B. about 1600 in Hees, Ruinen, Netherlands
M. (1) about 1630 in Netherlands
Wife: Aaltjen Wessels
M. (2) about 1649 in Netherlands
Wife: Willempie Roelofse Suebring
D. 16 Feb 1684 in Flatlands, New York
The populating of 17th-century America was largely done by young, energetic people coming over from Europe. But Steven Coerts van Voorhess was an exception — he left his motherland at the age of about 60.
Steven spent most of his life in the village of Hees, located in the province of Ruinen, Netherlands, and he was born there in about 1600 to Coerte Albertse van Voorhees, the oldest of 11 children. Hees was a “hamlet” of three farms: Voorhees, Middlehees and Achterhees, with a history that traces back for centuries. We have no surviving records of vital events in Hees, but using information on his children it’s believed Steven married a woman named Aaltien Wessels in about 1632. They had three children, then she died, and in by 1650, Steven remarried to Willempie Roelofse Suebring. They had six children together, with the last one born in about 1660.
New Netherland was well-established by the time Steven decided to relocate there. He likely moved for economic reasons, as the region around Hees was said to be depressed. On April 15, 1660, Steven, his wife, and most of his children boarded the ship de Bonte Koe (the spotted cow). Four other families traveled on the voyage, along with 18 soldiers and 9 single men.
Later that year on November 29th, Steven purchased land in the community of Niew Amersfoort, which became Flatlands (part of present-day Brooklyn). He paid Cornelius Deriksen Hoogland 3,000 guilders for “nine morgen of corn land, seven morgen of salt meadow, seven morgen of woodland, and ten morgen of plain land.” The property had a house and a fully-operational brewery, so Steven was set up to make his own beer. As an elder member of the community, others must have looked to Steven for leadership, and he served as a magistrate in 1664.
Steven wrote a will dated August 25, 1677, and he passed away in Flatlands on February 16, 1684. His wife survived him and died in 1690. Steven’s legacy is in the name Voorhees which became prolific in the United States. His descendants reportedly were the largest Dutch family in America. Besides people named Voorhees or Voorhies, all of whom traced back to Steven, there is a Voorhies Street in Brooklyn, and the killer in the Friday the 13th movies was named Jason Voorhees. Besides his descendants with the Voorhees name, Steven is the 8G grandfather of Howard Dean and the 9G grandfather of Paul Giamatti.
Children by Aaltjen Wessels:
1. Hendrickjen Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1634, Ruinen, Netherlands; D. before 4 Aug 1705, (probably) Flatlands, New York ; M. Jan Kiersen (?-1705), Flatlands, New York
2. Merghen Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1636, Ruinen, Netherlands; M. (1) Roelef Oostinge, 14 Dec 1664; (2) Remmelt Willemse
3. Coert Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1638, Drenthe, Netherlands; D. after 1702; M. Marretje Gerretse Van Couwenhoven (1644-?), before 1664
4. Wessell Stevense Van Voorhees — B. before 25 Sep 1640, Oosteboer, Drenthe, Netherlands; D. before 14 Jan 1641, Netherlands
Children by Willempie Roelofse Suebring:
1. Lucas Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1650, Hees, Ruinen, Netherlands; D. after 28 Sep 1724, (probably) Flatlands, New York; M. (1) Catalyntje Van Noorstrant (1653-1688); (2) Jannetje Minnes (~1660-?), 23 Jan 1689, Flatlands, New York
2. Jan Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1652, Hees, Drenthe, Netherlands; D. before 3 Jan 1735, (probably) Flatbush, New York; M. (1) Cornelia Reiniers Wizzelpenning (1652-1680), 17 Mar 1678, Flatbush, New York; (2) Femmetje Aucke Van Nuys (1662-1735), 8 Oct 1680, Flatbush, New York
3. Albert Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1654, Drenthe, Netherlands; D. after 14 May 1727, Hackensack, New Jersey; M. (1) Helletje Reiniers Wizzelpenning (1655-1691), 24 Apr 1681, Flatbush, New York; (2) Helena van der Shuere (1667-1727)
4. Aeltje Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1656, Drenthe, Netherlands; D. 12 Nov 1746, Gravesend, New York; M. Barent Jurjansen Ryder (~1640-1707), about 1673, Gravesend, New York
5. Jannetje Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1658, Drenthe, Netherlands; D. before 10 Sep 1709, Hackensack, New Jersey; (1) Jan Martense Schenk (~1631-1687), before 1677, (probably) Flatbush, New York; (2) Alexander Simpson (1655-1721), after 27 Feb 1690, Flatlands, New York
6. Hendrickje Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1660, (probably) New Netherland; D. about 1693, Hackensack, New Jersey; M. Albert Albertse Terhune (1651-1709), 1674, Flatbush, New York
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