Person:Wolfert Van Couwenhoven (3)

The Couwenhoven family originated in America with Wolfert Gerretse VAN KOUWENHOVEN and his wife Neeltje. The Dutch name VAN KOUWENHOVEN has undergone several changes into English.

George C. Beekman in his book EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, points out that the early court and church records show the VAN was dropped early and the K changed to a C. Later the name changed to Cowenhoven, Covenhoven, Covenoven, and finally to Conover.

Wolfert Gerretse VAN KOUWENHOVEN and Neeltje JANSE came from Amersfoort, Province of Utrecht, Holland in 1630 with the Dutch emigrants. They settled in Rensselaerwick, near what is now Albany, New York. He was employed by the Patroon as superintendent of farms. He afterwards resided on Manhattan Island and later the families were found in Brooklyn and New Utrecht, New York; then in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Here the family were members of the Freehold Dutch Reformed Church as early as 1709.

Names given as Wolfert, Wulphert, Wulpher, Wulffer Gerritsz.

From the Yearbook of the Bureau for Genealogy, 1995, p. 175 The Hague, NL: bakker en later bleker, wonende bij de Coppelpoort buiten Amersfoort. Wolfert was in 1622 bloedvoogd over de vijf minderjarige zoons van Willem Gerritsz Couwenhoven en vertrok waarschijnlijk in 1624 met vrouw en drie zoons naar Nieuw-Nederland, waar hij een der eerste vijf hoofd-kolonisten van de West-Indische Compagnie zou worden, later boer op Long Island, op een buiten eerst Actervelt geheten, later New Amersfort; kwam 1630 met De Eendracht oud 50 jaar, na een reis naar Nederland weer in Nieuw-Nederland aan; ontving het Klein Burgerrect op 19 april 1657, + tussen 2 maart en 24 juni 1662.

The Couwenhoven family originated in America with Wolfert Gerretse VAN KOUWENHOVEN and his wife Neeltje JANSE (identified as JACOBSDR by Arie Noot, 1999; See below.). The Dutch name VAN KOUWENHOVEN has undergone several changes into English. George C. Beekman in his book EARLY DUTCH SETTLERS OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, points out that the early court and church records show the VAN was dropped early and the K changed to a C. Later the name changed to Cowenhoven, Covenhoven, Covenoven, and finally to Conover.

Research by Arie Noot, 1999:

Name also spelled Wulphert, Wulpher or Wulffer. Baker and later bleacher living by the Coppelpoort outside the city of Amersfoort. He is recorded in 1622 as guardian over the five minor sons of his brother Willem Gerritsz Couwenhoven and probably left The Netherlands with his wife and three sons to settle in Nieuw-Nederland between in 1624 and 1630. There became one of the five Hoofd- Kolonisten (Head Colonists) of the West-Indische Compagnie (West Indian Company), later farmer on Long Island, first on the estate called Achtervelt and later New Amersfoort. In 1630 at the age of 50 he arrived again in Nieuw-Nederland with the ship De Eendracht after a visit to The Netherlands and received the Klein Burgerrecht (Lesser Citizenship) on 18 April 1657. Died between 2 March and 24 March 1662. According to an article in the De Leeuw he was also supervisor in Rensselaerwijck near Fort Orange (Albany N.Y.) from 16 Jan 1630 till 20 Jul 1632. Subsequently lease holder of farm no 6 near New Amsterdam till 16 Jun 1636 at which date he bought farm no 36 at Achtervelt which purchase was confirmed by governor Peter Stuyvesant.

The following entries for the court and the notaries in Amersfoort show his profession and other details: 16 may 1616 he recorded as baker in a wheat transaction, 30 jan 1617 as baker about a house, 25 feb 1617 as baker an obligation on the poor with a house on the Langegracht as colateral, 16 may 1617 as baker with his wife Neeltgen Jacobsdr, 25 jul 1617 as baker with his wife Neeltgen Jacobsdr, 17 sep 1618 as baker with his wife Neeltgen Jacobsdr with mentioning of the house on the Langegracht as above. 17 sep 1618 as baker with his wife and the house above. 14 apr 1615 recorded as living in Amsterdam as baker in a transaction with peat land in Collen. 3 jan 1618 he and his wife in a transaction to buy a bleach-field outside the Coppelpoort (Coppel Gate) in Amersfoort. In this document recorded as sellers a Hubert Lambertsz Moll and his wife Geertge Cornelisdr. On 8 jan 1631 a Lambert Huyberts Moll (shipwright) mentioned as farmer on Long Island. This must be a son of this couple. From here on Wolfert is mentioned as bleacher.

An interesting entry in 1623 mentions that Wulpher the bleacher had allowed Beernt van Munster to fish near the Coppelpoort but that a fight resulted when dividing the fish between Beernt on one side and Herman Teut and Wolfert on the other side. In this fight Wolfert had drawn his knife.

That Wolfert Gerritsz from Hoogland (Amersfoort) is indeed the Wolfert who left for New Holland is clear from a document in the notarial archive of Amersfoort dated 5 nov 1622. Deceased Willem Gerritsz Couwenhoven left behind Neeltgen Willemsdr his widow and five minor children named Gerridt, Willem, Jan, Harmen and Willem the younger. In this document Johan de Wijs, her landlord, and Wulffer Gerridtsz the bleacher are mentioned with Wolfert as blood relative of the children. Wolfert signs this document with the same characteristic signature he later uses in New Holland. Johan de Wijs was the owner of the farm Couwenhoven at which Willem Gerritsz worked as tenant-farmer. The family has adopted the name Van Couwenhoven from this relationship. On 19 dec 1622 Neeltgen Willemsdr marries again with Peter Coenraetsz but Wolfert was not present, suggesting that he had already left for New Holland. Peter Coenraedts follows Willem Gerritsz as tenant-farmer of Couwenhoven. After Peter died Neeltgen transfered her posessions in 1636 to her son Jan Willemsz and his wife Nelletge Hendrickdr but in 1646 a certain Jan Bartss lives on Couwenhoven.