THE FIRST VAN BLARICUMS IN
NORTH AMERICA
The following narrative is taken
from:
Zabriskie, George Olin,
"The Van Blarcom Family of New Jersey,"
New York Genealogical and Biographical Record,
Vol. XCIX, No. 3, Jul. 1968, pp. 141-150;
Vol. XCIX, No. 4, Oct. 1968, pp. 213 - 217;
Vol. C, No. 1, Jan. 1969, pp. 39-46;
Vol. C, No. 2, Apr. 1969, pp. 68-76;
Vol. C, No. 4, Oct. 1969, pp. 215-220;
Vol. 101, No. 3, Jul. 1970, pp. 152-157;
Vol. 102, No. 4, Oct. 1971, pp. 209-219:
"On 15 Apt. 1634 in Amsterdam,
The Netherlands, Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the patroon of Rensselaerwyck in New
Netherland (on both banks of the Hudson near Fort Orange [now Albany], New
York), signed a contract with
Lubbert Gysbertsen van Blaricum
, a 33-year old rademaecker [wheelwright and wagon maker] under which Lubbert
was 'to betake himself with his wife and three children at his own expense,' the
patroon to pay expenses to the Wester Indian Company for passage on the ship de
Eendracht [The Unity], then being made ready to sail to New Netherland.
The contract provided for reimbursement of these expenses over a three-year
period, which was to begin upon Lubbert's arrival in New Netherland. During this
period, he could not quit the agreed-upon service, could not work for others
except through the patroon's agent, and could not enter into private trading in
furs, etc.
Lubbert's place of residence was to be chosen 'with the advice and consent of
the patroon's agents where he can most conveniently perform his work, namely his
trade as a wagon maker or wheelwright, for which he shall take all the necessary
tools with him from here at his own expense' (VRBM 285ff).
"Lubbert's birthplace of Blaricum is about 12 English miles southeast of
Amsterdam, in the district called Gooiland. The Van Rensselaer records give the
name of his wife and the names and ages of the children at the time they left
The Netherlands; but for his wife, Divertje Cornelis, we do not have a
birthplace nor her age in 1634 or at any other time.
The eldest son, Gysbert, was ten years old in 1634, and had been born 'Uij't de
Beemster in Noordt Holland.' This is the district north of Amsterdam along the
IJsselmeer [Zuider Zee]. Thys was six, and had been born in 'de Rijp in Noordt
Holland.' Jan was one and a half years old, and had been born in dam. These last
two birthplaces are within the Beemster area, so it seems safe to assume that,
although Lubbert was born in Blaricum, he had lived during his married life in
the Beemster area. It is likely that his wife had lived there before their
marriage.
"The last lighter with supplies and people for Rensselaerwyck left
Amsterdam on 24 Apr. 1634 and sailed up the IJsselmeer to the Texel--the
southernmost on the West Frisian Islands, at the mouth of the IJsselmeer. A
total of six men, one women and three children were bound for Rensselaerwyck
when de Eendracht sailed with favorable winds from the Texel early in May 1634.
"If the ship followed the usual route, she sailed down the North Sea and
through the English Channel to Plymouth or some other port in southern England.
There her water and other provisions would be replenished and she would sail
south until she entered the northeast trade winds. This route continued south,
past the Madeira and Canary Islands, 'until the butter melts,' as one rule of
thumb had it. This point was usually on or near the Tropic of Cancer. Thence the
course was west, sailing before the trades.
About a month after entering the trades, having reached a point about north of
the Lesser Antilles, the ship would be turned northwest to the North American
mainland and New Netherland.
Passengers slept in the hold or on a pallet on deck. Passengers usually had to
provide their own food and the means for preparing it. Occasionally, the diet
could be varied by catching a fish."
"Lubbert's account at Rensselaerwyck was opened on 20 July 1634 which
indicates that the trip from the Texel to Fort Orange took about two and a half
months. The patroon had promised Lubbert 'the fourth farm to be established,'
but we cannot tell from available records where Lubbert first lived or when he
moved onto a farm. Later he did live on a farm at Bethlehem, just south of
Albany on the west side of the Hudson River.
We know very little about the life of his family at Rensselaerwyck, but he must
have found it to his liking, for he stayed long beyond his stipulated three
years.
"His account with the colony was closed in 1647, having run a total of 13
years. Divertje, his wife, witnessed the baptism of young Halmagh Roelofsen Van
Houten in New Amsterdam on 25 June 1648. From these facts we may safely conclude
that Lubbert and his family moved from the vicinity of Albany to New Amsterdam
in late 1647 or early 1648.
"On 5 Dec. 1654, Lubbert Gysbertsen was given a Dutch patent for 50 morgens
[100 acres] of land on Bergen Neck, below Cavan Point now in the Greenville area
south of Jersey City, NJ. Just south of him was his son-in-law, Jan Cornelis
Buys, with 25 Morgens, and then his son Jan Lubbertsen, also with 25 morgens.
Just when these farms were first occupied is not known, but Lubbert Gysbertsen
and others were living in New Jersey, presumably on this same land, before the
patents were granted. An evidence of this is the fact that Lubbert's
granddaughter Tryntje Oosteroom, who was baptized in New Amsterdam on 16 Aug.
1654, was given in her marriage record as born in New Jersey.
"On 15 Sep. 1655, after an Indian had been killed in New Amsterdam for
stealing fruit from an orchard, a large war party of Indians terrified the
occupants of New Amsterdam for several hours, all of the Dutch soldiers being at
the time on the Delaware, fighting the Swedes. The Indians then went across the
Hudson where, within a few hours, they burned the Dutch bouweries and
plantations and killed or captured everyone who had not fled. They then moved
down Bergen Neck and over to Staten Island, which was also devastated. The
following account differs slightly from some earlier reports:
' . . . in three days' time about 50 Christians were killed and murdered, more
than one hundred, mostly women and children, captured, of whom we afterward
ransomed 60 to 70 at great expense, the rest being still in their hands, 28
bouweries and some plantations and about 12 to 15 thousand schepels of grain
burned, 500 to 600 head of cattle either killed or taken by the barbarians;
. . . [they] have suffered through these barbarous Indians a damage of more than
two hundred thousand gilders and more than 200 persons besides those who were
killed or are still in captivity, have lost their possessions and have nothing
left to procure food and clothing for themselves and their families must be a
charge upon this city.' (CDNY 13:50, 31 Oct. 1655)'
"It seems probable that Lubbert was killed during this Indian raid, for the
following entry appears in the minutes of the Court of Schepens and Burgomasters
of New Amsterdam under date of 1 May 1656:
'Jan Corns. Buys, alias Jan Damen, and Lubbers Gysbertsen widow, request
permission to tap, as they have been driven from their houses by the last
trouble with the Indians. Whereon is endorsed: --Petitioners' request is granted
like others.' (RNS 2:93).
"At least, he died sometime between 5 Dec. 1654, when his patent was
granted, and 1 May 1656, when his widow and his son-in-law requested permission
to open a tavern. Lubbert was about 55 years old when he died, and seems to have
been the leader of the group that settled Bergen Neck, as he received twice as
much land as his companions, who were mainly his sons and sons-in-law."
Tepper, Michael (ed.), "Settlers in Rensselaerwyck: From 1630 to 1646,
Compiled from the Books of Monthly Wages and Other Mss.," New World
Immigrants, Vol. I, pp. 21-31, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co.
Revised:
June 03, 2000