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Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs:
Voorhees

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[This information is from Vol. III, pp. 1014-1017 of Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs, edited by Cuyler Reynolds (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1911). It is in the Reference collection of the Schenectady County Public Library at R 929.1 R45. Some of the formatting of the original, especially in lists of descendants, may have been altered slightly for ease of reading.]

The earliest member of the family of whom there is definite information is Coert Alberts of Voorhees, father of the emigrant ancestor, Steven Coerte Van Voorhees, and from the fact of his second name being Albert with the terminal letter s, meaning "son of," we know his father's name was Albert, who had eight other children, most of them coming to America. The meaning of the Dutch name Van Voorhees is "from before Hees," "Van" meaning from, Voor meaning before, or in front of, and Hees being a small village about a quarter of a mile south of the town of Ruinen in the Province of Drenthe, Holland, which contained in 1660 nine houses and about fifty inhabitants. The original name Van Voorhees has been subjected to many curious changes, and has been written Van Voorheesen, Van Vooheeze, Van Voorhuysen, Van Voorheese, Van Voorhase, Van Voorhaise, Van Voorhouse, Van Voorhois, and in the present day different branches of the family write it Voorhis, Voorheis, Voris, Vorus, Voorhees, Voorhies, Voorhes and Vores. The prevailing method is Voorhees, without the Van. In Bergen county, New Jersey, it is almost always written Voorhis.

(II) Steven Coerte Van Voorhees, son of Coert Alberts of Voorhees, was born in 1600 at Hees, Holland. He emigrated from before the village of Hees in the province of Drenthe, Holland, in April, 1660, in the ship "Bonte Koe" (Spotted Cow), Captain Pieter Lucassen, with his wife and all his children except his two daughters, Hendrickjen and Merghin. He purchased, November 29, 1660, from Cornelis Dircksen Hoogland, "9 morgens of cornland, 7 morgens of woodland, 10 morgens of plainland and 5 morgens of salt meadow," in the Flatlands of Long Island, for three thousand guilders. Also the house and house plot lying in the village of "Amersfoort in Bergen" (Flatlands), with the brewery and all the brewing apparatus, kettle house and casks, with the appurtenances, as per page 37 of Liber B of Flatbush records. He married, in Holland, a wife (name unknown), who was the mother of all his children. He married (second), prior to 1677, on Long Island, Willempie Roelofse Seubering. Both Steven and his second wife were members of the Dutch church of Flatlands in 1677. His name appears as magistrate in 1664. His will is dated August 25, 1677. Children:

  1. Hendrickjen Stevense, married Jan Kiers; she came over from Holland several years after her parents.
  2. Merghin Stevense, married Remmelt Willemse; she resided in 1684 at Dwingelo, Holland, with her son-in-law, Jan Van Etchen.
  3. Coert Stevense, see forward.
  4. Lucas Stevense, of Hackensack, New Jersey; married Catherine Hansen Van Noortstrand.
  5. Jan Stevense, married Cornelia Reincers Wizzel-penning; (second), Femmetje Aukes Van Nuyse.
  6. Albert Stevense, a large landowner of Hackensack, New Jersey, and one of the organizers of the first Dutch church there, of which he was one of the two first elders. He married (first) Barentie Willemse; (second) Lilletje Reinniers Wizzel-penning; (third) Helena Van Der Dhure.
  7. Altje Stevense, married Barrent Jurianz Ryder, the ancestor of the Gravesend, Long island, family of Ryder.
  8. Jannetie Stevense, married (first) Jan Martense Schenck, (second) Alexander Sympson.
  9. Hendrickje Stevense, married (first) Jan Riverstead, (second) Albert Albertse Terhune, of Flatlands, Long Island, and Hackensack, New Jersey.
  10. Abraham Stevense, married Altje Strycker.

(III) Coert Stevense, son of Steven Coert Van Voorhees, was born 1637, died after 1702. His name appears on the assessment rolls of Flatlands, Long Island, of 1675 and 1683. He was a member of the Dutch church of Flatlands and a deacon in 1677; a magistrate in 1664 and 1673; captain of militia in 1689. He was a representative from Flatlands in the general assembly, held in New Amsterdam, April 10, 1664, and was delegate to the convention held at New Orange in 1674, to confer with Governor Colve. He took the oath of allegiance in Flatlands, September, 1687. He owned much land and appears in many transfers of property. He married, prior to 1664, Marretje Gerritse Van Couwenhovenn, baptized April 10, 1644, died between 1702 and 1709. Children:

  1. Steven Coerte, married Agatha Janse.
  2. Marretje Coerte, married Jacob Remsen.
  3. Albert Coerte, married (first) Sara W. Cornell, (second) Willentje Suydam; (third) Ida Vanderbilt.
  4. Gerrit Coerte, see forward.
  5. Altje Coerte, married (first) Johannes Willemse; (second) Joost Rutfertse Van Brunt.
  6. Neeltje Coerte, married Jarret R. Schenck, of Monmouth county, New Jersey.
  7. Cornelis Coerte, married Antje Remsen.
  8. Annatje Coertia, married Jan Rapalje.
  9. Johannes Coerte, married Barbara Van Dyck.

(IV) Gerrit Coerte, son of Coert Stevense and Marretje Gerritse (Van Couwenhovenn) Van Voorhees, was a member of the Flatlands Dutch church in 1677, and took the oath of allegiance in that place, as a native, in 1687. His name appears on the census of Flatlands taken in 1698. He owned a good portion of real estate and seems to have been prosperous. His will dated October, 1702, proved September 23, 1704, is recorded in the surrogate's office, New York City; it contains this peculiar clause: "if my said wife happens to remarry," etc. He married (first) Mensie Janse; (second), August 26, 1685, Willemtje Pieters, died 1744. Children:

  1. Coert Gerritse, of Gravesend, Long Island; married Neeltje Remsen and had issue, whose descendants may be found all over Long Island, New Jersey and New York.
  2. Altje Gerritse, married Johannes Willemse.
  3. Marytie Gerritse, married Jan Remsen.
  4. Peter Gerritse, baptized December 10, 1694; removed from Flatlands, Long Island, because unwilling to pay tithes to the English church; he purchased two hundred and thirty-one acres of land near Blawenburg, Somerset county, New Jersey, on which he settled; he married Ariantie Nevius.

(V) Hendrick Gerritse, son of Gerrit Coerte and his second wife, Willemtje (Pieters) Voorhees, married (first), May 3, 1717, Jannetje Andrease, daughter of Andreas Jansen, of Flatbush, Long Island; (second) Jannetje Van Arsdalen; (third), 1737, Sarah Schenck, daughter of Jan Roelofse and Sarah (Kouwenhoven) Schenck, and widow of Johannis Voorhees, of Piscataway, New Jersey. Hendrick Gerritse was resident, first of Flatlands, Long Island, later near Freehold, Monmouth county, New Jersey. Children:

  1. Garret, died in infancy.
  2. Willempie, married Peter Albertse Couwenhovenn and resided near Freehold, New Jersey; had five children.
  3. Gerrit, died in infancy.
  4. Andreas, married Antie Sutphen, had two children.
  5. John, always lived in Monmouth county; married Altje ————, and had two children.
  6. Peter.
  7. Jane, married Garrett Van Derveer, had four children.
  8. Nelke.
  9. William, married Caty Honce, had nine children.
  10. Hendrick, see forward.

(VI) Hendrick, youngest child of Hendrick Gerritse and Sarah (Schenck) (Voorhees) Voorhees, was born May 12, 1740, died November 12, 1827. He removed in 1782 from Monmouth county, New Jersey, to Montgomery county, New York, settling in Charleston, where he was a farmer the remainder of his life. He married, March 25, 1765, Jane Lesley (or Leslie), died September 6, 1811. Children:

  1. Peter, married Anna Woolston, and had eight children; one of his sons was Dr. Samuel Voorhees, a physician of Amsterdam.
  2. Sarah, married Adonijah Peacock, of New Jersey.
  3. Margaret, died in infancy.
  4. John H., see forward.
  5. Ann, married William Printup.
  6. James, married Mary Van Middlesworth Wychoff, and had five children.

(VII) John H., son of Hendrick and Jane (Lesley) Voorhees, was born February 25, 1772, died November 9, 1848. He married Beulah Sheldon; children:

  1. Ann, married John Van Deweer.
  2. Ruth, married Abram Vought.
  3. Henry, married Mary Steves; eight children.
  4. Alexander, married Eliza Barnard; four children.
  5. James.
  6. John Lesley, married Catherine Ann Enders, six children.
  7. Daniel.
  8. Isaac Newton, see forward.
  9. William, married (first) Helen M. Serviss; (second) Laura A. Gilbert; one of his daughters married Rev. Sheldon Jackson, the missionary.

(VIII) Isaac Newton, son of John H. and Beulah (Sheldon) Voorhees, was born August 2, 1810, in Montgomery county, New York, died January 17, 1897. He followed the occupation of a farmer and was a man of substance. He was a member of the Reformed church, and a Republican in politics. He married, January 17, 1840, Maria Enders, born November 9, 1817, died February, 1903. Children:

  1. Jacob, born May 25, 1841; married Anna Rice.
  2. John, August 22, 1843, died in 1867.
  3. Catherine E., born December 2, 1846, unmarried.
  4. Peter M., born 1849, died in infancy.
  5. Sheldon, born February 8, 1852; married Elizabeth Van Alstyne.
  6. William H., see forward.
  7. David Enders; born February 13, 1858: married, 1884, Alice McTaggart; children: Irene, Helen, Milton, Clifford, Vera, Herbert and an infant.

(IX) William H., son of Isaac Newton and Maria (Enders) Voorhees, was born in Glen, Montgomery county, New York, November 3, 1854, died March 28, 1904. He was a prosperous farmer of Glen, and a Republican politically. He married, October 19, 1881, Alice Van Horne, born January 14, 1859, who survives him and continues the management of the farm, assisted by her sons. She is a woman of education, refinement, and unusual business ability. She is a member of the Reformed church, and a highly respected member of the community. Children:

  1. Infant, born and died June 1, 1883.
  2. John, born September 29, 1884, died in childhood.
  3. Schuyler G., born October 6, 1887; educated first in the rural and town schools, a graduate of Albany Business College, and completed his education with a short course at the Agricultural College of Cornell University; returning to the farm he assumed the management of his father's estate, which is situated near Mill Point, in town of Glen.
  4. Elizabeth Beulah, born March 23, 1893, died in infancy.
  5. Isaac N., born November 4, 1895.
  6. Maria H., born November 27, 1900.

(The Van Horne Line)

Mrs. Alice (Van Horne) Voorhees is a descendant in the ninth generation of Cornelissen Van Hooren, the emigrant ancestor of the Van Hornes of Montgomery county, New York.

There have been intermarriages with other lines of the family and with the Couenhovens of New Jersey (now Conover), the Schuylers, Putnams, Van Derveers, and many other of the old families of New Amsterdam and New Jersey. She is a daughter of Schuyler and Elizabeth (Shelp) Van Horne. From Captain Abram Van Horne, of the fourth generation in America, the descent is as follows:

(IV) Captain Abram Van Horne married Anchie Couenhoven.

(V) Matthew, son of Captain Abram Van Horne, married Nelly Crum.

(VI) Cornelius, son of Matthew Van Horne, married Eve Frederick. He settled in Glen and founded the family in Montgomery county.

(VII) Cornelius C., son of Cornelius Van Horne, was born in Glen, January 15, 1794, died November 28, 1882; married Hannah Van Horne, of the same ancestry, born July 4, 1796, died July 11, 1879. Children:

  1. Evaline, married Victor A. Putnam; children: Anna and John Putnam.
  2. James, married Mary E. Johnson; living children: Cornelius F. and Charles Van Horne.
  3. Elizabeth, died in infancy.
  4. Peter, died in infancy.
  5. Abram, married Anna E. Newkirk and left Edgar, Catherine and Anna Van Horne.
  6. Schuyler, see forward.
  7. Antoinette, died young.
  8. Anna, died in childhood.
  9. David, married Mary G. Van Horne; is of Dayton, Ohio; children: Jennie and Grace Van Horne.

(VIII) Schuyler, son of Cornelius C. and Hannah (Van Horne) Van Horne, was born September 25, 1831; married Elizabeth Shelp and had a son, Cornelius S., born June 8, 1854, married, September 27, 1876, Mary A. Van Horne, born October 7, 1858.

(IX) Alice, daughter of Schuyler and Elizabeth (Shelp) Van Horne, was born January 14, 1859, married William H. Voorhees (see Voorhees IX).

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