Bergen County, NJGenWeb

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EARLY SETTLERS OF BERGEN COUNTY

Some of the original settlers of what is now Bergen County were descendants of those who have been mentioned as having settled Hudson County. Others came from Manhattan Island, Long Island, New Harlem, Yonkers, Albany, Esopus, Kingston, and other already established settlements, while still others came direct from Europe. The grant of section 1 to William Sandford, in 1668, as before stated, extended north as far as Boiling Springs near Rutherford.* The northern half of this was released to Kingsland. In 1702 Elias Boudinot, a French Huguenot, purchased a large tract from the Kingslands, described as butting on the Passaic River in, Bergen County. John and William Stagg, Bartholomew Feurst, Daniel Rutan, Jacob Van Ostrand, Cornelius Vanderhoff, Herpert Gerrebrants, John Varrik, David Provost, John Van Emburgh, Jacob Wallings (Van Winkle), and Henry Harding acquired title to portions of the tract in Bergen County, but the bulk of Kingslands' estate, at his death, passed by his will to his near relatives, who settled on it and retained it for many years. In 1668 Captain (afterward Major) John Berry received from Governor Carteret a patent for section 2, being all the lands between the Hackensack and Saddle Rivers, for a distance of six miles north from Sandford's purchase, or nearly as far as Cherry Hill, on the New Jersey and New York Railroad. Berry settled and built his home mansion on the southerly part of this tract, and on his death, most of it passed to the ownership of his heirs. the northerly part he had conveyed in parcels various times to his son, Richard Berry, his daughter, Hannah Noel, and Garret Van Dien, Laurence Laurensen Ackerman, Rev. Guilliaem Bertholf, David Thomas, Thomas Nicholson, Albert Albertsen (Terhune), Arie Albertsen (Terhune), Claes Jansen Romeyn, Dr. John Van Emburgh, Hendrick Hopper, Ryck Lydecker, Juriaen Lubbertsen (Westervelt), Herman Brass, Abraham Huysman, Isaac Vreeland, Nicholas Devoe, Walling Jacobsen (Van Winkle), Elinor Mellinot, Folkert Hansen (Van Nostrand), Thomas Staag, Alexander Alliare, Peter France, Nicholas Kipp, Corneliese Christiansen, John Christiansen, Charles Maclean, and Anthony Anthonys (a negro), each of whom settled on the portions purchased by them. The "Moonachie" section he sold to Rutt Van Horn, Nicasie Kipp, and Thomas France. The Zabriskies, Voorheeses, Brinkerhoffs, Demarests, Coopers, Van Reipens, and Powlesses acquired interests in the tract at an early date. In 1668 Samuel Edsall and Nicholas Varlet bought from the native Indians section 3, comprising 1,872 acres of "waste land and meadow," bounded east by the Hudson River, west by the Hackensack River and Overpeck Creek, and south by the "Town and Corporation of Bergen." The extent of this tract was two and a half miles from north to south, and the north boundary, beginning at Aquepuck Creek below Fort Lee, on the Hudson, ran northwest to the Overpeck Creek near Leonia. Subsequently Carteret gave Edsall and Varlet a patent of this tract. Nicholas Varlet soon after sold his interest in it to Edsall, who, in 1671con, conveyed the northerly part of it to Michael Smith (a son-in-law of Major John Berry). Smith, at his death, left it to his son and heir-at-law of Samuel Edsall, deceased, who settled on it and devised it to his children.

In 1676 Samuel Edsall, by deed of gift, transferred the westerly part of the remainder of the original tract to his sons-in-law, Benjamin Blagge, of London, and William Laurence, of Newtown, L. I., who divided it between these, Blagge taking the northerly part and Laurence the southerly part. On Blagge's death his widow and devisee, conveyed it to David Danielsen, who settled on it. Laurence's part of it passed to his son, Thomas Laurence. He sold half of it, said to contain 550 acres, in 1739, to Matthew Brown, who, in 1737, sold it to Cornelius Brinkerhoff. Joseph Morris and Adriaen Hoagland must have got the balance of Laurence's half, as they were living on it in 1730, and they and the Brinkerhoffs were the first actual settlers. Brinkerhoff's purcha included the present borough of Ridgefeld. The easterly part of the remainder of the original tract, which fronted on the Hudson River, was, on March 12, 1686, conveyed by Samuel Edsall to Jacob Milburn, who, with Jacob Leisler, then Governor of New York, was attainted of and executed for high treason, in 1691. mil burn's estate (which by his will, executed just before his death, he devised to his wife Mary), was, by operation of the attainder, forfeited; but parliament, by special act, restored the estate to his widow and sole devisee. The widow (who at the time of her death was the wife of Abraham Governeur) left a will empowering her daughter Jacoba, as executrix, to sell her lands on the Hudson. The executrix conveyed the lands in separate parcels to Hendrick Banta, Arie de Groot, Peter de Groot, Michael Vreeland, William Day, John Day, Marye Edsall (alias Mary Banks), John Edsall, and John Christiansen, who mutually released each other and settled on the same. The tract between the high rocks and the Hudson River was claimed by John Christeen, of Newark, under a grant from Berkley and Carteret, prior to that of Edsall and Varlet. This land Christeen sold in 1760 to his daughter Naomi, wife of John Day, and it seems to have become vested eventually in the same persons to whom Mrs. Governeur's executrix conveyed it.

On June 10, 1629 Governor Carteret patented to Major John berry section 4, comprising a tract of 1,500 acres, lying between the Hudson River and Overpeck creek, extending one and one-half miles north from the Edsall and varlet patent. Berry sold the north half of this tract to George Duncan, an English merchant in New York. James Duncan inherited it from his father. Richard Backer, John, Samuel, and Matthew Benson, Jacob Day, Michael Vreeland, Hendrick Banta, and Jacob Cowenhoven subsequently acquired and settled on portions of it. The south half of it berry conveyed to his son-in-law, Thomas Noel, who, at his death, devised it to his son, Monteith Noel, and to his wife's son, Richard Hall, then deceased. By order of the court it was sold to Robert and Ann Drummond in trust for the two Hall children. On April4 , 1726, the trustees sold it to John Stevens and William Williamson, who soon after sold it to Samuel Moore, an Englishman from the Island of Barbadoes. William Laurence, Cornelius Brinkerhoff, Walter Briggs, Thomas de Kay, and others eventually bought part of it.

Sections 5, 6, and 8, containing 6,770 acres of wildland, were, in 1661, granted in one parcel, by Carteret and his council, to Philip Carteret. It was described as being seven miles in length, north and south, and three miles in width from the Hudson River to Overpeck Creek. It adjoined Berry on the south and Bedlow on the north. Carteret failed to settle within the prescribed time and it was again granted, in 1669, to Robert Vanquillan, of Caen, France; James Bollen, an Englishman (then a resident of Ridley, Pennslvaynia0; and Claude Vallot, of Champagne, France. Vanquillan sold his interest to Carteret in 1670. These gentlemen, failing to make any settlement within six years, lost their titles by forfeiture and the tract remained a wilderness without an owner until 1698, when it was granted to Mary, widow of Jacob Milburn, who also failed to settle it. On December 10, 1702, the southerly portion of section 5, forty chains wide and said to contain 500 acres, was granted by the proprietors to Michael Hawdon, a native of Ireland, but then a resident of New York and engaged in land speculation. On July 16, 1676, Hawdon conveyed to George Willocks, of Kenay, Scotland, and the heirs of Andrew Johnston, deceased, of Leith, Scotland.

John Johnston, Andrew's heir-at-law, released to Willocks and Willocks sold to George Leslie, of Barbadoes, W. L., a strip on the south, next to the Berry tract, half a mile in width. Leslie, on November 5, 1773, sold the southerly half, this being a quarter of a mile in width and containing 330 acres to Mattias Demott, of Bergen, who, it is said, settled on it. Garret Lydecker, then a resident of New York, acquired the title to the remainder of the Willocks and Johnston purchase and to the remainder of section 5, one mile in width, and containing 1,000 acres. This made Lydecker's farm one and one-quarter miles in width on the Hudson River and the same width on Overpeck Creek. It extended northward as far as Englewood. On his death in 1754, Lydecker's lands, comprising section 5, passed by his will to his four sons, Ryck, Abraham, Cornelius, and Garret Lydecker, whose descendants still occupy portions of it.

John Lodts, or Loots, a native of Norwich, England, came to this country in 1694, and in the fall of 1695 married Hilletje Powless, widow of Lubbert Lubbertsen Westervelt, Jr., of Bergen (now Jersey City). He removed to Bergen County and purchased a large portion of section 6, adjoining Lydecker on the south, on which he settled. Upon his death his lands were inherited by his sons, John and Paulus Loots; his daughters, Tryntie, wife of Henry Wierts Banta, and Gessie, wife of Daniel Commegar. Roeloff Lubberts Westervelt, a brother of the first husband of Loot's [sic] wife, purchased a strip north of Loots in section 6. as did Cornelius, Hendrick, Dirk, and Seba Banta, the sons of Epke Jacobs. The purchases were all made in 1695. The combined purchases of Loots, Westervelt, and the Bantas, according to references in old deeds, must ha e included all section 6, which extended north nearly as far as Tenafly. Descendants of the de Motts, Demarests, and Romaines subsequently acquired parts of section 6.

The triangular lot, section 7, lying between the east and west branches of Overpeck Creek, was first patented by the East New Jersey proprietors, in 1688, to Samuel Emmett, of Boston. Without settling it, Emmett conveyed it, September 17, 1695, to Roloff Lubertsen Westervelt. The Indians disputed Westervelt's title in 1705, and he was obliged to procure from them a release. This tract extended from the junction of the two branches of the Overpeck, at Englewood, northward to the head of the Tiena Kill Brook, a little south of Tenafly. The acquisition of section 7 by Westervelt gave him one of the largest farms on the Hudson. He settled on it and his descendants still occupy parts of it.

Section 8, containing 2,120 acres, extending from the Hudson River to the Tiena Kill, and one mile in width, was granted, April 27, 1688, to Colonel Jacobus Van Cortlandt, of New York, who, on April 10, 1738, conveyed it to Abram de Peyster, Margaret, his wife, John Chambers, Anna, his wife, and Peter Jay and Mary, his wife, all of New York City. The wives of these three men were the daughters of Van Cortlandt. They divided the tract, Mrs. Chambers taking the northerly third, Mrs. Jay the next third south, and Mrs. de Peyster the most southerly third. Mrs. de Peyster's third included the present village of Tenafly. Mrs. Chambers devised her share to her nephew, Sir James Jay, who, by his father's will, also got the latter's third. Sir James devised the north third to his son, Peter Jay, and the other third to his daughter, Mary O'Kill. The north or Chambers third was sold by the sheriff in 1820 to William Van Hook. Van Hook sold it in 1821 to Moses Field, who sold it to David O. Bell, in 1829. The three farms were then divided into lots and mapped, being known respectively as the Bell, O'Kill and, de Peyster tracts. This section was settled by the Van Buskirks, Bantas, Baldwins, Powlesses, Demarests, Westervelts, and other of the families already mentioned.

Section 9, adjoining No. 8 on the south, was patented by Carteret and his council to Isaac Bedlow, a Swede, June 20, 1669. It was also one mile in width, and extended westerly from the Hudson River to the Tiena Kill Brook. Its extent northward was to a point near Demarest, N. j., and it contained 2,120 acres. Bedlow had an Indian deed for this tract as early as 1661. He held it until 1728, when he sold it to Colonel Jacobus Van Cortlandt, of New York. Captain John Huyler, Johannes Rolofse Westervelt, Samuel Peters Demarest, Barent Jacobs Cole, and Peter Mathews Bogert became the owners and settlers on this section, and their descendants still occupy it.

Another section, No. 10, one mile wide, adjoining and extending north from the Bedlow tract, was granted by Carteret, July 30, 1669, to Balthazer de Hart. De Hart's heirs sold it March 5, 1701, to Bernardus Vervalen, Gideon Vervalen, and Rynier Vervalen. Under a grant from the Colony of New York it was claimed by Captain Lancaster Symes, of London, who, prior to 1711, had sold parts of it to Casparus Mabie, Jacob Hertie, and others. Eventually, however, Bernardus Vervalen, by a grant from Queen Anne in 1709, and a release from Symes and his grantees in 1717, acquired the title to the whole tract and conveyed portions of it to Matthew M. Bogert, Peter M. Bogert, Cornelius Harmensen Tallman, Dowa Harmensen Tallman, Isaac Johns Meyer, Martin Powless, and Walter Parsells, who settled it. The remainder of the tract descended or was conveyed to Bernardus Vervalen's heirs, who also became settlers. Vervalen's sons were Isaac, Daniel, John, Frederick, Abraham, Jacobus, Bernardus, Gideon, and Cornelius. His daughters Alida, Cornelia, and Hester married, respectively, Hubartus Gerretsen Blawvelt, Peter Van Schuyven, and Jacob Cole.

Until 1772 the Colony of New York claimed that this tract was within its boundaries and so treated it.

The "L" shaped section, No. 11, adjoining this last tract on the north, contained 1,300 acres, and was also claimed to be within Syme's patent from the New York Colony. It remained wild and unoccupied until April 28,1710 , when Symes and his wife conveyed it to two brothers, Barent and Resolvert Naugle. It was an irregular shaped tract, extending, on the north side, from Hudson's River to the Tiena Kill. On the west it was narrow, but on the east end it extended from the de Hart tract northerly beyond the present south boundary of New York. The Naugle brothers divided it between them in June, 1748, Barent taking the north half and Resolvert the south half. The sons of Barent and Resolvert Naugle and their sons-in-law, Nicholas Demarest, Arie Auryansen, Tennis Van Houten, Roloff Van Houten, John W. Ferdon, and Roloff Stevens, together with William Ferdon, Daniel de Clark, John Parcells, and Peter Quidore, settled this tract.

The section No. 12, the next tract north of the Naugle tract, containing 3,410 acres, extended northerly into the Colony of New York, and was granted by Governor Dongan, of New York, in 1687, to Dr. George Lockhart, a London physician. The title passed from Dr. Lockhart to his half-brother, Colonel William Merritt, whose heirs sold it to John Corbett, an English sea captain, in 1703, who, at his death, devised it to his only child, Mary, wife of Henry Ludlow, of New York. The Ludlows sold it to the following persons, who settled it: Wilhelmus and John W. Ferdon, Hendrick Geisener (Gisner), his sons John and Nicholas Gisner, Matthias Concklin, Jacob Concklin, John Reyken (Riker), Abram Abrams Haring, Tennis Van Houten, Johannes Hyberts Blawvelt, John J. Naugle, John Sueden, Cornelius Smith, Jonathan Lawrence, Nicholas Ackerman, William Campbell, and Jacob Van Weart, who settled that part lying within the present County of Bergen.

The "Tappan patent," section 13, consisting of several thousand acres lying west of the Lockhart patent, was purchased from the Indians in 1681, and in 1687 patented by Governor Dongan, of New York, to Daniel de Clark, Peter Jansen Haring, Cosine Haring, Garret Steinmets, John de Vries (Van Dolsen), Jr., Claes Mannel, John Straatmaker, Staats de Groot, Lambert Arianse (Smith), Cornelius Lamberts (Smith), Hyberts Gerrits (Blawvelt), Johannes Gerrits (Blawvelt), and Ide Cornelius Van Vorst, the Indian purchasers. In 1704 it was surveyed and mapped and a part of it partitioned between the last named persons and their heirs and assigns. A final division was made of the balance in 1720. The persons named in the two divisions, in addition to the above sixteen original purchasers, were Manuel Claesen, Lewis Claeson, Elizabeth Claeson (children of Manuel Claesen, deceased), Barbara de Groot (widow of Staats de Groot, deceased), Garret Hyberts Blawvelt, Maritie Hyberts Blawvelt, and Dirke Hyberts Blawvelt (children of Huyberts Gerretse Blawvelt, deceased), Abram Johns Haring, Jacob Mattyce Flearboom, Cornelius Jansen Haring, Antje Meyer, John Harmensen Tallman, Henry Van Campen, Isaac Gerrets Blawvelt, Jacobus John de Vries (Van Dolsen), Abram Jansen Haring;, Ryniere Ryserick, Laurence Reed, Daniel Blawvelt, Joseph Blawvelt, Jacob Blawvelt, Tunis, Roeloff, and Nicholas Van Houten, John Van Dolsen, John and Cornelius Eckerson, Jurie (Aaron) Tomassen, Gysbert Bogert, William de Graw, John Ward, Jacob Cole, Jacobus de Clark, Jr., Jeremiah Borroughs, Abram and France Val Salee, Jacob King, Conrad Hertie, and Myndert Myndertsen Hogencamp. Of these, all except the Claesens, Reed, Ward, Burroughs, and King became settlers on portions of it.

Early in 1669 Oratani, the great chief of the Indian tribes of the Hackensack Valley, in consideration of her services as interpreter between his people and the whites, present to Mrs. Sarah Kierstead, of New York, a deed of the southerly part of section 14, containing 2,260 acres, described as "A neck of land between Hackensack River and Overpeck Creek, beginning at the north line thereof of Hackensack River at a swale brook that runs about twenty rods into the woods, thence to cross over upon a direct east and west line to Overpeck Creek." The tract extended north as far as Nordhoff on the Overpeck, and to a point above Bogota on the Hackensack. Mrs. Kierstead was the eldest daughter of the celebrated Anneke Jans and the wife of Dr. Hans Kierstead, at that time New York's leading physician, with a residence on the corner of Pearl and Whitehall Streets. Dr. Kierstead died in 1660, leaving Sarah, his widow, and eight children. She afterward married Captain Elbert Elbertson (Stoothoff), of Flatlands, L. I., one of the purchasers of section 29. Upon his death she married for her third husband Cornelius Van Borsum, whom she also survived. She died in 1693. On June 24, 1669, Governor Carteret issued a patent to Mrs. Kierstead containing a condition that the grantee should settle it within three years.

On January 6, 1676, Tantaqua, Carquetiem, Wechlampaepeau, Hamongham Hanagious, Anesaschere, and Poughquickquaaise, sachems representing the Hackensack tribes, with the consent of Governor Philip Carteret, deeded to Laurense Andriesen Van Buskirk and company "a parcel of land commonly called by the name of New Hackensack, bounded on Old Hackensack, and from thence to a small kill adjoining to the great Indian field, called 'the Indian Castle' northward forward." Old Hackensack was the name given to the Demarest patents, which are mentioned later on, and the "Indian castle" was a little south of Palisades Park, opposite the mouth of Overpeck Creek. The description given in the grant covers, or was intended to cover, sections 14, 15, and 16, and indicates that Mrs. Kierstead either lost her title by failing to comply with the condition in her deed or conveyed her interest in section 14 to Laurence Andriesen and company.

During the year 1669 Governor Carteret patented sections 15, 16, 17,18 , and 19, each containing 2,000 acres, as follows: section 15, to Robert Van Quillian; section 16, to James Bollen; section 17, to Matthias Nichols; section 18, to William Pardon; and section 19, to Major John Berry. Each of these five patents contained a condition that the patentee should settle on his patent a certain number of families within six years. The grantees failed to comply with the conditions, and the patents were declared forfeited. Sections 14, 15, and 16 were afterward, in16 76, granted by the Indians to Laurence Andriesen (Van Buskirk) and company, the "company" consisting of John Corneliesen (Bogert), Martin Powlesen (Powles), Hendrick Joursen (Brinkerhoff), Roloff Lubbertsen Westerfield (Westervelt, and John Loots, or Lodts. The patents (two or more) of Governor Carteret for the last mentioned sections designated them as "parts of New Hackensack." The lands described extended south from the Demarest patents at a point between Highwood and Tenafly and were bounded west by Hackensack River and east by Overpeck Creek. Lady Elizabeth Carteret confirmed the patents on April 10, 1682. A large part of these patented lands was allotted to the patentees. Other portions of them were sold to Nicholas Lozier, Peter Vandelinda, and John, Peter, and Lawrence, the sons of Lawrence Andriesen (Van Buskirk), the latter of whom had the largest interest in them. The balance was sold or released by the patentees November 20, 1686, to Rolof Vandelinda, Albert Zabriskie, Dirk Epke (Banta), Lawrence Lawrencen (Van Buskirk), Cornelius Christianse, and Gerret Gellis Mandeville, who subsequently made a division between them. The subsequent owners and settlers in section 14 seem to have been John Zabriskie, Joost Zabriskie, Jacobus Hendricks Brinkerhoff, Jacob Van Wagoner, Samuel Demarest, Wiert Epke Banta, Hendrick Epke Banta, Garret Diedricks, Jacob Banta, Johannes Terhune, and Christiaen Zabriskie, as appears by a release which they executed June 19, 1763, of a tract which is declared to be a part of the Sarah Kierstead patent.

After the forfeiture of the titles to sections 17, 18, and19 , James Bollen claimed them under an alleged patent procured by him in 1672b. erry also claimed section 18, and the subsequent patentees of these three tracts were finally compelled to procure releases from both Bollen and Berry.

David Demarest, Sr., purchased from the Indians, June 8, 1677, (by estimation,) about 5,000 acres, including sections 17, 18, 19, and 20, and lands north of them, but received patents for only sections 18 and 19. Upon his death, in 1693, his lands were divided between his sons John, Samuel, and David, Jr., his nephew, John Durie, and his numerous grandchildren. His granddaughters married, respectively, Jacobus Slott (Slote), Peter Slott (Slote), Abram Canon, Thomas Heyer, John Stewart, Abram Brower, James Christie, Peter Lubertsen (Westervelt), Andries Jans Van Orden, Wiert Epke (Banta), Andries Lawrencen (Van Buskirk), Rynier Van Houten, Stephen Albertsen Terhune, Cornelius Epke Banta, Samuel Helms, Cornelius Van Horn, Jr., Peter Durie, Christian Debaun, Johannes Juriansen Westerfelt, Jacobus Peack, and Benjamin Van Buskir. All these except Canon, Heyer, and Stewart, settled on portions of the original grant. Demarest's land was sometimes known as "Schraalenburgh" and sometimes as "Old Hackensack." Section No. 20 was settled by Samuel Demarest (son of David Demarest, Sr.), Jacobus Peack, Adolph Brower, Carel Debaun, John Van Schuyven, John Durie, Cornelius Jansen Haring, Cornelius Cornelissen Van Horn, John Hertie, and Abram Davids Demarest. Some the grants were made by Governor Gawen Laurie and some by Peter Sonmans, representing the East New Jersey proprietors. The intermediate owners were Jurie Maris (Morris) and Ruloff and Hendrick Vandelinda, who, however, did not locte on any of the section, which was known as the "North West Hook."

The first attempt to settle lands west of the Saddle River was made in 1681, when a patent was issued by Governor Carteret and his council to Jacob Cortelyou, Hendrick Smock, Rutgert Joosten, and others, for 3,525 acres of section 29, adjoining the Saddle River on the east and south, partly on the Passaic River and partly on a brook, on the west. This patent was declared forfeited for non-settlement. The second attempt was made seven years later (March 25, 1687), when section 18, containing 5,320 acre, described as lying between the Passaic and Saddle Rivers,--"beginning at the meeting of the said rivers and running northerly along the Passaic River, its several turns, reduced to a straight line, four miles and thirty-six chains to a white oak tree marked on four sides at the bound Brook, thence from the Bound Brook north east by a great Rock of Stone, eighty four chains, thence north east along the line of the Indian purchase, one hundred and eight chains, thence along Saddle River southwesterly to the place where it began. Being in length, reduced to a straight line, six miles and a half,"--was patented by the proprietors to nine persons, to wit: Colonel Richard Townley, of Elizabethtown, N. J.; Captain Elbert Elbertsen (Stoothoff)of, Flatlands, L. I.; Jaques (James) Cortelyou, of New Utrecht, L. I.; Richard Stillwell, of Staten Island, N. Y.; William Nicholls, of the City of New York; Catharine Hoagland, of Flatlands, L. I.; Peter Jacobus Marius (Morris), of the City of New York; and Roloff Joosten (Van Brunt) and Hendrick Matthiesen, of New Utrecht, L. I. The survivors of these persons, and the heirs of those deceased, partitioned the tract, May 16, 1692, and thereafter sold it to settlers as follows: Joshua Bos (Bush), Thomas Jurianse (Van Reipen), John Van Horn, John Post, Halmagh Van Houten, Garret Jurianse (Van Reipen0, Garret Garretson (Van Wagoner), Garret Garretson (Van Wagoner0, Jr., John Garretson (Van Wagoner), Peter Garretson (Van Wagoner), Dirck Barentsen, Thomas Fredericksen, Warner Burger, Abram Van Varrick, Laurence Toers, Peter Jacobsen Morris, David Laurencen Ackerman, Dirck Van Zyle, Hendrick Vadelinda, Jacob Marinus, Thomas F. and Andries F. Cadmus, and John Billfield. This section is sometimes called in deeds "Acquackannock" and sometimes "Slotterdam," and comprised the greater part of the present Township of Saddle River. The "Rock" referred to is supposed to have been what is now Glen Rock.

A portion of section 22 (adjoining Major Berry) was patented by Lady Elizabeth Carteret, in 1682, to Jaques (James) Laroux and Anthony Hendricksen. The same year Lady Carteret patented to Cornelius Mattys 420 acres adjoining Laroux on the north and 424 acres to Albert Zabriskie, adjoining Mattys on the north. Zabriskie seems to have acquired the title to the Mattys and Laroux purchases, and all the land west of himself, Laroux, and Mattys, as far as Sprout Brook.

North of Zabriskie, in section 22, lay lands patented to Claes Jansen Romeyn, fronting east on the Hackensack and extending to Sprout Brook. Romeyn conveyed parts of these to his sons, John, Albert, Daniel, and Claes Romeyn, and in David Ackerman, John Zabriskie, Peter Laroe, and Henry Van Giesen, husbands of his daughters Gerrebrecht, Elizabeth, Lydia, and Sarah, respectively. Jurian Westervelt, Isaac Van Giesen, Paulus Vanderbeck. and John Berdan each purchased farms from Romeyn, in this section, all bounding east on the Hackensack. Section 24 comprised the Kinderkamack patents, granted by Governor Gawen Laurie to David Demarest, Sr., his son John, his son-in-law John Durie, and Peter Franconier. The latter sold his portion to John Demarest, who a few years later conveyed it to Cornelius Claes Cooper. The Demarests, Duries, Coopers, and Van Wagoners were the principal settlers in this section. The Indian sachems who signed the grants in this vicinity were Mamche, Sackamaker, Coorangr, Rawatones, and Towackhack.

Section 21, known as the Paramus patent, containing 11,667 acres, was bought by Albert Zabriskie in 1662. Zabrisie’s title to this tract was not confirmed by grants from the proprietors during his lifetime, but his son Jacob presented a release from Peter Sonmans, agent of the proprietors, May 13, 1731. In 1675 the sachems of the tribes of Northern New Jersey became indebted to Albert Zabriskie for a considerable sum, to secure the payment of which they verbally promised to convey to Zabriskie a large tract in Rockland County known as “Narranshawe.” The promise to convey was not, however, followed by the execution of a deed from the Indians, and in die course of time, a new set of sachems sold and conveyed the “Narranshawe” tract to other persons. These sachems were probably ignorant of the promises which their predecessors had made to Zabriskie. The latter demanded a fulfillment of the Indian promise and a deed from the sachems of lands in Bergen County, N. J., equal in area and value to the “Narranshawe’s tract. On June 1, 1772, Orachanap, Metachenak, Coorange, and Memerisconqua, then sachems of the tribes of Northern New Jersey, executed to Zabriskie a deed for 2,100 acres of land in Bergen County, described as “bounded West by the Saddle River, North and East by Claes Jansen Romeyn, and South by Albert Zabriskie.” This large tract, constituting parts of 21 and 23, was known as the New Paramus patent, but is frequently referred to as “Wieremus,” and sometimes as “Paramus Highlands.” Zabriskie procured grants from the proprietors of this last tract, which, added to his previous grant, made him one of the largest landholders among the original settlers. One-half of the tract last mentioned Zabriskie conveyed March 20, 1708, to Thomas Van Buskirk, of New Hackensach, who settled on it, and whose descendants still occupy portions of it. John George Achenbach, a German emigrant, together with persons named Baldwin, Ackerman, and Conklin, settled on parts of it. Zabriskie’s children and grandchildren settled in this section as well as in section 23. His sons were Jacob, John, Joost, Christian, and Henry.

Section 23, besides Zabriskie’s 2,100-acre grant, included several patents granted at various times to Claes Jansen Romeyn and Jacob Zabriskie, son of Albert, who cut it up into farms and parceled it out to their children. Romeyn’s children have already been named. Jacob Zabriskie’s sons were Albert, Peter, Stephen, and Jacob, and his sons-in-law were Anthony Lozier, Peter Lozier, John Ackerman, and Sylvester Earle. These with families named Duersen, Stagg, Hopper, Bogert, Terhune, Meyer, Van Gelder, Trapgagen, Verway, Tibout, Conklin, Volker, Banta, Vanderbeck, Van Blarcom, and Laroe settled in these several Paramus tracts.
Section 25, known as the “Old Hook Tract,” consisting of 1,300 acres, was purchased from the Indians, April 24, 1702, by Jaques (James) La Roux and John Alyea. This tract was part of the share of Peter Sonmans, one of the proprietors of East New Jersey. On December 1, 1727, Nicholas Le Sieur (Lozier) purchased a one-third interest in it. The three owners then made a division of the tract between them, and on June 23, of the same year, Sonmans was induced to confirm the Indian grant by a deed in which the grantees named are Jaques (James) La Roux, Peter Alyea (son of John Alyea), Nicholas Lozier, Hendrick La Roux, and Samuel La Roux (sons of Jaques (James) Laroux). The tract was settled by the last named persons and their numerous sons and sons-in-law. Peter Van Buskirk, Andrew Hopper, Peter Debaun, Jacob Debaun, Richard Cooper, Daniel Duryea, and Jacob Cough purchased parts of it. Families named Bogert, Blawvelt, Vandelinda, Ackerman, Rutan, Demarest, Perry, and Quackenbush also became settlers on parts of the tract.

The southwest part of section 28 was called “Wierimus” and fell within a patent granted to Samuel Bayard, in 1703. The title passed from Bayard’s heirs, by purchase, to Roloff Vandelinda, who died in New York in 1708. BY his will he devised these lands to his son, Hendrick Vandelinda. The area of land devised to Hendrick is not given, but it was large, and by several deeds from Peter Sonmans, as agent of the proprietors, he afterward acquired several other tracts in the vicinity. His lands were, as the deeds state, bounded on the south partly by Zabriskie and Romeyn and partly by the Musquampsont Brook, a branch of the Pascack River. He sold it in parcels to Rolof Vandelinda, Rev. Benjamin Vandelinda (pastor of Paramus Church), Frederick Wortendyke (the first settler at Pascack), Cornelius Haring, John and Albert Van Orden, Jacob Zabriskie, John Bogert, Rev. Bernard Van Duersen, Jacob Arents, John Durye, Daniel Haring, Carel Debaun, Abraham Post, David Hopper, Abram La Roux, Abraham Van Horne, and Rev. Samuel Verbryck (pastor of Tappan Church). The two “dominies” conveyed parts of their purchases to Garret and David Eckerson, John Forshee (Fiseur), Garret Haring, William Holdrum, Frederick Van Reiper, and Michael and John Ryer. West and north of the above Cornelius Mattys, William Sandford Van Emburgh, John Guest, Peter and Andrew Van Buskirk, Cornelius Epke Banta, James Johnston, an John Stagg secured patents from the proprietors. The locality of Arent’s, Mattys’s, and Van Emburgh’s purchases was called “Awashawaughs’s” plantation.

Nearly all of the above purchases and settlements were made between 1728 and 1732.

The lands comprising section 26, between the Hackensack River and the Pascack River, were within that part of the Homan and Hawdon patent which was purchased by John McEvers and Lancaster Symes, and at the division between McEvers and Symes it fell to McEvers. About 1,800 acres of this he sold to Dirk Cadmus, Garret Hybertsen Blawvelt, Jacob Flierboom, John Blawvelt, Abram Blawvelt, John Berry, Carel Debaun, Thomas Clark, Jonathan Rose, and Colonel Cooper. Owing to the long dispute between the Colonies of New York and New Jersey over the location of the boundary line between them but very few of the conveyances of lands in section 26, 27, and 28 were ever recorded, and it is therefore next to impossible to locate all of the original settlers of these sections. It is known, however, from old gravestones and other sources that, besides those above mentioned, families named Demarets, Post, Merseles, Meyers, Storms, Mabie, Haring, Bogert, Banta, Holdrum, Cooper, Eckerson, Van Houten, Peack, Van Reiper, Westervelt, Hopper, Campbell, Zabriskie, Van Emburgh, and Peterson were among the earliest settlers of section 24.

Section 30 appears to have first been settled by the Ackermans. Garret Ackerman bought of the proprietors 478 acres butting on the Saddle River as early as 1712. David Ackerman and Andries Hopper purchased large tracts adjoining Garret on the south, while on the north of them were the purchases of Peter Van Buskirk and John Verway, in 1724, and William Sandford Van Emburgh and John Guest, in 1729.

On December 10, 1709, Peter Sonmans, styling himself “Sole Agent, Superintendent, General Attorney, and Recorder General” of the rest of the proprietors, conveyed to seven [crossed out and the word “eight” handwritten on this page] persons, to wit: John Anboineau (3-24), Elias Boudinot (3-24), Peter Franconier (7-24), Lucas Kierstead (2-24), John Barberie (3-24), Thomas Bayaux (2-24), Andrew Fresneau (2-24), and Peter Beard (2-24), a tract between the saddle and Ramapo Rivers, afterward known as the Ramapo patent. Auboineau, Bondinot, Barberie, Franconier, and Bayaux were Frenchmen, Kierstead was a Dutchman and Board was an Englishman. This tract contained 42,500 acres and was eight and nine-tenths miles in length from the head of Saddle River southerly to the junction of the Hohokus Brook, with the Saddle River, from which point its boundary ran N. 67° W. 150 chains to a great rock or stone called Pamackapuka (now Glen Rock), thence N. 63° W. seven and twenty-nine-fortieths miles to the Ramapo River, thence N. 13° W. 77 chains to the top of the Ramapo mountains, thence along the top of the said mountains about nine and a half miles, and thence southeasterly to the beginning. This included all of the present Township of Ridgewood, nearly all of Franklin and Hohokus Townships, and part of Orvil. William Bond surveyed and mapped it in 1709. The map is filed in the clerk’s office at Hackensack.

On February 4, 1742, Franconier conveyed his interest to Theodore Valleau and David Stout, who on August 10, 1752, conveyed to Madalene Valleau, daughter of William Franconier. In the same year the proprietors discovered, or affected to discover, that Sonman’s conveyance of December 10, 1709, to Auboineau and company was invalid, and forthwith took steps to regain the title. On March 29, 1753, John and William Burnett and Cortlandt Skinner, pursuant to a warrant of the proprietors, induced Madalene Valleau to execute a release to the proprietors of all her interest in the original 42,000 acres, upon receipt of a deed from the proprietors to her of 900 acres at Campgaw. This 900 acres, located in section 30, Mrs. Valleau afterward sold in parcels to Dirk and John Tiesbots (Tiebout), John Pullisfelt (Pullis), John Billfield, Isaac Bogert, William Winter, Barent Van Horn, and Harman Nax, who settled on it. Between 1699 and 1753 several grants had been made of portions of this 42,000 acres—some by the proprietors or their representatives, and some by the grantees of Sonmans, under the Deed of December 10, 1709. Thomas Hart, of Enfield, Middlesex County, England, procured a patent for several thousand acres in the locality called Preakness, then in Bergen County, but now in Passaic County. By his will in 1704 he devised an undivided part of this tract to his sister, Patience Ashfield, and the other part to one Mercy Benthall.

Patience Ashfield’s will, made in 1708, made Joseph Heale executor with power to sell. Thereupon Heale with Mercy Benthall and Richard Ashfield, heir of Patience Ashfield, sold their patented lands in parcels, the earliest purchasers being Anthony Beem, Conrad Lyn, Abraham Lyn, Derrick Day, Peter Post, Cornelius and John Blinkerhoff, Jacob Arents, Philip Schuyler, George Ryerson, Rip Van Dam, John de Reimer, John Berdan, and Cornelius Jans Doremus, who, with the exception of Van Dam, were the principal settlers in that locality. The lands were in section 31.

Andrew Johnston, Edward Vaughn, William Skinner, and George Leslie, all Scotchmen, received a patent for about 1,000 acres in the same locality, which was sold, among others, to John Berdan, John Bogert, Gysbert Van Blarcom, and Abram Garretsen (Van Wagoner).

In 1699 George Willocks and Andrew Johnston procured a patent for several thousand acres, consisting of tracts in various localities, west of Saddle River at Preakness, The Ponds, Paramus, etc. These lands were mostly in section 31, and were sold, among others, to John Laurence Ackerman, Jacobus Laurence Ackerman, Jacobus Kipp, John Romaine, Jacob Kipp, Tennis Hennion, David Hennion, Edo Merseles, Martin Ryerson, John Bogert, Jacob Outwater, Nicholas Slingerland, John Le Toere, John Berdan, Samuel Van Saun, Ruloff Romaine, George Vreeland, Stephen Camp, and Zekiel Harris.

What was, and is still, known as the Totowa section was purchased by Anthony Brockholst and company. On Brockholst’s death it passed to his son Henry, who sold it, among others, to David Marinus, Gerrebrecht Van Houten, Halmagh Van Houten, Bastian Van Giesen, Abram Godwin, and Martin Ryerson, in 1768. These lands were in section 31.

George F. Ryerson procured a patent for a considerable tract in 1748, adjoining north and east on the Preakness patent, which he sold to persons having similar names to Urie Westervelt, John Stagg, John Romaine (Romeyn), and others. These were in section 31.

Peter Franconier and others hand sold several parcels, in the meantime, on the west side of Saddle River, in section 30. Garret Van Dien, Peter Johns Van Blarcom, and Dr. John Van Emburgh had procured from them the land between the Saddle River and Hohokus Brook, for some distance northward, and Major Isaac Kingsland, Peter Johns Van Blarcom, Hendrick Hopper, and Garret Van Dyke owned extensive tracts west of Hohokus Brook. John and William Van Voorhys, John Rutan, and John Berdan had procured grants and were located at what is now Wyckoff, where later familes named Van Horn, Halstead, Ackerman, Winter, Van Blarcom, Stur, Folly, and others located.

By reason of these many prior titles the proprietors, after they had acquired the release from Magdalene Valleau, in 1753, found themselves face to face with the exceedingly difficult task of dealing with numbers of settlers who had supposed their land titles were without flaw. The proprietors undertook this task, getting some settlers to take leases,--thereby admitting the title of the proprietors,--purchasing from some, and compromising with others. Many of the settlers would make no settlement, the courts were appealed to, and a bitter controversy ensued, which was not entirely settled until 1790. In 1767 the whole 42,000 acre tract was surveyed and mapped by George Ryerson, Jonathan Hampton, and Benjamin Morgan. The original map, a piece of sheepskin four feet square, is in the surveyor general’s office at Perth Amboy, N. J. It is badly worn, and much of the writing Is obliterated therefrom by time and use. After the map was filed the lots were, from time to time, leased or sold to actual settlers.

In 1789 John Stevens, James Parker, and Walter Rutherford obtained a grant of 5,000 acres of the Ramapo patent, made up of many tracts located in different places. The following persons purchased from Stevens and company and from the proprietors and became settlers on the Ramapo patent or on lands south of it: Albert H. Zabriskie, John Fell, Albert A. Terhune, Baron Steuben, Cornelius Haring, Jacob de Baun, Abraham Van Voorhis, John D. Ackerman, John Doremus, Nicholas Hopper, David Bertholf, Henry Van Allen (the latter at The Pond), Abraham Laroe, John Christie, Benjamin Westervelt, James Traphagen, Andrew Hopper, John Stevens, Andrew Van Orden (the last two at New Foundland), Matthias Stuart, Garret Hopper, John Moore, James Crouter, John Ramsey, Jacobus Van Buskirk, John Zabriskie, Conrad Wannamaker, Derrick Wannamaker, Henry Smith (the last named at New Foundland), Peter Haring, Abram Stevens, Rolof Westervelt, Ryer Ryerson (The Ponds), Gerret Garretson, Tennis Van Zyle, Andrew Van Allen, Edward Jeffers, Cornelius de Graw, Richard de Graw, John Neafie, Derrick Tise, Isaac Conklin, David Simons, Daniel Rutan, Christiaen, Henry, and Peter Wannamaker, Douglas Caines, Adolph Sivert, Solomon Peterson, Conrad Massinger, William Jenkins, John Meyer, John Winter, John Straat, Joseph Wood, and Peter Sturr, and also families named Fitch, Chappel, Oldis, Courter, Camp, Fountain, Folly, Fox, Osborn, Parker, Bamper, Dater, Frederick, Youmans, Mowerson, Packer, Quackenbush, Bush, Vanderhoff, Van Dine, Van Houten, Terhune, Bogert, John Arie Ackerman, and John Labagh.

On November 11, 1695, the proprietors granted to Anthony Brockholst, Arent Schuyler, and Colonel Nicholas Bayard section 32, 4000 acres of land, on the east side of Pequannock and Passaic Rivers, one and a half miles wide, and running northerly from near Little Falls, up the Passaic River, along the Pompton River four and a half miles. This was then in Bergen County, now in Passaic. Both Schuyler and Brockholst located on the tract on the east bank of the Pompton River a little south of Pompton Lake. The purchase was made for mining purposes, but the grantees conveyed the greatest part of it December 17, 1701, to George Ryerson, John Meet, Samuel Berry, David Mandeville, and Hendrick Mandeville. They settled on portions of it and sold other portions to Elias Smith, Michael Vanderbeck, Thomas Juriansen (Van Reiper), Peter Van Zyle, Gerebrecht Gerrebrants, John Westervelt, Michael Hearty (Hartie), Casparus Schuyler, Dirk Van Reiper, Steven Bogert, Cornelius Van Horn, Garret Bertholf, Michael Demott, and Rolof Jacobs.

In 1764 Oliver Delancy, Henry Cuyper, Jr., and Walter Rutherford, representing the proprietors, sold to Peter Hasenclaver what are known as the Ringwood and Long Pond tracts, in the northwest part of Bergen County, containing about 12,000 acres. This is now in Passaic County. The lands were first patented to and occupied by Cornelius Board, James Board, Joseph Board, John Ogden, David Ogden, Sr., David Ogden, Jr., Uzal Ogden, Samuel Governeur, Thomas Ward, John Morris, David Stevens, and Andrew Bell.

It would require too much space to give the names of all those who purchased or settled on the Ramapo, Pequannock, Totowa, Preakness, and other patents of lands west of the Saddle River. The reader will note that nearly all the surnames given of settlers west of the Saddle River are the same as of those settling east of that river, thus indicating that the Ramapo patent and the lands south of it were settled principally by the descendants of those who settled the older parts of Bergen and Hudson Counties. It would therefore be a repetition of names to describe in detail the numerous sub-divisions of the Ramapo and other tracts.

* For sections, refer to Map No. 4.

Source: Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey, Editor, Cornelius Burnham Harvey, The New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Company, 1900, pages 22-41.