Re: Looking for Johannis Jansen / NY -descendents

Hmmm...where to start.Mathys Jansen was Mathijs Jansen van Ceulen, baptised 2 Feb, 1602 at the Austin Friars DRC of London(I have a copy of the handwritten record)His father, Jan, had an uncle, Jacob Wolfaertse van Ceulen, who lived in London(Austin Friars Church records)On 3 Jun 1621, Mathijs became one of the Lord Directors of the Dutch West India Company(See Company Charter).In Sep 1628, Mathijs received a commission of 50,000 guilders on a cargoe that Admiral Pieter Heyn relieved from the Spanish Plate Fleet, which he caught in the mid Atlantic.(Olde Ulster, 1909)In 1631, Mathijs and Killaen van Rennsalaer were given Patroonship of Zawaanendael(Swan Valley...a 12 mile stretch of the Delaware River.Refer to the Zawaanendael Museum, Lewes Delaware.)In Oct 1632, Mathijs was appointed Supreme Commander of Dutch Forces in South America.He left Texel Island on `16 Oct, 1632 and arrived Recife Brazil on Dec 5, 1632("verhael van West Indien"..a book used in Dutch High School history).In Dec 1633 Mathijs completed his conquest of Brazil, claiming the Colony for the Prince of Orange, and renaming the last Spanish fort that fell...Fort Trey Reyes at Reis Magos...to "CeulensFoort"(History of Keulens Castle, Pernambunco).In Sep, 1634, he returned to Amsterdam, where is found almost daily in the records of the Amsterdam Camer, Dutch West Indische Compagnie(I have their 1635-1636 Notulenboecks...would you like a page with Mathijs' name on it?)On 20 Nov, 1636, Mathijs left Texel Island again, to take his place on "Hoogh Secreeten Raad"(the South American Governing Council).In July, 1639, he is found listed on the manifest of the West Indies Raven(Harbor manifest, Court of New Amsterdam) that travelled from Recife, Brazil to New Amsterdam, New York.Along with him is Willem Hendrickse, brother of Margriet Hendrickse.They are believed to be children of Hendrick van Gout, a company accountant.In Aug, 1639, Mathijs is recorded on the land of brother, Conraet Jansen van Ceulen(aka van Keulen) in North Harlem...a plot called "Keulens Hook"(History of Harlem).Mathijs returned to Recife by Oct, 1639.Mathijs and Margriet appear numerous times in the records of the Recife DRC.(Records of the Recife DRC, Walsch...I have a copy of this book)In Jul, 1641, Mathijs term on the council was up, and he then moved to Fort Orange(Albany).In Aug, 1646, he purchased 50 morgens(100 acres) near Conraet's land on Manhattan.This was known as Van Ceulens Bouwerie.The land today is located at the point where 9W crosses the Harlem River at Columbia University's Baker's Field.Mathijs died at Fort Orange 13 Oct, 1648(Journals of Killaen van Rennsalaer).On 15 Oct, 1648, a court case involving his widow was postponed because of the recent death.On Dec 16, 1648, a court record showed Margriet married to Thomas Chambers.(Court records of early New York, Van Laer) In Jan 1656, Margriet and Thomas were granted a house lot on wagon road outside Albany.The last record of Margriet and Thomas in Albany was July, 1656.In 1663, 3000 guilders was taken from the estate of Mathijs Jansen van Ceulen at the direction of Margriet Hendrickse, for the building of the DRC of Kingston.On Jul 2, 1667, the Court of New Amsterdam confirmedVan Ceulens Bouwerie to the heirs, Katryn, Annetje, Jan & Matthys, stepfather Thomas Chambers acting on their behalf.Son Jan, who preferred to use the patronymic "Jan Tyssen", is the progenitor of the Ulster County Jansens.Jan married Magdalena Blanchan, who was b. Canterbury England, Mar 7, 1646(records of the Walloon Church of Canterbury).

Mathijs Jansen van Ceulen was the son of Jan Mathijsen van Ceulen and Annetje Jansz.Jan M was baptised Antwerp, 18 Jun, 1580, St Walburgis Church, s.o. Mathijs Wolfaertse van Ceulen and Mayken Mertens.Mathijs was b. Antwerp, 1545, s.o. Wolfaert van Ceulen.He died apr 23, 1619 in Amsterdam.Wolfaert probably was the last of this line to have been born in Cologne.BTW, Cologne may be in Germany today, but it was part of the Spanish Netherlands in the 1500s.The Catholic inquisiton is what forced these Protestants to move north to the safety of the United Netherlands.

All of the above came from records in my possession.Many of them are already scanned into my computer.I also have 21 letters written by Mathijs between 1638 and 1641.Let me know if you would like one.

This is pretty quick and short history.There is much more I could add....but I have used up a lot of space already.

Van