GERRETSEN'S MILL at Gravesend, L. I.

The Indian deed of Barren Island, a copy of which is in my possession, says: it is "enviorened with the main ocean sea which on the westermost part thereof branches itself, unto a river running northerly, that is to say, to the land sometime belonging to Hugh GERRETSEN." This evidently alludes to the Strome Kil now known as GARRITSON's Creek and Mill Pond. Tunis G. BERGEN in his "Early Settlers of Kings County," says: "Samuel (Geretsen) m. Ida BARENTS. On ass. roll of Gd. of 1693. Cen. of 1698 and deeds of same dates as per pp. 175-177-182 and 183 of Lib. 2 of Con; also clerk of the board of supervisors in 1703, and memo of the colonial legislature from 1716 to 1787. Believe him to be the ancestor of the Gd. family of GARRETSENs, who owned a farm and tide mill in said town located on the Strome Kil, the boundary between Gd. and Flds. known as GERRETSEN'S mill; and also of the late J. Fletcher GERRETSEN and Judge Sam'l GERRETSEN of Brn. and Thos. GERRETSEN of Flds. Issue Ferdinandus bp. Apr. 25th, 1696 and other children."* From the same source we find that he was a son of Gerret and Mary REMMERSEN. We also find that this Gerret was a son of Rem, of Gravesend, and that Hugh GERRETSEN owned land adjoining Flatlands, prior to 1645. In tracing back the line of ownership, I met with some difficulty on account of the lack of genealogical reference to this family. In the New York Surrogate's office I found my first link. There in Liber 25, page 232, is the will of Johannes GERRITSEN, miller, of Gravesend, who gave to his son, Samuel GERRITSEN, all his real and personal estate, subject to certain legacies, which he (Samuel) was to pay. In this will he names his widow, Jannetie, and a daughter, Ida. His executors are named as his brother-in-law Michiel VANDERVOORT, and Rem WILLIAMSON and his cousin Jacobus RIDER. The date of this will is December 20th, 1765. Johannes GERRITSEN is evidently a son or grandson of Samuel GERETSEN, spoken of by BERGEN. It seems to me that he was a son, born some time after 1700, for at the making of his will he (Johannes) had a son evidently past majority. There is no question raised in the will about the son's majority. Now, this is a carefully executed instrument. GERRITSEN, being a Dutchman, he would most surely have arranged his will to meet such an emergency. Considering that fact, he was probably at the time of ensealing his will a man of 50 to 65 years of age. Then, too, there was a custom among the Dutch, which has come down to tbe present day, of which your compiler's Dame is an example, of naming the children after the grandparents, and giving them as a middle name the first name of their parents. This GERRITSEN family illustrates that fact. The next record I found was the will of Samuel GARRITSEN, of Gravesend, recorded in the Kings County Surrogate's office, in Libel 2, probated in 1822. In this will he leaves his grist mill and farm to his son, John S., and names daughters, Jane and Elizabeth. He appoints bis son-in-law, John LTT, and his grandson, VAN BRUNT MAGAW, executors. Van Brunt MAGAW was born September 7th, 1783; died March 18th, 1831; was a son of Colonel Robert MAGAW, an officer of distinction in the Reyolution, and Marritje, daughter of Colonel Rutgert VAN BRUNT. Van Brunt MAGAW, married November 2nd, 1811, Adriana, daughter of Louwrens VOORHEES and Jannetie, his wife, daughter of Samuel GARRITSON. Elizabeth GARRITSEN, married John LOTT, second son of Judge Johannes E. LOTT and Catharine VANDERBILT, his second wife. They lived on the farm which Judge LOTT bought of the heirs of Philip NAGEL. He left this farm on his death to John LOTT. They (Mr. and Mrs. John LOTT) were the parents of Samuel G. LOTT, the father of the late Mr. Theodore LOTT. The will of John S. GERRETSON, miller, of Gravesend, was probated September 2nd, 1864, and is recorded in Libel 28. He leaves his farm, meadows and mill to his son, Samuel J. GERRETSEN, and another farm which he had bought of the STILLWELLS, to his other son, Simon C. GERRETSEN. Samuel J. GERRETSEN'S will was recorded on October 31st, 1876, and was made May 4th of the same year. He leaves all his property, both real and personal, to his two daughters, Mary C., widow of Abraham DITMAS POLHEMUS, and Helen B., wife of Stephen H. HERRIMAN, both of Brooklyn. We find a genealogical record of the family at this point, namely that Samuel J. GERRETSEN, of Gravesend, married October 2nd, 1821, Jane, daughter of Jacob VAN BRUNT and Esther VANDERBILT, his wife, born May 14th, 1803; died November 20th, 1861. They had children as follows: -Mary C., born July 7th, 1822; married May 18th, 1846, Abraham D. POLHEMUS, of Brooklyn. -Helen B., born November 15th, 1824; married on April 25th, 1858, to Stephen H. HERRIMAN, of Brooklyn. On December 20th, 1864, Samuel .J. GERRETSEN deeded part of this property to his son-in-law, Abraham DITMAS POLHEMUS, and on November 14th, 1879, the executors of the will of Abraham D. POLHEMUS sold the premises which he had purchased to Helen V. B. HERRIMAN. On the death of Stephen H. HERRIMAN, who had acquired his wife's interest in the properly, he left it to his three children, namely: William S. HERRIMAN, Maria Bell HAZEN and Helen HERRIMAN. On the death of W. S. HERRIMAN he left his sister, Maria Bell HAZEN, his interest in the Gravesend property. Thus the title became vested in Mrs. HAZEN and Miss HERRIMAN. In 1899 Mrs. HAZEN and Miss HERRIMAN sold the estate to the Honorable William C. WHITNEY, who rebuilt, laid out, refitted and restored the premises, making one of the most magnificent country seats around New York. On his death his son, Harry Payne WHITNEY, came into possession of the properly. * Names are spelled as the people themselves spelled them. Father and son often spelled the surname differently.

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