Person:Marinus van Aken (1)

The following is an excerpt from the ten volume book "OLDE ULSTER" publish ed in Kingston NY between 1900 and 1910 and appears in volume four,five a nd six, Some portions are also taken from the Ten Broeck and Van Berschot en Genealogy. Among the early families of Ulster County, (or Esopus as it was generally called in early days) that of Van Aaken is conspicuous, especially from the long line of descendants,n ow widely scattered and many of whom attained distinction. In Holland the family name is traced back 1500 Years to the 4th centu ry to John Van Aken, the founder of the ancient city of Aachen or Aken, now generally known as Aix La Chappele located in Germany between the Rhi ne and Meuse rivers on the border of Holland. There is still a section cal led Aken or Acken one mile south-east of Opmeer a village eight miles Nort hwest of Hoom in the province of North Holland., whence came some of the m ost prominent and enterprising of our early immigrants. Inthe same provin ce are North and South Akendam, two villages, about sixmiles distant fr om Haarlem. In this country the name is first on record at Fort Orange (now Alban y) in 1652 in which year Jan Koster Van Aaken., as he wrote his names appe ars as a trader and purchaser of real estate on Broadway, State and Jam es streets. He was made a magis trate in 1668. Although he could anddid w rite his name., he., like many others at the, time, often made his ma rk - two triangles crossing each other. If he had descendants theyare n ot known. Among the early immigrants to America was a Pieter Van Ecke a planter fr om Leyden. He- came over April 25.. 1659 In de Bever of Capt, Jan Reyerz V an der beets. No further record. is found of this man although some thi nk he was the father of Marinus Van Aken who in 1689, was on theroll of p ersons who took the oath of Allegiance to the English government in Kingst on that year. At what date Marinus settled in the Esopus country in not known. The fir st child born to him and his wife Pietrenelle de Pus, as per Kingstonreco rds was Peter in 1685, We find Cornelis Van Aken married to Jan Sjammers w ho we think was their daughter although we have no record of her birth Marinus VAN AKEN was born about 1660 in Aken, HLD. He emigrated after 1683 from America. He resided at Esopus, Ulster Co, NY in 1685. He was buried in Oct 1724 in Rochester, Accord, NY. He died before 17 Oct 1724 in Rochester, Ulster Co, NY. He resided at Rochester, (Accord), Ulster Co, NY. He was married to Prijntje RENTS. Prijntje RENTS died before 1683. He was married to Pieternella DEPRE (daughter of Jan DEPRE and Margaret CROMMARTIE) on 11 Apr 1683 in Cadzand, Zeeland, HLD. Pieternella DEPRE was born about 1664 in HLD. [KamaiFamily.FTW] Came to America in 1685 where they bought a farm in the Minisink Valley, N ew York (Florence has copy of original deed). Letter to V.V.VanAkendat ed Jan. 20, 1959 from Florence Van Aken .. A.M. Ronk, "ULSTER COUNTY PIONEERS" The Van Akens and Allied Families; 7/22/1900. "Among the early families of Ulster county, or "esopus" as it was more gen erally called in early days, that of Van Aken is conspicuous, especially f rom the long line of its descendants now widely scattered. In Holland t he family name is traced back fifteen hundred years to the forth century w hen John Van Aken, the founder of the ancient of "aken", now called Ais-la -Chappele, located in Germany between the Rhine and Meuse rivers, on the b order of Holland. In this country the name is firstof record at Fort Oran ge (now Albany) in 1652, in which year Jan Koster Van Aaken, as his name w as written for him, appears as a trader andpurchaser of real estate on Br oadway, State and James streets, and was made a magistrate in 1668, althou gh he could not write his name except by his 'mark' two triangles crossi ng each other. His descendants are not known, though possibly Levi, Hen ry and John, whose names appear on the military regiments, may have bee n, but certainly he was not the forbear of Peter Van Aken who came from Holland settl edin the Esopus county as early as 1656. Peter and Jan Koster may have been brothers, but even of that there is no evidence. The family tradition is that Peter settled two miles south of Rondout, where he built the st one house which was a mark for the guns of Vaughn's expedition upthe Huds on in October 1777. Some cannon balls are preserved in the family as souve nirs t his event. In French the name is Aix: in German, Aachen. "It is evidently derived fr om the springs, for which Aix-la-Chapelle has always been famous." the spr ings were early marked by a chapel (French chapelle) in which Pepin celebr ated Christmas in 765. Van Aachen or Aken simply describes a person ' as of or from' Aachen, of whom there were many of no relationship whateve r, the place of primary residence becoming there proper name. The name app ears in varying local orthographies, and an early recordform in Ulster Co unty being that of Marinos Van Aken in 1689., on theroll of persons who t ook the oath of allegiance to the English government at Kingston, in the y ear. Aiken represents Dutch long sound of a,asdoes also Auken." .. "CHURCH LIFE", May 1897: "Cornelius Van aken (son of emigrant Marinus V an Aken and Pieternelle de Pre) was born at Kingston and baptized May 2 5, 1690, and married Sara Westbroek, his wife (daughter of Johannes Westbr ook and Magdalena Dekker), the ancestors of all the Delaware Valley Westbr ooks), baptized at Kingston, June 10, 1694, and married April 30, 1714. Re moved from Ulster County to Bucks (now Pike County), Pennsylvania, at Theesacht, n ow Rosetown, in Westfall Township." .. CHURCH LIFE: OLD DEERPARK DAYS; Dec 1899: "..Peter Van Aken's fatherw as the emigrant, Marinus van Aken, of the ancient city of Aken, moregener ally known as Aix-la-Chappelle, where the German Emperor Charlemagne was b uried. He came to America, and to Ulster county prior to 1685.His wido w, Pierternella de Prez married Moses Du Puy, widow of Maritje Wynkoop. Mo ses du Puy was a son of Nocolas Du Puy and Wyntje Roosa, and was baptiz ed Feb 1, 1713. He married Anna Prys. .. First Families of America Vol 7 pg 795. Marinus Van Aken from City of Acken (Aix-La-Chapelle) was a resident ofUl ster County NY ante 1683. .. Grantor Index Ulster, NY Marynus to: 1694 Aeltie Doorn Vol AA p 135 & 178 1700 Aeltie Doorn Vol AA p 284 .. Tax list of 1709 3 shillings for "1frye place & 11 slave"; 1711 & 1720/ 21 in Town of Rochester, Ulster, NY. .. NY Gen Bio Record V 103 #2 87: 1715 Ulster Co. Naturalizations, Marin us VA. .. 1685/89 oath of allegiance to English government in Kingston, UlsterCo . Sources:

Kingston Dutch Reformed Church. Family record of the VA's by A.M. Ronk. Genealogy of the VA family; R.R. Hoes. The Van Aken Family by A.M. Warren Packer of Yuma, AR 1966. Church Life May/June 1896. VA and Allied Families, Miss Annie R. Winfield OLDE ULSTER. First Families of America Vol 7 pg 795. NY Gen and Bio Record V 103 #2 p87. Personal Profile:

Marinus VanAken was the first of my line to settle in America. He was bo rn about 1660 in Holland. His first wife Prijntje Rents widowed him. He ma rried Pieternelle Des Prez April 11, 1683 in Cadzand, Holland. They lat er emigrated to America. Marinus Van Aken is said to have emigrated from the ancient city of Aken, now more generally called Aiz La-Chappelle or Aachen, from whence the n ame of the family of Van Akens and Van Aukens in America is taken.The na me Achen is evidently derived from the springs for which the place has alw ays been famous, and was the burial place of Charlemagne, thegreat Germ an Emperor. Van Aachen or Aken simply describes a person 'as of or from' A achen, of whom there were many of no relationship whatever, the place of p rimary residence becoming there proper name. Aikenrepresents Dutch long s ound of a, as does also Auken. In Holland the family name is traced back f ifteen hundred years to the forth century when John Van Aken founded the a ncient of "aken", located in Germany between the Rhine and Meuse rive rs on the border of Holland. Marinus and Pieternelle emigrated to America and resided in Ulster Count y, around 1683, in the town of Esopus. They later resided in Rochester (Ac cord, NY). Their farm near Kingston is said to be still in the possessi on of their descendants. They had eight children named: Pieter (1685), Sa ra (1688), Cornelis (1690), Catrina (1692), Rachel (1695), Neeltje (1697 ), Abraham (1689) and Isaak (1702). Marinus died sometime prior to 1724.

b: ca 1660; d: bef 1724. ref: 1) VanAaken and Allied Families Compil edby Miss Annie R. Winfield inOlde Ulster., 2) Family record of the Van Akens by A.M. Ronk of Brooklyn,NY., 3) The Van Aken Family by Warren Packer of Yum a, AR 1966., 4)Genealogy of the Van Aken Family by R.R. Hoes. b: ca1660 d: before 1724; m1: Prijntje Rents; m2: Pieternelle de Pre11APR1683; 1685/89 Marinus took oath of allegiance to English government in Kingston, Ulster Co.; Children were all baptized in the Dutch Church of Kingston, NY . First Families of America Vol 7 pg 795 " Marinus Van Aken from City of Acken(Aix-La-Chapelle) was a resident of Ulster County NY ante 1683. Grantor Index Ulster, NY Marynus to: 1694 Aeltie Doorn Vol AA p135 np1 78. 1700 Aeltie Doorn Vol AA p 284. Tax list of 1709 3 shillings for"1 fr ye place and 11 slave" 1711 and1720/21 in Town of Rochester, Ulster, N Y. NY Gen & Bio Record V 103 #2 p87: 1715 Ulster Co. Naturalizations, Marin us VA.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Ann Croston. Ancestry Tabulation for Ann Finison Croston.