Individual Details
Laurens Jansen DeCamp
(Ca 1645 - Ca 1719)
Much of the information known of Laurens Jansen Decamp has been summarized in the DeCamp genealogy: Laurent De Camp of New Utrecht, N.Y., 1664 and his descendants (J. Munsell’s Sons, 1900) by George Austin Morrison.
Laurens Jansen Decamp came from the province of Normandy, France. There is speculation that he came from the city of Rouen, as there was a “De Camp” family in that city, one member of whom, Jean de Camp, a saddler, was killed there during the St. Bartholomew massacre in August 1572. There does not seem to be reliable information regarding Laurens’ parents, beyond that his father’s name is presumed to be Jan. His family apparently moved from France to Netherlands prior to Laurens’ departure for America, and it is not known with certainty whether Laurens was born in France or Netherlands.
Our Decamp ancestor arrived on an unknown ship, at the shores of New Amsterdam about 1664, in the company of other Huguenot refugees from Holland. His name appears as Laurens Jansen (Lawrence, son of John) in early Dutch records. His immigration preceded the large-scale Huguenot migration to the American colonies that occurred after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. The Dutch encouraged emigration to New Netherland. Immigrants, composed chiefly of persecuted persons or indentured servants who had served out their time, flocked into New Netherland, where they might enjoy freedom such as existed in Holland at the time. Laurens Jansen Decamp was the only Huguenot of that name to immigrate to New Netherland. There is no birth or baptismal records for Laurens Jansen Decamp. In the early Dutch Church records he is repeatedly called Laurens Jansen, but his full name “Laurens Jansen DeCamp” appears on the Kings County, New York assessment rolls: 24 Aug 1675 – 2 horses, 2 cows (£L52) and 24 morgens of land (£48); 29 Sep 1676 – 2 horses, 2 cows (£52) and 12 morgens of land (£24).
Laurens married Aeltje Gillis DeMandeville (“Elsie” in its anglicized form) about 1676. She was probably born in New Amersterdam about 1660, and she is the daughter of Gilles Jansen De Mandeville and Altje Hendricks. Laurens took the oath of allegiance to England at New Utrecht in 1687, and New Utrecht is where he originally settled. Laurens and Aeltje were both members of the Reformed Dutch Church of New Utrecht in 1677. This church was founded in 1677, but they did not build the church until 1700. This is probably why Laurens’ and Aeltje‘s children were baptized in the Reformed Dutch Church in Flatbush.
Many Huguenot immigrants to New Netherland (later New York) settled on the south shore of Staten Island. In about 1688-90, Laurens’ family moved to a Huguenot settlement with a French church on Staten Island. Records indicate that he occupied about 160 acres of land that is located on the north end of Staten Island, just west of where the Bayonne Bridge is located today.
Laurens Jansen Decamp was pastor of the Staten Island Church in 1719. It was a log building, octagonal in shape and survived until the American Revolution, but the church and its records were lost when it was burned to the ground by the British.
Laurens Jansen Decamp came from the province of Normandy, France. There is speculation that he came from the city of Rouen, as there was a “De Camp” family in that city, one member of whom, Jean de Camp, a saddler, was killed there during the St. Bartholomew massacre in August 1572. There does not seem to be reliable information regarding Laurens’ parents, beyond that his father’s name is presumed to be Jan. His family apparently moved from France to Netherlands prior to Laurens’ departure for America, and it is not known with certainty whether Laurens was born in France or Netherlands.
Our Decamp ancestor arrived on an unknown ship, at the shores of New Amsterdam about 1664, in the company of other Huguenot refugees from Holland. His name appears as Laurens Jansen (Lawrence, son of John) in early Dutch records. His immigration preceded the large-scale Huguenot migration to the American colonies that occurred after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. The Dutch encouraged emigration to New Netherland. Immigrants, composed chiefly of persecuted persons or indentured servants who had served out their time, flocked into New Netherland, where they might enjoy freedom such as existed in Holland at the time. Laurens Jansen Decamp was the only Huguenot of that name to immigrate to New Netherland. There is no birth or baptismal records for Laurens Jansen Decamp. In the early Dutch Church records he is repeatedly called Laurens Jansen, but his full name “Laurens Jansen DeCamp” appears on the Kings County, New York assessment rolls: 24 Aug 1675 – 2 horses, 2 cows (£L52) and 24 morgens of land (£48); 29 Sep 1676 – 2 horses, 2 cows (£52) and 12 morgens of land (£24).
Laurens married Aeltje Gillis DeMandeville (“Elsie” in its anglicized form) about 1676. She was probably born in New Amersterdam about 1660, and she is the daughter of Gilles Jansen De Mandeville and Altje Hendricks. Laurens took the oath of allegiance to England at New Utrecht in 1687, and New Utrecht is where he originally settled. Laurens and Aeltje were both members of the Reformed Dutch Church of New Utrecht in 1677. This church was founded in 1677, but they did not build the church until 1700. This is probably why Laurens’ and Aeltje‘s children were baptized in the Reformed Dutch Church in Flatbush.
Many Huguenot immigrants to New Netherland (later New York) settled on the south shore of Staten Island. In about 1688-90, Laurens’ family moved to a Huguenot settlement with a French church on Staten Island. Records indicate that he occupied about 160 acres of land that is located on the north end of Staten Island, just west of where the Bayonne Bridge is located today.
Laurens Jansen Decamp was pastor of the Staten Island Church in 1719. It was a log building, octagonal in shape and survived until the American Revolution, but the church and its records were lost when it was burned to the ground by the British.
Events
| Birth | Ca 1645 | Picardie, France |  | ||
| Immigration | 1664 | New Amsterdam | |||
| Marriage | Abt 1676 | Long Island, New York - Aeltie (Elsje) DeMandeville | | ||
| Death | Ca 1719 | Long Island, New York |
Families
| Spouse | Aeltie (Elsje) DeMandeville (1660 - ) |
| Child | Joannes DeCamp (1677 - ) |
| Child | Johannis DeCamp (1679 - 1765) |
| Child | Styntje DeCamp (1681 - ) |
| Child | Hendrick Laurence DeCamp (1682 - 1771) |
| Child | Agidius DeCamp (1683 - ) |
| Child | Weraichie DeCamp (1685 - ) |
| Child | Altje DeCamp (1690 - ) |
| Father | John DeCamp ( - ) |
Endnotes
1. Ancestry.com, North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016), Book Title: DeCamp Genealogy: Laurent De Camp of New Utrecht, N Y , 1664 and his Descendants.
2. Ancestry.com, North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016), Book Title: DeCamp Genealogy: Laurent De Camp of New Utrecht, N Y , 1664 and his Descendants.