While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
Willem
Willemsen, the Long Island ancestor, was born in Holland in 1637, came
to New Amsterdam in the ship Concorde in 1657, and settled at Gravesend,
L.L., where his name appears on the tax list of 1683, and on the census of
Gravesend in 1698. He took the oath of allegiance to England in 1687.
In the allotment of lands, 1670, he drew lot 32, and
received another portion in 1700.
In his will dated Dec.1, 1721, recorded in the
surrogate's office, New York (p. 288, liber 9), and other contemporaneous
documents he signs his name Willem Willemsen. In 1715 he and his son
Nicholas were subscribers to a fund for the support of Dominies Freeman
and Antonides, who presided over the churches of Breuckelen, Flatlands,
Jamaica, Gravesend and New Utrecht. He married probably in 1678, Marye
Peterse Wyckoff, of Gravesend, born Oct. 17, 1653, daughter of Pieter
Classy Wyckoff, who emigrated to this country in 1636, and married Greitze,
daughter of Hendrick Van Ness. They had issue, Nicholas, born 1680,
Pieter, bap. April 16, 1682; Jacobus, Cornelis, Marretie, bap. April 12,
1685 (married Abm. Emans of Gravesend); Ann, bap. May 29, 1695 (married
John Griggs, Jr., of Gravesend.
Nicholas Williamson, eldest child of Willem and Mary
Peterse (Wyckoff) Willemsen, was born at Gravesend, L. I., in 1680. He was
an industrious and successful farmer. He married 1st in 1715, Lucrecy
Voorheese, daughter of Steven Corte Voorheese of Gravesend, and his wife,
Agatha Egge Janse, who (Voorheese) was of Flatlands, 1699, and of
Gravesend, 1725, son of Steven Corte Voorheese, who emigrated in 1660 from
Ruinen in Drenthe, and from in front of the hamlet of Hees, which
indicates the name. They had issue: Stephen, born July 1, 1716; Eva, bap.
July 13, 1718; Garret born March 15, 1728. He married 2d Ida Remsen,
daughter of Jeremias Remsen, and had Nicholas, bap. May 13, 1733;
Johannes, bap. May 13, 1733; Rem., born April 17, 1738; Cornelis, bap.
July 18, 1739; Antic, married Jacob Stillwill. The Williamsons of
Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend and New Utrecht are descendants of Nicholas
by his second wife.
Garret Williamson youngest child of Nicholas and Lucrecy (Voorhees)
Williamson, was born at Gravesend, L. I., March 15, 1728, died at
Neshanic, N. J., Jan. 17, 1790. He was an Elder in the Reformed Dutch
Church at Neshanic. He married Aug. 18, 1761, Charity Bennett (born April
30, 1731, died Oct. 27, 1783). They had issue: Nicholas, born Oct. 8,
1762, Cornelis, born March 28, 1764, Jacobus, July 10, 1768, Anne, April
3, 1767, Lucrecy, Dec. 25, 1768. He married 2d Jan. 14. 1787. Alche
Patterson; no issue.
Nicholas Williamson, Patriot of the Revolution, son of Gerret and
Charity (Bennett) Williamson, was born Oct. 8, 1762, died Aug. 18, 1856.
He served in the Revolution as a Minute Man, and was stationed for a time
at Perth Amboy. and was under fire from the British ships in Raritan Bay.
He was a farmer and storekeper at Neshanic, N. J. He was an Elder in the
Reformed Dutch church of that place, and a man of some influence. He
married June 10, 1788. Alche Ditmars (born Sept. 6, 1754, died April 15,
1846), daughter of Douwe Ditmars and Seytie Suydam, son of Douwe Jansen
Ditmars and Catharine Lott, son of Jan Jansen Ditmars, the ancestor, who
married Altie Douwe of Douwsen.
Nicholas Williamson, by his wife, Alche Ditmars, had Douw Ditmars, born
Jan. 4, 1789, and Garret, born March 7, 1798.
