Pieter Claesen Wyckoff
Encyclopedia
Pieter Claesen Wyckoff was a farmer and landowner in Kings County
, New York
. All references to the name Wyckoff, including many variations in spelling, can be traced to his family.
in the Holy Roman Empire
(present day East Friesland, Germany
). Pieter emigrated to America in 1637, as an indentured servant to Kiliaen van Rensselaer, in Rensselaerswyck (now Albany
, New York). After Claesen worked off his indenture, he labored as a tenant farmer, leasing land from the Rensselaer patroonship.
, Brooklyn
). His children included:
in New Amersfoort" in 1655.
(wife of Herbert Clark Hoover), Margaret Hoover
, John Ellis Wool, Schuyler Colfax
, Walter Percy Chrysler, William Cornelius Van Horne
, Owen Young
, the Wright Brothers
, Earl Van Dorn
, Marvin John Nance
, Virginia Apgar
, Willis Van Devanter
, Benjamin Strong, Willard Frank Libby, Dixie Carter
(wife of Hal Holbrook
), Chuck Jones
, Lee Van Cleef
, Frank Wykoff
, Georgia O'Keeffe
(wife of Alfred Stieglitz
), Garry Trudeau
(husband of Jane Pauley
), and Horatio Seymour
. Other notables who married Wyckoff descendants are: Pearl Buck, Robert Ralph Young, Isaac Ferris
, Charles S. Fairchild
, Roscoe Conkling
, Philip Freneau, and Baron Klemens August Freiherr von Ketteler
.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. All references to the name Wyckoff, including many variations in spelling, can be traced to his family.
Meaning of the Surname
When the British took over the Dutch colony in 1664, Pieter Claesen adopted the fixed surname of Wyckoff. Most commonly accepted is that he chose this name as in Dutch "Wyk" means parish or magistrate and "hof" means court.Birth and emigration
Pieter Claesen was born in the village of NordenNorden, Lower Saxony
Norden is a town in the district of Aurich, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the North Sea shore, in East Frisia.-External links:* *...
in the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
(present day East Friesland, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
). Pieter emigrated to America in 1637, as an indentured servant to Kiliaen van Rensselaer, in Rensselaerswyck (now Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, New York). After Claesen worked off his indenture, he labored as a tenant farmer, leasing land from the Rensselaer patroonship.
Marriage and children
He married Grietje Van Ness (c. 1625-c. 1701) around 1645. Their first two children were born in Rensselearwyck but he moved to New Amersfoort (present day FlatlandsFlatlands, Brooklyn
Flatlands is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The area is part of Brooklyn Community Board 18.One of the original five Dutch towns on Long Island , this neighborhood was originally known as Nieuw Amersfoort, after the Dutch city of Amersfoort, but the name was changed to...
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
). His children included:
- Nicholas Pieterse Wyckoff (1646-1714) m. Sara Monfoort (1656-1704)
- Margrietje Pieterse Wyckoff (c. 1648-?) m. Matthys Brouwer
- Annetje Pieterse Wyckoff (1650-1688) m. Roelof Martensen Schenck, Captain (1619-1704)
- Mayken Pieterse Wyckoff (1653-1721) m. Willem Willemsen (c. 1637- c. 1722), son of Willem Gerritsen and Mary -----
- Willemptje Pieterse Wyckoff (c. 1654- c. 1693) m. Adrian Pieterse Kenne
- Cornelius Pieterse Wyckoff (c. 1656-1746) m. Gertje Charity Van Arsedalen
- Hendrick Pieterse Wyckoff (c. 1658-?)
- Geertje Pieterse Wyckoff (c. 1660-c. 1711) m. Christoffel Janse Romeyn (c. 1641- c. 1748)
- Garret Pieterse Wyckoff (1662-1701) m. Catherine Johanna Nevius
- Marten Pieterse Wyckoff (c. 1663- c. 1699) m. Hanna Willemse (c. 1660- c.1724), dau. of Willem Gerritsen and Mary -----
- Jan Pieterse Wyckoff (1665- c. 1730) m. Neeltje Williamse Couwenhoven
Brooklyn
There are references indicating that Pieter Claesen signed a contract "to superintend the Bowery and cattle of Peter StuyvesantPeter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant , served as the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded provisionally to the English in 1664, after which it was renamed New York...
in New Amersfoort" in 1655.
Death
He died in 1694 and his body may be buried under the Flatlands Dutch Reformed Church at the juncture of Flatbush Avenue and Kings Highway in Brooklyn.Notable Descendants
Pieter was the common ancestor to a number of notable people, including: Lou HenryLou Henry Hoover
Lou Henry Hoover was the wife of President of the United States Herbert Hoover and First Lady of the United States, 1929-1933. Mrs. Hoover was president of the Girl Scouts of the USA for two terms, 1922-1925 and 1935-1937....
(wife of Herbert Clark Hoover), Margaret Hoover
Margaret Hoover
Margaret Claire Hoover is an American political commentator, political strategist, and blogger. She is a great-granddaughter of former President Herbert Hoover...
, John Ellis Wool, Schuyler Colfax
Schuyler Colfax
Schuyler Colfax, Jr. was a United States Representative from Indiana , Speaker of the House of Representatives , and the 17th Vice President of the United States . To date, he is one of only two Americans to have served as both House speaker and vice president.President Ulysses S...
, Walter Percy Chrysler, William Cornelius Van Horne
William Cornelius Van Horne
Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, KCMG was a pioneering Canadian railway executive.-Life and career:Born in 1843 in rural Illinois, he moved with his family to Joliet, Illinois when he was eight years old...
, Owen Young
Owen Young
Owen D. Young was an American industrialist, businessman, lawyer and diplomat at the Second Reparations Conference in 1929, as a member of the German Reparations International Commission....
, the Wright Brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
, Earl Van Dorn
Earl Van Dorn
Earl Van Dorn was a career United States Army officer, fighting with distinction during the Mexican-American War and against several tribes of Native Americans...
, Marvin John Nance
Jack Nance
Marvin John Nance , known professionally as Jack Nance and occasionally credited as John Nance, was an American actor of stage and screen, primarily starring in offbeat or avant-garde productions...
, Virginia Apgar
Virginia Apgar
Virginia Apgar was an American pediatric anesthesiologist. She was a leader in the fields of anesthesiology and teratology, and effectively founded the field of neonatology...
, Willis Van Devanter
Willis Van Devanter
Willis Van Devanter was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, January 3, 1911 to June 2, 1937.- Early life and career :...
, Benjamin Strong, Willard Frank Libby, Dixie Carter
Dixie Carter
Dixie Virginia Carter was an American film, television and stage actress, best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom Designing Women...
(wife of Hal Holbrook
Hal Holbrook
Harold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook, Jr. is an American actor. His television roles include Abraham Lincoln in the 1976 TV series Lincoln, Hays Stowe on The Bold Ones: The Senator and Capt. Lloyd Bucher on Pueblo. He is also known for his role in the 2007 film Into the Wild, for which he was nominated for...
), Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
, Lee Van Cleef
Lee Van Cleef
Lee Van Cleef was an American film actor who appeared mostly in Western and action pictures. His sharp features and piercing eyes led to his being cast as a villain in scores of films such as High Noon, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and The Good The Bad and the Ugly.-Early life:Van Cleef was...
, Frank Wykoff
Frank Wykoff
Frank Clifford Wyckoff was an American athlete, triple gold medal winner in 4x100 m relay at the Olympic Games....
, Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia Totto O'Keeffe was an American artist.Born near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, O'Keeffe first came to the attention of the New York art community in 1916, several decades before women had gained access to art training in America’s colleges and universities, and before any of its women artists...
(wife of Alfred Stieglitz
Alfred Stieglitz
Alfred Stieglitz was an American photographer and modern art promoter who was instrumental over his fifty-year career in making photography an accepted art form...
), Garry Trudeau
Garry Trudeau
Garretson Beekman "Garry" Trudeau is an American cartoonist, best known for the Doonesbury comic strip.-Background and education:...
(husband of Jane Pauley
Jane Pauley
Margaret Jane Pauley is an American television journalist, and has been involved in news reporting since 1975...
), and Horatio Seymour
Horatio Seymour
Horatio Seymour was an American politician. He was the 18th Governor of New York from 1853 to 1854 and from 1863 to 1864. He was the Democratic Party nominee for president of the United States in the presidential election of 1868, but lost the election to Republican and former Union General of...
. Other notables who married Wyckoff descendants are: Pearl Buck, Robert Ralph Young, Isaac Ferris
Isaac Ferris
In 1820 Rev. Isaac Ferris was appointed by the Board of Domestic Missions to labor in the Classis of Montgomery.Later, he was active at Market Street Dutch Reform Church in New York. He served as the 3rd President of New York University from 1853 to 1870....
, Charles S. Fairchild
Charles S. Fairchild
Charles Stebbins Fairchild was a New York businessman and politician.-Biography:Born in Cazenovia, New York, to Sidney and Helen Fairchild, he graduated from Harvard College in 1863 and Harvard Law School in 1865. He was married to Helen Lincklaen in 1871...
, Roscoe Conkling
Roscoe Conkling
Roscoe Conkling was a politician from New York who served both as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was the leader of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party and the last person to refuse a U.S. Supreme Court appointment after he had...
, Philip Freneau, and Baron Klemens August Freiherr von Ketteler
Klemens von Ketteler
Clemens August Freiherr von Ketteler was a German career diplomat. He was killed during the Boxer Rebellion.-Family and early career:...
.