How Longstreet and some New Jersey families are related

One has to understand the families who lived in the colonies had large families. It is almost impossible to trace every child of every family. Many of the Dutch families sailed from Amsterdam Holland as it was the busiest port in the world in the 1600s. Laan, Van Pelt, Longstreet, Monfoort, Van Dyke, Hendrickson, Little, Osborn, Knott, Drummond,and more are some of the families connected one to the other by marriages. More than a few of these families left New York due to overcrowding in 1700 and moved to New Jersey. Most were settled in New York by 1665.

The Langstraat family name did not appear to emerge much before 1695 when Dirck Stoffel and his children Stoffel, Classje, and Adriaen Dirckson adopted the Langstraat as a fixed surname. The English spelling of the surname was not universally adopted by the family until circa 1760. It's been spelled Longstreet ever since. By this date Dirk and some of children were deceased - which was about 45 years after their last child was born.

Do not fret. In most cases there are enough aunts, uncles, cousins, half-siblings and double cousins for everyone.

Stoffel Langstraat and Mayka Laan m. 1695 They are the paternal ancestors of every natural born Longstreet in America, including Gen. Longstreet who has no descendants as his childen died of childhood diseases.

The Will of Mayka's father, Gijsbert Laan, was recorded as Gilbert Lane. He married Jannetje Adriense, and they had many children. Their daughter Katherine m. Van Dyke. Their daughter Mayke m. Stoffel Langstraat. Gijsbert's parents were Mathies Laan and Marijken Gijsberts. His mother died en route to the colonies. His widower father m. ? Hendrickson and they had many children. Jannetje's g.great-nephew used the Smith surname for the first time when he married in the 1800s

Stoffel and Mayke's daughter Onicha m. ? Osborn and when widowed m. widower Peter Knott. She was one of four Longstreet siblings who married four Osborn siblings.All of these children were double cousins.

Stoffel and Mayke's daughter b. 1715Moica Langstraat m. John Little. Moica's daughter Isabel m. David Knott, s/o Peter and his first wife,Rebecca Potter. Isabel's brother Thomas m. Lydia Drummond d/o Abigail Knott and Gavin Drummond; she was David Knott's sister.Lydia and Thomas' granddaughter married David Knott's grandson. One of David's sisters married a Hendrickson.

Gijsbert Laan's uncle (father's brother) was Anthonus Laenen who had four wives and six children. In the Catholic Church child baptism was recorded as family name such as Laan. In the Dutch Church at Guelderland the baptism name was recorded as a Patronym such as Thonus or ? After their father died they adopted the Van Pelt surname. The first known legal record of this name is recorded 1 Jan 1700 when the sibling deeded their father's land to their brother Aert Van Pelt. Laan, Lanen, and Van Pelt are two brothers (Mathies Laan and Anthonus Lanen) with the same parents. Their nine children were cousins, but his brother's 11 children were half-siblings. They sailed on the same private sloop with Jannetje, her siblings, their parents, and a cousin (C1R).

Joanna Longstreet m. Pieter Monfort. Montfort held the rights to the Kovenhooven Estate in Norde Brabant. Wolphert s/o Janse, took Van Kovenhooven as his surname.

Albert Van Kovenhoven's daughter, Margaretje, married Daniel Polhemus. Their daughter Elinor m. the son of Albert's half-brother. Their daughter, Maria Polhemus, m. Theophilus Little. Elinor's daughter Eleanor Covenhoven married Maria's son, Daniel Little. Isabel, Thomas and Theophilus were the children of Moica Langstraat [Little].

Catherine Monfort, d/o Johanna Longstraat and Pieter Monfort, married Judge Samuel Westerfield of Jefferson County, TN. Samuel was a descendant of Luberts Luberts Westerveldt.Their descendants moved into Fulton County, Illinois. Of these descendants, a son married Hallie LIttle who was a descendant of Moica Langstraat and Judge John Little.