Person:Willem Van Couwenhoven (1)

On the earliest surviving list of members of the Dutch Reformed Church of Brooklyn, Sep 12, 1660, appear the names of Willem Gerritse Van Couwenhoven, his first wife, and her parents. Willem Gerretse, on behalf of his first wife, was one of three heirs to the Brooklyn grant of his father-in-law, Joris Dicksen Brinckerhoff, and joined with the other heirs in selling this property on January 16, 1661. He was Magistrate of Brooklyn in 1661, 1662, and 1664. Signed a petition on May 25, 1662 as schepen. He was deacon in 1663 of the Dutch Reformed Church, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York. He resided at at Flatlands, Kings County, New York in 1667. His name appears on the patent of Flatlands, 1667 and he apparently removed there about this time. He was an Elder at Dutch Reformed Church, Flatlands, Kings County, New York, 1677. He signed the oath of allegiance, Flatlands, Kings County, New York, at some time between Sep 26-30, 1687 being called a resident of "fflackland" and native born. The Records of the Brick Church, Marlborough, Monmouth Co., NJ, originally known as the Reformed Church of Freehold of the Navasink, begin in 1709 and show that in that year seven children of Willem Gerretse were already members of that congregation namely, Cornelis, Pieter,Albert, Jan, Jacob, Neeltje (Nelke), and Sara. In 1717, two other children appear as members, Annetje (Autie) and Jacomina (Jockamiinke). It was not until 1721 that the church shows as members "Willem Ger Kowvenhoven and his wife," and since the wife, Jannetje (Janneke), appears alone on the list in 1723, it seems possible that Willem Gerretse died between 1721 and 1723. He sold land He sold his plantation in Brooklyn to his son William and moved to Monmouth County, NJ in November, 1709. The existence of the original Bible of Willem Gerretse, with his own record of his marriages and the births of his children, states that he married "Altieu Yoris" in the year 1660. She was Altje, daughter of Joris Dickerson Brinckerhoff, and was the widow of Cornelis Mattys (Mathiews). She died on June 3, 1663, and Willem Gerretse married secondly, on Febrary 12, 1665, "Jannetie Peters," who was Jannetje, daughter of Peter Monfoort. She was baptized as Jannetje on May 8, 1646, in the D. R. Church of New Amsterdam.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 A. Van Doren Honeyman. The Van Arsdale Family -- Pluckemin Line. (Somerset County Historical Quarterly, vol. 8 (April 1919))
   p. 100.
2.   Riker, David M. Genealogical and biographical directory to persons in New Netherland: from 1613 to 1674. (Salem, Massachusetts: Higginson Book Co., c1999).