Gerret Cornelisse Van Newkirk (Van Nieuwkirk)

The passenger list of the Moseman, 25 April 1659, contained the entry: "Gerrit Corn van Niew-kerk, and Wife and boy and sucking child." The boy was his brother Mattheus, aged about 12 years. Following a custom, somewhat common in Holland families after arrival in New Netherland, the brothers were more or less known as Gerret (or Gerrit) Cornelisse and Mattheeus Cornelisse. the children of the elder brother, Gerrit, appear in official records of Ulster County and those of the Kingston Dutch Church as van Nieukirk and Niuwkirck, or Nieuwkerck, without the van prefix.

Those of the younger brother, Mattheus, adhered to the prefix and are on official and church records of Bergen County, New Jersey, as van Nieuwkirk or van Nieuwkerck.

The descendants of both later changed the surname spelling and, in the fourth generation, Newkirk became the prevailing form. Some branches of the family continued the spelling Nieukirk to the present day and these, it would appear, all descend from Gerret Cornelisse's grandson, Cornelius Nieukirk, who so wrote his surname, and who moved to Salem County, New Jersey, about the year 1718.

Gerret Nieuwkirk promptly secured a home lot at Midwout, Long Island, which he sold after a few years. Bergen's Early settlers of King's county, New York gives the following brief account of this transaction:

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Gerret Cornelisse Van Nieuwkerk

Sex: M

Birth: 1631 in Putten, Gelderland, Holland

Death: Before 4 MAR 1696 in Hurley, Ulster, New York, U.S.A.

Baptism: 24 July 1631 Putten, Gelderdand, Holland

Immigration: 1659 Flatbush, Long Island, New York, U.S.A.

Event: Ships Name 25 April 1659 Moesman

Military Service: 5 March 1669 Capt. Henry Pawling Co. Foot Militia

Event: Land Purchase 36 acre farm at Flatbush, Long Island, New York, U.S.A.

Event: Land Purchase circa 1669 85 Acre Farmstead in the Hurley Patent, Hurley, Ulster, New York, U.S.A.

Event: Land Sale 10 February 1665 Sold Flatbush property and moved to Hurley, Ulster, New York, U.S.A.

Event: Witnesses to Baptism 9 June 1695 Old Dutch Church, Kingston, Ulster, New York, U.S.A.

Will: 3 February 1686 Hurley, Ulster, New York, U.S.A.

Probate: 4 March 1686 Hurley, Ulster, New York, U.S.A.

Father: Mattheus Cornelisse Van Nieuwkerk b: circa 1600 in Holland

Mother: Bijtie Gerrits b: in Putten, Holland, the Netherlands

Marriage 1 Aaltjie Gerrits

Married: 6 December 1642 in Nykerk, Holland, the Netherlands

Children

Disje Van Nieuwkerk b: 1658 in Putten, Holland, the Netherlands

Marriage 2 Chieltje Cornelissen Slecht b: circa 1640 in Woerden, Utrecht, Holland

Married: 16 September 1683 in New Amsterdam "New York", New York, U.S.A.

Children

Cornelius Gerritse Nieuwkirk b: circa 1662 in Ulster, New York, U.S.A.

Arie Gerretse Van Nieuwkerk b: between 1663 and 1666 in Ulster, New York, U.S.A.

Gerretje "Gitty"Gerretse Van Nieuwkerk b: 1665 in Ulster, New York, U.S.A.
Jan Getteste Van Nieuwkerk b: circa 1666 in Ulster, New York, U.S.A.
Neeltje Gerretse Van Nieuwkerk b: 1667 in Ulster, New York, U.S.A.
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The Newkirk family is a anicent one, and, like most other families of Teutonic origin, the name has undergone many changes in its long journey to its present way of spelling with but seven letters. The first authentic record of any member of this family is found in the histories of the Lower Rhine regions of Germany, there being towns named Neukirchen in both the counties of Grevenbrock and Moers.

We find the name Newkirk mentioned in a document as early as 1153 and from 1350 many of the Newkirks were property owners in their native places in Germany. The name most generally appears as Neukirchen, and by this name we find many German arrivals in this country, even to the present day. In 1599 we find Gottfried Neukirch mentioned and Arnold Heinrich Neukirk, professer of Theology, is mentioned historically about the same time. The writers on the subject of heraldry advise us about our shield, and coat of arms. One of these writers has contributed the following to our family lore:

VAN NEUKIRCHEN,called NYVENHEIM. "The continuous line of this very old family of Julich, begins with the ancestor John Von Neukirchen, Lord of Neuraidt in Oclen, who married, in 1403, Anna Van Nyvenheim, heiress of Gerode, by reason of which it came to pass that their descendants bore the united names and arms of both families. From Julich the family went to the Lower Rhine, acquired inthe course of time many hreditary offices, and much wealth, and furnished a number of Knights and Commanders to the German order.

One branch removed to the Netherlands, while the other remained in the Rhine region. Walter Gogfried van Neukirchen, called Nyvenheim, in the thirteenthgeneration of the continuous geneologic, Lord of Drieberg,Kessel,Mook and Musschienborg,was, by his wife, Elberyina Van Tengnagel van Gillikum, whom he married in 1703, the ancestor of the present branch of the family living in France."

Thus it is seen that our family of ancient origin had spread to three countries, Germany, France and Holland, many centuries ago. The branch of the family to which we trace our lineage located to Holland, but at what date has not been ascertained, it is our belief, however, that the family had resided in Holland for more than two hundred years before our progenitor came to America.

The date of the coming of the Newkirk family to the United States is definitly fixed. Garret Cornelissen Van Nieuwkercke, who with his " wife, boy and sucking child," arrived on the Holland ship "Moesman" April 25, 1659, was the first. He was a son of Mattheuse Cornlissen Van Nieuwkercke, of Slechenhorst, Gelderland, Holland, born about 1600. The date of the birth of Garret has not been secured, but it was about 1635.

He married Chieltje (Charlotte) Cornelis. Upon his arrival in this country he located at Flatbush, Long Island, and secured a small tract of land which he sold March 10th, 1665. This tract consisted of eighteen morgens, 36 acres, is in the heart of the City of Brooklyn, and there are buildings on some of it costing millions of dollars. Newkirk street runs through the tract, and that is all that is left to show that Garret ever lived thereabouts. After selling his land at Flatbush, Garret located at Hurley, Ulster County, N.Y., where he and wife died at dates unknown........

Biographical Sketch of Garret Cornelissen Van Nieuwkercke

The date of the coming of the Newkirk family to the United States is definitely fixed. Garret Cornelissen Van Nieuwkercke, who with his "wife, boy and sucking child," arrived on the Holland ship "Moesman," April 25, 1659, was the first. He was a son of Mattheuse Cornelissen Van Nieuwkercke, of Slechtenhorst, Gelderland, Holland, born about 1600. The date of the birth of Garret has not yet been secured, but it is about 1635. He married Chieltje (Charlotte) Cornelis. Upon his arrival in this country he located at Flatbush, Long Island, and secured a small tract of land which he sold March 10, 1665. This tract consisted of eighteen morgens,--36 acres,--is in the heart of the City of Brooklyn, and there are buildings on some of it costing millions of dollars. Newkirk street runs through the tract, and that is all that is left to show that Garret ever lived thereabouts. After selling his land at Flatbush, Garret located at Hurley, Ulster County, N.Y., where he and his wife died at dates unknown.

Source: Newkirk, Thomas. 1916. Genealogy and History of the Newkirk, Hamilton and Bayless Families. archive.org.