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9. viii. MARYKEN,' bap. Nov. 27, 1678; m. Sept. 7, 1698, Willem Wallen, j. m. Van N. Yorck. This name is thus incorrectly spelled in the D. C. Marriage records. In the Baptismal records it rightly appears WILLIAM WALTON. He was probably the son of Thomas Walton and - Lawrence, whose m. 1. is dated Dec. 16, 1671. Thomas Walton resided at Staten Island, and was arrested July 8, 1689, and confined in the fort at New York for having said that he would retake the fort (from Leis- ler) with 200 men. He deceased prior to Dec. 12, 1689, at which date an order was issued to Obadiah Holmes, justice of Richmond County, to assist Capt. Thomas Lawrence in taking an inventory of his estate .* Thomas Walton prob. another son of the above married Mary Stillwell, m. 1. dated Dec. 23, 1698 ; of him we have no further account. WILLIAM WALTON, was an eminent merchant and ship builder in New York. He died May 23, 1745. His wife died Sept. 3, 1768. Issue : Thomas, bap. Aug. 12, 1699 : d. 1727, unmarried ; Maria, bap. Nov. 30, 1701 ; Jacob, bap. July 7, 1703 ; m. May 14, 1726, Maria Beekman, and had numerous children ; he died Oct. 17, 1749 ; William, bap. Oct. 20, 1706 ; m. Jan. 27, 1731, Cornelia Beekman ; he erected the Walton House in Franklin Square and d. s. p. July 11, 1768 ; Jacobus, bap. Feb. 27, 1709 ; died young ; James, bap. March 28, 1711, d. s. p .; and Abraham, bap. Feb. 24, 1714, d. s. p.
ECKERSON. (FIRST THREE GENERATIONS.)
JAN THOMASZEN, j. m. Van de Manhattans, m. Nov. 8, 1665, Apollonia Cornelis, dau. of Cornelis Claeszen Swits (Switsart, Wits) and Ariaentie Cornelis ; she was bap. Oct. 25, 1648. About the year 1692, he assumed the surname of Eckerson, which was retained by his children as their family name. It is variously spelled in the N. Y. Dutch Church records Echons, Eckens, Eckes, Eckeson, Ekkisse, and Etkins, with several other slight modifications. At the baptism of his children he is invariably styled Jan Thomaszen .- Issue :
I. i. ARIAENTIE ECKERSON,2 bap. Feb. 16, 1667 ; m. March 5, 1684, VINCENT DE LA MONTAGNE son of Jean (Jan) de la Mon- tagne and Petronella Pikes (Pyckes, Picques, Pieces). He was bap. April 22, 1657 ; his name appears at the baptism of his children, de La Montagne and Montagne. He died May 26, 1773, at the great age of One hundred and sixteen years " 'He may be said to have been the connecting link between the Dutch Directors and the American Revolution -between Stuyvesant and Washington.'" * Issue: Pie- ternel, bap. April 11, 1685 ; Pieternel, bap. April 3, 1687 ;
* Cai, of N. Y. Hist. MSS., English, p. 185. Doc. Rel. to Col. Hist. N. Y. vol. iii. p. 597.
24
ECKERSON.
2. ii.
Jan. bap. Feb. 24, 1689 ; Thomas, bap. Feb. 15, 1691 ; Apollonia, bap. April 15, 1694 ; Jesse, bap. Nov. 8, 1696 ; Petronella, bap. Nov. 19, 1701 ; Annatje, bap. Oct. 3, 1703; Fincent, bap. Dec. 2, 1705 ; and Rachel, bap. May 4, 1707. THOMAS ECKERSON,2 bap. Jan. 27, 1669; m. Irst Sept. 10, 1697, Rachel Van Slechtenhorst j. d. from Albany ; m. 2ª Nov. 29, 1700, Elizabeth Slingerlant, dau. of Teunis Corne- lise Slingerlant of Albany. At his second marriage his name is recorded Thomas Achtent. Issue : Jan, bap. Aug. 27, 1701 ; Annatie, bap. Dec. 16, 1702 ; Appalonia, bap. Nov. 22, 1704 ; and Theunis, bap. May 14, 1707.
3. iii. CORNELIS ECKERSON," bap. April 9, 1671 ; m. Aug. 24, 1693, Willemtje Vlierboom, j. d. of Albany, both living at Tappan. Issue : Jan, bap. June 26, 1695; Matthys, (?) bap. Nov. 8, 1696 ; Jan, bap. March 22, 1699; Cornelis, bap. Jan. 12, 1701 ; Jacob, bap. Feb. 28, 1703 ; and Thomas, bap. March 3, 1706.
4. iv. SARA ECKERSON,2 bap. Oct. 4, 1673 ; m. Jan. 8, 1696, ABRA- HAM JANSZEN (VAN AERNAM), j. m. Van Mitspadt Kill, son of Jan Dirckse Van Aernam and Sara Theunis ; he was bap. April 9, 1673. Issue : Jan, bap. May 10, 1696 ; Abram, bap. Dec. 26, 1697; Sara, bap. Oct. 22, 1699 ; Apalonia, bap. Feb. 9, 1701 ; Isaac, bap. Dec. 5, 1703 ; and Isaac, bap. July 15, 1705.
5. v. JAN ECKERSON,2 bap. Feb. 9, 1676 ; m. June 3, 1696, Maryken Jans, dau. of Jan Dirckse Van Aernam; she was bap. July 14, 1675. Issue : Jan, bap. Sept. 7, 1698; Thomas, bap. Oct. 13, 1703 ; Apolonia, bap. Aug. 22, 1705 ; and Thomas, bap. Jan. 7, 1708.
6. vi. LYSBETH ECKERSON,2 bap. May 29, 1678 ; m. June 24, 1698, DIRCK UYTTEN BOGAERT,{ j. m. Van N. Yorck. ' Issue : Gysbert, bap. Sept. 24, 1699; m. Nov. 26, 1720, Catharine, dau. of Joost Palding (Paulding) and Catharine Jans Duyts ; Apalonia, bap. March 18, 1702 ; and Jan, bap. April 23, 1704. Elizabeth Ekkesse, widow, prob. the widow of Dirck Uytten Bogaert, m. May 26, 1713, Ralph Potter.
7. vii. MARGRIETJE ECKERSON,2 bap. . -, 1680 (?); m. Nov. 29, 1700, Focco Heyrmans (VOLKERT HEERMANS), son of Egbert Fockenszen, alias Egbert Heermans, and his wife Elsje Lucas ; he was bap. Feb. 7, 1679. Issue : Elsje, bap. Nov. 5, 1701 ; Egbert, bap. Jan. 30, 1704 ; Jan and Apalonia, twins, bap. May 2, 1706; Luykas, bap. April 10, 1709 ; Margrietje, bap. Nov. 22, 1710 ; Egbert, bap. Oct. 11, 1713 ; and Annatje, bap. Oct. 3, 1716.
* O'Callaghan's Hist. of New Netherlands, vol. ii. p. 21.
t He was probably a son of Gysbert Uyten Bogert and his wife Willemtje Klaas ; the latter with Isaac Stoutenburg was sponsor at the baptism of Dirck's first son, Gysbert. It appears to have been a universal custom among the early Dutch settlers to give the eldest son his (paternal) grandfather's name, and this custom affords an almost unerring rule in tracing the line of descent. The father of Dirck Uytten Bogaert, was probably the Gysbert Uytden Bogaert who on the 26th of May, 1684, obtained an Indian Deed for a tract of land. lying on the north bank of the Catskill, extending from Boomties Hook, (at the mouth of the Catskill), up the Hudson River to a small Kill, opposite Vastrix Island, thence west to Dirck Teunissen's mill ; thence south to the first little Kill that flows into Hans Vossen Kill ; thence along the same to where it falls into the Catskill, and thence along the Catskill to Boomties Hook .- (Calendar of Land Papers, p. 28). Besides Dirck, he prob. had Aeltje, who m. Ist, Zacharias Zluys, and- m. 2d, Nov. 14, 1695, Jacobus Van Duersen, j. m. from Albany ; Neeltje, who m. July 2, 1690, Isaac Stoutenburg, j. m., of New York, each of whom had numerous children.
25
SAMMANS.
8. viii. CORNELIA ECKERSON,2 bap. Nov. 15, 1682 ; m. Sept. 10, 1700, JEREMIAS BURROUGHS (Borry), j. m. Van Nieuw Thuyn, (New- town, L. I.). Issue : Hannah, bap. May 24, 1701 ; Apolonia, bap. April 11, 1703 ; Elizabeth, bap. March 7, 1705 ; Jere- mias, bap. Feb. 12, 1707 ; Jan, bap. March 30, 1709 ; Isaac, bap. Oct. 17, 1711 ; Maria, bap. Oct. 12, 1715 ; Abraham, bap. Oct. 29, 1718 ; Jeremias, bap. Feb. 15, 1721; and Abigail, bap. Dec. 16, 1724.
9. ix. RACHEL ECKERSON2, bap. April 11, 1685. By PETRUS STUY- VESANT, son of Nicolaes Willem Stuyvesant and Elizabeth Van Slechtenhorst, had son Benoni, bap. May 2, 1706 ; Petrus Stuyvesant, bap. March 21, 1685, died (drowned,) in 1706 ; and she m. March 1, 1712, FRANS PIETERSE DE VRIES. Issue : Antje, bap. July 8, 1713; Jan, bap. March 25, 1716 ; Petrus, bap. Sept. 24, 1718; Thomas, bap. April 19, 1721 ; Symon, bap. Nov. 6, 1723 ; and Jan, bap. July 20, 1726.
IO. X. JANNETJE ECKERSON2, bap. Nov. 2, 1687 ; m. June 1, 1710, BENJAMIN VAN VEGTE (Van Vechten). Issue : Cornelius, bap. Oct. 4, 1710 ; Jan, bap. April 1, 1713 ; and Ruben, bap. Dec. 21, 1715.
II. Xi. MARIA ECKERSON2, twin, bap. Sep. 6, 1690; no further account.
12. xii. ANNA ECKERSON2, twin, bap. Sept. 6, 1690 ; no further account.
SAMMANS. (FIRST THREE GENERATIONS. )
JOHANNES THOMASZEN, j. m. Van Amsterdam, m. Oct. 31, 1677, Aechtje Jacobs, j. d. Van N. Amersfort, both then living at Sapponicam (Green- wich, Manhattan Island). At the baptism of their first child, her name is written Aerhtie, at the others Aefje Jacobs, while his is given in each instance Johannes Thomaszen. Their children adopted the surname of SAMMANS (Samman, Sammons). Issue :
I. i. GRETIE SAMMANS®, bap. Aug. 17, 1678, m. May 16, 1701, ELIAS BREVOORT, see page 16.
2. ii. JANNETIE SAMMANS2, bap. Feb. 18, 1680 ; m. May 5, 1702, ADRIAEN VAN SCHAICK, see page II.
3. iii. JACOB SAMMAN2, bap. June 11, 1683 ; m. May 27, 1706, CAT- LYNTJE BENSEN, prob. dau. of Johannes Bensen and Lysbeth Matheuse of Albany. Issue : Aegje, bap. Jan. 14, 1708 ; Aegje, bap. Feb. 12, 1710 ; Johannes, bap. March 9, 1712 ; Thomas, bap. June 13, 1716 ; Elizabeth, bap. Sep. 28, 1718 ; Samson, bap. Dec. 7, 1721; Dirk, bap. March 18, 1724 ; Margrietje, bap. May 4, 1726 ; Benjamin and Lena, twins, bap. Feb. 21, 1729; Rachel, bap. Aug. 16, 1730: and Mat- theus, bap. June 1, 1733.
4. iv. THOMAS SAMMANS?, bap. Jan. 3, 1686. He was sponsor May 18, 1718, at the bap. of Margrietje dau. of Christoffel Van Nes, which is the last notice found of him. He prob. d. s. p.
5. v. RACHEL SAMMAN?, bap. July 11, 1691 ; m. June 24, 1717, STOFFEL (Christoffel) VAN NES, and had Margrietje bap. May 18, 1718. She m. 2ª June, 17, 1726, Henricus, son of
26
STRIDLES .- WANSHAER.
Barnardus and Elsje (Meyer) Smith, and had Barnardus, bap. May 22, 1727, and Aafje, bap. Feb. 16, 1729.
STRIDLES.
GABRIEL THOMASZEN, alias Striddles (Gabriel Tompson Strudles), and wife Jannetje Dircx, joined the Dutch Church in New York, Dec. 1, 1692, with certificate from Albany. He was there as early as 1662. A sketch of his life appears in Pearson's First Settlers of Albany, page 107. His will is dated Sept. 14, 1702, and Oct 19, 1703, an Inventory of his estate was "recorded at the request of Jane Van Laer, Executrix of ye estate." He names in his will son Thomas Stridles, and daughters Katharine, Jannetie, and Neeltie. Appoints his dau. Jannetie Stridles, Executrix. Besides those bap. in Albany, he had by wife Jannetje Dircx, the following named children bap. in New York ; Johannes, bap. May 7, 1693; Fytje, bap. Feb. 14, 1694; and Neeltje, bap. March 4, 1696.
His dau. Jannetje, bap. in Albany, Aug. 19, 1683, m. Nov. 8, 1702, GERRIT VAN LAER, baker of New York, son of Stoffel Gerritse Van Laer and Catharina Boots. She died 1717-18, and May 25, 1718, Gerrit Van Laer petitioned for administration on his father-in-law's Estate. He m. 2d, Jan. 3, 1719, Annatje Aertsen. Issue : Catharina, bap. Sept. 5, 1703 ; Christoffel, bap. Oct. 25, 1704 ; Gabriel, bap. Oct. 3, 1705 ; Gabriel, bap. Jan. 29, 1707 ; Gerardus, bap. Sept. 15, 1708; Sara, bap. Sept. 3, 1710; Christoffel, bap. Oct. 24, 1711 ; Jannetje, bap. Dec. 10, 1712 ; Jannetje, bap. July 14, 1714 ; Jannetje, bap. Jan. 25, 1716; Sara, bap. March 27, 1717 ; and by 2d wife : Eva, bap. Oct. 7, 1719 ; at the bap. of this child his wife is named Annetje Ten Eyck. No other notice of the children of Gabriel Thomaszen Stridles named in his will, has been found.
WANSHAER.
(FIRST THREE GENERATIONS.)
The head of this family was in New Amsterdam as early as 1644, fol- lowing the vocation of Pilot. In the record of his marriage, Jan. 17, 1649, to Baertje Hendricks Kip, j. d. from Amsterdam, he is called Jan Janszen, j. m. Van Tubingen, probably the town of that name in Suabia, in Germany. At the baptism of his children his name is variously re- corded, Jan Janszen Van St. Cubis, Van St. Ubus, Van St. Obyn, Jan Van Sara, Jan Wanshaer Van St. Benen, JAN WANSHAER1 (sometimes writ- ten Manshaer), and Jan de Caper, i. e. in English Jan the Sailor. He was admitted to the rights of a small burgher April 18, 1657, and appears to have been one of the substantial and respectable citizens of the city. His name and that of his wife is recorded in the list of Old Members of the Dutch Church, or of those who joined the church between 1649 and 1660. He resided on Brouwer Straat, now that part of Stone street between Broad and Whitehall streets.
His widow married 2d, Dec. 12, 1677, Jan Dirckszen Meyer, widower of Tryntje [Andriesse] Grevenraet .* She survived her second husband, by whom she had no children, and was living July 12th, 1702. By her first husband she had issue. 1. Abraham,2 bap. Nov. 14, 1649 ; 2. Johannes,2 bap. Aug. 27, 1651 ; 3. Jacob,2 bap. July 13, 1653; 4. Hendrick,2 bap. March 21, 1655 ; 5. ANTHONY WANSHAER,2 bap. July 4, 1657 ; one of this name, by wife Marritje Harperts, had Abraham,3 bap. April 1, 1696. 6.
* She was probably a sister of Isaac Grevenraet.1
27
TYMENS-VAN DER VEEN.
Robbert,? bap. Aug. 31, 1659 ; 7. Johannes,2 bap. Sept. 30, 1661 ; 8. Jo- hannes,? bap. Sept. 17, 1662.
9. JAN WANSHAER,2 bap. Dec. 5, 1663 ; joined the Dutch Church in New York Feb. 26, 1696; m. Dec 8, 1698, Susanna de Nys, daughter of Pieter de Nys (Denyse) and Geesje Idens ; she was bap. Dec. 19, 1669. They had issue Johannes,3 bap. Oct. 6, 1700 ; Abraham,3 bap. July 12, 1702 ; Pieter,3 bap. March 12, 1704; Pieter,' bap. March 21, 1705 ; and Johannes,3 bap. Nov. 19, 1707, who m. Nov. 4, 1736, Christina Egberts ; 10, Carel.2 bap. July 4, 1666.
II. JACOMYNTIE WANSHAER,2 bap. July 13, 1667 ; joined the Dutch Church here Sept. 3, 1696 ; m. Feb. 16, 1698, Andries Abrahamse, j. m. of New York. Issue, Francyntje, bap. June 12, 1700 ; Sarah, bap. Dec. 21, 1701 ; Johanna, bap. Aug. 29, 1703 ; Abraham and Isaac, twins, bap. Aug 22, 1705 ; Andreas, bap. Dec. 14, 1707 ; and Sara, bap. Jan. 14, IZII.
TYMENS-VAN DER VEEN.
There is nothing more perplexing to one engaged in tracing the pedi- grees of the early Dutch settlers, than the changes sometimes found in the name of the same individual. Among these will be noted those which occur in the children of a widow upon her remarriage, who frequently bear the name of their stepfather, as well as their proper Dutch patronymic. Thus the name of Elsje Elberts, daughter of Elbert Janszen and Elsje Jans, after her mother's second marriage to Otto Grim, is sometimes recorded Elsje Grim. So we find Elsje Tymens, after the third marriage of her widowed mother to Govert Loockermans, called Elsje Loockermans, as though she was his putative daughter instead of his step daughter.
ELSJE TYMENS (Thymens) wife of PIETER CORN. VAN DER VEEN and daughter of Thymen and Marritje Janszen, was born in New Amsterdam. Her father was a ship carpenter and must have come to New Netherland as early as 1633, perhaps with Director General Wouter Van Twiller in April of that year. On the 16th of April 1639, then aged 36 years, he made before Secretary Cornelis Van Tienhoven, with Jacob Hoffelsen (Stoffelsen ?), overseer, aged about 37 years, and Gillis Petersen Van der Gouw, house carpenter, aged 27 years, a deposition in regard to the dilapidated state of the Fort, and the bad condition of affairs generally at New Amsterdam, at the time of the arrival, March 28, 1638, of Director William Kieft in the ship Haring .* In 1642, he obtained a patent for land on Mespat Kill, L. I., and July 3, 1643, one for land on Manhattan Island, and another, July 13, the same year for land on Long Island. He died soon after. Her mother, Marritje Janszen, was a daughter of Tryn Jonas (Jansen ?) midwife at New Amsterdam, and a sister of Anneke Jans who married-first, Roelof Janszen, and second, the Rev. Everardus Bogardus. She married her second husband, Dirck Corneliszen j. m. van Wensveen, Aug. 28, 1646, by whom she had Cornelis (Dirckszen), baptized March 17, 1647; he married Nov. 17, 1672, Grietje Hendricks of New York, daughter of Hendrick Willemszen, and had son Dirck, baptized March 2, 1674. Cornelis Dirckszen, above named, deceased before May 1678, and his widow, Grietje Hendricks, married October, 1678, John Robinson, merchant of New York, and had Marie, baptized July 18, 1683, and Grietje baptized October 12, 1684. Dirck Corneliszen, the second
* Coll. N. Y. Hist, Society, vol. 1, New Series, p. 279.
28
TYMENS-VAN DER VEEN.
husband of Marritje Janszen, was living in August, 1647, but had deceased before August, 29, 1648, at which date his widow gave a power of attorney to William Turck and Seth Verbrugge to receive certain accounts, &c., in the hands of Wouter Van Twiller at Amsterdam.' She married, third, Govert Loockermans,ª by whom she had son Jacob, baptized March 17, 1652 ; he was a physician and settled in the county of St. Mary, Province of Maryland. For an account of his descendants see Vincent's History of Delaware, vol. I, p. 474. Govert Loockermans died about 1670, and his widow was buried Nov. 20, 1677.3 In her will, dated May 7, 1677, with codicil, dated Nov. I, she is styled Mrs Mary Jansen, widow of Govert Lockermans, and names the three children of her daughter Elsce Lysler by Peter Cornelis Van der Veen deceased, as follows : Cornelius, Timothy, and Margaretta, to whom she gives the sum of one hundred guilders ($40) in beavers, at eight guilders a piece ; to Anna, daughter of William Bogardus, the sum of fifty guilders in beavers. Names as her universal heirs, her children Elsie Tymans, married with Jacob Leysler ; Cornelis Dirkse married with Grietie Hendrickse, and Jacob Lockermans not married. Makes a small bequest to Mary Van Brugh, daughter of Mr. Johannes Van Brugh, and to Susannah Leysler, her said daughter's daughter. Appoints her cousin, Mr. Johannes Van Brugh and Mr. Francis Rombouts Alder- man, of this city, executors.
ELSJE TYMENS m. It Jan. 7, 1652, PIETER CORÑ. VAN DER VEEN j. m. from Amsterdam. The first notice of him is found in the record of his marriage. He was a merchant in New Amsterdam, admitted to the rights of a small burgher April 11, 1657, and in 1658 was appointed one of the Commissioners to treat with the Esopus Indians. Soon after his marriage he erected the first brick house built in this city, and situated on the present westerly side of Whitehall between Pearl and State Streets. He was the principal projector in company with Cornelius de Potter, of the first ship, the " New Love," known to have been built at this port.4 He died in 1661, and his widow married Jacob Leisler, of whom hereafter. Pieter Cornelisen Van der Veen and Elsje Tymens had issue :
I. CORNELIS, bap. October 27, 1652 ; m. MAGDALENA WOLSUM and prob. d. s. p. His widow m. April 25; 1683, LEENDERT HUYGEN DE CLEYN (de Kleyn), of whom hereafter.
2. TIMOTHY, born 1654? There is no record found of his baptism ; he was sponsor at the baptism of Johannes, son of Robert Walters, May 22 1687, which is is the last notice found of him.
I. MARGARITA, bap. Feb. 18, 1657 ; m. May 15, 1682, ISAAC STEPHENSZEN, mariner of New York, and had-1. Margriet, bap. Feb. 9, 1684, who m. Sept. 12, 1700, Symon Pasco (Pasko), and had Symon, bap. July 7, 1703, and Elizabeth, bap. Sept. 8, 1706 ; 2. Pieter, bap. Dec. 25, 1685 ; 3. Eliza- beth, bap. Nov. 20, 1687 , d. young ; 4. Elizabeth, bap. July 30, 1690, who married March 18, 1710, Jacobus Mauritz, and had Elizabeth, bap. June 29, 1712, and Elizabeth, bap. April 28, 1714, who m. June 26, 1738, James De Hart, and had Margrita, bap. May 2, 1739, and Jacoba, bap. Oct. 8, 1740.
4. CATHARYN, bap. June 29, 1659 ; not named in her grandmother's, will and prob. died young.
1 Cal. N. Y. Hist. MSS. Dutch. p. 40, 42, 49.
2 Govert Loockermans j. m. van Turnhout m. July 11, 1649, Marritje Jans j. d. Is it not probable that these are the persons above alluded to. and that j. d. after her name is an error in the marriage record ? $ O'Callaghan's Hist. New Netherlands, vol. 2. p. 38.
4 Valentine's Manual, 1860, p. 594.
29
LEISLER.
LEISLER.
(FIRST THREE GENERATIONS.)
I. JACOB LEISLER 1 (Loyseler, Leysler, Leydsler, Leydser, Lysler), from Frankfort, came to New Netherland a soldier in the West India Company's service in 1660. He embarked in the ship Otter from Amsterdam, the 27th of April of that year. There was a tradition among his descendants that he came originally from France, and a vague report, a hundred years or so ago in New York, that he was a Swiss.1 It is more likely that he was born in Frankfort, and was, therefore, a native of Germany. A Susanna Leydser was one of the sponsors at the baptism, Feb. 10, 1664, of Susanna, his eldest daughter. The conjecture is a fair one that she was his mother. He joined the Dutch Church in New Amsterdam Oct. 2, 1661, and married, April 11, 1663, Elsje Tymens, widow of Pieter (Cornelisen) Van der Veen, who was, in his day, a reputable and wealthy merchant of this city. He prob- ably succeeded to the business left by Van der Veen, as a few years after his marriage we find him engaged in mercantile pursuits, through which, and by his marriage, he acquired a large estate, and was ranked among the wealthiest citizens of his time. In 1678, while on a voyage to Europe, he was taken prisoner by the Turks, to whom he paid a large ransom for his freedom. On the 10th of Sept., 1684, he was commissioned Captain of a Militia Company in New York. He purchased for the Huguenots, Sept. 20, 1689, of John Pell and Rachel his wife, six thousand acres of land within the manor of Pelham, now the township of New Rochelle, in Westchester Co., New York .?
Early in 1689 news reached New York of the overthrow of James the Second, and the accession of William, Prince of Orange, to the English throne. The people having determined to seize Fort James, in the interest of King William and Queen Mary, they selected Capt. Jacob Leisler to carry their design into effect. On the 3d of June, 1689, the day following its seizure, Lieut .- Governor Nicholson left New York for England. The same day Leisler issued a proclamation declaring that his intention in holding the fort was to preserve the Protestant religion, and that he should hold it only until the arrival of a Governor with orders from his Royal Highness, the Prince of Orange, then daily expected, into whose hands it would be immediately delivered up. But this expectation, unfortunately for him, and the peace of the Province, was not realized un- til the arrival of Gov. Sloughter, in March, 1691. In the meantime, Leisler, on the 16th of August, 1689, was commissioned Commander-in-Chief, by a Committee of Safety, who represented a majority of the community.
In Dec., 1689, a messenger arrived in New York, bearing a letter from the English Government, addressed "To Francis Nicholson, Esq., or in his absence, to such as for the time being, takes care for preserving the peace and administering the laws in His Majesties province of New York." This letter gave authority to the person addressed to take chief command as Lieutenant-Governor of the Province, and to appoint a Council to assist him in conducting the government. By the advice of the Committee of Safety Leisler, on the 11th Dec., 1689, assumed the style of Lieutenant-
1 N. Y. Hist. Society Coll., 1868, p. 424.
2 Bolton's Hist, of Westchester County, vol. 1, P. 376.
30
LEISLER.
Governor, and selected as his Council, Pieter De La Noy, Samuel Staats, Hendrick Jansen (Van Feurden), Johannes Vermelje, for the city and county of New York ; Capt. Gerardus Beeckman, for Kings County ; Samuel Edsall, for Queens County ; Capt. Thomas Williams, for West- chester County ; and William Lawrence, for the County of Orange. They appointed Jacob Milborne Secretary of the Province and Clerk to the Lieutenant-Governor and Council. On the 28th Jan., 1691, Capt. Richard Ingoldsby arrived in New York, bearing their Majesties' Commission as Captain of Foot, and, without producing any legal authority, he demanded of Leisler the possession of the fort, which was refused. Henry Sloughter, who had been appointed Governor in Chief of the Province, arrived on the 19th of March following, late in the day, and Leisler, "having notice thereof, that same night (though very late) took care to deliver the fort to his order, which was done very early the next morning." Sloughter im- mediately ordered the arrest of Leisler, and his friends with him, and called a special Court of Oyer and Terminer, which was held for their trial in April following. By this court, composed of some of his most virulent enemies, and which from the first, had prejudged him and his as- sociates,1 Leisler, and Jacob Milborne, his son-in-law, were convicted and attainted of high treason, for not delivering the possession of the fort to Capt. Richard Ingoldsby, and sentenced to death. They were executed together near the site of the present Hall of Records," on Saturday, May 16, 1691, while the populace was overawed by military force, and their enemies "were carousing in beastly triumph and drunkenness." After execution ( by hanging), they were beheaded and their bodies buried in ground belonging to Leisler, east of the Commons, and near the corner of a street called George street, supposed to be in the rear of the present "Tribune Building," between Spruce and Frankfort streets. They were reburied, with great solemnity by a large concourse of citizens, in the Old Dutch Church, in Garden street, now Exchange Place, Oct. 20, 1698. The British Parliament, in 1695, passed an act reversing their attainder, and restoring their estates to their families, thus virtually censuring the illegality of their execution. (Dunlap's History of New York, Vol. 1; Documentary History of New York, Vol. 2; The Administration of Jacob Leisler, by Charles F. Hoffman, in Sparks' American Biography, Vol. 13 ; Collections of the N. Y. Historical Society, for 1868; Valen- tine's History of New York.)
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