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Elias VAN BUNSCHOTEN

Male Bef 1679 - Bef 1758  (< 78 years)


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  • Name Elias VAN BUNSCHOTEN 
    Birth Bef 23 Nov 1679  Kingston, Ulster County, NY Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Christening 23 Nov 1679  Old Dutch Church, Kingston, Ulster County, NY Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Death Bef Feb 1758 
    Notes 
    • (1) Van Benschoten, William Henry, Concerning the Van Bunschoten or Van Benschoten Family in America, West Park-on-Hudson, NY: 1907, pp. 21-29:

      ELIAS V. B. . . . the eldest son of Theunis Eliasen and Gerritje Gerrits, m. at Kingston, N. Y., Aug. 13, 1705, Sarah Jans, bp. at Kingston, Oct. 8, 1686, dau. of Jan Mattysen Jansen and Magdelena Blanchan. The church record runs:

      "Elyas Van Bunschoten, j. m., born in Kingston, and Sara Janse, also born 'as above.' Married at the house of Jan Mattyse, by Wessel ten Broeck, Justice of the Peace. First publication of Banns, 12 Aug., 1705." (Date of marriage not given.)

      Children, all b. in Kingston: . . .

      I. Teunis, bp. Sept. 22, 1706, K. . . .

      II. Johannes, bp. Oct. 31, 1708, K.; d. in youth. . . .

      III. Gerritje, bp. Dec. 24, 1710, K.: d. in infancy. . . .

      IV. Gerritje, bp. Nov. 1, 1711, K.

      Of Elias some interesting items survive from this early period. A glimpse is had of him as "Elias Elisen" in certain fragmentary records of the Dutch church at Kingston "which exhibit the transactions of the Warden of the church in collecting Rents for Church Glebes and converting into money various forms of grain and produce." These were kept in degenerate French by one Montanye, a French refugee, who was secretary at that time. Powder, lead, flints and rum are recurring items in Elias' account, and blue kersey, duffle and candlesticks, buttons and Dusseldorf blue also find a place. Elias Elisen is credited with two deliveries of hemp, with a young goose "plucked," with "the half of a Red Fox," with "half a day's work upon our roof"?church roof?with "a day and a half repairing our great door and our wooden ceiling," and a final payment in cash. The powder, lead, rum and red fox all point to the frontiersman, the man on easy terms with the rifle and up in woodcraft: just as "work upon our roof" and "on our great door" indicate the handy man, the natural mechanic.

      He seems naturally, too, to have taken to soldiering. As Lieutenant he was one of the Ulster county officers recommended at Albany for the ill-starred Canadian Expedition of 1709. Surviving the fatal epidemic at Wood Creek he again served in the second attempt on Canada in July, 1711, when "Capt. Wessel ten Broeck, Lieut. John Pawling and Ensign Elyas van Bunschoten" and 48 privates "March upon ye Expedition to Canada." The loitering of the English commander and his eventual strange retreat made this expedition also a failure, and the colonial forces were left no choice but to return home and disband.

      On Nov. 6th, 1706, the minutes of the Court records show that Trustee "Teunis Elisse for & in behalf of his son Elyas Van Bunschoten moves to buy four Morgens of land Lying on or about that `Crupel Bosh' which is commonly called or known by the name of Tjerck's Crupel bosh; granted at ye rate of eight pieces of Eight per Morgen and to pay for ye writings."

      We next encounter Elias on Jan. 8, 1710-11 when Mattys Blanchan conveys to him for the "summe of thirty pounds current money of New York a certain Home Lott, Scituate, Lying and being in Kingston aforesaid, being bounded Westerly by the street, Northerly by ye Lott & Orchard now in the possession of Gerrit Van Bunschoten, Easterly by the ground of Jacob bruyn and Southerly by the Church Yarde or Common burying-place of Kingston aforesaid."

      Then next, on Aug. 27, 1712, we find Elias conveying away this same property, evidently preparatory to his removal to Dutchess county, for that change soon follows.

      It is on Oct. 15, 1712, that Elias Van Bunschoten "of Kingston" purchases of "Rimerigh Van Der Burgh, widow of Deirik, and Henry Van Der Burgh her son" one hundred and three acres of land at Specken Kill a few miles south of the very small settlement at Poughkeepsie, and takes up his permanent abode there, thus establishing the name in that county. This transaction is not recorded until 1752. The deed conveys among other "benefits, Advantages, hereditaments and appertinences thereunto belonging or in any-wise appertaining the Priviledg of Moughing of Grase in the Meadows for Cattle and couting of Timber and Wood in the woouds for Necessity unto him the said Elias Van Bunschoten his Heirs & Assigns for Ever * * * in all that Tract of Land and Meadows which now belongs unto Rimerigh Van Der Burgh and Henry Van Der Burgh and Magdalen his wife"?an interesting survival of the rights of commonage.

      It is difficult to appreciate the backwardness of Dutchess county at the time of Elias' arrival. Two years thereafter, in 1774, although it included the present county of Putnam and also territory to the north "it contained only 67 freeholders and an aggregate number of souls. including 29 slaves, of 445." It had been created a county on Nov. 1, 1683, when a provisional assembly under Gov. Dongan divided the colony into twelve counties or shires; but so undeveloped was it as yet that it was provisionally attached to Ulster until 1713. It was very heavily timbered; and this, and the further fact that it was lacking in prairie or meadow land ready for cultivation, accounts for a whole generation of settlers passing it by. It was the forest primeval. Until 1712 the nearest blacksmith was at Esopus or Kingston. A grist mill, however, had been built by Roger Brett in what became Fishkill, and he dying in 1712, this was ever after and widely known as "Madam Brett's mill." She was the only child of the patentee Francis Rombout. For years this mill served a large territory, and during the pioneer period the grists arrived on horseback, occasionally on the backs of a train of horses "en cue" literally, as each horse was tied to the tail of the next, the first horse being ridden or led. Horseback was the way of travelling; for such highways as there were were mere trails opened through the forest. The pioneers, when they had occasion to go abroad with their lumber wagons, always took their axes with them to clear the way when obstructed by fallen trees.

      Although the county had been purchased by the patentees from the savages years before, yet Indian bands still roamed through the country living by the chase. Their villages still existed in Fishkill Hook and along the Wappingers Creek. They seem to have lived in amity with the settlers and to have given the latter no great concern. Not so the wolves; as protection against them and other beasts of prey the early settlers were obliged to drive their stock at night into strong enclosures; and often then the wolves and panthers would break through and kill. Wolves were particularly troublesome and for years an exterminating war had to be waged against them. Such supervisor-accounts as survive show that many a wolf's head was brought in to obtain the 10 shillings reward. Even the Indians took a hand, and "Nackerinan," "Nannoquoen," "Amekoonet," "Hanniquit" and others turned wolves into money,?though it must have seemed to them very like a betrayal.

      Dutchess county is particularly deficient in early records because of fires. The first Court House, completed in 1746, was burnt in 1785. Soon rebuilt, the flames again destroyed it in 1808. Many old documents, books and records of the early period perished on these occasions and one sorely misses their aid.

      Meagre records from early supervisors illuminate a trifle, and since Elias. beginning with 1718, served as assessor for a long series of years in "Meedle Ward" we are to think of him as having his share in the following victuals and drink as well as much other public "dyet." In Jan., 1721, among items of expenses allowed by the supervisors are:

      "To Trvntje Van Kleck, widow, for victualling the assessors, supervisors. justices and clerks. Sider, shugar, candles, ??13. 9d.

      To Colonel Leonard Lewis. for two gallons of rum for assessors and supervisors, 9s."

      In 1726 are allowed:

      "To Colonel Leonard Lewis for three gallons of rum for assessors and supervisors at two meetings, 15s.

      To Widow Van der Bogart for victualling assessors, supervisors and clerks, sider furnished, ??1, 7s."

      In 1729 are allowed:

      "To Lawrence Van Kleeck for victualling the assessors and supervisors, and Sider, Rum and Shugar furnished, ??1, 12, 3.

      To Rodolphus Swartout, Esq., sheriff, for Liquors bought for Proclaiming his Royal Majesty King George the Second, 7s. 6d."

      In 1730 are allowed:

      "To Isaac Titesoort for Iron-work done to ye prison & ye stocks, ??0, 7s, 0.

      To Abram Freer for making a new Stock in ye north ward, 0. 15. 0.

      To Rachel Van der Bogart for dyet for the assessors and supervisors & clark, 9s."

      In 1735 is allowed:

      "To Harman Reindersee for attending the supervisors and the justices as cryer ??2. 10. 0."

      These few extracts certainly make clear that official thirst as well as official hunger was recognized in those days.

      While yet at Kingston Elias served as Ensign and Lieutenant, as has been shown; in continuity he was serving as Captain of Dutchess county militia as early at least as 1729 and as late as 1739, in which latter year he is created Major "in the room of Gilbert Livingstone." In 1742 the supervisors credit themselves by eleven shillings paid "to Major Van Bunschoten in full for fire-wood for John Heffy" (probably some unfortunate whom the supervisors were caring for).

      And Elias was a church-man. The Dutch Reformed churches of Poughkeepsie and Fishkill were organized in 1716 by Domine Vas of Kingston; and Elias Van Bunschoten was one of the first two deacons of the Poughkeepsie church. These were the only churches whatever in Dutchess county until 1747. The church nearest them was that of New Paltz. For a number of years the two congregations had no settled pastor "but nevertheless maintained public worship as best they could, sometimes having the reading of a sermon by a layman, and occasionally being aided by a neighboring minister who preached and administered baptism and the Holy Sacrament."

      In 1730 the two churches united in calling from Holland a minister. At the end of fourteen months the "Reverend, godly and learned Herr Cornelius Van Schie" arrived and was installed pastor of the united churches of Poughkeepsie and Fishkill. It had been stipulated, however, "that his salary shall begin with the lifting of the anchor of the ship on which he shall sail hither from Amsterdam." At the end of two years they found themselves pastorless again for Domine van Schie had listened to allurements from the church at Albany. In spite of "earnest and even pathetic calls" to Holland they remained without a minister for eleven years. Nor was it surprising that they called so long in vain. Let it be remembered that the country was mostly a wilderness, the settlements few and far between, and even in the settlements the dwellings widely dispersed, the people poor, the streams unbridged, the roads lonely bridle paths through silent forests. By dint of long, persistent searching the Rev. Benjamin Meynema of the Classis of Dokkum, Holland, was secured and duly installed as their pastor in 1745. At a joint meeting of the two consistories on Dec. 22, 1745, "he was present and presented two requests: one was that the expenses incurred in his journey to this country should be paid by the congregations, and the other that his salary should be paid half-yearly instead of yearly as promised in the call. The first was promptly granted and the second unanimously refused." The records of a consistory meeting held in 1747 show that "the Domine was pleased to enquire whether he and his horse ought not to be provided with meat and drink and fodder while he was engaged in pastoral visiting;" whereupon it was "Resolved, that the consistory who go around with him shall ask and demand these for his Reverence. Also his request that he might be reimbursed for any expenses in riding to the church, or from the church to his home, on account of storm, high water and necessity of being helped through the Creek (Wappingers, I opine), is answered in the affirmative since the call assigns that to him." Mr. Meynema continued in charge until 1756. After an interval of two years he was followed by Mr. Van Nist.

      Elias Van Bunschoten seems to have been continuously deacon until Jan. 25, 1732/3, when he was elected elder in the Poughkeepsie church.The church minutes show that he was installed a month later:

      "After prayer consistory meeting was here held and therein it was resolved that no money from the Deacon's Fund shall be invested without the knowledge and consent of the whole consistory, and not less than 100 guilders at one time at 8 per cent. And furthermore was elected as Elder Captain Elias Van Bunschoten and also as Deacon Henry Pells, and on the 25, February A. D. 1732/3 both were by me installed.

      DOM. VAN SCHIE."

      This office Elias continued to hold as late, at least, as May 3, 1739, under which date the following entry in the "Armen Gelt" book is found, the original being in Dutch: "In the presence of the Consistory of Poughkeepsie, by name Johannes Van Kleeck, Elder; Elias Van Bunschoten, Elder; Henry Van Derburgh, deacon; Abram De Graff, deacon, we have counted the chest and found therein the sum of three pounds in copper money and two shillings and sixpence; in Sewant (wampum) the sum of thirteen shillings and ninepence."

      Let me give a few sample entries from that same little book:

      "1739, Nov. 4, Sunday morning; Johannes Rynders, Voorlezer; I went about and took one shilling and threepence halfpenny, and seven White Wampum beads."

      "1739, Nov. 23. Student van Basten preached. I went around and took two shillings and ninepence and thirteen half-pennies, the same making the sum of three shillings, threepence half-penny."

      "1740, Oct. 8. Domine Vas preached and we, the consistory, paid him fifty shillings for his services, and there remained six shillings and twopence half-penny."

      "Ano 1740, Sunday ye 19 October. Mr. Robertson. an English Presbyterian minister, preached, and Mr. Abraham De Graeff and I colected from ye people and In ye Contribution we Gott in all ye sum of sixteen shillings & ??2 penny and we offered it to Mr. Robertson but he refused it."

      And here is interesting church matter:

      "Dutchess County, June ye 4, Ano. 1739.

      Then Received from Henry Van Derburgh, Deacon of the Church of Pockepsinck, the Sum of Twelve shillings, which with Thirty-two shillings and six-pence formerly received from Hendrick pells, is the full for a Black Cloath to Bury the Dead: I say Received in full per me.

      FRANCIS FILKINS."

      The records show that the church owned two palls, one large (Dood Kleed) for grown persons, and one small (Kleine Dood Kleed) for children, and that the church was paid for their use at funerals. The charges seem to have been one shilling and sixpence for the use of the little pall, "kline klet," and three shillings for the use of the large one.

      Such extracts help tell the tale. In everything pertaining to that sparsely-settled community we must think of Elias as having his part; regarding which things he might have used Aeneas' words:

      "All of which I saw and much of which I was."

      As the years went by Elias prospered and added to his acres. On Nov. 21st, 1719, he bought an adjoining "slith or angle of ground" to get possession of the famous, strong-flowing Specken or Spacken spring, source of the Spacken kill; on May 12th, 1722, he purchased of Thomas Lewis a fragment of land; on Aug. 17th, 1724, he bought of Thomas Saunders and others nine acres at Spekenkill; and finally on April 2nd, 1743, he made purchase of ninety-six acres of Isaac Gravenrath.

      A household census of Dutchess county taken in 1714 gives the family of Elias as: "One male adult, one female adult, two males under sixteen years, one female under sixteen years." His first wife, Sarah Janse, must have died soon after this; for he within two years marries again, taking to wife Catrina Keyser of Kingston, bp. Oct. 20, 1689, dau. of Dirk Cornelius Keyser and Agnietta Coens, or Coenraad. Dirk Cornelisen Keyser as early as 1657 was a merchant at New Amsterdam, where on July 18th of that year he gets judgment against one Jan Roelfsen for debt on his swearing to the correctness of his accounts,?judgment for "13 beavers." And there he is still found on July 19, 1662, when Dirk Keyser and Andries Spieringh, partners, merchants at New Amsterdam, confer power of attorney upon Walraef Claerhout; and yet on Sept. and of the same year when he acts as witness to a power of attorney by Nicholas Bott to Nicholas De Meyer to collect debts in Holland. Doubtless he himself was born in Holland, though his name appears on none of the surviving sailing-lists. He must have been well on in life when he married,?probably at Albany, whither many early New Amsterdam merchants removed and where all early records are lost. He is found at Wildwyck (Kingston) as early as 1669. His first child was baptized at Kingston June 18, 1671, and here it was that "Catryn" and several intervening children were baptized. On May 15, 1671, Dirk Keyser was possessed of lot number 22 in Kingston: on that date "the inhabitants were ordered to renew the stockade" and the portion that fell to him was "8?? rods." In 1676 his name appears in a list of petitioners to Governor Andrus concerning church matters at Kingston. In 1689 when the Oath of Allegiance was being administered by the English authorities he is not among those who took it, but instead is found under the head of "These following persons Did nott appear, viz." The records show that on Aug. 23, 1682, the Honorable Court orders that a certain piece of land "on the Ronduyt Kill at the Great Falls" formerly granted to Thomas Quick and Francis Coin "shall now be equally divided between Thomas Quick, Jan Waerd and Dirk Keyser because Francis Coin has run away?each of them to receive twenty-five morgen (fifty acres) or a just one-third portion." The court records also show that on Jan. 25, 1684, there was granted Dirk Keyser "a conveyance of twenty acres of land on the Rondout Kill at the south end of Jopsen Berrig." Whether he continued merchant and became farmer as well is uncertain.. He is found taking part in building the Marbletown church; and it was doubtless after him that the near-by Keyserike was named.

      No record survives of Elias' marriage with Catrina. By her he had the following children: . . .

      V. Elias, b. Apr. 23, 1717; bp. Jan. 24, 1718. Pk. . . .

      VI. Zara, bp. Oct. 23, 1718. Pk. . . .

      VII. Catrina (no baptismal record). . . .

      VIII. Jacob, bp. Jan. 21. 1722. K. . . .

      IX. Rachel, bp. Jan. 21. 1722. K. . . .

      X. Isaac, bp. Sep. 11, 1723. K. . . .

      XI. Rebecca, bp. Jan. 1, 1725. Pk. . . .

      XII. Johannes, bp. June 16, 1728. K.

      Johannes must have died young, and of Rachel and Rebecca no trace whatever is found.

      The illuminated face of the mother of many children?and stepchildren?such is "Catryn's" face to me. Those who have ears to hear let them hear her crooning:

      "Slaap,kinje, slaap,
      Daar buiten loopt een schaap,
      Een schaap met vier witte voetjes
      Dat drinkt zijn melk zoo zoetjes."

      For the babies of today it would be:

      "Sleep, baby, sleep,
      In the fields there runs a sheep,
      A sheep with four white feet
      That drinks its milk so sweet"

      No clue is found to Catryn's death. We know that on April 24, 1746, she joined Elias in deeding property to their son Elias, Jr., but later than this nothing can be learned of her. Just possibly it was her recent death which caused Elias to associate with himself, as below, his lately married son Jacob. This, though, is purely conjecture.

      Elias died without a will. It is evident that in his lifetime he had been his own executor, for he certainly had passed all his real estate to his sons while he was yet alive. Teunis was already established and wealthy, and Isaac seems to have received his patrimony jointly with Elias, and to have disposed of it to the latter; while to Jacob was deeded on April 5, 1755, all his father's remaining real estate. From the tax-lists I conclude that Elias spent his final years with "son Jacob," and that it was in the winter of 1757-58 that he died?took

      "mutely the cup from His hand that we all shall take."

      For in the spring of 1755 Major Elias Van Bunschoten's name, which had always theretofore stood singly on the tax-list, now had associated with it "& son Jacob:" "Major Van Bunschoten & Son Jacob," this owing to his having just deeded his remaining real estate to this son Jacob who had only married on the last-past Christmas Day. And this formula continued twice a year, February and June (for taxes were then levied twice every twelve months), until February, 1758, when Jacob Van Bunschoten's name, representing the same property, stands alone; and his brother Elias, who for many years had been paying taxes as Elias "Junior," at that same time and forever after stands without the Junior.

      The old burying-ground in Poughkeepsie where Elias may have been interred has been so encroached upon by buildings and streets that a mere fragment remains?and no message for us. Better I like to think of him as laid away at Spakenkill in one of the nameless graves on the high hill-top there. Were there a stone and were we to find it, "Alius," doubtless would have place thereon. His given name was variously spelled: Alius, Peas, Bias, Elyas, Elias; but the latter, the English form, has survived all others.
    Person ID I11713  Frost, Gilchrist and Related Families
    Last Modified 26 Mar 2024 

    Father Theunis Eliasen VAN BUNSCHOTEN,   b. Bef 26 Nov 1643, Bunschoten, Utrecht, Netherlands Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 16 Feb 1728, Kingston, Ulster County, NY Find all individuals with events at this location (Age < 84 years) 
    Mother Gerritje GERRITSE   d. Aft 21 Jul 1700, Kingston, Ulster County, NY Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Marriage Bef 22 May 1676 
    Family ID F4717  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Sarah JANS,   b. Bef 8 Oct 1686, Kingston, Ulster County, NY Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Abt 1714, Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, NY Find all individuals with events at this location (Age > 27 years) 
    Marriage Abt 12 Aug 1705  Old Dutch Church, Kingston, Ulster County, NY Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Banns 12 Aug 1705 
    Family ID F5390  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 26 Mar 2024 

    Family 2 Catrina KEYSER,   b. Bef 20 Oct 1689, Kingston, Ulster County, NY Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Aft 24 Apr 1746 (Age > 57 years) 
    Marriage Bef 23 Apr 1717  NY Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. Jacob VAN BUNSCHOTEN,   b. Bef 21 Jan 1722, Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, NY Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Aft 1784 (Age > 63 years)
    Family ID F5383  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 26 Mar 2024