Burger Joris

Birth

• Date and location unknown, circa 1612. His marriage documents record his place of origin as "hersberg, in Silesien" which seems to refer to the modern Polish village of Stogniewice in the rural district of Rychtal that was known until 1945 by the German name of Herzberg and at the time was within the Habsburg controlled region of Silesia.

~•The Fly Market, an open market that operated until the early 1800s, derives its name from Smit's Vlie (the {blacksmith's} valley or meadow): Burger Jorissen was the original blacksmith. Others followed. He owned property outside the valley (Burger Joris = Q:16.17.18 ~• on the Castello Plan Notes)

Marriage

• 1639 18 Dec;Borger Joriszen, jm van hersberg, in Silesien; Engeltje Mans, jd van Coinxste, in Sweden NA DRC Marriages 1639-1801

Children

• 1640 Dec 16; Burger Joriszen, Engeltje Mans; Catharyn; Gilles Pieterszen, Teunis Janszen, Teuntje Broecks, Maritie Jans
• 1642 Dec 14; Borger Joriszen, Engeltje Mans; Maryken; Teunis Janszen-sail maker, Jillis Pieterszen, Mr. Timm, Maryken Philips
• 1647 Jul 28; Borger Joris, Engeltje Mans; Joris; Philip Graer, Jan Snydertszen-shoemaker, Lyntje Jochems
• 1650 Jan 30; Borger Joriszen, Engeltje Mans; Janneken; Willem Beeckman, Reynart Pieterszen
• 1652 Mar 03; Borger Joriszen, Engeltje Mans; Hermanus; Jacob Leendertszen, Cornelis Janszen Clopper, Rebecca Fredericks, Elsje Hendricks
• 1653 Dec 07; Borger Joriszen, Engeltje Mans; Elsje; Jacob Leendertszen, Willem Pieterszen, Elsje Hendricks, Annetje Jans
• 1657 Jun 17; Borger Joris, Engeltje Mans; Claes; Augustyn Hermans, Thysje Willems
• 1659 May 18; Burger Joriszen, Engeltje Mans; Lysbeth; Evert Duycking, Geertie Broers
• 1661 Feb 16; Burger Joriszen, Engeltje Mans; Johannes; Jeuriaen Blanck, Marie Burgers
• 1664 Apr 02; Borger Joris, Engeltie Mans; Elias; Alexander Stultheer, Warnar Wessels, Marritie Burgers NA DRC Baptisms 1639-1730

Death

• between April 7th,1670 and April 25th, 1671. The earlier date being recorded in a Town meeting of Newton and the second being the date his widow is confirmed as executor of his will.

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In 1654 Joris established a mill upon his bowery, for a long time it was called the "Burger's Mill." In the same year, when it was planned that new streets should be made in New Amsterdam, and that one street must pass through the garden of Joris, he determined to sell the house in which he had been living for fourteen years. He sold it 1655. The street was laid out the next year and received the name Smith Street (Smee Straat) from the blacksmith (Joris), whose land it ran through. Later it was named William Street.

https://openlibrary.org/books/OL6585298M/Scandinavian_immigrants_in...

Burger Joris ' (Citizen George), a native of Silesia, came to Rensselaerwyck in 1637. He owned a sloop and traded between Fort Orange and The Manhattans. Two years later, he was living in Nieuw Amsterdam, and September 19, 1639, three months before his marriage, is recorded the certificate of Director-General Kieft giving to Burger Joris, Farrier,^ the use for four years, of the anvil, bellows and forge belonging to the West India Company. A map of Nieuw Amsterdam,^ made in 1643, shows the grant to Burger Jorison of eleven rods on "the Road to the ferry," between the lots of Wessel Evertsen and Hendrick Jansen. A little later, Arendt van Corlear writes to the Patroon of Rensselaer- wyck, a letter dated, "At the Manhattans, the i6th of June, 1643," in which he speaks of Adrian Van der Donck's pro- posed colony at the Katskill, saying, " I have been to Kats- kill with some colonists and your Honour may be assured that he intends to plant a Colonic there. Borger Jorison who has hitherto been in the Lord's Colonie will live there also. He has let his bouwerie to Brandt Peelen for two hundred guilders-'^ a year."

This plan was abandoned, for a fortnight later, July 3, 1643, Burg-er Joris bought thirty morgens^ of land on Cana- pauka Creek, later, Dutch Kills, Newtown, Long Island, and where, in 1654, he built a tide-water mill on the creek long after known as Burger Kills. = Although this primitive mill could grind but a few schepels of corn a day, — the Dutch schepel was about three pecks, — thither resorted the people from all the neighbouring bouweries, even rowing several miles from New Haarlem.

September 17, 1644, Hendrick Jansen deeds to him, house, garden and brewery. In 1646, a lot bordering the present Hanover Square, was granted him, and his house was on the northeast corner of the Square, adjoining Govert Locker- mann. From him, for more than a century, Old Slip was called "-'T Burger Joriszen's Paatje" and "the Burgher's Path." March 15, 1652, he subscribes one himdred of the six thousand guilders required to enclose Nieuw Amsterdam with palisades and ditch in defence against an expected invasion of the Indians from Connecticut. For a period of over twenty years there are continued records of the pur- chase and sale of lands and houses, by Burger Joris. It is to be remembered that he was a German, not a Hollander, and his transactions show little of Dutch conservatism.

He was admitted to the Burgher-Recht of Nieuw Amster- dam, April 16, 1657. The exact date of his death is unknown. It occurred between April 7, 1670, when the appointment, made a month earlier by the Town Meeting of Newtown, of " Mr. Burger, Capt. Lawrence and others," to lay out high- ways, was confirmed by Governor Lovelace, and April 25, 167 1, when his wife Engeltje qualifies as his executrix. " Engeltje Mans, widdow and Relict of Burger Joris admitted Execu- trix of her husband's estate.

Whereas Burger Joris, late of Mashpag Kills, deceased, did in his lifetime make his last Will and Testament, wherein he left his wife, and now Relict, Engeltje Mans, sole Executrix if shee should happen to sur- vive him, which is now come to pass, to ye end ye said Executrix may be in a capacity to secure ye estate of ye said deceased and to dispose of it as in ye said Will and Testament required. There are to Certify that the afore mengoned Engeltje Mans, widdow and relict of the deceased and by him nominated his Executrix, is by mee admitted and confirmed to all interests and purposes of the whole estate together with ye goods and Chattels of whatever nature and Kinde soever, heretofore belonging to or in any wise apertaining to ye aforesaid Burger Joris, deceased.

And ye said Engeltje Mans has hereby full power and lawful authority to act in ye premises and to dispose thereof as Executrix as by the Lawes of this Government allowed to doe.

Given under my hand and seal at fforte James in New Yorke, this

25th day of April in ye twenty third yeare of his Majestie's Reigne,

Anno Domini 1671. t^ t

' Francis Lovelace,

Governor."

Surrogate's Office, New York, Liber I, f. 280.

For thirty years Burger Joris had been active in the affairs of New Netherland. In temperament he was evidently irascible, and little amenable to law, as shown in this, one of many similar entries in the Dutch MSS. : "77/^ Fiscal vs. Burger Joris, for Slander and for threatening to have a piece of his body before he left the country. " Fined sixty guilders, and "to remain in prison until paid. After Judgment, the Defendant used threatening language toward the Bench, and was ordered to be kept in irons for twenty-four hours after his fine was paid."

But it goes far toward making the offence a venial one, if it be remembered that the Fiscal was the mischief-making Cornelis van Tienhoven, soon after denounced by Burger Joris's friend, Augustyn Heerman, as a blase-geist. As a contrasting light may be quoted the entry, March 4, 1649, when " Borger Jorison and Augustyn Heerman, Ensigns, assembled on invitation of the Honourable Director-General in the parlour at the ffort," in judgment upon the seditious Journal of Adrian Van der Donck. Burger Joris then voted that ' ' he should remain confined until examined, as he deserves. "

https://openlibrary.org/books/OL22852764M/The_Bock%C3%A9e_family_(B...

Dutch Killings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newtown_Creek Third Anglo-Dutch War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-Dutch_War