Capt. Cornelius Matthysen van Horne

Capt. Cornelis Mathysz "Cornelius" van Horn

• aka van Hoorn, van Horne, Vanhorn
• Born before 4 May 1695 in Flatbush, Kings County, Province of New York
• Died 12 Feb 1744 after age 48 in Trenton, Mercer, Province of New Jersey
• Son of Matys Cornelissen and Fytje Adams Brouwer
• Husband of Catherine (Cox) Van Horne — married 1721 [location unknown]
• Husband of Elizabeth (Lawrence) van Horne — married about 1724 [location unknown]
• Husband of Hannah (Seabrook) Drake — married 15 Mar 1732 in Hopewell, Hunterdon, New Jersey

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Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Van_Horn-554

Son of Matthys Cornelissen and Fytje Adam Brouwer, bapt. 4 May 1695, in Brooklyn.

There is a lot of uncertainty and many opinions as to where his father Matthys originally came from. Upon his immigration to North America Matthys Cornelisen had to choose a surname & went with Van Hoorn ... the word "van" meaning "from" and "Hoorn" was his native city.

Cornelis Mathysz VanHorne (son of Mathijs Cornelissen & Fijtje Brouwer) was baptized on 04 May 1695 at the Dutch Reformed Church in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York with witnesses Thomas Lammerse & Elizabeth Thomas.

In 1716 he lived in the former home of John Bowne.

Cornelius Van Horne held the Commission of Captain from King George II of England, an honor of which was extremely proud and he was always known as "Captain Cornelius" ... it was even inscribed on his gravestone.

He had 10 children by 3 wives ...

m=c1721 Catharine Cox b=20 Sep 1695 m=c1724 Elizabeth Lawrence b=23 Feb 1699 m=15 Mar 1732 Hannah Seabrook b=15 Nov 1706.He first married about 1721 to Catharine COX who was the daughter of Thomas COX, one of the patentees of the Monmouth Treaty who lived in Middleton, New Jersey where he was a very influential citizen. Thomas COX left a Last Will dated Feb 16, 1723 in which he mentions "my daughter Catharine and her infant son Thomas", so evidentially the child was named for him.

Before 1729 Captain Cornelius purchased a large tract of land in Hunterdon County, near the confluence of the northern and southern branches of Rockaway Creek. It was near land owned by his brother Abraham VanHorne who had recently founded Whitehouse, New Jersey.

On Nov 6, 1728 he and his brother Abraham were appointed on a Commission to try pirates.

His second wife, Elizabeth Lawrence was the daughter of James Lawrence (1660-1730) and Mehetable Alburtis (the Captain's step-sister). James Lawrence left a Last Will proven in 1730 in which he mentions his wife "Mehitable and his children Jacob, John, James, Hannah, Mary Rebecca, Debra; and the three children of his daughter Elizabeth, deceased, namely Mathias, Catharine and Elizabeth VanHorne".

His third wife, Hannah Seabrook, was the daughter of James Seabrook and Hannah Grover. She was a second cousin of Elizabeth Lawrence (the Captain's second wife). She was a direct descendant of Thomas Seabrook, the progenitor of the New Jersey Family of Seabrooks who had settled at Minneford Island in 1664, and later lived at Hempstead, Long Island, New York.

The children were reportedly in a family bible passed down from Hannah:

1. Mary b. 12 April 1733
2. Cornelius b. 4 May 1737
3. Abram b. 28 August 1738
4. James b. 23 April 1740
5. John b. 3 May 1742
6. Daniel b. 2 May 1743

On 24 Dec 1743 he made his Last Will.

On 03 Feb 1744 he added a Codicil to his Last Will.

Cornelis Mathysz VanHorne died on 12 Feb 1744 in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey & was buried in the old cemetery near the Railroad Station in Whitehouse with the gravestone inscription ...

In memory of CAPTAIN CORNELIUS VAN HORNE died February 12, 1744 in ye 49th year of his age

On 16 March 1744 his Last Will & Codicil were admitted to probate & mentioned ...
"To my beloved wife Hannah, fifty pounds in lieu of her dowry, and provision for her support so long as she shall live and remain a widow.ITEM---to my eldest son Thomas, all that tract of land whereon I now dwell, situate in the County of Hunterdon, and purchased of John Budd.ITEM - To my son Mathias, all that tract of land situate in Upper Freehold adjoining Thomas Lenard, Abiah Cooke, Thomas Eversham and Joseph Williams in the County of Monmouth; and that said Mathias shall pay two hundred pounds proclamation money, in manner and form following, that is to say ... Whatsoever said Mathias has over and above his equal dividend of my whole estate, that he shall pay the one-half of that to my eldest daughter, Catharine when she arrives at the age of twenty-seven years, and the other half to my daughter Elizabeth when she arrives at the age of twenty-four.ITEM - To my son Cornelius, a certain small tract of land situate upon Crossrock Creek, in the County of Burlington, purchased of Matthew Watson; that the said Cornelius shall pay the sum of five shillings proclamation money to his younger brother Daniel at the age of twenty-one years.ITEM - And after all my just debts have been paid, my seven sons and three daughters are to have an equal division of my whole estate.I hereby nominate my son Thomas Van Horne, my brother Abraham Van Horne and my friend Nickolaes Wyckoff, to be my executors of this, my last will and testament.CODICIL - I leave my loving wife one of the side-saddles;And my son Thomas his choice of all my horsekind, except the black horse branded J. R. and my saddle;And to my son Mathias my horse branded J.R. and my saddle;To my daughter Catharine, three pounds, ten shilling proclamation money;And I leave to my daughter Elizabeth, that side saddle which was her mother's;And I leave to my son Thomas, that saddle which he usually rides upon."signed: Cornelius Van HORNE.

Notes

In memory o(f) Cap. Cornelu(s) Vanhorne died Febry ye 12th 1744 in ye 49th year of his age.

Tombstone is upright; right side broken away; face somewhat chipped at the top around the angel; this is clearly the oldest tombstone in the cemetery that was marked.

Source:
Our Van Horne Kindred, Elsie O. Hallenbeck. This book contains many errors and should not be considered an accurate source for this Van Horne family. Most important error, Matthys Cornelissen, Cornelius' father, was NOT Dutch, he was DANISH. There is both documentary and DNA evidence to confirm this FACT

1721 Indenture; Cornelius Vanhorne to Thomas Salter; East New Jersey Deeds; Book F-2, Page 304

1722 Indenture; Abraham Vanhorn to Richard Salter; Original in Monmouth County Historical Society

1724 Indenture; Richard Salter (Thomas Salter Estate) to Gershom Mott; East New Jersey Deeds; Book K, Page 328-9

Cornelius was the older brother of Abraham Van Horne who founded Whitehouse. They came to Monmouth County from Brooklyn with their parents shortly after 1700. Both men married and began their families in Monmouth County. Abraham purchased land in Hunterdon County about 1728 and Cornelius in 1731, at which time it became his primary residence. At his death, Cornelius Van Horen owned land in Hunterdon, Monmouth and Burlington Counties. About 1730, when he married Hannah Seabrook, Cornelius modified the spelling of his surname to Van Horen. He married Hannah, purchased land and signed his will under that spelling of his surname. Cornelius Van Horne is described in legal documents as being a miller.

Children:

Mother Catherine Cox -- Thomas, b. 1722

Mother Elizabeth Lawrence -- Mathias, b. 1724; Catherine, b.1726; and Elizabeth, b. 1728

Mother Hannah Seabrook -- Mary, b. 1733; Cornelius, b. 1737; Abraham, b. 1738; James, b. 1740; John, b. 1742; and Daniel, b. 1743

Widow Hannah married Benjamin Drake of Hopewell.

References

• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Mar 26 2023, 14:12:40 UTC
• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Apr 6 2023, 13:56:54 UTC
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Van_Horn-554 cites

1. "Our Van Horne Kindred" by Elsie O. Hollenbeck p5
2. Is there a record supporting the notion that he had to choose a surname at immigration, or is this just the story told in a family genealogy?
3. 1983 "Old First Dutch Reformed Church of Brooklyn, New York: First Book of Records 1660-1752 New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch by A. P. G. Jos van der Linde & Genealogical Publishing Company Inc. of MD, Baltimore.
4. Archives of New Jersey v23 p51 on April 9, 1716, Cornelius Van Hoorn and Matthys Cornelisen were Bond Debtors for the estate of John Bowne of Monmouth County for a "dwelling said to have been erected by said John Bowne when he moved there from Long Island".
5. New Jersey Archives v22 series#1 p414
6. New Jersey Calendar of Wills for James LAWRENCE proved=1730.
7. Bible abstract; see M. A. De L. Van Horn, page 3, which says the bible was in the possession of Hon. Burt Van Horne of Rochester, N.Y.
8. Stillwell, vol. 4, page 405
9. Gibson Family Tree by user jeffgibson38133 on ancestry.com accessed=17 Mar 2011.
10. Find A Grave: Memorial #11998380 with gravestone photo for Capt Cornelius Van Horne b=04 May 1695 d=12 Feb 1744 buried=Haypress Cemetery, Whitehouse Station, Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
11. ↑Book of Wills #5 p17 Will dated at Reading Town, Hunterdon County, New Jersey western division & now available at the office of the Secretary of State in Trenton, New Jersey.
12. World Connect tree, Harrison-Heitman updated=20 Dec 2001 contact=Bruce Harrison
13. World Connect tree, Kings Highway updated=2014-05-25
14. M. A. De L. Van Horn, Esq., A Brief Account of the Descendants of Capt. Cornelius Van Horne of White House, Hunterdon County, New Jersey
15. Stillwell, John Edwin. Historical and Genealogical Miscelleny: Data Relating to the Settlement and Settlers of New York and New Jersey.
16. Cornelis Van Horne
17. Brouwer Genealogy Database by Chris Chester accessed=14 Apr 2017 http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~brouwergenealogydata