McKownville
Improvement Association
Jan Hendrickse van Bael biographical
summary, and sources
Jan Hendrickse van Bael [links in this
biographical summary are to source items
listed in the section below]
Birth year unknown; likely before 1637, because must have been at
least 21 yr old to be able legally to bid for and purchase a house
in Beverwyck 1658. Probably born in Holland, but no birth or baptism
records found online.
1657 - Arrived in North America.
- employs
two, or perhaps three tailor's assistants/apprentices
1658 - Buys a house in Beverwyck, at dutch-type
auction; deed executed, full payment made, by August 1659.
Described
as "burgher and inhabitant" in the 1659 deed;
and as "trader here" in 1661 notarised document.
A court
document of 1672 also suggests he was a tailor.
1660, April 1 - about to travel (back) from Holland to New
Netherland instructed to look after plants in tub
shipped by Jan Baptist van Rensselaer;
1661, September 14 - said to be "proposing to depart
for Holland".
So appears to
have made at least one and perhaps two voyages back to Holland and
return to New Netherland between August 1659 and March
1663.
Possibly he
served as a supercargo (cargo supervisor and watchman) on the ships
for the van Rensselaers?
1664 March - nominated and (1664 April) appointed magistrate (commis) for Fort Orange;
served a two and a
half year term to October 1666, continued through the English
takeover of New York in autumn of 1664.
1664 August - buys another house in Beverwyck
1666/1667 - married Helena Teller, recent widow of Cornelis
Bogardus. Helena was 21 yrs old in 1666.
children:
Henry (Hendrick) - b. 1668; Hannah - b. 1669; Margaret - b. 1672;
Maria - b. 1674
Helena - b.
1676 or early 1677, baptised 1677-02-21 in Amsterdam, Holland
(Wester Kerk)
Rachael - b.
1680, baptised 1680-06-05 in Amsterdam, Holland (Nieue Kerk)
1667 April - sells the house in Beverwyck/Albany
that he bought in 1658
1670 October - nominated and appointed magistrate
(commis) for Albany, Rensselaerswyck and Schenectady; served a two
year term to November 1672.
1671 June - deeded a house in Amsterdam,
Holland, by his brother Cornelis
1672 July - purchases large area of land in the
Normanskill valley from Mohawks
1672 August - obtains confirmation from Governor
Lovelace of Patent for land in the Normanskill valley
1670?-1674 commissioned officer "Cornet" in Jeremias van
Rensselaer's troop; member of the Council of War
24 May 1672;
invited
attendee at the funeral of Jeremias van Rensselaer 17 October
1674.
1674 December - buys house in Albany
from his wife's father (Willem Teller); sells
Normanskill valley "Van Bael Patent" (reserving 4 morgens).
1676, May, and September - sells (by attorneys) two
houses in Albany
Departed for Amsterdam, Holland probably not later than September
1676; may have left Albany in summer/fall 1675, because he gave power of attorney to Jan Janse Bleeker and Jacob
Sanderse Glenn in July 1675
1681 March 26 - Buried from the Wester
Kerk in Amsterdam, Holland
(Wester Kerk website page of the burials
in the kerk does not include him, but he is in the register of
deaths for March 1681)
1682 August - widow Helena and children returned to
New York from Holland.
--------------------------------
Source information for Jan Hendrickse
van Bael 1658-1682
The birth date of Jan Hendrickse van Bael is not known.
Several family trees in [ancestry dot com] claim there is a
birth/baptism record of date 1636-01-21 for this person. This
record gives the father's name as Cornelis Adriaensz van
Baalen, so it cannot be the correct record; the father's name of Jan
Hendrickse must have been Hendrick van Bael(en).
Jan Hendrickse van Bael had a brother, Cornelis Hendrickse van Bael;
there is a Dutch deed made in 1671 naming
Cornelis selling to Jan a house in Holland.
[this could be the brother referred to by Jan
Baptist van Rensselaer in a letter of 7 September 1660 - p. 234 in
Letters of Jeremias van Rensselaer]
1657 - There is an index record for his arrival
in North America, listed in [ancestry dot com], but the source
document is not directly accessible online.
[the
reference is contained somewhere in The American Genealogist, Vol.
29:2 (Apr. 1953), pp. 65-76; vol. 29:3 (July 1953), pp. 146-152.]
1657 - employs two persons listed as having
occupation "tailor" and "apprentice tailor"
Random notes
concerning settlers of Dutch descent; pp. 128-134 by William
J. Hoffman; in New World Immigrants, Michael Tepper (ed.)
Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co, 1980. [Internet
Archive online library]
note this list also contains a third person employed by van Bael
with the year given 1653; as this document is a typed compilation
from a much older transcription (De Roever Notes), a
transcription/typographical error seems possible.
1658-07-22 "...On the aforesaid conditions, by
decreasing bids, Jan Hendricksz van Bael remained the last bidder on
the house of Ulderick Kleyn for the sum of seven hundred and nine
guilders,..."
pages
51-2 in Early Records of the City and County of Albany v4
(mortgages 1658–60)
1658-07-22 "...Conditions [of sale] of the goods of Jan de
Groot..... A coat of Jan Hendericksen van Bael on the above
conditions..."
page
54 in Early Records of the City and County of Albany v4
(mortgages 1658–60)
1659-08-02 "Jan Hendericks Van Bael also burgher
and inhabitant of the aforesaid village"
purchase of "house and lot lying in the village of Beverwyck
bounding to the south on Symon Groot, to the north Ryer Elbertse,
east and west the cart road, breadth four rods, and length eight
rods" from Ulderick Kleyn
page
268-9 in Albany County Records, Munsells Collections v4.
1660-04-01 In letter from Jan Baptist Van
Rensselaer, April 1, [1660] (in Holland, to his brother Jeremias in
New Netherland)
"What is in the aforesaid box and tub for you I present to you and
[beg you] to accept as a favor. Jan Hendricksz Baal will keep an eye
on the tub and see to it that in due time the [plants] be put into
the ground."
page
208 Letters of Jeremias van Rensselaer.
1661-09-14 "On this day, the 14th of September
1661, appeared before me, Dirck van Schelluyne, notary public, and
before the afternamed witnesses, Mr Jan Hendrickxsz van Bael, trader
here, proposing to depart for Holland...."
page
115-6 in Early Records of the City and County of Albany v3.
Notarial Papers 1 and 2 , 1660–1696
1661-10-17 Letter to Jan Baptist Van Rensselaer 17th of October
1661, [written] in [New] Amsterdam in New Netherland
"In the ship St Jan Baptist, Jan Bergen, master, I shipped and
consigned to you a case with beavers, marked as in the margin, which
contains for your account 151 whole beavers and 2 half-beavers,
which I received as you will see from the account. In the case, at
the top, down to the paper, lie the beavers which I received and
send over; then, down to the other paper, follow 48 whole beavers
from van Bael, which the arbitrators accepted, as he offered me
still worse ones;...."
page
270-71 Letters of Jeremias van Rensselaer.
1663-03-22 "On this day, the 22nd of March 1663,
Roeloff Williamze acknowledged that he was well and truly indebted
to Jan Hendrickxsz van Bael in the sum of one hundred and fifty two
guilders growing out of the matter of house rent and merchandise
received..."
page
215 in Early Records of the City and County of Albany v3.
Notarial Papers 1 and 2 , 1660–1696
[left] 1664-03-24 Nomination of magistrates for Fort Orange.
Includes Jan Hendrickse Van Bael
New York State Archives New York (Colony). Council. Dutch colonial
administrative correspondence, 1646-1664.
Series A1810-78. Volume 15. NYSA
A1810-78 V15 0115
[right] 1664-04-03 Appointment of magistrates for Fort Orange.
Includes Jan Hendrickse Van Bael
New York State Archives. New Netherland Council. Dutch colonial
council minutes, 1638-1665. Series A1809. Volume 10.
Series A1809-78 NYSA_A1809-78_V10_pt3_0140
1664-05-14 first listing of "Jan Henderickse Van Bael" as commissary
(magistrate); testimony of four natives ("Indians") as to ownership
of Schotack Island
page
353 in Albany County Records, Munsells Collections v4.
1664-04-19 Willem Teller pledges to pay
matrimonial inheritance of his deceased wife to their seven
children, naming them and giving their ages, including Helena, 19
years .....and Willem, 7 years.
page
345-6 in Albany County Records, Munsells Collections v4.
1664-08-18 "Jan Hendrickse Van Bael commissary
etc." purchase of "house and lot lying in the village of Beverwyck
on the Hill, adjoining to the north Jan Tomassen, to the south
Hendrick Kuyler, east and west the highway, of such magnitude as it
is enclosed in fence, which lot the grantor bought at public sale of
the Heeren commissaries under an execution made on the person of
Marten Gerritse [Van Bergen]"..... sold to Van Bael for "the sum of
eight hundred and seventy-six guilders in beavers"
page
358 in Albany County Records, Munsells Collections v4.
1665-10-19/9 "We, the undersigned, Gerard Swart (Schout) and Jan Van
Bael, commissary of Albany, colony Rensselaerwyck and Schanechtede,
testify and declare, that on the date underwritten, Cobus Janssen
and Mr. Jan Verbeeck, appeared before us, Cobus Janssen
acknowledging that he has granted and transferred, and in true
rights, ownership made over, and Jan Verbeeck holding the power of
Frans Barentse Pastoor, that he has accepted, the grantor’s certain
lot and house, with what is therein fast by earth and nailed, in
Albany aforesaid, ...."
page
394-5 in Albany County Records, Munsells Collections v4. [1664
change of town name to Albany after English takeover; Dutch
magistrates continue]
1665-12-09 signs as co-administrator with R.Van Rensselaer in sales
of estate of Rutger Jacobsen; and buys two small items
page
134-6 and 136-7 in Fort Orange Records 1656-1678 [outline
transcript]
1666-09-08 (new calendar) last entry of Jan Van Bael as commissary
in the 1664-66 interval
page
405-6 in Albany County Records, Munsells Collections v4.
1666-09-14/4 sale of house and personal effects,
and garden of the late Cornelius Bogardus#
page
140-4 in Fort Orange Records 1656-1678
# Helena Teller's first husband. She then married Jan Hendrickse Van
Bael
Marriage date is not known because such records of the Dutch church
in Albany before 1683 are not preserved
1667-04-25/15 "Mr. Jan Hendrickse Van Bael, old
commissary of this jurisdiction" sells "house and lot which was
received by him by purchase at public sale, from Uldrich Cleyn, of
date the 22d of July, 1658" to Gerrit Lansingh
page
413-4 in Albany County Records, Munsells Collections v4.
1667-07-16/6 "Jacques Cornelisse Van Slyck, dwelling at Schanectade,
who acknowledges that he is well and truly indebted to Mr. Jan
Hendrickse Van Bael, old commissary, in the sum of four hundred and
fifty-five guilders and six stuivers, growing out of goods to his
content received ...."
page
423-4 in Albany County Records, Munsells Collections v4.
1668 - birth of first child Hendrick/Henry; birth
dates for the first four children are from a family tree [in
ancestry dot com] whose source for these dates is not specified.
1670-10-06 "....the retiring magistrates, Mr Jan
Verbeeck and Mr Abraham Staes, are hereby discharged from their oath
and office and thanked for their services and in their places are
admitted and confirmed in court the new magistrates, Mr Goossen
Gerrittz and Mr Jan van Bael, together with Theunis Cornelisz van
der Poel..."
pages
186-7 in Albany, Rensselaerswyck and Schenectady Court Minutes,
(v.1), 1668—1673
1670-10-08 first listing in second interval as commissary "in the
presence of the honorable Heeren commissaries, etc., Mr Philip
Schuyler and Mr. Jan Van Bael...."
page
472 in Albany County Records, Munsells Collections v4.
1671-06-01 Deed
to house and garden/field in Holland (Rokin*); from Cornelis
Hendrickse van Bael to Jan Hendrickse van Bael
*a street in Amsterdam, according to a note in Letters
of Jeremias van Rensselaer, p. 465; this street still extant
1672-05-24 "Present: .....Cornet Jan Heyndricsz
van Balen....."
Order of the council of war......
page
324 in Early Records of the City and County of Albany v3.
Notarial Papers 1 and 2 , 1660–1696
1672-07-18/29 purchases large area of land in
the Normanskill valley from Mohawks
*[transcript]
manuscript deed and map
*transcript and map from manuscript (2019) by Dennis
Sullivan
1672-08-21 obtains Letters Patent to land along
the Normans Kill from Governor-General Francis Lovelace;
Albany County Hall of Records, Deed book 5, pages
438-9 [transcript]
1672-09-17 last listing in second interval as commissary "On this
17th day of September, 1672, appeared before me, Ludovicus Cobes,
secretary of Albany, etc., in the presence of the Heeren
commissaries, Jan H. Van Bael and G. Van Slichtenhorst, ....."
page
508 in Albany County Records, Munsells Collections v4.
1672-10-10 ".... On Monday, the 7th of October
last past, the honorable magistrates van Bael, Goossen Gerritsz and
Jacob Schermerhorn proceeded to the Lutheran church and fence and
upon the complaint of Mr Philip Schuyler inspected there the work
done by them in extending the gate.........It happening afterwards
that some of the magistrates again passed there, the Lutherans asked
their honors whether they should not proceed with their work?
Whereupon their honors answered: Yes, but not further than they were
ordered to go. Whereupon Jocchum, the baker, especially, commenced
to fulminate, saying: Have you no better memory? Here are Meyndert,
the smith, and Hans Hendricxz. They are more trustworthy than you
people are and it would have been better if you had remained on your
tailor’s table, meaning van Bael’s.......The honorable court,
considering the vilification and contempt which their honors
heretofore have more than once suffered from the parties, from which
further impudence arises and proceeds, which is insufferable to all
right thinking persons and which in view of their honors’
prerogative is not to be tolerated; therefore, their honors condemn
him, Jocchum, the baker, first, to pay Sergeant Parcker fl.25 in
seawan for the crime committed in calling him a liar...."
pages
313- 315 in Albany, Rensselaerswyck and Schenectady Court Minutes,
(v.1), 1668—1673
1672-11-04 "...in the stead of Goossen Gerrittsz
and Mr van Bael, retiring magistrates, the latter are hereby
released from their oath and duties and thanked for their services,
and in their place are installed and confirmed by the court as new
magistrates the persons of: Adriaen Gerritsz, Andries Teller......"
page
317 in Albany, Rensselaerswyck and Schenectady Court Minutes,
(v.1), 1668—1673
1674-10-17 list
of those who are invited to the interment of Jeremiah van
Rensselaer
List 1 includes Cornet Jan. H: van Bael
1674-12-15 buys house and lot located here in
Albany at the hill from Willem Teller (father of his wife Helena)
page
163-4 in Fort Orange Records 1656-1678
1674-12-21 sells (by attorneys) all his Normans Kill patent, except
reserving for himself 4 morgens of bouw (arable) land, to Jan
Albertse Bratt and Hendrick Willemse
page
184-6 in Early Records of the City and County of Albany v.2
1675-07-22 gives power of attorney to "the worthy
Mr Jan Janse Bleeker and Jacob Sanderse Glenn, in capacity of
attorneys of Mr Jan Hendrix van Bael Sr." [but not recorded at that
time, or later; appears to have been accepted by the court in 1683]
page
184-6 in Early Records of the City and County of Albany v.2
1676-05-26 sells (by attorneys) house and lot in
Albany at the hill to Timotheus Cooper; patent from the right
honorable lord Governor General R. Nicholls, dated the 30th of April
1667 [this is the one he bought in 1664]
page
192-3 in Fort Orange Records 1656-1678
1676-09-22 sells (by attorneys) house and lot in Albany at the hill
to Gerrit Hardenbergh; patent granted him, van Bael, by the most
honorable lord Gov. Gen. Francis Lovelace dated the 13th of August
1669 [this is not the one he bought in 1674, but was near it]
page
215-6 in Fort Orange Records 1656-1678
1677-02-21 baptism
record for daughter Helena, Westerkerk, Amsterdam, Holland
1678-02-25 sells (by attorneys) lot outside the town of Albany, by
the gate where the town hall stands to Paulus Martense; patent
granted to Van Bael by the former Governor General Rich. Nicolls
dated the 30th of April 1667
page
257 in Fort Orange Records 1656-1678
1680-06-05 baptism
record for daughter Rachel, Nieue Kerk, Amsterdam, Holland
1681-03-26 burial
record for Jan Hendrickse van Bael, Wester Kerk in Amsterdam,
Holland
1681-06-07 "After deliberation it is resolved and decided to write
to the venerable Classis of Amsterdam for a good, orthodox minister
for the congregation of the Reformed church here..... As to the
money voluntarily contributed by the congregation for his
passage.... resolved and decided to consign the same to Mr Jan
Hendrikse van Baell, Mr Rich. van Renselaer and Mr Abell de Wolff,
who are to have the disposal thereof for the aforesaid good purpose
and who at the same time are to notify the Classis* that a salary of
fl. 800 in beavers has been appropriated..."
page
129-130 Albany, Rensselaerswyck and Schenectady Court
Minutes, (v.3) 1680-1685
[Ordinary session held in Albany June 7, 1681]
*van Bael must have departed for Holland at the
latest in fall 1676. Richard van Rensselaer returned to
Holland in October 1670, and remained there subsequently. In
April 1680, Abel de Wolf wrote from Holland to Stephanus van
Cortland; de Wolf is recorded godfather to Van Bael's child Helena
in the Westerkerk baptism record of February 1677; there is no
evidence Abel de Wolf was ever in N. America. The letter and the
money must have been taken to Holland by some other person.
Richard van R. wrote to Maria van R. April 22 1682 discussing the
charge to him and Abel de Wolf to find a second minister, with no
mention of Van Bael. Jan Hendrickse
van Bael had in fact already died, in Holland (burial record link
above), before the Albany Court resolution was made.
1682-08-15 "Skipper Jan Gorter duly arrived here,
together with Domine Selyns and his wife and the widow Baalen§
and children and Wm. Teller."
Correspondence
of Maria Van Rensselaer, 1669-1689; page 75, letter from John
Darvall (brother-in-law to Maria van Rensselaer) N: Yorke, August
15, 1682
§Helena Teller, widow of Jan Hendricksen
van Bael. Willem Teller, her younger brother.
On September 26, 1683, she married in the Dutch church at New
York, Francois Rombouts, former mayor of New York 1679-80, and
widower of Anna Elizabeth Masschot.
return to Van Bael Patent page
return to history page
