Jan Albertszen

Biography

Aechtje Jans had been in Curacao (the Swol's southern home port) with her father, Jan Albertszen, who had been contracted from Emden, East Frisia (17 miles south of Norden), as a master blacksmith, since 1642. When his contract with the West Indies Company was up, they left Curacao for Holland on the captured prize ship Tamerende, sailing first to New Amsterdam. Either in Curacao, or aboard the Tamerende, Aechtje met Abraham Willemszen, the 18 year old seaman and gunner then part of the ship's skeleton crew. The Tamerende left Curacao in March 1647 and arrived at New Amsterdam in April. Aechtje married Abraham in New Amsterdam the same month. Then on August 16, 1647 Jan Albertszen continued his journey alone to Holland, without his daughter; only to meet disaster when his transport the Princess Amelia sank September 27,1647 at the Bristol Channel.