On the Last Ship to New Amsterdam — Jentie Jeppes

B. before about 1633 in Friesland, Netherlands¹
M. (1) about 1653 in (probably) Friesland, Netherlands¹
Wife: Tijedtske Gerrits
M. (2) 4 Dec 1666 in New York, New York¹
Wife: Britten Oloff
D. before 18 Apr 1673, (probably) New York, New York¹

Jentie Jeppes migrated to New Netherland shortly before the colony fell to the British. He was born in about 1633, a native of Friesland in the Netherlands,¹ the northernmost region of the country. His father may have been named Jacob, but nothing is known of his family or childhood. Jentie married a woman named Tijedtske Gerrits in about 1653,¹ and for the first decade or so of his marriage, they moved to various towns and villages in Friesland — Dokkum, Wijckel and Leeuwarden — where eight children were born.² Sadly, the oldest three died young.

Map showing towns where Jentie lived in Friesland

On April 17, 1664 Jentie, along with Tijedtske and their four young children, boarded a ship called the Eendracht.¹ Records show that he paid 126 florins in passage money for himself, Tijedtske, and “his three children of 5, 4, and 2 years.” Presumably the youngest child who was about 6-months-old didn’t require payment. The captain of the ship was Jan Bergen, a man born in the colony whose nephew would one-day marry Jentie’s granddaughter.^3,4 The ship also carried at least 31 other migrants, including Tijedtske’s brother and his family.³

The Eendracht docked in Manhattan on July 19th.³ Little more than a month later, another four ships sailed into the harbor with a force from England who demanded the surrender of the colony. Rather than fight, the Dutch leaders gave in, and the following year, New Amsterdam was renamed New York. By this time, Jentie seems to have moved to Flatbush where his name appeared on an August 29, 1665 document accepting a young orphaned child, Tijedtske’s nephew, under his guardianship.¹ But the following spring, Jentie had migrated to Bergen, New Jersey;¹ Tijedtske passed away and was buried at the church there.

Jentie remarried on December 4, 1666 to a woman named Britten Oloff, a widow who was originally from Sweden; the wedding took place at the Dutch church in New York.¹ The couple didn’t have any children together. Jentie didn’t seem to return to New Jersey and likely spent the rest of his life in New York or Brooklyn. The date of his death is unknown, but his second wife was shown to be married to someone else on April 18, 1673.¹

Children (all by Tijedtske Gerrits):
1. Lijckele Jenties — B. 20 May 1655, Dokkum, Friesland, Netherlands;⁵ D. young

2. Grietien Jenties — B. before 1 Jul 1656, Wijckel, Friesland, Netherlands;⁶ D. before 11 Oct 1663, (probably) Wijckel, Friesland, Netherlands⁶

3. Euwe Jenties — B. before 1 Nov 1657, Wijckel, Friesland, Netherlands;⁷ D. before 17 Jun 1660, (probably) Wijckel, Friesland, Netherlands⁸

4. Euwe Jenties — B. before 17 Jun 1660, (probably) Wijckel, Friesland, Netherlands⁸

5. Gerrit Van Wicklen — B. before 1 Jan 1659, Wijckel, Friesland, Netherlands;⁹ D. after 23 Dec 1722, Jamaica, Long Island, New York;¹⁰ M. Tryntje Gerrits (1666-?), 1687, (probably) New York¹⁰

6. Evert Jansz Van Wicklen — B. before 17 Jun 1660, Wijckel, Friesland, Netherlands;¹ D. about 1720, Flatbush, New York;¹ M. Metje Simonse Van Arsdalen (~1670-?), after 27 Feb 1690, Flatbush, New York¹

7. Meinske Jenties — B. before 11 May 1662, Leeuwarden, Friesland, Netherlands;¹¹ D. 1708, Tarrytown, New York;¹² M. Albert Minnelay (1659-?), 18 Oct 1684, Flatbush, New York¹²

8. Grietje Jenties — B. before 11 Oct 1663, Leeuwarden, Friesland, Netherlands;¹³ M. Jan Hercksz (~1657-1730), (probably) New York¹⁴

Sources:

1    "The Van Wicklen/Van Wickle Family: Including Its Frisian Origin and Connections to Minnerly and Kranckheyt,” New York Genealogical and Biographical Record Vol.128, no. 2, Harry Macy Jr., 1997
2    WikiTree listing for Jentie Jeppes   
3    D’ Eendracht (The Unity) passengers list, Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild (website)  
4    Records of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of the Town of Flatbush, Kings Co., New York, marriages 1792-1866
5    WikiTree listing for Lijckele Jenties  
6    WikiTree listing for Grieten Jenties  
7    Baptismal record of Euwe Jeppes (older), Netherlands Archival Indexes, Vital Records, 1600-2000, FamilySearch.org
8    Baptismal record of Euwe Jeppes (younger), N. A. I. V. R.
9    Baptismal record of Gerrit Jeppes, N. A. I. V. R.
10  WikiTree listing for Gerrit Jenties  
11  Baptismal record of Meinske Jeppes, baptismal registers for 1662-1663, Frisian Historical and Library Centre
12  WikiTree listing for Meinske Jans  
13  Baptismal record of Grietje Jeppes, baptismal registers for 1662-1663, Frisian Historical and Library Centre
14  Birth record of Jan Krankheyt (Grietje’s son), New York Church Records, 1660-1954, FamilySearch.org