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Hendrick Meesen VROOMAN

Male 1623 - 1690


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  • Name Hendrick Meesen VROOMAN 
    Death Between 8 and 9 Feb 1690  Schenectady, Albany [now Schenectady] County, NY Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Birth Between 1621 and 1623  Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Reference Number
    Notes 
    • (1) "Hendrick Meesen Vrooman Updates 2011," a message posted by Barbara Boram on September 30, 2011 to the Vrooman Family History & Genealogy Message Board on RootsWeb.com <http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.vrooman/187/mb.ashx>:

      The following shows corrected and additional data for Hendrick Meesen Vrooman and notes for his children.

      Born between 1621 and 1623; died 9 February 1690.

      Son of Mees (Batholomeus) Pieter Huygens Vrooman (died after March 1648 and before February 1650 . . . and Adriantje Hendricx (died after 1664); they married 25 April 1621 "Mees Pietersz and Ariaentge Heyndrickx" in Warmond, South Holland. He is recorded as "jongeman" therefore he was not married previously. [From Regionaalarchief Leiden.]

      Also recorded as Mees Pieters Vroman in 1636. Mees Pieters Vroman and Adriantje Hendrix with child Hendrick are recorded in 1623 in Valkenburg, South Holland records. [From Rijnsburg Regenten 1573-1811 coll. J.B. Glasbergen.]

      Adriantje Hendricx is recorded as church member in 1640 "Ariaentgen Hendrickx, huijsvrouw van Mees Vroomman in julio 1647 op den niuw is vertrocken met attestati op Monster." Meaning she was a wife of Mees Vrooman church member in 1640 and "newly" (recorded) in 1647 with certificate from Monster. [From Lidmaten van de nederduits gereformdeerde gemeente te Valkenburg, trans. by J. B. Glasbergen.] Between 1633 and 1648 there are several notarized recordings for Mees Pietersz Vrooman. [From Vrooman, Loretta, "Copies of original Vrooman documents."]

      Ariaentge Hendricx is widow of Mees Pieterssen; married 5 February 1650 Dirk Jansen widower of Geertje Jaocbs in Warmond, South Holland. No further records on Dirck. [From Regionaalarchief Leiden.]

      Adiantgen Hedricks is listed in Hendrick's 1664 letter; her death is not documented.

      Therefore Hendrick was the oldest child and his siblings Pieter, Jacob and Maritje were born after 1623. There is no documentation for birth/baptisms for claimed dates of 1614/1615/1618 etc.

      Details for Hendrick's ancestry are not included at this time.

      There is no documentation for Gertruyd Johanns (Jansen) being his wife.

      1623 Valkenburg:

      First recording of Hendrick (Meesen Vrooman) in record in Valkenburg as only child of Mees Pieters Vroman and Adriaentgen Hendricx. [From Rijnsburg Regenten 1573-1811 coll. J.B. Glasbergen.]

      31 December 1648:

      "Hendrick Meesen Vroman young man from Valkenburch (and) Jantien Wolters Dorheij, daughter of Wolter Claeszen (Dorheij) from Vollenhoo." The banns were posted 3 December 1648 in Vollenhove and 20 December 1648 in Valkenburg for Henderik Meesen Vroomman, young man, and Jannittgen Wouters, young woman. There was a note about a problem and a referral from Vollenhove to Valkenburg; the two villages are about 100 km apart. They married 31 Dec. 1648 in Valkenburg.

      The church records in Vollenhove show no baptismal for Jannittgen/Jannetje, and there are no records for Wolter/Wouter Claeszen from Dorheij. There is a German town of Dorheim, but no connection or source for Wouter/Wolter/Walter has been found. [From Doop-en trouwboek van Valckenburg comp. by Joop Glasbergen.]

      1649:

      Birth of son Adam which is proven the eldest child recorded in 1664 as being 15 years old. However there is no baptismal recording, neither is there baptismal in Leiden in "April, 23 May or June 1649." . . .

      9 June 1651:

      Baptism of daughter Eva in Leiden. The mother's name is recorded Jannetge Wouters. . . .

      16 February 1653:

      Baptism of Johannes, later recorded as Jan (Hendricks) Vrooman. No mother's name; the sponsors are Pieter Mees Vroomman (his paternal uncle) and Catarina Johannis. There is no evidence that the sponsor Catarina Johannis was Pieter's wife. . . .

      5 August 1657:

      Baptism of Katalijnte. The sponsors are Josijntje Rebouts (unknown) and Maritje Bartholomeus Froman (aunt). . . .

      4 June 1659:

      Baptism of Bartholomeus. The sponsor is Maritje Bartholomeus Vromans (aunt). Bartholomeus is the 5 year old in 1664. . . .

      28 May 1660:

      Heyndrich Bartholomeesz Vroemen "gorter van Valchenburg is opde getuuyghisse van Jacobs Leeuwen bakker en Corneliss . . . as poorter deser Stede angenomme worden" (means Heyndrick . . . grocer from Valkenburg is with witnesses Jacobs . . . and Cornelis . . . taken as burgher in this city). [From letter Daniel Vrooman 1958 and several web sources, but no primary documentation.]

      20 March 1661:

      Baptism of daughter Hendrickje in Leiden. Sponsors Margarita Kanneman and Gertruijd Mentius. Apparently she died before 1663

      4 March 1663:

      Baptism of daughter Heijndrickje - sponsor Maritje Meesen (aunt). She died before 1664.

      Knowing the frequent infant deaths and childbirth death for women, it is very likely that Jannetgen Wouters, wife of Hendrick Meesen Vrooman, died after 4 March 1663 or before March/April 1664. Again there is no documentation that prior to 1664 he married Gertruyd Johannes. I like to add, that prevailing customs would baptize a child born after a remarriage with the name of the deceased spouse - say Jannetje not Hendrickje - (this is a speculative tool only).

      Wickersham and other Web sources . . . say Hendrick paid 1 pound 162 shillings for his passage. This is not correct: Being listed as indebted to the WIC shows that he was a hired hand and the money owed was in guilders and stivers. The "Map of Vroomans land" from the Jan Vrooman Bible shows the original text, which gives the total of 162 without a symbol for pounds etc. It was clearly Dutch money he owed.

      As a reference one burgher paying for a privilege of a kajutje (cabin) for himself and his wife paid 120 guilders which included food and drink. A common charge was 1 guilder a day for a kajuit or 12 stivers for between decks around 1650. [Jacobs, Jaap, New Netherland: A Dutch Colony in Seventeenth-Century America, Leiden, Netherlands & Boston, MA: Brill, 2005.]

      Speculations about a wife after Jannetgen Wouters and before apparently being a widower in April 1664 show no evidence.

      In 1664 or later:

      In the Schenectady massacre in 1690 nearly all church records burned. There are some reconstructed documents which are often doubtful in their authenticity. There we found 3 listings "166-?" showing that Hendrick Meesen baptizes his 3 sons "(op Holland)," when Jan Hendrickse married in 1680.

      17 April 1664-19 July 1664:

      Hendrick Meesen Vrooman and 5 children ages 15, 13, 11, 7 and 5 arrive on the ship D'Endracht (which means Unity, there is no primary source why this ship is continuously called "The Concord.")

      5 October and 21 October 1664:

      Hendrick writes a letter addresses to his brother Jacob, sister Maarten and his mother Adriaantgen. He speaks of the beautiful country and states that he already has plowed for a man Korrelar and will have work for another month; son Adam is also employed and the other children are with his brother Pieter in Albany. His employer therefore is Arend van Curler aka Corlear the founder of Schenectady and this is Hendrick's first residence in New Netherland.

      [From Metamorfose project (Koninklijke Bibliotheheek, The Hague), and Brieven als Buit (van der Wal, M. J., Universiteit Leiden, 2011), with permission.]

      15 April 1665:

      Hendrick Meesen to be employed "to pruyn trees" by Jeremias van Rensselaer, this item from Mrs. Wickersham's source given as "the unpublished letters of Jeremias van Rensselaer." I have found the published correspondence of Jeremias van Rensselaer and there is no such entry. [See van Laer, A. J. F., Correspondence of Jeremias Van Rensselaer 1651-1674, Albany, NY: University of the State of New York, 1932.]

      13 October 1665:

      "Hendrick Meese (Vrooman)" purchases a gun for sewant 1600 florin. [From van Laer, A. J. F., Minutes of the Court of Albany, Rensselaerswyck, and Schenectady, 1668-1685, Albany, NY: University of the State of New York, 1926-1932.]

      3 March 1669:

      Hendrick Meessen Vrooman settles accounts with Jan Hendrickse Bruyn and will pay 2 beavers in 1677.

      6 April 1670:

      Hendrick Meessen Vrooman, farmer dwelling in the land being Kinderhook, is well indebted for 125 schepen wheat to Trintje Claes. [From Fort Orange records 1654-1679.]

      3 May 1670:

      Robert Sanders leases land to Hendrick Meussen Vrooman, a farm east of the Hudson called Stone Arabia for 6 years. Sanders provides all necessary animals and tools. [From van Laer, A. J. F., Minutes of the Court of Albany, Rensselaerswyck, and Schenectady, 1668-1685, Albany, NY: University of the State of New York, 1926-1932.]

      Bartholomeus Hendrickse in 1686 is recorded as a "young man from Schenectady," not Leiden. Son Adam has no marriage record. Therefore, Hendrick Meesen Vrooman's sons were most likely re-baptized in Schenectady prior to their marriages.

      11-21 July 1668

      ". . . the farm of Eldert (Gerberts Cruif) where Hendrick Maasz now lives . . ." [From van Laer, A. J. F., Correspondence of Jeremias Van Rensselaer 1651-1674, Albany, NY: University of the State of New York, 1932.]

      5 Oct. 1669:

      Hendrick Meessen and Jan Martin as selectmen behind Kinderhook are given authority to making fences, partitions. [From van Laer, A. J. F., Minutes of the Court of Albany, Rensselaerswyck, and Schenectady, Vol. 1, 1668-1673, Albany, NY: University of the State of New York, p. 126.]

      25 May 1671:

      Hendrick Meuus against Fransz Janse Pruyn, plaintiff demands 3½ beavers earned by his wife's first husband, his predecessor, for bricklaying payment thereof. . . . This is the first recording of his second wife, no name , no marriage date; clearly the wife's first husband (not named) must have died shortly before this recording. [From van Laer, A. J. F., Minutes of the Court of Albany, Rensselaerswyck, and Schenectady, 1668-1685, Albany, NY: University of the State of New York, 1926-1932.]

      6 Nov. 1675:

      Hendrick Meese Vrooman husbandman (this means farmer), dwelling on the land behind Kinderhoeck, is indebted to Tryntje Claese for 125 schepens of wheat, will pay off by next March. [From Pearson, Jonathan, Early Records of the City and County of Albany and Colony of Resselaerswyck, revised and edited by A. J. F. van Laer, Albany, NY: University of the State of New York, 1869-1919.]

      1677:

      Hendrick Meesen Vroman bought the van Curler bowerey, the lot north of State Street in Schenectady, said to be 20 morgen, the description of the land appears in Prof. Pearson only, but no primary source has been found. [From Pearson, Jonathan, A History of the Schenectady Patent in the Dutch and English Times, Albany, NY: J. Munsell's Sons, 1883.]

      12 June 1677:

      Gertruy Barentse plaintiff against wife of Hendrick Meuse defendant demands payment for clothes which she bought for her daughter; the defendant's husband Hendricke Meus appears; defendant to pay 3½ beavers. Gertruy Barents was widow of Jacob Hendricks the tailor; therefore Hendrick Meesen Vrooman's second wife had a daughter, no further documentation. These two recordings are the only evidence for a second wife of Hendrick. There is no evidence that she was "Gertruyd Johannes/Jansen."

      4 Apr. 1678:

      Hendrick Meese Vrooman's debt to Robert Sanders from 1676 is herewith destroyed; new debt recorded. [From Pearson, Jonathan, Early Records of the City and County of Albany and Colony of Resselaerswyck, revised and edited by A. J. F. van Laer, Albany, NY: University of the State of New York, 1869-1919.]

      1680:

      Hendrick Meesen Vrooman is listed as deacon in the Schenectady Church. [From Pearson, Jonathan, A History of the Schenectady Patent in the Dutch and English Times, Albany, NY: J. Munsell's Sons, 1883.]

      23 Apr. 1681:

      "Hendrick Meese [Vrooman] recorded in the church accounts of Schenectady with debt of 350 fl." [From Pearson, Jonathan, A History of the Schenectady Patent in the Dutch and English Times, Albany, NY: J. Munsell's Sons, 1883.]

      9 August 1681:

      Gabriel Thomson plaintiff against Hendrick Meuse demands 12 beavers according to his bond and the sum of 67 florins in seawan for merchandise. Default of the defendant to pay within 14 days "cum expensis."

      26 Nov. 1689:

      "Hendrick Meese [Vrooman] recorded in church accounts with obligation of 451-1." The church deacon of Schenectady is Adam Vrooman.

      8-9 February 1689 (old calendar) 1690 (new calendar):

      The date of the Schenectady massacre. About a third of the population or more was killed or taken prisoner. Hendrick Meese Vrooman in his house with his son Bartholomeus was killed. The list of victims and survivors does not show a wife for either of them. Also killed was the first wife of Adam Vrooman, Engeltje Barents Bloom and her infant child, as well as Mary Viele (Maria Arnoutse Viele) who was married first to Matthys Pietersen Vrooman, son of Pieter Meesen Vrooman, now wife of Douwe Aukes. Mary died with two children, one likely Margaret Aukes born abt. 1686, the other child is not identified but could logically be Gertruyd Vrooman, daughter of Mary and Matthys Pietersen Vrooman born by 1684, as there is no trace of Gertruyd - her only documentation is that she was mentioned as daughter in the will of Matthys Pieterse Vrooman in 1684.

      Barent Vrooman and 1 black man were taken prisoners by the Canadian Indians from Adam Vrooman's house, not both sons (Barent and Wouter!) Barent was retrieved nearly 10 years later.

      The Family Bible

      There is no documentation/evidence that Hendrick's bible survived the burning of Schenectady.

      Evidence of an early Vrooman bible appears in the Catalogue of the Schoharie County Historical Society Museum at Fort Stone: "Bible brought from Holland by Adam Vrooman printed 1718."

      All bibles were brought from Holland as nobody printed them in America. Adam, born 1649, would not have his own bible at arrival in 1664; as the eldest son he would inherit his father's bible, but even in Adam's will there is no mentioning of his bible.
      The "Yesteryears magazine v. 6" shows the text of the earliest Vrooman bible in possession of the Schoharie County Historical Society in 1961. Clearly it pertains to Jan Vrooman, Hendrick's younger son born 1653. This data is likely copyrighted and cannot be shown.

      A "Map of Vroomans land in Schoharie New York" is inserted in that Bible without a date with initials R.B. In the upper right corner is a Coat of Arms sketch named Vroomans clearly despicting an embroidered original. This picture was forwarded to the Schenectady Historical Society.

      Hendrick Meesen Vrooman has neither any "Van Egmond" ancestor nor is he entitled to a Coat Of Arms (see my previous article.)

      There has been no requested explanation from the Schoharie County Historical Society about the Jan Vrooman bible or the claimed coat of arms.

      SUMMARY:

      • Hendrick Meesen Vrooman was born 1621-1623 and died 9 Febr. 1690.
      • He was married twice: (1) Jannetgen Wouters Dorheij in Valkenburg 31 Dec. 1648 (NOT 20 December 1648), and (2) Unknown widow by spring 1671 who had a daughter and died after 1677-1690.
      • Hendrick did not marry Gertruyd Johannes/Jansen.
      • He was a widower before March/April 1664 and arrived alone with 5 children in New Amsterdam.
      • The ship "De Eendracht" (The Unity) is not recorded as "The Concord."
      • Hendrick lived in Schenectady, Rensselaer, Kinderhoek, Albany, and Schenectady.
      • In 1660 he was a grocer in Holland; he was a farmer in America. There is no documentation that he was a miller.
      • He is recorded frequently as being in debt; his last recording is November 1689.
      • He, his son Bartholomeus and his 2 slaves were killed and his house burned 9 February 1690.
      • There is no surviving wife for either, nor a documented child called Adam for Bartholomeus.
      • Jacob Meesen Vrooman, brother to Hendrick Meesen Vrooman, died in Albany without issue in 1691.
      • Pieter Meesen Vrooman, brother to Hendrick Meesen Vrooman, died in Albany before 30 May 1685. His only son, Matthys Pietersen Vrooman, died before 4 Feb. 1685; Matthys had a daughter Gertruyd recorded in Matthys' will in1684 (no further documentation); she likely died with her mother Maria Arnouts Viele in 1690 in the Schenectady massacre.
      • The Vrooman line continues only through the two sons of Hendrick Meesen Vrooman, Jan (Hendrickse) Vrooman and Adam (Hendrickse) Vrooman.

      (2) Universiteit Leiden, Monthly Letter of May-June 2009, a copy of which Monthly Letter was furnished to the compiler by Loretta Vrooman :

      New-Netherland: "land more beautiful than I have ever seen in Holland"

      From the Netherlands to New-Netherland

      400 years ago, Henry Hudson arrived in the bay of Manhattan with the VOC-ship The Half Moon (De Halve Maen) looking for a safer and faster route to India. He did not find this route, but he did discover a beautiful country with rivers full of fish and a wealth of fruits and crops. According to the ship's journal entry of 2 September it was "a very good land" to come across and "a pleasant land to see." Not long afterwards this land was colonized through Dutch trading companies and was named New-Netherland. Generations of Dutch colonists followed and they laid the foundation of the present USA. One of these Dutch colonists was Hendrik Meessen Vrooman.

      In October 1664, 55 years after Hudson's exploration, this Hendrik writes to his family in Leiden: his brother Jacob, his sister Maartje and his mother Ariaantje. The address tells us that Jacob lives in Leiden in the Breestraat close to the Hogewoerds bridge and that Ariaantje lives in Leiderdorp, close to the castle Huis ter Does. Hendrik wrote the first part of the letter on 5 October, but since the letter had not been sent yet two weeks later, he adds a page with extra details on 20 October.

      The widower Hendrik Meessen Vrooman left for New-Netherland together with his five children (Adam 1649°, Eva 1651°, Johannes 1653°, Kathlyntje 1657° and Bartholomeus 1659°). The family had arrived in their 'promised land' with the ship The Concord (De Eendracht) only 6 months before the letter was written. The amazement about the new environment is thus still fresh at the time of writing and some passages of Hendriks letter seem to echo the ship's journal from 1609:

      ["]It has been a good summer there. Very fine corn has grown there and the cultivation was good and the land still pleases me. At snechtendeel [Schenectady and the surrounding area] the land is more beautiful than I have ever seen in Holland.["]

      Hendrik lives in Schenectady with his eldest son Adam. His other children are staying with his brother Pieter Vrooman, who apparently arrived earlier in New-Netherland and lives near Fort Orange - now Albany. Hendrik and his son are farming the land. He proudly explains that he has plowed for a certain man called Korrelaer for about a month now and that he will be able to stay on working for him for another month. They have sown about 12 morgens of wheat (almost 9 ha/22 acres) and there are still 6 morgens (4.5 ha/almost 10 acres) to be done. He will get 16 bushels of wheat a month. His son Adam has plowed for three weeks for another farmer and will have keep working for him for another 5 weeks. This will earn him 14 bushels of wheat.

      Hendrik's report of the English takeover

      But Hendrik does not restrict his story to his personal work experiences. The year in which he arrived in New-Netherland is also the year in which New-Netherland was taken over by the English. Hendrik recounts the event in his letter:

      ["]Furthermore I let you know that there have arrived three English ships at the Manhattans with soldiers and they have claimed the land and they say that it belongs to their king. And Stuyvesant [the governor of the New-Netherlands] has given it to them without one shot, with an agreement. But the English soldiers say that Stuyvesant and Decker [Johannes de Dekker] already sold the land to them two years ago. On 28 September hundred soldiers with their officers have occupied Fort Orange and the guardhouse with permission and the English now keep watch.["]

      At the end of August in 1664, four English ships arrived at New-Amsterdam to claim the land for the English king. Colonel R. Nicolls let Governor Stuyvesant know that the Dutch could surrender under favourable conditions. Stuyvesant wouldn't hear of it - although New-Amsterdam was not prepared for a siege at all - and was prepared to fight till the bitter end. But the inhabitants of New-Amsterdam were not willing to risk their lives and that is the reason why Stuyvesant eventually accepted the English conditions and New-Netherland was surrendered to them. Hendrik Meessen Vrooman seems to be quite well informed about these facts for someone who lives more than 250 kilometers (155 miles) further inland. For example he knows that the country has been given up to the English without violence, "without one shot". But inevitably there are rumours: Hendrik writes for instance that the English claim that the land was sold to them two years earlier by Stuyvesant and Johannes de Dekker, a member of Stuyvesant's council and vice-director of Fort Orange. Hendrik reports that the English arrived in the area where he lives on 28 September 1664 and moved in to Fort Orange. According to him, this is not a bad thing, because the English seem to control the "savages" better than the Dutch do: the Indians have to lay low and "be a bit calmer than they have been before."

      How it all ends: the Schenectady Massacre

      Fortune smiled upon Hendrik for many years to follow. We know this thanks to different documents that have been kept and studies of the first colonists in Schenectady. In 1670 Hendrik could rent his own farm on the east side of the Hudson River and in 1690 he lived in a house in Schenectady and owned two slaves. His son Adam also thrived. He was apprenticed to a carpenter and a millwright. In 1688 he owned land in Schenectady as well as at the Mohawk River (Burke 1991). But in 1690 Hendrik's steady happiness and that of the entire Schenectady community was brutally interrupted. The "savages", for whom Hendrik felt more safe under English command, were among the people who created a true slaughter. This sad event would become known as the Schenectady Massacre. In the icy cold winter's night of 8 and 9 February, the village was suddenly attacked by a coalition of French and Indians. The villagers were caught off guard and did not stand a chance. The entire village was set to flames and nearly everyone who came running out was shot and scalped. Hendrik Meessen Vrooman was among the murdered that night. The story goes that his son Adam offered such fierce resistance that he was spared by the enemy. However, his wife and youngest daughter were killed and his son Barend was carried off to be a slave.

      Hendrik's life story illustrates the guts and perseverence of the Dutch colonists in New-Netherland: they left their safe home behind and built themselves a new life in a wonderful, but harsh country. 350 years later, Hendrik's letter does not only offer us a unique view of the fortunes of a Dutchman in New-Netherland, but also of the unpolished history of development of a nation. This makes his letter a great ego document to celebrate the Hudson year.

      The letter is kept in HCA 30-226-1. A first diplomatic transcription was made by Netty van Megen for the Wikiscripta Neerlandica project. The comment on this monthly letter is provided by Judith Nobels. The quotations of the letter have been translated freely.

      (3) "Families of Webster, Bachman, Van Valkenburg, McCall, etc." <http://xpda.com/family/default.htm?page=Vrooman-BartholomeusHuygensPi eterse-ind00426.htm>:

      Hendrick Bartholomeus Vrooman (Hendrick Meese, Hendrick Meesen Vroman)

      Hendrick was born in 1624 in Leyden, Zuid Holland, Netherlands. Hendrick's father was Bartholomeus Pieterse Huygens Vrooman and his mother was Ariaantgen Hendrix. His paternal grandparents were Pieter Huygensz Vrooman and Maritje Meesen. He was an only child. He died at the age of 66 on February 9th, 1690 in Schenectady, New York.

      General Notes

      Children: Adam, Eva H, Jan H, Kathlyntje, Bartholomeus, Hendrickje and Hendrickje

      1648, 20 Dec: marriage banns to Jannitgen Wouterse of Vollenhove, Overijssel

      1660: citizen of Leiden; children bp at the Mare Kerk, Pieterskerk and Hooglandsche Kerk in Leiden, Netherlands between 1653 and 1661.

      1664, 7 Apr: name with that of 5 children on passenger list of the Concord. He was either a widower at that time or his wife came later with youngest child, Hendrickje, b 1663.

      1665, 15 Mar: was "pruning trees in the [Rensselaerwyck] Colony garden"

      1670: living on land behind Kinderhook; and was a selectman of Kinderhook

      1671: married daughter of a mason - perhaps Geertruy Johannis (see '49 history)

      1677: moved to Schenectady and bought land on the VanCurler Bouwery

      1690, 9 Feb: was killed and burned by the French and Indians along with his son, Bartholomeus and two Negroes during the Sat/Sun Schenectady Massacre.

      On December 20, 1648 he married Jannitgen Wouters with whom he had six children.

      Jannitgen died in 1662 and it is believed their youngest child, Hendrickje, died around the same time.

      Hendrick, along with his other five children sailed from Holland for New Netherland on April 17, 1664 on the ship De Eendracht (The Concord).

      Married (2?) Geertruy Johannis in Kinderhook?

      Killed in Schenectady massacre

      Hendrick Meese/Meesen Vroman/Vrooman, the third brother was living behind Kinderhook in 1670, for six years; the same year Robert Sanders leased the long island called Steenraby. In 1677 he moved to Schenectady, where his home lot was on the north side of State Street, extending from Center Street to and including the Central R.R. Depot. His bouwlandt was a portion of Van Curler's land. The engine house of N.Y.C.R.R. Company, southwest of the city, now stands nearby in the center of his land. In 1678 he mortgaged his home and barn lying near Voorset and Van't Dorpe Shaenhechtady. In the massacre of 1690 Hendrick was killed, with his son Bartel and two negroes. Hendrick had 4 children:

      1. Bartel Vroman/Vrooman was killed in the 1690 massacre.

      2. Adam Vroman/Vrooman.

      3. Jan Vroman/Vrooman.

      4. Eva Hendrick Vroman/Vrooman, who married Jochem Lambert Van Valkenburg, the son of Lambert Jochemse and Annstje Jacobs. They had ten children.

      http://www.geocities.com/vanpatten.geo/sdystkd.html

      Hendrick's first family

      Hendrick and Jannitgen were married on December 20th, 1648.

      Hendrick's second family

      Hendrick and Geertruy were married. They had a daughter named Eva. [?]

      (4) Hoffman, William J., "An Armory of American Families of Dutch Descent," The New York Genealogical & Biographical Record, Vol. 67, No. 2 (April 1936), pp. 142, 144-145:

      HENDRICK MEESSEN VROMAN, a miller, is the progenitor of the family in America. His name appears as "Hendrick Bartholomeus" in the accounts of passengers from Holland to New Netherland charged with passage and board for himself and five children 15, 13, 11, 7 and 5 years old, sailing April 17, 1664 in D'Eendracht (The Concord), Jan Bergen, master. . . . It is to be noted that his wife and youngest child Hendrickje are not mentioned and it may be inferred that he was a widower and the child had died. Hendrick Meessen is mentioned in the (unpublished) accounts of Rensselaerswijck of Jeremias van Rensselaer on March 15, 1665 "for pruning the trees in the colony's garden". In 1670 he is mentioned as dwelling on the land behind Kinderhook . . . . He was a selectman of Kinderhook. . . . In 1670 he hired from Robert Sanders for a period of six years, a farm at Steenraby (Lansinghburgh) . . . , but removed in 1677 to Schenectady where he was among the earliest inhabitants. . . . On Jan. 7, 1678/9 he was delegated from the court and consistory of "Schaenhectady" to request that Dominie Schaets may come there four times a year on Sundays to serve the sacrement. The petition was denied but the Dominie was allowed to go there on weekdays. On April 4, 1678 he is mentioned as the owner of a house in Schenectady on which he secures a mortgage. . . . Hendrick Vroman lost his life in the Schenectady massacre on Feb. 9, 1690. His son Bartholomeus also lost his life, for in the list of those who perished during the massacre, . . . it is stated under date of Feb. 9, 1690: "Hend. Meese Vrooman & Bartholomeus Vrooman killed and burnt, also 2 negroes of Hend. Meese". It is stated that Hendrick's son Adam Vroman by the brave defense of the house gained the admiration of the French who spared his life . . . but not so his wife Engel who was "shott & burnt, her childe the brains dashed out against ye wall." "Barent ye sonne of Adam Vroman & ye neger" taken prisoner. . . .

      The following records concerning Hendrick have been found in the church records of Leiden, Netherlands. The name of his wife is not evident from the records as Hendrick's marriage has not been found to date (possibly contracted in one of the small villages surrounding Leiden) and the name of the mother is not given in the baptismal entries of the children.

      1 - Adam Vroman, born about 1649. On May 23, 1670 he made a statement that he was at that time about 21 years old. . . . This also checks with the age given in the passenger list. The baptisms of this and the following child, Eva, have not been found in the records to date.

      2 - Eva, born about 1651.

      3 - Johannes, bapt. Mare Kerk, Leiden, Feb. 15, 1653; sp. Pieter Meesz. Vrooman, Catharina Johannis.

      4 - Kathlyntje, bapt. Hooglandsche Kerk, Leiden, Aug. 5, 1657; sp. Josyntje Rebouts, Maritje Bartholomeus Froman (Vroman, a sister of the three brothers who came to America).

      5 - Bartholomeus, bapt. Pieterskerk, Leiden, June 4, 1659; sp. Maritje Bartholomeus Vroman.

      6 - Hendrickje, bapt. Hooglandsche Kerk, Leiden, Mar. 20, 1661, sp. Margarita Kannemans, Geertruyd Mentius.

      Hendrick Vroman married about the spring of 1671 a widow whose former husband had been a mason. . . .

      In searching for records about this family in the archives of Leiden one has to use extreme caution, for there existed at Leiden also a Vromans family, identified with the city magistracy, bearing arms entirely different from those borne by the family under consideration and apparently therefore of a different ancestry. Vro(o)man may be derived from vroom(e) man[,] meaning pious man, or vroede man[,] a wise man, and consequently might be a surname assumed by unrelated individuals and their descendants. The following records may however apply to members of the same family as the American settlers, which supposition is based on the fact that the name Bartholomeus also appears in this family.

      1 - Adriaen Vrooman mar. at Lisse, Sassenheim, as j.m. from Leiden (banns Dec. 29, 1669), Gerritje Ellincourt wid. of Joh. Verryn. Adriaen was a member of the Reformed church of Lisse in 1670.

      Children:

      a - Bartholomeus, bapt. Lisse, Oct. 18,1671, sp. Philip Vedder and Elisabeth Soutman. He mar. as j.m. from Lisse living at Leiden on the Lange Graft Mechteld Boon (Baen). They had several children bapt. at Leiden.

      b - Adriaen, bapt. Lisse, Feb. 18, 1674, sp. Jacobus Vroman and Dirkje Jacobs.

      c - Maria, bapt. Lisse, May 19, 1675, sp. Maria Vroman and Dirkje Jacobs van der Marck.

      2-Marie Vroman (possibly the sister of Adriaen), mar. Philips Vedder.

      Children:

      a - Jacobus, bapt. Mare Kerk, Leiden, Aug. 19, 1674; sp. Jacobus Vroman, Gerritje Ellikoert.

      b - Johannes bapt. Pieterskerk, Leiden, Feb. 28, 1670; sp. Adriaan Vromans, Cornelius Dijkhuysen, Anna Lopez.

      So much for the records of the family in the Fatherland.

      (5) Pearson, Jonathan, Contributions for the Genealogies of the Descendants of the First Settlers of the Patent and City of Schenectady, from 1662 to 1800, Albany, NY: J. Munsell, 1873 <http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/families/firstsettlers/vro_wem.html >:

      HENDRICK MEESE [VROOMAN], the third brother of this name, was living "behind Kinderhook" in 1670; same year leased of Robert Sanders the long island called Steenraby, for six years; 1677 moved to Schenectady, where his home lot was on the north side of State Street, extending from Centre Street to, and including the Central R. R. depot. His bouwlandt was a portion of Van Curler's land; the engine house of N. Y. Central R. R. Co. southwest of the city, now stands nearly in the centre of his land; 1678 he mortgaged his house and barn lying opt voorste ende van t' Dorpe Shaenhechtady, &c. In the massacre of 1690 he was killed, with his son Bartel and two negroes. He left two sons, Adam and Jan.

      (6) Wickersham, Grace Vrooman and Comstock, Ernest Bernard, The Vrooman Family in America: 1949, p. 11:

      1. HENDRICK MEESE VROOMAN, born in Holland, son of Bartholomeus Vrooman, came to New Netherlands in 1664, accompanied by his five children. After living "behind Kinderhook" and in Lansingburgh, he moved to Schenectady. About 1677, Pearson states that he purchased 20 morgens of land of the Van Curler Bourwery, a parcel of land commencing a little south of water street and extending south-westerly to or near the sand bluff, embracing the land covered by the canal and railroad tracts, being bounded, on the east by the land belonging to the Veeders. As there were then no public roads across the flats in this direction, Vrooman's land was reached by a lane still in existence (1883) called Vrooman's alley, or lane, extending from Water Street south-westerly, nearly parallel to Rotterdam Street. His village lot on the north side of State Street, extended from Lang Gang (Centre Street) to within 49 feet of Given's Hotel and extending back northerly about 500 feet.

      In historical documents preserved by the state of New York is a "List of ye people kild and destroyed by ye French of Canada and their Indians at Skinnechtady twenty miles to ye Westward of Albany, between Saturday and Sunday ye 9th day of February, 1686 90" . . . and among the names is that of Hend Meese Vrooman and his son Bartholomeus.

      "Hend Meese Vrooman and Bartholomeus Vrooman kild and burnt, Item 2 negroes of Hend Meese ye same death."

      Hendrick Meese Vrooman's estate was inherited by his two sons, Adam and Jan.

      2 ADAM VROOMAN, b in Holland, Sept. 14, 1649, came to America in 1664 with his father Hendrick Meese Vrooman.

      3 JAN VROOMAN, born in Holland, Feb 17,1653, second son of Hendrick Meese Vrooman.

      4 BARTHOLOMEUS VROOMAN, born in Holland, June 4, 1659, the child aged five who accompanied his father to the New World in 1664.

      (7) Early Records of the City and County of Albany and Colony of Rensselaerswyck, Vol. 3 (Notarial Papers 1 and 2, 1660-1696), Translated from the Original Dutch by Jonathan Pearson, Revised and Edited by A. J. F. Van Laer, Albany, NY: University of the State of New York, 1869-1919, pp. 370-372:

      Lease from Robert Sanders to Hendrick Meussen Vrooman of a farm on the east side of the Hudson river called Stone Arabia

      Appeared before me, Adriaen van Ilpendam, notary public residing in New Albany (appointed by the honorable magistrate of Albany, colony of Renselaerswyck and Schanechtade with the approbation of the Right Honorable Fran??oys Lovelace, on behalf of his Royal Highness James, Duke of York, governor general of all his territories in America), and before the undersigned witnesses, Robbert Sandersz of the one part and Heyndrick Meesz Vrooman of the other part, who in love and friendship have agreed together in manner following, to wit: Robbert Sandersz acknowledges that he has let and Heyndrick Meesz that he has hired a certain farm lying over against the long island called Steen Raby [Stone Arabia] for the term of six following years beginning on the first of May 1670, old style, and ending on the first of May 1676.

      The lessor promises to deliver therewith a house, barn and two ricks, a hogpen, two boards long and one board in width, all complete, and all the land that the lessor owns there, as well plowed land, garden, orchard and meadow as woodland, except the little flat opposite Philip Pietersz' door.

      The lessee shall enjoy the crops of the land which he shall find sown there and the lessee must move over the fence on the east side of said land as far as he shall see fit and lengthen the cross fence.

      At the expiration of said six years the lessee must deliver up three and a half morgens sown with winter wheat, and whatever more he sows the lessor must take and satisfy the lessee therefor at the valuation of two impartial men.

      The lessee must inclose the maize land also and put it under the plow, and the lessor must pay therefor at the end of the lease on a valuation, and furnish a man therefor 16 days.

      The lessee promises to pay as rent, the first year six skipples of wheat, the second rear twelve skipples of wheat, the third year forty skipples of wheat, and the three last years seventy skipples of wheat yearly, or for every skipple of wheat two and a half skipples of oats. The lessor promises to deliver therewith three cows with a heifer of three years which is with calf, and a heifer of two years, but the lessor must stand the risk of the two heifers until they have calved. Likewise the lessor promises to deliver therewith three heifers a year old which the lessee shall keep until they are three years old, when the half shall belong to the lessee. Furthermore the lessor promises to deliver therewith four horses, consisting of two mares and two stallions, likewise a winter stallion of which the lessor shall stand the risk until three years old and the lessor must have him gelded at his own risk; furthermore the lessor and lessee must each bear half the risk of the cows and horses and if any come to die they shall first be made good out of the increase and the remainder be divided half and half. Likewise the lessor promises to deliver therewith six sows, for which the lessee promises to deliver yearly two year-old hogs to pen up and fatten, except the first year, but the pigs which are there now shall belong to the lessee, provided he at the end of this lease shall deliver to the lessor three sows each of two years and three sows each of one year together with all the pigs which in the months of February, March and April shall be cast by said six sows. In case of accidents from fire on said farm (which may God prevent) both lessee and lessor shall bear each a half of the loss, but in case of general war the loss shall be borne by the lessor alone. The fruits of the orchard shall be received by the lessor and lessee each a half. The fences which the lessor delivers therewith, the lessee shall at the end of said time deliver up again tight so as to keep in horses, cattle and hogs. The lessor further delivers therewith a calf and promises to deliver there yearly a calf three weeks old and when said calves are three years old, each party shall receive the half and at the end of the six years the lessee shall deliver to the lessor again a calf in place of the aforesaid calf that is now delivered to him.

      The aforesaid contracting parties mutually promise (with God's help) to execute and perform what is hereinbefore written, binding thereto their respective persons and estates, nothing excepted, placing the same under the authority of all courts and judges, and in confirmation thereof they have subscribed this with their own hands without craft or guile (in presence of Jacob Tyssen vander Heyden and Claes Ripsz van Dam, as witnesses hereto) in Albany, this 3d of May 1670.

      ROBBERT SANDERSZ
      HEINDERICK MEESZEN VROOMAN

      [Witnesses:]
      Jacob Theysem vander Heyden
      Claes Ripsen van Dam

      Quod attestor
      ADRIAEN VAN ILPENDAM, Not. Pub.
    Person ID I120  Frost, Gilchrist and Related Families
    Last Modified 26 Mar 2024 

    Father Bartholomeus Pieter Huygens VROOMAN,   b. Abt 1590, Valkenburg, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Between Mar 1648 and Feb 1650 (Age ~ 58 years) 
    Mother Adriantje HENDRICX,   b. Abt 1594, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Aft 1664 (Age ~ 71 years) 
    Marriage 25 Apr 1621  Warmond, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Family ID F762  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Jannittgen WOUTERS,   b. Abt 1620, Netherlands Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 17 Apr 1664, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 44 years) 
    Marriage Banns 20 Dec 1648  Valkenburg, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Marriage 31 Dec 1648  Valkenburg, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Children 
     1. Adam Hendrickse VROOMAN,   b. 1649, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 25 Feb 1730, Schoharie, Albany [now Schoharie] County, NY Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 81 years)
     2. Eva Hendrickse VROOMAN,   b. Bef 9 Jun 1651, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1706, Kinderhook, Albany [now Columbia] County, NY Find all individuals with events at this location (Age > 54 years)
     3. Jan Hendricks VROOMAN,   b. Bef 15 Feb 1653, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Aft 24 Apr 1732 (Age > 79 years)
     4. Kathlyntje VROOMAN,   b. Bef 5 Aug 1657, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this location
     5. Bartholomeus VROOMAN,   b. Bef 4 Jun 1659, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Between 8 and 9 Feb 1690, Schenectady, Albany [now Schenectady] County, NY Find all individuals with events at this location
     6. Hendrickje VROOMAN,   b. Bef 20 Mar 1661, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 4 Mar 1663, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this location (Age < 1 years)
     7. Hendrickje VROOMAN,   b. Bef 4 Mar 1663, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 17 Apr 1664, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this location (Age < 1 years)
    Family ID F761  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 26 Mar 2024 

    Family 2 --- (VROOMAN) 
    Marriage Bef 25 May 1671 
    Family ID F11924  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 26 Mar 2024 

  • Sources 
    1. Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Citation Text: (1) "Hendrick Meesen Vrooman Updates 2011," amessage posted by Barbara Boram on September 30, 2011 to the Vrooman Family History & Genealogy Message Board on RootsWeb.com : . . . Mees (Batholomeus) Pieter Huygens Vrooman . . . and Adriantje Hendricx . . . married 25 April 1621 "Mees Pietersz and Ariaentge Heyndrickx" in Warmond, South Holland. He is recorded as "jongeman" therefore he was not married previously. [From Regionalarchief Leiden].

    2. Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Citation Text: (1) "Hendrick Meesen Vrooman Updates 2011," amessage posted by Barbara Boram on September 30, 2011 to the Vrooman Family History & Genealogy Message Board on RootsWeb.com : The banns were posted . . . 20 December 1648 in Valkenburg for Henderik Meesen Vroomman, young man, and Jannittgen Wouters, young woman.

    3. Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Citation Text: (1) "Hendrick Meesen Vrooman Updates 2011," amessage posted by Barbara Boram on September 30, 2011 to the Vrooman Family History & Genealogy Message Board on RootsWeb.com : . . . Henderik Meesen Vroomman, young man, and Jannittgen Wouters, young woman . . . married 31 Dec. 1648 in Valckenburg.