Category Archives: Gardinier

Jacob Janse Gardenier aka Flodder, Beverwyck, NY 1638

Jacob Janse Gardinier, sometimes called Flodder, was born about 1615, reportedly in Kampen, Overijssel, Netherlands. Although his Dutch homeland is known, nothing has been discovered about his family life in the Netherlands before he settled in New York.

He reportedly arrived in New York on 28 March 1638 on the ship Heinrich, making his way from Kampen and sailing from the port of Texel, Netherlands. Jacob reportedly arrived as the servant of Claes Jansz Ruyter.


Google Maps

The Flodder surname was used both by Jacob and to describe his son, Jan as Floddersen. Out of curiosity, I tried to translate Flodder into English – Google translate came up with BAGGY!

While I’ve been unable to locate documents about Jacob and his family, there seems to be, for once, a relatively stable list of nine children born to Jacob and his first wife, Josyna (MNU). She reportedly died in late January or early February 1669. He married (2) Barentje Straetsmans, 30 September 1674. Barentje was the widow of Hans Coenraats, by whom she reportedly had ten children, and survived Jacob.

Jacob reportedly died about 1688, but I have found no verification for that year, either.

I have NOT proven this information myself, so please do don’t consider this list as 100% correct! I haven’t found any glaring mistakes, either, but that doesn’t make it true! This is a starting point for future research.

Children:

1. Jan Jacobse, born c1648; died c1694; married Sarah Janse Van Bremen, c1669
2. Aeltje, born c1650; married Adam Dingman
3. Ariantje, born c1654; married Lucas Pieterse Coeymans, before 1676
4. Albert, born c1656; married Maritje Harmens Lievers, c1682
5. Andries, born c1658; died c1717; married Eytie Ariense, 13 November 1692
6. Hendrick, born c1660; died c1694/95; married Neeltje Claessen Van der Burgh, c1683
7. Lysbeth, born 11 February 1662/63
8. Josyntje, born c1664; died after 6 April 1701
9. Samuel Jacob, born c1666; died c1740; married Helena Dirkse Bye, c1689

Jacob Janse Gardinier was a wealthy man and, from his appearances in the Albany County, New York court records, he not only was a litigious man, but he was, in turn, sued by a number of other people. In the time span from 1680-1685 alone, Jacob’s name appears in 25 pages of Albany, Rensselaerswyck and Schenectady court records. The lawsuits all appear to be based on payments owed for transactions agreed upon.

Jacob was a carpenter by trade, but gained his wealth through land purchases. He built a grist mill on the Fifth Kill and owned land in Albany on both sides of Wall Street, which he divided into town lots and sold.

By 1667, Jacob had removed to Kinderhook, Columbia, New York and developed agricultural land. By the time he died, he owned over 1000 acres both in Albany and Kinderhook and ran a shipping business on the Hudson River.

Lastly, Jacob Janse Gardenier apparently was the owner of at least one enslaved person. A wayback page about him from October 2009 Geocities site includes this paragraph:

One of the more interesting cases is when Jacob Jansz Flodder [Gardenier] appear before the courts in 1671 and gave a deposition concerning a slave, “[Gardenier] says that he is not satisfied with the oaths of Eldert Gerbeck and his wife regarding the purchase of the negress child, alleging that they swear falsely; furthermore, that he can not sell the child is the same is his own bastard child.” [re: p. 251, 25 May 1671]. Though the particulars of the court case remain unclear it appears that this slave may have been seized by the court to pay for debt. If so, Jacob’s claim of parentage may have been a rouse to keep his property. The record does show that Gardenier was a slave owner and, if his deposition was true that he did have at least one daughter by a slave.

Given Jacob Gardenier aka Flodder’s wealth, I am a bit surprised that no will or probate administration has been found. However, accessing ancient New York records, or modern ones for that matter, isn’t the easiest task.

I’ll end this post with a complete mystery, found on American Ancestors in the New York: Albany County Deeds , 1630-1894 index, found in the lengthy section on Gardenier entries:

Barentie, widow of Jacob Janz, by attorney, 1609 (sic) May 13, page 47, Session Minutes, 1665-1668 – Proof of will of Jacob Janz Gardenier, deceased.

Barentie Straetsman, wife of Jacob Jansen to Richard Pretty, wife Elizabeth, 1674 Sept. 30, Book N.P. page 224 – Indenture of Service – Binds her daughter Johanna Hans, for 8 years to be brought up by Pretty and wife as their own child.

The cherry on top of this sundae is that I can’t find Albany court minutes for the time period from 1660-1668. There are digitized versions covering the years before and the years after, so I haven’t been able to read the entry for myself.

The date of 13 May 1609 is obviously a typographical error – so is the citation of 1665-1668 also an error? Maybe it is supposed to be 1685-1688? In any case, Although I found an entry for 13 May 1669, Barentie didn’t appear in that session. I haven’t found the actual minutes of this record. Something is not right here!

 

 

 

Ancestral Origins of the Dingman Family of Albany County, NY 1600s

It isn’t often that I have an opportunity to prove new lines of my husband because his family jumped all over the place – that applies to both his paternal and maternal ancestors.

Today, though, I not only found success, but the crumb trail leads to a completely new location. I’m excited, as Dave’s 10X great grandparent, Adam Dingman, married in Haarlem, Netherlands, but his marriage banns stated he was 29 years old, a purse maker  and of ANTWERP! Belgium is an entirely new research world for me! I’m not sure how far I’ll get since the time frame is already back in the 1500s, but it’s an exciting find nonetheless.

Adam Dingman married Janneke Gerritsdottir, aged 21 years old with permission from her mother,  “from Wezele” (Wesel, Germany today), soon after 15 September 1601, when one of two banns was published.

There are some online comments that Adam Dingman was a Huguenot, but I’ve found no proof of that. However, the family was Protestant and there was much turmoil and persecution of non-Catholics in this time period.

Little else is known about their lives, except that their five children were baptized at the Haarlem church:

  1. Gerrit, baptized 20 December 1604
  2. Rachel, baptized 11 October 1606
  3. Adam, baptized 10 May 1609
  4. Anna, baptized 28 August 1611
  5. Janneke, baptized 27 November 1617

The only child for whom further information has been found is Gerrit. Gerrit Dingman, from Haarlem, aged 24 and  living on Molen Straat,  married Janneke Teuwis, daughter of Hans, who lived on Weterings Gracht soon after their intentions were recorded on 25 January 1629 in Amsterdam.

Gerrit Dingman and Jannetje Teuwis were the parents of five known children, all baptized in Haarlem, Netherlands:

  1. Adam, baptized 27 August 1630; died young
  2. Adam, baptized 31 August 1631; died New York; married Aeltie Jacobse Gardinier, c1660
  3. Willem, baptized 25 September 1633
  4. Gerrit, baptized 1 February 1637
  5. Rachel, baptized 15 April 1635

Exactly when Adam Dingman settled in New York is unknown, but he appears in Greenbush, New York records by 1663. He married Aeltie Jacobs Gardinier sometime before 1677, when Adam bought a farm in Kinderhook  from his father-in-law, Jacob Janse Gardenier. Both are just south and slightly east of Albany.

Adam Dingman did well in his new home, becoming a prosperous freeholder. He served the community as overseer of the roads and fences and appears as a “referee” in more than one court case, assessing damages.He also served as a deputy sheriff for two terms.

Adam Dingman and Aeltie wrote a joint will, dated 19 November 1683. I’ve not been able to locate it in Albany records online, but it appears in the New York Calendar of Wills:

Aeltie predeceased Adam, but it isn’t clear whether her portion of the 1683 will was probated. Adam wrote a second will much later in life, dated 21 January 1721. It was proved in court on 20 March 1721, so Adam died sometime within that eight week period of time.

Adam and Aeltie (Jacobse Gardinier) Dingman were the parents of seven children:

  1. Janneke, born c1670; died after her father; married Pieter Barentse Cool, 5 February 1688 (bond), Albany County, New York. Pieter Cool was executor of his father-in-law’s will.
  2. Jacob, born c1675; married Eva Swartwout, 9 October 1698 (bond), Ulster County, New York
  3. Sara, born c1677; died 1747; married Johannes Van Alen, 3 July 1697 (bond), Kinderhook, New York
  4. Rachel, born c1680; married Pieter Ostrander, 4 June 1704 (bond), Kinderhook, New York
  5. Josyntje, baptized 28 September 1684; married Pieter Van Alen, 7 January 1705 (bond). They had no children.
  6. Gerrit, baptized 16 January 1687; married Cornelia Gardenier, 22 January 1714 (bond)
  7. Catalyntje, born c1690; married Johannes Barheit, 3 March 1718 (bond), Kinderhook, New York

We’ll look at the last two generations until they intertwine with the Stufflebean family in a couple of days.