THE BRATT FAMILY
OF NEW NETHERLAND
Albert and Arent Andriessen and their families were early settlers in the Albany, New York area when the colony still belonged to the Netherlands. Like many of the other settlers, they were not Dutch. These brothers came from Fredrikstad, Norway.
In 1637 Albert and his family arrived in Rensselaerswyck, the large estate of the Amsterdam merchant, Kiliaen van Rensselaer. Arent apparently came on the same ship. They operated two sawmills just below the falls of the Normanskill (Norman's Creek. The Dutch referred to Norwegians as Normans). Arent went on to become a farmer and fur trader and his family were
some of the original settlers in Schenectady.
We can only guess how the Bratt surname originated. Hereditary family names were not used by the Dutch or the Norwegians. When England took over New Netherland and it became New York, that soon began to change.
In those days it was common for Norwegians to use the name of their ancestral farm as their last name. "Bratt" can mean "steep" in Norwegian and it's frequently found in place names all over Scandinavia. (Most of today's Norwegian Bratt's probably took their names from farms at the end of the 1800s and are not related.)
Another possibility is the old Bratt family that originated in Bergen. This family originated in the middle ages, but no one has ever discovered any documents that tie us in. It could be more than a coincidence that Fredrikstad is located on the Glomma River which has it's headwaters in Oppland. Oppland is the home county of one branch of these Bratts.
There is also a well-documented Bratt family from Brattfors (Steep Falls) in Sweden. Located 100 miles from Fredrikstad, it was the site of a water-powered iron foundry as early as 1540. Perhaps someday DNA testing will identify our Scandinavian cousins.
To the best of our knowledge, Albert never used the spelling "Bradt"; he signed his name Brat or Bratt. Bradt become more common because the Dutch customarily insert a silent "d." Other spellings usually came about later as some branches of the family moved West.
Over the years, a large number of spelling changes have occurred. Almost all Bradt's and most Brott's are descended from the two Bratt brothers. Many Bratt's, Vanderzee's, Brodt's, Broat's, Van Brott's, and Van Bradt's and some Brad's and Bradd's are also direct descendants. These are not the only spellings. Some of the others are listed farther down this page.
The Vanderzee line is descended from Albert's son, Storm, who was born on the sea crossing to America. "Van der zee" means "from the sea" in Dutch.
Over 95% of the Bradt cousins descend through female lines. It's no exaggeration to say that we would not have a Bradt Family Society today without them.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND | A LITTLE MORE BACKGROUND |
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THE BRADT FAMILY SOCIETY was formed when sixteen Bradt family members (and spouses) met at the Desmond Hotel in Colonie, New York, and formalized a Constitution proposed by Kenneth Bradt. Ken has been one of the primary leaders of the Bradt Family association for many years, and was the co-editor, with his wife, Thelma, of the BRADT FAMILY NEWS. The NEWS contains articles and genealogical data and pictures concerning the history and activities of the Bradt family. Major family reunions have been held at the Desmond every five years, and trips to Holland and Norway took Bradt family members to the hometown of the brothers, Albert and Arent Bratt. ------------------------------- If you want to learn more about the Bradt genealogy, Descendants of Albert and Arent Andriessen Bradt and the Supplements can be found in several of the major libraries around the country. Some of them are listed on the BOOKS & BFNpage of this website.Pen and Ink Drawing Courtesy of Leonard Tantillo |
From Cythia Biasca's preface to Descendants of Albert and Arent Andriessen Bradt: The Origin This is the proverbial book that its author never expected to write. Until fifteen years ago I knew nothing of my family background, not even that the Brott spelling of my maiden name had once been Bradt. In the fall of 1976 my sisters and I decided to research our father's background. We knew the name of our paternal great-grandfather, but not the name of his father. (A sad example of waiting too late to start our research, for there was no one still alive who could supply the information.) We tried — and have tried over the past 13 years — every avenue we knew to learn that great-great-grandfathers's identity. We do not to this day know who X Bradt, as we refer to him, was. In our leave-no-stones-unturned search for X Bradt, we scanned untold numbers of Bradt records. I was able to devote a great deal of time to this work throughout the entire year. For a week almost every summer, my sisters and I met in different counties of New York State, and together we attacked courthouse and cemetery and historical society and local library records, and the information we amassed on Bradt/Bratt/Brott/Brodt families became extensive. Finally, two things became clear: we might never find X Bradt in our lifetimes (three of us had become grandmothers during this period), and all that voluminous data we had been accumulating must be shared, not kept stashed away in my file cabinets and computer. Following the fabulous Bradt Reunion in Albany in the summer of 1987, more and more data came to me from more and more correspondents. It now seemed all the more urgent that I put into comprehensive book form all the material we had collected and which I had initially set up in the form of family charts. And so work on The Bradt Book (Descendants of Albert and Arent Andriessen Bradt) began. Webmaster's note: The Bradt cousins owe Cynthia and Ken a huge debt of gratitude. Without their efforts, most of us would not know about our origins. After all of these years of research, the help and support of her sisters, and countless letters and emails containing family history, Cynthia has still not identified X Bradt. |
We urge those with lineage questions or contributions to contact our Genealogist, Laurie M. Grimes.
For those with non-lineage historical questions, (for example, to learn about the role of the Bradt Family in North American history) contact our Archivist, Daniel P. Bradt.
Continue down this page for all of our e-mail addresses:
TO CONTACT THE BRADT FAMILY SOCIETY OFFICERS | |
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MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY, SECRETARY-TREASURER: |
Anne Holzinger: [email protected] |
To subscribe to the "Bradt Family News" or to join the Bradt Family Society, fill out the membership form and send it to Anne. That's it. No need to contact the editor unless you want to submit an article to the News. Thank you. | |
NEWSLETTER (The Bradt Family News) EDITOR: |
Marie Emerson [email protected] |
HISTORIAN / ARCHIVIST: | Daniel P. Bradt: [email protected] |
GENEALOGIST / LINEAGE EXPERT and Administrator of the Bradt DNA Project: |
Laurie M. Grimes: [email protected] |
VICE-PRESIDENTS: | Dale Atherton-Ely Gary Bradt Dan Ely |
PRESIDENT: | Barbara Bradt Long: [email protected] |
RECORDING SECRETARY: | Dale Atherton-Ely |
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*** I never met a man I didn't like. –Will Rogers ***
Estimated percentages of North Americans who are "Bradt Family," descendents of Albert and Arent | |
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Bradt | 90-95% |
Bratt | 25% in the U.S., fewer in Canada. Most others are English. |
Brott | 50-70% |
Vanderzee | 25-45% Also spelled Van Derzee. |
See | 1% ? Shortened from VanderZee. |
Braudt | 45-55% |
Braut | 20-40% |
Brodt | 25-35% |
Van Bradt | 100%? Also spelled VanBradt. |
Van Brott | 100% ? |
Bradd | 10-20% |
Brad | 5-10% ? |
Broat | 50-100% |
Brawt | 100% ? |
Brought | 1-5% |
Braught | 0-2% |
Brandt | 0-5% |
Brant | 0-5% |
Braat | 0-4% |
BRATT/VANDERZEE LINEAGES
FIRST GENERATION IN AMERICA
Albert Brat Family
— m. Annatie Barents
Arent Andriessen Family
— m. Catalyntje De Vos
SECOND GENERATION
Albert's line and their spouses:
Aefje (Eva) Bradt
— m1. Anthony De Hooges Family
— m2. Roeloff Swartwout Family
Barent Bradt Family
— m. Susanna Dirkse Meyer
Storm Vanderzee (Van Der Zee) Family
— m. Hilletje Lansing
Engeltie Bradt
— m. Teunis Slingerland Family
Gisseltie Bradt
— m1. Jan Van Echelen Family
— m2. Hendrik Willemsz Family
Andries Bradt Family
— m. Cornelia Van Wie
Jan Bradt Family
— m. Maria Post
Dirk Bradt
— probably never married
Arent's line and their spouses:
Aeffje Bradt
— m. Claes Van Patten Family
Ariaantje Bradt
— m1. Helmer (Helmers) Otten Family
— m2. Reyer Schermerhorn Family
Andries Bradt
— m. Margarita Van Slyck
Cornelia Bradt
— m. Jan Putman Family
Samuel Bradt Family
— m. Susanna Van Slyck
Dirk Bradt Family
— m. Maritje Van Eps
THIRD GENERATION
Albert's line and their spouses:
Anna De Hooges
— Warner Hornbeck Family
Catrina De Hooges
— m. Harmen Rutgers Family
Johannes De Hooges Family
— m. Margaretia Post
Eleanora De Hooges
— m1. William De La Montagne Family
— m2. Cornelis De Duyster Family
Thomas Swartwout Family
— m. Elizabeth Gardiner
Antoni Swartwout Family
— m. Jannetje Coobes
Rachel Swartwout
— m. Jacob Kip Family
Anthony Bradt Family
— m. Willempie Teunise
Maritje Bradt
— m. Egbert Teunise De Metselaer Family
Dirk Bradt Family
— m. Anna Teunise De Metselaer
Anna Bradt
— m. Salomon Fredericks Boogh Family
Johannes Bradt Family
— m. Maria Keteluyn
Johanna Bradt
— m. David Keteluyn Family
Daniel Bradt Family
— m. Elizabeth Lansing
Jacob Bradt Family
— m. Aefie Everts Wessels
Isaac Bradt Family
— m. Dievertje Wessels
Sara Bradt
— m. Reynier Meyndertse Family
Anna Van Der Zee
— m. Johannes Becker Family
Wouter Van Der Zee Family
— m. Jannetje Swart
Albert Van Der Zee Family
— m. Hilletje Gansevoort
Cornelis Slingerland Family
— m. Eva Mebie
Albert Slingerland Family
— m. Hester Brickerse
Annatie Bradt
— m. William Schackerly Family
Maritje Bradt
— m. Jeremiah Pemberton Family
Effie Bradt
— m. John Morris Family
Barent Bradt Family
— m. Anna Van Der Heyden
Antje Bradt
— m. Daniel Wilkerson
Claartje Bradt
— m. Cornelis Van Slyck Family
Andries Bradt Family
— m. Wyntje Rosa
Pieter Bradt Family
— m. Christina Bowman
Storm Bradt Family
— m. Sophia Uziele
Rebecca Bradt
— m1. Claes Borger Family
— m2. John Collinson Family
Arent's line and their spouses:
Arent Van Patten Family
— m. Jannetje Conyn
Annatje Van Patten
— m1. Class Siverse Family
— m2. Cornelius L Van Wormer Family
Nicholaas Van Patten Family
— m. Rebecca Groot
Catheryna Otten
— m. Gerrit Symonse Veeder Family
Jan Schermerhorn Family
— m. Engeltie Vrooman
Arent A Bradt Family
— m. Jannetje Vrooman
Bathsheba Bradt
— m. Charles Burns Family
Margarita Bradt
— m. Philip Bosie Family
Arent Putman Family
— m. Lysbeth Akkerman
Arent Bradt Family
— m. Catrina Mabie
Margarita Bradt
— m. Daniel Toll Family
Jacob Bradt Family
— m. Margarita Clute
Catalyntje Bradt
— m. Jacobus Van Slyck Family
Susanna Bradt
— m. Bartholomeus Vrooman Family
Andreas Bradt Family
— m. Anita De Graaf
Samuel Bradt Family
— m. Catharina Van Petten
Ephraim Bradt Family
— m. Claartie Bosie
Catalyntje Bradt
— m. William Berritt Family
Maria Bradt
— m. Ryckert Van Vranken Family
Johannes Bradt Family
— m. Margarita Van Vranken
Dirk Bradt Family
— m1. Anna Van Antwerp
— m2. Catarina Hybelaar