Jan Janszen Berdan, Jr.

It is said that Jan Berdan Jr. did not get along very well with his stepmother and chose to leave home. He is given credit for being the progenitor of all the American Berdans. On May 20, 1693, he married Eva Van Sicklen (possibly Sickels). After the birth of his first child he left New Amersfoort (Flatlands), Long Island, and moved to Hackensack, N.J. He held several tracts of land around Hackensack. His farm extended from the Hackensack River to the Sprout Brook in the area now known as Maywood. He also owned land at Slotterdam and 362 acres in Upper Preakness, on Singac Brook, which he purchased from the heirs of Thomas Hart in the latter part of 1720. Jan served as the justice of the peace for Bergen County for several terms between 1716 to 1731, and probably even later. It is not known whether Jan Berdan even lived on his land in Upper Preakness but his sons did.

Jan and Eva had several children including: Marretie Berdan who married Joris Doremus, son of Cornelis De Riemer and Janneke Jorise Van Elsland and later married Jacob Tietsoort; Jan Berdan who married Cristyntjen Van Giesen, daughter of Hendrick Van Giesen and Sara Romeyn; Eva Berdan who married Cornelius Kip, son of Nicasius Kip and Antje Breyandt; Ferdinandus Berdan; Albert Berdan who married Divertje Banta, daughter of Jacob H. Banta and Jannetie Van Horn; Willemtee Berdan who married Isaac Kip, brother of Cornelius; Reynier Berdan who married Antje Romeyn, daughter of Daniel Claesen Royeyn and Maritie Westervelt; Elena Berdan who married Jacob Kip, brother of Cornelius; Annaetjen Berdan who married Abraham Laroe, son of Jaques La Roux and Wybracht Hendrickse Heilling; Dirck Berdan who married Antje Van Winkle; and David Berdan who married Christyntje Romeyn, sister to Antje.

After the death of Eva Van Sicklen, Jan appears to have married again to Vroutjen Verway, daughter of Cornelius Verway and Hendrickje Janse Buys. Given the birth dates of Jan's children, none appear to be by his second wife – at least not to my knowledge thus far.

- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/community-news/the-burgeoning-berdans-1....