Wolfert Gerritsen and Noah Conover

Conover

Wolfert Gerritsen Van Kouvenhouven

In 1609, Henry Hudson, an English navigator, was hired by the Dutch East Indies Company to find a route eastward through the Arctic Ocean above Russia to India for trading purposes. Failing this, he turned his ship westward and entered today's New York Harbor, and sailed up the Hudson river to the site of present-day Albany.

Little was done with this new Dutch territory besides trading with the Indians for furs, until 1624 when Peter Minuit was named head of the Dutch West Indies Company. In 1625, 30 families sailed for what is now Manhattan island to operate farms to supply more trading ships. One of those farmers was Wolfert Gerrittsen Van Kouvenhouven, who was assigned Farm (Bowerie) Number 3 on the southern tip of the island, which was known as New Amsterdam. Wolfert is my 8th great-grandfather.

In 1638, Wolfert purchased a tract of land from the Indians on Long Island, in a place called the Flatlands. His home was located at the intersection of today's Kings Highway and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn.

Wolfert had three sons: Gerrit, Jacob, and Pieter. Gerrit helped his father on Long Island, while Jacob and Pieter operated breweries in New Amsterdam. When New Amsterdam was set up as a city in 1653, Pieter was elected one of the schepens, or magistrates. He was to have a long career in public service in the new town.

In 1664 the British overran New Amsterdam, renaming it New York.

Pieter's son Peter Cownover was one of the first to cross the bay and settle on Great Egg Harbor in today's southeastern New Jersey. His sons, Peter and John, settled in nearby Absecon Beach, today's Atlantic City.

Noah Conover

Noah Conover was born February 8, 1802 near Woodbury, New Jersey. His parents were Peter Conover and Jemima Smith, Jemima being the second or third wife of Peter. Peter died in 1814 leaving his land, boat, and horse to his wife and oldest sons John and Peter. Noah was about 12 or 13 then, and Peter's will asked John to give Noah ten dollars when Noah turned 21.

In 1816 or 1817, Jemima and her sons moved to Ohio and settled first in Bantam are of Clermont County, then in the Madisonville, Ohio area. Noah married Ann String in 1823, and they had at least four, and maybe six, sons. In 1834 Noah bought land in Clermont County, possibly after the death of his mother. Brother John moved to Lima, Illinois about the same time, but brother Peter stayed in the Madisonville area until his death.

Ann Conover died about 1837, shortly after the birth of her son Francis. Noah married Lucinda White in Clermont County in 1840, then moved to Brown County where they farmed until 1872, when Noah relocated to Warren County. Noah died in 1877, Lucinda in 1886, and both are buried in Goshen Cemetery, Goshen, Ohio.

My great-grandfather Charles was born on March 28, 1857 in Brown County, and married Emma Cole in January of 1880. Charles died young in 1897 at the age of 40, leaving his nine children in the care of Emma. Emma herself died in 1902, with 7 minor children provided for by a Dr. Moss of Warren County, whom Emma named in her will. One of those children was Edgar, my grandfather, who was 12 when his mother died.

For more information on this family, especially Noah and his descendants, please go to MartinCassidy.com and select the Conover family.

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