Roelof Martense Schenck

Roelof Martense Shenck emigrated to America in 1650, Der Valekaner.

MEMORIAL CYCLOPEDIA OF NEW JERSEY UNDER THE EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF MARY DEPUE OGDEN

VOLUME III, 1917, MEMORIAL HISTORY COMPANY NEWARK,  NEW JERSEY 

(IX) Roelof Schenck, elder son of Martin Schenck, was born in 1619, at Amersfoort, Holland, and came to America in 1650 with his brother and sister, settling in Flatlands, Long Island. He resided for a time in Brooklyn, and removed about 1660 to Amersfoort (Flatlands), where he died in 1704. He received a grant of twenty-three morgens of land there, January 29, 1661. He subsequently purchased two hundred acres and also bought of his brother one-half of the mill subsequently known as "Crookes Mill." He was one of the grantees in the confirmatory patent issued by Governor Nicolls, October 4, 1667. He was a magistrate in 1664, and was deputy to the council held in the city hall at New Amsterdam, March 26, 1674. He was appointed schepen, August 16, 1676, and elected lieutenant of the local militia, October 25 of the same year. In 1687 he subscribed to the oath of allegiance to the British government, was commissioned December 12, 1689, a justice for King's county, and held this office in 1693. He was commissioned captain of a company of horse for King's county, January 13, 1690. On a valuation of property made in September, 1676, he was credited with personal estate valued at -£152 14s, including five horses, sixteen head of cattle and three swine, and also with fifty-two morgens of land valued at £104, making a total of £256 14s—a large valuation in that day. Only one estate in the town was assessed at greater value, and in 1681 his was the highest in value in the town. In 1691 he possessed four slaves.

He married (first) in 1660, Neeltje (Nelly), daughter of Gerret Wolfertson Van Kowenhoven. She was baptized September 20, 1641, in Flatlands, and died about 1673. He married (second) in 1675, Annatje, daughter of Peter Clausen Wyckoff, and (third) November 19, 1688, Catherine Crigers, widow of Stoffel Hoojland. His first wife was a granddaughter of Wolfert Gerretsen Van Kowenhoven, who came from Amersfoort, Holland, in 1630, and died in 1661. His wife bore the name of Neeltje, and their son, Gerret, born 1610, died 1645. His wife, Altje Cornelisse, was a daughter of Cornells Lambertsen Pool, of Gowanus, Long Island, and they were the parents of Neeltje, wife of Martin Roelof Schenck. Children: Martin, born June 22, 1661; Annatje, about 1663; Jannetje, about 1665; Marike, February 14, 1667; Jan, March 1, 1670; Gerret, October 27, 1671, died young. Children of second wife: Margaret, mentioned below; Neeltje; Maryken and Gerret.

(X) Margaret Roelofse Schenck, daughter of Roelof Schenck and child of his second wife, Annatje Wyckoff, became the wife of Cornelius Willemse Conover, of Middletown, New Jersey (see Conover IV).

RECORD:

1. Teunius G. Bergen, Register of Early Settler of Kings County New York (reprint 1973), Pg. 253-4. "

• 29 Jan 1661 Obtained a patent for 23 Morgens at Flds and
• 3 Apr. 1674 he bought of the heirs of Gerrit Lookermans 200 a in the same town, with buildings; a village, lot, meadows etc. as per pg. 28 of Col. of Eng. Man.
• In 1687 he took the Oath of Allegiance in Flds &
• 20 Apr. 1688 he bought of his brother Jan one half of the mill and island on which the mill was located in FLds.
• In 1662-4 he was a mag. of said town;
• in 1665 its representative in Hampstead Convention;
• 1685 Sheriif og the county (per p. 143 of COl. of Eng. Man.);
• in 1689 & 1692 a justice of the peace (p. 132 & 185 of COl. of Eng. Man.); in
• 1690 Capt. of horses; & in 1701 signed an anit-Leisterian address to the King (per p. 938 of Vol. 4 Doc. of Col. His. of NY). Signed his name Roelofo Martensen."

2. Edward Coolbaugh Hoagland, Twigs From Family Trees or 162 Early American and Foriegn Lineages, Pg. 108.

3. Henry B. Hoff, Genealogies of Long Island Families From the N.Y. Genealogical and Biographical Record (1987 Genealogical Publishing Company Baltimore, Md.), Vol. 2 pg. 516-7. "

• ...Roelof Martense Schenck (K. Co., 78, 253).
• He was son of Martine Schenck and was b. abt. 1630; emigrated to New Amsterdam, 1650, d. Flatlands.
• Will dated Sept 4 1784 pro. July 26, 1705 in New York county (WNYHS 1:408); anc. and Desc of Rulef Schenck (61).
• He mar. 2) abt. 1675 Annetje Pietrse Wyckoff dau. of Pieter Claesen Wyckoff bp. Nov. 27, 1650 in New Amsterdam; d. Nov. 1688 (Wyckoff fam. 29) widow of Christoffle Hooglandt. Schenck obtained a patent for 23 morgans at Flatlands
• Jan. 29, 1661 and Mch 19, 1674 bought of the heirs of Garret Lockermans 200 acres in Amersfoort, with buildings.
• In 1670 he took oath of allegiance in Flatlands
• . And April 20, 1688 bought of a brother one-half of a mill and the island on which it stood.
• He was magistrate 1662-64; reprecentative in the Hempstead convention,
• 1665; sheriff of the county,
• 1685; justice of the peace
• 1684, 1689, and 1692; captain of horses 1690 (K. Co. 253=4; CEM 28,132,185,192,225).
• For issue see anc. and desc. of Rulef Schenck, 61; National Genealogical Society Quarterly 1:16; K. Co. 254 and Van Voorhees Family 399).
• Issue by 1st marriage: Martin...Annetje...Janica...Marika..Jan...Gerret...
• 2nd marriage: Margaretta...Neeltje...Mayke...Sara."

4. Paul J. Vandevonter, Vandeventer Family 1550 - 1977, The, 1978 McClain Publishing Co. [The Vandeventer Family (1943) Christobelle Vandeventer E. W. Stephens Co. Columbia, Mo.], pg. 59. "

...Roelofse Martense Schenck father of Maragaretta (m. Cornelius Couwenhoven) b. in Amersfoort, came to New Amsterdam, 1650 setlled at New Amersfort (Flatland) will Sep. 1704 pro. Aug. 3 1705 (Bk. B pg. 209 N>Y. rec.).

He was son of Martin Schenck (B. 1684, Doesburg, Holl. d. ca. 1650 on voyage to Amer.) only son of Peter and Johanna Schenck."

5. David M. Ricker, Genealogical and Biographical Directory to Persons in New Netherlands From 1613 to 1674 Volumes I, II, III, IV, 2000, CD #11 V011_01V1, Familty Tree Maker's Family Archives, pg. 1250. COMMENTS: Har.= Ricker's History of Harlem; KCo = Bergen's Early Settlers of Kings County, L.I.; CFSev = Seversmith's Colonial Families of Long Island; PA = Pearson's First Settler's of Albany; PS = Pearson's First Settlers of Schnectady; PAT = Nelson's History of The City of Paterson and County of Passaic, N.J.; HHHC = Winfield's History of Hudson County; SCL = Evjen's Scandnavian Immigrants in New York 1660 - 1674 : AnN = Ricker's Annals of Newtown; WP = Davis' Winchester Patriarchs; GNYF = Talcott's Genealogical Notes of New York Families; WNYHS = The New York Abstract of Wills by the New York Historical Society; REC = The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record; NNC = New Netherland Connections. "

• Family Name: Schenck
• Immigrant: Roelof Martenszen Schenck.
• Ethnic origin: Dutch:
• Born c. 1619.
• Native town: Amersfoort, Utrecht..
• Patronymic: Martenszen.
• Approx. Arrival: 1650.
• settled: Flatlands, L.I. died 1705 at Flatlands, L.I.

married:

• 1st 1660 Prob. at Flatlands, Neelltje d/o Gerrit Wolphertszen van Couwenhoven
• m. 2nd.. c. 16775 Annetje d/o Pieter Claeszenn Wyckoff
• m 3rd 11/19/1688 Flat. Tryntie Creiger wid. of Christoffel Hoogland. He came with brother Jan and sister Annete. Patron: Roelofszen.

Children:

• MARTIN b. 1661 d. 4/17/1758 m. 1st 6/20/1686 Susanna d/o Abraham Brinckerhoff m 2nd 4/11,1693 Elizabeth Minne m 3rd 6/24/1704 Jannetje d/o Lucas Voorhees: Ch: Abraham, Roelof, Neeltje, Minne, Martin, Lucas, Johannes, Rensie, Catelina, Annatie, Susanna, Jannetje, Elizabeth, Maria.; JAN b. 3.1.1670 d. 1/30/17753 m. 10/1/1692 Sarah d/o Willem Gerritszen van Couwenhoven. They rem. to Pleasant Valley Monmouth co., N.J. Ch: Roelof, Sarah, Rachel,, Maria, Leah, William, Jannetje, Jan, Antje, Pieter
• GERRIT b. 10/27/1671 d. 9/5/1745 m. c. 1693 Flatlands Neeltje d/o Coerten Van Voorhees. They rem to Pleasant Valley, N.J. Ch.: Antje, Roelof, Mary, Koert, Altje, Neeltje, Rachel, Garret, Margaret, Jan, Albert;
• ANNETJE b. c. 1663 m. 7/1/1683 Flat. Jane Albertszen Terhune;
• JONICA (Jannetje) b. 1665 m. 6/22/16884 Flat. Pieter Nevius;
• MARIKE b. 1667 m. 1687 Isaac Hegeman;
• MAYKE b. 1684 m. 1704 Jan Voorhees;
• MARGARETTA b. 1/16/1678 m. 9/3/1700 Cornelis s/o Willem van Couwenhoven;
• NEELTJE b. 1/3/1682 m. Albert s/o Willem Gerritszen van Couwenhoven;
• SARA b. 12/18/1685 m. 11/12/1705 Jacob s/o Willem van Cowenhoven.

References: KCo p. 249-255; NGSQ Vol. 1 pg. 16; WNYHS Vol. 1 pg. 408; Rev. Vol. 68 pg. 114-8 Vol.. 70 pg. 353 Vol. 71 pg. 70-1; GLIF Vol. II pg. 44-8, 511, 516-7; DHM Vol. LC No. 1 pg. 11-2; Rev. William Schenck Ancestor & Desec. by A. D. Schenck; The Van Voorhees Family Part I by A. Stokes pg. 64-8; The Ancestors & Descendants of Roelof Schenck by B. R. Schenck; Early Dutch Settlers of Monmouth County by G. Beekman; Schenck and Related Families in New Netherlands by. A. C. Park."

6. Alice Crandall Park, Schenck and Related Families in New Netherlands (1992 Gateway Press In, Baltimore, Md.), pg. 3-6, 25. NOTE: Group sheet presentation. All data is from various other sources. A poor presentation of material collected and alot of missing documentation. "

Roelof Martense Schenck to New Netherlands 1650 - On Jan. 30., 1661,

Roelof obtained a patent  [a] for 23 morgans of land [b] in New Amersfoort. On April 3, 1674 he bought 200 acres in the same town, with buildings, meadows and village lot; and on April 20, 1688 he boght of his brother Jan one-half of the mill nad Mill Island in the town - then called Flatlands. 

The house Jan built adjoining the mill he bought in 1675 is now installed in the Brooklyn Museum [c]. Roelof Schenck - he signed "Roelof Martensen: - was a responsible citizen of New Amersfoort - Flatlands in 1662, '63, and '64 he was a magistrate; in 1665 he represented the town in the Hempstead convention; in 1685 he was sheriff of Kings county; in 1669 and '92 he was a justice of the peace; in 1690 he was captain of horse; and in 1701 he signed an anti-Leislerian[d] address to the king.

He died on Jan. 14, 1704 [e] at flatlands - aged about 75 years.

[a.] - Tunis G. Bergen, Early Ettlers of Kings co., Long Island, N.Y. (New York 1881) pg. 253-4. All statments about Rolef's activities and career are documents - references are to town records, the Calendar of English Manuscripts and to the Documents of Colonial History of New York

[b.] A Dutch morgan qualled about 2.1 acres

[c] Marvin D. Schwartz, curator of decorative arts, Brooklyn Museum, The Jan Martense Schenck House in the Brookyln Museum, reprinted from Antiques magazine, copyright 1064 Mr. Schwartz states that Jan "was the younger brother of on of the riches men in New Amersfoort", som Roelof may have acquired more land tha Bergen records. Mr. Swartz also thanks genealogist Rosalie Fellws Bailey, "who gave invaluable assistance in tracing Schenck records.'

[d] Jacob Leisler in 1689 led an insurrection agains Gov. Nicholson, He seized the powers of the governor and kept them for two years, when he was arrested and tried for treason.

[e] The death date is from Eleanor M. White and Oliver N. Rathburn, comp., The Wyckoff Family In America (Baltimore, 1983) 2:7/ Vol. 2 pg. 7 . Roelof's "will proved Flatlands" Annetje Wyckoff was Roelof's second wife.    NOTE: the folloiwng is group sheet form and there are raised no.'s which would indcate documentation, but is none

in the upper left hand corner is:

[a] Bergen's Early Settlers of L.I., N.Y. pg. 253-4; 215-6; 81, 249, 378

[b] White and Rathburn The Wyckoff Family in America. 2, 7-10 (issue of Roelf by 2nd wife, Annetje Wyckoff). ; Bergen pg. 71, 77 .  

Roelof Martense Schenck b. c. 1630 Amersfoort, New Netherlands d. 14 Jan. 1704 Flatlands, L.I., N.Y. will proved 26 July 1705. Resided Flatlands, signed "Roelof Martensen"

Emigrated 1650 with brother Jan. m. 1660 father: Marten Schenck mother ?

m. 1660 Neeltje Gerretee Couwenhoven bpat. 20 Sep 1641 in New Amesterdam d. ca. 1672 father:  Garret Wolfertse Van C. mother: Altie Cool 

Issue by Neeltje:

1- MARTEN ROELOFSE of Flds. b. 22 Jan 1661 d. 2 May 1727 m 1) 20 Jun 1686 Susanna Brinkerhoff ; m 2) Apr. 1693 Eliz.  Minne Voorhies; 3) Jun. 1704 Jannatje L. Voories;  2 - ANNETJE ROELOFSE b. c.1663 d. Oct. 1685 Jand ALbertse Terhune of Flatlands  he m. 2nd 6 Jun. 1691; 3 - JANNETJE ROELOFSE b. 1665 m. 7 Jun 1684 Pieter Nevins of Flands; m. 2) Hans Lucasse Voorhees  dau. Neeltje ;  4 - MARIKE ROELOFSE b. 14 Feb. 1667 m. 15 Feb. 1687 Isaac Hegeman of latbush;  5 - JAN ROELOFSE of N.J. b. 1 Mar 1670 Sarah Willemse Couwenhoven Jan's mother was sister of Sarah's father.; 6 - GERRET ROELOFSE of N.J. b. 27 Oct. 1671 d. 5 Sep. 1745 m. Neltje Coerten Van Coorhees d/o Coert Stevense Monmouth co. Their mother were sisters.; (by Annatje)  7 - MARGARETTA ROELOFSE b. 16 Jan. 1678 m. 3 Sep. 1700 Cornelius Couwenhoven of Pleasant Valley s/o Wm. Gertetse b. Nov. 1672; 8 - NEELTJE ROELOFSE b. 3 Jan. 1682 d. 7 May 1751 m. Albert Willemse C'oven s/o Willem Gerretse was of "N.J.; 9 - MAYKEN ROELOFSE b. 14 Jan. 1684 d. 25 Nov. 1736 m. Jan Luycase VanVoorhees (Mayken was his 2nd wife) s/o Lucas Stevense lived (1717) nr. Six Mile Run N.J.;  10 - SARAH ROELOFSE b. 18 Dec. 1685 m. 12 Nov. 1705 Jacob Couwenhoven of J.J. of Middletown, N.J. (Jacob: 1679-17440 s/o Willem Gerretse C."

7. Franklin Ellis,, HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY , Philadelphia, R.T. Peck & Co., 1885 .

"THE FAMILY OF SCHENCK. -- The Schencks of Monmouth County are descended from Roelof Schenck Van Nydeck, who, with his brother Jan, emigrated to this country from Holland in 1650. The particular place from whence they came was probable Doesberg, in the province of Guelderland, where, it appears, their father was born. He was a sone of Martin and a grandson of General Peter Schenck and his wife, Joanna Van Scharpenseel, and General Peter was a brother of the celebrated General and Sir Martin Schenck, with whom his brother fought and was one of the most successful, daring and enterprising commanders in Holland in the time of the war of the revolution there. Tracing them back, they were descended from four Dericks in succession,and them from two Heinrichs, or Henrys, in succession, going back to 1346, and who were lords of the manorial estates of Afferden, Wachtendonk and Blyenbeck, Afferden and Blyenbeck lying on the Maas River, above the town of Gennep, and Wachtendonk on the Nioss River, above the town of Gelden. Passing back one or two nknown generations, they were descended from Ludolphus, Wilhelmus and Christianus, going back to 1225, and then through Christianus, a second son in the family of Schencks, the barons of Tautenberg, going back to 330. The descendants of Christianus were known as the Schencks Van Nydeck, so called from the town of Neideggen, lying on the river Roer, some eighteen miles east of Aix-la-Chapelle, where no doubt Christianus had an estate or residence.

Roelof Schenck Van Nydeck, the emigrant to this country, married, first, in 1660, Neeltje, daughter of Garret Van Couwenhoven; married, second, in 1675, Annetje Wyckoff; and married, third, November 30, 1688, Catharine Cregin, of New York, widow of Stoffen Hoagland. He settled at Flatlands, where, in 1661, he obtained a patent for forty-six acres of land, and subsequently purchased lands until he must have owned some three hundred acres and the one-half of the mill occupied by his brother John. At one assessment for taxation his ratables were the next highest in the town, and at another subsequently taken they were the highest. He was among the first enrolled as a member of the church of Flatlands, and no doubt among its principal supporters. When a bill was procured for the church, his subscription was the highest on the list. He was appointed by Governor Leisler captain of cavalry in Kings County, and at several different times held the office of justice of the peace and once that of schepen, or judge, and in general in public affairs was among the leading men in the colony.

Roelof had three sons -- Martin, John and Garret -- and seven daughters. Martin was left the homestead at Flatlands, and his descendants have principally remained on Long Island. John and Garret emigrated in 1696 or 1698 to Monmouth County, and together with Cornelius Couwenhoven, who married their sister Margaret, settled in Pleasant Valley on a five hundred acre tract of land purchased of John Bowne, merchant of Middletown.

Garret Schenck was born October 27, 1671 and died September 5, 1745. Married, about 1693, Neeltje, daughter of Koert Voorhees. He resided on the farm now occupied by Theodore Rapelyea, and built the spacious old mansion still standing there in good order. He acquired a large property and in different parts of the country, among which, in company with John Couwenhoven, the grandfather of the present John Conover, was a six thousand acre tract of land at Penn's Neck purchased of John Penn. Then the First Reformed Church of Freehold was organized, in 1709, he was one of the two first deacons, and from 1721 to 1727 he was a member of the Provincial Assembly of New Jersey. He had five sons -- Roelof, Koert, Garret, Jan and Albert -- and five daughters.

The second Garret Schenck was born August 30, 1712, but did not live to see old age, as he deceased at the age of forty-five, August 20, 1757. Married, in 1737, Jane, daughter of William Couwenhoven of Long Island. He remained on his father's homestead in Pleasant Valley; had three sons -- William, John and Garret -- and seven daughters.

John, son of the second Garret, was born August 28, 1745, and died on his eighty-ninth birth-day, in 1834; married, July 31, 1767, Maria, daughter of Tunis De Nise and Francinke Hendrickson. He settled on the farm in Pleasant Valley adjoining his father, now occupied by his grandson, David Schenck, and also for a time carried on the business of a fuller and then a saw-mill. While yet a young married man, and surrounded by a large family of young children, the War of the Revolution came on and he ardently embraced the patriotic cause, and as occasion called for, took up arms and at times engaged actively in the fight. He became captain of militia, and was a bold and enterprising office and possessed of influence. It is said that soon after the beginning of the was he war approached by a Loyalist and asked what he would take to embrace the royal cause. He answered, "The whole of Europe cannot buy me; give me liberty." Such was the value of his example and influence, and so obnoxious was he to the enemy, that his sister Anna, living on Long Island and in the midst of the foe, overheard some British officers talking about offering fifty guineas for the head of Captain John Schenck, dead or alive. She procured a pair of silver-mounted pistols, and sent them to him with the message, "John, don't you be taken alive." These pistols are carefully preserved at his old homestead, and may be seen there at the present day. His life was sought after and insecure, and sometimes for safety he passed his nights in concealment, at one time in a hay-stack in the field. This was discovered; but made aware of the discovery by some friends, the next night he went elsewhere. The enemy came, surrounded the stack and set it on fire; but he was out of their way. For a while, at least, he was in the main army, but was principally engaged in contests with the enemy about the vicinity of his home. At one time he drove off with his company a party of Refugees who had come over from Staten Island and landed on the East Point, and, having gone up in the country, collected a lot of cattle and driven them down to the shore, were engaged in trying to ship their plunder on their boats. They were attacked, the captain going on ahead and swinging his hat and calling to his men to come on. He himself shot one man down by the name of Lawrence, having struck him in the forehead with a bullet. At another time he was at the Highlands with his company, and a company of the enemy being there, he urged his superior officer, who was also there, to make the attack, but he was afraid and refused. The captain then assumed the responsibility, attacked the party, captured them and brought off most of them at least prisoners of war. When, in the month of June, 1781, the party of fifteen hundred invaded the county, they came up as far as Pleasant Valley and some firing occurred, and they engaged in plundering. A detachment went over to the residence of Captain John Kiming to burn his buildings. A skirmish took place and they were driven back. During the firing the mother, with her three-weeks old babe -- her De Lafayette -- retired to the cellar to get out of the way of the bullets. A grenadier was killed on the occasion and buried down in the orchard, where his grave was afterwards regarded as a ghost-like place by the boys. The captain himself was struck by two bullets fired by a Hessian, whom he pursued and captured.

Captain John Schenck and Maria Denise had nine sons, -- Garret, Tunis, WIlliam, John, Denise, Daniel, De Lafayette, David and Hendrick, -- all of whom lived to grow up, and all but one to marry; and four daughters, -- one died an infant, the others grew up and married.

The seventh son was De Lafayette, born May 27, 1781, and died September 11, 1862. Married, December 17, 1805, Eleanor, daughter of Garret Couwenhoven and Anna Schenck. He was named in honor of that devoted friend of this country and of civil liberty, the Marquis De Lafayette, and is said to have been the first American child to bear that name. And when the general was in this country on his visit, and in New York, Captain John was introduced to him, and he then introduced his son as bearing his name, and received his grateful thanks.

De Lafayette Schenck resided first at Matawan, and carried on for many years quite extensively and successfully the business of tanning and currying, and at the same time cultivated and improved a farm of some sixty acres. He was a man noted for his sound good sense and correct view of things. He paid strict attention to his own business, was upright in all his dealings, and when needed to labor, was never ashamed to work with his own hands. While industrious and careful in promoting his own interest, he was possessed of public spirit, and ready to aid in any worthy cause; especially did he manifest a patriotic spirit in giving for the cause of his country in her hour of need. He was among the first in his native county to engage in laying out and straightening the public road from Freehold to Middletown Point; and when that road was extended to Keyport, and converted first to a plank-road and then to a graveled turnpike, he took and active and leading part. In instituting the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank at Middletown Point, he was largely instrumental in obtaining the charter, freely investing in it of his means; was for a few years its first president, and up to the time of his death was an influential member of the board of directors. He entered heartily into the first enterprise of taking a steamboat from the shores of Monmouth to the city of New York, partaking of its reverses and successes, and, in connection with this, aiding in erecting and arranging the steamboat wharf at Keyport, and keeping his interest in these until within two or three years of his death. He was largely interested in sustaining the large hotel and boarding-house at Keyport and when destroyed by fire, rebuilt it on his own responsibility. In 1830 he removed on the large farm near Holmdel, where he remained until 1855, conducting successfully his farming operations. The last seven years of his life he spent at Keyport, attending to his general business affairs. Although not a professing church member, yet such were his views in regard to moral influences that he never would allow card-playing or even a pack of cards on his premises. For building the parsonage house at Keyport he gave one-third of the cost of it, and was always a helper in sustaining the preaching of the gospel, and among the most regular in attendance on divine services. On his dying bed he expressed to his pastor his belief and trust in Christ as the source of mercy to him.

De Lafayette Schenck and Eleanor Conover had four sons, -- Garret C., Sidney, Alfred and Lafayette, -- all of whom lived to grow up and marry; and four daughters, that lived to grow up and marry.

Garret Conover Schenck was born September 14, 1806. Married, first, October, 1834, Sarah Ann, daughter of William Hendrickson and Eleanor Dubois, and eldest sister of Senator Hendrickson; married, second, April 14, 1846, Jane, daughter of Hugh McCormick and Jane Welsh, of Fairfield, N.J. The greater part of his time when a youth was spent in attending the common schools of the vicinity, while, owing to the frequent changes of teachers, the advantages for laying a good foundation for an education were but limited. Hence, when about fourteen years old, he was sent to the classical school at Cranbury, then under the care of Mr. Hanna. There he commenced the study of Latin; but after attending nine months the school was broken up, and he returned home to assist for a year or two in working in the yardr and on the farm. In the spring of 1823 he was sent to the classical school at Lawrenceville, then under the care of the Rev. Dr. L. V. Brown. Three years were spent here in preparing for college, and in the spring of 1826 he was admitted to the sophomore class at its third term in Rutgers College, New Brunswick. At the commencement, in 1827, he was chosen as one of the junior speakers, and in 1828 took part in the commencement exercises, and then graduated. The principal part of the succeeding year was spent in New Haven, in attendance on Professor Silliman's lectures on chemistry, mineralogy and geology, and on the lectures of Dr. Knight on anatomy, physiology and obstetrics. In the autumn of 1829 he was admitted to the Theological Seminary at New Brunswick, and passed the regular course of study in theology, excepting three months spent in assisting the Rev. Dr. Currie in teaching in the grammar school.

In April, 1832, he was licensed by the Classis of New Brunswick to preach the gospel. His health having been somewhat impaired by application to study, a situation as pastor of a church was not then sought, and the principal part of the summer was spent in occasionally preaching in different places, and traveling and visiting friends in Central New York and out West as far as Ohio and Kentucky. In the winter of 1833 he was sent by the Board of Domestic Missions to preach as a missionary in the recently organized church of Marshallville; here he continued for six months. In the autumn he was sent by the Classis to preach as a supply for a few weeks in the then vacant church of Walpack. A call to become their paster was soon after made out and accepted, and in February, 1834, he removed there and commenced his work. He was required to preach at four different places in the congregation, distant from each other, and lying on both sides of the river Delaware. It was a laborious charge, attended with discouragements, and sometimes danger in crossing the river. He continued here but one year, when circumstances contrained him to resign this charge.

In the autumn of 1834 he received and accepted a call to the church of Clover Hill. There he labored among a divided and unsettled people for a year and a half, when it was thought best to make a change. He was then invited to preach as a candidate in the then vacant church of Pompton Plains, the old mother Reformed Church in that section of the country. A call from here was soon made out and accepted, and in July, 1837, he removed there, and in due time was installed there as their pastor. Here for fifteen and a half years, in this large and substantial congregation, and among a plain, but refined and kind-hearted people, he labored with encouraging success. In the course of time, and from various causes, a few became disaffected with their pastor, and it was thought best quietly to leave them. He gave up his call, not knowing where to go or how his family might be situated. No opening in the church for him as a settled pastor has since presented itself, and in the Providence of God and in a singular way his lot has been cast on a farm for his livelihood, and to engage more or less in the business or the world, although, until old age has brought on its infirmities, he has for several years preached in a destitute neighborhood, and been every few weeks called to supply a vacant pulpit.

In 1866 he was chosen a member of the board of trustees of Rutgers College, and for several years was chairman of the board's committee on the college farm. After the death of his father, in 1842, and in his place, he was chosen a director of the bank at Matawan, and served for some twenty years. For some fourteen years he has held the office of president of the Freehold and Keyport Plank-Road Company. For about eighteen years he has held the office -- an unprofitable one, it is true -- of secretary and treasurer of a mining company in Nevada, and was for a while a trustee of one in the State of Colorado.

In the mean while, in 1869, with Mrs. Schenck he traveled as far as Monterey, on the Pacific coast, visiting on the way Salt Lake City, San Francisco, one of the big tree groves and the Yosemite Valley; and two years after with a cousin, traveled as far as Central Nevada. At another time he traveled as far as seventy-two miles west of Vicksburg, and on the way spent a day in the great cave of Kentucky. Much time, traveling and expense for the past fifty years has been given to preparing a history of the settlement and settlers of Pompton, and also to gathering the materials and arranging the facts for a genealogical history of the old Dutch families of Monmouth County." 8. Benjamin Robinson Schenck, M. D; compiled from notes & records of Adrain Adelbert Schenck, Ancestors and Descendants OF Rulef Schenck, A Genealogy of the Onondaga co., NY, Branch of the Schenck Family , Detroit, Michigan. 1911 , pg. 13-14, 15-17. "COAT OF ARMS.

Seipmacher is the authority quoted by A. D. Schenck for the arms and crest of the van Nydeck branch of the family. In the language of heraldry the description is as follows:

Arms Sable, a lion rampant, or., langued et arme. Gu and az. Crest Out of a coronet, or., a demi-lion rampant, or., langued et arme. Gu and az.

In explanation it may be said that it was the custom among the knights of the middle ages to display their armorial ensigns, or arms, upon their shields and banners, and their crest, or cognizance, also worn by their followers, upon their helmets. When not engaged in battle, a coat of light material was worn over the steel armor and on this was worked, in colors, the arms and crest. This is the origin of the term coat-of-arms, a translation of the French, cotte d'armes.

A "coat-of-arms," as we use the term to-day, consists of two parts: (i) The arms, displayed usually on a shield or banner, and above this, (2) the crest, usually resting on a crown in the case of a sovereign family or on a coronet, in the case of families of lower rank.

By referring to the colored frontispiece, the description of the arms and crest, as given above, will be understood.

On the sable (black) banner is a lion rampant (charging). This is painted in gold (or). The lion's tongue is protruding (langued) and he shows his talons (arme). The tongue is red (gu.) and the talons blue (az.)

The crest represents a demi-lion or half lion, similar to the lion of the arms, charging out of a coronet.

Derivation of Name

...3. Official surnames have been bequeathed to us by the dignitaries of mediaeval times. Examples are Mayor, Baron and Bishop...

The name Schenck undoubtedly belongs to the third class, that of official surnames. The name signifies cup bearer and is derived from the same root as the German verb schenken, meaning "to pour out." Lieutenant A. D. Schenck in his Rev. William Schenck, His Ancestry and Descendants, explains the origin of the word.

The oldest term designating the office of cup-bearer, is Skinker, of Sanskrit origin. A more recent origin is possible, however, as it may be connected with either of the Anglo Saxon words scaene, a cup, or scanca, a shank. The first of these derivations is easily understood, the second requires an explanation. It has been supposed that the shank bone of an ox was used as a spout for a leathern wine bag. This use of a bone is said to be the origin of the cups of the butlers of England, the little knobs on the covers representing the shank-bone spouts of ancient times.

Whatever may be the origin of the word, it is common in several European languages, thus in Icelandic, skenka, in Danish, skencke, in Dutch and German, schenk, and in French, eschanson.

Several of our ancestors are referred to as Pincerna. This is the Latin translation of the same word. Thus the first of the Van Nydeck branch of the family is referred to as Christianus Pincerna. He was cup bearer to the Count van Julich, whose residence was the famous castle of Nydeggen. There are records of Julich in which he speaks oi Pincerna noster (our cup bearer). All legal documents of this time (1225) are in Latin and this form of the name, Pincerna, appears in them. In "low" Latin, the name became buticularius, bucellarius, busel- larius, and similar words, all denoting the "leather bag man." From these is derived the French bouteiller, and the English butler.

Cup bearers were probably employed long before history takes notice of them. We know that among the ancient Kings of Media the cup bearer held the first rank in the royal household. He had charge of the household arrangements and was the King's chief attendant when at home, guarding him from interruptions when engaged, and acting, in fact, as master of ceremonies. Both in ancient and mediaeval times, it was one of the duties of this officer to taste the wine before it was served. This was done by pouring some into the palm of the hand and was to guard against the possibility of poisoning the master. The office was always held by a noble and in feudal times became hereditary.

Thus it was that many noble families, in the middle ages, bore the name of Schenck. There are sixty-eight families of the name mentioned in the Kueschke Deutches Adels-Lexicon."

9. Benjamin Robinson Schenck, M. D; compiled from notes & records of Adrain Adelbert Schenck, Ancestors and Descendants OF Rulef Schenck, A Genealogy of the Onondaga co., NY, Branch of the Schenck Family , Detroit, Michigan. 1911 , preface . "For many years my beloved father, Adrian Adelbert Schenck, cherished the ambition of putting on record the genealogy of that branch of the Schenck family which originally resided in or near Onondaga County, New York. The exigencies of an active business life left him but little time for working upon the thousands of details of a book of this kind, yet as opportunity offered, he corresponded with those from whom information could be obtained and carefully recorded names and dates, with that wonderful patience which was such a predominant trait of his character. One who has not tried to gather together facts about which there are no books and no authorities, little realizes the difficulties which beset such work. Letters are carelessly answered or are entirely ignored, records are imperfect as to full names and complete dates, and the memory often fails at a critical point. Unless one has the time to work continuously at such a task, it progresses but slowly and it therefore took many years for my father to collect the facts here recorded.

After the death of my father, which occurred February 25, 1909, I found a large number of letters, written records and newspaper clippings, which he had gathered and which he had just begun to arrange in chronological order for publication. It has required some time to complete the inform.ation and put it in form for the printer. My thanks are due to a number of cousins who have willingly and enthusiastically supplied missing names and dates. I am especially indebted to Mr. James Shuler Schenck for his energetic aid. Nearly all of the latter part of the book has been submitted in manuscript form to some member of the various families for inspec- tion and correction, and no little trouble has been taken to have the records com.plete and correct. It can hardly be hoped, however, that there are no errors; for such as may occur, I ask the indulgence of the reader.

For many of the facts in the early history of the family in America, we are greatly indebted to the late Rev. Garret C. Schenck of Marlborough, New Jersey, who spent upwards of fifty years in the preparation of a complete genealogy of the Schenck family. This, how- ever, has never been published. In 1883, father spent some time in New Jersey, looking up the records of the second, third, fourth and fifth generations in America, and I know that he was greatly aided by the Rev. Mr. Schenck. We owe much also to the records of Lieut. A. D. Schenck, U. S. A., whose book. Rev. William Schenck, His Ancestry and Descendants, has supplied me with many valuable facts. The connection between the Rev. William Schenck and the Ohio branch of the family on the one hand and Rulef Schenck and the Onondaga branch on the other is recorded on page 60.

The genealogy in Holland was compiled by Jonkheer William Frederic George Louis van der Dussen, Knight of the Order of the Oak Crown, Lieutenant Colonel and Commandant in 1873, of the Fortress of Nimeguen. He was editor of a genealogical journal at the Hague and one of the genealogical authorities of Holland. His work, formerly in the possession of Rev. Garret C. Schenck, is an immense volume, handsomely bound and clasped.

In 1885, there appeared a twenty-six page pamphlet entitled The Blyenbeck and Afferden Branch of the Family of Schenck van Nydeck. This was reprinted from a work. The Family of Schenck van Nydeggen, which was published in Cologne, Germany, in i860. From this pamphlet I have obtained many of the facts contained in the first part of this book.

In 1876, P. L. Schenck, M. D., of Flatbush, L. I., published A Memoir of Johannes Schenck, the progenitor of the Bushwick branch of the family. This has been of great help in elucidating a number of important points in the early American history of the family. There are many descendants of Johannes Schenck and their relationship to our branch of the family is clearly shown on page 60.

The present book has been prepared primarily to serve as a record for those descendants of Rulef Schenck who are now living. The arrangement and method of numbering are modifications of those recommended by the New England Genealogical Society. It will be readily understood, yet a word of explanation on the significance of the numbers and the use of Roman numerals may not be out of place. The genealogy is in three parts:

(i) From the year 1346 to 1650, where the unbroken line of descent is traced from Heinrich Schenck van Nydeclc to Roelof Martense Schenck, who was the first of the name in America; (2) from 1650 to 1776, in which section the American ancestry of Rulef Schenck is given; (3) from 1776 down to the present day, where may be found the descendants of Rulef Schenck in all the collateral branches. In section one (Part II.) the name of each individual mentioned is preceded by an Arabic numeral followed by a capital A. This is the key number. The Roman numeral preceding a name sig- nifies the individual's place among the brothers and sisters of the immediate family, i. e., whether first, second, fifth or sixth, etc., child. The Roman numeral following the name signifies the generation. To avoid confusion the generations in Part III. date back to Roelof Martense Schenck, that is, they refer only to the generations in America. Roelof Martense represented the ninth gen- eration from Heinrich. In some of the families among the descendants there are now children of the eleventh generation in America. They can therefore trace their ancestry back through twenty generations, or approximately five hundred years. In section two of Part II., from Roelof to Rulef, covering five generations, the key number before the name of each individual is followed by a lower case a, thus 12a. In Part III., the key number stands alone. Whenever an individual is men- tioned the name is followed by the key number, thus avoiding the possibility of any confusion on account of similarity in names. Each individual who has married is carried forward into the next generation, a reference being given to the page. By the use of the key umbers, it is very easy to trace back a line of descent.

This book is published and distributed as a memorial to Adrian Adelbert Schenck, who died February 25, 1909. He believed, as did the children of Israel, that each generation should leave to posterity its own record and that these records should be carefully preserved. It was his expectation and hope that when his book should appear, it would be carefully preserved for the children and the children's children of all who received a copy. Care has, therefore, been taken to select a paper which will endure and an ink which will not fade.

The editorial work has not been done so well as would have been the case had he who first planned the book been graciously spared to have completed it, yet it is his spirit which permeates it and the credit for whatever of merit it possesses belongs to him. B. R. S. Detroit, Mich., June 1, 1911."

10. Benjamin Robinson Schenck, M. D; compiled from notes & records of Adrain Adelbert Schenck, Ancestors and Descendants OF Rulef Schenck, A Genealogy of the Onondaga co., NY, Branch of the Schenck Family , Detroit, Michigan. 1911 , pg. 28-36; 61-62. " EARLY AxMERICAN HISTORY.

The immigrant ancestor of Rulef Schenck was Roelof Martense Schenck, who was born at Amersfoort, Holland, in 1619. Misfortunes had overtaken the family during the almost constant wars which occurred during the sixteenth century in the Netherlands and in addition the Emperor Charles V. had, after seventy years, rendered a decision which was adverse to Roelof's grandfather, Peter (30A), thus depriving this branch of the family of the title to the ancestral estates, Roelof's grand-uncle, Sir Martin Schenck van Nydeck, was heir to the castle of Blyenbeck, but the title was contested by his cousin, Caspar van der Lippe, and Martin was besieged in his castle. After a long campaign, Martin was ousted. His brother Peter, a gallant soldier, who had supported Sir Martin, lost favor with the authorities and was deprived of the greater part of his possessions. Thus it was that Peter's son, with his children, sought to renew his fortune by coming to the Nieu Netherlands.

It is probable that Roelof with his brother, Jan, and sister, Anetje, sailed in the ship "de Valckner," arriving in New Amsterdam, June 28, 1650. That they arrived some time during 1650 is certain, as will be shown later. In this ship came also Jacob van Couwenhoven, who with Adrian van der Donck and Jan Eversten Bout, had made a contract with the West India Company, dated at Amsterdam, March 19, 1650, to take "to the Nieu Netherlands, before ist June, prox., 200 passengers, 100 to be farmers, and farm servants, and 100 such as the Amsterdam Chamber usually send over."

Roelof lived for a few years in Breuklyn and in 1660 married Neeltje Geretsen van Couwenhoven, a niece of Jacob van Couwenhoven. He then settled at Amersfoort (later Flatlands), Long Island, where he resided until his death in 1704, and where he is buried.

In the early colonial records of the New Netherlands, Roelof's name first appears in connection with a grant of land at Amersfoort, consisting of twenty-three morgans, or about forty-six acres. This grant is dated January 29, 1 66 1. In 1664, he was one of the magistrates of the five towns on Nassau Island (Long Island) who joined in a protest against the outrages of the English. The Director-General called a meeting of delegates at Midwout, February 26, 1664, and they then made accusa tions against the English Captain Scott and voted a remonstrance. It was in this year that the English took over the government of New Amsterdam and the so-called Knickerbocker rule ceased.

The English required new patents to be taken out and the following patent for the town of Amersfoort was issued by Governor Richard Nicoll:

Richard Nicholl, Esq., Gov., &c., &c.: Whereas, there is a certain town within this Government situate and being in the West Riding of Yorkshire upon Long Island, commonly called or known by ye name of Amersfoort, als. Flattlands, which said town is now in ye tenure or occupation of several freeholders and inhabitants who have heretofore been seated there by authority, and likewise made lawful purchasers of ye granted part of ye lands thereunto belonging, have also improved the greater part thereof, and settled a competent number of families thereupon; Noia for a confirmation unto ye Freeholders and inhabitants of the premises, Know ye, that by virtue of ye Commission and Authority unto me given by His Royal Highness, I have given, ratified, confirm and grant unto Elbert Elbertse [Stoothoff), Gerrit Loockemans, Roelof Martense (Schenck), Pieter Claes (WyckoflF), Wellem Gerrits (van Couwenhoven), Tho. Hille- brants, Stephen Coerten (van Voorhees), and Coert Stephens (van Voorhees), as Patentees for and on behalf of themselves and their associates, ye Freeholders and inhabitants of ye said town, their heirs, successors and assigns, All ye tract together with ye several parcels, &c

Mathias, Secretary.

(Signed) Richard Nicholl. (L. S.)

Fort James, 4th October, X667, etc

Governor Cleve appointed Roelof Schenck one of the Schepens for Flatlands, August i8, 1673, and October 25th of the same year, he was chosen a lieutenant of militia. He was a deputy to the council held at the city hall in New Amsterdam, March 26, 1674.

In volume 11. of the Documentary History of New York, a valuation of property shows that Roelof Schenck possessed 2 polls, 4 horses, i do. of years old, 10 cows, 2 do. of 2 years old, 4 do. of i year old, 3 hogs:Total 152 pounds, 14 shillings. Also 52 morgans of valley land, 104 pounds. Total 256 pounds, 14 shillings.

He was next to the wealthiest man in town and sixth or seventh on Long Island in point of possessions. In 1698 he had four slaves.

The inhabitants of the New Netherlands were required to take the oath of allegiance to the English king and these documents show whether the individual was a native or an immigrant. If the latter, the length of residence in the New Netherlands was given. Roelof took this oath of allegiance in 1687 and it is stated that he and his brother, Jan, had been "thirty-seven years in the country," thus confirming the date of arrival as 1650.

There are documents showing that Roelof was commissioned a justice of Kings County in 1689 and a Captain of Horse in 1690.

Roelof was three times married. His first wife, by whom he had six children, Martin, Annetje, Jonica, Marike, Jan and Gerret Roelofse, died in 1673. Two years later, he married Anetje Pieterse Wyckoff, by whom he had four children, Margaretta, Neeltje, Mayke and Sara. The date of the death of the second wife is unknown. In 1688, however, Roelof married Catrina Crigers, widow of Christopher Hoogland.....

Roelof Martense Schenck died, either in 1704 or 1705. The records of the late Garret C. Schenck give the date as 1705, while Lieut. A. D. Schenck, in his Rev. William Schenck, His Ancestry and Descendants, from which most of the foregoing facts are taken, states that the date was 1704. At all events, his will was probated August 3, 1705, and may be found in the New York Surrogate's Office, liber 7, pp. 209. It is as follows:

In the name of God Amen, -ye fourth day of September in ye third year of ye reign of our Sovereign Lady Annie now of England &c., Queen, and in ye year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and four,

I, Roelof Schenck, of Flatlands, in Kings County, on Nassau Island, in the Colony of New Yorkbeing of good and perfect memory  praised be Almighty God, therefore doe make this, ray last Will and Testament in manner  and form following  that is to say: 

First, recommending my soul unto Almighty God who gave it, and my body to ye earth to be buried in such decent and Christianlike manner and in such place as by my Executor, hereafter named, shall be thought fitt and convenient hoping for a glorious resurrection at the last day.

Item I give, grant, devise, and bequeath unto my loving wife Catharine Schenck, for and during her natural life, all my farm or tenement at Flatlands aforesaid, now in my possession and whereon I now live with ye House, Garden, Barne, orchard, and premises thereunto belonging. To have, hold, occupy, and enjoy for her use only, without impeachment of waste for and during her natural life and all according to a contract and agreement made between my said wife Catharine and myself before marriage, bearing date ye ninth day of November, 1688, reference being thereunto had, may at large appear. Provided, always, that if my said wife Catharine happens to re-marry after my decease, then my gift, grant, devise and bequeath aforesaid, to be null and voyd to all intents and purposes.

Item I give, grant, devise, and bequeath unto ray loving son Martin Schenck, his heyres and assigns, forever, after the decease or re-marriage of my said wife Catharine, all my Houses, Lands, Tenements, orchards. Gardens, meadows, and hereditaments in Possession, Reversion, or Remainder, Either within the Town and Libertyes of Flatlands aforesaid, or elsewhere. To Have and To Hold all ye said Houses and lands as afore exprest unto the said Martin Schenck, his heirs and assigns forever, upon this condition, he paying the legacies hereafter mentioned unto my children hereafter named, within six years after possession taken by him the said Martin of my houses and lands afore- said. That is to say to my daughter Jonica, sixty-four pounds and ten shillings in money to my daughter Mayke sixty-four pounds and ten shillings in money to my son John, sixty-four pounds and ten shillings in money to my son Garrett sixty-four pounds and ten shillings in money to my daughter Margrieta sixty-four pounds and ten shillings in money to my daughter Neltie sixty-four pounds and ten shillings in money to my daughter Mayke sixty-four pounds and ten shillings in money to my daughter Sara sixty-four pounds and ten shillings in money and to ye two children of my daughter Anneke deceased, by name Roeloft and Albert, each ten pounds in money and farther it is my will that said legacys be paid to ye legatees aforesaid within six years time as aforementioned and that those of the legatees that are in most need or want shall be first payed, always provided that if my son Martin refuses, denyes or delays to pay ye legacys above mentioned then my houses and lands above exprest to be equally divided among my children aforementioned and sold to the highest bidder.

Item I give, grant, devise, and bequeath unto my loving children by name Martin, Jonica, Marike, John, Garrett, Mar- grieta, Neltie, Mayke, and Sarah, their executors and assigns forever after ye decease or remaryage of my said wife Catharine, all and singular my goods and Chattels, rights and credits, whatsoever or whensoever the same are, or shall become due in equal proportion be divided between them, that is to say, the one-half immediately after my decease and the other half after my wife's decease or remaryage as aforesaid, and that there be an Inventory taken of all my goods and Chattels soon after my decease by my Executors hereafter named. That my children or creditors may not be defrauded, and that my said wife Catharine shall give in bond and security to deliver or cause to be delivered upon her remaryage or death to my children above named what goods and chattels she shall enjoy as ye one-half part thereof, death of living creatures and wearing out of goods only excepted; and farther, it is my will that my daughter Sarah aforesaid, before any division of ye moveables have a good outsetting equal as my other children have had, and then to share equally with the rest, and that my son Martin, for his birthright as Eldest son, shall have my negro boy Anthony, my said wife only to have ye profit or use of ye one-half of ye labor or service of said boy during her life time or remaryage.

I do hereby make, appoint, and ordain my loving son, Martin Schenck, whole and sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament to see it performed according to ye true intent and meaning thereof. In witness whereof, I, the said Roelof Schenck, have hereunto set my hand and seal ye day and year first above written.

(Signed) Roelof Schenck, [L. S.]

Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of us:

COERT StEVENSE. Garret Stoothoff. Henry Filkin.

The next in our line of descent is the fifth child and second son of Roelof (la), namely Jan Schenck (6a). Born at Flatlands, L. I.,...

1 a. Roelof Martense Schenck, I., was born at Amersfoort, Holland, in 1619, and in 1650 came to New Amsterdam, settling at Flatlands, Long Island. In 1660, he married Neeltje Geretsen van Couwenhoven, daughter of Garret Wolphertson van Couwenhoven. She was born at Flatlands and baptized September 20, 1641. 

They had six children:

• 2a. I. Martin, born at Flatlands, L. I., June 23, 1661; married June 20, 1686, Susanna Abrahamse Brinkerhoff; married, second, April 11, 1693, Elizabeth Minnen van Voorhees; married, third, Janetye van Voorhees. Martin was left the homestead farm and resided there until his death. May 2, 1721.
• 3a. II. Anetje was born at Flatlands, L. I., about 1663 and June 10, 1681, married Jan Alberte Terhune. She died about 1685.
• 4a. III. Jonica was born at Flatlands, L. I., about 1665 and June 7, 1684, married Peter Neefus.
• 5a. IV. Marike was born at Flatlands, L. I., February 14, 1667, and February 15, 1687, married Isaac Hegeman.
• 6a. V. Jan, born March i, 1670. See p. 62.
• 7a. VI. Gerret Roelofse was born at Flatlands, L. I., October 27, 1671, and 1693 married Neeltje Coerton van Voorhees, baptized December 5, 1680. He died at Pleasant Valley, Monmouth County, N. J., September s, 1745. From Gerret Roelofse descended the Rev. William Schenck 1 and the Ohio branch of the family.
• Neeltje Geretsen (van Couwenhoven) Schenck died in 1673 and in 1675 Roelof Martense Schenck (la) mar-
• ried Anetje Pieterse WyckofE.
• 8a. VII. Margaretta was born at Flatlands, L. I., January 16, 1668, and September 8, 1700, married Cornelius Willemse van Couwenhoven. She died at Middletown, N. J., December 16, 1751.
• 9a. VIII. Neeltje was born at Flatlands, L. I., January 3, 1681, and about 1701 married Albert Willemse van Couwenhoven. She died at West Pleasant Valley, Monmouth County, N. J., July 7, 1751.
• 10a. IX. Mayke was born at, Flatlands, L. I., January 27, 1684, and March 5, 1704, married Jan Lucase van Voorhees. She died at Flatlands, November 25, 1736.
• 1 1 a. X. Sara was born at Flatlands, L. I., baptized December 18, 1685, and November 12, 1705, married Jacob Willemse van Couwenhoven. She died at Middletown, N. J., December i, 1744.

Anetje Pieterse (WyckofE) Schenck died and November 9, 1688, Roelof (la) married Catryntyna Crigers. Roelof (la) died in 1704. His will was probated August 3, 1705." www. archive.org/stream/ancestorsdescend00insche/ancestorsdescend00insche_djvu.txt.

Roelof Martense Schenck (son of Martin Schenck and ) was born 1619 in: Amersfoort,Utrecht,Netherlands. He died 1705 in: New Amersfort (Flatlands), Long Island (Other spouses: )

Roelof Martense Schenck married Annetje (Anna) Piterse Wyckoff on .

Annetje (Anna) Piterse Wyckoff (daughter of Pieter Claesen (Nicholas) Wyckoff and Grietje (Margaret) VanNess) was born . She died . (Other spouses: )

They had the following children:

Margaretta Schenck born: 9 FEB 1677/78 . died: 6 DEC 1751

•Birth: ABT 1630 in Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands

•Immigration: 1650

•Note: from the Netherlands

•Event: Land Paten 29 JAN 1661 Flatlands, New York

•Note: He obtained a patent for 23 morgens at Flatlands

•Event: Office BET 1662 AND 1664

•Note: magistrate

•Event: Office 1665

•Note: was a representative in the Hempstead convention

•Event: Land Purch 19 MAR 1674 Amersfort, New York

•Note: 200 acres

•Event: Oath of Al 1678 Flatlands, New York

•Event: Office 1684

•Note: justice of the peace, 1684, 1689, and 1692

•Event: Office 1685

•Note: sheriff of the county

•Event: Land Purch 20 APR 1688

•Note: bought of a brother one-half of mill and the island on which it stood

•Event: Military 1690

•Note: Captain of Horse

•Death: ABT 1704 in Flatlands, New York

•Will: 04 SEP 1704 Flatlands, New York

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=wolphert&...

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MEMORIAL CYCLOPEDIA OF NEW JERSEY UNDER THE EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF MARY DEPUE OGDEN

VOLUME III, 1917, MEMORIAL HISTORY COMPANY NEWARK, NEW JERSEY MEMORIAL CYCLOPEDIA OF NEW JERSEY UNDER THE EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF MARY DEPUE OGDEN

VOLUME III, 1917, MEMORIAL HISTORY COMPANY NEWARK, NEW JERSEY

(X) Margaret Roelofse Schenck, daughter of Roelof Schenck and child of his second wife, Annatje Wyckoff, became the wife of Cornelius Willemse Conover, of Middletown, New Jersey (see Conover IV).

RECORD:

1. Teunius G. Bergen, Register of Early Settler of Kings County New York (reprint 1973), Pg. 253-4. "

29 Jan 1661 Obtained a patent for 23 Morgens at Flds and 3 Apr. 1674 he bought of the heirs of Gerrit Lookermans 200 a in the same town, with buildings; a village, lot, meadows etc. as per pg. 28 of Col. of Eng. Man. In 1687 he took the Oath of Allegiance in Flds & 20 Apr. 1688 he bought of his brother Jan one half of the mill and island on which the mill was located in FLds. In 1662-4 he was a mag. of said town; in 1665 its representative in Hampstead Convention; 1685 Sheriif og the county (per p. 143 of COl. of Eng. Man.); in 1689 & 1692 a justice of the peace (p. 132 & 185 of COl. of Eng. Man.); in 1690 Capt. of horses; & in 1701 signed an anit-Leisterian address to the King (per p. 938 of Vol. 4 Doc. of Col. His. of NY). Signed his name Roelofo Martensen." 2. Edward Coolbaugh Hoagland, Twigs From Family Trees or 162 Early American and Foriegn Lineages, Pg. 108.

3. Henry B. Hoff, Genealogies of Long Island Families From the N.Y. Genealogical and Biographical Record (1987 Genealogical Publishing Company Baltimore, Md.), Vol. 2 pg. 516-7. "

...Roelof Martense Schenck (K. Co., 78, 253). He was son of Martine Schenck and was b. abt. 1630; emigrated to New Amsterdam, 1650, d. Flatlands. Will dated Sept 4 1784 pro. July 26, 1705 in New York county (WNYHS 1:408); anc. and Desc of Rulef Schenck (61). He mar. 2) abt. 1675 Annetje Pietrse Wyckoff dau. of Pieter Claesen Wyckoff bp. Nov. 27, 1650 in New Amsterdam; d. Nov. 1688 (Wyckoff fam. 29) widow of Christoffle Hooglandt. Schenck obtained a patent for 23 morgans at Flatlands Jan. 29, 1661 and Mch 19, 1674 bought of the heirs of Garret Lockermans 200 acres in Amersfoort, with buildings. In 1670 he took oath of allegiance in Flatlands . And April 20, 1688 bought of a brother one-half of a mill and the island on which it stood. He was magistrate 1662-64; reprecentative in the Hempstead convention, 1665; sheriff of the county, 1685; justice of the peace 1684, 1689, and 1692; captain of horses 1690 (K. Co. 253=4; CEM 28,132,185,192,225). For issue see anc. and desc. of Rulef Schenck, 61; National Genealogical Society Quarterly 1:16; K. Co. 254 and Van Voorhees Family 399). Issue by 1st marriage: Martin...Annetje...Janica...Marika..Jan...Gerret... 2nd marriage: Margaretta...Neeltje...Mayke...Sara." 4. Paul J. Vandevonter, Vandeventer Family 1550 - 1977, The, 1978 McClain Publishing Co. [The Vandeventer Family (1943) Christobelle Vandeventer E. W. Stephens Co. Columbia, Mo.], pg. 59. "

...Roelofse Martense Schenck father of Maragaretta (m. Cornelius Couwenhoven) b. in Amersfoort, came to New Amsterdam, 1650 setlled at New Amersfort (Flatland) will Sep. 1704 pro. Aug. 3 1705 (Bk. B pg. 209 N>Y. rec.).

He was son of Martin Schenck (B. 1684, Doesburg, Holl. d. ca. 1650 on voyage to Amer.) only son of Peter and Johanna Schenck."

5. David M. Ricker, Genealogical and Biographical Directory to Persons in New Netherlands From 1613 to 1674 Volumes I, II, III, IV, 2000, CD #11 V011_01V1, Familty Tree Maker's Family Archives, pg. 1250. COMMENTS: Har.= Ricker's History of Harlem; KCo = Bergen's Early Settlers of Kings County, L.I.; CFSev = Seversmith's Colonial Families of Long Island; PA = Pearson's First Settler's of Albany; PS = Pearson's First Settlers of Schnectady; PAT = Nelson's History of The City of Paterson and County of Passaic, N.J.; HHHC = Winfield's History of Hudson County; SCL = Evjen's Scandnavian Immigrants in New York 1660 - 1674 : AnN = Ricker's Annals of Newtown; WP = Davis' Winchester Patriarchs; GNYF = Talcott's Genealogical Notes of New York Families; WNYHS = The New York Abstract of Wills by the New York Historical Society; REC = The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record; NNC = New Netherland Connections. "

Family Name: Schenck Immigrant: Roelof Martenszen Schenck. Ethnic origin: Dutch: Born c. 1619. Native town: Amersfoort, Utrecht.. Patronymic: Martenszen. Approx. Arrival: 1650. settled: Flatlands, L.I. died 1705 at Flatlands, L.I. married:

1st 1660 Prob. at Flatlands, Neelltje d/o Gerrit Wolphertszen van Couwenhoven m. 2nd.. c. 16775 Annetje d/o Pieter Claeszenn Wyckoff m 3rd 11/19/1688 Flat. Tryntie Creiger wid. of Christoffel Hoogland. He came with brother Jan and sister Annete. Patron: Roelofszen. Children:

MARTIN b. 1661 d. 4/17/1758 m. 1st 6/20/1686 Susanna d/o Abraham Brinckerhoff m 2nd 4/11,1693 Elizabeth Minne m 3rd 6/24/1704 Jannetje d/o Lucas Voorhees: Ch: Abraham, Roelof, Neeltje, Minne, Martin, Lucas, Johannes, Rensie, Catelina, Annatie, Susanna, Jannetje, Elizabeth, Maria.; JAN b. 3.1.1670 d. 1/30/17753 m. 10/1/1692 Sarah d/o Willem Gerritszen van Couwenhoven. They rem. to Pleasant Valley Monmouth co., N.J. Ch: Roelof, Sarah, Rachel,, Maria, Leah, William, Jannetje, Jan, Antje, Pieter GERRIT b. 10/27/1671 d. 9/5/1745 m. c. 1693 Flatlands Neeltje d/o Coerten Van Voorhees. They rem to Pleasant Valley, N.J. Ch.: Antje, Roelof, Mary, Koert, Altje, Neeltje, Rachel, Garret, Margaret, Jan, Albert; ANNETJE b. c. 1663 m. 7/1/1683 Flat. Jane Albertszen Terhune; JONICA (Jannetje) b. 1665 m. 6/22/16884 Flat. Pieter Nevius; MARIKE b. 1667 m. 1687 Isaac Hegeman; MAYKE b. 1684 m. 1704 Jan Voorhees; MARGARETTA b. 1/16/1678 m. 9/3/1700 Cornelis s/o Willem van Couwenhoven; NEELTJE b. 1/3/1682 m. Albert s/o Willem Gerritszen van Couwenhoven; SARA b. 12/18/1685 m. 11/12/1705 Jacob s/o Willem van Cowenhoven. References: KCo p. 249-255; NGSQ Vol. 1 pg. 16; WNYHS Vol. 1 pg. 408; Rev. Vol. 68 pg. 114-8 Vol.. 70 pg. 353 Vol. 71 pg. 70-1; GLIF Vol. II pg. 44-8, 511, 516-7; DHM Vol. LC No. 1 pg. 11-2; Rev. William Schenck Ancestor & Desec. by A. D. Schenck; The Van Voorhees Family Part I by A. Stokes pg. 64-8; The Ancestors & Descendants of Roelof Schenck by B. R. Schenck; Early Dutch Settlers of Monmouth County by G. Beekman; Schenck and Related Families in New Netherlands by. A. C. Park."

6. Alice Crandall Park, Schenck and Related Families in New Netherlands (1992 Gateway Press In, Baltimore, Md.), pg. 3-6, 25. NOTE: Group sheet presentation. All data is from various other sources. A poor presentation of material collected and alot of missing documentation. "

Roelof Martense Schenck to New Netherlands 1650 - On Jan. 30., 1661,

Roelof obtained a patent [a] for 23 morgans of land [b] in New Amersfoort. On April 3, 1674 he bought 200 acres in the same town, with buildings, meadows and village lot; and on April 20, 1688 he boght of his brother Jan one-half of the mill nad Mill Island in the town - then called Flatlands. The house Jan built adjoining the mill he bought in 1675 is now installed in the Brooklyn Museum [c]. Roelof Schenck - he signed "Roelof Martensen: - was a responsible citizen of New Amersfoort - Flatlands in 1662, '63, and '64 he was a magistrate; in 1665 he represented the town in the Hempstead convention; in 1685 he was sheriff of Kings county; in 1669 and '92 he was a justice of the peace; in 1690 he was captain of horse; and in 1701 he signed an anti-Leislerian[d] address to the king.

He died on Jan. 14, 1704 [e] at flatlands - aged about 75 years. [a.] - Tunis G. Bergen, Early Ettlers of Kings co., Long Island, N.Y. (New York 1881) pg. 253-4. All statments about Rolef's activities and career are documents - references are to town records, the Calendar of English Manuscripts and to the Documents of Colonial History of New York

[b.] A Dutch morgan qualled about 2.1 acres

[c] Marvin D. Schwartz, curator of decorative arts, Brooklyn Museum, The Jan Martense Schenck House in the Brookyln Museum, reprinted from Antiques magazine, copyright 1064 Mr. Schwartz states that Jan "was the younger brother of on of the riches men in New Amersfoort", som Roelof may have acquired more land tha Bergen records. Mr. Swartz also thanks genealogist Rosalie Fellws Bailey, "who gave invaluable assistance in tracing Schenck records.'

[d] Jacob Leisler in 1689 led an insurrection agains Gov. Nicholson, He seized the powers of the governor and kept them for two years, when he was arrested and tried for treason.

[e] The death date is from Eleanor M. White and Oliver N. Rathburn, comp., The Wyckoff Family In America (Baltimore, 1983) 2:7/ Vol. 2 pg. 7 . Roelof's "will proved Flatlands" Annetje Wyckoff was Roelof's second wife. NOTE: the folloiwng is group sheet form and there are raised no.'s which would indcate documentation, but is none

in the upper left hand corner is:

[a] Bergen's Early Settlers of L.I., N.Y. pg. 253-4; 215-6; 81, 249, 378

[b] White and Rathburn The Wyckoff Family in America. 2, 7-10 (issue of Roelf by 2nd wife, Annetje Wyckoff). ; Bergen pg. 71, 77 . Roelof Martense Schenck b. c. 1630 Amersfoort, New Netherlands d. 14 Jan. 1704 Flatlands, L.I., N.Y. will proved 26 July 1705. Resided Flatlands, signed "Roelof Martensen"

Emigrated 1650 with brother Jan. m. 1660 father: Marten Schenck mother ?

m. 1660 Neeltje Gerretee Couwenhoven bpat. 20 Sep 1641 in New Amesterdam d. ca. 1672 father: Garret Wolfertse Van C. mother: Altie Cool Issue by Neeltje:

1- MARTEN ROELOFSE of Flds. b. 22 Jan 1661 d. 2 May 1727 m 1) 20 Jun 1686 Susanna Brinkerhoff ; m 2) Apr. 1693 Eliz. Minne Voorhies; 3) Jun. 1704 Jannatje L. Voories; 2 - ANNETJE ROELOFSE b. c.1663 d. Oct. 1685 Jand ALbertse Terhune of Flatlands he m. 2nd 6 Jun. 1691; 3 - JANNETJE ROELOFSE b. 1665 m. 7 Jun 1684 Pieter Nevins of Flands; m. 2) Hans Lucasse Voorhees dau. Neeltje ; 4 - MARIKE ROELOFSE b. 14 Feb. 1667 m. 15 Feb. 1687 Isaac Hegeman of latbush; 5 - JAN ROELOFSE of N.J. b. 1 Mar 1670 Sarah Willemse Couwenhoven Jan's mother was sister of Sarah's father.; 6 - GERRET ROELOFSE of N.J. b. 27 Oct. 1671 d. 5 Sep. 1745 m. Neltje Coerten Van Coorhees d/o Coert Stevense Monmouth co. Their mother were sisters.; (by Annatje) 7 - MARGARETTA ROELOFSE b. 16 Jan. 1678 m. 3 Sep. 1700 Cornelius Couwenhoven of Pleasant Valley s/o Wm. Gertetse b. Nov. 1672; 8 - NEELTJE ROELOFSE b. 3 Jan. 1682 d. 7 May 1751 m. Albert Willemse C'oven s/o Willem Gerretse was of "N.J.; 9 - MAYKEN ROELOFSE b. 14 Jan. 1684 d. 25 Nov. 1736 m. Jan Luycase VanVoorhees (Mayken was his 2nd wife) s/o Lucas Stevense lived (1717) nr. Six Mile Run N.J.; 10 - SARAH ROELOFSE b. 18 Dec. 1685 m. 12 Nov. 1705 Jacob Couwenhoven of J.J. of Middletown, N.J. (Jacob: 1679-17440 s/o Willem Gerretse C."

7. Franklin Ellis,, HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY , Philadelphia, R.T. Peck & Co., 1885 .

"THE FAMILY OF SCHENCK. -- The Schencks of Monmouth County are descended from Roelof Schenck Van Nydeck, who, with his brother Jan, emigrated to this country from Holland in 1650. The particular place from whence they came was probable Doesberg, in the province of Guelderland, where, it appears, their father was born. He was a sone of Martin and a grandson of General Peter Schenck and his wife, Joanna Van Scharpenseel, and General Peter was a brother of the celebrated General and Sir Martin Schenck, with whom his brother fought and was one of the most successful, daring and enterprising commanders in Holland in the time of the war of the revolution there. Tracing them back, they were descended from four Dericks in succession,and them from two Heinrichs, or Henrys, in succession, going back to 1346, and who were lords of the manorial estates of Afferden, Wachtendonk and Blyenbeck, Afferden and Blyenbeck lying on the Maas River, above the town of Gennep, and Wachtendonk on the Nioss River, above the town of Gelden. Passing back one or two nknown generations, they were descended from Ludolphus, Wilhelmus and Christianus, going back to 1225, and then through Christianus, a second son in the family of Schencks, the barons of Tautenberg, going back to 330. The descendants of Christianus were known as the Schencks Van Nydeck, so called from the town of Neideggen, lying on the river Roer, some eighteen miles east of Aix-la-Chapelle, where no doubt Christianus had an estate or residence.

Roelof Schenck Van Nydeck, the emigrant to this country, married, first, in 1660, Neeltje, daughter of Garret Van Couwenhoven; married, second, in 1675, Annetje Wyckoff; and married, third, November 30, 1688, Catharine Cregin, of New York, widow of Stoffen Hoagland. He settled at Flatlands, where, in 1661, he obtained a patent for forty-six acres of land, and subsequently purchased lands until he must have owned some three hundred acres and the one-half of the mill occupied by his brother John. At one assessment for taxation his ratables were the next highest in the town, and at another subsequently taken they were the highest. He was among the first enrolled as a member of the church of Flatlands, and no doubt among its principal supporters. When a bill was procured for the church, his subscription was the highest on the list. He was appointed by Governor Leisler captain of cavalry in Kings County, and at several different times held the office of justice of the peace and once that of schepen, or judge, and in general in public affairs was among the leading men in the colony.

Roelof had three sons -- Martin, John and Garret -- and seven daughters. Martin was left the homestead at Flatlands, and his descendants have principally remained on Long Island. John and Garret emigrated in 1696 or 1698 to Monmouth County, and together with Cornelius Couwenhoven, who married their sister Margaret, settled in Pleasant Valley on a five hundred acre tract of land purchased of John Bowne, merchant of Middletown.

Garret Schenck was born October 27, 1671 and died September 5, 1745. Married, about 1693, Neeltje, daughter of Koert Voorhees. He resided on the farm now occupied by Theodore Rapelyea, and built the spacious old mansion still standing there in good order. He acquired a large property and in different parts of the country, among which, in company with John Couwenhoven, the grandfather of the present John Conover, was a six thousand acre tract of land at Penn's Neck purchased of John Penn. Then the First Reformed Church of Freehold was organized, in 1709, he was one of the two first deacons, and from 1721 to 1727 he was a member of the Provincial Assembly of New Jersey. He had five sons -- Roelof, Koert, Garret, Jan and Albert -- and five daughters.

The second Garret Schenck was born August 30, 1712, but did not live to see old age, as he deceased at the age of forty-five, August 20, 1757. Married, in 1737, Jane, daughter of William Couwenhoven of Long Island. He remained on his father's homestead in Pleasant Valley; had three sons -- William, John and Garret -- and seven daughters.

John, son of the second Garret, was born August 28, 1745, and died on his eighty-ninth birth-day, in 1834; married, July 31, 1767, Maria, daughter of Tunis De Nise and Francinke Hendrickson. He settled on the farm in Pleasant Valley adjoining his father, now occupied by his grandson, David Schenck, and also for a time carried on the business of a fuller and then a saw-mill. While yet a young married man, and surrounded by a large family of young children, the War of the Revolution came on and he ardently embraced the patriotic cause, and as occasion called for, took up arms and at times engaged actively in the fight. He became captain of militia, and was a bold and enterprising office and possessed of influence. It is said that soon after the beginning of the was he war approached by a Loyalist and asked what he would take to embrace the royal cause. He answered, "The whole of Europe cannot buy me; give me liberty." Such was the value of his example and influence, and so obnoxious was he to the enemy, that his sister Anna, living on Long Island and in the midst of the foe, overheard some British officers talking about offering fifty guineas for the head of Captain John Schenck, dead or alive. She procured a pair of silver-mounted pistols, and sent them to him with the message, "John, don't you be taken alive." These pistols are carefully preserved at his old homestead, and may be seen there at the present day. His life was sought after and insecure, and sometimes for safety he passed his nights in concealment, at one time in a hay-stack in the field. This was discovered; but made aware of the discovery by some friends, the next night he went elsewhere. The enemy came, surrounded the stack and set it on fire; but he was out of their way. For a while, at least, he was in the main army, but was principally engaged in contests with the enemy about the vicinity of his home. At one time he drove off with his company a party of Refugees who had come over from Staten Island and landed on the East Point, and, having gone up in the country, collected a lot of cattle and driven them down to the shore, were engaged in trying to ship their plunder on their boats. They were attacked, the captain going on ahead and swinging his hat and calling to his men to come on. He himself shot one man down by the name of Lawrence, having struck him in the forehead with a bullet. At another time he was at the Highlands with his company, and a company of the enemy being there, he urged his superior officer, who was also there, to make the attack, but he was afraid and refused. The captain then assumed the responsibility, attacked the party, captured them and brought off most of them at least prisoners of war. When, in the month of June, 1781, the party of fifteen hundred invaded the county, they came up as far as Pleasant Valley and some firing occurred, and they engaged in plundering. A detachment went over to the residence of Captain John Kiming to burn his buildings. A skirmish took place and they were driven back. During the firing the mother, with her three-weeks old babe -- her De Lafayette -- retired to the cellar to get out of the way of the bullets. A grenadier was killed on the occasion and buried down in the orchard, where his grave was afterwards regarded as a ghost-like place by the boys. The captain himself was struck by two bullets fired by a Hessian, whom he pursued and captured.

Captain John Schenck and Maria Denise had nine sons, -- Garret, Tunis, WIlliam, John, Denise, Daniel, De Lafayette, David and Hendrick, -- all of whom lived to grow up, and all but one to marry; and four daughters, -- one died an infant, the others grew up and married.

The seventh son was De Lafayette, born May 27, 1781, and died September 11, 1862. Married, December 17, 1805, Eleanor, daughter of Garret Couwenhoven and Anna Schenck. He was named in honor of that devoted friend of this country and of civil liberty, the Marquis De Lafayette, and is said to have been the first American child to bear that name. And when the general was in this country on his visit, and in New York, Captain John was introduced to him, and he then introduced his son as bearing his name, and received his grateful thanks.

De Lafayette Schenck resided first at Matawan, and carried on for many years quite extensively and successfully the business of tanning and currying, and at the same time cultivated and improved a farm of some sixty acres. He was a man noted for his sound good sense and correct view of things. He paid strict attention to his own business, was upright in all his dealings, and when needed to labor, was never ashamed to work with his own hands. While industrious and careful in promoting his own interest, he was possessed of public spirit, and ready to aid in any worthy cause; especially did he manifest a patriotic spirit in giving for the cause of his country in her hour of need. He was among the first in his native county to engage in laying out and straightening the public road from Freehold to Middletown Point; and when that road was extended to Keyport, and converted first to a plank-road and then to a graveled turnpike, he took and active and leading part. In instituting the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank at Middletown Point, he was largely instrumental in obtaining the charter, freely investing in it of his means; was for a few years its first president, and up to the time of his death was an influential member of the board of directors. He entered heartily into the first enterprise of taking a steamboat from the shores of Monmouth to the city of New York, partaking of its reverses and successes, and, in connection with this, aiding in erecting and arranging the steamboat wharf at Keyport, and keeping his interest in these until within two or three years of his death. He was largely interested in sustaining the large hotel and boarding-house at Keyport and when destroyed by fire, rebuilt it on his own responsibility. In 1830 he removed on the large farm near Holmdel, where he remained until 1855, conducting successfully his farming operations. The last seven years of his life he spent at Keyport, attending to his general business affairs. Although not a professing church member, yet such were his views in regard to moral influences that he never would allow card-playing or even a pack of cards on his premises. For building the parsonage house at Keyport he gave one-third of the cost of it, and was always a helper in sustaining the preaching of the gospel, and among the most regular in attendance on divine services. On his dying bed he expressed to his pastor his belief and trust in Christ as the source of mercy to him.

De Lafayette Schenck and Eleanor Conover had four sons, -- Garret C., Sidney, Alfred and Lafayette, -- all of whom lived to grow up and marry; and four daughters, that lived to grow up and marry.

Garret Conover Schenck was born September 14, 1806. Married, first, October, 1834, Sarah Ann, daughter of William Hendrickson and Eleanor Dubois, and eldest sister of Senator Hendrickson; married, second, April 14, 1846, Jane, daughter of Hugh McCormick and Jane Welsh, of Fairfield, N.J. The greater part of his time when a youth was spent in attending the common schools of the vicinity, while, owing to the frequent changes of teachers, the advantages for laying a good foundation for an education were but limited. Hence, when about fourteen years old, he was sent to the classical school at Cranbury, then under the care of Mr. Hanna. There he commenced the study of Latin; but after attending nine months the school was broken up, and he returned home to assist for a year or two in working in the yardr and on the farm. In the spring of 1823 he was sent to the classical school at Lawrenceville, then under the care of the Rev. Dr. L. V. Brown. Three years were spent here in preparing for college, and in the spring of 1826 he was admitted to the sophomore class at its third term in Rutgers College, New Brunswick. At the commencement, in 1827, he was chosen as one of the junior speakers, and in 1828 took part in the commencement exercises, and then graduated. The principal part of the succeeding year was spent in New Haven, in attendance on Professor Silliman's lectures on chemistry, mineralogy and geology, and on the lectures of Dr. Knight on anatomy, physiology and obstetrics. In the autumn of 1829 he was admitted to the Theological Seminary at New Brunswick, and passed the regular course of study in theology, excepting three months spent in assisting the Rev. Dr. Currie in teaching in the grammar school.

In April, 1832, he was licensed by the Classis of New Brunswick to preach the gospel. His health having been somewhat impaired by application to study, a situation as pastor of a church was not then sought, and the principal part of the summer was spent in occasionally preaching in different places, and traveling and visiting friends in Central New York and out West as far as Ohio and Kentucky. In the winter of 1833 he was sent by the Board of Domestic Missions to preach as a missionary in the recently organized church of Marshallville; here he continued for six months. In the autumn he was sent by the Classis to preach as a supply for a few weeks in the then vacant church of Walpack. A call to become their paster was soon after made out and accepted, and in February, 1834, he removed there and commenced his work. He was required to preach at four different places in the congregation, distant from each other, and lying on both sides of the river Delaware. It was a laborious charge, attended with discouragements, and sometimes danger in crossing the river. He continued here but one year, when circumstances contrained him to resign this charge.

In the autumn of 1834 he received and accepted a call to the church of Clover Hill. There he labored among a divided and unsettled people for a year and a half, when it was thought best to make a change. He was then invited to preach as a candidate in the then vacant church of Pompton Plains, the old mother Reformed Church in that section of the country. A call from here was soon made out and accepted, and in July, 1837, he removed there, and in due time was installed there as their pastor. Here for fifteen and a half years, in this large and substantial congregation, and among a plain, but refined and kind-hearted people, he labored with encouraging success. In the course of time, and from various causes, a few became disaffected with their pastor, and it was thought best quietly to leave them. He gave up his call, not knowing where to go or how his family might be situated. No opening in the church for him as a settled pastor has since presented itself, and in the Providence of God and in a singular way his lot has been cast on a farm for his livelihood, and to engage more or less in the business or the world, although, until old age has brought on its infirmities, he has for several years preached in a destitute neighborhood, and been every few weeks called to supply a vacant pulpit.

In 1866 he was chosen a member of the board of trustees of Rutgers College, and for several years was chairman of the board's committee on the college farm. After the death of his father, in 1842, and in his place, he was chosen a director of the bank at Matawan, and served for some twenty years. For some fourteen years he has held the office of president of the Freehold and Keyport Plank-Road Company. For about eighteen years he has held the office -- an unprofitable one, it is true -- of secretary and treasurer of a mining company in Nevada, and was for a while a trustee of one in the State of Colorado.

In the mean while, in 1869, with Mrs. Schenck he traveled as far as Monterey, on the Pacific coast, visiting on the way Salt Lake City, San Francisco, one of the big tree groves and the Yosemite Valley; and two years after with a cousin, traveled as far as Central Nevada. At another time he traveled as far as seventy-two miles west of Vicksburg, and on the way spent a day in the great cave of Kentucky. Much time, traveling and expense for the past fifty years has been given to preparing a history of the settlement and settlers of Pompton, and also to gathering the materials and arranging the facts for a genealogical history of the old Dutch families of Monmouth County." 8. Benjamin Robinson Schenck, M. D; compiled from notes & records of Adrain Adelbert Schenck, Ancestors and Descendants OF Rulef Schenck, A Genealogy of the Onondaga co., NY, Branch of the Schenck Family , Detroit, Michigan. 1911 , pg. 13-14, 15-17. "COAT OF ARMS.

Seipmacher is the authority quoted by A. D. Schenck for the arms and crest of the van Nydeck branch of the family. In the language of heraldry the description is as follows:

Arms Sable, a lion rampant, or., langued et arme. Gu and az. Crest Out of a coronet, or., a demi-lion rampant, or., langued et arme. Gu and az.

In explanation it may be said that it was the custom among the knights of the middle ages to display their armorial ensigns, or arms, upon their shields and banners, and their crest, or cognizance, also worn by their followers, upon their helmets. When not engaged in battle, a coat of light material was worn over the steel armor and on this was worked, in colors, the arms and crest. This is the origin of the term coat-of-arms, a translation of the French, cotte d'armes.

A "coat-of-arms," as we use the term to-day, consists of two parts: (i) The arms, displayed usually on a shield or banner, and above this, (2) the crest, usually resting on a crown in the case of a sovereign family or on a coronet, in the case of families of lower rank.

By referring to the colored frontispiece, the description of the arms and crest, as given above, will be understood.

On the sable (black) banner is a lion rampant (charging). This is painted in gold (or). The lion's tongue is protruding (langued) and he shows his talons (arme). The tongue is red (gu.) and the talons blue (az.)

The crest represents a demi-lion or half lion, similar to the lion of the arms, charging out of a coronet.

Derivation of Name

...3. Official surnames have been bequeathed to us by the dignitaries of mediaeval times. Examples are Mayor, Baron and Bishop...

The name Schenck undoubtedly belongs to the third class, that of official surnames. The name signifies cup bearer and is derived from the same root as the German verb schenken, meaning "to pour out." Lieutenant A. D. Schenck in his Rev. William Schenck, His Ancestry and Descendants, explains the origin of the word.

The oldest term designating the office of cup-bearer, is Skinker, of Sanskrit origin. A more recent origin is possible, however, as it may be connected with either of the Anglo Saxon words scaene, a cup, or scanca, a shank. The first of these derivations is easily understood, the second requires an explanation. It has been supposed that the shank bone of an ox was used as a spout for a leathern wine bag. This use of a bone is said to be the origin of the cups of the butlers of England, the little knobs on the covers representing the shank-bone spouts of ancient times.

Whatever may be the origin of the word, it is common in several European languages, thus in Icelandic, skenka, in Danish, skencke, in Dutch and German, schenk, and in French, eschanson.

Several of our ancestors are referred to as Pincerna. This is the Latin translation of the same word. Thus the first of the Van Nydeck branch of the family is referred to as Christianus Pincerna. He was cup bearer to the Count van Julich, whose residence was the famous castle of Nydeggen. There are records of Julich in which he speaks oi Pincerna noster (our cup bearer). All legal documents of this time (1225) are in Latin and this form of the name, Pincerna, appears in them. In "low" Latin, the name became buticularius, bucellarius, busel- larius, and similar words, all denoting the "leather bag man." From these is derived the French bouteiller, and the English butler.

Cup bearers were probably employed long before history takes notice of them. We know that among the ancient Kings of Media the cup bearer held the first rank in the royal household. He had charge of the household arrangements and was the King's chief attendant when at home, guarding him from interruptions when engaged, and acting, in fact, as master of ceremonies. Both in ancient and mediaeval times, it was one of the duties of this officer to taste the wine before it was served. This was done by pouring some into the palm of the hand and was to guard against the possibility of poisoning the master. The office was always held by a noble and in feudal times became hereditary.

Thus it was that many noble families, in the middle ages, bore the name of Schenck. There are sixty-eight families of the name mentioned in the Kueschke Deutches Adels-Lexicon."

9. Benjamin Robinson Schenck, M. D; compiled from notes & records of Adrain Adelbert Schenck, Ancestors and Descendants OF Rulef Schenck, A Genealogy of the Onondaga co., NY, Branch of the Schenck Family , Detroit, Michigan. 1911 , preface . "For many years my beloved father, Adrian Adelbert Schenck, cherished the ambition of putting on record the genealogy of that branch of the Schenck family which originally resided in or near Onondaga County, New York. The exigencies of an active business life left him but little time for working upon the thousands of details of a book of this kind, yet as opportunity offered, he corresponded with those from whom information could be obtained and carefully recorded names and dates, with that wonderful patience which was such a predominant trait of his character. One who has not tried to gather together facts about which there are no books and no authorities, little realizes the difficulties which beset such work. Letters are carelessly answered or are entirely ignored, records are imperfect as to full names and complete dates, and the memory often fails at a critical point. Unless one has the time to work continuously at such a task, it progresses but slowly and it therefore took many years for my father to collect the facts here recorded.

After the death of my father, which occurred February 25, 1909, I found a large number of letters, written records and newspaper clippings, which he had gathered and which he had just begun to arrange in chronological order for publication. It has required some time to complete the inform.ation and put it in form for the printer. My thanks are due to a number of cousins who have willingly and enthusiastically supplied missing names and dates. I am especially indebted to Mr. James Shuler Schenck for his energetic aid. Nearly all of the latter part of the book has been submitted in manuscript form to some member of the various families for inspec- tion and correction, and no little trouble has been taken to have the records com.plete and correct. It can hardly be hoped, however, that there are no errors; for such as may occur, I ask the indulgence of the reader.

For many of the facts in the early history of the family in America, we are greatly indebted to the late Rev. Garret C. Schenck of Marlborough, New Jersey, who spent upwards of fifty years in the preparation of a complete genealogy of the Schenck family. This, how- ever, has never been published. In 1883, father spent some time in New Jersey, looking up the records of the second, third, fourth and fifth generations in America, and I know that he was greatly aided by the Rev. Mr. Schenck. We owe much also to the records of Lieut. A. D. Schenck, U. S. A., whose book. Rev. William Schenck, His Ancestry and Descendants, has supplied me with many valuable facts. The connection between the Rev. William Schenck and the Ohio branch of the family on the one hand and Rulef Schenck and the Onondaga branch on the other is recorded on page 60.

The genealogy in Holland was compiled by Jonkheer William Frederic George Louis van der Dussen, Knight of the Order of the Oak Crown, Lieutenant Colonel and Commandant in 1873, of the Fortress of Nimeguen. He was editor of a genealogical journal at the Hague and one of the genealogical authorities of Holland. His work, formerly in the possession of Rev. Garret C. Schenck, is an immense volume, handsomely bound and clasped.

In 1885, there appeared a twenty-six page pamphlet entitled The Blyenbeck and Afferden Branch of the Family of Schenck van Nydeck. This was reprinted from a work. The Family of Schenck van Nydeggen, which was published in Cologne, Germany, in i860. From this pamphlet I have obtained many of the facts contained in the first part of this book.

In 1876, P. L. Schenck, M. D., of Flatbush, L. I., published A Memoir of Johannes Schenck, the progenitor of the Bushwick branch of the family. This has been of great help in elucidating a number of important points in the early American history of the family. There are many descendants of Johannes Schenck and their relationship to our branch of the family is clearly shown on page 60.

The present book has been prepared primarily to serve as a record for those descendants of Rulef Schenck who are now living. The arrangement and method of numbering are modifications of those recommended by the New England Genealogical Society. It will be readily understood, yet a word of explanation on the significance of the numbers and the use of Roman numerals may not be out of place. The genealogy is in three parts:

(i) From the year 1346 to 1650, where the unbroken line of descent is traced from Heinrich Schenck van Nydeclc to Roelof Martense Schenck, who was the first of the name in America; (2) from 1650 to 1776, in which section the American ancestry of Rulef Schenck is given; (3) from 1776 down to the present day, where may be found the descendants of Rulef Schenck in all the collateral branches. In section one (Part II.) the name of each individual mentioned is preceded by an Arabic numeral followed by a capital A. This is the key number. The Roman numeral preceding a name sig- nifies the individual's place among the brothers and sisters of the immediate family, i. e., whether first, second, fifth or sixth, etc., child. The Roman numeral following the name signifies the generation. To avoid confusion the generations in Part III. date back to Roelof Martense Schenck, that is, they refer only to the generations in America. Roelof Martense represented the ninth gen- eration from Heinrich. In some of the families among the descendants there are now children of the eleventh generation in America. They can therefore trace their ancestry back through twenty generations, or approximately five hundred years. In section two of Part II., from Roelof to Rulef, covering five generations, the key number before the name of each individual is followed by a lower case a, thus 12a. In Part III., the key number stands alone. Whenever an individual is men- tioned the name is followed by the key number, thus avoiding the possibility of any confusion on account of similarity in names. Each individual who has married is carried forward into the next generation, a reference being given to the page. By the use of the key umbers, it is very easy to trace back a line of descent.

This book is published and distributed as a memorial to Adrian Adelbert Schenck, who died February 25, 1909. He believed, as did the children of Israel, that each generation should leave to posterity its own record and that these records should be carefully preserved. It was his expectation and hope that when his book should appear, it would be carefully preserved for the children and the children's children of all who received a copy. Care has, therefore, been taken to select a paper which will endure and an ink which will not fade.

The editorial work has not been done so well as would have been the case had he who first planned the book been graciously spared to have completed it, yet it is his spirit which permeates it and the credit for whatever of merit it possesses belongs to him. B. R. S. Detroit, Mich., June 1, 1911."

10. Benjamin Robinson Schenck, M. D; compiled from notes & records of Adrain Adelbert Schenck, Ancestors and Descendants OF Rulef Schenck, A Genealogy of the Onondaga co., NY, Branch of the Schenck Family , Detroit, Michigan. 1911 , pg. 28-36; 61-62. " EARLY AxMERICAN HISTORY.

The immigrant ancestor of Rulef Schenck was Roelof Martense Schenck, who was born at Amersfoort, Holland, in 1619. Misfortunes had overtaken the family during the almost constant wars which occurred during the sixteenth century in the Netherlands and in addition the Emperor Charles V. had, after seventy years, rendered a decision which was adverse to Roelof's grandfather, Peter (30A), thus depriving this branch of the family of the title to the ancestral estates, Roelof's grand-uncle, Sir Martin Schenck van Nydeck, was heir to the castle of Blyenbeck, but the title was contested by his cousin, Caspar van der Lippe, and Martin was besieged in his castle. After a long campaign, Martin was ousted. His brother Peter, a gallant soldier, who had supported Sir Martin, lost favor with the authorities and was deprived of the greater part of his possessions. Thus it was that Peter's son, with his children, sought to renew his fortune by coming to the Nieu Netherlands.

It is probable that Roelof with his brother, Jan, and sister, Anetje, sailed in the ship "de Valckner," arriving in New Amsterdam, June 28, 1650. That they arrived some time during 1650 is certain, as will be shown later. In this ship came also Jacob van Couwenhoven, who with Adrian van der Donck and Jan Eversten Bout, had made a contract with the West India Company, dated at Amsterdam, March 1

Links

• FamilySearch profile for Roeloff Martense Schenck: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/MNFJ-S63
• WikiTree profile for Roelof Martense Schenck (1619 - 1705): https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Schenck-409
• David Kipp Conover genealogy for Roelof Martense Schenck: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~conover/genealogy/connet/connet-o/p4...