Biographical Sketches
THE BRINKERHOFF FAMILY The Brinkerhoff family are descendants of Joris Dericksen Brinkerhoff, who came to this country in 1638 and settled in Brooklyn, New York. His son Abraham Brinkerhoff bought a large farm on flushing meadow, a part of which is now owned by Elliot brothers. The Burroughs farm was also part of this estate. Occupying a commanding position, on the bluff overhanging Flushing Bay is the Brinkerhoff cemetery. it is beautiful in summer, and wild in the winter it must be as the tempest sweeps over this resting place of an extinct family. Their tombstones are scattered more or less in every cemetery in the township; but its doubtful if there is here one living representive of the family. __________________________________________________________________ THE LENT FAMILY The Lent family is od common origin with the Riker Family being descended from Ryck and hendrick, the oldest and youngest sons of Abraham Rycken, Who for reasons not Clearly known, renounced their own name and assumed the name Lent. Abraham Lent, son of Hendrick came from Westchester county to Newtown in 1729 and took possesion of a farm, left him by his uncle Jacobus Krankheyt, on bowery Bay. He resided here until his death in 1746, When his son Jacobus, for years rulinf elder in the Dutch Church, suceeded to the farm. His death occurred in 1779. Daniel Lent, youngest son of Jacobus, was the last of the family who occupied this estate. It was sold just prior ro his death, which occurred April 20, 1797. Daniel, his only child tha survived infancy, removed to Flushing Bay, and for years resided upon the farm formerly owned by Captain Thomas Lawrence and now by the surviving heirs of the Lent Family. __________________________________________________________________ THE REMSEN FAMILY The Remsen Family are descendants of a family whose original name was Van der Beeck. Rem Jansen Vanderbeeck came to this country early in the seventeenth century. His sons adopted the name Remsen. One of them, Abraham Remsen, settled at Hemstead Swamp, on the farm now owned by David Kinsey. In 1735 Jeromus Remsen, a son of Abraham, bought the paternal farm, on which he lived until his death. His son Jeromus, born November 22nd 1735, was a man of unusual abilities,and deserves honorable notice in the history of his native town. he did service in the French war and stood conspicuous among the Whigs of Newtown at the opening of the Revolution. He was a clerk of the county committee, and as colonel of militia was present at the battle of Long Island. On Van Dunn Hill is the only property in Newton confiscated after the Revolution. Here is a small cemetery known as the Remsen graveyard, In this is the tomb of Jermous Remsen. Simon another Representative of the Remsen family in Newtown, was born in 1748, He married Aletta only Child of Daniel Rapelje, of Newtown, and occupied his father-in-law' s estate on Bowery bay. His daughter married James Strong. whose heirs now own the homestead farm occupied by Benjamin \'07W. Strong. In 1779 William Van Duyn, whose remote origin is French, removed to Newtown having bought property at Hemstead Swamp, which he subsequently enlarged. At his death, in 1769, his son Dow received half of the farm, the other half going to heirs of Cornelius Van Duyn, whose wife was the daughter of Dominicus Vanderveer. The farm is now owned by Jerome Vanderveer, who lives in the old Van Duyn house enlarged and improved. ------------- THE DE BEVOISE FAMILY Page 1 The subjoined account of the family of De Bevoise is Extracted from RIKER' S ANNALS OF NEWTOWN.\rdblquote It will be noticed that in the following article the name is spelled Debevoise except in the instance of Carel, who spelled it de Beauvois. The change in orthography from de Beauvois to Debevoise has been followed by other changes in dividing and capitalizing the latter word, so that now different branches of the family write it variously de Bevoise, De Bevoise and De Be Voise, and attention is called to the fact that in sketches of several of the family of the present generation and that only just passed away the writer has adopted the orthography in use by each of the branches thus represented,and in the title of this article that which seems to be the most common. Carel de Beauvoise * * * was a highly respectable and well educated French Prostestant, who came from Leyden, in Holland. He was of a family whose name and origin were probably derived from the ancient city of Beauvais, on the river Therin, to the northwest of Paris; but there is reason to suppose that he himself was a native of Leyden. He arrived at New Amsterdam in the ship \lquote Otter,' February 17th 1659, accompanied by his wife, Sophia Van Lodensteyn, and Three Children born to them in Leyden and now aged eight, six and three years respectively. His literary merits and acquaintance with the Dutch language soon acquired for him the situation of a teacher, and in 1661 he became' chorister,reader and schoolmaster' for the people of Brooklyn, at a salary of twenty-five guilders and free house rent. He afterwards served as public secretary or town clerk, which office he held till 1669. His children were Jacobus first; Gertrude, who Married Jacob W. Van Boerum; Catharine, who married Jacob Hendrickse Haste; and Cornelia, who married Gerrit G. Dorland. I Jacobus Debevoise, only son of Carel, was born at Leyden. In early manhood he embraced religion and joined the church at Brooklyn of which he was afterward a deacon. He married, June 12th 1678 Maria Daughter of Joost Carelsz, and died in the early part of the next century, his widow surviving him. they had sons Carel second born 1680; Joost born 1683; Jacobus born 1686; and Johannes, born 1689. Jacobus married in 1715, Sarah, daughter of Joris Remsen, and died on his farm at Bedford, aged about four score. His children were Jacobus (who died in 1751, and whose only daughter, Engeltie, married Isaac Degraw of Brooklyn) and George, who was born in 1720, married Sarah Betts October 18th 1746, and inherited all his father' s estate at Bedford. Joost married in 1707,Mary daughter of Joris Remsen; remained a farmer in Brooklyn,and died a few years before the Revolution, in advanced age. he had issue: Jacobus; Phebe, who married John Johnson; Mary, who also married; Anna who married Johannes W. Wycoff; Elizabeth, who married Peter Cowenhoven, and Sophia, Who Married Albert Nostrand. Jacobus inherited his father' s farm at the Wallabout; married in 1736 Maria Garretson, and died prior to the American War. His Children were: George; Samuel, who died without issue; Ida, who married Ferdinand Suydam; MAry,who married Garret Van Duyn. George last named married Elizabeth, daughter of Jeremiah Vanderbuilt,and died at the Wallabout in or prior to 1784. PG 2 Issue Maria, who married Captain Jackson; Catharine, who married John Van Alst; Phebe, who married Jacob Ryerson; Sara, who Married Jeromus Ryerson and John Cozine; and Ida, who Married in succession two persons of the same name, Francis Titus. II. Carel Debevoise, son of Jacobus was, married Margaret Meserole, and became a Notary public in Brooklyn, fully sustaining the prominence in civil and church relations which the family enjoyed for a long period in the above town. From 1752-1761 he was county judge. He lived on the premises \{later\} of his great-granddaughter, Mrs. Prince. His sons were Jan 4th, Jacobus,Carel 3rd and Johannes. Jacobus was born 1709, and resided at Gowanus, where he die d in 1766. His first wife was Maria Van Housen, Whom he married in 1736;his second wife was Mary Stillwell, who survived him. He had Issue Charles; Richard; Margaret, who married Charles Doughty of Brooklyn, afterward member of Assembly; Ida, who married John Godfrey Muller of New York; Adriana and Mary. Of these Charles remained at Gowanus and had issue James, Wyant and others. Johannes was a town clerk of Brooklyn, and a somewhat important citizen. He married, June 15th 1749, Hannah, daughter of Thomas Betts of Flatbush and died November 19th 1792, having had Issue Thomas, Charles, Margaret and Hannah, all of whom died single but Margaret who married De. John Duffield, a surgeon in the American Revolutionary army. They were the parents of Susan Duffield, who married Captain Charles K. Lawrence; Anna, who married Captain Christopher Prince; and Margaret, who Married first Captain Archibald Thompson and secondly Samuel A. Willoughby, Esq., of Brooklyn.. ----------------- Biographical Sketches-The Townstead Family. >The three brothers John,Henry and Richard Townstead came from Norwich County Norfolk England. The time of their Emigration cannot be precisely fixed. >It was, however,several years before 1645,as in that year Govenor Kieft granted a Patient of the town of Flusing to John Townstead and Others;and from a petiton of his widow to Governor Andros we learn that he had previously taken up land near NEW YORK and "peaceably enjoyed the same divers years." Alarms from the Indians,and difficulties which she does not specify, caused him to leave his improvements and commence the settlement of Flushing,where he was Joined by Henry. The Townsteads were Friends, and were soon at variance with the Dutch authorities, both as to religion and politics. On account of these difficulties with the goverment the Townsteads left Flushing and went to Warwick,R.I.,where they were all three members of the Provincial Assembly,besides holding municipal offices. In 1656 they determined once more to attempt a settlement on Long Island,and in that year, with others, obtained a patent of Jamica,then Called RUSDROP. Their Religious and Political zeal soon brought them into trouble again. >In 1657 henry was sentenced to pau L8 Flanders or leave the province in six weeks,for having,"called together conventicles" The people of Flushing addressed a remonstrance to the Governor, written by the town Clerk, and signed, among others, by Tobias Feake,Sherrif, and Nobel Fatington,both magistratesmand presented by the sherrif. The Clerk and magistrates were arrested,and John Townstead with them,upon charge of having induced the magistrates to sign,and he was ordered to find bail in L12 to appear when summoned. Henry was brought before the council January 15th 1658,and condemned to pay L100 Flanders,and to remain arrested until it was paid. How these matters were settled is not stated,but Henry's signaturemas witness on an Indian deed proves that he was in Oyster Bay the same year. He was again imprisioned, seeming to be much more involved in troubles coming from "countenancing Quakers" than his brother John; yet in January 1661 two of the magistrates furnished the names of 12 persons,including John and Henry Townstead and their wives,"who counterenanced Quakers" John Townstead settled in Oyster Bay Between the middle of January and the 16th of September 1661,as he was living at Jamaica at the first date, and his name being on the mill grant is proof that he was admitted as a townsman before the last date. Henry Townstead must have settled in Oyster bay previous to September 16th 1661, the date of the mill grant made to him; he was not admitted as a townsman until 4th of November. --------- GERARDY-CRAY-THE GREENOAKS-OTHER PIONEER NAMES The Green Hook, since known as the G.M. Woolsey farm, was patented to Jean Gerardy, November 5th 1653. On the same day Teunis Craye took out a brief for the Polhemus estate, and another had been granted three days earlier to Philip Gerardy for the Dr. Ditmars farm. March 7th 1654 Annetje Jan Bogardus obtained a Patent for forty-two Morgan and fifty=four rods of land lying adjacent to the Pot Cove, and which later was included in the estates of Squire John and Major Richard Lawrence. John Greenoak, the ancestor of the family of that name, came to Newtown early in the eighteenth century, from England, and in 1717 married Mary Lawrence, who after his death married Joseph Hallet in 1728. His son John Greenoak located on the farm near Hallet' s Cove afterward owned by the Messrs. Higgins, carpet manufacturers. he was three times married, his first wife having been Jemina Hallett. His son John Greenoak came in possession of an estate at Hallet' s Cove, afterward known as the H.F. Blackwell place. His wife was Lydia Hallett. Nothing more has been attempted in the foregoing sketch than to give some account of the early settlement of the territory now included within the borders of Long Island City. No effort has been made to pursue the subject beyond what may properly be termed the pioneer period. The date of beginning was so remote and the sources of information have been found so meagre that no claim is made that all who deserve mention in the preceedings pages have been referred to. What has been written is offered with the explanation that it is as nearly complete as it can be made, and in the hope that it will in some measure add to the interest of an article which has been prepared more especially to trace the growth and development of Long Island City in the past may be mentioned the Blackwells, Hallets, Lawrences, Lents, Ditmars, Suydams. and Greenoaks, of Astoria; the Bennetts and Hunters, of Hunters Point; the Paynters, Tottens, Millers, Delafields, Gibbses, and Parcells, at Tavenswood; the Van alst, Bragaws, Rapelyes, De Witts, Brinkerhoffs, De Bevoises, Duryeas, Morells, Alsops, Polhemuses, and Van Marters, of Dutch Kills, and the Willings, of Middletown. Of Many of these families descendants are now living in the city, and some of them rank among its most prominent citizens. RETURN to QUEENS MAIN RETURN to BROOKLYN MAIN