Dutch Baker in 18th-Century Brooklyn — Adrian Hegeman

B. about 1683 in (probably) Pemaquid, Maine
M. (1) 15 Dec 1706 in Flatbush, New York
Wife: Elizabeth Van Wyck
M. (2) before 1719
Wife: Sarah _______
D. after 11 Aug 1762 in (probably) Brooklyn, New York

The roots of Brooklyn are found in a handful of Dutch families who first made their homes there during colonial times. One member of a prominent early family was Adrian Hegeman, who worked as a baker near the shore of the East River.

Adrian didn't start out in Brooklyn. His father, Denys Hegeman, had been serving as a soldier up in Maine, and married an English girl named Grace Dollen. They lived in the town of Pemaquid, where Adrian was born in about 1683. It was a dangerous place to try to raise a family, and the Hegemans were in the crosshairs of local tribes who were aligned with the French. In August 1689, when Adrian was about six years-old, Indians raided the settlement, attacking his family's home. They captured his mother and younger sister by force, but he escaped harm.

After bringing the remaining children to the safety of Brooklyn, Adrian's father went back to Maine in an attempt to rescue Adrian's mother, but was taken by the French. Both parents were held in Quebec, and it would be four years before they were freed. The sister who was captured in the raid presumably died early on. Adrian had a brother born while his parents were in captivity, and two more brothers were born in the next few years in Brooklyn.

Perhaps because of the experiences of his childhood, once Adrian settled in Brooklyn, he more or less stayed there for the rest of his life. On December 15, 1706, he married Elizabeth Van Wyck in Flatbush; they had four children born between 1707 and 1714, but she passed away soon after. By 1718, Adrian married a second wife whose name was Sarah (her last name is unknown), and they had six children together, with the youngest born in 1734. 

Adrian made a living as a baker in New Utrecht, then later moved his home and business to near the ferry in Brooklyn. The area was mostly rural, but by the mid-18th century, a thriving town was starting to develop near the waterfront which would one day become a major city.

Brooklyn Ferry in 1750.

On August 11, 1762, Adrian wrote his will, mentioning his wife Sarah and surviving children as his beneficiaries. Also noted was “my estate in New Jersey and elsewhere,” which likely meant Somerset County, a place where his son Adrian lived. He passed away soon after; it isn’t known when Sarah died. 

Children by Elizabeth Van Wyck:
1. Denys Hegeman — B. 1707; M. Susanne ________

2. Cornelius Hegeman — B. 1709, Flatbush, New York; M. Martje Wiltse (1725-?), 10 Sep 1740, New York

3. Elizabeth Hegeman — B. 1711; M. Jacobus Simonse

4. Dirck Hegeman — B. 1714, Flatbush, New York; M. Aeltie Dolson, 3 Dec 1738, Fishkill, New York

Children by Sarah:
1. Adrian Hegeman — B. 1 Feb 1719, New Utrecht, New York; M. Sarah Terhune (1721-?), 10 May 1742, (probably) New York

2. Sarah Hegeman — B. before 16 Jul 1721, New Utrecht, New York; M. Richard Morrel

3. Joseph Hegeman — B. before 3 Jul 1726, New Utrecht, New York: D. young

4. Lucretia Hegeman — B. 11 Aug 1728, New Utrecht, New York; M. Alexander Forbus, 30 Jun 1753, New York, New York

5. Peter Hegeman — B. 10 Nov 1731, New Utrecht, New York; M. Christina Pearsall, 4 Jul 1765, New York, New York

6. Joseph Hegeman — B. 4 Sep 1734, New Utrecht, New York

Sources:
Ten years at Pemaquid: sketches of its history and its ruins, John Henry Cartland, 1899
"The Tribulations of Denys Hegeman," Richard W. Cook, Genealogies of New Jersey Families: A-Z, pre-American notes on New Netherland families, 1996
Register of the Early Settlers of Kings County, Long Island, N.Y., Teunis G. Bergen
Genealogy website of John Blythe Dobson, which cites many sources

Father of 21 Children — Antoine Emery dit Coderre

B. 6 Aug 1643 in Sarrazac, France¹
M. (1) 13 Apr 1674 in Contrecoeur, New France²
Wife: Marie Devault
M. (2) after 5 Jun 1688 in (probably) Boucherville, New France³
Wife: Marie-Anne Favreau
D. before 6 Apr 1715 in (probably) Contrecœur, New France⁴

Twenty-one children is a lot of offspring, even for an early settler in New France, but Antoine Emery dit Coderre left such a legacy. He was born in the village of Le Vieux Sarrazac, France on August 6, 1643;¹ his parents were Megny Aymeric and Marguerite Pasquau, who had at least two other children. When he came of age, Antoine joined the military as part of the Carignan-Salières Regiment, and he sailed from La Rochelle on May 13, 1665 on board the ship La Paix.¹ After a journey of several months, he arrived at Quebec on August 19th.¹

Antoine’s unit was the Contrecœur company, serving under Antoine Pécaudy de Contrecœur. Like most of the companies, the Contrecœur soldiers were sent first to build some forts along the Richelieu River, but afterwards, they camped for the winter at Montreal. This seems to have become their base of operation for the rest of the time. Like many of the men, after his service was up, Antoine chose to make his life in New France. 

Carignan-Salières Regiment soldiers in Canada.

Antoine’s company leader Pécaudy de Contrecœur also stayed on in New France, and settled in the Montreal area, and Antoine acquired a concession nearby in an agreement dated November 5, 1667.⁵ Five years later, the area became formally designated as the seigneury of Contrecœur. On November 26, 1670, Antoine was named in a document as leasing a cow in the settlement of Verchéres,³ also close to Montreal, so he may have farmed there at some point. He took a wife around this time, a Fille du Roi named Marie Devault; they got formally married on April 13, 1674,² but this was after they already had four children. By 1687, Marie gave birth to seven more; of their eleven children, five died young.

During his marriage, Antoine moved back to Contrecœur on 90 arpents of land that fronted the St. Lawrence River by 3 arpents.³ The 1681 census showed that he had 8 cattle and 16 arpents under cultivation.³ On December 6, 1687, Marie died,⁶ probably from giving birth to their youngest child, who also died about the same time.⁷ Contrecœur was attacked in 1691 and many houses were burned. Antoine left either before or after this happened, living in Boucherville.⁵

At age 44, Antoine married Marie-Anne Favreau,³ the 16-year-old daughter of one of the soldiers he had served with in the Contrecœur company. Antoine agreed to a contract on June 6, 1688 promising to marry her, but the actual wedding date is unknown. The actual wedding date isn’t known because the record is lost.³ The couple had ten children born between 1690 and 1711. Meanwhile, Antoine acquired more land, probably to have property he could pass to his many sons. On April 18, 1695, he signed a lease from merchant Pierre Perthuis for a tract that had 6 arpents of river frontage in Pointe-aux-Trembles.³ Then on January 27, 1699, he acquired 100 arpents of land at Saint-Sulpice.³

It isn't known exactly when Antoine died, but a document setting up guardianships for his children was dated April 6, 1715.⁴ He was survived by his wife Marie-Anne, six daughters and eight sons. Marie-Anne remarried and lived until 1737.⁸ Antoine and Marie-Anne were the ancestors of June Foray, the voice of Rocky the Squirrel.

About the name Coderre
Antoine added “dit Coderre” to his name at the time he migrated to New France. It was common for immigrants to add “dit names” to their surname to indicate where they came from. Most of his descendants shortened the name, with some using "Emery" and others using a variation of "Coderre." The mystery of the name Coderre may have been solved when a 20th century descendant visited the site of the village where Antoine was baptized and discovered there had been another village nearby named Le Coderc. Both places are long gone and only exist today as the ruins of some old buildings. It’s likely that Le Coderc was where Antoine lived as a boy.⁹

Children by Marie Devault:
1. Marie-Elisabeth Emery — B. about 1670, New France;¹⁰ D. 27 Dec 1755, Contrecœur, New France;¹¹ M. Nicolas Bonin, 8 Feb 1685, Contrecoeur, New France¹²

2. Pierre Emery dit Coderre — B. 29 Jan 1671, Boucherville, New France;¹³ D. 7 Mar 1746, Lanoraie, New France;¹⁴ M. Marie-Jeanne Énaud, after 30 Dec 1719, New France¹⁵

3. Jean-Baptiste Emery dit Coderre — B. 2 Apr 1672, (probably) Contrecœur, New France;¹⁶ D. before 1681, (probably) Contrecœur, New France¹⁷

4. Louis Emery dit Coderre — B. 14 Mar 1674, Contrecœur, New France;¹⁸ D. 10 May 1703, Contrecœur, New France;¹⁹ M. Marie-Madeleine Leclerc (?-1758), 2 May 1697, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France²⁰

5. Marie Emery — B. 6 Feb 1676, Contrecœur, New France;²¹ D. before 1681, (probably) Contrecœur, New France¹⁷

6. Antoine Emery dit Coderre — B. 4 Feb 1677, Contrecœur, New France;²² D. 30 Mar 1677, Contrecœur, New France²³

7. Marie-Madeleine Emery — B. 27 Feb 1678, Contrecœur, New France;²⁴ D. 9 Jun 1760, Boucherville, New France;²⁵ M. Mathurin Favreau (~1676-?), 11 Jan 1700, Contrecœur, New France²⁶

8. Marguerite Emery — B. about 1680, (probably) Contrecœur, New France;²⁷ D. 30 May 1758, Saint-Sulpice, New France;²⁸ M. Nicolas Jouanne, 24 Sep 1708, Contrecoeur, New France²⁹

9. Françoise Emery — B. 3 Oct 1682, Contrecœur, New France;³⁰ D. 3 Dec 1758, Saint-Sulpice, New France;³¹ M. Jean-Baptiste Laperche dit Saint-Jean (~1674-?), 11 Jan 1700, Boucherville, New France³²

10. Anne Emery — B. 24 Dec 1684, Contrecœur, New France;³³ D. 3 Jan 1685, Contrecœur, New France³⁴

11. Marie Emery — B. Oct 1687, Repentigny, New France;³⁵ D. 4 Dec 1687, Repentigny, New France³⁶

Children by Marie-Anne Favreau:
1. Antoine Emery dit Coderre — B. 4 Jun 1690, Boucherville, New France;³⁷ D. 29 Feb 1736, Contrecœur, New France;³⁸ M. Marguerite Brunel, 10 Feb 1716, Montreal, New France³⁹

2. Marie-Anne — B. 19 Mar 1692, Boucherville, New France;⁴⁰ D. 4 Mar 1768, Saint-Sulpice, Quebec;⁴¹ M. Ignace Piché, 16 Jun 1717, Contrecoeur, New France⁴²

3. Louis Emery dit Coderre — B. 1 Jun 1694, Boucherville, New France;⁴³ D. 14 Apr 1763, Saint-Ours, New France;⁴⁴ M. Elisabeth Menard (1699-1781), 10 Nov 1719, Verchéres, New France⁴⁵

4. Catherine Emery — B. 24 Feb 1696, Boucherville, New France;⁴⁶ 12 Aug 1768, Verchéres, Quebec;⁴⁷ M. Michel Bouvier, 19 Mar 1718, St-Ours, New France⁴⁸

5. Joseph Emery dit Coderre — B. 24 Feb 1698, Boucherville, New France;⁴⁹ D. 21 Apr 1762, Vaudreuil, New France;⁵⁰ M. (1) Marie Perrin (1702-?), 6 Jul 1725, Ste-Anne-de-Bout-de-I’lle, New France;⁵¹ (2) Marie-Louise Brunet, 30 Apr 1737, Ste-Anne-de-Bout-de-I’lle, New France⁵²

6. François Godere — B. about 1700, (probably) Contrecœur, New France;⁵³ M. Agnes Richard (1719-?), about 1735, (probably) Ouiatenon, New France⁵⁴

7. Jean-Baptiste Emery dit Coderre — B. 23 Jan 1703, Contrecœur, New France;⁵⁵ D. 7 May 1756, Saint-Ours, New France;⁵⁶ M. Marie-Barbe Meunier, 20 Mar 1728, Contrecoeur, New France⁵⁷

8. Gabriel Emery dit Coderre — B. about 1705, (probably) Contrecœur, New France;⁵⁸ D. 18 Jun 1770, Saint-Sulpice, Quebec;⁵⁹ M. Genevieve-Agathe Dalpec (1713-?), 26 Jan 1733, Saint-Sulpice, New France⁶⁰

9. Jacques Emery dit Coderre — B. 2 Aug 1708, Contrecœur, New France;⁶¹ D. 2 Nov 1767, Saint-Ours, Quebec;⁶² M. Marguerite Gazaille (1713-?), 12 Nov 1731, Contrecœur, New France⁶³

10. Ursule Emery — B. about 1711, (probably) Contrecœur, New France;⁶⁴ D. 17 Dec 1744, Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu, New France;⁶⁵ M. Joseph Meunier, 18 Nov 1737, Contrecœur, New France⁶⁶

Sources:
1    Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing of Antoine Emery dit Coderre
2    Marriage record of Antoine Emery dit Coderre and Marie Devault, Quebec, Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3    Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Vol. 16, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
4    Guardianship of the minor children of the late Antoine Émery dit Coderre and Marie Devault, 5 Apr 1715, BAnQ
5    Migrations.fr listing of Antoine Emery dit Coderre
6    Burial record of Marie Devault, Q., C. P. R.
7    Burial record of Marie Emery dite Coderre, Q., C. P. R.
8    Burial record of Marie-Anne Favreau, Q., C. P. R.
9    WikiTree listing of Thony (Eymery) Émery dit Coderre – scroll down to comments from D Q
10  Rough birth year of Marie-Elisabeth Emery based on age at marriage
11  Burial record of Marie-Elisabeth Emery, Q., C. P. R.
12  Marriage record of Nicolas Bonin and Marie-Elisabeth Emery, Q., C. P. R.
13  Baptismal record of Pierre Emery dit Coderre, Q., C. P. R.
14  Burial record of Pierre Emery dit Coderre, Q., C. P. R.
15  Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing of Pierre Emery dit Coderre
16  Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Emery dit Coderre, Q., C. P. R.
17  Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
18  Baptismal record of Louis Emery dit Coderre (his older son), Q., C. P. R.
19  Burial record of Louis Emery dit Coderre (his older son), Q., C. P. R.
20  Marriage record of Louis Emery dit Coderre and Madeleine Leclerc, Q., C. P. R.
21  Baptismal record of Marie Emery (older), Q., C. P. R.
22  Baptismal record of Antoine Emery dit Coderre (his older son), Q., C. P. R.
23  Burial record of Antoine Emery dit Coderre (his older son), Q., C. P. R.
24  Baptismal record of Marie-Madeleine Emery, Q., C. P. R.
25  Burial record of Marie-Madeleine Emery, Q., C. P. R.
26  Marriage record of Mathurin Favreau and Marie-Madeleine Emery, Q., C. P. R.
27  Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing of Marguerite Emery
28  Burial record of Marguerite Emery, Q., C. P. R.
29  Marriage record of Nicolas Jouanne and Marguerite Emery, Q., C. P. R.
30  Baptismal record of Françoise Emery, Q., C. P. R.
31  Burial record of Françoise Emery, Q., C. P. R.
32  Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Laperche and Françoise Emery, Q., C. P. R.
33  Baptismal record of Anne Emery, Q., C. P. R.
34  Burial record of Anne Emery, Q., C. P. R.
35  Baptismal record of Marie Emery (younger), Q., C. P. R.
36  Burial record of Marie Emery (younger), Q., C. P. R.
37  Baptismal record of Antoine Emery dit Coderre (his younger son), Q., C. P. R.
38  Burial record of Antoine Emery dit Coderre (his younger son), Q., C. P. R.
39  Marriage record of Antoine Emery dit Coderre and Marguerite Brunel, Q., C. P. R.
40  Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Emery, Q., C. P. R.
41  Burial record of Marie-Anne Emery, Q., C. P. R.
42  Marriage record of Ignace Piché and Marie-Anne Emery, Q., C. P. R.
43  Baptismal record of Louis Emery dit Coderre (his younger son), Q., C. P. R.
44  Burial record of Louis Emery dit Coderre (his younger son), Q., C. P. R.
45  Marriage record of Louis Emery dit Coderre and Elisabeth Menard, Q., C. P. R.
46  Baptismal record of Catherine Emery, Q., C. P. R.
47  Burial record of Catherine Emery, Q., C. P. R.
48  Marriage record of Michel Bouvier and Catherine Emery, Q., C. P. R.
49  Baptismal record of Joseph Emery dit Coderre (his younger son), Q., C. P. R.
50  Burial record of Joseph Emery dit Coderre (his younger son), Q., C. P. R.
51  Marriage record of Joseph Emery dit Coderre and Marie Perrin, Q., C. P. R.
52  Marriage record of Joseph Emery dit Coderre and Marie-Louise Brunet, Q., C. P. R.
53  Baptismal records of the children of Antoine Emery dit Coderre and Marie-Anne Favreau, Q., C. P. R.
54  Marriage date estimate based on estimated birth date of oldest child, Find-a-Grave listing of René Godere
55  Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Emery dit Coderre, Q., C. P. R.
56  Burial record of Jean-Baptiste Emery dit Coderre, Q., C. P. R.
57  Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Emery dit Coderre and Marie-Barbe Meunier, Q., C. P. R.
58  Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing of Gabriel Emery
59  Burial record of Gabriel Emery dit Coderre, Q., C. P. R.
60  Marriage record of Gabriel Emery dit Coderre and Genevieve-Agathe Dalpec, Q., C. P. R.
61  Baptismal record of Jacques Emery dit Coderre, Q., C. P. R.
62  Burial record of Jacques Emery dit Coderre, Q., C. P. R.
63  Marriage record of Jacques Emery dit Coderre and Marguerite Gazaille, Q., C. P. R.
64  Baptismal record of Ursule Emery, Q., C. P. R.
65  Burial record of Ursule Emery, Q., C. P. R.
66  Marriage record of Joseph Meunier and Ursule Emery, Q., C. P. R.

Born to Become a Fur Trader — Charles Diel

B. 29 Jan 1722 in LaPrairie, New France¹
M. 16 Jan 1746 in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, New France²
Wife: Felicite Sauve dit La Plante
D. before 8 Jan 1757 in (probably) New France³

In 18th-century New France, if your father was a fur trader, and his father was a fur trader, chances were you would follow the same profession. This was true for Charles Diel, who signed up for several expeditions to the west between 1747 and 1755.

Charles was born on January 29, 1722 to Charles Diel and Jeanne Boyer,¹ and he was the fourth of their nine children. The family lived in LaPrairie, a town across the river from Montreal. Charles Sr. had been on at least two fur trading expeditions before young Charles was born.^4,5 His mother Jeanne died when he was 8-years-old,⁶ and his father remarried,⁷ then his father died when he was 12.⁸

On January 16, 1746, Charles married Felicite Sauve dite La Plante,² who was from the western end of Montreal island. The couple made their home in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue,⁹ and had a son born before the year was out. By 1752, they had three more children, all girls.

It was natural that Charles become a fur trader; in addition to his father and grandfather, his two brothers Antoine and Eustache also worked in the business.¹⁰ Men living around Montreal could make good money, although the work was hard and often dangerous, and took them away from their families for months at a time. One source said that Charles signed up for a trading expedition to Fort Ouiatenon (present-day Indiana) in 1747.¹¹ This fits with the 2-year gap between the births of his first and second children.

Charles listed on an expedition in 1750.

In June 1751, Charles contracted with Louis St. Ange Charly for a fur trading expedition to Michilimackinac, a post at the northern end of Lake Michigan.¹² He was paid 230 livres for the work he did on this trip. This expedition consisted of three canoes manned by at least 7 men each, and was also given permission to stop at two other trading posts in the upper Great Lakes area. 

It’s believed that Charles went on another expedition to Michilimackinac in May 1755.⁵ There’s no record of him after this date, though, and he was dead by the end of 1756. Because there’s no burial record for Charles in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, it seems likely that he died while out in the West. Did he suffer an accident on his final journey? Or perhaps got killed in another way? It’s impossible to say. His wife Felicite remarried on January 8, 1757,³ but she died in October 1759 not long after giving birth to a child.¹³

Michilimackinac in the 18th century.

Children:
1. Charles Diel — B. 16 Oct 1746, (probably) Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, New France;⁹ D. 8 Jul 1813, Vincennes, Indiana Territory;¹⁴ M. Elisabeth Clermond Dubord, before 5 September 1774, (probably) Illinois Territory¹⁵

2. Marie-Louise Diel — B. 1 Dec 1748, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, New France¹⁶

3. Marie-Genevieve Diel — B. 20 Apr 1750, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, New France;¹⁷ D. 4 Jan 1773, Ste-Genevieve, Pierrefonds, Quebec;¹⁸ M. Olivier Charlebois (1736-1815), 24 Nov 1766, Pointe-Claire, Quebec¹⁹

4. Marie-Charlotte Diel — B. 6 Jan 1752, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, New France²⁰

Sources:
1    Baptismal record of Charles Diel, Quebec, Quebec, Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Charles Diel and Felicite Sauve dit La Plante, Q., C. P. R.
3    Marriage record of Charles Diel and Felicite Sauve dit La Plante, Q., C. P. R.
4    Généalogie du Québec et d'Amérique française listing of Charles Diel (his father)
5    A Drifting Cowboy (blog)
6    Burial record of Jeanne Boyer, Q., C. P. R.
7    Marriage record of Charles Diel and Marguerite Robert, Q., C. P. R.
8    Burial record of Charles Diel (his father), Q., C. P. R.
9    Baptismal record of Charles Diel (his son), Q., C. P. R.
10  Fur trade contracts for men named Diel, Centre du patrimoine website
11  Permission for fur trade expedition, 9 Jul 1747, BAnQ
12  Fur trade contract of Charles Diel, 1 Jun 1751, Centre du patrimoine website
13  Burial record of Felicite Sauve dit La Plante, Q., C. P. R.
14  Indiana Diels Descended from Philippe Diel and Marie Anquetin (website)
15  Baptismal record of Charles Guiel, Indiana, Births and Christenings, 1773-1933, FamilySearch.org
16  Baptismal record of Marie-Louise Diel, Q., C. P. R.
17  Baptismal record of Marie-Genevieve Diel, Q., C. P. R.
18  Burial record of Marie-Genevieve Diel, Q., C. P. R.
19  Marriage record of Olivier Charlebois and Marie-Genevieve Diel, Q., C. P. R.
20  Baptismal record of Marie-Charlotte Diel, Q., C. P. R.

Her Son Crossed the Delaware — Rachel Carpenter

B. 29 Mar 1729 in Coventry, Connecticut¹
M. (1) 9 Nov 1749 in Coventry, Connecticut²
Husband: Joshua Boynton
M. (2) 5 Sep 1754 in Coventry, Connecticut³
Husband: Ebenezer French
D. 28 Feb 1816 in Westhampton, Massachusetts⁴

Like many 18th-century mothers in colonial Massachusetts, Rachel Carpenter experienced the American Revolution through the service of her sons, with one of them involved in some of the most important events of the war.

Rachel was born on March 29, 1729 in Coventry, Connecticut to Amos Carpenter and Deborah Long,¹ the sixth of their thirteen children. At age 20, she married Joshua Boynton, also from Coventry.² The wedding took place on November 9, 1749, and a year later, she gave birth to her first child, a daughter Phebe. Within two years, she had another daughter, but Joshua became seriously ill, and he passed away on October 16, 1752.⁵ His probate showed that Rachel got half of his estate, with the other half to be divided between their two daughters.⁶

On September 5, 1754, Rachel remarried to Ebenezer French,³ and they had eight children together born between 1755 and 1770. Ebenezer was from Northampton, Massachusetts, and in about 1762, the family moved near there.⁷ They settled in an area that would one-day become Westhampton, a place that had only one other family. Rachel’s husband cleared some land in the wilderness and built a log cabin. In 1764, they owned 20 acres of land, a horse, a “yoke of oxen,” a cow and a hog.⁷ By 1766, the family seems to have moved from that location, but they returned in 1773 as the area became more settled.⁷

When the American Revolution was brewing in early 1775, Rachel had two sons who were reaching the age to serve in the military. The town militia was training to be ready on a minute’s notice to fight the British, and 16-year-old Ebenezer was old enough to join them. After the first shots were fired at Lexington, Ebenezer, along with his father Ebenezer, were among the Minutemen who marched to Concord.⁷

Watching the men go off to war. (AI-generated image)

Young Ebenezer was stationed in Boston until after the Battle of Bunker Hill when he then enlisted in the Continental Army. He marched to Long Island and served with Washington’s troops as they retreated into New Jersey. He was said to have crossed the Delaware and injured a finger which had to be amputated. Later, he was present after the Battle of Saratoga when General Burgoyne surrendered to the Americans.⁸

Rachel’s second son, Nathan, also enlisted in the army, serving as a private from July 1777 to August 1780.⁹ Sadly, Rachel lost two of her children, 12-year-old Asenath and 6-year-old Amariah, on or about March 17, 1776.¹⁰ Another child, Hannah also died around this time,¹¹ suggesting that they must have been the victims of the same illness. The gravestone for Asenath and Amariah is the oldest one in Center Cemetery in Westhampton.¹⁰

Grave of Asenath and Amariah.

Ebenezer was recorded on the 1800 U.S. Census living only with Rachel in their old age.¹² He probably died before 1810. Rachel lived to be almost 87-years-old, dying on February 28, 1816.⁴ Her gravestone in Center Cemetery identifies her as “Mrs. Rachel F.” widow of her first husband Joshua Boynton, but oddly doesn’t mention Ebenezer.

Children by Joshua Boynton:
1. Phebe Boynton – B. 23 Nov 1750, Coventry, Connecticut;¹³ D. 30 Nov 1847, Easthampton, Massachusetts;¹⁴ M. Benjamin Clapp (1738-1815), before 28 Feb 1768, (probably) Easthampton, Massachusetts¹⁵

2. Anne Boynton – B. 24 Mar 1752, Coventry, Connecticut¹⁶

Children by Ebenezer French:
1. Mary French — B. 22 Jun 1755, Coventry, Connecticut;¹⁷ D. 11 Jan 1832, Westhampton, Massachusetts;¹⁸ M. Thomas Elwell (1752-1803), 24 Oct 1775, Northampton, Massachusetts¹⁹

2. Ebenezer French — B. 5 Apr 1759, Coventry Connecticut;²⁰ 17 Nov 1844, Otisco, New York;²¹ M. (1) Rachel Patrick;²¹ (2) Lucy Bostwick (1760-1808), 11 Jan 1781, Westhampton, Massachusetts²¹

3. Nathan French — B. 3 Feb 1760, Coventry, Connecticut;²² D. 30 Aug 1847, Westhampton, Massachusetts;²³ M. (1) Persis Sheldon (1765-1796);²³ (2) Mary Tharp (1772-1855)²³

4. Rachel French — B. 12 Mar 1762, Westhampton, Massachusetts;²⁴ D. Mar 1826, Otisco, New York;²⁴ M. Elias Thayer (1752-1828)²⁴

5. Asenath French — B. 12 Apr 1764, Westhampton, Massachusetts;²⁵ about 17 Mar 1776, Westhampton, Massachusetts²⁵

6. Hannah French — B. 27 Apr 1766, Westhampton, Massachusetts;¹¹ about 17 Mar 1776, Westhampton, Massachusetts¹¹

7. Joshua Boynton French — B. 20 Jan 1768, Westhampton, Massachusetts;²⁶ D. 26 Sep 1802, Westhampton, Massachusetts;²⁷ M. Anna Brockway (1774-1863)²⁷

8. Amariah French — B. about 1770, Westhampton, Massachusetts;¹⁰ about 17 Mar 1776, Westhampton, Massachusetts¹⁰

Sources:
1    Birth record of Rachel Carpenter, Connecticut, Births and Christenings, 1649-1906, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Joshua Boynton and Rachel Carpenter, Connecticut, Marriages, 1630-1997, FamilySearch.org
3    Marriage record of Ebenezer French and Rachel Boynton, C., M.
4    Find-a-Grave listing of Rachel (Carpenter) Boynton
5    Death record of Joshua Boynton, Connecticut, Deaths and Burials, 1772-1934, FamilySearch.org
6    Probate record of Joshua Boynton, Coventry, Probate Records, 1849-1880, FamilySearch.org
7    Memorial of the Reunion of the Natives of Westhampton, Mass., 1866
8    Onondaga’s Centennial: Gleanings of a Century, Volume 1, Dwight Hall Bruce, 1896
9    A Record of the Revolutionary Soldiers buried in Lake County, Ohio, New Connecticut Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, 1902
10  Amariah French listing in Find-a-Grave
11  Hannah French listing in Find-a-Grave
12  1800 U.S. Census, Westhampton, Massachusetts
13  Birth record of Phebe Boynton, C., B. & C.
14  Death record of Phebe Clapp, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
15  Birth record of Rachel Clapp, Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, FamilySearch.org
16  Birth record of Anne Boynton, C., B. & C.
17  Birth record of Mary French, C., B. & C.
18  Find-a-Grave listing of Mary (French) Elwell
19  The Descendants of Thomas Elwell or Westhampton, Massachusetts, Levi Henry Elwell, 1902
20  Birth record of Ebenezer French (younger), C., B. & C.
21  Find-a-Grave listing of Ebenezer French (younger)
22  Birth record of Nathan French, C., B. & C.
23  Find-a-Grave listing of Nathan French
24  Find-a-Grave listing of Rachel (French) Thayer
25  Find-a-Grave listing of Asenath French
26  Birth record of Joshua Boynton French, M., B. & C.
27  Find-a-Grave listing of Joshua Boynton French

Husband Tortured and Killed by Iroquois — Agnes Tessier

B. 23 Mar 1659 in Montreal, New France¹
M. (1) 26 Nov 1675 in Montreal, New France²
Husband: Guillaume Richard
M. 21 Nov 1692 in Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France³
Husband: Claude Duconge
D. 24 Jan 1733 in Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France⁴

During the early days of Montreal, French settlers lived under the constant threat of violence at the hands of Iroquois. For Agnes Tessier, her life was directly affected in childhood and in her first marriage.

Agnes came from Montreal's founding families. She was born on March 23, 1659 in Montreal to Urbain Tessier dit Lavigne and Marie Archambault,¹ the 7th of their 17 children. This was a time when Montreal was more of a frontier outpost than a city, and settlers were often attacked by raiding Iroquois. Her father Urbain was said to be fearless in defending the community, but when she was a toddler, he was taken captive by the Iroquois for several months.⁵ Luckily, some Jesuits won his release, although he lost a finger to torture.

Like many females in the colony, Agnes was just a teenager when she married her first husband, Guillaume Richard on November 26, 1675.² Guillaume had been born in France, arriving in Montreal as a soldier in a force sent over to defend it from the Iroquois. Soon after Agnes married him, she became pregnant, and she gave birth to a daughter the following August.⁶ They settled outside Montreal in Pointe-aux-Trembles, and seven more children were added to the family by 1690.

This was a time when the danger from Iroquois aggression was at its worst. On July 2, 1690, Guillaume was part of a small military force who became overwhelmed by 100 Iroquois warriors. The terrible result was that Guillaume was captured, tortured and then killed, and it took four years to recover his body for a proper burial.⁷ This was the price Agnes paid for living where she did.

A grieving widow. (AI-generated image)

After her husband’s death, Agnes was left to raise her children alone, so on November 21, 1692, she married another soldier from France named Claude Duconge.³ With him, she had five more children born between 1693 and 1702. Agnes’ second husband Claude died in 1729.⁸ She lived another few years and passed away on January 24, 1733.⁴ She was buried next to her first husband in the church cemetery in Point-aux-Trembles.

Agnes' signature.

Children by Guillaume Richard:
1. Agnes Richard — B. 23 Aug 1676, Montreal, New France;⁶ D. 4 Apr 1757, Repentigny, New France;⁹ M. Jean Moreau Duplessis (~1664-1735), 1 Dec 1703, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France¹⁰

2. Pierre Richard — B. 8 Aug 1678, Montreal, New France;¹¹ D. 12 Jan 1744, L’Assomption, New France;¹² M. Catherine Larrivee (1686-1759), 11 Oct 1706, Boucherville, New France¹³

3. Guillaume Richard — B. 26 Feb 1680, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France¹⁴

4. Jean-Baptiste Richard — B. 19 Mar 1682, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;¹⁵ M. Marie-Anne You, 15 Aug 1718, Montreal, New France¹⁶

5. Claude Richard — B. 30 Jan 1684, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France¹⁷

6. Marie-Anne Richard — B. 10 Apr 1686, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;¹⁸ D. 17 Jul 1710, Contrecoeur, New France;¹⁹ M. Mathieu Coitou (1681-1752), 23 Nov 1705, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France²⁰

7. Marie-Madeleine Richard — B. 14 Mar 1688, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;²¹ D. 7 Oct 1726, Varennes, New France;²² M. (1) Pierre Lambeye Larose (1681-1721), 22 Nov 1706, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;²³ (2) Pierre Desjardins (~1700-1767), 24 May 1723, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France²⁴

8. Urbain Richard — B. 25 Mar 1690, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;²⁵ D. 10 Aug 1760, St-Sulpice, New France;²⁶ M. (1) Marguerite Fleuricourt (1697-1740), 23 Jan 1719, Riviére-des-Prairies, New France;²⁷ (2) Marie-Catherine-Collet (1695-?), 19 May 1749, St-Sulpice, New France²⁸

Children by Claude Duconge:
1. Marie-Barbe Duconge — B. 20 Sep 1693, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;²⁹ D. 7 Sep 1778, L’Assomption, Quebec;³⁰ M. Ignace Goulet (1696-1776), 27 Apr 1722, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France³¹

2. Marguerite Duconge — B. 26 Jun 1696, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;³² M. (1) François Marie Jean Serran (1694-1731), 3 Jan 1718, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;³³ (2) Charles Couvret (1710-1760), 22 Sep 1732, Montreal, New France³⁴

3. Jean-Baptiste Duconge — B. 8 Sep 1698, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;³⁵ D. 19 Aug 1700, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France³⁶

4. Catherine Duconge — B. 9 Oct 1700, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;³⁷ D. 21 Mar 1718, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France³⁸

5. Guillaume Duconge — B. 27 Jun 1702, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;³⁹ D. 19 Jun 1705, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France⁴⁰

Sources:
1    Baptismal record of Agnes Tessier, Quebec, Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Guillaume Richard and Agnes Tessier, Q., C. P. R.
3    Marriage record of Claude Duconge and Agnes Tessier, Q., C. P. R.
4    Burial record of Agnes Tessier, Q., C. P. R.
5    French Canadian and Acadian Genealogical Review, Volume I, No. I, Spring 1968, Rev. Archange Godbout, 1968
6    Baptismal record of Agnes Richard, Q., C. P. R.
7    Burial record of Guillaume Richard, Q., C. P. R.
8    Burial record of Claude Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
9    Burial record of Agnes Richard, Q., C. P. R.
10  Marriage record of Jean Moreau Duplessis and Agnes Richard, Q., C. P. R.
11  Baptismal record of Pierre Richard, Q., C. P. R.
12  Burial record of Pierre Richard, Q., C. P. R.
13  Marriage record of Pierre Richard and Catherine Larrivee, Q., C. P. R.
14  Baptismal record of Guillaume Richard (younger), Q., C. P. R.
15  Baptismal record of Jean Baptiste Richard, Q., C. P. R.
16  Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Richard and Marie-Anne You, Q., C. P. R.
17  Baptismal record of Claude Richard, Q., C. P. R.
18  Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Richard, Q., C. P. R.
19  Burial record of Marie-Anne Richard, Q., C. P. R.
20  Marriage record of Mathieu Coitou and Marie-Anne Richard, Q., C. P. R.
21  Baptismal record of Marie-Madeleine Richard, Q., C. P. R.
22  Burial record of Marie-Madeleine Richard, Q., C. P. R.
23  Marriage record of Pierre Lambeye Larose and Marie-Madeleine Richard, Q., C. P. R.
24  Marriage record of Pierre Desjardins and Marie-Madeleine Richard, Q., C. P. R.
25  Baptismal record of Urbain Richard, Q., C. P. R.
26  Burial record of Urbain Richard, Q., C. P. R.
27  Marriage record of Urbain Richard and Marguerite Fleuricourt, Q., C. P. R.
28  Marriage record of Urbain Richard and Marie-Catherine-Collet, Q., C. P. R.
29  Baptismal record of Marie-Barbe Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
30  Burial record of Marie-Barbe Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
31  Marriage record of Ignace Goulet and Marie-Barbe Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
32  Baptismal record of Marguerite Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
33  Marriage record of François Marie Jean Serran and Marguerite Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
34  Marriage record of Charles Couvret and Marguerite Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
35  Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
36  Burial record of Jean-Baptiste Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
37  Baptismal record of Catherine Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
38  Burial record of Catherine Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
39  Baptismal record of Guillaume Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
40  Burial record of Guillaume Duconge, Q., C. P. R.

Colonial Woman of Brazil and Brooklyn — Heyltien Aertss

B. about 1625 in (probably) Netherlands¹
M. before 24 Mar 1647 in unknown location²
Husband: Jurien Probasco
D. after 10 Oct 1666 in New York³

Heyltien Aertss was a woman from 17th-century Netherlands who had a remarkable migration story that we don’t entirely know. The facts we do have are that in her short life, she moved between three continents at a time that many Europeans hardly left the town they were born in.

The earliest record of Heyltien was as the mother in a baptism dated March 24, 1647 in the Dutch colony in Brazil (also known as New Holland).¹ How did she come to be living in such a place? Her husband was Jurien Probasco, a man thought to be Polish,³ and there is no indication whether their wedding took place in the Netherlands or in Brazil. If she was married in the colony, that meant she must have arrived there either on her own or with her parents, but no records offer a clue to her actual emigration circumstance. Heyltien and Jurien went on to have two more children baptized in New Holland, one in 1649 and the other in 1651.³

Being a young mother in the colony must have been a difficult life. The Dutch were barely holding onto their territorial claim, which the Portuguese thought they rightly controlled, and the two sides battled each other over a couple of decades. The settlers from the Netherlands engaged in running sugar plantations, which required much labor to operate. This usually meant owning slaves, and it’s unlikely that Heyltien and her husband could have afforded that.

The Probascos time in South America came to an end with the Portuguese takeover of the colony on January 28, 1654.⁴ Most of the Dutch left soon after, and Jurien appeared on a contract signed in Amsterdam dated June 17th.⁵ The agreement was to move to the New Netherland colony in North America. Only one of their three children has been found in records after their baptisms, so probably the other two had died young in Brazil.

The Dutch colony in Brazil under siege in 1648.

The family ended up in Brooklyn, where Dutch Reformed church records showed Jurien as sponsor to a baptism in 1661.³ The following year, Heyltien made a small amount of money for sewing some shirts, likely to supplement her husband’s farm income.³ Presumably, life was better in North America for the Probascos, where the colony was more stable, and the climate closer to being like in Europe.

An amusing story emerges from a record dated May 14, 1662.³ On that day, the church gave Heyltien and her husband a cow and heifer to care for. In return for using the cow for their own milk supply, they were to donate a quantity of butter for the poor of the community. But Heyltien soon found that the cow wouldn’t give milk. Afraid that she wouldn’t be able to pay the required donation of butter, she filed an official complaint and asked for a different cow. The records don’t show how the matter was resolved. 

It’s believed that Heyltien’s husband Jurien died in 1664.³ She lived at least until October 10, 1666 when she last appeared as a sponsor at a baptism. The date and place of her death are unknown.³

Children:
1. Margaret Probasco — B. before 24 March 1647, New Holland, Brazil;³ D. (probably) young³

2. Christoffel Probasco — B. before 6 June 1649, New Holland, Brazil;³ D. after 3 Oct 1724, (probably) Brooklyn, New York;⁵ M. Ida Strycker, before 1675, New York³

3. Anneken Probasco — B. before 17 May 1651, New Holland, Brazil;³ D. (probably) young³

Sources:
1    Birth information based on baptism of oldest child and assumption that she was from the Netherlands
2    Marriage took place before baptism of oldest child, but it’s uncertain if it was in Europe or South America
3    “American Origin of the Probasco Family,” William B. Alstyne, Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society, 1927
4    “Recapture of Recife (1652-1654)” (Wikipedia article)
5    “The Probasco Origins,” Bryce Henderson Stevens, The Vanguard – The Newsletter of the van Aersdalen Family Association, Vol. 1, No. 2, December 1998

He Refused a Knighthood — Nicholas Danforth

B. about Feb 1590 in Framlingham, Suffolk, England¹
M. 11 Feb 1618 in Aspall, Suffolk, England¹
Wife: Elizabeth Barber
D. Apr 1638 in Cambridge, Massachusetts¹

The idea that an Englishman would ever turn down a knighthood doesn’t make any sense. But the offer presented to Nicholas Danforth in the 17th century was really a money-making scheme on the part of the king, so he firmly said no.

Nicholas was born in about February 1590 in the town of Framlingham,¹ located in Suffolk about 90 miles northeast of London. His parents were Thomas Danforth and Jane Sudbury, and he was one of six children. Nicholas was likely well-educated; his family owned land, though they weren’t of great wealth. His father and grandfather each had the title of “yeoman.”²

Framlingham, England. (Source: Happy Bean Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

On February 11, 1618, Nicholas married a woman named Elizabeth Barber.¹ They settled in Framlingham and had seven children over the next ten years. Sadly, Elizabeth died in 1629, and was buried two days after the birth of her youngest child;¹ Nicholas never remarried. During his years in Framlingham, Nicholas was made church warden in 1622,² and he was a member of the Court Baron in 1629.² This was a court that met to decide disputes between lords and tenants in a system practiced since the Middle Ages.

During this time, England was being ruled by Charles I in an era of persecution against religious non-conformists. Puritanism was popular in Suffolk and Nicholas was a follower. The king needed to raise money to fund wars with France and Spain, but he was at odds with Parliament, so he found other ways to collect from his subjects. One of them was to “offer” knighthoods to anyone owning land that had an income over £40 per year.³ This wasn’t a position of honor because it came with large dues that had to be paid to the king. Nicholas refused the knighthood twice, and it was said that he had to pay a fine.

This may have been the reason Nicholas left England to join the Massachusetts colony. It’s believed that he arrived in 1634,² and soon after, he settled in Cambridge, buying several houses that had belonged to settlers who moved to Connecticut with Thomas Hooker.² He was deputy to the General Court in 1636,¹ and he was appointed along with others to lay out the boundaries of the new towns of Concord and Roxbury.¹ On March 12, 1638, the General Court gave him a license to sell alcohol, so he may have been planning to run a tavern,¹ but he died within a few weeks after that date.¹

Nicholas’ sons went on to have some prominence in New England. Jonathan became a surveyor,² Samuel was a preacher, poet and astronomer,² and Thomas was a Puritan leader who played a small part in the Salem witch trials.² Among Nicholas’ descendants are James Garfield, Elizabeth Montgomery, Sandra Day O’Connor, Henry Fonda, Peter Fonda, Jane Fonda, Bridget Fonda, Bette Davis, Geena Davis, Meredith Baxter, Seth MacFarlane, and John Lithgow.⁴

A 1647 almanac written by Nicholas' son Samuel.

Children:
1. Elizabeth Danforth — B. before 3 Aug 1619, Framlingham, Suffolk, England;¹ D. 26 Jun 1680, Cambridge, Massachusetts;⁵ M. Andrew Belcher (1614-1673), 1 Oct 1639, Cambridge, Massachusetts⁶

2. Mary Danforth — B. before 3 May 1621, Framlingham, Suffolk, England;¹ D. 8 Aug 1674, Groton, Massachusetts;⁷ M. Thomas Parrish (1614-?), 1637, Cambridge, Massachusetts¹

3. Anna Danforth — B. before 3 Sep 1622, Framlingham, Suffolk, England;¹ D. 9 Dec 1704, Cambridge, Massachusetts;⁸ M. Matthew Bridge (~1618-1700), before 1643, Cambridge, Massachusetts¹

4. Thomas Danforth — B. before 20 Nov 1623, Framlingham, Suffolk, England;¹ D. 5 Nov 1699, Cambridge, Massachusetts;⁹ M. Mary Withington (1623-1697), 23 Mar 1643, Dorchester, Massachusetts¹⁰

5. Lydia Danforth — B. before 24 May 1625, Framlingham, Suffolk, England;¹ D. 16 Aug 1686, Saybrook, Connecticut;¹¹ M. William Beaumont (~1608-1699), 9 Dec 1643, Saybrook, Connecticut¹²

6. Samuel Danforth — B. before 17 Oct 1626, Framlingham, Suffolk, England;¹ D. 19 Nov 1674, Roxbury, Massachusetts;¹³ M. Mary Wilson (1633-1713), 5 Nov 1651, Roxbury, Massachusetts¹⁴

7. Jonathan Danforth — B. 20 Feb 1628, Framlingham, Suffolk, England;¹⁵ D. 7 Sep 1712, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁶ M. (1) Elizabeth Poulter (1633-1689), 22 Nov 1654, Boston, Massachusetts;¹⁷ (2) Elizabeth Champney (1631-1713), 7 Nov 1690, Billerica, Massachusetts¹⁸

Sources:
1    The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Robert Charles Anderson, 1999
2    Danforth Genealogy: Nicholas Danforth of Framlingham, England, and Cambridge, N.E. and William Danforth of Newbury, Mass., John Joseph May, 1902
3    “Distraint of Knighthood,” Encyclopedia.com
4    FamousKin.com listing of Nicholas Danforth
5    Death record of Elizabeth Belcher, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
6    Marriage record of Andrew Belcher and Elizabeth Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
7    Death record of Mary Parish, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
8    Find-a-Grave listing of Anna (Danforth) Bridge
9    Find-a-Grave listing of Thomas Danforth
10  Marriage record of Thomas Danforth and Mary Withington, Massachusetts, State Vital Records, 1638-1927, FamilySearch.org
11  Death record of Lydia Beaumont, Connecticut, Vital Records Prior to 1850, FamilySearch.org
12  Marriage record of William Beaumont and Lydia Danforth, C., V. R. P. to 1850
13  Death record of Samuel Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14  Marriage record of Samuel Danforth and Mary Wilson, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
15  Birth record of Jonathan Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16  Death record of Jonathan Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17  Marriage record of Jonathan Danforth and Elizabeth Poulter, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
18  Marriage record of Jonathan Danforth and Esther Converse, M., T. C., V. & T. R.

2,000 Acres in Hillsborough, New Jersey — Peter Dumont

B. before 20 Apr 1679 in Kingston, New York¹
M. (1) 25 Dec 1700 in (probably) Somerset County, New Jersey²
Wife: Femmetje Janse Van Middleswart
M. (2) 23 Feb 1707 in (probably) Somerset County, New Jersey²
Wife: Catelyntje Rapalje
M. (3) 16 Nov 1711 in Flatbush, New York²
Wife: Jannetje Vechten
D. (probably) Jul 1744 in Somerset County, New Jersey³

Availability of large amounts of land was a strong motivator for migration in colonial America. This is likely why Peter Dumont decided to move from up the Hudson River to central New Jersey.

Peter was born in Kingston, New York to Wallerand Dumont and Grietje Hendricks, and he was baptized there on April 20, 1679.¹ Kingston was a community about 100 miles north of Manhattan; it had survived a couple of massacres inflicted by local tribes, and Peter’s father may have been a Dutch soldier sent to help defend it. Peter had five older siblings and one older half-sister from his mother’s earlier marriage.

It was in about 1699 that Peter left New York to settle in Somerset County, New Jersey.¹ Many Dutch colonists were attracted to the area because the English authorities wanted to populate it, and had guaranteed the Dutch the right to practice their religion. Peter committed himself to the region when on June 10, 1702, he purchased 2,000 acres for £380.¹ The land was located in Hillsborough township, on the south side of the Raritan River. It stayed in the family for several generations and part of it would one day be owned by a U.S. Senator and descendant of Peter named Frederick Freylinghuysen.¹

Typical 18th-century Dutch farm in New Jersey.

When it came to family life, Peter stayed within the Dutch community. On Christmas Day of 1700, he married Femmetje Janse Van Middleswart.² She was the 16-year-old daughter of Jan Van Middleswart, another early settler of Somerset County, originally from Flatbush. Peter and Femmetje soon had three sons, but sadly, she died on September 25, 1706.⁴ Peter married a second wife, Catalyntje Rapalje, on February 1, 1707,² but she died about a week after giving birth to a baby girl two years later.⁵ Then on November 16, 1711, Peter married Jannetje Vechten.² They had eight children born between 1715 and 1735.

Peter was an elder of the First Reformed Church of Raritan, and in 1738, an assemblyman of New Jersey from Somerset County. He made out his will on March 29, 1740 dividing his land amongst his four sons by his third wife.³ His two sons by his first wife had previously received land from their maternal grandfather. His will was proved July 17, 1744, so he died by that date.³ Peter was buried in a family plot on his own land.⁶ One of his great-grandsons, Peter Dumont Vroom, became governor of New Jersey in the early 19th century.⁷

Children by Femmetje Janse Van Middleswart:
1. Doort Dumont — B. before 12 Feb 1702;¹ D. young¹

2. John Dumont — B. before 29 Aug 1704, Ulster County, New York;¹ D. 14 Jul 1753, Somerset County, New Jersey;⁸ M. Annatje Hooglandt (1707-?), 17 Nov 1727⁸

3. Abraham Dumont — B. 25 Apr 1706, Raritan, New Jersey;¹ D. 7 Aug 1787, Raritan, New Jersey;¹ M. Mattie Bergen, 10 Aug 1733¹

Children by Catelyntje Rapalje:
1. Catelyntje Dumont — B. before 27 Apr 1709, Raritan, New Jersey;¹ M. Christian La Grange, before 3 Apr 1728¹

Children by Jannetje Vechten:
1. Margaret Dumont — B. 24 Jan 1715, Raritan, New Jersey;⁹ D. 11 Feb 1743;⁹ M. George Bergen (~1710-?), 3 Jun 1738⁹

2. Hendrick Dumont — B. 22 Mar 1717, Raritan, New Jersey;¹ D. 8 Nov 1760, New York, New York;¹ M. (1) Mary Traverier (~1720-~1749), 20 Dec 1743, Raritan, New Jersey;¹ (2) Catherine Oothout (1722-1775), 29 Nov 1749, Somerset County, New Jersey¹

3. John Baptist Dumont — B. 13 Apr 1719, Raritan, New Jersey;¹ D. 18 Dec 1776, (probably) Hillsborough, New Jersey;¹⁰ M. Marie Van Duyne (1725-1763), 6 Nov 1745, New Jersey¹⁰

4. Gerretie Dumont — B. 23 Mar 1721, Raritan, New Jersey;¹ D. 25 Jan 1747, Middlesex County, New Jersey;¹ M. George Vroom (1713-1756), 25 Jan 1741, Somerset County, New Jersey¹¹

5. Jannetje Dumont — B. 27 Apr 1723, Raritan, New Jersey;¹² M. Peter Vroom (1722-1768), 20 Aug 1750, New Jersey¹²

6. Peter Dumont — B. 11 Nov 1725, Raritan, New Jersey;¹ D. 21 Nov 1808;¹ M. Brachie Vroom (1725-1791), 19 May 1748, New Jersey¹

7. Rynear Dumont — B. 3 Apr 1728 Raritan, New Jersey;¹ M. Annatje Brouwer (1730-?)¹

8. Ignatius Dumont — B. 17 Apr 1735, Somerset County, New Jersey;¹ D. young¹

Sources:
1    “Wallerand Dumont and his Somerset County Descendants,” John B. Dumont, Somerset County Quarterly, Volume 1, 1912
2    Brouwer Genealogy Database listing of Peter Dumont
3    Probate of Peter Dumont, New Jersey, U.S., Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817, Ancestry.com
4    Brouwer Genealogy Database listing of Femmetje Van Middleswart [source of 1st wife’s death]
5    Brouwer Genealogy Database listing of Catalyntje Rapalje [source of 2nd wife’s death]
6    Find-a-Grave listing of Peter Dumont
7    Find-a-Grave listing of Peter Dumont Vroom
8    Brouwer Genealogy Database listing of Jan Dumont
9    Brouwer Genealogy Database listing of Grietje Dumont
10  Find-a-Grave listing of John Baptiste Dumont
11  Brouwer Genealogy Database listing of Gerretee Dumont
12  Brouwer Genealogy Database listing of Jannetje Dumont