O is for Orrseltie Dircks

This lady from  Holland was my 8th great grandmother.  Her story may have been lost in time, but I have tried to tell it now from the research facts that I have located about her.

Orrseltie  was a passenger to New Netherlands (New York today) on board the ship "De Moesman", (The Market Gardener).  Twice widowed, she traveled here alone with her two children: one age  2 years and another child age 10 months, and arrived May 1, 1658.  A transcript of the ship's record states, "DIRCKS, Ursel aus Holstein, eingew, mit 2 Kindern 1658".   While enroute to join her third husband, Orrseltie (also known as Ursel) Dircks ordered some new clothes from Anthony de Lorme, at the corner of Goldweighers and Broad Streets, New York, on April 23, 1658 and received an advance of money in silver and gold.

Orrseltie Dircks was the daughter of Dirck Volkertsen and his wife Christine Vigne.  Dirck was born in Bergen, Norway in 1595.    Orrseltie's exact  birth date is unknown, but may have been around 1630.  She is said to have come from Holstein in Prussia, an area which would be modern day Northern Germany.  Some researchers describe her as "a young daughter from Hamburg.”

 
I wonder how differently Orrseltie  found her life to be when she left the Netherlands to come to America to marry for the third time in her young life. Some have said she was a well to do Dutch woman.   This painting Woman with a Pearl Necklace by Johannes Vermeer  around 1662–1664 shows us how Orrseltie may have dressed and appeared   while living in Holland. 

She was married twice before coming to America.  Both men died  within a few years of their marriages to her.  Her first marriage was to Jan Hendricksen of Hillegersberg, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.  They were married on October 25, 1653 in the Netherlands.  Together they had a daughter, Annetje, who was born about 1654.  Jan died, leaving young Orrseltie a widow.

Orrseltie, who was also called Ursula, next married Teunis Jacobs.  Their intention to marry was published on August 29, 1655,  "Teunis Jacobs, a young man from Beeckum, living at the Pannekoestratt and Orsel Dircks, widow of  Jan  Hendricksen, living at Nieuwe Vogelsang”  in the Netherlands.   Orrseltie's luck with marriage wasn't much better with Teunis!  They were married long enough for her to have one child with him before he departed this life when he was about the age of 25.

After Teunis died Ursula  made plans to come to America to marry Anthony Jansen van Westbrook who was living in  Albany, New York and also in Flatbush.  Westbrook was a well established land owner and business owner at that time. 

Ursula  and  Anthony Jansen van Westbrook married about 1658.  They operated a tavern and resided at Flatbush on Long Island and at Albany, New York. The wilderness of Albany and living behind the confines of the stockade for protection from Mohawk Indian attacks  must have been a culture shock for Ursula.  Accounts are found reporting their travel up and down the Hudson to maintain their establishments.  Their names appear in over 125 colonial records between 1658 and 1678.

  "Nieuw (New) Amsterdam, recently called New York (Nieuw Jorck), and now retaken by the Netherlanders 24 Aug 1673".

On Nov. 30, 1662, Antonis Jansen paid for the use of a small pall (casket) , and on June 11,1664, he again paid for the use of the pall, (Burial records of the First Dutch Reformed Church at Albany, 1654-1862, published in The Dutch Settlers Society of Albany Yearbook, 1932-1934) The names of the two children are not given.   Ursula  had two children at the time she sailed to America, but it is known that Annetje, thought to be the daughter of Jan Hendricksen,  Ursula’s first husband,  survived and later married to raise her own family.   At least two children of Ursula Dircks and Anthony Jansen van Westbrook survived.  They were  Dirck  and Johannes Westbrook. 

By this account Orrseltie Dircks Hendricksen Jacobs Westbrook  was the mother of at least  five children.   

They were:

1.  Annetje, born about 1654 and thought to be the daughter of Jan Hendricksen.

2.  The 10 month old child (born circa 1657) who made the voyage from Holland to New Amsterdam, thought to be the child of Teunis Jacobs. No further information is known of this child and may be one  for whom the casket was bought.

3.  Another child (born after 1658) for whom a casket was bought.

4.  Dirck  Westbrook, born circa 1660.

5.  Johannes Westbrook, born October 9, 1665 in Albany, New York.

Anthony Jansen,  the son of Jan Teunissen, the first sheriff of Brooklyn, (now New York), was from the village of Westbroek in Holland.  He was the only person who adopted the surname "Westbrook" when he was required to distinguish himself from other contemporary Anthony Jansens when the British gained control of the colonies.  Anthony Jansen van Westbrook signed his full name shortly before his death and it is recorded in the Flatbush Town Record, May 11, 1672.

Orrseltie Ursula Dircks Hendricksen Jacobs Westbrook died around 1702 in Kingston, New York.  She  was the  mother of Johannes Westbrook  who married Maddelen Decker.   They were the parents of Sarah Westbrook who married Cornelis Van Aken, who had a son Abraham, who married Catrina Rosenkrans.    Their daughter Sarah Van Aken  married Elias Middaugh  and had a daughter named Elizabeth who married Henry Van Wey.  Henry's daughter, Harriet Van Wey, my  great, great grandmother, married Frederick Hughes.  

Orrseltie was my 8th great grandmother.  I am glad that she made it to these shores or the history of this family would not be! 

                                                
                                               This page and all contents © 2012 Cynthia H. Smith
                                                          Email  to chsmith47@yahoo.com
GENEALOGY IS A WORK OF HEART Your comments and suggestions are appreciated. It is with pleasure that I am able to present this information here for you to enjoy. If you discover a relationship here, I would very much enjoy hearing from you.

                Email address--- chsmith47@yahoo.com

 

N is for Nana, Salome Knecht

     It is difficult to think of someone who died at the young age of 22 years as a grandmother!   Yet she was the mother of three children before she died.

Salome's  grave stone is located at the Moorestown Cemetery, Moore Twp., Northampton Co., Pennsylvania in the old yard at Salem Church.  It is a flat white stone with her name clearly and easily  readable.  It stood as a beacon among a field of beautiful pink flowers  on the spring day when I located the grave.   Salome was only 22 and 1/2 years old when she died December 16, 1825, just three weeks after the birth of her son Charles.  Her stone is in the same row as those of her parents.  It is visible from a distance and is in the lower  center of the graveyard.  The stone is inscribed  in German. 

 Salome Gunkel ehetran van George Gunkel 

Geboren den 28th Mertz 1803  

Gestorben den 16 December 1825 

Alt 22 Yaren 6 Monat und 18 Tagen.  

Which translates  Salome Kunkle, wife of George Kunkle, born  March 28, 1803, died Dec. 16, 1825. 22 years, 6 months and 18 days.

The birth record for Salome Knecht is located in the  Moorestown Church records.  The record states;   Knecht, Salome, born May 28, 1803, baptised July 3, 1803.   Parents are Leonhard Knecht and his wife Christina.  Sponsors are Peter Stekkel and wife Maria.  

        Grave stones of Salome's parents, Leonard Knecht and Christina Schott Knecht.

When she was 19 years old,  Salome married George Kunkel on April 7, 1822.  She soon became the mother of three children born very close together.   They were:  Lea  who was born Dec. 17,  1822, Katherine who was born  Oct. 8, 1824,  and Charles who was  born Nov. 24, 1825.  Salome died soon after the birth of Charles, most likely from complications of child birth.   "The KNECHT Family History, 1702-1987," by Linda Klosek,  provides proof that Charles is the son of George & Salome (Knecht) Kunkel.    Charles  was baptised  on  December 18,  1825 by Rev. Mendsen at the  Salem Lutheran / Reformed Church, Moore Twp., Northampton Co., Pennsylvania.  His mother died on Dec. 16, 1825.  It is likely that he was baptised the day she was buried.

Salome's father provided for these children in his will, 1836.  In the will,  Leonard Knecht states, "Salome who had been  intermarried with George Kunkle  who  since departed  her life,  her share I give  and bequeath  unto  her  two  children  Charles and  Catherine."   Lea  had since died.  

It is  amazing that  the infant Charles  survived after the death of his mother!   Some unknown woman had to have nurtured and fed him.  Whomever she was we  are thankful to her for  providing Charles  with life sustaining  nutrition.   Salome's  son  Charles  was the grandfather of Estella, whom you met earlier.
                                                       This page  © 2013,  Cynthia H. Smith
                                                       Send email  to chsmith47@yahoo.co

GENEALOGY IS A WORK OF HEART Your comments and suggestions are appreciated. It is with pleasure that I am able to present this information here for you to enjoy. If you discover a relationship here, I would very much enjoy hearing from you.

                Email address--- chsmith47@yahoo.com

M is for Maria Barbara Miller

Two year old Maria Barbara Miller arrived  in Philadelphia in the arms of  her parents, Bernhardt and Eva Maria Miller on  September 19,  1749.   She traveled to the new world  from Bödigheim, Germany first down the Rhine River to Rotterdam and then aboard the ship  "Patience" to cross the ocean.  From the book, "Pennsylvania German Pioneers, A Publication of the Original Lists of Arrivals In the Port of Philadelphia" by Ralph Beaver Strassburger, it is learned that the child was one of 270 people who had made the journey aboard the ship "Patience" from the the Palatinate & Duchy of Württemberg regions of Germany. 

Her parents, Bernhardt Müller  and Eva Maria Müllerin (who may have been his cousin) were married June 9, 1747 in Bödigheim.  Maria Barbara was born nine days later!   Her baptism  record  from the church in Bödigheim says that she was born between 1 and 2 in the morning on June 19, 1747.  Maria Barbara Miller, became known as Barbara throughout her lifetime because of the old German custom of a child being called by their middle name.  In old German naming patterns, the first name was a "church" or "baptism" name, so children would have been called by their middle name.   Here is a photo copy of her  record of baptism from the church in Bödigheim, Germany, supplied to me by another researcher.

Given the opportunity for a fresh start in the New World, and to cover the stigma of their love affair before marriage,  Bernhardt  and Eva Maria  changed Barbara's birth year to 1751 when they got to America.   No one seemed to be the wiser for it, 1751 is the date recorded on her gravestone!
 

Soon after arriving the Bernhardt Miller family settled in Northampton County Pennsylvania.  Bernhardt,  who was a bauern (farmer) in Bödigheim and planned to continue making a living in agriculture here, had received a patent for 87 acres of land in Williams Township, near Easton, Pennsylvania from the Penn Family.  Barbara grew up there with her eight siblings, who were George, Henry, Bernard, Valentine, Elizabeth, John, Jacob, Eve and Frederick, all  born in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. You can read more about the Miller clan.

When she was 20 years old, Barbara married Paulus Brodt. He was  born September 19, 1733 in Lixhelm, Lorraine, France.    Barbara and Paulus had ten children.  Mary, Barnet, Frederick, Conrad, Margaret, Michael, Catherine, Anna Rosina, Jacob and Susanna.  But soon after Susanna was born Paulus died in December of 1782; he was 48.   He was a tanner and transported his hides up and down the Delaware River.  It is said that he died as a result of a boat accident.

With ten children to care for, Barbara soon remarried to  William Gruver.  He was born in 1733 and is reported to have lived to be  108 years old.  Together Barbara and William had five children. They were Johannes, Daniel, Elizabeth, William and Maria Barbara. 

Surviving the ocean voyage to get here  and raising 15 children  was  enough for one woman to accomplish in her lifetime!  She lived to be 77 years old and was buried  at  the Forks Cemetery -  The inscription  on her gravestone reads:
                                GRUBER, Barbara, b. 1751,  d. 20 Mar. 1825 

                                      

Maria Barbara Miller Brodt Gruver is my great, great, great, great, great  grandmother!  She became the ancestor  of thousands of descendants.   I am a descendant of her daughter Susanna Brodt who married Christopher Illick.  It just so happens that Ronnie is  a descendant of her son Johannes Gruber.  I have calculated that that relationship makes us seventh half cousins, once removed.   Gotta love genealogy research... never know what you will find out! ♥

                                       This page and all contents © 2012 Cynthia H. Smith
                                                    Email  to chsmith47@yahoo.com
GENEALOGY IS A WORK OF HEART Your comments and suggestions are appreciated. It is with pleasure that I am able to present this information here for you to enjoy. If you discover a relationship here, I would very much enjoy hearing from you.

                Email address--- chsmith47@yahoo.com