New Amsterdam & New Netherland Resources (now New York)

Cornelia asked

my husband has New Amsterdam ancestors, most notedly
Hargerinck/Harpending, but others as well. I'm unversed in New Amsterdam research, was given a cousin's research with names but not much data. where do I look for New Amsterdam records? not many appear to be online. we are in Oregon so we are not in easy reach of NY archives.

Olive Tree Answer: Hello Cornelia. First off, you say "New Amsterdam" but I'm guessing you may have meant New Netherland? New Amsterdam was the name of what is now New York City. New Netherland is now New York state (and bits of other states).

In any case, there are many many resources available for research in both these areas. Those of us with ancestors who settled these areas in the 17th Century are very lucky!

I have many online on my New Netherland section of my website. They include ships passenger lists from Netherlands to New Netherland 1624-1664 the Reformed Dutch Church records for baptisms (1639-1801), marriages (1639-1801) and membership lists (1649-1701), land records and so on.

There are also many 18th Century records online on my website. You can search those by going to the same URL for New Netherland and choosing the type of record (church, census, land records, ships passenger lists, etc) that you want from the Menu.

I also have a list of resource books I highly recommend for New Netherland research. They include court records (there is an abundance of court records for very early years for New Netherland), wills, etc.

Finding a Ships Passenger List circa 1640s to New Netherland (New York)

Carolyn's Question:

How do I access info regarding my early Dutch ancestor in New Amsterdam 1642, specifically what ship he came on from Holland? His name was Sybout Syboutszen, later changed to Krankeit/Kronkheit/etc. then to Cronkhite /Conk /Cronk /Conkwright etc.

Olive Tree Answer: Carolyn, I'm glad you asked this question! It gives me an opportunity to explain about ships passenger lists to New Netherland (present day New York) before 1664. Briefly, the known names of passengers on board ships to New Netherland before 1664 are taken from the DEBIT side of the WIC (West Indies Company) account book. . That is, the lists that are known to exist only contain the names of passengers who OWED money for the voyage. The names from the CREDIT side, that is, those who paid before the ship sailed, are not known. These lists are published online at Ships to New Netherland

This is a favourite subject of mine and a few years ago I began a project to reconstruct the names of passengers on board the known ships that sailed from Holland to New Netherland. There are several sources that can be used to determine the names of other passengers - namely

1. Abstracts from Notarial Documents in the Amsterdam Archives by Pim Nieuwenhuis published in New Netherland Connections in series Vol. 4:3,4; Vol. 5:1-3


2. Early Immigrants to New Netherland 1657-1664 from The Documentary History of New York


3. Settlers of Rensselaerswyck 1630-1658 in Van Rensselaer Bowier Manuscripts


4. E. B. O'Callaghan's Calendar of Historical Manuscripts in the Office of the Secretary of State, Albany NY


5. New World Immigrants: List of Passengers 1654 to 1664 edited by Michael Tepper


6. Emigrants to New Netherland by Rosalie Fellows Bailey, , NYGBR; vol 94 no 4 pp 193-200


7. De Scheepvaart en handel van de Nederlandse Republiek op Nieuw-Nederland 1609-1675 unpublished thesis by Jaap Jacobs


8. The records of New Amsterdam from 1653 to 1674

The first ship with names of passengers that is known to exist is the Eendracht in 1624. My project to reconstruct passenger names is found here It includes the prevoiusly published lists of names from the DEBIT side of the WIC Account books. If your ancestor's name is not found there, it is not available. There may be other Notarial documents in the Amsterdam Archives that will still turn up bearing more names, but at the present time, no new names have been discovered.

For records of New Amsterdam specifically, you can consult the online records of the New Amsterdam (New York City) Reformed Dutch Church. You will find Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam/New York -- Baptisms 1639 to 1801 and Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam/New York -- Marriages 1639 to 1801 online. Also freely available are the Membership Lists of the Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam (New York) 1649-1701

Who was Hillegond Joris?

Sandra asked:

Hillegond Joris appears as a sponsor at the baptism of my ancestor in the church records of New Amsterdam. I know that lots of times sponsors were family members but I can't figure out how Hillegond connects. Does anyone know anything about her?

Olive Tree Answer: Hi Sandra - Good question! It can be confusing because it is true that very often the Dutch used family as baptismal sponsors. But in this case Hillegond Joris was one of the official midwives of New Amsterdam, and she appears as a witness at many baptisms.

Here is a record of Hillegond's appointment (and suspension) as midwife in 1655:

21 April 1655. Appointment. Hellegond [sic] Joris to be city midwife, and suspension thereof. [Council Minutes vol. VI. 1655. Source: Calendar of Historical Manuscripts in the office of the Secretary of State, Albany NY edited by E.B. O'Callaghan. Dutch Manuscripts:]

I did some research on Hillegond Joris some years back, and here is a summary of what I found:

Hillegond Joris had an illegitimate daughter baptized on 1643 in the New Amsterdam Church. 1643 12 Dec; Hilegond Joris; Vrouwtje; no witnesses Source: New Amsterdam (New York City) Reformed Dutch Church Baptisms

There are several court records concerning this illegitimate birth:

7 July 1644. Declaration. Tryntje Jonas, midwife, respecting a confession of Hellegond Joris as to the paternity of her child. [Register of Provincial Secretary. Vol. II. Calendar of Historical Manuscripts in the office of the Secretary of State, Albany NY edited by E.B. O'Callaghan. Dutch Manuscripts:]

9 July 1644. Delcaration. Annetje Renst and Petertje Jans, that Hellegond Joris had said that Jan, the pilot of the Seven Stars, was the father of her newly born child.

11 July 1644. Declaration. Marritje Lives and Engeltje Mans to the same effect

14 July 1644. Court Proceedings. Fiscal vs Laurens Cornelissen, skipper of the Maid of Enckhuysen; adultery with Hellegond Joris; defendant denies the charge and is ordered to clear himself on oath.[Council Minutes Vol. IV. 1644. Calendar of
Historical Manuscripts in the office of the Secretary of State, Albany NY edited by E.B. O'Callaghan. Dutch Manuscripts:]

28 July 1644. Fiscal vs Laurens Cornelissen, for adultery with Hellegond Joris; defendant denies the charge upon oath and is dismisssed. [Council Minutes Vol. IV. 1644. Calendar of Historical Manuscripts in the office of the Secretary of State,
Albany NY edited by E.B. O'Callaghan. Dutch Manuscripts:]

Hillegond was married to Jan Corneliszen [Van Horn] who died after July 1666. In 1669Hillegond married Mr. Evert Pietersen Keteltas, widower of Grietje Arents.

Banns 16 June 1669: Evert Pieterszen, widower of Grietje Arents, and Hillegond Joris, widow of Jan Corneliszen. Source: New Amsterdam (New York City) Reformed Dutch Church Marriages

By her first husband Jan Cornelis she had 3 children - Cornelis Jansen Van Hoorn, Joris Janszen and Neeltje Janszen.