Person:Casper Jacobse (1)

Van Laer, editor of Early Records of Albany, presumed that the founder of the New York Halenbeck family came from Hollenbek in the Dutchy of Holstein about twenty miles south of Kiel. (1) Variant spellings of the name include: Hallenbeck, Holenbek, Hollenbeck, Haulenbeck and Halenbake. The first settler was known as Casper Jacobse (i.e., Casper the son of Jacob). His sons continued the patronymic style, using the surname Casperse. In the third generation, the surname of Halenbeck came into general use, though some grandchildren used Casperse and others followed the patronymic rule. Casper lived on Rensselaer holdings. One son remained at Albany while the other two eventually moved to what is now Greene County. A grandson settled in the Claverack-Livingston Manor area (present Columbia County) and was the ancestor of most Halenbecks of that area and of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Another grandson founded the New Jersey branch. Note that a place of baptism or marriage generally refers to the church in which the event was registered, the individuals may have lived wherever a traveling pastor went. CASPER JACOBSE first appears in 1651 when he took the oath of allegiance at Rensselaerwyck (2) and leased a homestead from the Van Rensselaers. (3) Probably he was recently or about to be married. Van Laer infers that Casper was then a day laborer. (4) On 30 April 1652 he received a lot in Beverwyck between Jacob Adriaensz and Tunis Jacobsz. (5) In this decade he was among buyers at sales of personal effects of Lammert Cornelise, Harmen de Metselaer, and Bastizen de Winter. (6) On 22 January 1657 he set terms in notice of sale of his house and lot in Beverwyck. Harmens Jacobse was highest bidder at 810 guilders and sale was confirmed in June 1657, Casper (apparently illiterate) signing by mark "K.Y." Harmen fled the village to avoid imprisonment for debt; so we do not know if the sale was consummated. Perhaps as an aftermath, Casper sued Cloes Hendrickse 10 September 1658 and was sued by Harmen Vedder. (6) In 1663 he received another lot. (5) On 3 April 1677 he asked for and was granted an extra rod of land up on the hill. (7) When he made his will in 1685 he owned one lot measuring 40 by 20 rods and another measuring 27 rods by 8 rods 5 feet - less than four acres. (6) One of these lots was on the side of the hill "near the Plein" next to property of Peter Winne beyond which was the Ruttenkill. (5) Casper and his family are not on the Dutch Church membership list, being Lutherans. In May 1678 he collected beaver from Harme Gansevourt "for their minister. (7) There is a doubtful identification of him as Casper, the skipper, but no record to indicate he owned a boat. Casper made his will 9 September 1685. (6) In the 1686 charter setting out the bounds of Albany mention is made of pasture late in tenure and occupancy of Casper Jacobse. (2) In 1687 he is called an old man with failing physical capacity. (8) He is said to have lived until August 1703, but cannot be identified in the 1697 census. (9) The name of Casper's wife is not found. Based upon subsequent naming patterns in the family, she might have been named Maritje or Elizabeth with the patronymic Jans or Isaacs.

1.   Halenbeck Family of New York.

   National Genealogical Society Quarterly
   Volume 65, June 1977, Number 2
   by Robert Vincent Anderson