https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72777519/cornelia-schellinger

Cornelia Melyn Schellinger

• BIRTH 1627 Netherlands
• MMEGRATED in 1641 aboard "Den Eychenboom"
• DEATH 25 Feb 1717 (aged 89–90) East Hampton, Suffolk County, New York, USA
• BURIAL South End Cemetery, East Hampton, Suffolk County, New York, USA
• MEMORIAL ID 72777519

Background

Cornelia's father,Cornelis Melyn, a native of Antwerp, came to New Amsterdam in 1639. He was Patroon of Staten Island, President of the Council of "Eight Men" in Nieuw Netherland. The Dutch West India Company granted him authority to settle a colony on Staten Island. He brought his wife, his three children, and his servants to Staten Island c. 1641. 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 a patroon. He established a number of settlers on the island and built a house there in which he resided with his family.

Biography

Cornelia Melyn was born in the Netherlands ca. 1627 and was baptized in the Nieuwe Kerk of Amsterdam on 27 Feb 1628. She was the eldest daughter of Cornelis Melyn and Janneken Andriaens Van Myert of Antwerp, Belgium. Cornelia came to New Amsterdam with her family ca. 1641. On 30 June 1647 she married Capt-LT Jacob Loper of Stockholm, Sweden, in New Amsterdam. Jacob and Cornelia are known to have had at least two children during their brief marriage: Jacobus and Jannetje.

Following the death of her first husband, she married Jacobus Schellinger (aka Schellinx or Schellinks), of Amsterdam, on 7 Apr 1653 and settled at East Hampton before October 2, 1667. They are known to have had at least 6 children during their marriage: William, Catalyntje, Abraham, Daniel, Jacob, and Cornelius. She died on 25 Feb 1717 in East Hampton, Suffolk, NY. Records of the Presbyterian Church of East Hampton state she was buried in that churchyard cemetery. This church was formerly located on the eastern edge of what is now South End Cemetery. So, one would assume that she was buried there. The specific gravesite is not known as no headstone has been found thus far.

Family History

Cornelius and Jennetkin Melyn's first child, Cornelia, was born and and propbably baptized on the same day, 27 Feb 1628, in Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), Amsterdam, as witnessed by Heyltje de Raet. Her childhood was spent in the decaying splendor of Antwerp, Belgium and Amsterdam. At thirteen years she immigrated with Her parents on the ship, Der Eyckenboom (The Oak Tree), sailing from Holland on 17 May 1641 and arriving in New Amsterdam (New York), shortly before 15 Aug 1641. The great city was in that time merely a few thatched cottages around the fort.

Her family soon removed to her father's patroonship on Staten Island. Staten Island in 1642 was unborken wilderness. Her father's plantation there was twice completely destroyed by Indians and the days of panic and distress in the little house came to an end by 1645. Indian uprisings and hostilities forced the family to return to Manhattan Island and take up residence in their pleasant waterfront (East River) house and property on Wall Street. New in town, Cornelia, age 16, flew at Garrit Hendricksen (age 11-12) when a pot-sherd he threw at the dog her brother was holding hit Jacob Melyn in the eye. She apparently struck him hard enough for her kerchief to fall from her shoulders; Garrit stepped on it and it was torn.

Her father had this incident recorded in the Council Minutes of New Netherland; perhaps he thought it was necessary to avoid lawsuits or maybe he was proud of his daughter's quick action. Cornelius Melyn was a man of considerable wealth and influence in the fledgling outpost with connections in Amsterdam and prominence in Nieuwe Amsterdam. Within a few years, as she approached maturity, she became the belle of New Amsterdam with her pick of suitors. None of the local men attached her affections until Swedish-born, Captain Jacobus Loper, the Commander of the Dutch ship of war permanently stationed in the harbor, (co-incidentally serving as part of the team of judges in her father's treason matter), proposed marriage.

Between 1643 and 1644, he signed a number of resolutions in Nieuwe Amsterdam and he seems to have been a Commandant at Curacao in 1646. Though not a new comer to Nieuwe Amsterdam, as a seaman based there some of the time, he was a new face for Cornelia. Their courtship seems to have been quite brief -- only a few months. The banns were published in the Dutch Church of New Amsterdam on the 20 Jun 1647. Their wedding was celebrated with great festivities as proper for such prominent principals. Perhaps as a wedding present, they were given the house on Wall Street for a residence. Here they began their family; they had two children, James (Jacob) and Joanna.

On 14 Jun 1649 Capt. Loper requested permission to take his sloop to the Delaware River, but was denied permission apparantly because he had married Cornelia Melyn, daughter of Cornelius Melyn and "enemy" of then-governor, Stuyvesant. On 14 August 1649, Loper gave his power of attorney to his father-in-law and departed for Holland. He apparantly died at sea between 4 Jan 1651 and 7 apr 1653. Once again in the marriage market, Cornelia, mother of two, entered into banns of marriage with a local merchant of high standing, Jacobus Schellinger. Following their marriage (7 Apr 1653) they lived on staten Island with or near her father. In 1655, Jacobus was captured by Indians during the massacre of September 1655. His home was burned and laid waste by the Indians.

Following this catastrophic loss, several suits were brought against him by Amsterdam merchants whom he represented on Staten Island, demanding an accounting for cargoes sent by them to be sold on commission. Jacob's defense was that the goods were not slable wares, and that after trying to sell them in several markets, he took them to his house on Staten Island where they with his other property were burned by Indians. It was impossible for him to detemine the amount of goods that had sold since his accoutn books had also been destroyed. He was ordered by the Court to prove what goods were sold, and what was destroyed. Because he was unable to comply, he was imprisoned, but soon escaped. He fled to New Haven, Connecticut where his father-in-law, Cornelius, now lived.

Soon thereafter, he and his wife went to New London, Connecticut and requested a grant of land. Apparantly, the predominantly English Puritan community had differences with these Dutch refugees. Certainly they had differing ideas of how to raise children. On 30 June 1664, Cornelia was called before the Commissioners for "abusing her daughter in the meeting house." A Mrs. Houghton was instructed to "tutor" this daughter better so that disturbances would not arise in meeting "by any unmeet carriage to her betters hereafter." By 1667, the couple had settled in East Hampton, Long Island. This community was also largely English, but they seem to have accepted the Dutch family quickly and completely.

Jacobus was one of the most well-to-do men of the town and is early assessed at the second highest figure in town. His stepson, James (Jacob) Loper, a young man, acquired a grant of new land a short distance from the Schellinger property, (purchased from Benjamin Conkling as he was removing then to Elizabeth, NJ, probably for religious reasons). Cornelia's husband and son (James Loper) partnered and pioneered the whale fishing industry; it was then profitable at the eastern end of Long Island and later at Southampton. They employed the Montauk Indians as whaling crews who were expert in the craft.

The Schellinger-Loper partnership provided the necessary boats and carts. They were both also active in numerous real estate transactions. Jacobus Schellinger died 25 Feb 1716 in Easthampton and was buried in the churchyard there. Cornelia's life had been long and eventful. She had watched Manhattan Island grow from thatch-roofed colonial village outpost to a town of importance. She had endured the long years of struggle from her father's troubles and her own difficulties in New Amsterdam courts. She had endured exile and the coldness of the people of Connecticut and watched Easthampton come of age as a whaling center. She died a year after her husband and was also buried in the churchyard at Easthampton.

Parents
Cornelis Melyn 1600–1663
Jannetje Andrians VanMyert Melyn 1604–1674

Spouses
Jacobus Loper 1616–1652 m. Aft 6/30/1647
1647 30 Jun; Jacob Loper, Capt. Luytt jm van Stockholm; Cornelia Molyn, jd van Amsterd
Jacobus Schellinger 1625–1693 (m. 1653)

Siblings
Mariken Melyn Hatfield 1637–1694
Jacob Melyn 1640–1706
Susannah Melyn Winans 1643–1692
Isaack Melyn 1646–1693

Children with Jacob L*, Jacob S**

• James Jacobus Loper 1648–1691
• Jannetje "Johanna" Loper 1650–1743
  • William Schellinger/Schellinx 1654–1735
  • Catalyntje "Catharine" Schellinger Baker 1656–1722
  • Abraham Schellinger/Schellinx 2/11/1659–1712
  • Jacob Schellinger/Schellinx 1663–1713
  • Cornelius Schellinger 1668–1743

References

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

[2] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72777519/cornelia-schellinger

[3] http://dgmweb.net/FGS/M/MelynCornelia-JacobLoper-JacobSchellinger.s...

[4] http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/12771962/person/-180041440/mediax/1?...