyed to him the following parcels of land :
1st. " A lot of Ground in Schenectady on the north side of said town and "on the north side of the street that leads to the pastures [Front street] " near and partly over against his Majesty's Fort, with barn, 2 dwelling " houses and kitchen thereon, the easternmost house, kitchen and barn being "now in possession of said Adam Vrooman, and the westernmost house, " now in possession of Takel Dirkse [Heemstraat],-beginning from the east " corner of Douwe Fonda's lot [No. 33 Front street] and running easterly "along the front to the lot of the heirs Johannes Teller [to a point 194 ft. " west of North street] 335 Amsterdam feet, then northerly along the lot of " heirs of said Johannes Teller to Schenectady river, then westerly up said
* Deeds VI, 259. t Deeds VI, 259.
# Will Court of Appeals.
222
History of the Schenectady Patent.
"river to the lot belonging to the heirs of Jacob Cromwell, deceased, then " southerly up the said lot till it comes to the bottom of the lot belonging "to Teunis Swart, then easterly along the bottom of the lots of the said " Teunis Swart, Wouter Vrooman and Douwe Fonda aforesaid as the fences "now stand, then southerly up the east side of the lot of the said Douwe "Fonda till it comes to the street or front where it first began (excepting " only one small piece of ground lying on the east side and adjoining to the " fence of the lot of ground of the said Douwe Fonda, which the said Adam "Vrooman reserves for a burying place for himself, his heirs and assigns " forever, by the fence of the said Douwe Fonda, being 35 feet long and 18 " feet broad)."*
" Also four morgens of bushland with one half of the brewhouse thereon "erected and likewise one-half of the furnaces, coppers, vats, vessels and " all other utensils in said brewhouse, the said brewhouse being at present " in the use and occupation of said Adam Vrooman and Barent his son, " bounded on the south by the Cross street [Union street], on the east " by the land of the said Barent Vrooman, on the north by the highway " that leads from the Fort by the house of Willem Coppernol into the "woods [Green and Pine streets] and on the west by the lot of Dirk " Groot."t
" Also a lot of arable land on the south west side of the town of Schen- " ectady on the first part of the land called Mrs. Corlaer's land, bounded " north west by land of Jan Wemp, south west by land of Jan Vrooman, " brother of said Adam Vrooman, where a large white oak tree stands. " & south east by land of his [Adam's] said brother Jan Vrooman and "further on the south east side, by the land of Hendrick Vrooman son of " said Adam Vrooman, and on the north east side by the lands of Gerrit "Symonse [Veeder] and the garden of Dirk Groot, as it now lyes in fence,- "about 8 morgens and 200 rods, all Rynland measure."tes This parcel lying west of the city is now mainly covered by the canal and railroad.
PIETER VROOMAN.
Pieter, son of Adam Vrooman, married Grietje, daughter of Isaac Van Alstyne of Albany, Feb. 2, 1706. They had twelve children. He settled early upon Vrooman's land in Schoharie, purchased by his father for him. He made his will Oct. 10, 1768, proved Dec. 20, 1771,-in which he speaks of most of his children and grandchildren.§
* This burial lot is now included in lot No. 35 Front street.
t This lot had a front on Union Street from the west line of John B. Clute to the N. Y. Central railroad.
Į Deeds, VI, 209. § Wills, Court of Appeal's office.
223
Adult Freeholders.
SIMON VROOMAN.
Simon, son of Jan Vrooman and Geesie Veeder, married Eytje, daughter of Jacob Delamont.
In 1710 he bought of Willem Appel for £48 [$120], the lot lying on the west side of the canal extending from State to Liberty streets, now the pro- perty of the estate of Peter Rowe. This lot originally had a front on State street extending from the lot of Samuel Myers to that of Robert Ellis, the larger portion of which is now occupied by the canal.
From his father he inherited a parcel of land bounded by Jefferson and Pine streets now in the occupation of the Schenectady elevator company, and Messrs. Vedder and Van Voast.
By his will made in 1752, his son Jacob inherited his house and lot above mentioned, and his son Johannes the " tan pits" near the Church mill on Mill lane.
JAN BARENTSE WEMP, alias POEST.
He arrived in Beverwyck in 1643 or 1645, where he became a resident, owning from time to time several house lots in the village of Beverwyck, and parcels of land in Rensselaerswyck. His wife Maritie Myndertse, after his death about 1662, again married in 1663, Sweer Teunisse Van Velsen alias Van Westbrook .* Wemp had six children, three of whom were sons.
He purchased of Mad. Johanna De Laet, a bouwery in Lubberde's Landt [Troy], which after his death his legal representatives sold for 250 beavers to Pieterse Van Woggelum, whom Wemp's son, Myndert sued in 1675 for the fourth payment of 40 beavers.t
This bouwery was on the Poesten kil which probably received its name from his alias, Poest.
Nov. 12, 1662, Governor Stuyvesant granted the first patent for land at Schenectady to Jan Barentse Wemp and Jacques Cornelise Van Slyck. This grant was for the great island in the Mohawk, lying west of the village, called later Van Slyck's and sometimes Wemp's island, containing about 82 acres of the best land in the valley .; The description given in the patent
* See Ante-nuptial contract, Not. Paps., I, 435, 438.
t Albany Co. Rec., 456, 492 ; Proceed. of Magis., 1675-80, folio 7, Albany City Clerks office.
¿ See Patent in Union College Library.
224
History of the Schenectady Patent.
is as follows, to wit: "the island till now named Marten's island, lying "near Schenectady over against the town on the west side of the creek "' [ Binnè kil],* in its entirety, notwithstanding there is a little creek running " through it t comprising about [41] morgens."
In the confirmatory patent given April 13, 1667, by Governor Nicoll to Sweer Teunise Van Velsen,t and Jaques Cornelise Van Slyck "in quality of brother and heir of Marten Mourits;" it is described as " a certain island, " called ' Marten's island near Schenectady, over against the town containing " [82] acres; first taking out six acres, or 3 morgens, on said island the title " to which was vested in said Theunissen, who married the widow of Jan " Barentse Wemp to whom and the said Jacques Cornelise said island was "granted Nov. 12, 1662, by Governor Stuyvesant."§
Wemp's village lot was on the west side of Washington, commencing on the north side of the lot of Charles Thompson and extending southward 166 feet more or less, and westward to the river. This lot was inherited by his son Myndert, who was killed in the massacre of 1690.
MYNDERT WEMP.
Myndert, eldest son of Jan Barentse Wemp, was born in 1649 ; he mar- ried Diewer, daughter of Evert Janse Wendel of Albany. There is no record of more than two children. In 1689 Leisler appointed him justice of the peace and the following year he was slain when the village was de- stroyed by the French, and his only son Johannes with two negroes was carried to Canada.
[Binnè kil (inner creek), is the modern name given to this branch of the Mohawk river .- M'M.]
t The land thus separated from the greater island by this " little creek " was called later Varken's island. In 1693 Rodè, a Mohawk Indian, declared that about 30 years ago when Schenectady began to be settled, he and other Mohawk Indians granted to Marte Cornelise Van Slyck the island known as Varken's on the north side of Akus' island .- Col. MSS., XXXIX, 216.
# Van Velsen married Wemp's widow in 1663, and therefore took his place in the land grant.
§ Patents, 357. This island was evidently at first owned by Jan Barentse Wemp and Marten Mourisse, brother of Jacques Cornelise Van Slyck, for Sept. 16, 1662, they hired Hendrick Arentse to labor on their bouwery at Schenectady, and Mourise must have died between that date and Nov. 13, 1662, the date of the patent in which Wemp and Jacques Van Slyck are joint owners, the latter in character as heir of his brother Marten .- Not. Pap., 1, 74.
225
Adult Freeholders.
Myndert Wemp inherited his father's village lot on Washington street. After his death it was divided into two parcels,-the northerly part embrac- ing the lots of Messrs. Thompson and Swortfiguer falling to his daughter Susanna, wife of Johannes Symonse Veeder, and the southerly portion hav- ing a front of 66 feet, to his son Johannes. In 1748 the latter bequeathed his lot to his two grandsons Johannes and Myndert ; the latter became the sole owner and in 1784, conveyed it to William Scott, who in 1816 sold it to. Nathaniel Burdick. The northerly portion comprising about 100 feet on the street was divided into two lesser lots of 50 feet each, and after their mother's death allotted to her two sons Simon and Myndert Johannese Veeder, the northerly half to the latter and the southerly half to the former. In 1802, Myndert disposed his lot to Samuel McWilliams ; and in 1761, Symon conveyed his parcel to his son-in-law Col. John Glen, who in 1802, disposed of it to James Murdock, finally in 1803, Murdock sold it to Mrs. Ann Constable. The ancient house now standing on this lot and occupied by George Swortfiguer was built by " Quarter Master " John Glen.
Johannes the son of Myndert, married first Catalina, daughter of Reyer Schermerhorn, June 15, 1700, and secondly, Ariaantje, daughter of Isaac Swits, Oct. 6, 1709, and had twelve children, -six sons and six daughters.
He early moved up the river into Montgomery county. In 1711, he lived in " the Mohawk's country on the Mohawk river." He owned land in the present town of Rotterdam, bounded on the north by the river extend- ing from the Zandig kil to the burying ground of the Reformed church .*
On the 16th Dec., 1737, he obtained a patent for 450 acres of land in the town of Florida.t. Besides the house lot in Washington street, he also inherited from his father a portion of Van Slyck's island, which came into the family through his grandfather, Jan Barentse Wemp. He was one of the five patentees appointed by the new charter of 1715, and continued to hold that office until his death, Oct. 14, 1749.
He made his will March 5, 174g,-proved Dec. 27, 1749, and disposed of his estate as follows, to wit :- "to Myndert my oldest son one acre of " land in Schenectady in the Mohawk river on the south side of the fore- " most island [Van Slyck's]-also my eighth part of a sawmill &c. in Schen.
* This was purchased in 1742, of Pieter Vrooman.
+ Wills, Court of 'Appeal's office ; Deeds, VII, 451 ; XI, 1; XVIII, 114; Wills, Albany Co. Clerk's office, 1, 285; Schen. Deeds B., 152; Patents, 1889.
29
226
History of the Schenectady Patent.
" ectady on the east side of the Mohawk river about four miles north east " from the village on a certain creek called Mill creek [Jan Wemp's creek]; "-to Reyer my messuage or tenements on the south side of the Mohawk " within the limits of the township of Schenectady where said Reyer lived " so as it now belongs to me (commonly called Dans Kamer and War- " moes gat at a place called Woestyne) ;- to Isaac and Ephraim the westerly " part of the flats on the south side of the Mohawk river, where I now live "in the Mohawks Country; to John Jr. the easterly part of my flats &c .; " to children of my deceased daughter Ariaantje,-viz. : Arent Bratt and " Catalyntje Bratt children of Capt. Andries Bratt, two morgens on the "[Van Slyck's] island near Schenectady west of the said town on the " southerly half of said island, bounded west by the two morgens I con- "veyed to Widow Van Driessen, north the half belonging to Capt. Jacobus "Van Slyck, south by the creek and so running along said creek and parti- " tion fence of Capt. Jacobus Van Slyck easterly till it takes in two mor- "gens; . . . to my daughter Maria Butler wife of Lt. Walter Butler Jr. "two morgens of land on the aforesaid island &c .; . .. to my daughter " Rebecca wife of Pieter Conyn two morgens of land on the aforesaid " island &c., .. . to the two sons of my deceased son Myndert,-John and " Myndert,-all the rest of the said Island also my house and lot in Schen- "ectady bounded east by the [Washington] street south by Daniel De " Graaf, north by the lot of Symon Johannese Veeder and west by the creek "[Binné kil] :*
CAPT. BARENT WEMP.
Barent, son of Jan Barentse Wemp, was born in 1656, and married Folkje, daughter of Symon Volckertse Veeder. They had ten children. He was appointed captain of the company of foot by Leisler in 1690.
His village lot was on the east corner of State and Centre streets, which was conveyed to him in 1703, by the trustees; this lot he made over to his son Jan Barentse, who by deed dated Feb. 7, 1723, conveyed the same to his brother Barent, described as "a lot in Schenectady, bounded east by the "lot of Dirk Bratt, south and west by the common highway [State and "Centre] and north by a lot of Wouter Vrooman's in length by the lane " [Centre street] 675 feet, and on the other [east] side 725 feet, in breadth " in front [on State street] and rear 100 feet wood or Dutch measure :- by "virtue of a transport to him given by his father Barent Wemp, 9 Mar., " 1708, which is confirmed by a transport made over to his said father " Barent Wemp by Reyer Schermerhorn, J. B. Van Eps and Jan Wemp as " trustees of Schenectady, 11 Feb., 1703."+
* Wills, II, 4. + Deeds, VII, 275.
227
Adult Freeholders.
The front of this lot is now occupied by the Carley House.
Barent Wemp also owned the land on the south side of State street from Dock street, nearly to Coehorn kil and extending in the rear to the meadow of Gerrit Symonse Veeder, which land was inherited by his son Jan Barentse Wemp.
JAN LUYKASE WYNGAARD.
He was probably son of Luykas Gerritse Wyngaard of Albany.
His village lot was on the north side of State street and included the present lot of Given's hotel and the larger portion of Wall street, having a front of 78 feet, 433 feet deep on the west side, 385 feet on the east side and 90 feet in the rear, Amsterdam measure. In 1703 he sold it to Douwe Aukes, who again sold it, next year, to Arent Danielse Van Antwerpen .*
He also had a lot on the south side of Front at or near the corner of Jefferson street. .
His earlier residence was on a farm on the south side of the Mohawk river a little above Hoffman's ferry, from which he fled in 1690, when Schenectady was destroyed by the French and Indians and never returned.
In 1757 his son Luykas owned a lot on the south side of State street, of 51 feet front, 118 feet west of Mill Lane or Ferry street.
Jan Luykase obtained a license to purchase his farm on the south side of the Mohawk on the 26th of May, 1686, and on the 31 March, 1687, obtained a patent, for "that small piece above [the limits of] Schenectady on the " south side of the Mohawk river, beginning at a marked tree above the " steep rocky strand and stretching along the river side to another marked " tree and so back into the woods as far as the trees are marked, containing " eleven acres as purchased by said John of the Indians under a license of " Governor Dongan, May 26, 1686."+
On the 24 Feb., 170g, Luykase conveyed this farm to Carel Hansen Toll, and he sold the same to his brother-in-law Jeremie Thickstone, together with an island opposite Thickstone's house, of about three acres, for £100.1
Subsequently this farm came into the possession of the Swarts'.
* Deeds, v, 187.
+ Toll Papers; Patents, 1371.
Deeds, v, 72, 300.
228
History of the Schenectady Patent.
YATES (YETS, YETZ, YATTES).
The first of this name in this vicinity was Joseph Yates, an Englishman, who settled in Albany about 1664, when the colony was occupied by the English.
In early documents the name is very commonly spelled Yets or Yetz, which would be pronounced as at present-Yates.
He died in Albany and was buried May 22d, 1730.
He either learned the trade of cordwainer or shoemaker, or worked with Marcelis Janse Van Bommel, in Albany. He married Hubertje Van Bommel, and had seven children.
His son Robert settled in Schenectady, at the age of 23, (probably soon after acquiring his father's trade,) and married Grietje Claase De Graaf of the Hoek in Scotia.
His village lot was on the Albany road near the present Ferry street.
His tan vats and tannery buildings were situated on the bank of the Mill pond on Mill lane (near Ferry street extended), where the considerable quantity of water required in tanning leather was at hand, as appears by the following: Whereas, the trustees of the Dutch church did "8th " December, 1725, quit claim to said Ahasuerus Marselis and Robert Yates " a certain piece of ground with the tan pits * * * lying to the east- " ward of said Church's mill and to the south of the house and lot of John " Myndertse [now Abraham Doty's], and on the west of a road that is to " be left to the west of the fence of Captain Johannes Bleeker 16 feet wide " for a passage [now Ferry street extended] to the pasture ground of said " church mill," &c.
Robert Yates in 1741 bought a parcel of two morgens bouwland lying on east side of the car works lane, being a part of the original Van Curler's or Juffrouw's Landt.
In 1747 Robert Yates by his will left his interest in tan yards to his sons Joseph and Abraham, and in 1768 Abraham Yates of the "Mohawk Country " quit claimed the same to Joseph Robertse Yates (his brother) for 10 shillings .*
* H. Yates Papers.
229
Adult Freeholders.
Robert son of Joseph, settled in Schenectady before 1712, and his nephew Joseph Christoffelse, also a cordwainer, married and settled there in 1734.
Abraham the son of the latter, owned a house* and lot on Union street opposite the court house.
ABRAHAM YATES HOUSE, [1710 to 1730.]
Christoffel (son of Joseph Christoffelse and Eva Fonda), was a land sur- veyor and a man of intelligence and energy. He was colonel of a regiment of (fatigue men, engineers who cut approaches to fords, constructed bridges, cut roads through the forest, built fortifications, etc.), during the revolution. He was a gallant soldier and was wounded at " Bloody Pond." He was at the battle of Saratoga where he picked up a book on fortification, bearing the crest and signature of Col. Frazer, 24th British Infantry, which is now in possession of the Hon. A. A. Yates, of Schenectady.
During the construction of his house (in Front street) he died, leaving a family in somewhat straitened circumstances. It is said that his brother Jellis had " practical " views and as executor urged that his nephews, should be taken from school and put to trade to earn their living, but their mother
* [The house now standing on this lot was doubtless built by Abraham Yates about 1730 as indicated by its style of architecture.
The pointed Dutch gable going out of fashion and higher buildings with gambrel roofs (as seen in cut of the church of 1734), coming into fashion -M'M.]
230
History of the Schenectady Patent.
with greater foresight, insisted on their education, for which she made great personal sacrifices and she was rewarded by the result; Joseph became governor of the State, Henry was a member of Congress, John engineer of of the Welland canal and a millionaire, Andrew a minister and professor in Union College.
Other members of the family have occupied a high position in the civil, military or political history of the State and nation.
231
Indian Wars on the Border, 1662-1713.
INDIAN WARS ON THE BORDER, 1662-1713.
In 1614 a handful of Dutch traders ascended the Hudson river and erected their trading post on what is now the site of the city of Albany. The five nations then possessed all the territory north and west of this point to the St. Lawrence and the lakes. This powerful confederacy was the terror and scourge of their neighbors; they annihilated or absorbed the Hurons, the Neuters, Dinondaties and other lesser tribes, and from the year 1615 when Champlain uniting his forces with the Algonquins and Hurons attacked the Mohawks, (Five Nations,) hoping to force them to a peace with his Indian allies, down to the close of the French war in 1763, the Iroquois carried on an intermittent warfare with the French of Canada. On the contrary, with the Dutch, and after them the English, they always maintained peace and good fellowship, "keeping bright the chain of friendship " by annual con- ferences, trade, gifts and other good offices. Why then the necessity of fortifying all important points along the frontier and the constant and pain- ful apprehension of the border settlers ? Firstly, the peaceful conduct and intentions of the Iroquois towards the Dutch and English could never be fully trusted. The Indian character was fickle and untrustworthy. So long as he was dependent on the white man for powder, rum and duffels, he maintained an interested friendship. From the French he received his religion,-from the English his supplies. Secondly, whenever England and France were at war, their colonies in America were at war also, and it be- came necessary to fortify and garrison the frontier towns.
All settlements in the valley of the upper Hudson were made on this river and the Mohawk. Here was the gate to the Province on the side of Canada. This once carried, New York city must succumb and New England become isolated. The danger line was along the banks of the Mohawk and the shores of the Hudson above Haalve-Maan [ Waterford].
Hence it was proposed by Governor Clinton in 1746, to build a line of block houses west from Fort Massachusetts to the Mohawk castle at Fort Hunter.
232
History of the Schenectady Patent.
The chief settlements and fortifications along this line were at Halve- Maan, Canastagioone [Niskayuna], Saratoga [Schuylerville], Schenectady, Claas Graven's Hook [Crane's village] and later Amsterdam, Caughnawaga [Fonda], Canajoharie, Palatine and German flats. The period of greatest danger and alarm were the ten years prior to the peace of Ryswick in 1697 ;- " the war of the Spanish succession," 1701-1713, which was followed by the peace of Utrecht and more than twenty-five years of comparative quiet ;- " the war of the Austrian succession," 1743-8, commonly called the " Old French war," and the "Second French war," 1753-60, when the French power forever ceased on this continent to create any serious alarm.
During a period therefore of more than seventy years,-1688 to 1760,-the English provinces were more than half the time in a state of war or painful apprehension.
No formidable body of Frenchmen, it is true, ever crossed the Mohawk but once,-in 1690,-but parties of their Indian allies, in squads of five to twenty, were constantly sent out to skulk along the border and pick off unwary husbandmen. Every dwelling along this danger line was con- structed for defence as well as for habitation. Moveable blockhouses were placed in the field for temporary shelter, and the farmer labored with his musket by his side; yet, in spite of every precaution suggested by experi- ence, scarcely a year passed in which some households were not bereft of one or more of their members.
Less than four years after Schenectady was settled, occurred' the first alarm to the inhabitants.
M. De Courcelles, Governor of Canada, on the 29th Dec., 1665, began a march from Montreal, with six hundred volunteers, "to seeke out their " inveterate ennemyes called the Mohanke Indians, to take revenge upon " them for the severall' murthers and spoyles, which the Barbarians had for " many yeares exercised in Canada." The snow was four feet deep; the sol- diers marched on snow shoes, whilst their provisions were drawn on "slight sledges" by mastiff dogs. On the 9th of February, they encamped within two miles of Schenectady, having been misled by their guide. That even- ing "60 of their best Fusileers being let into an ambuscade by the Mohaks lost 11 men besides divers others" who were wounded. Governor Cour- celles applied to the inhabitants for provisions which were supplied according to the " best accommodations ye poore village afforded," but
233
Indian Wars on the Border, 1662-1713.
refused shelter for his men, fearing if "hee had brought his weary and halfe starved people within the smell of a chimney corner," he could not keep them from straggling or running away.
Seven of his wounded were sent to Albany. "The Dutch bores carryed to the camp such provisions as they had, especially peaz and bread of which a good quantity was bought." On the 12th February, the French began their return to Canada .*
Three years later, to wit, in 1669, another Indian battle was fought on the western borders of the town.
In August, Caughnawaga [Fonda], a stockaded village of the Mohawks, was attacked by the river Indians or Mahikanders. After an obstinate re- sistance the latter were repulsed and retired. The Mohawks descended the river in their canoes and attacked the retreating foe at a place called Kinaquariones and put them to flight.t
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.