Uldrick Adam Klein

marriage in New Amsterdam

1641 28 Jul; Ulderick Cleen, jm Uyt Hessen; Aefje Pieters, jd van Amsterdam

the following from: http://vanarsdaleleefamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2012/08/uldrick-kley...

The Brower / Kleyn Branches

Uldrick Kleyn was born in Hessen Germany where he grew up in the midst of the Thirty Year War

Uldrick Kleyn was born between 1610- 1620 at Staden, Hessen, Germany. This an area of West Central Germany. In the War of the Thuringian Succession (1247–64), Hessen gained its independence and became a Landgraviate within the Holy Roman Empire. It shortly rose to primary importance under Landgrave Philip the Magnanimous, who was one of the leaders of German Protestantism. After Philip's death in 1567, the territory was divided up among four of his sons. By the late 16th century, one son adopted Calvinism, while another remained Lutheran and subsequently the two lines often found themselves on different sides of a conflict, most notably in the disputes over territory and in the Thirty Years' War (1618-48), when Darmstadt fought on the side of the Emperor, while Kassel sided with Sweden and France. This war became more a continuation of the Bourbon–Habsburg rivalry for European political pre-eminence, and in turn led to further warfare between France and the Habsburg powers, and less specifically about religion. A major impact of the Thirty Years' War was the extensive destruction of entire regions, denuded by the foraging armies. Episodes of famine and disease significantly decreased the populace of the German states, Bohemia, the Low Countries and Italy, while bankrupting most of the combatant powers. While the regiments within each army were not strictly mercenary in that they were not guns for hire that changed sides from battle to battle, the individual soldiers that made up the regiments for the most part probably were. The problem of discipline was made more difficult still by the ad hoc nature of 17th-century military financing. Armies were expected to be largely self-funding from loot taken or tribute extorted from the settlements where they operated. This encouraged a form of lawlessness that imposed often severe hardship on inhabitants of the occupied territory.i It is in this context that Uldrick left Germany for New Amsterdam. In debt, Uldrick worked in New Amsterdam as a soldier

As Uldert Cleijnen, from Staden (northeast of Frankurt am Main, present state of Hessen, Germany) he went to New Netherland as a soldier, between 22 May, 1640, (when he acknowledged a debt at Amsterdam to be covered by a garnishment to his wages) and 28 Jun, 1641. In the New World the surname is also spelled Cliene; Cleen, Cleyn, and in various other forms. Baefje Pieters

Baefje Pieters was born before 1625 at Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She was also known as Aefje Pieters. Baefje Pieters and Uldrick Kleyn were married in 1641

He married Baefje Pieters at Reformed Dutch Church, New Amsterdam, on 28 July 1641; (Uldrick Clein, j.m. uyt Hessen; Aefje Pieters, j.d. van Amsterdam).3 Baefje and Uldrick struggle financially with Baefje bringing in most of the income as a tavern keeper while Uldrick occasionally found work as a cow herd

On 6 Aug, 1642 Uldrick bought a small house and garden lot in New Amsterdam. In that same month he gave testimony, and in both instances he signed his name. On 19 May, 1643 he witnessed a document in New Amsterdam. There is no mention of either him or his wife for the next decade in New Netherland (they may have gone back to Europe, lived elsewhere at another Dutch Colony such as Brazil, or may have just lived in obscrurity in New Netherland). On 25 Oct, 1653, he was granted a house and lot in Beverwyck (now Albany, New York). His wife Baefje was a tavern keeper in Beverwyck and appeared frequently in court records between 1654 and 1671, often to collect unpaid debts. It appears that she was the primary provider for the family. Ulderick Kleyn appears in court records, without an occupation, although he contracted in 1668-69 to be a cowherd. Uldrick and Baefje summoned to court repeatedly for fights and name calling

As was the case with many residents of the time and place, Ulderick and his wife appear in court records regarding altercations involving verbal and physical violence. In 1656, Baefje was cited as a defendent against the complaints of Jan de Dekere, a commisary and officer at Beverwyck, and in 1657 Ulderick was the plaintiff accusing Eldert Gerbantsen, defendant of slandering his wife by calling her a whore. Eldert's reply was that Baefje called him a scoundrel and a thief and called his wife a whore. The couple, unable to provide for their depndent children, received relief from the Albany Dutch Church

The couple received assistance from the Albany Dutch Church in 1656 and from 1660 to 1669. The goods they received included cloth, articles of clothing, food, blankets, soap and wood. In addition the deacons paid 120 guilders to a surgeon for curing Ulderick Kleyn in 1666. As partial payment Ulderick and Baefje performed tasks such as taking in boarders, cleaning the church, and stringing seawant (wampum). ii Family of Baefje Pieters and Uldrick Kleyn

The deacons records indicate that the couple had at least a son and a daughter.iii Additional research indicates four in total, widely spaced.

1) Melchior Uldericks Kleyn b. 23 Nov 1642
2) Johannes Uldericks Kleyn b. c 1649, d. 2 Oct 1686
3) Petronella Uldrickse Kleyn b. c 1655
4) Ariaantje Uldericks Kleyn b. c 1660

Uldrick Kleyn died after 1672 at Albany, New York; ("shortly after 1672" according to NY Court records). Baefje remarried after Uldrick died but separates 7 years later because she was not being treated in a decent and Christian manner

Baefje Pieters married second at Schenectady, New York, between 1672 and 1679 Jan Roeloffse. On 1 April 1679, Baefje Pieters appears in the court records at Albany, stating that a seperation of bed and board has taken place at Schenectady between herself and her husband, Jan Roelofse, as it is not possible for her to live any longer with him. On 5 Dec 1682 Jan de Goyer signed a bond in which he promised to live in a decent, Christian manner, and not maltreat his wife any more.

GEDCOM Note

Uldrick Clein/Klein was born in Hessen, Germany during the 30 years war. In order to work off debt, he moved to New Amsterdam as a soldier prior to 1641. In 1641 he married Baefje Pieters. Their life was difficult, and were the recipients of aid through the local Dutch Reformed Church. Baefje was a tavern keeper and brought in the majority of income. She remarried after his death.