Harman Jansz KNICKERBOCKER

HUSBAND:
[F3996]. Harman Jansz KNICKERBOCKER.
Born 18 MAR 1648 in the Friesland province of the Netherlands; son of Johannes Van KNICKERBOCKER (VAN BERGHAN) [F7992] and Juliana VAN MARNIX [F7993].

He entered the Dutch Navy at an early age and serve under General Van Tromp and General De Ruyter during that period in the history of the Netherlands which was so remarkable for its naval victories. He was severely wounded 16 JUL 1665 at the battle of Sole Bay off the coast of England, where Dutch ships engaged the combined English and French fleets.

[Source 5 says the battle was fought 28 MAY 1672. The Battle of Sole Bay was one of the engagements in the Third Anglo-Dutch War of 1672-1674. During this battle, DeRuyter, with 75 ships surprised the French and English. The French, with 35 ships, withdrew. DeRuyter massed his ships against the slightly smaller English fleet. The English were mauled badly, but DeRuyter and his Dutch fleet were forced to withdraw. It is probable that 1665 was the year he entered the Dutch Navy.]

On his recovery from his wounds, Harman resigned his commission from the navy. In 1674, he and Johannes De Ruyter Jr. were commissioned to sail to Fort Orange in New Netherlands. They settled in the Hoosac Valley.

Harman settled on the lower Hoosac River. At this time he was said to be a master knickerbocker, meaning a brick maker and worker in clay and marble. He lived in Fort Orange (Albany) for about 35 years.

He married Lysbeth (Elizabeth) Janse Van De BOGART [3997] on 3 JAN 1675. Their seven children were all born at Fort Orange (now Albany), New York. He was a member of the church at Fort Orange in 1683.

On 28 FEB 1707 he negotiated with the venerable seer Soquon (Sequon), Chief of the Hoosac and Mohawk Indians, for the deed to a tract of land which lay west of the ancient channel of the Tomhannac Creek and south of the Hoosac River, a mile west of Fort Schaghticoke, which included the Schaghticokes' Witenagemott Oak or Council Tree of Peace which was planted in 1676. At the same time Mayor David Schuyler of Albany secured from Chief Soquon the deed to the Schaghticoke tract. Both tracts were confirmed by Queen Anne during DEC 1707. It is recorded that he, Schuyler and the Albany Council rendered Soquon and his councilors as payment for their tracts: "2 blankest, 12 duffel-cloth coats, 20 shirts, 2 guns, 12 pounds of powder, 36 pounds of lead, 8 gallons of rum, 2 casks of beer, 2 rolls of tobacco, 10 gallons of Madeira wine, and a number of pipes. Soquon was to continue to receive annually in the month of October for ten years: 1 blanket, 1 shirt, 1 pair of stockings, 1 lap [of corn], keg of rum, 3 pounds of powder, 6 pounds of lead, and 12 pounds of tobacco."

In the year 1709, at the age of 61, he left Albany and moved to the tract which became his Witenagemott Manor, where he built a log house. This property was the homestead of the Knickerbockers for many years. Later a brick colonial mansion was built on the same site. Harman was one of the founders of the first Dutch Church of Old Schaghticoke, New York. The old log meeting house was built in 1714, on the southwest corner of Reynolds Road just outside of Old fort Schaghticoke, not far from the Knickerbocker homestead. His Bible, bearing the date of 1682 (1683), was a long leather bound volume with brass corners and clasps. It was used on the desk of the Dutch Church in Old Schaghticoke from the time the church was built in 1714 until it was torn down in 1760. It contains the records of birth, marriage, and deaths of the Knickerbockers in the Hoosac Valley. It is reported to be the only extant copy of that edition of New Netherlands Bibles in New York State. It was then kept as a sacred relic at the Knickerbocker homestead until the passing of the last lineal heir, when it was given to the New York Historical Society Library.

Harman wrote his will on 17 JAN 1718. He died 2 APR 1721 at Schaghticoke, New York, age 72 years, 9 months and 4 days. He is buried in the Witenagemott burial field (now called the Knickerbocker Cemetery) in Old Schaghticoke, New York. His grave is marked by a huge rough boulder, and is undoubtedly the oldest marked grave in the Hoosac Valley.

Will of Harman Jansen Knickerbocker

In the name of the Lord Amen.

On this 17th. day of January in the year of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 1718. I Harman Jansen Knickerbocker of Dutches Co. N.Y. being in reasonable health and having full power of mind and understanding (the Lord be praised) considering the shortness and fraility of human life, the certainity of death and the uncertainity of the hour thereof, and being desirous to set all things in order, make this my last will and testament in form and maner herein after written, revoking, canceling and annulling by these presents all such testament or testaments will or wills here tofore made or executed whether by word of mouth or in writing and (intending) this alone to be acknowledged as my last will and testament, and no other.

First. I commend my soul to God Almighty my Creator and to Jesus Christ my Redeemer and to the Holy Ghost my Sanctifier, and my body to the earth from whence it came, to be buried in a Christian manner and there to rest untill my soul and body shall be untied at the last day and receive the everlasting joy of immortality which God through his grace and the sole merit of our Savior has promised and prepared for all those who unfeignedly believe in him and from the heart repent.

2d. And as regarde such temporal estate of houses, lands, goods, debts, horses, cattle, money, gold and silver coined and uncoined, and whatever else appertains to my estate (which the Lord far above my deserts has been pleased to grant) I order, give and dispose thereof as follows:

3d. I order that all my just debts in a due time shall be paid.

4th. It is my will and desire that my worthy wife Elizabeth Knickerbocker shall have and enjoy the income and profit of my whole estate, real and personal, during my aforesaid wife's life and that at her death my aforesaid estate shall belong to my heirs herein after written in maner following.

5th. I give to my seven children lawfully procreated with my aforesaid wife to wit: Johannes, Lawrence, cornelius, Evert and Pieter Knickerbocker, Jannetie Lansing widow of Hendrick Lansing Jr. and Cornelia Knickerbocker, my whole aforesaid real and personal estate to be divided equally amoung them and their heirs after the death of my aforesaid wife, on this condition, however, that none of my heirs shall have the right to sell his portion of the real estate to anyone but the aforesaid Knickerbockers, only it is my will that my eldest son Johannes shall first draw 3 shillings current money for his right of primogeniture, without making any further claim on that account.

6th. It is my will that if I before my death happen to set of any portion of land for one or more of my children, then after the death of my aforesaid wife, such portion or portions shall belong to that child or children to whom I shall have set it off, provided it shall appear under my hand (written) in the presence of two or more witnesses, what and how I have set it off.

7th. I appoint as executors of this my last will and testament my aforesaid wife and my two sons Johannes and Lawrence Knickerbocker, desiring that what is hereinbefore written shall in all respects be followed & observed. This done in my house in the aforesaid county, the day and year as above.

signed
Herman Jansen Knickerbocker (L.S.)

WIFE:
[F3997]. Lysbeth (Elizabeth) Janse Van De BOGERT (BOGART).
Born 3 JUN 1651 (1659) at Schoonderwoerd, Netherlands; daughter of Jan Laurian Van De BOGART [F7994] and Cornelia Evertse [F7995].

(Source 3) says she is the daughter of Harmen Myndertse VAN DER BOGART, but this is probably in error since several of Harmen's children were baptized about 10 years before Lysbeth's birth.)

She married Harman Jansz KNICKERBOCKER [3996] on 3 JAN 1675. She died 15 APR 1723 at Schaghticoke, New York. She is buried in the Witenagemott burial field (now called the Knickerbocker Cemetery) in Old Schaghticoke, New York.

CHILDREN of Harman Jansz KNICKERBOCKER [F3996] and Lysbeth Jansz Van De BOGERT [F3997]:


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