1823-1851

Abraham Hascup was born Abraham Laauwe on 6 November 1823 in Ouddorp, Zuid Holland [South Holland], The Netherlands.1 Ouddorp, or "old village," is a small Dutch town build around an ancient church with windmills within walking distance of the town center on the west side of the island of Goeree-Overflakkee. In the Ouddorp records he is listed as child of Klaartje Pietersdr Laauwe. There is not a father given. What this means can only be guessed. When the family is listed in the 1826 Ouddorp records, Adrianus Arensz Heerschap is listed a head, Klaartje Laauwe and Abraham Laauwe as family members. Adrianus and Klaartje had married in 1825.2 More concerning this is discussed in the Family of Adrianus Arensz Heerschap.

Abraham married Jannetje de Lange on 18 April 1847 in Ouddorp. Jennie, as she was called, was born 18 March 1825 in Ouddorp.3 She was the daughter of Pieter Krijnsz de Lange and Maartje Corneliusdr Nuij. She is also found in the 1826 Ouddorp Records.

At first the couple lived with Jennie's parents as seen in the 1847 Ouddorp Records. While still in the Netherlands, Abram and Jennie gave birth to three children: Clara ["Klaartje"] de Lange, who was born 30 March 1846, Peter ["Pieter"] Laauwe, who was born 11 July 1848, and Matilda ["Martyntje"] Laauwe, who was born 4 March 1851.4

One must take note that the Ouddorp records have a recording of a daughter, Pietertje de Lange, born to Jannetje de Lange on 31 October 1842. The record, dated 1 November 1842, does not list a father. The grandmother of Pietertje is listed as Maartje Nuij age 48. We have not been able to find any other information regarding this child.

The birth records are also the earliest records of Abraham's signiture. We can compare these early signatures with that found on his will at the end of the century.

1848	1851	1898

1851-1859

By the 1840's, families began to leave the area for other parts of the Netherlands, such as the island of Texel or Noord Holland [North Holland]. Many would eventually move on to America. Some of these families disappeared from the area of Goeree-Overflakkee such as Tanis and Pippeling. Other families that would appear in the American communities the Heerschaps settled in would include Bakelaar, Breen, Kievit, Koman, and Voogd. According to Albert van der Heide,

"Among the earliest to leave Ouddorp in 1847 were Abraham (70), Cornelis (65) and Jan Witte (35) with the latter's family of four children. Three Verhage brothers - Aren (33), Bastiaan (27) and Maarten (29) likely all unmarried - followed in 1848 (the year political unrest in many European capital peaked). From then on numerous households moved across the Atlantic, including that of Willem Breen with eight children and Jan Koman with nine in 1849."5

We learn from the census records that Abram and Jennie must have come over to the United States about 1852. Jennie, in June 1900, reported that they immigrated in 1850. That same month, Matilda reported it as 1851.6 The facts appear that Matilda was the last child born in The Netherlands in March 1851. Abraham Hascup is living in Hackensack, New Jersey by the time of the 1855 New Jersey State Census. Therefore we can state that in the early 1850's the family came to New Jersey. This, so far, is the earliest reported time for a member of the Heerschaps to have come to America.

Abram, Jennie and family settled in East Hackensack [New Barbados], Bergen, New Jersey. Initially, he was a laborer, although by the late 1860's, he had purchased land and become a farmer. On 1 October 1857, another child, John, was born. The first reported Heerschap born in the United States. Soon to follow was Martha on 1 August 1859.

1860-1869

With the 1860 Census of Bergen County we find the Hascup [as the name is written] family living in Hackensack. The 1860's brought further additions to the family and a marriage. Krine ["Kryn"] was born 31 December 1860, followed by Annie ["Adriaantje"] in 1861, and Adrian on 5 June 1862. The final reported children were Nellie ["Pieteruella"] born 22 August 1864 and Abraham born 14 February 1866 or 1867. The younger Abraham is recorded in the birth register for Bergen County as born in 1867 in Saddle River. Saddle River is where we find the elder Abraham and Jennie located in all records after 1870. This leads to the conclusion that sometime around mid-decade the family acquired a farm in what is now Saddle Brook-Rochelle Park area of Saddle River Township. The location of this farm can be found in the 1890 Bergen County Map for Saddle River. It appears that many Hascup's coming over to the Northern New Jersey area spent time working on the farm. We know that both Aaron Hascup's and Nicholas Hascup's family spent time near the farm shortly after arriving from The Netherlands. It was centrally located between the Dutch communities of Hackensack to the east and the cities of Paterson and Passaic to the west. The farm was about five miles east of central Paterson and four miles west of Hackensack.

On 2 December 1866 Clara Hascup married Krine Koman ["Kryn Kooijman"] in Paterson, Passaic county, New Jersey. Son of Jan Kooijman who had settled in Paterson with his family. A little over a year later Abram and Jennie welcomed their grandson John Koman into the world. So the Hascup household prepared to face the 1870's with two new young toddler boys living life in the northern New Jersey farmland and the surrounding Dutch communities of Passaic and Bergen counties.

1870-1879

The 1870 Census of Bergen County finds the Hascup's living on a farm in Saddle River Township. Still living at home are Matilda, John, Martha, Krine, Annie, Nella, and Abraham. By the end of 1870, Matilda had married Komer Nicholas Voogd, another family from the Goeree-Overflakken region. Komer's parent's, Nicholas and Clara, came to the States in 1866 and settled in with the Dutch community of Paterson. On 5 May 1872, Abram and Jennie welcomed their third grandchild: Clara Adelaide Voogd, born in Paterson. In fact, this decade can be marked by the increasing of grandchildren for the farming couple. In 1874, two namesakes of Jennie were born: Jennie Voogd and Jennie Koman. In 1875 came Abram's namesake Abram Koman and finally in 1878 was born Nicholas Edward Voogd.

One can only sense this must have been a very exciting time for Abram and Jennie. While life on a farm involved much effort by all, we can only imagine the family working, with young children lending a hand at making the farm a success. Entering their fifth decade of life and third in New Jersey, Abram and Jennie enjoy the fruits of their decision to come to America.

1880-1889

The 1880 Census of Bergen County finds Abram and Jennie with their children John, Martha, Annie, Nellie, and Abraham living on the farm. Missing from 1870 are Matilda, who married Komer Voogd, Krine and Adrian. By the mid-decade New Jersey State Census (1885) only Abram, Jennie, Nellie and Abraham remain on the farm.

In June of 1881, son John married Ellie Grilk, daughter of Frank and Henrietta Grilk. They were recent immigrants from Freisland on the north coast the The Netherlands, having arrived in the early 1870's. With their marriage, Abram and Jennie enjoyed an increase to their grandchildren. In February of 1883 Abraham was born to John and Ellie. This was followed with daughters Henrietta in 1885 and Jennie in 1887.

At the beginning of the decade, Clara and Kryn Koman also added a daughter Katie to the family. In 1884, Matilda and Komer Voogd were blessed with Maria and in 1888 Abraham Hascup Voogd joined the family. Also, during this period daughters Martha, Annie and Nellie married. Martha married John Admiraud before 1885. Annie married Jacob Mierop and Nellie married Marius Tamboer.

What we know is that by 1890 the elder Abraham had a teenage son named after him, a teenage grandson as namesake, a young boy and a toddler also named after him. A total of five Abrahams! But Jennie was also a favorite with two teenage Jennie's and one toddler as her namesake.

1890-1908

The last decade of the eighteenth century would bring additional grandchildren for Abram and Jennie. To John and Ellie were born sons James in 1890, Peter in 1893, Frank in 1894, Edward ["Adrian"] in 1896. A note of sadness came after John and Ellie gave birth to Clara on 1 November 1895. Three days later she died.

As we come to the latter part of Abram's and Jennie's lives, we find their youngest son Abraham living on the farm and taking over the responsibilities that went along with it. In 1895 young Abraham married Anna Hunter, daughter of James and Mary. Thus the older Abraham shared his last remaining years with his son on the farm he spent years building. In July of 1898, the elder Abraham wrote his final will. That September he enjoyed the final blessing of his life when to young Abraham and Anna was born a son. As a fitting tribute to the patriarch of the Hascup family, the young babe was named Abraham. Within two months the patriarch of the family was dead on 19 November 1898. Thus for a period of 50 days, in one house, there lived three generations of Abraham Hascup.

When he died, his sons Peter, John, Adrian, Krine and Abraham were alive. Also, we know that his daughters Matilda, Martha, Annie, and Nellie were living.7 His wife Jennie lived on the farm with son Abraham and Anna and their growing family. Almost ten years to the day after the death of Abraham, his wife Jennie joined him in rest on 25 November 1908. She had lived to see a growing family, but the last years of her life experienced a greater sadness after her husband's death. In 1904, her son John died unexpectantly. Then in 1906, her namesake Jennie, daughter of John and Ellie, died at the tender age of 19. A few months before the elder Jennie past away, another daughter of John and Ellie unexpectantly died. Young Henrietta, age 23 died in May of 1908.

From the time as a young couple leaving their homeland with three young children, Abram and Jennie had taken the challenge of life from God and accepted it with a full vigor. With Abram working as a laborer to the point of having the ability to purchase land and farm it, and Jennie raising the children, they handed on the values they held as true. As trailblazers for the family, they cleared a path and provided a way for others to join them and share their hope and vision for a new life. Others did come, and the Hascup's began to enjoy the opportunities presented them. They farmed, worked as laborers, carpenters, and clerks. They built grocery stores and mortgage companies. The family grew and spread out across the land. Today descendants of Abram and Jennie live as far south as Florida and as far west as Washington. Many remained near the land that Abram worked. But all share more than a name from their ancestor. They also share in the vision and hope that he and Jennie had as they ventured from their homeland to a new life.

Footnotes

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Last Update: January 4, 2003