M. (1) before 1640 in (probably) Hengelo, Netherlands1,3
Husband: Arent Theunissen Van Henglen
M. (2) 25 May 1656 in New Netherland1
Husband: Severyn Laurenszen
D. before 5 Aug 1671 in New York1
Tryntie Reynders was a woman who settled in New Netherland with her husband, and faced terrible hardships because of it. But she found a way to survive, keeping her children safe, and passing her bloodline on to thousands of descendants.
Tryntie (also spelled Tryntje) was born in Hengelo, Netherlands in about 1621.1,2 Nothing is known of her family; surnames were patronymic in most Netherlands families, and “Reynders” was taken from the first name of her father. After she came of age, she married Arent Theunissen Van Henglen, who was also from Hengelo.1,3 Between about 1641 and 1652, she had at least three children.
Shortly after the birth of her youngest child, Arent decided the family would find a new life in America. Once in New Amsterdam, they joined a group who were establishing a community on Staten Island.1 For a time, the family enjoyed a peaceful life on their farm, but it came to an abrupt end in a conflict called the Peach Tree War. This was a fight between the Dutch and the Swedish who colonized in the region first. The Swedes enlisted local tribes who could help them fight, and after the Dutch took several of their forts in 1655, Susquehannock warriors retaliated against Dutch civilians on September 15th.
One of the places they hit was where Tryntie lived. A total of 23 people were killed at the Staten Island settlement, including her husband Arent.1,4 Typically, in a raid such as this, people were slaughtered in their homes with tomahawks, and it’s likely Tryntie was there to witness whatever was done to her husband. She and all three of her children were then captured and taken back to the Susquehannock camp where they were held as prisoners.5 There were over 60 people with her, each living in fear of what would happen next. But luckily, after a month in captivity, their release was negotiated by the man who had run the settlement on Staten Island, Captain Adrian Post.6
With her husband dead and her home destroyed, Tryntie and her children sought refuge in Manhattan with many other victims of the massacre.5 Needing a husband to support her, she married a man named Severyn Laurenszen on May 25, 1656.1 Severyn was from Denmark, and had come to New Amsterdam as a mercenary soldier.7
New Amsterdam when Tryntje lived there.
Tryntie was by now about age 45, and she had no children with her second husband. It must have been a struggle to make ends meet, which may have led to Severyn being charged with theft in early 1658. A trial on April 12th resulted in him being found him guilty, and his sentence was to be “stripped of arms and publicly flogged and branded.”7 He escaped jail before this was done, and on May 28th, he was pardoned and “permitted to live on Long Island,”7 which meant he and Tryntie moved to either present-day Queens or Brooklyn.
Since Severyn no longer had a place in the military, he needed a new livelihood, and in about 1660, he decided to go into business with another man running a tavern.7 Once again, Tryntie moved, this time to a road on the outskirts of New Amsterdam which became known as The Bowery. Several taverns lined the road, so it must have attracted a somewhat lawless element. Severyn was cited more than once for such violations as “selling liquor during divine service,” and for allowing people in his tavern “to play nine pins” on Sunday.7
Tryntie’s ordeal on Staten Island resurfaced in November 1661. Former colony leader Captain Post sued Severyn for money he thought was owed regarding Tryntie’s release back in 1656. To counter that, Tryntie came forward in court with a claim that Captain Post actually owed her a larger amount of money.7,8 The authorities referred the case to Thomas Hall and Fredrick Lubbersen to settle the issue, but there’s no further record of what happened next.
It isn’t known exactly when Tryntie died. She and Severyn made a joint will in about May 1662,8 and she didn’t appear in any records after that. He married a second wife on August 5, 1671,1 so her death must have been between those two dates.
Children (all by Arent Theunissen Van Henglen):
1. Reynier Arentsen Van Henglen — B. about 1641,(probably)Hengelo, Netherlands; D. after 17 Sep 1721;1 M. (1) Annetje Hermans, New Netherland; (2) Jannetije Aukes Van Nuys, 16661
2. Maritje Arents Van Henglen — B. (probably) Hengelo, Netherlands; M. Jan Jansen Langestraat, 2 Nov 1659, New Netherland1
3. Hendrick Arentsen Van Henglen — B. about 1652, (probably) Hengelo, Netherlands; D. about 16 Jun 1689, New York;1 M. Catherine Hardenbroeck, 25 Oct 1684, New York1
Sources:
1 “Notes on the Rynearson (Van Hengel) Family,” Somerset County Quarterly, Vol. 5., Edward Kinsey Voorhees, 1916
2 Birth year estimate based on approximate ages of children
3 Marriage year estimate based on approximate ages of children
4 Since we know Arent’s wife and children were captives in the 1655 raid on Staten Island, and that Arent wasn’t among them, it’s safe to conclude that he was killed
5 Documents Relative to the Colonial History of N.Y., Vol XIII, page 74, 1881
6 Documents Relative to the Colonial History of N.Y., Vol XIII, pages 45-48, 1881
7 Scandinavian Immigrants in New York, 1630-1674, John Oluf Evjen, 1916
8 Yearbook of the Holland Society of New York, 1900
