Individual Details
Taatje Claese DE WITT
(1659 - Bef 1724)
==== The Kidnapping ====
Perhaps Tjatje De Witt's earliest memory was the terror of being kidnapped, at the age of 4, in an attack by the Esopus Indians. Records do not describe when and how she was recovered, but here's a general account of the episode, based on secondary sources:
Although a treaty of peace had concluded hostilities in 1659, tension remained between the Dutch and the Esopus tribe. The Esopus were caught in an uncertain situation, pressed for land by the Dutch and for domination by the Mohawk of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy. As fear increased, the villagers organized a burgher guard in 1662, led by Captain Thomas Chambers (the step-father of Tjatje's future husband). On 7 June 1663, a large party of Indians entered the stockade of Wiltwyck. Following perhaps 15 minutes of innocent activity, a well-planned attack began. One group of Indians deployed to prevent assistance from arriving through the gates while a second group set fire to the windward side of the stockade (the wind later shifted, causing many of the dwellings to be spared). Tjatje and the other women and children were hurried outside of the stockade. Hearing shots and seeing the smoke, reinforcements arrived from surrounding farms. A cannon was deployed and the Indians fled with their captives. In all, 10-12 [accounts differ] houses burned, 16 were killed, and 5 women and 5 children were carried off. A similar fate befell the "new village" [current Hurley]. Survivors gathered at Wiltwyck; 69 men capable men assembled, sufficient to hold off any further attacks. Searches for the kidnapped encountered only rumors of their whereabouts. The hostages later told of being taken to a different place in the woods every night, returning to an Indian fort each morning. Peter Stuyvesant offered soldier's pay plus booty and a pension for any disabling wound to anyone in New Amsterdam who would enlist in a rescue effort. His efforts even attracted a half-dozen recruits from English Long Island as well as 46 Marespinck Indians. The small army, commanded by Capt. Martin Cregier, reached the Esopus on 4 July. In mid-July, Rachel de la Montagne, managed to escape her Indian captors, later leading the Dutch troops to the Indian fort. Crieger's journal mentions hearing, from a distance Catharyn Blanchan Dubois (mother of Matheus Dubois, who would much later marry Tjaatje's daughter, Sarah) singing hymns. Crieger's troops destroyed the Indian fortress and their crops and recovered 22 of the kidnapped. Other hostages were released or recaptured a few at a time. A treaty of peace was made on 16 May 1664 and lasted for more than a century.
[Sylvester, pp. 49ff]
[Schoonmaker, pp. 30ff]
[Van Curen, 2016, pp. 75-76, citing Cregier's report and journal
One naturally wonders how the hostages were treated during captivity. There are accounts of horrific treatment of males, but treatment of women and children seems to have been benign, probably because the Indians desired their assimilation to restore the depleted population of the tribe. Brink says flatly, "There is no evidence that any white woman ever suffered outrage from the Esopus savages even during the captivity of 1663."
[Brink, p. 99]
In the Esopus episode, it is notable that one hostage, Baron Slegte's daughter, declined to be repatriated as she had married one of the tribe. She gradually coaxed him into settling with the whites.
[Schoonmaker, p. 42.]
==== The Vital Information ====
Tjatje was born in 1659 at Fort Orange or the nearby village of Beverwijck, to Tjerck Claesen de Witt and Barbara Andriessen van Amsterdam. [e.g. Evans, p. 17.]
In 1677, she married Matthys Matthyssen, probably in Kingston.
[e. g. Evans, p. 254.]
Children
[See https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B17WeNHpYH6MNDVheXloUG5QMkk, p.5]
Tjatje died sometime before 1724.
[e.g. Van Keuren, 2016, p. 76.]
Note regarding Sources
Secondary sources all seem to agree on Tjatje De Witt's birth, marriage and death dates although no primary records seem to be available. I speculate that the marriage date is simply inferred from birth date of first child; the birth date is simply the marriage date minus 18 years; and the death date is inferred from the lack of her name upon some document in 1724.--JWM
Sources
* Brink, Benjamin Myer. “The Esopus Settlers and the Indians.” Olde Ulster: An Historical and Genealogical Magazine 1, no. 4 (April 1905): pp. 97ff. https://books.google.com/books?id=cn5FAQAAMAAJ : 2019.
* Evans, Thomas G. "The De Witt Family, of Ulster County, New York." New York Genealogical and Biographical Record 17 (Oct. 1886). Online page images. HathiTrust. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924061993378 : 2019.
* Schoonmaker, Marius. The History of Kingston, New York: From Its Early Settlement to the Year 1820. New York: Burr Printing House, 1888. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001262858.
* Sylvester, Nathaniel Bartlett. History of Ulster County, New York: with illustration and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers. Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1880. Indexed online page images. Google Books. https://books.google.com/books?id=ruI_AQAAMAAJ : 2019.
* Van Curen, D. G. The Descendants of Mathijs Jansen van Ceulen: A history of the Van Steenberghs, Peersens, Jansens, Van Keurens and related families, from their beginnings in Kingston, Ulster County, New York. Chesterfield, MO: Mira Digital Publishing, 2016.
* Wardell, Pat A. "Matthys, Mathews" (BCFam-Matthys.pdf). Early Bergen County Families. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Early_Bergen_County_Families.
Events
| Birth | 1659 | Beverwijck, New Netherland |  | ||
| Miscellaneous | 7 Jun 1663 | was carried off by Indians but later recovered - Wiltwyck, New Netherland |  | | |
| Miscellaneous | 7 Jun 1663 | was carried off by Indians but later recovered - Wiltwyck, New Netherland | | ||
| Marriage | 1677 | Kingston, New York, British America - Matthys MATTHYSSEN | | | |
| Death | Bef 1724 | Kingston, Ulster, New York, British America | | ||
| Alt name | Tajie DE WITT | | |||
| Alt name | Tjatje DEWITT | | |||
| Alt name | Tjaatje DE WITT | |
Families
| Spouse | Matthys MATTHYSSEN (1648 - 1730) |
| Child | Sara MATTYS (1678 - 1748) |
| Child | Lea MATTHYSSEN (1679 - ) |
| Child | Matthys MATTHYSSEN (1681 - 1740) |
| Child | Tirck MATTHYSSEN (1682 - 1742) |
| Child | Thomas MATTHYSSEN (1684 - 1689) |
| Child | Barbara MATTHYSSEN (1685 - 1761) |
| Child | Klaes MATTYSSEN (1687 - 1734) |
| Child | Thomas MATTHYSEN VAN KEUREN (1689 - 1758) |
| Child | Hasael MATHYSSEN (1691 - 1743) |
| Child | Cornelis MATTHYSSEN VAN KEUREN (1694 - ) |
| Child | Benjamin MATTHYSSEN VAN KEUREN (1696 - ) |
| Child | Gerardus MATTHYSSEN (1700 - 1700) |
| Father | Tjerck CLAESEN de Witt (1620 - 1700) |
| Mother | Barbara ANDRIESSEN (1635 - 1714) |
| Sibling | Andries DE WITT (1657 - 1710) |
| Sibling | Jannetje DE WITT (1662 - 1744) |
| Sibling | Klaes DE WITT (1664 - 1698) |
| Sibling | Jan DE WITT (1666 - 1715) |
| Sibling | Geertruy DE WITT (1668 - ) |
| Sibling | Jacob DE WITT (1670 - ) |
| Sibling | Rachel DE WITT (1672 - 1738) |
| Sibling | Lucas DE WITT (1674 - 1703) |
| Sibling | Peek CLAESEN (1676 - ) |
| Sibling | Tjerck DE WITT (1678 - ) |
| Sibling | Marritje DE WITT (1683 - ) |
| Sibling | Aagje DE WITT (1684 - ) |
Notes
Miscellaneous
[Van Curen, p. 75] Rescued by Col Krieger's regiment on 5 Sep 1663. [The reference also includes an account of the attack and rescue.]"There is no evidence that any white woman ever suffered outrage from the Esopus savages even during the captivity of 1663." [Olde Ulster, v1,no. 4, "The Esopus Settlers and the Indians, p. 99.]
Marriage
or maybe in Albany. No marriage records exist at either church for this period. [Van Curen]Endnotes
1. D. G. Van Curen, Descendants of Mathijs Jansen van Ceulen, RTF file on CD accompanying book, "Van Keulen/Van Keuren, Van Kuren/Van Curen," (Baltimore : Gateway Press, 1998), entry 5; supplied by D. G. Van Curen, , Boise, ID 83709, 1998 [presumably]. This is an extensive descendancy with informal citations to sources and brief proof arguments. The CD is informally labelled.
2. Edmund West, "Family Data Collection - Births," database index, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2001, Ancestry (http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5769: viewed 4 March 2018), Tjaatje Dewitt, d. of Tjerck Claesen Dewitt and Barbara Andriessen, b. 1659, Albany, NY, USA.
3. /Godfrey Memorial Library, compiler/, "American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI)," database index, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3599: viewed 4 March 2018), Tjaatje Dewitt, b. 1659, New York; citing Genealogy Column of the "Boston Transcript," 1906-1941, 26 Dec 1917, vol. 43, p. 221.
4. Thomas G. Evans, "The De Witt Family, of Ulster County, New York," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record 17:251-259 (Oct. 1886); online page images, HathiTrust (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924061993378 : viewed 16 February 2019).
5. D. G. Van Curen, The Descendants of Mathijs Jansen van Ceulen: A history of the Van Steenberghs, Peersens, Jansens, Van Keurens and related families, from their beginnings in Kingston, Ulster County, New York (Chesterfield, MO: Mira Digital Publishing, 2016), p. 75.
6. Mary Louise Catlin Cleaver, The History of the Town of Catherine, Schuyler County, N. Y. (Rutland, VT: The Tuttle Publishing Company, 1945), p. 492; online page images, Ancestry (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=12079 : viewed 2 March 2019). The description seems a bit hyperbolic. Preface states that family histories were provided by the families themselves.
7. Sutherland De Witt, "Lineage of the De Witt Family ," Olde Ulster 1 (Jan-Dec 1905); online page images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=cn5FAQAAMAAJ : viewed 8 March 2019).
8. Thomas G. Evans, "The De Witt Family, of Ulster County, New York," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record 17:251-259 (Oct. 1886); online page images, HathiTrust (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924061993378 : viewed 16 February 2019).
9. Marius Schoonmaker, The History of Kingston, New York: From Its Early Settlement to the Year 1820 (New York: Burr Printing House, 1888), p. 33; indexed online page images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=mlsjMujhHIcC&dq : viewed 19 February 2019).
10. D. G. Van Curen, The Descendants of Mathijs Jansen van Ceulen: A history of the Van Steenberghs, Peersens, Jansens, Van Keurens and related families, from their beginnings in Kingston, Ulster County, New York (Chesterfield, MO: Mira Digital Publishing, 2016), p. 75.
11. Mary Louise Catlin Cleaver, The History of the Town of Catherine, Schuyler County, N. Y. (Rutland, VT: The Tuttle Publishing Company, 1945), p. 492; online page images, Ancestry (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=12079 : viewed 2 March 2019). The description seems a bit hyperbolic. Preface states that family histories were provided by the families themselves.
12. Sutherland De Witt, "Lineage of the De Witt Family ," Olde Ulster 1 (Jan-Dec 1905); online page images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=cn5FAQAAMAAJ : viewed 8 March 2019).
13. , Thomas G. Evans, "The De Witt Family, of Ulster County, New York," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 17 (Oct. 1886), online page images, HathiTrust (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924061993378 : accessed ). (N.p.: n.p., n.d.), viewed; 16 February 2019; p. 254.
14. , Marius Schoonmaker, The History of Kingston, New York: From Its Early Settlement to the Year 1820 (New York: Burr Printing House, 1888), ; indexed online page images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=mlsjMujhHIcC&dq : accessed (N.p.: n.p., n.d.), viewed; 19 February 2019; p. 33.
15. Thomas G. Evans, "The De Witt Family, of Ulster County, New York," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record 17:251-259 (Oct. 1886); online page images, HathiTrust (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924061993378 : viewed 16 February 2019).
16. D. G. Van Curen, The Descendants of Mathijs Jansen van Ceulen: A history of the Van Steenberghs, Peersens, Jansens, Van Keurens and related families, from their beginnings in Kingston, Ulster County, New York (Chesterfield, MO: Mira Digital Publishing, 2016), p. 75.
17. Mary Louise Catlin Cleaver, The History of the Town of Catherine, Schuyler County, N. Y. (Rutland, VT: The Tuttle Publishing Company, 1945), p. 492; online page images, Ancestry (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=12079 : viewed 2 March 2019). The description seems a bit hyperbolic. Preface states that family histories were provided by the families themselves.
18. Sutherland De Witt, "Lineage of the De Witt Family ," Olde Ulster 1 (Jan-Dec 1905); online page images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=cn5FAQAAMAAJ : viewed 8 March 2019).
19. D. G. Van Curen, Descendants of Mathijs Jansen van Ceulen, RTF file on CD accompanying book, "Van Keulen/Van Keuren, Van Kuren/Van Curen," (Baltimore : Gateway Press, 1998), entry 5; supplied by D. G. Van Curen, , Boise, ID 83709, 1998 [presumably]. This is an extensive descendancy with informal citations to sources and brief proof arguments. The CD is informally labelled.
20. Thomas G. Evans, "The De Witt Family, of Ulster County, New York," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record 17:251-259 (Oct. 1886); online page images, HathiTrust (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924061993378 : viewed 16 February 2019).
21. D. G. Van Curen, The Descendants of Mathijs Jansen van Ceulen: A history of the Van Steenberghs, Peersens, Jansens, Van Keurens and related families, from their beginnings in Kingston, Ulster County, New York (Chesterfield, MO: Mira Digital Publishing, 2016), p. 76.
22. Mary Louise Catlin Cleaver, The History of the Town of Catherine, Schuyler County, N. Y. (Rutland, VT: The Tuttle Publishing Company, 1945), p. 492; online page images, Ancestry (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=12079 : viewed 2 March 2019). The description seems a bit hyperbolic. Preface states that family histories were provided by the families themselves.
23. Sutherland De Witt, "Lineage of the De Witt Family ," Olde Ulster 1 (Jan-Dec 1905); online page images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=cn5FAQAAMAAJ : viewed 8 March 2019).
24. Roswell Randall Hoes, compiler, Baptismal and Marriage Registers of the Old Dutch Church of Kingston, Ulster County, New York (formerly named Wiltwyck, or often familiarly called Esopus or 'Sopus), for One Hundred and Fifty Years from their commencement in 1660||Baptismal and Marriage Registers of the Old Dutch Church of Kingston (New York: De Vinne Press, 1891), p. 10, no. 146, 16 Apr 1678, Sara, dau. of Mattys Mattys and Tajie de Witt; digital images of pages, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/baptismalmarriag00king : viewed 6 January 2019).
25. D. G. Van Curen, Descendants of Mathijs Jansen van Ceulen, RTF file on CD accompanying book, "Van Keulen/Van Keuren, Van Kuren/Van Curen," (Baltimore : Gateway Press, 1998), entry 5; supplied by D. G. Van Curen, , Boise, ID 83709, 1998 [presumably]. This is an extensive descendancy with informal citations to sources and brief proof arguments. The CD is informally labelled.
26. D. G. Van Curen, The Descendants of Mathijs Jansen van Ceulen: A history of the Van Steenberghs, Peersens, Jansens, Van Keurens and related families, from their beginnings in Kingston, Ulster County, New York (Chesterfield, MO: Mira Digital Publishing, 2016), pp. 75-76.
27. Sutherland De Witt, "Lineage of the De Witt Family ," Olde Ulster 1 (Jan-Dec 1905); online page images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=cn5FAQAAMAAJ : viewed 8 March 2019).