Johannes Martin Schenck, Sr.

Johannes Schenck is the progenitor of the Bushwick, Long Island, branch of the Schenck family and was born in Holland Sept. 19, 1656. He was descended from an old and influential family (see Motley, History United Netherlands) who could trace their descent from the time of Charlemagne in the 8th Century. He married before leaving Holland, Maria Magdalena de Haes, they emigrated from Middleburg, Holland, to America in 1683.

The year after his arrival, 1684, he connected himself with the Collegiate Dutch Church, and the year succeeding, 1685, his wife did the same "by witness" from the Dutch Reforned Church, of Middleburg, Holland. Their first son Johannes, who died young, was also baptized in this church, Dec. 20, 1684.

July 2, 1685, he and his wife moved to Ulster County and connected themselves with the Reformed Dutch Church at Esopus (Kingston).

Aug. 6, 1691 to April 17, 1694 he is the Town Clerk of Flatbush

Oct. 11, 1703 Johannes bought 640 acres on the Raritan River, in the County of Middlesex, NJ. In the deed which is recorded in the Office of the Secretary of State for New Jersey, he is styled Johannes Schenck, of the Island of Nassau, schoolmaster. This tract was afterward occupied by some of his grandsons, sons of Johannes Jr., who have founded very large and respectable families in that portion of the country.

Nov. 7, 1707 Deed in which the grantors, Ryk Hendriks [Suydam] and his wife Jannetje Ryke, convey to Johannes Schenk, a resident of Flatbush, a certain house, barn, kitchen, garden, orchard, and everything on the premises "which is nailed fast", and as land surveyed by Peter Cortrlyou. Deed recorded in the Town Records of Flatbush Book B, page 77.

May 1, 1712 Deed from Johannes Schenk and Magdalena where they convey to Johannes Janse Kuyper, all residents of Flatbush, the same property they had previously purchased in 1707. Deed recorded in the Town Records of Flatbush, Book B, Pages 81 and 82.

Sept. 17, 1712 In Liber 4, page 4, of Conveyances, in the Kings County Register's Office is found the deed by which Tunis Titus and Mary, his wife, convey to Johannes Schenck, late of Flatbush, then of Bushwick, "all that certain messauge or tenement, with water-mill and stream", situated in the Town of Bushwick, together with 83 acres of land attached; also, another parcel of land adjoining, containing 10 acres; also, a small portion of meadow, quantity not stated; also, a portion of land lying to the south-east of the second parcel containing 15 acres; and also another piece of land and meadow containing six or seven acres, more or less, the last lying in the Town of Newton, making in all about 115 acres, together with all the houses, barns, stables, gardens, orchards, yards, moors, marshes, waters, water-courses, etc. etc. and whatsoever "appertaining to the said mill plantation and other premises." The amount paid for the estate was one thousand pounds paid at the execution of the deed.

Jan. 4, 1745 the Last Will and Testament of Johannes Schenck is recorded in Liber 16, page 230, of Wills, in the Office of the Surrogate of the County of New York. Johannes Schenk, of Bushwick, in Kings County, on Nassau Island, Gent., to his Grandson Johannes Duryea he leaves his large silver-headed cane, To his grandson Johannes Schenk he leaves his small cane. His whole estate is then to be divided into 5 equal pars, 1 part to be given to each set of his grand children, issue of his deceased children, viz Susanna Johnson, Johannes Schenk, Peter Schenk, Marigrietie Stryker and Cornelia Duryea, all of whom had died before the execution of the last will of the first of the family.

The witnesses to the execution of the will included Joost Duryea. The executors were his sons-in-law John Stryker and Charles Duryea.

April 24, 1724 conveyance of land from Samuel Glean, of Newtown, for the amount of 4 pounds 18 shillings, to Peter Schenk a small portion of salt meadow together with a portion of upland 40 feet square. This land, to this day (1875), remains as the family burying ground of the Bushwick family of Schenk. In 1875 it appears as a small portion of land situated immediately in the rear of two barns now in the limits of the City of Brooklyn. It contains several tombstones, uncut and unmarked, and many ancient date, including that of Johannes Schenk, the first of the family, who died Feb. 5, 1748. The inscriptions on the tombstones which are still legible have been copied by Dr. Henry R. Styles in the 2nd Volume of his History of Brooklyn. They can also be found in a manuscript volume, by Henry R. Styles in connection with Royal Paine, which is deposited in the library of the Long Island Historical Society. The defacing hand of time has dealt harshly with many of them, rendering the work of deciphering, in some instances, a difficult task. The following are the inscriptions referred to:

• "Johannes Schenk, ye First of the Family, Departed this Life February ye 5th, 1748, Aged 92."
• "Maria Magdelena Schenk, ye 1st, Departed this Life April ye 10th 1729. Aged 70."

1875 - This burying ground is now 40 feet in width by 100 feet in length. Evidence of a neglect not particularly creditable to the numerous descendants of its occupants. In a few years, at farthest, the opening of an already contemplated street will absorb a portion of this sacred resting place of the hallowed dead, at which time it would seem especially desireable that means should be taken to recover this consecrated spot from the seeming oblivion into which it has fallen.

The site of the Bushwick Schenk Homestead in 1875 - A visit to the remnant of this pond, which now is and has been for a number of years included within the limits of the City of Brooklyn, shows that it has been intersected by many graded and paved streets, one of which is Metropolitan avenue, a continuation of North Second Street and also of Grand Street. This avenue crosses the creek by a bridge beneath which the water is still permitted access to the site of the old mill. When the tide is lowest a few rocks are pointed out by some of the older residents of the neighborhood, as the remains of the foundation of the mill. They are merely sufficient to designate its location. A short distand to the north, and also upon the bank of what was formerly Maspeth Creek, is the remnant of the foundation of the old homestead, which was destroyed by fire between the years 1840 and 1845. (This was after it had passed from the hands of the Schenks).

Source: Memoir of Johannes Schenk : the progenitor of the Bushwick, L.I., family of Schenck Flatbush, L.I.: Published 1876. http://0-persi.heritagequestonline.com.alpha1.suffolk.lib.ny.us/hqo...;

Source: Johannes Schenk of Bushwick, Long Island and his descendants Brooklyn, N.Y. :: 1948

Cemetery Location: 1325 Flushing Ave. near Brooklyn-Queens border History: Peter Schenck established this burial ground in 1724. It was located behind his house and appeared on maps well into the 1900s. The house was demolished in 1970 for construction of a factory. The factory's storage yeard is situated in the area where the graveyard used to be. The remains may have been taked to Green-Wood Cemetery, and some of the gravestones may be in the possession of the Museum of the City of New York. Source: The graveyard shift: a family historian's guide to New York City cemeteries

By Carolee Inskeep Page 176 http://books.google.com/books?id=tIXZvYmOBGIC&pg=PA176&lpg=PA176&dq...

Highland Park is situated on a high plateau that commands stunning views of East New York, Woodhaven, and the Rockaways, mid-town Manhattan, the Jamaica Bay and Atlantic Ocean. In 1856 the Ridgewood Reservoir was built by the City of Brooklyn on land acquired here. In 1891 the City of Brooklyn purchased the land surrounding the reservoir for park purposes and Highland Park was developed. It was initially known as Ridgewood Park. Part of this 141-acre park, including Ridgewood Reservoir at its crest, is in Queens County.

The property was extended to the south by purchasing the Schenck estate, which included a Dutch-style farmhouse that was built in 1705 by Johannes Schenck who had emigrated from Holland to the colony of New York in 1683 and worked as a teacher and town clerk in Flatbush, New York, and Bushwick. His descendants occupied it until 1906 when it was sold to the Parks Department. The farmhouse served as a club house, a lunch room, and a storage facility for Highland Park till it was removed after 1940. http://www.longislandexchange.com/brooklynqueens/highlandpark.html

8) The Schenck family, belongs among the earliest Dutch settlers in the New World. The first ancestor to come to America was Johannes Schenky who arrived and settled in 1683 on Bushwick, Long Island. The old burial stone of Johannes Schenck "first of the family departed this life February 5, 1748, aged 92" is now the property of the Musuem of the City of New York, Fifth ave. * (Hollanders) http://www.thehistorybox.com/factual_first/1600_5.html

http://www.bklyn-genealogy-info.com/Town/dutch/schenckwyckoff.html

Subject RE: Gravestones of Johannes Schenk and Maria Magdelena Schenk From View message header detail Lindsay Turley <lturley@mcny.org> ; on behalf of; research <research@mcny.org> Date Monday, May 16, 2011 10:39 am To dawn0124@optonline.net

Dear Dawn,

Thank you for your interest in the Museum of the City of New York. We do have three gravestones for four members of the Shenck Family. All three were donated by Charles de Bevoise Schenck, 1939.

39.327.1

Maria Schenk, wife of Johanno Schenky second, Departed this life May 6, 1740, aged 50

39.327.2

Johannis Schenky first of the family, Departed this life Feb 5, 1748, aged 90

39.327.3

[no first name, or name illegible] Schenk daughter of Abim. Shenck, Departed this life May 9, 1766, aged 19 years 4 mos

Magdalena Grandchild of Abim. Shenck daughter of Eliza wife to John McPher, Departed this life Feb 9 1782, aged 6 mos

It doesn’t not appear that we have the gravestone of Maria Schenk, d. 1929. I examined the gift paperwork for the three stones we have, and a note was attached pertaining to the pickup of the stones from Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn on June 20, 1939. The note directs the person to pick up the three stones from the estate of Cornelius Schenk, Section 57, lot 646, and states to pick up “only these three.” I’m not sure if the information is helpful, but I wanted to include it just in case.

Unfortunately these objects are not currently on view, and are offsite at our Brooklyn storage facility and not readily accessible. I do occasionally make visits to the warehouse, and on my next visit, I will see if it is possible to obtain a photo of the stones, in which case I will send it to you.

Best,

Lindsay

Lindsay Turley

Manuscripts and Reference Archivist

Museum of the City of New York