Facts on Jan Roelofsen Van Vleckeren

Was Jan in fact our pioneer Van Vlack ancestor or was it Marinus Roelofse Van Vleckeren? It would seem to be Jan, and Marinus his descendant, although no positive record has been found to link them together. Diligent search and an elimination process led the writer to reach this conclusion, though not proven.

First, a review was made of 1660 to 1700 tax, church and court records in New Amsterdam with the help of the Holland Society of New York, upon becoming a member in 1980 for access to their excellent library. This source only revealed two additional bits of information (P and E below) beyond what author Jane Van Vleck had found earlier, but of real importance. We now know he lived in Flatbush (now Brooklyn) on Long Island and not New Amsterdam as supposed after he was married. Of historical interest too, we know he was a carpenter and a grower of tobacco leaf, which was an important export crop grown on Long Island in Colonial days.

Here is what we know of Jan so far:

A.  Passenger on the ship DeStatyn, which sailed from Amsterdam on Sept. 27,1663, listed as Jan Roeloffsen from Norway - Holland Society Year Book 1902, P. 26.

B.  Marriage recorded in the Dutch Church of New York thus: 1665 Aug. 23, Jan Roelfse, jm Van Vlecker in Noord Wegen en Tytje Lippes, Wed. Van Lauren Laurensen (''jm' = young man; "Wed."=widow)

C.  The estate of Rachel Van Tienhoven conveyed land in 1666-67 to Jan Roelofsen Van Vleckeren - New York County conveyances, Lib. 13, p. 218

D.  From Records of New Amsterdam, Vol. VI, Minutes of the Court of Burgomasters and Shepens May 8, 1666 to Sept. 5, 1675, edited by Berthold Ferrow, the following two Items:

a.     Page 250 - date 1670

i.     Mary Matthews, pltf. v/s Jan Roelofsen, carpenter, deft. Pltf. demands from deft. Fl. 110. 6 sewant acc with costs. Deft. admits the debt and asks delay. The W: Court condemns the deft, to pay the pltf. the fl. 110. 6. sewant within the terms of six weeks.

b.     Page 313 - date 1671

i.     Marten Hofman, pltf. v/s Jan Roelofsen, deft. Pltf. demands from deft, according to handwriting the sum of one hundred gliders sewant and 400 lbs. of tobacco, for which debt the pltf. has attached the deft’s tobacco and other effects in the hands of Caaes Meilis and demands that said effects be condemned the rather, as he warned the deft. several times to come here from Flatbush, to satisfy pltf. for the debt. The deft. remaining in default in appearing and answering to the said attachment, it is by the W: Court decreed and ordered, that the debt shall be satisfied and paid to the pltf. out of the above mentioned and other the defts effects, with costs.

E.  From Colonial History of State of New York, Vol. III, page 74: Names of Dutch who swore allegiance to England after surrender of New York, Oct. 21, 1664 -“Roelofus, Jan’.

Now knowing Jan’s whereabouts and that there was a Lutheran church in Flatbush (Norwegians were always raised as Lutherans), and also knowing that there was a Dutch church there, then perhaps Marinus’ baptismal date would show up. However, no early Lutheran records have ever been found and the Dutch records had nothing either.

Next is the analysis on the collected findings on the question.

1)    It could be that Marinus’ baptismal date was in the lost Lutheran records.

2)    Marinus’ name was not found on any passenger list of ships arrivals.

3)    Marinus named one son Jan.

4)    The time period between Jan’s and Marinus’ marriage dates is 37 years, and Marinus’ age at death (about 1740) is 80 years. It was common to marry late to accumulate wealth so as to establish a farm or business, and 80 was the normal life span for Van Vlack kin at the time.

5)    The most convincing evidence is that, of all the Roelofses in the Colony (and there were many), and of all the wealth of records available, only Jan and Marinus were personally identified as Van Vleckeren. It would seem that yes, Jan was the parent of Marinus. It really doesn’t matter much though. The Van Vlack family branching out really begins with Marinus. So we’ll leave it there for now. He is our pioneer ancestor until proven otherwise.