Steven Cornelissen van Cortlandt

(1) Hoffman, William J., "An Armory of American Families of Dutch Descent," in New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, vol. 66 (July 1935), pp. 269, 276-278:

STEVEN CORNELISSEN VAN CORTLANT, died prior to March 21, 1652; married Wijk-bij-Duurstede, Feb., 1609, FIJCHGEN OLOFFS. She died after March 21, 1652. According to the schepen register (fol. 74), Steven Cornelis on April 26, 1613, bought from Judith van Riebeeck, widow of Jacob van Bijler, with Hendrik van Bijler, her son, and in the name of Anna and Aeltgen van Bijler, their daughters and sisters, a house standing in the Vorderstraat, bounded by Deliana Blom, widow of the late William Holl and on the south by Belichgen, widow of Oloff Franss., undoubtedly the mother of Fijchgen Oloffs.

Three years later, in July, 1616 (2nd or 3rd), appeared Steven Cornelissen van Cortlant and acknowledged that he owed money to the children of the late Jacob van Bijler. It was a mortgage on his house in the Vorderstraat. This document was registered as late as April 3, 1620, on account of the death of the secretary. On Feb. 25, 1615, Steven Corneliss. van Cortlant acknowledged a debt to Elysabeth Jansdr. (fol. 116). Steven must have been the farmer of the cooperage excise, for on July 27, 1618 (fol. 213 vo.), appeared Steven Corneliss for himself and his wife, by whom he has legal offspring, and acknowledged that he owed the city of Wijck 100 guilders which he had collected in cooperage tax: "2 stivers at the cooper's and the brewer's, and 1?? stivers at the burghers.' "

The following records undoubtedly have reference to his wife's family. On Sept. 25, 1554 (fol. 63), appeared Frans Oloffs, having apparent offspring by his lawful wife, and renounced in behalf of his brother Jan Oloffs his part of the estate of his late parents, Oloff Gerrits and Cornelia, Jan van Bemmelsdochter. On Oct. 2, 1554 (fol. 64), appeared Oloff Stevens, having apparent offspring by Wouterken Jan Lubbertsdochter his wife, and renounced in favor of his uncle Jan Oloffs his share in the estate of his grandparents, Oloff Gerritsz. and Cornelia, Jan van Bemmelsdochter.

Steven Cornelissen van Cortlant appeared several times as a witness in the records of Notary Public P. van den Bosch at Wijk-bij-Duurstede. In the body of the instrument he is given the surname Cortlant or van Cortlant, but he always signed only Steven Cornelissen.

Children of Steven van Cortlant and Fijchgen Oloffs are the following: . . .

i. OLOFF STEVENS VAN CORTLANDT, the American progenitor. . . .

ii. SIJTIE STEVENS, is a sponsor in 1648 in New Amsterdam at the baptism of a child of Oloff Stevens (BDC:26), and is undoubtedly his sister. . . .

iii. MAEKEN STEVENS VAN CORTLANDT. On March 21, 1652, she and her sister NEELTGEN, the latter sick in body and lying in bed, made a joint will before the schepens of Wijk-bij-Duurstede (fol. 18 vo.), leaving each other their respective estates "on account of the love and affection they have for each other and in consideration that they have acquired these estates together," "Fijgen Oliven, widow of the late Steven Cornelissen, mother of the above-named girls," approved the will.

A few years later Mayken married at Wijk-bij-Duurstede on Feb. 25, 1659 (fol. 113), ABRAHAM HERMANSEN VAN SWAERDEREN. In an old membership list of the Wijk-bij-Duurstede Dutch Ref. Church, which list was started in 1686, are entered under that year (fol. 2 verso) Majchje Stevens and Neeltje Stevens living in the Peperstraat. This is the last entry relative to Mayken which has been found. . . .

iv. NEELTJE STEVENS VAN CORTLANDT, notwithstanding her illness in 1652 which prompted her to make her will, lived to a ripe old age, remaining unmarried. She lived at Wijk-bij-Duurstede with her sister Mayken in the Peperstraat, in a house which must have come into her possession from her grandfather, for in 1580 Cornelis Janssen, in all probability Cornelis Janssen Cortlant, is mentioned as the owner of an adjoining property in the Peperstraat, in deeds registered in that year (Schepen Register folio 86 vo., 184 vo.). On May 3, 1690, Neeltje Stevens van Cortlant made her will before Notary Public Johan van Sandick at Wijk-bij-Duurstede (Inv. 1733). She was then sick in body but in full possession of mind and memory. She requested a church funeral and it was her wish that her body be carried to the grave by decent young men each clothed in a long mourning cloak. She left a legacy of 200 guilders to Abraham Bastiaens van den Ende, "for special reasons of her own," this sum however to be divided between his sisters and brothers in case Abraham should have died without leaving any children. Upon payment of this legacy the residue was to revert in equal parts to her sole heirs, Fytgen van Cortlant and Steven van Cortlant, children of her brother Adrian van Cortlant. As her executors she appointed Johan de Wael, first burgomaster of Wijk-bij-Duurstede, and Dr. Med. Peter Benier, a schepen of that city. She signed with a mark.

On March 26, 1698, she made before the same notary a codicil (Inv. 1738) changing the legacy and now provided for the sum of 100 guilders to be paid each to Abram Bastiaens van den Enden and his two brothers Steven Bastiaens van den Ende and Adolph van den Ende, and to the poor of the city 50 caroli guilders to be put at interest. . . .

v. ADRIAEN STEVENSEN VAN CORTLANDT married in the Jacobi Church at Utrecht on Oct. 7, 1649, as a j.m. from Wijck living near the Vyebrug in Utrecht, EVERTJEN GOOSENS j.d. from de Graeff (Grave) living aen het Preekers kerckhoff. The betrothal entry is dated at Utrecht Sept. 23, and was also entered at Wijk-bij-Duurstede on the same date.

Adriaen Stevens, cleermaker, tailor, obtained the burgher right of Utrecht Jan. 26, 1659. This may possibly refer to the above. Three children of this couple were baptized at Utrecht. . . .