A Founder of Flatbush — Jan Gerrits Strycker

B. 1615 in Ruinen, Netherlands¹
M. (1) about 1640 in Netherlands²
Wife: Lammertje Seubring
M. (2) 30 Apr 1679 in New York¹
Wife: Zwaentje Janse
M. (3) 31 Mar 1687 in New York¹
Wife: Tuentje Teunise
D. before 3 Mar 1697 in New York¹

Flatbush in Brooklyn is a place that has been identified with many immigrant populations: Irish, Italian, Jewish and West Indian. But the first immigrants to make Flatbush their home were Dutch, and one of them was Jan Gerrits Stryker.

Jan Strycker (sometimes spelled Stryker) was born in Ruinen, Netherlands in 1615.¹ Little is known of his early years, but he likely apprenticed to become a gunsmith, which was in profession. In about 1640, he married Lammertje Seubring,^1,2 and over the next dozen or so years, they had eight children.

In January 1643, Jan and his brother, Jacobus, were granted land in New Amsterdam by the Dutch West India Company, under an agreement they would bring twelve families to the colony at their own expense.³ It’s not known how this offer played out, but in about 1652, Jan moved his family there, and Jacobus came over as well.³

Jacobus was a portrait artist, and two of his known paintings were of himself and his brother Jan.³ It was thought that he painted them during the years 1653-1655. The portrait of Jan shows a bearded man of about 40 years-old, proud and confident. (The painting is in the possession of the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., and in spite of a note from Jan's 18th century relative identifying the painting, their official view is that the artist and subject are unknown.)

Painting that some claim was a portrait of Jan.

Within a year or two of arriving in New Netherland, Jan took the lead in founding a new settlement on Long Island called Midwout, later to be called Flatbush. Along with two other men, he petitioned Governor Stuyvesant for permission to develop some flat acreage next to other settlements that would be good for farming. Jan was appointed as one of two commissioners to build a church there, which would become the Flatbush Reformed Dutch Church.¹ (The church is still in existence today at Flatbush and Church Avenue in Brooklyn, though it’s a more recent building.) Jan was chosen as chief magistrate from Midwout, a position he held for 20 years.¹

In August 1664, when the Dutch colony was dealing with the threat of a takeover by the British, Governor Stuyvesant requested that the towns on Long Island send over “every third man to defend the Capital from the English now arriving in the Narrows.”¹ Jan gave the answer on behalf of the settlements that it was impossible to do this because “we must leave wives and children seated here in fear and trembling, which our hearts fail to do, as the English are themselves hourly expected there.”¹

Jan was elected captain of the military company at Midwout on October 25, 1673, with his brother Jacobus given the authority to “administer the oaths and to install him into office.”¹ He was named as representative in a conference to confer with Governor Colve at New Orange (some sources say New Amsterdam) on March 26, 1674.¹ At this meeting, those who gathered resolved that at least some of their descendants should settle in what is now New Jersey to secure the area from being dominated by the English. Various parcels of land were purchased by companies, and many, including Jan, selected Somerset county for their future home. Nonetheless, Jan took the oath of allegiance to the English crown in 1687 along with most of the other Dutch men.⁴

Jan’s wife, Lammertje died sometime before 1675,⁵ and he married a second wife, Zwaentje Janse, on April 30, 1679. She was the widow of Cornelius DePotter of Brooklyn. She died six years later,⁶ and Jan took a third wife in 1687, the widow of Jacob Hellakers, Tuentje Teunise.¹ It's not known exactly when Jan died, but it was before March 3, 1697.¹ He was buried in the cemetery at the church he founded in Flatbush along with his first wife Lammertje.

Children (all by Lammertje Seubring):
1. Aeltje Janse Strycker — B. about 1640, Drenthe, Netherlands;⁷ D. 1697, Flushing, New York;⁷ M. Abraham Jorise Brinckerhoff (~1632-1714), 20 May 1660, Flatbush, New Netherland⁷

2. Jannetje Janse Strycker — B. about 1642, Netherlands;⁸ M. (1) Cornelius Jansen Berrien (~1625-1689), 1664, Flatbush, New York;⁸ (2) Samuel Edsall (~1633-1702), after 27 Aug 1689, Flatbush, New York⁸

3. Angenietje Janse Strycker — B. about 1646, Netherlands;⁹ D. 1692, Hackensack, New Jersey;⁹ M. (1) Claes Tysen;¹ (2) Jan Cornelise Boogaard (~1647-1715)⁹

4. Hendrick Janse Strycker — about 1648, Netherlands;¹⁰ D. 23 Jan 1689, Brooklyn, New York;¹⁰ M. Catherine Buys, 11 Feb 1687, New York City, New York¹

5. Gerrit Janse Strycker — B. about 1650, Netherlands;¹¹ M. Styntje Gerretse Dorland, 25 Dec 1683, Flatbush, New York¹¹

6. Ida Janse Strycker — B. about 1651, Netherlands;¹² D. 29 Sep 1687, Kings County, New York;¹² M Christoffel Probasco (~1649-?)¹²

7. Pieter Janse Strycker — B. 1 Nov 1653, New Netherland;¹³ D. 11 Jun 1741, Flatbush, New York;¹³ M. (1) Annetje Barends (~1659-1717), 29 May 1681, Flatbush, New York;¹³ (2) Aertje Teunise Bogaert (~1655-1750), after May 1727, Flatbush, New York¹³

8. Sara Janse Strycker — B. (probably) Flatbush, New Netherland;¹ M. Joris Hansen Bergen (~1649-?), 11 Aug 1678, New York¹

Sources:
1    Genealogical record of the Strycker family, William Scudder Stryker, 1887
2    Estimated date of Jan’s first marriage is based on estimated birth year of oldest child.
3    “Jacobus Gerritsen Strycker (c. 1619-1687) an Artist of New Amsterdam,” Charles X. Harris, New York Historical Society Quarterly Bulletin, Oct. 1926
4    Register of the Early Settlers of Kings County, Long Island, N.Y., Teunis Bergen, 1881, p. 289
5    Find-a-Grave listing of Lambertje Roelofse (Seubring) Strycker
6    Find-a-Grave listing of Swantje (Jans) Strycker
7    Find-a-Grave listing of Aeltie Janse (Strycker) Brinckerhoff
8    Find-a-Grave listing of Jannetje Janse (Strycker) Edsell
9    Find-a-Grave listing of Angenietje Janse (Strycker) Bogaert
10  Find-a-Grave listing of Hendrick Strycker
11  Find=a-Grave listing of Gerrit Jansz Strycker
12  Find-a-Grave listing of Eytje Janse (Strycker) Probasco
13  Find-a-Grave Listing of Pieter Janse Strycker