M. 16 Nov 1679 in New York2
Wife: Catlyntje Teunise Bogaert
D. about 1742, Somerset County, New Jersey3
When England took over the colony of New Netherland without a fight in 1664, they also gained control of New Jersey. And in order to create an incentive for people to populate it, they promised religious freedom to all inhabitants. This attracted many Dutch to settle there, and one of them was Jan Teunisen Van Middleswart
Jan was born to Teunis Nyssen and Femmetje Jans in about 1654 and baptized in New Amsterdam on April 12th of that year.1 At the time of his birth, his parents are believed to have lived in Gowanus on a farm bounded today by streets Carroll, President, 4th and 5th (which is in present-day Park Slope).4 Jan was the second youngest of nine children. His father was a native of the Netherlands, but his mother was originally from England and had lived in Massachusetts as a girl with the name Phoebe Sayles.5 Both of Jan’s parents had died by the time he was about age 13.6,7
On November 16, 1679, Jan married Catlyntje Teunise Bogaert,2 who was from a large Brooklyn family; her mother, Sarah Rapalje, was said to be the first European child born in the colony. Between 1680 and 1699, Jan and Catylntje had at least four children. For most of that time, they lived in Wallabout, a part of Brooklyn, but Jan was looking to move the family west.
During Jan’s childhood, control of New Netherland was turned over to England, which included the territory that is now New Jersey, a place mostly uninhabited by Europeans. The land was carved up in England among members of the royalty, who then deeded it in parcels to people who lived in the colonies. It took a few years before actual settlers came to own the land, and one of them was Jan, who with younger brother Cornelius, were part of a grant in 1687 on the Raritan River.8 It’s uncertain when Jan actually moved there, but by 1699 he seems to have been established on his farm.8
1714 land grant in Somerset County showing John and Cornelius.
Jan became a leader of his new community. He was installed as First Elder of the First Church of Raritan on September 19, 1699.8 And in 1704 and 1710, he was a member of the assembly in New Jersey,8 the local governing body in the colony. Jan still maintained ties with New York; in 1723, he acquired a house and lot at the Brooklyn ferry.9
Jan made out his will with his grandson Abraham Dumont named as executor.10 His date of death is unknown, but it was said to be in 1742. Jan was the ancestor of Tom Brokaw.11
A Note About His Surname
At some point when he moved to New Jersey, Jan started using the surname Van Middleswart (sometimes written as Van Middlesworth), which meant “of Middlebout,” a variation of Wallabout, where he had lived in Brooklyn. His earlier surname had been Teunissen, which meant he was the son of a man named Teunis. Because Dutch people simply adapted their father’s first name as their last name, everyone had different surnames from generation to generation. So perhaps Van Middleswart was introduced as more of a “family” name.3
Children:
1. Femmetje Janse Van Middleswart — B. before 5 Aug 1680, Kings County, New York;12 D. 25 Aug 1706, Somerset County, New Jersey;3 M. Peter Dumont (1679-1744), 25 Dec 170012
2. Teunis Janz Van Middleswart — B. before 16 Jul 1682, Kings County, New York;13 M. Susanna Beekman (1686-?)14
3. Sarah Janse Van Middleswart — B. before 1 Feb 1685, Kings County, New York;13 M. John Brokaw (~1680-1740), about 1704, Somerset County, New Jersey15
4. Abraham Janz Van Middleswart — B. before 19 Sep 1699, Somerset County, New Jersey16
Sources:
1 Baptismal record of Jan Teunisen, “Records of the Reformed Dutch Church in New York,” New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 5
2 Marriage record of Jan Teunisz and Cataline Teunise Boogaard, Records of The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Flatbush, Kings County, New York, Vol.1, 1677-1720, 1998, p. 223
3 “Wallerand Dumont and his Somerset County Descendants,” John B. Dumont, Somerset County Historical Quarterly, Vol. 1, 1912, p. 111-113
4 The Bergen family: the Descendants of Hans Hansen Bergen, Teunis G. Bergen, 1876, p.100
5 The Great Migration Begins, Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995
6 Marriage record of Jan Corneliszen Buys and Femmetje Jans, 24 Aug 1663, Old First Dutch Reformed Church of Brooklyn, New York: First Book of Records, 1660-1752, 1983
7 Burial record of Femmetje Jans, “The Family of Dirck Janszen Woertman of Brooklyn Ferry,” Barbara A Barth, N.Y.G. & B. R., Vols. 132-133, 2001-2002
8 “Notes on Various Old Somerset Families, Tunison Families – Line of Dr. Garret, of Somerville,” Somerset County Historical Quarterly, Vol. 7, 1918, pp. 225-228
9 Register of the Early Settlers of Kings County, Long Island, N.Y., Teunis Bergen, 1881, p. 93
10 “An Interesting Document of 1727,” Somerset County Quarterly, Vol. 7, 1918, p. 61
11 FamousKin.com listing of Jan Teunisen Van Middlesward
12 “Dumont and Allied Families,” Eugene F. McPike, N.Y.G. & B. R., Vol. 29, 1898
13 Records of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Flatbush, Kings County, New York, Vol. 1, 1677-1720, David William Van Voorhees, 1998, p. 417, 435
14 WikiTree listing of Teunis Janz van Middelswaert
15 “The Brokaw-Bragaw Family,” N.Y.G. & B. R., Vols. 86-87, H. Minot Pitman, 1955-1956
16 “First Reformed Church Raritan (Somerville) Baptisms,” Somerset County Historical Quarterly, Vol. 2, 1913
