Recently I did some work on one Delaware family -- Wybrech Jans who married Barent Hendricks, then Jan Siericks, and third John Walker the younger. Wybrech's daughter Agneitje Barents was married to Rutgert Hudde, Andries Hudde's youngest child. After this work I backtracked in search of Dutch records on Andries Hudde and his first wife, Geertruyt Bornstra, and of her sister Margrieta.

 

Margrieta Bornstra married Crispyn de Foreest of Leiden in 1636, and on the same day her sister Geertruyt Bornstra married Crispyn's cousin Hendrick de Foreest of Leiden, who died aboard the ship "Rensselaerwyck" during its July 1637 voyage to Manhattan from the Virginias. Geertruyt Bornstra married second in 1639 (banns in Amsterdam) to Andries Hudde(n), born 1608, who lived in New Amsterdam, where he served as councillor and as surveyor-general. After 1645 he served in several positions in the Delaware, including commis at Ft. Nassau, and held positions at Ft. Casimir and New Amstel. Andries Hudde died of a fever on 4 November 1663 at his plantation along Drawyer's Creek in the Appoquinimink region of Delaware [Delaware Papers Dutch (Gehring), 337], leaving a second wife "Geertie" and their two-year-old son Rutgert, later known as Richard Hudden.

 

Rutgert Hudden, baptized on 26 June 1661 in New Amsterdam, was not Geertruyt Bornstra's son. Geertruyt Bornstra had died before 31 July, 1657, which is known since Jacob Alrichs shortly thereafter acknowledged Peter Stuyvesant's written approval of Andries Hudde's request to remarry [PA Arch II, 7:512]. Rutgert Hudde was Andries Hudde's child with his second wife, coincidentally called "Geertie," whose parents are not yet known. After Andries Hudde's death, she married second to Cornelis Jorissen who died in 1678, and third to Gerrit Otto(sen), who had arrived at New Amstel on "der Purmerlander Kerck" on 3 Feb. 1662. Gerrit Otto served as a justice on the New Castle court from 1676 to 1682, and died in 1684. This "Geertie" died as the widow of Gerrit Otto, between February and June, 1685. [Records of the Court of New Castle on Delaware, 2:169].

 

 

Further information on the BORNSTRA Family

 

Many people probably have the two BORNSTRA sisters in their genealogical databases. Several databases including these two women can be found online. But there has been a myth perpetuated for at least the last 120 years concerning the origins of these two Bornstra sisters, which is incorrect.

 

In Riker's 1904 Revised History of Harlem pp. 89-90 <http://books.google.com/books?id=e38MAAAAYAAJ> and in his earlier work, Harlem (City of New York): Its Origin and Early Annals (pub. 1881), p. 100 <http://books.google.com/books?id=0m4UAAAAYAAJ> are discussions of the Bornstra sisters, their husbands and in-laws, and their plans for coming to the Dutch colonies in North America. But I have discovered a few problems in his treatment of the Bornstra family, notably an incorrect birthplace for the Bornstra sisters. No clue how this idea came to Riker, but here are the misconceptions I found in and as a result of the Riker discussions, that need revision:

 

Mythbusting

 

1. The Bornstra sisters were absolutely not from Friesland. They were born, baptized, and raised in Amsterdam, of parents who had six children baptized in Amsterdam. Their father's name can be found in property deeds of Amsterdam. Banns for their marriages were published in June 1636 in Amsterdam for the two Bornstra--de Foreest marriages, and three years later in Amsterdam for the Bornstra--Hudde marriage, all of which indicate these women were from Amsterdam. Cor Snabel obtained their marriage records from the Stadsarchief of Amsterdam, which we transcribed and I translated. The Regional Archief Leiden also gives the hometown of the Bornstra sisters as Amsterdam. Banns were published there shortly after their publication in Amsterdam, since their fiancees, Hendrick and Crispyn de Foreest, lived in Leiden.

 

2. "Secretary van Neck" who signed off on the father's consent for the two sisters' marriages, was also from Amsterdam and not from a place called "Nieuwlant" in Friesland. Indeed he was Secretaris Reynier (Simonsz) van Neck, baptized in the Oude kerk of Amsterdam on 4 Feb. 1582, who died in 1654 in Amsterdam. He was first a zijdelakenkoper (merchant dealing in a type of silk fabric), but later held the official position of Secretaris van huwelijkse zaken (Marital Affairs) in Amsterdam. This office was responsible for checking people's marriage credentials --ages and eligibility to marry, attestations from other cities, permissions from parents or guardians, etc. The Bornstra sisters had a written letter of permission to marry from their father, Wybrant Andries Bornstra, in lieu of his physical presence at the office, since he was a courier travelling to and from Dordrecht, a city in Zuid-Holland, located south of Rotterdam. Secretary van Neck's office had examined and approved Wybrant Andries Bornstra's letter of permission.

 

3. The place '''t Nieuwelant' in the Bornstra sisters' marriage records of 1636 probably reflects a recently established suburb of Amsterdam, later engulfed as the city expanded around and beyond it. The toponym ''t Nieuwelant' (translated as 'the new land') is a widely-used generic term. At different times, this term was a toponym referring to various and sundry places in the Netherlands. A location called 't Nieuwelant' was usually a newly-established polder which had recently been diked, dried out, finished and built upon. Until it had a better name, this recently-created location was simply called ''t Nieuwelant.' At Amsterdam circa 1600, this would have been an outlying area, similar to what we think of today as a suburb. The process of land creation is still happening today --see the coast of Friesland in google maps, which reveals many new dikes, pump stations, and even the pipelines that carry the water out to sea. These emerging polders are becoming the newest of the new lands.

 

Jan Schellinger aboard the 1637 voyage of the "Rensselaerwyck" wrote to his wife in January, during the time the ship was held in port at Ilfracombe, England. The address he gives for his wife's residence is "outside the riggeliers pooert at the ossemaerckt in the nieiuetuin at Amsterdam" [Van Rensselaer Bowier manuscripts, p. 347]. The 'nieuwetuin' indicates that this location is, or recently was, a place where gardens had been made, near the Regulierspoort (along the Amstel River). At the time this letter was written, this was near the edge of the city, but now, of course, it's quite in the middle. Probably 't Nieuwelant, location of the Bornstra residence in 1636, was similarly at the edge of the city at the time.

 

 

Official Records of the Bornstra family

 

Below are some marriage, baptism and burial records for the family of Wybrant Andries Bornstra and his wife Geertruyt Pieters, from Dutch records. In two of the baptism records, Wybrant Andries was called "bode op Dort" which means he was a 'messenger' or 'courier' who travelled between Amsterdam and Dordrecht. His earlier occupation was recorded simply as Koopman --merchant.

 

As the marriage documents reveal, the Bornstra sisters sign with their surname, BORNSTRA. Baptismal records that I obtained from the Stadsarchief of Amsterdam for these sisters and their siblings, born between 1597 and 1614, follow below, including names of the baptismal witnesses. In the baptism records, the father is known as Wybrant Andries, but by 1623, property records indicate that the family surname had become Bornstra.

 

With thanks to Cor Snabel who obtained the three Bornstra marriage records, assisted in transcribing, and who helped demystify the "myth" of Nieuwelant, and who as usual did a stellar job of proofreading my work.

 

© 2010, Elizabeth A. Johnson. NOTE: The information in this article is freely released to genealogical researchers for personal use. But no part of the information contained in this article may be used or sold for profit. For further questions or specific permissions, contact the author: irisDOTgatesATgmail.com

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Wybrant Andriesz Bornstra and Gertruyt Pieters family

 

 

Records from Stadsarchief Amsterdam

 

Baptisms of Wijbrant Andries (Boornstra) and Geertruyt Pieters family:

 

child: Griet [died young]

father: Wijbrant Andries

mother: Gertruijt Pieters

bapt. date: 2 september 1597

church: Hervormd, Nieuwe kerk

source: SAA book 38 p.591

remarks: Ber. va. Koopman [[merchant]]

wit: _an Pieters

 

child: Pieter [apparently died in Amsterdam in 1666]

father: Wibrant Andriesz

mother: Gertruijt Pieters

bapt. date: 30 november 1599

church: Hervormd, Nieuwe kerk

source: SAA book 38 p.771

wit: Barent Rutgersz

 

child: Giert [died young]

father: Wijbrant Andries

mother: Geerte Pieters

bapt. date: 21 april 1602

church: Hervormd, Nieuwe kerk

source: SAA book 38 p.942

wit: Pouwel Jans

 

child: Grietje (Margarietje) [married Crispyn de Forest]

father: Wijbrant Andriesz

mother: Geertruij Pieters

bapt. date: 24 augustus 1608

church: Hervormd, Oude kerk

source: SAA book 4 p.253

remarks: occupation: bode op Dort*

wit: Markes Jacobsz

* messenger/courier to Dordrecht --EJ

 

child: Klaes

father: Wijbrant Andriesz

mother: Giertjen Pieters

bapt. date: 24 maart 1611

church: Hervormd, Oude kerk

source: SAA book 4 p.345

remarks: occupation: Bode op Dort*

wit: Hubbert Wert en Markus Jacobsz

* messenger/courier to Dordrecht --EJ

 

child: Geertrui [married Hendrick de Forest, then Andries Hudde --died ca 1657]

father: Wijbrant Andriessen

mother: Geertrut Pieters

bapt. date: 30 januari 1614

church: Hervormd, Oude kerk

source: SAA book 5 p.94

remarks: occupation: Bode*

wit: Warnaer Arentsz en Pieter Pietersz

* messenger/courier

 

Transportacten (property deeds) index -- Amsterdam:

 

Andriesz, Wijbrant -- buying a property in the Bethaniënstraat called 'de Groene Halve Maan' in 1606 from Hendrik Willemsz Geelvinck. This is south of the Oude Kerk, near the Nieuwmarkt.

Andriesz, Wijbrant --selling the above property in the Bethaniënstraat called 'de Groene Halve Maan' in 1614 to Willem Drossardt.

Bornstra, Wijbrant Andriesz --buying a property in the Uilenburg in 1623 from Griete Claes, widow of Gerrit Adriaensz. This property is also south of the Oude Kerk, near the Nieuwmarkt.

Bornstra, Pieter Wybrants -- buying a property in the Egelantiersstraat from the heirs of his mother, Geertruyt Pieters, widow of Wijbrant Andriesz Boornstra.

 

 

Burials, Amsterdam:

 

Bornstra, Wijbrant Andriesen

date of burial: 15-02-1651

burial location: Oude Kerk

Begraafregisters voor 1811; NL-SAA-9134127

 

Bornstra, Pieter

date of burial: 10-04-1666

burial location: Wester Kerk

Begraafregisters voor 1811; NL-SAA-11184859

 

The burials below are probably burials of the first, third and fifth children of Wybrant Andries (Bornstra) and Geertruyt Pieters. There was only one couple with these two names who had children in Amsterdam in the first few decades of the seventeenth century. The 1612 burial must be that of the son, Claas. It's not possible to determine which of the first two daughters died in 1602, and which died in 1607.

 

 Andriesz, Wijbrant

relationship information: Een kind [a child]
date of burial: 14-10-1602
burial location: Karthuizer Kerkhof
Begraafregisters voor 1811; NL-SAA-10181066

 Andries, Wibrant
relationship information: Een kind [a child]
date of burial: 03-08-1607
burial location: Oude Kerk
Begraafregisters voor 1811; NL-SAA-9114540

 Andersz, Wijbrant
 relationship information: kind van [child of]
date of burial: 25-10-1612
burial location: Oude Kerk
Begraafregisters voor 1811; NL-SAA-9116638

 

NOTE --the source citations above from the burial books are NOT correct citations. The actual book and page numbers can be only found by making in-person visits to the SAA.

Also NOTE: these burial records are NOT church records. Early burial records of Amsterdam come from bookkeeping records kept by the gravedigging companies.

 

 

Marriage Records, Amsterdam:

 

In the first two ondertrouw (marriage intentions) records below, a note in the sidebar appears, indicating that these notices were also sent to Leiden. Translations of these records are my own. --EJ

 

Marriage -- Geertruyt Bornstra & Hendrick de Foreest -- 7 June 1636 [SAA acte 444 p. 328]

 

Compareerden als voorn Hendrick de Foreest van Leyden out 30 jaer woont tot Leyden geasststeert met Gerart de Foreest syn oom ter eenne en Geertruyt Bornstra woont opt Nieulant wiens vaders consent te hebben is door de hand van de secretaris Rennier van Neck ter ander syde out 22 jaern

Hendrick de Forest

Gertruyt @ Bornstra

 

Appeared as above Hendrick de Foreest of Leyden, 30 years old, living at Leyden, assisted with Gerart de Foreest his uncle of the one [side], and Geertruyt Bornstra, living on the Nieulant, whose father's consent is had by the hand of the secretaris Rennier van Neck, of the other side, 22 years old.

Hendrick de Forest

Gertruyt @ Bornstra

[@ indicates a small cartouche before the surname, but signature is hers --EJ]

 

Same day, same page:

 

Marriage -- Margrieta Bornstra & Crispyn de Foreest -- 7 June 1636 [SAA acte 444 p. 328]

 

Compareerden als voorn Crispyn de Foreest van Leyden woont tot Leyden out 23 jaren geasststeert met Gerrit de Foreest syn vader ter eenen en Margrieta Bornstra wiens vaders consent door de hant van de secretaris gebleken woont opt nieuwelant ter ander syde

Crispyn de Forest

Margriet Bornstra

 

Appeared as above Crispyn de Foreest of Leyden, living at Leyden, 23 years old assisted with Gerrit de Foreest his father of the one [side], and Margrieta Bornstra, whose father's consent is shown by the hand of the secretary as presented, residing on [the] Nieuwelant, of the other side.

Crispyn de Forest

Margriet @ Bornstra

[@ indicates a small cartouche before the surname, but signature is hers --EJ]

 

Marriage -- Geertruyt Bornstra & Andries Hudde -- 6 Jan. 1639 -- acte 450 p. 33

 

Compareerden als voorn Andries Huddens van Campen out 30 jaer geassist met Denis Otth_ zyn __ woont inde Princenstraet, & Geertrujt* Borrenstrae van A, out 24 jaer geasst met Weybrant Andriesz haer father: woont inde S?antstraet

A Hudde Geertruyt @ Bornstra

* [in sidebar] weduwe van Hendrick de Foreest

 

Appeared as above Andries Huddens of Campen 30 years old, assisted with Denis Otth_ his __, living in the Princenstraet, & Geertrujt* Borrenstrae van A[msterdam], 24 years old assisted with Weybrant Andriesz her father, living in the S?antstraet

A Hudde Geertruyt @ Bornstra

[@ indicates a small cartouche before the surname, but signature is hers --EJ]

* [in sidebar] widow of Hendrick de Foreest

 

 

Records from Regional Archief Leiden DTB index (translated EJ):

 

Marriages (see also records of Amsterdam):

 

Bridegroom: Heyndrick de Foreest, Leyden

Bride: Geertruyt Bornstra, living at Amsterdam

Location: Leiden

Date of banns: 09-06-1636

Remarks: Bride: not represented. Attestation has been provided [[from Amsterdam]].

 

Bridegroom: Chrispijn de Foreest, Leyden

Bride: Margriete Bornstra, living at Amsterdam

Location: Leiden

Date of banns: 09-06-1636

Remarks: Bride: not represented. Attestation has been provided [[from Amsterdam]].

[both records above: DTB Leiden Nederlands Hervormd Ondertrouw (1575-1795), folio L - 212v]

 

Baptisms in Leiden:

 

Child: Gerryt

father: Crispyn de Foreest,

wits: Gerryt de Foreest,

Wibrandt Andriesz Bornstra,

Hester de Foreest,

Geertruyt Pieters

Location: Leiden

Bapt. date: 18-06-1637

DTB Leiden Dopen NH Pieterskerk

 

Child: Margarita

father: Crispyn des Forests

mother: Margarita Forests

wits: Wibrant Andries Bornstra,

David du Toyt,

Geertruyt Pieters,

Susanna de la Grange

Location: Leiden

Bapt. date: 30-07-1638

DTB Leiden Dopen NH Pieterskerk

 

Child: Agnees

father: Crispyn de Foreest

mother: Marguerite Bornstra

wits: Pieter de la Grange,

Coenrad Melique,

Geertruyd Rutgers,

Esther du Toict

Location: Leiden

Bapt. date: 08-10-1642

DTB Leiden Dopen NH Hooglandsche Kerk

 

Child: Hester

father: Crispijn de Foré

mother: Margareta Bornstra

wits: Barent van Casteel,

Hester de Foré,

Maijcke Kellenaer,

Dina Palings

Location: Leiden

Bapt. date: 01-03-1650

DTB Leiden Dopen NH Hooglandsche Kerk

 

© 2010, Elizabeth A. Johnson. NOTE: The information in this article is freely released to genealogical researchers for personal use. But no part of the information contained in this article may be used or sold for profit. For further questions or specific permissions, contact the author: irisDOTgatesATgmail.com