The ADRIAN MARTENSE Homestead

On February 20th, 1889, Gertrude PRINCE, wife of John Duffield PRINCE, and daughter of George MARTENSE, deceased; Mary MARTENSE PRINCE, wife of John D. PRINCE, Jr., and daughter of Jacob V. B. MARTENSE, deceased; Eliza Ann MARTENSE, widow of Jacob VAN BRUNT MARTENSE and Adrian VANDERVEER MARTENSE, their son, and Helen MARTENSE, their daughter, sold the old MARTENSE Homestead, which for many years had been occupied by tenants. It was an historic sale, and was the beginning of that great real estate movement which was to culminate in the high prices of to-day and of the still higher prices of the future. The purchaser was William ZIEGLER, and to-day the last semblance of farm life is being removed from this rural section. Within a stone's throw from this house are row after row of one and two-family brick houses. Only a short distance from three car lines, this centrally located property abounds with interest to the speculators, who have had the good taste to call the section by the old and honorable name of Martense. Just beyond this house stands Greenwood Cemetery, a reminder of the time when all this land was open country and when this farm included a part of the cemetery. This was the main or homestead farm, which Adrian MARTENSE left to his grandson, George MARTENSE, when he died on March 13th, 1817. It was originally a part of one of the largest farms in Flatbush. This house was the homestead of the western division, as is related in the story of the old MARTENSE-STORY Homestead. The MARTENSE family has been one of the most prominent families in Flatbush, but unfortunately the name is now extinct as a surname, but the blood is in many veins. The common ancestor's name was not MARTENSE, for this family are descendants of Adrian REYERSE, of Amsterdam, who emigrated to this country in 1646, and settled in Flatbush. He married July 29th, 1659, Annetje MARTENSE, a daughter of Martin Roelofse SCHENCK, of Flatlands. REYERSE'S death occurred November 24th, 1710. Of his children, Martin ADRIANCE was born March 9th, 1668; he died October 30th, 1754; married Sarah REMSEN who was born December 1st, 1670; died April 30th, 1723. He was called" Martin de BOER" from the fact of his large farm. Some of his children adopted the name of MARTENSE and others of ADRIANCE. Adrian MARTENSE, a son of the above, was bom October 24th, 1707, and died September 17th, 1780. BERGEN says he married Neeltje whose last name is unknown, but Mrs. PRINCE in her history says he married Annetje BRINKERHOFF, who was born July 22nd, 1706; both probably mean the same person, and both are correct from a genealogical point of view. Mrs. PRINCE'S account gives us the missing link in the surname. They were the parents of Adrian MARTENSE, of Flatbush, born December 9th, 1742; died March 18th, 1817; married November 3rd, 1765, to Adriaentje RYDER, born February 2nd, 1741; died May 27th, 1776. He married second Jennetje MONTFORT or MONFOOR. By his first marriage he had a son, Adrian, born August 17th, 1768, and died December 12th, 1880. He married Gertrude, daughter of Jacob SUYDAM, born January 25th, 1770; died January 9th 1824. George MARTENSE, their only son, inherited the homestead farm from his grandfather, Adrian MARTENSE. George MARTENSE was bom July 18th, 1791; died August 18th, 1885; married, January 18th, 1818, Helen, daughter of Jacob VAN BRUNT, of Brooklyn. She was born October 22d, 1800; died November 9th, 1875. They were the parents of Adrian and George MARTENSE, both of whom died without issue, and of Jacob VAN BRUNT MARTENSE, born February 20th, 1825; died December 16th, 1881, and married Eliza Ann, daughter of Doctor Adrian VANDERVEER. She was born May 16th, 1821; died August 15th, 1906. Doctor VANDERVEER was one of the noted physicians of Kings County, and was the founder of the Kings County Medical Society. He was born December 21st, 1796, and died July 5th, 1857. He married Eliza, daughter of Hendrick I. LOTT and Mary BROWNJOHN, his wife. She was born October 28th, 1796; died May 1st, 1875, and married Dr. VANDERVEER on March 25th, 1818. Mr. and Mrs. Jacob VAN BRUNT MARTENSE were the parents of Adrian VANDERVEER MARTENSE, born November 5th, 1852; died January 8rd, 1898; married Ellen BROWN; and of Mary MARTENSE, born April 22nd, 1861, who married Mr. John Duffield PRINCE, Jr.; also of Eliza MARTENSE, born December 15th, 1847; died November 4th, 1874: George MARTENSE, born July 21st, 1850; died April 20th, 1852; and of Helen MARTENSE, born September 20th, 1857; died August 5th, 1893.

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