Identity: "Jan Aersen of the Ferry". See his will below for self-identification.

Who he is not:

"...Jan AERSEN (or AERTSEN), who is generally referred to as "Jan of the Ferry", never used the surname MIDDAGH. Rather, Teunis G. Bergen in his epochal tome "Early Settlers of Kings County in Alphabetical ..." and in his book "The Bergen Family or the Descendants of Hans Hansen Bergen..." confused him with a s/o Aert Theuniszen (or Anthonize) MIDDAGH who was named Jan Aertsen MIDDAGH who married Geertje Teunisse CLAERWATER."

From: Jack Middaugh [email protected] Dutch-Colonies-L Archives Archiver Dutch-Colonies 1998-04 0893717450

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Born circa 1636.

Immigration circa 1661 New Amsterdam.

"An article by Rosalie Fellows Bailey in the New York Genealogical & Biographical Record, identifies emigrants who owed money to the West India Company for their passage to New Netherlands and who were listed in the contemporaneous notes of one James Riker. The account is not complete and the date is that of embarkation, not of arrival (it took about 6 weeks for the voyage), but one name caught stands out —

Jan Aertsen from Amersfoort who sailed on the Faith on 23 December 1660. An attached note in the record states that he "lives with Elbert Elbertsen [Stoothoff] 'in de baay' (i.e., Flatlands).""

"Jan took the Oath of Allegiance at Brooklyn in 1687 and stated that he had been in this country 26 years, which agrees with his 1661 arrival."

Margery Huston Freas, "Who was Lysbeth Aersen, Wife of Pieter Pietersen Staats", New Netherland Connections Vol. 3, page 87 (1998): 3:88. Hereinafter cited as "Lysbeth Aersen, Wife of Pieter Pietersen Staats."

Married 1st: Unknown

Children by unknown first wife:

1. Jan/Johannis/John Aersen

2. Lysbeth Aerentsen

Married 2nd: Adriaentje Cornelise Bleijck, daughter of Cornelis Adriaens Bleijck and Swantje Jans, widow of Johannes Nevius in 1674.

He and Adriaentje Cornelise Bleijck were members of the at Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, Flatbush, Kings Co., Long Island, New York, in 1677 from the Ferry.

Jan Aersen witnessed the baptism of Christoffel Hooglandt, son of Christofel Hooglandt and Helena Aartse, on 17 September 1699 at Reformed Dutch Church, New York City, New York, (sponsors Jan Aartse & Catharina Cregier, h.v. Marten Roelofse Schenk).

Jan Aersen witnessed the baptism of Willemijntje Aersen, daughter of David Aersen and Helena Harssing, on 14 May 1702 at Old First Dutch Reformed Church, Breuckelen (Brooklyn), Kings Co., Long Island, New York, (sponsors Jan Aerzen, Helena Hogelandt).

Children by Adriaentje Cornelise Bleijck:

1. Helena Aersen
2. Aert Aersen
3. Matheus Aersen
4. David Aersen

Married 3rd Elizabeth Smith, widow of Peter Smith with banns published on 4 January 1690 at Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, Flatbush, Kings Co., Long Island, New York. Jan Aerse, widower of Adriaentie Blijck, residing at Brooklun, with Elisabet Smets, widow of Pieter Smits, residing at Jamaica.

Child by Elizabeth:

1. John Aersen.

Will of Jan Aersen:

dated on 11 August 1707 proved 8 Jun 1708. John Aerson of the Ferry, in the Township of Brooklyn, in Kings County on the Island of Nassau, being of good and perfect memory. Leaves to wife Elizabeth the house where I now live at the Ferry, and all my garden, and one half of my orchard, and a horse to ride at her pleasure, during her life. And she is to have two cows to be kept with fodder and pasture, winter and summer, and my farm at the Ferry, with firewood and bread corn and liberty to keep fowls, and £10 yearly, and a negro girl. I leave to my children Aert, Matthew and David, after my wife's decease, all of my houses, lands and tenements lying and being at the Ferry in the township of Brooklyn bounded south by the lot of Adriaen Hoogland, formerly George Jacobs, north by the river, east by the creek, adjoining to John Reportes (Rapates) land, and west by the highway leading from Brooklyn to the Ferry. Containing about 200 acres of land and meadow. And also all of my lands in the County of Somerset, New Jersey. I leave to my youngest son John, £50. I leave to my daughter Helena after my wife's decease, all that my house and garden spot at the Ferry, wherein my son David now lives. I leave all good and chattels to my sons, Aert, Matthew and David. I leave all my negroes to my said sons, and two of the old negroes, Sambo and his wife Mary, are to stay on the farm and are not to be sold, and they are to have every Saturday afternoon to work for themselves. I make ny sons, Aert, Matthew and David, executors. Wit.: Henry Filkin, John Evertse, Josias Crego.

Corrects John Raportes to John Rapates.

Possible sister: Helena Aards

Bio includes data from The Brouwer Genealogy Database.

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