burial: Daretown Presbyterian churchyard, Salem County, NJ
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FamilySearch.Org

Jan Joosten Van Meteren
13 June 1626–13 June 1706 (Age 80)

The Life Summary of Jan Joosten
When Jan Joosten Van Meteren was born on 13 June 1626, in Gelderland, Netherlands, his father, Melchior Van Meteren, was 22 and his mother, Anneke Ariens van Beesd, was 18. He married Maijcken Hendrickesen van den Oever in 1646, in Gelderland, Netherlands. They were the parents of at least 7 sons and 9 daughters. He immigrated to New Amsterdam, New Netherland in 1620 and lived in New Jersey, United States in 1706. He died on 13 June 1706, in Raritan, Somerset, New Jersey, British Colonial America, at the age of 80, and was buried in Middlesex, New Jersey, British Colonial America.

Jan Joosten Van Meteren
1626–1706
Maijcken Hendrickesen van den Oever
1624–1706
Marriage: 1646
Hendrick Krom
1647–1670
Lysbeth VanMeteren
1647–1681
Hendrick Krom-Van Meter Van Meteren
1647–1694
Catherine Willemse CROM
1650–1744
Gijsbert Willems Crom-Van Meter Van Meteren
1653–1750
Elizabet Willemsen Crom
1649–1681
Gijsbert Willemse Crom
1650–1682
Cathrine Crom Van Meteren
1650–1703
Maritje Maria Willems Schepmoes/Krom
1651–1703
Geertje VANMETEREN
1653–1747
Joost Jansen Van Meteren
1656–1706
Maritje Willems Krom
1657–1724
Gysbert 1660 Jansen Gilbert Van Meteren
1660–1706
Gysbert Janse Van Meteren
1660–1724
Magdaleentje Janse Schaers
1660–1697
Jannetje Jane Van Meteren
1680–1742

Added to Geni by Janet Milburn 9/11/22

http://newsarch.rootsweb.com/th/read/NJSALEM/2008-03/1204695124

Colonial Families of the United States of America: Volume 6 - Heydt (Hite) - JOHN VAN METER (JOOST JANS), a "Dutchman from the Hudson," was an Indian trader and pioneer explorer of the Shenandoah Valley who "spied out the land" about the time of Governor SPOTSWOOD'S expedition, 1716; he equipped a band of Delaware Indians at his own expense and traveled far southward over unknown lands; on his return he advised his sons to take up lands in "The Wappatomica Valley in the South Branch bottom, above the Trough," as it was the finest land he had discovered; John and Isaac took his advice and petitioned Governor GOOCH in 1731 for 40,000 acres which was granted; in 1731 they transferred their grant to Joost HITE, whose wife, Anne Marie DU BOIS, was a near relative of their grandfather, Louis DU BOIS.

Called "John, the Indian trader"

Kidnapped as a child by indians. Held with his future wife (they were little children at the time) and rescued by his father and future father-in-law.

From the records of the Reformed Church at Kingston the following is abstracted.

"Jooste Jan, J. M. of Meteren, b. in Gelderland, residing in Mormon (Marbletown) and Sara Du Bois, J. D. of Kingston, residing in the New Pals (New Palz) married in the pals 12th December 1682. First publication of the Baans, 18 Nov."

Sarah was the daughter of Louis De Bois. Their children were: Jan Jansen, Rebekka, Lysbeth, Rachel, Hendrick, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. http://leecase.tripod.com/vanmetre.htm

"John Van Metre the second of the name was known in the annals of the period as 'the Indian Trader'." 1704

He was also said to have died 1728, Salem County, New Jersey. 1704

Their marriage banns were 18 November 1682. 1704

"John was the son of Jooste Jans Van Meteren, born in Guelderland, Holland, married Dec. 12, 1682, to Sara Du Bois 9 records of Dutch Reformed church Kingston, N.Y.), daughter of Louis and Catherine Blanchan Du Bois, who came to America from France in 1660, and settled at New Pals, Ulster county, N.Y. He as one of the patentees of the town 1705. A large bronze marker bears his name. "

"Joost (John) Jansen van Meteren, the son of his Pilgrim father Jan Joosten van Meteren continued in his father's footsteps by contributing colonial service in building America as we learn that he equipped a band of Delaware Indians at this own expense; met the Catawbas along the south branch of the Potomac River where a battle was fought for possession of that valley. Joost Jan escaped. Daniel Cox of Burlington, NJ went to Ulster County, NY and interested Joost (John) Jansen van Meteren and his wife Sarah du Bois, his brother Isaac van Meter and Sarah's brother Jacob du Bois to buy land in West Jersey, Salem Co. Together they bought three thousand acres in 1712. It was recorded in 1714 in the Clerk's office in Salem County, NJ." [confused with his son?] 1704

His [Jan Joosten's] will was found filed, with an inventory of his personal property, in the Burlington County Surogate's office. This instrument is endorsed 'Will of Jan Joosten of . . . June 13th, 1706,' and is further marked 'Dutch.' His personal estate included six slaves, a negro man, woman and four children. The appraisers were Joris van Neste and Hendrix Reinersen; it was sworn to by 'John Van Mator.' Antedating this document is a 'testamentary disposition' signed jointly by Jan Joosten and his wife, Maycke Hendricksen, and dated 16th December, 1681, which reads: 'Macyke Hendricksen shall retain full possession of the estate. She consents that the survivor shall possess everything, lands, houses, pesonal property, money, gold, silver - coined or uncoined. After their decease the property is to be inherited by their children - Jooste to have one-hald the entire estate first. Jooste and Gysbert to to have the land at Marbletown - Jooste one-half and then the other half to be divided between them. Gertje to have the land at Wassemaker's land. Children of Lysbeth, deceased, to have their portion in money from the other children." 1679

"Jooste Jans was the eldest son - therefore, the heir-at-law and entitled to a double portion. . . .Jooste Jans' early life, aside from his adventures, while yet a small boy, with the Indians in 1663, has not been revealed, but may be assumed to have been pretty much the same as that of other youths, until the time of his engagement to marry was published in the banns of the Reformed Dutch church at Kingston, on the 18th of November, 1682, and which was followed by his marriage announcement in this wise: ' Jooste, Jans, J.M. of Meteren, born in Gelderland, residing in Mormer [Marbletown} and sara du Bois, J.D. of Kingston, residing in the Nieuw-Pals [New Paltz] married in the Pals, 12, December, 1682.' " 1679

"His [Jan Joosten's] only recorded son, Joost Jans, said in his marrige record to be 'j.m. of Metern, born in Gelderland, resid. in Mormur (Marbletown) married, December 12, 1682, Sara Du Bois, of New Paltz (KgM: No. 56). They became the ancestors of many well-known poeple, including the celebrated Van Matre brothers who were pioneers of the Shenandoah Valley of of Virginia." 630

"In the lists of passengers on the ships of olden days the name of Jansen is conspicuous. It may have been to avoid confusion that Joost Janz (also written Jansen), j.m. (young man), of Meteren, in Gelderland, Holland, living then in what is now Marbletown, New York, came to write his name Joost J. Van Meteren. In 1682, he married Sara Du Bois, j.d. (young woman), of Kingston, in the smae county, a daughter of Louis and Catherarine (Blanshan) Du Bois." 1680

The banns of their marriage were read 18 Nov 1682. 1668

Kingston Marriages - 1682 - 12 Dec.: "Joost Janz, j.j., of Meteren, in Gelderlandt [Gelderland], resid. in Mormur [Marbletown]. and Sara Du Bois, j.d., of Kingston, resid. in teh Neuwe Pals [New Paltz]. Married in the Paltz [New Paltz]. First publication of Banns, 18 Nov." 1706

"on December 12, 1682, she [Sara Du Bois] married, at New Paltz, Joost Jansen Van Meteren, who was then living with his parents at Marbletown. The couple had at least four children, two girls and two boys, the oldest of whom, Jan, was baptised on October 14, 1683, and the youngest, Hendrick, on September 1, 1695. It is quite probable that there was another son, Isaac Van Meteren, who, on June 9, 1719, qualified as administrator of the estate of Hendrick Mulliner of Salem County, N.J., and whose bondsmen were John and Henry Van Metere." 1702

"His son Joost, who, on May 27, 1697, had surveyed for him 'a tract of stoney woodland, lying within the bounds of Marbletown, in Ulster County' " 1702

"Issue of Joost Jan and Sara (du Bois) Van Metren: Jan. b. 1683; Rebekka, b. 1686; and Lysbeth, b. 1689. . . In the record of the baptism of Joost Jan's children, his name, as one of the parents, is written as: Joost Jans, Joosten J. Van Meteren, and Jooste Jansen; while that of his wife: Sara du Bois - remains unchanged." 1696

"Joost Jan., j.m. of Meteren, in Gelderland, resid. in Marbletown, and Sara du Bois, j.d. reside. in the Nieuw Pals (New Paltz), m. in the Paltz, 12 Dec. 1682." 1696

"Jan Joosten and his wife Macyken Hendrickse, were sponsors to Joost Jan's first child: Jan, along with Jacob du Bois, the next older brother of Joost Ja's wife Sara. . . After the birth of Lysbeth in 1689, Joost Jans' name seems to have dropped from the record; it reappears again along with his wife Sara's at the baptism of Rebecca (Van Meteren) Elten's child Zara, 6th Febr., 1715, when they were sponsors. . . It is possible that this Joost Jans came to be known later as John Van Meter, of Berkeley county, Va., the Indian trader who first trod the Valley of Virginia with the Delaware Indians between 1724-1730; and who, according to various writers, as well as by tradition, was credited with being so well pleased with that country, that upon his return to New York in 1725, 'he settled his boys there.' " 1696

"It was in 1714 that John and Isaac Van Metre, Jacob and Sarah du Bois (the sister of Jacob du Bois and probably the wife of John Van Metre,) came to Salem, N.J, from Ulster County, N.Y., and took possession of 1600 acres of land located on Alloway's Creek, which they had purchased of Daniel Coxe of Burlington, N.J., agent of the West Jersey Proprietors. In 1716, John and Isaac Van Meter, and Sara du Bois sold their portion of the above tract (i.e. 1200 acres) to Jacob du Bois, who remaining settled at Pilesgrove. . . John Van Meter and Sara du Bois, after the sale of the above land disappear from our view as far as New Jersey is concerned; they probably returned to New York - temporarily at least, and went out with one of the family groups migrating to other parts." 1696

"Joost Jans Van Meteren's (born 1660) died 1700-05 the eldest son of Jan Joosten Van Meteren) early life, aside from his adventures, while yet a small boy, with the Indians in 1663, has not been revealed, but may be assumed to have been pretty much the same as that of other youths, until the time of his engagement to marry was published in the banns of the Reformed Dutch Church at Kingston, on the 18th of November, 1682, and which was followed by his marriage announcement in this wise: 'Jooste, Jans, J.M. of Meteren, born in Gelderland, residing in Mormer (Marbletown) and Sara du Bois, J.D. of Kingston, residing in the Nieuw-Pals (New Paltz) married in the Pals, 12 December, 1682.' " 1707

"Joost Janse of Meteren (John Van Metre of New York) son of Jan Joosten V. and Macyken H., was b. cir. 1656, Gelderland, Holland. After coming to America with his parents, he lived in Ulster Co., N.Y. (Mormur or Marlboro) and Salem Co., N.J. on Raritan R. He m. 12 Dec. 1682 Sara du Bois, who was baptised 14 Sept. 1664, dau. of Louis du Bois and Catherine Blanchan." 1703

"We learn on the authority of the archieves of New Jersey that Jan Joosten and Jan Hamel, together appeared in the province of West Jersey with other Dutch adventurers, and on 18 October, 1695, bought of Edward Hunloke, of Wingerworth, Burlington county, W.J. - Dep. governor Dr. Daniel Coxe - a plantation of 500 acres ofland at Lassa or 'Lazy' Point, in Burlington county. The record recites that 'John Joosten and John Hamel both now or late of Sopus, (esopus, Ulster County) N.Y., yeomen,' were the purchasers. 'Lazy' Point is on the Delaware river about 20 miles above Philadelphia. . . The site is now the city of Burlington, N.J. On the same date as that of their purchase from Hunloke, the latter gave them a bond guaranteeing undisturbed possession of the premises. On the 5th of June, 1696, 'John Joosten, late of Burlington township,' executed a power of attorney to William Wood, of Chesterfield township, authorizing him to collect debts. Joosten evidently left this part of the country and returned to New York. Joint ownership of Lassa Point was held by Joosten and Hamel till May 1st, 1699, then Jan Joosten conveys his share, or interest therein, to Jan Hamel. In this record mention is made of the fact that Joosten is 'of Marbletown, Ulster county, New York. In 1700 Jan Joosten reappears in East Jersey as a purchaser of lands in Middlesex county. On September 13th, of that year, Governor Andrew Hamilton and Agnes, his wife, by deed, convey to 'Jan Joosten of Marbletown, Ulster county, New York, Yeoman.' four separate parcels of unappropriated and unsurveyed land in Piscataway (now South Amboy) township, lying on the south side of Raritan river, aggregating 1835 acres. . . The last we hear of Jan Joosten van Metre is contained in a brief item referring to the appraisal or his personality, and the filing of the inventory, in the Dutch language, at Burlington, N.J., by John Van Meter, 13 June, 1706. The naming of the appraisers: Joris (George) Van Ness and Hendrickse Reinersen, who were his neighbors, then living on the Raritan, indicate that this was the locality of the Van Meter homestead; but why the documents were filed at Burlington, the capitol of West Jersey, insteadof at Perth-Amboy, the capitol of East Jersey, is not explained. Jans was a wealthy man as riches were reckoned in those days. The valuation of his personal property was given as £235, and inlcuded six slaves, also an indentured man, his wife and four children. It will be observed, in passing, that Jan Joosten Van Metre's name is given the French ending, and to this manner of spelling it the New Jersey families were particularly addicted, while those of Virginia and elsewhere, as steadfastly maintained the 'Van Mater' or 'Van Meter' form."1678

"The absence of disappearance of John Van Metre after 1706 is rather mysterious. Records of this period show that John Van Metre of Salem Co., N.J. was commissioned to be coroner of Salem Co., N.J. 17 Mar. 1713 and reappointed 21 Jan. 1715; and his name appears in a list of transfers, including the selling off, by John Van Metre of his title and interest in Salem lands in advance of going to Maryland, where he appears 25 Mar. 1730 in Prince George's Co., Md. When a child he had been captured by Indians and knew their ways. For these reasons, Smyth identified the Indian trader, Joost Janse of Meteren as John Van Metre of New York. It is believed that he was with the Cayugas in 1725 and also accompanied the Delaware Indians to the Southern hunting grounds to trade or war with the Catawbas in the Carolinas in 1732. They passed up the Southern branch of the Potomac; here he cast longing eyes beyond the river, and is thought to have recommended to his sons, John and Isaac, their migrating to the valley of Virginia. Ample and various accounts of these trips have been given by a number of writers of border history. he died cir. 1732" 1703[Confused Jooste Jansen with his son Jan Jansen?]

"Joost Janse . . settled somewhere on the Raritan River in Somerset County, New Jersey; thence removed to Maryland and settled on the Monocacy River; in 1726 received a grant of land in Frederick County at the mouth of Metre's Run, which empties into the Monocacy. When Governor Gooch of Virginia was giving away large tracts of land in the Shenandoah Valley, he advised his sons John (Jan) and Isaac Van Matre to avail themselves of this opportunity to get a large tract of land for a little or nothing. Their father, John Van Matre, had visited this region a few years before on a trading expedition with the Indians. John and Isaac Van Matre received 40,000 acres of land in this grant, much of which is now in Berkeley and Jeffersdon Counties." 1685

"The Van Meters were wealthy Hollanders already [by 1732] settled in Mecklenburg, afterwards Shepherdstown where Joise Hite arrived with his party of sixteen families. Jan (John ) Van Meter, erroneously stated to have 'died young', the eldest child of Kreijn Janse Van Meter, was the first white man to cross the Blue Ridge while on the war-path with the delaware Indians against the Catawbas. He wrote an account of this expedition. Vir. His. Mag. Vol. 3." 1678

"Their son, [Louis and Catherine's] Jacob Dubois, was born in 1662. About the year 1714 Jacob had heard there was a large quantity of good land for sale in the southern part of New Jersey. He left his native county in New York and moved to this State to view the lands he heard so much of. Daniel Cox, of Burlington, after he married Rebecca Hedge, the widow of Samuel Hedge, Jr., came in possession of a large quantity of good land in Fenwick's tenth. He owned large tracts of land in what is now Pittsgrove township. Jacob and his sister, John and Isaac Vanmeter, purchased 3,000 acres of the said Daniel Cox, of this tract." 1714

His [Jan Jansen's] parents, Joost Jansen van Meeteren and Sarah Dubois lived in the Kingston area along the Hudson River. The name Jansen is a patronymic. Jooste Jansen came from Meeteren, a small village located a short distance from Buren in Gelderland. He arrived at New Amsterdam on the ship 'Fox' in 1662." 1697

"Joost Jansen VAN METEREN was born in 1652 at Gelderland, Holland, the son of Jan Joosten Vanmetern and Macyke Hendrickse.

He married Sarah Du Bois on 12 December 1682 at Kingston, Ulster County, New York.

Their children (with 2 submittals giving the surname as Van Metre or Van Meteren) were:

• Jan Jansen, baptized at Kingston on 14 October 1683, married (1) Sara Bodine in 1705 at Somerset County, New Jersey, had three children, married (2) Margaret Mollenauer in 1710 at Somerset County, had eight children, and died in 1745;
• Rebecca (or Rebekka), baptized at Kingston on 26 April 1686, married Cornelius Elting on 3 September 1704 at Kingston, and died in 1755 at Frederick County, Maryland;
• Lysbeth, baptized at Kingston on 3 March 1689;
• Rachel, baptized in 1692 at Raritan, Somerset County, New Jersey;
• Hendrick Jansen, baptized at Kingston on 1 September 1695, married Rebecca Du Bois on 7 March 1741 at First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and died in 1759;
• Abraham, born in 1700 at Somerset, New Jersey;
• Isaac, born in 1702;
• Jacob, born in 1705 at Somerset, New Jersey; and
• Malinda, born in 1710 at Somerset, New Jersey.

"Only a year after arriving in America little Joost Jansen Van Meteren had an adventure which set the pattern for his whole life and planted the pioneering seed which flowered in succeeding generations. He was captured by the Indians. On June 7, 1663 while the men were away working in the fields the Minnisink Indians entered several villages under the pretext of selling vegetables and. suddenly began murdering their unarmed victims. They took all they could find of value, set the villages on fire and took about 45 women and children captives. Among them were Jan Joosten's wife Maycke and son Joost from Wiltwyck and Louis DuBois' wife Catherine Blanchan and baby daughter Sarah from Esopus. Joost and Sarah were later to be married. For three months the men searched the Catskills, but had no success until on Sept. 3 a friendly Indian gave a clue to the location of the captives. A rescue party was formed led by Louis DuBois and Capt. Kreiger whose journal relates this event. Meanwhile, since the Indians were running short of food and winter was not far off they had decided to burn some of their Captives. Catherine DuBois and her baby Sarah were selected to be first. When the Indians were about to put the torch to her pyre she began to sing the words of the 137th Psalm. Enchanted by her voice they demanded that she continue to sing, Of course, she did. The approaching rescuers heard her, were guided to the spot, attacked the Indians and released all the prisoners. Little Joost, too young to be much affected by the horrors of captivity, thoroughly enjoyed his three months of Indian life. Later as an adult he frequently left home to spend many weeks at a time with various tribes. In this way he was among the first whites to explore the wilderness areas to the west of the coastal settlements. He was particularly impressed by the beauty of the Valley of Virginia and urged his sons to settle there, which they eventually did. Thus began the pioneering spirit of the Van Meters who for the next 200 years were among the first settlers and participants in the key events which shaped the nation as it thrust evermore westward."1716

"Joost Jansen Van Meteren, who sometimes called himself John Van Meter, married Sarah DuBois at New Paltz on December 12, 1682. About 15 years later he moved his growing family to Somerset County, New Jersey on his father's land which he later inherited. Joost and Sarah seem to have had five sons, but only three of them are well known. John, our ancestor, was the eldest, baptized in Kingston, N.Y. on October 14, 1683. The others were Isaac, Henry, Abraham and Jacob. There also were four daughters Rebecca, Lysbeth, Rachel and Malinda. John and his first wife Sarah Bodine had three children born in Somerset County and baptized in the Reformed Dutch Church on the Raritan at Readington. Soon after Sarah died in 1709 John married again to Margaret Mollenauer and had eight more children"1716

His will was dated 13 June 1706 and he died at Salem County, New Jersey. "1698 http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~barbpretz/PS05/PS05_065.HTM

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~bobbistockton/van2.html

In the fall of 1662 Jan Joosten Van Meteren settled in Wildwych (now Kingston, Ulster County, New Jersey) and dwelt many years in that vicinity, which included the towns of Hurley, Middletown, and Esoppus. He is not noted in the activities of that community until the seventh of June, 1663, the date when the Minnisink Indians made an attack on the village and its vicinity raiding and burning the settlement of Hurley and Kingston and carrying away women and children in captivity.

Among the latter were Jan;s wife and children, Jooste Jans being one of them as well as Catherine DuBois, the wife of Louis DuBois, and their daughter Sarah. whom Jooste Jans Van Metern later married. These were taken to the fastness of Catskill Mountains and remained in captivity for months, but were rescued on the eve of torture by DuBois, and Captain Martin Kreiger's company of Manhattan soldiers; the trainband finally rounded up the Indians and defeated them on September 3, 1663.

In connection with this tragic experience the following statements is quoted:" About ten weeks after the captive of the women and children, the Indians decided to celebrate their own escape from pursuit by burning some of their victims and the ones selected were Catherine DuBois, and her baby Sara.

A cubical pile of logs was arranged and the mother and child placed thereon: when the Indians were about to apply the torch, Catherine began to sing the 137th Psalm as a death chant. The Indians withheld the fire and gave her respite while they listened; when she had finished they demanded more, and before she finished the last one her husband and the Dutch soldier's from Amsterdam arrived and surrounded the savages, killed and captured some, and otherwise inflicted terrible punishment upon them, and released the prisoners. 

Captain Kreiger's Journal which gives a general account of the expeition of rescue, unfortunately does not mane him, but it is elsewhere stated that it was due to Jooste Jan's three months' association with the Indians, during his captivity, that gave him the knowledge of their habits, trails, plans and war feuds with other tribes, and so impressed him with a desire for their adventurous life.

"Only a year after arriving in America little Joost Jansen Van Meteren had an adventure which set the pattern for his whole life and planted the pioneering seed which flowered in succeeding generations. He was captured by the Indians. On June 7, 1663 while the men were away working in the fields when the Minnisink Indians entered several villages under the pretext of selling vegetables and suddenly began murdering their unarmed victims. They took all they could find of value, set the villages on fire and took about 45 women and children captives. Among them were Jan Joosten's wife Maycke and son Joost from Wiltwyck and Louis DuBois' wife Catherine Blanchan and baby daughter Sarah from Esopus. Joost and Sarah were later to be married. For three months the men searched the Catskills, but had no success until on Sept. 3rd, a friendly Indian gave a clue to the location of the captives. A rescue party was formed led by Louis DuBois and Capt. Kreiger whose journal relates this event. Meanwhile, since the Indians were running short of food and winter was not far off they had decided to burn some of their Captives. Catherine DuBois and her baby Sarah were selected to be first. When the Indians were about to put the torch to her pyre she began to sing the words of the 137th Psalm. Enchanted by her voice they demanded that she continue to sing, of course, she did. The approaching rescuers heard her, were guided to the spot, attacked the Indians and released all the prisoners. Little Joost, too young to be much affected by the horrors of captivity, thoroughly enjoyed his three months of Indian life. Later as an adult he frequently left home to spend many weeks at a time with various tribes. In this way he was among the first whites to explore the wilderness areas to the west of the coastal settlements. He was particularly impressed by the beauty of the Valley of Virginia and urged his sons to settle there, which they eventually did. Thus began the pioneering spirit of the Van Meters who for the next 200 years were among the first settlers and participants in the key events which shaped the nation as it thrust evermore westward.

A brief account such as this must skip entirely over most branches of the family and even neglect the details of the particular branch of interest. Much of the past still has not been retrieved, but an amazing amount of information is nevertheless available, patiently collected, studied and pieced together from deeds, wills, court and church records, family Bibles, local histories, census records, genealogical publications and correspondence by dedicated family historians over a period of a great many years. Readers who wish to learn more than this brief sketch provides are most welcome to direct their inquiries to:

James T. Van Meter 1201 Yale Place Unit 208 Minneapolis, MN 55403-1955 Phone:612-349-4681"

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~bodine/n3942.html

The information below came from Dorothy Burt, 27321 Reese Creek Road, Monroe, OR 97456. Her email, as of March 2000, was dgburt@pioneer.net.

Jan, bapt. October 14, 1683, sponsors Jan Joosten and Macyken Hendricksen. Jan, or John Van Metre, as he afterward wrote his name, son of Jooste Jan and Sara du Bois Van Meteren, became a noted Indian trader and was a roving disposition, and spent much of his time from home in trading with friendly Indians. On one occasion he went in command of a band of Cong Indians on a trading expedition to Virginia and on this excursion he explored the country then almost unknown to white people, the valley of the South Branch of the Potomac, known then by the Indian name, Wapatoma. When he returned home he urged his sons to lose no time in possessing that land, declaring that it was most beautiful and fertile.

"John Van Meter, Sr., a Dutchman from the Hudson, was an Indian trader and pioneer explorer of the Shenandoah Valley, who spied out the land about the time of Governor Spottswood's expedition in 1716. He equipped a band of Delaware Indians at his own expense and traveled far southward over unknown lands. On his return he advised his sons to take up lands in the Wappatomaka Valley, on the South Branch River above "the Trough" as it was the finest land he had ever discovered. Subsequently his sons John and Isaac took his advice and petitioned Gov. Gooch in 1731 for 40,000 acres, which they later transferred to Joist Hite, whose wife, Anna Maria du Bois, a near relative of Louis du Bois."

While still a resident of Somerset County, N. J., John Van Metre, Jr., met and married Sarah Bodine. The Bodines were a family lately settled on the Raritan, having come there from Staten Island, and belonged to a group of French Huguenots that had been established on the island many years before...

John and Sarah [Bodine] Van Metre had three children born in Somerset County. The records show that they were baptised in the Reformed Dutch Church on the Raritan, in the following order: Sarah, baptised October 30, 1706; Johannes, baptised April 28, 1708; and Marie, baptised April 26, 1709. John Van Metre's wife, Sarah Bodine, died about this time, for he afterward married Margaret [sup. Molenaur, Mulinar or Miller, the name is synonymous] and then have removed to Salem County, where the Mulinar family had preceded them. John, in his will, dated 1745, expressly states that his son Abraham is the son of his "said wife Margaret." Johannes, the only son of his first wife, Sarah, having predeceased his father, Abraham became the heir-at-law and executor of his father's will.

John Van Meter (Metre), Morgan Morgan and Morgan Bryan appraised the estate of Robert Worthington in Orange County on 07 August 1736. John Van Meter, Morgan Morgan and Richard Beeson (Presson) took inventory of the estate of Thomas Curtiss on 23 July 1741, John Van Meter, Richard Beeson and William Johnson inventoried the estate of Mary Curtiss on 24 February 1741/2. Mary Curtiss was a daughter of Morgan and Martha Bryan.

The next information was submitted by J. Ray Franklin from Mission Oaks Genealogical Club in Carmichael, California. The web address, as of September 1998, was "http://www.2xtreme.net/mogc/missuv.htm". This information has been used to update the files on Jan Van Metre* and Sarah Bodine. Some previous information on Sarah came from a paper by Theodore A. Bodine. That information differed quite a bit from this. Theodore Bodine's data is included here below for comparison:

Information from Theodore Bodine said that Jan Van Metern was born on April 17, 1678 in Ulster County, New York. He was baptised October 14, 1683 at the Kingston Dutch Reformed Church in Ulster County. And he supposedly died in 1709.

His information also said that Sarah was born in 1687 in Richmond County, New York. She died in 1709 in Somerset County, New Jersey.

The following information comes from the Mission Oaks web pages:

1. VAN METEREN, Diske See VAN METEREN, Johan Captain Submitter J. Ray Franklin

2. VAN METEREN, Hengrygk Wife: JANS, Anne Jans Born Mapelen, Dreuth, Holland. Died Mapelen, Dreuth, Holland. Submitter J. Ray Franklin

3. VAN METEREN, Johan Captain Born .. .ca 1555 Neimegen, Holland, Netherlands. Married, Neimegen, Holland, Netherlands. Died .. .ca 1621 Neimegen, Holland, Netherlands. Wife: VAN METEREN, Diske (1st Cousin). Submitter J. Ray Franklin

4. VAN METEREN, Melchior Married Meteren, Gelderland, Netherlands. Wife: ARIENCE, Anneken Born .. .ca 1600 Gelderland, Netherlands. Submitter J. Ray Franklin

5. VAN METEREN, Jan Joosten Born .. .ca 1626 Gelderland, Gelderland, Netherlands. Married .. .ca 1646 Nepelen, Dreuth, Holland. Died 13 Jun 1706 Lassa, Burlington, New Jersey. Father Melchoir Lord Meteren, Mother Anneken of Arience. Wife: HENDRICKSEN, Macyken Born .. .ca 1629 Mapelen Dreuth, Holland. Died Rural area of Burlington, New Jersey. Father Hengryck Laeckervelt Mother Ann Jans Jans. Submitter J. Ray Franklin

6. VAN METERAN, Joost Jans of Gelderland Born .. .ca 1656 Mapelen, Dreuth, Netherlands. Died .. .ca 1706 Kingston, Ulster, New York. Married 12 Dec 1682 Kingston, Ulster, New York. Father Jan Joosten. Wife: DUBOIS, Sarah Born 14 Sep 1662 New Pals, Ulster, New York. Died .. .ca 1726 Rural area of Salem, New Jersey. Father Louis DuBois Mother Catherine Blanshen. Submitter J. Ray Franklin

• 7.VAN METRE, John (Jan Jansen) Born 14 Oct 1683 Marbletown, Ulster, New York. Married 1st .. ... 1704/5 Rural area of Rural Somerset, New Jersey. Married 2nd .. .ca 1710 Rural area of Rural Somerset, New Jersey. Died 13 Aug 1745 Rural Elizabethtown, Hardin, Kentucky. Father Joost J. Van Metere Mother Sarah DuBois. 1 st Wife: BODINE, Sara Born .. .ca 1687 Staten Island, Richmond, New York. Died .. .ca 1709 Somerset, New Jersey. Father Jan Bodine (Hugenot) Mother ??? 2 nd Wife: MOLLENAUER, Margrit Born .. .ca 1690 near Winchester, Frederick, Virginia. Died .. .ca 1744 near Winchester, Frederick, Virginia. Father Henderick Mollenauer Mother. Submitter J. Ray Franklin

8. VAN METRE, Jacob Sir Born 16 Mar 1723 Rural area of Somerset, New Jersey. Married 30 Aug 1741 Rural area of Frederick, Virginia. Died 16 Nov 1798 Rural Elizabethtown, Hardin, Kentucky. Father John Van Meter Mother Margrit Mollenauer. Wife: STROUD, Lititia. Born 30 Aug 1725 Rural area of Chester, Pennsylvania. Died 25 Dec 1799 Elizabethtown, Hardin, Kentucky. Father Edward Strode 3rd Mother Elinor ?? Submitter J. Ray Franklin

The following information was copied from a message on the Internet posted at www.rootsweb.com/roots-l/.

Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 22:43:39 -0400 (EDT)

From: Richard Cochran

Subject: MULLINER Van METER Families

Regarding the recent message submitted by Lynn Oliver concerning the Van
Meter family, particularly the identity of the 2nd wife of Jan Jansen Van Meter, b. 1683. I am not aware of the primary source of authority for the marriage of Jan Jansen and Margaret MOLENAUR, but in THE ORIGIN AND DESCENT OF AN AMERICAN VAN METRE FAMILY by Samuel Gordon Smyth (Lancaster, Pa., 1923) something of this family is listed on pp. 27-29.

Smyth mentions the baptisms of Jan Jansen's first three children with Sara Bodine as recorded in the Reformed Dutch Church on the Raritan River in Somerset County. He opines that the children of the second marriage (Margert Molenaur) were born in Salem County.

I have not found a primary source which indicates that Jan Jansen was the son-in-law of a Hendrick/Henry Molenaur. But Smyth was able to ascertain that Jan Jansen and Margaret had married by 1712 as they appear as husband and wife in a deed dated 13 Sep 1712 when Jan Jansen bought 250 acres of land in Monmouth County called "Virgin Spring" from James and Mary Sherron.

Smyth also reveals that Jan Jansen and Margaret conveyed a 37 acre parcel of land inherited from his grandfather, Joost Janse Van Meter on the west side of the Raritan River (part of an 835 acre tract conveyed by the Governor of New Jersey to the elder Van Meter in 1700) -- to Hendrix Mulinaer (Henry Miller) of Somerset County.

This wazzu Hendrix Mulinaer appears to be the same Hendrick Mollenauer that Lynn Oliver mentioned in her message. The same man who lived in Somerset Co., NJ, wrote his will on 26 Jan 1712/3 (probated 4 Mar 1718/19), leaving a wife Catherine, with children Yost (Joost?), Ariency, John, Mary and Elizabeth.

The records of the First Reformed Church of Raritan are printed in Vol. 1 of the Somerset County Historical Society Quarterly (1911). Among the baptisms of the family of Hendrick and Katleyn MUELENAER are Joost Adriaensen, bap. 30 Apr 1707 (sponsors Adriaen Muelenaer and wife) Maryken, bap. 26 Apr 1709; and Lisabet, bap. 6 Aug 1712 (?).

It appears, then, that Hendrix Mulinaer/Muelenaer was about the same age as Jan Jansen Van Meter and his wife, having children born at the same time as Jan Jansen and his first wife, Sara Bodine.

Now let's turn to an article written by Louise Hasbrouck Zimm "Lieutenant Gysbert Crom of Esopus, New York (Was He a Step-Son of Joosten Van Meteren?)" published in the October 1950 issue of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (vol. 81), pp. 197-202. Zimm contends that this Hendrix Mulinaer/Muelenaer of Somerset, NJ was a son of Joost Adriansen Molenaer, a native of Pynacker, South Holland, who died in Bushwick "Boswyck" Long Island about 1685. He was married three times--first to Femmetije Hendricks, , in Kingston, NY on 20 Mar 1663, to Elisabet Willemsen Krom, on 28 Oct 1668and to Marritje Heys on 9 Nov 1681.

Zimm provides information on four Mulinaer children:

Jannetie, bap. 5 Apr 1672

Adrian, born about 1675

Willem, bp. 13 Oct 1678

and Hendrick, bp. 24 Apr 1681

A fifth child, with his third wife is shown as Sara, bap. 18 Jun 1682, in Kingston, NY.

Owing to the sale of property by Jan Jansen Van Meter and his wife to Hendrix Mulinaer/Muelenaer, I wonder if Margaret wasn't a sister of that Hendrix.

In any event, there seems to be enough material about the good old Dutch Mulinaer/Muelenaer family to explore in Somerset and Salem Co., NJ and in and around Ulster County before we assume that Thomas Mullinor of Elizabethtown is related to this clan!

Dr. Richard M. Cochran, Dean of the Library Monmouth University, W. Long Branch, NJ 07764 Phone: (908) 571-4401 FAX: (908) 571-3636 E-Mail: rcochran@mondec.monmouth.edu

The following information came from somewhere on the Internet:

27. Sarah BODINE. Born in 1687. Sarah died in 1709; she was 22.

In 1705 when Sarah was 18, she married John VAN METER, son of Joost Jans VAN METEREN (ca 1656-19 Jun 1714) & Sarah DU BOIS (abt 14 Sep 1662-1726), in Somerset County, New Jersey. Born on 14 Oct 1683 in Kingston, Ulster County, New York. John died in Frederick County, VA in 1745; he was 61.

They had the following children:

39 i. Mary (~1709->1796)

40 ii. Sarah (ca1706->1756)

41 iii. John (Johannes) J. (ca1708-ca1730)

I found out that there is a town called "Meteren" in the Netherlands. It is a village south of Geldermalsen, which is a few kilometers north of 's-Hertogenbosch. An 1858 book about towns in the Netherlands has a little about it:

If we walk along the stream the "Linge," we first arrive at Geldermalsen, two and a half hours from Tiel; this village has a few very distinguished houses, among which is the beautiful Huis-Ravestein, a large Reformed Church with a wonderful tomb of the old noble family "van Borssele," who used to own this domain with the village Meteren, which too has a Church and a beautiful noble house "Huis-te-Meteren. It is surrounded by graceful gardens, canals and rich meadows.

The above information was supplied by Cor Snabel from the Dutch Colonies List at Rootsweb. I asked him this question since I had seen a small village in France called "Meteren." I began wondering if the Van Meteren's might have come from there. It doesn't look like it now. The French town of Meteren is between Bailleul and Bethune.

http://www.vanmetre.com/Misc/isasac_of_old_fields.htm https://books.google.com/books?id=FSBgCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA64&dq=john+i+mc... http://www.watermelon-kid.com/family/bios/vanmeter1.htm

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jan 18 2017, 23:00:11 UTC

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Only a year after arriving in America, little Joost Jansen Van Meteren had an adventure which set the pattern for his whole life and planted the pioneering seed which flowered in succeeding generations. He was captured by Indians. On June 7, 1663, while the men were away working in the fields, when the Minnisink Indians entered several villages under the pretext of selling vegetables and suddenly began murdering their unarmed victims. They took all they could find of value, set the villages on fire and took about 45 women and children captives. Among them were Jan Joosten's wife Maycke and son Joost from Wiltwyck and Louis DuBois' wife Catherine Blanchan and baby daughter, Sarah from Esopus. Joost and Sarah were later to be married. For three months the men searched the Catskills, but had no success until on September 3rd, a friendly Indian gave a clue to the location of the captives. A rescue party was formed led by Louis DuBois and Captain Kreiger whose journal relates this event. Meanwhile, since the Indians were running short of food and winter was not very far off, they had decided to burn some of the captives. Catherine DuBois and her baby were selected to be first,when the Indians were about to put the torch to her pyre, she began to sing the words of the 137th Psalm. Enchanted by her voice, they demanded that she continue to sing, of course, she did. The approaching rescuers heard her, were guided to the spot, attacked the Indians and released the prisoners. Little Joost, too young to be much affected by the horrors of captivity, thoroughly enjoyed his three months of Indian life. Later as an adult, he frequently left home to spend many weeks at a time with various tribes. In this way, he was among the first whites to explore the wilderness areas to the west of the coastal settlements. He was particularly impressed by the beauty of the Valley of Virginia and urged his sons to settle there, which they eventually did. Thus began the pioneering spirit of the Van Meters who for the next 200 years were among the first settlers and participants in the key events which shaped the nation as it thrust evermore westward.

Found this on the internet:

Only a year after arriving in America little Joost Jansen Van Meteren had an adventure which set the pattern for his whole life and planted the pioneering seed which flowered in succeeding generations. He was captured by the Indians. On June 7, 1663 while the men were away working in the fields the Minnisink Indians entered several villages under the pretext of selling vegetables and. suddenly began murdering their unarmed victims. They took all they could find of value, set the villages on fire and took about 45 women and children captives. Among them were Jan Joosten's wife Maycke and son Joost from Wiltwyck and Louis DuBois' wife Catherine Blanchan and baby daughter Sarah from Esopus. Joost and Sarah were later to be married. For three months the men searched the Catskills, but had no success until on Sept. 3 a friendly Indian gave a clue to the location of the captives. A rescue party was formed led by Louis DuBois and Capt. Kreiger whose journal relates this event. Meanwhile, since the Indians were running short of food and winter was not far off they had decided to burn some of their Captives. Catherine DuBois and her baby Sarah were selected to be first. When the Indians were about to put the torch to her pyre she began to sing the words of the 137th Psalm. Enchanted by her voice they demanded that she continue to sing, Of course, she did. The approaching rescuers heard her, were guided to the spot, attacked the Indians and released all the prisoners. Little Joost, too young to be much affected by the horrors of captivity, thoroughly enjoyed his three months of Indian life. Later as an adult he frequently left home to spend many weeks at a time with various tribes. In this way he was among the first whites to explore the wilderness areas to the west of the coastal settlements. He was particularly impressed by the beauty of the Valley of Virginia and urged his sons to settle there, which they eventually did. Thus began the pioneering spirit of the Van Meters who for the next 200 years were among the first settlers and participants in the key events which shaped the nation as it thrust evermore westward.

Let's trace this activity in more detail, beginning with Joost's father Jan Joosten Van Meteren, our immigrant ancestor. In 1667 he was elected an elder in the Dutch Reformed Church in Wiltwyck and became more and more prominent in civil and religious affairs. His house was a popular place for baptisms. In 1673 he was elected one of the four magistrates of Hurley and Marbletown. Beginning in 1689 he began to accumulate land grants in the Province of East Jersey on the South Branch of the Raritan River in the area of the present Somerville, New Jersey in Somerset County. Here he owned 1835 acres, the home for a number of years of Joost, his sons and grandsons. Jan Joosten Van Meteren died in New Jersey in about 1706.

Joost Jansen Van Meteren, who sometimes called himself John Van Meter, married Sarah DuBois at New Paltz on December 12, 1682. About 15 years later he moved his growing family to Somerset County, New Jersey on his father's land which he later inherited. Joost and Sarah seem to have had five sons, but only three of them are well known. John, our ancestor, was the eldest, baptized in Kingston, N.Y. on October 14, 1683. The others were Isaac, Henry, Abraham and Jacob. There also were four daughters Rebecca, Lysbeth, Rachel and Malinda.

John and his first wife Sarah Bodine had three children born in Somerset County and baptized in the Reformed Dutch Church on the Raritan at Readington. Soon after Sarah died in 1709 John married again to Margaret Mollenauer and had eight more children including our Isaac Van Meter, born in Somerset County on June 3, 1713. Isaac grew up in Somerset County, married Alice Scholl there in 1736 and had three children who were baptized In the Readington church, including our Johannes, or John, baptized June 6, 1740.

In the meanwhile the Van Meters were on the move again. Joost's sons John and Isaac and Henry, aided by their widowed mother Sarah DuBois Van Meter, began buying land in Salem County, New Jersey in 1714 until they owned about 6000 acres there in the vicinity of Pittsgrove and Daretown. Joost's son Henry settled in Salem County and except for a few years in Virginia lived out his life there. John and Isaac, however, heeding the advice of their father to settle in the rich lands of the Valley of Virginia, were anxious to move on to the south.

A brief account such as this must skip entirely over most branches of the family and even neglect the details of the particular branch of interest. Much of the past still has not been retrieved, but an amazing amount of information is nevertheless available, patiently collected, studied and pieced together from deeds, wills, court and church records, family Bibles, local histories, census records, genealogical publications and correspondence by dedicated family historians over a period of a great many years. Readers who wish to learn more than this brief sketch provides are most welcome to direct their inquiries to:

James T. Van Meter 1201 Yale Place Unit 208 Minneapolis, MN 55403-1955 Phone:612-349-4681

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jul 26 2019, 18:30:56 UTC

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GEDCOM Source

@R603242215@ U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,60525::0 1,60525::148681910

GEDCOM Source

@R603242215@ U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,2204::0 1,2204::768082

GEDCOM Source

@R603242215@ U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,60525::0 1,60525::148681910

GEDCOM Source

@R603242215@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=117390010&pi...

GEDCOM Note

Bio notes: Came to America in 1662 aboard "D'Vos" ("Fox")

GEDCOM Note

Only a year after arriving in America little Joost Jansen Van Meteren had an adventure which set the pattern for his whole life and planted the pioneering seed which flowered in succeeding generations. He was captured by the Indians. On June 7, 1663 while the men were away working in the fields the Minnisink Indians entered several villages under the pretext of selling vegetables and. suddenly began murdering their unarmed victims. They took all they could find of value, set the villages on fire and took about 45 women and children captives. Among them were Jan Joosten's wife Maycke and son Joost from Wiltwyck and Louis DuBois' wife Catherine Blanchan and baby daughter Sarah from Esopus. Joost and Sarah were later to be married. For three months the men searched the Catskills, but had no success until on Sept. 3 a friendly Indian gave a clue to the location of the captives. A rescue party was formed led by Louis DuBois and Capt. Kreiger whose journal relates this event. Meanwhile, since the Indians were running short of food and winter was not far off they had decided to burn some of their Captives. Catherine DuBois and her baby Sarah were selected to be first. When the Indians were about to put the torch to her pyre she began to sing the words of the 137th Psalm. Enchanted by her voice they demanded that she continue to sing, Of course, she did. The approaching rescuers heard her, were guided to the spot, attacked the Indians and released all the prisoners. Little Joost, too young to be much affected by the horrors of captivity, thoroughly enjoyed his three months of Indian life. Later as an adult he frequently left home to spend many weeks at a time with various tribes. In this way he was among the first whites to explore the wilderness areas to the west of the coastal settlements. He was particularly impressed by the beauty of the Valley of Virginia and urged his sons to settle there, which they eventually did. Thus began the pioneering spirit of the Van Meters who for the next 200 years were among the first settlers and participants in the key events which shaped the nation as it thrust evermore westward.

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Oct 9 2021, 6:57:17 UTC