! came to New Utrecht 1652 Ship de Bonta Kou (the spotted Cow)

Migrated from Amsterdam Holland to New Amsterdam 1652 with wife and seven children, One of the founders of New Utrecht granted patent of land by the Govenor and Council of Fort Amsterdam 16 Jan 1657.

In 1659 he added to the first estate a tract of meadowland near what is now called Coney Island, commissioned Sergeant of New Utrecht by the Director - General and Council 2 Oct 1659. Appointed magnistrate (schepen) by Govenor Colve 18 Aug 1673 and died before 16 Oct 1673 for we find on that date an entry:

"October 16th 1673 The Govenor hath selected Jan Gyabertse Van Meteran as a Magistrate of and in place of Jan Thomasse now lately deceased."

I have viewed the bapt. records of Jan Thomasse (Van Dyke) before he and his family came to New Amsterdam and found out that he changed his name to Van Dyke. Actually, he only used the name Jan Thomasse. It was his posterity that used the Van Dyke name. The name he went by in Amsterdam, according to the records of the Old Church of Amsterdam was

Guecke/Gelcken/Guertsz/Goiken/Gueken/Geucksz.

This is also well documented in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record Vol. 126, #4, Oct. 1995

!BIOGRAPHY: The following from Teunis G. Bergen's publication "Register of the

Early Settlers of Kings County, Long Island, N.Y., from its first settlement by

Europeans to 1700", pg. 336, (FHL #0982133/1): Jan Thomasse, emigrated from

Amsterdam in 1652 and settled in New Utrecht, suppose to have m. 1st _____

_____, by whom Thomas, Carel, Derick, and Pieter; m. 2nd Tryntje Agias, Achias,

or Hagen, who after his death m. 2nd Tileman Jacobsz Vander Meyer. In 1673 he

was appointed one of the schepens of New Utrecht by Gov. Colve. Jan. 25, 1675,

his old farm in the village of New Utrecht was sold at auction to "Rut Joosten"

(Van Brunt) for 2500 guilders; his new farm was at the same date sold to Cryn

Janse (Van Meteren) for 2000 guilders; and his 2 house plots in the village to

Hendrick Janse Van Dyck for 750 guilders, as per town records. There was a Jan

Tomassen on the Delaware in 1659, as per pg. 286 of Vol. XII of Doc. of Col.

His. of New York, who possibly may have been this Thomas. Issue: Thomas Jansz;

Achias or Agyas Jansz; Antje Jansz, m. Pieter Staats of Brooklyn; Angenietje or

Annetje Jansz, m. Adriaen Willemse Bennet; Mayke or Marretje Jansz, m. Johannis

Daniels Rinckerhoudt; supposly Tryntje Jansz; and supposly Lambert Jansz.

Continuing his biography, E. F. Baty; Over three hundred years of one line:

nine gererations from Thomas Janse Van Dyke (1580-1665) to .../ compiled by

Elizabeth P. Baty, Oregon, 1991, pg. 5-10 offers a different sequence of the

children born to both wives of Jan Thomasse. Further research will be given to

accurately place all children in order of birth and parentage, however, the

author of this family group sheet agrees with the Baty publication rather than

the Bergen publication because of the order of birth dates. The following is an

exact quotation from the Baty publication: Jan Thomassee Van Dyke, son of

Thomas Janse Van Dyke and Sytie Dirks, was our ancestor. He was born in

Amsterdam, Holland in 1605 and died in 1673 in New Utrecht, Long Island, New

York. He married (1)___________ in Holland, and married (2) Tryntje Achias

Haegen, also in Holland. He and his second wife Tryntje and seven children

came to New Amsterdam from Holland in the year 1652. It is said that his

firstwife was the mother of the first four of his children.

Director-General Peter Stuyvesant had permitted the establishment of a new

town comprising about one thousand acres divided into farms of fifty acres

each. The founders of New Utrecht were granted patents by the Governor and

Council at Fort Amsterdam on 16 January 1657 and Jan Thomasse was one of these

founders. He owned one of these farms and in 1659 he added to it a tract of

meadow land extending toward what is now called Coney Island.

Jan Thomasse was active in the affairs of the colony from the beginning and

soon received honors and appointments under its government. He inherited the

qualities of energy and ability from his ancestors, a family which had long

been considered one of the best of the burgher families.

His coat of arms is described in Rietstap's Armorial General of France, as

follows: "D'arg. a une digue de sin., touchant les flancs de 1'ecu, mouv. d'une

eau au nat., et surm. de trois etoiles d'or, rangees en chef. Crest: une

etolile d'or."

The Director-General and Council at Fort Amsterdam on 2 October 1659 made

the following proclamation: "The Director-General and Council notify the

inhabitants of the Town of New Utrecht to keep good watch and for the purpose

of keeping good order they have appointed and set as in other cases the person

Jan Thomassen to the office of Sergeant, they therefore order the inhabitants

of the Town of New Utrecht to obey and acknowledge as Sergeant the above named

Jan Thomassen."

This, then, was Jan Thomasse Van Dyke's commission as Sergeant.

It was often the custom of the Dutch to refer to a person by mentioning his

first name and the first name of his father. To this would be added the name

which indicated generally the place from which he came; thus Van Dyke was the

man of the dyke. It was spelled Van Dyke, Van Duyk, Van Dike, Vandike, Van

Dyk, Van Duyck and Van Dyck. The correct way of spelling the name of the

family founded by Jan Thomasse is Van Dyke.

According to the Register of New Netherland, Jan Thomasse Van Dyke was for

many years a magistrate at Fort Orange and New Utrecht. However, before he

ever assumed a position at court he had a matter brought before the court

wherein he was defendant in a complaint. On 15 September 1661 a complaint was

filed against Jan Tomassen (v. Dyck) of N. Utrecht for violently grasping a

girl named Clara Gerrits by the throat, and assaulting one Jan van Cleef who

would prevent him. On 22 September 1661 Jan Tomassen petitioned for a pardon.

He was sentenced to pay a fine of 300 guilders ($120.00) for the above

assaults. Then the action of damages by Jan van Cleef against said Tomassen

was referred to arbitration. During this action Jan Thomasse was referred to

as "magistrate of N. Utrecht". I guess our man had a temper, and one wonders

what brought the whole thing on! (O'Callaghan; DUTCH MSS; 1865; p.801.

On 18 August 1673 Jan Thomasse was appointed one of the Schepens by Governor

Colve. The following is a little information on the Court of Schepens: The

Court of Schepens was an institution unknown in England, but it dates back to

the Middle Ages in the Netherlands and other parts of Continental Europe. In

its early existence its members were appointed from the nobility of the

district, but upon the growing importance of the cities were appointed from its

influential burghers. In the country the nability and large landowners

continued their hold on its membership much longer but were gradually replaced

by the smaller landowners and substantial farmers. The number of Schepens which

made up the court varied in accordance with the size of the city or district

under its jurisdiction. One of the members acted as president and attached to

the court was a secretary. Their term of office was limited to a few years.

In many instances, they could not fill the position for consecutive terms and

had to be out of office for at least one term before being eligible for another

appointment.

When sitting as a Court of Law they dealt with both civil and criminal

cases. The bailiff or sheriff acted as prosecutor. The Secretary, in most

cases, trained in legal matters, saw to it that the provisions of thhe law were

followed and he kept the records. Besides holding court, the Schepens attended

to many other duties. They appointed receivers in bankruptcy, they attested to

inventories, powers of attorney and various other legal papers, and they

committed the afflicted to insane asylums. One of their most important

functions was that they acted as registrars of deeds and mortgages, as such

instruments had to be passed by their board and recorded by them. Another

function was that all civil marriages had to be performed by their board. The

Schepens could also make appointments of several of the minor officials and

issue certain ordinances.

The position of Schepen was one of great importance and in the cities was

only surpassed by membership in the city Council and the higher municipal,

provincial and federal offices. schepen records, therefore, form one of the

most valuable sources of information for the genealogist. But, they can only

be properly consulted by skilled searchers, thoroughly familiar with the old

script and the legal terminology. They are poorly indexed and searching theser

records is a laborious task, but for building a pedigree, they are of the

greatest importance. (Rubincam; GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH METHODS AND SOURCES:

1960; Vol. 1; pp. 387,388)

Jan Thomasse Van Dyke must have died soon after his appointment because

under the date 16 October 1673 was found the following entry: "The Governor

hath, from the nomination made by the Magistrates of the Town of Utrecht

selected Jan Gysbertse Van Meteren as a Magistrate in place of Jan Thomassen

now lately deceased." (DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF NEW YORK; Vol. II; pp. 577, 659)

In Bergen's REGISTER OF EARLY SETTLERS OF KING'S COUNTY, it is stated that

in 1675 the heirs of Jan Thomasse sold his old farm in New Utrecht to Rut.

Joosten for 2500 guilders; his new farm to Bryn Janse for 2000 guilders and his

two lots in the village to his son Hendrick Janse Van Dyke for 750 guilders.

His widow Tryntje married (2) on 11 August 1678, Tileman Jacobsz Van Der Meyer,

who came to America from Kamerik, Utrecht, Holland.

Children of Jan Thomasse Van Dyke and his first wife (in abreviated form):

Antje Janse, Angenietje Janse, Thomas Janse, Derrick/Dirck Janse.

Children of Jan Thomasse and Tryntje A. Haegen (in abreviated form):

Carel/Charles Janse, Jan Janse, Achias Janse, Hendrick Janse, Pieter Janse,

Lambert Janse, Tryntje Janse, Mayke Janse. ..end of Baty publication..

ANCESTRAL FILE: (AFN:H2GQ-8H) lists birth after children are born, including

spouse which is obvious incorrect. This file seems to have a good

representation of children. (AFN:LOT8-9T) states birth abt. 1605, Amsterdam,

Holland and gives place of death at New Utrecht, Long Island, New York. Also

indicates spouse, Tryntie Achias HAGEN (AFN:LOT8-B1) and another unknown

spouse. Source of above: Margaret FRANDSEN, 6417 Brushwood Lane, Las Vegas,

Nv., 89107; microfilm #1512643, submission AF90-002150.

It is reported that Jan emigrated in 1652 with 6 children on the ship Bonta

Ke (Spotted Cow). -------------------- Family Search Record(s): AFN: C4TL-WC

He had a wife before Tryntje. 4 of his children are from his first marriage, name unknown.

The name Jan Thomassee Van Dyke, Jan Thomasse would mean: John the son of Thomas, thus Jan=John. Jan Janse,=John with this it is reasonable to assume that the Immigrant of the Van Dyke family here listed Thomas Janse Van Dyke was the Son of Jan or John as I understand the meaning Thomas son of Jan Van Dyke. (noted by Ed Weaver)

He came to America with his parents, and was a founder of New Utrecht, Long Island, which he served in the posts of sergeant, Magistrate and "schepen" or Judge.

Source: Ed Weaver's Van Dyke genealogy page,

     http://edoubleu7.tripod.com/cgi-bin/genealogy/vandyke.html

-------------------- Excerpt from Notable Southern families, Volume 1

By Zella Armstrong, Janie Preston Collup French:

The Van Dyke family is one of the oldest and most prominent in Tennessee. The genealogy of the family is traced in unbroken line nearly three centuries to Jan Thomasse Van Dyck II (son of Thomasse Van Dyck I of Amsterdam) who with his two brothers Hendrick Thomasse and Nicholas Thomasse came to New Amsterdam in America in 1652 His wife Tryntje (or Achias) and six children accompanied him on the good ship Bonta Ke (Spotted Cow) They settled on Long Island. Their children were: Thomas Janse III born 1646, Antje Janse born 1642, Anjenietje born 1644, Carl born 1646, Achias born 1648, Jan born 1650, Hendrick born July 2 1653 in New Amsterdam. In 1687 the three brothers took the oath of allegiance to their adopted country. Their descendants may be found in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee numbers of them having risen to prominence