Genealogy Archives — New Jersey Genealogy

Genealogy of Charles E. Voorhis of Bergen County

Genealogical history of Hudson and Bergen counties, New Jersey

Charles E. Voorhis is a descendant in the eighth generation from Steven Coerts Van Voorhees, the first American ancestor of the family in America, whose pedigree has been written in the sketch on page 83 [John J. Voorhees]. One of Steven’s children, Albert Stevens Voorhees (2), emigrated with his father to America in 1660, and located with the rest of his family at Flatlands, Long Island, where he married (1) Barentie Williamse, (2) Tjelletje Wizzelpenning, and (3) Elina Vander Scheur. He was living at Flatlands as late as 1683, as the assessment roll then shows. He removed with his family, … Read more

The Vandelinda Family of Bergen County

Pieter Linde was a native of Belle, a town on the road from Bruges to Ghent in Flanders. He was a physician, and came to America in 1639 with his wife, Elsie Barents. The shipping records show that, on April 18, 1639, he paid to David Pietersen de Vries and Frederick Pietersen de Vries 140 Carolus gelders ($56) for passage for himself and wife to New Amsterdam, where he settled and followed his profession until the death of his wife in 1643. On July 1, of the following year (1644), he entered into a marriage contract with Martha Chambers, or … Read more

The Sickles Family of Bergen and Hudson County

The Sickles Family had much to do with the early settlement of Hudson and Bergen Counties. Zacharias Sickles, the common American ancestor of the family, was a native of the City of Vienna, Austria, who soon after reaching manhood drifted to Amsterdam, Holland, where he entered the military service and was sent with a fleet on a cruise to Curacoa, where he remained until 1655. In the service he attained the rank of Adelborst or Cadet. In 1655 Governor Stuyvesant paid a visit to the island where Sickles was on duty. The latter accompanied the Governor to New Amsterdam and … Read more

The Schuyler Family of Bergen County

The New Jersey branch of the Schuyler family, now very numerous in the western and northern pars of Bergen County, are now descended from Philip Pietersen Van Schuyler, born in 1628 at Amsterdam, Holland, who, with his brother David, emigrated to America in 1650 and settled first at Fort Orange (Albany), New York, on December 12, 1650. Following his arrival at Albany he married Margaretta Van Schlectenhorst, of Nieuwkirk, Holland, her father being then manager of the Colonie of Van Rensselaer. He was a magistrate at Albany in 1656, 1657, and 1661. In 1662 he received permission to plant a … Read more

The Ryerson Family of Bergen County

The Ryersons are the most numerous to-day of any family in the western part of Bergen County. The original surname of the family was “Reyertzoon.” The family were numerous in Amsterdam, Holland, as early as 1390, in which year one William Reyertzoon was Burgomaster of the city. Another member of the family filled the same office in 1414 and 1418. Members of this family held prominent positions in Amsterdam up to 1585. Many of them took an active part in the expulsion of the Spaniards from Holland, for which two of them were banished by the Spanish king, and another, … Read more

Genealogy of James A. Romeyn of Bergen County

The Romeyns, Romaines, and Romains, of Bergen County, claim to be of Italian lineage, which they trace to one Giacomo de Ferentino, an Italian gentleman who settled at Rongham Manor, Norfolkshire, England, in the early part of the thirteenth century, and married an English lady, Isabella de Rucham, by whom he had issue two sons, one James A. Romeyn of whom was Peter. This Peter was sent to Rome to be educated, and on his return took the surname of Romaeyn (Peter the Roman). He married a daughter of Thomas De Leicester. Many of Peter’s descendants became noted men in … Read more

The Quackenbush Family of Hudson and Bergen Counties

The Quackenbush Family in Bergen and Hudson Counties are descended from Peter Quackenbush, of Oostgeest, Holland. His son, Rynier Pietersen Van Quackenbosch, came to America in 1673-74 and located at New Amsterdam, where he married, March 2, 1674, Elizabeth Jans, of Flushing, Long Island. He was a carpenter by trade, and pursued that calling in New Amsterdam. His wife having died in 1691, he married, the following year, Classie Jacobse. He had a large family of children, among whom were Abraham, Jacob, and John. Abraham settled at Schraalenburgh in Bergen County and married Susanna, a daughter of Samuel Hellings (Helms), … Read more

The Powless Family of Bergen County

The Powless Family, still very numerous in Bergen County, trace their descent from Paulus Pietersen, who was born at Merwen, Holland, in 1632, and emigrated to this country in 1656. His wife, Tryntie Martens, was among the emigrants who came over from Holland in the ship “Gilded Beaver,” in 1658. The marriage of Paulus Pietersen and Tryntie Martens is that announced on the records of the old Dutch church in New York: “Paulus Pietersen, j.d. Van Merwin int Stiff Aken in lant van Gilbert Sept 1, 1685.” Merwin is a small town in Holland, and Aken a town in Prussian … Read more

Genealogy of John H. Post of Bergen County

Captain Adriaen Post first came to America from Harlengen, Holland, about 1653, as agent or manager of Baron Van der Cappellan’s colony on Staten Island. Upon the destruction of that colony by the Indians early in 1655, Mr. Post fled to Bergen (Jersey City), whence, in September following, he, with his wife, five children, two servants, and one girl, were taken prisoners by the Indians at what is known as the second massacre of Pavonia. The family escaped by the payment of a heavy ransom, and Post was thereupon dispatched by the Bergen colonists to treat with the sachems of … Read more

The Peack Family of Bergen County

John Peeck (as he spelled it), the common ancestor of the Pake and Peak families of Bergen County, still quite numerous, was of English parentage, but whether he came to New Amsterdam from Holland or England does not appear. He must have come over in 1640 or 1650, for his marriage to Maria Vlockers (widow) is recorded in the New Amsterdam church records as of February 20, 1650. This entry, unlike most of the other entries, contains no reference to the place of his nativity. As the name Peeck does not appear in any of the New York or New … Read more