THE VANDEGRIFT
FAMILY
THE VANDEGRIFT FAMILY is of Holland
descent, their progenitor being Jacob Lendertsen VAN DER GRIFT (that is,
son of Lenerd) who with his brother Paulus Lenertsen VAN DER GRIFT, came
from Amsterdam about 1644 and settled in New Amsterdam. Both of the VAN DER GRIFT
brothers were in the employ of the West India Company. Paulus was skipper of the ship
"Neptune" in 1645, and of the "Grest Gerrit" in 1646. He was a large
landholder in New Amsterdam as early as 1644. He was a member of the council, 1647-1648;
burgomaster 1657-1658, and 1661-1664; orphan master 1656-1660; member of convention, 1653
and 1663. On February 21, 1664, Paulus LEENDERSEN and Allard ANTHONY
were spoken of as "co-patroons of the new settlement of Noortwyck on the North
Rover." He had five children baptized at the Dutch Reformed church, and he and his
wife were witnesses to the baptism of five of the eight children of his brother Jacob.
Paulus Leendertsen VAN DER GRIFTsold his property in New Amsterdam in
1671, and returned with his family to Europe. Jacob Lendertsen Van die Gifte, bottler, of
New Amsterdam, in the service of the West India Company, on September 11, 1648, granted a
power of Attorney to Marten Martense SCHOENMAKER, of Amsterdam, Holland
to collect from the West India Company such amounts of money as he (Van die Grift) had
earned at Curocoa, on the ship "Swol", employed by that company to ply between
the island of Curocoa and New Netherlands. The early records of New Amsterdam give a
considerable account of this ship "Swol." It carried twenty-two guns and
seventy-six men. In 1644 it was directed to proceed to NewAmstedam, and on arriving,
"being old," it was directed to be sold. Another boat was, however, given the
same name, being sometimes mentioned at the "New Swol." On July 19, 1648, Jacob
Lendertsen Van der Grist was married at New Amsterdam to Rebecca FREDERICKS,
daughter of Frederick LUBBERTSEN. On March 7, 1652, he sold as attorney
for his father-in-law, fifty morgens and fifty-two rods of land on East river. On February
19, 1657, Jacob Leendersen Van die Grift was commissioned by the burgomasters and schepens
of New Amsterdam as a measurer of grain. To this appointment was affixed instructions
"that from now nobody shall be allowed to measure for himslef or have measured by
anybody else than the sworn measurers, any grain. Line or other goods which are sold by
the tun or schepel, or come here from elsewhere as cargoes and in wholesale, under a
penalty of 3 for first transgression, 6, for second and arbitrary correction for the
third." In 1656 Jacob Leendertsen VANDERGRIFT was made a small
burgher of New Amsterdam. In 1662 he was a resident of Bergen, New Jersey, where he
subscribed toward the salary of a minister. On April 9, 1664, he and his wife, Rebecca FREDERICKS,
were accepted as members of the church at "Breukelen," upon letters from
Middlewout, (now Flatlands): his residence on the west side of the river, must, therefore,
have been of short duration. On May 29, 1664, then living under the jurisdiction of the
village of Breukelen, Long Island, he applies to council for letters of cession with
committimus to the court, to be relieve him from his creditors on his turning over his
property in their behalf, and on account of misfortune befallen some years ago, not having
been able to forge ahead, notwithstanding all efforts and means tried by him to that end,
ect." There are records of a number of suits prior to this date, in which he appears
either as plaintiff or defendant, In 16565 he was living on the strand of the North river,
New Amsterdam, where he is assessed towards paying the expense of quartering one hundred
English soldiers on the Dutch burghers. On October 3, 1667, he received a patent from
Governor NICOLLS for land on the island of Manhattan, on the north side
of the Great Creek, which he sold to Isaac BEDLOE, in 1668. He probably
removed at this date to Noordwyck, on the North river, where he purchased in 1671 the land
of his brother Paulus, who had returned to Amsterdam. In 1686 he appears as an inhabitant
of Newton, Lon Island, where he probably died, though the date of his death has not been
ascertained. His widow removed with her children to Bensalem, Bucks county, Pennsylvania,
in 1697, and was living there in 1710. The children of Jacob LENDERSTEN
and Rebecca Fredericks VAN DER GRIFT, baptised at the Dutch Reformed
Church of New Amsterdam, were as follows:
1. Martje, baptised August 29, 1649, married Cornelius CORSEN, March 11,
1666. He was baptised at New York, April 23, 1645, being the son of Cornelius Piterse VROOM,
and Trvntie HENDRICKS. After the death of Vroom, Tryntje had married
Frederick LUBERTSEN, the grandfather of Marytje, father-in-law of Jacob
Lendeertsen VAN DER GRIFT. Many descendants of Cornelius Corssen and
Marytje VAN DE GRISTstill reside in Bucks county.
2. Christina VAN DE GRIFT baptised February 26, 1651, married (first)
October a widower, by whom she had two children, Abraham and Jacobus. She married (second)
April 14, 1681, Daniel VEENVOUS, from Beuren in Gelderland, by whom she
had five children --Wilhelmina, Rebecca and Contantia; two others are named Rebecca died
in infancy.
3. Anna VAN DE GRIFT baptised March 16, 1653, married, September 29, 1674
*Jacob Claessen GROESBECK. They retober 9, 1678, Cornelius Jacobse
SCHIPPER, moved to Bucks county with the rest of the Vandegrift family in 1710,
but little is known of them other than that he purchase land in Bensalem adjoining that of
his brothers-in-law, and that two of his daughters married into well known familis of
Bucks. Their children were: Rebecca, baptised June 23, 1673; Elizabeth, baptised September
4, 1677; Leah, baptised February 11, 1680, married 12 mo. 17, 1702, Johannes VAN
SANDT; Rachel, baptised November 21, 1682, married November 8, 1704, James BIDDLE;
and Johanna, baptised August 9, 1685.
4. Leendert (Leonard) VAN DE GRIFT, baptised December 19, 1655, died in
Bensalem, Bucks county, 1725; married, November 20, 1678 Styntje ELISWORTH.
He, with his three brothers and two brothers-in-law, purchased land in Bensalem in 1697 of
Joesph GROWDEN, Leonard's purchase being two tracts of 135 and 106 acres
respectively. He subsequently purchased seventy-four acres of his brother Fredrick. He and
his wife were received at Bensalem church in 1710, and he was appointed junior eolder. On
December 30, 1715, he was commissioned a justice of the peace.Letters of administration
were granted on his estate February 18, 1725, to his eldest son Abraham, known as
"Abraham Vandergrift, by the River." The children of Leonard and Styntje
(ELLSWORTH) VANDERGRIFT were: 1. Jacob, baptised September 20, 1679; 2.
Christoffel, baptised August 1681, married July 7, 1704., Sarah DRUITH;
3. Rebecca, baptised December 15, 1683, married November 8, 1704. Albert VAN SANDT;
4. Abraham, baptised July 4, 1686, married October 17, 1716, Maritje VAN SANDT,
died March, 1748, leaving six children - Leonard of Bensalem; Garret and Abraham of
Philadelphia; Christine wife of Yost MILLER, of Salem county, New Jersey;
Mary, wife of Mathew CORBET, and Jemima wife of George TAYLOR,
of Chesterfield, New Jersey. 5. Anneken, baptised April 7, 1689, married Andrew
DUOW. 6.Elizabeth, baptised at Brooklyn October 8, 1691, married May 21, 1710
Francis KROESON. 7. Annetje, baptised June 12, 1695, married December 22,
1715, Cornelius KING. All of the above children of Leonard VANDEGRIFT
removed to New Castle county, Delaware prior to the death of their father, except Abraham,
to whom they conveyed the real estate in Bensalem in 1741. The above named heirs of
Abraham conveyed the same to Leonard, eldest son of Abraham, in 1761.
5. Nicholas VANDEGRIFT, baptised May 5, 1658, married at New Utrecht,
Long Island, Augest 24, 1684. Barentje VERKERK, daughter of John
VERKERK They setled at New Utrecht, where he took the oath of allegiance to James
II in 1687, and where he purchased land in 1691. He removed to Bucks county with his
brothers and brothers-in-law in 1697, conveying his Long Island land after his removal. On
July 1, 1697, Joesph GROWDON conveyed to him 214 acres in Bensalem. He
joined the Bensalem church in 1710, and became a junior deacon. The records of the Dutch
Reformed church show the baptism of three children, viz.:Rebecca, baptised July 26, 1685,
married II mo. 7, 1707, Jacobus VAN SANDT; Jan, baptised January 1, 1681,
married May 5, 1721 at Abington Presbyterian chruch, Anna (or Hannah ) BACKER;
and Deborah, baptised April 1, 1695, married Laurent JANSEN, * or
JOHNSON. Nicholas VAN DE GRIFT ed to Sussex county, Delaware,
conveying his land in 1713 to Jacob KOLLOCK, whose widow Mary in 1722
conveyed it to Folbert, son of John VANDEGRIFT.
6. Frederick VANDEFRIFT, baptised August 20, 1661, purchased of Joesph GROWDON
on July 1, 1697, 106 acres adjoining that of his brothers in Bensalem township, Bucks
county, a part of which he conveyed a year later to Leonard VANDEGRIFT.
If ever a resident of Bucks county, he probably remained but a short time.
7. Rachel VANDEGRIFT, youngest daughter of Jacob, was baptised at New
York, August 20, 1664, amd married, in 1689. Barent VERKERK, son of Jan,
and brother to his brother Nicholas's eife. Barent VERKERK purchased in
1697 a tract of land in Bensalem adjoining his brothers-in-laws, all the deeds being from
Joesph GROWDON, bearing the same date, July 1, 1697. He died in 1739,
leaving children; Jacob; John; Mary, married Niels BOON; Constantina,
married James FITCHET; Dinah, married James KEIRLL; and
another daughter, who married an UNDERWOOD.
8. Johannes VANDEGRIFT, youngest son of Jacob Lendertsen and Rebecca
Frederies VAN DER GRIFT, was baptised at New Yori, June 26, 1667, and
died in Bensalem township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, in 1745. He married, September 23,
1694, Nealkie VOLKERS, widow of Cornelius CORTELYOU, who
was living at date of his will in 1732, but died before 1740. He married (second) July 1,
1741, Elizabeth SNOWDEN, a widow. He purchased 196 acres in Bensalem of
Joseph GROWDON, adjoining the tracts of his brothers and brothers-in-law,
the deed bearing date July 1, 1697. He was an elderof the "Sammeny" church,
having joined it at its organization in 1710. His will dated March 16, 1732, proved March
28, 1745, devises to son Abraham the farm he lives on, for life, and if he die without
issue it is to go to his surviving brothers and sisters. Some years later the children of
Johannes entered into an agreement by which the land was to vest in the heirs of those
deceased, even though they did not survive Abraham, and inasmuch as Abraham died without
issue in 1781, the subsequent conveyances of the land throw light on the family
connections. In 1786 the representatives of Jacob, Rebecca, Christana, and Helena conveyed
the land, 160 acres to Jacob JACKSON and later a partition thereof was
had between JACKSON and Abraham Harman and Cornelius, sons of Fulkert.
The children of Johannes and Nealke (VOLKERS) VANDEGRIFT were: 1.
Fulkert, born 1695, died 1775; married May 6, 1719, Elizabeth VANSANDT,
and (second) August 10, 1742, Marytje HUFTE. He was a considerable
landholder in Bensalem. He had five sons: Folkhart, Harman, Abraham, Cornelius and John;
and three daughters: Alice LARUE, Elizabeth KRUSEN, and
Elinor, most of whom have left descendants in Bucks county. 2. Jacob, baptized at New
York, October 14, 1696, died in Bensalem in 1771, married Choyes TOULEY,
October 23, 1716. 3. Abraham, born 1698, died 1781, married, but had no issue. 4. Rebecca,
married John VANHORN, died 1786. 5. Christiana married November 8, 1722, Joseph FOSTER.
6. Lenah, married a FULTON. 7. Esther, baptized in Bucks County, May 10,
1710. Most of the VANDERGRIFTS of Bucks county are descendants of
Johannes and Nealke (VOLKERS) VANDEGRIFT. Leonard, grandson of Leonard,
remained in Bensalem, and the land originally settled by his grandfather descended to his
son, Captain Josiah VANDEGRIFT. John, son of Nicholas, became a large
landholder in Bensalem; he died in 1765, leaving many years an innkeeper in Bensalem; and
daughters: Catharine Sands; Esther, who married John HOUTEN; and Rebecca
VANSEIVER. Of the sons, John married Ann WALTON, May 28, 1761,
and had children: Joshua, Joseph, John, Jonathan, and Mary. The father died in 1777, and
the widow Ann married Charles FETTERS a year later. Jacob VANDEGRIFT,
son of Johannes and Nealke (VOLKERS) VANDERGRIFT baptized at New York,
October 14, 1696, was but an infant less than a year old when his parents settled in
Bensalem township, Bucks county. He married October 23, 1716, Charity TOULEY.
He became a large landholder and a prominent man in the community. He died in 1771. His
children were, John, died 1805, in Bensalem, leaving five children, viz.; Jacob, who
settled in Northampton township; John; Jane, who married a JOHNSON;
Bernard, settled in New Jersey; and Abraham, who married Catharine VANDERGRIFT
a granddaughter of Fulerd. 2. Bernard, who was devised 200 acres in Upper Dublin township,
and settled thereon; 3. Jacob, who was devised by his father 200 acres of land whereon he
was living at his father's death. 4. Charity (or Catharine) who married John PRAUL,
January 20, 1757. 5. Helen (or Elinor) who married Harman VANSANT. Jacob VANDERGRIFT,
third son of Jacob married first Catrintje HUFTE, May 19, 1753 and
(second) Sarah TITUS, February 5, 1775, as before stated he settled on
200 acres belonging to his father which descended to him at his father's death. He died in
May, 1800, leaving five children: Jacob, married Elinor -----; David, married Sarah ----;
William Bloomfield, the grandfather of Senator VANDEGRIFT; Mary married
---- BENNETT; and Elizabeth, who married Daniel LARUE. William Bloomfield
VANDEGRIFT inherited from his father considerable real estate. He was the
youngest son, and had just arrived at his majority when the will of his father was proved
in 1800. He married Christiana SAUNDERS. His death occurred in 1854. His
children were seven in number, viz.; Sarah Ann, married Charles TOMLINSON;
Eliza L., married Jacob JOHNSON; Eleanor married Enos BOUTCHER;
Alfred; Charles Souders; William M., married Eliza BOUTCHER and Susan,
married Peter CONOVER. Alfred VANDEGRIFT was born in
Bensalem township in 1807, and died there in 1861. In 1849 his father, conveyed to his and
his brother jointly a store property at Eddington, where the conducted a mercantile
business until the death of Alfred in 1861. In 1849 he also purchased of his father 31 ½
acres on the Bucks road, which had been the property of his ancestors for several
generations. He married Catharine GIBBS, daughter of John GIBBS,
and granddaughter of Richard GIBBS, who was sheriff of Bucks county in
1771, and a prominent public man. His children were; John Gibbs, born September 2, 1834;
William Bllomfiled; Elinor, wife of William Lynesson SAYRE; Charles
Souders, Jr.; Augustus; Henry S; Lewis H.; Susan; Mary; Christina; Alfred and Elizabeth
LaRue. 1.Nicholas for Clues Groesheck, father of Jacob was a carpenter of Albany, New York
in 1602. On October 10, 1696 deposed that he was seventy-two years old. His will dated
January 1706-7, mentions wife Elizabeth, sons Jacob and others. 2. Laurens Jansen, or
Lawrence Johnson, was doubtless son of Claus Jansen, who purchased several tracts of land
in Bensalem some years earlier than the Vandegrifts. He died in 1723, devising his lands
to his sons Lawrence, John and Richard. The family later intermarried.
Text taken from page 31-33 of:
Davis, William W. H., A.M., History of Bucks
County, PTennsylvania [New York-Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1905] Volume III
Transcribed May 2000 by Judy
Jackson of Missouri as part of the Bucks Co.,
Pa., Early Family Project, www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/bucksindex.html
Published May 2000 on the Bucks County, P., USGenWeb pages
at www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/ |
Page was last edited:
11/15/2008