Person:Andries Rees (1)

This Rees/Race Genealogy covers 13 generations, starting with Andreis Rees, born circa 1630 in Germany, and Celitje Jans, the Progenitors of the Rees/Race Family in America and continuing to the present.

The Progenitors came to New Amsterdam before 1650 with the Dutch West India Company, migrated up the Hudson River to Wiltwyck (Esopus) and Beverwyck (Fort Orange - Albany). Their descendants moved initially easterly into Rennselaerswyck, Livingston Manor and southwestern Massachusetts, which later became the Town of Mount Washington. They were involved in the bitter conflicts with the Livingstons over ownership and rents charged on parcels of land that were presumably outside the Livingston grants. In fact, one descendant, Willem Rees, was murdered in 1755 by the Livingston men. This forced them further east into the Egremont and West Stockbridge areas. Later, they expanded over Columbia County, NY and Berkshire County MA. Some became pioneers in 1790 and moved with the frontier, initially into Chenango County, New York and later into northeastern Pennsylvania. From there, they mushroomed into all states, in many cases before statehood was granted.

Source: The Rees/Race Family Association - http://genforum.genealogy.com/race/messages/18.html

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 William Benton Race & John Race Powers, The Rees/Race Family in America: descendants of Andries (Race) Rees and Celitje Jans, Second editi.