Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Laurens Andriessen

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Descendants of Laurens Andriessen

Generation No. 1

1. LAURENS¹ ANDRIESSEN¹ was born Abt. 1625 in Holstein, Denmark, and died July 13, 1694 in New Hackensack, Bergen Co., New Jersey. He married JANNETJE JANS September 12, 1658 in Old Dutch Church, New York City, New York. She was born 1630 in Holland, Netherlands, and died March 16, 1691/92 in New Hackensack, Bergen Co., New Jersey.

Notes for LAURENS ANDRIESSEN:
He was from Holstein, Denmark (now part of Germany). By 1642 he was living in Amsterdam and working as a turner, a specialized carpenter who was skilled in the use of the lathe. In 1654 he came to America, to New Amsterdam, bringing with him a young man from Holland, also a turner, who was under contract to Laurens for three years.

Laurens Andriessen, the first Buskirk in America, wa not named Buskirk at all. His name indicated that he was Laurens, son of Andries. Last names were not common at that time and in order to distinguish between people of the same name they were often refered to in some additional way. In Laurens' case he was first mentioned in the records as Laurens de Draijer, Draijer being the Dutch word for "turner." At other times he was listed as Laurens Andriessen Turner, Laurens Andriessen Draper, Laurens van Bos Kerck or van Boskerck, no doubt a reference to where he lived. ("Van Bos Kerck" meant from the church in the woods.)

In 1656 Laurens purchased land on Broad Street (New York at that time was below Wall Street - a plank wall erected as a defense against the Indians.) Two years later he married Jannetje Jans, a widow with three sons, who inherited from her husband additional land, part of which was the land that Trinity Church now stands on. In 1662 he purchased 160 acres on the west shore of the Hudson River and settled there in Bergen (now Greenville, a part of Jersey City) New Jersey. Later he moved his family to New Hackensack where he remained until his death in 1694.

Laurens seems to have been well repected during his lifetime, no matter who was in power (the English and Dutch kept alternating). For thirteen years he served under appointment to the Govenor's Upper Council of the provincial legislature. Some of the other positions which he held were the first coroner of Bergen County, justice of the peace, magistrate, member of the Cort of Common Right, the President of the English Court of oyer and Terminer, ranger general and Highway Commissioner.

(Items below came from Terry Erb at Terrillerb@home.com found at the rootsweb site - http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=terryerb&id=I860)

Laurens was a native of Holstein, in Denmark and came to North America via Holland. His name was originally Andriessen or Andresen as itappears in several records. He could have come to New Amsterdam prior to 1642 as there was a record of a Laurens Andriessen as early as 1642. He created the Van Boskerck name. The name is from bos and kerck, and with the van signifies "from the church in the woods". He lived in New Amsterdam (New York and New Jersey) from abt 1650 until his death in 1694. He was the founder of the family in this country who sometimes added to his name "Van Boskerck". All Van Boskerks, VanBoskercks, Van Buskirks, Booskirks, and other variant spellings are descended from Laurens Andreissen.

He first appears in the records of New Amsterdam 29 Jun 1656, in a deed for a lot on Broad street. He was then unmarried, and by trade a turner and later a draper. He lived in New Amsterdam until 1622, when he purchased 170 acres on the west shore of the bay at Mingackwa (later Greenville, now a part of Jersey City) and built a house there. When Laurens & Jannetie died; by their joint will of 1679 they divided their property between their four sons and her three sons by a previous marriage. The homestead at Mingackwa was left to their two youngest sons Peter (1666-1738) and Thomas; the latter probably released to his brother, as Peter became the sole owner and willed theproperty to two sons.
He took the oath of allegiance to the King of Great Britain 20 Nov1665. He was a man of more than ordinary ability for the times, and soon acquired great influence among his neighbors. When the country was recaptured by the Dutch, and the people expected a forfeiture of their lands, he and John Berry, Samuel Edsall and William Sandford appeared at Fort Willem Hendrick 18 Aug 1673, to request that "their plantations be confirmed in the privileges which they obtained from their previous Patroons. When a contest arose between the town of Bergen and the inhabitants of Minkakwa and Pemrepogh concerning fences and the support of the schoolmaster, he again appeared before the council to plead the cause of his neighbors. Under the act of 7 Nov 1668, for the marking of horses and cattle, he was appointed "Recorder& Marker" for Minkakwa 6 Apr 1670, and "Marker General" for the town of Bergen, 8 Oct 1676. On that day he was also appointed Ranger for Bergen, with power to name deputies " to range the woods and bring in all stray horses, mares & cattle." He was commissioned a member ofthe Bergen Court 16 Feb 1677, 18 Feb 1680, and president of the same 31 Aug 1681. He was a member of the Governor's council for a number of years, appointed first, 18 Mar 1672. To him also belongs the honor of holding the first commission to administer "Crowner's Quest Law" inthe county, having been appointed 18 Jan 1672, to hold an inquest on a child who had died under suspicious circumstances. Jointly withothers he purchased 6 Jan 1676, a large tract of land, then known as "New Hackensack", upon which he resided as early as 1688. When he married Jannetje on 12 Sept 1658, he received a fortune, consisting of four sons by her first husband, and about 1,400 Florins "heavy money, ten wampum beads for -------"

Note: Leaming & Spicer, 304. "On a copy of the Charter of Bergen, made in 1681, in the possesion of the Van Buskirk family, I found the following agreement. It is not signed, nor is it known who was the father of the girl; but it is interesting as showing -1st, The manner of educating the children of parents in comfortable circumstances. -2nd. The kind of compensation in use in the early days of Bergen:"
"Agreed with Mrs. Baker that she shall learne my daughter Ellinor to read and sew, and make all manner of needle worke, for one whole yeare from the day of the date hereof, being the 12th day of November, 1682, and in the meanwhile the said Mrs. Baker, during the said terme, shall not put her, my said daughter, to any manner of house worke, but tokeep her to her neddle worke, and for true performance hereof I am to give the said Mrs. Baker a heaffer of her first calfe, at the time of the expiration.'"

Children of LAURENS ANDRIESSEN and JANNETJE JANS are:

2.	i.		ANDRIES LAURENSEN² VAN BOSKERCK, b. Bef. March 03, 1659/60, New Amsterdam, Montgomery Co., New York; d. April 01, 1732, Constables Hook, New Jersey.
	ii.		LAURENS LAURENSEN VAN BOSKERCK¹, b. March 03, 1659/60, New Amsterdam, Montgomery Co., New York; d. April 01, 1733, Hackensack, Bergen Co., New Jesey; m. HENDRICKTJE VAN DER LINDE, Bef. 1687; b. Bef. December 16, 1663; d. June 27, 1716.

Notes for LAURENS LAURENSEN VAN BOSKERCK:
He had 240 acres near Hackensack, New Jersey. He was elected to the Provencial Assembly and part of his estate consisted of a "Brew House and Kettle." He had nine children by his wife.

More About HENDRICKTJE VAN DER LINDE:
Baptism: December 16, 1663

iii.

PIETER LAURENSEN VAN BOSKERCK¹, b. Bef. January 01, 1665/66; d. July 31, 1738, Hackensack, Bergen Co., New Jersey; m. TRYNTJE HANSE HERMENSE; b. 1671, Constables Hook, New Jersey; d. October 07, 1736.

Notes for PIETER LAURENSEN VAN BOSKERCK:
He possibly died in 1738. He settled on Constable's Hook, New Jersey, where he purchased close to 1000 acres of land and his wife inherited 500 acres. His stone house, overlooking the bay, and the family cemetery behind it stood for many years until Standard Oil move the cemetery and placed oil tanks on the property. He dammed the stream, producing a mill pond for grist and saw mills (Van Buskirk's mill). He also had a brass kettle large enough to produce beer for the area. So many baptisms were recorded at his home that it may have been an "ordinary," a place for travelers to eat. He had ten children by his wife. In his will he left a slave woman to each of his living daughters.

iv.

THOMAS LAURENSEN VAN BOSKERCK, b. 1668, Bergen Co., New Jersey; d. Bef. October 20, 1748, Reading, Hunterdon Co., New Jersey.

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