Melchoir Claessen Keator

   "Webster, Van Valkenburgh, Bachman, McCall," by Bob Webster:

   "Birth: ABT. 1645 in Netherlands

   "Death: AFT. 1701 in Marbletown, NY

   "1687 Fottman (Footman) of Captain Thomas Gershames Company, Professional Soldier for Dutch West India Company.

   "The founder of the Keator family in the US and Canada, Melchior (Melchert, Melker, Melgert) was a professional soldier in the employ of De Westindische Compagnie (Dutch West India Company) and no doubt was retained in a similar capacity by the British after they captured Nieuw Amsterdam and renamed it New York in 1664. His name appears as the defendant in a court martial held 28 Dec 1671. It seems that as a soldier he liked his schnapps too well, and under the influence of this potent beverage, on Christmas Day 1671, stepped over a low picket fence and purloined a pair of socks from a widow'' clothesline. (I wonder if the widow could have been Susanna Richards? CJH). He was adjudged guilty and sentenced to 'run the Gantlope once the length of the fort…stript to the waste.' Evidently he was not permanently cashiered, as he was still a member of the fort's garrison in 1674, the date of his marriage.

   "Under the date of 8 Apr. 1674, in the marriage records of the Old Dutch Church in New York appears the following item:

   " 'Melchior Claeszen, j.m. Van Amsterdam, en Susanna Richards, Wed, Van op fort, beyde wonende alhier.' Translation: 'Melchior Claeszen, young man (i.e. unmarried) from Amsterdam, and Susanna Richards, widow. From at the fort, both dwelling in this place.' Susanna Richards was probably the widow of a British soldier, possibly (according to contemporary church records) Susanna Verplanck, the widow of Pierre Richards.

   "Late in 1674 or early in 1675, Melchior moved, or was sent, to Marbletown, where he settled probably near the present village of Rosendale, where the next three generations of the Keator family lived. From the beginning, he was a soldier of the local militia. The last record of him is dated 21 Sep 1701, when he and Susanna acted as witnesses to the baptism of their granddaughter Lelie. He probably died shortly thereafter.

   "Genealogical & Biographical directory, etc." Family Tree Maker CD11

   "Family Surname: Keator or Cator. Immigrant: Melchert Claeszen Keter. Ethnic Origin: Dutch. Born: 1645. Native Town: Amsterdam, North Holland. Approximate Arrival: 1671. Settled: New York, removed c. 1674 to Marbletown, Ulster Co., N.Y. Died: unknown, but after 1701 at Marbletown, Ulster Co., N.Y."

   "Patronymic: Claeszen

   "Married: 4/25/1674 NYDC, Susanna Richards, widow. Melcheret was a soldier for the Dutch."

   "Children's Patronymic: Melchertszen."

   SOURCES: Geraldine Kittle, 26 South Chestnut St., Jefferson, Ohio 44047; died 26 November 1993, "Genealogy of the Kittle Family;" Geraldine Kittle's sources: the Ulster County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 333, Hurley N.Y. 12443; they have researched "Kittle" & connecting lines; also Baptism & Marriage Records of the Reformed Dutch Churchs of NY.

   Other Sources: RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project: "Webster, Van Valkenburgh, Bachman, McCall," by Bob Webster, bob@upperspace.com. Family Tree Maker, CD11 New Netherland Vital Records, 1600s, Directory to Persons in New Netherland, 1600s, © 2000 Genealogy. com.; CD contains: "Genealogical and Biographical Directory to Persons in New Netherland, from 1613-1674," by David M. Riker, 442 Woodcrest Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6810, © 1999 (December) by David M. Riker.

   Directory Sources: Page 855 -- Listed on the record of Melchert Claeszen Keter:

   (a) "Keator Family in America," by A. D. Keator.

   (b) NYDC; KgDR

   NYDC -- "Marriages from 1639 to 1801 in the Reformed Dutch Church, New York, Collections of

   the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society"; Vol. I, 1890; Baptisms from 1639-1730 in

   the Reformed Dutch Church, Collections of the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society,

   Vol. II.

   KgDR -- "Baptismal and Marriage Registers of the Old Dutch Church of Kingston, Ulster County,

   N.Y. 1660-1809," Roswell R. Hoes, trans. & ed.

   (c) "Three Centuries of the Keator Family in America," by W. H. Cator.

http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/keator/23/

MELCHIOR (MELGERT) CLAESSEN KEATOR, b. Netherlands ca. 1645, d. aft 1701 and Susanna Richards. Melchior was a professional soldier in the employ of the Dutch West India Company, and was retained in a similar capacity by the British after they captured Nieuw Amsterdam and renamed it New York in 1664. He is the founder of the Keator family in America.

Three Centuries of the Keator Family in America

https://archive.org/details/threecenturiesof00keat_0/page/n29/mode/...

https://en.geneanet.org/fonds/individus/?country__0__=NLD&go=1&nom=...

He was born about 1645 in the Netherlands and emigrated to New York.
Given name spelling variations have included Melchior, Melchert, Melkert, Melgert.
He was a professional soldier in the employ of DeWestindische Compagnie, better known as the Dutch West Westindische Company.
Melchior Claesen KETER married on 08 Apr 1674 at the Old Dutch Church, Kingston, New York to the widow, Mrs. Susanna RICHARDS. A search of the contemporary church records would seem to indicate that she was Susanna VerPLANCK, widow of Pierre RICHARDS, who emigrated about 1660 from Paris, France to New York.
About 1675 he moved to Marbletown, Ulster County, New York.
Melchoir Claessen Keator died sometime after 21 Sep 1701 in Marbletown, Ulster County, New York Province when he attended a baptism.

• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Nov 11 2022, 17:47:33 UTC