X tmty Bttttft Bniikw if jflOTttmstl Cmmtf, Jltta 3ftrm Gc M. L. 974.901 M75b 1233693 GENEALOGY COLLECTION 3 1833 00826 6782' ^(,L(%^t % *f I <71Z&>H EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY GEORGE C. BEEKMAN. MOREAU RROS., PUBLISHERS, FREEHOLD, N". J. Second Edition Printed, 1915. 1233693 PREFACE. When the publication of these articles on the Early Dutch Settlers of Monmouth was begun in The Freehold Transcript, I had no idea they would develop to such Length. Several of the articles written for the weekly issues of this newspaper read all right therein, but now, gathered together in hook form, they appear fragmentary and disconnected. A great deal of time and labor by more than one person has been devoted to gathering material from public records, family papers, tombstone inscriptions, and other original sources of information. Much of this is comprised in short notes and small type, and, by putting these compilations in hook form they will be accessible for reference. For there is much work to be done before a full genealogy can be written of either the Conover, Hendrickson, or Schanck families. The illustrations are chiefly old dwelling houses erected by the early settlers or their sons. The buildings are disappear- ing before the march of improvement and the decay of time, and in another generation not one will probably he left. Some are of the Dutch style of architecture, others of the English, but they show the radical difference of the two races in character. 1 have been unable to procure the likeness of any of our pioneer settlers, and therefore was compelled to select persons of the present generation, who bear in form or features a strong family resemblance to their parental ancestors. These selec- tions have been made by myself, and solely for the above reason. Among these pictures are four members of different gen- erations of the same family, all closely connected by ties of blood. Each generation shows a marked difference, yet a ( family likeness can he detected in all of them. (i. '. I'». Freehold, X. .1., August 7, L901. RECORDS OF THE CONOVERS, SCHENCKS AND VANDERVEERS. Roelof Martense Schenck In. in Amersfoort, Province of Utrecht, Hol- land, in 1619. and came to New Amster- He names in dam with his brother Jan. and sister Annetje. in 1650. In 1660 he married Neeltje, daughter of Gerrit Wolphertse VanCouwenhoven, who was a son of Wolfert Garretson VanCouwenhoven. who came from Amersfoort aforesaid to America in 1630 with the Dutch emi- grants who settled Rensselaerwick. near what is now Albany in the state ot New York. Soon after his marriage t.) Neeltje Gonover (as the name is now spelled) he settled permanently at Flatlands, Long- Island, where his wife had been born. His will was made September!. 1704. Aug Book ..... with other int. rn ttion i i mlng him and many of his d< ic< ndants, is pub lished in a book compiled by Capl A. D. Schenck U. S. A., published in 1S83 and entitled "Ancestry and Descendants of Rev. William Schenck." The will of his son Garret, who set- tled in Monmouth county, N. J., is also published in this work: it was executed January 12, 1739, proved October 7th, 1745, and is now on r rd in the office of Secretary of the state of New Jersey. Roeloi' Martense Schenck devised all his real .state to his eldest son Martin, who married June 20th, 1686. Susanna Abrahamse I'.rinckerhotT He bequeaths to his two youngest sons. Garret and Jan. and to his six living daughters, Jonica, Maryke, Margaretta, Neeltje Maykj and Sara, and the two children of his a aseJ daughter Ann-itje sixtj and a half pounds each, and makes thtse legacies thai geable upon the r.-al estate devised to his eldest son. His two sons, Garret and Jan, settled in Monmouth county about 1695. Their names appear in our court and other public records soon after this date. They and their wives were among the first communicants of the Marlboro Dutch church, as now called. Garret Schenck married Neeltje Coerten Van- Voorhees at Flatlands, L. L, and died September 5, 1745. on the farm known as the Rappleyea farm at Pleasant Val- EARL Y DUTCH SETTLERS Of MONMOUTH. Peter Wicoff gave their ear marks to lid be ight be recorded." "Garret Schenck, his ear marks, a Neither do I know of any of this fork on top of left ear and a piece cut name who has been convicted of any aslope of the upper or foreside of the infamous crime. Their family history right ear, making the ear both shorter is remarkably free from all dishonor- and narrower. Recorded to his son." able stains. While none of them have "Cornelius Couwenhoven, his mark is achieved fame as authors, ministers, a fork on the right ear and a small cut presidents, generals, or millionaires, in on the underside of the left ear. yet on the other hand they have gen- Recorded to his son." erally occupied respectable positions, "Peter Wicoff, his ear mark is a hole led useful lives, and been good citizens. through the rig-tit ear and a piece cut That is, the Conovers are not found at aslope off the upper or foreside of the either extreme of the social scale but left ear, making the ear both shorter on the safe middle ground. During the and narrower." stormy days of the Revolution I do not "April 25. 1698, John Schenck, his ear know of a single Conover, Smock, mark is a crape of the top of the near Schenck, or Vanderveer in Monmouth ear and a half penny on each side of county who was a Tory. On the con- same ear." trary, so far as I can learn, they were Second. Albert Williamse VanCou- all sturdy, uncompromising patriots. wenhoven, born at Flatlands, L. I., Dec- Many of them, like Captain Jacob Cov- ember 7, 1676, married there about 1701 enhoven. Colonel Barnes Smock. Cap- Neeltje Schenck and died in Monmouth tains John and William Schenck and county July 7. 1751. Tunis Vanderveer, did yeoman service Third. Jacob Williamse VanCouwen- both in council and battle for their hoven, born at Flatlands, L. I., January country. During the late war of the 29, 1679, married there November 12, rebellion the records of our state show- 1705, Sarah Schenck and died at Middle- that over 50 Schencks and over 70 Con- town, Monmouth county. December 1, overs, served in the New Jersey reg- 1744. iments. I, therefore, can sincerely say Thus a very clase relationship, both that I do not know of any family of by blood and intermarriage, existed be- Dutch descent who have a better right tween the two Schenck brothers, and the to celebrate the year 1930, the tricen- three Conover brothers who first settled tennial of their residence in America here, and who are the ancestors of all (now only 32 years off) than .the Con- who now bear those names in Mon- overs and their kinsmen among the mouth county. Smocks, Schencks and Vanderveers. The name VanCouwenhoven, .-•s the They can then sing with gusto and Dutch language yielded very slowly but truth the following verses and no one surely to the English tongue, under- can question their right to do so, or the went several changes both in spelling propriety of such a tricentennial jubilee. and pronunciation. Our early court and church records show some of these Ye sturdy Dutchmen, now arise, changes. The "Van" was dropped and of the ancient times. spelled Couwenhoven or Kowen- •For singing name for to go: next Coven- We're going hoven. Then Cowenhoven, When this fair land on every hand hoven or Covenoven. and finally Con- Was peopled by the Dutch, over. And all the rest however blest. This family have been in America They did not count for much. centuries. As the original nearly three Of centennial celebrations. progenitor came here in 1630, another We've had some two or more; generation, or 32 years from present These upstarts of an hundred years. date, will complete this period since the But one find in their score. Conover tree was first planted in the And tho' they boast a mighty host, new world. Very few families in the "Four Hundred," brave and fair: United States of Netherland blood can We quietly look in History's book to find them there. show such an ancient lineage, about And fail which there can be no doubt. Neither Chorus. can any family show greater fidelity in I am a Van, of a Van, of a Van. of a Van. their obedience to the Scriptural in- Of a Van of a way back line: feature junction "to increase and multiply in On every rugged Ancestral glories shine. the land." If all the male and female all our band in kinship stand. Garritson And descendants ol Wolphert With all that's old and fine. VanCouwenhoven now in the United I'm a Van. of a Van. of a Van, of a Van, St.-iU-s coul. 1 be gathered together in Of a Van of ;i way back line. TRAITS OF CONOVER CHARACTER. FANCIFUL ORIGIN OF THE NAME. I have sometimes heard the inquiry, Although this old "VanCouvenhoven" what does "Covenhoven" mean in the name has been often changed, yet the Low Dutch language? genuine Conovers retain in a marked This question I cannot answer, al- degree the physical and mental char- though many years ago. I heard a acteristics of the Batavian and Frisian gentleman of this family give the fol- race from which they spring.