The VAN PELT Manor House Erected over two hundred years ago.

Teunis JANSEN, or Tonis JANSEN Lanen Van PEELT as he wrote his name, from Luyck, in Netherlands, in 1675, 1678 and 1680, bought land in New Utrecht, and is mentioned in the Dongan Patent of 1686. Was known as Tonis, the Fisher. He was supposed to have married twice; first, to (sup.) Grietje JANS, and second, on August 6th, 1696, to Gertrude JANS, the widow of John OTTER. The similarity of names is confusing, and early historians may have made a mistake, for they may be the same person. The second generation was Aert Tunise VAN PELT, son of the above, by his first wife. He was born in 1668, in New Amsterdam, and married September 10th, 1686, Neeltie JANSE van TULL. He was a magistrate of New Utrecht in 1694, Lieutenant of militia in 1705, and Captain in 1715. On September 10th, 1694, he bought this farm of Hendrick Mathysen SMACK, the common ancestor of the SMOCK family: It was known as plantation-lot No. 10. He bought of Balthazer VOSCH plantation-lot No. 11 in 1677. These two lots contained 58 morgan or 116 acres. In 1706 he was assessed for 80 acres of land. He had probably sold a part of his holdings by that time. Peter VAN PELT, son of the above, married October 19th, 1784, Antje DORLAND. Was Captain of New Utrecht Militia in 1750, and died September 6th, 1781. His son, Rem VAN PELT, born April 17th, 1788, married Ida LEFFERTS, daughter of Jacobus LEFFERTS and Catherine VANDERBILT, his wife; born January 26th, 1745; died July 2nd, 1828. Rem VAN PELT was a farmer. He was born in this historic homestead. BERGEN tells in his VAN BRUNT Family the following incident of him. "On the 18th of June, 1778, Wm. MARRENER with Lieut. John SCHENCK and twenty-eight militia-men from Middletown Point, N. J., landed from two boats on the New Utrecht beach, and after having called upon their friends, with a portion of their force marched to Flatbush with the intention of making prisoners of Mayor MATTHEWS of N. Y., Miles SHERBROOK, Major MONCRIFFE and Theophylaet BACHE. The attempt on the two former failed on account of their absence, but succeeded with the others, and in addition, Capt. FORREST was captured, who were all safely carried off from their beds, marched to the Beach, and taken to New Jersey. The British authorities rightly supposed that it was impossible for MARRENER's party to have marched to Flatbush in the evening without having been seen by some of the inhabitants. Those who knew of or had seen the party and failed to give the alarm, by law, were guilty of treason. Col. Rutgert VAN BRUNT, of Gravesend, and his brother Adrian, and Rem VAN PELT and his brother Aert, of New Utrecht, were arrested on the 16th of June, on suspicion, and confined separately in the provost jail in New York. The colonel who had money, managed to bribe the sergeant who had charge so as to obtain a midnight interview with his fellow prisoners, at which it was arranged to deny all knowledge of the affair. When examined separately, they all agreed in their story, and no proof appearing against them, they were discharged." Captain MARRENER told General JOHNSON after the Revolution, that after he had landed he went to the house of his friend, Old Alan VAN PELT (Peter VAN PELT), knocked on his window, and told him of his intentions. He had been quartered, when a prisoner of the British, at this house. After After VAN PELT had wished him luck, he went to his son's, Rem VAN PELT's, and from there made his final start. Peter VAN PELT lived in the homestead, and the window is shown where MARRENER tapped. The VAN PELTS owned two farms in New Utrecht. Peter VAN PELT left the manor-house and surrounding land to his son, Aert VAN PELT, who was born October 20th, 1748; married Femmetje STELLENWERF, and died without issue. He left the manor-house to his grand-nephew, John L. VAN PELT, subject to payments to other heirs. All of Rem's descendants were born in the other house. Rem VAN PELT died Mareh 18th, 1829, leaving issue: (1). Geertje VAN PELT, born April 30th, 1770; died September 8th, 1796; married November 6th, 1788, to Hendrick SUYDAM, son of Captain Lambert SUYDAM of Bedford and had a son, Lambert, who married Wilhelmina, daughter of Winant BENNET, of New Utrecht. (2). Jacob VAN PELT, a farmer, of New Utrecht, was born March 10th, 1774, and died October 16th, 1827; married August 19th, 1802, to Maritie, daughter of Johannes E. LOTT and Catharine VANDERBILT, his second wife. Judge LOTT was the first Surrogate of Kings County, and the leading man of his generation not only in Flatbush but also in all Kings County. Maritje LOTT VAN PELT, was born October 10th, 1781, and died October 3rd,1852. They had issue: (A). Gertrude VAN PELT, born September 22nd, 1804, and died November 5th, 1851, single. (B). John LOTT VAN PELT, born August 1st, 1806; married December 17th, 1884, Anne Maria, daughter of Timothy T. CORTELYOU. Mr. VAN PELT died in 1885. Jacob VAN PELT was born and lived in another old house at Eighty-sixth Street and Twentieth Avenue. There his son, John L. VAN PELT, was born and lived, and there Townsend CORTELYOU VAN PELT was born, but on his marriage he moved to the Old Manor House. When he took up his abode in the ancestral home it was a simple old house without a room in the second story; these he put in, as well as a heating plant and modern conveniences. In the parlor, around the fireplace, are the old Dutch tiles brought from Holland when the first house was erected here. As was customary they depict Bible Stories. John LOTT VAN PELT and Anna Maria CORTELYOU, his wife, had six children, namely: -The late John V. VAN PELT, who married Josephine G. MILLER. -Mary L. VAN PELT, widow of Jeremiah VAN BRUNT, of New Utrecht. -The late Jacob L. VAN PELT. -Anna CORTELYOU VAN PELT, widow of George SHIELDS, of Bath Beach. -Delia VAN PELT, first wife of the late George SHIELDS. -Townsend CORTELYOU VAN PELT, who was born November 18th, 1887, and married October 24th, 1866, Maria Elizabeth DITMARS, daughter of the late John DITMARS, of Flatlands Neck. (See the John DITMARS Homestead.) She was born September 24th, 1843. For many years Mr. and Mrs. VAN PELT have been the leading spirits in the Liberty Pole preservation movement, described at some length in another chapter. In this house much has been done to preserve the history of our past. Mrs. Yan Pelt is noted for her knowledge of local history. She is connected with several patriotic associations, and is the founder of the New Utrecht Liberty Pole Association, which was organized in the parlor of this historic home. In front of this house stands one of the few remaining direction stones erected previous to the Revolution. Another stands in front of the Judge STILLWELL place. One formerly stood in front of Mr. John L. RYDER'S, but I think only two of these stones are left in position.

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