Jan Winans/Wynants
Jan Winans/Wynants was born about 1640 probably in The Netherlands and died December 1694 in Elizabethtown, Essex or Union County, New Jersey. He married (1) Susannah Melyn August 25, 1664 in Dutch Reformed Church, New Haven, Connecticut (Source: NYG&B Record Vol. LXVIII No. 2, 139.), daughter of Corneille/Cornelis Melyn and Jannetje Adriaens. She was born about 1643 in New Amsterdam, New York, and died about 1693 in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He married (2) Ann Robertson about 1693, daughter of Dr. William Robertson.
The surname is also seen as Wijnants, Wynants, Winnings, Winance.
It is generally believed, based on research by European genealogists, that Jan is the son of the famous 17th century Haarlem landscape painter Jan Wynants and his first wife. Although there is no known proof, it is thought that the painter's son by his first wife left home to become an apprentice to a Gobelin weaver after his father's second marriage. The son, presumably Jan/John Winans, removed to New Netherlands sometime before 1653.
Jan sometimes signed his name Jan Wynants, which is Southern Netherlandish ("Jan Wijnants, Weaver" by Edythe D. Winans Groome, 1980)
His marriage is the first known record of Jan Winans in the New World. Jan and Susanna were married in a double wedding ceremony with her widowed sister Maria Paradys to Matthias Hatfield, also a professional weaver.
Jan, along with brothers-in-law Jacob Melyn and Matthias Hatfield, was one of the original "Associates" who founded and settled Elizabethtown, New Jersey about 1664. He was well educated, as evidenced by the number of books in his home.
He was granted 200 acres of land in Elizabethtown on December 9, 1676 (General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Liber I, page 161 and Liber II, part II, page 37.)
His will (under the name John Winance) was written February 14, 1687 and his inventory was appraised in 1695. His estate was valued at 271.15.8 pounds by Obadiah Sale and Benjamin Meeker.
Besides household goods and weaving apparel, he owned gold and silver plate. The inventory of his property included six oxen, six 3-year-old steers, six cows, nine 2-year-old cattle, seven 1-year-old cattle, three calves, 60 sheep, one mare, 22 swine, one cart and wheels, one sled, two yoke and yoke irons, two chains, and one plow and iron harrow. [Jan Wijnants, Weaver by Edythe D. Winans Groome, 1980] ("As We Were - The Story of Old Elizabethtown" by Theodore Thayer, 1964)
Children of Jan Winans/Wynants and Susannah Melyn are:
i. John Winans, born July 1, 1665.
ii. Susannah Winans, born February 9, 1666/67. She married Hendrick Backer about 1688; born About 1658; died about 1734. Susannah's mother-in-law, Margaret Stuyvesant Backer, was a half-sister of Gov. Peter Stuyvesant.
iii. Elizabeth Winans, born about 1669; died July 1, 1739. She married Ebenezer Lyon about 1690; born 1670 in Newark, New Jersey; died March 31, 1739, buried Elizabethtown, New Jersey.
iv. Samuel Winans, born 1671; died September 27, 1741 in buried Elizabethtown, New jersey. He married Zerviah Unknown.
+ v. Johannes (John) Winans, born October 3, 1673 in New Amsterdam; died November 5, 1734 in Elizabethtown, New Jersey.
vi. Joanna Winans, born 1675, named in his father's will, no other information.
vii. Conrad Winans, born about 1680; died about 1728. He married Sarah Palmer.
viii. Jacob Winans, born about 1682; died about 1723. He married Mary Morse.
ix. Isaac Winans, born 1684. He married Hannah Unknown.
Child of Jan Winans/Wynants and Ann Robertson is:
i. William Winans, born about 1694; died about 1762. He married Hannah Coddington About 1718.
Generation No. 2
Johannes (John) Winans (son of Jan Winans/Wynants) was born October 3, 1673 in New Amsterdam, and died November 5, 1734 in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He married Remember Baldwin 1697 in Elizabethtown, Essex County, New Jersey, daughter of Josiah Baldwin and Mercy Camp. She was born Bet. 1679 and February 29 1679/80 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, and died February 10, 1721/22 in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. Buried Elizabethtown, New Jersey.
Children of Johannes Winans and Remember Baldwin are:
+ i. William Winans, born about 1700; died August 31, 1750 in Rahway, Somerset Twp., New Jersey.
ii. John Winans, born about 1698.
iii. Susannah Winans, born about 1702.
iv. Isaac Winans, born about 1705.
v. Lewis Winans, born about 1718.
vi. Josiah Winans, born about 1720.
Generation No. 3
i. William Winans (son of Johannes (John)) was born about 1700, and died August 31, 1750 in Rahway, Somerset Twp., New Jersey. He married Elizabeth Doddridge about 1730, daughter of Philip Doddridge and Frances Moore. She was born about 1701, and died March 22, 1761.
Child of William Winans and Elizabeth Doddridge is:
+ i. William Winans, Jr., born about 1738 in New Jersey; died about 1804 in Bridgewater Twp., Somerset County, New Jersey.
Generation No. 4
i.William Winans, Jr. (son of William Winans, Jr ) was born about 1738 in New Jersey, and died About 1804 in Bridgewater Twp., Somerset County, New Jersey (Source: Somerset County, New Jersey Wills, Book A, Page 62, May 27, 1805 Bridgewater Twp..). He married Lydia About 1755 in New Jersey.
Children of William Winans and Lydia are:
+ i. Isaac Winans, born about 1756 in Elizabethtown, Union County, New Jersey; died about 1812 in Harrison County, (West) Virginia.
ii. Lewis Winans, born about 1780. He married Caty Fridendall December 8, 1796 in Reformed Church of New Salem, N.Y..
+ iii. William Winans, born March 12, 1781; died 1796.
+ iv. John W. Winans.
v. Daughter Winans. She married Daniel Bush. Her name was probably Lydia. Daniel was named in the will of his father-in-law William Winans.
Generation No. 5
i. Isaac Winans (son of William, Jr.) was born about 1756 in Elizabethtown, Union County, New Jersey (Source: Alice Winans Egy Wooley, Family of John Winans, (1987).), and died about 1812 in Harrison County, (West) Virginia. He married (1) Ruth Ayers (Source: Alice Winans Egy Wooley, Family of John Winans, (1987).) about 1785 in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He married (2) Elizabeth Sims June 21, 1809, child of John Sims and Frances. Elizabeth was born about 1760 in possibly in Loudoun County, Virginia, and died after1812 in probably Lewis County, (West) Virginia. Elizabeth Sims Winans was charged with contempt of court May 1, 1821 for failing to appear as a witness against John B. Bent who had been charged in 1817 (Page 119) with felony assault and battery for stabbing Samuel B. Bell with intent to kill. (Page 99, Record Book A&B, 1816-1831 Superior Court of Law, Circuit Court, upstairs at Weston Courthouse.) On May 2, 1821, Page 109, she was sworn in to give evidence (Page 109). On Page 151, April 13, 1822, Bent is found not guilty.
Children of Isaac Winans and Ruth Ayers are:
i. William Winans (Source: Alice Winans Egy Wooley, Family of John Winans, (1987).).
ii. Jeanette Winans (Source: Alice Winans Egy Wooley, Family of John Winans, (1987).).
iii. Ruth Winans (Source: Alice Winans Egy Wooley, Family of John Winans, (1987).).
iv. Ezekiel Winans (Source: Alice Winans Egy Wooley, Family of John Winans, (1987).), born September 30, 1786.
v. Francis Winans (Source: Alice Winans Egy Wooley, Family of John Winans, (1987).), born 1790.
vi. Lydia Winans (Source: Alice Winans Egy Wooley, Family of John Winans, (1987).), born 1793.
+ vii. Mary "Polly" Winans, born July 20, 1798 in Virginia; died September 17, 1874 in Little Cove Creek, Lewis County, West Virginia of paralysis. She married Vincent Alexander March 15, 1822 in Lewis County Virginia (Source: Lewis County Marriage Book 1, Page 16.), son of Rawleigh Alexander and Elizabeth Way. He was born May 12, 1798 in Northumberland County, Virginia (Source: Handwritten note.), and died August 6, 1861 in Freeman's Creek District, Lewis County, West Virginia from injuries due to a fall. Buried at Straight Run/Hurst Cemetery, Hurst, Lewis County, West Virginia.
viii. Enos Winans (Source: Alice Winans Egy Wooley, Family of John Winans, (1987).), born June 6, 1803.
ix. Benjamin Winans (Source: Alice Winans Egy Wooley, Family of John Winans, (1987).), born 1805.