Cornelius Antonissen van Slyck

Cornelis Van Slyke (van Schlick) is a Dutchman who came to the New World as a carpenter at the age of 30, who became an interpreter for the Mohawk nation, was adopted into the tribe, and who met and married a French-Mohawk woman (Ots-Toch)who never left her native village. Their children, all raised at Canajoharie, one of the Mohawk castles or villages, became well-known and respected in the Dutch community. All except one left the village and married Dutch settlers.

'The Van Slyke Family in America: A Genealogy of Cornelise Antonissen Van Slyke, 1604-1676 and his Mohawk Wife Ots-Toc'. REVISED EDITION published May 2010. ISBN: 978-0-9680744-5-9

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The names of the early inhabitants of Schenectady followed the Dutch custom of the day and, as a consequence, there are frequently considerable variations in these Seventeenth century Holland Dutch names, which have often undergone great change and modification since those early days. The name prefix "Van" or "Vander" has frequently been dropped as in the case of Van Coppernol. In the days of the settlement of Schenectady, the ordinary Dutch freeholder had but one name, modified by the name of his father and his birthplace or place of residence. For instance, the name of the original Van Slyck was Cornelis Antonise Van Slyck, meaning "Cornelis, the son of Antonis of Slyck." His son, Jacques, was generally referred to as "Jacques, the son of Cornelis."

The early Dutch fur traders made their way North following the Hudson River and its tributary, the Mohawk River, into the valley of the Mohawks. As early as 1615 the New Netherland Co. erected fort Orange on Castle Island near Albany. Among the early fur traders was Cornelius Antonisen Van Syck.

Cornelius Anthonissen Van Slyck was born in 1604, and came from Utrecht, Holland in 1630. He was a carpenter and a mason from Bruckelen (near Ultrecht) in the Netherlands. He was one of the independent traders who emigrated aboard the "Eendracht" (Unity), arriving at New Amsterdam (New York City) on 24 May 1630. He was living at Cohoes in 1640, and leased a farm north of Albany NY. Cornelius could be found farming at the Cohoes Falls.

Jacques Hertell 1603 - 1651 Cornelius VanSlyck 1604 ~ 1690 The dominant traditional story that was published for many years in Van Slyck and Bradt genealogies is that a French trader named Hartell or Hertel came to the Mohawk valley around 1620, where he romanced with a Mohawk Princess known as the "Queen of Hog Island. She was the daughter of the Old Chief at the Great Castle at Canajoharie; she owned the island in the Mohawk River at Schenectad. Jacques’ wife (in the Indian sense) was called many names consisting of the following words: Indian, Mohawk, Tribe, Queen, Hertel. She became known as Mohawk Princess of Turtle Clan. who under the law of the Five Nations owned Hog Island in the Mohawk River. Hertel is said to have had two children with this woman. Nelson Greene, writing in History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West, 1614-1625, describes the two daughters, Ots Toch and Kenutje. "Ots Toch was wild and savage like her mother while Kenutje was small and handsome and very white like her father, Hartell." Ots_toch was born about 1620 in Canajoharie, Schenectady, New York

Jacques Hertel was an interpreter until 1629 when New France fell to the Kirk brothers. Then he and the other interpreters fled to the woods and to the natives tribes they were comforable with. When New France was returned to the French in 1633, Hertel was granted a 200-acre tract of land at Trois-Rivières by the Company of 100 Associates as a show of gratitude for his loyalty to New France. Hertel's Mohawk daughters Ots-Toch and Kenutje "may have been adopted by their mother's parents, a practice common in the Iroquois; thus the tradition of their being daughters of a chief would coincide with their fathering by a Frenchman. This would probably account for their being thought of as full-blooded Mohawks. The fact that Ots Toch and Kanetis [Kenutje] married (at least in the Indian sense) white suggests however that they were half-breed. In 1635 Cornelis Van Slyck ‘married’ Ots-Toch, an Indian woman from the Mohawk Castle at Canajoharie. Van Slyck fathered at least four children, and that his wife probably had other fully Indian children.

In the summer of 1641, Jacques Hertel married Marie Marguerie, who had recently arrived from Rouen in 1639. She had come out to Canada at the wish of her brother, François Marguerie, an explorer and companion to Champlain who had become an interpreter of Indian dialects. François Marguerie was staying in the town of Three Rivers where his sister came to join him. Jacques Hertel and Marie Marguerie would have three children before his death in 1651. Their only son, François Hertel, born in 1642 was considered one of Canada's most brilliant heroes. François Hertel had for godfather, his uncle and interpreter François Marguerie and godmother, Marguerite Couillard, the wife of the renowned interpreter and explorer, Jean Nicolet.

Their other children, both daughters were ancestor Madeleine born in 1645 and Marguerite born in 1649. Jacques Hertel was primarily an interpreter and fur trader, but he also worked an as interpreter for the Jesuits at Trois-Rivières. With ancestor, Jean Godefroy de Lintot, he was the first settler there before the official founding of that post. Beginning in 1645, Jacques Hertel built a house on his land while continuing to live in Trois-Rivières. Both these land grants began to be divided into lots beginning in 1666. He died 10 Aug 1651, Trois Rivieres, Maurice, Quebec in an accident of an unknown nature Cornelius became an interpreter for the Mohawk nation, and was adopted into the tribe.In 1637 he met and married the French-Mohawk woman, Ots-Toch, ] a Mohawk Indian princess - “dusky, Native American beauty with wild savage nature”. They were married at The Great castle at Cannajoharie, New York.

After Cornelius married Ots-Tosh he lived among the Mohawks at the Great Castle near Canajoharie (also known as Indian Castle). The Indians called Cornelius "Broer Cornelius. In addition "Broer Cornelis" engaged in fur trading and enjoyed great prestige among the tribesmen.Cornelius and Ots-Tosh had five children. Their children, all raised at Canajoharie, one of the Mohawk castles or villages, became well-known and respected in the Dutch community. All except one child left the village and married Dutch settlers. Cornelius and Ots-Tosh's first son Jacques Cornelius Van Slyck , was born in 1640 at the Great Indian Castle. His Indian name was “Itsychosaquachka” He also functioned as an intreperter. It was to him, that Van Slyke's Island was given by the Indians.

The Dutch West India Company was chartered as a conferred trading monopoly and the right to colonize in the new world. The Company would purchase land which was empowered to grant land to the settlers. In 1646, Director William Kiefft gave Cornelius a patent for the land at Catskill, in recognition of his services to Kiefft as a peacemaker among the Indians. Cornelius also owned land near Cohoes. Cornelius also received other land grants from the Mohawks.

A second son, Marten Mauice was born and married an Indian girl. He lived among the Indians as an interpreter and witnessed the 1661 deed of sale at Schenectady. He inherited Hog Island from his mother. He died in 1662. A third son, named Cornelius was born in 1643 and died young in 1649.

A daughter, Hilletje (Alice) was born. She was a devoted Christian and was raised among the Mohawks. She was educated at Albany and Schenectady, and acted as an interpreter. Hillitie, married Peter Danielse Van Olinda of Niskayuna. She was for many years employed as provincial interpreter with the Indians by the government at $50 per annum. The Mohawk sachems in 1667, gave her the great island in the Mohawk River at Niskayuna. She and her husband sold the island in 1669 to Captain Johannes Clute. The Sachems also gave to her land at the Willow Flat, below Port Jackson; and at the bought on the Mohawk in Water Vliet. She died February 10th, 1707.

Leah VanSlyke, youngest daughter of Cornelius and Ots-Tosh, was born in 1650. Leah was also a devote Christian, who was also well educated and acted as an interpreter. Cornelius was their youngest child born in 1658, and died very young.

Cornelius and Ots-Tosh lived at Beverwyck, NY from 1659 to 1668 and then moved back to Indian Castle at Canajoharie, NY. Ots-Tosh's death date is unknown, but it is said that she is buried on VanSlyke Island (in the Mohawk River opposite Schenectady), and is now known as Hog Island. Remember her mother was a Mohawk Princess known as the "Queen of Hog Island. Cornelius died in 1676. Cornelius was buried under old willow at eastern point of Van Slyke's Island opposite foot Wash. Ave.

As a Christian, Leah Van Slyck gave the early missionaries much help in their work among the Indians as well as the early settlers. She often served as an interpreter at the Indian Conferences at Fort Orange. Her signature is found on many old deeds. Leah VanSlyck married Class (Nicholas) Van Coppernoll sometime during the 1670s.

http://mygreenepastures.com/coppernoll-ancesters/

Van Slyck in Mohawk Valley, NY Replies: 1 Van Slyck in Mohawk Valley, NY Wes Plouff (View posts) Posted: 09 Jun 1999 06:00AM Classification: Query Surnames: Van Slyck, Van Slyke Jan,

I've been researching my wife's Van Slyck ancestors, who come from Montgomery Co, New York. The family includes Cornelis Antonissen Van Slyck, who came from Holland in 1634, married Ots-Toch of the Mohawk tribe, and was a founding settler of Schenectady, NY. Most histories of early Schenectady mention this marriage. Their children were given tracts of land along the Mohawk River by the tribe, some in Schenectady Co, some upriver in Montgomery Co.

There is a wonderful description of their daughter Hilletie in _The Journal of Jasper Danckaerts, 1679-1680_, published by Barnes and Noble. On April 25, 1680, Danckaerts reports a long conversation he had with Hilletie about religion and her life as a "half-breed" (his term).

Van Slyck Island is today under the bridge connecting Schenectady to Scotia. The Montgomery County land is near modern Palatine, New York.

Be cautious, though. There was also a Van Slyke family that settled below Albany on the Hudson River. After the Revolutionary War, both families spread across upstate New York and beyond. So there is some possibility your ancestors are NOT connected to the Mohawk Indians.

Wes Plouff nwplouff@rust.net Royal Oak, Michigan

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GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=103920662&pi...

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GEDCOM Source

@R1050710867@ U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc 1,7486::0

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Place: New Netherland; Year: 1620-1664; Page Number: 33 1,7486::1624774

GEDCOM Source

@R1050710867@ U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc 1,7486::0

GEDCOM Source

Place: New Netherland; Year: 1620-1664; Page Number: 33 1,7486::1624774

GEDCOM Source

@R1050710867@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=113334805&pi...

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GEDCOM Note

He was an early settler of Beverwyck, NY. He had several children by the Mohawk Chieftian's grand-daughter - Jacques, Martin, Hillitie and Leah. Although he received a large land grant in Schenectady, he lived in Beaverwyck and lived with the Mohawks at their upper castle at Canajoharie as an interpreter and trader. He had been adopted by the tribe since he had married into them. This marriage was not disreputable because the Mohawks were of high character and were generous in grants of land to the white settlers. Cornelius was reputed to be a man of excellent character and unbending integrity possessing great influence amoung the Mohawks and the rest of the Five Nations.