Cornelis Melyn

• BIRTH 17 Sep 1600 Noord-Holland, Netherlands or Antwerp (Antwerpen), Belgium)[ 12]
• DEATH 1663 (aged 62–63) New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut, USA
• BURIAL Burial Details Unknown. Specifically: Unknown burial possible in New Haven, CT
• MEMORIAL ID 73445101 by ann fox & Dr. Andree Swanson, Bio by: Yvonne 19999

Cornelis was a native of Antwerp, born at the House called The Sack in the Rue du Sac (Zak Straat or Sack Street), Antwerp. Was Christianed at Saint Walburga Church, Antwerp. He was orphaned at the age of 6, his uncles became his legal guardians. He was reared by his half brother, Abraham Melyn and apprenticed as a tailor.

He married Jannetje Andrians Van Myert April 22, 1627 in Amsterdam, Holland. After several trading voyages between Europe and America, Cornelius Melyn immigrated with his family to America aboard the "Den Byckenboom" {The Oak Tree) ship on August 14,1641 to New Netherlands, USA (New York) He was appointed 19 June 1642 as the 3rd "Patroon of Staten Island, NY." He was the chairman of the council of eight men, which was a part of early steps toward representative democracy in the Dutch colony.

After inheriting some money, he ventured to came to New Amsterdam in 1639.,returned to Holland and petitioned The Dutch West India Company to grant him authority to settle a colony on Staten Island. He brought his wife, his three children, and his servants to Staten Island in 1641 aboard The Oak Tree. Established a number of settlers on the island and built a house there in which he resided with his family. Indians destroyed their farm and Melyn and his family fled to Manhattan, where he bought land and built a two-story house.

June 29, 1642, Director General Kieft granted to him a patent covering all of Staten Island excepting De Vries' reserved "bouwerij" and invested him with all the powers, jurisdictions, privileges, and pre-eminence of Patroon of Staten Island, President of the Council of "Eight Men" in Nieuw Netherland.

Had a life long feud with Pieter Stuyvesant. Melyn was sympathetic with the plight of the Indians. Melyn and his allies petitioned the West India Company, complaining of Kieft's misrule, especially his brutal war against local Indians. Pieter Stuyvesant approved Kieft's order to have Melyn put to death for insubordination and treason. This sentence was changed to banishment, and Melyn was sent back to Amsterdam on the Princess Amelia. Kieft was also on this ship, which unexpectedly foundered on the coast of Wales (pilot error), leaving all but 21 of 107 passengers dead. Kieft died, but Melyn and his close friend Jochem Kuyter survived, as did their papers. They used these to successfully challenge their sentence, and Melyn returned to New Amsterdam in 1649, armed with rebukes for Stuyvesant from the West India Company and from Willem, the Prince of Orange.

Melyn and his family returned to Staten Island in 1650 to establish a new colony; however Indians again attacked in 1655, and the colony was disbanded. By 1656 Cornelis established a new home on the corner of today's Broadway and Stone Streets, but with continued harassment by Stuyvesant, he and his son took the "Oath of Fidelity" to England on April 7, 1657, and moved to New Haven. [5]

Melyn's role in history is recognized in a mural in the Staten Island Borough Hall by Frederick Charles Stahr entitled Cornelius Melyn Trades With the Indians.[5]

Parents
Andries Melijn 1555–1606
Marie Ghuedinx-Botens Melyn 1576–1606

Spouse
Jannetje Andrians VanMyert Melyn 1604–1674 m. April 22, 1627 Amsterdam, Holland

Siblings
Abraham Melijn 1589–1639
Eustache Melijn 1596–1651
Cornelis Melyn 1600 - 1663

Children 11x
Cornelia Melyn Schellinger 2/27/–1717
Joannes Melyn April 27, 1629
Cornelis Melyn Jr. Sept. 6, 1630 (died before Oct. 4, 1633)
Cornelis Melyn Jr. Oct. 4, 1633
Abraham Melyn May 27,1635
Mariken Melyn Hatfield 3/29/1637–1694
Yzaak "Isaac" Melyn 11/211638
Jacob Melyn 4/17/1640 – unknown
Susannah "Sanna" Melyn Winans 6/3/1643–1692
Magdalena Melyn 3/3/1644
Yzaak "Isaack" Melyn 7/22/1646–1693

Descendant Details

The first eight children were baptised in Nieuwe Kirk, Amsterdam, the rest in the Reformed Church, New Amsterdam: Cornelis and Janneken had 11 children: Cornelia, Feb. 27, 1628; Joannes, April 27, 1629; Cornelis, Jr. Sept. 6, 1630 (died before Oct. 4, 1633). Cornelis, Jr. Oct. 4, 1633; Abraham, May 27,1635; Mariken, March 29, 1637; Yzaak, Nov. 21, 1638; Jacob, April 17, 1640; Sanna (Suzannah), June 3, 1643; Magdalena (Merydnlyn, Magdaleen), March 3, 1644; and Yzaak, July 22, 1646.

One daughter Cornelia and her husband Jacob Schellinger lived on Staten Island with or near Cornelis. Jaob was taken into captivity by the Indians on the oaccasion of the Staten Island Massacre of Sept. 1655. He escaped fom his confinement in New Netherland and fled to New Haven, where Cornelis was living. In 1668 and 1669 he was one of a company at Southampton, Long Island associated for the purpose of whaling along teh cost.

Another son of Cornelis Jacob came to New Netherland with his parents in "The Oak Tree" in 1641. After the Indian massacre in Sept. 1655, in which he was much wounded, but recovered, not without great difficulty, went to New Haven with his parents and took the formal Oath of Fidelity to the English in 1657. Jacob and his brother Isaac accompanied their father to Holland, sailing from New England in 1658, and returned to New Netherland on De Liefde "The Love" arriving 05 March 1660.

Jacob and his brothers in law Mathias Hatfield, Humphrey Spinnin and John Winans were among these residents of New Haven who were the original "Associates who founded Elizabeth town, New Jersey. Jacob purchased land in New York City in 1674. About 1700 he bought property in Boston. Susanna's husband John Winans was a weaver. After the death of Susanna, John Winans married about 1693 to Ann Robertson. [7]

Notes

His date of death is approximate and no burial records exist.

References

[1] http://cwcfamily.org/melyn.htm

[2] https://thegenealogist.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/august/

[3] http://virts.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~marshall/esmd194.htm

[4] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/73445101/cornelis-melyn#

Sources

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelis_Melyn

[6] http://dgmweb.net/FGS/M/MelynCornelis-PatroonStatenIsland.shtml

[7] http://dgmweb.net/Resources/History/Hist-MelynCornelis-KnownVoyages...

[8] New York Historical & Biographical Records. "Cornelis Melyn, Patroon of Staten Island.

[9] Cornelis Melyn: 3rd Patroon, Staten Island, New York Richard S. Baskas Ed February 15, 2017 Xlibris Corporation

[10] The Melyn Family by John Marshall (online at RootsWeb.com)

[11] Known Voyages of Cornelius Melyn

[12] New York Historical & Biographical Records. "Cornelis Melyn, Patroon of Staten Island.

[13] "The Antwerp Ancestry of Cornelis Melyn" by Paul Gibson Burton (1936).

[14] The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. 67: 157–164, 246–255. Paul Gibson Burton (1937).

[15] "Cornelis Melyn, Patroon of Staten Island and Some of His Descendants".

[16] The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. 68: 3–17, 132–146, 217–231, 357–365.

[17]Cornelis Melyn (2007). Melyn papers, 1640-1699. Cornell University Library. ISBN 1-4297-3694-1. Russell Shorto (2004).

[18] The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America. Random House. ISBN 1-4000-7867-9.

Additional Data== great biographical info below - needs to be incorporated above

Cornelis Melyn was an early Dutch settler in New Netherland and Patroon of Staten Island. When Melyn was about 18 years old, the priest of St. Walburga's church issued him a baptismal certificate and a certificate of good conduct. It is possible he left Antwerp, his hometown at this time, for Amsterdam, where he married Janneken Adriaens in 1627. Their marriage certificate lists them both as residing in Amsterdam. By this time, Melyn had changed his occupation, being listed in this certificate as a seemtouwer, a "dresser of the finer and softer leathers".

MELYN, Cornelis, colonist, statesman and author, was born about 1602, and came to New Amsterdam from Antwerp in 1639, accompanied by Joachim Kuyter, another gentleman of education and ability. He returned for his family, and after many adventures and perils from pirates, from shipwreck and the tyranny of corrupt officials, settled on Staten Island, buying lands from the Indians in 1641 and becoming the first patroon by appointment from Holland.

He was twice deprived of his property by colonial governors, and his settlement was twice destroyed by fire and massacre. At a critical period, when president of the "council of eight men," he made peace with the Indians of Long Island, and commenced a vigorous war upon those of the Hudson river. A memorial, forwarded by him to Holland, October, 1644, asking for the recall of Gov. Kiefft, recounts the massacre, the maladministration and decay of the colony, petitions for a system of government like that of the municipalities of Holland, and shows that the Dutch governors wasted their opportunities for empire by making enemies of their Indian neighbors. In 1647 Stuyvesant banished Kuyter for three years and Melyn for seven; in addition the latter was sentenced to forfeit the benefits of the company and to pay a fine of 300 guilders.

On August 17th of that year Kiefft sailed for Holland, carrying with him Melyn and Kuyter, who though the vessel was wrecked on the coast of Wales, escaped to land and found their way to Holland, where the sentences against them were reversed by the states general. In 1650 Melyn returned to New Amsterdam with a mandamus obliging Director Stuyvesant to appear in person or by attorney at the Hague to answer to the charges preferred by Kuyter and himself. Stuyvesant at once renewed his persecutions, confiscating the vessel on which Melyn arrived, with its cargo, and later his property in New Amsterdam, on the east side of Broad street, forcing him to retire to Staten Island and live in a state of siege as it were.

At last he sold his lands to the Dutch India Co. and took the oath of allegiance to the New Haven colony in April, 1657. A perusal of the literature of the Dutch colony shows him to have been an upright, clear-headed patriot of indomitable will and tenacity of purpose. His treatise, Wholesome Advice to the United New Netherland Provinces, translated by Dr. H. C. Murphy (Vol. III., Historical Collections of New York), is esteemed by Prof. Justin Winsor as the production of a statesman and a patriot. A copy of the original work is in the Lenox Library, New York City. He died in 1674, probably in New York, leaving a widow (Jannetjen) and five children, whose descendants are in the families of Conklin, Dickinson, Houston, Kingsbury, Leavenworth and Schellinger, to go no further. One son was carried away prisoner with him and perished at the time of the shipwreck.

More

Cornelis Melyn, son of Andre and Marie (Gheudinx-Botens) Melyn, of Antwerp, Belgium, and grandson of Lambert Melyn, of the same place, was baptised in the church of St. Walburga, Antwerp, on September 17, 1600, and died, probably in Connecticut, after March, 1662/3. He was a leather-dresser in Amsterdam and came to New Amsterdam, now New York, on the vessel Arms of Norway which sailed for the New Netherlands, after May 12, 1638, for the West India Company. He made many similar voyages, and on reaching home after the second one, applied for the patroonship of Staten Island, which was granted July 3, 1640. While proceeding to his new home on the Angel Gabriel, the vessel was captured by a frigate from Dunkirk, and he lost everything in the venture. To finance a second expedition he sold a half interest in the patroonship to Godert Van Reede, Lord of Nederhurst. With his family and a party of 41 colonists he sailed in the Oaktree and reached New Amsterdam August 14, 1641. They proceeded to the island and began to build homes and cultivate the ground. The settlement suffered from Indian ravages, and in 1643 he removed to Manhattan Island just before an attack, in which the community was destroyed.

Owing to his criticism of the administration of Governor Kieft, Melyn incurred the displeasure of Governor Stuyvesant and with his friend, Kuyter, was banished from the colony. They sailed for Holland on the Princess Amelia, upon which Kieft also sailed. The vessel was wrecked in the Bristol Channel and most of the passengers, including Kieft, were drowned. Melyn and Kuyter were among the few survivors. They appealed to the States General, who sided with them.

Melyn made many more trips to America. His settlement on Staten Island, which had been resumed, was again attacked by the Indians, his son, Cornelis, and twelve or more persons were killed, and the rest taken prisoners, including Melyn himself. They were finally ransomed. He removed to New Haven, where he took the oath of allegiance to England, April 7, 1657. He is last mentioned in New Haven's records in March 1662/3.

Cornelis Melyn married in Amsterdam, Holland, after April 22, 1627, date of the petition for license, Janneken Adriaens. The first eight children were baptised in Nieuwe Kirk, Amsterdam, the rest in the Reformed Church, New Amsterdam: Cornelia, Joannes, Cornelis 1, Cornelis 2, Abraham, Mariken or Mary ,Isaac 1, Jacob, Susanna, Merydnlyn [may be the Magdaleen mentioned below] Isaac 2 (again)

Owned 1/2 of Staten Island