M. 16 Nov 1679 in New York
Wife: Catlyntje Tunisen Bogaert
D. about 1742, Somerset County, New Jersey
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. 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). 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. Both of Jan’s parents had died by the time he was about age 13.
On November 16, 1679, Jan married Catlyntje Tunisen Bogaert, 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. It’s uncertain when Jan actually moved there, but by 1699 he seems to have been established on his farm.
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. And in 1704 and 1710, he was a member of the assembly in New Jersey, 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.
Jan made out his will with his grandson Abraham Dumont named as executor. His date of death is unknown, but it was said to be in 1742.
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.
Children:
1. Femmetje Janse Van Middleswart ‚ B. before 5 Aug 1680, Kings County, New York; D. 25 Aug 1706, Somerset County, New Jersey; M. Peter Dumont (1679-1744), 25 Dec 1700
2. Teunis Janz Van Middleswart — B. before 16 Jul 1682, Kings County, New York; M. Susanna Beekman (1686-?)
3. Sarah Janse Van Middleswart — B. before 1 Feb 1685, Kings County, New York; M. John Brokaw (~1680-1740), about 1704, Somerset County, New Jersey
4. Abraham Janz Van Middleswart — B. before 19 Sep 1699, Somerset County, New Jersey
Sources:
Register of the Early Settlers of Kings County, Long Island, N.Y., Teunis Bergen, 1881
"More About the Dutch Settlers," Our home: a monthly magazine of original articles, Abraham Van Doren Honeyman, 1873
"Wallerand Dumont and his Somerset County Descendants," John B. Dumont, Somerset County Historical Quarterly, Vol. 1, 1912
Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, Volume 13, 1890
Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, Volume 21, 1899
History of Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, New Jersey, compiled by James P. Snell, 1881
History of New Jersey (Wikipedia article)
History of Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, New Jersey, compiled by James P. Snell, 1881
History of New Jersey (Wikipedia article)
