Hackensack – 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

Biography of John J. Voorhees of Hudson County

Steven Coerts (or Koerts, as he wrote it), the common ancestor of the Voorhees family in Bergen and Hudson Counties, emigrated to this country in April, 1660, coming over on the ship “Spotted Cow,” with his wife and seven children. They came from Ruinen, in the Province of Drenthe, Holland, and from in front of the little hamlet of Hees, near that locality. Hence, the name was a first Van Voorhees, “Van” meaning “from,” “Voor,” meaning “near,” and “Hees” (the hamlet name) “from near” or, “over from Hees.” Steven was not the first of the family to emigrate. In February, … 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

Biography of Daniel Rutan of Bergen County

Daniel Rutan was located at Esopus on the Hudson River prior to 1700. The place of his nativity does not appear, but he was no doubt a Hollander. His sons, Abraham, Daniel, Jr., and Peter, came to New Jersey and located at Aquackanonck (Passaic) as early as 1702. In 1703 Abraham married, at Hackensack, Mary Rutan, probably a near relative of his. In 1710 Daniel married Ann Hanse Spier, of Bergen, whose parents were then living at Passaic. In November, 1713, Daniel’s brother Peter located at New Barbados (west of Hackensack), here he married Gertrude Vanderhoff. The Vanderhoffs and Rutans … 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

Biography of John Rathbone Ramsey of Bergen County

John Rathbone Ramsey is one of the leading lawyers of Hackensack, Bergen County, New Jersey, and, in November, 1895, was elected to the office of County Clerk by a majority of 961, being the first Republican ever elected to that position in that county. He is the son of John P. Ramsey, a farmer, and Martha Rathbone, his wife, and a descendant on his father’s side of Samuel Ramsey, a native of Scotland, who with his son, John Ramsey, came to America in 1772, and settled at New Scotland, Albany County, New York. The son John, born in 1757, married … 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

The Outwater Family of Bergen County

The Outwater Family — Franz Jacobsen was a native of Oudewaer, a small town on the River Yssel, between Leyden and Utrecht, Holland. This town is also the birthplace of Arminius, after whom the “Remonstrants” were called Arminians. A picture in the Stadthuys, by Dirk Stoop, commemorates the brutal excesses committed there by the Spaniards in 1575. Jacobsen came to America prior to 1657 and located at Albany. One of his sons, Thys Franz Outwater, went from Albany to Tappan, New York, in 1686, where he married Geertie Lamberts Moll (widow of Jolin Jacobs Haring). His descendants spread over Rockland … Read more

Genealogy of Cornelius Lydecker of Bergen County

Cornelius Lydecker. Ryck Lydecker, the common ancestor of the Lydecker family in Bergen County, was from Amsterdam, Holland, but that city was probably not his birthplace. At all events he was a Hollander. The time of his arrival in America does not definitely appear. He first settled permanently at Bushwick, Long Island, on a grant of land obtained by him in 1660 or 1661. There he resided several years—perhaps until his death, which is said to have occurred prior to 1696. He was magistrate of Bushwick from 1682 to 1685. On June 24, 1663, he was appointed captain of a … Read more

Genealogy of Jacob H. Hopper of Bergen County

The Hopper family, it is said, started in France. They spelled the name Hoppe, and finally changed it to Hopper. Some of them went to Holland during times of religious persecution. It is known that Andries (Andrew) Hopper came to America from Amsterdam, Holland, with a wife (and, perhaps, two or three children), as early as 1653, and located in the City of New Amsterdam. The name of his wife does not appear in the New Jersey records. After their arrival the couple had three children born to them: William in 1654, Hendrick in 1656, and Matthew in 1658. Of … Read more