Notes from Jim Cozine
Here is the text of the power of attorney of March 1640
Before me, Cornelis van Tienhoven, secretary of New Netherland for the General Chartered West India company, appeared Cosyn Gerritsen from Putten, known to me, the secretary, who in the presence of the undersigned witnesses appoints and empowers, as he does hereby, his brother Aert Gerritsen to collect in his name from the appointed administrators of the estate left by his aunt Susanna, in her lifetime residing a Hoorn, the sum of one hundred Carolus guilders Holland currency, belonging to him, the principal, as a legacy bequeathed by his aforesaid aunt for the behoof of the said Cosyn Gerritsen; the principal holding valid whatever shall be transacted herein by his aforesaid brother Aert Gerritsen, who is empowered to give receipt, (to institute legal proceedings) and to prosecute the case to the end, either as plaintiff or defendant, and further to dispose of the matter as circumstances may require.
Done in Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland, this 28th of March Ad 1640
This is the X mark of Cosyn Gerritsen from Putten
Marurits Jansen
Acknowledged before me
Cornelis van Tienhoven, SecretaryIn 1631 A marriage record is found in the Putten archives for Cosyn Gerrits (son of the late Gerrit Jans from Oldenbarneveld or Barneveld) to �Meakijken Everts� (daughter of the late Evert Reijers) on Jan 2nd. (both from Putten) This would appear to be a 1st marriage and not the same wife that went by the name Vroutje Cosyns or Vroutje Gerrits and sailed to the New World. (Some mauscripts say Vroutje is just a nick name meaning �Little wife� - which is true, while we can see an English translation of Vroutie, Froutje, Frowtje as �Sophronia�, and the common use of the name at that time. One researcher even said it translated to �Flower�.) It is not possible to confirm that the marriage record found in Putten is this Cosyn but the odds are very high that it is - Even today the whole district of Putten only has a population of about 25,000 people, making it likely to be less than 2,000 in 1630 based on world population history.
Our Family
I feel that our Old World ancestors did live in the Putten area in the 1400-1500s and likely come from Belgium before this.
This is where it all gets so foggy that we can only pass on hearsay or offer speculation.
Vernon Cozine ( 1904-1984) back in the 1960s believed we were connected to the Van de Hell family and that he had found that the name Van der Hell (Heul) means "from the poppies" which probably meant from Flanders ( in modern day Belgium). Four brothers - Knights of the Velue, were said to have come to The Netherlands in 1350 as found in a old NY G&B magazine ( I still have not looked for it) - their names were:
John, Gerrit, Cosyn and Hendrick Van der Hell.
The old Van Der Hell Castle ( manor house) was between Nijkerk and Putten in the village of Hell. The story goes that every Belgian claims to be French. - (I support Vernon's thinking that this is our pre-genealogy family origins.)
Could also have the nickname Vroutje.
This may not be a second marriage for Gerrit, Vroutje may be a nick name for first wife.
Had three children.
May have died young.