Individual Details

The earliest known KIERSTEAD (formerly KIERSTEDE) ln the American continent was a physician who came from Magdeburg, Prussian Saxony by way of Holland having been sent out by the Dutch West India Company to administer to their Colonies in New Amsterdam, in 1638. He was assured of a house, enough salary that he might live befitting a man in his position.

Dr. Hans Kierstede married Sarah, the first born of Anneke Jans, Feb. 29th., 1642. Dr. Kierstede came from Magdeburg, Prusaian Sacony, in 1638 with Director Kreft to New Amsterdam, and was the first Practising Physician and Surgeon in that place. [Pedigree of the Kierstede Family]

THE KIERSTEADS in AMERICA

INTRODUCTION AN INTERESTING PREVIEW

The early Dutch housewife settler, commonly spoken of as ANNEKE JANS, seems to have been born of royal blood of the reigning family in Holland, in 1605.

Her fathers name is variously given as WALPERT or WOLFERT WEBBER, and her mothers as ANNETJON WEBBER.

NOTE-- It is impossible to give with exactness the definite form of these names. They have had many copyings in as many different handwritings, and differences may be wholly accounted for by a failure to comprehend the ancient handwritings.

ANNEKE WEBBER married in Holland in 1625 or 1628 a man not of royal blood, whose name is variously given as JANS ROELOFFSON or as ROELOFFSEN, sometimes as ROELOFF JANS.

NOTE--Old Dutch names are peculiar and rather confusing to us who have so long accustomed ourselves to permanent surnames from one generation to another. We are informed on the best authority, that the syllable "son", "sen", "se", and some others, all mean "son of". In the case of the new-born son one of these syllables was attached to the fathers first(underlined) name for a last(underlined) name for the new arrival, while the first part of his fathers last name was often used as a first name of the new son. This custom was not always adhered to in the New World, but we have tried to include names enough to those in various records to establish identity of our ancestors and others.

Anneke and Jans emigrated to America in 1630, along with other Dutch settlers of what is now New York state. Here Jans died in Beverwyck (now Albany) N.Y. in 1637, leaving Anneke a widow with four small children.

In the next year ANNEKE WEBBER JANS, the widow of JANS ROELOFFSON, married the Pastor of the First Dutch Reformed Church in New Amsterdam, now New York City. He had come to New Amsterdam from Holland in 1633 on the ship "Southberry". He was called DOMINIE EVARDADUS BOGARDUS.

They were married in New Amsterdam on January 29, 1638. Rev. Bogardus and his wife were blessed with four more children, all sons. About nine years after his marriage to Anneke, he started to make a visit to Holland. Sailing from America on Aug. 16, 1647 on the ship "Princess", he never reached the shores of his fatherland, for after six weeks of weary sailing on the bosom of the Atlantic Ocean, when near the coast of Wales, the ship was wrecked in Bristol Channel, and Dominie Bogardus perished along with 80 other passengers on Sept. 27, 1647. Some records say that 179 passengers perished.

Thus ANNEKE JANS BOGARDUS found herself once more a widow with four small children; but, remember, she now had eight children under about eighteen years of age. She was only forty-two. Her eldest, SARAH was already married. One can easily think Dr. HANS KIERSTEDE must have been a source of some comfort and strength to his mother-in-law with her three daughters and five sons under eighteen years.

THE KIERSTEADS in AMERICA

It is true that much of this data was gathered under the stress of intense hope that a large fortune from New York estates would yet be distributed among the heirs of Anneke Jans. This hope continued from generaton to generation. It appears now that the various lawyers periodically aroused the "heirs" to make a new effort to have the "estate settled". While each new attempt brought some revenue to the afore-mentioned lawyers and others, I suspect it did not require much stirring up to get the said "heirs" started. From generation to generation they have held meetings, formed organizations, contributed money and sent representatives to New York and several "suits to recover" were actually dragged out through the courts, all failures as far as the "heirs" were concerned.

Now it appears that as long ago as in 1671, only 8 years after the death of Anneke Jans, that five of her six, then living, children made a lawful aggrement, called a "Transport" (a legal document taking the place of our present day deed), by which a part or all of the Estate was conveyed to Colonel Lovelace, then English Governor of New York. Five of the six children signed the paper so it is affirmed; and the one who did not sign was not an ancestor of the Kiersteads. Moreover, the heirs of the one who did not sign have made a separate attempt to recover their share of the "estate", but have had no better success than did the others.

Then on Nov. 20, 1705, after more than 35 years of English rule of New York, Queen Anne of England gave to Trinity Church (her church in the New World) a gift of land, and forbade any litigation by anybody against the legal title of the church. If the heirs could only have known these things it would have saved them much hard-earned money.

Note--In 1924 the Supreme Court of New York ruled that never again would this case be allowed to come to court, after some 16 former attempts. Trinity Church has had legal title for more than 260 yrs.

This list of descendants is only for the pleasure of Family History. Moreover, the correctness of names and dates cannot be established in many cases as, in the very old records, often as many as three different names or dates are given, particularly for births and marriages.

Note--Numbers have been given in the names to indicate the generation of Kiersteads in America to which the person named belonged.

Some of the KEIRSTEADS of New Brunswick, Canada and New England

Dr, Jacobus Keirstead, one of the three doctor sons of Dr. Hans and Sarah Roeloffson Keirstead, married Anna, daughter of Lt. Samuel Holmes and grandaughter of Rev. Obadiah Holmes, May 22, 1691. Both died within 11 years. Adminstration of his estate was granted to William Teller, husband of his youngest sister, Rachel and the care of three small boys, Hans 10 years, Samuel 5, and Jacobus 3. There had been two girls and an infant son die before the parents. This family lived in Flatbush, L.I.N.Y. Their children were all baptized in the Dutch Reformed Church.

On Feb. 8, 1718 Samuel married Lydia Day and made his home at West Precinct, Richmond County, Staten Island, N.Y. Here on Feb. 16, 1719 was born a son, Samuel. In the course of eleven years six more children were born to them, concerning whom we know only the baptismal dates.

Samuel Jr. on the day he was 30 years old, married Mary Johnson. They lived at Jamaica, Long Island, N.Y. until 1783. Here were born ten children. What became of the four whose names and birth dates I omit I do not know. A foot note speaks of the third son James as having been married little more than a year when the war broke out. None of the others had married.

So in May 1783 Samuel, with at least six of his sons migrated to St. John, New Brunswick, at which time Kings Square will still a wilderness. Some time later a Grant of 500 acres of land was given Samuel and his youngest son, near the Kennebecasis River and in Kings County. The married son, James, with his wife, Elizabeth (Shaw) Keirstead got land not far out of St. John, near the above river at Gondola Pt. Isaiah and Benjamin, who were near of an age went farther up the Kennebecasis to its tributary, also in Kings County. Here, when he was 27 years old, Benjamin married Jemima Bonnell, descendant of William Bonnell, who had come from England to Connecticut in 1638/9.

The following January Isaiah, now nearing 30 years, married Elizabeth, daughter of Benjamin Lester. This marriage lasted 60 years, each living to 90 years of age. Eleven children were born to them, only one of which was a girl. Ten young men to carry on the family name! All had good sized families.

The oldest son of Samuel, Johnson Keirstead, with his brother Hezekiah, ten years his junior, went up the St. John River to a place, now Gagetown, in Queens County. How or just where they got land is known to me. However, Johnson, when about 38, married Fanny Gallandel. To them were born five sons and three daughters. Hezekiah married Margaret Middleton and raised thirteen or fourteen children, twelve of whom were sons who grew up, married and scattered over New Brunswick, Maine and even to New York. One son lived to be nearly 94 years old.

WILLIAM THE SILENT

WILLIAM THE SILENT, known as the ninth Prince of Orange-Nassau, at the death of his cousin Rene, Prince of Orange, inherited both the title and lands in Southern France, thus becoming Prince of Orange-Nassau. He was born in 1533, (a descendant of the Ottonian line of Nassau) at Dillenburg, near Wiesbaden , Germany, of Protestant parents. At the insistance of Emperor Charles V, whose favorite Page he became, he was raised a Catholic. Early in life, it is claimed, he had a clandastine marriage with a young woman not of the Royal blood, which produced two children whom he named Wolfert and Sarah Webber. His first recognized marriage was to Annie of Ermont & Buren, by whom he had a daughter and a son, Phillip William, who died in 1616. In 1558 Annie died and in 1561 he married Anna, daughter of Elector Maurice of Saxony. From this marriage came Maurice and his sister. Two years before Annas death (and with the consent and approval of several Protestant Devines) William married Charlotte de Bourbon, a French Princess and run-away Nun, in 1573. There seems to be some doubt as to whether five or six daughters were born to them in the 10 years before William married, in 1583, Louisa de Coligny.

The Spanish opression of the Netherlands and the Spanish Inquisition caused William to break with his uncle, Phillip II. Together with his brother, Louis of Nassau, he rasied an army in defense of the Neteherlands. Phillip declared William a traitor and put a high price on his head. An attempt was made to stab him, inflicting a bad gash in his juglar. In 1576 the Spanish Army, under John of Austria, mutinied; the Netherlands united under William, and for a time overcame the Spanish forces. On July 10, 1584 Wm, was assinated by a French Catholic fanatic in the employ of Phillip. Louisa was left a widow with a six-month old baby, named Frederick Henry.

At the death of his father Maurice inherited the title and what was left of his fathers lands. He became head of the Army of Holland. The war went on and, at the age of 13, Frederick Henry entered his brothers camp on Aug. 4, 1597 to become one of Europes great Generals. In 1625, at the age of 68, Maurice died childless, leaving all his property to his half brother Frederick Henry. In 1626 Frederick had a son who eventually became Stadholder under title of William II. From 1625, when Frederick came to power, until his death in 1647 was known as the "Golden Age of Frederick Henry".

Wm.II, in 1641, married Mary, daughter of Charles I of England. His son, William, was born in 1642. At the death of his father in 1650 the title descended to the eight year old boy as William III. A Regent was appointed. In 1677 he married his cousin , Mary Stuart, daughter of James II, formerly known as James, Duke of York, in whose honor the name of New Amsterdam was changed to New York.

This same James made a grant of land in New Jersey to 12 men, among whom was Rev. Obadiah Holmes and his son, Capt. Jonathan Holmes, Obadiah was grandfather to Anna Holmes, who married Dr. Jacobus Kierstead, grandfather of Samuel Kierstead, who took his six sons to N.B. 1783.

In 1688 Wm. and Mary were crowned King and Queen of England. They died childless in 1702. With the death of Wm. III the House of Orange passed to John Wm Frisco, who died in 1711, leaving everything to his son, Wm Charles Henry Frisco, who married Anna, daughter of Geo. II of England, in 1734 and was made Stadholder in 1747 under title of Wm. IV and died in 1751. His son , Wm V, in 1766 at the age of 18, married Princess Fredericka Sophia Wilhelmina, niece of Frederick the Great of Prussia. In 1795 he left Holland never to return. His son, Wm Frederick, born in 1772, became King of Holland, under the title of William I in 1815.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The compiler of this record of KIERSTEADS in NEW BRUNSWICK wishes to express grateful acknowledgement of the kindness and help tendered to her by many persons in the bringing together of names and dates of these records; and while she realizes that they are very incomplete, she wishes to assure her friends and helpers that this amount of material could not have been gathered without the help they so freely gave. She was allowed to copy freely such records as they possessed, both in Family Bibles and other lists. Many others gave from memory such details as they remembered from many years ago.

It is impossible to name them all, but we wish to mention the names of some aged persons and others who have gone to their rest since this information was given nearly fifty years ago. Some of these were not even of Kierstead descent, but had been neightbors of Kierstead families.

Mr. and Mrs. James Ganong Kierstead of Collins were nearly 90 when I visited them. Maria Walker was 87. Barbara Folkins, Mrs. Robert Dixon, and Richard Sprague were each 81. The latter lived to be 99. Mrs. Robert Williams was 80. Mordecai Kierstead and wife were well towards 80. Justice of Peace, J.A.S. Kierstead was 78. Rebecca Alcorn, Lucy Ellison, Aaron Kierstead, Marvin House, Joseph Parker Patterson, Kate Berry, Polly Brown, Cassie Parlee, Martin Kierstead were all well over 60, and their memories clear.

Gray Sprague, Oscar Horseman, Amine Deyea, Annie Campbell, Weldon Bonnell, Abram Goggin, all freely gave information. I think all these I have mentioned have finished their earthly courses.

Many persons still living-- too numerous to mention-- have helped with records, letters and information. To all I express my gratitude.

Signed, Mrs. Martin Kierstead
(signature - Mrs. Martin Kierstead)

Perhaps around 1924 I became much more interested in knowing my ancestors back of my grandparents. Therefore I began asking my mother's mother for information. She was approaching 80, had a very active mind and knew, I found out, much of the lineage back to the Loyalists who arrived in New Brunswick, in 1783.

In time I met another member of the family whose husband was a cousin to my grandmother. She had been gathering information for many years. We exchanged material until she became blind. I asked her if I might have her material and carry on the work. Eventually she sent me word to come and get what she had worked so hard to complete. At that time she was 90 years old, blind for two or three years but with a mind keen as a razor.

I have done what I could in the limited time available to me. I am close to 83 years and feel I should close up the work and get it in print, that many others may enjoy knowing more of their ancestors. I have enjoyed meeting and getting to know many fine people who have been very cooperative. I thank all of you. I would like to include your names but space does not permit.

No doubt many will be disappointed that their names do not appear; my time and means have been limited. In closing I want to make special mention of three people; my grandmother who was a quite wonderful lady, Sophia Gregg Kierstead. My cousin, Ethel Irene Holmes Joslin, who has helped with both time and finance. Mrs. Martin Keirstead who had faith in me and instructed her great work to me to finish.

Signed, Enoch A. Markham
(signature - Enoch A. Markham)

Death	1666
Marriage	29 JUN 1642/46	SARAH JANS ROELOFFSON
Birth		Magdeburg, Austria

Spouse	SARAH JANS ROELOFFSON ( - 1693)
Child	HANS KIERSTEDE , JR., DR. (1644 - )
Child	ROELOF JANS KIERSTEDE , DR. ( - 1685)
Child	ANNA KIERSTEDE (1651 - )
Child	BLANDINA KIERSTEDE (1653 - 1702)
Child	JOHNNANES (JOHN) KIERSTEDE , DR. (1655 - 1710)
Child	LUCAS KIERSTEDE (1657 - )
Child	CATHARYN (CATHERINE) KIERSTEDE (1660 - )
Child	JACOBUS KIERSTEDE (1662 - )
Child	JACOBUS KIERSTEDE , DR. (1663 - 1702)
Child	RACHEL KIERSTEDE (1665 - )