Vrooman Family of New York

Vrooman Family of New York

Genealogies of the Descendants of the First Settlers of Schenectady:

Vrooman to Wemple

HENDRICK MEESE, the third brother of this name, was living "behind Kinderhook" in 1670; same year leased of Robert Sanders the long island called Steenraby, for six years; 1677 moved to Schenectady, where his home lot was on the north side of State Street, extending from Centre Street to, and including the Central R. R. depot. His bouwlandt was a portion of Van Curler's land; the engine house of N. Y. Central R. R. Co. southwest of the city, now stands nearly in the centre of his land; 1678 he mortgaged his house and barn lying opt voorste ende van t' Dorpe Shaenhechtady, &c. In the massacre of 1690 he was killed, with his son Bartel and two negroes. He left two sons, Adam and Jan.

ADAM, son of Hendrick Meese, b. in 1649 in Holland, was naturalized in the province of New York in 1715; in 1670, by consent of his father, he bound himself for two years to Cornelis van den Burgh to learn the millwright's trade for 80 guilders and a pair of new shoes the first year, and 120 guilders the second year; 1683 built a mill on the Sand kil where the Brandywine mills now stand; 1688 bought lands of the Mohawk sachems at Fort Hunter; in 1690, when Schenectady was attacked and burned by the French and Indiana, he saved his life by his bravery in defending his house which then stood on the west corner of Church and Front Streets; on this occasion his first wife Engeltie, with her infant child, was killed, and his two sons Barent and Wouter were carried away captives to Canada; 1697 went to Canada with an embassy to try to obtain the release of his sons (one of whom had turned Catholic), his brother (Jan?) and cousin (son of Pieter Meese of Albany), all carried away in 1690; 1703-1708 obtained a patent for the Sand kil and adjacent lands for mill purposes; 1714 obtained a patent for lands in Schoharie upon which he settled in 1715; some of the Palatines attempted to drive him off. He commenced a stone house 23ft. square by help of his sons, and had proceeded as far as the second story floor beams, when one night his unruly neighbors, led on by one Conrad Weiser, entirely demolished it. He then retired to Sehenectady and petitioned to the governor for redress. The governor commanded the sheriff of Albany to arrest said Weiser, and succeeded, it is presumed, in stopping the opposition to Vrooman's cultivating his land. [Doc. History, III, 412.] In 1726 he received an additional patent for 1,400 acres for his son Pieter; made his will September 12, 1729, proved June 13, 1730, spoke of the following children, save Christina and Jannetie, d. on his farm in Schoharie Feb. 25, 1730, and was buried in his private burying ground No, 36 Front Street. He m. first, Engeltie, secondly, Grietje Ryckman, widow of Jacques Cornelise Van Slyck in 1691; thirdly, Grietje Takelse Heemstraat, Jan. 13, 1697, in Albany. Ch. bp: Barent, 1679; Wouter, 1680; Pieter, b, May 4, 1684; Christina, bp. Oct. 18, 1685, m. Teunis Swart; Hendrick, 1687; Johannes or Jan bp. May 30, 1697, in Albany; Maria, Sept. 1, 1699, m. Douw Fonda; Bartholomeus, Dec. 22, 1700; Timotheus, Nov. 3, 1702; Seth, Jan. 7, 1705; Jacob Meese, July 3, 1707, in Albany; Eva, m. Joachim Ketelhuyn; Jannetie, m. Harmen Van Slyck.

WOUTER, son of Adam, m. Marytje, dau. of Isaac Casparse Hallenbeck of Albany, Sept. 24, 1707. He made his will May 7, 1748, proved April 18, 1757, d. Oct. 26, 1756; she d. Jan. 19, 1748. Ch: Adam, b. 1708 (?); Engeltie, bp. in Albany June 12, 1709, m. Cornelis Veeder; Isaac, b. Oct. 20, 1710; Isaac, bp. Nov. 13, 1712; Dorothea, bp. Oct. 3, 1714, m. Gillis Truex; Adam, bp. Feb. 3, 1716; Jacob, bp. Aug. 24, 1717; Christina, b. Jan. 19, bp. Apr. 4, 1719; Isaac, bp. April 8, 1721, d. June 1, 1807; Christyntje, bp. Jan. 19, 1723; Rachel, bp. May 31, 1724, m. Abraham Wemp and Abraham Fonda; Barent, b. Dec. 24, 1725; Elisabeth, b. 1727; Angelica, b. 1729; Nicholas, bp. 1730; Elisabeth, bp. May 7, 1732, m. Abraham Swits.

JACOB W., m. Rachel Van Woerd, Ch: Jannetie, b. Jan. 31, 1767

WOUTER I., of Normanskil, m. Jacomyntie, dau. of Johannes Barheyt (?). Capt. Wouter Vrooman of Guilderland was taken prisoner in 1780 and held two years. Ch. bp: Rachel, Dec. 6, 1767; Cornelia, Oct. 1, 1796; Jacob, May 29, 1771; Isaac, Jan. 3, 1773; Johannes, Aug. 7, 1774; Alida, May 12, 1776; Margarita, May 10, 1778; Isaac, Sept. 25, 1779; Maria, Oct. 19, 1784; Styntje, b. April 23, 1786.

JACOB JR., and Rebecca Ewing, both of Normanskil, m. June 17, 1792

This information is from Contributions for the Genealogies of the Descendants of the First Settlers of the Patent and City of Schenectady, from 1662 to 1800 by Jonathan Pearson (Albany, NY: J. Munsell, 1873). It is in the Schenectady Collection of the Schenectady County Public Library at Schdy R 929.1 P36c