AMERICA THE GREAT MELTING POT Contact information on HOME page |
Direct descendant is highlighted in red
FATHER
Gerret Wolfertse Van Kouwenhoven
MOTHER
WIFE
Altje Brinckerhoff
CHILDREN with Jannetje Monfort
1. Cornelis Van Couwenhoven
3. Albert Van Couwenhoven
4. Jacob Van Couwenhoven
The Van Kouwenhoven-Conover Family by Lincoln C. Cocheu,
1939 NYB&G Record Vol LXXI , pg 69
"Willem Gerretse Van Kouwenhoven, son of Gerret Wolphertse Van Kouwenhoven an
Aeltje Cornelis Cool, his wife, said to have been b. 1636, perhaps in Flatlands,
L. I., although his father's purchase of land there was not dated until July 26,
1638; and said to have died about 1728 and apparently certainly after 1727 (K
Co, 78, 80; hot, 437). His father's grant of land in Brooklyn was dated March
11, 1647 (KCo, 77) and the son spent his early life there and was a magistraste
of that village, 1661, 1662, and 1664, and signed a petition as a schepen of
Brooklyn on May 25, 1662 (KCo, 80; Stiles' Hist. of Brooklyn, I: 143). On the
earliest surviving list of memebers of the Dutch Reformed Church of Brooklyn,
Sept. 12, 1660, appear the names of Willem Gerritse Van Couwenhoven, his first
wife, and her parents. Willem Gerretse was a deacon of this church in 1663
(KCo., 80; Brkn, I33). His name appears on the patent of Flatlands, 1667, and he
apparently removed there about that time. he was an Elder of the R. D. Church at
Flatlans, 1677; appeared on the assessment rolls, 1675, 1683, and 1693; and
signed the oath of allegiance at some date between Sept. 26-30, 1687, being
called a resident of 'fflackland,; and native-born (KCo, 80; DHNY, I; 661). He
sold his farm in Flatlands to his son William, Nov. 1, 1709 (KCo, 80) and is
supposed to have spent his last years in Monmouth county, N. J. Riker (AnN, 364)
says he was 'living in 1727 at a very advanced age.' The records of the Brick
Church, Marlborough, Monmouth co, N. J., originally known as the Reformed Church
of Freehold of the Navasink, begin in 1709 and show that in that year seven
children of Willem Gerretse were already memebers of that congregation, namely,
cornelis, Pieter, Albert, Jan, Jacob, Neeltje (Nelke), and
Sara. In 1717 appear as memebers two other
children, Annetje (Auntie) and Jacomina (Jockamiinke). It was not until 1721
that the church shows as memebers 'Willem Ger Kowvenhoven and his wife,' and
since the wife, Jannetje (Jannetke), appears alone on the list in 1723, it seems
possible that Willem Gerretse died between 1721 and 1723.
Willem Gerretse, on behalf of his first wife, was one of the three heirs to the
Brooklyn grant of his father-in-law, Joris Dircksen Brinckerhoff, and joined
with the other heirs in selling this property on January 16, 1661 (KCo, 49).
The existence of the original bible of Willem Gerretse, with his own record of
his marriages and the births of his children, greatly assists in determining his
twelve children (NJMis, 2:P353). He states that he married 'Altieu Yoris' in the
year 1660. She was Altje, daughter of Joris Dircksen Brinckerhoff, and was the
widow of Cornelis Mattys (Matthews). She died on June 3, 1663, and Willem
Gerretse married, secondly, on February 12, 1665, 'Jannetie Peters,' who was
Jannetje, daughter of Peter Monfort. She was baptized as Jannetje on May 8,
1646, in the D. R. Church of New Amsterdam BDC, 20[; KCo, 210; Rec, 7; 153; doc.
His. Dutch cong. of Oyster Bay, 347).