Genealogy of Abraham Oothout Zabriskie of Bergen County

Genealogical history of Hudson and Bergen counties, New Jersey

Abraham Oothout Zabriskie belonged to one of the most numerous and eminently conspicuous families of Bergen County. In Poland the name was “Sobieska,” and Albrecht Sobieska was the first of the family in America. It has been claimed by many of his descendants that royal blood coursed in Albrecht’s veins, because he was a brother of John III., the last king of Poland. The facts do not sustain such a claim. Albrecht Sobieska was not a brother of the last king of Poland. James Sobieska (the king’s father) and his wife, Theophila, had but three children: Mark, John (the king), … Read more

Biography of Jacob H. Hopper of Bergen County

Genealogical history of Hudson and Bergen counties, New Jersey

Jacob H. Hopper. 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 … Read more

Biography of The Goetschius Family of Bergen County

Genealogical history of Hudson and Bergen counties, New Jersey

The Goetschius Family is also a numerous family in the western part of Bergen County. They are all descended from John Henry Goetschy, who was born in the Canton of Zurich, in Switzerland, about 1695, where he studied for the ministry in the University of Switzerland. He came to America about 1728, and first preached at Skippach and in the valleys of the Delaware and Susquehanna in Pennsylvania. His son, John Henry Goetschius, born at Liguria, Switzerland, in 1718, studied in the University of Zurich, and came to America with his father in 1728. He was licensed to preach in … Read more

Biography of John Engel of Bergen County

Genealogical history of Hudson and Bergen counties, New Jersey

John Engel, formerly Postmaster of Hackensack, and one of the most popular hotel proprietors in Bergen County, was born in Prussia, Germany, on the 16th of April, 1845. His parents, Charles Engel and Agustia Kuehn, ere both born and married in Prussia. Major Engel received his education at the military school at Schloss, Annaburg, Province of Saxony, and in 1860 came to this country, arriving in New York City on the 16th of October. His first business here was as a barber in New York. In 1868 he removed to Hackensack, N. J., where he has since resided, and where … Read more

Genealogy of David A. Demarest of Bergen County

Genealogical history of Hudson and Bergen counties, New Jersey

David A. Demarest was without doubt in his day one of the most widely known and highly respected men in Bergen County. He was of the sixth generation from David des Marest, the French Huguenot emigrant, concerning whom we see page 64. The line of descent was as follows: David des Marest (1), the emigrant, and his wife, Maria Sohier, had four children, one of whom was David Demarest, Jr. (2), who married Rachel Cresson and had twelve children, one of whom was Jacobus (3), who married Lea de Groot and Margrietie Cozines Haring, and had fifteen children, one of … Read more

The De Groot Family of Bergen County

Genealogical history of Hudson and Bergen counties, New Jersey

The De Groot Family, still numerous in Bergen and Hudson Counties, are of Holland descent. William Pietersen de Groot came to America in 1662, on board the ship “Hope,” with his wife and five children. They were from Amsterdam, Holland. Dirck Jansen de Groot, a native of Rylevelt, in Holland, came to New Amsterdam as a soldier in the Dutch service, on board the ship “Spotted Cow,” April 15, 1660, leaving behind him his wife, Grietie Gerrets, and two children. In April, 1663, Dirck’s brother, Staats de Groot, who, the ship’s register says, was a resident of Tricht, Holland, came … Read more

Genealogy of Abram De Baun of Bergen County

Genealogical history of Hudson and Bergen counties, New Jersey

Abram De Baun, the common ancestor of all the DeBauns in Bergen and Hudson Counties was Joost de Baen, a native of Brussels in Flanders (Belgium), who came over to New Amsterdam in 1683. The next year he married Elizabeth Drabb and located at Bushwick, L. I., where he was soon afterward made town clerk. In 1686 he removed to New Utrecht, where he was elected town clerk and taught the village school. This was during the controversy over the conduct of Governor Leisler. De Baen entered that contest and took an active part against the Governor, which caused him … Read more

The Brower Family of Bergen County

Genealogical history of Hudson and Bergen counties, New Jersey

The Brower Family is another very numerous family in Bergen County. They are descended from Adam Brower, who emigrated to New Amsterdam from Cologne, France, in 1642. Three years later he married Madalena Jacobs Ferdon, of Long Island. He was a miller, and lived in New Amsterdam until 1647, when he removed to Brooklyn, where he joined the Dutch Church in 1677 and paid taxes from 1675 to 1698. His issue were fifteen children: Peter, Jacobus, Aeltie, Matthew, William, Mary, Magdalena, Adam, Abraham, Sophia, Ann, Sarah, Nicholas, Daniel, and Rachel. Peter, baptized in 1646, married (1) Pieternella Uldricks, (2) Gertrude … Read more

Genealogy of Matthew J. Bogert of Bergen County

Genealogical history of Hudson and Bergen counties, New Jersey

The Bougaerdts were a numerous and influential family in Holland, where they filled many important military and civic positions, and attained lasting fame in the arts, sciences, and literature centuries before the advent of any of them in America. Guilliaem Bougaert was Schout of the City of Dordrecht in 1423. His son Adam became first Professor of Music and Rector of the Academy at Leyden, where he died in 1482. He is buried in St. Peter’s Church in Leyden, beneath a stone surmounted with a copper plate on which is an inscription setting forth his fame. This church was built … Read more

Biography of The Bertholfs of Bergen County

Genealogical history of Hudson and Bergen counties, New Jersey

The Bertholfs, who are very numerous in Bergen County, particularly in the western part, are descended from Guilliam Bertholf, who was born at Sluys in Flanders, and with his wife, Martina Hendricks Verwey, came to America in 1684 and first located at Bergen in New Jersey, where they joined the church, October 6, 1684, and where their son Henry was baptized April 6, 1686. Guilliam had studied theology at Middleburgh, Holland, and had come to America in the capacity of catechiser voorleser and schoolmaster. In these capacities he labored at Bergen until 1690, when he removed to Hackensack, where the … Read more