Person:John Emans (1)

The origins of John Emans have not yet been proven. The two sources which have so far been found are contradictory. The first was a petition to the authorities which was made by "Anthony Jansen of Faes, Willem Jansen of Berkeloo, John Emans of Colgne and Ferdinandus Janse of Sichelen" to request that they be allowed to buy Gysbert's Island in 1661.^[4] The second source is the census of Long Island that was made in about 1698. On this list John Emans is noted as being of English extraction.^[5]

The earliest record of his presence in the New Netherland Colony is found in Thompson's History of Long Island^[6]. Thompson gives the date of 1656 for his list but does not give a source nor what the occasion of its creation might have been.

In March of 1687, John was made the Town Clerk for Gravesend^[3] and as such he recorded the subsequent marriages of his children in the Town Records as well as his own second marriage.

Unproven lineage

Beginning with Teunis Bergen's "Register", secondary sources have frequently made John the son of an Andries Iman who arrived in 1661 on the St. Jan Baptise. Documentation supporting this is sorely lacking and seems to be based entirely on the fact that John and his wife Sarah did name a son "Andries". Only two references to the 1661 immigrant have been found. The first of these references is his appearance on a passenger list. In this list, the name is spelled "Andries Imans" and this is the way he is usually refered to by writers and researchers.^[8]

The second reference is also from 1661. A group of "newly arrived" immigrants petitioned the authorities for land on Staten Island. For this passage, three different versions have been found. In each the name is spelled differently and two of the passages were written by the same writer. The first spelling is "Andries Jemands" as rendered by Fernow.^[9] The second is found in O'Callaghan Cal. His. Doc. where the name appears as "Andries Iemans".^[10] O'Callaghan discusses the same passage in his HNN where he now gives the spelling "Andries Yemants".^[11] From this it would appear that the name may not even be "Imans" but something that just sounded like it to the Dutch clerks.

From the documentation that is available, there is no reason to connect "Andries Imans" with John Emans of Gravesend.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Will of John Emans, in New York. Surrogate's Court (New York County); New York. Prerogative Court; Robert H Kelby; and William Smith Pelletreau. Abstracts of wills on file in the Surrogate's Office, City of New York, 1665-1801. (New York, New York: Printed for the New York Historical Society, 1893-1909 [i.e. 1913])
   2:155.

   Page 412.--JOHN EMANS. In the name of God, Amen, August 7, 1714. I, John Emans, of Gravesend, in Kings County. I leave all my houses, lands, and meadows in Gravesend, or elsewhere, to my six children, namely, Johanes, Andrew, Abraham, Jacobus, Sarah Morgan, and Cornelia Amerman. My eldest son Johanes is to have all that house and ground in Gravesend, where he now lives. Also my house-lot in Gravesend with my barn and barracks, and my 12-acre lot in the neck so called, and 2 lots of land on Guisberts Island, and his choice of one-half of 3 lots of meadow in the Muddy Pond. I leave to my son Andrew, my 15-acre lot next to him, with an acre of land next to it to make a straight line. Also the tract of land in Gravesend at the rear of Barent Johnson's house lot. And a 4-acre lot at Ambrose Island, next to the 4-acre lot creek. And all my meadow at the west meadow. I leave to my son Jacobus all my 24-acre lot in the Great Woods between Stephen Coertens and Barent Johnsons. And my 8-acre lot in Gravesend, lying at the rear of the home lot of my son Johanes. And 2 acres near the 8-acre lot, and a lot and a half of meadow at Garrisons. Leaves legacies to son Abraham, and to his daughters. I leave the use of my house and garden spot where I now live to my wife Engeltie for life, and then to my sons Andrew and Johanes, whom I make executors, and Seger Gerittse, John Laresens, and Samuel Gerrittson overseers.
   
   Witnesses, William Williamson, Gerritt Gerritson, Benjamin Holsaert. Proved, October 11, 1715.
   [Corrections from vol. 16:74 incorporated.]

2. ↑ Apprenticeship of Anthony Emans, in Flatbush Town Records. Liber AA: Deeds, Leases, etc. 1676 to 1682: Translations/Transliterations. (Commission of Records of Kings Co, NY)
   p. 69.

   For text see Anthony Emans.

3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 Gravesend, Kings, New York, United States. Town Records Book 3-Town Meetings, 1656-1705
   p. 33.

   1687 March 6th
   John Emans was chosen by ye inhabitants of gravesend Towne Clerke In ye presents of Capt: nicles Stillwill Capt Elbert Elbertsen & Capt gerhardus Beeckman Justices of ye peace And ye next following day Sworne before Nicles Stillwill Justice of ye peace and Theophilus Johnsen Constable alloweing him ye Sd John Emans the Same Fees yearly what John Tilton hath now

4. ↑ Brodhead, John Romeyn; New York. Legislature; Berthold Fernow; and E. B. (Edmund Bailey) O'Callaghan. Documents relative to the colonial history of the State of New York: procured in Holland, England, and France. (Albany, New York: Weed, Parsons & Co., printers, 1853-1887)
   14:499.
5. ↑ O'Callaghan, E. B. (Edmund Bailey), and New York. Secretary of State. The documentary history of the State of New-York. (Albany, New York: Weed, Parsons & Co., 1849)
   3:137.
6. ↑ Thompson, Benjamin Franklin, and Charles Jolly Werner. History of Long Island: from its discovery and settlement to the present time . (New York, New York: R.H. Dodd, 1918 (3rd ed))
   3:401.
7. ↑ Deed: John Emans to Andries Emans, 1699, in Gravesend, Kings, New York, United States. Deed: John Emans to Andries Emans, 1699. (Town Records, Book 6 Patents, Deeds, 1645-1701)
   p. 121.

   See link above for text of the deed.

8. ↑ List of Passengers, 1654-1664, in Holland Society of New York. Yearbook of the Holland Society. (Holland Society)
   p. 18, 1902.

   DE ST. JAN BAPTIST
   Sailed from Amsterdam after May 9 1661, arrived New Amsterdam 6 August 1661
   Captain. Jan Bergen
   
   Andries Imans from Leyden [NWI]

9. ↑ Fernow, Berthold. Documents Relating to the History and Settlements of the Towns along the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. (Albany)
   13:206.
10. ↑ O'Callaghan, E. B. (Edmund Bailey), and New York. Secretary of State. Calendar of historical manuscripts in the office of the Secretary of State, Albany, New York. (Ridgewood, New Jersey: Gregg Press, 1968)
    p. 227.
11. ↑ O'Callaghan, E. B. (Edmund Bailey). History of New Netherland, or, New York under the Dutch. (New York, 1846)
    s:247.