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 Jacob Janse Schermerhorn 

The name of Jacob Janse Schermerhorn is a familiar one in the early colonial records of Albany, New York. Previous to 1648, however, his activities are not easy to trace, and it appears that he was known during this period as Jacob Jansen, Van Amsterdam. It is said that he was born in 1622 (Pearson's Albany Settlers), and it is quite likely that he was among the colonists who sailed from Holland on the ship Rensselaerswyck, Oct. 8, 1636. In the Van Rensselaer-Bower Mss. it is recorded that Jacob Janse, Van Amsterdam, was a carpenter by trade, and was engaged for four years, beginning Apr. 2, 1637, at wages of 40f. a year. Part of this time he was employed by Albert Andriesz (Bratt), and in the harvest of 1640, he served under Cornelis Teunisz, van Breucklin. Other references to him contained in the same Mss. are to the effect that on May 1, 1640, he received 32f. extra for "faithful service to the Patroon," and that in 1641 he was employed by Van Curler to do some copying. From that date until Aug. 20, 1643, when his account was closed by Van Curler, he was engaged with other carpenters, building houses and barns. It is thought that he was one of the young men or boys who came over with Albert Andriesz (Bratt) to assist in the building of a mill at Rensselaerswyck, the contract for which Bratt had entered into with Patroon Van Rensselaer. But in 1643 Jacob Janse had just reached the age of 21 years and perhaps had gathered together a little capital, sufficient to embark in enterprises of his own, and as the fur trade was of the most importance, he is next found following this vocation. At this time came the realization that his name must be used in full, as should become the position in affairs which he proposed to make for himself, and hereafter Schermerhorn was added. The appellation "van Amsterdam" had been used merely as designating the place of his former residence and to distinguish him from other Jacob Jansens. Jacob Janse Schermerhorn had at one time undoubtedly dwelt in Amsterdam, as his father is mentioned as living there in 1654. A certain document refers to "Jacob Janse Van Schermerhorn, formerly a citizen of Waterland, Holland." Waterland was the name of a large territory in North Holland, in which the town of Schermerhorn is located. Jacob Janse Schermerhorn evidently prospered as a fur trader and in 1649 is mentioned as an "importer" and possessing property which was "somewhat considerable." His enterprise evidently led him into taking advantage of all means available for the substantial increase of his possessions. A business partner of his, Jacob Ryntgens, who dwelt in New Amsterdam, secretly purchased firearms from the employees of the West India Co., and delivered them to Jacob Janse in Albany, who in turn sold them to the Indians. It seems this was against the law, and although Stuyvesant claimed the right to conduct this very same business, and did so openly, he evidently desired to restrict it entirely to himself. He claimed Ryntgens and Schermerhorn were guilty of a felony, and had them arrested and sentenced to banishment with the confiscation of all their property and goods. They were arrested May 29, 1648, and sentenced July 9, 1648. (It is in connection with the papers relating to this action, that the name Schermerhorn is first found in the Colonial Records.) The sentence of banishment was remitted, August 1, 1648, through the interposition of the "Nine Men" and other influential colonists who thought the sentence undeserved. This action of Stuyvesant formed one of the grounds for a stringent remonstrance, the following year, against his administration, as expressed in a document dated July 28, 1649, addressed to the "Mighty Lords States General of the United Netherlands," and sent by the colony of New Netherland. There were very few of the early traders of New Netherland, who did not experience the same kind of difficulty as that in which Jacob Schermerhorn found himself enmeshed, when Stuyvesant decided to make an example of him. It is well to realize certain facts of the case in this connection. In regard to selling to or trading with the Indians, firearms and liquors, this was what all traders did, not necessarily on account of greed of wealth, but because it was necessary for them to trade with these materials, in order to do any business at all. The Indians would demand their liquor and guns, and would invariably set apart a certain amount of their trade capital for the acquirement of these articles.

Although the banishment of Ryntgens and Jacob Janse was remitted, their estates remained confiscated. This, however, seemed to daunt our ancestor but little, and he evidently lost no time to plunge into active business again. It is quite evident that neither he nor his partner suffered from reputation on account of this early embarrassment, as in 1660-1, Jacobus Reynst (Ryntgens) appears as one of the Deputies and Directors of the West India Co., at Amsterdam, and commissary to the General Privileged India Co., and Jacob Janse served as commissary or magistrate at Fort Orange (Albany) for many years (1652, 54, 56, 57, 58, 64, 71, 72, 74, 75, and probably other years). There were three magistrates and the office was one of the most important in the Colony. In 1676 he is mentioned as constable of Albany. He was also a prominent member of the Reformed Dutch Church at Albany, organized in 1642 by Domine Johannes Megapolensis. He was a member of the Church Consistory, kept the records himself in 1666, and was one of the committee to audit the church accounts for the greater period between 1665 and 1686. His name is recorded as twelfth male member of the Church.

He made at least two trips to Holland and probably more which the records do not show. The first trip was made in 1654, and in connection with this he acted as attorney for some of his Albany friends. He visited Holland again in 1668 and then, with a party of other New Netherlanders, loaded the ship "King Charles" with "Goods and Cargoe fitted for their country." A recent order of the King's had prohibited more than one ship to sail yearly, where before three had been allowed. A petition, signed by Jacob Janse and his companions, requested a concession for them in this particular case, which was granted. Jacob Janse was always ready to help out his neighbors and friends, as is evidenced by the many times the records show he had given bond for various people. That he was a stern man and not easily to be trifled with, may be judged, through the records of the suits brought by him against others, for slander, trespass, moneys due and other matters. He was a large property owner. Exactly what his possessions were previous to 1648, when his property was confiscated, is not known, but on Nov. 29, 1652, he received a patent of a lot in Beverwyck (Albany) and on Oct. 25, 1653, he received a patent for two lots in the same place. These may be the same lots, one of which is described as being in his name in 1664, 60 ft. x 240 ft., on the east side of North Pearl St., between Maiden Lane and State St., and the other held by him, 1676-3, 26 1/2 ft. x 49 ft., on the corner of an alley, on the north side of Pearl and Chapel Streets. In his will his property is described as follows: "My lot of ground lying at the river side at Albany where Cleyn de Goyer lived, which formerly belonged to Cornelis Segers (his father-in-law). * * * my farm at Schotak, the Pasture over against Marte Garitsen's Eylandt, my two houses and lots in ye City of Albany, the one over against Isaak Sybanks and the other where my son Simon Schermerhorn lived, next to Johannes D. Wandelaer, my house and lot at Schenectady where I now dwell." He also must have owned property in New York, as on Oct. 23, 1656, he entered into suit against Paulus Schrick for non-payment of rent, which action is found among the "Records of New Amsterdam."

It is also recorded that on Dec. 31, 1700, the administrators of the estate of Jacob Jansen Schermerhorn deeded to the Reformed Church of Albany, * * * Pasture land, south of the city, west of the great pasture to the church, along wagon road toward the woods (patent of May 16, 1667), also a lot in the Great Pasture (patent to Jacob Schermerhorn, Nov. 9, 1652).

Just when Jacob Janse moved to Schenectady cannot be exactly determined. It was probably not long after its settlement in 1662. At least, he must have been a resident in 1673, during which year his wife was called to give court testimony concerning a certain happening in Schenectady. His son Ryer was a freeholder in Schenectady before 1684, and at the time Jacob Janse made his will in 1688 he (Jacob), was residing there. After the death of Jacob Janse Schermerhorn, his wife received the income from his estate, which was valued at 56,882 guilders (about $3,026,970.00 in the year 2016). This included the real estate mentioned and the moneys in Holland. After his wife's death in 1700, the estate was equally divided among the children.

Jannetje Segers Van Voorhout Schermerhorn, Jannetje was the daughter of New Netherland pioneers Cornelis Segers Van Voorhout and his wife one Breetje Jacobs. The family emigrated to Rensselaerswyck in 1643 when an often utilized resource specified the ages of their six living children. At that time, Jannetje was said to have been ten years old. Thus, she probably was born in Europe about 1633. Jannetje was the wife of American patriarch Jacob Janse Schermerhorn. Beginning in 1652, the marriage produced at least nine children. Although all of her children were born prior to surviving Baptism records, from the earliest, she was identified as a member of the Albany Dutch church. These Schermerhorns would raise their family in Beverwyck and afterwards Albany and posssibly also on the Manor and in Schenectady where Jacob Janse was an substantial landholder. In 1663, she was named in the joint will filed by her parents and identified as the wife of Jacob Schermerhorn. In May 1688, she was named as the principal heir (and sole executrix during widowhood) in the will filed by her husband. He died shortly thereafter. By the end of the century, widow Schermerhorn probably was absorbed in the households of her many surviving children. Jannetje Segers Van Voorhout Schermerhorn is said to have died about 1700.

Cornelis Segers Van Voorhout (father of  Jannetje), in November 1663, one Cornelis Segers Van Voorhout filed a joint will with his wife, one Bregje Jacobsen. At that time, he was identified as a farmer of "Rensselaerswyck Colony." The Dutch language document named a son, three daughters, and referenced the children of another deceased son. That New Netherland pioneer also was known by a variety of names and appears to be the first American ancestor of those Albany residents who would identify under the surname "Seeger."

Cornelis Segers Van Voorhout appears to have arrived in the colony in 1642. In August 1643, he signed a contract and took up residence on a farm on Castle Island. Within a few years, the couple had drafted a will that stated "they possess nothing." At the time of his arrival, his wife "Bregje" (the subject of a number of compiled profiles) was forty-five year old and, by that time, the couple reputedly had six children - all or most of them born in Europe. Thus, Cornelius Segers (the patriarch) may have been born prior to 1600.

In 1646, he appears to have taken over the other farm on the island formerly held by Adrian Van Der Donck. In March 1649, he is said to have engaged the son of Thomas Coningh to help him with the harvest. It is unclear whether this and subsequent references to similarly named individuals (including a namesake son) refer to the Seeger family patriarch or to one of his descendants or other kin.

He appears to have died prior to 1680. With so many similarly unassignable references, and missing important demographic data, we move on for now from the life of the pioneer settler known as Cornelis Segers Van Voorhout. The Egmont family was prominent in Holland in the eleventh century, and traced their descent from pagan kings. They had a chateau on the North Sea, about three miles west of Alkmaar, and from 1423 to 1558, they were at the height of their power. The family was divided into several branches and had in it nine knights of the Golden Fleece—serious Dutch nobility.

Schermerhorn Genealogy and Family Chronicles: Chapter I: General History (Part 2 of 2) Go back to: part 1 of Chapter 1 | ahead to: part 1 of Chapter 2

[This information has been taken from pp. 27-54 of Schermerhorn Genealogy and Family Chronicles by Richard Schermerhorn, Jr. (New York: Tobias A. Wright, Publisher, 1914).]