Pages

21 Apr 2014

Adriaen Mathijsz, a sixfold ancestor

Adriaen Mathijsz lived around 1600 in the Sint Anthoniepolder in Holland. His descendants took the surname "Polderdijk", named after the dike the Sint Anthoniepolder was build on. Adriaen was a son of Mathijs Maertensz and Digna Adriaens, so he was named after his maternal grandfather. Adriaen's known siblings are IJeman, Andries and Maerge, who is also an ancestor of mine through her 1st marriage with Quirijn Geeritsz. Their daughter - and my ancestor - Ingetge Crijnen (1647) married Jan Leneartsz Pors (†1658).

Church of the
Sint Anthoniepolder
The name of the wife of Adriaen Mathijsz is unknown, but 5 of his children are known: Andries, Ingetie, Gerrit, Cornelis and Simon. Simon (1673) is the only one of his known children that I do not descend from. He married twice and had at least 5 children. Simon died in 1673.

Andries Adriaensz Polderdijk married twice, too. In 1629 Andries married his 1st wife, Neeltje Pieters Stooker (±1600-±1646), a daughter of Pieter Joosten Stooker and Willempje Bastiaans who are triple ancestors of mine.
Two of Andries and Neeltje's children are my ancestors: Adriaan (±1631-±1668) and Maijken, who married Jacob Heijndricks Monster. Their son Arie Jacobs Monster was born on January 17, 1669 in the Sint Anthoniepolder and married twice, too. With his 1st wife, Teuntie Cornelisse Barendregt (1674-±1719) he had 10 children and 2 of them are my ancestors: Maeijke Ariens Monster (±1694-1765) and Willempje Arijense Monster (±1711-±1754). So, that makes Andries a quadruple ancestor on his own.

7 Apr 2014

Madness Monday - Joannes Abeel, "an alleged lunatic", was baptized on April 8, 1722 in Albany

Joannes (John), eldest son of Christoffel Abeel and Margarita Bries, was baptised in Albany on April 8, 1722, and was described in 1872 by J. Munsell in his "Contributions for the genealogies of the first settlers of the ancient county of Albany from 1630 to 1800" as "an alleged lunatic": 


In 1899 H. Whittmore gave additional detail about Joannes' life in his book "The Abeel and allied families": 


Joannes wasn't mad at all. In 1748 John settled in Minden, a short distance from Fort Plain. He erected a stone dwelling upon a knoll directly above the flats. He first married the daughter of a Seneca chief in an Indian ceremony and had a son, later chief Corn Plant (Ki On-Twog-Ky). On September 22, 1759, Joannes married Mary Knouts and had additional issue.  
Joannes was taken prisoner by Indians in October 1780 and expected immediate death, but when chief Corn Plant addressed him as father, his safety was secured. Soon Joannes was able to return to his white family.