The John DITMARS Homestead

The John DITMARS Homestead, erected previous to the Revolution




	From Jamaica Bay, extending through the meadows which border it, and 
along a swale of meadowland, is a stream that was formerly called 
Bestevaar Kill. This name has now given place to Paerdegat, which in the 
olden times applied only to the upper end of the stream. Above this stream 
lay the old VAN TWILLER and CORLEAR Flats. CORLEAR's Flat was purchased by 
Jacob VAN CORLEAR in 1635, from the Indians, and in 1636 a deed was given 
by the Indian proprietors to Wouter VAN TWILLER, the director for 
VAN TWILLER's Flat. The land is rolling to the south of the Bestevaar Kill.

	If you will drive or motor over the old Kings Highway from Flatbush 
Avenue to Eastern Parkway, you will pass through this country and see some 
of the old farm houses standing where they were originally erected. 
Mute reminders of a glorious past; of a charming rural home life and a 
contentment seldom realized in the more modern city. The name of this 
road has changed. It was originally a part of a system of roads which 
extended from Fort Hamilton to Jamaica, intersected at Flatlands by a 
road which ran north to the present foot of Joralemon Street. Part of 
this road is preserved in Amersfort Place, on which the compiler lives, 
and part in Flatbush Avenue. It was along this road that CORNWALLIS marched 
his men when he outflanked Washington in the Battle of Long Island.

	The homestead we are about to chronicle is situated on the part 
of this road which is now called Kouwenhoven Place. It is on high 
ground which slopes to the Paerdegat. Part of the farm appertaining 
to it is in Flatbush, but the homestead and part of the land is in 
Flatlands. From early records it seems that this land was purchased 
from various owners by Jan STEVENSE, whose surname was Van VOORHEES. He 
was a son of Steven COERTS, the common ancestor of the VOORHEES family 
in this country, and his son, Raelof VOORHEES, having no sons of his own, 
left the farm to his grandson, Johannes DITMARS. We know that the first 
DITMARS who resided permanently In Flatlands was Jan DITMARS, eldest 
son of Johannes DITMARSEN, of Flatbush; grandson of Ian Van DITMARSEN, 
and great-grandson of Jan JANSEN, the common ancestor. 
Jan DITMARS married Femmetje, daughter of Roelof VOORHEES. 
Jan was baptized August 31st, 1718.

	The majority of historians make a supposition concerning his marriage 
to Femmetje VOORHEES, but the compiler has seen proof in a copy made by
Mr. ONDERDONK and on file in MS. in the Long Island Historical Society's 
Library, of the persons married by Domine VAN SINDEREN. I understand that 
it has been copied and published in a year book of the Holland Society. 
It is recorded there that Jan DITMARS and Femmetje VOORHEES were married 
April 80th, 1748. They had four children, of whom only the eldest reached 
manhood. He was born March 28th, 1749, and was named Johannes. 
His father died on November 28rd, 1756, and Femmetje, 
his mother, on July 27th, 1798.

	Johannes DITMARS was married to Margrietie RAPALJE on December 12th, 1781. 
She was born October 1st, 1759, and was a direct descendant of Joris 
JANSEN de RAPALJE, the common ancestor, and likewise a cousin of George 
RAPALJE, the well-known traveller and writer, who married a daughter of 
Bishop PROYOST, the rebel Bishop of New York. She passed away 
January 10th, 1785, and left issue a son, John DITMARS, born June 1st, 1788, 
and a daughter, Margaret, who married Johannes EMMANS, and she is the 
ancestress of the NAPIER family of Woodhaven. 
(See sketch of the Johannes EMMANS Homestead.) 
Johannes DITMARS inherited from his grandfather, Roelof VOORHEES, all 
his real estate.  After the death of his first wife he married Lammetie LOTT, 
who survived him without issue. She was a daughter of Johannes LOTT, 
of Flatlands Neck.

	John DITMARS, born as stated, married September 22nd, 1802, 
Margaret VAN SICKLEN, a daugb.~er of Abraham VAN SICKLEN and Cornelia CORNELL, 
his wife, of New Lots. She was born July 18th, 1785, and passed away 
April lOth, 1874. She spent the last twenty-five years in total blindness. 
No one has ever said other than loving words of her. Those who knew her, 
guard her memory as precious recollections of the past, and we of the present 
generation may learn a lesson from the devotion of those who knew her; if we 
could only live the life of simple piety and sweet resignation that she lived,
we might be able to.leave to our friends a memory which they would esteem as a 
special heritage, as they do the recollections of this christian lady. 
John DITMARS died August 20th, 1827, leaving issue:

(1). Margaret DITMARS, born August 18th, 1808; married April 12th, 
to George VAN NUYSE, of Flatlands, born September lOth, 1802; 
died September 11th, 1831. They had one child, Cornelia DITMARS VAN NUYSE,
born in this house, January 29th ]829. She married April 15th 1849 
John Holmes VAN BRUNT, of Bay Ridge, and died on May 15th, 1862, 
leaving issue: Albert H. VAN BRUNT and Margaret DITMARS VAN BRUNT
who married Andrew DITMARS of the Flatbush branch of the family. 
They are the parents of your compiler.

(2). John DITMARS born April 18th, 1806; died August 28th, 1844. 
He received by petition the homestead part of his father's farm. 
On May 17tht 1838, he married Elizabeth VANDEERVEER, a daughter of 
Cornelius VANDEERVEER and a great grand-daughter of Captain Cornelius 
VANDEERVEER spoken of elsewhere in this book. 
She was born November 30th, 1818; died April 8th, 1898, 
They were the parents of the following:

(A), John who died in childhood.

(B), Cornelius DITMARS, born May 31st 1840; married January 8rd,
	1866 to Margaret VAN HOUTEN, widow of Lorenzo M. STARR. Mr. DITMARS 
	was the last of the DITMARS' to own and reside on this farm, which he 
	sold in 1902. He now resides in Flatbush, All of Mr. and Mrs. DITMARS' 
	children were born here, namely: 
	Elizabeth, now the wife of Mr. Villard Parker SCHENCK, 
	a son of Dr. Tunis SCHENCK, deceased; 
	Anna Lavina, who died in babyhood; 
	John TOWNSEND, who died in his eighteenth year; and Maria. Marguerite DITMARS,

(C). Abraham DITMARS, married. Isabella KILGORE, and had issue a son, 
	Townsend VAN PELT DITMARS.

(D). Maria Elizabeth DITMARS, now the wife of Townsend CORTELYOU VAN PELT, of New Utrecht. 
(See sketch of the VAN PELT manor House.)

(8). Cornelia DITMARS born September 22nd 1808; died July 3rd 1884; 
	married Peter DeBAUN, a well-known cabinet and piano manufacturer of New York. 
	Mrs. DeBAUN and Mrs. VAN NUYSE received on partition of their father's 
	estate in 1889, the westerly farm, each receiving half. This property contained 
	about 70 acres. Mrs. VAN NUYSE'S husband owned the farm, late of his grand-chi1dren, 
	Albert H. VAN BRUNT and Mrs. DITMAS, which adjoined this farm on the south, 
	and his wife took the southerly part of this farm, Mrs. DeBAUN taking the 
	northerly section lying next to the land of Judge John A. LOTT. There she 
	erected on the old road, now Amersfort Place and Avenue F, a beautiful house, 
	and laid out extensive grounds making it the show place of the country. 
	Ater her death her farm was divided into sections, and the home with three 
	acres of ground was bought by Mrs. REMSEN, a niece. This place was recently 
	built up with houses. The builder took the old house, cut the basement out, 
	took the two wings off, and out of what was left made a two-family house, 
	laying out literally a full sized apartment in the double parlors. This farm 
	(the west farm of John DITMARS) was, I believe, a part of the Little Flat 
	purchased from the Indians by Andries HEDDEN and Wolphert GARRITSEN (Van COUWENHOVEN). 
	It came into possession of the DITMARS in 1707.

(4). Abraham DITMARS, born July 14th, 1814; died April 19th, 1849, without issue.
(5). James DITMARS, born January 3rd, 1822; died January 8th, 1858, 
	married Gitty or Gertrude REMSEN, owned the southerly part of his father's 
	main farm. Had issue: 
	-Margaret, who died young; 
	-Mary Gertrude, married George VOORHEES, resides in Morristown, New Jersey, and 
		has issue several children. 
	-Cornilia DITMARS married Steven V. REMSEN; both are deceased, leaving issue one son, 
	-James DITMARS REMSEN, of New York. 
	-John DITMARS, who married Elizabeth LENNINGTON, is a resident of Brooklyn, and has 
		had several children, three daughters of whom survive. 
	-Jacob DITMARS, who married Jessie VANCE, of Morristown, New Jersey, and has issue a daughter, 
		Margarita DITMARS, now Mrs. DONALD, of Portland, Oregon, 
		and a son, J. REMSEN DITMARS, of New York.

	Many interesting reminiscences are told of this homestead. I will repeat the 
most important tradition as it has been handed down, and also give you the facts 
as they are recorded. Cold though they may seem, yet they show the truth of the tradition.

	Johannes DITMARS, born March 28th, 1749, was left a large fortune by his father. 
It is a conceded fact that the DITMARS family were among the richest inhabitants of 
Kings County before the Revolution. On the death of his father, a neighbor and 
friend was appointed his guardian and discharged the office to the satisfaction 
of young DITMARS, but the Revolution saw them on opposite sides. DITMARS espoused 
the Whig cause and his friend was on the Royal side. DITMARS was one of the largest 
land holders in Flatlands, and had large interests to protect and an aged mother 
to look after for these reasons he did not take up arms. Tradition* also tells that 
he was in delicate health all his life, and as he lived only forty-six years, there 
is some foundation for the belief. He is said to have advanced large sums of money 
to aid the American cause, of which I have been unable to find record, on account 
of it not having been repaid. It is a fact that the only records of money
loaned the state or nation during the Revolution are the records of receipts, 
given by those who received their money back with interest. At all events, he 
was conspicuous for favoring the American cause.

	Just before the landing of the British, Washington ordered the farmers of Kings 
and Queens counties to stack their grain and fodder in the fields, so if the enemy 
approached it could be burned without endangering the buildings, and to drive 
their stock into the interior. DITMARS' former guardian refused to comply, 
so when the enemy advanced the American soldiers, who were detailed to burn 
the fodder, were setting fire to the hay as it stood in the barn, when DITMARS, 
whose stacks were already ablaze in the fields, rushed in, put out the kindling 
that was started, and springing on top of a pile of hay shouted, 
"If you burn this barn you burn me." He was respected by the Americans to that 
extent that they left the barn undisturbed.

	Another tradition is that Johannes DITMARS had several bags of gold coin 
locked in a cupboard in his bedroom. Some of the British soldiers who were 
quartered in the neighborhood learned the fact, and made arrangements to 
relieve Mr. DITMARS of his money. Stealing in one night, they seized him 
and his mother while asleep in bed, bound and placed them under a feather 
bed, and endeavored to extort DITMARS into opening the cupboard, which 
he refused to do, whereupon they started to hack it to pieces with swords. 
They were not long engaged in the operation, when the slaves, who slept over 
the kitchen, realized that it was up to them to rescue their master. The story 
continues on, that they armed themselves with old blunderbusses and discarded 
weapons, such as slaves were allowed to carry, and descending by the back stairs 
assaulted the place from the outside, making as much noise as possible. In 
the fight they took three of the ruffians prisoners. Two escaped from them, 
the third they lodged safely in the Flatbush Jail, but he was permitted 
by the authorities to make his escape. These slaves were just in time to 
save their master and mistress from smothering to death. Old Cominey and Cuff 
were regarded with affection, and lived all their lives in the DITMARS family.

	In ONDERDONK'S Revolutionary Incidents of Kings County, we find mention 
of this event as follows:
959  l20 Reward - Reward-Last neight Nov 5 about 8 oclock, 4 men, wit weapons 
forced into the house of Johannes DITMARS, Flatlands, and beat him and his 
mother in a cruel manner. Through his resentment, three of them went off, 
the fourth was put in Flatbush Jail, but escaped the same night wounded 
in the head, and said his name was Jos. MOSIER.
Gaine Nov.8'83

	It will be noticed that this occurred about a month previous to the 
evacuation of the United States by the British who occupied Long Island, and 
were responsible for any molestation of the inhabitants.

	Relics of this house are numerous. Nearly all of the descendants of 
Johannes DITMARS have one or more of the coins that were in the bags which 
the robbers were after, as on the death of each descendant the coins 
he had inherited were devided among his descendants. My mother has several 
of these, in crown denomination of the reign of George III. 
Miss NAPIER has the cupboard, showing the sword marks where the ruffians 
tried to break it in. 
Mrs. VAN PELT has Femmetje VOORHEES's Bible. 
My mother, Mrs. DITMAS, has in her parlor a tea table, which belonged to 
Femmetje VOORHEES, and is said to be over two hundred years old, having 
been brought from Holland by one of her ancestors. The original brass 
handle on the drawer is still in use, and is as good as the day it was put there.

	The old grandfather's clock, which has been with the DITMARS family 
for more than a century in all their joys and sorrows, is in the possession 
of Mr. Cornelius DITMARS. He has also the conch shell, which was used as a 
horn, for calling the slaves to dinner, and the old cnorph used by the 
DITMARS family for over a century. He has also the old copper-kettle and 
brazier, and the small brazier used to pass coals around with which to light 
the pipes. Speaking of pipes, Mrs. DITMARS has a pair of Church Warden pipe 
boxes. They are mahogany inlaid boxes, in which the .pipes were placed. In 
the bottom of these boxes were drawers to contain flint and steel. They are not
DITMARS heirlooms, but they are the only pair I know of today, and for that 
reason I note them. Mr. John DITMARS, of Brooklyn, has a miniature of 
John DITMARS, which he gave his bride, and it is therefore over one hundred years old.


* He was probably with the militia in the Battle of Long Island.

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