Brooklyn Family Patriarch — Coert Stevense Van Voorhees

B. about Apr 1637 in Drenthe, Netherlands¹
M. before 1665 in (probably) New York¹
Wife: Marretje Gerritse Van Couwenhoven
D. after 1702 in (probably) Flatlands, New York¹

By virtue of being one of several siblings who migrated from Europe, Coert Stevense Van Voorhees became one of the earliest generations of a great American family.

Coert came from Drenthe, a region of the Netherlands, and he was born there about 1637 to Steven Coerts Van Voorhees and Aaltjen Wessels, one of their three known children.¹ His mother died when he was a child and his father remarried, producing six half-siblings.²

Coert was an adult when his 60-year-old father took the family to America, settling in Flatlands, part of present-day Brooklyn. His father purchased a large tract of land on November 29, 1660,³ and presumably Coert received part of it, or bought a farm of his own nearby. There’s no record of Coert’s marriage, but by about 1665, he wed Marretje Gerritse Van Couwenhoven,¹ daughter of one of the earliest Dutch settlers of Flatlands. Between about 1667 and 1683, they had five sons and four daughters. 

Arriving in New Amsterdam. (AI-generated image)

As a large landowner in Flatlands, Coert held many offices. In 1677, he was a deacon of the Dutch Reformed Church,¹ and in 1689, he was captain of the militia.¹ He was also a representative of Flatlands at an assembly held in New Amsterdam on April 10, 1664;¹ presumably this was in regard to the English takeover of the colony which happened that year. And he was a delegate to “The Convention at New Orange” on March 26, 1674,¹ which took place after New Netherland formally ceased to exist. Coert was also a church elder in 1679 and 1684.¹

On March 8, 1692 Coert purchased property at Gravesend, New York, which he transferred to his son Albert on June 20, 1699.¹ Coert was last known to be alive in 1702, but it isn’t known when he died.¹ It’s believed that his wife Marretje was deceased by 1709. They were both the ancestors of Howard Dean, Paul Giamatti and Thomas Kean.⁴

Coert had four half-brothers, and the Van Voorhees family grew to a tremendous size over the years, leading the family association website to claim they are “the largest Dutch Family in America.”⁵

Children:
1. Gerrit Coertsen Van Voorhees — B. before 1666, (probably) Flatlands, New York;⁶ D. before 23 Sep 1704, New Utrecht, New York;⁶ M. (1) Mensje Janse;⁶ (2) Willemptje Pieterse Luyster (~1665-?), 26 Apr 1685, Flatlands, New York⁶

2. Aeltie Coertse Van Voorhees — B. before 1666, Flatlands, New York;⁷ D. 12 Nov 1746;⁷ M. Joost Rutgerz Van Brunt (?-~1746), 16 Apr 1687, Flatbush, New York⁷

3. Stephen Coertsen Van Voorhees — B. about 1667, Flatlands, New York;⁸ D. 16 Feb 1724, Gravesend, New York;⁸ M. (1) Eegje Jans;⁸ (2) Eva ______⁸

4. Albert Coertsen Van Voorhees — B. about 1670, Flatlands, New York;⁹ D. before 14 Apr 1748, (probably) Flatlands, New York;⁹ M. (1) Sara Willemse Cornel (?-1736), before 1695;⁹ (2) Willempje Suydam, 15 May 1743; (3) Ida Suydam (1678-?), 1 Dec 1744⁹

5. Marretje Coertse Van Voorhees — B. about 1675, Flatlands, New York;¹⁰ M. Jacob Remsen¹⁰

6. Neeltje Coertse Van Voorhees — B. 30 Jun 1676, (probably) Flatlands, New York;¹¹ D. 4 Aug 1750, (probably) Monmouth County, New Jersey;¹¹ M. Garret Roelfse Schenck (1671-1745), Flatlands, New York¹¹

7. Cornelis Coertsen Van Voorhees — B. before 23 Jun 1678, (probably) Flatlands, New York;¹² M. Antje Remsen (1681-?)¹²

8. Annetie Coertse Van Voorhees — B. before 5 Dec 1680, Flatlands, New York;¹³ M. Jan Rapalje (1673-?)¹³

9. Johannes Coertsen Van Voorhees — B. 20 Apr 1683, Flatlands, New York;¹⁴ D.10 Oct 1757;¹⁴ M. (1) Barber Achyase Van Dyck (1682-1743), 19 Nov 1703;¹⁴ (2) Sarah Van Vliet (1694-?), 2 May 1744¹⁴

Sources:
1    Brouwer Genealogy Database listing for Coert Stephense Van Voorhees
2    Brouwer Genealogy Database listing for Stephen Coert Van Voorhees
3    Steven van Voorhees (Wikipedia article)
4    FamousKin.com listing of Coert Stevense Can Voorhees
5    History of the Van Voorhees Family (website)
6    Brouwer Genealogy Database listing for Gerrit Coertsen Van Voorhees
7    Brouwer Genealogy Database listing for Aeltie Coertse Van Voorhees
8    Brouwer Genealogy Database listing for Stephen Coertsen Van Voorhees
9    Brouwer Genealogy Database listing for Albert Coertsen Van Voorhees
10  Brouwer Genealogy Database listing for Marretje Coertse Van Voorhees
11  Brouwer Genealogy Database listing for Neeltje Coertse Van Voorhees
12  Brouwer Genealogy Database listing for Cornelis Coertsen Van Voorhees
13  Brouwer Genealogy Database listing for Annetje Coertse Van Voorhees
14  Brouwer Genealogy Database listing for Johannes Coertsen Van Voorhees

Over 100 Living Descendants — Dorothy “Dolly” Coburn

B. 10 Jun 1754 in Dracut, Massachusetts¹
M. 7 Jan 1773 in Dracut, Massachusetts²
Husband: Stephen French
D. 13 Oct 1835 in Bedford, New Hampshire³

Dorothy Coburn came from a small family in colonial America, but she made up for that by producing her own large family, one that substantially boosted the population of Bedford, New Hampshire.

Dorothy, who went by the name Dolly, came from Dracut, Massachusetts, the town where her great-great grandfather, Edward Colburn, first settled in 1654. She was born 100 years later on June 10, 1754 to Ebenezer Coburn and Sarah Whiting,¹ the second of their three children. Older brother Phineas and younger brother Leonard were both soldiers in the American Revolution, serving as Minutemen in 1775.⁴ Phineas died in Boston early in the war; Leonard, who served on several campaigns, died in 1785.⁴

On January 7, 1773, Dolly married Stephen French,² a tanner who lived in New Hampshire. The wedding took place in Dracut, but soon after they settled in Bedford, New Hampshire, where they spent the rest of their lives. Dolly’s first child was born in April 1774;⁵ she was said to have had 14 children with the youngest born in 1801. Only 11 of the children are known by name, so presumably the other three died young. 

Marriage record of Stephen and Dolly.

One-by-one, Stephen and Dolly’s surviving children married (only son James did not), and most produced large families. A couple of the children moved out of the area, but eight stayed in Bedford. Dolly’s husband built a house big enough for two families to live in, and eventually sons Leonard and Daniel did so.⁶ It’s easy to imagine Dolly having much contact with her grandchildren as they grew up. At some point, Dolly’s parents also moved from Dracut to Bedford; her father died in 1799,⁷ and her mother was well into her 90s when she passed away in 1825.⁸

By 1830, Dolly and her husband seemed to have moved into the household of their son Stephen. In his old age, Stephen Sr. had a “protracted and distressing illness,”⁹ but it isn’t known if Dolly also had any serious health issues. He passed away first on November 16, 1832,¹⁰ and Dolly followed three years later on October 13, 1835. She left behind a numerous family of 10 children, 71 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren — a total of 102 living descendants. Dolly was buried alongside Stephen at Bedford Center Cemetery. 

Dolly’s gravestone.

Children:
1. Ebenezer French – B. 28 Apr 1774, Bedford, New Hampshire;⁵ D. 20 Nov 1846, Bedford, New Hampshire;¹¹ M. Rhoda Coburn (1780-1853), 16 Nov 1697, Merrimack, New Hampshire¹²

2. Stephen French – B. 7 Nov 1775, Bedford, New Hampshire;¹³ D. 4 Sep 1850, Bedford, New Hampshire;¹⁴ M. Hannah Swett (1777-?), 1800, Bedford, New Hampshire¹⁵

3. Dolly French – B. 9 Nov 1778, Bedford, New Hampshire;¹⁶ D. 12 Nov 1858, Bedford, New Hampshire;¹⁷ M. Gawn Riddle (1777-1837), 20 Feb 1800, Merrimack, New Hampshire¹⁸

4. William French — B. 24 Mar 1781, Bedford, New Hampshire;¹⁹ D. 1 Mar 1847, Prospect, Maine;²⁰ M. Agnes Riddle (1781-1852), 9 Feb 1807, Bedford, New Hampshire²¹

5. Sarah French – B. 10 Apr 1782, (probably) Bedford, New Hampshire;²² D. 29 Sep 1823;²² M. William McDole McPherson (1778-1869), 15 Mar 1804, Bedford, New Hampshire²³

6. Leonard Coburn French – B. 10 Feb 1785, Bedford, New Hampshire;²⁴ D. 23 Feb 1868, Bedford, New Hampshire;²⁵ M. Nancy Hutchinson (1787-1870), 26 Jan 1808, Bedford, New Hampshire²⁶

7. Elizabeth French – B. 28 Apr 1789, Bedford, New Hampshire;²⁷ D. 2 Apr 1877, Bedford, New Hampshire;²⁷ M. William Bursiel (1780-1857), 12 Feb 1807, Bedford, New Hampshire²⁸

8. Phineas French – B. 14 Dec 1791, Bedford, New Hampshire;⁶ M. (1) Hannah Cutler (1792-1845), Dec 1813;⁶ (2) Mary Patten, 8 Apr 1847²⁹

9. James French – B. 22 Nov 1794, Bedford, New Hampshire;³⁰ D. 3 Mar 1878, Bedford, New Hampshire³⁰

10. Reverend Daniel L. French – B. 28 Jan 1796, Bedford, New Hampshire;³¹ D. 20 Jul 1860, Hudson, New Hampshire;³¹ M. Polly Riddle (1797-1880), 10 Oct 1820, Bedford, New Hampshire³²

11. Robert W. French – B. 31 Oct 1801, Bedford, New Hampshire;⁶ D. Feb 1880, Bedford, New Hampshire;³³ M. Harriet Parker (1812-?), 24 Apr 1832, Bedford, New Hampshire³⁴

Sources:
1    Birth record of Dolly Coburn, Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Stephen French and Dolly Coburn, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
3    Find-a-Grave listing of Dolly (Coburn) French
4    Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, Vol. 3, 1897
5    Birth record of Ebenezer French, New Hampshire, Births and Christenings, 1714-1904, FamilySearch.org
6    The History of Bedford, New Hampshire, from 1737, Rumford Printing Company, 1903
7    Find-a-Grave listing of Ebenezer Coburn
8    Find-a-Grave listing of Mrs. Sarah Coburn
9    Obituary of Stephen French, The Farmers’ Cabinet, 7 Dec 1832
10  Find-a-Grave listing of Stephen French
11  Find-a-Grave listing of Ebenezer French
12  Marriage record of Ebenezer French and Rhoda Coburn, New Hampshire Marriages, 1720-1920, FamilySearch.org
13  Birth record of Stephen French (younger), N. H. B. & C.
14  Find-a-Grave listing of Stephen French (younger)
15  Marriage record of Stephen French and Hannah Swett, N. H. M.
16  Birth record of Dolly French, N. H. B. & C.
17  Death record of Dolly Riddle, New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947, FamilySearch.org
18  Marriage record of Gawn Riddle and Dolly French, N. H. M.
19  Birth record of William French, N. H. B. & C.
20  Death record of William French, Maine Deaths and Burials, 1841-1910, FamilySearch.org
21  Marriage record of William French and Agnes Riddle, N. H. M.
22  Find-a-Grave listing of Sarah W. (French) McPherson
23  Marriage record of William McFerson and Sally French, N. H. M.
24  Birth record of Leonard Coburn French, N. H. B. & C.
25  Death record of Leonard Coburn French, N. H. D. & B.
26  Marriage record of Leonard C. French and Nancy Hutchinson, N. H. M.
27  Find-a-Grave listing of Betsey (French) Bursiel
28  Marriage record of William Bursiel and Betsey French, N. H. M.
29  Marriage record of Phineas French and Mary Patten, M., T. C. V. & T. C.
30  Find-a-Grave listing of James French
31  Find-a-Grave listing of Daniel L. French
32  Marriage record of Daniel L. French and Polly Riddle, N. H. M.
33  Find-a-Grave listing of Robert W. French
34  Marriage record of Robert French and Harriet Parker, N. H. M.